Kevin Hochman: The 2025 Restaurant Leader of the Year

The Bottom Line: Data from Technomic shows that dine-in service builds equity with customers. So restaurant chains should not ignore it, even if most business walks out the door.

The Bottom Line: From the success of brands like Crumbl and Dave’s Hot Chicken to the struggles at Starbucks and McDonald’s, social media is playing a massive role in how consumers view chains.

The Bottom Line: We had a lot of conversations during the first two days of the country’s biggest restaurant exhibition in Chicago. Here’s what we’ve been hearing.