Restaurant openings, closures, chef news, and the dining scene in cities around the world.
D.C.’s Most Exciting New Restaurant Started as a Pop-Up
# D.C.'s Hottest New Restaurant Proves Pop-Ups Can Launch Permanent Concepts Washington, D.C. has a fresh dining destination that earned its stripes …
IHOP brings back Stuffed French Toast after 6 years
IHOP is betting on nostalgia to drive traffic to its 1,700 U.S. locations. The pancake chain's parent company, Dine Brands Global, has brought back St…
TGI Fridays joins the meal deal trend with a new ‘3 For All’ bundle
TGI Friday's rolls out its answer to the casual-dining meal deal craze, launching a "3 For All" bundle that bundles a drink, appetizer, and entrée int…
Carl Stealey named CEO of Skyline Chili
Carl Stealey has taken the helm at Skyline Chili as chief executive officer, bringing executive leadership experience from the packaged food and foods…
After years of pop-ups, Angie’s Pizza has opened its first permanent spot in Houston
# Angie's Pizza Plants Roots in Houston's Heights After Years of Movement Angie's Pizza has traded its nomadic existence for a brick-and-mortar home …
Bravo Italian Kitchen closes several restaurants
Bravo Italian Kitchen, the casual-dining chain known for its wood-fired pastas and Italian comfort food, has shuttered at least four locations in rece…
Qdoba signs 17-unit development agreement across San Diego County
Qdoba accelerates its California footprint with a major franchising deal. Hyperion Brands, LLC has signed a development agreement to open 17 new Qdoba…
New on the Menu: Tandoori chicken roulade and a poi pastry
# Indian Spices Meet French Technique: Restaurants Chase Bold New Flavor Combinations Chefs across the country are abandoning the rulebook, layering …
Taco Bell Cantina opens its first stadium location
# Taco Bell Cantina Arrives at Allegiant Stadium, Signaling Shift in Stadium Food Strategy Taco Bell Cantina has opened its inaugural stadium locatio…
Starbucks, Papa Johns, Pollo Tropical
# Major Chains Face Shifting Consumer Habits as Restaurant Landscape Evolves Starbucks, Papa John's, and Pollo Tropical sit at the center of broader …
Boston’s Pizza names Sergio Carvallo president of U.S. division
Sergio Carvallo takes the helm of Boston's Pizza's U.S. operations, marking a significant leadership shift for the Canadian pizza chain seeking to exp…
Menu Tracker: New items from Corner Bakery Café, Chicken Salad Chick, and Mountain Mike's Pizza
# Quick Service Chains Roll Out New Menu Items Across Multiple Concepts Corner Bakery Café, Chicken Salad Chick, and Mountain Mike's Pizza are among …
Can Popeyes reclaim consumer attention? Is Domino’s new pizza as iconic as the Big Mac?
# Fast Food Chains Face Perception Crisis as Consumers Question Value Quick service restaurants are losing the battle for consumer perception, with m…
Bartolotta Restaurants are expanding their Milwaukee presence, with a European-inspired steakhouse downtown
# Bartolotta Restaurants Expand Milwaukee Footprint with High Stakes Steakhouse and Peacock Lounge The Bartolotta restaurant empire continues its agg…
Jersey Mike’s turns to digital media to reach broader audience
Jersey Mike's Subs is leaning hard into digital channels to expand its reach beyond traditional sandwich shop customers, a strategy that's already del…
Dog Haus rolls out comprehensive menu overhaul
# Dog Haus Expands Beyond Sausages with Sweeping 33-Item Menu Overhaul Dog Haus, the Sacramento-based fast-casual sausage specialist, has executed a …
How Crown Restaurant Group is growing beyond Cincinnati into second market
# Crown Restaurant Group Expands Beyond Cincinnati, Enters Second Market Anthony and Haley Sitek built Crown Restaurant Group into a seven-restaurant…
Pollo Tropical owner Authentic Restaurant Brands gets $325M investment
Authentic Restaurant Brands, the Miami-based operator behind the Caribbean chicken chain Pollo Tropical, landed a $325 million investment from Trimont…
Troy Hooper steps down as CEO of Pepper Lunch in U.S.
