Traditional grocery chains across the U.S. are continuing to trim underperforming stores as competition, softer consumer spending and higher operating costs pressure margins. In California, West Sacramento-based Raley’s, a grocery company founded in 1935, has now confirmed additional closures in its home state. The latest announcement expands a store reduction plan that now stretches across Northern California and into early 2027.

Raley’s confirmed another round of closures on August 24

Raley’s confirmed on August 24 that it plans to close stores in Brentwood, California; Petaluma, California; and Elko, Nevada, according to Supermarket News and Progressive Grocer. Those closures are scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026, in Brentwood, Dec. 8, 2026, in Elko, and Jan. 26, 2027, in Petaluma, trade publications reported after speaking with the company. A Raley’s spokesperson said the decision for each store reflected local market conditions and long-term financial sustainability.

The newly announced closures add to earlier shutdowns already reported this year. Supermarket News said the latest round will bring the total number of Raley’s closures announced for 2026 and early 2027 to seven stores. That total includes earlier closures of a Nob Hill Foods in Mountain View and Raley’s stores in Roseville and Antioch, according to the trade outlet.

The company has framed the moves as store-specific decisions rather than a chainwide retreat. The Los Angeles Times reported that Raley’s said the Brentwood, Elko and Petaluma closures were not part of a broader downsizing effort, even as the grocer continues to evaluate individual locations. The company also told trade media that such decisions are tied to where it can best invest in communities, employees and the business.

Northern California cities are confirmed, but a full California list is still limited

In California, the newly confirmed cities are Brentwood in Contra Costa County and Petaluma in Sonoma County. SFGATE reported that the Petaluma store at 157 N. McDowell Blvd. is expected to close Jan. 26, 2027, and that the Brentwood store at 2400 Sand Creek Road is set to close Nov. 3, 2026. Those are the specific California locations publicly identified in the latest round.

Other California closures tied to Raley’s had already surfaced earlier in 2026, but the company has not released a single comprehensive statewide list covering every affected store in one announcement. Supermarket News reported previous closures in Mountain View, Roseville and Antioch, while SFGATE separately reported that a Nob Hill Foods store in Los Gatos is scheduled to close in June 2027. That means at least six California locations have been publicly identified across reports, but the full state-by-state breakdown has emerged piecemeal rather than through one master company release.

For California shoppers, the practical effect is local. Brentwood and Petaluma now have confirmed closure dates, while Los Gatos has a later timeline tied to the Nob Hill Foods banner. Raley’s still operates more than 100 stores and employs about 11,500 people, according to the Los Angeles Times, so the company’s footprint in California remains substantial despite the closures.

The company points to store economics as grocery pressures continue

Raley’s has attributed the closures to local market conditions and long-term financial sustainability, according to comments reported by Progressive Grocer, Supermarket News and SFGATE. In the Los Gatos case, SFGATE reported that Chief Marketing Officer Carol Barsotti said the company chose not to renew the lease after reviewing store performance and current economic conditions. Those explanations tie the closures to individual store economics rather than a single statewide trigger.

Broader grocery industry conditions also provide context. The Los Angeles Times reported that inflation, reduced food assistance and high gas prices have put pressure on chains including Raley’s, Kroger and Grocery Outlet. SFGATE also cited census data showing grocery spending in California declined from November 2025 through April 2026, a sign of softer consumer demand in the state.

What customers should expect next is clearer in some communities than others. Confirmed dates are in place for Brentwood, Petaluma and Los Gatos, while no broader California closure list has been released beyond locations already reported individually. At the same time, Raley’s has said it plans to open a new store in Madera in March 2027, according to Supermarket News and Progressive Grocer, indicating the company is still investing in selected California markets even as it closes others.

As app-based grocery delivery continues to expand across the U.S., major retailers are adding new partners to reach more households. Costco is the latest to widen its delivery footprint, announcing a national expansion with Uber Eats that members across most of the country are now poised to notice. The change adds another ordering option beyond Costco’s existing same-day setup and reaches far more states than before.

Costco broadens its delivery partnership, reaching 47 states

Costco and Uber announced on September 16, 2026, that Costco delivery through Uber Eats is expanding to 47 states, up from 17, according to Uber’s investor relations statement and reporting from the Associated Press. The companies described the move as a major national expansion of their U.S. partnership, putting Costco on Uber Eats for millions more potential customers. That is the clearest verified scale attached to the change so far.

