McDonald’s big plans for 2026. New owners for Protein Bar. Consumer expectations rise faster than brands can improve. Five Guys goes all in on its new Las Vegas location. Plus, meet Brother Joe. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

McDonald’s has big plans for 2026. The chain intends to open more than 8,000 units worldwide to help reach its goal of having 50,000 locations systemwide by 2027, per a Mashed story.

In the back of the house, McDonald’s will integrate AI-powered tools that monitor kitchen equipment, alert managers when issues arise and even optimize cooking times based on order volume. The Chicago-based burger chain will also look to improve the drive-thru and mobile ordering experiences.

McDonald’s plans to update its menu with a series of drinks tested and developed at its now-closed CosMc’s concept. The chain also plans a new and updated burger initiative.

In addition, because of the U.S. Treasury’s decision to stop making pennies, McDonald’s will start rounding up its cash transactions. Credit and debit card transactions will remain the same.

Foodservice News

• Consumer expectations are rising faster than brands can improve. That was one of the key takeaways from the 28th Annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index Study. The report shows consumer expectations increased 32% year-over-year, the largest single increase since its inception. Along those lines, the report notes customers want more from every brand touchpoint and will reward brands that deliver. The data also shows it costs 17 to 25 times less to keep a customer than acquire one. Looking at brand loyalty winners by restaurant segment, McDonald’s was the leader in the fast-food category, Chipotle in fast casual, Dunkin in out-of-home coffee and Domino’s in pizza.
• Five Guys' newest Las Vegas location has a few notable features. Specifically, the 10,000 square foot location includes the chain’s first-ever full walk-up bar serving alcoholic beverages such as beer, cocktails, and boozy shakes. Located in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort, the restaurant also serves breakfast all day. This flagship unit features custom murals and neon signage inspired by classic Vegas iconography, including dice, cards, and a Vegas Vic-inspired design element. A glass-walled potato prep room gives guests a behind-the-scenes look at how Five Guys prepares its hand-cut fries.
• Multiconcept operator Founders Table Restaurant Group has acquired Protein Bar & Kitchen, per multiple published reports, including this one from the Chicago Sun Times. Founders Table owns a variety of restaurant chains, including Chopt and Dos Toros Taqueria. The deal aims to accelerate Protein Bar’s plans to add company-owned locations across the U.S., as well as in nontraditional venues such as airports, healthcare operations, etc.
• Dutch Bros. acquired Clutch Coffee Bar. Following a short closure and renovation period, Clutch Coffee Bar locations across North Carolina and South Carolina will reopen as Dutch Bros, per Clutch Coffee Bar’s website. Clutch Coffee had 20 locations at the time of the acquisition.
• Darden’s appetite for growth via acquisitions seems unsatiated. The full-service restaurant operator is looking at acquiring more chains to increase its market share and scale, per a Restaurant Business story.
• Peter Cancro can’t seem to get enough of Jersey Mike’s subs. In April of 2025, Cancro stepped down from serving as CEO for the chain, 50 years after acquiring its first location. Now, as part of franchisee JM Submarines UK LTD, he plans to open 400 Jersey Mike’s Locations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
• Wondering where the next generation of foodservice workers or entrepreneurs will come from? Check out Chicago’s St. Patrick High School. Last week, the all-boys Catholic high school opened Brother Joe’s, a coffee shop serving hot and cold brews, specialty drinks and some food, per the Patrick Instagram account. For previous generations, mine included, getting a job in foodservice was a rite of passage. With that seemingly a thing of the past, it’s great to see a school encouraging its students to get hands-on in the foodservice industry.
• Wawa has closed its digital-focused location in Philadelphia, per a C-Store Dive story. The store replaced its shelves with ordering kiosks in 2023. Customers placed their orders digitally, either through the app or via kiosks, and then store workers would compile the items.
• FAT Brands continues to try to work through its debt woes, but it will take time to do so, according to CEO Andy Wiederhorn. The debt is at the brand level and is in “five different securitization trusts secured by different brands,” he said in a Franchise Times story. Attempts to renegotiate the debt out of court have been unsuccessful, the story added. FAT Brands owns 18 restaurant brands, including Fazoli’s, Fatburger and Great American Cookies.

Economic News

• Inflation increased at a rate of 2.7% for the 12-month period ending in December 2025, per data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Food-away-from-home (restaurant) prices increased 4.1% for the period compared to 2.4% for food-at-home (grocery) prices.
• Industrial Production increased 0.4% in December and grew at an annual rate of 0.7% in the fourth quarter, per data from the U.S. Federal Reserve. Manufacturing output rose 0.2% in December but declined at an annual rate of 0.7% in the fourth quarter. At 102.3% of its 2017 average, total IP in December was 2.0% more than its year-earlier level. Capacity utilization stepped up to 76.3%, a rate that is 3.2 percentage points less than its long-run (1972–2024) average.
• Sales of existing homes increased 5.1% in December 2025 on a month over month basis, per data from the National Association of Realtors. Sales increased in all regions. December’s sales were the strongest in nearly three years, per an analysis from CNBC.