Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

McDonald's USA has entered into an agreement to acquire voiced-based tech firm Apprente, that will help the fast food giant make order-taking at its drive thru more efficient. Additionally, the Apprente team will be a founding member of a new, integrated, internal group within McDonald's Global Technology team called McD Tech Labs. Read more here.

Wendy’s has shared plans to launch its breakfast menu, currently available in more than 300 restaurants, across the US in 2020. The company updated its 2019 outlook as it expects to make a one-time investment amounting to US$20m in preparation for the national launch. Read more here.

Chick-fil-A has fully banned chicken administered with antibiotics from all of its 2,400+ restaurants in the US since its implementation last May. The United States Department of Agriculture audited and verified that the chain’s suppliers are meeting the requirements of its campaign. Read more here. 

Subway USA released a limited-time pit-smoked brisket sandwich available until 7 November at participating restaurants, Wide Open Eats reported. It features a brisket that's naturally smoked for at least 13 hours. 

IHOP continued its Latin America expansion and opened three new restaurants in Ecuador, RestaurantNews.com reported. Twelve restaurants are expected to open throughout the country by 2024, and IHOP operator Dine Brands International shared bring the brand to Peru later this year through an agreement with Percapitals S.A.C. 

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

McDonald’s USA will reportedly launch ‘Donut Sticks’ on February, according to Business Insider. The item is described to be dough sticks that are deep-fried and coated with cinnamon sugar and is said to mimic Dunkin’s Donut Fries. Read more here.

Dunkin' has introduced a new look, products packaging as well as new menu items. This is said to be part of their plan to transform into a premier beverage-led, on-the-go brand. New items include a New Power Breakfast Sandwich and a New Energy Cold Brew. Read more here. 

Wendy's USA is offering a year-supply of their Frosty ice cream for US$2. According to a report by Today, the campaign is to support adopted children where they will donate 85% of the Frosty Key Tag sales will be donated to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Read more here. 

Pizza Hut USA welcomed the new year by holding a 50% sale on their pizzas until January 8. According to a report by WRAL, the promo can be availed through their website. Read more here. 

Carl's Jr. USA has partnered with Beyond Meat to launch their new Beyond Famous Star burger that goes with a plant-based patty. The new item comes topped with melted American cheese, lettuce, tomato, sliced onions, dill pickles, special sauce and mayonnaise on a seeded bun. Read more here.

Long queues had been seen in salad bars in the USA that are said to be due to the customers vowing to eat healthy as their New Year’s resolution. According to a report by New York Post, employees of salad joints said that the first few days of the new year had always been busy while employees in fast food chains admitted that the business had been slow. Read more here. 

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

McDonald’s will implement a new anti-antibiotic policy on their beef where they will set antibiotic reduction targets by the end of 2020. The fast food giant said that they have partnered with ten beef sourcing markets to learn more about antibiotics in beef and they promise to report their progress in 2022. Read more here. 

KFC is selling firelogs that is said to smell like a fried chicken. According to a report by Business Insider, the KFC 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog is available for US$18.99 and can also be bought online. Read more here. 

Dunkin Brands’ charity organisation Joy in Childhood launched the Dogs for Joy initiative that aims to increase the number of full-time service dogs in pediatric hospitals. The program covers costs for the facility dog program with activities such as adoption of the dog, training of select staff, dog food and dog grooming. Read more here. 

Papa John’s USA has launched a new version Papa Rewards program that is said to have customers earn reward points five time faster than the previous version. Changes to the program include having 1 point for every dollar spent and limitations for the amount of points that can be earned per transaction has been removed as well. Read more here.

Taco Bell USA unveiled their new Cravings Value Menu where prices ranges from US$1 to US$5. This is said to be part of their initiative to ramp up their value menu Read more here.

(Photo credit: KFC Facebook)

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Burger King USA has launched a Whopper Detour feature on their app which allows a customer to unlock a 1¢ Whopper promotion if they are within 600 feet from a McDonald’s store. The burger chain is using a geofencing technology for the new feature and will only run until December 12. Read more here.

