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Casual dining is outperforming, and Olive Garden is capitalizing with measured pricing, a quiet affordability rollout, $13.99 Never Ending Pasta, and first-party delivery that doubled channel sales during a 1 million free deliveries campaign.

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Uber's investment in Flytrex links a proven drone operator with Uber Eats' high-volume marketplace, moving aerial delivery from trials to integrated service 'at scale for the first time.'

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DoorDash unveils AI recommendations, smart menu tags, short-form video, and a Yelp partnership to create a cohesive “discover, decide and act” experience for delivery and dine-in.

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Dine Brands is centering complete-meal value and sharper marketing at Applebee’s and IHOP to turn awareness into visits and rebuild guest frequency.

Potbelly’s five-year reset—digital makelines, a smaller 1,800-sq-ft box, and disciplined franchising—meets a RaceTrac partnership, with 3.2% Q2 comps signaling momentum amid risks.

A years-long reset ties a health-forward menu, design refresh, and new leadership to more balanced growth and franchise profitability.

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Portillo’s appoints Denise Lauer as chief marketing officer, aligning marketing, operations, and technology to counter recent traffic declines and deepen guest connection.

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RaceTrac plans to acquire Potbelly for “$566 million,” aiming to compress years of menu and tech development into one deal and stake a claim in food-first convenience.

Shake Shack pairs a new top-of-funnel playbook with Google’s AI tools, driving a sixfold increase in app conversions and 2.5x ROAS while extending hospitality into its app.

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Brian Niccol’s first chapters at Starbucks prioritize reliability, pricing discipline, and menu relevance—blending coffeehouse ambiance with algorithmic order flow amid continued sales pressure.