Chef Gabriel Kreuther Is Embracing Wood-Fired Cooking at Saverne, His New NYC Brasserie
Chef Gabriel Kreuther launched Saverne, a 5,000‑square‑foot brasserie in Hudson Yards, on March 2. The restaurant features an open kitchen centered on wood‑fired grills using oak, cherry and apple wood. While retaining the precise technique and sourcing of his two‑Michelin‑starred eponymous venue, Saverne offers an à la carte menu that ranges from blue‑fin tuna tartare to caviar‑topped beet spaghetti. Kreuther positions the brasserie as a more accessible expression of the same culinary soul, inviting diners to experience Michelin‑level quality in a casual setting.
Dave & Buster's Launches What The Fun Campaign with $1-a-Day Unlimited Arcade Gaming Pass Offer
Dave & Buster’s unveiled its "What The Fun" platform, anchored by a 60‑day Unlimited Play Pass priced at just $1 a day for loyalty members. The pass grants unrestricted access to over 150 arcade games and food‑and‑beverage discounts, with three tiered...
Chicago Chef Charlie McKenna Has Opened Fatback, a Hybrid Sandwich Shop, Butcher, and Market
Award‑winning chef Charlie McKenna has opened Fatback, a hybrid sandwich shop, in‑house butcher and market in Chicago’s West Loop. The concept applies fine‑dining technique and premium ingredients to everyday sandwiches, featuring items like a spicy Italian meatball with vodka sauce and...
Cleveland’s Rosy Is a New Neighborhood Restaurant Serving Cuisine Inspired by the Istrian Peninsula
Rosy, a new 53‑seat restaurant in Cleveland’s Hingetown, opened on Feb. 26 under the partnership of Andrew Watts and chef Vinnie Cimino, known for Cordelia. The eatery serves "ancestral European" dishes inspired by the Istrian Peninsula, featuring a 12‑item rotating board...
Why Darden Restaurants Prioritizes an Inclusive Workplace
Darden Restaurants’ chief people officer Sarah King is championing an inclusive workplace that now boasts roughly 60% women and people of color in its executive ranks. Four of the company’s brands—LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood and Seasons 52—are...
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California Pizza Kitchen Extending Retail Lineup Beyond Frozen Pizza
California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) announced its first expansion beyond frozen pizza since 1999, adding new appetizers and entrée items to its consumer‑packaged goods lineup. The company will roll out these products in U.S. grocery stores in early 2027 and is...
Applebee’s March Madness Promotion Focuses on the To-Go Business
Applebee’s is running a March Madness promotion that offers boneless wings for just 50 cents each when ordered to‑go through its website or mobile app from March 17‑22 and April 4‑6. The deal targets the chain’s off‑premises segment, which saw a 6.5% year‑over‑year sales...
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Restaurants and Bars Lost Nearly 30K Jobs in February
The February 2026 jobs report showed U.S. employers shed 92,000 positions, pushing unemployment to 4.4%. Within hospitality, restaurants and bars shed nearly 30,000 jobs, marking the first monthly decline after eight straight gains. The loss is largely attributed to Winter...
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With Prices up, Restaurant Consumers Turn to Snacking
Restaurant traffic remains depressed as consumers grapple with rising costs, yet a growing share are turning to snack‑size items instead of full meals. The National Restaurant Association reports 60% view dining as essential, while Technomic notes a 7% rise in...
Catch Hospitality Group Has Opened Or’esh, a Live-Fire Mediterranean Restaurant in New York City
Catch Hospitality Group (CHG) launched Or’esh, a live‑fire Mediterranean restaurant in SoHo, New York City, on February 10. The concept, led by chef Nadav Greenberg, emphasizes Levantine flavors cooked over a custom charcoal grill. The 80‑seat Rockwell Group‑designed space features...
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Subway Seeks to Serve 1M Meatballs on National Meatball Day with Free Footlong Upgrades
Subway is offering a free foot‑long upgrade on March 9 for customers who purchase a six‑inch Meatball Sub as part of its Sub of the Day or Meal of the Day. The promotion, timed with National Meatball Day, aims to sell...
Olo Launches First Consumer-Facing Digital Ordering App
Restaurant technology platform Olo unveiled its first consumer‑facing digital ordering app as part of the new Olo Network. The app functions like a marketplace but charges restaurants zero commission and lets them retain full guest‑data ownership. Built on the password‑free...
Scooters Coffee Reaches 900 Stores Nationwide with 83 New Locations Added in 2025 Across 32 States
Scooter’s Coffee announced it has reached 900 stores nationwide, adding 83 new locations in 2025 across 32 states. The expansion represents a 10% increase over the prior year, following a 16% growth spurt in 2024. The company attributes the growth...
