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

Workers at Church’s Chicken will now get expedited pay as U.S. restaurants grapple with a labor shortage. As Bloomberg reports, the chicken chain offer employees half of their earned pay the day after their shift starting June. Read more here.

McDonald’s latest Happy Meal iteration is now complete ahead of its target date of 2020. As Forbes reported, the fast good giant announced the realization of its global commitments developed with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation in 2013 to better promote fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy and water in 20 major markets representing about 85% of the system's sales. Read more here.

Taco Bell is set to take over a hotel in Palm Springs. As CNN reports, The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort in Palm Springs, will be open for five nights in August and will showcase new and traditional menu items, a gift shop, and other features. Read more here.

Burger King’s parent company announced its plan to accelerate global growth. As reported by SFGate, Restaurant Brands International plans to expand delivery service in the U.S. and open thousands of new stores worldwide to fight slow growth sales. Read more here.

U.S. chain Steak ‘N Shake continues to face legal trouble after after 286 store managers claimed they had worked 50 to 70-hour weeks without overtime pay. As reported by Yahoo Lifestyle, U.S. District Judge John A. Ross ordered the fast food chain to pay up US$7.7 million due to underpayment claims. Read more here.

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

Starbucks Corporation got worldwide buzz following a viral gaffe from HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” As reported by the Wall Street Journal, viewers noticed a coffee cup, strongly resembling the coffee giant’s, appearing in one scene on a table before Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke. Read more here.

McDonald’s Corporation is bringing four items from their counterparts around the globe to the US. As reported by USA Today, the new offerings came from Australia, The Netherlands, Spain and Canada. Read more here.

Burger King has rolled out a direct-to-driver delivery concept in Mexico. As reported by the Washington Post, the fast food chain specifically intends to deliver right to their customers’ cars, targeting drivers stuck in traffic. Read more here.

Papa John’s CEO may have hinted on plans to create a signature pizza backed by the chain’s newest board member Shaquille O’Neal, according to Yahoo! Finance. Steve Ritchie said Shaq has already been in the company’s kitchens tossing out new food ideas and has also begun doing outreach to communities in a bid to repair Papa John’s image. Read more here.

Tim Hortons U.S. introduced “Mom-sized” iced coffees in celebration of Mother’s Day. At 52 ounces, the chain says the oversized iced coffee cup is the largest size currently offered by a renowned major coffee chain in the country. Read more here.

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

Burger King U.S. is collaborating with Mental Health America to launch its new “Real Meal” boxes in a bid to raise mental health issues. The new boxes, which seem to be a jab at McDonald’s signature Happy Meals, feature a variety of different moods including the Pissed Meal, Blue Meal, Salty Meal, YAAAS Meal and DGAF Meal. Read more here.

Subway closed more than 1,000 of its U.S. restaurants in 2018, the company said. As reported by the New York Post, the sandwich chain’s latest closure rate is higher than the prior record of 866 net closures in 2017 and 357 in 2016. Read more here.

Taco Bell U.S. launched its new line of summer merchandise, which includes bikinis, pool floats and towels with designs inspired by the restaurant’s famous hot sauce packets. As Fox News reported, customers can avail these products at the brand’s online store. Read more here.

Continuing its repositioning, Dunkin’ U.S. unveiled two new additions to its breakfast menu: the Egg White bowl and the Sausage Scramble bowl. As reported by CNN, the company said customers should expect more creations and experiments in its menu this year. Read more here.

Pizza Hut U.S. denied earlier reports about adding vegan cheese options to its stores. In a statement sent to Fox News, the pizza chain clarified that they do not have any plans to bring them to the U.S. “at this time.” Read more here.

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

Domino’s Pizza is looking to expand its global footprint to 25,000 stores by 2025 in a bid to build market share, CEO Ritch Allison told CNBC. The pizza chain aims to reduce a nine-minute drive to just 5 or 6 minutes, which the chief executive said would mean a pizza is delivered less than 25 minutes after ordering. Read more here.

The Golden Arches is looking for workers in their golden years. As reported by CNBC, McDonald’s Corporation has teamed up with U.S.-based interest group AARP and its foundation arm in response to tight labor market as it gears up to hire 250,000 people this summer. Read more here.

Shares of Chipotle dropped after disclosing that it received a subpoena related to a foodborne illness outbreak in 2018. As Bloomberg reported, the chain said it intends to cooperate fully with the investigation. Read more here.

