Crunchtime brings prep and waste logging to kitchen screens
Operations & ManagementSEP 17, 2026
Weekly article roundup
September 14 - September 20, 2026
Articles published during this week, grouped for browsing. This page is a weekly article roundup, not a copy of a sent newsletter.
131 articles across 6 categories / ~97k words of analysis
Operations & Management
26 articlesHunt Brothers, GoMart and Così outline three partner formats
Operations & ManagementSEP 17, 2026
Dine Brands reports U.S. cage-free completion and lighter IHOP lids
Operations & ManagementAPR 8, 2026
Smoothie King’s Rochester plan pairs one opening with two site searches
Operations & ManagementJUN 24, 2026
Mokas’ nine-store agreement spans Missouri counties and three Kansas cities
Operations & ManagementAUG 26, 2026
Sysco’s $100 million cost plan combines AI and earlier actions
Operations & ManagementAUG 4, 2026
Tropical Smoothie’s Fort Hood Contract Builds on Raphael’s Base Experience
Operations & ManagementJUN 22, 2026
GoTo Foods Adds Favor Across Its Texas Delivery Portfolio
Operations & ManagementJUN 17, 2026
Gabriel Vesci opens Paris Baguette after years running McDonald’s
Operations & ManagementJUN 18, 2026
Eggs Up Grill expands with Metz and franchisee Conley McIntyre
Operations & ManagementAPR 9, 2026
Wendy’s Opens Canada’s First Future Fresh Restaurant in North York
Operations & ManagementJUL 20, 2026
Wendy’s Revives the Pub Burger for a Broader Fall Menu
Operations & ManagementAUG 3, 2026
Pesce reopens Lexington Dunkin with Jimmy John’s under one roof
Operations & ManagementSEP 2, 2026
NDCP delivers its 1,000th consolidated Dunkin new-store or remodel project
Operations & ManagementAUG 18, 2026
Freddy’s adapts its kitchen for a first military-base restaurant
Operations & ManagementAPR 15, 2026
CAVA opens Cottleville with dining, digital pickup and delivery
Operations & ManagementAPR 17, 2026
Wienerschnitzel reaches Navy Exchange as its Walmart rollout continues
Operations & ManagementJUL 22, 2026
Panera's Market Bowls pair shared ingredients with portion choice
Operations & ManagementJUN 17, 2026
Pizza Hut China Opens Its 300th Adjacent Burger Bar
Operations & ManagementAUG 20, 2026
Craveworthy Plans Shared Operations for Georgia Tech's New Food Hall
Operations & ManagementJUL 16, 2026
Huey Magoo’s estimates 40% lower development costs for compact drive-thru
Operations & ManagementMAY 1, 2026
Paris Baguette builds four lunch formats around Korean barbecue beef
Operations & ManagementAPR 7, 2026
A&W’s New Prototype Keeps 40 to 70 Seats in the Operating Plan
Operations & ManagementAUG 18, 2026
Shipley’s Catering Launch Gives Stores a Day to Plan the Order
Operations & ManagementJUL 9, 2026
Leanpath’s Snap AI Moves Waste Tracking to the Catered Event
Operations & ManagementMAY 18, 2026
Sysco’s Restaurant Depot Deal Would Put Two Supply Options Under One Owner
Operations & ManagementMAR 30, 2026
Finance & Economics
25 articlesMeritage files for Chapter 11, plans to keep restaurants operating
Finance & EconomicsSEP 18, 2026
Brinker targets 30 annual restaurant openings by fiscal 2029
Finance & EconomicsSEP 18, 2026
Qvinci launches RoyaltyHub for franchise billing
Finance & EconomicsSEP 17, 2026
First Watch grows sales as comparable visits decline
Finance & EconomicsMAY 5, 2026
Jersey Mike’s Q2 shows sales growth and a complicated earnings comparison
Finance & EconomicsSEP 9, 2026
7 Brew outbids Dutch Bros for 72 Salad and Go drive-thrus
Finance & EconomicsSEP 21, 2026
Freddy’s expands in-line development with a lower investment floor
Finance & EconomicsJUL 7, 2026
Cotton Patch’s Sale Brings 46 Restaurants Into Local Favorite
Finance & EconomicsJUN 29, 2026
Sweetgreen’s Spyce gain lifts earnings despite an operating loss
Finance & EconomicsMAY 7, 2026
Cracker Barrel Raises Guidance as Sales Declines Narrow
Finance & EconomicsJUN 9, 2026
Quality Brand Group Builds an Operating Structure for Expansion
Finance & EconomicsAUG 6, 2026
NDCP extends Dunkin agreement with Pacific Northwest pricing benefit
Finance & EconomicsJUL 30, 2026
Wendy’s halves dividend as leadership reassesses turnaround spending
Finance & EconomicsAUG 7, 2026
Dutch Bros’ traffic growth meets higher food and occupancy costs
Finance & EconomicsMAY 6, 2026
Yum China’s delivery growth brings a larger rider bill to restaurants
Finance & EconomicsAPR 29, 2026
Domino's transfers 77 stores as its U.S. footprint grows
Finance & EconomicsJUL 20, 2026
Red Robin's two new sale agreements target debt reduction
Finance & EconomicsJUN 15, 2026
Jersey Mike's IPO: $317 Million Gross for the Company
Finance & EconomicsJUL 29, 2026
Darden's Extra Week Changes Its Quarterly Growth Comparison
Finance & EconomicsJUN 25, 2026
Papa Johns’ revenue decline reflects refranchising and weaker store sales
Finance & EconomicsMAY 7, 2026
Starbucks traffic rises as North American operating profit falls
Finance & EconomicsAPR 28, 2026
WOWorks’ Franchise Incentives Reward Scale, but Cash Timing Matters
Finance & EconomicsSEP 10, 2026
Wingstop’s Franchise Revenue Gain Shows What New Stores Offset
Finance & EconomicsJUL 29, 2026
Shake Shack’s Store Margin Improved. Its Company Profit Went the Other Way.
