The Week in Restaurants

More big franchisees keep filing for bankruptcy. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the bankruptcy of a major Denny’s franchisee and other such bankruptcies, and why more operators keep seeking debt protection.   Portillo’s is closing locations outside of Chicago, so we discuss that topic and why companies should be careful expanding too far afi...

There are some big potential deals in the restaurant industry. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the proposed $17 billion acquisition of grocery delivery company Instacart by restaurant delivery company DoorDash. Will this be good for restaurants?  Former Wendy’s Chairman Nelson Peltz has a $1.4 billion offer for the company. We talk about that...

Can Wendy’s turn it around? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at Wendy’s, which is closing more restaurants but also promising changes in the near future.  We also discuss Olo, which is taking on third-party delivery apps, and whether that effort can work. There was a lot of news about ramen noodles, as you’d expect, so we talk about that. Also, t...

What’s going on with Domino’s? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at Domino’s earnings and what executives said about the state of the economy. We’ll look at what it all means.  Square is coming out with a talking kiosk so that should be interesting.  There were numerous changes recently on the salad front, including a big acquisition and a surpris...

Subway is facing another challenge. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the bribery scandal involving the Independent Purchasing Cooperative, Subway’s nonprofit purchasing co-op. Starbucks may purchase Chipotle? We talk about that bit of news and how likely such a deal is, or is not.  True Food Kitchen filed for bankruptcy. We discuss that issue,...

A cookie giant is crumbling. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at our investigation into closures and layoffs at Crumbl .  TGI Fridays is expanding again and we discuss the opportunities at the casual-dining chain.  DoorDash has a new tool for its restaurant customers. We discuss how that will work and whether the third-party delivery provider is...

Will McDonald’s latest aggressive move work?  This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the Investor Day presentation at the fast-food giant, which announced $8.5 billion in investments behind its “Next” program. We will discuss that move and what it can do for the restaurant chain.  Darden earnings came out this week and we will discuss how Olive Gard...

LeBron James has scored another restaurant investment. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the basketball star’s investment in Mike’s Red Tacos, his latest in a string of investments in restaurant chains.  DoorDash is investing in the delivery food hall Wonder. We discuss that while trying to figure out exactly what Wonder is.  Papa Johns is addi...

Another casual-dining chain has shut down. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the closure of O’Charley’s, which has closed its corporate stores, leaving about four franchisee-owned units.  We also discuss Jersey Mike’s first earnings call as a public company. The sandwich chain’s stock soared after the company said transactions were increasing a...

Can Domino’s new menu item be a big winner?  In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants, we look at The Domino, Domino’s new, single-serve, Detroit-style pizza. Is it too expensive? And what does that mean for the pizza chain’s future? Walmart, meanwhile, is getting into the restaurant delivery business, thanks to a new deal with Dunkin’. We’ll discuss what t...

Can you really prevent what just happened to Texas Roadhouse?  This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at an online hoax involving the casual-dining steak chain, and whether any company can effectively prevent such issues.   Independent restaurants are apparently doing better than you think. We’ll discuss what that means for both local restaurants and n...

Just when you thought it was safe to go to restaurants, there’s this: Bagels are making a comeback. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the planned expansion of Einstein Bros. Bagels and what that says about the latest bagel boom.  We also talk, again, about Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp and whether its second comeback in four months is a good ide...

Why is Subway taking a stand on closures? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the latest controversy involving Subway, which is making it harder for franchisees to close stores. It is also about to make a big push on late-night hours. There’s a lot more to the Salad and Go story, as 7 Brew and Dutch Bros are fighting over sites. We’ll talk about...

Why did Salad and Go shut down? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurant looks at the closure of Salad and Go, which filed for bankruptcy and closed its remaining locations, selling many of the leases to Dutch Bros. Thai Union, the former owner of Red Lobster, defended its role in the infamous Endless Shrimp promotion.  McDonald’s had a landmark quarter, and no...

Why did Cracker Barrel change its CEO one year after its logo controversy? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the family-dining chain’s decision to replace Julie Masino with Dave Deno. Maybe more specifically: We try and make sense of the move.   Rich Shank from Technomic also discusses Cracker Barrel on Technomic’s Take.  Jersey Mike’s went pub...

What is happening with the pizza sector? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at Domino’s earnings, and what it says about the intense competition for traffic among such chains. We also look at strong restaurant and bar sales from the World Cup. And we examine Cracker Barrel’s sale of Maple Street Biscuit Company as well as the company’s strategy, an...

How will the cyclospora outbreak affect Taco Bell? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive looks at the cyclospora outbreak, which has now been linked to lettuce from Taylor Farms served at Taco Bell locations.  We discuss the potential impact on sales and why faith in food safety is crucial. We also talk about Texas Roadhouse and delivery and whether the chain is maki...

One of the most successful growth chains in years is going public. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the upcoming initial public offering of the sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s and what that means, both for the company and for the market. Technomic’s Robert Byrne also talks about Jersey Mike’s and its consumer ratings. Wonder, the food hall and de...

Just Salad’s newest investor is a champion. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the salad chain’s partnership with Jalen Brunson, a member of the NBA champion New York Knicks.  We also discuss Red Lobster’s all-you-can-eat shrimp debacle, which is back in the news. And we talk about our analysis of restaurant sales over the past five years and wh...

Why is Domino’s changing CEOs? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the retirement of Domino’s CEO Russ Weiner, his replacement Joe Jordan, and what it all means for the company.  We also talk about the growing competition from convenience-store chains, both for pizza and chicken wings.  On the Border closed all its restaurants and liquidated, whi...

Jersey Mike’s has overtaken Chick-fil-A in one key area.  This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at Jersey Mike’s, which recently took the top spot among fast-food chains in the recent American Customer Satisfaction Index—a spot once dominated by Chick-fil-A. Dave & Buster’s has a tough quarter, driven by a poor economy. We take a deep dive into th...

Cracker Barrel had a better quarter than feared. This episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the family-dining chain’s traffic improvement and why that matters. The company’s sales are improving faster than executives, and Wall Street, expected.  Another problem is screwing with the beef markets. We discuss the potential impact of a screwworm infestation on cat...

Can AI drive thrus coexist with restaurant hospitality? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at McDonald’s new business plan, called McDonald’s Next, including its newest test of AI drive-thru ordering technology. We ask whether that can coexist in a chain focused on more hospitality. Logan’s Roadhouse is adding a THC cocktail to its menus in Texas....

Can healthy be a draw in the restaurant business? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the closure of Clover Food Lab, the 11-unit chain that at one point seemed destined for big things. We examine what this says about the plant-based meat trend and what it says about demand for healthy options in restaurants.  Cava’s sales took off last quarter,...

Who was the most relevant CEO in the restaurant industry since 2000? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants is a special one, recorded during the National Restaurant Association Show, and looks at the most impactful industry CEOs of the past quarter century. It’s not an easy discussion. There were a lot of really good chief executives whose impact went well...