Chain restaurants had another hard year in 2025, according to new data from Technomic’s Top 500 report. Sales slowed again as consumers cut back on dining, but coffee, beverages and chicken kept growing. Now two big brands are trying to win back customers with very different plays.
On this week’s Extra Serving podcast, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso broke down the latest news. The big stories: Popeyes brought back its $6 Big Box, and Domino’s launched a Detroit-style pizza it thinks could rival the Big Mac.
Popeyes leans into value and Cajun roots
Popeyes brought back its $6 Big Box as a value offering. The chain also started a new campaign around the line “THAT Chicken from Popeyes.” The move comes after Popeyes saw a 5.2% drop in same-store sales last quarter.
Oches and Kelso discussed whether the chain can reclaim momentum from its 2019 Chicken Sandwich launch. Popeyes is also going back to its Cajun roots to stand apart from the rest of the chicken category. Chains across the field are turning to new packaging and value deals to get attention.
The question is whether the Big Box can do for Popeyes what the sandwich did six years ago. Value is the hook, but the competition is fierce.
Value perception is slipping across fast food
Morning Consult data shows that QSR brands’ value perception is starting to slip after picking up in 2025. Kelso detailed her reporting on the data, including views from top executives at several chains that are actively changing their value offers.
Value has changed over the past few years. American consumers now want more from their favorite chains, not just low prices. A wave of deals could not hold how customers see these brands.
That context matters for Popeyes and all else chasing the deal-driven customer.
Domino’s bets big on the Domino
Domino’s newest menu item is The Domino, a Detroit-style slice. The company thinks it could change sales. In fact, Domino’s believes the Domino could become as popular as other iconic QSR dishes.
The marketing is bold. Domino’s is giving a free slice to any customer who shows a receipt for a McDonald’s Big Mac, Burger King Whopper, Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme, or select other dishes. A new commercial for the dish toes the line of controversy, Oches and Kelso said.
They also talked about how the Domino fits into today’s pizza trends. Whether it reaches Big Mac status is an open question, but Domino’s is clearly aiming high.
The next few months will show if either bet pays off.
KEY FACTS
– Popeyes $6 Big Box brought back
– Popeyes same-store sales: down 5.2% last quarter
– Domino’s new item: The Domino, a Detroit-style slice
– Free Domino slice with receipt of Big Mac, Whopper, Crunchwrap Supreme or select other dishes
– Technomic Top 500: chain sales slowed in 2025
– Morning Consult: QSR value perception slipping
Source: nrn.com
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