71 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 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.
Twosome Place, a South Korean café brand with a 25-year history, is launching its first U.S. location in Alexandria, Virginia as part of a broader domestic expansion strategy.
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.
Pizza operators are expanding into fast-growing Sun Belt markets like Texas and Tennessee, targeting communities with incoming population and development, signaling where category growth may concentra
Chipotle opened its first Asian location in Seoul, South Korea, through a partnership with Sangmidang Holdings, signaling an expansion beyond North America.
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.
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-
QSR brands are reconsidering site selection criteria beyond traditional metrics like traffic counts and demographics, moving toward evaluations based on how customers actually move through locations.
New York City's mayor signed legislation allowing outdoor dining on roadways year-round and permitting winterized structures, signaling a shift toward permanent infrastructure for al fresco service.
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
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.
A global dining company is closing 261 restaurants, including a steakhouse chain.
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.
WOWorks opened 23 new restaurants and announced plans for 15 additional locations, signaling continued momentum in its multi-brand expansion strategy.
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.
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.
Commercial real estate dynamics are shifting the restaurant landscape, with industry experts discussing how operators should adapt to changing lease and location strategies.
Wing Snob, a fast-casual chicken wing chain using never-frozen chicken, plans to open seven locations in the greater Indianapolis area through Indiana-based operator JHN Group.
WOWorks announced plans for 23 restaurant openings in 2026, with 15 additional locations in development.
Capriotti's is running a month-long promotional campaign in September offering weekly deals to rewards members, part of its 50th anniversary marketing push.
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.
CAVA is targeting 75–77 net new restaurant openings in 2026, supported by strong performance from recent vintages and broad-based demand signals.
Caffè Nero's parent company reported record £670m in sales and announced plans to open 80+ new stores in the current year, signaling continued expansion appetite despite broader UK retail headwinds.
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.
Culver's is opening another location in Florida as part of its expansion in the state.
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.
Scooter's Coffee operates 555 drive-thru locations amid a surge in competition from Dutch Bros, 7 Brew, and others in the accelerating drive-thru coffee segment.
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
Brooklyn Water Bagel has opened its first location on a college campus at Nova Southeastern University.
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
Walk-On's is launching a smaller, redesigned sports bar format.
Single-location opening with no signal on Cava's expansion strategy or market performance.
A Flying Biscuit Cafe franchisee is opening a fourth location in Raleigh, signaling continued confidence in the brand's expansion potential within the market.
Vandelay Companies is opening a Hudson House location in Southlake, Texas on September 11, expanding its East Coast–inspired restaurant concept across the state.
