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FSR

@FSRmag

The magazine for America’s full-service restaurant chefs, owners, executives, and industry leaders. Sister publication to @QSRmagazine

 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
fsrmagazine.com/
Joined April 2011
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#BREAKING: Sam Fox is leaving Fox Restaurant Concepts 7 years after the $353M deal that shook up the full-service dining landscape. Fox sat down with FSR to share why now was the right time to step down, and what he's setting his sights on next... fsrmagazine.com/feature/afte…
After Fox Restaurant Concepts, Sam Fox is Authoring a New Kind of Hospitality

After Fox Restaurant Concepts, Sam Fox is Authoring a New Kind of Hospitality

Sam Fox’s name is synonymous with excellence in the restaurant world. The acclaimed entrepreneur went from a college dropout to opening nearly 200 restaurants across the country over the past three...

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First Watch is testing TikTok GO to turn digital discovery into restaurant visits—as the chain adds locations faster than traffic is growing. 📱 fsrmagazine.com/feature/firs…
First Watch Gets Ready for a TikTok Test as Growth Continues

First Watch Gets Ready for a TikTok Test as Growth Continues

Chris Tomasso has held the CEO role at First Watch for more than eight years. By this time in 2027—he elevated to the spot that June—he’ll have been a lead executive as long as he was a chief...

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Dine Brands, the parent company of Applebee’s, IHOP, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, has rejected a recent unsolicited buyout proposal, arguing that the offer substantially undervalues the company. fsrmagazine.com/feature/dine…
Dine Brands Rejects Buyout Offer

Dine Brands Rejects Buyout Offer

Dine Brands, the parent company of Applebee’s, IHOP, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, has rejected a buyout proposal from investment firms Arkhouse Management and Cobblers Cove Capital, arguing that the offer...

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Join us tomorrow for a conversation with Firebirds' Jordan Johnson on how she built a catering program designed to scale across 70+ locations in 23 states—without compromising the dine-in experience. Sign up for the FREE webinar here ⬇️ event.on24.com/wcc/r/5526321…
Image from FSR (@FSRmag)
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Behind a 10.1% same-store sales jump and 6.4% traffic surge in Q1, Chili’s CEO Kevin Hochman is proving that everyday casual dining fundamentals beat flash-in-the-pan gimmicks. fsrmagazine.com/feature/chil…
Chili's Keeps its Sales Run Going, No Magic Tricks Involved

Chili's Keeps its Sales Run Going, No Magic Tricks Involved

Chili’s isn’t advertising heavily right now or riding the buzz of a specific, viral campaign. And yet, it just posted same-store sales growth of 10.1 percent in Q1 at company units, bringing its...

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Two investment firms are seeking to buy Dine Brands prompting a potential ownership change for the parent of Applebee’s, IHOP, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. fsrmagazine.com/feature/dine…
Dine Brands Receives Reported Buyout Bid, Adopts Poison Pill

Dine Brands Receives Reported Buyout Bid, Adopts Poison Pill

Two investment firms are seeking to buy Dine Brands prompting a potential ownership change for the parent of Applebee’s, IHOP, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. Cobblers Cove Capital and Arkhouse Management...

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Across eight unique Florida concepts, SunPubs CEO Randy Esponda is betting on run clubs, cold plunges, and reinforced kitchen leadership to redefine what brings guests into full-service dining. fsrmagazine.com/feature/what…
What a 20-Year Hospitality Veteran is Betting on to Redefine Full-Service Dining

What a 20-Year Hospitality Veteran is Betting on to Redefine Full-Service Dining

Since opening his first restaurant in the Tampa Bay area more than two decades ago, Randy Esponda has not only watched guest preferences evolve firsthand, but played a large role in developing the...

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The Cheesecake Factory’s Q3 traffic surge is giving the casual chain a chance to turn social media attention into lasting guest loyalty, and it is investing in the restaurant experience to make those visits count. fsrmagazine.com/feature/the-…
The Cheesecake Factory’s Traffic Surges as Social Buzz Brings New Guests

The Cheesecake Factory’s Traffic Surges as Social Buzz Brings New Guests

The Cheesecake Factory’s Q3 traffic surge is giving the casual chain a chance to turn social media attention into lasting guest loyalty, and it is investing in the restaurant experience to make those...

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DoorDash is in advanced talks to acquire Instacart. The potential $17 billion deal would bring together two major delivery platforms as competition expands across restaurants, grocery, and retail. fsrmagazine.com/feature/door…
DoorDash in Talks to Acquire Instacart in Potential $17 Billion Deal

DoorDash in Talks to Acquire Instacart in Potential $17 Billion Deal

DoorDash is in advanced talks to acquire grocery delivery platform Instacart in a deal that could value the company at approximately $17 billion, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and...

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Landry’s and TREW Capital Management are preparing to take ownership of several prominent New York City restaurants following a bankruptcy auction that resulted in a $22.2 million deal. fsrmagazine.com/feature/land…
Landry's and TREW Capital to Acquire Fireman Group Restaurants in $22 Million Deal

Landry's and TREW Capital to Acquire Fireman Group Restaurants in $22 Million Deal

Landry’s and TREW Capital Management are preparing to take ownership of several prominent New York City restaurants following a bankruptcy auction that resulted in a $22.2 million deal for The...

