KFC, Nathan’s Famous, Wendy’s, Dog Haus, and Twin Peaks lead RestaurantNews.com’s Top 20 stories for the week ending March 23, 2025.
1) KFC Drops New “Dunk It Bucket” Featuring Mashed Potato Poppers – It’s a Feast Made for Dipping
KFC’s first new bucket in nearly a decade includes hand-breaded Original Recipe Tenders, Secret Recipe Fries, Mashed Potato Poppers and sauce-on-sauce.
2) Nathan’s Famous Announces Opening of Rock Hill, SC Franchised Location Featuring New Free-Standing Restaurant Design
The location features the Nathan’s new free-standing restaurant design and its full menu including the brand’s proprietary southern tempura batter and hand-dipped chicken menu, fresh Angus burgers, world-famous hot dogs and fries, and even deep-fried ripper dogs.
3) Nothing Beats Fresh: Wendy’s Drops $1 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger or $1 Double Stack in the App to Fuel Fans Through March Madness
Now through Sunday, April 13, fans can score bracket-winning deals with Wendy’s as the Official Hamburger of March Madness, including a $1 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger or a $1 Double Stack with an additional purchase exclusively with the offer in the Wendy’s app.
4) New Restaurant Menu Offerings from Bobby’s Burgers, Firehouse Subs, and Farmer Boys!
Here’s what’s On The Menu at Bobby’s Burgers By Bobby Flay, Firehouse Subs, Farmer Boys, Tender Greens, and City Barbeque.
5) Dog Haus Expands National Footprint with New Franchise Locations in Ohio and Arkansas
Dog Haus, the renowned brand known for its gourmet burgers, brats and brews, is bringing its one-of-a-kind dining into new markets.
6) Twin Peaks Opens New Lodge in Algonquin, Illinois
Known for its 29-degree draft beer, made-from-scratch kitchen and unbeatable game-day environment, this marks Twin Peaks’ fourth location in Illinois and the 116th lodge across the U.S. and Mexico.
7) Toastique Set To Expand to Laredo, TX in Spring of 2025
Opening in spring 2025, Toastique Laredo will offer gourmet toast creations, smoothie bowls, nutrient-rich cold-pressed juices, smoothies, espresso, coffee, and grab-and-go options.
8) Rooster & Rice Expands to Costa Mesa: A New Hub for Healthy, Simple, and Delicious Eating
Known for its minimalist yet flavor-packed menu featuring Thai-style chicken rice (Khao Mun Gai), Rooster & Rice has cultivated a devoted following, proving that great food doesn’t need to be complicated – it just needs to be made right.
9) Mountain Mike’s Pizza Introduces Mountain-Sized Pizzas to Greater Green Bay Area With Bellevue Opening
The Bellevue restaurant is owned and operated by Mountain Mike’s franchisees Ranbir Shergill and Jasmeet Shergill, who have exclusive rights to develop at least two additional Mountain Mike’s locations in the Green Bay region along with an additional two units in Milwaukee.
10) Restaurant Franchise News from Famous Dave’s, Rotolo’s Craft & Crust, Juice It Up!, and More!
Catch up on the latest restaurant franchise news from Famous Dave’s, Rotolo’s Craft & Crust, Juice It Up!, Jollibee, and Chocolate Bash.
11) US Foods Harnesses Momentum of $1 Billion in Scoop Product Sales in 2024 With Launch of 18 New Products
Building off the exciting momentum of the company generating more than $1 billion in sales for US Foods Exclusive Brands (private label) products launched in Scoop for the first time in 2024, Spring 2025 Scoop highlights 18 new products designed to provide foodservice operators with high quality, innovative, versatile and labor-saving solutions to attract and retain diners while addressing back-of-house inefficiencies.
12) BBQ Fans Rejoice: Award-Winning BP Smokehouse Launches Nationwide Franchise Opportunity
Founded by retired Wisconsin State Trooper Darren Price, BP Smokehouse has built a reputation for excellence, seamlessly merging time-honored BBQ traditions with a passion for delivering high-quality smoked meats, authentic flavors, and a customer-first approach.
13) Qu’s 2025 State of Digital Report: How Restaurants Can Win with Direct Ordering, Smarter Tech and Unified Data
Based on data from 170 brands across 85,000 locations, the report uncovers a growing shift as brands reclaim the guest relationship and streamline systems to fuel profitable growth.
14) International Dairy Queen Hires Art D’Elia as Chief Operating Officer
D’Elia to lead DQ business in the U.S. and Canada, including nearly 275 DQ employees, 3,700 DQ franchise owners and nearly 5,000 DQ restaurants.
15) Firebirds Announces Key Executive Promotions
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, the award-winning, polished-casual American restaurant and steakhouse, has announced the promotion of Steve Sturm to Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Andy Seiple to Corporate Executive Chef.
16) Bee-hold: Red Robin Enters its Swicy Era with New Mike’s Hot Honey Collaboration
Mouthwatering new dishes bring a perfect blend of sweet heat for those looking to add a bold flavor twist to their taste buds.
17) BIGGBY COFFEE Celebrates 30 Years with a 95-Cent Caramel Marvel Latte on March 26
The high-energy coffee brand is inviting fans to celebrate three decades of love, community and great coffee with a special throwback deal.
18) Salad and Go Taps Kalibrate’s Location Intelligence Platform to Guide Future Store Growth
The one-of-a-kind salad chain has selected Kalibrate as its location intelligence partner to support its future growth strategy across the U.S.
19) Nick the Greek Adds Tasty Traditional Twist To Flavorful Menu With New Mediterranean Steak Bowl
Developed under the culinary leadership of renowned chef Luis Moreno, the bowl is available now at all locations and features seasoned steak, a medley of fresh vegetables, crisp chickpeas and fan-favorite hummus along with toum and harissa, which add a creamy and spicy kick to the brand’s signature Greek-inspired dishes.
20) Chronic Tacos Serves Up a BOGO Burrito Deal for National Burrito Day – Exclusive to Loyalty Members!
For one day only, Chronic Tacos Loyalty Members can indulge in a Buy One, Get One (BOGO) Burrito offer, available exclusively through the Chronic Tacos App.
https://www.restaurantnews.com/chronic-tacos-serves-up-a-bogo-burrito-deal-for-national-burrito-day-exclusive-to-loyalty-members-031825/