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☆ The Thrill of a Great Steakhouse Isn’t the Food. It’s the Theater.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Rita Bullwinkel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

I mean steakhouses like House of Prime Rib in San Francisco, Hal’s in Atlanta and Bern’s in Tampa, Fla. Every great American city has one; really great American cities have at least two or three. This kind of steakhouse revels in dinner theater. In House of Prime Rib, for instance, a chef in a tall, pleated paper hat pushes a steel cart stocked with the finest cuts of beef around the restaurant as if he were manning a float in a parade. He stops so the patrons can fawn over the meat, and then dramatically carves the cut with an oversize blade.

Locations: San Francisco, Hal’s, Atlanta, Bern’s, Tampa , Fla, Rhone

☆ Gen Z should stop wearing crop tops and mini skirts to the office, a corporate stylist says. Cover up 'from nips to knees.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A corporate stylist said one of Gen Z's biggest work style mistakes is exposing too much skin. Gen Z is new to the workplace and still learning what is appropriate to wear to work. AdvertisementA corporate stylist advises Gen Z workers to ditch the crop tops and mini skirts in the office, and ensure that they’re covered "from nips to knees." AdvertisementTeich said that Gen Z workers are "dressing down a little more than what we would deem, in the past, is appropriate for the office." Corporate stylist Maree Ellard shows an example of a fashionable but work-appropriate outfit.

Persons: Z's, Maree, —, Gen, Maree Ellard, Ellard, ” Ellard, Liz Teich, Jack Archer's, Teich, Ryan Vogel, they're Organizations: Service, Jack, Fox School of Business, Temple University Locations: Australia, New York, midsize New York

☆ Marseille v Lyon rescheduled game returns to Marseille, no disciplinary action
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The disciplinary commission said it would not take any action following the incident. The ruling has annoyed Lyon, who said they would appeal the decision. On Nov. 2, the LFP announced the date for the rescheduled game, but no venue was named, with Lyon's director of football, Vincent Ponsot, calling for the game to be played at a neutral venue. The LFP has instead rescheduled the game for Marseille. Lyon are bottom of Ligue 1 with four points after 10 matches.

Persons: Lyon, Fabio Grosso, Vincent Ponsot, Trevor Stynes, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Olympique de Marseille, Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon, Marseille's Stade Velodrome, French League, Stade Velodrome, LFP, Marseille, Ligue, Thomson Locations: Prefecture, Bouches, Marseille, Lyon

REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Acquire Licensing RightsZURICH, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Switzerland's glaciers suffered their second worst melt rate this year after record 2022 losses, shrinking their overall volume by 10% in the last two years, monitoring body GLAMOS said on Thursday. "This year was very problematic for glaciers because there was really little snow in winter, and the summer was very warm," Matthias Huss, who leads Glacier Monitoring Switzerland (GLAMOS), told Reuters. This year, low winter snowfall combined with an early start and a late end to the summer melt season dealt the heavy losses, GLAMOS said. "We are really losing the small glaciers," Huss said. Swiss records go back to at least 1960 and as far back as 1914 for some glaciers.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, GLAMOS, Matthias Huss, Huss, " Huss, Emma Farge, Timothy Gardner Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Obergoms, Switzerland, Swiss, Blanc's

☆ Back-to-school US spending set to hit record high in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The National Retail Federation, a retail trade group, predicts spending will surpass $135 billion, an increase of more than $24 billion from last year. “The larger the school, the more they are needed,” said Leslie Sparacello, a school superintendent in Austin, Texas, whose former school required clear backpacks. Clear backpacks available on Amazon.com's (AMZN.O) marketplace are priced starting at $9.97, according to its website. A spokesperson said Walmart has recorded an increase in demand for clear backpacks in the last two back-to-school seasons, specifically in Texas, Florida and Mississipi. The company has a separate section for clear backpacks under its backpack category starting at $4.89.

Persons: Mike Blake, jean, ”, Chip West, Melissa Cohen, Polo Ralph Lauren, Nikki Mcneri, Mcneri, Leslie Sparacello, Calvin McDonald, West, Matthew Bilunas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, National Retail Federation, MBC Consulting, Walmart, Kailyn Rhone, Thomson Locations: Encinitas , California, U.S, Georgia, jorts, Austin , Texas, Canada, Texas , Florida

☆ Rising caffeine levels spark calls for ban on energy drink sales to children
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO-Prime energy drink cans sit on a shelf at Target in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., August 18, 2023. Rival products like Anheuser Busch InBev-backed (ABI.BR) Ghost energy drinks and Kim Kardashian's “Kimade” energy drink also have 200 mg of caffeine. In the U.S. and UK, no national regulations ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks. She added: "Any energy drink with a high dose caffeine in it, such as Prime Energy, is unsafe for children." “I got confused because when you first see the can, it’s hard to see where it says energy drink.

