New Burger King restaurant on the Strand in London, U.K., Oct. 2, 2025.
Mike Kemp | In Pictures | Getty Images
Juicier chicken tenders. Revamped sauces. Richer and creamier Frosties.
Across the restaurant industry, chains are turning their focus back to their food in the hopes that better quality will win back diners.
Over the last two years, consumers have dined out less frequently and grown pickier about where they choose to eat, based on data from Black Box Intelligence. In that time, “value” has been the buzzword du jour for restaurant executives, who have explained to analysts and investors that the word encompasses more than menu pricing alone.
Now, industry CEOs are turning to their corporate chefs to try to beat rivals on quality and taste, as they look to expand their definition of value. Discounts and one-off promotions can lift traffic for a time, but the actual product still matters for restaurants’ long-term growth, as well…
