All Articles
828 PIECES · UPDATED DAILY
&pizza removes kiosks and AI ordering
The chain cites lost interaction with guests.
15% of U.S. Restaurants Face Closure Risk in 2026, BBI Data Shows
Black Box Intelligence data flags 15% of U.S. restaurants as closure risks in 2026, up from earlier estimates of 9% for full-service operators alone. With 42% of operators reporting unprofitable operations in 2025 and food costs still 35% above pre-pandemic levels, the shake-out has begun.
19-Unit Starbird Signs 36-Store Texas Deal to Triple Its Footprint
A California super-premium chicken chain just signed its biggest development deal ever, with a Texas auto dealership empire as the franchisee.
2025 QSR Value Meals: McValue, $5 Deals and Taco Bell Boxes
How McDonald’s and Taco Bell structured their 2025 value offers, with dates, bundle contents and the difference between historical promotions and current prices.
22 States Are Raising Minimum Wages in 2026. Here's What It Means for QSR Operators.
For the first time in U.S. history, more states have minimum wages at or above $15 per hour than at the federal floor of $7.25. Twenty-two states are raising wages in 2026, with Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Missouri, and Nebraska crossing $15 for the first time. Here is what QSR operators need to know about the numbers, the P&L impact, and the levers available to protect margins.
51% of QSR Brands Are Now Investing in AI, but Most Still Can't Prove ROI
More than half of limited-service restaurant brands are spending on AI, but the gap between investment and measurable return is widening. Here's what's blocking ROI and which use cases are actually delivering results.
7 Brew outbids Dutch Bros for 72 Salad and Go drive-thrus
7 Brew won the August 31 auction for 72 closed Salad and Go leases. Dutch Bros declined to raise its bid. The court has not approved the sale.
7 Brew’s $2 protein boost goes nationwide, from coffee to soda
7 Brew expands protein choices alongside coffee brands’ milk and foam.
7shifts Brings Employee Training Into Its Restaurant HR Platform
Course completion still leaves managers responsible for assessing practical skills.
A&W’s New Prototype Keeps 40 to 70 Seats in the Operating Plan
A&W’s 2,200–2,800-square-foot U.S. prototype makes dining space a deliberate part of future development. The operating questions begin with guest flow and a site-specific budget.
ADA Compliance for QSR: Digital and Physical Accessibility Requirements
From doorway width to website code, ADA compliance affects every aspect of QSR operations. This guide breaks down physical and digital accessibility requirements, common violations, and practical steps to compliance.
Agentic AI Is Becoming the Operating System for Restaurants. Here Is What That Actually Means.
Forget chatbots and voice-ordering gimmicks. The real AI revolution in restaurants is happening in the back office, where agentic systems are autonomously managing schedules, inventory, and demand forecasting without human prompting.
AI and Automation in QSR Kitchens: The Real State of the Industry in 2026
From Flippy to Autocado, QSR robotics is further along than you think — and further away than vendors claim. A reality check.
AI Demand Forecasting: How Chains Predict Tomorrow's Orders Today
The best QSR operators can predict tomorrow's sales within 2-3% accuracy. The rest are still guessing. Inside the AI forecasting revolution reshaping restaurant operations.
AI Menu Recommendations: Upselling Revolution or Creepy Surveillance?
When a drive-thru screen suggests a hot coffee because it knows the temperature dropped, that's clever. When it remembers your last three orders and pushes a combo based on your spending patterns, some customers call it creepy. AI menu recommendations are driving measurable revenue lifts — the question is where the line falls.
AI Scheduling Software: The Labor Tool That's Quietly Crushing Morale
AI scheduling tools are saving QSR operators 3-5% on labor costs. They're also generating the unpredictable schedules, clopening shifts, and last-minute changes that employees cite as their top reason for quitting. The math works on paper. The human cost doesn't.
AlixPartners Analyzed 90,000 Restaurants. The Math Behind the Value War Has Fundamentally Changed.
New data from AlixPartners' Proprietary Pricing Platform reveals that menu prices outpaced inflation across 90,000 locations, but transaction values fell behind. With gas at $3.94 a gallon and Oxford Economics projecting the slowest consumption growth since 2013, the restaurant pricing playbook is being rewritten in real time.
Applebee's and IHOP Under One Roof: Inside Dine Brands' 900-Location Dual-Brand Gamble
Dine Brands is betting its future on a dual-branded Applebee's-IHOP concept that generates up to 2.5x the revenue of standalone locations. With 80 open by year-end and a target of 900 over the next decade, this is the biggest format experiment in casual dining.
QSR Intelligence Briefing
Weekly insights on the QSR industry. No spam, just intelligence.