Danny Klein

It's a new year, with a new administration in Washington. Everyone's looking at a crystal ball to figure out how the change in national leadership and moves made by the Federal Reserve will affect business. Here's a dive into those topics, plus a look back at Donald Trump's first term and how it impacted the industry.

Chick-fil-A charted significant progress this past year on what’s perhaps the biggest runway corner of its business—international expansion. The third-largest quick-service chain in America unveiled a $1 billion plan in March 2023 to explore growth in Europe and Asia, but clarified those efforts in September (U.K.) and October (Asia) of 2024 with announcements to spend […]

At this past week's ICR Conference in Orlando, cautious optimism floated beneath the current of two, inflation-strapped years of challenges. Traffic remains soft. Operators are competing for fewer visits among weary consumers. But solutions around “value” are starting to emerge, whether it's $5 deals pulsed into the marketplace at the top of QSR, or working on loyalty, engagement, and service for those clarifying the “worth” of higher prices.

Ike's Love & Sandwiches, the San Francisco-based fast-casual concept, is showing love for its employees by supporting their financial wellness and security. The popular fast-casual restaurant chain joined forces with DailyPay – the leader in earned wage access – providing its team members with employee benefits that support them inside and outside the workplace.

Blaze Pizza, a trailblazer in the fast-casual dining scene known for its Fast Fire’d artisanal pizza, is continuing its legacy of craveable innovation in the pizza space with two new menu items. Available now at the brand’s nearly 300 locations, the Spicy Hot Chicken Pickle Pizza features Blaze’s white sauce, shredded mozzarella, chicken, basil, a […]

Azzip Pizza is announcing new store openings in 2025, the brand is adding two new locations: one in Terre Haute, Indiana, and another in West Lafayette, Indiana. The West Lafayette location will bring Azzip's unique style closer to the home of Purdue University, the birthplace of the Azzip concept at the Purdue Entrepreneurship program. These expansions will bring Azzip's total store count to thirteen—a testament to the strong support of customers.

Potbelly Corporation announced its opening at The Greens of Strongsville—the premier shopping and dining destination in southwest Cleveland. Nestled along the bustling retail corridor of Royalton Road (18062 Royalton Road) and anchored by big-name retailers like Target, Heinen's T.J. Maxx, and Sephora, the new shop is well positioned to serve the area's dynamic mix of families, shoppers, and professionals on the go. This location is the 15th in Ohio, with two of the six Cleveland-area shops debuting in the past two months. Lakewood opened in mid-December.

Jilan Hall "Giving back and paying it forward is a big part of our mission," Hall says.

Known for the goodness of its scratch-made menu, Hardee’s Restaurants announced a new yearlong partnership with a multiplatinum artist known for goodness in country music – Thomas Rhett. The campaign will come to life through storytelling and activations around values the brand and artist hold dear, like giving back to their community, family, first responders, […]

In this special trend report from Maeve Webster and Mike Kostyo of Menu Matters, we’ll look at the core wants and needs that restaurant customers will have in the year ahead, based on extensive research and data. That includes new ways of looking at value beyond just low prices and an endless stream of combo […]