Troy Hooper has stepped down as CEO of Pepper Lunch's U.S. operations, transitioning to an advisory capacity. The Japanese casual-dining chain, known …
Trending this week: New York City’s Los Tacos No. 1 nabs private-equity investment
# Los Tacos No. 1 Lands Private Equity Cash, Signals Taco Shop's Expansion Play Los Tacos No. 1, the New York City taqueria that built its reputation…
Denny’s closes another 5 locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin
Denny's accelerates its pullback from the Midwest, closing five more locations across Minnesota and Wisconsin as the 28-year-old casual dining chain c…
O’Charley’s is shutting down all corporate locations
O'Charley's, the Nashville-based casual-dining chain, shuttered all corporate-owned locations on Wednesday in what amounts to a sudden operational col…
Inspire Brands CEO Paul Brown reportedly taking a medical leave
Paul Brown, chief executive of Inspire Brands, has stepped back from his role effective immediately, taking medical leave to recover from what reports…
Twin Peaks launches new menu items, ditches QR codes
Twin Peaks, the sports bar and breastaurant chain with roughly 80 locations across North America, is making moves to drive traffic and simplify the di…
An elegy for Windows on the World
# An Elegy for Windows on the World The Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Company redesigned and reopened Windows on the World in 1996, five years befor…
Taco Bell, Habit Burger moving headquarters
Taco Bell and Habit Burger are consolidating operations under one roof in Irvine, California. Yum Brands, the parent company of both chains, plans to …
Wingstop is launching a Wing Pass program
Wingstop accelerates its loyalty push with a new Wing Pass program that bundles weekly NFL viewing with discounted wing purchases across the entire pr…
Red Lobster, Jersey Mike’s, Detroit-style pizza
# Red Lobster's Struggles Signal Broader Challenges in Casual Dining Red Lobster's recent financial troubles anchor a story about shifting consumer b…
Red Lobster closes more restaurants in 'right-sizing' effort
Red Lobster continues its aggressive contraction after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year, closing additional underperforming locat…
Jersey Mike’s brings back the Hot Italian Sub
Jersey Mike's Subs is bringing back its Hot Italian Sub, marking the second return of the grilled sandwich this year as the fast-casual chain capitali…
Eric Leveillee highlights the bounty of the Catskills at the DeBruce
# Farm-to-Table Pioneer Eric Leveillee Anchors DeBruce's Culinary Mission in the Catskills Eric Leveillee has built his reputation on a singular conv…
Dunkin’ enlists a pair of former Spice Girls and Rachel Dratch to push its pumpkin drinks
Dunkin' has tapped two members of the 1990s pop phenomenon the Spice Girls alongside comedian Rachel Dratch to promote its fall pumpkin spice beverage…
Marmalade Café in Los Angeles files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Marmalade Café, a Los Angeles-based casual dining chain known for comfort food and brunch, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The restaurant …
TGI Fridays expands into the Balkans for the first time with 10-unit agreement
TGI Friday's, the casual-dining chain founded in 1965, is making its first push into the Balkans through a 10-unit expansion agreement with Devolli Gr…
KFC, Sweetgreen, Twosome Place
# Fast Casual and QSR Giants Shape Market Direction in Latest Restaurant News Cycle The restaurant industry continues its rapid evolution, with quick…
Little Caesars Detroit-style Slices-N-Stix returns
Little Caesars is bringing back its Detroit-style Slices-N-Stix promotion at $4.99, capitalizing on a pizza category that competitors are racing to ow…
Chipotle’s Brand New Chips Are Even Better than the Original—Here’s When You Can Get Them
Chipotle is capitalizing on social media momentum by rolling out a new chip flavor that transforms a viral customer hack into an official menu item. T…
Remember Le Bistro's Kitchen Nightmares Transformation? Here's What It Looks Like Today
# Le Bistro: The Kitchen Nightmares Restaurant That Became a Cautionary Tale Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares series documented the downfall and oc…
Domino’s Just Launched a Detroit-Style Pizza—and Now My Family and I Don’t Have to Negotiate Toppings
Domino's has entered the Detroit-style pizza arena with a product designed to solve a persistent family dinner problem: topping disputes. The new offe…
Dairy Queen’s New Fall Treats Include a Coffee Cooler I’ll Be Ordering Through This End-of-Summer Heat Wave
Dairy Queen is swinging into fall with a revamped menu that leans hard on nostalgia while introducing cold beverages built for lingering summer heat. …
Panera Just Dropped a New Soup That’s So Good I Ate a Bowl During a Heat Wave
Panera Bread has added a Three Cheese Lasagna Soup to its seasonal menu, and the chain is banking on the dish becoming a customer favorite despite sum…
