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| Yum China has launched environmentally friendly packaging initiatives across its brands, which it expects will bring a reduction of approximately 8,000 tons of non-degradable plastics annually starting from 2021. The initiative includes replacing existing plastic packaging with paper straws, paper bags and biodegradable plastic bags. KFC China recently launched the "Be Natural, Be You" sustainability campaign to enhance consumers' awareness of environmental protection and to encourage a more sustainable lifestyle. |
| KFC UKI is featuring a 50% discount on select items off the menu throughout January when ordered via its app. A different item will be featured each week, including Twister Wraps, a Tower Burger meal and the Popcorn Chicken Meal. |
| Insider reporter Erin McDowell taste tested Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian's go-to KFC orders. McDowell tried Khloe's choice of Kentucky grilled chicken breast with kernel corn and green beans on the side and Kim's pick of extra-crispy chicken wings and a biscuit with honey. She preferred Khloe's selection calling it "filling, delicious and surprisingly satisfying." |
| Pizza Hut Singapore has partnered with RSG, one of the biggest esports organizations in Southeast Asia. As part of the one-year deal, RSG players will wear the Pizza Hut Singapore logo on their jerseys. “The promising developments of esports in Singapore offer great potential for our young talents to grow and showcase their competitive skills, as well as to engage audiences of all ages," said Jayss Rajoo, Head of Marketing and Food Innovation of Pizza Hut Singapore. |
| Pizza Hut is now offering its Large Original Stuffed Crust pizza with up to three toppings for only $11.99, available at participating locations nationwide for a limited time. "The Original Stuffed Crust pizza was a game changer 25 years ago, and while there have been many imitators, nothing beats Original Stuffed Crust from Pizza Hut," said George Felix, Chief Marketing Officer, Pizza Hut. |
| #TwitterTuesday: What our fans are saying about us |
Our fans gave lots of love to KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill during the holiday season. Carlos will eat nothing but KFC’s drumsticks for the rest of his life. Maris was so hungry that her boyfriend got not just one but two of Pizza Hut’s personal pan pizzas. Pat thinks Taco Bell has the best cinematic ads, and people have found their new favorite (and easy!) online ordering platform by The Habit.
Head over to Yum!Now to see what else our fans are saying about us. |  | (For Yum! Eyes Only) |
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| McDonald's will add three new chicken sandwiches to its menu next month. Starting February 24, consumers will be able to buy the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich and the Deluxe Chicken Sandwich. Restaurant marketing consultant Chas Hermann was skeptical about whether the move will prove successful. “I would bet big time that McDonald’s never competes in the chicken business,” he said. “They’ll definitely improve their chicken sandwich. It won’t win awards. They will have some of the very best marketing around it.” |
| QSR Magazine interviewed Papa John's CEO Rob Lynch for an in-depth look at how the company has transformed to record-setting sale heights since he took over as CEO in August 2019. “I think that mindset, being true to what we stand for and how we were going to operate as a company, helped us to eradicate some of those historical brand perception problems and frankly, come out of these situations in a whole new light,” Lynch said. |
| Burger King has launched a new campaign called "Whopper for the future" that allows 100,000 customers to order a free Whopper as a treat for a later date. Customers can order a Whopper through the company's app and will receive a QR code that can be redeemed until December 31, 2030. |
| Chipotle has launched the Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice, a twist on its classic white rice recipe that uses the same fresh cilantro and lime ingredients. It also announced four new lifestyle bowls featuring the new cauliflower rice item. Chipotle said that the new rice is compliant with keto, whole30, paleo, vegan and vegetarian diets. |
| Dunkin' has teamed up with MorningStar Farms to launch the new Southwest Veggie Power Breakfast Sandwich for a limited time. The sandwich features MorningStar's black bean patty packed with southwest flavors, layered with an egg white omelet filled with spinach, bell peppers and onions, and topped with aged white cheddar cheese. |
| Tim Hortons rolled out a new dark roast coffee this week as part of its back-to-basics plan, which will focus on coffee, doughnuts and breakfast in 2021. "What we've noticed over the years is that guests are looking for a slightly bolder coffee," said Kevin West, Director of Coffee Operations for Tim Hortons. "It's just a slight change, but it made a significant difference in how the coffee performed with the final finished product." |
| Restaurant Dive asked analysts their thoughts on what restaurant trends will play a significant part for the industry in 2021. Some analysts expect that customers will seek out digitally integrated curbside channels as a faster, cheaper alternative to delivery. Other predictions include a shift in focus to smaller footprints in the suburbs for restaurant chains, as well as a continued rise in the popularity of virtual brands among big chains. |
| An Applebee’s location in Texas will be the first of the company's stores to install a drive-thru window. “We look forward to assessing the performance of this installation, understanding feedback from our guests and operators, as well as any impact to business performance,” said Scott Gladstone, Vice President of Strategy and Development at the company. “If positive, we will determine whether pickup windows should be included in our building design packages.” |
| Las Vegas-based Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop has acquired the Wing Zone chain. Wing Zone has 31 locations in North America and over 30 international branches and had systemwide U.S. sales of $22.2 million in 2019. “We look forward to leveraging our expertise in franchising, operational excellence and technology with Wing Zone’s off-premise experience to help both brands continue to grow,” Capriotti’s CEO Ashley Morris said. |
| PepsiCo has launched Dig In, a platform that the company hopes will raise at least $100 million in sales for Black-owned restaurants over the next five years. "Our mission to connect Black-owned restaurants with the access, business acceleration and visibility needed to thrive requires a clear call to action: Dig In," said PepsiCo Global Foodservice CMO Scott Finlow. |
| Research conducted by the British Nutrition Foundation found that 66% of respondents aged 45 to 54 said that it was unlikely for them to choose to follow a plant-based diet in the New Year. The survey revealed that younger and older consumers were more likely to embrace a plant-based diet with 22% of those aged 25-35 and 55+ saying yes to the idea. |
| New York is one of the U.S. states that moved ahead with a minimum wage increase in 2021 despite objections from some business groups. The minimum rose to $12.50 from $11.80 an hour in the state apart from New York City, which hit a $15 hourly wage requirement at the end of 2019. The new wage "increases the cost of doing business at a time when sales are at an all-time low, revenue is at an all-time low and many businesses are simply closed in New York state or operating under severe capacity restrictions,” said Greg Biryla, New York director of the National Federation of Independent Business. |
| U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new national lockdown for the country. Restaurants are now faced with new questions and uncertainties as to how long they will remain closed. Kate Nicholl, CEO of the trade group UK Hospitality, said that the tighter restrictions meant that the hospitality industry was a long way from reopening to “keep jobs alive.” She added that the government needed “to provide a rapid and extensive roll-out of the vaccine and we need a clear exit strategy along with a road map for recovery and business support.” |
| London-based startup Karakuri has developed a robot arm that can make tailored meals with the press of a few buttons. The prototype was unveiled in December and features an array of sensors, motors and AI behind the scenes. “You can get robot arms to mix and serve food. But the really difficult part in the food industry is serving exactly the right portions, weighing and measuring and dispensing them,” said Barney Wragg, Karakuri’s cofounder and CEO. |
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