# QSR Weekly Article Roundup: 2026 Week 39

> Source: https://qsr.pro/newsletter/archive/2026/39
> Publisher: QSR Pro


Published articles from week 39 of 2026.

- [Wendy’s made an emo album for its parking lot](https://qsr.pro/articles/wendys-emo-album-parking-lot) — Six tracks, real musicians and a Frosty funeral.
- [Restaurant outlook forecasts modest purchasing-power growth](https://qsr.pro/articles/restaurant-association-september-2026-purchasing-power-outlook) — The Association forecasts 0.5% growth in real disposable income for 2026. Its separately released survey describes restaurant use and spending choices.
- [Taco Bell adds daily games and Friday prize entries](https://qsr.pro/articles/taco-bell-bid-on-luxe-daily-games-prize-drawings) — Rewards members can turn virtual paddles into entries for weekly prize drawings.
- [KPOT picks Deliverect for marketplace orders and menus](https://qsr.pro/articles/kpot-deliverect-marketplace-orders-menu-management) — KPOT plans a network deployment. Deliverect’s general tools connect shared menus with local exceptions, editing permissions and channel publishing.
- [Wendy’s operator Meritage plans closures, Fast Company reports](https://qsr.pro/articles/meritage-wendys-operating-objection-september-2026) — Fast Company reports planned closures as Meritage’s bankruptcy proceedings continue.
- [Starbucks plans 250 North American closures](https://qsr.pro/articles/starbucks-250-north-america-closures-september-2026) — Starbucks estimates $300 million in restructuring charges and lowers its global net-opening forecast to about 440.
- [Pizza Inn signs a 10-buffet development agreement](https://qsr.pro/articles/pizza-inn-10-buffet-development-agreement-2026) — The first five openings are anticipated in fiscal 2027.
- [Scooter’s Coffee connects app and marketplace ordering through Olo](https://qsr.pro/articles/scooters-coffee-olo-app-marketplace-ordering-september-2026) — June’s marketplace setup and September’s app migration show how Scooter’s connects digital ordering with store systems.
- [Arby’s promotes Loaded Rewards](https://qsr.pro/articles/arbys-loaded-rewards-checkout-points) — Points connect restaurant purchases and digital orders.
- [KFC Canada's Kwench rollout pairs equipment and site work](https://qsr.pro/articles/kfc-canada-kwench-equipment-site-work) — Elevate outlines a program to equip and prepare more than 200 Canadian KFC restaurants.
- [How restaurant workers can ask Giving Kitchen for crisis support](https://qsr.pro/articles/giving-kitchen-crisis-assistance-restaurant-workers) — Ahead of September 25, Giving Kitchen is pointing food-service workers toward existing crisis assistance and community resources.
- [Decision Logic launches Vitals and ShiftFlow](https://qsr.pro/articles/decision-logic-vitals-shiftflow-performance-mobile-tasks) — Decision Logic says Vitals tracks performance and ShiftFlow organizes mobile tasks.
- [McDonald’s plans $8.5 billion in franchise support](https://qsr.pro/articles/mcdonalds-next-franchise-support) — Rent relief and capital backing would help fund restaurant upgrades.
- [Slutty Vegan adds Cincinnati to Soul Republic’s Ohio plans](https://qsr.pro/articles/slutty-vegan-cincinnati-soul-republic-ohio) — Soul Republic’s third announced Ohio market follows its plans for Columbus and Cleveland.
- [Bad Ass Coffee moves headquarters to Lexington](https://qsr.pro/articles/bad-ass-coffee-lexington-headquarters-distribution) — A new distribution center supports East Coast and destination stores.
- [Chipotle pilots food-safety platform with Palantir](https://qsr.pro/articles/chipotle-palantir-food-safety-risk-pilot) — The company’s September statement outlined a pilot to consolidate restaurant risk information and guide follow-up.
- [DonorLink connects Toast food donations to volunteer pickups](https://qsr.pro/articles/donorlink-toast-food-donations-volunteer-pickups) — Food Rescue US links Toast donation records to local pickups, following a 2023 grant initiative.
- [Aspire’s first food-service trainees serve a practice lunch](https://qsr.pro/articles/aspire-food-service-training-paid-internships) — Aspire’s first food-service cohort handled a three-course lunch, from taking orders to resetting tables, as part of its preparation for restaurant jobs.
- [Carl’s Jr. wants proof you threw away your crown](https://qsr.pro/articles/carls-jr-crown-photos-angus-maximus-promotion) — Carl’s Jr. limited burger offers to the first 100 eligible entries.
- [KFC UK Made Cereal. It Wants You to Add Gravy.](https://qsr.pro/articles/kfc-uk-surreal-cereal-gravy) — Chicken-flavored cereal meets a gravy boat.
- [Dunkin’s coffee gets an L.L.Bean sweater. Humans are next.](https://qsr.pro/articles/dunkin-llbean-matching-coffee-sweaters) — The coffee gets dressed first.
- [Presto connects drive-thru voice orders to Toast](https://qsr.pro/articles/presto-connects-drive-thru-voice-orders-to-toast) — How menu management, voice generation and POS connections bring spoken orders into restaurant operations.
- [Thrive put a Goodwill coach in nine restaurants](https://qsr.pro/articles/thrive-goodwill-success-coach-wichita-applebees) — More than 80 of about 300 Wichita employees used the coach in year one.