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If you’re in New York City and ordering a healthy meal for delivery, there’s a chance a robot might help make your meal.Wellness food brand Better Days is officially debuting today inside Travis Kalanick’s CloudKitchens commissary kitchens. The virtual brand can only be found on delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats. Better Days joins restaurants like White Castle, Chipotle, and Sweetgreen in testing robots that perform mundane kitchen tasks such as assembling rice bowls, peeling avocados, a…
6 months ago
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More Burger King restaurants are closing, according to various news outlets. The latest restaurant closures will be in Florida, New York, and Nebraska. Franchisees announced 26 store closures in Michigan in March and 27 closures across seven states, including in Nabraska, Utah, and Minnesota in April.The recently closed locations in Nebraska have been open for at least 40 years and were run by the same franchisee who closed 27 stores in the spring, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.In Long…
6 months ago
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One of the most significant innovations to hit the restaurants in the nearly two decades I’ve been covering the industry was the introduction of the mobile app. The movement was led by digital pioneers such as Starbucks, Chipotle, Taco Bell, and Panera Bread.Today, ordering food through an app is ubiquitous. It’s the most convenient way to interact with a brand. We can order food, earn rewards, and find unique online-only offers.But some fast food apps feel like they’re living in the dark ages.…
6 months ago
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Food delivery and rideshare drivers say they are getting booted off apps like Uber and DoorDash in droves. Many say they are falsely accused of unsafe driving or excessively late deliveries.As drivers struggle to defend themselves, they’re turning to Sergio Avedian, a Los Angeles-based industry advocate for gig workers.Avedian, a multi-app gig driver who shares his best practices on The Rideshare Guy, said he receives about 1,000 emails each week from gig workers seeking his advice. He helps dri…
6 months ago
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McDonald’s said Monday that customers continue to count on the chain for affordable meals, even as it raises menu prices. But lately, the demographic of those customers is shifting.The chain, which saw US traffic dip in the third quarter, said it is losing sales from “more discriminating” consumers who feel pressure from inflation and rising interest rates. For McDonald’s, that has led to a downturn in visits from lower-income consumers earning about $45,000 a year or less, CEO Chris J. Kempczin…
6 months ago
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I remember the days when walking into a Chipotle at lunchtime meant facing long lines that extended to the back of the restaurant. Tackling the crazy crowds was worth it because the fresh-Mex chain was an exciting concept in its heyday.It offered giant foil-wrapped burritos, created your way in a walk-along setup like Subway. Foodies looking for healthier options were attracted to Chipotle’s nontraditional burrito ingredients, such as brown rice, non-fried black or brown beans, and grilled veget…
6 months ago
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Starbucks and the labor group representing more than 360 of its unionized stores in the US are suing each other over use of the company’s name and logos. The legal battle erupted when, according to Starbucks, the union and a local affiliate representing employees posted or reposted social media messages on X, formerly Twitter, that called for solidarity with Palestine. In a trademark-infringement lawsuit filed Wednesday, Starbucks accused Starbucks Workers United, and an affiliate, Iowa City St…
6 months ago
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Chick-fil-A reportedly has agreed to shell out $4.4 million to customers who accused the chain of promising low-delivery fees, while “secretly” inflating menu prices as much as 30% during the pandemic.The legal-news site TopClassActions first reported the settlement, which comes less than a month after a group of six plaintiffs filed a lawsuit seeking class-action status in a Georgia federal court. According to the news outlet, the fried chicken chain did not admit guilt in the settlement.In the…
6 months ago
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McDonald’s, the world’s biggest burger chain, is caught up in the Israel-Hamas war. The conflict has divided McDonald’s franchisees in the Middle East, who have taken to social media to show their support for Israeli troops or Palestinians in Gaza.On Thursday, McDonald’s Israel announced plans to give away thousands of free meals to the Israel Defence Forces. Two days later, McDonald’s Oman, also known as Al Daud Restaurants LLC, said it had donated ”$100,000 towards the relief efforts for the p…
6 months ago
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Savvy TikTokers looking to save more than pennies on their favorite Starbucks drink are showing coffee lovers how to hack the chain’s app to save money on premium drinks such as a pumpkin spiced latte.One TikToker said she knocked off about 50% on a venti iced coffee with her mobile app hack.“It feels illegal that I just bought this coffee for $3,” said a TikToker with the handle @sophiacelentano48.the best coffee ordering hack #foryou #fyp #cheapstarbucksdrink #affordablestarbucksorder #starbuc…
7 months ago
