An Inside Look at What's Challenging Restaurant Chain Execs in 2026
At the Restaurant Leadership Conference, C‑level executives from five fast‑growing chains shared how they are balancing rapid expansion with consistency, technology, and brand relevance. Honeygrow paused growth to consolidate, now operating close to 80 locations, while Cava leverages a unified data platform across its 439 stores to personalize guest experiences. Marco’s Pizza, with 1,300 locations, emphasizes order accuracy and aims to add 80 stores annually, and Schlotzsky’s rebranded to Schlotzsky’s Deli to attract younger diners. Church’s Texas Chicken highlighted a surge in digital sales—now over 18% and targeting 20%—and a massive international pipeline of 1,500 new sites, including 600 in China.
How Christine Barone Creates ‘Magic’ at Dutch Bros
Christine Barone, Dutch Bros' CEO, was honored as the 2026 Restaurant Leader of the Year. Since taking the helm in 2023, she has driven quarterly same‑store sales growth and lifted 2025 net income by roughly 80%. The company's stock has...
Kevin Armantrout Promoted to CEO of Bagel & Co.
Kevin Armantrout, previously Bagel & Co.'s chief operating officer, has been promoted to chief executive officer, succeeding co‑founder Mike Marsh who will remain on the board to focus on capital strategy and site selection. The chain also appointed industry veteran...
Jersey Mike’s, Red Lobster, and the Top 500 Restaurant Chains
Jersey Mike’s has confidentially filed for an IPO, eyeing a roughly $12 billion valuation after Blackstone’s $8 billion buyout two years ago. The sandwich chain posted $4.2 billion in U.S. sales last year and expanded by 300 units to about 3,300 locations domestically,...
Nation's Restaurant News April 2026
Nation's Restaurant News' April 2026 issue reintroduces its annual Power List, this year spotlighting 34 innovative restaurant founders. The cover features a portrait of a female entrepreneur with the headline “The Power,” underscoring the publication’s focus on creative leadership in...
Pizza Hut Relaunches Huts Rewards
Pizza Hut has relaunched its Hut Rewards loyalty program, adding challenges, limited‑edition drops and member‑only experiences. The new platform debuted during March Madness, featuring a sold‑out Space Jam merchandise collection tied to the film’s 30th anniversary. Hut Rewards is positioned as...
Women’s Foodservice Forum Names Ellie Doty Chief Brand Officer
Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) has appointed Ellie Doty as its chief brand officer. Doty arrives from Denny’s, where she has led brand strategy since May 2025, and brings a résumé that includes CMO roles at Burger King and Chili’s as well...
El Pollo Loco, Bread Zeppelin, Snooze Eatery
El Pollo Loco is rolling out new Loco Tenders in classic and spicy flavors on April 23, adding to a string of recent menu innovations that helped lift same‑store sales 2.1% in Q4. Bread Zeppelin, a Texas‑based bakery‑sandwich concept, is offering a free Zeppelin...
Zaxbys Puts ‘Giant’ Chicken Finger Wraps on the Menu
Zaxby's is rolling out Giant Chicken Finger Wraps in three flavors—Chicken Bacon Ranch, Buffalo Blue, and Asian Zensation—nationwide from April 27 through July 5. Each wrap packs three hand‑breaded chicken fingers, mixed greens, carrots, red cabbage, and a signature sauce, and can be ordered...
The Technomic Top 500: Another Tough Year for Chain Restaurants
Technomic’s 2026 Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report shows U.S. chain sales rose just 3% to $451.5 billion, lagging the 3.8% menu‑price inflation and marking the slowest growth since the Great Recession. Median sales growth was only 2.5%, translating to a 1.3% real‑dollar...
Jersey Mike's Files Confidential IPO Documents
Jersey Mike’s has confidentially filed for an initial public offering, aiming for a valuation around $12 billion. The sub‑sandwich chain was bought by Blackstone in 2024 for $8 billion and has since posted $4.2 billion in U.S. system sales. With roughly 3,300 U.S....
