Jersey Mike's has dethroned Chick-fil-A as America's top-rated fast-food chain — a first in over a decade. According to the ACSI Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2026, the New Jersey-based sub chain scored an 84, edging out Chick-fil-A's unchanged score of 83.

Jersey Mike's earned its crown through praise for freshness, food variety, and value, bolstered by rapid expansion and strong digital-pickup usage. It also led the sandwich category, ahead of Jimmy John's, Subway, and Arby's.

Chick-fil-A still rules the chicken category, while Sonic posted the biggest score jump overall, riding the "dirty soda" trend. Subway and Wendy's also climbed the rankings.

At the bottom? McDonald's remains dead last among the 28 individually ranked brands, despite a modest improvement this year.

Chick-fil-A is leaning into nostalgia this fall with a limited-time menu that puts a fresh spin on two beloved classics.

Starting August 24, the chain is rolling out Chicken & Waffles Sandwiches nationwide — featuring maple-flavored waffles, a signature chicken filet, applewood smoked bacon, and honey butter spread, available in a smaller breakfast size or a heartier entrée version all day long.

Joining the lineup are two s'mores-inspired drinks: a S'mores Milkshake and a S'mores Frosted Coffee, both blending marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker flavors into Chick-fil-A's signature Icedream base.

The offerings are part of the chain's yearlong "Newstalgia" campaign, celebrating its 80-year heritage by reimagining comfort-food favorites with unexpected new twists.

Taco Bell, Tajín, and Peso Pluma have joined forces for a bold limited-time menu collaboration launching nationwide. The lineup features three new items: a Tajín Taco, a Tajín Cheesy Gordita Crunch, and a Tajín Pineapple Strawberry Freeze — each infused with Tajín's signature chile lime seasoning.

Grammy-winning artist Peso Pluma, a self-professed fan of both brands, helped bring the collaboration to life and lent his stamp of approval after an early taste in Taco Bell's Test Kitchen.

For collectors, 400 limited-edition bag charm sets — featuring a miniature Tajín bottle, a tiny Taco Bell bag, and a Peso Pluma heart charm — drop exclusively through the Taco Bell app on August 18.

Krispy Kreme is celebrating 30 years of Pokémon with a limited-edition doughnut collection launching August 18 at participating shops nationwide. The lineup features five character-inspired creations: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pikachu, and Jigglypuff doughnuts, each with unique flavors and a character topper, plus a classic Poké Ball doughnut for good measure.

Beyond the doughnuts, fans can grab special-edition Pokémon cups and themed dozen packaging. And here's the sweetest bonus: show up to a participating location in Pokémon gear on Saturday, August 22, and score a free Original Glazed doughnut.

The collection is available in-shop, via the Krispy Kreme app, and in select retail locations — but only for a limited time, so Trainers will want to act fast.

Rusty’s Mexican American Grill Opens in Lancaster with Big Menu and Early Growing Pains

A new Mexican-American dining option has opened in Lancaster. Rusty’s Mexican American Grill, located at 919 W Avenue J, Suite A, recently celebrated its grand opening and is already getting attention from locals looking for tacos, burritos, breakfast plates, pozole, burgers, nachos, and classic Mexican comfort food.

The early response is mixed, but there are some clear positives.

Several customers have praised the restaurant’s clean, bright, and welcoming interior. The dining area is spacious, and the atmosphere feels comfortable, especially during the summer heat. Staff members have also been described as friendly and courteous, with some customers noting that they were greeted right away and given helpful recommendations.

Food-wise, Rusty’s seems to have some strong menu items. The pozole has received good feedback for its flavor, portion size, seasoning, chunks of meat, and fresh toppings like onions, cabbage, cilantro, and radishes. One customer said the small pozole was a perfect serving size and a good value at around $10.

The mini tacos also earned praise, with one customer saying they stayed crunchy even after being picked up for a group order at work. The chimichanga was described as large, well-filled, and flavorful, especially with carnitas.

The menu appears to be one of Rusty’s biggest strengths. There are traditional Mexican dishes, tacos, burritos, soups, breakfast plates, nachos, hamburgers, and Mexican-American diner-style options. That variety makes it a practical choice for families, work lunches, or groups where everyone wants something different.

