Just Salad’s newest investor is a champion.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the salad chain’s partnership with Jalen Brunson, a member of the NBA champion New York Knicks. 

We also discuss Red Lobster’s all-you-can-eat shrimp debacle, which is back in the news.

And we talk about our analysis of restaurant sales over the past five years and what that says about the overall state of the industry.

All that plus Tech Check from Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski.

Why is Domino’s changing CEOs?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the retirement of Domino’s CEO Russ Weiner, his replacement Joe Jordan, and what it all means for the company. 

We also talk about the growing competition from convenience-store chains, both for pizza and chicken wings. 

On the Border closed all its restaurants and liquidated, which says a lot about the Mexican full-service business and about restaurants, period.

We talk about Detroit, and our look at the city’s growing restaurant market, profiled in our package, Market Watch: Detroit. 

On Tech Check, Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski talks about the return of Zume Pizza.

Jersey Mike’s has overtaken Chick-fil-A in one key area. 

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at Jersey Mike’s, which recently took the top spot among fast-food chains in the recent American Customer Satisfaction Index—a spot once dominated by Chick-fil-A.

Dave & Buster’s has a tough quarter, driven by a poor economy. We take a deep dive into that topic. 

Yum Brands unloaded Pizza Hut. We talk about that strange deal and what it says about the future of the pizza business.

We also talk a bit about Starbucks’ remodel of its first location. And on Tech Check Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski talks DoorDash.

Cracker Barrel had a better quarter than feared.

This episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the family-dining chain’s traffic improvement and why that matters. The company’s sales are improving faster than executives, and Wall Street, expected. 

Another problem is screwing with the beef markets. We discuss the potential impact of a screwworm infestation on cattle supplies and beef prices.

Cava announced some hiring. We talk about why more chains should emphasize their growth opportunities for workers.

On this week’s Technomic Talks segment, Aaron Jourden discusses the fast-growing Luckin Coffee. 

On Tech Check, Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski talks about why technology isn’t improving profits at restaurant chains. 

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Can AI drive thrus coexist with restaurant hospitality?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at McDonald’s new business plan, called McDonald’s Next, including its newest test of AI drive-thru ordering technology. We ask whether that can coexist in a chain focused on more hospitality.

Logan’s Roadhouse is adding a THC cocktail to its menus in Texas. We discuss the implications of that test.

We also talk about the World Cup and how that might be a boon to restaurants this summer. 

On Tech Check, Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski looks at the best restaurant companies on social media. 

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Can healthy be a draw in the restaurant business?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the closure of Clover Food Lab, the 11-unit chain that at one point seemed destined for big things. We examine what this says about the plant-based meat trend and what it says about demand for healthy options in restaurants. 

Cava’s sales took off last quarter, we talk about that chain and why it was able to do so well.

Coco’s and Shari’s filed for bankruptcy, continuing a tough trend for legacy family-dining chains. 

On Tech Check, Joe Guszkowski talks Starbucks and AI.

On Technomic Talks, Lizzy Freier discusses limited-time offers.

And a bonus look at top CEOs in the restaurant business.

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Who was the most relevant CEO in the restaurant industry since 2000?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants is a special one, recorded during the National Restaurant Association Show, and looks at the most impactful industry CEOs of the past quarter century.

It’s not an easy discussion. There were a lot of really good chief executives whose impact went well beyond the concept they led. 

We mention a lot of CEOs, many of whom are retired, some of whom are still active, and cover every sector, including fast food, fast casual and casual-dining restaurants.

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Why is Jack in the Box changing CEOs again?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the fast-food chain’s latest CEO change. Lance Tucker is out just 15 months after he was hired.

But we also talk about the numerous chains facing challenges right now and what this says about the economy. 

A Pizza Hut franchisee is suing the franchisor over the company’s in-house technology. We discuss that fascinating legal action.

In addition, we give our thoughts on the National Restaurant Association Show.

On Tech Check, Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski talks about that well-known tech giant, Texas Roadhouse. 

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What are we to make of the recent set of restaurant earnings?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the most recent set of earnings reports and what they say about the state of the business.

There were some strong results at chains like Dutch Bros, Starbucks, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse and others. But there were also some poor performances. And in some cases the brands had relatively easy comparisons.

We also talk about Sweetgreen, and whether wraps can fix its sales problems.

On this week’s Technomic segment, Robert Byrne discusses consumer research on Burger King, which just reported a 5.8% same-store sales increase in the first quarter.

And on Tech Check, Joe Guszkowski talks about loyalty.

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Starbucks is apparently back.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks the latest earnings report from Starbucks, its best in more than two years. Is the coffee chain out of the wilderness for good?

We also look at Subway, which just introduced its newest value offer, an under $5 menu. Can the sandwich chain finally find the right note on value? Robert Byrne from Technomic also explains why Subway is having challenges.

And Chili’s once again reported strong same-store sales. We talk about one scary thing—for the chain’s competitors—as it looks into the next few years. 

Tech Check this week looks at the recently concluded Restaurant Leadership Conference. 

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