Shake Shack USA has launched their re-designed mobile app that is said to have made in-app ordering faster by 50%. According to a report by MobilePayments Today, they are also testing an ApplePay and Venmo integration that will be rolled out to their stores in 2019. Read more here. 

Chipotle Mexican Grill USA made a holiday-themed window display in their New York store, decorated by real ingredients. They used all of their 51 ingredients including corn, cheese, rice, peppers, salsa and avocado. Read more here. 

Subway, Papa John’s and Jack in the Box are the top three QSR brands who are reported to have experienced more closures than openings in the US during 2018. According to 24/7 Wall St., Subway closed 500 stores, followed by Papa John’s with 85 and Jack in the Box with 14. Read more here.

Flynn Restaurant Group, an operator of Applebee’s, Panera Bread and Taco Bell in the US, has announced that they have acquired 368 Arby’s stores. The acquisition is said to generate US$2.3 billion in sales. Read more here. 

Pizza Hut US has announced that they have acquired the online restaurant ordering software QuikOrder. The pizza chain aims to use the acquisition to improve its deliver and online ordering services as well as to accelerate digital innovation across its stores. Read more here. 

Little Caesars USA is said to be trialing a Lasagna Pizza. According to a report by Brand Eating, the offering was seen in select locations across Ohio, West Virginia, and Georgia Read more here. 

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Domino’s USA and Pizza Hut Canada are offering pizza promos for Cyber Week until December 2. Domino’s has a 50% discount on pizzas ordered online while Canadify reports that Pizza Hut announces their buy-one-get-one promo in all of their participating stores.

Burger King USA introduced a flame-grilled bone with a beef flavour, Dogpper, that made for dogs. The burger chain said that the launch was driven by many if their customers admitting of sharing a part of their meal with their dogs. Read more here. 

Baskin-Robbins USA unveiled their new ‘Moments’ concept store design with a modernised look. They will also be launching their premium range, Ice Cream Novelties. Read more here. 

Investment bank and financial services company Morgan Stanley has changed their stock rating to McDonald’s from ‘equal weight’ to ‘overweight’. According to a report by CNBC, the investment firm said that this is driven by the fast food giant’s modernisation campaign that will produce better sales results in the coming years. Read more here. 

Wendy’s has extended their US$1-Any-Size-Fry promo until December 26. The promo offers a US$1 price on their small, medium and large-sized french fries and was first launched last October 22. Read more here. 

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Starbucks Canada will be giving away a month-worth of free grande-sized coffee or drinks after a customer buys their signature tumbler during the Christmas season. According to a report by MTL Blog, a customer is only limited to one drink per day and will be applied throughout the month of January next year. Read more here. 

Pizza Hut USA and Pepsi partnered for a promotional campaign in bringing their customers free tickets to the upcoming Super Bowl LIII. A customer can enter by buying the limited-edition Pepsi 4-Pack carriers that are available in the pizza chin’s stores until stocks last. Read more here.

MOD Pizza USA has launched their 400th store in Kalispell, Montana in time for their 10th anniversary. They also donated US$1 for every MOD or Mega-size pizza sold to non-profit organisation Generosity Feeds to feed 1 million free meals to children. Read more here.

Baskin-Robbins USA brought back their turkey-shaped ice cream cake for Thanksgiving. According to a report by US Magazine, the offering has a caramel-coloured coat and sugar cone legs and green frosting shaped as garnish surrounding the bird-themed cake. Read more here.

Various QSRs in the US announced their Black Friday deals. Dunkin’ Donuts partnered with ride-hailing platform Lyft to give $10 off a customers ride while food aggregator DoorDash partnered with Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A, Burger King, Five Guys, Buffalo Wild Wings, Wingstop and Jack in a Box to give free fries.