South Korea bakery-café chain Twosome Place to make U.S. debut
Twosome Place, South Korea's dominant bakery-café chain, will open its first U.S. location next month in the Washington, D.C. area, marking an aggress…
I Tried 5 Fast-Food Salads, and This One Blows the Others Out of the Water
# Fast-Food Salads Step Up Their Game A taste test of five major chain salads reveals that quick-service restaurants have begun taking produce seriou…
New on the Menu: Seasonal tomato chaat and crab-stuffed squash blossoms
# New Dishes Signal How Top Restaurants Are Rethinking Seasonal Eating The spring menu cycle brings predictable shifts across fine dining establishme…
Amy Ellis Durini returns to KFC Global as chief brand officer
# Amy Ellis Durini Takes the Helm at KFC Global as Chief Brand Officer Amy Ellis Durini has rejoined KFC Global in the newly created role of chief br…
Steal My Food Itinerary: A Long Weekend in Upstate New York
# A Climber's Guide to Eating Well in Upstate New York The food pilgrimage to upstate New York has become a rite of passage for Brooklyn-based advent…
7-Eleven debuts the BiG Flavor Bar, a sauce and topping station
# 7-Eleven Launches BiG Flavor Bar: A Customization Play in the Convenience Store Wars 7-Eleven has opened a new battlefront in the convenience store…
Walk-On’s to debut a smaller, ‘smarter’ sports bar
Walk-On's Bistreaux and Bar, the Louisiana-based sports bar empire built by NFL veteran Jack Lancia, is rolling out a smaller prototype concept that p…
Menu Tracker: New items from Taco Bell, Popeyes, and Burger King
# Fast Casual Giants Race to Refresh Menus as Chains Battle for Consumer Attention The quick-service restaurant landscape shifts again as major chain…
Papa Johns, Dunkin’, Chick-fil-A
# Major Chains Shape Restaurant Landscape With Strategic Moves The restaurant industry continues to consolidate power among established chains, with …
Will Wendy’s shakeup right the ship? Is Pizza Hut’s split from Yum a blessing in disguise?
# Can Wendy's Turnaround and Pizza Hut's Independence Reverse Years of Chain Decline? The American restaurant industry faces a reckoning. Wendy's and…
Spritzes continue to drive bar sales during the summer
# Spritzes Reign Supreme: Lower-Alcohol Cocktails Reshape Summer Bar Economics Bars across America have discovered a profitable truth this summer. Sp…
Chipotle, Domino’s, food delivery layoffs
# Fast-Casual Giants Cut Staff as Delivery Economics Tighten Chipotle and Domino's have announced significant workforce reductions, joining a wave of…
Customers can soon get Dunkin’ delivered, from Walmart
Walmart enters the restaurant delivery space with a strategic partnership that brings Dunkin' products directly to customers' homes alongside their gr…
New York City’s Los Tacos No. 1 nabs private-equity investment
# Los Tacos No. 1 Scores Major Private Equity Backing from TSG Consumer Partners Los Tacos No. 1, the New York City-based taco stand that built a cul…
Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group is opening the waterfront restaurant, Sergeant Ma, in San Francisco
Chef Jason Halverson's Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group launches Sergeant Ma, a new waterfront dining destination in San Francisco that bridges Northern …
51 restaurant executives on the move in August, including CEO changes at Pizza Hut, Dave & Buster’s, and HTeaO
# Restaurant Leadership Reshuffled as Summer Surge Brings 51 Executive Moves The restaurant industry closed out August with significant personnel shi…
Chick-fil-A ramps up hunger awareness efforts
Chick-fil-A expands its hunger relief commitments this summer with a two-pronged approach targeting food insecurity across America. The fast-casual ch…
Qdoba launches a new Queso for its ‘Diptember’ promotion
Qdoba marks September with a month-long celebration of its condiment lineup, launching a new queso as the centerpiece of its "Diptember" promotional c…
Sbarro CEO: Convenience stores, international markets key to pizza chain’s resurgence
# Sbarro Charts Growth Through Convenience Store Expansion and Global Push Sbarro's resurgence hinges on a deliberate shift away from its legacy posi…
Chipotle, Domino’s, Popeyes
# Quick-Service Giants Face Shifting Consumer Demands in Latest Industry Moves The quick-service restaurant sector remains in flux as major chains na…
Taco Bell and Salt & Straw team up for churro ice cream taco
Taco Bell and indie ice cream maker Salt & Straw have joined forces on a limited-time dessert collaboration that brings together fried dough and froze…
Chipotle launches two LTOs simultaneously for the first time
Chipotle breaks its standard playbook this week by rolling out two limited-time offerings at once for the first time. The chain brings back Pollo Asad…
Red Sox's winning ways have kept Ninety Nine Restaurants busy
# Red Sox Wins Drive Traffic to Ninety Nine Restaurants Ninety Nine Restaurants, the New England casual-dining chain, has capitalized on the Boston R…
Little Caesars accelerates military base development
