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PODCAST

First Bite

Nation"s Restaurant News

First Bite, hosted by Nation’s Restaurant News digital editor Holly Petre, highlights the top restaurant industry headlines of each day followed by a short conversation on one of the day’s trending stories. Published early every weekday morning, First Bite is the perfect way to get a brief recap of the daily foodservice news alongside your first cup of coffee.

business management

All Episodes

08:03

Here’s Noodles & Company’s turnaround plan

First Bite ·

2024/03/11

Noodles & Company CEO Drew Madsen outlined his plan to turn around the fast-casual chain during an earnings call to discuss a punishing fourth quarter for the chain.Madsen, who had been appointed interim CEO in Novemberfollowing the departure of his predecessor Dave Boennighausen,was named the company’s permanent CEO right before the call.Total revenue in the quarter ended Jan. 2, 2024, fell by 8.9% to $124.3 million, and same-store sales were down by 4.2%. The company reported a net loss of

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15:33

Answering the restaurant data questions on everyone’s...

First Bite ·

2024/03/08

Data collection is more important than ever for restaurant operators, and with so many sources out there — from POS systems to delivery platforms, and from loyalty programs to digital surveys — the potential data mine is infinite. But information collection is not just a numbers game; quality and utility are just as important.According to the December 2023 Market Leader Report from Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence, only 21% of operators would rate their data quality as good, while only

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12:19

‘Panera’s new era’ may not be what it seems

First Bite ·

2024/03/07

Last week, Panera Bread unveiled its “biggest menu transformation in history,” including nine new items and reimagined recipes and portion sizes, for a total of 20 menu updates. The new menu items include sandwiches like the Toasted Italiano sandwich with Black Forest ham, soppressata and provolone; and salads like the Southwest Chicken Ranch with romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, Ranch dressing, and chipotle aioli.Panera COO Debbie Roberts dubbed the menu overhaul the start of “Panera’s new era” as

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11:13

How restaurants can protect their employees' mental...

First Bite ·

2024/03/06

The restaurant business continues to normalize since the Covid-19 pandemic devastated the industry four years ago. But as the bumpiness of the supply chain, staffing levels, permitting delays, and food costs start to smooth out, one major challenge remains: Many employees are not OK.According to theAmerican Psychological Association, 50% of adults ages 18–34 reported a mental illness in 2023, versus 31% in 2019. That number is likely compounded among restaurant workers, who are most at risk for

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15:04

Why ‘dirty sodas’ are so popular right now

First Bite ·

2024/03/05

One of the hottest beverage trends at the moment originated in Utah and spread with the help of social media.“Dirty soda” is a sparkling beverage with something creamy added to it — often milk or half-and-half, but also non-dairy options such as coconut cream.In its current form, the menu platform gained traction with the help of Swig, a 63-unit beverage concept based in Lehi, Utah, and now larger chains are getting in on the action —particularly as interest in nonalcoholic beverages takes off.Dairy

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10:24

Why Applebee's is focusing on unit growth after years...

First Bite ·

2024/03/04

One of the takeaways from Dine Brands’ earnings call Wednesday morning is that its Applebee’s system plans to close 25 to 35 restaurants this year. Dine Brands CEO John Peyton notes that this is not a right-sizing effort but rather a “deliberate effort to allow franchisees to close unprofitable restaurants, where the market may have moved away from them.”

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15:51

How can the restaurant industry reach gender parity?

First Bite ·

2024/03/01

In the late 1980s, Edna Morris was leading human resources at Hardee’s and was asked by a reporter to be interviewed for a story about women in the restaurant industry. The reporter also asked if she knew of any other women who would be willing to go on the record.The task was more daunting than she expected it would be.“It was hard. I did find some. They existed, but we didn’t know each other,” Morris said during a recent interview.So, the group made plans to get together in person in conjunction

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13:18

Is Cracker Barrel heading for a turnaround?

First Bite ·

2024/02/29

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. is continuing to struggle under new leadership, as new CEO Julie Felss Masino talked about a long road ahead to recovery and long-term profitability for the Lebanon, Tenn.-based casual-dining brand. Cracker Barrel reported a 4% decline in traffic and modest same-store restaurant sales growth of 1.2% with a more than 5% decline for retail sales for the second quarter ended Jan. 26, 2024. The second quarter is generally one of the strongest for Cracker Barrel, as

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11:30

Are the traffic gains at CAVA sustainable?

First Bite ·

2024/02/28

CAVA is continuing to ride high after its IPO debut in June. The fast-casual restaurant company released its Q4 and fiscal year earnings on Monday and the results bucked the industry trends that have so far emerged during earnings season.

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13:51

How Domino's plans to regain its spot as the top...

First Bite ·

2024/02/27

After suffering from delivery stagnation in the post-pandemic era, Domino’s Pizza appears to have finally found its footing again after implementing its multi-pronged “Hungry for More” strategy. The Ann Arbor, Mich.-based pizza chain reported 2.8% U.S. same-store sales growth for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2023, largely attributable to growth of both its delivery and carryout sectors, though total revenue gains were only modest.The delivery sales improvement was actually noted before Domino’s

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14:38

What's the future of the new GoTo Foods?