(Photo credit: Baskin-Robbins Instagram)

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Starbucks is reportedly laying off 350 global corporate employees. According to a report by Reuters, this is part of their restructuring plan to be better against their competitors in the US market. Read more here.  

Confectionary company Ferrero has opened a Nutella Cafe in New York, USA last November 14. This is their second site following the Chicago store and continues to serve Nutella-centric offerings and espresso beverages. Read more here.  

Chick-fil-A USA has announced that they partnered with online delivery company DoorDash to ramp up their delivery platform. In celebration of the partnership, they will be giving a way 200,000 Chicken Sandwiches to customers who order through DoorDash. Read more here.  

Burger King USA has launched a new website WHOPPER-SHOPPER.com that makes other brands pay for the customer’s Whopper. A customer can get the free offering after clicking one of the ads from the website and purchasing an item from the featured brand. Read more here.  

Dunkin’ USA unveiled their new versions of their espresso beverages as well as launching their new Iced Cappuccino and Iced Americano offerings. This is part of the company’s initiative to expand their beverage offerings, including espresso. Read more here.  

KFC Yum Center in Louisville, USA will be adding up new restaurant and bar concepts. According to a report by Business First, this includes brands such as Falls City and Farmstead Chicken and Burgers. Read more here.  

Global fast food chains Burger King, KFC, McDonald’s, Panera, Pizza Hut, Popeyes, Taco Bell, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, and Subway all got a failing grade for lack of effort in reducing chemical hazards, according to a study by Mind the Store. Read more here. 

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Wendy’s has reported their financial results for the third quarter ending September 30 with US$400.6 million, a 2.4% increase from US$391.3 million last year. The increase in adjusted revenues said to have resulted primarily from an increase in sales at company-operated restaurants and positive same-restaurant sales. Read more here.

Subway USA has partnered with location-technology company FourSquare in measuring the effectiveness of TV commercials. According to Variety, they aim determine how many customers can their commercial reach and whether it has a potential to convince customers to buy the offering being adverstised. Read more here. 

McDonald’s USA launched another round of international food items in their Chicago flagship store. New offerings are the Chicken McMuffin with Egg from Asia, McAloo Tikki from India, Cheddar BBQ Bacon Burger from Australia, Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich from Canada, Deluxe Potatoes from France and Chocolatey Wafer McFlurry from Germany. Read more here. 

Taco Bell USA has announced that they are now piloting party services in selected stores until December 22. Up to 10 guests can be invited and each will be given a Taco Bell Party Decor Kit. Read more here.

Restaurants in the United States are recruiting senior citizens amid a tight U.S. labor market, Bloomberg has reported. Aside for that, longer-living American are reportedly more eager to to keep working to supplement "often-meager" retirement savings. Read more here.

(Photo credit: Taco Bell Party website)

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Starbucks is eyeing 2,100 new stores globally in 2019, CNN has reported. Its CEO Kevin Johnson said that in the company will "focus on our long-term growth markets of the U.S. and China" for the said year. Read more here.

Papa John’s Pizza’s shares have rocketed up to 10% last October 30 after reports that said private equity firms are fighting over the pizza chain, according to Markets Insider. An analyst have also said that the chain could be valued at US$63.50 per share during acquisition. Read more here.  

Pizza Hut and car company Toyota has partnered to launch a pickup truck that has a fully-automated kitchen dedicated for making pizzas. The car contains its own refrigerator, computer-guided robotic arms and a portable conveyor oven. Read more here. 

KFC has chosen a winner for their Baby Harland Naming contest where they will give US$11,000 for the child’s education, Fox News reported. The baby has the name of Harland Rose and was born on the same day the chicken chain’s founder Colonel Harland Sanders did. Read more here. 

Yum! Brands, operator of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, reported their third quarter financial results with worldwide system sales increased to 5%. They ended the period having opened 410 new stores with a 4% net new unit growth. Read more here. 