Yum! Brands-owned KFC has partnered with FOCUS Brands-owned Cinnabon for a limited edition dessert for Mother’s Day. The new KFC Cinnabon dessert biscuits are accompanied by a personalized video from the restaurant’s dancing Chickendales, a colonel-ized version of Chippendales dancers. Read more here.

Looking beyond its gold box of chocolates, Belgian confectioner Godiva is planning to roll out 2,000 cafes over the next six years. As USA Today reports, the concept will serve a complete menu, an expanded list of coffees and grab-and-go items. Read more here.

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

Carl’s Jr. USA announced it is testing its newest cheeseburger infused with cannabis. The burger chain will trial the Rocky Mountain High: CheeseBurger Delight for one day only on April 20 at one restaurant location in Denver. Read more here.

McDonald’s Corporation said it would pull its costlier Signature Crafted burgers from its menus in favor of its more popular Quarter Pounders. Reuters reports that the burger chain added the said burgers to its menu two years ago to keep up with competition from Wendy’s and Shake Shack, which serve more premium burgers using fresh ingredients. Read more here.

Dunkin’ is piloting a multi-tender participation for its DD Perks rewards programme in the U.S., allowing guests to earn points regardless of payment method at more than 1,000 locations across the country. The chain will evaluate plans for a possible expansion of the program based on feedback from both its guests and franchisees. Read more here.

Meatless tacos are coming to Mexican fast-food concept Del Taco in the U.S., which announced its partnership with Beyond Meat. As Vox reported, the new “Beyond Tacos” will be available in all 580 stores starting April 25. Read more here.

Panera Bread is looking to get a bigger chunk of breakfast sales in the U.S. As CNBC reports, the fast casual chain’s new strategy involves new breakfast wraps and investment in their coffee offerings. Read more here.

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

McDonald’s USA announced that its egg supply chain is now 33% cage-free, part of its commitment to reach 100% by 2025. The fast food giant said it  will source more than 726 million cage-free eggs for its U.S. restaurants this year. Read more here.

CKE Restaurants Holdings, the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, announced that it has appointed Ned Lyerly as chief executive officer. Working for CKE for over three decades, Lyerly succeeded Jason Marker. Read more here.

Papa Murphy’s, the fifth largest chain in the U.S., has been sold to Canada-based franchisor MTY Group for US$190 million. With the deal, MTY’s combined portfolio will now consist of over 7,000 stores globally. Read more here.

Tim Hortons U.S. announced the arrival of its new loyalty programme. Tims Rewards will give guests a free coffee, tea or baked good after every seventh visit. Read more here.

Looking to ride the marketing wave behind the arrival of the final season of hit U.S. television series Game of Thrones, Wendy’s U.S. is offering a free small Frosty with the purchase of a Spicy Chicken Sandwich Combo through food delivery service DoorDash. Customers can avail of the promo by using the promo code HOUSEWENDYS starting April 14. Read more here.

Seemingly poking fun at the growth of social media influencers, KFC U.S. unveiled its computer-generated version of Colonel Sanders. As reported by AdAge, the virtual influencer claims to have a knack for disruptive business deals, inspirational "collabs" and authentic Gen-Z engagement. Read more here.

Photo credit: KFC U.S. Instagram

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

Burger King U.S. announced that it is testing out ‘Impossible’ Whoppers, made with plant-based patties from Impossible Foods, in select locations in the country. The chain tells CNN that it has been “trying to figure out a way” to add a plant-based burger option to its menu for about a year. Read more here.

Starbucks is partnering with 25 employers to close the U.S. gender pay gap, the company has announced. In 2018, the coffee chain announced it had reached 100% pay equity for women and men and people of all races performing similar work in the United States. Read more here.

Taco Bell U.S. restaurants will host nearly 600 ‘hiring parties’ across the country, the company announced. The hiring parties, happening on April 22-27, is said to be part of the Mexican-inspired chain to create 100,000 new U.S. jobs by 2022. Read more here.

Subway announced the expansion of its partnership with media brand Tastemade, resulting in the sandwich chain’s first "Inspired by Tastemade" menu item: the Green Goddess Tuna Melt. The new sub will be available in more than 3,000 U.S. stores through April 24. Read more here.

McDonald’s U.S. is rolling out a shrunken late-night menu on April 30, Business Insider first reported. Some items the fast food giant is cutting are its Signature Crafted Recipes, artisan grilled-chicken sandwiches, buttermilk-crispy-chicken sandwiches, buttermilk crispy tenders, Filet-O-Fish, and premium salads. Read more here.

