Restaurant Association: The best source for Restaurant Industry News & Operations Tips

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Facing rising costs, restaurants balance gentle price hikes with value deals and AI tools. Survey data, case examples, and labor realities show a layered path to resilient hospitality.

Track simple weekly metrics, stabilize schedules, clarify pay and tips, improve training, recognize consistently, and coach fairly to motivate restaurant staff.

Restaurant inventory management protects margins with consistent counting, recipe controls, par levels, and technology that reduces waste and shortages.

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Facing a valuation slide and softening comps, Wendy’s coordinates marketing, menu, and operations—launching ‘Tendys,’ resetting its brand under Project Fresh, and pruning its U.S. footprint—to push AUV higher.

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DoorDash links its in-house Dot robot with partners like Serve, Waymo, Coco, and Wing under an AI dispatcher, advancing a multi-year, multi-city plan to scale autonomous delivery.

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A clear, high-impact runway from late 2025 to 2026 ties finance, franchising, technology, and leadership into a compressed calendar built for decisive operators.

Doner kebabs dominate Europe, but very few concepts have successfully translated them into a scalable restaurant model in the U.S. In this episode of CHOMP, we go inside Doner Haus to break down what a döner kebab actually is—and why this concept is getting attention from restaurant owners and franchise-minded operators. This episode focuses on the business behind the food, including: How a low-SKU menu drives speed, consistency, and margins Why döner works as a high-throughput, process-driven concept What makes Doner Haus repeatable and franchise-ready How European street food principles translate to U.S. growth If you’re a restaurant owner, operator, or evaluating your next concept or franchise opportunity, this episode takes a close look at what’s happening behind the counter and why it works. These are the kinds of decisions and systems that separate concepts that simply look good from ones that are built to scale. #donerkebab #restaurantassociation #chomp CHOMP features real restaurants and real operators sharing practical insights you can apply to your own business. The Restaurant Association is dedicated to helping you enhance your restaurant's sales, profits, and operations through a wealth of in-depth content tailored for professionals in operations, HR, IT, finance, and marketing. Membership is completely free—just sign up on the official website to access valuable resources, including weekly restaurant hacks, tips, tutorials, strategies, and secrets. As a member, you'll also gain access to exclusive shows, eLearning courses, webinars, and operations templates designed to elevate your restaurant's performance. Website: https://restaurantassociation.com/ Free Membership! https://restaurantassociation.com/unified/signup/ Shows https://restaurantassociation.com/shows eLearning Courses https://training.restaurantassociation.com Webinars https://webinar.restaurantassociation.com Operations Templates https://restaurantassociation.com/templates ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ YouTube Playlists Chomp! Show: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL27icnkQZXLX2R45bRx7vxeZk_nju5h81 Secret Recipe Show: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL27icnkQZXLW4UYm6kED8F2ofac5dnYiY The Restaurant Pulse: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL27icnkQZXLXNiMxu68j27LmAIHaMthZF

Wendy’s launches ‘Tendys’ nationwide with bold sauces, packaging built for dunkability, and a temporary ‘Tendy’s’ rebrand—arriving amid sales softness and planned U.S. closures.

Wendy’s links a global buildout of 1,000 net new restaurants to an AI-first operating model, leaning on international markets, selective U.S. closures, and a brand refresh to steady sales and lift profitability.

Swig elevates Todd Smith to president and appoints Shannon Swenson to chief of franchise partnerships, aligning operations and franchising to convert a 500-unit pipeline and accelerate a compact, drive‑thru model nationwide.