Food for Thought Leadership: The Return to Real with Robyn Carter
Robyn Carter, founder and CEO of Jump Rope Innovation, explores the concept of the “return to real” in today’s food industry.
Tag: Chipotle
Gen Z Magnetism Report: Authenticity Often Beats Advertising
Gen Z’s brand loyalty hinges on authentic user-generated content, not legacy clout. Food giants like Oreo and McDonald’s are losing steam – while Disney thrives by treating fans like community, not consumers.
Fast-Food Chains Feeling Pain in ‘Two-Tier Economy’
As budget-conscious diners trade down, QSRs face a traffic slump while casual-dining chains surge with value bundles. The winners? Brands that nail the value equation in a fiercely discerning dining economy.
Tex-Mex Takeover: Moe’s, Chipotle Announce Global Expansion Plans
Chipotle and Moe’s are spicing up global growth with bold Tex-Mex debuts across Asia. Partnerships and localized menus will be key.
Sweetgreen Plunges, And the Question Is Why
Sweetgreen’s stock nosedived after dismal Q2 results, reigniting doubts about its scalability and consumer appeal. Management blames execution and macro headwinds – but investors may be losing faith in the salad chain’s long-term promise.
Investors See Long-Term Risk for Fast-Casual Chains
Fast-casual giants Chipotle and Cava are losing investor confidence after steep post-earnings stock drops. Rising costs, flat traffic, and pricing fatigue signal deeper concerns about the fast-casual segment as a whole.
5 Thriving Fast-Food Chains in 2025
Despite rising costs, 2025 is shaping up to be a fairly strong year for many restaurant chains, with top players like Cava and Chick-fil-A thriving by mastering efficiency, marketing, and customer experience. The smartest brands are pricing strategically and leveraging technology to drive success.
FI Fast Break audio news: June 4, 2025
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast touches on how Americans are scaling back on summer travel plans due to economic uncertainty.
The Future of Fast Food: How Top QSRs Are Using AI Tech to Get Ahead
QSRs are revolutionizing the dining experience by integrating AI, mobile ordering, and kiosks, but success depends on balancing efficiency with human connection. Intouch Insight’s 2025 Emerging Experiences study highlights how industry leaders are using innovative tech to streamline operations.
Brinker’s Spectacular Turnaround Isn’t Over Yet
Brinker International’s unexpected turnaround has propelled Chili’s to stunning same-store sales growth of nearly 26% in fiscal 2025, defying industry trends and revitalizing a brand that seemed stagnant for decades. Chili’s transformation is rewriting the playbook for restaurant chains.
Chipotle Gives Reason to React, Not Overreact
Despite Chipotle’s recent sales slump heading into 2025, investors are not worried about the future of the company. Although Chipotle stock has fallen 27% since December 6, its modest performance is peanuts compared to the fast casual sector, and its historic strength signals it can brace the bump.
Survey Unveils Teens’ Brand Choices in 2025 – From Crunchy Snacks to Impactful Influencers
The latest Taking Stock with Teens survey by Piper Sandler reveals a generation of U.S. teenagers with rising annual spending (up 6% from last year). Chick-fil-A and energy drinks currently dominate teen preferences, highlighting opportunities for targeted marketing strategies.
Brands Tap National Burrito Day to Enhance Loyalty Programs
With food-related holidays happening almost daily, brands are capitalizing on events like National Burrito Day (April 3) to drive sales, boost loyalty program engagement, and introduce gamified promotions. Restaurants from Chipotle to Taco Bell are taking advantage, rolling out limited-time deals.
How McDonald’s Won Over Gen Z Consumers
The Magnetic 100: Restaurants report by dcdx reveals the top brands captivating Gen Z, with McDonald’s, Wingstop, and Starbucks leading the pack due to their organic online engagement and unique customer interactions.
Retail Reimagined: Shoppers Skipping Middle Ground for Luxury, Value
Consumers are reshaping retail by prioritizing convenience, with Millennials driving trends like smaller store formats. Meanwhile, shifts in spending patterns reveal a preference for luxury or value over mid-priced options.
News Roundup (September 20, 2024): Interest Rates, Hart House Closings, Chipotle’s Avocado Robot
Guest Column: Explaining CEOs’ Short Shelf Life in 2024
The pressure is on restaurant chain CEOs to deliver fast in 2024. Private equity is largely to blame, according to one industry leader.
