Slim Chickens announced a significant milestone in its international expansion. BRG with Foodelity Group has signed a 20-location development plan in Germany.  Spearheading Slims into Germany, Foodelity Group is a sub-franchisee of Boparan Restaurant Group which currently operates 51 stores across the UK and Turkey, with its latest opening in Bromley. The established multi-unit operator has several international franchises under its portfolio and plans to continue its expansion with Slim Chickens. “We are really pleased to be working with Foodelity Group,” says Satnam Leihal, CEO of BRG ..read more

In this past year’s QSR Drive-Thru Report, we got off the track a bit. In addition to mystery shopping 10 of America’s top chains, rolling through drive-thrus and recording everything from speed to tech upgrades to friendliness, as QSR always has, we decided, along with our partner Intouch Insight, to give some of the most-innovative builds a spin (Taco Bell’s Defy, McDonald’s conveyor-belt prototype in Fort Worth, Texas, and a Chick-fil-A deploying robotics in Alpharetta, Georgia). The motivation was straightforward. If there is one area of the industry COVID-19 tossed kindling under, it was ..read more

Donatos Pizza announced the upcoming retirement in October of its Chief Executive Officer, Tom Krouse. Kevin King, who has served as President of Donatos Pizza for the past two years, will assume the role of CEO and President upon Krouse’s retirement. This well-planned succession ensures a smooth handover and continued success for the brand, built on the strong foundation of family values. Krouse joined Donatos Pizza in 2000 after 18 years at Wendy’s. Before becoming President and CEO in 2010, Krouse oversaw Donatos Pizza’s franchise expansion and development of the brand’s retail division, Ja ..read more

Pita Pit, the world’s first Mediterranean fast-food concept, is spicing things up with a revamped menu. Upholding their commitment to fresh, made-to-order meals, Pita Pit’s new menu boasts a variety of tasty offerings perfect for on-the-go Mediterranean fare. Building off its robust menu that includes fan-favorites like The Super Greek Pita, Chicken Souvlaki, and Ode To Athens Quinoa Bowl, Pita Pit is tapping into existing flavors and elevating them with a Mediterranean twist to give guests more of the items they crave. “We take great pride in offering fast, convenient, and healthy options tha ..read more

Johnny Rockets announced its annual Mental Health Awareness Month initiative, aimed at brightening fans’ days across the nation. This mental health awareness month (May), guests who send a free shake to their friend or loved one will also get one classic Johnny Rockets shake of their choice free. Through the month of May at JohnnyRockets.com/shareasmile customers will be able to share a free iconic Johnny Rockets shake with friends near and far. Since 1986, Johnny Rockets has been serving its famous hand-spun shakes, made with real ice cream available in a variety of classic flavors, including ..read more

Chipotle Mexican Grill announced it will recognize the healthcare community by awarding 100,000 healthcare workers with free burrito e-cards, equivalent to over $1 million in free food. Over the past several years, the brand has given away more than $5 million in free Chipotle to healthcare professionals. Chipotle will launch a microsite where healthcare professionals can enter to win a free burrito e-card from May 6 through May 10. At the end of National Nurses Week, 100,000 healthcare professionals who entered will be randomly selected to receive an email to verify their healthcare employmen ..read more

Burger King is sprinting toward $300,000 in per-unit profitability for franchisees, and it’s thanks to more than $2 billion worth of investments to get back on track.  That breaks out to $400 million from the “Reclaim the Flame” turnaround plan announced in September 2022, the $1 billion acquisition of its largest franchisee Carrols Restaurant Group, a $500 million remodel commitment for those Carrols stores, and an additional $300 million co-investment in remodels to get the chain between 85–90 percent modern by 2028. Burger King will also see billions of dollars of accelerated investmen ..read more

Starbucks’ traffic was healthy as recently as October, and it rode three years of robust demand out of the pandemic. Going back to May 2022, founder and former CEO Howard Schultz described the challenge for Starbucks as “completely half full.” Interest was “relentless,” driven largely by the surge of digital ordering (mobile order and pay was up 400 percent over five years), yet the brand was “not doing our best,” he said. In plain terms, Starbucks had more consumer activity than it could meet with the systems in place pre-pandemic. And in response, it laid out a billion-dollar plan to capture ..read more

Bojangles has been a fast-food mainstay in the Southeast for almost half a century, renowned for its delicious chicken and breakfast offerings. Over the past decade, the Bojangles team has made use of digital reader boards to help propel the brand into an era of unparalleled growth.  The impact of digital reader boards on Bojangles’ success cannot be overstated from a marketing perspective. These boards provide a dynamic platform for Bojangles to showcase its delectable offerings through stunning, high-resolution imagery, effectively highlighting new promotions and limited-time offers in ..read more

In response to the rising number of incidents where customers have unknowingly ingested caustic beer line cleaning chemicals, National Chemicals, Inc. has released its latest innovation of caustic-free beverage line cleaning solution, Vantage Duo.   “Historically, bar and restaurant operators had to accept the use of dangerous, caustic chemicals to clean beer lines. Vantage Duo provides every bar and restaurant the opportunity to take control of their beverage dispense liability while keeping their existing cleaning technician,” said Murl Landman, President and CEO of National Chemi ..read more