Popular Articles

The Restaurant General Manager Shortage Is the Real Labor Crisis of 2026

While the industry obsesses over hourly wages, GM salaries have surged 12% in a single year. The real labor crisis in QSR is not finding crew members. It is finding the experienced operators who can run a $2-3 million restaurant.

MAR 20, 2026 · 8 MIN READ

California's $20 Fast Food Wage, Two Years Later: Higher Prices, Fewer Jobs, and an Automation Accelerant

Two years after AB 1228 imposed a $20 minimum wage on California fast food workers, new UC Santa Cruz research shows higher prices, reduced employment, and accelerated automation.

MAR 20, 2026 · 9 MIN READ

The Real Cost of Restaurant Turnover in 2026

Cornell research puts restaurant turnover costs at $5,864 per employee. With industry turnover hovering at 150%, a single 25-person location can lose $150,000 or more per year to churn. Here is who is winning retention, what actually works, and what is just theater.

MAR 20, 2026 · 8 MIN READ

The QSR Labor Market in 2026: Where the Workers Actually Went

The restaurant industry lost 29,700 jobs in February 2026 alone. Turnover still exceeds 100% annually at many chains. Wages rose 6.3% in 2024 and keep climbing. Here is what the BLS data and industry reports actually show about the QSR workforce.

The Restaurant CEO Pay Gap: What Top Chain Executives Earn vs. the Workers Serving the Food

When McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski earned $19.2 million in 2024, the crew members at the counter made around $14 an hour. That gap is wider than most industries, and it's becoming a real operational problem for chains struggling to hire and retain staff.

Starbucks Workers United: Four Years Without a Contract and the March 2026 Proposal That Could Break the Deadlock

Starbucks Workers United filed a comprehensive contract proposal on March 13, 2026, reigniting stalled negotiations that have dragged on for four years without a first contract. For QSR operators watching from the sidelines, the Starbucks labor standoff is the most consequential union story in the industry's modern history.

SEP 24, 2026 · 3 MIN READ

How restaurant workers can ask Giving Kitchen for crisis support

Ahead of September 25, Giving Kitchen is pointing food-service workers toward existing crisis assistance and community resources.

MAR 20, 2026 · 5 MIN READ

QSR Hiring in 2026: What's Changed Since the Labor Shortage

Wages, benefits, scheduling tech, and applicant quality. The shortage didn't end - it restructured. Current state of the market and what actually works.

MAR 24, 2026 · 6 MIN READ

Popeyes Appoints Chris Padoan as COO, Expands Field Team 75% in Turnaround Push

Restaurant Brands International named Burger King veteran Chris Padoan as Popeyes COO and expanded the chain's field operations team by 75%, the latest moves in a turnaround effort after four consecutive quarters of same-store sales declines.

MAR 20, 2026 · 8 MIN READ

The General Manager Crisis in QSR

GM turnover, compensation gaps, and burnout. Why this is the most important role in the restaurant, what's driving the talent shortage, and which chains are solving it.

Chicken Salad Chick's Millennial and Gen Z Franchisee Surge Signals a New Franchise Model Preference

Chicken Salad Chick named Jill Thomas CMO as the brand reports a record 2025 with nearly 100 new franchise deals and a pipeline surpassing 300 units, driven by younger entrepreneurs seeking structured ownership.

Chili's Wants to Turn General Managers into Owners, and It Could Reshape Company-Operated QSR

CEO Kevin Hochman is studying a profit-sharing ownership model for GMs modeled on Texas Roadhouse's managing partner structure. If it works, it could redefine unit-level leadership across company-operated chains.

MAR 20, 2026 · 5 MIN READ

Women in QSR Leadership: Progress and Problems

Female CEOs, franchisees, and executives - the numbers and the stories. Why progress is slow, where barriers remain, and which chains are actually changing.

Yum Brands After Gibbs: Chris Turner Inherits a 59,000-Restaurant Empire and an Unfinished AI Transformation

Chris Turner stepped into the Yum Brands CEO seat in October 2025 after three decades of operational DNA built by David Gibbs. A financial architect taking the wheel of the world's largest fast food company by unit count raises real questions about execution versus analysis, especially as Yum's AI bet scales toward 60,000 locations and Pizza Hut bleeds stores.

MAR 20, 2026 · 6 MIN READ

The Franchisee-Franchisor Relationship Crisis

Subway, McDonald's, and Burger King lawsuits exposing the power imbalance. Why franchisees are organizing, what's broken in the model, and which systems actually work.

P. Terry's Pairs Employee Ownership With a Profit-Sharing Plan

P. Terry's profit sharing starts at 5% of operating income. Eligibility, pool size and individual payouts are separate questions.

JUN 9, 2026 · 3 MIN READ

JUN 22, 2026 · 4 MIN READ

Domino’s Sets an Extended Handoff From Russell Weiner to Joe Jordan

Domino’s planned CEO and chairman transitions create a long overlap. For franchisees, the key is clarity about who owns operating decisions.