Popular Articles

The Real Cost of a Raising Cane's Franchise and Why the Waitlist Is 5+ Years

With $6.6 million in average unit volume and 90% company ownership, Todd Graves has built the most in-demand franchise opportunity in America by refusing to franchise.

Inside Wingstop's Explosive Growth: How a Wing Chain Became Wall Street's Darling

With 21 consecutive years of same-store sales growth and a market cap that rivals legacy players, Wingstop has become the QSR industry's most consistent performer. Here's how they did it—and the challenges ahead.

Chick-fil-A's $1 Billion International Gamble: Inside the Chain's Push Into Europe and Asia

Chick-fil-A is investing $1B to expand into the UK, Singapore, and beyond. Can America's chicken king win overseas?

International Expansion Playbook: How American QSRs Win (or Lose) Abroad

From menu localization to master franchise deals, the strategies that determine whether U.S. chains thrive or fail overseas

The Shrinkflation Backlash: How QSR Brands Are Responding to Angry Customers

Consumers have noticed portions getting smaller while prices stay the same—or go up. The backlash is real, and QSR brands are scrambling to respond without tanking their margins.

Fast Food Nutrition Comparison: Calories, Sodium, and Healthiest Options by Chain

Fast food meals range from 300 to 3,000 calories. Subway and Panera offer healthiest options while Five Guys tops calorie counts. Complete chain comparison with sodium and sugar analysis.

The Franchise Renewal Crisis Nobody's Talking About

Thousands of franchise agreements are expiring in the next 3-5 years. The renewal terms being offered look nothing like the original deal — and operators who aren't preparing now will face impossible choices.

Why QSR Same-Store Sales Growth Is Becoming Harder to Achieve

Industry maturation makes comp growth elusive for established brands

How a Chicken Sandwich Turned Popeyes Into a $5 Billion QSR Brand

One menu item reshaped Popeyes' identity, boosted AUVs by $400K per store, and ignited a category war across the QSR industry.

Chili's Just Posted Six Straight Quarters of Double-Digit Sales Growth. Fast Food Should Be Worried.

Something unexpected is happening in American dining: a sit-down restaurant chain with table service is beating fast food at its own game. Chili's has posted six consecutive quarters of double-digit same-store sales growth, driven by a $10.99 combo that directly competes with McDonald's and Wendy's value meals. For QSR operators, the implications are serious.

Beyond Meat Faces Delisting as QSR Partners Quietly Exit Plant-Based Menus

Beyond Meat received a Nasdaq delisting warning in March 2026 after its stock traded below $1 for 30 consecutive days. The company's collapse from a $14 billion peak now threatens the supply chain for restaurant chains that built menus around its products.

The Confidence Gap: Restaurant Operators Expect Growth in 2026. Their Customers Have Other Plans.

Nearly nine in ten restaurant operators say they are optimistic about 2026. Meanwhile, 68% of consumers are cutting back on dining out and spending $25 less per week than they did last summer. The gap between what operators believe and what customers are doing has never been wider.

MCL Restaurant and Bakery Shrinks to Seven Locations After 76 Years of Cafeteria-Style Dining

MCL, once a 30-location Midwest cafeteria institution, is closing five more units this month and citing years of declining sales. What the chain's collapse reveals about America's dying cafeteria format.

Counter Service Is Steve Ells' Second Act. This Time, the Tech Is the Point.

The Chipotle founder and a Peloton cofounder are building a sandwich chain on proprietary technology. Four Manhattan locations in, Counter Service is a test case for whether data-driven infrastructure can scale real food the way Chipotle once did.

Salad and Go Cut Its Store Count in Half. The Turnaround Playbook Is a Lesson for Every Fast-Growing Chain.

The drive-thru salad chain went from 146 locations to 71 in less than a year. New CEO Mike Tattersfield says the brand was growing just for growth's sake. Here is what operators can learn from one of the sharpest contractions in recent QSR history.

The Great Restaurant Closure Wave of 2026: Who Is Shutting Doors and Why

The Tariff Whiplash: How the IEEPA Ruling and Section 122 Pivot Are Creating New Supply Chain Uncertainty for QSR

The Supreme Court struck down IEEPA-based tariffs in February, then the White House pivoted to Section 122 authority within four days. For QSR procurement teams, the legal ground has never shifted faster.