Restaurants look for ways to incentivize dining out: As customers cut spending, DoorDash and Blackbird Labs are offering credit and other perks to encourage more frequent visits.
Krispy Kreme doubles down on doughnuts: The company aims to seize the moment by selling Insomnia Cookies at a time when consumer appetite for snacks shows no sign of abating.
Fast food chains’ drive-thrus have room for improvement: A new report suggests there’s a prime opportunity for brands with efficient drive-thru operations to stand out from the competition.
It’s getting more expensive to deliver a good customer experience: New York City delivery drivers, California fast food workers, and store associates everywhere are getting raises.
Darden Restaurants calls out uneven dining demand: While the restaurant chain’s casual brands are thriving, fine-dining sales fell as customers trade down or avoid eating out.
Subway hops aboard the multi-tiered rewards program trend: The MVP Rewards program offers additional incentives for consumers who spend $200 and $400 annually.
Sweetgreen is in a very different position than it was prepandemic: Both its menu and physical footprint are evolving as it looks to widen its potential customer base.
QSRs see opportunity in late-night dining: Easing labor pressures and growing delivery demand are helping increase visits and sales during off-peak hours.
Peacock expands its reach beyond the home: Exclusive live sports to be shown in commercial venues, diversifying audience and increasing brand visibility.
DoorDash’s grocery business is booming, and Instacart is leaning on advertising to tide it over as its delivery volumes are down. Perhaps taking a cue from both, Uber Eats continues to add non-restaurant delivery partners while also building out its advertising platform.
Burger King gains market share as its turnaround gathers steam: But it will have to stay attuned to changes in customer behavior, including a shift toward takeout and digital ordering.
Over half of consumers aren’t interested in ghost kitchens: The survey results come at the same time that many restaurants are sunsetting their virtual brands.
Yum Brands benefits as cost-conscious customers trade down: The QSR chain’s Q3 comp sales beat expectations thanks to strong demand for KFC.
DoorDash recorded record revenues, total orders in Q2 as consumers stick with food delivery: The platform gained market share across the restaurant, grocery, and convenience categories.
Strong mobility and food delivery demand helped power Uber to its first operating profit: The platform saw an increase in both users and order frequency.
Starbucks missed Q3 revenue expectations as price increases weighed on sales: But a strong recovery in China helped the coffee chain make up for softer sales in North America.
QSR customers pinch pennies: McDonald’s savvy marketing and strong value proposition helped it deliver strong Q2 results, while Chipotle’s high prices led it to fall just short of expectations.
Grubhub+ rewards members for picking up their orders: That’s one of the new features for the revamped program that Grubhub estimates will save members an additional 20% per month.
Domino’s customers are particularly price sensitive: That explains why small price increases can have an outsize impact on sales.
Chipotle pushes into smaller US markets: It also announced its first international franchising deal, which could lead to hundreds of Middle Eastern locations.