First Bite ·

2024/02/26

After the Atlanta-based restaurant company formerly known as Focus Brandsannounced its rebrandingto GoTo Foods on Tuesday during the company’s annual conference in Las Vegas, CEO Jim Holthouser offered some details on exactly what to expect in the days and years ahead.Although daily operations won’t change much for franchisees and employees as the company moves to a more platform-based business model, more brand collaboration will be on the table. The goal is to eventually break down most silos

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10:45

Why Taco Bell thinks its future is in emerging brand...

First Bite ·

2024/02/23

Chefs Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, Reuben Asaram, and Lawrence Smith have all crafted impressive resumes in their respective hometowns of San Antonio, Philadelphia, and Pheonix. But, as is often the case in the restlessly creative world of culinary, they all want more.For now, Dobbertin, a repeat 2023 and 2024 James Beard Award semi-finalist, is busy running Best Quality Daughter, which she first opened alongside two friends in 2018 and five years after opening her first brick and mortar concept, Hot

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13:32

Why Shake Shack, Wingstop are leaning into fine-dining

First Bite ·

2024/02/22

This past Valentine’s Day there was a trend among limited-service restaurants. Several high-profile companies turned one or a few units into fine-dining experiences.Shake Shack launched a pop-up at two Los Angeles restaurants to promote its new Korean-style menu on Valentine’s Day called the “Swicy Date Night Experience” — “swicy” being a combination of sweet and spicy, two common Korean flavors.In New York City and Los Angeles, Panda Express unveiled its newest menu item, Firecracker Shrimp, via a

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09:52

How Texas Roadhouse continues to break records

First Bite ·

2024/02/21

Texas Roadhouse CEO Jerry Morgan ended the company’s Q4/full-year earnings call Thursday evening with an enthusiastic “Yeehaw.”Given the company’s results, this didn’t seem out of place at all. For Q4, the Louisville, Ky.-based casual dining company’s comp sales were up 9.9% at company-owned restaurants and 8.9% at domestic franchise restaurants. Those comp sales were driven by 5.1% traffic growth and a 4.8% growth in average check. By month, comp sales were up 9.2% in October and November, and

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12:16

Why it’s getting harder to be a restaurant franchisee

First Bite ·

2024/02/20

In 2024, it’s becoming harder than ever to be a successful franchisee. On top of ongoing rising food costs and labor shortages, federal and local legislation is cracking down on businesses while expanding worker rights and protections.This year, 25 states introduced or will introduce new minimum wages, with six states increasing their minimum wages to either match or surpass $15 (California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Washington state).On top of ever-increasing minimumwages,

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10:22

What Shake Shack is betting on next

First Bite ·

2024/02/16

Shake Shack is testing combo meals for the first time at some of its drive-thrus, as well as 8-ounce mini-shakes and sundaes at select restaurant locations, CEO Randy Garutti said during a conference call announcing the chain’s fourth quarter and annual earnings.Garutti said the limited-service industry has already established that customers like combo meals, such as sandwiches, fries, and a drink, at drive-thrus, and he wanted to try them at his chain while still maintaining the brand’s identity of

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11:03

What it takes to be a Crumbl franchisee

First Bite ·

2024/02/15

Rick Diamond spent most of his career working as an accountant but, like so many others, decided he wanted to be his own boss after Covid hit and started thinking about franchising. Coincidentally, Emily was visiting family in Utah, which gave her the opportunity to visit Crumbl's very first store – a log cabin-like location that opened in Logan, Utah, in 2017.She loved everything about the concept – the smell, the look, the product. Stores are closed on Sundays, which aligned with their values

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11:27

How Gen Z and Gen Alpha are influencing brands like...

First Bite ·

2024/02/14

For a free burger promotion on Monday, February 12, burger chain Carl’s Jr. went big. Like Super Bowl ad big.The chain ran an ad at the game that was a fighter jet scene reminiscent of theTop Gunfilms with pilots rushing to get their free burger.Carl’s Jr. announced it would be giving away free Western Bacon Cheeseburgers to its loyalty program the day after the Super Bowl.Customers with the Carl’s Jr. app who have joined the My Rewards program received the “Free Burger Day” offer and were able to

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13:56

Why Taco Bell is going all in on menu innovation

First Bite ·

2024/02/13

Taco Bell held its inaugural LiveMásLive event Friday in a popup space on the Las Vegas Strip, harnessing a little extra energy from the city amid its Super Bowl revelry.

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09:09

Where's the beef? How some chains are answering that...

First Bite ·

2024/02/12

We’ve spent a lot of time in recent years talking about chicken. Justifiably so — demand for the protein surpassed beef as younger consumers in particular prefer chicken’s health-halo, versatility, and portability.But during all of this, a number of chains have been reworking their burgers, pouring time and money into upgrading the sandwiches themselves, as well as the equipment used to make them, ensuring their core products are top of mind for an increasingly sophisticated consumer who still very

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