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| KFC Australia is offering five customers a unique opportunity to taste international menu items by jet-setting to secret locations. To enter, participants use the KFC app to locate hidden international dishes, assessing if they fit Aussie menus. Winners will enjoy trips to the dish’s country of origin, like Tokyo for the Wafu Cutlet burger. Prizes include business class flights, four-star accommodation and cultural experiences worth up to $6000. |
| Pizza Hut Australia and Nutella are teaming up to introduce a delectable new dessert to their menus: the loaded cookie with Nutella. Available from February 22 at Pizza Hut’s 27 Australian locations, this treat features a warm vanilla cookie generously drizzled with Nutella spread. Simon Stocks, Pizza Hut’s Director of Marketing and Digital, expressed excitement about the addition, highlighting its simplicity and appeal for sharing moments with loved ones. |
| Starbucks has introduced a new cafe design prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity for customers and employees with disabilities. The inaugural location, opened in Washington, D.C.’s Union Market, features power-operated doors, lower counters and an adjustable point-of-sale system. The Clover Vertica brewing system and digital status boards also enhance usability. All future company-owned stores will adopt similar features. Starbucks plans to open over 600 new stores in 2024. |
| Shake Shack’s CEO Randy Garutti emphasized the brand’s commitment to quality and differentiation from fast-food chains despite recent strategies resembling fast-food practices. With 30 drive-thru locations and plans to improve throughput, Shake Shack aims to enhance efficiency without compromising its made-to-order model. While expanding aggressively, Garutti noted that the chain prioritizes brand awareness through targeted advertising and strategic partnerships. Despite challenges like weather impacts and strong 2023 comparisons, Shake Shack reported positive sales and profit growth. |
| Little Caesars has introduced its POD Program, featuring eco-friendly modular units aimed at maximizing profitability and sustainability. These pods, with recycled walls manufactured off-site, minimize construction waste and energy consumption. The off-site construction process accelerates operations, reducing the timeline from blueprint to opening to approximately 90 days. The inaugural POD location in Keokuk, Iowa, has received positive community feedback since its opening. |
| Papa John’s is currently offering a limited-time deal nationwide where customers can get a large, 1-topping Original or Thin Crust Pizza for $8.99. This deal differs from their usual carryout-only offer for the same price. Typically, a large, 1-topping pizza at Papa John’s can cost $18.99 at local locations in Los Angeles. |
| Jack in the Box has introduced Churro French Toast Sticks alongside the return of regular French Toast Sticks for a limited time on its all-day breakfast menu. The Churro variant features deep-fried French toast sticks coated in cinnamon sugar. Available in 3-piece for $2.50 or 6-piece for $4.99, they can also be enjoyed in a Platter or Combo Meal. Both options are available at participating locations until April 7. |
McDonald’s Switzerland celebrated the 40th anniversary of Chicken McNuggets by offering individual McNuggets as a limited-time promotion, coined “Chicken McNuggets of Love.” The offer aims to address the challenge of unevenly dividing McNugget orders among friends or family, allowing customers to purchase the exact number needed. While sharing the last McNugget is a common solution, this promotion provided an alternative and garnered attention for its novelty.
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| Technavio forecasts the breakfast food market to increase by $125 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 5.31%. North America is expected to contribute 30% of this growth, driven by consumer preferences for convenient options. Traditional breakfast items like cereals, eggs and bacon remain popular, while frequent product launches stimulate market expansion. However, fluctuations in food prices may hinder growth. The trend toward global health awareness is also boosting demand, with consumers seeking breakfast foods to address health issues and cater to busy lifestyles, prioritizing options like cereals and snack bars for instant energy. |
| In 2024, the once-promising ghost kitchen industry is facing challenges, with many failing to meet expectations. Initially projected to reach a market size of $1 trillion by 2030, ghost kitchens saw a decline due to consumer dissatisfaction and a shift back to traditional restaurants. Major brands like Wendy’s and TGI Fridays joined the trend but faced setbacks. Smaller players are now pivoting to survive, focusing on diversification into events and catering. |
| Restaurant brands like Chili’s, Chuck E. Cheese and Virtual Dining Concepts are increasingly partnering with NASCAR to tap into motorsports culture. Chili’s sponsors Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, while Chuck E. Cheese offers co-branded video content and merchandise with Hendrick Motorsports. Virtual Dining Concepts launched NASCAR Refuel, a virtual restaurant brand featuring NASCAR-themed menu items. These partnerships aim to engage fans and offer NASCAR-inspired dining experiences both at home and at retail locations. |
| BJ’s Restaurants faced challenges in the fourth quarter, with same-store sales rising just 0.6% due to inclement weather and softness among lower-income customers. Despite outperforming the broader casual-dining segment, off-premise sales and transactions declined, partly due to reduced third-party delivery promotions. The chain is focused on improving on-premise sales, investing in remodels and TV advertising while reducing discounts for more profitable sales. |
| Whataburger is bringing back its Whatacatch Sandwich and Whatacatch Platter for the Lenten season from February 13 to April 2. The sandwich features wild-caught Alaskan pollock coated with seasoned panko breadcrumbs, lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce on a bun, with options for Creamy Pepper sauce or American cheese. The platter includes two fish fillets served with fries and tartar sauce. |
| PINCHO, the Miami-based burger and kebab concept, secured its seventh People’s Choice Award win at Burgerliscious, South Florida’s top burger festival. Their winning dish, the Jalapeño Delight, features a signature PINCHO patty topped with Jalapeño Jack Cheese, Jalapeño Bacon Jam, Jalapeño Bacon and Cilantro Jalapeño Aioli. Available in all PINCHO stores until March 3, it offers a delightful blend of savory, sweet and spicy flavors. |
| Santa Fe and Santa Fe County are set to increase their minimum wage to $14.60 per hour on March 1, edging closer to the long-sought $15 benchmark. Despite this, advocates argue that it falls short of a livable wage. Marcela Diaz of Somos Un Pueblo Unido stresses the need for pathways to advancement for low-wage workers and a comprehensive approach to increasing wages. Some younger workers, like those in Santa Fe High School’s Level Up work-based learning program, are exploring alternative career paths beyond minimum-wage jobs. |
| Apple’s introduction of the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset marks a significant shift toward spatial computing, a realm where eye movements and finger taps replace traditional peripherals. This move is expected to drive mass adoption, given Apple’s track record of influencing behavioral shifts. For restaurant brands, this presents a unique opportunity to immerse consumers in new experiences and drive affinity. From offering augmented reality ordering interfaces to fully immersive virtual reality dining experiences, restaurants can tap into spatial computing to engage customers in novel ways. |
| Toast, a restaurant payments company, is reducing its workforce by 10%, cutting 550 employees due to unsustainable growth despite rising revenue. CEO Aman Narang cited rapid expansion as the reason, with jobs mainly cut in non-customer-facing roles. The company aims to save $100 million annually through this restructuring. While still unprofitable on a GAAP basis, Toast saw a 43% increase in gross profit and a 35% rise in revenue in the fourth quarter. Restructuring charges of up to $55 million are expected. |
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