Category
Franchise economics, pricing, food costs, real estate, payments
210 articles
RSSSweetgreen's Q4 2025 same-store sales plunged 11.5%, its stock sits 89% below IPO price, and closures are mounting. With CAVA surging and Noodles & Company shrinking, the fast-casual segment is splitting into clear winners and losers. Here is what went wrong and what operators can learn.
McDonald's U.S. same-store sales grew 6.8% in Q4 2025, the chain's best domestic quarter since Q3 2023. A value reset, seasonal promotions, and a recovery from last year's E. coli crisis all played into results that significantly beat Wall Street expectations.
A new wave of tariff-driven cost pressure is hitting restaurant operators at the worst possible time, with food costs up 40% over five years while menu price increases lag at 30%. With consumer spending softening and supply chains in flux, the traditional tools for protecting margins are losing their edge.
Every major fast food chain is running some form of value promotion in 2026, and the math is punishing franchisees while rewarding brands with digital infrastructure and scale. The winners and losers of this price war are becoming clear.
The U.S. cattle herd has shrunk to its smallest size since 1951. With beef prices surging past records and no relief in sight for years, burger chains face a fundamental question about their business model.
Wingstop has quietly become one of the most successful QSR brands in the country. While competitors chase viral moments and trend cycles, Wingstop has built a digital-first, delivery-optimized busines
Jersey Mike's Subs is one of the fastest-growing QSR brands in the country. The chain has grown from a regional East Coast concept to a national powerhouse, adding hundreds of locations annually and c
Domino's has transformed from a regional pizza delivery chain into one of the most technologically advanced QSR brands in the world. The company's digital transformation over the last 15 years has mad
Wendy's has spent the last decade repositioning itself as the quality leader in the burger category. Fresh, never frozen beef. Sea salt fries. Made-to-order burgers. The brand's commitment to quality
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has spent the last five years on a growth tear. The 2019 chicken sandwich launch wasn't just a viral moment. It fundamentally shifted the brand's position in the QSR chicken
Taco Bell is the dominant player in Mexican-inspired QSR, with over 8,000 locations generating more than $13 billion in annual system sales. The brand has spent the last decade evolving from a late-ni
Dunkin' has spent the last decade transforming from a regional donut shop into a national beverage-led, on-the-go brand. The rebrand from "Dunkin' Donuts" to just "Dunkin'" in 2019 signaled the shift: