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# Restaurant Grapevine
- URL: https://restaurantgrapevine.com/restaurant-grapevine-week-of-sept-19-25-2026-2/
- Published: 2026-09-28T17:19:21.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-28T17:19:21.000Z
- Author: Patrick Moore

Week of Sept 19-25, 2026

### Openings & Closings

**Six chains closing hundreds of units through 2026-27.** Wendy's (300-350 units), Papa Johns (300), Pizza Hut (250), Jack in the Box (50-100), Noodles & Company (30-35), and Darden's Bahama Breeze (14) are all shedding underperforming locations after multiple quarters of declining same-store sales and traffic. ([Restaurant Dive](https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/wendys-papa-johns-pizza-hut-noodles-darden-closures-2026/815110/?ref=restaurantgrapevine.com))

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Why it matters for suppliers: Closures this size free up built-out kitchen space, equipment, and staff at once — a window for equipment resellers, POS switch-over incentives, and staffing agencies to reach displaced GMs and crews before they land elsewhere.

### The Pipeline: What's Opening Next

Our research desk is tracking approximately 598 pre-opening restaurant leads nationwide as of this week — here's a sample of what's coming down the pipe:

- **Sant Ambroeus** is opening its first Texas location in Dallas, targeting early 2027.
- **La Pecora Bianca** is bringing its first Florida location to Coral Gables this November.
- **Lettuce Entertain You** is opening a new pizza concept, **Pizzeria Gabbo**, in Chicago's Fulton Market this fall.
- A Phoenix restaurant group is opening a 5,000-sqft barbecue-and-seafood concept at Park Central this October.
- **Stix Asia**, an 18,000-sqft food hall, is targeting a year-end opening at Las Vegas' UnCommons.
- An Old Hollywood-inspired chophouse is taking over a former Buca di Beppo space in Scottsdale this fall.

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Why it matters for suppliers: Every one of these openings needs a POS system, kitchen equipment, furniture, signage, insurance, and staffing before day one. Email Patrick@RestaurantActivityReport.com to see the full pipeline for your territory.

### M&A / Investment

**Ninety Nine Restaurants explores a sale.** Cannae Holdings is reportedly weighing a sale of the casual-dining chain, following sister brand O'Charley's recent closure of its corporate-owned locations. ([Nation's Restaurant News](https://www.nrn.com/casual-dining/ninety-nine-restaurants-could-soon-be-under-new-ownership?ref=restaurantgrapevine.com))

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Why it matters for suppliers: Ownership changes typically freeze new vendor contracts during due diligence, then trigger a re-bid of POS, supply, and marketing vendor relationships once new ownership is in place — worth flagging for your CRM's follow-up cadence.

### Labor & Operations

**Florida's minimum wage climbs to $15 on September 30.** Non-tipped workers rise to $15/hour and tipped workers to $11.98, the final scheduled step of a 2020 voter-approved amendment. Florida becomes the 19th state at or above $15\. ([WEAR ABC 3](https://weartv.com/news/local/florida-minimum-wage-rises-sep-30-to-15-for-non-tipped-workers-1198-for-tipped?ref=restaurantgrapevine.com))

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Why it matters for suppliers: Labor-cost step-ups like this are exactly when operators shop for scheduling, labor-management, and back-office automation tools that promise to offset the hit — a natural outreach trigger for tech vendors targeting Florida accounts.

### Tech & Supply Chain

**SumUp launches POS Plus for independents.** SumUp's new $49/month tier adds floor-plan management, employee PIN login, multi-device order management, barcode scanning, cost-of-goods tracking, and QuickBooks/Xero integration. ([GlobeNewswire](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/23/3367519/0/en/sumup-launches-pos-plus-giving-u-s-restaurants-and-cafes-the-tools-to-needed-to-compete-with-larger-chains.html?ref=restaurantgrapevine.com))

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Why it matters for suppliers: Every new entrant at this price point resets what independents expect to pay for "chain-level" tooling — useful competitive intel if you sell POS, payments, or back-office software into the same segment.