Financing

How your restaurant sales and profits compare to competitors' and what you can do to improve financial performance

El Pollo Loco declares itself ready to grow again

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 13, 2026

The fast-food chicken chain’s sales increased last quarter, as did profits. The company is now ramping up new unit development to its highest rate in years.

Financing

Some struggling Kona Grill locations to be rebranded

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 13, 2026

After years of steep same-store sales declines at the upscale Asian chain, parent company The One Group will convert five of them into Benihana or STK.

Financing

McDonald's tests the limits of value pricing

By Joe Guszkowski and Lisa Jennings on Mar. 13, 2026

The Week in Restaurants: This week’s episode of the weekly restaurant news discussion podcast looks at McDonald's latest value offer, trouble at Noma and Uber Eats' fee hikes.

Premium

Financing

The oil price problem

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 12, 2026

The Bottom Line: Economists are expecting a better year for restaurants in 2026. But that changes if oil prices remain too high for too long.

Financing

Burger King appears to come out on top of the burger wars

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 12, 2026

The fast-food chain received a spike in visits last week after the brand’s president went viral for taking a bite of the Whopper, according to data from the food traffic tracking firm Placer.ai.

Premium

Financing

Papa Johns is reportedly weighing a buyout offer, again

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 12, 2026

The Bottom Line: The pizza chain is reportedly weighing an offer from Irth Capital Management that would take the company private, the latest in a long line of buyout rumors and reports.

Financing

Why beef costs are increasing so much

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 11, 2026

A Deeper Dive: David Maloni, senior director of commodities with Arrowstream, joins the restaurant finance podcast to discuss the rise in beef costs and the potential impact of gas prices on restaurants.

Financing