There's plenty happening at the high end of the pricing barbell, too

The Bottom Line: Starbucks pushed through products recently while skipping its traditional testing processes, even as the coffee shop giant was working to improve operations. Those ideas are contradictory.

The Bottom Line: Wendy’s Krabby Patty Kollab generated strong sales for the chain. McDonald’s got traction with its Chicken Big Mac. Both proved that good marketing can win, even these days.

The once-promising better-burger chain has a new owner out of bankruptcy, but franchisees wonder whether damage done under prior leaders leaves any hope for a new beginning.