Dunkin’ Donuts and Applebee’s has announced that they will be giving away their items for free on Veterans Day this coming November 11. Dunkin’ is offering veterans and active duty military a donut of their choice, while Applebee’s will be serving them up to 1 million free meals. 
 

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Starbucks has launched their first sign language store in Washington D.C. where all of store’s staff members are proficient in sign language. The Signing Store concept is said to be inspired by their outlet in Malaysia where it has nine deaf employees. Read more here.

Brand Eating has reported that McDonald’s USA has removed their Happy Meal from their US$1, US$2 and US$3 menu deals. Read more here.

Popeyes USA has launched a new campaign where customers can order at a stand-alone menu board in Fort Stockton, Texas. These customers will then get a free meal after a 12-hour drive to their flagship store in New Orleans. Read more here.

Chick-fil-A is the most popular restaurant brand among teenagers in the US, according to a survey by investment bank and asset management firm Piper Jaffray. Starbucks came in second place, followed by Chipotle, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts. Read more here. 

After announcing their name change, Dunkin’ is now looking to revitalize their coffee offerings with new espresso equipments, recipes and coffee cups. Read more here. 

Top QSRs have also released their Q3 results. Know the latest from Restaurant Brands International, McDonald’s, Chipotle and Dunkin Brands.

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Subway has announced that up to 10,000 stores can now deliver through the services of the logistics company Postmates. The chain aims to be able to deliver faster and to increase profitability for its franchisees. Read more here.

Burger King USA partnered with courier service company DoorDash and the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Ordering any of the two ‘Nuketown’ meals through the courier service comes with a bonus ‘zombified’ gesture, a new feature that allows a player to communicate with other players. Read more here.

Panera Bread has launched its Food Interrupted video series that deals with topics regarding the food system such as clean ingredients, sugar consumption and plant-based meals. The bakery chain also started adding labels on their products about the amount of whole grain per slice, roll or bagel. Read more here. 

Dunkin’ Donuts USA has launched their Home That Runs on Dunkin, a house that is powered by spent coffee grounds in Nahant, Massachusetts. Those interested can book for a two-night stay from October 16 to October 26 through hospitality website Airbnb. Read more here.

Fast food giants such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and Five Guys have received an ‘F’ grade while Shake Shack and BurgerFi got an ‘A’ for their practices on antibiotic use on beef, according to a report published with non-profit organisation Consumer Reports. The report, titled The Chain Reaction IV: Burger Edition, aims to tackle about how overuse of antibiotics can cause the human body to have some resistance to it, making it harder to be treated from illnesses. Read more here. 

Wendy’s launched a marketing video for its limited-edition S'Awesome Bacon Classic burger after a fan tweeted the burger company to make a “S'Awesome sauce burger”. As reported by PR Week, the chain replied to Twitter user Brandon Schmidt with the video, which got 17,000 views in two hours after being posted. Read more here.

(Photo credit: Dunkin' Donuts)
 

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Starbucks USA has announced that they will give their employees 10 subsidized backup care days for both kids and adults every year. They added that they partnered with Care.com to achieve this, which is a public corporation that focuses on services such as child care, senior care and special needs care. Read more here.

McDonald’s Corporation held a meeting with its franchisees last October 10 to talk about improving the fast food giant’s weakening sales, according to a report by Wall Street Journal. The franchisees was assigned with modernizing their stores such as adding touch-screen kiosks. Read more here. 

Some Domino’s outlets in Albuquerque, USA are set to launch their pizza theater concept stores. According to Albuquerque Business First, these sites will feature an open kitchen, flat screen televisions, wi-fi and phone charging stations. Read more here. 

Burger King USA is offering their 10-piece chicken nuggets for US$1. They also added that the 100-piece chicken nuggets will be available through delivery on Postmates for a limited time. Read more here. 