The expansion means Costco members in newly added coverage areas can place orders through Uber Eats from participating U.S. Costco stores, rather than relying only on in-store shopping or Costco’s existing web-based delivery channels. Uber said Uber One members also qualify for no Uber fees on eligible grocery and retail orders over $60, a benefit tied to the platform rather than Costco membership itself. Costco has long offered delivery in other forms, but this announcement specifically changes the app landscape members will see.

Costco’s own customer-service materials show that same-day grocery delivery has already been powered by Instacart, while 2-day grocery delivery remains available nationwide except in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. This new expansion does not replace those services in the company’s published materials. Instead, it adds a broader Uber Eats option that members in most states may now encounter alongside Costco’s existing delivery programs.

Members nationwide will see broader access, but some details are still limited

For shoppers, the most immediate impact is geographic. Uber said the service is now available in 47 states, which makes this a near-national change rather than a limited regional test. The companies have not, however, released a comprehensive public list of every affected warehouse or every newly added city.

That leaves some local questions unresolved. Costco has not published a full warehouse-by-warehouse map tied to the September 16 expansion, and neither company has publicly detailed which specific metro areas were added first within each state. What is confirmed is the state-level scale: the service moved from availability in 17 states to 47 states, making access substantially broader than it was before.

There are also still differences between Costco delivery channels. Costco’s same-day service pages state that a $35 minimum order applies for qualifying ZIP codes, while help materials also note that long-distance orders may carry a higher minimum and an added fee. Members in areas newly covered by Uber Eats should expect broader app availability, but not necessarily identical pricing, fees, or inventory across every delivery option.

The shift reflects intensifying competition in grocery delivery

The timing reflects a larger competition for grocery orders. The Associated Press reported that DoorDash and Uber Eats have both been expanding their U.S. grocery businesses, and Uber said Costco had been one of the most-searched retailers not yet widely available on its U.S. platform. That helps explain why both companies framed the rollout as a significant national growth move.

Costco’s existing delivery model also provides context. Company customer-service pages continue to separate same-day delivery, which is powered by Instacart, from other shipping methods and from nationwide 2-day grocery delivery. In other words, Costco is not entering delivery for the first time; it is broadening how customers can access delivery and through which platform they place those orders.

For members, the practical result is straightforward. More Costco shoppers across the continental U.S. are likely to see Costco appear in Uber Eats where it was not previously offered, while Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico remain outside some of Costco’s broader delivery coverage in published company materials. The companies have not announced a narrower end date for the expansion, indicating that this is a continuing service change rather than a temporary promotion.

Luxury spirits makers continue to lean on limited releases and distinctive cask stories to stand out in a crowded premium whisky market. The Macallan narrowed that strategy on September 17, 2026, with the debut of TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask, a new single malt positioned as a technical first for the Speyside distillery. The release centers on The Macallan’s deeper direct involvement in sherry cask seasoning in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

The release marks a first for The Macallan

The Macallan announced on September 17 that TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask is the first whisky in the brand’s history to be influenced by casks seasoned with Valdespino sherry since the company came under The Macallan’s ownership. The company also said it is the first time Valdespino sherry has been used to season oak casks specifically for The Macallan. Those details set the release apart from the distillery’s broader Sherry Oak range, which has long relied on sherry-seasoned wood as a core part of its production model.

According to The Macallan’s release materials, the whisky begins with a base of predominantly European oak sherry-seasoned casks selected by its Whisky Mastery Team. The company said the spirit was then married with whisky from the first 200 sherry casks seasoned in The Macallan’s Valdespino bodega in Jerez de la Frontera. The casks were crafted in The Macallan’s own cooperages in Jerez and shipped to Scotland for filling in 2024, the company’s 200th anniversary year.

That scale matters because The Macallan framed the first 200 casks as a milestone rather than a routine production run. In recent years, the brand has continued to build premium limited releases around wood management, including its 110 Proof launch in 2025 and the concluding Harmony Collection release in August 2026. TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask extends that strategy with a release defined less by age statement and more by cask provenance and direct control over seasoning.

The immediate impact is centered on Jerez and global luxury retail

The geography attached to this launch is unusually specific for a Scotch whisky release. While the whisky is distilled and matured in Scotland, The Macallan said the defining distinction comes from casks seasoned in its Valdespino bodega in Jerez de la Frontera, a city in southern Spain long tied to the sherry trade. The company described the release as part of a shared future with Valdespino, deepening The Macallan’s connection to the home of sherry wine.

What is confirmed is the role of Jerez in the cask program and the use of those first 200 casks in the final marriage. What is not yet publicly detailed is a full market-by-market allocation, retail pricing breakdown, or a comprehensive list of stores and hospitality channels where bottles will be available. The company’s published materials emphasize the release story and production significance, but they do not provide a public bottle count in the announcement page reviewed for this article.

For consumers, that means the practical effect is likely to show up first in high-end spirits retail and collector-focused channels rather than broad mass distribution. The Macallan has used that model before for prestige launches, including travel retail and select global placements for some recent releases. Without a published U.S. allocation list, it remains unclear how widely the whisky will be offered in specific states or cities.

Why The Macallan is focusing even more on sherry cask control

The Macallan has spent years presenting wood management as central to its identity, stating on product and brand pages that sherry-seasoned oak casks are the single greatest contributor to the character of its whisky. In prior company materials, The Macallan said the cask-making and seasoning process can take about five years and accounts for a substantial share of flavor and all of the whisky’s natural color. TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask fits squarely within that long-term business and production strategy.

What changes here is the degree of direct integration. By highlighting its own cooperages in Jerez and a Valdespino bodega used for cask seasoning, The Macallan is putting more emphasis on vertical control over a process that many drinkers know only as part of the finished flavor profile. That message also arrives as luxury spirits brands seek clearer differentiation in a market where age statements alone no longer define premium positioning.

For customers, the immediate takeaway is straightforward: this is a new Macallan release built around a specific cask innovation rather than a conventional age-led launch. The company has not published a full public distribution list alongside the announcement, but it has presented the whisky as a milestone expression tied to casks filled in 2024 and unveiled on September 17, 2026. That leaves TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask as both a product release and a marker of how The Macallan wants to define its next phase in sherry-cask whisky.

Cold drinks remain one of the biggest battlegrounds in the U.S. restaurant beverage business as chains push limited-time launches to drive traffic beyond the morning coffee rush. Starbucks moved directly into that competition on May 12, 2026, with a new summer drink launch built around bright colors, fruit flavors and customization.

Starbucks adds a new summer Refresher and ties it to a larger beverage platform

Starbucks announced that its summer menu arrived in U.S. coffeehouses on May 12, 2026, featuring the new Tropical Butterfly Refresher, according to the company’s spring preview and summer launch fact sheet. The company said the drink combines passionfruit and guava flavors with mango-pineapple flavored pearls and butterfly pea flower infusion, giving the beverage a layered purple-and-gold appearance. Starbucks also launched the drink with customization options, saying customers can order it with lemonade or coconutmilk and adjust caffeine and B vitamins.

The same seasonal rollout included the return of the Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso and the debut of a Horchata Frappuccino blended beverage, the company confirmed. Starbucks described the horchata drinks as limited-time offerings tied to its summer lineup rather than permanent menu additions. The menu also included a returning Unicorn Cake Pop and new packaged snack offerings, showing the launch was broader than a single beverage.

What stands out in company materials is the scale Starbucks attaches to the category behind the launch. In a July 28, 2026 press release about future beverage testing, Starbucks said Refreshers had grown into a $2 billion platform in U.S. company-operated coffeehouses, placing the new drink inside one of the company’s largest non-coffee growth engines.

What the launch means in U.S. stores, and what Starbucks has not broken out by market

For customers in the United States, the practical effect was straightforward: the new Tropical Butterfly Refresher became part of the summer menu beginning May 12 at participating Starbucks coffeehouses. Starbucks said availability could vary by location, particularly for some related features and merchandise, and it did not publish a store-by-store breakdown for where the drink was selling first. The company also did not release state-by-state counts for participating locations.

That means there is no public Starbucks list showing exactly how many stores in California, Texas, Florida, New York or other states received the drink on launch day. The company’s fact sheet said only that the summer merchandise collection would be available at participating U.S. coffeehouses beginning May 12 while supplies lasted. For the beverage itself, Starbucks framed the launch as a U.S. coffeehouse menu update rather than a regional test.

The lack of a geographic breakdown is notable because Starbucks has used limited-market testing for other beverage concepts. In a separate July 28 announcement, the company said it was exploring new sparkling beverages, including a Golden Peach Spritz and Strawberry Matcha Spritz, as part of future refreshment development. By contrast, the Tropical Butterfly Refresher was presented as a national seasonal menu item, though Starbucks has not released a comprehensive public list of individual participating stores.

Why Starbucks is emphasizing drinks like this and what customers should expect next

Starbucks has been explicit that beverage innovation is central to its current growth plan. At its January 29, 2026 Investor Day, the company said its “Back to Starbucks” strategy included expansion of the Refreshers platform, continued growth in cold beverages and more customization-focused offerings. Executives also said Starbucks was working to strengthen afternoon demand, a daypart where fruit-forward and iced drinks can help broaden traffic beyond traditional espresso orders.

