This week’s roundup covers a restaurant industry in full restructuring mode. McDonald’s revealed a sweeping global strategy built around AI and drive-thru renovation. Fat Brands’ portfolio was split into four deals after a $1.5 billion bankruptcy. And a new Dinova report shows business dining quietly outperforming the broader market — a $250 billion opportunity that flows heavily to independent restaurants.
This week in foodservice: Chipotle's California crispy chicken test is dividing the internet, a Seattle pizza robot startup shut down after burning through $20 million, and the USDA confirmed food-away-from-home costs will rise 3.9% in 2026. Plus: what the loyalty data actually shows, and what Black Rock Coffee's stock price tells the industry about public markets.
The NRA Show handed down its FABI Award winners and the signals are clear: protein is king, plant-based analogs are fading, and global flavors are arriving fast. Meanwhile, DoorDash pushed into dining reservations in ten cities, a federal court stayed the Section 122 tariff ruling operators were hoping to celebrate, and Lena Brands filed for Chapter 11 after Stripe froze $650,000 in operating funds. It was a week that moved fast.
The foodservice industry walks into the NRA Show this week with 80 million Mother’s Day diners in the rearview and tariff costs finally hitting invoices. Five stories, four lanes, everything operators need heading into show week.
Q1 made it official: top-of-chain growth is back, but only for operators who built value architecture before the squeeze hit. Inside this week: Burger King’s comeback, Popeyes’ stumble, $9 beef, Wonder’s Spice Robotics buy, the menu trends taking over 2026, and Caribou’s $2 value play.
This week's roundup is about the math — Yum's Q1 shows what disciplined value can do, Subway and White Castle bring fresh entries to the value wars, the OCC moves to kill Illinois' swipe-fee law before it ships, beef costs catch up to Chipotle, and Carlyle closes its KFC Korea deal. Five stories on where the cost side of foodservice is going right now.
This week’s roundup is full of optimism — Jersey Mike’s is eyeing a potentially historic $12B IPO, Little Caesars just delivered a full family meal by drone for the first time ever, Starbucks is reinventing the mobile order experience, and C-suite leaders at the Restaurant Leadership Conference made the case that getting back to basics is the smartest growth strategy in today’s market.
This week’s roundup covers a lot of ground — from fuel surcharges threatening to drive up food costs across the supply chain, to Chili’s staging a chicken sandwich showdown next to a McDonald’s in New York City, to the growing urgency for foodservice brands to become visible in AI-powered search. Read on for five stories shaping the industry right now.
This week’s roundup digs into the economic forces reshaping foodservice — from Sysco’s landmark $29B acquisition and McDonald’s value menu overhaul to tariff pressures, falling egg prices, and a shrinking labor force putting new strain on operators already navigating a tough environment.
As we move further into 2026, the industry is balancing a complex mix of economic pressure and consumer enthusiasm. From the tech-driven "workforce reckoning" in foodservice to the gourmet evolution of the local convenience store, we’ve curated five essential insights you need to stay ahead of the curve this quarter.
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