True Food Kitchen Files Bankruptcy, Closes 12 Sites
True Food Kitchen filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, closing 12 locations and shrinking to 34 restaurants across 14 states amid $42.1 million in debt.
Oct 5, 2026
True Food Kitchen filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, closing 12 locations and shrinking to 34 restaurants across 14 states amid $42.1 million in debt.
Oct 5, 2026
Snooze Eatery names industry veteran Amy Hom as COO, starting Sept. 28, to strengthen hospitality and operations ahead of its next growth phase.
Oct 5, 2026
Restaurants can control operating costs by tracking food, labor, rent, utilities, technology, marketing, and other expenses against sales.
Oct 5, 2026
Opening a second restaurant location requires readiness, clear goals, financial planning, funding, smart strategy, standardized operations, strong teams, and careful launch monitoring for sustainable growth.
Sep 30, 2026
Evaluate restaurant industry performance in Q3 2026 through key trends affecting restaurant sales, traffic, consumer spending, labor, costs, and technology.
Oct 2, 2026
Improve restaurant visibility with local SEO by optimizing Google Business Profile, targeting local keywords, managing reviews, and maintaining accurate online information.
Oct 5, 2026
Understand tip pooling rules, employee eligibility, distribution methods, compliance requirements, recordkeeping practices, and policies restaurant owners need for proper tip management.
Oct 2, 2026
Whit's Frozen Custard hires industry veteran Amos Durbin as COO to guide franchise expansion, drawing on two decades of restaurant leadership experience.
Oct 2, 2026
FAT Brands' $1B acquisition empire fell into bankruptcy and sold for $965M, re-emerging as OHG Brands with 1,700 restaurants.
Oct 1, 2026
CAVA names John Ludeke, former Dr. Squatch Chief Brand Officer, as its new CMO to drive national growth and guest loyalty.
Oct 1, 2026
Unlock Exclusive Access To Webinars, Events, And The Latest News For Free!
Dog Haus has signed an exclusive beverage partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper, bringing flexible and innovative drink options to the chain and setting a new standard for franchise beverage programs.

Dog Haus has just shaken up the fast-casual landscape by leaving the industry’s biggest soft drink suppliers behind and joining forces exclusively with Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP). This innovative collaboration makes Dog Haus the first restaurant chain to partner exclusively with KDP, unlocking access to a suite of brands from classic 7UP and Dr Pepper to craft options like Tractor beverages. For franchise owners, this means more flexibility in tailoring beverage offerings to local tastes and tapping into both trending and nostalgic brands that resonate with guests. By harnessing KDP’s broad and diverse portfolio, Dog Haus is responding to a growing customer appetite for more variety and unique drink experiences. Beyond simply replacing one fountain selection with another, the brand is setting the stage for a beverage program that’s adaptable, memorable, and designed for the next generation of dining.
With this strategic beverage move, Dog Haus franchise operators now have the capability to fine-tune their drink offerings to fit their community’s preferences. The exclusive agreement means restaurants can offer not only popular staples like Dr Pepper, RC Cola, and Sunkist, but also regional favorites like Big Red, Squirt, and Sun Drop, along with premium selections including IBC Root Beer and Canada Dry. In addition, Dog Haus Biergarten locations will use these beverages to create standout specialty cocktails - leveraging flavors like 7UP and Big Red to bring an extra twist to the bar. This dovetails with the rising “newstalgia” trend, blending iconic names with contemporary enjoyment to create loyalty across generations.
Customers visiting Dog Haus can look forward to more than just soda fountains. Tractor’s line of lemonades, teas, and aguas frescas-style refreshers will energize the non-alcoholic beverage menu, while premium glass-bottle selections add a touch of craft appeal. And for off-premise and delivery, ready-to-drink options - including La Colombe canned coffee and Core Hydration bottled water - position Dog Haus as a one-stop shop for refreshment, whether in-store or at home. This approach ensures franchisees aren’t stuck with “one-size-fits-all” offerings, but can instead adapt quickly to flavor fads, health-and-wellness shifts, or guest requests, keeping their menu appealing and relevant.
The beverage program’s adaptability is at its core, supporting not just guest satisfaction but restaurant growth and profitability. Seasonal drinks, rotating regional options, and branded cocktails open up a pipeline for continuous innovation - offering regular guests new reasons to return and attracting new fans with limited-edition beverages. By building a uniquely flexible beverage strategy, Dog Haus is poised to deliver memorable guest experiences and capture evolving market demand across its nearly 60-unit national footprint.
As fast-casual chains and independents consider their next beverage move, Dog Haus provides a powerful case study in leveraging supplier partnerships for brand differentiation. By prioritizing local flexibility and innovation, restaurants position themselves to win both with younger guests seeking variety and with longtime fans yearning for the classics. Operators should watch how this exclusive partnership unfolds, as it may set a new template for maximizing beverage revenue - and inspire creative, cross-category menu integration for operators nationwide.
The Dog Haus - Keurig Dr Pepper partnership represents a dynamic blueprint for future beverage service - a flexible portfolio, deeply responsive to franchise and guest needs, and full of potential for creativity. As this collaboration ushers in an era of beverage experimentation and increased customer satisfaction, consider how an agile drink program - supported by the right supplier relationship - could help grow your own restaurant’s revenue streams. Stay tuned for insights and best practices as more brands look to this model for inspiration and continued growth.