TL;DR
Some pizza chains, including Pizza Hut and Papa Johns, are struggling with potential sales, while others like Jersey Mike's are performing well. The Restaurant Business podcast discusses these chains and others, such as Starbucks and Little Caesars, and their use of AI and menu pricing strategies.
Why are pizza chains having problems?
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the potential sales of Pizza Hut and Papa Johns, and what it means about both chains and the sector at large.
We also look at Starbucks and Little Caesars, both of which announced ChatGPT apps last week that could get AI more involved in the actual ordering decisions.
Jersey Mike’s had another good year in 2025 and we talk about what that means about its potential IPO.
This week’s Technomic Talks segment features Senior Principal Rich Shank, who talks about menu prices and whether the economy is driving them up this year.
On Tech Check, Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski talks Toast and the drive-thru.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.
In this story
This story was originally published in Restaurant Business on April 17, 2026. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
Read the full story at Restaurant BusinessLiked this? Get the week's franchise news, explained
- Sunday 8 AM ET weekly + a monthly deep dive
- Sections picked for the industries you follow
- Every claim linked to its source. Free.