This week on the extra Serving podcast, a product of Nation’s Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Sam Oches and Leigh Anne Zinsmeister spoke about the possibility of a three-day workweek.

 

One Chick-fil-A operator in the Miami area has been successfully running a three-day workweek in his store since the store opened in February 2022 – and it’s helped with labor. The team discussed what this could mean for the industry, which is in the middle of a labor crisis, and the future of restaurant operations.

 

Also, the team discussed McDonald’s latest promotion selling out within days, beating the Travis Scott merchandise line in 2020. The Cactus Plant Flea Market Box Adult Happy Meal was sold out quickly, prompting employees to beg customers not to order it. This brought up questions of labor with executive editor Alicia Kelso, who joined the podcast to discuss the story she wrote and the implications of the promotion on the labor market alongside Petre, Oches and Zinsmeister.

 

Finally, the four discussed the possibility of a tech or restaurant acquisition by Yum Brands. In a recent call, the chain’s chief financial officer indicated that there might be a possibility of the multi-brand company acquiring a Mediterranean brand. The team discussed what it could mean for Yum and made their guesses as to what the brand could be.

 

This week’s interview is Wan Kim, CEO of Smoothie King. He spoke with Oches about what it’s like 10 years into his job and ownership of the company.