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| KFC is celebrating its 30,000th global location with a new restaurant in Rome, Italy. Sabir Sami, CEO of KFC Global, emphasized local engagement and community support. “Opening our 30,000th restaurant is a testament to the support of our local business partners, employees and customers over the past nearly 75 years,” Sami said. In 2023, KFC opened nearly 2,700 restaurants across 96 countries, achieving a 10% growth pace. Key markets like China, India and Spain drove expansion. The company plans to enter its 150th country soon. KFC’s master franchisee in Italy, COB S.R.L., aims to open over 25 new locations. |
| KFC China has introduced self-driving food trucks, showcasing a potential evolution in food delivery. Manufactured by Neolix, these autonomous trucks roam sidewalks, equipped with heaters and packed with KFC orders. Customers can scan a QR code to place orders swiftly. |
| KFC Jamaica has launched EZ-KFC, an upgraded online ordering platform, aiming to enhance customer experience and leverage technology. Customers can now conveniently order and pay for their favorite meals on the kfcjamaica.com website for pick-up at 36 out of 40 KFC locations across the island. Andrei Roper, KFC Brand Manager, emphasized the platform’s accessibility, convenience and speed, catering to the increasing demand for online services. |
| Pizza Hut U.S. is celebrating Pi Day by offering a BOGO deal from March 12 to 14. Customers ordering a regularly-priced large pizza online can get a second large one-topping pizza for free using the code “FREEPIZZA.” |
| Pizza Hut Taiwan has introduced a unique “Bishen Jinchuudaabisa” pizza, resembling a basketball inside a hoop, available for a limited two-week period to celebrate the high school basketball finals in Taipei. Priced at NT$329, the pizza features a round pizza in the middle and a dough ring, allowing customers to simulate scoring a goal. Toppings include salami, teriyaki sauce, mayonnaise, cheese and sausage. |
| Taco Bell U.S. is reintroducing its Dipping Taco line with the limited-time test of the Cheesy Enchilada Dipping Taco in Milwaukee, WI. Priced at $3.49, it features a white corn taco shell filled with slow-roasted chicken, three-cheese blend, Creamy Jalapeño sauce and a grilled layer of cheese outside. The accompanying warm dipping sauce includes layers of enchilada red sauce, three-cheese blend and reduced-fat sour cream. |
| Taco Bell U.S. is set to launch its Cantina Chicken Menu on March 21, featuring five new chicken-centric items. The menu includes the Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco and Soft Taco, along with the grilled Cantina Chicken Burrito, cheesy Cantina Chicken Quesadilla and Cantina Chicken Bowl. Fresh ingredients like slow-roasted chicken, pico de gallo, purple cabbage, fried white corn shells and avocado verde salsa enhance the flavors. |
| Taco Bell is expanding its signature Feed The Beat U.S. program globally, now launching in the U.K. to support emerging artists. High Vis, one of the inaugural U.K. Feed the Beat artists, features in Taco Bell’s new TV ad with their song “Fever Dream,” reflecting the program’s spirit of supporting talent. Grammy-nominated Portugal. The Man, longtime participants, praised Feed The Beat’s support for bands’ dietary needs on tour. |
| Yum! Brands recognized for climate action and transparency |
Yum! is best known for its RED (relevant, easy and distinctive) brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill – but recent accolades in the sustainability space might make consumers see it as green. This month, CDP, released its rankings, and Yum!’s Climate Change score improved to an A- and all assessments achieved scores of a B or higher.
