New Burger King restaurant on The Strand, London, UK, October 2, 2025.
Mike Kemp | In Photography | Getty Images
Juicier chicken tenders. The source has been improved. A richer, creamier frosty.
Across the restaurant industry, chains are turning their focus back to their food, hoping improved quality will bring customers back.
Data from Black Box Intelligence shows that over the past two years, consumers have eaten out less frequently and become more particular about where they eat. Throughout that time, “value” has been a buzzword for restaurateurs, who have explained to analysts and investors that the word encompasses more than just menu pricing.
Today, industry CEOs are looking to their chefs to outperform their rivals on quality and taste in order to expand their definition of value. Discounts and one-time promotions may temporarily increase traffic, but the actual product is still important to a restaurant’s long-term growth and franchisee profitability.
from wendy’s to Chipotle Mexican GrillCEOs touted new or upcoming improvements to menu items during quarterly earnings calls in recent weeks.
“We think the product has improved and is even better,” Chipotle CEO Scott Boatright told analysts on the company’s conference call in late October, referring to the burrito chain’s brisket, which returned to menus for a limited time on Thursday.
turnaround strategy
For some chains, better food is a key step in ambitious turnaround plans.
For example, “high-quality food with real value” is one of the pillars of the Wendy’s chain’s five-part turnaround strategy announced Thursday.
“We are also reimagining our food offering and have begun testing improvements to the quality and ease of eating of our core products, including thicker, crispier bacon, richer and creamier Frosties, whole leaf lettuce in sandwiches and improved salads,” Wendy’s CEO Bob Wright told analysts on a conference call Thursday.
On the same day, the company reported its seventh consecutive quarter of declining same-store sales and publicly rejected a $1.4 billion takeover proposal led by Nelson Peltz’s Trian Partners. Wendy’s said the proposal does not take into account the potential value a turnaround plan could unlock.
There is precedent to suggest that tastier food can help increase sales.
In 2009, domino pizza I changed the recipe, changed the sauce, added garlic to the dough, and switched to shredded mozzarella with a hint of provolone. The changes, along with a candid commercial that compared old dough to cardboard and old sauce to ketchup, helped boost U.S. same-store sales growth by 9.9% the following year.
Now, some of the same team that led the turnaround of Domino’s Pizza is copying that strategy at Burger King’s U.S. restaurants.
As part of the burger chain’s multi-year revival plan, there is a focus on revamping its core menu items. Starting with its flagship Whopper product at the beginning of this year, the buns have been improved and the mayonnaise has also been updated. In September, the company began a complete overhaul of its nuggets, switching to 100% white meat, crunchier breading, and more flavorful marinades. The sauce has also been reformulated.
“We tried to look at the biggest categories first,” said Josh Kobza, CEO of Burger King’s parent company. restaurant brand internationalhe told CNBC. “We also looked at things that were easier to fix and less operationally burdensome.”
After the change, Whopper sales increased by a double-digit percentage in the third quarter, Kobza said on an earnings call in late October. And Nugget sales increased by more than 35%. Burger King announced that U.S. same-store sales increased 8.4% in the quarter.
Like Domino’s Pizza, Burger King uses Tom Curtis, president of Burger King U.S. and former Domino’s Pizza executive, in its ads to highlight diners’ past complaints about Whoppers and nuggets.
strengthen strengths
Better food isn’t just for struggling chains.
Even Chili’s, which has seen a 52% increase in same-store sales over the past three years, is further improving its existing menu options. After eating baby back ribs, burgers, and nachos, move on to salads and steaks. blinker international CEO Kevin Hockman told CNBC.
“We’re going to do more dry aging of the beef to make it more tender, rather than doing it in a factory,” he said. “It’s a little more expensive, but I think it tastes a lot better.”
Chili’s rival Applebee’s launched juicier chicken tenders in the latest quarter, according to John Payton, CEO of the Chili chain’s parent company. dining brand. In 2027, Applebee’s plans to further overhaul its protein options.
“We think protein is the biggest opportunity of all,” Peyton told CNBC. “Secondly, it’s a big focus right now when people think about their diets, focusing on protein and a little less on carbohydrates.”
Also pay attention to chicken mcdonaldsis testing hand-breaded wings, strips and sandwiches at a handful of Chicago-area restaurants. The company plans to expand the trial to more locations in the United States and Ireland in early 2027.
Additionally, McDonald’s is looking to improve the quality of its coffee by using fresher beans and upgrading its equipment, executives said at the company’s investor day in September. Chicken and coffee are both fast-growing categories, with plenty of opportunity to increase sales beyond McDonald’s signature beef burger.
The burger giant hasn’t gone into full rebuild mode like rivals Wendy’s and Burger King, but its U.S. business has struggled in recent quarters as its value strategy hasn’t gained the traction it had hoped. U.S. same-store sales fell 0.2% in the third quarter.
In addition to menu testing, McDonald’s is also focusing on training to improve the quality and consistency of its core menu items. In October, the company launched Make It Golden, a multi-year training program for corporate employees, restaurant employees and franchisees.
After all, improved menu items mean little if recipe changes aren’t executed properly.