Little Caesars is expanding its footprint on U.S. military installations. The pizza chain opened its first base location last year and now plans four …
Chipotle makes its debut in Asia
# Chipotle Plants Its Flag in Seoul, Eyes Asia's Growth Frontier Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its first restaurant in Asia this week in Seoul, South…
Pizza Hut, Taco Bell x Salt & Straw, 7 Brew
# Fast Casual Giants Team Up With Beloved Indie Brands in Aggressive Cross-Promotions Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have joined forces with Salt and Straw,…
Washington, D.C.-area's iconic L'Auberge Chez Francois gets support from Thompson Restaurants
L'Auberge Chez Francois, the Washington, D.C. region's most storied French restaurant, has found a lifeline. Warren Thompson, a longtime patron of the…
Fish Shop in Washington, D.C., takes sustainability beyond seafood
# D.C. Fish Shop Chef Ria Montes Builds Sustainability Through Local Sourcing Chef Ria Montes operates with a conviction that sustainability extends …
Christian Nuñez takes Buena Vista Restaurant & Bar from one to three locations, each stamped with his unique vision
Christian Nuñez has tripled his restaurant footprint across New York City with three distinct iterations of Buena Vista Restaurant & Bar, each locatio…
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has shuttered its Houston locations
Fuzzy's Taco Shop, the casual dining chain born in Texas, has closed its Houston-area locations after a notably brief tenure in the market. The closur…
Skip the Grocery Store: The Most Delicious Hot Dogs Are from This 87-Year-Old Restaurant Chain
# America's Iconic Pink's Hot Dogs Delivers Stadium-Quality Dogs Straight to Your Door Pink's Hot Dogs has been serving Los Angeles since 1939, and t…
7 Brew is paying $143M for 73 closed Salad and Go sites
7 Brew Coffee, the fast-growing drive-thru coffee operator, has won a $143 million auction to acquire 73 closed Salad and Go locations across Arizona,…
Topgolf is adding arcade games to most locations
Topgolf, the golf-and-dining entertainment chain, is rolling out arcade games across most of its locations in a bid to deepen customer engagement and …
Carl’s Jr. starts making its burgers to order
Carl's Jr. has fundamentally shifted its burger production model, moving away from assembly-line batch cooking toward made-to-order preparation. The s…
Church’s Texas Chicken launches Big Deal Boxes
Church's Texas Chicken has rolled out Big Deal Boxes across its U.S. locations, a value-focused menu offering designed to capture budget-conscious din…
A 'mostly true' Hooters movie is in the works
# Hollywood Takes On Hooters' Unlikely Rise and Regulatory Battle A feature film about Hooters is in development, promising to chronicle the casual d…
Pumpkin Spice Latte season is off to a huge start at Starbucks
Starbucks has kicked off its fall season with unprecedented momentum. The Pumpkin Spice Latte and accompanying autumn menu drove the biggest fall laun…
Domino’s is encouraging customers to buy signature items from other brands
Domino's launched an audacious gamble this week, betting that its new individual pizza format can rival the cultural dominance of McDonald's Big Mac o…
Popeyes aims to reclaim 'best tasting, best value chicken' title with new campaign
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is betting on taste, value, and tropical flavors to win back customers in a brutally competitive chicken sandwich market. Th…
Froyo, Dunkin’, Peter Piper Pizza
# Frozen Yogurt, Coffee Chains, and Pizza Face Competition in Today's Quick-Service Landscape The restaurant industry continues to shift across multi…
Emily Yuen tries to teach Bret Thorn how to make wontons
Emily Yuen, executive chef of Yingtao in New York City, bridges two culinary worlds with precision and purpose. Her restaurant represents a deliberate…
Applebee’s doubles down on O-M-Cheese platform with new O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger
Applebee's continues to build out its "O-M-Cheese" platform with the introduction of the O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger, a new menu innovation that doubles …
Wendy’s shakeup continues, Taco Bell collabs with Olivia Rodrigo, and indie restaurants score a win
# Fast Food Pivots While Independent Restaurants Rally Wendy's ongoing restructuring efforts accelerated this week as the chain continues recalibrati…
Arby’s Steak Nuggets Are Back—And This Time, They Come With a New Sauce
Arby's has brought back its Steak Nuggets, a menu item that built a devoted following during previous limited runs. This time, the roast beef chain is…
‘Still or Sparkling’ Must Be Stopped
# 'Still or Sparkling' Must Be Stopped: Why Restaurants Need Better Water Service The seemingly innocent question that greets diners at nearly every …
Taco Bell plans to return to the United Arab Emirates
