Is AI Weakening Your Team?

The deal would bring together two delivery giants and provide a major boost for DoorDash's growing grocery business. The biggest food delivery app in the U.S. may be about to get even bigger. DoorDash is in "advanced talks" to acquire grocery delivery service Instacart, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The fast-food chain's former chairman and one of its largest franchisees have offered $7.35 per share for the struggling fast-food chain. Nelson Peltz's off-again, on-again consideration of a Wendy's take-private deal is apparently on again. Trian Fund Management, the activist investor's hedge fund, has made a $1.4 billion offer for the struggling fast-food chain, according...

The change is a substantial increase in the brand's compensation ceiling, reflecting continued investment in career paths and retention, according to COO Jason Cochran. Sweetgreen is raising its maximum compensation for head coaches - the brand's equivalent to a restaurant general manager - to $200,000 annually in 2027, Chief Operating Officer Jason Cochran said.

The smashburger-and-craft-beer chain has 22 units across the Southeast. The 22-unit Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint has a new owner. The Harrisonburg, Virginia-based chain has reportedly been acquired by Florida-based investment firm and franchise operator Green Shoot Brands, which has a portfolio of nine restaurant brands.

With affordability reshaping party politics, restaurants can't look to a single party to defend all their interests, the National Restaurant Association said. affordability and on controversial actions undertaken by President Trump's administration, ranging from tariffs on major trading partners to the war with Iran. Polls currently favor the Democratic Party to take at least one...

Multistate operators need to create a single plan to address allergen notifications that satisfies cross-state regulations, writes Steritech's Chris Boyles. The following is a guest post from Chris Boyles, vice president of food safety at Steritech, a company focused on food safety. Opinions are the author's own.

The company began with six restaurants in 2004. AES Restaurant Group has become the world's largest Arby's franchisee following its acquisition of 23 restaurants in the Knoxville, Tennessee, market from parent company Inspire Brands. The deal brings the Indiana-based operator to 362 Arby's restaurants across 20 states and expands its presence in East Tennessee.

The Canadian fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant brand will focus on opening units in Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. Guac Mexi Grill, a Canadian fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant brand, has signed a 95-unit U.S. development deal, marking its entry into the American restaurant market. The 10-year expansion strategy will focus on Georgia, South Carolina and Florida.

Mark your calendar for these events geared toward foodservice equipment and supplies professionals. As 2026 starts to come to a close, the foodservice equipment and supplies industry turns to what's coming up in 2027. Note the following industry events: Feb. 9-10 FCSI The Americas Symposium Foodservice Consultants Society Int'l.

Patrick Smith has more than two decades of sales and commercial leadership experience, including over 15 years in the foodservice equipment industry. John Boos & Co. has formed new strategic commercial and consumer divisions, and appointed new executive leaders for each. On the commercial side, Patrick Smith-previously the manufacturer's vice president of commercial foodservice sales-was...

The parent company of AllPoints and TundraFMP welcomes Chris Cassidy as its COO. Diversified Foodservice Supply has hired Chris Cassidy as its COO. He has more than 25 years of executive leadership experience spanning global supply chain management, logistics technology and operations. Most recently, Cassidy served as president and CEO of ConData, a global freight...

The Illinois-based dealership has named Henry Jones to the role. He'll manage vendor relationships, optimize procurement processes and help drive operational growth. Gator Chef, based in Lisle, Ill., has hired Henry Jones as its purchasing specialist. His responsibilities will include managing vendor relationships, optimizing procurement processes and helping drive operational growth.

Our coffeehouse uplifts are bringing softer seating, textures, beautiful artwork, greenery and local design touches. As part of our Back to Starbucks plan, we began piloting new coffeehouse designs in Southern California and New York before expanding that approach to other cities, including Chicago. Our coffeehouse uplifts are bringing softer seating, textures, beautiful artwork, greenery...

The holiday rush puts every part of the restaurant under pressure at once. More reservations and larger parties leave less room to recover when something goes wrong. After more than a decade working with restaurant operators, I've learned that the busiest services are rarely won by asking teams to move faster.

