Extra Serving: A restaurant industry podcast

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including El Pollo Loco’s plans for growth in New York, Chipotle’s drive-thru milestone, and a new report that details major struggles at Crumbl Cookies.

First up is the chicken category, starting with El Pollo Loco, which announced that it had signed three development agreements that will bring 15 locations to the New York City area over the coming years. Alicia shares why El Pollo Loco is well prepared for this growth today despite two failed attempts in the past, and she and Sam break down what’s possible for the brand as it grows eastward. They also discuss the news that Popeyes is launching a Honey Chicken Biscuit Sandwich, which Sam believes could be a winner against competitors like Bojangles.

Next, they turn to the Mexican category, starting with Chipotle, which celebrated its 1,500th Chipotlane location last week. It’s a milestone for a company that once resisted drive thru, and Sam and Alicia discuss the importance of the Chipotlane to Chipotle’s overall strategy — particularly as digital sales become more important to its success. They also discuss Chipotle’s latest margarita promotion, which might suggest the company is exploring more growth in the alcoholic beverage channel, before turning their attention to Taco Bell and its new Global Taco Day promotion with Duolingo.

Finally, for the extra serving portion of the episode, Sam and Alicia welcome their colleague, Restaurant Business editor in chief Jonathan Maze, to talk about his reporting on Crumbl Cookies. According to Jonathan’s exclusive report, Crumbl — which was once the fastest-growing brand in the industry — has closed dozens of locations while tightening the screws on franchisees who are under more pressure than ever.

For more on these stories:

El Pollo Loco sets its sights on New York

Chipotle is bringing its Margaritas back to select cities

A cookie empire is starting to crumble

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including KFC’s new Open House prototype, McDonald’s massive NEXT initiative, and Darden’s impressive results across its portfolio.

First up is KFC, which introduced its Open House prototype at a new location outside Dallas last week. Alicia toured the new location and reported on how the prototype enhances everything from hospitality and menu innovation to operations and the digital experience, and she and Sam discuss how this could be transformative for the fried chicken chain.

Next they turn to McDonald’s, which unveiled details around its $8.5 billion NEXT initiative. Not unlike KFC’s prototype, the NEXT initiative is a comprehensive retooling of the McDonald’s operation, just at a much more massive scale. Sam and Alicia explore the various components of NEXT and what’s at stake for McDonald’s in its transformation.

They then shift to the full-service world, where they unpack recent performance from Darden Restaurants and Cracker Barrel. For its part, Darden reported growth across all of its portfolio brands, while Cracker Barrel is still negative despite new CEO David Deno saying it’s “on the right track." Sam and Alicia dive into the results and what they mean for both companies and the broader full-service landscape.

For more on these stories:

KFC unveils 'Open House' prototype as a centerpiece of its U.S. comeback plan

Inside McDonald's massive 'Next' evolution strategy

Cyclospora outbreak put a damper on Olive Garden’s summer

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and managing editor Leigh Anne Zinsmeister discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Wonder’s investment from DoorDash, Chili’s intentions to grab market share from Taco Bell, and Dave & Buster’s confession that the economy was not solely to blame for its misfortunes.

First up is Wonder, which had a big week: The ghost-kitchen business received a $125 million investment from DoorDash while also introducing its Infinite Makeline kitchen, an automated system it acquired from Sweetgreen that helps make food prep faster and more efficient. It also announced a round of layoffs following the closure of two production facilities. Sam and Leigh Anne unpack all of the news and what it means for the future of Wonder, a company that aims to shake up the off-premises competition by streamlining delivery orders through centralized facilities.

Next they talk about Chili’s, whose parent company Brinker International hosted an investor day last week to offer insights into the business and where executives expect to go in the future. At the event, CMO George Felix and CEO Kevin Hochman suggested that Chili’s had already competed directly with burger chains like McDonald’s and chicken chains like Chick-fil-A, and that now it planned to go after QSR Mexican chains. Sam and Leigh Anne discuss what this could mean for chains like Taco Bell, and whether some friendly competition might be a good thing for both businesses.

They then shift the conversation to Dave & Buster’s, an entertainment brand that has suffered from 14 straight quarters of same-store sales declines. New CEO Darin Harper claimed the brand’s back-to-basics strategy was working, but noted that the games business was struggling more than food and beverage. Sam and Leigh Anne talk about the issues Dave & Buster’s is facing, and use it to springboard into a bigger conversation on the broader eatertainment category.