Persons: Kim Kardashian's, Holly Benjamin, Dr, Benjamin, Chuck Schumer, Alani, Logan Paul, KSI, Shick, ”, “, Bonnie Patten, TINA, GNC, Vanessa O'Connell, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Prime Energy, Anheuser Busch InBev, Monster Energy, University of Chicago, American Academy of Child, Psychiatry, FDA, U.S, Ghost Energy, Congo Brands, American Medical Association, Walmart, Target, Energy, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Target, Brooklyn , New York, U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Congo, Florida, Kailyn Rhone, New York

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsChocolate makers are banking on the traditional resilience of their product to price increases. The data showed Hershey's sales volumes increasingly declined during the period as the company hiked prices. "We are seeing consumers starting to react more than before, I'd be very cautious with price increases," said Dan Sadler, a candy expert at U.S.-based market researcher IRI. Barry Callebaut (BARN.S), the world's biggest chocolate maker supplying most major brands including Nestle (NESN.S), doesn't expect any growth in sales volumes this year. Pennsylvania-based Hershey, is hoping that as it eases off the rate of price hikes, its sales volumes will reverse their current downtrend.

Persons: Nielsen, Dirk Van de, Luca Zaramella, Patrick Folan, Mike Blake, Mondelez, Hershey, Zaramella, Bernstein, I'd, Dan Sadler, Barry Callebaut, Hershey's, Michele Buck, Matt Scuffham, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Nielsen, Hershey, Reuters, Consumers, Cadbury, Barclays, REUTERS, IRI, Nestle, Rabobank, El, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Europe, United States, North America, Encinitas , California, U.S, Pennsylvania, El Nino, West Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kailyn Rhone, New York

☆ Plastic levels in Swiss-French lake as high as world's oceans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FOUNEX, Switzerland Aug 25 (Reuters) - Lake Geneva, nestled at the foot of the Alps, has long been considered as a near-pristine body of water, but new research has found that its plastic pollution levels are as high as those in the oceans. Oceaneye, a Geneva-based non-profit that has for more than a decade been scouring the seas to collect plastic fragments, has turned its attention closer to home to landlocked Switzerland. [1/5]A boat of NGO Oceaneye collects plastic fragments in the water of Lake Leman in Founex near Geneva, Switzerland August 21, 2023. Microplastics derive from the breakdown of various consumer and industrial plastic waste over time and their concentrations are accumulating in the world's oceans. "When we began working on this 12 years ago and talked about plastic fragments in water, people took us for wackos and now it is a recognised problem."

Persons: Pascal Hagmann, Denis Balibouse, Hagmann, Cecile Mantovani, Emma Farge, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Switzerland, Lake Geneva, Geneva, Lac Leman, Lake Leman, Founex, Leman, Europe, France, Switzerland's, Evian

☆ Europe’s summer of extremes triggers health warnings, nuclear output fears and shipping disruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Europe's protracted battle with extreme weather conditions comes shortly after official data showed July was the hottest month in history. To be sure, the climate emergency — which is primarily driven by the burning of fossil fuels — is making extreme weather and its impacts more frequent and more intense. People stand at an overflooded petrol station in Gjovik on August 11, 2023 after extreme weather with heavy rain hit south-east Norway. This gives us the long-term context for the increasing occurrence and severity of such extreme weather and extreme events." On the same day, France issued an extreme heat warning for four regional departments in the southern regions of Rhone, Drome, Ardeche and Haute-Loire.

Persons: Angelos Tzortzinis, Alvaro Silva, Heiko Junge, Silva, Christophe Archambault, Nero, sweltering, Fabrice Coffrini Organizations: Sikorsky, Afp, Getty, EDF, Turkish, Meteorological Organization, Firefighters, Reuters Locations: Acharnes, Athens, Europe, Greece, French, Italy, Norway, Gjovik, Alexandroupolis, France, Rhone, Drome, Ardeche, Haute, Loire, Bordeaux, Sardinia, Dardanelles, Switzerland

France, which widened its heatwave red alert in the south of the country, said it would scale back production at a nuclear power plant as high temperatures curbed cooling water supply. The strait, linking the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, is a major shipping route for commodities such as oil and grains. It said some areas of southern France would experience temperatures of 42 degree Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit). The authorities widened a heatwave red alert for the south of the country, while officials urged some mountain climbers to postpone their activities and told grape pickers to work in the morning to avoid the extreme heat. Italy issued heatwave red alerts about "emergency conditions" that the health ministry says could endanger the healthy as well as the frail in 17 of its 27 main cities for Wednesday and Thursday, including Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice.