Restaurant seating has to work hard. It's exposed to spills, frequent turnover, repeated cleaning, and near-constant use, all while needing to support the ambiance and brand identity that keeps guests coming back. Choosing the right upholstery means balancing cleanability and durability with comfort and style. Guests may not consciously notice upholstery performing well, but they...

Rising ingredient costs have prompted confectionery giants such as Hershey to broaden trick-or-treating options to include salty snacks. High cocoa and sugar prices are giving consumers a fright ahead of Halloween and prompting more food manufacturers to lean into salty snacks as an option for trick-or-treating.

The sector has slashed close to 30,000 jobs as of September, up 76% from the same period last year. Food and beverage industry layoffs accelerated in 2026 as companies struggled to adapt to declining consumer spending and a shift in eating habits. Food producers have slashed a total of 29,693 jobs as of September, according...

ARLINGTON, VA. - A shift in the protein craze, the rise of fruity and zesty flavors and products with built-in premium additives are among the trends Nestle USA predicts will shape the industry in 2027. The predictions come from Nestle's 2027 Food and Beverage Trend Forecast, a collection of industry shifts the company foresees driving...

The company reported growth in both residential unit volume and average selling prices during the third quarter The residential HVAC market is continuing to stabilize following the transition to A2L products, according to Watsco. What's happening: North America's largest distributor on Tuesday reported a seven percent year-over-year increase in residential equipment sales during the third...

NEW PRODUCTS: From cooling and refrigeration to software, building automation and more, the latest group of annual winners will ALL be on display this January at AHR Expo in Chicago. WESTPORT, CT, Oct. 15, 2026 - The International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) has announced the winners of the 2027 AHR Expo Innovation Awards....

An index measuring whether consumers think it's a good or bad time to buy 'major household items' fell 18 percent month-over-month in October, the largest monthly decline in the past year U.S. consumers' outlook on buying large household durables - an indicator of HVAC purchasing intent - plunged in October.

It's a "pretty recession-proof business," says Ricky Jones of Blythe Woodworks The U.S. this year had its hottest summer in 132 years of recordkeeping, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). What's happening: Americans cranked the AC for themselves - and for their pets.

It's 12:21, and the lunch rush is in full swing. The line curves around the room. Mobile orders are stacking up. Two voids just came in, and there's a new comp from a catering mix-up. Oh, and the chicken salad just ran out. Usually, it'd take a trip to the back office to 86 the...

The platform combines point-of-sale, kitchen management, inventory tracking, customer loyalty, and QR ordering in one system. Point-of-sale (POS) and business software provider Fortis Digital Solutions has launched FortisOS for restaurants and cafés in the UAE. According to a press statement published by Zawya, the platform combines POS, kitchen management, inventory tracking, customer loyalty, and QR...

The arrangement covers Hyphen's Automated Makeline, which is backed by Chipotle and Cava. icoh USA has partnered with food-service automation company Hyphen to support the expansion of robotics in the US restaurant industry. The partnership will use Ricoh Service Advantage, a lifecycle management solution designed to help emerging technology companies manage deployment and ongoing support...

The Evian owner committed to specifying what parts of its water bottles are made from 100% recycled plastics and refrain from misleading marketing claims. Dive Brief: Danone has agreed to revise the recycling claims advertised on its plastic water bottles in response to a greenwashing complaint filed by the European Consumer Organization (BEUC).

CHICAGO - While food manufacturers are increasing investment in sustainable packaging, implementing and scaling this technology remains difficult. Conagra Brands, whose portfolio includes Hunt's, Orville Redenbacher, Marie Callender's and more, shared its own sustainable packaging journey and what it takes to make going green successful during a session at Pack Expo, held Oct.

The industrial knife manufacturer will present its tissue industry expertise at Table E22, with representatives available to discuss cutting solutions and operational needs The Kinetic Co. will participate in Tissue Summit North America 2026, taking place November 2-3 at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.