Wendy'sIndustry Analysis•March 2026Wendy's Project Fresh: Anatomy of a QSR TurnaroundWendy's is closing 6% of its U.S. restaurants and launching a sweeping operational overhaul called Project Fresh. For the number-three burger chain, the stakes could not be higher.QSR Pro Staff•6 min read
SlimIndustry Analysis•March 2026Slim Chickens: the fast-growing chicken tender franchise270 locations, 57.7% revenue growth in 3 years, and 96% franchised. How Slim Chickens competes with Raising Cane's in the chicken tender wars.QSR Pro Staff•6 min read
PandaIndustry Analysis•March 2026Panda Express vs Wingstop: Two Models, One QuestionPanda Express runs 2,200+ company-owned locations generating $6.2 billion in U.S. sales. Wingstop operates 3,056 mostly franchised restaurants with $5.3 billion in systemwide sales. Both are growing fast, but their business models could not be more different. Which one is actually better?QSR Pro Staff•9 min read
$60Industry Analysis•March 2026Fast Food Breakfast Is a $60 Billion BattlegroundMcDonald's generates roughly 30% of its U.S. sales from breakfast. Wendy's is targeting a 50% bump in morning revenue. Taco Bell is pushing hard into the daypart. The morning meal is the most profitable, most competitive fight in QSR.QSR Pro Staff•7 min read
InsideIndustry Analysis•March 2026Inside Shake Shack's Company-Owned StrategyShake Shack reported $1.45 billion in total revenue for 2025 and opened 85 new Shacks system-wide, all while keeping its domestic restaurants company-owned. The strategy defies conventional QSR wisdom, and the numbers show why it works.QSR Pro Staff•7 min read
Portillo'sIndustry Analysis•March 2026How Portillo's Is Scaling Its Cult Following Beyond ChicagoPortillo's reported $732 million in fiscal 2025 revenue across 102 locations, but same-restaurant sales declined 3.3% in Q4. The Chicago icon is rethinking its expansion playbook under new leadership, and the numbers tell a complicated story.QSR Pro Staff•7 min read
TropicalIndustry Analysis•March 2026Tropical Smoothie Cafe: the health-forward QSR winner176 new locations in 2024, $2B Blackstone acquisition, and 12 straight years of same-store sales growth. Why smoothies plus wraps is a winning QSR formula.QSR Pro Staff•7 min read
EffectIndustry Analysis•March 2026The GLP-1 Effect: How Weight Loss Drugs Are Reshaping Fast Food DemandA 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.QSR Pro Staff•6 min read
Zaxby'sIndustry Analysis•March 2026Zaxby's franchise review: chicken competition and Goldman Sachs ownership941 locations, $2.66M AUV, and Goldman Sachs pushing expansion. Can Zaxby's compete with Raising Cane's and Chick-fil-A in an overcrowded chicken segment?QSR Pro Staff•8 min read
Culver'sIndustry Analysis•March 2026Culver's: the Midwest's best-kept QSR secret1,000+ locations, $4.2M AUV, and a franchisee selection process tougher than most MBA programs. How Culver's grew without compromising ButterBurgers or frozen custard quality.QSR Pro Staff•7 min read
WhataburgerIndustry Analysis•March 2026Whataburger: why Texas won't share its burger chainHow BDT Capital turned a regional cult favorite into a controlled national expansion - 88 new stores in 2024, $3.54M AUV, and a $6B+ valuation built on Texas identity.QSR Pro Staff•7 min read