47 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.
KFC created a new global chief brand officer role, signaling intensified focus on brand management amid competitive pressures in fast food.
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.
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.
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
Wendy's will remain public after activist investor Trian withdrew its take-private proposal, while the chain appointed a new CMO focused on marketing and customer growth—signaling continued operationa
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-
Pickleman's Gourmet Café appointed Jim Morey, an executive with experience at Wawa, Outback Steakhouse, and McDonald's, to its advisory board to support expansion efforts.
P.F. Chang's appointed Jim Mazany, a veteran of casual-dining chains including Applebee's and Joe's Crab Shack, to lead the brand as it seeks a turnaround—signaling renewed confidence in executing a p
Caribou Coffee appointed Zane Thomas-Rogers as COO, restructuring operations to separate coffeehouse management from warehouse and logistics oversight.
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.
CAVA's COO Douglas Thompson purchased 6,500 shares valued at $432,000, expanding his stake by 51%; insider buying activity may signal management confidence in the company's direction.
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.
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.
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.
Capriotti's is running a month-long promotional campaign in September offering weekly deals to rewards members, part of its 50th anniversary marketing push.
Starbucks veteran Rob Dellinger has joined Whataburger as Vice President of Restaurant Technology, signaling the chain's push to strengthen its digital and operational infrastructure.
Mo' Bettahs promoted Kylee Arreaga to VP of Marketing after two years leading efforts that strengthened the brand's marketing organization during its national expansion.
KFC promoted an executive internally, Sweetgreen launched a 30-day customer challenge, and a South Korean bakery-cafe chain plans a U.S. debut.
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.
The Points Guy compared loyalty programs across three major coffee chains, assessing their relative value and benefits for customers.
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.
Maria Rivera, former Krispy Kreme president, has launched RC Hospitality Group to support emerging restaurant brands led by female and minority entrepreneurs.
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
Hai Hospitality, the Austin-based restaurant group behind Uchi and related concepts, appointed Carl Segal as its first Chief Operating Officer, effective August 24, signaling the group's move toward f
HB Protein Smoothies appointed Tyler Doolittle to lead real estate and expansion efforts.
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
CC's Coffee House appointed Bailey Richard as Director of Marketing to support the brand's efforts to expand its reach and positioning.
KFC franchise operator Gerard Nicholas was recognised for 50 years with the brand, signalling the value of long-term franchisee loyalty in the QSR sector.
Smashburger renewed its Arizona State University athletics sponsorship for a third consecutive year, expanding its presence at game-day activations.
Case study of a regional chain's loyalty marketing leadership — useful for peer benchmark, but limited to vendor audience context.
Vendor-published loyalty ROI data claims high returns, but lacks named restaurant customer case studies or implementation specifics.
Vendor content on tier-program UX best practices — useful reference for loyalty designers, but no news about brand deployments or competitive shifts.
Vendor content marketing on share-of-wallet and frequency strategy — generic framework with no restaurant brand case study or product announcement.
Consumer-facing promotional listicle with no operator insight into loyalty program mechanics, effectiveness, or multi-location deployment strategy.