McDonald's has significantly accelerated its U.S. expansion, opening 147 new restaurants in 2025—the most in 24 years—and aims to reach 50,000 global locations by 2027 with 1,000 new openings annually. The company is also focusing on value offerings to attract budget-conscious consumers and increasing its franchise portfolio, which now comprises over 95% of U.S. stores.
https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/mcdonalds-u-s-growth-spurt-is-officially-on/
Darden Restaurants is leveraging artificial intelligence and forecasting tools to enhance efficiency in its operations by improving demand forecasting, staffing, and inventory management. These technologies enable more accurate predictions of guest traffic, streamlined scheduling, reduced waste, and better labor productivity, all while maintaining a people-centered approach in its restaurants.
Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) in North America are increasingly incorporating fresh produce into their menus to offer healthier eating options and address growing consumer concerns about ultra-processed foods. This trend is driving innovation with ingredients like avocados, potatoes, watermelons, and mushrooms, supported by industry groups that provide education and marketing to promote fresh produce adoption in fast-casual and QSR segments. Operators focus on quality and transparency to build consumer trust and differentiate their offerings amid economic challenges.
https://producebusiness.com/produce-is-transforming-the-qsr-menu/
McDonald’s is transforming its global retail operations by integrating AI to create a software-defined, data-driven system that optimizes everything from menu adjustments to labor scheduling in real time. This AI makeover shifts routine tasks to algorithms and automation, freeing human workers to focus on complex, high-empathy roles, signaling a significant evolution in quick-service restaurant management and offering a blueprint for broader retail industries.
Burger King’s recent announcement to hire up to 60,000 workers across nearly 6,500 U.S. restaurants highlights the reality that increasing technology in quick-service restaurants often drives higher demand, requiring more staff rather than fewer. As Burger King modernizes with digital ordering, AI tools, and upgraded kitchen systems, improved speed and accuracy are boosting guest traffic, necessitating well-trained, digitally fluent employees and managers to manage complex workflows and maintain service quality.
McDonald's is advancing its digital ecosystem—including its mobile app, delivery, kiosks, and loyalty program—as a key growth driver, with digital channels now representing a significant portion of its global sales and customer engagement. The company’s loyalty program has expanded rapidly, generating about $40 billion across 70 markets in 2025 with 210 million active users, while McDonald's is also integrating AI and automation to improve customer experience and operational efficiency.
The rise of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, widely used for weight loss and health, is reshaping the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry by creating a customer base that desires smaller portions without sacrificing convenience, flavor, or social dining experiences. QSR brands are adapting by offering clear, benefit-focused menu options with smaller, nutrient-dense meals and redesigning spaces to enhance emotional and ritualistic elements of dining, thus redefining value beyond volume to meet the needs of more mindful consumers.
https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/how-the-ozempic-era-will-reshape-qsr/
The 2026 QSR On-Premises Study by Intouch Insight evaluates ten leading quick-service restaurant brands, revealing gaps in human connection such as inconsistent greetings and parting remarks, with 27.9% of guests not greeted and 27.4% receiving no closing remark. The study highlights suggestive selling as the largest missed revenue opportunity, averaging just 60.6% execution, and identifies dinner as the slowest daypart, with service times averaging over four minutes, impacting overall customer satisfaction.
https://www.intouchinsight.com/resources/studies/on-premises-qsr-study/
QSR operators are shifting from viewing technology and human labor as competing forces to a “marriage of convenience,” focusing on integrating technology with staff support and training to enhance both the guest and employee experience. Successful brands design tech systems that work together seamlessly, balancing automation with human interaction to improve speed, accuracy, and customer loyalty while optimizing operations.
https://modernrestaurantmanagement.com/qsrs-moving-beyond-the-tech-vs-human-debate/
ViVa Ristorante in Elkridge, Howard County, employs autonomous robot waiters to deliver food and drinks, providing a futuristic dining experience that aims to address restaurant labor shortages and changing customer habits. Customers order via QR codes and robots handle deliveries while human staff assist with drinks, bussing, and other needs; despite some initial skepticism and minor service hiccups, the robots offer both efficiency and entertainment at the eatery.