How a K-Shaped Economy Is Rewriting the Rules for Restaurants
Independent restaurants are feeling a K‑shaped economy where high‑spending guests continue to splurge while price‑sensitive diners cut back, creating a mismatch between busy dining rooms and shrinking profit margins. Rising labor and food costs, combined with lower check averages and...
El Pollo Loco Launches a Protein Menu
El Pollo Loco unveiled a "Protein Packed Menu" featuring 24 items priced under $15, each delivering 23 to 74 grams of protein. The lineup includes burritos, bowls, salads and a chicken side, all built around the chain’s citrus‑marinated, fire‑grilled chicken....
Maru San Is Washington, D.C.’s First Nikkei-Style Handroll Concept
Maru San, opened Feb. 20 in Washington, D.C.’s Eastern Market, is the city’s first Nikkei‑style handroll concept. Chef Carlos Delgado, known for his work at Causa/Amazonia and under José Andrés, leads the 25‑seat counter‑service spot offering traditional and premium handrolls plus a...
Applebee’s Strategy: Fewer Promotions, More Manager Visibility
Applebee’s parent Dine Brands trimmed its promotional calendar to four or five events a year, shifting focus to the core menu and the 2 for $25 value platform. The change helped reverse a slump, delivering positive same‑store sales in Q2 2025 and attracting...
Papa Johns Announces 300 Store Closures and 7% Corporate Layoffs
Papa John’s announced a sweeping cost‑savings program that includes closing 300 under‑performing restaurants—200 of them this year—and laying off 7% of its corporate workforce. The plan aims to generate at least $25 million in savings through 2027, with $13 million expected in...
National Restaurant Association Show Names 20 Kitchen Innovations Award Recipients for 2026
The National Restaurant Association Show announced the 2026 Kitchen Innovations Awards, honoring 20 food‑service equipment and technology solutions that improve automation, sustainability, and operational resilience. The winners were chosen for their ability to help kitchens cope with labor shortages, tighter...
National Restaurant Association CEO: ‘Cautious Optimism’ for Growth in 2026
The National Restaurant Association’s 2026 State of the Industry report shows 2025 delivered only 1% sales growth after inflation, with 42% of restaurants operating at a loss and food and labor costs soaring 38% and 35% respectively since 2019. Despite...
Outback Steakhouse, Noodles & Company, CAVA
Outback Steakhouse recorded a 0.9% traffic increase in Q4, its first rise in four years, driven by the popular Aussie 3‑Course value meals, though same‑store sales slipped 0.6% because of lower pricing. The chain will allocate $50 million toward further restaurant...
Burger King Has Upgraded Its Signature Whopper
Burger King announced its first Whopper reformulation in nearly ten years, driven by guest feedback. The new version keeps the quarter‑pound flame‑grilled beef but adds a premium bun, upgraded mayo, and serves the sandwich in a heat‑retaining box, while eliminating...
Kelli Valade’s Career Comes Full Circle
Kelli Valade, a veteran of Chili’s, Red Lobster and Denny’s, was named chief executive officer of the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) in January 2026, shortly after leading Denny’s through a $620 million private‑equity deal. Valade brings deep operational, HR and leadership...
Zaxbys Launches a Dry Rub Lineup
Zaxby’s has turned its experimental dry‑rub flavors into a permanent menu offering, debuting garlic parmesan, Nashville Hot and lemon pepper rubs. The rubs can be applied to Chicken Fingerz, wings, fries or bundled in meal combos, expanding the chain’s flavor...
IHOP Goes Analog to Celebrate National Pancake Day
IHOP announced its first National Pancake Day on March 3, offering a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes at participating locations from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The event includes an in‑person appearance by social‑media influencer Mr. Fantasy at the Hollywood restaurant. IHOP...
Texas Roadhouse, Tariffs, Del Taco
Texas Roadhouse posted a 4.2% same‑store sales increase in Q4 2025, driven by a 1.9% traffic rise, and delivered a 4.9% full‑year sales gain despite a three‑point margin dip from soaring beef costs. The chain plans a modest 1.9% menu...
KFC Is Piloting Two Value Platforms
KFC is testing two distinct value platforms in Ohio and Florida from late February through March, offering flat‑rate bundles at $8 and $10 respectively. The Ohio market provides an everyday all‑day menu with choices of tenders, wings or nuggets, while...
KBP Brands Acquires 78 Sonic Drive-In Restaurants
KBP Brands, one of the nation’s largest franchise groups, has purchased 78 Sonic Drive‑In locations in Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, making it the fourth‑largest Sonic franchisee with 164 units. This is the company’s second Sonic acquisition within...
