On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss KFC’s new Saucy concept, a spinoff brand opening in Orlando that is built around chicken tenders plus a wide variety of sauces and beverages. Why might KFC be going in this direction? And why are so many legacy chains launching spinoff concepts? Plus they discuss the biggest headlines of 2024’s second half and the announcement from major U.K. pizza chain PizzaExpress that it plans to grow in the U.S. Finally, managing editor Leigh Anne Zinsmeister joins for this week’s extra serving to discuss Darden’s earnings report that shows positive sales for four of its casual-dining chains. Does this point to optimism in the casual-dining category? 

For more on these stories:  

Stream the Holiday Drinked-In Live with Ron Ruggless and the NRN Editorial Team

KFC is introducing a new tenders-focused concept called Saucy

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Brooks Schaden, cofounder and co-CEO of Tom’s Watch Bar, a sports-bar concept with 13 locations that is capitalizing on the rising demand for more experience entertainment. This brand is out to reinvent the sports-bar category by elevating its food and beverage offering and focusing growth on what Brooks called “gravities of traffic,” notably urban districts with event-oriented foot traffic like arenas, convention centers, and casinos. He joined the podcast to talk about why the old standard for sports bars just doesn’t cut it anymore and how Tom’s Watch Bar is building its own fan club through a fun and distinct experience.  

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to launch a successful concept
• Customers want way more than the local sports team on your TVs
• The sports bar customer isn’t who you think it is
• There is big traffic potential in “gravities of traffic”…
• …but those gravities require a totally different playbook on service, marketing, and ops

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss Taco Bell’s new Live Mas Café, a beverage-focused prototype that follows McDonald’s CosMc’s concept as well as the boom in drive-thru coffee chains like Dutch Bros and 7 Brew. Will this prove to be a fruitful direction in a beverage-crazed world or a distraction from the core business model? Plus, Papa Johns and new CEO Todd Penegor have developed a blueprint for how that pizza chain hopes to turn its struggling sales around; Sam and Alicia talk about the challenge ahead for Papa Johns as it faces stiff competition from other pizza players. And in this week’s extra serving, senior editor Joanna Fantozzi joins to talk about Starbucks’ announcement that it would improve benefits for employees, including doubling parental leave. Finally, we share a conversation between NRN senior F&B editor Bret Thorn and Iron Hill’s corporate executive chef Brendan Mullan. 

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss Taco Bell’s new Live Mas Café, a beverage-focused prototype that follows McDonald’s CosMc’s concept as well as the boom in drive-thru coffee chains like Dutch Bros and 7 Brew. Will this prove to be a fruitful direction in a beverage-crazed world or a distraction from the core business model? Plus, Papa Johns and new CEO Todd Penegor have developed a blueprint for how that pizza chain hopes to turn its struggling sales around; Sam and Alicia talk about the challenge ahead for Papa Johns as it faces stiff competition from other pizza players. And in this week’s extra serving, senior editor Joanna Fantozzi joins to talk about Starbucks’ announcement that it would improve benefits for employees, including doubling parental leave. Finally, we share a conversation between NRN senior F&B editor Bret Thorn and Iron Hill’s corporate executive chef Brendan Mullan. 

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the news that Michael McDermott, son of Chi-Chi’s founder Marno McDermott, plans to resurrect the Tex-Mex casual chain more than 20 years after it closed its last location. Will consumers be eager to embrace it? Plus, Alicia got a preview of Technomic’s Top 500 showcasing the 500 biggest restaurant chains in America based on 2024 sales, and she and Sam talk about some major shake-ups in the top 10. Finally, in this week’s extra serving, senior editor Ron Ruggless joins to talk about Portillo’s “Restaurant of the Future” and Pizza Hut’s new drive-thru prototype.

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss Subway’s announcement that CEO John Chidsey would retire and be replaced on an interim basis by Carrie Walsh, the company’s president of Europe, Middle East, and Africa. While Chidsey has accomplished plenty in his five years at the helm, Subway continues to struggle in a more competitive sandwich category; Sam and Alicia talk about where the sandwich giant could go under new leadership, how its franchise relations are key to growth, and how value might play a role in Subway’s direction. They also tackle catering and how the service channel could help restaurants big and small improve their profitability in the year ahead. Finally, in this week’s extra serving, managing editor Leigh Anne Zinsmeister joins to talk about how consumer behavior could change in 2025 — and how restaurants could respond in their operations and marketing.

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss Blackstone’s acquisition of Jersey Mike’s. The brand’s founder and CEO Peter Cancro claimed it was still in the “early innings” of growth, so what should we expect from this sandwich player going forward? Plus, McDonald’s has had a busy couple of weeks, playing both offense (debuting the McValue menu, offering a jug of McRib sauce for sale) and defense (paying roughly $100 million to move past its E. coli outbreak, suffering from espresso machine outages). How might this affect performance at the Golden Arches? And other major chains are rolling out new marketing campaigns, from Shake Shack’s partnership with Delta Airlines to Pizza Hut’s rollout of a tomato wine; Sam and Alicia talk about why these campaigns can have an impact on business in the long run. Finally, in this week’s extra serving, senior food and beverage editor Bret Thorn joins to talk about trends to watch for in 2025, from algae oil to oysters to martinis.

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss CAVA’s massive third-quarter success, which included a same-store sales increase of 18.1% and 12.9% traffic growth. What is the limit for this fast-casual Mediterranean leader? Plus, learn more about Wonder’s acquisition of Grubhub and the one-stop-shop it appears to be building for food delivery. And in this week’s extra serving, managing editor Leigh Anne Zinsmeister joins Sam and Alicia to talk about why there may be some optimism for full-service brands like Red Lobster, Cracker Barrel, and Applebee’s. Finally, get to know Crisp & Green chief culinary officer Bill Fairbanks, who talked with NRN’s senior F&B editor, Bret Thorn.

In this week’s episode of Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso recap the presidential election and how president-elect Donald Trump’s policies could potentially impact the restaurant industry. They also take a look at some down ballot legislation in certain states, such as minimum wage increases and tipped wages. Also, third quarter earnings are now largely behind us and the editors discuss themes that emerged from public restaurant companies’ performances – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and what things look like now early in the fourth quarter. Finally, senior editor Ron Ruggless joins the conversation to add his two cents from earnings coverage, including performances from Red Robin, Dutch Bros, and Sweetgreen. 

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss third-quarter earnings reports from some of the biggest restaurant chains in America. Learn more about how McDonald’s is faring in the midst of an E. coli outbreak, why Wendy’s is closing 140 locations, how Chipotle plans to become a global powerhouse, how Chili’s is bucking the trend among its full-service peers, and more. Plus, Sam has a conversation with City Barbeque founder Rick Malir, who shares some of the valuable lessons he’s picked up over the chain’s 25 years.