Your favorite local fast-food restaurant may disappear before you even notice. That's because the sector is now preparing for the year ahead, and companies are reevaluating their businesses, cutting costs, separating the profitable restaurants from the unprofitable ones, and deciding which locations will make it into 2024. Competition has never been so tough, and with economic conditions suggesting that consumers will continue to limit their dining-out budget, brands need to adapt to the new market conditions and cut off some bad apples that could compromise their growth and stability in the near future.