That context helps explain the structure of the Tropical Butterfly Refresher launch. The drink sits at the intersection of several company priorities named by Starbucks executives: cold beverages, visual appeal, customization and incremental afternoon usage. Later company statements reinforced that approach, with Starbucks saying new additions to Refreshers continue to create new occasions and expand customer usage throughout the day.

For customers, the main takeaway is that Starbucks is continuing to treat limited-time drinks as part of a larger menu strategy rather than one-off novelties. The company followed its summer launch with additional seasonal beverage pushes later in 2026, including what it called its strongest fall launch day in U.S. and Canada history on Aug. 25. Starbucks has not said how long the Tropical Butterfly Refresher would remain available beyond the summer window, but its 2026 messaging shows more beverage experimentation is still in the pipeline.

Casual dining chains across the U.S. have spent the past two years trimming weaker stores as traffic softens and operating costs remain elevated. Outback Steakhouse is now part of that shift, with parent company Bloomin’ Brands confirming that more than 40 restaurants are being shut down. The closures were disclosed as the company outlined its 2024 plans and a broader effort to improve performance at its largest brand.

Bloomin’ Brands says 41 restaurants are being closed

Bloomin’ Brands, the Tampa-based parent company of Outback Steakhouse, said on February 23, 2024, that it planned to close 41 underperforming restaurants, with most of those locations tied to Outback Steakhouse. The company disclosed the figure during its fourth-quarter earnings release and analyst call, and Restaurant Business reported that all but two of the closures were expected to be in the United States. Bloomin’ Brands also said at the time that it still intended to open 40 to 45 restaurants systemwide in 2024, including new Outback units.

Executives described the closed stores as older restaurants with leases dating back largely to the 1990s and early 2000s, according to Restaurant Business. The company did not frame the move as a full brand retrenchment. Instead, it presented the closures as part of a portfolio reset aimed at removing lower-return units while investing in newer locations and restaurant upgrades.

Bloomin’ Brands later reiterated the scope of the action in its 2024 year-end results, stating that fiscal 2024 included asset impairment related to 41 older, underperforming restaurants in its U.S. segment. That language confirmed the closures had moved beyond a planning stage and into the company’s reported financial results. The filings did not identify every address or brand mix tied to the 41 stores.

A full location-by-location list has not been released

For diners trying to determine whether a nearby Outback Steakhouse is affected, the biggest unanswered question is which individual restaurants are on the list. Bloomin’ Brands has not released a comprehensive public list of all affected Outback locations, and the company’s investor materials have described the closures in aggregate rather than market by market. That means the local impact remains unevenly documented depending on whether a specific restaurant has already shut its doors or posted signage.

What is confirmed is that the vast majority of the 41 closures were in the U.S., and that Outback accounted for most of them, according to executives cited by Restaurant Business. The company’s public disclosures do not break out closures by state in the earnings release itself. In practical terms, customers may hear about individual restaurant shutdowns through local reporting or on-site notices before they see a formal national list from the company.

That limited detail has helped make the closures feel quieter than some other chain retrenchments. There was no stand-alone national announcement listing every restaurant by city. Instead, the information emerged through earnings materials, investor disclosures, and subsequent trade coverage, which is why many diners may only now be realizing the scale of the reduction.

The closures are tied to age, performance, and a turnaround push

Bloomin’ Brands has attributed the closures to underperformance and to the age of the restaurants being exited. Restaurant Business reported that many of the leases dated to the 1990s and early 2000s, a factor that can make older boxes less efficient or less aligned with current dining patterns. In its financial reporting, the company also tied the issue to impairment and restaurant closing costs, indicating the stores were no longer generating the returns the company wanted from that real estate.

The decision also fits into a larger reset at Outback Steakhouse. Bloomin’ Brands has spent the past several quarters discussing efforts to improve guest traffic, sharpen value, and strengthen performance at the chain. Later company statements in 2025 explicitly described a turnaround strategy with a focus on Outback, showing that the brand remained central to management’s restructuring efforts even after the initial 41-store action.

For customers, the immediate effect is straightforward: some older Outback locations are gone, while the brand continues operating elsewhere and still plans selective new growth. The company has not said that a nationwide exit is underway. Based on its public statements, Bloomin’ Brands is shrinking certain weaker restaurants while continuing to invest in Outback as its largest concept.

