Several big restaurant chains shuttered hundreds of locations across the country in 2024. So why are so many longtime eateries struggling?
CEO of Stoner Pizza John Stenson spoke with Scripps News about the state of the restaurant business in 2025 and how his chain has been able to open over a dozen new locations.
"It's a very challenging market for all food restaurants right now," said Stenson.
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He believes consumers want something quick, easy and delivered and a lot of legacy restaurants with big real estate footprints aren't able to keep up. That plus the rising prices of food and labor puts a big financial burden on restaurants.
Stenson said the use of artificial intelligence could help some eateries cut costs over time. He also said cutting menu items can help save money.
Another way Stenson said restaurants could cut down on the overhead is by being more strategic about the size of a restaurant's location. He said people tend to want takeout more than dine-in options, so paying rent for a large space with a lot of dining space is wasteful.
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