Taco Bell is making a strategic return to the Middle East after a 12-year absence. The QSR giant signed an exclusive franchise agreement with American…
New on the Menu: Lamb-pistachio pizza and a clarified strawberry Margarita
# New Dishes Signal Pizza's Evolution Beyond Tomato and Cheese Fine dining restaurants are pushing pizza into unexpected territory with ingredient co…
Blaze Pizza turns its attention to families
Blaze Pizza, the fast-casual pizza chain with over 350 locations across the United States and international markets, has introduced its inaugural kids…
Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s
# Fast-Food Giants Dominate Headlines as Quick-Service Sector Faces Shifting Pressures Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, and Long John Silver's occupy center s…
Peter Piper Pizza invests in an arcade refresh
Peter Piper Pizza accelerates its pivot toward entertainment-driven dining by deploying $1 million to refresh arcade offerings across its locations. T…
Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop Kitchen opens first dine-in restaurant
Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop Kitchen launches its first full-service dine-in restaurant, shifting the wellness brand's business model from delivery-only vir…
Egg Tuck makes move to San Diego
Egg Tuck, the fast-casual breakfast and lunch concept acquired by the WaBa Grill parent company in 2023, is expanding into San Diego with a new franch…
Actually, Dining Side-by-Side in Restaurants Is Good
# Proximity Breeds Good Dining: Why Shoulder-to-Shoulder Restaurant Seating Works The cramped table at your favorite restaurant might actually be a f…
Twenty-six years after its Houston debut, Island Grill prepares to open its sixth restaurant
# Island Grill Expands After 26 Years, Opens Sixth Location Island Grill, the Houston-based Caribbean restaurant that opened its first location in 19…
Chick-fil-A’s last Little Blue Menu will convert to a traditional restaurant
Chick-fil-A closes the final chapter on its Little Blue Menu experiment. The College Park, Maryland location, which opened in 2023, will convert to a …
Dave Thomas’s grandson follows in his footsteps at Chicago chicken chain Minnie Bird
Sean Thomas brings his family's fast-food legacy into a new generation through Minnie Bird, a Chicago-based chicken concept where he applies lessons l…
Papa Johns, Wingstop, beef prices
# Rising Beef Prices Squeeze Papa John's and Wingstop Margins as QSR Chains Navigate Cost Pressures The quick-service restaurant sector faces mountin…
7 Brew, Dutch Bros appear set to bid over closed Salad and Go sites
# Two Beverage Chains Compete for Bankrupt Salad and Go's Ghost Kitchen Empire Salad and Go, the Phoenix-based drive-thru salad concept that once pro…
Trending this week: Taco Bell’s latest Decades Menu inspired by 2016 nostalgia
# Taco Bell's 2016 Nostalgia Play Signals Shift in Fast-Food Marketing Strategy Taco Bell launched its latest Decades Menu this week, tapping into 20…
Wendy’s names Tariq Hassan chief marketing and customer growth officer
Wendy's has appointed Tariq Hassan, a veteran McDonald's marketing executive, as chief marketing and customer growth officer. The hire reflects the ch…
Consumer spending, Burger King, McDonald’s
# Fast Food Giants Face Headwinds as Consumer Spending Patterns Shift Consumer spending habits are reshaping the competitive landscape for America's …
Papa Johns refranchises 28 Florida locations
Papa John's has divested 28 company-operated locations across Florida to franchisees Wade Oney's PZZA Group and Magic City Pizzerias. The refranchisin…
Chipotle is offering a double protein promotion
Chipotle is running a one-day double protein promotion on August 27 to mark the final week of its Honey Chicken offering on the menu. The limited-time…
McDonald’s brings back Spicy Chicken McNuggets for a limited time
McDonald's is reintroducing Spicy Chicken McNuggets to U.S. locations for a limited-time run, marking the return of a product that has built a devoted…
Consumers are spending more at restaurants, but not at chains
# Independents Win as Diners Shift Spending Patterns Bank of America's credit-card data reveals a striking shift in restaurant spending: consumers ar…
Papa Johns, Chipotle, Hickory Tavern
# Quick-Service Giants and Casual Dining Navigate Shifting Market Pressures The restaurant industry continues its dance between innovation and surviv…
Burger King’s next menu improvement: Chicken nuggets
Burger King enters the competitive fast-casual nugget wars by rolling out reformulated chicken nuggets designed to capture market share from rivals li…
Pizza Hut recruits Josh Allen for NFL campaign
Pizza Hut taps Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen as the face of its aggressive push into NFL season marketing, launching products designed to captu…
New Orleans chef Justin Devillier gets ready for his next restaurant
