Taco Bell, Noodles & Company, Sweetgreen

Taco Bell is letting its Rewards members choose which global item to bring to the U.S. Noodles & Company’s turnaround seems to be going well. And Sweetgreen has launched three new chicken dishes.

McDonald’s is teaming up with KPop Demon Hunters. A large Applebee’s franchisee has filed for bankruptcy. And Krispy Kreme has sold a majority stake in a joint venture.

Starbucks wants shorter lines at airports for coffee. Domino’s is updating its pizza tracker. And OpenTable is demanding exclusivity.

The McDonald’s Big Arch has provided a modest traffic bump. DoorDash has launched an emergency relief program to ease the impact of gas prices. And Little Caesars is answering consumers’ increasing demand for shareable offerings.

FAT Brands has bankruptcy financing. CloudKitchens CEO has something new in the works. And Wonder appears to be making IPO preparations.

Andy Wiederhorn is out at FAT Brands. Darden continues to outperform the casual-dining segment. And a Midwest buffet chain is shrinking its footprint.

Maggiano’s is looking for big eaters. Chipotle has another new sauce. And El Pollo Loco is upgrading its rewards program.

Small businesses affected by ICE crackdowns could get relief, Applebee’s is shifting its marketing strategy, and agentic AI is cropping up more in restaurants

Burger King wins the Oscars, Fat Brands is headed toward a sale, and a Popeyes franchisee is closing more restaurants.

Some Kona Grills will soon be converted to other brands. El Pollo Loco is ready to grow again. And Sweetgreen wants to be a lifestyle brand again.