The Latest
-
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.
-
Sponsored by Square
The top restaurant trends in 2024
Restaurant owners crave tools that provide better insights that they can use to connect with their customers, integrate with other solutions, and receive real-time information about the health of their business.
-
Pizza Hut taps Wendy’s exec as US president
Carl Loredo, Wendy’s former global chief marketing officer, joins the pizza chain after U.S. sales slid 6% year over year last quarter.
-
Denny’s virtual brands engage Gen Z, fuel off-premise growth
By leveraging slow dayparts like dinner and late night, the casual chain’s three delivery-only brands are increasing sales and capturing younger demographics.
-
Biden vetoes bill against joint employer rule
The president scotched Congressional efforts to block a broadened definition of joint employment, though court decisions may yet kill the rule.
-
Papa Johns names new chief supply chain officer
Kurt Milburn takes up the role as the pizza chain looks to cut supply chain costs and boost productivity.
-
The restaurant labor market in 6 key statistics
Slowing turnover, steady unemployment and flat real wage growth point to growing restaurant employer power over workers compared to 2022 and 2021.
Updated May 3, 2024 -
McDonald’s credits speed, personalization for high satisfaction
The fast food chain is attracting consumers with customized messaging and cementing their loyalty with swift and consistent service.
-
Shake Shack’s kiosks are now its largest ordering channel
The chain added upselling options to its kiosks and made the channel’s customization experience more similar to online ordering.
-
Wingstop accelerates growth trajectory amid record-breaking Q1
The company, which now expects to open up to 25 more net new units than initially planned, reported 21.6% same-store sales growth.
-
Starbucks’ mobile ordering is so popular, it’s slowing some orders down
Starbucks will roll out new procedures that will help workers reduce wait times, CEO Laxman Narasimhan said Tuesday.
-
Back to Basics: What builds a good snacking menu?
Diner demand for specific snack items depends on their mood, time of day and ease of travel, experts said, opening up an array of traffic-boosting innovation opportunities for restaurants.
-
How McDonald’s and Burger King diverge on value-driven messaging
Price-conscious consumers are forcing the QSR giants down different paths around how to advertise value and invest in their marketing.
-
Yum’s digital sales mix tops 50% systemwide
Following several quarters of kiosk and e-commerce deployment, digital is on track to generate $30 billion in annualized sales.
-
New York becomes first state to mandate paid time off for prenatal care
Beginning in 2025, pregnant employees will be eligible for 20 hours of leave, separate from the state’s paid family and medical leave.
-
Donatos CEO to retire, president will assume post
Tom Krouse will retire in October after 20-plus years at the pizza chain. President Kevin King will take on the role of CEO upon Krouse’s retirement.
-
Burger King commits additional $300M to accelerate remodels
The chain will give top-performing restaurants cash incentives to complete remodels and expects to overhaul up to 90% of its U.S. units by 2028.
-
IHOP’s POS migration is boosting speed, check totals
The diner chain has nearly completed a two-year migration of 1,500 restaurants to Tray’s platform, which integrates with handheld server tablets to trim order and pay times at tables.
-
Column
Pardon the Disruption: What the sudden loss of Foxtrot and Dom’s means for retail
Their demise underscores just how difficult it is to bring new, innovative ideas to life in the shadow of large-scale competitors and the grinding need for efficiency.
-
Domino’s Q1 US sales driven by loyalty, promotions
Domestic comps rose 5.6%, the highest increase since 2021, due to rewards member growth, successful marketing campaigns and improved operations.
-
Brix Holdings to buy Clean Juice
The Christian juice chain, which lost dozens of franchise locations over changes to its business model, sold itself for undisclosed terms.
-
Chipotle makes order fulfillment, not fancier tech, its top CX focus
Faster order speed is “one of those things that cascades into everything being a lot better,” CEO Brian Niccol said.
-
Chicken tender chain Sticky’s Finger Joint files for Chapter 11
Low foot traffic in Manhattan, exacerbated by high prices for chicken and potatoes, left 12-unit Sticky’s in a weak position.
-
Chipotle pulls plug on Farmesa fast casual concept
Farmesa Fresh Eatery marks the third spinoff that the company has attempted but shuttered in the past decade.
-
Former Chuck E. Cheese exec takes Dave & Buster’s CFO seat
The change comes as Dave & Buster's looks to drive growth through a dining experience overhaul, among other initiatives.
-
Chipotle’s traffic rose 5% in Q1 despite price hikes
Visits outpaced the fast casual industry during the quarter thanks to the chain’s strongest throughput in four years and Barbacoa and Carne Asada promotions.