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There’s nothing Mexican about chicken nuggets, but that doesn’t bother Taco Bell.Starting October 12, the chain is testing Crispy Chicken Nuggets in select stores as the chain plans to disrupt a category where it sees weakness.“This is like truly a very premium nugget. It’s not a chicken nugget patty you might get at some fast-food restaurants. This is very much more elevated,” Mira Leon, a member of Taco Bell’s product development team, said during a recent media event at the fast-food chain’s…
7 months ago
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By some estimates, the restaurant industry has the most job vacancies to fill in the US. Since the pandemic, fast-food workers have fled the sector, leaving restaurant chains struggling to find help.That’s led to increased wages for cashiers and cooks, some of whom are being replaced by automated voice ordering systems.But how have fast-food general managers, whose duties range from dealing with fussy customers to inventory management, fared over the years?According to the Bureau of Labor Statis…
7 months ago
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Newly minted Wall Street darling Cava is a fast-casual chain that sells grain bowls and pitas in an assembly-style format. Rival Sweetgreen, whose shares have plummeted since the company went public in 2021, sells premium salads and warm bowls. Cava, which recorded a profit in its latest quarter, is billed as a Mediterranean version of Chipotle. While unprofitable, Sweetgreen is considered a digital innovator favored by a diminishing corporate lunch crowd. The Los Angeles-based chain opened its…
7 months ago
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When I told my friends over lunch that I was planning a taste test of Subway versus Jersey Mike’s, they laughed while munching on their favorite Jersey Mike’s order. “There’s no comparison,” one friend said. “I would resort to a grocery-store sub before eating Subway.“Ouch.But I wanted to give Subway a chance.In July, a month before Subway was purchased by a private-equity firm, the chain rolled out four meat-heavy deli sandwiches to showcase the adoption of automated meat slicers in stores. Jer…
7 months ago
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Restaurants typically play catchup when it comes to adopting technologies. But the pandemic forced chains to quickly embrace innovations that save labor costs and improve customer ordering experiences.Today, restaurants are dramatically changing how they serve customers by deploying artificial-intelligence-powered systems. AI voice bots take orders in White Castle, McDonald’s, and Checkers & Rally’s drive-thru lanes. Burrito and pizza orders can be made by talking to conversational bots deployed…
8 months ago
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It’s no secret that restaurants have raised menu prices to offset food inflation and escalating employee wages over the past two years.Chipotle has raised prices five times since June 2021, but has not increased prices in 2023. Dollar items on McDonald’s $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu are vanishing.While consumers are paying more for fast-food burgers and burritos at their favorite chains, what they might not realize is that they are paying even more for the same foods bought on delivery apps, as Insider…
8 months ago
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Restaurant executive T.J. Schier made a pit stop at a Chick-fil-A in Bryan, Texas, and was taken aback Wednesday morning when he saw a robot named Wall-E zipping around the dining room delivering food to breakfast customers.Wall-E delivered his egg white grilled sandwich with a side of Buffalo sauce and diet soda. Schier, the chief operating officer at BigShots Golf, posted video of Wall-E on his LinkedIn page. He told Insider he was “initially surprised” to see Chick-fil-A deploying a robot in…
8 months ago
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When McDonald’s introduced its new $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu in early 2018, it offered four items for $1, including a sausage burrito, the McChicken, a cheeseburger, and any size soft drink.Today, dollar items are vanishing.There’s nothing close to a buck on the value menu, according to menus observed by Insider across the US. And in a TikTok video seen by nearly 150,000 people, McDonald’s was called out for not having a single item that costs $1.While sitting in line for a McDonald’s drive-thru, Ann…
8 months ago
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The Animal Style burger at In-N-Out is one of the chain’s most legendary secret menu items. The beef patty is grilled with mustard then served with pickles, lettuce, grilled onions, and extra spread on a toasted bun. But its origin story has been left to urban myth.For years, fans have wondered how the burger got its name. Is it called Animal Style because you feel like a carnivorous animal while taking a big juicy bite? Is it because the burger is so messy with the extra spread?In her new book,…
8 months ago
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Starbucks grew into a multibillion-dollar coffee business selling hot java. But today, cold drinks are hotter than ever at that coffeehouse chain.Cold drinks accounted for 75% of beverage sales in the company’s third quarter.“We’re particularly encouraged to see cold espresso beverages were up 13% year over year,” CEO Laxman Narasimhan said during the chain’s third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday.Cold foam, in fact, is the fastest-growing add-on at Starbucks, he said. Add-ons, also known as mod…
9 months ago
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Cava’s 263 locations serve up Mediterranean food with a Chiptole-style fast-casual twist.
11 months ago
