On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the news that Dine Brands is laying off 9% of its corporate workforce as Applebee’s and IHOP continue to languish with stagnant sales and traffic. How might these chains capture some momentum like full-service peer Chili’s? Plus, Chipotle reported positive sales and transaction growth in Q4; Sam and Alicia talk about the keys to its impressive performance and how CEO Scott Boatwright has maintained consistent growth in his first few months on the job. And the National Restaurant Association released its annual State of the Industry report, noting that foodservice establishments could cross $1.5 trillion in sales in 2025. In this week’s extra serving, Restaurant Business editor in chief Jonathan Maze joins to talk about Yum Brands, which just announced Byte by Yum, an AI-powered division aimed at achieving tech efficiencies across Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger. Finally, Sam shares an interview he recently had with Roberto Espinosa, founder of Tacodeli, a taco fast casual based in Austin that has 14 locations around Texas.

For more on these stories:  

Chipotle’s priorities include modernizing the kitchen and being ‘guest obsessed’

IHOP, Applebee’s parent company confirms corporate layoffs

Yum Brands has created an AI-powered platform to house all of its technology solutions

The restaurant industry is projected to reach $1.5 trillion in sales this year