In this episode, Ray discusses how the City of Buffalo is contemplating paying the Michelin Guide for recognition, and what it could mean for the city. He also covers how Sweetgreen could bounce back in 2026, the worrying trend of surveillance pricing, DoorDash integrating with ChatGPT, and much more. Links:

• Buffalo Getting MICHELIN Guide?

• Smaller Slop Bowls (Bloomberg)

• DoorDash + ChatGPT Partnership

• Shoppers Spending More on Grocery in 2026

• Instacart Surveillance Pricing

• Jim Beam Halts Production

  
  

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Justin and Ray spend 90 minutes discussing their predictions for the food industry in 2026. They go over the realistic outcomes they believe will happen in the next year, and make some wild predictions based on their reporting over the past year.#restaurant #linecook #foodindustry #2026 Links:

DoorDash AI App (Zesty)

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In this episode, Justin and Ray discuss 2025 in the food industry. They discuss how fast-casual concepts failed, prevailing consumer trends in dining out, and lessons learned for restaurant operators. They also look at CPG lessons, the death of food influencers, and much more. #restaurant #restaurantindustry #costofliving #business #finance

• MICHELIN Guide Southwest

• Andrew Yeung X Post

• YUM! Brands Food Trends Report

• Restaurant Innovators 2025 (7shifts)

• US Private Label Sales to $280B (Supermarket Perimeter)

• NYT 2025 Trends Recap

• James Beard Restaurant Industry Report 2025

• NRA Late 2025 Economic Outlook

  
  

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In this episode, Justin breaks down Michelin's new Grapes designation and what it means for the wine industry. He also shares a Bloomberg review of EMP that is surprisingly critical, as well as the rise of private dinner clubs in 2026. Ray shares what makes a four-star restaurant, in the New York Times Critics' own words. He also discusses how pizzas are getting smaller and more expensive, and the groundbreaking lawsuit by California against food companies over ultra-processed food. #michelin #wine

Links:

• Michelin Grapes Distinction

• NY Times Four-Star Breakdown

• Bloomberg on EMP

• Smaller Pizza, Fewer Toppings

• Private Dining Clubs on the Rise

• Chef2Nite

• California Lawsuit (Ultra-Processed Foods)

  
  

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In this episode, Ray breaks down the risk Italian pasta faces due to tariffs and how implementing this policy could literally halt pasta exports from Italy. He covers Chipotle's new Thanksgiving strategy, AI-slop Thanksgiving recipes, and how restaurants are winning diners over to grocery this holiday. He also discusses the disgusting story about a Campbell's Soup VP, the odd case of a dine-and-dash influencer, the closure of a Tyson Beef Plant, and some important GLP-1 data.

Links:

• Pasta Apocalypse (NYT)

• Pasta Tariffs (Grub Street)

• Chipotle Thanksgiving Strategy

• Thanksgiving AI “Slop”

• Thanksgiving Restaurant Sales

• Campbell’s Soup VP Lawsuit

• Dine-And-Dash Influencer (NYT)

• Tyson Plant Closure

• GLP-1 2030 User Prediction

  
  

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Eating out feels unaffordable—and the data backs it up. In this episode, Justin and Ray unpack why menu prices keep rising, why value perception has flipped for fast-casual, and what the future may hold. We also explore Picnic, a workplace lunch app that could shift weekday demand, and the Seattle Times' recent review of Canlis.#affordableproducts #costofliving #savingmoney #restaurant

0:00 Intro1:55 Restaurant Affordability Crisis23:29 The Chipotle/Sweetgreen Issue34:15 Michelin Coverage Response51:46 Picnic1:00:40 Canlis Seattle Times Poor Review1:11:49 Josh Henderson Eater ArticleWhat we cover:📈 Pricing trends & the RPI🧾 Fast-casual value perception (Sweetgreen)💸 Why Americans say dining out is “too expensive”🍽️ The Canlis review and price expectations⚠️ Operator lessons from rise-and-fall stories🥪 How Picnic could change weekday lunch patterns

• Most Americans Priced Out Of Dining Out

• How Restaurant Prices Keep Getting More Expensive

• Fast-Casual Pricing Problem (Sweetgreen)

• Restaurant Performance Index (Sept 2025 PDF)

• Restaurant Menu Pricing Data (Restaurant.org)

• Seattle Times Canlis Review

• How To Build, Then Lose, A Restaurant Empire

• Picnic (Workplace Lunch App)

  
  

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Announcement from Michelin____________________Enjoy the pod? Get more from Repertoire:💌→The Repertoire Newsletter🎙→Share the Podcast📸→Instagram__Disclaimer: We earn commission income through qualifying purchases made via Amazon’s Affiliate program

In this episode, Justin and Ray react to Alinea losing its third star and what this means for the Michelin Guide in 2025. Justin then breaks down how Michelin's "meta" has changed and how restaurant owners should be looking at the Guide.Ray breaks down the claim that "Dining Out Is Dead" and discusses the beef price-fixing accusations by the DOJ against major beef companies. Justin then shares an article he read regarding food critics and how they could change (for better or worse).

Links:

• Grant Achatz Instagram Post

• Michelin Guide Ceremony Announcement

• Death of Dining Out (YouTube)

• Beef Price Fixing – Trump DOJ Case (AP)

• The Man in the Arena Problem (Substack)

  
  

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In this episode, we dive into the Uncrustables lawsuit against Trader Joe’s and what it signals for the future of food product development, intellectual property, and the battle between CPG giants and private labels. As Smucker’s defends its iconic crustless sandwich, we explore how legal strategies are becoming a new line of defense in a fiercely competitive grocery landscape.We also cover the biggest food and beverage headlines shaking the industry this week:📉 Chipotle’s sales decline among low-income and Gen Z consumers🍗 KFC's shift away from bone-in chicken — is the fried chicken era changing?🥫 Heinz consumer sentiment hits decade lows ahead of a major corporate split🧠 Gen Z’s anti-algorithm movement and how it's reshaping digital food discovery🚨 The evolving SNAP shutdown fallout, with DoorDash, Feeding America, and ABC News sharing critical updates🥑 Whole Foods' 2026 food trend predictions — what's next in natural foods?💼 Whether you're in food tech, brand strategy, or retail operations, this episode unpacks the legal and market shifts shaping tomorrow’s menus and grocery aisles.👇 Explore the full stories below:

• Uncrustables Lawsuit (Reuters)

• Uncrustables & Private Label (Food Dive)

• Chipotle Sales Slump

• Heinz Sentiment Drop (Bloomberg)

• KFC Ditches Bones

• Anti-Algorithm Movement

• Whole Foods 2026 Trends

• DoorDash Waives Fees (SNAP Shutdown)

• Feeding America (Shutdown Impact)

• ABC: How to Help Food Banks

  
  

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In this episode, Ray breaks down the recent AWS outage and the devastating impact it had on restaurants. He discusses the Trump administration's proposal on beef imports from Argentina and the fight over Prop 12 in the upcoming farm bill. Ray also covers Nestle's announcement of 16k job cuts, the rally in Beyond Meat's stock, and a new cookbook utilizing recipes from gravestones.

• AWS Outage Disrupts Restaurants (NRN)

• Houston Restaurant Loses 25% of Business (Chron)

• Reddit AWS Outage Response (Toast)

• Argentina Beef Policy (AP)

• Prop 12 Policy Fight (Civileats)

• Joel Salatin Congressional Statement

• Nestlé Cuts 16K Jobs

• Beyond Meat Meme Stock Surge

• Gravestone Recipe Cookbook (Rosie Grant)

  
  

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