That said, Rusty’s is still clearly working through some early-stage restaurant issues.

A few customers mentioned that food could have arrived hotter or faster. One review noted that orders were left on the counter while the front counter staff handled a growing line. That is the kind of issue that can hurt otherwise good food, especially items like nachos, coffee, toast, and hot plates. Another customer was disappointed with the chicken fajitas, saying the chicken lacked flavor, the beans were watery, and the rice was dry.

There were also small service and preparation complaints, including flat soda, old-tasting coffee, toast served without butter, and a lack of front-of-house support during a busy rush. None of these are impossible to fix, but they do point to the same issue: consistency.

Local Bites Take:
Rusty’s Mexican American Grill has potential. The restaurant is clean and inviting, the menu is large, and some dishes — especially the pozole, mini tacos, and chimichanga — are already getting positive attention. But the early reviews suggest Rusty’s needs to tighten up service speed, food temperature, drink quality, and consistency across the menu.

For a new restaurant, that is not unusual. Grand openings often come with growing pains. The question is whether the team listens, adjusts, and keeps improving.

Best bets so far: Pozole, mini tacos, chimichanga, breakfast plates, and loaded nachos.

Rusty’s Mexican American Grill / Rusty’s Grill Mexican-American Diner
919 W Avenue J, Suite A, Lancaster, CA 93534
661-797-0024
www.rustys.la

August is one of the most food-friendly months on the calendar, and restaurant owners have a packed lineup of marketing moments to work with. The month-long themes alone — National Sandwich Month, National Peach Month, National Catfish Month, and more — offer plenty of hooks for creative specials and promotions.

Daily celebrations keep the opportunities coming, from National Filet Mignon Day and World Bratwurst Day to National Prosecco Day and National Whiskey Sour Day. Dessert lovers are especially well served, with dedicated days for s'mores, frozen custard, ice cream sandwiches, and a parade of pies.

Beyond the food, August also highlights community and connection — think Friendship Day, Senior Citizens Day, and Romance Awareness Month — giving restaurants a chance to draw in guests celebrating the people they love.

How to Use AI for Small Restaurant Marketing

Running a small restaurant, café, bakery, or food truck already takes enough time. Between food prep, staffing, inventory, customer service, and daily operations, marketing often gets pushed to the side. That is where AI can become a useful tool — not to replace the personality of your business, but to help you stay consistent.

One of the easiest ways restaurants can use AI is for social media content. Instead of staring at a blank screen, you can use AI to create post ideas for daily specials, happy hour, new menu items, catering offers, weekend reminders, or customer appreciation posts. A simple food photo can become a caption, a short reel script, or a weekly content plan.

AI can also help with email and text marketing. Restaurants can use it to write quick messages promoting Taco Tuesday, breakfast specials, holiday catering, limited-time desserts, or slow-night offers. The key is to keep the message short, local, and direct.

Another smart use is review response support. AI can help draft professional replies to Google, Yelp, or Facebook reviews. Good reviews should be thanked. Negative reviews should be answered calmly and with accountability. AI can help avoid emotional responses that make the business look bad.

Restaurants should also consider using a newsletter. A simple weekly or monthly email can keep customers updated on specials, new menu items, food truck schedules, catering availability, events, loyalty offers, and behind-the-scenes stories. Unlike social media, where posts can get buried, a newsletter gives restaurants a direct line to people who already like their food. For small local restaurants, that owned audience can become one of the most valuable marketing assets.

Menus and promotions can benefit too. AI can help rewrite menu descriptions so they sound more appealing, create flyer copy, suggest bundle offers, or turn a basic special into something more marketable.

The biggest mistake is letting AI sound generic. Your restaurant still needs your voice, your food, your story, and your community connection. AI should help you move faster, not make your brand feel fake.

Bottom line: small restaurants do not need complicated marketing systems to start. Use AI to post more consistently, respond better, promote smarter, build a customer list, and save time — then let your food and service do the rest.

Need help turning AI into a real marketing system for your restaurant?
HyperLocal Solutions helps local businesses improve visibility, capture leads, build follow-up systems, grow reviews, and use newsletters and AI tools to stay in front of customers.

Learn More