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Financing

Despite their complaints, customers keep flocking to Chipotle

 By Jonathan Maze on Apr. 25, 2024

The Bottom Line: The chain continued to be a juggernaut last quarter, with strong sales and traffic growth, despite frequent social media complaints about shrinkflation or other challenges.

Operations

Hitting resistance elsewhere, ghost kitchens and virtual concepts find a happy home in family dining

By Peter Romeo on Apr. 24, 2024

Reality Check: Old-guard chains are finding the alternative operations to be persistently effective side hustles.

Financing

The Tijuana Flats bankruptcy highlights the dangers of menu miscues

By Jonathan Maze on Apr. 23, 2024

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual chain’s problems following new menu debuts in 2021 and 2022 show that adding new items isn’t always the right idea.

Financing

For Papa Johns, the CEO departure came at the wrong time

By Jonathan Maze on Apr. 23, 2024

The Bottom Line: The pizza chain worked to convince franchisees to buy into a massive marketing shift. And then the brand’s CEO left.

Food

How Chick-fil-A's shift on antibiotic-free chicken signals an industry evolution

By Lisa Jennings on Apr. 19, 2024

Chick-fil-A was a No Antibiotics Ever brand, but now its standards are more in line with KFC and others. Will consumers understand the nuanced difference?

Financing

Proposed TGI Fridays sale is no home run, but has promise for both sides

By Joe Guszkowski on Apr. 19, 2024

The $220 million all-stock deal would get Fridays’ owner TriArtisan out of its decade-long investment and give the struggling chain a like-minded partner in franchisee Hostmore, experts say.

Financing

In the fast-casual sector, Chipotle laps Panera Bread

By Jonathan Maze on Apr. 19, 2024

The Bottom Line: The two fast-casual restaurant pioneers have diverged over the past five years, as the burrito chain has thrived while Panera hit a wall. Here's why.

Leadership

Restaurants bring the industry's concerns to Congress

By Peter Romeo on Apr. 19, 2024

Nearly 600 operators made their case to lawmakers as part of the National Restaurant Association’s Public Affairs Conference.

Financing

Podcast transcript: Virtual Dining Brands co-founder Robbie Earl

By Jonathan Maze on Apr. 19, 2024

A Deeper Dive: What is the future of digital-only concepts? Earl discusses their work to ensure quality and why focusing on restaurant delivery works.

Financing

In Red Lobster, a symbol of the challenges with casual dining

By Jonathan Maze on Apr. 17, 2024

The Bottom Line: Consumers have shifted dining toward convenience or occasions, and that has created havoc for full-service restaurant chains. How can these companies get customers back?

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