QDOBA Honors Franchisee Excellence at Annual Brand Conference

QDOBA, America's rapidly growing #2 restaurant brand in the Mexican fast-casual category, presented awards in 50 categories and recognized three standout franchise partners at its annual Brand Conference:

• Winters Group — Franchise Partner of the Year
• Carmen Reyes-Ibarra, General Manager of Roaring Fork — General Manager of the Year
• Froccaro Group — Operator of the Year

With more than 825 restaurants across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, and nearly 600 new restaurants in development, these awards underscore how the brand's tremendous growth is underpinned by a franchise-first...

222 Poultry Facilities Recognized by Joint Poultry Industry Safety & Health Council

The Joint Poultry Industry Safety & Health Council recognized 222 chicken and turkey facilities with safety awards at the National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry in Destin, Fla. The facilities were honored in recognition of their outstanding performance through the implementation of innovative and effective employee safety and health programs.

Award consideration was based on injury statistics from the 2022–2024 period and a review of written applications evaluated by academia and other safety experts.

This year, 49 facilities earned the highest level of recognition...

Datassential Lists Chick-fil-A as America's Favorite Chain Restaurant

On June 12, 2025, food and beverage intelligence platform Datassential announced the winners of the first-ever Datassential 500 Awards, showcasing the most dynamic foodservice brands in the United States. Notable winners include Chick-fil-A (favorite chain), Crumbl (most unique restaurant menu), and CAVA (best healthy chain).

Founded in 2001, Datassential has been providing food and beverage brands with intelligence tools and consumer insights for more than two decades, including quintessential companies like Starbucks, General Mills, Land O' Lakes, Pepsi, Burger King, and Target...

Expana Honors an Industry Legend and the Next Generation with Awards

The award ceremony at this year’s Executive Conference, the event for leaders in the animal protein sector, featured the annually presented Rising Star Award sponsored by Farm Credit, and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

In its third year, the Rising Star Award is presented to a protein industry newcomer who is striving towards innovation, collaboration and success for not only their business but the wider sector. The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual who has had a multi-faceted and distinguished career in...