How to Franchise a Restaurant
Learn how to franchise a restaurant by building systems, protecting your brand, choosing franchisees, and supporting consistent long-term growth successfully.
Learn how to franchise a restaurant by building systems, protecting your brand, choosing franchisees, and supporting consistent long-term growth successfully.
Learn how Father's Day promotions, menus, reservations, marketing, and staff training increase restaurant sales while protecting margins and improving performance.
Chipotle is quietly testing a new Crispy Chicken protein option in select California restaurants, marking a potential shift in the chain's menu strategy as it looks to accelerate innovation and tap into one of the fastest-growing food categories in the restaurant industry.
Red Robin has sold 30 company-owned restaurants in Washington and Western Idaho to multi-unit operator Evergreen Dining for $23.5 million in cash, using the proceeds to pay down debt and fund its First Choice turnaround plan as the chain continues to reshape its ownership structure.
Fuel costs are emerging as one of the more unpredictable financial pressures facing quick-service restaurant operators running through supply chains, delivery economics, and consumer spending behavior in ways that are harder to anticipate and manage than traditional cost inputs like food and labor.
Dutch Bros delivered one of the strongest quarterly performances in its history during Q1 2026, with a 31% revenue increase, 8.3% same-store sales growth, and unaided brand awareness that has more than doubled in 18 months driven by mobile ordering, food menu expansion, loyalty upgrades, and aggressive market density building.
Operators share how to scale: trust the brand’s playbook, plan people, invest early, and navigate the Hell Zone as multi-unit growth accelerates into 2026.
Red Lobster will close its 5 Times Square flagship on June 14, 2026, citing construction and office-to-residential conversion; staff offered transfers and pay.
New CMO Tim Hackbardt outlines bets on AI, automation and GLP-1 impacts, as operators weigh costs, ROI and changing demand.
WOWorks has appointed James Walker, former CEO of Lunchbox and longtime franchise industry leader, as its new Chief Growth Officer, while promoting three-year company veteran Nolan Woods to Chief Operations Officer a pair of leadership moves designed to accelerate franchise expansion across its six health-focused restaurant brands.
Unlock Exclusive Access To Webinars, Events, And The Latest News For Free!
Explore how Applebee’s is driving consistency, accelerating growth, and integrating new menu items under new leadership to elevate restaurant performance.
Photo by Naoki Suzuki
With the recent leadership changes at Applebee’s, the focus has shifted towards optimizing operations to ensure restaurant success. The appointment of Wong, with his extensive operations experience from the hotel industry, signals a strategic move by the brand to scale global teams, drive consistency, and lead transformations.
Photo by Naoki Suzuki
To extend its sales growth, Applebee’s is incorporating new premium and value-oriented menu items like the Two-for-$25 offer, Bourbon Street pasta, and Sizzlin’ Skillets and Steak. While these additions can introduce complexities by adding new SKUs and processes, the brand ensures a rigorous process under Wong’s oversight. Testing new dishes in the corporate kitchen and with franchisees before broad rollout highlights a commitment to seamless menu integration.
Photo by Naoki Suzuki
Under Chin's leadership, Applebee’s is poised to leverage value-based marketing as a key strategy moving forward. With a background in consumer brands like Starbucks, Godiva, and Unilever, Chin brings valuable insights to enhance the brand's marketing efforts. Strengthening the in-house marketing team and expanding reach on social media have already shown significant results, with notable increases in engagement across various platforms.
Photo by Naoki Suzuki
The goal of Applebee’s under its new leadership is to elevate restaurant performance by fostering agility and operational excellence. By working closely with teams and franchisees, there is a strong emphasis on driving consistency and accelerating growth. The brand's commitment to a meticulous process in integrating new menu items and its value-based marketing approach positions Applebee’s for continued success in the competitive casual dining market.