Finance & EconomicsMAY 7, 2026
Domino’s Supply Margin Rose While Store Basket Prices Climbed
Finance & EconomicsAPR 27, 2026
Marketing & Growth
22 articlesTropical Smoothie plans cafe and digital refresh
Marketing & GrowthSEP 18, 2026
Taco Bell Foundation's 2026 Grants Reach 700 Nonprofits
Marketing & GrowthSEP 15, 2026
Denny’s puts more than 400 restaurants on ezCater
Marketing & GrowthAUG 18, 2026
Pollo Campero builds soccer offers around three order sizes
Marketing & GrowthMAY 27, 2026
Freddy’s Makes Bunless Bowls a Permanent Menu Choice
Marketing & GrowthJUN 9, 2026
Swipe Savvy buys GiftAMeal and promises continued standalone service
Marketing & GrowthAPR 1, 2026
Gregorys Coffee takes franchise recruiting into four East Coast cafés
Marketing & GrowthAPR 1, 2026
Dunkin’s Tennis Campaign Connects Drinks, Merchandise and Rewards
Marketing & GrowthSEP 11, 2026
Dunkin and BARK Add Donation Tiers and a Dog Drive-Thru
Marketing & GrowthAUG 24, 2026
Dunkin’s Fall Campaign Moves From Breakfast to Afternoon Lattes
Marketing & GrowthSEP 8, 2026
Dunkin and Febreze launch Walmart-exclusive coffee and bakery scents
Marketing & GrowthSEP 1, 2026
Wendy’s $1.99 nugget deal makes app access a requirement
Marketing & GrowthAUG 24, 2026
Wendy’s Halloween offer pairs coupon books with meal collectibles
Marketing & GrowthSEP 3, 2026
Panda puts brisket at the center of its summer barbecue dish
Marketing & GrowthMAY 28, 2026
Burger King pairs Crown Nuggets’ return with a $3.99 kids meal
Marketing & GrowthMAY 26, 2026
Hardee's limits fuel-gauge breakfast giveaway to 4,500 rewards
Marketing & GrowthJUN 18, 2026
OpenTable Gold Tables Makes Reservation Access a Loyalty Benefit
Marketing & GrowthJUL 8, 2026
District Taco ties free Sunday kids meals to adult entrées
Marketing & GrowthJUN 1, 2026
Farmer Boys opens its loyalty-only salad deal to everyone
Marketing & GrowthAPR 14, 2026
DoorDash’s $8 Discount Cap Changes the Flavor Fest Economics
Marketing & GrowthAUG 6, 2026
Chipotle Keeps the Seven-Visit Goal and Brings the Competition Local
Marketing & GrowthMAY 28, 2026
Subway’s April BOGO Links a Two-Sandwich Deal to Sub Club
Marketing & GrowthMAR 30, 2026
Technology & Innovation
21 articles&pizza removes kiosks and AI ordering
Technology & InnovationSEP 17, 2026
7shifts Brings Employee Training Into Its Restaurant HR Platform
Technology & InnovationSEP 15, 2026
Bear Robotics introduces Servi Q for tighter restaurant routes
Technology & InnovationMAY 16, 2026
Bounteous and Deliverect link branded ordering with restaurant fulfillment
Technology & InnovationAUG 24, 2026
Omilia extends Taco Bell deal after reaching 890-plus drive-thrus
Technology & InnovationJUL 7, 2026
Miso’s Zume Deal Adds Patents to Its Restaurant Automation Plans
Technology & InnovationJUN 24, 2026
Grubhub Connects Restaurant Discovery, Voice Ordering and Bilt Rewards
Technology & InnovationJUN 4, 2026
Deliverect links owned orders to DataCandy’s customer loyalty records
Technology & InnovationMAY 14, 2026
Birch Coffee combines subscriptions, café service and outside scheduling tools
Technology & InnovationAPR 10, 2026
Little Caesars Connects ChatGPT Planning to Its Own Checkout
Technology & InnovationAPR 16, 2026
Pilot completes Wendy’s kiosk rollout at 78 travel-center restaurants
Technology & InnovationSEP 3, 2026
Ladle puts lot records on the receiving team’s phone
Technology & InnovationMAY 14, 2026
Uber and Block plan Square integration in six international markets
Technology & InnovationAPR 22, 2026
Palona's restaurant AI pitch moves beyond the food order
Technology & InnovationAUG 17, 2026
SevenRooms launches Channel Connect to sync restaurant reservations
Technology & InnovationJUN 16, 2026
OpenTable's Summer Tools Target Table Rules and Guest Recognition
Technology & InnovationAUG 26, 2026
Square’s drive-thru early access links orders, kitchens and handoff
Technology & InnovationMAY 11, 2026
Crunchtime targets inventory counts, photo review and manager follow-up
Technology & InnovationAPR 21, 2026
Paytronix and Qu Bring Complex Menu Rules Into Digital Ordering
Technology & InnovationJUN 23, 2026
Restaurant365’s AI Launch Has Two Different Adoption Timelines
Technology & InnovationMAY 12, 2026
Square and MarketMan Bring Inventory Closer to the POS. The Count Still Matters.