American wine labeling rules can shape which grapes consumers ever see on a bottle, especially when a variety is obscure, imported, or known by several names. That is why a March 2026 federal approval drew outsized attention in wine circles: Crljenak Kaštelanski, the little-known Croatian grape linked to California Zinfandel, received formal recognition for use on U.S. wine labels. For wineries that have planted the fruit in California, the decision means a rare grape with a long scientific backstory can now appear under its own name instead of being folded into a more familiar category.

A federal approval gave the grape official standing

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, included “Crljenak Kaštelanski Approved as Grape Variety Name” in its March 6, 2026 newsletter, marking the federal action that gave the variety official administrative approval for use as a type designation on American wine labels, according to the agency. TTB’s wine-labeling guidance says only grape variety names approved by the administrator may be used as type designations for American wine labels. The agency’s grape variety page was updated by March 11, 2026 to include Crljenak Kaštelanski among approved names.

That change matters because varietal labeling determines how wineries legally present a wine to shoppers, restaurants, and retailers. Under TTB rules, approval allows bottlers to submit labels using the name while the agency continues the broader rulemaking process for formal regulatory updates. In practical terms, the recognition moves Crljenak Kaštelanski from a specialist term used by historians and growers into a name that can appear in regular commercial labeling.

The grape’s significance extends beyond its small production footprint. Wine researchers and producers have long tied Crljenak Kaštelanski to the same genetic family as Zinfandel, one of California’s best-known heritage grapes. That connection has made the Croatian name important to wineries that want to emphasize lineage, site history, and the distinction between a famous American market identity and an older European name.

The impact is clearest in California, where plantings remain small

The immediate U.S. impact is centered in California, where documented commercial plantings remain limited. Grgich Hills Estate says its 35-acre Calistoga vineyard includes 2 acres of Crljenak Kaštelanski, while Ridge Vineyards has said it planted Croatian clones including Crljenak Kaštelanski at Lytton Springs in Sonoma County on July 18, 2015. Those details point to a niche but established base of producers now positioned to use the newly approved name in the market.

What is not yet known is how many wineries will immediately switch labeling, how many bottles may be released under the grape’s Croatian name, or whether broader retail distribution will follow. TTB’s public materials confirm the approval itself, but they do not provide a national count of wineries using the designation. Producers also have not released a comprehensive list of all California wines that may be relabeled under the newly recognized name.

For California winemakers, however, the approval resolves a practical branding issue. A bottle can now identify the fruit using the historic name tied to the grape’s origin story, rather than relying solely on a more familiar synonym or background explanation in tasting-room conversations. That is especially relevant for limited-production wines aimed at winery visitors, collectors, and sommeliers.

The broader context is consumer interest in lesser-known grapes

The timing fits a larger wine-industry shift toward obscure, indigenous, and climate-relevant grapes. Decanter’s recent coverage of underdog varieties in Piedmont and indigenous grapes in the Balkans shows that producers and buyers are paying more attention to grapes once dismissed as too local, too difficult, or too unfamiliar for broad recognition. In that environment, formal approval for a name like Crljenak Kaštelanski carries both regulatory and commercial weight.

Recognition also follows years of effort by growers, researchers, and wineries that preserved and replanted grapes with complicated naming histories. Ridge has described its involvement in research and replanting connected to Croatian Zinfandel clones, while Grgich has marketed a winery-exclusive Crljenak Kaštelanski bottling from experimental acreage in Napa Valley. Those projects existed before federal approval, but the labeling change gives them clearer legal footing in front-facing sales.

For consumers, the most likely near-term result is modest but concrete: a small number of California wines may now appear with a long Croatian name that previously stayed off most labels. TTB has not indicated any broader marketplace mandate, and the variety remains a niche planting. Still, the approval gives wineries a verified way to present the grape under its own identity, and in wine, that kind of recognition often shapes what drinkers discover next.

Independent restaurants across the U.S. have continued to face pressure from higher operating costs and uneven post-pandemic recovery. In Wichita, that reality is now reaching Chico’s Mexican Restaurant, a family-run business at 4407 W. Maple that has served customers for 52 years. Owner Guadalupe Cordova said the restaurant’s final day will be September 19, 2026.

Chico’s confirms its final closing date after 52 years in business

Chico’s Mexican Restaurant has confirmed that it will permanently close on September 19, according to owner Guadalupe Cordova’s public announcement and follow-up local reporting. The restaurant operates at 4407 W. Maple St. in Wichita and has been in business since 1974, giving it a 52-year run in the city. Cordova thanked customers for supporting the restaurant across multiple generations and said the business would continue operating on a limited basis until the closing date.