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

McDonald’s announced an agreement to acquire personalization company Dynamic Yield. TechCrunch reports that the fast food giant is buying the Israeli startup for US$300 million, who will utilise this decision technology to provide an “even more personalized customer experience by varying outdoor digital Drive Thru menu displays to show food based on time of day, weather, current restaurant traffic and trending menu items.” Read more here.

Domino's announced that it is working with in-vehicle commerce creator Xevo Inc. to launch the latest its pizza ordering platform pre-loaded in cars starting in 2019. The partnership is expected to result in customers able to order with just a few taps on their vehicle's touchscreen, locate local stores and call in an order from the in-car interface. Read more here.

Inspire Brands, the parent company of Arby’s and Buffalo Wild Wings, has appointed Raghu Sagi as its chief information officer. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, he will develop the company’s digital ecosystem whilst also driving brand loyalty. Read more here.

U.S.-based Chick-fil-A, primarily known for its signature crispy chicken, is testing out a new vegan-friendly item. Delish reports that the Vegan Kale Crunch Salad is being trialled at select Chick-fil-A restaurants in Florida and Texas for a limited time. Read more here.

Taco Bell US is introducing a new taco and churro donut that cost $1 each. In separate reports by Guilty Eats, the Loaded Nacho Taco will roll out across all stores by April 4 whilst the Churro Donut will be trialled at Kansas City, Missouri until May.

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

Starbucks has committed US$100 million as a cornerstone investor in Valor Siren Ventures. The funding will be used to identify and invest in companies that are developing technologies, products, and solutions relating to food or retail. Read more here.

No stranger to roasting its rivals, Burger King unveiled its ‘Burn That Ad’ campaign in Brazil. As reported by AdAge, the burger chain has added to its app an AR function that invites customers to “burn down” competitors’ advertising in exchange for a free Whopper. Read more here.

Papa John's announced that retired NBA player Shaquille O’Neal is its newest board member and would serve as an ambassador for the brand. CEO Steve Ritchie tells CNBC that Shaq's addition highlights what they "need to do from a marketing standpoint to get those sales moving.” Read more here.

McDonald’s U.S. has partnered with American furniture manufacturer La-Z-Boy to give away an upgraded couch. The McDelivery Couch consists of reclining chairs, light-up cup holders, built-in phone chargers and a branded blanket, and a built-in cooler for McFlurries. Read more here.

KFC U.S. is bringing back their Chicken & Waffles following an “overwhelmingly positive response” from customers during its debut last November. The company says this is the fastest KFC has brought a limited-time offering back to its menu in recent years. Read more here.

Australian supermarket giant Coles has expanded its trial with Uber Eats. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the expanded Uber Eats menu is now being offered to Coles’ Bondi Junction, Leichhardt, North Sydney and World Square outlets. Read more here.

Photo credit: Burger King Brazil YouTube

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

McDonald's Corporation has partnered with "augmented writing" platform Textio to innovate its recruitment process. Aside from making it easier for hiring managers and recruiters to write collaboratively in McDonald’s brand language, Textio will allow McDonald’s to write gender neutral job posts, aligning with the fast food giant’s goals to combat gender bias in the workplace. Read more here.

Burger King USA announced its BK Café coffee subscription program. Subscribers can get one small brewed coffee per day for a grand total of US$5 a month. Read more here.

Chipotle announced that its loyalty program is now available in the whole United States. USA Today reports that the fast-casual restaurant chain marked the national launch by partnering with mobile wallet service Venmo to give away up to US$250,000 to approximately 25,000 Chipotle fans per day from 12 - 15 March. Read more here.

Papa John’s has broadened its delivery and takeout reach in the U.S. by partnering with third-party delivery service DoorDash, the company said in an announcement. To celebrate the launch, customers can get free delivery during St. Patrick’s Day weekend on all orders over $10 delivered through the platform at participating locations. Read more here.

Dunkin' Brands has appointed David Mann as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, the company has announced. Mann will  serve on the company's leadership team and will report directly to Dunkin' Brands CEO and Dunkin' U.S. President Dave Hoffman. Read more here.

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

McDonald's flipped its iconic arches upside down again for International Women's Day. Business Insider reports that the fast food company's executives also changed their profile pictures to an image of upside-down arches to celebrate the launch of the company's new "Better Together: Gender Balance & Diversity" strategy. Read more here.

KFC announced that it has appointed its first chief communications officer. Staci Rawls, a four-year veteran of KFC U.S., will oversee the development of the chain's overall business narrative and lead all external and internal communications including public relations, crisis and issues management, public affairs, and social purpose efforts. Read more here.

