Restaurant Business Exclusive Content
Financing
Franchising can put brands at a disadvantage in a market like this
The Bottom Line: Restaurant chains like &pizza and MOD Pizza continue to turn to franchising to reinvigorate growth or save dying concepts. But there are huge disadvantages when consumers are cutting back.
Technology
How drive-thru AI made a believer out of Taco John's CEO Heather Neary
The leader of the fast-food chain was skeptical of the technology when she joined the company last year. Now she hopes to bring it chainwide.
Financing
The great shift: Consumers voted with their feet last year
The Bottom Line: Restaurant customers shifted away from more traditional concepts to those they felt provided better quality and service. Was this brought on by economic challenges or is it part of a long-term industry reconfiguration?