Category
Drive-thru, kitchen efficiency, food safety, labor, inventory
143 articles
RSSRising water costs, mandatory restrictions, and supply chain pressures are forcing QSR brands to rethink operations in the driest region of the country
A 950-square-foot coffee shop generating $2.1 million in AUV, outperforming Starbucks' $1.8 million from nearly double the footprint.
Taco Bell's Go Mobile is 1,325 square feet. McDonald's is testing carryout-only boxes. Chipotle's Chipotlane format eliminates dining rooms. The industry's biggest bet isn't on new menu items. It's on smaller buildings.
A single drive-thru lane can process 120 cars per day. A dual lane can push past 140. And Chick-fil-A's four-lane prototype aims for 720 cars per hour. How lane configuration decisions translate directly into revenue.
When Tyson Foods announced a 50% drop in pork production in May 2020, it exposed vulnerabilities that had been invisible during normal operations. Four years later, some changes stuck and some reverted. Here's what actually changed and what vulnerabilities remain.
Complete step-by-step guide to opening a fast food restaurant, from concept to grand opening. Includes timelines, costs, permits, hiring, and common mistakes to avoid.
Commuter breakfast collapsed post-pandemic. McDonald's breakfast dominance eroded while Taco Bell gained incremental revenue. Breakfast traffic jumped 4% in early 2020, then patterns shifted permanently. Mobile ordering penetration runs highest at breakfast. The chains that crack the new breakfast code generate meaningful incremental revenue.
High-traffic corners still matter, but delivery and mobile ordering broke the link between foot traffic and revenue. Chains allocate 30% of expansion to ghost kitchens in military bases, universities, and hospitals. Drive-thru-only formats cut square footage from 2,500 to 600. Second-generation sites open 6-12 months faster than new builds.
Proven strategies to improve restaurant profitability across food cost, labor efficiency, revenue optimization, and operational excellence. Actionable tactics every QSR operator can implement.
The definitive reference guide to Quick Service Restaurant terminology. From AUV to zero waste, master every term that matters in the QSR industry.