Swig elevates Todd Smith to president and appoints Shannon Swenson to chief of franchise partnerships, aligning operations and franchising to convert a 500-unit pipeline and accelerate a compact, drive‑thru model nationwide.

After unveiling a modernized logo on August 19, 2025, Cracker Barrel reversed course within a week as traffic fell 8 percent and shares slid 16 percent. The brand restored its “Old Timer,” paused remodels, reshuffled leadership, and leaned on value-forward menu moves to steady demand.

Starbucks launches a synchronized global listening party, a Nashville 'Starbies' build-out, and time-bound Rewards Easter eggs to harness Swift’s album release.

Starbucks will phase out 80 to 90 mobile‑only locations by the end of fiscal 2026, advancing a ‘Back to Starbucks’ plan that restores hospitality and the brand’s third‑place promise while preserving digital scale.

At Dash Forward, DoorDash introduced Dot, a compact robot “one‑tenth the size of a car” that moves up to 20 mph, and SmartScale, an AI order-verification tool. Early access for Dot is underway in Tempe and Mesa, while Panera Bread reports 98% delivery accuracy using SmartScale.