QSR INDEXMCD 292.41 +0.8%SBUX 84.12 −1.2%YUM 148.77 +0.4%QSR 68.90 +1.1%CMG 48.15 −0.3%DPZ 421.55 +2.1%WING 244.63 +3.4%SHAK 96.20 −0.7%WEN 14.02 +0.2%69 CHAINS TRACKED · UPDATED DAILY

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

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marketing

Marketing & Growth

Social Media Playbook: How Wendy's, Duolingo-Style Brands, and Emerging Chains Are Winning on TikTok and X

From Wendy's savage roasts to Chipotle's billion-view challenges, QSR brands are rewriting the rules of digital engagement — and turning followers into foot traffic

MAR 18, 2026 · 9 MIN READ

Category:All Finance & Economics Industry Analysis Marketing & Growth Operations & Management People & Culture Technology & Innovation

61 articles|645 total published

marketing

Marketing & Growth

QSR Loyalty Program Rankings 2026: Which Programs Actually Drive Repeat Visits

Taco Bell loyalty members visit 76% more often. Starbucks Rewards hit 68% positive sentiment. McDonald's app wins on simplicity. Chick-fil-A uses tiers for premium customers. Wendy's confuses everyone. Chipotle frustrates with slow accumulation. Here's what separates programs that drive repeat business from those that sit unused on phones.

MAR 20, 2026 · 10 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

The QSR Breakfast Wars: Who's Winning Before 10 AM

Dunkin' gets 39.9% of traffic before 10 AM vs Starbucks' 29.9%. McDonald's breakfast drives 25% of total sales. QSR brands capture 3.9 monthly breakfast visits vs 2.5 for coffee chains. Morning daypart economics explained.

NOV 1, 2025 · 10 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

Gen Z's Relationship With Fast Food

Gen Z spends $51 per dine-in visit and $36 on delivery - the highest of any generation. They discover restaurants through TikTok, value transparency over perfection, and toggle between value menus and premium items. Health-conscious but delivery-dependent, socially-driven but price-sensitive - the contradictions aren't bugs, they're features.

NOV 11, 2025 · 11 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

How QSR Brands Engineer Their Signature Scents

That Cinnabon smell isn't an accident. Neither is the Subway bread aroma or the Chick-fil-A waffle fry fragrance. QSR brands are investing in scent engineering as a serious marketing tool — and the science behind it is more sophisticated than you think.

MAR 19, 2026 · 7 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

Gen Z's QSR Spending Doubled in 18 Months. Here's What Changed.

Between Q4 2024 and Q2 2026, Gen Z's share of QSR transactions jumped from 18% to 34%. This isn't about TikTok menus—it's about refusing to tolerate friction.

MAR 19, 2026 · 6 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

International QSR Expansion: Who's Winning Abroad

McDonald's plans 50,000 locations by 2027, with a third of 9,000 new restaurants in China. Jollibee posted 22.7% international profit growth, crushing McDonald's 6.1%. Wingstop hit 3,000 locations and entered six new countries in 2025. The patient capital approach, menu localization strategies, franchise economics, and why domestic market saturation makes global expansion non-optional.

NOV 4, 2025 · 12 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

Limited-Time Offers: The High-Stakes Game Driving QSR Traffic

McDonald's $5 Meal Deal drove immediate foot traffic spikes. Starbucks saw similar lifts. The pattern is clear: LTOs work. But are they driving profitable traffic, or has the industry created an addiction it can't escape?

MAR 20, 2026 · 8 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

QSR Sustainability Initiatives: Greenwashing vs Real Progress

McDonald's pledged 100% renewable packaging by 2025. Sounds ambitious. But 'renewable' can mean almost anything. This is the sustainability challenge in QSR: big commitments, vague metrics, and real progress buried under layers of marketing.

MAR 20, 2026 · 10 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

The Rise of QSR Merchandise as a Revenue Stream

Branded hoodies, limited-edition sauce bottles, and collaboration drops are turning QSR chains into lifestyle brands — and the merch margins dwarf anything on the food menu.

MAR 19, 2026 · 9 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

QSR Loyalty Programs That Actually Work

McDonald's loyalty participation jumped 18% in Q3 2025, driving 12% digital sales growth. Chick-fil-A One members show significantly higher retention rates. Starbucks Rewards generates billions in prepaid float. The economics of points vs cash-back, what drives repeat visits, and why the best programs focus on retention over acquisition.

MAR 20, 2026 · 11 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

QSR Loyalty Programs Ranked: Which Chains Are Winning the Rewards War?

A comprehensive analysis of the most successful QSR loyalty programs, comparing earning rates, redemption value, app experience, and actual customer behavior data to reveal which chains deliver the best rewards.

MAR 19, 2026 · 8 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

The Upcharge Economy: How QSRs Are Monetizing Every Modification

Extra sauce, premium cheese, double protein — QSR brands have turned customization into one of the most profitable margin plays in the industry

MAR 19, 2026 · 8 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

Why Five Guys Charges $18 for a Burger and Fries - And Why Customers Keep Paying

Five Guys has become a lightning rod for fast food sticker shock. But the pricing isn't accidental — it's the entire business model.

MAR 19, 2026 · 6 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

The New Subscription Wars: Why QSRs Are Betting Big on Coffee Club Models

Panera started it. Now every major chain is building a subscription play — and the economics are more compelling than most operators realize.

MAR 19, 2026 · 9 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

How QSR Chains Manipulate Menu Psychology to Make You Spend More

Every menu is a carefully engineered sales tool designed to guide your choices, increase your ticket size, and maximize profit margins. Here's how QSR chains use decoy pricing, anchoring, and menu engineering to control what you order.

MAR 19, 2026 · 8 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

How to Handle a PR Crisis in QSR: Lessons from the Biggest Brand Disasters

One viral video can destroy a brand. Here's how to survive when disaster strikes.

MAR 19, 2026 · 15 MIN READ

marketing

Marketing & Growth

The Science of Menu Engineering: How Top QSR Chains Use Psychology and Data to Drive $2+ Higher Average Checks

From eye-tracking research to AI-powered kiosks, the quick-service industry has turned menu design into a billion-dollar behavioral science

MAR 18, 2026 · 9 MIN READ

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