Special Reports

America's favorite chains by menu segment

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The coffee shop giant isn’t worried that competitors like McDonald’s are jumping on the Refresher bandwagon, because sales of its own platform of fruity drinks just got a big boost of energy.

The Bottom Line: The restaurant chain operator has increasingly kept its attention focused on Taco Bell and KFC international. But its most recent report stopped breaking out U.S. same-store sales results.

That drop reflected a net loss of about 9,500 restaurant locations due to an increasingly challenging operating environment. Chain restaurants, however, fared a bit better.

Even after several years of significant traffic growth, the casual-dining chain believes its restaurants can handle even more volume. It’s studying its highest-grossing stores to find out how.