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casual_dining

Operations

The Chilihead: Kevin Hochman brings pride back to Chili's

 By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 28, 2025

The 2025 Restaurant Business Restaurant Leader of the Year engineered the industry’s most unlikely comeback with a simple formula: Get people in the door and give them a good time once they get there.

Financing

Hooters founders reportedly plan to take control of the struggling chain

 By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 27, 2025

HMC Hospitality, the operator of Original Hooters restaurants, is plotting to rescue the larger Hooters of America through a bankruptcy filing, Bloomberg reported.

Marketing

Hooters to settle NASCAR sponsorship dispute for $900K

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 25, 2025

The struggling casual-dining chain had backed Chase Elliott’s car for years but stopped paying its dues last March, according to a lawsuit filed by Hendrick Motorsports.

Leadership

Landry's CEO Tilman Fertitta to step down if confirmed for Trump post

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 24, 2025

Fertitta would leave the restaurant empire to become U.S. ambassador to Italy, but would retain a passive ownership stake.

Financing

Olive Garden says anxious consumers are still spending at restaurants

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 20, 2025

After a chilly start to the year, the Italian casual-dining chain said business has picked up recently, despite signs that consumer sentiment is down.

Operations

The pandemic brought full-service restaurants to a crossroads

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 19, 2025

Widespread dining room closures forced sit-down operators to embrace convenience. But consumers still want an experience too.

Operations

Maggiano's begins a turnaround, with Chili's playbook in hand

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 19, 2025

The Italian casual-dining chain is taking cues from its soaring sister concept as it looks to return to traffic growth.

Emerging Brands

Japan-based Global Dining Inc. wants to grow in the U.S. But not in California anymore.

By Lisa Jennings on Mar. 18, 2025

The company's Los Angeles-based subsidiary just opened its third restaurant, Settecento. But the next project will likely require a move out of state, said CEO Lucian Tudor.

Operations

Applebee's and IHOP to nearly triple number of co-branded restaurants this year

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 13, 2025

Parent company Dine Brands plans to open up to 14 combo locations in the U.S. and 23 overseas, underscoring its high hopes for the full-service mashup.

Financing

A Big Boy turf war heats up in Ohio

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 10, 2025

The burger chain's Michigan branch allegedly planned to move into closed Frisch’s Big Boy locations, defying the brand’s strict territorial boundaries. A court has temporarily blocked it from using the Big Boy name.

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