They wrap their discussion with a quick look at other headlines from the week — including bankruptcy filings from Wendy’s and Domino’s franchisees, Tropical Smoothie’s new rebrand, and LeBron James’s investment in Mike’s Red Tacos — before rolling to a conversation between NRN senior food and beverage editor Bret Thorn and Jimmy Wang, executive director of product innovation for Panda Restaurant Group.

For more on these stories:

DoorDash invests $125M in Wonder as part of strategic partnership

Chili’s is taking on the fast-food giants, and Taco Bell could be next

Dave & Buster’s bets on simpler marketing to boost visits

Sarah Thompson came up in NYC restaurants like Marea and Cosme that were run by strong female leaders. When she came to Las Vegas, though, things looked very different. But at Casa Playa, her fine dining Mexican restaurant at the Wynn Las Vegas, Thompson built a team that’s about 50% female, and she’s 100% helping to change the face of Las Vegas dining. Thompson spoke to guest host Gloria Dawson about the evolving Vegas dining scene and her historic James Beard Best Chef win.

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Yum Brands’ hint that it could acquire another brand, Jersey Mike’s attempts to attract younger consumers, and Walmart’s new deal to deliver Papa Johns pizzas.

First up is Yum Brands, which just offloaded Pizza Hut and yet is already teasing about a potential future restaurant chain acquisition: CFO Ranjith Roy said at the recent Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference that the company is “prepared to make bold moves around its portfolio.” Sam and Alicia discuss what that could mean for the global restaurant company, which also owns Taco Bell, KFC, and Habit Burger, and they also share some thoughts on which brands might make good targets for Yum.

Next they talk about Jersey Mike’s, which reported that same-store sales were tracking higher than 3% in the third quarter, and which noted that it plans to invest more in digital marketing initiatives to reach younger consumers. Sam and Alicia talk about the sandwich chain’s recent success but also its perplexing weakness around Gen Z in particular. What could be to blame? And will a digital marketing push help to boost business with young customers?

They then shift to the retail industry, where Walmart is making waves as a new delivery partner for restaurant chains. First the retail giant announced that it would deliver for Subway and Dunkin’ locations based inside Walmarts. Now it’s going to deliver pizzas from standalone Papa Johns. Sam and Alicia unpack this news and highlight why it makes sense from a logistics standpoint, but why there are natural challenges that could prevent it from being a massive success.

They wrap the podcast with a review of new marketing campaigns from across the restaurant industry, including Wingstop’s Wing Pass program, Dunkin’s ad with Rachel Dratch and two Spice Girls, and Taco Bell’s partnership with Topgolf to supports its upcoming Live Map Open golf tournament.

For more on these stories:

Yum Brands is ‘prepared to make bold moves around its portfolio'

Jersey Mike’s turns to digital media to reach broader audience

Walmart adds Papa Johns to its growing delivery business

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Popeyes’ reintroduction of its $6 Big Box, Domino’s new Detroit-style pizza, and new data showing that fast food’s value perception is slipping.

First up is Popeyes, which reintroduced its $6 Big Box as a value offering and rolled out a new promotional campaign around the tagline “THAT Chicken from Popeyes." Popeyes, which experienced a 5.2% drop in same-store sales last quarter, is looking for a way to set itself apart from the rest of the chicken category while also going back to its Cajun roots, and Sam and Alicia talk about the moves and whether they can help the chain reclaim some of the momentum it had gained in 2019 with its iconic Chicken Sandwich launch. They also dive into the broader chicken category competition and how chains are turning to new packaging platforms and value deals to get customers’ attention.

Next they tackle data from Morning Consult, which shows that QSR brands’ value perception is starting to slip after picking up in 2025. Alicia details her reporting on the data, including perspectives from top executives at several chains that are actively retooling their value propositions. Sam and Alicia then explore how value has evolved over the past few years and how American consumers are looking for more holistic value from their favorite restaurant chains.

Finally, they wrap things up with a conversation on Domino’s and its newest menu item: The Domino, a Detroit-style slice that the pizza chain thinks could be transformative for sales. In fact, Domino’s thinks the Domino could become just as popular as other iconic QSR dishes, and the company is offering a free slice to any customer that shows receipt of a McDonald’s Big Mac, Burger King Whopper, Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme, or select other dishes. Sam and Alicia talk about the Domino, its bold marketing campaign — including a new commercial hyping the dish that toes the line of controversy — and how it fits into pizza trends today.