Business Insider reported that Papa John’s Pizza had its stock increased to 8.6% last October 8 after reports of the activist hedge fund Trian Fund Management considered to takeover the pizza chain. Trian is said to have contacted the pizza chain following reports that the latter has sent information to potential acquirers as they are planning an auction to sell itself to other companies. Read more here. 

KFC Zimbabwe has announced that they have closed down their Bulawayo outlet which struggled with operational costs as its suppliers only accepts payments in US dollars. According to Pindula News, they are just one of the chicken chains who faced closures due to the same reasons. Read more here. 

(Photo credit: Starbucks website)

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Taco Bell USA has turned their Diablo sauce packet into packed tortilla chips. It will be in 7-Eleven stores for the month of October before rolling it out in additional grocery and convenience stores on November. Read more here.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen USA has announced that they opened their 3,000th restaurant in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In celebrating this milestone, they added their 24 Karat Champagne Wings to their Boneless Wings Bash for a day. Read more here.

Dunkin’ Donuts USA and Harpoon Brewery has introduced their new coffee beer Harpoon Dunkin’ Coffee Porter, ABC Chicago reported. They also announced that the donut chain partnered with Oreo to bring a new donut and hot chocolate offering for halloween. 

Chick-fil-A is set to open their first catering and delivery concept store in Louisville, Louisville Business First reported. The said site will not have a dining area or a drive-thru and can delivery small and large orders within a 30-mile radius. Read more here.

Chipotle Mexican Grill USA has announced that they are piloting the new loyalty program Chipotle Rewards. The points-based program is being tested in Kansas, Missouri and Columbus, Ohio. Read more here.

Burger King Brazil has released the Blank Whopper burger and served it to 30 people who responded on a poll that they plan to vote blank on the country’s presidential election. As reported by AdWeek, the offering may contain no ingredients, just mayo and onions or consists only of pickles. Read more here.

McDonald’s USA has launched their new Trick. Treat. Win game that has prizes such as a new car, a trip to resorts, cash and the chain’s own menu items. Game pieces can be found in selected offerings for the whole month of October. Read more here.
 

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

McDonald’s USA has given US$50,000 to the students who hung a fake poster in one of their locations in Texas to be part of the fast food giant’s upcoming marketing campaign. NBC News details how the simple prank became a widespread call for Asian representation in mainstream advertising and entertainment. Read more here.

In a rare occurrence, Chick-fil-A opened its North Carolina site on a Sunday to help out victims of Hurricane Florence. ABC7 News reported that the staff worked with Red Cross to donate 500 sandwiches and 1,200 nuggets in three evacuation centers. Read more here.

Taco Bell is bringing National Taco Day to their international outlets. The taco chain will be bringing back its US$5 National Taco Day Gift Set to more than 20 countries following its launch in the U.S. on October 4. Read more here.

Pizza Hut celebrated National Pepperoni Pizza Day by offering customers US$1 medium pizza after purchasing a medium or large pizza, USA Today reported. Read more here.

Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme, meanwhile are celebrating National Coffee Day on September 29. Dunkin’ has announced a buy-1-take-1 offer on all of their hot coffee beverages while Krispy Kreme will be giving away free coffee in any size with no additional purchases.

Shake Shack USA has launched their new outlet in West Village, New York last September 18 that comes with their innovation kitchen, where they test food items that may become a permanent offering once it has received positive comments from their customers. Read more here.

(Photo credit: Shake Shack Facebook)

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Starbucks has announced that they are aiming to operate 10,000 “greener stores” by 2025. The Starbucks Greener Stores framework will focus on having their US and Canada stores use renewable energy. They will be working with SCS Global Services and World Wildlife Fund for the initiative. Read more here.

McDonald’s global headquarters in Chicago has introduced another batch of menu items from other countries. They include the Morning Wrap from the UK; the Angus Maestro Burger from the Netherlands; Poutine from Canada; and Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Crème McFlurry from Latin America. Read more here.

White Castle USA will be serving the Impossible Slider burger with patties made by Impossible Foods. As reported by CNBC, the patty has the ingredient soy leghemoglobin which is responsible for it’s meat-like taste and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration last July. Read more here.