Restaurant Brands Roll Out Promotions for 4/20
Restaurant chains are rolling out a wave of 4/20‑themed promotions as cannabis use climbs to roughly 20% of U.S. adults. From Cheba Hut’s $4.20 Nugs subs to KFC’s $4.20 pot‑pie combo and a $20 chicken bucket, brands are using low‑price,...
Kayla Edidin Named Chief Operating Officer of Red Door Brands
Red Door Brands, a Knoxville‑based multi‑brand franchise group, named Kayla Edidin as chief operating officer. Edidin previously drove more than 200 franchise sales in her first year at Mike’s Red Tacos. She will lead operational excellence, system standardization and capital...
El Pollo Loco Debuts New Loco Tenders
El Pollo Loco introduced Loco Tenders, a Mexican‑spiced chicken tender available in classic and spicy versions, at the Revolve Festival and will roll out system‑wide on April 23. The launch follows a series of menu innovations under CEO Liz Williams, including Mango Habanero Fire‑Grilled...
Rising Gas Prices Remind Why Earned Wage Access Is so Important
Rising gas prices are exposing the fragility of paycheck‑to‑paycheck households, especially hourly workers who face immediate cost spikes for commuting and daily needs. The article argues that traditional bi‑weekly payroll cycles no longer match real‑life cash‑flow demands, highlighting that 86%...
Little Caesars Has Launched an App in ChatGPT to Help with Orders
Little Caesars has launched an app inside ChatGPT that lets customers place pizza orders through a conversational interface. The feature connects to the chain’s existing mobile‑app infrastructure, allowing users to customize orders, schedule pickup, and link their rewards program. It...
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...
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...
Mary Nguyen’s Quest to Make Chef-Driven Food Accessible Has Resonated Through Olive & Finch
Mary Nguyen, a former commodities trader, founded Olive & Finch in 2013, now operating nine locations with plans to add four more this year. The chef‑driven "fine‑casual" chain keeps every dish at $20 or less through a centralized production hub,...
Justin Rosenberg Combines Tech, Service, and Unique Food at Honeygrow
Justin Rosenberg founded Honeygrow in 2012 after a personal health wake‑up, creating a fast‑casual concept that serves cooked‑to‑order stir‑fried noodles and a customizable Honeybar dessert line. The chain now operates 74 locations across eight states, with three new openings in...
Panera Rolls Out New Salad Stuffer Menu Category
Panera Bread introduced a new "Salad Stuffer" menu category, offering two system‑wide variants – the Steakhouse and Santa Fe – that combine fresh salads with a soft, one‑hand roll. Prices range from $8 to $13, and the items sit between the...
Pies ‘N’ Thighs Celebrates 20 Years with a Second Location in Brooklyn
Pies ‘n’ Thighs celebrated its 20‑year anniversary by opening a second restaurant in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood. Founder Sarah Sanneh, a veteran of New York’s hospitality scene, kept the brand’s focus on Southern comfort food made with high‑quality ingredients. The new 1,600‑square‑foot...
Restaurant Chains Serve up Deals to Ease Pain of Tax Season
Restaurant chains are rolling out tax‑day promotions as consumers anticipate larger refunds under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act. Deals range from a $4.99 eight‑piece chicken combo at Church’s Texas Chicken to 15% off catering at Corner Bakery and $10.40...
Huey Magoo's Signs 15-Unit Franchise Deal in Texas
Huey Magoo's, the fast‑casual chicken‑tender chain, announced a 15‑unit franchise agreement in Texas covering Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston and Montgomery counties. The deal is with SMR Capital Group, a diversified operator that runs a T‑Mobile franchise and a construction...
How to Grow Your Restaurant Using a Simple and Proven Formula
Restaurant operators are feeling a squeeze as average weekly spend dropped to $90, down from $115 in June 2025, and 68% of diners report cutting back. A Popmenu study of thousands of U.S. restaurants identified a simple growth formula: increase...