FI News Review (August 16, 2024) – CEO Swap: What Does Starbucks’ New Leadership Mean For the Future
CEO of Chipotle Departs to Assume Leadership of Starbucks
Tuesday brought big business news, as Chipotle announced that its chairman and CEO, Brian Niccol, had accepted a similar post at Starbucks.
Plant-based Consumers’ Favorite QSRs
U.S. consumers love fast food and those who follow a plant-forward diet are no exception. Which quick service restaurants (QSRs) are plant-based consumers seeking out this year?
Opinion: Automation Serving up Invaluable Efficiency for Restaurants
Restaurant automation reduces service time, increases consistency, and eliminates labor from the restaurants that use it.
Fast-Flation: Fast Food Restaurant Prices Surge, Even as Inflation Wanes
Major fast-food restaurants have raised prices by 60% on average between 2014 and 2024. McDonald’s is the worst offender with average menu prices increasing more than three times the national rate of inflation over the past decade.
IPOs and Inflection Points: Panera and Starbucks Brace for Change
They say when one door closes, another opens. That may very well be true, but for restaurant brands and their clientele, the wrong door can sometimes lead down a disastrous path – just look at …
Column: Loyalty Apps Becoming a Boon for Fast-Food Restaurants
One great benefit of loyalty programs is that they help businesses, like restaurant chains, build a relationship with a customer. To inspire consumers to join your program you can use price or other incentives.
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Cloud Bread to Burn-away Cakes: Tomorrow’s TikTok Trends in Restaurant & Retail
From chefs to retailers to restaurant operators, catching fire with a dish that went viral on TikTok can ignite a fan base (and bolster quarterly revenue).
‘Gen Z’s Most Magnetic Brands’ Report Praises McDonald’s, Starbucks
McDonald’s has nearly as much brand magnetism with Gen Z as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Ariana Grande. And in 2023, the purple-hued force of attraction that connected the burger giant with young consumers was …
Teens’ Top 5 Restaurant Chains
Teens are trendsetters. They are typically early to the next big thing and most of their spending is discretionary, making them a lucrative demographic to study.
How the Pandemic Reshaped Restaurant Real Estate
There has been a sizable population shift to America’s Sun Belt as well as its suburbs and rural areas in recent years. That fact has reshaped the nation’s commercial real estate, experts say.
The Teens Have Spoken: Chick-fil-A Remains Favorite Restaurant
Three things remain constant in life: death, taxes, and Chick-fil-A. In Piper-Sandler’s recent survey of teen spending in the U.S., the Georgia-based restaurant chain still struts its stuff above Starbucks and Chipotle and accounts for …
Placer.ai Exec: How Grocers Must Evolve in 2023
The grocery space has been upended over the past three years and leaders must face new challenges with patience, according to Placer.ai’s Retail Trends Forecast 2023 report.
‘Restaurant Venture Capital’ Doesn’t Mean What it Used To
The meaning of “restaurant venture capital” is changing. While the term has historically referred to funding for brick-and-mortar restaurants, the restaurant venture capitalists of today have shifted their focus to investing in foodservice technology. Last …
Survey: Tracking Gen Z Food Preferences
Here are key stats on what, and where, Gen Z is eating these days, according to Piper Sandler’s Fall Taking Stock with Teens survey.
QSRs Lamenting ‘Line Balk’ Trend
Much like remote working and zoom conferencing, long waits at the drive-thru line are a pandemic vestige that just won’t go away. And that’s causing line balk among consumers. As COVID-19 took hold in the …
Investors See Tough Times Ahead for Fast Casuals
It’s difficult to project how the fast-casual industry will perform in a recession. The current version of the industry hasn’t really seen one. To be sure, the fast-casual concept predates the financial crisis of the …
Food Businesses Step Up Sustainability Efforts
For Earth Day, The Food Institute takes a closer look at recent industry efforts to meet the growing sustainability expectations of consumers. RETAILERS Sam’s Club recently revealed new sustainability efforts for its Member’s Mark private-label …
Teen Spending Up, Interest in Plant-Based Down
Teens are spending more money (+9%) and food is a top priority, according to Piper Sandler’s Taking Stock with Teens Spring 2022 survey. With these themes in mind, below are key findings that food industry …