On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief SamOches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including (yes, more) updates on beverages and what could happen to the category in 2026, plus the barista strike and “Bearista” bonanza at Starbucks. First, Alicia offers her recap of the recent Restaurant Finance & Development Conference (RFDC), where she says investors seem to be more realistic about the economy and turning their eye toward four-wall growth rather than unit expansion. Then they move the conversation to beverages, discussing what we can expect from the category in 2026. Will it get even crazier? (Short answer: Yes.) Next up is Starbucks, which can’t seem to avoid the headlines lately. That included a barista strike at dozens of locations, which did not seem to disrupt the company’s Red Cup Day but did seem to suggest more issues to address with employees. Meanwhile, the company launched a new “Bearista” beverage container that sold out so quickly that many customers are growling about it online. Is this much ado about nothing or an indication of the company’s continued struggle to reassert itself as the dominant coffee player? Sam and Alicia discuss. Then Alicia weighs in on value offerings from full-service companies and how they could further build momentum particularly among casual-dining chains. Finally, catch an interview between senior food and beverage editor Bret Thorn and North Italia’s beverage director, Jon Baer. 

For more on these stories:  

• Why beverages will be even bigger in 2026
• Starbucks responds to the sold-out Bearista cup — a surprise viral merch moment
• How the full-service category is redefining value

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news — and wow was there a lot of it, from M&A moves to a glut of meaningful earnings reports. They start with the M&A headlines, exploring the Denny’s acquisition, Starbucks’ sale of its China business, and Yum’s strategic review of Pizza Hut. What do these moves mean for each respective chain? Sam and Alicia break it down. Then they dive into all of the quarterly earnings reports from the week, of which, by their count, there were 20. That includes a look at casual dining — generally faring positively, with good results from Dine Brands, Texas Roadhouse, and Bloomin’ — as well as fast casual (middling results from CAVA and Wingstop and a disastrous showing by Sweetgreen) and QSR (big winners in Taco Bell and KFC, poor showings from Wendy’s and Pizza Hut). Sam and Alicia talk about the big-picture implications of the quarter and what we might expect from these leading restaurant chains going forward. 

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Denny’s acquired by group of investors for approximately $620 million

Yum Brands exploring potential sale of Pizza Hut

Wendy’s to close hundreds of U.S. restaurants

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including earnings reports from Chili’s, Chipotle, Starbucks, Shake Shack, and more, plus all the beverage news that’s fit to podcast and a roundup of new menu items with senior food and beverage editor Bret Thorn. First up is a recap of the week’s earnings, which included great results from Chili’s, Shake Shack, and Burger King, not-so-great results from Chipotle, and some pretty meh results from Starbucks. Are there any trends to deduce from the winners and losers? Sam and Alicia come up with a few. Next up, they talk about — what else — beverage news! That’s right, the whole industry is gaga for beverages, and this week saw the opening of Chick-fil-A’s new beverage-focused concept Daybright, Dunkin’s push toward more cold and afternoon-focused beverages, and the news that Flynn Restaurant Group would franchise 7-Brew. How much more beverage news can two podcast hosts sustain? Sam and Alicia find out. Finally, senior food and beverage editor Bret Thorn joins to talk about new menu trends he’s excited about, and about that one time he went viral in a TikTok video. 

For more on these stories:  

How Chili’s plans to continue its momentum

Chipotle plans to double down on value messaging to win back consumers

Burger King’s focus on its signature Whopper pays off

The pandemic might have pushed Victor Lugger to create a payment app, but he argues that paying at restaurants has always been a bit broken. Asking for a check. Handing diners a printed piece of paper. Going back and forth with a credit card. “It seems insane,” Victor Lugger, the co-founder of Big Mamma restaurant group and the app Sunday, told guest host Gloria Dawson. He discusses why he was inspired to change the payment process and when his Europe-based restaurant group is heading to the states. 

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Starbucks’ plans for AI, how the AWS outage hurt restaurants, and why Q3 is shaping up to be a tough one for restaurant sales. First up is Starbucks, which continues to look for a buyer for its China business and which is now officially testing its heralded assistant store manager program. The big news, though, was that CEO Brian Niccol shared at the recent Dreamforce conference that Starbucks’ AI capabilities could soon help the company start preparing guest orders before they’re even placed. Sam and Alicia discuss this potential and whether or not it’s what consumers really want from their favorite foodservice businesses. Next up, they talk about the Amazon Web Services outage that occurred last Monday and how badly it affected restaurants. Services such as DoorDash and Toast were unable to process orders, while apps from companies like McDonald’s and Starbucks were also disrupted. How can the industry learn from this event and prepare for future technology disruptions? Sam and Alicia break it down. Finally, public restaurant companies are preparing to share their third-quarter performance, and many experts are predicting some gloomy results. What does this suggest about the state of the restaurant industry and consumer? 

