The top 25 stories of 2018

25. Romaine lettuce suspect in deadly E. coli outbreak in US and Canada

Jupiterimages/PHOTOS.com/Thinkstock

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated a deadly E. coli outbreak that Canadian health officials said was tied to romaine lettuce.

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24. See what top restaurant CEOs made last year

NRN broke down how much CEOs at the largest public restaurant companies made in 2017.

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23. 2018 Top 200: 10 chains leading sales-per-unit growth

These are the chains with the greatest increase Estimated Sales Per Unit in in the Latest Year.

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22. Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings new parent Inspire Brands debuts

The operator spans three segments and plans global growth.

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21. Inside McDonald’s international menu at Chicago HQ

Items from restaurants in Hong Kong, France and Australia were on the debut menu.

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20. McDonald’s goes clean with seven burgers

The Big Mac, Quarter Pounder and other core items are now free of artificial ingredients.

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19. Taco Bell to debut Nacho Fries

The item was a part of the quick-service chain’s campaign to expand its dollar menu.

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18. Reba McEntire to be KFC’s next Colonel

The country singer’s ad debuted Jan. 28.

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17. Cheesecake Factory to debut fast-casual Social Monk Asian Kitchen

The first location of the pan-Asian concept was set to open in the fall in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

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16. What restaurants can expect after the 7-Eleven ICE raids

Scott Olson/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Experts stressed compliance and preparation.

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15. Arby’s launches Head of Sandwiches ad campaign

Arby’s

New commercials emphasized that the chain has more than roast beef.

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14. McDonald’s salad recall hits 13 states

An expert said contamination came from the fields.

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13. Pastry chefs reveal 4 dessert trends for 2018

Barry Callebaut

Get ready for ruby chocolate, honey vinegar, and gluten- and dairy-free sweets.

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12. ARC Group to buy Fat Patty’s for $12.3M

ARC Group Inc.

The parent to Dick’s Wings & Grill planned to grow the 4-unit chain.

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11. Analysis: 4 reasons why Chipotle is bailing on Denver

Nancy Luna

Analysts and industry watchers speculated that franchising and a clean break from Steve Ells were key.

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10. Saltgrass bans customer in racist receipt incident

The racist receipt was later found to be a hoax, forged by the server.

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9. Chipotle must pay fired manager nearly $8 million

The California worker was accused of stealing and fired during medical leave.

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8. Chipotle to move headquarters from Denver to Southern California

CEO Brian Niccol brought Chipotle to the luxe beach city, Newport Beach.

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7. 15 food and beverage trends to expect in 2018

Liz Clayman

Andrew Freeman & Company said to expect more regional Mexican and Chinese and less waste.

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6. P.F. Chang’s at center of Olympic-sized error

Wawl Finebaum/Twitter

Chicago TV coverage confused the chain with the games’ locale.

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5. Carl’s Jr. breaks up with Hardee’s

It was a conscious uncoupling.

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4. In-N-Out closes more than 30 Texas restaurants due to bun problem

The restaurants were expected to reopen in 24 hours.

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3. Boston Market adds prime rib on 3 nights

The brand also debuted a new ‘Rotisserie Kitchen’ logo.

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2. 2018 Top 200: Top 10 Fastest-Growing Chains

MOD Pizza

Two fast-casual pizza chains battled for dominance.

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1. Ohio agency identifies Chipotle outbreak cause

Food-safety training was planned for all employees nationwide, CEO Brian Niccol said.

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