Think c-store foodservice programs are not a threat to quick-service restaurants? Think again.

The Retailer Preference Index QSR Edition named Buc-ee’s as the top-ranked QSR in the country. Rounding out consumers’ list of the top five QSRs were Kwik Trip (another c-store), In-N-Out, Raising Cane’s and Chick-fil-A.

This report defines QSRs as “foodservice retailers offering fast, convenient meal solutions, including traditional QSR chains and leading convenience stores where the majority of customers use that convenience store as a meal destination.”

“We are clearly seeing that a majority of consumers now see convenience stores as legitimate, and sometimes preferable, quick service meal destinations,” said Matt O'Grady, president of the Americas for dunnhumby, which administers the study.

Other key takeaways from the study include:

• Top-performing QSRs are growing significantly faster. Over the past 5 years, retailers in the top quartile increased foot traffic by 5.9% annually, compared to just 0.2% for those in the bottom quartile and 2.5% for the third quartile. This means top performers are growing six times faster than most other retailers.
• Buc-ee's and Starbucks lead in visibility. These two brands stand out for their strong presence on social media and branded merchandise.
• Dunkin' dominates breakfast. An eye-popping 76% of Dunkin' customers visit for breakfast, 14 percentage points greater than second-place Starbucks. Dunkin' also ranks in the top 10 for coffee, snack, and dessert missions, making it the only brand to lead in a major meal occasion while also excelling in multiple secondary categories.

Foodservice News:

• Wienerschnitzel opened its first restaurant inside a Walmart Supercenter. The Tempe, Ariz.-based location is the first of six franchised units the hot dog chain plans to open inside Walmart locations across the U.S. Additional units will open in Washington, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and California.
• The pace of acquisitions in the restaurant industry could quicken in 2026 due to a variety of factors, per a Restaurant Dive story. These include high-performing brands seeking fresh capital, underperformers looking for turnaround sponsors and private equity eyeing franchisees.
• Speaking of potential transactions, keep an eye on Cold Stone Creamery parent MTY Group. The multiconcept operator issued a press release saying it’s exploring “strategic alternatives” that include a sale of all or part of the company as well as continuing to follow its current business plan. Its portfolio of brands includes Wetzel’s Pretzels, BBQ Holdings and Papa Murphy’s.
• The number of independent restaurants has declined by 1.4% through the third quarter of 2025, per data from Technomic. Full-service restaurants were hit a little harder than other segments, experiencing a decline of 1.7% units. Limited-service independents declined 1.0%.
• Nostalgia is on the menu at Shakey’s courtesy of the chain’s new flagship design. Key design elements include retro signage, warm lighting and 1980’s 1980s-inspired decor. It will also feature what Shakey’s describes as a “time-honored menu,” which includes handcrafted pizzas, fried chicken and more. The chain’s popular Bunch of Lunch Buffet will be part of the new design, too. Shakey’s will debut the design in a Culver City, Calif., location.
• Ford Motor Company’s new corporate headquarters embraces the notion that collaboration often occurs over food. The facility features a 160,000-square-foot dining area with eight kitchen concepts, as CNBC reports. The 2.1-million-square-foot facility opened in Dearborn, Mich., over the weekend, although construction is expected to continue through 2027.
• Want to gauge the power of seasonal offerings? Look no further than Starbucks’ Bearista. When the chain rolled out its Bearista Cold Cup on Nov. 6, 2025, Starbucks saw customer traffic increase nearly 38% compared to its 12-month daily average, per a report from ai. What’s more, the cup became a viral sensation. By Nov. 7, people were reselling the cups via various e-commerce platforms for anywhere from $150 to more than $1,000, per various published reports.
• Little Caesar’s opened its first-ever completely self-serve restaurant. Located in Rockford, Ill., the 2,280 square foot restaurant offers a completely contactless experience, as the unit does not have a traditional walk-up counter, per a story from television station NBC5 in Chicago. Guests will place orders through the chain’s app or online and then access their food in the store’s “Mobile Order Pickup Zone.” There’s also a self-checkout feature in the store.
• Whole Foods will open two more of its Daily Shop locations before the end of the year, per a company release. These smaller format stores target urban settings and offer a variety of prepared food products, including rotisserie chicken, entrée salads, sandwiches and more. The two locations set to open in 2025 are in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Hoboken, N.J.
• Restauranteur Sam Fox and entertainer Justin Timberlake plan to open a new location of their concept, The Twelve Thirty Club, Restaurant Hospitality reports. A combination of honky tonk and supper club, the inaugural location opened in Nashville in 2021. The new venue will cover 35,000 square feet, which is 10,000 square feet more than the initial location and will cost $30 million to build.
• America’s Incredible Pizza Company has changed its name to Incredible Food and Fun. Naturally, a new name means a new design, which the company will debut in its Springfield, Mo., flagship location before eventually rolling it out to other units. “The new name and visual identity reflect the company’s evolution over 25 years, growing from an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet into a nationally recognized destination for attractions, modern food experiences, and unforgettable family moments,” per a release announcing the transition. The company operates corporate locations in Springfield, Mo., Warr Acres and Tulsa, Ok., San Antonio and Memphis, Tenn. It has franchise locations in Conroe, Texas, as well as Chihuahua and Monterrey, Mexico.
• Kudos to Vivreau’s Davin Wickstrom for receiving the SHFM Foundation Dick Cattani Fellowship Award.  Named in honor of industry icon Dick Cattani, this award recognizes a SHFM member “who has made significant contributions to the success of the Foundation and the industry.”

Economic News

• Foodservice operators appeared to get a little relief from rising food prices. This is due to the fact that President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order scrapping U.S. tariffs on beef, coffee, tropical fruits and other commodity items, as this NPR story reports. The National Restaurant Association was quick to come out in support of this move. “This action delivers needed relief for restaurants and their customers at a time when food costs have risen nearly 40% over the past four years,” said Michelle Korsmo, the association’s president and CEO, in a statement. “While we prioritize U.S. sourcing, many products simply cannot be grown domestically due to seasonal and climate limitations. This action will help keep menus diverse and prices reasonable, which is good for families and great for local businesses.”
• The outlook for the housing market remains gray. First the good news: the November Housing Market Index increased one point, per the latest from the National Association of Home Builders. Now the bad news: the index came in at 38 and any reading of less than 50 indicates home builders are do not feel confident about the near-term for housing.