FSR

06/18/2026

Oak & Stone is nearly doubling its footprint in 18 months with a bold rebrand centered around a new tagline.
https://www.fsrmagazine.com/feature/oak-stone-finds-its-voice-as-expansion-accelerates/

06/17/2026

After a 6-year pullback in game innovation, Dave & Buster’s is making a significant bet on new games. 🎮 The reinvestment comes at a critical time as the company works to reverse a 5.4% drop in same-store sales in Q1.

Dave & Buster's isn't trying to reinvent itself. It's trying to remember what made it successful in the first place. After reporting another quarter of declining sales, CEO Tarun Lal used the company's first-quarter earnings call to outline what amounts...

06/16/2026

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina has closed all company-owned restaurants as it evaluates the future of the brand, leaving only a handful of franchise-operated units in the U.S. and South Korea.

On The Border once proudly claimed it was the largest Mexican casual-dining chain in America. Now, the concept is on life support. The brand announced that it had shut down all of its company-owned restaurants, leaving it with five U.S. franchise locati...

06/15/2026

Ahead of its 2027 debut, the founder behind Your 3rd Spot details the strategy for The Looking Glass, a 1,000-guest social playground designed to transport the modern guest.

Josh Rossmeisl is preparing to bring his most ambitious concept yet to downtown Atlanta. The founder and chief vision officer of AMP Up1 Hospitality--the force behind award-winning social destination Your 3rd Spot--has dubbed the new concept The Looking...

06/11/2026

George McKerrow and Ted Turner never signed a contract. They shook hands in 2001 and built Ted's Montana Grill, a restaurant group that helped save the American bison by putting it on the table. 🦬

George McKerrow and Ted Turner never signed a contract or drafted any legal language. They shook hands and the media mogul told McKerrow they'd go 80/20, have some fun, make a little money, and become close friends. “And I can say that we accomplished a...

06/10/2026

Atlanta is calling.📞✨

QSR Evolution 2026 brings together the industry's top operators, executives, and innovators for can't-miss education, networking, and real-world solutions to today's biggest restaurant challenges.

Don't miss your chance to connect, learn, and grow alongside your peers.

Register now: https://www.qsrevolutionconference.com/

06/10/2026

Cracker Barrel’s turnaround continues gaining traction as the company leans into operational improvements, menu innovation, loyalty engagement, and tighter cost controls to offset ongoing traffic pressure and a challenged consumer environment.

Cracker Barrel's turnaround effort continued to gain traction in the third quarter as the company leaned into operational improvements, menu innovation, loyalty engagement, and tighter cost controls to offset ongoing traffic pressure and a challenged co...

06/10/2026

Via 313 is scaling from a single Austin trailer into a multi-market growth engine, with an ambitious goal of reaching every major market as the national steward of its hometown pizza style.

Detroit natives Zane and Brandon Hunt were fueled by the spirit of their hometown when they founded Via 313 Pizzeria. Raised by a single mother who shared her love for pizza with them several times a week, the brothers turned that childhood comfort into...

06/09/2026

Drinking habits may have changed, but not in the way most headlines suggest.
📉 37% of price-sensitive drinkers now pre-drink before going out
💲 The average cocktail now costs $14.20 across major cities
🍺 Many guests cap orders at 1-2 drinks per visit

For years, the conversation around alcohol in the U.S. has been framed in terms of decline: less drinking, more moderation, a generational pullback from booze. There's no denying that drinking habits have changed, but that headline doesn't fully capture...

06/08/2026

The founder and CEO spills the secrets behind Lazy Dog’s famously positive culture and what drives the 51-unit brand’s consistently high employee satisfaction rates and “Great Place to Work” status.

A lot of companies chirp about how great their culture is, but it remains a metric that often gets measured intangibly--propped up by a generic core values plaque hung on a wall employees walk by every day. It's a subject best backed up not only by obse...