First Bite

MOD Pizza has been sold. The wave of restaurant discounts appears to be working. And Chili's gets sued by the Beastie Boys. This is the last episode to appear on the First Bite channel! If you would like more daily updates on the restaurant industry, subscribe to Restaurant Daily at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

It's a strange moment for restaurant mergers and acquisitions. Chipotle's CFO is retiring. And Burger King is heating up its menu. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

Customers found a loophole in McDonald's $5 meal deal. Fast-food restaurants in a California city are switching to reusable cups. And two big AI suppliers are joining forces. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

A fast-growing pizza chain is expected to file for bankruptcy protection. Panera's overhauled menu appears to be a hit. And Dave's Hot Chicken is expanding to a new country. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

MOD Pizza is reportedly considering a bankruptcy filing. Fast-food restaurants in LA are facing more labor regulations. And menu innovation is defying the dog days of summer. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

How is California's new fast-food minimum wage impacting restaurant traffic? Boston Market's creditors are finding there's not much in the bank. And the president is cracking down on heat safety for workers. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

Restaurant Brands International is buying back its China business. Craveworthy Brands opened a food hall. And Chipotle taps Olympic athletes for its latest promotion. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

The summer of the value meal is upon us. Kura Sushi says business slowed in California. And which chains saw the most organic growth last year? First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

An Arby's operator declared bankruptcy. Panera Bread confirms it was hit with a cyberattack. And consumers are finding less value at Chick-fil-A. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

Starbucks is serving its customers an added jolt. Perkins is undergoing an extreme makeover. And Grubhub is taking a big plunge into grocery delivery. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

Hooters closes some struggling restaurants. A Subway franchisee files for bankruptcy. And see the brands that are doing the best at satisfying their customers. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

Uncle Julio's apparently has a potential buyer in the wings. American Express bought reservations platform Tock. And, if you've noticed a lot of steak on fast-casual menus, you may be onto something. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

A number of small restaurant chains have filed for bankruptcy recently. Pizza Hut is trying to terminate one of its largest franchisees. And another bankrupt chain gets hit with an employee lawsuit. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

Accomplished chef James Kent has died. Fast-casual pizza chain Blaze overhauled its brand. And Asian concepts were among the winners in casual dining last year. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

McDonald's is ending its AI drive-thru test. Former Red Lobster employees are suing the chain. And a TGI Fridays operator files for bankruptcy. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

The Supreme Court delivers a win for Starbucks. The economy comes for Dave & Buster's. And yet another chain launches a meal bundle. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

Alamo Drafthouse has been sold. There's good news and bad news on the menu price inflation front. And Starbucks is joining the value wars. First Bite is becoming Restaurant Daily! Don't forget to subscribe at Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here .

Today’s episode is bittersweet, as it is the last episode of First Bite — but with an exciting twist. 

Starbucks and Grubhub announced a partnership on Thursday that would allow customers to order Starbucks delivery via the Grubhub app for the first time ever. The delivery partnership will roll out to select markets in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Illinois in June, and expand to the rest of Grubhub’s markets across the 50 states by August.  According to Grubhub, Starbucks is the most...

Chipotle was one of very few winners from Q1’s financial reports and the company’s momentum certainly didn’t start there. In fact, you’d have to go back to the second quarter of 2020 – the pandemic quarter, if you will – to find a negative same-store sales number. The company’s engine has no doubt been churning at full speed of late, as evidenced by share prices jumping by nearly 75% since October...

Less than a week after abruptly closing  nearly 50 California locations , Rubio’s has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company said it is pursuing this action to facilitate the sale of the 41-year-old business, adding that its remaining 86 locations in California, Arizona, and Nevada will continue to operate as is. The company has cited challenging economic conditions, diminish...

Utah-based dirty soda chain Swig announced Monday the appointment of former Dutch Bros executive, Daniel Batty, as the fast-growing concept’s first chief development officer. In jumping from one fast-growing beverage chain to another, Batty will help Swig to achieve its long-term goal of growing from 70 locations to 1,400 units over the next eight years. Swig is best known for being at the forefro...

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store – the brand best known for rocking chairs out front, a gift shop of tchotchkes inside, and for being the restaurant of choice for road tripping families — has been struggling for a long time. After several quarters of negative traffic and sales, new CEO Julie Felss-Masino  announced last month  that the family-dining chain would be undergoing a brand make...

While pricing continues to be a hot topic and challenging conundrum for restaurant operators in 2024, Domino’s Pizza is confident in its firm stance on the pizza delivery value equation. The Ann Arbor-based company purposefully did not raise prices last year and has not done so thus far this year, which has been beneficial for the bottom line, Domino’s CEO Russell Weiner said in a fireside chat du...

BurgerFi announced that it would be rebranding to ChickenFi as it introduces new chicken sandwiches. There is no indication if this is a permanent rebrand or a temporary marketing move. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based fast-casual restaurant brand debuted a fried-chicken sandwich and a grilled-chicken sandwich on its permanent menu on May 21. The chain’s chicken breast is prepared sous-vide. The ne...