Justin Devillier, the chef behind New Orleans' beloved La Petite Grocery, is preparing to launch Daughters Neighborhood Italian this fall. The restaur…
Buffalo Wild Wings names Ahmed Awadallah COO
Buffalo Wild Wings has appointed Ahmed Awadallah as its new Chief Operating Officer, bringing operational expertise from one of Europe's largest coffe…
KFC launches Hot Ranch Big Dip
KFC has entered the dipping sauce wars with a new Hot Ranch Big Dip, designed to capitalize on the growing consumer appetite for bold condiments and i…
Tracy Stockard named chief marketing officer of Blaze Pizza
Tracy Stockard has stepped into the chief marketing officer role at Blaze Pizza, the fast-casual pizzeria chain that builds custom pies to order. Stoc…
White Castle teams up with Kelce Brothers’ Garage Beer on limited-time menu
White Castle, the century-old slider chain with 350 locations across the United States, has partnered with Kelce Brothers' Garage Beer for a limited-t…
Artistry Restaurants shutters four Hickory Tavern locations
Artistry Restaurants, the North Carolina-based multi-concept operator, has closed four Hickory Tavern locations as part of a strategic portfolio restr…
Chipotle launches another BOGO after consecutive record campaigns
Chipotle's promotional strategy continues to accelerate. Following record-breaking back-to-school redemptions, the fast-casual chain has rolled out an…
Levain Bakery names co-CEOs
Levain Bakery, the New York City institution known for its gooey chocolate chip cookies the size of a small fist, has elevated two long-time executive…
Dave & Buster’s names Amanda Busby as new COO
Amanda Busby joins Dave & Buster's as Chief Operating Officer, bringing restaurant sector experience from her previous role as vice president at Red R…
Wendy’s president, throwback menus, Panera loyalty
# Fast Food Executives and Loyalty Programs Drive Restaurant News Cycle The restaurant industry faces shifting leadership and strategic pivots as maj…
Panera Bread rolls out new-and-improved loyalty program
Panera Bread is betting that a complete overhaul of its loyalty program will deepen customer engagement and drive repeat visits to its nearly 2,100 U.…
Marco’s Pizza’s largest franchisee acquires five more stores
Marco's Pizza's largest franchisee continues its aggressive expansion strategy. Hoogland Restaurant Group, which operates more Marco's locations than …
Denny’s launches national catering program
Denny's is betting on catering as a growth engine beyond its core diner business. The casual dining chain has rolled out corporate catering services a…
Red Lobster, Jollibee, Sonic
# Red Lobster, Jollibee, Sonic Navigate Shifting Casual Dining Landscape The casual dining sector continues its uneven recovery as three major chains…
Taylor Montgomery named Jack in the Box president, and likely next CEO
Taylor Montgomery moves from Taco Bell to Jack in the Box as the chain charts its leadership future. The fast-food executive joins the company as pres…
Nation's Restaurant News August 2026
# Rising Challengers: 100 Emerging Restaurant Concepts Poised to Disrupt the Market The restaurant industry's power structure shifts every year, and …
Andrew Feghali named CEO of Mike’s Red Tacos
Andrew Feghali has stepped into the role of CEO at Mike's Red Tacos, the San Diego-based birria specialist that has built momentum in the regional qui…
California Pizza Kitchen announces major expansion of vending machine program
California Pizza Kitchen accelerates its shift into automated retail with an aggressive three-year rollout targeting 1,000 vending machines across 30 …
Riding drive-thru franchise wave, burger chain Smalls Sliders revs up growth
# Smalls Sliders Accelerates Expansion on Drive-Thru Momentum Brandon Landry built Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux into a Louisiana powerhouse. Now the en…
Did your independent restaurant earn more than $11 M last year? You could make the Top 100 list
# Independent Restaurants Chase Prestige with $11M Revenue Threshold for Elite Rankings The 2026 Top 100 Independent Restaurants list is open for sub…
These restaurant groups are choosing mid-size markets for their expansion plans
# Restaurant Groups Find Gold in America's Middle Tier Big restaurant groups are abandoning the oversaturated coasts. Instead, they're targeting Detr…
The Best Restaurants in Bloomington, Indiana, Home of the Hoosiers
Indiana's unexpected football championship has transformed Bloomington into a destination for hungry fans seeking the city's best dining experiences. …
Blank Street Coffee makes its West Coast debut in Los Angeles
Blank Street Coffee, the New York-based coffee cart empire that has built a rapid expansion across the Northeast and beyond, plants its flag on the We…
Mod Pizza updates its menu based on guest feedback
# Mod Pizza Refreshes Menu Strategy, Putting Customer Voice Front and Center Mod Pizza has overhauled its menu based on direct customer feedback, sig…
Taco Bell, Subway, gas prices