Papa John is no longer with Papa John's. Bloomberg reports that founder John Schnatter will resign from the board, bringing to a close months of tensions within its management ranks. Read more here.

Krispy Kreme USA will bring back its Green O’riginal Glazed Doughnuts for St. Patrick’s Day weekend, the company has announced. From March 15 to 17, customers will also have a chance to win a "Golden Dozen" pass worth free doughnuts through St. Patrick’s Day in 2020. Read more here.

Also in celebration of St. Patrick's Day, Dunkin' USA brought back its Irish Creme-flavored coffees and espresso drinks for the first time in five years. Irish Creme will only be found at participating Dunkin’ restaurants in all their stores in March while supplies last. Read more here.

Photo credit: McDonald's YouTube

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

Pizza Hut USA has partnered with FedEx to trial a delivery robot. In an announcement, testing of the FedEx SameDay Bot is planned for summer 2019. Read more here.

Fast food is less healthy today than it was 30 years ago, according to a new study. As Forbes reported, researchers examined offerings of the most popular fast food chains from three specific years: 1986, 1991 and 2016. Read more here.

Taco Bell USA’s 'Triplelupa' is now second round of testing. Delish reports that the tear-apart chalupa is hitting locations in Minneapolis locations following up last fall's Orange County test run. Read more here.

Subway USA is adding two new items to its Signature Wraps collection. The Sesame-Ginger Glazed Chicken Signature Wrap and Sweet N' Smoky Steak & Guac Signature Wrap will be available until April 24 at participating restaurants. Read more here.

Papa John's announces their Q4 results and provided their outlook for this year. Read more here.

Starbucks USA has debunked a false promotion reportedly spread by fans of U.S. singer-songwriter Lady Gaga, BuzzfeedNews has reported. The "Shallowbucks" scam suggested that the coffee company will give customers a free beverage voucher if they send a screenshot of themselves listening Gaga’s Oscar-winning song ‘Shallow’. Read more here.

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

KFC has tapped RoboCop to be its new Colonel Sanders. As reported by The A.V. Club, the iconic half-man, half-robot is featured in a series of ads by the global chicken chain. Read more here.

Once again, Burger King trolled KFC, this time through a new ad campaign for its new flame-grilled chicken sandwich. As Fortune reported, the video features Burger King’s newly dubbed KFG (King of Flame Grilling), wearing a white suit similar to Colonel Sanders. Read more here.

A drive-thru in Denver is the U.S. is taking live customer breakfast orders using artificial intelligence (AI). In an announcement, Valyant AI's customer service platform at an Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard outlet is said to require "a significantly smaller vocabulary of key words to take meal orders" which, they say, "already exceeds that of Google’s voice assistants." Read more here.

Wendy's has begun investing a planned US$25 million this year to strengthen the burger brand’s digital capabilities, company executives said. As reported by Nation's Restaurant News, about $15 million of the digital investments announced will go into a partnership with Accenture whilst another $10 million will be for digital scanners for the North American system. Read more here.

Papa John's is adding a Hot Honey Chicken and Waffles Pizza to the menu later this year. As reported by Business Insider, the pizza won a Twitter poll of what specialty pizza customers wanted to be able to order at Papa John's, with more than 70% of the vote. Read more here.

Taco Bell has announced the debut of its Steak Rattlesnake Fries. As reported by Thrillist, the new item features crispy, seasoned starch topped with steak, nacho cheese sauce, creamy jalapeno sauce, and pickled jalapeno slices. Read more here.

Photo credit: KFC YouTube

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

Papa John’s has partnered with Purdue University Global for a new tuition reimbursement education programme for its 20,000 corporate team members, the company said in an announcement. The new program allows eligible employees to enroll in any of Purdue Global’s online associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, including business, information technology, cybersecurity, accounting and finance. Read more here.

McDonald’s France collaborated with advertising agency TBWA to launch a campaign for the fast food giant's delivery services in the country, AdWeek reports. The new print campaign, “Rain,” uses photography to create impressionistic images of city life seen through apartment windows on a rainy day. Read more here.

Starbucks Canada has made plans to donate all of its unsold food products. As reported by Waste 360, Starbucks FoodShare will partner with Second Harvest, the largest food rescue organisation in Canada, and will launch in Ontario starting with more than 250 stores in the greater Toronto area by February 22. Read more here.