Starbucks Offers Baristas Bonuses, McDonald’s Raises the Value Bar, and Shake Shack Goes Full Tech
Starbucks introduced a new bonus program that can add up to $1,200 per year to barista earnings, aiming to boost retention amid union pressures. McDonald’s announced a $3 McValue menu featuring at least ten items, sharpening the fast‑food value war....
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IHOP Embraces Acronym Culture with BLT Trademark
IHOP has filed a trademark for the acronym BLTAF, standing for “Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato … And Fries,” to promote a new addition to its $6 Everyday Value Menu. The move reflects President Lawrence Kim’s “move at the speed of culture”...
Burger King Believes It Can Be the No. 1 Burger Chain
Burger King’s “Reclaim the Flame” program, led by former Domino’s executives Patrick Doyle and Tom Curtis, is accelerating restaurant remodels, menu upgrades and a new marketing push aimed at dethroning McDonald’s as the top U.S. burger chain. Over half of...
Taco Bell Fans Pick India’s Butter Chicken Taco for U.S. Menu
Taco Bell’s Global Taco Vote crowned India’s Butter Chicken Taco with nearly 65% of the votes, securing a limited‑time rollout on the U.S. menu later this year. The taco blends slow‑roasted chicken in a tomato‑cream sauce with Indian spices, served...
Why Restaurants Should Consider Second-Chance Hiring
Restaurants face a tightening labor market and immigration constraints, prompting many to consider applicants with criminal histories. Over 150 U.S. cities and counties now enforce Fair Chance or Ban‑the‑Box ordinances that limit blanket exclusions. The Department of Labor has allocated...
Mukbang Burger Sliders Launch Nationwide at Ruby Tuesday Locations
Virtual Dining Concepts is rolling out its Mukbang Burger brand to every Ruby Tuesday location in the United States, adding 200 new points of sale. The sliders are built on King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet® rolls, blending a sweet‑savory profile with oversized...
The Fast-Casual Pizza Category Struggles Continue
Pieology announced the closure of its five Hawaii locations, eliminating more than 50 jobs, as part of a broader Chapter 11 restructuring after a 10% year‑over‑year sales decline in 2024. The California‑based chain has trimmed its footprint from 103 stores at...
Cheesecake Factory Launches App
The Cheesecake Factory rolled out its first mobile app on April 1, 2026, meeting its promise to launch in the first half of the year. The app lets Rewards members make reservations, place pickup orders, browse the menu, track rewards and receive...
Dave & Buster’s Traffic Trends Improve Despite Tough Quarter
Dave & Buster’s reported a challenging Q4, with same‑store sales down 3.3% and adjusted EBITDA falling 12% to $111.4 million, resulting in a $39.8 million net loss. Despite the weakness, traffic trends improved, driven by a 7% rise in food and beverage...
Chagee Adjusts After a Tough 2025 with Big Goals for the U.S.
Chagee, the Shanghai‑based tea chain, reported a Q4 revenue decline of 3.34 billion RMB (≈$483 million) and a share price plunge to $9.31 after its earnings release. The company posted a $5 million operating loss tied to restructuring and admitted it underestimated competitive pressures...
James Beard Foundation Announces Restaurant and Chef Awards Nominees
The James Beard Foundation unveiled its 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards nominees, spotlighting a diverse slate that includes nine nominations for Los Angeles, four national nods for Philadelphia, and notable entries from Boise, St. Louis, and Mystic. Categories range from Outstanding Hospitality...
Restaurants Launch Promotions Aimed at Gas Price Relief
Rising gasoline prices are prompting quick‑service chains to roll out targeted promotions aimed at easing consumer cost pressures. Revenue Management Solutions data shows a $1 increase in gas reduces drive‑thru traffic by six customers per day. Brands such as Snooze...