# Fast Food Chains Navigate Rising Costs as Consumer Wallets Tighten The restaurant industry faces mounting pressure from fuel inflation and changing…
Menu Tracker: New items from Cracker Barrel, Subway, and Sonic Drive-In
# Chain Restaurants Race to Refresh Menus with Bold New Offerings American chain restaurants are locked in a battle for customer attention this seaso…
Three Days of Hot Dogs, Boutiques, and Football for an Ohio State Buckeyes Game Weekend
# Columbus's Food Scene Scores Big on Game Day Weekends Columbus transforms into a pilgrimage destination when Ohio State football fans descend on th…
The Best Restaurants Near Ohio State University
# The Best Restaurants Near Ohio State University The blocks surrounding Ohio State University's campus form one of the Midwest's most dynamic eating…
The Best Restaurants in Tuscaloosa, Home to the University of Alabama
# Tuscaloosa's Restaurant Scene Reaches Beyond Football Season Tuscaloosa has built a reputation as a college town centered on University of Alabama …
Hat Creek Burger Company to launch a Cuban sandwich as an LTO
Hat Creek Burger Company, the Texas-based burger chain, is rolling out a Cuban sandwich as a limited-time offering across its locations. The company i…
New on the Menu: Potato salad with eel and tuna-tomato crudo
# New on the Menu: Potato Salad with Eel and Tuna-Tomato Crudo Restaurant menus across the country are shifting toward unexpected ingredient combinat…
A ‘Culinary Class Wars’ Alum Has Opened One of NYC’s Hottest New Restaurants
A contestant from the Netflix competition series "Culinary Class Wars" has launched what insiders are calling one of New York City's hottest new resta…
Taco Bell expands beverage lineup with new energy drinks
Taco Bell launches energy drinks into its beverage arsenal, doubling down on a category that already drives significant traffic to its restaurants. Th…
Tastes Pretty Good Hospitality has opened Lumbre, a Spanish restaurant in Tampa
Chef Nick Orr has stepped into his first ownership role with the opening of Lumbre, a Spanish restaurant now operating in Tampa. Orr spent nearly a de…
My Chef Friend Just Introduced Me to the Canned Tomatoes That Rival Fresh Ones
A chef has discovered canned tomatoes that match the quality of fresh fruit, shifting what many home cooks should keep stocked. Bianco DiNapoli organi…
I Tried Panera’s New Pumpkin Spice Menu, and One Item Totally Blew Me Away
Panera Bread has rolled out its autumn lineup with a pumpkin spice menu designed to capture the season's flavour obsession. A Taste of Home reviewer s…
Chicken Salad Chick tops the chart in new study of emerging brands
Chicken Salad Chick has claimed the top spot in YouGov's ranking of emerging restaurant brands, beating out other growing chains in a comprehensive ev…
Dunkin’ unveils its fall menu, headlined by Alix’s Earle-Y Riser Meal
Dunkin' is doubling down on influencer marketing with its fall menu launch, centering the promotion around TikTok personality Alix Earle's "Earle-Y Ri…
My Favorite Pizzeria Makes Even Better Frozen Appetizers That Taste Just Like the Original
Imo's Pizza, the Midwestern franchise beloved for its distinctive St. Louis-style pizza, has expanded beyond the restaurant with frozen appetizers tha…
The Best Way to Cook Ribs, According to Chefs
Barbecue season demands respect for technique, and professional chefs agree that rib mastery hinges on understanding heat control and timing rather th…
8 Discontinued Fast Food Items That Fans Are BEGGING To Come Back
Fast food nostalgia runs deep. Delish compiled a list of eight discontinued menu items that have sparked genuine fan campaigns for their return, revea…
A&W Restaurants unveils a new design
A&W Restaurants has unveiled a redesigned prototype that reimagines the casual dining experience for the century-old fast-food brand. The new format m…
Whataburger releases a $4 menu
Whataburger launches its "$4 menu" with six burger and chicken sandwich options priced at $4 each, responding to consumer demand for affordable fast-f…
Elevated barbecue with a California accent is a differentiator for Whiskey ‘N Rye
Whiskey 'N Rye differentiates itself in the crowded barbecue market by combining elevated technique with California sensibilities under the vision of …
Buffalo Wild Wings turns back the clock with Y2K-themed menu
Buffalo Wild Wings launched a nostalgia-driven menu that resurrects six dishes and drinks from the early 2000s, tapping into the Y2K revival sweeping …
Taco Bell Throws It Back to 2016 with 4 Returning Menu Items
Taco Bell is banking on nostalgia with its latest Decades Menu push, resurrecting four items from 2016 that once captivated its customer base. The fas…
‘Tony’ Makes Bourdain Unlikeable, and That’s Why It Works
Matt Johnson's Anthony Bourdain biopic "Tony" deliberately strips away the mystique that has calcified around the chef since his 2017 death, presentin…
Why Is This Restaurant Emailing Me Like We’re Friends?