Read more about our latest recognition and climate action progress. |
| CKE Restaurants Inc., parent company of Carl’s Jr., in partnership with RSMG Holding, is celebrating the grand opening of the first Florida Carl’s Jr. restaurant in Doral. Vice President of Brand Marketing Anthony Nguyen expressed excitement for joining South Florida’s energy. RSMG noted it aims to establish Carl’s Jr. as a market leader in South Florida, fostering long-term community relationships. |
| Chipotle has responded to customer requests by bringing back its popular Chicken al Pastor, available for a limited time in the U.S., Canada and Europe. The marinated grilled chicken, featuring seared morita peppers, achiote, pineapple, lime and cilantro, returns after its successful launch in 2023. Fans expressed their enthusiasm on social media, with some making humorous pledges for its comeback. |
| El Pollo Loco’s Q4 earnings were reported prior to Liz Williams assuming her role as CEO, highlighting strategies for expansion under her leadership. Focus shifts towards franchise business growth, aiming to enhance development capabilities and reduce new build costs to drive unit expansion. Operational improvements, including updated manuals and training, aim to ensure consistency and drive profitability. Initiatives such as self-order kiosks and simplified salsa offerings streamline operations and save on labor costs. |
| Wendy’s has raised a record-breaking $22.6 million over the past year for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption through various fundraising initiatives. These efforts include programs like “Make A Biggie Difference,” coin canister collections, Boo! Books, and Frosty Key Tags. Over three decades, Wendy’s has raised over $310 million for the Foundation, aiding in the adoption of over 14,000 children in foster care. |
| Food inflation data has revealed that while some burger ingredients like lettuce and cheese have dropped in price, others like pickles, onions and sesame seed buns have increased, contributing to higher burger costs. Despite overall food inflation holding flat in February, staple items like eggs, bacon and coffee continue to rise. Burger prices, emblematic of American fare, have surged due to factors like limited cattle supply and rising processing costs. This trend has affected small businesses and larger chains, prompting price adjustments to offset rising expenses. Rising beef prices may persist, potentially leading to record-high costs by 2025. |
| In recent years, vegetable oils have faced scrutiny for their high omega-6 fat content and limited health benefits. New alternatives like Zero Acre Farms’ sugar cane-derived oil offer healthier options with lower omega-6 levels and superior taste. Other innovations, such as Algae Cooking Club’s algae-based oil and Äio’s yeast-derived RedOil, provide sustainable and nutritious alternatives. While these oils come at a higher price point, traditional options like perilla leaf oil, coconut oil and avocado oil remain popular among chefs for their flavor and health benefits. |
| Portillo’s is adjusting its expansion strategy, moving away from large-scale “Big Bang” openings to more measured, soft openings. CEO Michael Osanloo highlighted the negative experiences associated with massive openings, emphasizing a shift towards smoother operations. The company aims to manage demand and ensure quality by inviting select groups during a two-week soft opening period. Osanloo pointed to successful implementations in Orlando as a model for future expansion. |
| Hungry House and MegaBite, two digitally native restaurant concepts, are merging to form BiteLabs, aiming to expand across the Americas. Hungry House, known for its chef-driven menus and catering expertise, joins forces with MegaBite, a Latin American delivery-focused multibrand restaurant leveraging technology for personalized ordering experiences. The combined entity plans to maintain separate concepts while sharing certain brands. BiteLabs, led by co-founders Pedro Neira, Andrew Corrigan and Solamon Cruz Estin, seeks to innovate the fast-casual landscape with a focus on delivery, resembling digital food halls rather than traditional ghost kitchens. |
| A Pennsylvania judge dismissed Jay Pandya’s second bankruptcy filing, imposing a six-month ban on further Chapter 11 petitions. This adds uncertainty to the future of Boston Market, which has faced financial challenges. Earlier this year, the chain was ordered to pay $12 million to U.S. Foods for unpaid bills and has dealt with numerous legal issues, including wage violations and lawsuits. Plans for a turnaround, including introducing international dishes and expanding into non-traditional locations, have not materialized as expected. |
| DoorDash has introduced SafeChat+, an AI tool aimed at detecting potentially abusive or harassing speech in app-based communication between customers and workers. This new tool supersedes the original SafeChat launched in 2022, utilizing more advanced technology capable of identifying nuanced problematic content without relying solely on keyword matching. SafeChat+ is designed to review a high volume of messages, analyzing over 1,400 messages per minute, although human oversight is still required. |
| Sanjiv Razdan, President of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, founded GLEAM Network during the pandemic to offer mentorship opportunities to underserved employees in the restaurant industry, aiming to bridge the parity gap for women and minorities. GLEAM pairs mentees with industry executives for a structured six-month mentoring journey, with a focus on individuals from underrepresented communities. Participants emphasize the program’s personal and professional impact, highlighting the value of mentorship in navigating industry challenges and fostering growth mindsets. |
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