The restaurant’s final weeks have included reduced staffing, and Cordova said customers should expect a smaller team on site before the doors close for good. That operational detail is significant because it confirms the business is winding down service rather than shifting ownership or pausing temporarily. The closure date is specific and public, which distinguishes it from many recent restaurant shutdowns that happen without notice.

Chico’s long history in Wichita is documented in prior coverage by The Wichita Eagle, which reported that the original restaurant opened near Douglas and West Street in 1974. The Eagle also reported that the business moved to its current Maple Street building in 2007 after West Street construction displaced the original site. That history places the closing among the more notable long-running independent restaurant exits in Wichita this year.

Wichita is losing a longtime local restaurant, and no other locations are involved

The confirmed impact is local and concentrated in Wichita. Chico’s is a single restaurant, not a regional chain, and the closure affects its one confirmed location on West Maple in Sedgwick County. Based on available reporting, there are no additional Kansas locations tied to this closure, and no multistate footprint is involved.

What is known is narrow but clear: Wichita diners have until September 19 to visit the restaurant at its current address. The business has indicated it will remain open Tuesday through Saturday until that date, though with a smaller staff during its final stretch. The company has not announced any replacement concept under the Chico’s name, and it has not said that another family member will continue the brand elsewhere.

Some local details remain unconfirmed. Chico’s has not released any public employee count connected to the shutdown, and no public filing reviewed in available reporting specifies how many workers could be affected. The restaurant also has not issued a broader statement about whether recipes, branding, or catering operations will continue in another form. For Wichita residents, the confirmed change is the permanent closure of the Maple Street restaurant this month.

The closure follows years of pandemic-era strain and succession challenges

The most clearly stated reason for the closure is that the business struggled to fully recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior reporting from The Wichita Eagle said the restaurant was put up for sale in 2020 after the pandemic damaged operations and left the family unable to regain its footing financially. In 2022, owner Lupita Cordova Fernandez told the paper the restaurant had endured several difficult years, including debt pressure and reduced business, even as the family decided to keep operating.

That same reporting adds important context about leadership strain inside a long-running family business. The Eagle reported that Fernandez had been running Chico’s since 1999 and that her father, Arnoldo Fernandez, the longtime cook, was aging toward retirement. The paper also reported that co-founder Francisco Rizo died in 2020 after a battle with COVID-19, adding another challenge during an already unstable period for the restaurant.

For customers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: the restaurant plans to keep serving guests through September 19, then close permanently. No reopening date, buyer transition, or second Wichita location has been announced. Unless the owners state otherwise, Chico’s 52-year run in Wichita will end at the Maple Street location on that date.

Family-dining chains have spent the past several years trying to recover from weaker traffic, higher labor costs and a post-pandemic shift in when and how Americans eat out. Denny’s, one of the country’s best-known diner brands, is now trying to reverse that slide with a formal turnaround plan after a stretch of closures and operational strain. The company’s latest reset became official on April 13, 2026, when it named Christopher Bode chief executive and launched a two-year strategy called Project Grand Slam.

Denny’s launches a 24-month comeback plan

Denny’s confirmed on April 13, 2026 that Bode, previously the company’s president and chief operating officer, had been promoted to president and chief executive as the chain introduced Project Grand Slam, a 24-month transformation plan. In the company’s announcement, Denny’s said the initiative would focus on culinary innovation, digital transformation and tighter operational execution. The timing matters because the move followed Denny’s transition from a public company to private ownership earlier in 2026.

Restaurant Business reported in January that Denny’s completed a $620 million sale to TriArtisan Capital, Yadav Enterprises and Treville Capital, taking the chain private for the first time since 1997. That report also said Denny’s had more than 1,400 locations and generated about $2.6 billion in U.S. sales in 2024, underscoring the scale of the brand even after years of pressure. Company and trade reporting since then have described the turnaround as one of the chain’s largest strategic resets in years.

Restaurant Dive reported in August that catering became the first initiative to go live under Project Grand Slam. That publication said the chain was using the plan to improve restaurant performance and the guest experience while opening new revenue streams for franchisees. Together, those steps show that Denny’s comeback effort is not limited to marketing language and has already moved into operational changes.

The local picture remains uneven across states and cities

What the turnaround means on the ground is less uniform. Denny’s has not released a comprehensive public list of every city tied to its broader reset, and the company also has not published a state-by-state breakdown of all locations affected by earlier underperformance closures. That leaves many local impacts confirmed only in fragments through company statements, trade reports and changes to store locators.