Technology & InnovationAPR 2, 2026
People & Culture
19 articlesChipotle Targets Full Apprentice Coverage by the End of 2027
People & CultureSEP 15, 2026
Church’s gives its commercial chief loyalty, menu and pricing oversight
People & CultureMAY 26, 2026
Portillo’s cuts headquarters roles as restaurant cost pressures grow
People & CultureAUG 5, 2026
Wendy’s reunites Wright and Cirulis in finance and strategy
People & CultureJUN 23, 2026
SouthFair’s Shipley Agreement Links a Restaurant to Its Neighborhood Mission
People & CultureJUL 8, 2026
WOWorks names leaders for franchise recruitment and restaurant support
People & CultureMAY 28, 2026
Chicken Salad Chick plans Dublin opening with franchisee Jen Crichfield
People & CultureAPR 13, 2026
Redberry’s Canadian Expansion Shows the Work Behind Its Store Target
People & CultureAPR 5, 2026
Wendy’s plans new operations role as Suerken prepares QSCC return
People & CultureAUG 17, 2026
Massachusetts cites Dunkin operator and staffing firms over worker pay
People & CultureSEP 3, 2026
Denny’s names Christopher Bode CEO with a 24-month agenda
People & CultureAPR 13, 2026
McDonald’s puts U.S. operations and technology under one COO
People & CultureMAR 30, 2026
Marco's plans Orlando training kitchen to support franchise expansion
People & CultureJUN 16, 2026
Dairy Queen Gives Phil Crawford a Broad Technology Mandate
People & CultureJUL 7, 2026
P. Terry's Pairs Employee Ownership With a Profit-Sharing Plan
People & CultureJUN 9, 2026
Chick-fil-A’s 2026 scholarships show the value of upfront funding
People & CultureAPR 7, 2026
Wendy’s Gives Tariq Hassan a Combined Marketing and Customer Growth Role
People & CultureAUG 24, 2026
Jack in the Box Puts Its Board Chair in Charge of the Turnaround
People & CultureMAY 13, 2026
Domino’s Sets an Extended Handoff From Russell Weiner to Joe Jordan
People & CultureJUN 22, 2026
Industry Analysis
18 articlesHigher-income households account for most restaurant spending
Industry AnalysisSEP 16, 2026
Nana’s Green Tea plans its first company-run U.S. flagship
Industry AnalysisAPR 25, 2026
HEAL’s Toronto plan adds a company store to franchise growth
Industry AnalysisAPR 24, 2026
Riko’s buys two franchise restaurants without adding system locations
Industry AnalysisSEP 1, 2026
Chipotle’s venture update spans farming, sourcing and biometric payments
Industry AnalysisJUL 8, 2026
Chipotle Sets July 16 Mexico Debut With Alsea in Nuevo León
Industry AnalysisJUL 13, 2026
Shipley Signs a Three-Store Cincinnati Agreement With the Koettings
Industry AnalysisJUN 17, 2026
On The Border’s Operator Announces Liquidation After June Closures
Industry AnalysisJUN 19, 2026
Ghai’s Houston Taco Bell purchase changes its geographic mix
Industry AnalysisMAY 21, 2026
Food-Service Payrolls Rebound in the First August Jobs Estimate
Industry AnalysisSEP 4, 2026
July restaurant inflation rates converge as limited-service prices accelerate
Industry AnalysisAUG 12, 2026
Noodles' stronger restaurants leave its financing work unfinished
Industry AnalysisJUL 24, 2026
July Food-Service and Lodging Hires Nearly Matched Departures
Industry AnalysisSEP 1, 2026
Yum's Q2 Digital Sales Figures Exclude Pizza Hut
Industry AnalysisJUL 30, 2026
May producer prices show energy outpacing food inflation
Industry AnalysisJUN 11, 2026
Wonder Sets a First Launch Site for Salt Hank’s After Acquisition
Industry AnalysisAUG 20, 2026
The Restaurant–Grocery Inflation Gap Widened Even as Menu Inflation Eased
Industry AnalysisAPR 10, 2026
June’s Hospitality Jobs Decline Calls for a Closer Look at Summer Hiring
Industry AnalysisJUL 2, 2026
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