Popular Articles

The most-read analysis and research across QSR Pro. See what operators, franchisees, and investors are reading right now.

All TimeThis MonthThis Week
Category:AllFinance & EconomicsIndustry AnalysisMarketing & GrowthOperations & ManagementPeople & CultureTechnology & Innovation
209 articles|835 total published
finance
Finance & Economics

Yum! Brands Closes 2025 With Record KFC Development and a Renewed Push on Pizza Hut

Yum! Brands built nearly 3,000 new KFC locations in 2025 — a record. Now it's turning attention to Pizza Hut's turnaround.

MAR 19, 2026 · 3 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

QSR Franchisee Debt Loads Are Reaching Critical Levels

SBA loan defaults hit a 12-year high in 2024. The 7(a) program posted its first negative cash flow in 13 years. Restaurant lending standards are tightening. For overleveraged QSR franchisees, the math is getting ugly.

MAR 20, 2026 · 9 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

The Rise of Restaurant Robotics-as-a-Service: Why Nobody's Buying Flippy Outright

The economics of kitchen automation finally work — but only when operators lease robots monthly instead of buying them. RaaS is transforming both the adoption curve and the investment thesis.

MAR 19, 2026 · 11 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

The QSR Insurance Crisis Nobody Saw Coming: Why Your Premium Jumped 40% This Year

QSR operators opened renewal letters showing 25-50% premium increases. No new claims. No coverage changes. Just bills that didn't exist six months ago.

MAR 20, 2026 · 10 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

The QSR Insurance Crisis: Why Premiums Have Doubled Since 2020 and What Smart Operators Are Doing About It

From nuclear verdicts to carrier exits, the forces reshaping restaurant insurance — and the strategies operators are deploying to survive the hard market

MAR 18, 2026 · 9 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

The 15 Most Expensive QSR Franchise Failures of the Last Decade

Opening a franchise is sold as a path to business ownership with reduced risk. But when QSR concepts fail, franchisees lose everything: their investment, their livelihood, and sometimes their life savings.

MAR 19, 2026 · 9 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

QSR Delivery Economics: Why Most Restaurants Lose Money on Every Third-Party Order

A detailed breakdown of the true costs of DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, revealing why the advertised commission rates tell only part of the story and what restaurants can do about it.

MAR 19, 2026 · 11 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

How to Negotiate Your QSR Franchise Agreement: What Most Operators Miss

Franchise agreements aren't as 'non-negotiable' as franchisors claim. Learn which provisions are actually negotiable, how to approach changes professionally, when you have leverage, and what mistakes to avoid in this critical 10-20 year contract.

MAR 19, 2026 · 12 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

The $20 Minimum Wage Impact on California QSRs: What Actually Happened

California's $20 fast food minimum wage took effect April 2024. Employment declined 9,600-19,300 jobs. Prices jumped 5-10%. Store closures accelerated. But the industry didn't collapse. Two years of real data shows both advocates and critics were partially right. Here's who won, who lost, and what other states should learn.

MAR 20, 2026 · 9 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

The True Cost of Third-Party Delivery: How DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub Are Reshaping QSR Unit Economics

Inside the commission structures, margin pressures, and strategic choices defining the future of restaurant profitability

MAR 18, 2026 · 11 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

Behind the Curtain: How QSR Supply Chain Contracts Are Squeezing Franchisees

Franchisors negotiate supplier rebates worth millions. Franchisees pay above-market prices for approved vendors. The gap between those two facts is where the real money is made — and it's not by the operators.

MAR 19, 2026 · 10 MIN READ
How to read a franchise disclosure document
Finance & Economics

How to read a franchise disclosure document

A practical guide to franchise fees, performance disclosures, renewal terms and the questions to record before signing.

MAR 19, 2026 · 6 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

The Economics of Chick-fil-A's Sunday Closure: Why Staying Closed One Day a Week Makes Billions

Chick-fil-A generates more revenue per restaurant than any other fast food chain — while operating six days a week instead of seven.

MAR 19, 2026 · 5 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

The Franchise Model Is Broken: Why Operators Are Starting to Fight Back

Behind the glossy brochures and promises of business ownership lies a system designed to extract wealth from franchisees while protecting corporate interests. The rebellion has begun.

MAR 19, 2026 · 5 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

QSR Franchise Law 101: What Every Prospective Franchisee Must Know

Essential legal framework for making informed franchise decisions

MAR 19, 2026 · 13 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

The Insurance Crisis: Why Premiums Are Forcing Small Franchisees to Sell

Restaurant insurance premiums have doubled in four years. For single-unit franchisees already running on thin margins, it's becoming the cost that breaks the business.

MAR 19, 2026 · 10 MIN READ
finance
Finance & Economics

Credit Card Processing Fees Are Eating QSR Profits: The $30 Billion Problem Nobody Talks About

While operators obsess over labor costs and food prices, the payment processing industry quietly siphons billions from an already thin-margin business

MAR 18, 2026 · 9 MIN READ
Uber agrees to buy ezCater for $2.3 billion
Finance & Economics

Uber agrees to buy ezCater for $2.3 billion

ezCater's Online Ordering service connects restaurant websites to a branded catering checkout and lets restaurants export their own customer records.

OCT 7, 2026 · 4 MIN READ
Page 4 of 12