For more on these stories:  

Starbucks might be able to predict your coffee order in the future

The AWS outage left many restaurants scrambling

What to expect from Q3 earnings reports

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Jack in the Box’s sale of Del Taco, new data that shows consumers are getting deal fatigue from QSR brands, and Domino’s third quarter sales that were up more than 5%. First up is Jack in the Box, which only three years ago purchased Del Taco for nearly $600 million and yet this month sold the taco chain for a mere $115 million. Sam and Alicia discuss what might have gone wrong and why the partnering of those two brands could have been a case of bad timing (among other things). Next up, they talk about a new study that shows how the fast food category is the only restaurant segment that lost traffic in August. Could the problem be deal fatigue? Sam and Alicia talk about how consumers have become better with value perception and why traditional deals might not be cutting it anymore. Then they shift their focus once again to Domino’s Pizza, a company that could be proving the deal fatigue theory wrong. Domino’s reported its third-quarter earnings last week, with same-store sales up 5.2% on the strength of deals like its $9.99 Best Deal Ever. Find out what’s going right at Domino’s — but why that pizza chain is also sounding the alarms about what could be around the corner. Finally, we share an interview between senior food and beverage editor Bret Thorn and Andy Seiple, corporate executive chef at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill.

For more on these stories:  

Jack in the Box selling Del Taco for $115M

QSR’s traffic woes may be driven by deal fatigue

Domino’s leans on discounting as same-store sales grow 5.2%

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

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including innovations in loyalty programs, new value deal launches, and how non-chicken brands are crashing the chicken party. First up is news around loyalty programs; McDonald’s is connecting its famed Monopoly game to its loyalty program, while Krystal is launching its first loyalty effort in nearly a century of existence. Sam and Alicia discuss the latest advancements in loyalty and how it’s helping to support value messaging in this difficult economy. Speaking of value, they also tackle the recent Circana report that showed demand for value at a 50-year high. How can restaurants meet that demand without falling into a discounting pit they can’t climb out of? Finally, they discuss recent data that showed non-chicken brands using chicken innovation to steal market share from chicken chains. What does this suggest about the state of chicken in the industry — and chains’ innovation efforts more broadly? 

For more on these stories:  

McDonald’s adds digital aspect to Monopoly

Restaurant customers are seeking deals at the highest rate in 50 years

Chicken spending jumps 2 points in the QSR category

For executive chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley, the draw of The View wasn’t the novelty of the rotating restaurant or the history behind the space. It was the new owners — Union Square Hospitality Group. The restaurant group reopened the historic restaurant earlier this year. Before her role at The View, Meek-Bradley spent time at restaurants in Northern California, New York City, and D.C., including stints at Bouchon, Per Se, and with STARR Restaurants at St. Anselm and Pastis. In an interview with guest host Gloria Dawson, Meek-Bradley describes how she created a menu that blends nostalgia, sustainability, and her experiences to create straightforward, delicious, and deceptively simple dishes. 

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Chick-fil-A’s planned beverage concept, Starbucks’ layoffs, and a plethora of store closures. First up is Chick-fil-A, which announced that it would open a new concept called Daybright in Atlanta, serving specialty coffees, smoothies, juices, and more. It’s not too surprising considering the ongoing beverage boom — which has also included McDonald’s and Taco Bell rolling out distinct beverage-focused concepts — but is it sensible for Chick-fil-A? Sam and Alicia think so — find out why. Next they talk about Starbucks, which surprised just about everybody when it announced it would be laying off around 900 corporate employees — on the heels of the 1,100 it let go earlier this year — while also closing hundreds of North America locations. Is the sky falling at Starbucks? Sam and Alicia puzzle out this complex news and what it could mean for CEO Brian Niccol’s plan for the future. Finally they address the flood of restaurant closures, which not only includes Starbucks but also smaller concepts like Iron Hill and Craveworthy-owned Hot Chicken Takeover, both of which closed up shop on their entire systems. Are these unique instances or could they be part of something much bigger? 

For more on these stories:  

Chick-fil-A is opening a beverage concept called Daybright

Starbucks announces more layoffs, plans to close 1% of North America stores

Craveworthy Brands’ Hot Chicken Takeover closes all locations