BJ's Restaurants, Inc. operates full-service restaurants in the United States. Its restaurants offer pizzas, craft and other beers, appetizers, entrées, wings, pastas, sandwiches, specialty salads, and Pizookie desserts. The company was formerly known as Chicago Pizza & Brewery, Inc. and changed its name to BJ's Restaurants, Inc. in August 2004. Founded in 1978, it is based in Huntington Beach, California.
BJ's Restaurants Appoints Christopher Brandt and James White to Board
BJ's Restaurants, Inc. has appointed Christopher W. Brandt and James D. White as independent directors to its Board of Directors, effective September 3, 2026, bringing the total board size to ten members. Brandt, a former senior executive at Chipotle Mexican Grill, will join the Governance and Nominating Committee, while White, former CEO of Jamba Juice, will serve on the Compensation Committee. CEO Lyle Tick welcomed the new directors, citing their extensive brand, marketing, and public company leadership experience as key to supporting the company's growth strategy.
BJRI · Capital · Positive BJ's Restaurants appointed two independent directors with brand, marketing, and public-company leadership experience to support its growth strategy.
BJ's Restaurants Executive Sells 21,704 Shares for $1.5 Million
Gregory S. Lynds, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer of BJ's Restaurants, sold 21,704 shares of common stock on August 6, 2026, at a weighted average price of $68.81 per share, totaling approximately $1.5 million. The sale reduced his direct equity holdings by 47%, leaving him with 24,770 shares, including 4,667 unvested restricted stock units. The transaction occurred after the stock delivered a one-year total return of 105% as of the transaction date. BJ's Restaurants has a market capitalization of $1.5 billion and reported trailing twelve-month revenue of $1.4 billion and net income of $40.9 million.
Investors rotate from fast food into sit-down restaurants
Investors are rotating out of fast-food chains and into sit-down restaurants, according to Yahoo Finance Markets & Data Editor Jared Blikre. Cheesecake Factory, Bloomin' Brands, and BJ's Restaurants have outperformed, while Shake Shack is down 34% and Wingstop is down 67% over the past year. The spread between sit-down and high-growth fast-food names has widened to 66 points, surpassing the previous peak of 50 points set on November 18, 2019. Blikre says investors now want to see current traffic rather than expansion ambitions.
BJ’s Restaurants reported 6.5% same-store sales growth for the second quarter ended June 30, driven mainly by an 8.3% increase in traffic. CEO Lyle Tick said the company has now achieved eight consecutive quarters of sales and traffic growth, outperforming casual-dining peers. Total revenues rose 6.4% to $388.9 million, while net income was $18.8 million, or $0.86 per share, down from $22.2 million, or $0.97 per share, a year earlier. The company credited menu innovation, including the Biscoff Pizookie and a Pizookie meal deal, and a new marketing strategy for the gains. BJ’s plans two new restaurant openings later this year and recently hired brand president Monika Saxena from Darden Restaurants and chief technology officer Birju Prakash Amin from Taco Bell.
BJ's Restaurants, Inc. reported a 6.5% increase in comparable restaurant sales for its fiscal second quarter ended June 30, 2026, and raised its full-year financial guidance. Total revenues grew 6.4% to $388.9 million, while restaurant level operating profit rose 7.6% to $66.8 million, with margins expanding to 17.2%. Adjusted EBITDA reached $44.4 million, up 5.5% from $42.1 million a year ago, and adjusted diluted net income per share was $0.94. The company now expects full-year comparable restaurant sales growth of 3.0% to 4.0%, up from a prior outlook of 1.0% to 3.0%, and raised its restaurant level operating profit guidance to a range of $228 million to $235 million and its Adjusted EBITDA forecast to $145 million to $152 million. During the quarter, BJ's repurchased approximately 64,000 shares for about $2.4 million, with roughly $85.5 million remaining under its share repurchase authorization.
Cheesecake Factory, BJ's Restaurants, and Chipotle Likely to Beat Q2 Earnings Estimates
Zacks Equity Research identifies The Cheesecake Factory, BJ's Restaurants, and Chipotle Mexican Grill as restaurant stocks likely to surpass second-quarter 2026 earnings expectations. Cheesecake Factory reports on July 28 with an Earnings ESP of plus 2.76 percent and a Zacks Rank of 3, while BJ's Restaurants reports on July 30 with an Earnings ESP of plus 7.51 percent and a Zacks Rank of 2. Chipotle Mexican Grill reports on July 29 with an Earnings ESP of plus 0.84 percent and a Zacks Rank of 3. The Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector's second-quarter earnings are expected to increase 9.1 percent year over year, with revenues projected to rise 6.6 percent. The analysis notes that restaurant spending remained resilient, with eating and drinking place sales reaching a seasonally adjusted 102.5 billion dollars in June, though elevated operating expenses and limited pricing flexibility likely constrained margins across the industry.