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Michelle Chin, @Applebees CMO, wants to win more everyday guest visits beyond birthdays and game days—so she’s connecting menu & marketing around the moments before and after the main event: dinner after a movie, wings before a game... More: fsrmagazine.com/feature/appl…
Applebee’s CMO Michelle Chin Wants to Make Dining Out Feel Easy Again

Applebee’s CMO Michelle Chin Wants to Make Dining Out Feel Easy Again

Michelle Chin spent her first year as Applebee’s CMO visiting restaurants, meeting franchisees, and watching how employees interacted with their regulars. Some guests had favorite seats. Others...

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After two years of work on sourcing, preparation, and employee training, Outback is giving customers new reasons to return. fsrmagazine.com/feature/outb…
Outback Steakhouse is Going All In on Better Steaks

Outback Steakhouse is Going All In on Better Steaks

Outback Steakhouse wants to give customers a new reason to return, and it’s starting with the product that built its reputation nearly four decades ago. The casual-dining chain is reworking nearly...

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Alexa Bunting knows discounts can drive first-time visits, but she’s betting P.F. Chang’s resurgence will hinge on cultural storytelling that keeps guests coming back. fsrmagazine.com/feature/how-…
How P.F. Chang’s Alexa Bunting Turned Customer Curiosity into Brand Storytelling

How P.F. Chang’s Alexa Bunting Turned Customer Curiosity into Brand Storytelling

Alexa Bunting’s career began in sales at fine jewelry retailers, where she grew curious about the psychology behind why customers buy. That curiosity sent her back to school for a master’s degree in...

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Chili’s CMO George Felix says the Triple Dipper’s success wasn’t luck—it grew from $220 million to more than $860 million in sales. New flavors, social content, and restaurant execution kept a viral moment selling. fsrmagazine.com/feature/how-…
How Chili's Took Control of the Cultural Conversation Again

How Chili's Took Control of the Cultural Conversation Again

Chili’s same-store sales have gained a collective 50 percent over the past three years. So, CMO and EVP George Felix wasn’t dealing in hyperbole when he told investors recently the brand had been...

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New Orleans' historic bars are evolving for today’s drinkers. Tujague’s is serving $1.70 mini Grasshoppers for its 170th anniversary, while the Sazerac Bar's Matt Schulte balances heritage recipes with modern riffs. fsrmagazine.com/feature/how-…
How New Orleans Keeps Cocktail History Alive

How New Orleans Keeps Cocktail History Alive

At the Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt New Orleans, history isn’t tucked behind glass. It lives in the African walnut bar, the Art Deco murals, the silver pieces behind the bar—and, every night, in the...

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John Peyton sees more than two brands under one roof: Two-thirds of tickets at Applebee’s-IHOP combo restaurants include items from both menus. With 45 open, Dine Brands is turning more dayparts into opportunity. fsrmagazine.com/feature/how-…
How Applebee's and IHOP Gave Customers 'Something They Didn’t Know They Wanted'

How Applebee's and IHOP Gave Customers 'Something They Didn’t Know They Wanted'

John Peyton, sitting at Dine Brands HQ in Pasadena, California, was some 8,000 miles away from where the first dual-branded IHOP and Applebee’s sprung up in Dubai. Being so far from corporate, he...

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Shark Club sees room for growth in a crowded U.S. sports bar market with its elevated food program, flexible real estate strategy, and focus on hospitality. Its second U.S. location puts that ambition inside a Dallas Stars-affiliated multisport complex. fsrmagazine.com/feature/cana…
Canadian Concept Shark Club Finds its Opening in America’s Crowded Sports Bar Scene

Canadian Concept Shark Club Finds its Opening in America’s Crowded Sports Bar Scene

Shark Club’s second U.S. restaurant could prove to be much more than another dot on the map. The Canadian-born sports bar opened in Northlake, Texas, in August, seven years after making its U.S....

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Once-iconic Mexican chain Chi-Chi’s is one year into its big comeback. 🌮 Guest feedback is helping shape the revival, including smaller lunch portions and more accessible prices. Read more: fsrmagazine.com/feature/one-…
One Year In, Michael McDermott is Writing Chi-Chi's Next Chapter

One Year In, Michael McDermott is Writing Chi-Chi's Next Chapter 

For Michael McDermott, the resurgence of Chi-Chi’s is personal. As the son of co-founder Marno McDermott, he grew up running around in the restaurants before going on to build concepts like Kona...

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NEW: Uber has agreed to acquire ezCater for $2.3 billion in an all-cash deal—a major move into workplace catering. Read more ⬇️ fsrmagazine.com/feature/uber…
A modern glass building with the Uber logo on the facade. In the foreground is the ezCater logo, featuring a stylized "ez" in a green square next to the word "cater." A palm tree is visible.

ALT A modern glass building with the Uber logo on the facade. In the foreground is the ezCater logo, featuring a stylized "ez" in a green square next to the word "cater." A palm tree is visible.

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Here's a case study of how wine bar chain Postino is rethinking what a loyalty program should do in full-service dining across 30+ locations. fsrmagazine.com/feature/turn…
Turning Guest Data Into Better Hospitality

Turning Guest Data Into Better Hospitality

The most memorable restaurant experiences often are rooted in recognition, in the small signals that tell a guest this place knows them.  “The best hospitality is personal,” says Brittany Baldwin,...

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