On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Domino’s brand refresh, Wendy’s new strategic plan, and McDonald’s Snack Wrap struggles. First up is Domino’s, which refreshed its branding with new colors, a new font, and even its first-ever jingle, recorded by Grammy-nominated musician Shaboozey. Sam and Alicia discuss this refresh and how it differs from the big rebrand at Cracker Barrel. How can restaurant chains successfully update their brands without alienizing loyal customers? Domino’s offers a case study. Next up is Wendy’s, which needs a refresh of its own and announced Project Fresh, a strategic plan designed in conjunction with marketing consultant (and former Yum! Brands CEO) Greg Creed. The plan hopes to revitalize Wendy’s brand and accelerate profitability, but in the wake of the company’s volatility — including the departure of short-tenured CEO Kirk Tanner — does Wendy’s need more action than talk? Then they shift their focus to Wendy’s competitor, McDonald’s, which maybe didn’t get the lift from Snack Wraps that it expected. Data from Placer.ai shows that McDonald’s enjoyed a brief boost from the wraps, but visits fell each week after that and lagged the overall category. Sam and Alicia discuss the bigger issue with restaurants and why new products aren’t always the silver bullet that companies hope them to be. Finally, managing editor Leigh Anne Zinsmeister joins the podcast to discuss the recent spate of bankruptcies and why it seems that several small and regional chains in particular have been forced to file.

For more on these stories:  

Domino’s Pizza announces major brand refresh, with help from Shaboozey

Wendy’s announces brand revitalization plan called Project Fresh

McDonald’s Snack Wrap hasn’t impacted traffic much