Restaurant Business said the chain still had more than 1,400 locations at the time its sale closed, which indicates that Denny’s remains a large national operator with a substantial local footprint in many states. But reporting in September from Store Closure Watch said Denny’s had finished a multi-year plan to close more than 150 underperforming restaurants by the end of 2025. That same report pointed to recent delistings in Minnesota, with the state’s location count dropping to eight, though it did not establish a nationwide city-by-city map of all prior closures.

That gap matters for readers trying to determine whether a specific local Denny’s is part of the comeback or part of the retrenchment. The company has discussed remodels, new openings and broader modernization, but it has not released a full list of specific city locations slated for reinvestment under Project Grand Slam. For now, customers should expect a market-by-market rollout rather than a single national reopening announcement.

Why the chain is making the move now

The reasons behind the comeback effort are rooted in both company changes and broader industry pressure. In Bode’s April 13 statement, Denny’s said its move from public to private ownership gave leadership a chance to reexamine operations and focus on the factors that actually improve restaurant performance. That suggests the turnaround is tied directly to capital structure, leadership change and a willingness to make faster operating decisions outside the public markets.

The chain is also responding to longer-running weakness in family dining. Prior company commentary tied the closure of 150 underperforming restaurants to traffic challenges in the segment, and trade coverage has repeatedly described family dining as one of the more pressured restaurant categories in the years since 2020. Restaurant Dive said Project Grand Slam is meant to modernize the business, while Restaurant Business framed the privatization as a way to support longer-term growth plans.

For customers, the practical takeaway is straightforward. Denny’s is not disappearing, but it is reshaping where and how it operates, with new leadership, new sales channels and selective reinvestment in the brand. The company has said the turnaround will run for 24 months, so any visible changes in individual communities are likely to unfold in stages rather than all at once.

Restaurant chains across the U.S. have spent the past two years looking for any strategy that can break through weak traffic and price-sensitive consumers. Steak ’n Shake has stood out by tying part of its message to a national political movement, then reporting sales gains large enough to draw attention across the industry. The company’s own filings now show that approach coincided with one of its best comparable-sales years in more than a decade.

Steak ’n Shake paired a political message with a double-digit sales gain

Steak ’n Shake, controlled by Biglari Holdings, publicly aligned itself in 2025 with the “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, movement championed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The chain promoted fries cooked in beef tallow and said on its website that its fried items are cooked in “100% beef tallow,” while Kennedy praised the brand during a televised restaurant visit in Washington in March 2025, according to the Associated Press. The Washington Post reported on March 13, 2025 that the chain had also leaned into a MAGA-adjacent marketing strategy.

The sales numbers that followed were significant. In Biglari Holdings’ 2025 annual report, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and published in early 2026, the company said Steak ’n Shake delivered “industry-leading growth in same-store sales of 10.2%” in 2025. The filing said that result was the brand’s best annual same-store sales performance since present management took control in August 2008.

Biglari Holdings also reported that net sales rose in part because company-operated Steak ’n Shake units posted a 10.5% same-store sales increase. The filing said Steak ’n Shake produced $22.6 million in pre-tax operating earnings in 2025. As of December 31, 2025, the company said the chain had 131 company-operated restaurants, 179 franchise partner units and 94 traditional franchise units.

The clearest local impact is in Illinois, where the brand still has visible store presence

For readers in Illinois, the most concrete local takeaway is that Steak ’n Shake continues to market the beef-tallow message at operating restaurants in the state. The company’s location pages currently advertise “beef tallow fries” at confirmed Illinois restaurants in Rosemont, Elgin and Downers Grove, showing that the national messaging is not limited to corporate statements. Those pages identify specific addresses, including 10421 Touhy Avenue in Rosemont, 290 South Randall Road in Elgin and 1520 Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove.

What is not yet publicly clear is how much of the 2025 sales increase came from Illinois alone. Biglari Holdings reported chainwide sales gains, but it did not break out same-store sales by state in its annual report. The company also has not released a state-by-state list showing where the strongest traffic or revenue gains occurred.

That leaves local readers with a narrower, but verified, picture. Illinois has confirmed operating locations using the brand’s beef-tallow positioning, but the company has not published a comprehensive list of affected Illinois restaurants tied specifically to the MAHA campaign. It also has not disclosed whether any Illinois markets outperformed the national average.

