On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the biggest headlines coming out of the ICR Conference, which was held last week in Orlando. First they talk about Papa Johns, whose CEO, Todd Penegor, said the company would leverage local-store marketing, tech investments, and menu innovation to turn sales around. Next up is Shake Shack, which is aiming to nearly quadruple its store count through smaller boxes and drive thrus, according to CEO Rob Lynch. Then they talk about Portillo’s, which energized shareholders by committing to more growth in its restaurant of the future. Finally, in this week’s extra serving, senior editor Ron Rugglessjoins to talk about Twin Peaks and its plan to file its IPO on January 30. 

For more on these stories:  

Papa Johns CEO looks to address past missteps with a back-to-basics strategy

Shake Shack quadruples target footprint to 1,500 stores

Portillo’s plan to drive traffic includes computer vision, loyalty

On cusp of IPO, Twin Peaks CEO shares how sports bar chain has redefined category  

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss McDonald's announcement that it would walk back its official DEI policy, and why restaurants still must aim to diversify their talent pipelines. Plus they talk about KFC and its transformation plan; will this finally bring momentum the brand so desperately needs? Finally, managing editor Leigh Anne Zinsmeister joins for this week’s extra serving to discuss how merger and acquisition activity is already building in 2025, and what that means for smaller regional brands in particular.

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss two trends that have already made themselves known in the early days of 2025: value menus and beverage innovation. How might these two trends influence the restaurant industry in the year ahead? And how can restaurants put value menus to work for them without getting stuck with discounted prices? Plus they discuss Noodles & Co., which received a warning from NASDAQ that it would be delisted if it could not get its stock price above $1 per share. Find out what Alicia and Sam think is the brand’s biggest problem. Finally, senior editor Joanna Fantozzi joins for this week’s extra serving to discuss White Castle’s French Toast Sliders and what role breakfast might play in restaurant growth this year. 

For more on these stories:  

Del Taco rings in the New Year with new value offerings

Noodles & Company receives delisting warning  

White Castle brings French Toast Sliders back in the New Year

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.