Chipotle has announced the launch of Behind the Foil, aiming to provide a look into the company's operations in its 25-year history. The documentary-style digital and TV spots aim to "pull back the foil" by featuring behind-the-scenes footage of Chipotle restaurants, their employees and farming partners. Read more here.

Burger King said that its "Whopper Detour" campaign generated 1.5 million downloads of its mobile app, Restaurant Dive has reported. The stunt offered 1-cent Whoppers to smartphone users who were near rival McDonald's locations. Read more here.

Photo credit: Chipotle

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

Chick-fil-A tops yet another survey on customer service in the U.S., this time by weekly magazine Newsweek and Statista. The two companies say they used information from categories like customer focus, quality communication, accessibility, and technical competence. See the results here. 

Yum! Brands announced their FY18 results with worldwide system sales up by 5%. Dunkin’ Brands Group also had its revenues rise 3.6% to US$1.32 billion whilst Chipotle saw a 10.4% revenue increase to US$1.2 billion.

McDonald’s seeks to increase the investment of their Russia operations by 40% to fuel new restaurant openings. RT reported that the fast food giant aims to launch 60 stores in 2019. Read more here.

Taco Bell USA has announced their delivery services are now available across the country through the food delivery platform GrubHub. Read more here.

Papa John’s USA launched the Pick Our Next Pizza campaign where they asked consumers to vote on which pizza should be their new offering. The pizza candidates are Huevos Rancheros, The Roast, The Un-Pizza and Hot Honey Chicken & Waffles. Read more here.

Tim Hortons USA brought back their RRRoll Up The Rim To Win campaign where they teamed up with SUV brand Jeep to give away over US$4million-worth of prizes. Read more here.

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

McDonald's reported their full year 2018 results with global comparable sales increased by 4.5%, said to reflect positive growth across all segments. However, consolidated revenues took an 8% decline due to the company's strategic refranchising initiative. Read more here.

Burger King Sweden trolled McDonald's recent loss of its Big Mac trademark in the European Union. The Guardian reported that the burger chain changed their some of their items' names to ‘Anything But A Big Mac' and ‘Big Mac-ish But Flame-Grilled of Course’. Read more here.

Domino's USA has launched a new app feature that will allow consumers to earn reward points even if the pizza was bought from its competitors. CNN reported that the pizza chain will give a free pizza when a customer has reached a total of 60 points. Read more here.

Pizza Hut USA launched the Overdelivery campaign, where they will give a free year-supply if pizza to the parents who delivered their first born during the Superbowl. Read more here.

Dunkin' USA has announced they launched a new advertising campaign. The ‘Pasta’ campaign aims to explain how hockey and the donut chain overlap. Read more here.

SONIC has partnered with the cookie brand Oreo and bakery chain Cinnabon to create new menu items. The Oreo A La Mode and Cinnabon Cinnasnacks are both served with ice cream and is only available for a limited-time. Read more here.

Wendy’s USA gave away free Baconator burgers as well as a free delivery through DoorDash with a US$10 purchase. Read more here.

Photo credit: Screengrab from Burger King Sweden Youtube
 

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

Domino’s USA has expressed plans to increase their store growth by 60% or 9,700 new stores in the next six years. As reported by Nation’s Restaurant News, they are also looking to project US$25 billion in global annual sales by 2025. Read more here.

McDonald’s USA is reportedly demanding its franchisees to build a wall between the cashiers and the kitchens as part of their remodeling plan. Bloomberg reported that franchisees argued that it would only waste money and brings no significant effect on neither service nor operations. Read more here.

Starbucks has announced that they partnered with Uber Eats to roll out their delivery services in the USA. The initiative has begun in San Francisco, before expanding to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington D.C. Read more here.

Papa John’s International has appointed Marvin Boakye as their first Chief People Officer. Boakye is responsible in implementing the company’s talent management strategy which includes overseeing people operations, compensation and benefits, and learning and development. Read more here.

KFC has announced their global sustainability campaign that aims to have all plastic-based, consumer-facing packaging recoverable or reusable by 2025. This includes initiatives such as identifying plastic waste reduction opportunities with franchisees and partnering with suppliers to determine sustainable packaging alternatives. Read more here.

Burger King USA and DoorDash partnered in offering customers a Mystery Box. It can be availed when purchasing an order of US$10 or more and can only be opened on the day of the annual National Football League championship game Superbowl. Read more here.

Krispy Kreme will introduce their new Valentine Conversation Doughnuts on January 30 and will be available until February 14. The heart-shaped donuts contain edible phrases such as “DM Me”, “All The Feels” and “Be Mine”. Read more here.