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| As part of its “beat the January blues” campaign, KFC U.K. and Ireland is offering a 50% discount on its 4pc Boneless Meal through the KFC app until February 4. The deal includes four mini fillets, an original dip, regular fries and a drink, originally priced at £8.49, now available for £4.99. Previous weeks featured similar discounts on other popular menu items. |
| KFC China has joined forces with Sanrio Characters for a Chinese New Year-themed collaboration, offering a set of five toys and a decorative piece with select meals. Launched on Meituan and in-store, meals priced at 39.9 RMB or 59.9 RMB include a random small toy featuring Hello Kitty, Pom Pom Purin, Cinnamoroll, Pochacco or Kuromi. A 69.9 RMB meal includes a Hangyodon decorative wooden fish. All characters wear traditional red garments with words of well-wishing. |
| The Habit Burger is set to open its sixth North Carolina store at Lake Norman on February 7. The restaurant will be located at 7266 NC-73 Highway in the town of Denver. This expansion is part of The Habit Burger’s plan to open 15 stores in the Charlotte region. The store will hold several pre-opening events. |
| The Habit Burger is opening its first location in the Lexington and Columbia area at 5304 Sunset Blvd. in Lexington. The grand opening is scheduled for January 31, marking the fifth Habit Burger Grill in South Carolina. The 2,800 square foot restaurant offers dine-in and drive-thru options. |
| This KFC U.S. employee made the leap and you can, too |
Looking to change things up in your career, but not sure where to begin? Check out the latest #3Questions, the series that features conversations between employees and Yum! CEO David Gibbs, to see how Ray Jeffries, KFC U.S. PR analyst, had a vision, made connections and boldly stepped out of his comfort zone to land his dream job. You'll be left inspired and equipped for your next move! |  | (For Yum! Eyes Only) |
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| Starbucks reported quarterly earnings and revenue that fell below Wall Street expectations, citing challenges such as a U.S. boycott and increased discounting by rivals in China. The chain’s global same-store sales increased by 5%, missing estimates of 7.2%. Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan highlighted headwinds, including controversies related to the Israel-Hamas war affecting U.S. traffic. The company lowered its full-year revenue outlook but noted that challenges are considered transitory. |
| McDonald’s has rolled out its upgraded burgers nationwide as part of its “best burger initiative,” featuring over 50 tweaks to enhance the core product. Changes include softer buns, more Big Mac sauce and alterations to the cooking process for a more consistent sear and meltier cheese. The chain is promoting the upgraded burgers with a marketing campaign featuring the classic Hamburglar character. The Hamburglar is showcased in a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, called “Burgercuda,” which is traveling “coast-to-coast” for a burger-stealing heist. McDonald’s fans who spot the car can earn rewards by scanning its code. |
| Starbucks is celebrating Valentine’s Day with two new drinks: the Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Crème Frappuccino and the Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cold Brew. The frappuccino features ice, milk, strawberry puree and java chips layered with whipped cream, while the cold brew combines hazelnut syrup, chocolate cream cold foam and a chocolate cookie crumble topping. These offerings are available globally, with variations in different regions. |
| Wendy’s is expanding its localized social media advertising on TikTok using the Tiger Pistol platform. The move aims to enhance local advertising efforts and engage modern consumers. Tiger Pistol’s local social advertising platform enables Wendy’s to extend TikTok advertising to its franchisees seamlessly. With over 1.7 million followers on Wendy’s main U.S. TikTok account, the collaboration leverages Tiger Pistol’s technology to execute a localized vision, facilitating the creation of high-quality, brand approved TikTok ads for franchisees. |
| The Quick-Service Restaurant (QSR) industry is facing challenges leading to franchisee bankruptcies, driven by rising input costs, labor and food costs and difficulty raising capital. These challenges may continue in 2024, with tight labor markets and wage growth impacting franchisee cash flows. Higher borrowing costs, resulting from increased interest rates, add to the financial burden. While some franchisees may have already faced bankruptcy due to these factors, experts suggest that the worst may be over, as the weaker operators have been weeded out. However, potential exogenous issues, like geopolitical events affecting shipping costs, could still impact the market. |
| Slim Chickens is experiencing significant growth, with sales and unit growth exceeding 30% from 2021 to 2022. The company closed 2023 with a record number of openings and plans over 70 stores for 2024. Slim Chickens has more than 250 locations open, with another 1,150 agreements in the pipeline. The brand’s recent momentum is attributed to effective marketing during the pandemic and the development of a new store format that reduced costs while maintaining higher average unit volumes. |
| Madison Burroughs, a former crew member turned general manager at Jersey Mike’s, has become a first-time franchisee of her own Jersey Mike’s store in Delevan, Wisconsin. After more than a decade with the company, Burroughs, who was named Manager of the Year at the 2023 Jersey Mike’s National Conference, opened her store in partnership with Mark Michalak, her former boss and franchisee. They plan to open more stores together, emphasizing the importance of hiring the right people to reduce turnover. |
| Roots Chicken Shak, the duck fat-fried chicken concept by chef Tiffany Derry and Tom Foley, has introduced an innovative franchising model with a focus on providing ownership opportunities to marginalized community members. The model redefines the application process by prioritizing hospitality experience and commitment over current financial status. The brand aims to remove financial hurdles and bridge the capital gap for potential franchisees, leveraging strategic relationships with funding partners, municipalities and companies aligned with the group’s mission. |
| A federal court judge has awarded US Foods an $11.9 million default judgment in its lawsuit against Boston Market, citing the chain’s “bad faith,” “delay tactics” and “willful disregard” for the litigation. The judge granted US Foods’ request for the judgment, citing Boston Market’s multiple failures to meet court deadlines and describing the chain’s more recent cooperation with the court as “too little, too late.” US Foods sued Boston Market in July, claiming the chain owed nearly $11 million in unpaid bills. |
| Yelp has introduced over 20 features to its platform in its Winter Product Release, focusing on both customers and business owners. Some of the customer-facing updates leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance user experience. For example, Yelp’s home feeds on iOS platforms will now use AI to showcase relevant user photos, collections from Yelp Elites and video content from nearby businesses. The platform will also use large language models to create business summaries for restaurant, food and nightlife businesses based on content from reviews, highlighting elements like atmosphere, service, amenities, value or popular dishes. |
| SevenRooms, a technology provider for restaurants, has acquired HeyPluto, a text-message marketing company. HeyPluto, which uses artificial intelligence to facilitate personalized two-way text messaging between brands and customers, will enhance SevenRooms’ efforts to scale personalized marketing and loyalty solutions for the hospitality industry. While SevenRooms has primarily focused on customer interactions through email, this acquisition introduces text messaging capabilities. |
| Firehouse Subs, under the umbrella of Restaurant Brands International, is launching its “2024 Veteran and First Responder Development Program.” The initiative aims to attract new franchisees who are veterans or first responders, offering $100,000 for the first three restaurants and $50,000 afterward. This move follows Firehouse’s “2023 Development Incentive Program,” a $20 million investment that encouraged existing franchisees to develop and open at least two new restaurants in 2024 and 2025, offering cash incentives of $50,000 to $100,000 per restaurant. |
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