Operations & Management

Drive-thru, kitchen efficiency, food safety, labor, inventory

143 articles

Showing 49–60 of 143

The $1.9 Billion World Cup Meal: What Technomic's Forecast Means for QSR Operators in 16 Host Cities

Technomic projects the 2026 FIFA World Cup will add $1.9 billion to U.S. food-service revenue. With 78 matches across 16 cities, 742,000 incremental international visitors, and hotel revenue surging 25% in host markets, QSR operators have a narrow window to capture outsized traffic. Here is where the money lands and how to get in front of it.

MAR 25, 2026 · 7 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

Starbucks Goes South: Inside the 250,000-Square-Foot Nashville Bet Reshaping QSR Corporate Strategy

Starbucks is building its largest corporate outpost outside Seattle in Nashville, hunting for 250,000 square feet to house supply chain operations and up to 2,000 workers. The move follows a $1 billion restructuring, 500 store closures, and 1,100 corporate layoffs. For QSR operators watching the corporate migration south, the playbook is becoming impossible to ignore.

MAR 25, 2026 · 7 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

Restaurant Labor's Paradox: 7.1% Unemployment, and Operators Still Can't Hire

Food service unemployment hit 7.1% in February, nearly double the national average. Yet 54% of operators say a shrinking labor pool is their top concern. Both things are true at the same time, and the explanation reveals a structural shift that no wage increase alone will fix.

MAR 25, 2026 · 8 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

Outback Steakhouse's $50 Million Turnaround Bet: Steak Quality, Smaller Sections, and Managing Partners

Bloomin' Brands is pouring $50 million into Outback Steakhouse in 2026, splitting it across steak upgrades, a new service model, managing partner investment, and a digital-first marketing shift. Here is where every dollar is going and whether it can close the gap with LongHorn and Texas Roadhouse.

MAR 25, 2026 · 8 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

Oil Price Shock Hits Restaurant Supply Chains: $100 Crude Sends Food-Away-From-Home Costs Surging

Crude oil past $100/barrel is hammering restaurant supply chains through diesel surcharges, petroleum-based packaging costs, and rising energy bills. The Iran conflict oil disruption adds a new cost layer on top of existing tariff and beef price pressures.

MAR 24, 2026 · 7 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

DoorDash Launches Emergency Fuel Relief as Iran Conflict Sends Gas to $4 a Gallon

DoorDash activated an emergency fuel relief program on March 23 as gas prices hit $3.98/gallon nationally, up 35% in one month. The oil price shock from the Iran conflict is sending delivery costs surging across the restaurant supply chain.

MAR 24, 2026 · 5 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

Starbucks' Green Apron Model: How 650 Pilot Stores Beat the System by 200 Basis Points

At Starbucks' January 2026 Investor Day, CEO Brian Niccol revealed that 650 pilot stores running the Green Apron service model outperformed the broader fleet by 200 basis points in comparable store sales. Here is what changed at the store level, why it worked, and what QSR operators can take from the playbook.

MAR 24, 2026 · 7 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

Off-Premise Dining Hits 70% of QSR Revenue and the Restaurant Is No Longer the Destination

Drive-thru, delivery, and takeaway now account for more than 70% of revenue at leading QSR brands. The implications go far beyond convenience. This shift is fundamentally rewriting how restaurants are designed, where they are built, how they are staffed, and what the economics of a single unit actually look like.

MAR 24, 2026 · 9 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

H-2B Visa Cap Hit Early: Why QSR's Summer 2026 Staffing Crisis May Be the Worst Yet

The H-2B visa cap for the second half of fiscal year 2026 closed on March 10, well before summer peak season arrives. For QSR operators already fighting a structural labor gap, that cutoff date carries real operational weight.

MAR 24, 2026 · 8 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

Johnny Carino's Bets Its Future on a Bar-Forward Prototype. Here's the Strategy.

The nearly 30-year-old Italian casual dining chain is debuting a 6,000 square foot bar-forward prototype in Laredo, Texas. With 20 draft beers, craft cocktails, and fire pits, it's a bet that beverage-driven traffic can reverse casual dining's structural decline.

MAR 24, 2026 · 6 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

The Aging Diner Wave: Why Restaurants Must Prepare for America's Senior Spending Surge

Americans aged 65 and older will account for 18% of all restaurant spending by 2030, nearly double their share from 2025. With 73 million seniors controlling $78 trillion in assets, operators who ignore this demographic shift risk leaving billions on the table.

MAR 24, 2026 · 11 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

FDA Synthetic Food Dye Phase-Out: What QSR Operators Need to Know About Reformulation Timelines and Supply Chain Impact

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. announced a plan to eliminate eight synthetic food dyes by the end of 2026, but only two face formal bans. The remaining six are subject to 'voluntary cooperation' from manufacturers, creating a compliance gray zone that will ripple through QSR supply chains in Q3 and Q4 2026.

MAR 24, 2026 · 9 MIN READ