Major Carl’s Jr Franchisee in California Files for Bankruptcy
Friendly Franchisees Corporation, a 65‑unit Carl’s Jr. operator in California, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy through multiple subsidiaries. The filing affects roughly 11 % of the brand’s 588 California locations but the franchisor says it won’t impact other restaurants. Carl’s Jr.’s average unit volume in 2025 was $1.4 million, trailing McDonald’s and close to Burger King. The case reflects broader stress in the quick‑service restaurant sector as consumer discretionary spending softens.
The Cheesecake Factory, Chick-Fil-A Leads AUVs Among Major Restaurant Chains
The 2025 average unit volume (AUV) rankings show The Cheesecake Factory at the top with $12.8 million, followed by Texas Roadhouse at $7.9 million and Chick‑fil‑A at $7.2 million. Raising Cane’s ($6.3 million) and Olive Garden ($5.8 million) complete the top five, highlighting strong performance...
How International Restaurant Brands Are Reshaping the US Market
International restaurant brands from East Asia are accelerating their U.S. rollout, targeting fast‑growing beverage and dessert categories. Chains such as Mixue, Luckin Coffee and Gong cha are opening multiple locations at once, using franchise‑friendly models and digital‑first operations. Their focus on...
The Science of Spherification: 3 Key Takeaways From the ‘Year of the Sphere’
A recent Kikkoman webinar titled “Year of the Sphere” highlighted how molecular gastronomy, especially spherification, is moving from novelty to a core kitchen tool. Chefs Evan Gonzalez and Andrew Hunter demonstrated that controlling texture allows precise, tiered flavor releases that...
How a Renowned Restaurant Uses Square to Balance Creativity and Consistency
Miss Lily’s, a celebrated Jamaican restaurant in NYC’s East Village, switched to Square’s POS platform in 2025 to embed operational structure as it scales. The new tools provide real‑time sales data, guest counts, and recipe tracking, allowing Chef Brittany “Stikxz”...
Burger King to Hire 60K Workers as Part of Turnaround
Burger King announced a nationwide hiring campaign to add up to 60,000 employees across its roughly 6,500 U.S. restaurants. The effort supports the “Reclaim the Flame” turnaround program that has delivered comparable sales growth in three of the last four...
McDonald’s Sets Date for Under $3 Menu Debut
McDonald’s will roll out an Under $3 Menu on April 21, adding at least ten low‑priced items across breakfast, lunch and dinner, alongside a $4 Breakfast Meal Deal. The new McValue offerings follow a 2024 $5 Meal Deal and aim to reverse...
How Firehouse Subs Is Leveraging Franchise Incentives to Speed up Growth
Firehouse Subs announced a suite of franchise incentives lasting through 2028 to accelerate its U.S. footprint, including a $75,000 bonus for single‑unit openings and $100,000 per restaurant for multi‑unit developers. The brand’s net openings are projected to rise from 21 in...
7 Brew Will Open Its First College Location in the Fall
7 Brew announced its first on‑campus kiosk at the University of Arkansas, slated to open in the fall. The walk‑through stand will feature indoor seating, diverging from the chain’s traditional drive‑thru format. This move follows the brand’s rapid expansion from...
McDonald’s Creates US COO Role
McDonald’s created a U.S. chief operating officer role, appointing Skye Anderson to unify national operations, restaurant development, supply‑chain and technology. The move coincides with a 6.8% rise in comparable U.S. sales and three consecutive quarters of same‑store growth driven by...
Why Rave Restaurant Group Cut Ties with Uber Eats
Rave Restaurant Group’s CEO Brandon Solano ended the chain’s partnership with Uber Eats after the delivery platform unilaterally raised its marketplace fees, increasing the Lite tier from 15% to 20% and pickup fees from 6% to 7%. Solano said Uber...
First Watch Cuts Its COO
First Watch announced the termination of Chief Operations Officer Dan Jones, part of a broader restructuring of its operations leadership. Jones, who joined around the 2021 IPO, oversaw the chain’s expansion from 435 to 633 restaurants by 2025. The company...
Jack in the Box Names CMO to Strengthen Product Innovation, Loyalty
Jack in the Box appointed Katelyn Zborowski, former Yum Brands executive, as chief marketing officer to boost product innovation and loyalty. Zborowski previously created over 40 limited‑time offerings at Taco Bell and led brand strategy for Pizza Hut. The chain...
Papa Johns Launches Toasted Sandwich Lineup
Papa Johns introduced a new line of three oven‑toasted ciabatta sandwiches priced at $7.99 each, marking its first foray into a dedicated sandwich category. The rollout follows the recent removal of Papadias and Papa Bites, which had disrupted kitchen workflows...
Choosing a POS System: What Restaurant Operators Prioritize in 2026
Restaurant operators view POS selection as a critical technology investment, yet 37% avoid switching because of perceived implementation effort. A recent Toast survey of 652 U.S. SMB restaurateurs highlighted stability, scalability, and industry‑specific functionality as non‑negotiable criteria. The case of...
Starbucks Challenged by Labor-Friendly Activist Investors
Starbucks faces a proxy fight as activist investors, led by the Strategic Organizing Center Investment Group, seek to oust lead director Jørgen Vig Knudstorp and nominating committee chair Beth Ford for dissolving the Environmental, Partner and Community Impact (EPCI) committee that oversaw labor...
Chicago Mayor Plans to Veto Tipped Wage Freeze
Chicago’s city council voted 30‑to‑18 to freeze the city’s tip credit at 24% of the minimum wage, keeping the tipped minimum at $12.62 per hour. Mayor Brandon Johnson announced he will veto the ordinance, arguing that the stepwise elimination of...
These 6 Restaurant Chains Will Close Hundreds of Units This Year
Six publicly traded restaurant chains announced large‑scale closures in 2026, targeting a combined 1,000‑plus under‑performing units. Wendy’s plans to shutter roughly 300‑350 stores, Papa John’s 300, Pizza Hut 250, Jack in the Box 50‑100, Noodles & Company about 35, and Darden will wind down Bahama Breeze with 14...
How Snow Derailed Olive Garden’s Traffic Growth
Olive Garden posted a 3.2% same‑store sales increase in Q3 FY2026, marking its sixth straight quarter of growth, but traffic slipped 0.4% due to severe winter storms. At the peak of the snow, up to 40% of locations were temporarily...
Gas Price Spikes Don’t Impact Restaurant Traffic: BTIG
Rising gasoline prices linked to the Iran conflict are unlikely to curb restaurant traffic, according to BTIG analyst Peter Saleh, who cites two decades of data showing weak correlation between fuel costs and dining footfall. Even when pump prices briefly...
Maggiano’s Raises Portion Sizes in Chili’s-Style Value Play
Maggianno’s Little Italy is boosting pasta and protein portions by roughly 20% while keeping menu prices steady, aiming to improve perceived value. The chain also expands its Family Style menu with 15 new shareable dishes to attract larger groups. These...
Wetzel’s Pretzels Plans to Double C-Store Presence
Wetzel’s Pretzels announced plans to double its presence inside convenience stores within the next two years, expanding from the 20 c‑store sites it currently operates. The chain has 10‑15 additional locations in development and is targeting new markets across the...
Fat Brands Could Sell Its Assets
Fat Brands, burdened by over $1 billion in debt, has filed a Chapter 11 motion to market and sell all or part of its assets, setting an April 3 deadline for non‑binding indications of interest. The company is pursuing debtor‑in‑possession financing and remains...
El Pollo Loco Adds Big Experiences to Loyalty Program
El Pollo Loco is enhancing its Loco Rewards loyalty program with new seasonal limited‑time offers, early access to menu items, personalized promotions, and exclusive experiences. A partnership with Coca‑Cola adds a contest where members purchasing two combos by April 9 can...
Taco Bell Adds Premium Chicken Quesadilla to Permanent Menu
Taco Bell announced the Cantina Chicken Rolled Quesadilla will join its permanent menu. The rolled quesadilla is priced at $6.69 and contains twice the chicken of the previous version, delivering higher protein per dollar. The rollout is paired with a...
Portillo’s Hires Former Papa Johns Exec as Chief Development Officer
Portillo’s announced the appointment of Jennifer Pecoraro‑Striepling as its new chief development officer, bringing more than 25 years of multi‑unit restaurant development experience from brands like Papa Johns and Miller’s Ale House. The hire follows a recent slowdown in Portillo’s...
Sonic Launches Caffeinated Refreshers as QSR Drinks Boom
Sonic is adding three lightly caffeinated fruit refreshers—Strawberry Passionfruit, Mango Peach and Berry Citrus—to its permanent menu on March 23, available in still and sparkling formats for $2.99. Each 20‑ounce drink contains about 45 mg of caffeine, a green‑tea base, and...
Recognition Is the Loyalty Perk Most Restaurants Aren’t Offering
New Toast survey of 1,400 U.S. diners shows only 20% receive a personalized experience. While discounts remain popular, diners—especially Boomers—prefer recognition, preferential seating, and tailored perks. Operators in the South, Midwest, and rural areas lag in personalization, creating an opportunity....
Beef Costs Exceed Burger Prices, Pressuring QSRs
Beef production costs have jumped 32% since January 2023, while restaurant burger prices have risen only 14%, according to Datassential’s Burger Price Index. The increase mirrors overall food‑away‑from‑home inflation of 13% but varies by segment, with limited‑service burgers up 16% versus...
Krystal Promotes COO From Parent Company
Restaurant operator Amanda Hyde has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Krystal, moving up from her role as Senior Vice President of Operations at parent company SPB Hospitality. Hyde brings more than two decades of multi‑unit restaurant leadership, previously...
