If your menu does not have a swicy item yet, your competitors' menus almost certainly do. Short for "sweet and spicy," swicy has become the defining flavor movement of 2026 — and for restaurant operators, it is one of the rare trends that lifts chec…
The AI drive-thru has moved from a flashy pilot to a boardroom-level decision. In 2026, quick-service brands are no longer asking whether voice AI belongs at the speaker box — they are asking how fast they can deploy it without breaking accuracy, th…
Our post on restaurant loyalty in 2026 laid out why 45% of diners switched their favorite chain this year. This restaurant loyalty FAQ answers the follow-up questions operators keep asking about building a program that actually holds guests. Do res…
If you read our breakdown on the AI drive-thru in 2026, you already know voice AI is moving from pilot to mainstream. But operators still have hard questions before they commit a lane to a bot. This AI drive-thru FAQ answers the ones we hear most — …
Something quietly alarming is happening at the top of the restaurant industry: your regulars are becoming someone else's regulars. In a year defined by flat traffic and $10-to-$12 price convergence across QSR and fast casual, the brands that win won…
The AI drive-thru has finally graduated from tech-demo theater to a line item on the operating budget. After a bruising few years of viral failures and quiet pilot shutdowns, 2026 is the year voice AI at the speaker box started to look less like a g…
Burger King now has an AI named "Patty" listening in. In February 2026 the chain began piloting an AI voice assistant—built on an OpenAI base model—inside employee headsets across 500 restaurants. It is the kind of headline that makes operators wond…
A guest pulls out their phone, opens ChatGPT, and types "where can I get a good pizza near me tonight." Five years ago that search happened on Google Maps. Today it increasingly happens inside an AI assistant—and a new benchmark suggests most restau…
Introduction: What is Agape Capitalism and Why it Matters in Restaurants Welcome back to the blog, everyone! In our latest episode of the podcast, we had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Kevin King, President and CEO of Donatos Pizza. Th…
There is a quiet emergency hiding inside the 2026 data on restaurant loyalty programs. On one hand, members are more valuable than ever. On the other, guests are walking away from their favorite brands at a record pace. For owners and C-suite operat…
The drive-thru speaker may be the most-used piece of restaurant technology in America, and in 2026 it is quietly being rebuilt. AI voice ordering has moved from press-release novelty to a tool that real operators are testing against real margins. Fo…
The defining number in the restaurant business right now isn't a sales record or a viral menu item. It's a quiet contradiction: traffic is down, yet sales are up. QSR traffic declined 1.6% year-over-year in May 2026 — a step back from April's 0.8% d…
A diner opens ChatGPT and types, "best Mexican spot for a quick lunch near me." The assistant names four restaurants and stops. If yours isn't one of the four, you didn't lose the sale to a competitor with a better location or a lower price. You los…
Welcome back to the blog, everyone! In our latest podcast episode, "Boba Isn’t a Fad: How Gong cha Is Scaling Bubble Tea With Automation," we dove deep into the fascinating world of bubble tea and why it's far more than just a passing craze. Today, …
Welcome back to the blog, where we dive deeper into the conversations we have on the podcast! In our latest episode of "Five Guys on AI, Automation, Loyalty and the Future of Restaurants", we had the absolute pleasure of speaking with M.J. Worsham, …
Welcome back to the blog, everyone! In our latest episode of Rock & Brews CEO on the Future of Restaurants and the Power of Experience, we sat down with Adam Goldberg to discuss the ever-evolving landscape of the restaurant industry. While the episo…
Welcome back to the blog, where we unpack the ideas and trends we explore on the latest episode of The Hospitality Hangout! In this week's episode, we delved deep into the vibrant world of brunch, a meal that has transcended its humble origins to be…
Welcome back to the blog, where we dive deeper into the fascinating topics we explore on the podcast! In our latest episode, "Inside Chuck E. Cheese’s Evolution Into a Modern Entertainment Brand," we had an incredible conversation with Scott Drake a…
Welcome back to the blog, where we dive deeper into the fascinating conversations we have on the podcast. In our latest episode, titled How Quiznos Is Attempting One of the Biggest Restaurant Comebacks in America, we explored the incredible turnarou…
Welcome back to the blog, folks! In our latest episode of Inside the AI Shift Happening in Independent Restaurants, we dove deep into the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence within the restaurant industry. While many might immediately th…
Welcome back to the blog for The Hospitality Hangout! In our latest episode, we dove deep into the exciting world of the National Restaurant Association Show, an event that has been a cornerstone of the foodservice industry for decades. We chatted w…
Introduction: The Near-Fatal Lawsuit In the fast-paced world of business, crises are an almost inevitable part of the journey. Some companies crumble under pressure, their reputations tarnished and their futures uncertain. Others, however, possess …
Introduction: The Unlikely Entrepreneur Behind a Bagel Empire Welcome back to the blog, and more importantly, welcome back to another deep dive into the incredible stories shaping the world of business and hospitality. In our latest episode, we had…
Welcome back to the blog, food enthusiasts and business builders! In our latest podcast episode, "It’s All in the Sauce: The Eric Skae Playbook Behind Rao’s and Carbone’s Billion-Dollar Growth," we delved deep into the strategies that have propelled…