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| KFC Singapore announced the return of Chicken Skin to the menu. The deep-fried and seasoned item will be available in both the original and spicy versions. It was last seen on the menu at the end of 2019 and the company had fielded a tremendous number of requests for its return. |
| Taco Bell U.K. announced that it will be adding a new plant-based meat protein filling on January 7 to its menu. The new plant-based meat, which uses Gold&Green’s Pulled Oats, is made from an innovative combination of oats and legume and is high in protein, iron and fiber. It can be used in any build on the menu, allowing more options for vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians. Lucy Dee, Taco Bell U.K. Marketing Lead, told Vegan Food & Living that Taco Bell prides itself “on being a place where every lifestyle can find exactly what they’re craving.” |
| Hear a word from our leadership as we reflect on 2020! |
As we enter a new year, hear a word from our global leadership as they reflect on 2020 and thank YOU for the heart, smart and courage demonstrated throughout. We're grateful for your dedication to our brands, restaurant teams and each other. Cheers to a bright 2021! |  | (For Yum! Eyes Only) |
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| Shake Shack added new Korean-inspired menu items across its U.S. locations. The new selections include the Korean-Style Fried Chick’n Sandwich and the Korean Gochujang Chick’n Bites. Shake Shack said both the sandwich and bites include gochujang, a spicy red chili paste, while the sandwich also includes white kimchi coleslaw. In addition, the company added a side of crinkle-cut fries served with Gochujang mayo sauce and a new Black Sugar Vanilla Shake that Shake Shack says is popular in Korea. |
| Del Taco has unveiled its new store concept called "Fresh Flex," which focuses on three pillars -- restaurant accessibility, speed of service and brand transparency. The new design will offer contactless third-party delivery pickup stations, double drive-thru lanes dedicated to mobile orders or pickups and a parking lot for those who want to park and eat. Chad Gretzema, Del Taco’s Chief Operating Officer, added that the company "put a major emphasis on optimizing kitchen efficiency. It is the production engine of our brand, so each new restaurant size scales around the kitchen.” |
| Packaging World spoke with Matthew Banton, Head of Innovation and Sustainability, Burger King Global, about the upcoming pilot program that will feature reusable packaging under the Loop platform at some Burger King and Tim Hortons locations. |
| McDonald's UKI announced the closure of its 1,300 restaurants across the country for walk-in takeaway service due to the region's latest lockdown. The chain will still be open for drive-thru and delivery services. "This is a temporary change in our operations to allow us to test and validate any additional measures that may further enhance the safety of our takeaway service," McDonald's UKI CEO Paul Pomro said. |
| Subway has made protein bowls part of its permanent menu after a limited time run last month. The chain offers 11 signature protein bowls based on popular menu items. Subway has teamed up with former NFL player Marshawn Lynch to promote the protein bowls in a national campaign, which includes the Subway Pro Teen Awards. Twenty high school athletes will have the chance to be selected to receive a personalized video from Lynch, an invitation to attend a virtual awards event with him and NFL wide receiver Keenan Allen and a $1,500 scholarship from Subway. |
| Starbucks has launched a new cold brew coffee called the Honey Almond Milk Cold Brew, which the company said will cater to a “growing number of customers seeking a cold coffee beverage featuring non-dairy milk.” Starbucks said that millennials and Gen Z coffee drinkers under 30 are two times more likely to drink cold coffee and its cold beverage program has grown by nearly 45% in the past four years. |
| The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Services reported that the per capita consumption of cheese increased 19% over the past ten years. Restaurant chains have taken advantage of its appeal by incorporating more items based around cheese onto menus. |
| Financial analysts see plenty of growth ahead for DoorDash and the food delivery market in general. “Growth will slow, but we also believe food delivery is a forever-changed category and activity will remain elevated as consumers continue to value convenience and selection, and restaurants continue to value the incremental revenue stream,” wrote JPMorgan analysts. |
| FAT Brands announced that it will open its Fatburger chain in France for the first time. The company is partnering with BGH Investments to open two locations in Paris within the next 18 months. |
| The Veganuary challenge has seen a record number of people sign up for the month-long global event. Around 500,000 people have committed to a vegan diet in January, doubling the number of those who participated in 2019. “The way British supermarkets have embraced Veganuary this year is truly game-changing,” said Toni Vernelli from Veganuary. “They are not simply using it as a marketing opportunity, but are promoting the many benefits of plant-based eating. As bastions of our food supply, they know that the only sustainable way forward is plant-focused.” |
| The U.S. plant-based company Eat Just has announced a partnership with Dicos, one of China’s largest fast-food chains. Dicos will add Eat Just's plant-based egg product to its menus in more than 500 outlets across the country. According to Eat Just’s co-founder and CEO Josh Tetrick, the chain will use Just Egg to replace the conventional egg patty in its breakfast items. |
| More and more celebrities are creating companies that center around plant-based and vegan products. Forbes interviewed celebrities Venus Williams, Kate Hudson and Alicia Silverstone about their companies and what inspired them to enter the market. |
| Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that “other essential workers,” which include restaurant employees, will be eligible for vaccinations against COVID-19 around the beginning of February. The announcement makes it one of the first major U.S. cities to declare when restaurant workers can expect to start the inoculation process. |
| The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is deciding on whether to approve a "hero pay" bump of $5 an hour to grocery and retail drugstore employees in L.A. county. The measure is being opposed by grocery industry leaders, who say it may cause prices to rise and a reduction in shifts for employees. If passed, the ordinance would remain in effect for 120 days. |
| Restaurant meals, groceries and other goods may soon be delivered by drones more often with the loosening of rules by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA will now allow drones to fly over people and operate at night. For now, permission has been granted for limited deliveries of packages weighing up to five pounds, which must be delivered in 30 minutes or less. |
| Airports are finding ways to offer guests as many touch-free services as possible these days. Some airports have added touch-free ordering options throughout the terminal. AtYourGate is a service that makes in-terminal meal deliveries, which are ordered digitally from restaurants in the airport. The program will soon add small mobile robots that will be able to deliver orders. |
| According to LiveCareer, 29% of working professionals they polled said they would quit their jobs if they couldn't continue working remotely. Those surveyed highlighted the advantages of remote work with 64% citing flexibility, 44% pointing to improved work-life balance and 40% feeling safer. "Employees now expect to be able to work flexibly," says Brian Kropp, chief of HR research at Gartner. "Flexibility over where they work will be viewed much like the way a 401k is viewed -- as a basic component of the employment deal." |
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