sales and profits

Emerging Brands

All aboard: Kura's high-tech sushi train picks up speed

The fast-growing Japanese brand wants to bring sushi to the American masses by outsourcing much of the work to machines.

Financing

Not all the restaurant news came from big chains this earnings season

Earnings roundup: Results from smaller operators and several industry suppliers also cast light on the industry’s performance, particularly by independents.

Earnings roundup: Inflation eased, but so did traffic—at least for some. Weather, meanwhile, was a wallop for at least one, a non-issue for the rest.

Chain officials say the high prices of third-party services are driving patrons to dine on-site.

The fast-food sandwich giant slowed its rate of closures in 2022 but still shuttered 571 U.S. restaurants. It has the lowest number of restaurants since 2005.

The diner chain is trying a number of initiatives to keep its core business fresh and growing. Meanwhile, its parent is getting ready to expand Keke's.

Average unit volumes are higher than they’ve been in a decade and the sandwich chain says the number of closures has slowed, too. And more changes are coming.

The fast-food sandwich chain wants to add 24,000 international restaurants to catch up with other quick-service brands. But the company is also pushing big changes to grow its U.S. business.

Inflation is driving up the cost of operating a restaurant, making efficiency more important than ever. So chains are shrinking the size of their restaurants and reorganizing their kitchens.

Fitch Ratings expects modest restaurant growth this year. But recent price increases and an improving inflationary environment should help with profits.

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