Ben Coley

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Senior Editor at FSR

Editor at QSR

Senior Editor at WTWH Media LLC

UNC alumnus. Formerly @DTHSports, @newsargussports, @lexdispatch. Currently @FSRmag & @QSRmagazine

Articles

Wendy's Asks Guests to Make a Difference During National Foster Care Month

6 days ago | qsrmagazine.com | Ben Coley

MilkShake Factory to Open in Riverview, Florida MilkShake Factory, the neighborhood dessert destination known for its handspun milkshakes and small batch, premium chocolates, is opening its newest location in Riverview, FL on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
Sweetgreen Feels the Consumer Chill

6 days ago | qsrmagazine.com | Ben Coley

Count Sweetgreen among the growing list of public restaurant chains feeling the pressure of a more cautious consumer base. The fast casual reported total revenue of $166.3 million in the first quarter, up from $157.9 million a year ago. Same-store sales declined 3.1 percent—its first negative comp as a public company. The decline reflected a 3.4 percent lift from menu price increases but a 6.5 percent hit from traffic and mix.
Burger King Banks on Better Operators, Remodels to Weather Tough Environment

1 week ago | qsrmagazine.com | Ben Coley

Although Burger King saw a decline in U.S. same-store sales in Q1—as did most in the industry—the chain isn’t hanging its head. Comps dropped 1.1 percent, but the chain reported that it’s still outperforming the broader QSR burger category, which proves to leadership that its ongoing Reclaim the Flame turnaround plan is working. A major part of the strategy is improving operations. Burger King just completed franchisee road shows where it found strong willingness from operators to raise standards.
Actors Anthony Anderson and Cedric The Entertainer Open Barbecue Restaurant in Los Angeles

1 week ago | qsrmagazine.com | Ben Coley

Award-winning actors, comedians, and self-proclaimed barbeque enthusiasts Anthony Anderson and Cedric The Entertainer have officially opened the doors to AC Barbeque, their first brick-and-mortar restaurant, at Westfield Century City. An extension of their already wildly popular BBQ brand, the fast-casual barbeque venue introduces a premium experience that blends authentic, robust flavors with southern hospitality on the West Coast.
MilkShake Factory to Open in Riverview, Florida

1 week ago | qsrmagazine.com | Ben Coley

MilkShake Factory, the neighborhood dessert destination known for its handspun milkshakes and small batch, premium chocolates, is opening its newest location in Riverview, FL on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Located in a newly built shopping center at 10446 Stelling Dr., Riverview, FL 33578, the store will celebrate its Grand Opening with a Buy One, Get One Free shake promotion from 12 PM to 4 PM. The Riverview location is owned and operated by Michael Longman.
California Tortilla Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Big Giveaway

1 week ago | qsrmagazine.com | Ben Coley

California Tortilla Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Big Giveaway May 9 2025 California Tortilla, a unique fast-casual restaurant franchise that serves “California style” Mexican food, is turning the big 3-0 this year and celebrating by turning back time. To honor three decades of delicious moments, California Tortilla is inviting fans to take a walk down memory lane and share their favorite memories with the brand through a Memory Contest. From now until June 1, 2025, fans can submit their...
Apex Expands Smart Food Locker Line with Modular, Scalable ‘Array’ Series

1 week ago | qsrmagazine.com | Ben Coley

Apex Order Pickup SolutionsThe Array Series helps QSRs, fast casual brands and other foodservice operators eliminate pickup bottlenecks, optimize staffing, and prevent order mix-ups and theft.
Apex Expands Smart Food Locker Line with Modular, Scalable ‘Array’ Series

1 week ago | fsrmagazine.com | Ben Coley

Apex Order Pickup Solutions, the pioneer in automated order pickup technology for streamlining off-premises order handoff, today announced OrderHQ Array Series, a new modular, scalable line of pickup solutions that can be deployed in any configuration and in any space that fits a restaurant’s floor plan. The flexibility of Apex’s newest product line enables operators to achieve the efficiencies of automated food pickup without expensive remodeling.
Krispy Kreme Halts McDonald’s Expansion as Doughnut Demand Falls Short

1 week ago | qsrmagazine.com | Ben Coley

Krispy Kreme is putting the brakes on its McDonald’s rollout, just six months after its national expansion plan began. Thus far, the doughnut chain has reached 2,400 restaurants, but demand has dropped below expectations. No stores will be added in Q2, and in the meantime, both sides will work on finding a profitable business model.
Portillo’s Sees Soft Starts for New Stores

1 week ago | qsrmagazine.com | Ben Coley

Portillo’s kicked off fiscal 2025 with a mixed bag of results. Total revenue for the first quarter reached $176.4 million, a 6.4 percent increase year-over-year. Same-store sales were up 1.8 percent, driven largely by a 4.9 percent increase in average check. That growth was partially offset by a 3.1 percent decline in transactions. Company leaders attributed the higher average check to a 4.4 percent hike in select menu prices and a 0.5 percent increase in product mix.