Heather Haddon

The coffee-chain has expected office employees to come in three days a week. Now it is tightening enforcement.

Starbucks outlined more challenges facing the coffee giant, and its new leader reiterated his call for decisive action to turn the company around. Investments in worker wages and benefits, along with customer deals, hurt profit margins, though Starbucks said the company is finding ways to run stores more efficiently. “It is clear we need to fundamentally change our strategy to win back customers,” Chief Executive Brian Niccol said Wednesday.

Starbucks pledged to not raise prices in the U.S. over the coming year and to restore condiment bars in cafes, as its new leader pledged fundamental change at the company. Customers have grumbled about long waits and high prices for drinks, cutting into the company’s sales and compounding the challenge of bringing consumers back to its stores. Chief Executive Brian Niccol on Wednesday sought to tackle those issues, adding that the company needs to be able to deliver drinks in four minutes or less.

Fast-food restaurant owner Yum Brands said geopolitical turmoil and consumers' pessimism about the economy hurt sales last quarter. Same-store sales declined 4% in its Pizza Hut and KFC chains in the three months ended Sept.

Burger King's parent company said it needs to offer better value to cash-strapped diners, as a tough consumer environment weighed on sales. Restaurant Brands International’s adjusted third-quarter earnings and sales came in slightly below consensus expectations. Same-store sales also missed most an

In late summer, a customer started showing up at Los Angeles-area Starbucks cafes at all hours of the day, quizzing baristas about their favorite drinks to make, or problems with how the stores operated. In less than two months in the role, Niccol has pushed to focus Starbucks’s operations, trimming menu items and paring back discounts. Instead, Niccol is giving priority to delivering quality coffee quickly and accurately with friendly service, particularly in the mornings, when the chain needs to shine.

Chipotle Mexican Grill named its interim chief executive, Scott Boatwright, as permanent CEO, entrusting the fast-growing chain’s business to a company veteran. Boatwright’s appointment as CEO and a board member will take effect immediately, the Newport Beach, Calif.-based restaurant company said Monday. Boatwright, 52, was previously chief operating officer.

McDonald’s is spending tens of millions of dollars to help its U.S. restaurants recover from last month’s E. coli outbreak tied to Quarter Pounders. “We will continue to provide our customers with safe, high-quality dining experiences,” the company said in an email viewed by The Wall Street Journal. Federal health officials said this week that the outbreak, linked to slivered onions on Quarter Pounders, was no longer a safety concern.

If you're headed to McDonald's for a caramel macchiato or iced French vanilla latte, you may be waiting a while. The manufacturer behind many of the chain’s U.S. espresso makers, Melitta, told restaurant operators in a letter Monday that it is investigating a faulty component. Melitta advised operators to stop using the machines for up to three weeks while it investigates the issue, and inspects the machines.

Peter Cancro started slinging subs at his local shop at 14. Now he’s selling the national chain he built to Blackstone.