BJRI · Capital · Positive Zacks identifies BJ's Restaurants as likely to beat Q2 earnings estimates with a positive Earnings ESP of +7.51% and a Zacks Rank of 2.
CAKE · Capital · Positive Zacks identifies Cheesecake Factory as likely to beat Q2 earnings estimates with a positive Earnings ESP of +2.76% and a Zacks Rank of 3.
CMG · Capital · Positive Zacks identifies Chipotle as likely to beat Q2 earnings estimates with a positive Earnings ESP of +0.84% and a Zacks Rank of 3.
BJ's Restaurants Outperforms Retail-Wholesale Sector with 71.3% Year-to-Date Gain
BJ's Restaurants has returned 71.3% so far this year, significantly outperforming the Retail-Wholesale sector's average gain of about 1.5%. The stock holds a Zacks Rank of 2, or Buy, and its full-year earnings estimate has been revised 1.4% higher over the past 90 days. Within the sector, BJ's Restaurants belongs to the Retail - Restaurants industry, which has gained about 0.5% year-to-date. Another sector outperformer, Burlington Stores, is up 19.6% this year and carries a Zacks Rank of 2, with its consensus EPS estimate rising 3.9% over the past three months.
Zacks Highlights Dutch Bros, Brinker, BJ's, and Arcos Dorados as Restaurant Stocks to Buy Despite Industry Headwinds
Zacks Equity Research identifies Dutch Bros, Brinker International, BJ's Restaurants, and Arcos Dorados as four restaurant stocks well-positioned to navigate ongoing industry challenges. The Zacks Retail-Restaurants industry faces pressure from elevated menu prices, cautious consumer spending, and rising labor, food, and occupancy costs, yet operators benefit from sustained demand for convenience, expanding digital platforms, and new restaurant openings. The industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 181, placing it in the bottom 27% of more than 247 industries, and has declined 8% over the past year while the S&P 500 rose 22.8%. Dutch Bros is expected to see 2026 sales and earnings rise 27.1% and 22.4% year over year, respectively, while Brinker International's fiscal 2026 sales and earnings are projected to increase 7.9% and 20.8%. BJ's Restaurants anticipates 2026 sales growth of 2.7% but an earnings decline of 2.2%, and Arcos Dorados forecasts sales and earnings jumps of 10% and 180.8%.
BROS · Demand · Positive Expected 2026 sales and earnings growth of 27.1% and 22.4% respectively, driven by sustained demand for convenience and new openings.
EAT · Demand · Positive Projected fiscal 2026 sales and earnings growth of 7.9% and 20.8% respectively, benefiting from digital platforms and new openings.
BJRI · · Neutral Mentioned as a stock to buy despite industry headwinds, but projected earnings decline of 2.2% for 2026.
BJ's Restaurants Insider Sale Totals $405,000 After Seven Straight Growth Quarters
BJ's Restaurants Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Brian S. Krakower sold 7,341 shares of common stock on June 18, a transaction valued at approximately $405,000. The shares were acquired through the exercise of options and immediately sold, leaving Krakower with 4,721 directly held shares worth about $258,000. The company recently reported its seventh consecutive quarter of sales and traffic growth, with first-quarter revenue rising 2.9% to $358.1 million and comparable restaurant sales up 2.4%. CEO Lyle Tick highlighted improvements to the menu, culture, and restaurant environment as creating a strong foundation for long-term profitable growth.
Dutch Bros Named a Restaurant Stock to Watch While Restaurant Brands and BJ's Are Questioned
StockStory identified Dutch Bros as a restaurant stock worth attention while questioning Restaurant Brands and BJ's Restaurants. Dutch Bros, with a market cap of $8.92 billion, has seen average same-store sales growth of 5.8% over the past two years and expanded its free cash flow margin by 2.8 percentage points over the last year. Restaurant Brands, valued at $25.64 billion, faces slowing demand with estimated sales growth of 3.4% and a 1.6 percentage point decline in operating margin. BJ's Restaurants, at a $1.09 billion market cap, posted only 3.2% annual revenue growth over seven years and a gross margin of 15.1%.
United States