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Food

How Crumbl Cookies creates its weekly rotating menu

 By Patricia Cobe on Sep. 05, 2023

Behind the Menu: The fast-growing chain has developed hundreds of recipes in its history using a robust testing process and considerable customer feedback. But most cookies never return to the rotation.

Operations

Dickey’s put a restaurant up for sale. Its franchisee was surprised

 By Jonathan Maze on Aug. 31, 2023

The fast casual’s franchisees say they’re struggling with its price restrictions, coupled with high costs. And one operator says the barbecue chain put her store on the market without her knowledge.

Financing

How Subway's closures could open the door for growth chains

By Jonathan Maze on Aug. 30, 2023

The Bottom Line: Ike’s Love & Sandwiches has grown to 100 locations. And a surprisingly big part of its growth strategy involves closed Subway restaurants.

Technology

DoorDash wants to take restaurants' phone orders. Next stop, the drive-thru?

By Joe Guszkowski on Aug. 29, 2023

Tech Check: The development of an AI voice bot puts the delivery giant within shouting distance of fast-food’s biggest channel.

Financing

Yes, you can operate a sustainable restaurant in a small town

By Lori Rakoczy on Aug. 29, 2023

Technomic's Take: Black Valley Provender in Everett, Penn., shows how a restaurant can operate in a small town using local ingredients and higher-priced menus.

Financing

If you're going to discount, tread carefully

By Jonathan Maze on Aug. 29, 2023

The Bottom Line: Consumers could easily shift into value mode as they start repaying student loans and run out of pandemic cash. But that doesn’t mean you should start slashing prices.

Financing

Roark Capital solidifies its status as the go-to fast-food buyer

By Jonathan Maze on Aug. 25, 2023

The Bottom Line: The 22-year-old private equity firm has been involved in many of the industry’s biggest deals, especially in recent years. And Subway isn’t even the biggest.

Marketing

From Grimace shakes to Spongmonkeys, restaurant marketing reimagines the past

By Reyna Estrada on Aug. 25, 2023

As restaurant chains lean into nostalgia marketing, they’re tasked with making sure old concepts seem fresh and new.

Food

Smashburger's S'mac & Cheese Burger smashed LTO expectations

By Patricia Cobe on Aug. 24, 2023

Behind the Menu: The mashup of two favorites—mac ‘n cheese and burgers—took two years to perfect but became the chain’s best-selling limited-time item of the past two years.

Financing

Subway's complex sale process comes to its expected conclusion

By Jonathan Maze on Aug. 24, 2023

The Bottom Line: The lengthy sale process and the apparent deal terms in Roark Capital’s winning bid reveal just how difficult a turnaround the sandwich giant is.

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