This week on the award-winning Extra Serving podcast, a product of Nation’s Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Sam Oches and Leigh Anne Zinsmeister spoke about Starbucks entering the metaverse.

The quick-service chain made its debut in the metaverse this past week with a design that was worth the wait. In something NRN senior editor Joanna Fantozzi called “Loyalty 2.0” on First Bite, our daily morning podcast, Starbucks is giving users the chance to use tokens they earn in the metaverse for real-world treats like Espresso Martini Tastings. The team discussed what this means for the brand and the industry at large.

Next, the team talked about Chipotle’s new menu item which debuted both in the real world and in the metaverse, the first menu item to do so. Users can play a game and earn the chance to receive a free burrito or bowl with the chain’s new Garlic Guajillo Steak. The team discussed what Chipotle’s latest gamification of the metaverse means and what it holds for the future of the brand.

Finally, the team talked about Burger King’s $400 million refresh by Restaurant Brands International. The chain’s parent company announced this week it would invest $400 million into the quick-service burger chain for “updates.” The team broke this down and discussed what the marketing words really mean.

This week’s guest is Sanjiv Razdan, CEO of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, who spoke with Bret Thorn about inflation, supply chain and the chain’s signature drinks.