Persons: Firefighters, Vassilis Kikilias, herder, Saint Alban, Karolina Tagaris, Alexandros Avramidis, Ezgi, Zhifan Liu, Forrest Crellin, Nacho Doce, Violeta Santos Moura, Crispian Balmer, Charlie Devereux, Edmund Blair Organizations: Migration Ministry, Residents, Civil, European Union, EDF, Saint, Fundacion Madrina, Firefighters, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Athens, Turkey, Dardanelles, France, Italy, ATHENS, ISTANBUL, Europe, Greece, Menidi, Amygdaleza, Fyli, Alexandroupolis, Evros, East, Asia, Turkey's, Canakkale, Meteo, Spain, Tenerife, Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice

☆ 'Exceptional vintage': French hot spell to cut wine output but boost quality
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The fall in output was currently expected at between 10% and 20% in the region but with a higher quality, said Volle, who represents Ardeche winemakers. Volle, 49, which uses machines to harvest his grapes, said he had started at 3:00 am. Overnight harvesting also allows to keep grapes cooler, meaning using less energy and avoiding hurting the harvest and aromas, he said. Jerome Despey, a wine producer of Languedoc wine in southern France and first vice-president of France's largest farm union FNSEA, told Reuters that the damage caused by the hot weather will lead to lower wine output this year in the south of the country overall. Reporting by Clotaire Achi, writing by Sybille de La Hamaide; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Clotaire, Jerome Volle, Volle, Jerome Despey, FNSEA, Clotaire Achi, Sybille de La, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Valvigneres, Ardeche, France, Rhone, Languedoc

☆ Wildfires rage in Greece, Spain and Italy as heatwave spreads
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Alexandros Avramidis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Flames burn a tree as a wildfire rages in Alexandroupolis, on the region of Evros, Greece. Authorities urged residents to avoid the heat as France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere suffered hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to climate change. WILDFIRES IN SPAIN, ITALYThe blaze has burned through 15,000 hectares in 12 municipalities forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. In France, four southern regions - the Rhone, Drome, Ardeche and Haute-Loire - were placed under red alert, the most serious warning. Grape-pickers in wine-producing regions of southern France have been advised to start work on the harvest in the early hours of the morning to avoid sweltering in a late summer heatwave.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, I've, Nikos Gioktsidis, Vassilis Varthakogiannis, AEMET, Alessandro Vitaliano, ANSA, Karolina Tagaris, Dominique Vidalon, Gisela Vignoni, Crispian Balmer, Ingrid Melander, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Flames, REUTERS, Greece Firefighters, heatwave, University Hospital, ERT, Rio Marina, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Alexandroupolis, Evros, Greece, Spain, Italy, Europe, France, Turkey, Tenerife, SPAIN, ITALY, Elba, Rio, Rome, Milan, Florence, Drome, Ardeche, Haute, Loire, Rhone, Alexandropoulis, Athens, Paris

CNN —The burned bodies of 18 people were found as wildfires ripped through Greece on Tuesday and countries across Europe sweltered under yet another extreme heat wave. As dozens of wildfires scorch Greece, other parts of the region are suffering under intense heat, as Europe’s summer of extremes continues. Red heat warningsAs parts of Greece and Spain burn, temperatures are reaching record levels in other parts of Europe. These regions are all experiencing very high temperatures, with some pushing above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Savona, in the northwest, saw an all-time record high of 39.1 degrees Celsius (102.4 Fahrenheit) on Monday.

