Papa Johns Q2 revenue falls 9% as North America sales slump offsets international growth

by Valerie Gritton

August 7, 2026

Papa Johns' turnaround efforts continued to face headwinds in the second quarter, as softer consumer demand and an intensely promotional quick-service…

How Tievoli Pizza Bar tripled sales with a zero-dollar marketing budget

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Husband-and-wife team Giovanni and Adrianna Labbate and their family have built a wildly successful Chicago-area restaurant, Tievoli Pizza Bar, entirely…

The new state of pizza Part 4: Winning the next chapter

by Valerie Gritton

In the final installment our new state of pizza series, we explore how the pizza brands that succeed in the next decade won't simply be the most automated…

How Urban Bird Hot Chicken turned a bad lease into a fast-growing brand

Brandon and Chantel Gawthorp built 32 Wingstop franchises across three states over 20 years, then let it all go to bet on themselves. They opened the first…

Timber Pizza Co. accelerates 2026 franchise growth with new locations

August 3, 2026

Timber Pizza Co. is expanding its franchise footprint in the second half of 2026, preparing to enter the Georgia market for the first time with planned…

3 leaders every Founder must hire to scale

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

To successfully scale a company and transition from an overwhelmed operator to a confident CEO, founders must stop trying to manage everything themselves and…

Domino's paying customers to test app, website

August 3, 2026

Domino's Pizza is paying customers to try its new digital ordering experience by giving them $5 off their next order, the company said in a press release.

From Instagram to storefront: Nicky Slices Pizza Club

July 31, 2026

Nicky Slices founder Nick Williams never intended to build one of St. Louis' most talked-about pizza brands. What began as an Instagram-based take-and-bake…

Yum Brands posts strong Q2, Pizza Hut sale set for August completion

July 30, 2026

Yum! Brands posted strong Q2 2026 results as the company continues with the sale of its Pizza Hut chain.

How Latitude Food Group CEO James O’Reilly is scaling &pizza, Tijuana Flats

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

As CEO of Latitude Food Group, industry veteran James O'Reilly is leveraging a centralized backend support model and rigorous operational discipline to…

Cicis Pizza reports 50.6% systemwide sales growth, plans expansion

July 29, 2026

Cicis Pizza has achieved 50.6% systemwide sales growth over the past five years as President Jeff Hetsel celebrates 34 years with the nearly 300-unit buffet…

Why Taco Cabana is expanding its franchise beyond the Lone Star State

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler chats with Taco Cabana's director of franchise sales and development, John Ramsay…

Mellow Mushroom Pizza inks 6 franchise deals in first half of 2026

July 28, 2026

Mellow Mushroom is entering the second half of 2026 with strong franchise development after signing six deals in the first half of the year, including an…

The Next Generation of Pizza Part 3: How AI is redefining growth beyond value

by Valerie Gritton

As pricing pressures, GLP-1 adoption and changing consumer habits reshape the pizza category, operators are turning to AI, automation and digital engagement to…

Domino's launches 50% off pizza deal

July 27, 2026

Domino's Pizza Inc. is helping customers make the most of the season by offering 50% off all menu-priced pizzas from July 27-Aug. 2, according to a press…

AI and the Future of Restaurants: From Foot Traffic to Predictive Insight

As consumer behavior and privacy expectations evolve, restaurants need smarter ways to understand diners and drive growth. Gladys Kong of Azira and Isabelle…

Presented by Azira

Your Pie drives 2026 growth with data analytics, menu innovation

July 23, 2026

Fast casual pizza brand Your Pie is continuing its 2026 expansion and menu development following major technology upgrades last year. The Ischia…

Hungry Howie’s partners with DoorDash for massive digital overhaul

by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

Hungry Howie’s has partnered with the DoorDash Commerce Platform to completely overhaul its digital ecosystem — including a rebuilt app, unified customer…

Hungry Howie's brings back pizza after 20 years for 1 day only

July 22, 2026

Hungry Howie's is bringing back its Coney Pizza for one day only on National Coney Dog Day, July 30, according to a press release.

Spain's FIFA World Cup-winning team celebrates with pizza from New Jersey shop

July 22, 2026

After defeating Argentina to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Spain's national team celebrated with pizza from Bagels by Jarrett in West Orange, New Jersey. The…