Chipotle Giving Away Chips and Queso Blanco
Chipotle will give away a free side of its handmade chips and queso blanco on digital orders from February 23 through February 25 to celebrate National Tortilla Chip Day. The promotion spotlights chips made each morning with fresh lime and a queso...
Jack in the Box Launches Matcha
Jack in the Box has rolled out a matcha platform nationwide, featuring a Matcha Iced Latte and an Oreo Matcha Shake. The launch is framed as a “beverage‑forward” innovation aimed at expanding the chain’s flavor palette. Executive chef Ciaran Duffy...
Noodles & Company Executes 8-for-1 Reverse Stock Split
Noodles & Company completed an 8‑for‑1 reverse stock split on Feb. 19, 2026, moving its share price from $0.50 to roughly $4.00 to satisfy Nasdaq’s $1 minimum listing requirement. The split was approved by more than 96% of shareholders at a...
Adventure Time Bar Opens in Denver with Rotating Themes and Menus
Adventure Time Bar opened in Denver’s Baker neighborhood, offering a permanent venue with rotating immersive themes. Its debut, Neon City, features cyber‑punk décor, sound‑reactive lighting, and a cocktail menu built on molecular techniques. Patrons purchase tickets for timed seatings that...
Topgolf Appoints David McKillips CEO
Topgolf International announced David McKillips as its new chief executive officer, effective February 23, 2026. McKillips arrives with more than three decades of experience in family entertainment, most recently steering CEC Entertainment through a $350 million strategic investment and a Chapter 11...
Smoothie King Is Doubling Down on Food
Smoothie King is expanding its menu beyond smoothies, adding ovens and new food items such as bowls, toasts, protein boxes and chicken bites. The company will fund the oven equipment for franchisees, reinforcing a franchisee‑first strategy. Enhanced technology from Crunchtime...
TGI Fridays Dips Into a Cheese Fondue Platform
TGI Fridays has introduced a $3 “Fondue‑It” upgrade that adds a warm cheese pour to five popular menu items, served on a cast‑iron skillet. The launch coincides with two new offerings—a rib‑sandwich called the FRRIB and a Dubai Chocolate Espresso...
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Taco Bell Adds a Chicken Bacon Ranch Street Chalupa
Taco Bell introduced a limited‑time Chicken Bacon Ranch Street Chalupa on February 19, 2026, priced at $5.99 for a two‑pack and paired with $4.99 Nacho Fries. The new item joins the $9 Discovery Luxe Box, which also includes a Cheesy Bean and...
Vibey Steak and Seafood Restaurant, The Guest House, Is Now Open in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The Guest House opened its third location in Scottsdale, Arizona, taking over the former Etta space in the Scottsdale Quarter. The 8,500‑square‑foot venue showcases New American steak and seafood, highlighted by a 36‑ounce tomahawk, dry‑aged rib eye, and tableside theatrical...
New York City-Based Little Ruby’s Just Opened in Dallas, Its First Out-of-State Expansion in 24 Years
Little Ruby’s, the Australian‑inspired all‑day restaurant founded in New York in 2002, opened its first out‑of‑state location in Dallas on February 2, marking a 24‑year expansion hiatus. The Uptown venue occupies 1,790 sq ft indoors with a 950‑sq ft patio, seating roughly 156 guests....
Wendy’s Brutal Sales, McDonald’s Big Momentum, and Dutch Bros' Infinite Runway
Wendy’s reported an 11% drop in Q4 same‑store sales and an 8% decline for 2025, signaling a sharp contraction in its core market. In contrast, McDonald’s posted roughly 7% same‑store sales growth in the same quarter, buoyed by a record‑breaking...
Applebee’s Creates Still Together Sips with Dre and Snoop
Applebee’s has launched a limited‑time "Still Together Sips" cocktail menu created with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog, featuring two drinks made with the award‑winning Still G.I.N. gin. The $7 Young, Wild & Free Fruit Punch and $10 Rollin’ On The Beach are served with original temporary tattoos and are...
Tech Tracker: Toast and Instacart Team up to Tackle Emergency Restaurant Supply Challenges
Toast, a restaurant POS leader, has teamed with Instacart to launch a joint solution for emergency inventory replenishment. The integration lets operators order pantry staples, produce, and cleaning supplies through Toast’s interface and receive same‑day deliveries, often within an hour....
The Grinch, Spongebob, Popeyes
McDonald’s leveraged a Grinch‑themed meal, boosting same‑store sales 6.8% and achieving its highest single‑day sales ever, while expanding its value menu and testing a broader beverage lineup. Burger King’s SpongeBob movie tie‑in lifted U.S. same‑store sales 2.6% with $5 and...
