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Charitable Giving, Fast Casual, News

Chicken Salad Chick Raises Record $382K for CURE Childhood Cancer

Chicken Salad Chick, the nation’s only fast-casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced today that through the Chicken Salad Chick Foundation, the brand and its guests raised a record breaking $382,604.30 for CURE Childhood Cancer throughout 2025. Both headquartered in Atlanta, Chicken Salad Chick and CURE Childhood Cancer continue to strengthen their longstanding partnership, furthering their shared commitment to supporting children […]

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Fast Food, Finance, Franchising, Growth, News, Story

McDonald’s Weighs Refranchising as Company-Operated Performance Lags

McDonald’s is not happy with the performance of its company-owned footprint. During its Q1 earnings call, CFO Ian Borden said U.S. company-operated margins “were not acceptable,” adding that the company is actively reviewing whether certain restaurants are better suited in the hands of franchisees. The burger giant finished the quarter with 13,728 U.S. restaurants, consisting […]

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Fast Casual, News

Fuku Continuing South Florida Expansion with West Palm Beach Opening

Fuku, the quick, chef-driven eatery from chef and cultural icon David Chang known for its signature spicy fried chicken sandwich, is continuing its South Florida expansion with a new location planned for West Palm Beach, set to open in summer 2026. The announcement follows the brand’s recent debut in Coral Gables, marking its first standalone restaurant […]

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Beverage, Fast Casual, Finance, News, Story

How Dutch Bros Went from Challenging a Category to Commanding It

Dutch Bros, despite being founded in 1992, often feels like an emerging story. That’s because it took 33 years to open 1,000 stores and much of that unfurled post-pandemic. The brand nearly doubled from September 2021 (the year it went public) to August 2025. And it’s opened 30 or more restaurants for 19 consecutive quarters. […]

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Beverage, Fast Food, Finance, Food, Menu Innovations, News, Story

McDonald’s Rides Momentum Thanks to Value, Marketing, and Menu Innovation

McDonald’s entered 2026 with a clear message that amid a challenging environment, disciplined execution—not sweeping reinvention—is what wins. In the U.S., that philosophy is showing up across value, marketing, and menu innovation. In the first quarter, U.S. same-store sales rose 3.9 percent, with the brand maintaining market share and outperforming many of its closest competitors. […]

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Fast Casual, Finance, News, Women in Restaurant Leadership

Shake Shack Appoints Michelle Hook Chief Financial Officer

Shake Shack announced the appointment of Michelle Hook as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, effective May 11, 2026. Hook joins Shake Shack’s executive leadership team and will be responsible for leading financial operations across the Company, including accounting and treasury, financial planning and analysis, tax, investor relations and external reporting. Hook brings more than two […]

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Fast Casual, Fast Food, Finance, News, Story

Under New CEO, Portillo’s Begins to Play the Long Game Again

Brett Patterson made his first Portillo’s trip two-plus decades ago. Those were, naturally, different times for the 1963-founded Chicago staple. It’s since gone public (2021), spread into Texas, faced rocky development trends, and begun, more recently, to grapple with value gaps as the brand tries to stabilize its experience amid growth. For Patterson, who joined […]

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