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Popular Articles

The most-read analysis and research across QSR Pro. See what operators, franchisees, and investors are reading right now.

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Wawa
Industry Analysis•March 2026

How Wawa Is Quietly Becoming a QSR Giant

With $18.6 billion in estimated revenue and food accounting for over 50% of sales, Wawa's 1,200-plus locations are pulling breakfast, lunch, and dinner traffic from traditional QSR brands. The convenience chain plans to nearly double its store count to 1,800 by 2030, and the competitive implications are enormous.

Category:AllFinance & EconomicsIndustry AnalysisMarketing & GrowthOperations & ManagementPeople & CultureTechnology & Innovation
90 articles|645 total published
QSR Pro Staff
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8 min read
•1
Rise
Industry Analysis•March 2026

The Rise of Mediterranean QSR: The Fastest Growing Segment You're Not Watching

Mediterranean QSR grew 14% in 2024 vs 4% for fast-casual overall. Cava crossed B in revenue with 350+ locations heading to 1,000 by 2032. Average unit volumes hit .5M-.8M with 24-27% margins. This category is exploding.

QSR Pro Staff•7 min read•1
Korean
Industry Analysis•March 2026

Why Korean Fried Chicken Is Taking Over American QSR

Korean fried chicken chains grew from 200 to 500+ U.S. locations in six years. Bonchon (120+ stores), bb.q Chicken (50+), and Pelicana (40+) are expanding aggressively. Double-frying, thin crispy skin, and gochujang glazes are winning customers from KFC and Popeyes.

QSR Pro Staff•7 min read•1
Raising
Industry Analysis•March 2026

Raising Cane's Opens Its 1,000th Restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard

Raising Cane's milestone 1,000th location on Hollywood Boulevard is more than a vanity number. It signals a brand with serious scale ambitions, a World Cup strategy, and a founder finally coming home.

QSR Pro Staff•7 min read•1
Buc
Industry Analysis•March 2026

Buc-ee's: How a Gas Station Became America's Most Beloved QSR Destination

Individual Buc-ee's locations generate M-M annually, 5-10x typical gas stations. The chain operates 50+ stores with 100-120 gas pumps each, legendary bathrooms, and brisket sandwiches that drive cult loyalty. This isn't a gas station. It's a phenomenon.

QSR Pro Staff•8 min read•1
Pipeline
Industry Analysis•March 2026

The QSR IPO Pipeline: Who's Going Public Next

Cava's IPO tripled in value. Wingstop returned 20x. Portillo's struggled. Several major chains are eyeing public offerings: Panera (complicated by debt), Raising Cane's (no rush), and others. Here's the pipeline and what makes a successful QSR IPO.

QSR Pro Staff•8 min read•1
45
Industry Analysis•March 2026

Why Subway Went From 45,000 Stores to 37,000 - And What Happens Next

The complete story of how the largest franchise system in history collapsed. Dollar footlongs, franchisee revolts, market saturation, and the $9.6 billion Roark Capital acquisition that inherited the mess.

QSR Pro Staff•9 min read•1
Plant
Industry Analysis•March 2026

The Plant-Based QSR Bust: What Went Wrong

Beyond Meat's stock is down 90% from peak. Impossible shelved its IPO. Most QSR chains quietly removed plant-based items. The revolution that was supposed to replace meat fizzled. Here's the autopsy: overestimated markets, price premiums, taste gaps, and novelty fatigue.

QSR Pro Staff•8 min read•1
$7
Industry Analysis•March 2026

Wonder's $7 Billion Bet: How Marc Lore's Food Hall Model Is Rewriting the Multi-Brand Playbook

Marc Lore's Wonder has raised $600 million at a $7 billion valuation and acquired Grubhub for $650 million, building a food hall concept that promises to solve what ghost kitchens never could. The model is ambitious, the expansion pace is aggressive, and the implications for QSR operators are significant.

QSR Pro Staff•8 min read•1
$5
Industry Analysis•March 2026

The QSR Value Wars: How $5 Meal Deals Reshaped Fast Food Economics

When McDonald's launched its $5 Meal Deal in summer 2024, it ignited a price war that redefined how every major fast food chain approaches value. A year and a half later, the value menu has become the single most important battleground in quick service.

QSR Pro Staff•7 min read•1
Chick
Industry Analysis•March 2026

Chick-fil-A's Daybright Cafe Is Its Biggest Strategic Bet in Decades

Chick-fil-A is testing a standalone beverage concept called Daybright, its first venture outside the core chicken restaurant format. With Starbucks in turnaround mode and the U.S. specialty beverage market worth over $48 billion, the timing could not be better.

QSR Pro Staff•8 min read•1
McDonald's
Industry Analysis•March 2026

McDonald's vs Jollibee: The Global Fast Food War Nobody Saw Coming

Jollibee operates 1,700+ stores across 18 countries, growing 8-10% annually while McDonald's grows at 2-3%. In the Philippines, Jollibee owns 50% of the QSR market while McDonald's sits at 15%. The fast food map is being redrawn.

QSR Pro Staff•6 min read•1
Popeyes
Industry Analysis•March 2026

Popeyes Is in Trouble: Sales Down Four Straight Quarters, Its Biggest Franchisee Just Filed Bankruptcy

Six years after the chicken sandwich that broke the internet, Popeyes is facing a very different kind of attention. Same-store sales fell for four consecutive quarters in 2025, and Sailormen Inc., one of the chain's largest franchisees with 136 locations across Florida and Georgia, filed Chapter 11 in January 2026 with $342 million in liabilities against $232 million in assets.

QSR Pro Staff•7 min read•1
Wawa
Industry Analysis•March 2026

Wawa vs Sheetz vs QuikTrip: The Convenience Store QSR War

Wawa, Sheetz, and QuikTrip generate B+ combined in annual revenue, with food representing 35-45% of sales. They're stealing breakfast, lunch, and dinner traffic from McDonald's, Subway, and Dunkin' with better food, lower prices, and unbeatable convenience.

QSR Pro Staff•8 min read•1
Dutch
Industry Analysis•March 2026

Dutch Bros' Drive-Thru-Only Model: Genius or Limitation?

Dutch Bros went public at , hit , crashed to , now trades around -. The chain operates 900+ drive-thru-only stands doing .8M-.2M per unit. Is the model a competitive advantage or a structural ceiling?

QSR Pro Staff•7 min read•1
Indian
Industry Analysis•March 2026

How Indian QSR Brands Are Disrupting the Market

Haldiram's generates .5B+ annually. Rebel Foods operates 450+ cloud kitchens globally. Wow! Momo has 600+ locations. India's QSR market is projected to hit B by 2028, growing 4x faster than the U.S. These brands are the future of global QSR.

QSR Pro Staff•8 min read•1
Restaurant
Industry Analysis•March 2026

Restaurant Brands International Posts 5.3% System-Wide Sales Growth as Burger King's Royal Reset Gains Traction

RBI delivered 5.3% system-wide sales growth for 2025, with Burger King U.S. comps up 2.6% and Popeyes scaling to a $2B run-rate. The $550M Royal Reset is showing results.

QSR Pro Staff•7 min read•1
$17
Industry Analysis•March 2026

The FTC's Record $17 Million Franchise Settlement: What Every QSR Franchisor Needs to Know

The FTC just secured a $17 million settlement against Xponential Fitness, the largest monetary recovery in a franchise case in FTC history. The violations have nothing to do with fitness and everything to do with how franchisors sell franchises. QSR brands should read the complaint carefully.

QSR Pro Staff•8 min read•1
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