Articles

McDonald’s October promotions drove its busiest weeks of 2026, even as visits trailed last year. See how gas prices shaped traffic.

CAVA’s Q3 visits climbed 16.3% YoY as the chain kept expanding. Find out how Portillo’s returned to same-store growth on a very different schedule.

Denny’s and IHOP narrowed their visit declines in Q3 2026 while Waffle House kept growing. See the strength each legacy breakfast chain can build on.

Taco Bell visits fell 10.1% YoY in Q3 2026 after the cyclospora outbreak. See how quickly the chain bounced back, and how KFC and Habit did.

Casual dining visits rose just 0.2% in Q3 2026, yet four chains posted strong growth. Find out what each is getting right.

Luxury high-street corridors experienced their busiest summers in four years in 2026. Find out how holiday crowds are set to reshape their audience.

Sprouts’ same-store visits rebounded to roughly flat in Q3 2026. Find out which markets held up best, and why.

Shake Shack’s Q3 2026 visits rose 18.7% YoY as new Shacks opened. See how its audience is reaching beyond its urban roots.

Holiday dining patterns highlight upscale and fine-dining restaurants as the strongest seasonal performers, with coffee, casual dining, and eatertainment showing targeted lifts. Emerging YoY trends point to premium full-service concepts leading demand again this December.

Thanksgiving brought a healthy rise in movie theater traffic while still trailing 2024’s exceptional highs. The gap points to a growing reality in the theatrical space: In 2025, audiences show up strongest when franchises – and preferably, multiple franchises at once – lead the way.

Darden is heading into the holiday season with accelerating visit growth across its portfolio. Olive Garden, LongHorn, and Cheddar’s continue to deliver strong same-restaurant gains, while upscale banners like Seasons 52 and Ruth’s Chris are positioned for another robust holiday surge based on early 2025 trends.

Turkey Wednesday 2025 drove major traffic to grocery stores, with traditional supermarkets seeing the biggest visit spikes, while value chains led early-week shopping. Dwell times showed a shift from early stock-up trips to quick last-minute runs, and all analyzed major grocers posted year-over-year visit growth.