The Latest

  • 5 chefs work in a restaurant kitchens
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    lechatnoir via Getty Images
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    Restaurant trend outlook for 2024

    Slow traffic, growing interest in afternoon snacking and trends toward value menus, digital and in-store personalization will shape the restaurant landscape.

  • An image of flatbread pizza with a hand pulling a square piece off and cheese stretching from the piece.
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    Permission granted by Pizza Hut
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    Pizza Hut launches largest topping revamp in over a decade

    The QSR also added Chicago Tavern-Style pizza to its menu and claims to be the first global pizza chain to offer this type of thin crust.

  • Guests play arcade games at Dave & Buster's.
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    Mark Davis via Getty Images
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    Dave & Buster’s sees customer satisfaction growth despite higher game prices

    Guest satisfaction scores are at historical highs, and CEO Chris Morris believes there is room to increase game prices without taking a hit.

  • Three lavash wraps with meats inside stacked in a triangle on top of wrappers that say Subway.
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    Permission granted by Subway
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    Subway dips into more snack items with latest menu addition

    Three new Footlong Dippers will further enhance the company’s Sidekicks menu, which has sold nearly 30 million items since it launched in January.

  • A Qdoba store around dusk.
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    Permission granted by Qdoba
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    Qdoba offers $100K cash bonus to spur new franchisee commitments

    The company aims to double its store count in seven years and will reward new and existing operators who open units by September 2026.

  • wawa
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    Retrieved from Wawa press release.
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    Wawa’s Hoagiefest continues a run of foodservice value deals

    With 62% of U.S. consumers eating less fast food due to inflation, c-stores and restaurants are leaning more into discounts and promotions.

  • An image of a sign post with yellow print that says drive-thru
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s ends IBM drive-thru voice order test

    The fast food chain still sees a future for automated order taking at the drive-thru and expects to make a decision about the tech by year’s end.

  • An exterior image of a Shake Shack restaurant
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Shake Shack hires Arby’s vet as COO

    Stephanie Sentell, who has over two decades of restaurant experience, will oversee operations at company-owned restaurants.

  • Dunkin' Dunkin'tern campaign
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    Courtesy of Dunkin'
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    Dunkin’ readies celeb-heavy ‘intern’ class for summer of culture plays

    The QSR has pivoted from Ben Affleck and friends to a group of celebrities and content creators that span music, fashion and gaming.

  • Smith v. Spizzirri Supreme Court arbitration decision
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    Kevin Dietsch / Staff via Getty Images
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    Starbucks unionization efforts

    Supreme Court backs Starbucks to impose stricter test on NLRB injunctions

    The court ordered lower courts to use a four-factor test in place of the two-factor standard used by some circuits when determining whether to grant injunctions in labor disputes.

  • The headquarters of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, D.C.
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    Ryan Golden/Wedstraunt
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    Honolulu restaurant, HR company settle EEOC suit claiming co-owner targeted gay workers for harassment

    The co-owner allegedly exposed his genitals at work, asked for oral sex and commented on male workers’ sexual orientation, EEOC said.

  • A sign is posted in front of a McDonald's restaurant on April 28, 2022 in San Leandro, California.
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    Justin Sullivan / Staff via Getty Images
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    Traffic at QSR chains in California declines following minimum wage increase

    Price increases meant to offset the cost of the sector’s $20 minimum wage in the state have significantly dented customer visits, data from Placer.ai shows.

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    Courtesy of CKE
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    CKE appoints Papa Johns vet as chief technology and growth officer

    Justin Falciola will oversee information technology, digital strategy and operations and help deploy new technologies as the company invests in digital channels.

  • A McDonald's restaurant sign between trees. The sign reads, "McDonald's"
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s names next chief supply chain officer for North America

    Cesar Piña, a 10-year veteran of the company, will succeed Bob Stewart and focus on supply chain resiliency and sustainability.

  • An image of a Noodles & Company restaurant with outdoor seating
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    Courtesy of Noodles & Company
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    Noodles & Company appoints chief concept officer

    Scott Davis, who joins the troubled chain after serving as president and chief concept officer at CoreLife, was also concept chief at Panera for nearly three decades.

  • An image of a building with "Rubio's Coastal Grill" on the outside.
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    Permission granted by Rubio's Coastal Grill
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    What drove Rubio’s to declare bankruptcy again

    Despite completing a restructuring in 2020, the chain struggled to overcome macroeconomic headwinds that led to three years of negative EBITDA.

  • Portillo’s CFO Michelle Hook header
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    Permission granted by Michelle Hook
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    Q&A

    Portillo’s CFO Michelle Hook shares secret sauce for restaurant growth

    Hook talks about her job switch from Domino’s after 17 years, what creates passion for the work and how Portillo’s is viewing growth.

  • A Jack in the Box sign looms ominously from behind a hedge.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Jack in the Box to enter Georgia with 15-store deal

    The fast food chain’s move into the the Peach State is a major boost to its expansion strategy in the Southeast, which has also focused on Florida.

  • People holding signs and a bullhorn.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Uber loses gig worker court decision

    The battle over whether gig workers are independent contractors continues. A separate court case will decide the legality of a Lyft- and Uber-backed ballot measure in California that would define them as such.

  • An image of a man in a blue striped shirt crossing his arms
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    Permission granted by Corner Bakery
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    Corner Bakery promotes COO to president

    Erin Hasselgren, who returned to the chain as COO in 2023, has become the company’s fifth president and first under new owner SSCP.

  • A menu with photos of shrimp, lobster tail with "The Utlimate Way to celebrate any day" underneath. The menu sits atop a dark table.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    What operators can learn from Red Lobster’s downfall

    While the full-service chain’s food options have remained relatively unchanged during the past few decades, restaurants like Angry Crab Shack have found success by constantly innovating.

  • A Waffle House in Alabama.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Waffle House workers claim organizing prompted companywide wage bumps

    While CEO Joe Rogers III said wage increases were five years in the making, they also come months after organized workers went on strike at several stores calling for higher pay.

  • Flavor Flav clock for Red Lobster
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    Courtesy of Red Lobster
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    Red Lobster says it’s ‘here to stay’ with Flavor Flav-led campaign

    To combat doomsaying around its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the seafood chain is going full steam ahead on its Crabfest promotion.

  • An image of Tijuana Flats
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    Permission granted by Tijuana Flats
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    Tijuana Flats appoints turnaround expert as CEO

    James Greco, who has helped revitalize brands like Sbarro and Bruegger’s, joins the fast casual brand two months after it declared bankruptcy.

  • A Cumberland Farms store in Colorado
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    Courtesy of EG Group
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    EG America to debut $5 meal deal

    The convenience retailer is beefing up its foodservice program with the new promotion, which will be available from mid-June through early September.