For more on these stories:

Popeyes aims to reclaim 'best tasting, best value chicken' title with new campaign

Why fast food’s promotional blitz couldn’t sustain value perceptions

Domino’s is encouraging customers to buy signature items from other brands

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Wendy’s ongoing executive turnover, Taco Bell’s celebrity partnership, and sales data that’s good news for independent restaurants.

First up is Wendy’s, which announced that Tariq Hassan — formerly chief marketing and customer experience officer at McDonald’s — would be joining the company as chief marketing and customer growth officer. It continues the shakeup at Wendy’s under new CEO Bob Wright, who told the Wall Street Journal this week that previous leadership had been more committed to cost cutting than quality. Sam and Alicia discuss Hassan’s hire and other changes that could be putting Wendy’s on the right track.

Next they look at Wendy’s competitors McDonald’s and Burger King, and particularly how they’re doubling down on their chicken nuggets. McDonald’s brought back its Spicy Chicken McNuggets for the first time in six years — and perhaps it’s not a coincidence that it’s at the same time that Burger King announced it had upgraded its own chicken nuggets so that they include 100% white meat chicken and a crispier breading. Why the sudden attention on chicken nuggets? Sam and Alicia break it down.

They then shift their attention to Taco Bell, which introduced a new Baja Blast in partnership with pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo. The You Seem Pretty Pink for a Baja Blast will initially be available at Taco Bell’s Live Mas Cafe locations before rolling out nationwide. Sam and Alicia discuss why this partnership is different than other celebrity collaborations, and why authenticity is so important for brands looking to leverage partnerships for their marketing.

New sales data shows that independent restaurants may be faring better than chains with consumers’ recent foodservice spend, and Sam and Alicia break that down next. Data from Bank of America shows that consumer spending on restaurants is up, but while fast-food, fast-casual, and casual chains are only experiencing increases of less than a percentage point, indies and regional concepts are enjoying gains around 4%. Why is that? They look into the data and what historical clues can tell us.

They close things out with a Quick Fire round of headlines, including Chipotle’s popular BOGOs, Pizza Hut’s NFL campaign, Papa Johns’ PopUp Bagels partnership, and Chick-fil-A’s closure of its Little Blue Menu concept.

For more on these stories:

Wendy’s names Tariq Hassan chief marketing and customer growth officer

Taco Bell enlists Olivia Rodrigo to co-create Baja Blast iteration

Consumers are spending more at restaurants, but not at chains

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Taco Bell’s nostalgic menu, Jack in the Box’s CEO-in-waiting, and Chipotle’s Gen Alpha influencer partnership.

First up is Taco Bell, which never lacks for menu news. The brand introduced three new energy drinks — the Pineapple Citrus Energy Refresher, Strawberry Tropics Energy Refresher, and the Pineapple Citrus Energy Freeze — as well as the Chicken Enchilada Nacho Fries LTO. But it also reintroduced its Decades menu, honoring the nostalgia of 2016 with an LTO menu that features the Naked Chicken Chalupa, Meximelt, Beefy Crunch Burrito, and Caramel Apple Empanada. Sam and Alicia unpack the menu additions and especially dig into the idea of nostalgia, noting how Taco Bell and other brands are leveraging it to attract young customers in particular.

Next they discuss Jack in the Box, which hired Taco Bell’s chief brand officer Taylor Montgomery as president. The company announced that Montgomery would be promoted to CEO within the next 12 months, and Sam and Alicia discuss that strategy and how it might incentivize Montgomery to score some quick for a brand that sorely needs them.

They tackle McDonald’s next, and specifically how the Golden Arches has been losing lower-income consumers for the past seven years. Recent data from Numerator shows that the share of McDonald’s guests who make less than $50,000 has been shrinking since 2019, with the firm estimating that it has cost the company $310 million in sales. Sam and Alicia talk about why that’s a problem for McDonald’s, but also about why there are other economic warning signs suggesting that lower income consumers are pulling back on their discretionary spend broadly — and how it could negatively impact restaurants.

They shift their attention next to Chipotle, which partnered with Gen Alpha influencer Salish Matter on the Salish Matter Meal — a Kid’s Cheese Quesadilla with white rice, black beans, guacamole, kid’s chips, and chocolate milk. Aside from making Sam and Alicia — both parents of Gen Alpha kids — feel old, it also gives them a chance to talk about the spending power of kids today and how their opinions are increasingly shaping where their parents dine out.

