A wave of quick-service restaurant (QSR) updates is underway in 2025, featuring menu innovations, employee benefits, digital expansions, and strategic partnerships. McDonald's reintroduces chicken tenders with two toy sets, launches a digital McDonaldland experience and new online ordering via DoorDash, and begins its 'Digitize the Arches' initiative. Other chains such as Starbucks raise salaried employee wages, Panera Bread aligns with Taylor Swift's sourdough trend, Wingstop offers double tenders weekly, Cousins Subs adds crispy chicken, and Popeyes revamps its wings with customizable spice levels. Sourdough & Co. plans to double in size by 2026, while Krispy Kreme announces a turnaround plan following the end of its McDonald’s partnership. Several chains report financial or operational developments, including Papa Johns achieving first same-store sales growth in 18 months and Jack in the Box facing sales challenges due to customer uncertainty. The article also explores broader industry themes like technology adoption, employee treatment, and the relevance of third-place coffee shops.

Carl’s Jr. has introduced a $6 value meal, the 'Double Take,' offering customers any two items from a selection including small hash rounds, spicy chicken sandwiches, chicken stars, fries, cheeseburgers, and spicy lil’ cheeseburgers. The deal launches one day before McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal goes live. The chain, part of CKE Restaurant Holdings based in Franklin, Tennessee, is also bringing back its Double Teriyaki Burger and Teriyaki Char Chicken sandwich. Both items are available through August 13, with the double burger and chicken sandwich starting at $8.49. The single versions of the burgers start at $6.99. The move is part of a broader marketing campaign themed 'Need Burger, Get Burger,' featuring irreverent advertising. The campaign aims to differentiate Carl’s Jr. from Hardee’s, which is positioned more traditionally and is primarily located in the Midwest and Southeast. The two brands have had a fluctuating relationship under CKE since the 1997 acquisition of Hardee’s.

E. coli O157:H7 is a strain of bacteria that has caused foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S. for decades, including a notable 1992-93 outbreak linked to Jack in the Box restaurants. Recent cases tied to McDonald's involve slivered onions from Taylor Farms, with the CDC reporting 75 infections across 13 states as of October 24, including 22 hospitalizations and one death. The outbreak is suspected to be linked to beef hamburgers, particularly Quarter Pounders, with 86% of affected individuals reporting this item. McDonald's, along with other major restaurant chains like Yum Brands, Burger King, and KFC, has temporarily removed the implicated onions and beef patties from their menus. The CDC warns that the true number of affected individuals may be higher due to undiagnosed or unreported cases. Experts, including food safety lawyer Bill Marler, note significant improvements in food safety measures since the 1990s, though E. coli continues to appear in diverse food products and settings.

Arcos Dorados Holdings reported second-quarter 2025 financial results showing revenue of $1.14 billion, up 2.8% year-over-year, in line with analyst estimates. Net income decreased to $22.6 million, down 15% from the prior year quarter, and profit margin fell to 2.0% from 2.4%. Earnings per share (EPS) of $0.11 missed expectations by 41% compared to the previous quarter, though the company's EPS actually surpassed analyst forecasts by 41%—a contradiction that appears to be an error in reporting. The company forecasts 7.5% annual revenue growth over the next three years, below the 9.9% industry average for U.S. hospitality. Shares rose 7.6% from the previous week. The article also includes a risk analysis noting two warning signs for the company and references similar companies such as Yum! Brands and Restaurant Brands International. Additional market insights discuss Bitcoin ETFs, AI disruption, and agentic AI, while community narratives evaluate Airbnb, ING, and Coles.

Fast-food chains are intensifying competition in the fried chicken segment, with major players like KFC, Popeyes, Wendy’s, Jack in the Box, Wingstop, Taco Bell, and El Pollo Loco launching or reviving crispy chicken offerings. Driven by rising beef prices, companies are shifting focus to poultry-based products, which are cheaper and more flexible with sauces. KFC and Popeyes reported declining same-store sales, prompting renewed marketing efforts such as free bucket promotions and spicy wing relaunches. Other chains, including McDonald's and Conagra Brands, are also entering the space through new products or in-house production. The trend reflects a broader industry shift toward chicken as a cost-effective alternative to beef in quick-service restaurants.