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.

  • A cashier making an order on a Square kiosk.
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    Permission granted by Square
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    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.

  • Juan Carlos Loredo, wearing a sport coat and gray trousers, smiles in an office.
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    Courtesy of Pizza Hut
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    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.

  • Burritos from Denny's virtual brand Banda Burrito
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    Permission granted by Denny's
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    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.

  • President Joe Biden speaks at UAW event in Warren, Michigan
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    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.

  • In this photo illustration, a Papa John's pizza box is seen on July 11, 2018 in Miami, Florida.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    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.

  • Overly busy restaurant
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    JazzIRT via Getty Images
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    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
  • The outside of a McDonald's restaurant
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    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.

  • An exterior image of a Shake Shack restaurant
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    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.

  • A photo of the outside of a Wingstop.
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    Courtesy of Wingstop
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    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.

  • The outside of a Starbucks store
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    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.

  • A promotional image of Subway's footlong chocolate chip cookies.
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    Courtesy of Subway
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    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. 

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    John Hazard and Lisa Burdige
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    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.

  • Two women putting an order for food through a kiosk
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    Don Wu via Getty Images
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    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 Gov. Kathy Hochul gives a speech on the Hudson River tunnel project at the West Side Yard on January 31, 2023 in New York City.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    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 Pizza executives Tom Krouse and Kevin King
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    Courtesy of Donatos Pizza
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    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. 

  • An image of Burger King's Sizzle remodeled restaurant
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    Courtesy of Burger King
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    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.

  • A picture of an IHOP server taking an order using a tablet.
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    Courtesy of IHOP
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    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. 

  • A photo of a sign in the window of a Foxtrot site. It says "Thanks a lot! As of today, we are closing for the final time. Thank you for the time we had together."
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    Permission granted by Camille Gramont
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    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.

  • A picture of a building with Domino's signage and a car parked on the left side.
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    Courtesy of Domino's
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    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.

  • Four different juices from Clean Juice
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    Permission granted by Clean Juice
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    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.

  • A bank of windows below a red sign that says "Chipotle." A man stands in the background inside the restaurant.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    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.

  • A hand dips a chicken tender into a dipping sauce.
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    Courtesy of Sticky's
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    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.

  • An image of food bowls from Chipotle's experimental fast casual brand, Farmesa Fresh Eatery.
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    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. 

  • The prize center inside a Dave & Buster's restaurant
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    Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic via Getty Images
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    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 workers prepare food
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    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.