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| Fortune’s Leadership Next podcast featured Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China. Wat emphasized differences in Chinese KFCs, where 60% of food is oven-cooked. Despite global brands facing challenges in China’s post-COVID economy, Wat highlighted that she believes in the potential of reaching one third of China’s population with Yum China’s 14,000 restaurants. Wat also noted there’s no sign that Chinese customers are turning away from American brands amid U.S.-China tension. |
| KFC Taiwan has revealed a seasonal menu featuring the Taiwanese Scallion Crispy Chicken and Osmanthus Oolong Bubble Milk Tea. Inspired by night market flavors, the HK$69 2-piece chicken offers a twist on crispy scallion pancakes. Additionally, the Double Bubble Egg Tart features brown sugar tapioca bubbles. |
| Yum! Brands leads in developing leaders |
| At Yum! Brands, our unrivaled talent is our greatest asset – one that we invest in heavily. That’s one of the reasons why TIME magazine included us on its first “Best Companies for Future Leaders” list. The accolade is evidence of a continued effort to develop our company leaders. Watch to learn how we do this in the latest episode of “Quick Bite,” the video series that profiles innovative work in about a minute. |
| CosMc’s, McDonald’s experimental beverage offshoot in Bolingbrook, Illinois, has generated significant buzz and traffic, with Placer.ai data showing more than double the visits of a typical McDonald’s nationwide in December. The smaller 2,500-square-foot location outperformed traditional stores, recording triple the visits per square foot. The success has prompted McDonald’s to open 10 more test units, exploring potential differentiation in the competitive coffee market and connecting with a younger audience. |
| Subway’s initiative to provide automatic meat slicers to its 20,000 U.S. restaurants as part of a menu improvement strategy has faced criticism from some franchisees. The move aimed to lower food costs and enhance the “quality halo” for customers. However, franchisees, including Bill Mathis, chairman of the North American Association of Subway Franchisees, express skepticism about the promised benefits. |
| In-N-Out Burger is closing its location in Oakland, California, citing “ongoing issues with crime.” The decision is considered unusual for the chain, which operates nearly 400 units. Despite the restaurant being profitable, the company prioritizes the safety of customers and associates, who have faced issues such as car break-ins, property damage, theft and armed robberies. The Oakland unit’s last day of business is scheduled for March 24, impacting around 115 workers. |
| Wendy’s is introducing breakfast burritos, consolidating their morning offerings into a tortilla filled with two eggs, six bacon strips, breakfast potatoes, American cheese and Swiss cheese sauce. The sandwiches, aimed at rivaling McDonald’s McMuffin, feature fresh-cracked eggs, oven-baked Applewood Smoked bacon, or a grilled sausage patty with melted American cheese. Wendy’s playful jab at “other guys” possibly references McDonald’s precooked bacon. |
| Domino’s is offering a one-week, carryout-only deal until January 28, allowing customers to purchase large two-topping pizzas for $6.99 each. The deal includes hand-tossed, Brooklyn-style or crunchy thin crust options. This promotion is a departure from Domino’s recent trend of week-long, half-price pizza deals. |
| Craveworthy Brands, a restaurant platform founded in 2022 by former Jimmy John's CEO Gregg Majewski, is seeking investment through regulated crowdfunding, offering up to $5 million worth of Class A units. The platform plans to allocate funds for store buildouts, brand acquisitions, working capital and crowdfunding-related expenses. Craveworthy, aiming to acquire legacy, emerging and virtual restaurant brands, projects $1 billion in systemwide sales within five years. |
| Various food industry groups, including Restaurants Canada, the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors and the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, are expressing concern about a potential increase in the farm-level price of chicken in British Columbia. The B.C. Chicken Marketing Board has proposed a new pricing formula awaiting approval by the B.C. Farm Industry Review Board, with the change expected to impact consumers and businesses. |
| Church’s Texas Chicken is featured in Hulu’s new documentary series, “Superhot: The Spicy World of Pepper People.” The series explores the world of super-hot peppers, focusing on chili growers, the hot sauce industry and spicy food enthusiasts. Church’s Texas Chicken’s Chefs Kevin Houston and Eric Stein, along with the executive team, participate in episodes eight and nine, putting pepper growers to the test to inspire a signature hot sauce for the brand. |
| Krispy Krunchy Chicken, a rapidly growing hot food concept in convenience stores, is entering the competitive chicken sandwich market with the launch of its new Cajun Chicken Sandwich. The sandwich features an all-white meat breast fillet marinated in Krispy Krunchy’s mild Cajun spices, coated in proprietary breading and topped with honey sauce and pickles, all served on a warm brioche bun. |
| Potbelly has redesigned its loyalty program, Potbelly Perks, shifting from an automatic conversion system to a bankable points program that allows customers greater control over their rewards. The new program has different membership tiers based on spending levels at Potbelly, starting with the rookie level, followed by pro and boss levels. Customers earn coins based on the dollar amount spent, and these coins can be redeemed for various rewards, such as pickles, cookies, beverages and sandwiches. |
| Industry experts highlighted how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry by providing solutions that improve internal operations and customer service. The use of AI in QSRs includes natural language processing for order management at drive-thrus, speech recognition technology for voice automation and machine learning for personalization and forecasting. Also emphasized was the role of AI in enhancing customer experiences, increasing operational efficiency and driving the evolution of QSRs. |
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