# Restaurants Are Blurring the Line Between Marketing and Friendship Restaurant marketing has shifted into uncomfortable territory. Diners now receiv…
Cracker Barrel launches new crispy homestyle chicken menu for the fall
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has rolled out a fall menu centered on crispy homestyle chicken, leaning into comfort food as temperatures drop. The …
My Restaurant Trick for Making Ridiculously Good Miso Cod
Black cod, also called sablefish, demands minimal technique but maximum flavor impact. The restaurant trick centers on miso, a fermented paste that tr…
Customers Say This Fast Food Chain Is Way Overpriced In 2026
# Fast Casual Chain Faces Customer Backlash Over Mounting Price Increases Fast casual dining continues its upward pricing spiral in 2026, but one cha…
8 Common Customer Complaints About Subway
Subway faces persistent customer frustration across multiple operational areas. The sandwich chain, which expanded rapidly since its 1960s founding, n…
Zucchini Carpaccio
A vegetable peeler transforms raw zucchini into silken ribbons for a dish that looks plated at fine dining but demands minimal effort. The technique r…
The 3 Best Bath and Body Works Candles from the New Cafe Collection
Bath and Body Works launches its new Cafe Collection, bringing the aroma of freshly-baked goods directly into homes through scented candles. The colle…
The Underrated BBQ Chain With A Connection To Culver's
# The Underrated BBQ Chain With A Connection To Culver's Culver's has built its reputation on fresh, never-frozen beef and Wisconsin charm, but the f…
The Healthiest Fast Food Chicken Sandwiches In America, Ranked
# The Healthiest Fast Food Chicken Sandwiches In America, Ranked Delish partnered with a registered dietitian to evaluate chicken sandwiches across m…
Why Avocado Toast Always Tastes Better At A Cafe Or Restaurant
# Why Restaurant Avocado Toast Outshines Your Kitchen Version Avocado toast seems like the easiest dish to replicate at home. Mash an avocado, spread…
Nothing Bundt Cakes Just Dropped Its Fall Menu—and September Is Looking Delicious
Nothing Bundt Cakes has unveiled its fall lineup, bringing back a seasonal staple alongside two fresh additions to its Bundtlets portfolio. The chain …
This Is Without A Doubt The Cheesecake Factory's Best Pasta Dish
The Cheesecake Factory's sprawling menu rivals some Italian restaurants in sheer breadth, but one pasta dish stands above the rest. The chain's massiv…
This Gordon Ramsay Restaurant Was A Massive Flop With An Underwhelming Menu
Gordon Ramsay's track record as a restaurant rescuer across shows like "Kitchen Nightmares" and "Hell's Kitchen" has cemented his reputation as a culi…
A Bunch Of New Shake Shack Locations Are Opening This Month
Shake Shack accelerates its expansion across the United States this August, opening multiple new locations in a strategic push to grow the burger chai…
Chipotle makes its debut in Saudi Arabia
Chipotle Mexican Grill has officially entered Saudi Arabia's fast-casual dining market with its first location at Sidra shopping mall in Riyadh, marki…
Jimmy John’s, Buffalo Wild Wings Go to open co-branded location
Jimmy John's and Buffalo Wild Wings, both owned by Inspire Brands, are opening their first co-branded location in Florida. The move marks a strategic …
Pihakis Restaurant Group founder files Chapter 7 bankruptcy
Nick Pihakis, the restaurateur behind the Pihakis Restaurant Group, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy with approximately $44 million in debt. The fil…
Chefs recreate iconic restaurant brand dishes at this food hall iteration of B.J. Novak’s Chain
# B.J. Novak's Food Hall Brings Chef-Reimagined Restaurant Classics to Los Angeles B.J. Novak's culinary venture transforms from ephemeral popup into…
How to make employees care
# Employee Experience Shapes Restaurant Success Restaurant operators face a persistent problem: staff turnover, disengagement, and service failures o…
Market Hall at Manhattan West will open this fall with 12 concepts plus a full-service restaurant and two bars
# Market Hall at Manhattan West Opens This Fall With 12 Restaurant Concepts, Full-Service Dining, and Two Bars Manhattan West's long-awaited food hal…
Red Robin sees progress from value meals, tighter staffing
Red Robin Burgers reports its strongest customer traffic in more than three years, crediting two operational shifts that are reshaping how the casual-…
New on the Menu: Summer tomato special
# Six Restaurants Celebrate Peak Summer Tomatoes with Bold New Menu Items Summer tomato season arrives, and six restaurants across the country have r…
Aaron Powell to step down from Pizza Hut CEO role
Aaron Powell steps down from his position as CEO of Pizza Hut, marking a transition as the pizza chain completes its sale to LongRange Capital. Powell…
Menu Tracker: New items from Domino’s, Chick-fil-A, and McDonald’s
# Chain Restaurants Push Innovation Across Breakfast, Sandwiches, and Sweets Quick-service restaurants are racing to refresh their menus as chains co…
Jack in the Box, Red Robin and Bonchon
# Fast Casual and Franchise Chains Navigate Evolving Market Pressures The restaurant industry continues to reckon with shifting consumer behavior, op…