AI Can Now Help You Pick Your Starbucks Drink
Starbucks has begun testing a ChatGPT‑based app that recommends drinks based on a user’s mood, weather, outfit or photo. Customers can chat with an @starbucks AI agent, customize a beverage, select a location and then complete checkout in the regular Starbucks app. The pilot makes Starbucks the first major restaurant chain to initiate orders through an external AI platform, showcasing its tech‑forward strategy amid rising competition in the coffee market.
How AI Search Is Reshaping Foodservice Marketing
Foodservice buyers now start supplier research with generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI, bypassing traditional search and direct outreach. Recent data shows 86% of Gen Z professionals use AI daily for B2B purchasing, and AI citations are...
Here’s when Hospitality Becomes Unreasonable, According to One Food Expert
Adam Reiner, veteran of New York fine‑dining kitchens, released *The New Rules of Dining Out* to reshape how guests interact with restaurants. Drawing on his experiences at Babo and Carbone, he argues diners often lack insight into restaurant operations and...
Chili’s Launches New Chicken Sandwiches with Another Jab at McDonald’s
Chili’s Grill & Bar rolled out a new Big Crispy chicken sandwich line, featuring a larger hand‑battered breast and six flavor variants. The sandwiches are sold through the $10.99 3‑for‑Me value combo, a core driver of the chain’s recent sales acceleration....
Chick-Fil-A’s Crazy Sales, Chili’s Big Milestone, and Taco Bell’s New Flavor Enhancer
Chick‑fil‑A reported a 5.2% sales increase for 2025, a slower pace than 2024 but still strong enough to keep its average unit volumes on par with upscale chains. Chili’s leveraged that momentum to climb to the No. 2 spot among U.S....
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Papa Murphy’s Challenges Continued in Q1
MTY Food Group reported a 2.5% same‑store sales decline for Papa Murphy’s in Q1, with system sales slipping to $1.3 billion versus $1.36 billion a year earlier. The take‑and‑bake pizza chain, MTY’s largest concept, has seen sales fall 11.4% since 2020 and...
Quick-Service Consumers, Crumbl, Saucy by KFC
A new YouGov study shows two‑thirds of Americans visit a quick‑service restaurant at least monthly, with 30% dining weekly, driven largely by value‑menu appeal. Wendy’s, Taco Bell and Domino’s top the value‑menu rankings, while McDonald’s, Chick‑fil‑A and Wendy’s lead in...
Menu Prices Continue to Outpace Surging Inflation
Consumer prices jumped 0.9% month‑over‑month in March, the strongest rise since June 2022, while the Core CPI rose 0.2%. Restaurant menu prices edged up only 0.2% MoM, marking a 3.8% year‑over‑year increase that remains well above the overall inflation rate but...
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Value Menus Are the Top Driver of Frequency for QSR Diners
Two‑thirds of Americans visit a quick‑service restaurant at least monthly, and 30% dine weekly, driven primarily by value menus. A YouGov study shows 66% of weekly QSR diners cite value or discount menus as the top motivator, outpacing clean dining...
KFC’s Saucy Is Expanding to Texas
KFC’s Saucy concept, launched in Orlando in December 2024, is expanding beyond Florida with its first Texas location in Frisco slated for later this year. The brand now operates ten Florida sites and has five additional openings planned, while Yum Brands recently...
The Hot New Restaurant Tech Trend: AI Agents
Two major restaurant‑tech vendors, PAR Technology and Square, launched AI‑driven agents that can autonomously surface insights, run marketing campaigns, schedule staff and manage inventory. PAR’s "PAR Intelligence" bundles an Insights Agent, Offers Agent and Developer Assist Agent, while Square’s Managerbot...
Chili's Is Now the Second-Largest U.S. Casual-Dining Chain
Chili's Grill & Bar surged past Olive Garden in 2025 to become the second‑largest U.S. casual‑dining chain, posting a 20.6% jump in system‑wide sales to $5.5 billion. The growth was achieved without opening new locations, as average unit volume rose about...
Taco Bell Heats up Its Crispy Chicken Nuggets with a Layer of Diablo Dust
Taco Bell is rolling out Diablo Dusted Crispy Chicken Nuggets nationwide on April 16 as a limited‑time offering. The new product coats Mexican‑spiced white‑meat chicken nuggets in a crunchy tortilla‑chip breading and a fiery Diablo Dust, delivering the brand’s popular sauce...
Mo’ Bettahs Expands to Phoenix, Indianapolis, Minneapolis as Hawaiian Barbecue Brand Grows Nationwide
Mo’ Bettahs announced its entry into three new U.S. markets—Phoenix, Indianapolis and Minneapolis—continuing a disciplined national rollout. The Hawaiian‑style fast‑casual chain now operates close to 80 restaurants across nine states and has logged same‑store sales growth for 18 straight years....
Daniella Senior Champions Cuban Hospitality with Growing Colada Shop Concept
Daniella Senior launched Colada Shop a decade ago as a Cuban‑inspired all‑day café that shifts from coffee to rum‑based cocktails across dayparts. The concept now spans seven locations, including a spot at Reagan National Airport, and is bolstered by a...