Canadian plant-based fast casual chain Copper Branch is set to open its first US location in New York City on November. In a report by Fast Casual, it has 30 locations in Canada and will continue to launch 150 sites by 2020 across Canada, USA and France. Read more here.

Foodservice spending in USA have increased to 2% in the year ending May 2018, a study by NPD said. This is driven by the growing cost of restaurant meals. In contrast, results also show that more consumers have been preparing and eating meals at home as it went up to 80%. Read more here.

The Seattle Times reported that Burger King, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s and Denny’s will no longer implement the “no-poaching” agreement that bans franchisees in hiring the employees of other franchisees within the same chain. The brands now join 15 others which include McDonald’s and Carl’s Jr. Read more here.

Pizza Hut will make its debut in Ivory Coast following the launch of KFC’s first outlet last April, Bloomberg has reported. Its operator, Vivo Energy, made an agreement with Yum! Brands after the chicken chain’s success in the area. Read more here.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)
 

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

McDonald’s USA will trial a range of flavors from other countries to 50 of its outlets in Miami, South Florida. The fast food chain will be bringing innovations such as Malaysia’s BBQ McShaker Fries, McSpicy Chicken from Hong Kong, and Stroopwafel McFlurry from the Netherlands. Read more here.

Starbucks has opened its first site in Italy, their Reserve Roastery in Milan. It is located in the historic Poste building and pays homage to the Italian espresso culture. Read more here.

Baskin Robbins has announced that they will launch 18 new sites in the Toronto, Canada. They have signed the new store development agreements with six new and existing franchise groups. Read more here.

Domino’s Pizza Russia was forced to halt their promotional campaign where they will give free 100 Domino’s Pies for the next 100 years to customers who got a tattoo of their logo. In a report by the Moscow Times, the campaign was stopped on September 4th instead of the original plan of ending it on October 31. Read more here.

Burger King Sweden launched its grill insurance policy in response to the country banning barbeques due to wildfires, AdAge has reported. If barbeques are banned in 2019, the burger chain vows to give customers who availed of the €0.50 “grillsurance” a free flame-grilled burger for every day there is a ban from June to August. Read more here.

Dunkin Donuts has officially left Canada after its final few stores either closed or rebranded to independent businesses or have closed down, Eater Montreal reported. Read more here.

(Photo credit: McDonald's website)

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Dunkin Donuts has announced that their on-the-go mobile ordering is available through Amazon’s cloud-based service, Alexa. A customer is able to place an order and pick the nearest Dunkin Donuts location through the app. The new ordering service is said to be provide new levels of convenience and speed for their customers. Read more here.

Smoothie King launched its 1000th store in Texas, USA. The smoothie chain says that they are focused on developing their Cleaner Blending recipes for their consumers demanding transparency. Smoothie King aims to open a total of 130 outlets by the end of 2018. Read more here.

Papa John’s independent special committee of board of directors issued a letter about their founder, John Schnatter. This is in response to their founder’s direct attacks against the pizza chain’s CEO Steve Ritchie. The letter included a list of instances that Schnatter ignored his role as chairman and CEO. Read more here.

Burger King partners with DoorDash to allow free delivery during Labor Day Weekend. The promo applies to their participating outlets and within the delivery platform’s service area. Orders for free delivery require a subtotal minimum of USD$15. Read more here.

Domino’s USA announced that they are to give paving grants in 50 states. The initiative is driven by responses after the pizza chain asked for nominations on which town should they cover potholes. Domino’s said that they already started in Massachusetts, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas,North Dakota and Montana. Read more here.

KFC USA plans to celebrate its founder Colonel Harland Sanders’ 128th birthday by offering a donation to the first child born on September 9. A total of USD$11,000 will be given away for the child’s college education. Parents can nominate their children at the chicken chain’s site starting from September 9. Read more here.