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.
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.
Year-end results and restaurant investment plans, explained.
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?
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%.
McDonald's closed 2025 with $7.01B in Q4 revenue, beating estimates by nearly 3%. With 2,600 new openings planned for 2026, the chain is racing toward 50,000 global locations.
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.
U.S. plant-based meat sales have fallen 19% since 2023, Beyond Meat's stock collapsed below $1, and QSR chains are quietly pulling plant-based items from their menus. The once-booming alternative protein segment is in a full-blown retreat.
A $900 million lawsuit, an FTC investigation, and the story of how copyright law turned soft serve maintenance into a federal case. Inside the Taylor Company monopoly and the right-to-repair battle that followed.
Multi-lane configurations, mobile pickup windows, AI-powered order verification, and accuracy scales are transforming the fast food drive-thru. After 75 years with essentially the same design, the industry's most important channel is getting a complete overhaul.