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Chipotle opened a record 334 restaurants in 2025 and grew revenue 5.4% to $11.9B, but restaurant-level margins contracted to 23.4%. The fast-casual leader faces a new equation.
Raising Cane's opened its 1,000th restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard in March 2026. The privately held chain plans 100+ new locations this year as it targets 1,600 total and top-10 QSR status.
DoorDash's $3.9B acquisition of Deliveroo, completed in October 2025, gives the company a presence across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The food delivery market consolidation accelerates.
Two years after AB 1228 imposed a $20 minimum wage on California fast food workers, new UC Santa Cruz research shows higher prices, reduced employment, and accelerated automation.
Miso Robotics' Zignyl acquisition signals a new phase in restaurant automation. The global market is projected to hit $28B in 2026, with robots making everything from fries to salads.
Starbucks delivered 4% global comparable sales growth in Q1 FY2026, with $9.9B in revenue. U.S. transaction growth turned positive for the first time in two years.
RBI delivered 5.3% system-wide sales growth for 2025, with Burger King U.S. comps up 2.6% and Popeyes scaling to a $2B run-rate. The $550M Royal Reset is showing results.
Wendy's reported an 11.3% decline in U.S. same-restaurant sales in Q4 2025, with global systemwide sales falling 8.3% to $3.4B. Digital grew 12.4%, but is it enough?
The selection process, interview stages, what they look for, and why operators can't own multiple stores. Harder than Harvard, more selective than MIT, and structured to filter for a rare combination of traits.
Yum Brands posted a 27% jump in Q4 net income to $535M, opened 4,500+ new KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut locations in 2025, and hiked its dividend 6%.
The complete story of how the largest franchise system in history collapsed. Dollar footlongs, franchisee revolts, market saturation, and the $9.6 billion Roark Capital acquisition that inherited the mess.