Popular Articles

Yum Brands Closes 2025 With a 27% Profit Surge and 4,500 New Restaurants Worldwide

Yum Brands posted a 27% jump in Q4 net income to $535M, opened 4,500+ new KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut locations in 2025, and hiked its dividend 6%.

The Drive-Thru Is Being Redesigned from the Ground Up

Multi-lane configurations, mobile pickup windows, AI-powered order verification, and accuracy scales are transforming the fast food drive-thru. After 75 years with essentially the same design, the industry's most important channel is getting a complete overhaul.

Starbucks Posts First Comparable Transaction Growth in Eight Quarters as Niccol's Turnaround Takes Hold

Starbucks delivered 4% global comparable sales growth in Q1 FY2026, with $9.9B in revenue. U.S. transaction growth turned positive for the first time in two years.

Restaurant Brands International's 2028 Growth Algorithm: Can Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes Deliver?

RBI has reaffirmed its target of 8%-plus organic operating income growth through 2028 and plans to return $1.6 billion to shareholders in 2026. With Burger King's turnaround still proving itself, Tim Hortons expanding internationally, and Popeyes moderating, the question is whether the math works.

The GLP-1 Effect: How Weight Loss Drugs Are Reshaping Fast Food Demand

A Cornell study found households on GLP-1 medications cut fast food spending by more than 5% within six months. With projections showing GLP-1 users could account for 35% of all food and beverage spending by 2030, the QSR industry faces a demand shift it cannot ignore.

The FTC's Record $17 Million Franchise Settlement: What Every QSR Franchisor Needs to Know

The FTC just secured a $17 million settlement against Xponential Fitness, the largest monetary recovery in a franchise case in FTC history. The violations have nothing to do with fitness and everything to do with how franchisors sell franchises. QSR brands should read the complaint carefully.

Raising Cane's Opens Its 1,000th Restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard

Raising Cane's milestone 1,000th location on Hollywood Boulevard is more than a vanity number. It signals a brand with serious scale ambitions, a World Cup strategy, and a founder finally coming home.

Higher-income households account for most restaurant spending

New Census income figures and the restaurant association's analysis show how higher-income households contribute to spending on meals away from home.

The Global QSR Market Is on Track to Hit $520 Billion by 2033: Where the Growth Actually Lives

The global quick service restaurant market was valued at $323.46 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $520 billion by 2033. But the headline number obscures a more complicated story about where real growth is happening, which markets are saturated, and what operators and investors should actually watch.

Wendy's Is Shrinking in America and Betting Big on Mexico

While closing up to 600 U.S. restaurants, Wendy's is signing franchise agreements for 60+ new locations in Mexico. The strategic logic behind the pivot, and what it means for the chain's long-term trajectory.

Freddy's Frozen Custard: the premium burger value play

550 locations, $1.88M AUV, and 70% of new openings from existing franchisees. How Freddy's combines burgers and custard for franchisee profitability.

The Restaurant–Grocery Inflation Gap Widened Even as Menu Inflation Eased

March’s CPI shows why slowing menu inflation does not automatically improve the comparison with groceries, and why the gap says little about restaurant profit.

DFI plans takeover of Maxim’s licensed Starbucks interests

The conditional exchange covers licensed interests in seven Asian markets.

El Pollo Loco's Breakout Moment: How a Regional Chicken Chain Is Finally Expanding Beyond California

Bad Ass Coffee moves headquarters to Lexington

A new distribution center supports East Coast and destination stores.

Papa John's Plans 300 Store Closures While Betting Big on a Turnaround

Papa John's will shutter roughly 300 underperforming North American locations by end of 2027, with 200 closures targeted for this year alone. New CEO Todd Penegor, who previously led Wendy's through its own reset, is cutting dead weight while laying the groundwork for what the company hopes will be a durable recovery.

Yum's Q2 Digital Sales Figures Exclude Pizza Hut

Yum's nearly $9 billion digital-sales figure excludes Pizza Hut. Consistent brands and ordering definitions matter when comparing adoption.

Darden Winds Down Bahama Breeze: What the Brand's Exit Reveals About Portfolio Strategy

Darden Restaurants is permanently closing 14 Bahama Breeze locations and converting the remaining 14 to other concepts. The decision, announced February 3, 2026, is a case study in how large casual dining operators make brand lifecycle decisions when traffic trends and market positioning no longer add up.