Casey’s Built Its Brand on Pizza. Now It’s Chasing Chicken Wings.
Casey’s General Stores announced it will extend its chicken wing line to all 2,900+ locations over the next two years, following a successful pilot that began in Des Moines in January 2025. The wing rollout now covers more than 550...
Layne’s Chicken Fingers Thinks It Has What It Takes to Go National
Layne’s Chicken Fingers, a premium chicken‑tender chain, expanded from 10 units in 2023 to 41 locations across nine states by 2025. The company has signed franchising agreements for 68 new restaurants, including a 44‑store deal in Texas, and aims to...
Jimmy John’s Promotes CMO to President
Jimmy John’s announced that chief marketing officer Darin Dugan will assume the role of brand president, replacing long‑time president James North. North will transition to a global brand ambassador position and become a franchisee. Kate Carpenter, formerly vice president of integrated marketing, steps...
How Restaurants Can Prepare for an Influx of Aging Diners
U.S. restaurants face a demographic pivot as Baby Boomers enter retirement, pushing the 65‑plus segment to 25 % of the population by 2060 and to 18 % of restaurant spending by 2030. Older diners visit less often but spend more per check,...
Black Seed Bagels Meets the Future of Ordering
Black Seed Bagels, a seven‑location NYC bagel chain, has adopted Square’s new Order Guide to automate its procurement workflow. The AI‑driven tool scanned the shop’s 50‑item menu and produced a 373‑ingredient list, linking each item to vendor catalogs and unit‑price...
Red Lobster Hires Former P.F. Chang’s CEO as CFO
Red Lobster announced the appointment of Brad Hill as chief financial officer and executive vice president of transformation, alongside Kristen Briede as chief global development officer. Hill, who briefly served as P.F. Chang’s CEO in 2025, brings extensive finance and...
Papa Johns Plans CX Upgrades Following Corporate Cuts
Papa Johns will embed an AI‑powered ordering agent in its mobile app in Q2 2026, enabling voice and group ordering while streamlining re‑orders for Papa Rewards members. The loyalty program now touches roughly 41 million fans and drives 2.5 times more orders than...
Papa Johns Will Close 300 Restaurants
Papa Johns announced it will shutter 300 underperforming North American restaurants by the end of 2027, targeting sites that generate less than $600,000 in annual sales and typically post negative four‑wall earnings. The closures are part of a broader transformation...
Outback Posts First Traffic Growth in 5 Years
Outback Steakhouse recorded a 0.9% same‑store traffic increase in Q4 2025, its first positive quarter since 2021, while same‑store sales slipped 0.6% as average checks fell 1.5%. CEO Michael Spanos linked the traffic lift to a new steak lineup launched in November...
Wendy’s Is ‘Undervalued’ and Could Face Takeover by Nelson Peltz
Activist investor Nelson Peltz, through Trian Fund Management, has filed with the SEC stating Wendy’s is significantly undervalued and signaling possible actions, including buying more shares to gain control or divesting his stake. The fast‑food chain’s stock has slumped about...
Why Jack in the Box Bets Parking Lot Paint Can Cure Sales
Jack in the Box reported a 6.7% same‑store sales decline in Q1 2026, an improvement over the 7%‑plus drops in the prior two quarters. Restaurant‑level margins fell to 16.1% and franchise margins to 38.6%, signaling unit‑level pressure. The chain is executing...
Toast Courts Fast Food Restaurants
Restaurant POS provider Toast announced plans to launch a dedicated drive‑thru product in 2026, targeting fast‑food operators for the first time. The move follows a rapid expansion last year, with 30,000 new restaurants joining its platform, bringing total customers to...
How Wingstop Plans to Weather Traffic Slides and Winter Storms
Wingstop reported a 5.8% decline in domestic same‑store sales for Q4 2025, while overall system sales rose 9% thanks to 493 new restaurants. The chain is rolling out Club Wingstop, a loyalty program that lifted guest frequency by 7% in...
Wendy’s Pulls Back on Breakfast Hours
Wendy’s is giving franchisees greater flexibility to trim or shift breakfast hours as demand wanes, a move announced by interim CEO Ken Cook during the February earnings call. The adjustment is part of the chain’s Project Fresh initiative aimed at...
Portillo’s Hires Outback Steakhouse Vet as CEO
Portillo’s announced Brett Patterson as its new president and chief executive officer, effective Feb. 23, 2026, replacing interim CEO Michael Miles Jr. Patterson arrives from Miller’s Ale House Restaurants after more than a decade in restaurant management, including stints at Olive Garden, Ruby...
3 Restaurant Brands Tap Tech Chiefs to Scale Operations
Three restaurant operators—Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, CEC Entertainment and Starbucks—have each added senior technology executives to accelerate digital transformation and scale operations. Freddy’s appointed its first CIO, Todd Paladini, to unify franchisee systems, while CEC promoted Nathan Hunstable to...