Company filings and industry reporting point to marketing differentiation and traffic recovery

The reasons behind the rebound appear to be tied to differentiation, product positioning and a recovery effort after years of contraction. Restaurant Business reported in March 2025 that Steak ’n Shake had been shrinking its footprint even as it shifted attention to beef tallow and operational changes. Biglari Holdings’ annual report likewise framed 2025 as a year when earnings improved as same-store sales rose and capital employed declined.

The chain’s messaging also arrived at a moment when MAHA had become part of a larger political and consumer conversation. The Associated Press reported that Kennedy publicly thanked Steak ’n Shake and highlighted its fries while arguing for broader food-system changes, giving the chain unusually direct exposure through a national political figure. The company’s website now says it is “transitioning away from seed oils” and has expanded that positioning into related product and ingredient messaging.

For customers, the practical implication is straightforward. At confirmed operating locations, Steak ’n Shake is continuing to market beef-tallow fries and a broader ingredient-change message, while parent-company filings show those moves coincided with a 10.2% same-store sales increase in 2025. The company has not said that the political positioning alone caused the rebound, but its reported numbers show the strategy unfolded during a year of unusually strong sales momentum.

Customers have been saying the same thing for years: the food costs more, but the meal feels smaller. Now, fast-food chains are finally responding in visible ways.

The shift is not just about coupons or limited-time deals. It is about portion size, consistency, and whether diners feel they are getting a fair meal for the money.

Why portion complaints became impossible to ignore

For a long stretch, fast food relied on price hikes, menu engineering, and promotional bundles to protect margins. But that approach collided with a basic reality: customers judge value with their eyes first. If a burrito bowl looks underfilled or a combo meal feels lighter than it used to, the brand loses trust faster than it gains revenue.

That tension has shown up clearly in recent industry research. McKinsey reported that poor food quality and small portion sizes are the top drivers of lower value perception among restaurant customers, a striking finding at a time when consumers are rethinking nearly every discretionary purchase. McKinsey also noted that economic pressure and persistent inflation have made diners much more deliberate about where they spend.

The broader restaurant industry has seen this coming. The National Restaurant Association has highlighted consumer interest in more flexible portioning, including smaller portions at reduced prices or larger portions at regular prices. That matters because value is no longer defined only by the cheapest price point. Diners increasingly want control, transparency, and a meal size that matches both appetite and budget.

In other words, this is not a niche social media debate. It has become a structural issue for chains that depend on repeat visits, especially in drive-thru and takeout formats where visual impressions and consistency carry enormous weight.

The chains making changes are doing more than cutting prices

Chipotle is the clearest example of a chain reacting directly to years of portion complaints. After months of viral criticism over inconsistent scoops, the company acknowledged the issue publicly and said it was working to ensure more generous and more consistent servings. Reports tied to the company’s earnings discussions described bigger portions returning after customer frustration became too loud to dismiss.

That response was significant because Chipotle’s problem was not simply price. It was unpredictability. One customer could get a packed bowl, while another paid roughly the same amount for something visibly smaller. In fast food, inconsistency can feel worse than inflation because it makes customers believe the brand is deciding value case by case.

McDonald’s has taken a somewhat different route. Instead of emphasizing visibly larger servings, it has expanded low-cost entry points through its McValue platform, including an Under $3 Menu and a $4 Breakfast Meal Deal announced in April 2026. The language around that launch focused on customer feedback, flexibility, and more choice, showing that chains understand affordability complaints are tied closely to perceived portion fairness.

Even when the solutions differ, the message is similar. Chains are learning that people do not want to be told they are getting value. They want to see it in the tray, the bag, and the bowl.

What this means for fast food next

The most interesting part of this shift is that chains are no longer treating portion complaints as isolated grumbling. They are starting to see them as a design problem. If serving sizes are too small, too inconsistent, or too rigid, the menu itself becomes part of the brand’s credibility problem.

That is why the next phase will likely involve more than occasional promotions. Expect more tiered sizing, more “entry” meals at lower price points, and tighter operational rules around build consistency. The National Restaurant Association’s longer-range outlook even points to a future where restaurants are more likely to offer smaller portions at lower prices, reflecting a market that wants both affordability and customization.

There is also a competitive angle. According to McKinsey, consumers are scrutinizing restaurant value more intensely while also shifting spending across grocery, takeout, and quick-service options. A chain that can deliver a meal that looks abundant, feels reliable, and lands at the right price has a real advantage over rivals still leaning on discount messaging alone.

For customers, that is the real story. After years of complaining that fast food looked stingier and felt less satisfying, they are finally forcing chains to address the problem where it matters most: on the plate.