111 stories · last 7 days by relevance
Scooter's Coffee has expanded to 555 drive-thru locations while competitors like Dutch Bros and 7 Brew pursue aggressive site acquisition and Black Rock navigates public markets, signaling sustained i
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.
Houston TX Hot Chicken is opening a second U.K. location in London's Brunswick Centre through a master franchise agreement with PizzaExpress, signaling potential for U.S. hot chicken concepts to gain
Red Robin has refranchised 108 restaurants to three operators, generating $89.4 million in proceeds, with eight additional closures planned through fiscal 2026—a shift that signals the chain's retreat
TGI Fridays is expanding into the Balkans through a partnership with Devolli Group to open 10 restaurants, signaling continued international growth in emerging markets.
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.
Harri finished deploying its workforce management platform across all 2,112 U.S. Jack in the Box locations in a five-month rollout completed December 1, 2025, signaling a major shift toward centralize
Kayla Edidin has taken a majority stake and COO role at Red Door Brands following a challenging period for the franchise operator, signaling a leadership transition aimed at stabilizing the company.
The Credit Card Competition Act has gained bipartisan backing and three new sponsors, signaling renewed momentum in legislative efforts to address swipe fee costs that burden businesses.
Franchised chains are outperforming company-operated models on Wall Street — a signal that asset-light structures are reshaping how investors value restaurant growth.
California regulators penalized Dickey's Barbecue Pit for deceptive practices toward franchise entrepreneurs, signaling enforcement of disclosure standards in the QSR franchise sector.
Erbert & Gerbert's is opening two new campus locations at the University of Central Missouri and Indiana Wesleyan University, operated through Sodexo, extending the brand's reach into college foodserv
Sbarro's CEO credits brand repositioning and expansion into convenience stores and international markets with enabling the chain to open over 100 units annually for the past four years.
US Foods launched Menu IQ, a tool that analyzes photographs of handwritten recipes to calculate food costs within minutes, addressing a pain point in restaurant operations.
The Coffee Club is pursuing franchise expansion as its growth strategy.
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
Sbarro's CEO discusses the brand's turnaround as the 70-year-old pizzeria moves beyond its mall-based legacy, signaling renewed strategic focus in a competitive casual dining market.
Grimaldi's is expanding its presence in Southwest Florida.
Evergreens, a Seattle-based fast-casual chain founded in 2012, has launched a franchise program targeting 12 Western states, signaling a shift from company-operated growth to franchisee-led expansion.
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
Little Caesars opened its first military base location last year and now has four additional units planned across U.S. Navy installations, signaling expansion into a new channel with captive, high-fre
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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-
Evergreen is offering reduced royalty rates to attract its first franchisees, with the chain's top-performing company-owned locations (excluding airports) averaging over $1.45 million in annual sales
Mellow Mushroom is pursuing franchise expansion in Indianapolis, signaling confidence in the market's growth trajectory.
WOWorks, which operates six restaurant brands including Saladworks and Zoup!, has opened 23 locations year-to-date with 15 more in development, signaling continued momentum in its multi-brand expansio
Franchisors balancing national brand consistency with local franchisee marketing effectiveness — a key lever for system-wide performance and franchisee retention.
Sbarro, marking its 70th anniversary, is undergoing a turnaround after years of decline, signaling that legacy casual-dining concepts can reinvent themselves through strategic repositioning beyond the
A recent ruling involving Starbucks has highlighted tensions between maintaining brand standards and complying with labor rights obligations.
Denny's launched a Fall Fest Menu nationwide featuring autumn-themed dishes with apple and pumpkin offerings.
Former fitness entrepreneur Steele Smiley exited his 900+ franchise fitness business to launch CRISP & GREEN, a healthy fast-food brand now operating 53 locations; the move signals entrepreneur convic
Panera modified its rewards program structure, signaling an effort to deepen customer retention through revised earning mechanics.
SoundHound AI and Acrelec have partnered to develop AI-powered drive-thru technology, signaling continued investment in voice-ordering automation for quick-service restaurants.
Huddle House is offering franchising discounts to attract multi-unit operators, as the chain seeks to reverse recent net closures and boost unit growth.
Aggregate of seasonal menu drops and single-franchise openings — illustrative of mid-market promotional activity but no systemic operator insight.
Dickey's Barbecue Pit incurred a $36.8K regulatory fine and $700K arbitration loss, signaling potential franchise relationship or compliance challenges within the chain.
Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons have launched a partnership to enhance their loyalty programs.
Pilot Flying J has deployed fast-food kiosks at its locations that integrate third-party delivery apps, signaling a shift toward digital ordering infrastructure in the convenience-store channel.
Jollibee is celebrating a decade in Canada with a promotional campaign and plans to open 26 additional restaurants, signaling continued confidence in the market despite competitive quick-service press
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.
Rosati's Pizza plans to open 11 locations within 90 days, signaling accelerated franchise expansion momentum for the Chicago-style pizza chain.
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.
Multiple small-to-mid-size brands expanding regionally — Houston TX Hot Chicken's UK deal via PizzaExpress is the only story with material multi-unit growth signal.
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.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers signed an eight-unit franchise agreement to expand in Arkansas and Texas, continuing its franchise growth strategy in the South.
Pizza Hut closed hundreds of locations last year amid a transition in ownership.
Heal Wellness QSR has opened its 50th and 51st locations, continuing its expansion in the quick-service wellness segment.