They close things out with Quick Fire round of headlines, including Panera’s new tiered loyalty program, Starbucks’ latest round of layoffs, and California Pizza Kitchen’s new vending machines.

For more on these stories:

Taco Bell’s latest Decades Menu inspired by 2016 nostalgia

Taylor Montgomery named Jack in the Box president, and likely next CEO

Chipotle’s new collab highlights the growing influence of Gen Alpha

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including quarterly results from CAVA and Chili’s, new products from McDonald’s and Domino’s, and marketing promotions that have been surprising failures.

First up is a recap of this week’s earnings reports, including updates from CAVA, Brinker International, Jack in the Box, and Red Robin. CAVA and Chili’s continued to wow, with sales and traffic both positive even as they lap big quarters from last year. Sam and Alicia unpack the results and discuss why the strategies at Cava and Chili’s are working so well, even as the rest of the restaurant industry struggles to drive business. They also take a look at results from Red Robin and Jack in the Box, the latter of which saw sales drop 1.1% — making it nine of the last 10 quarters that the brand has been negative.

Next they discuss big marketing promotions from this year — and particularly promos tied to massive IP that somehow still bombed. That includes Jack in the Box, which ended a campaign with the YouTube series ‘Hot Ones’ early because it was performing poorly. Why didn’t that campaign work? And what could be behind failures like Papa Johns’ partnership with ‘Toy Story 5’ and Wendy’s campaign with ‘Minions’? Sam and Alicia examine the trend.

They next shift their attention to new products from McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza. The Golden Arches unveiled a new energy drink in collaboration with Red Bull — the Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer — that it hopes will drive business among younger generations and help it compete with the fast-growing beverage brands. Meanwhile, Domino’s introduced a new Detroit-style slice that could help it differentiate among competitors while embracing its Michigan roots. Sam and Alicia discuss these new innovations and how they could help those two brands drive renewed interest among guests.

After closing things out with an examination of restaurants that have recently shuttered or filed for bankruptcy, they share a conversation between NRN senior food and beverage editor Bret Thorn and Urbane Cafe founder Tom Holt.

For more on these stories:

Cava same-store sales grow 9% in Q2

McDonald’s is getting into the energy game with Red Bull

Have restaurant marketing collaborations lost some luster?

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Salad and Go closing all of its restaurants and major chains reporting their latest quarterly earnings, from McDonald’s and Burger King to Wendy’s, Texas Roadhouse, Bloomin’ Brands, Dine Brands, Sweetgreen, and more.

First up is the news that Salad and Go had closed all 70 or so of its remaining restaurants while simultaneously filing for Ch. 11 bankruptcy protection. The sudden closure comes just a few years after Salad and Go sold to Volt Investment Holdings and aggressively pursued growth with its value-oriented drive-thru salad concept. Sam and Alicia discuss what went wrong for Salad and Go and what it suggests about other emerging chains pursuing growth.

Next they tackle a very busy week of restaurants earnings, starting with chains that boasted positive sales. That included Texas Roadhouse and Bloomin’ Brands — both of which are proving that consumers are seeking value in the casual steakhouse experience — as well as IHOP, First Watch, Dutch Bros, and El Pollo Loco.

Then they shift their focus to chains that had only a so-so quarter, particularly McDonald’s and Applebee’s. McDonald’s quarter especially was out of character — same-store sales only rose by 0.8% — and the company acknowledged that its marketing initiatives were not executed to their expectation. The result led to McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger stepping down and COO Skye Anderson promoted to the position.

Next up, Sam and Alicia dig into the chains that had particularly bad quarters: Popeyes, Portillo’s, Papa Johns, Wendy’s, and Sweetgreen. Wendy’s especially had a brutal quarter, with traffic dropping 12.5%, while Papa Johns continued a streak of negative sales that led to the chain shaking up its marketing leadership. Why are these brands struggling so much? And what should they do to turn things around? Sam and Alicia discuss.

They close on a high note: Burger King posted one of its best quarters in years and surpassed Wendy’s to become the second-largest burger chain by sales. Sam and Alicia examine what is going right for Burger King and why they think it is the best story of the year so far.

For more on these stories:

Burger King’s sales took off last quarter, but Popeyes is in a slump

Dine Brands reports Q2 IHOP outperformance while Applebee’s sees slow improvement

Wendy’s takes steps to fix its brand as sales fall again