54 stories · last 7 days by relevance
Loyalty programs alone are insufficient to boost visit frequency at QSRs; making loyalty interactions more relevant to individual customers is needed to drive repeat visits.
Domino's introduced a Detroit-style pizza offering while Popeyes reintroduced a $6 Big Box promotion, amid signs that fast-food consumers' perception of value is eroding.
Dining behavior data from Zest shows that frequency and habit drive restaurant choices more than active deliberation, suggesting operators should focus on building repeat visits over one-time attracti
Research indicates that expanding restaurant chains demonstrate stronger digital visibility across search, reviews, social platforms, and AI compared to contracting chains, suggesting that growth and
KFC Global appointed Amy Ellis Durini as Chief Brand Officer in a newly created role, reporting to CEO Scott Mezvinsky starting November 2026, to lead global brand strategy and loyalty initiatives.
Bundles serve as a value-communication tool for restaurants without explicit discounting, but their effectiveness appears to vary by daypart—suggesting operators may need distinct bundling strategies
Restaurant operators can use data and AI to gain visibility across multi-unit systems while preserving human judgment in decision-making, suggesting that technology works best as a complement to opera
PAR Technology launched Guest360, a guest data platform that tracks restaurant customers across transactions regardless of loyalty program enrollment, designed to work with its existing Punchh loyalty
A CEO reports that consumers are expressing dissatisfaction with fast-food pricing, signaling potential pressure on chains to reconsider their pricing strategies.
Papa John's brand perception index has improved year-over-year, but the chain still trails competitors in value and customer satisfaction measures.
McDonald's loyalty program collects granular customer data including visit frequency predictions and churn scores, illustrating how QSR operators now build detailed behavioral profiles that extend wel
Burger King is running a weeklong promotional series for Royal Perks members from September 14–20, anchored around National Cheeseburger Day with daily deals including a free Rodeo Burger and buy-one-
Industry experts debate whether recent moves at Wendy's and Pizza Hut will improve performance, while data indicates independent restaurants are gaining ground relative to chains.
Denny's launched a Fall Fest Menu nationwide featuring autumn-themed dishes with apple and pumpkin offerings.
Panera modified its rewards program structure, signaling an effort to deepen customer retention through revised earning mechanics.
Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons have launched a partnership to enhance their loyalty programs.
Haidilao has adopted Infobip's data-driven personalization platform to enhance its global loyalty program, suggesting the chain is investing in customer retention tools as it expands internationally.
Family-dining chains face headwinds as consumers increasingly opt for specialized dining concepts instead of traditional multi-category venues.
Fast Casual Executive Summit (Oct. 4-6 in Arlington, Texas) will explore how integrating fragmented tech systems into a unified customer view can improve returns for fast casual brands.
McDonald's is testing whether international markets can sustain growth through value deals, menu innovation, and loyalty initiatives despite ongoing consumer pressure.
New research indicates GLP-1 adoption patterns are more dynamic and demographically varied than commonly assumed, with men underrepresented in typical characterizations and restaurant-level usage diff
Farmer Boys is discounting its Big Cheese cheeseburger to $3.99 for rewards members on National Cheeseburger Day, a promotional move that signals chains are using calendar-driven occasions to drive lo
Loyalty programs are increasingly serving as data collection tools rather than purely transactional offers, enabling restaurants to build first-party customer insights.
Major QSR's first-ever loyalty program represents a late-to-market entrant entering a table-stakes competitive battleground with 100+ units expected.
Coffee concepts are gaining share while pizza concepts face headwinds, and some established QSR chains are undergoing turnarounds, according to Restaurant Dive's Q2 2026 analysis.
Capriotti's is running a month-long promotional campaign in September offering weekly deals to rewards members, part of its 50th anniversary marketing push.
Wendy's promoted a new CMO, Pizza Hut separated from Yum Brands, and independent restaurants have seen sales growth, according to a debate between industry analysts.
Over half of Americans support rounding up purchases for charity, signaling potential for QSRs to mobilize customer bases for fundraising tied to education, hunger, and disaster relief causes.
A restaurant's reservation system captures customer data from busy service nights, creating a record of guest information.
Industry experts are examining the potential federal definition of ultra-processed foods and its implications for restaurant operators, signaling possible regulatory shifts ahead.
The Points Guy compared loyalty programs across three major coffee chains, assessing their relative value and benefits for customers.
A new research roundup from Modern Restaurant Management covers consumer traffic patterns, resale market dynamics, menu pricing, workplace meal programs, private chef demand, and sports bar attributes
An e-commerce risk expert has identified fraud as a significant vulnerability in restaurant loyalty programs.
QSR Magazine reports that value incentives are undermining restaurant loyalty programs, suggesting operators may need to reconsider how discounts and deals interact with program retention strategies.
QSR Magazine published a report on average-unit volumes for emerging quick-service restaurant brands in 2026.
Dillas Quesadillas is running loyalty-program promotions tied to National Queso Day and National Quesadilla Day across its 11 Texas and Louisiana locations.
Bloom Intelligence reports that high-frequency restaurant guests (10+ visits) represent 2.7% of typical guestbooks, suggesting modern segmentation strategies now layer behavioral signals beyond tradit
Lower-ABV cocktails like spritzes and earlier happy hours emerged as top drinking trends over recent months, according to Square data—signaling operators may see sustained demand for lighter, session-
GLP-1 drugs are altering taste perception among users, signaling that food brands may need to reformulate products or marketing strategies to accommodate shifting consumer palate preferences.
Pokeworks is running September-long promotions including tiered bonus points for loyalty members and Labor Day offers, signaling continued focus on member engagement and seasonal traffic drivers.
Restaurant operators are increasingly shifting focus from transaction-based metrics like cover counts to guest lifetime value, suggesting a broader industry move toward understanding and retaining ind
The FDA is working to define ultra-processed foods, a regulatory effort that signals potential future shifts in how restaurants may need to disclose or market products.
Buc-ee's has built a high-volume convenience model around foodservice, merchandising, and facility standards that differentiate it in the category.
Smashburger renewed its Arizona State University athletics sponsorship for a third consecutive year, expanding its presence at game-day activations.
Operator interviews surface industry sentiment and operational challenges — useful for understanding pizza-segment best practices and pain points.
A benchmarking database of 100+ major chains and operators can help brands contextualize unit economics, ownership structures, and franchise network scale against peers.
Market-size projection with no chain-specific or operator-actionable insight — trend-signaling only.
Case study of a regional chain's loyalty marketing leadership — useful for peer benchmark, but limited to vendor audience context.