Persons: Yiannis Artopios, Nikos Gioktsidis, “ I’ve, I’ve, Spyros Bakalis, Alexandroupolis, Dimitris Alexoudis, Artopios, Pedro Sánchez, –, MeteoAlarm, Igor Ferreira, Montbel, Alain Pitton, Aurélien Rousseau, Maximiliano Herrera, Martin, Rousseau, MeteoSchweiz Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Emergency Management Service, Firefighters, Getty, European Union, country’s, BFMTV, Puy St, Northern Locations: Greece, Europe, Athens, Alexandroupolis, Prodromos, AFP, Thrace, Cyprus, Romania, ANMA, Rhodes, Tenerife, Canary, Spanish, Spain, France, Drôme, Haute, Loire, Rhône, Puy, Italy, Savona, Switzerland, Swiss

☆ As France widens weather red alert, grape pickers told to work early
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A general view shows the city of Lyon after sunrise from the Fourviere esplanade as France issued a "red alert" for four southern regions amid a spell of excessively hot weather, especially in the Rhone valley, France, August 22, 2023. The Haute-Savoie region, which includes the French side of the Mont Blanc, is among the 49 departments under an orange alert for high temperatures. France's weather service on Tuesday widened its "red alert", the most serious warning, to include 15 more departments from Wednesday, which will cover large swathes of the southeastern Provence region and some areas to the southwest. HIGHEST ALERT LEVELMeteo France on Monday issued a red alert for four departments around the Rhone valley - Rhone, Drome, Ardeche and Haute-Loire. It has now added the departments of l’Ain, la Loire, l’Isère, la Lozère, le Gard, le Vaucluse, l’Hérault, l’Aveyron, le Tarn, le Tarn et Garonne, l’Aude, le Lot, le Lot et Garonne, la Haute Garonne and le Gers.

Persons: Cecile Mantovani, Mont, Aurelien Rousseau, Jerome Despey, FNSEA, Marc Fesneau, Dominique Vidalon, Sybille de la, Angus MacSwan, Bernadette Baum, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, Agriculture, Thomson Locations: Lyon, France, Rhone, Blanc, Europe's, Haute, Savoie, Mont Blanc, Provence, Drome, Ardeche, Loire, l’Ain, la, l’Isère, le Gard, le Vaucluse, l’Hérault, le, Garonne, l’Aude, la Haute Garonne, le Gers, Languedoc, Burgundy, Meteo France, Toulouse

☆ France issues 'red alert' over heatwave in south
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of Electricite de France (EDF) is seen in front of electrical pylons at the Tricastin nuclear power plant site in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux, France, November 21, 2022. The departments targeted by the alert, which allows local authorities to call off events and close public facilities if needed, are the Rhone, Drome, Ardeche and Haute-Loire, Meteo France said. Earlier on Monday, Meteo France had issued an orange alert for half of the country's territory, saying temperatures will reach between 35 and 38 C (95 to 100 F) in most of the affected departments. Temperatures are expected to rise to between 40 and 42 Celsius (104 and 108 F) on Tuesday afternoon in the southern departments of Ardeche, Drome, Vaucluse and Gard, Meteo France said. Some technical issues at the reactor also played a role in delaying the restart to Aug. 25, an EDF spokesperson told Reuters.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Meteo, Forrest Crellin, Dominique Vidalon, Tassilo Hummel, Sudip Kar, Emelia, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, EDF, Reuters, Thomson Locations: France, Saint, Rhone, Drome, Ardeche, Haute, Loire, Meteo France, Vaucluse, Gard

"The increase in sugar and cocoa specifically is material," Mondelez CFO Luca Zaramella said in July. The data showed Hershey's sales volumes increasingly declined during the period as the company hiked prices. Barry Callebaut (BARN.S), the world's biggest chocolate maker supplying most major brands including Nestle (NESN.S), doesn't expect any growth in sales volumes this year. In the U.S., private label sales volumes grew nearly 9% in the year to mid-June despite near double-digit price rises, IRI data shows. Pennsylvania-based Hershey, is hoping that as it eases off the rate of price hikes, its sales volumes will reverse their current downtrend.

Persons: Mike Blake, Dirk Van de, Luca Zaramella, Patrick Folan, Mondelez, Hershey, Zaramella, Bernstein, I'd, Dan Sadler, Barry Callebaut, Hershey's, Michele Buck, Matt Scuffham, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Hershey, Reuters, Consumers, Nielsen, Cadbury, Barclays, IRI, Nestle, Rabobank, El, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Encinitas , California, Europe, North America, U.S, Pennsylvania, El Nino, West Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kailyn Rhone, New York

REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Bain Capital on Tuesday agreed to buy Fogo de Chão, in a deal people familiar with the matter said valued the Brazilian steakhouse chain at about $1.1 billion, including debt. The deal marks a win for private equity firm Rhone Capital, which took Fogo de Chão private for $560 million in 2018. The restaurant chain confidentially submitted paperwork for an initial public offering to regulators in late 2021, the sources said. Earlier in August, the Pollo Tropical restaurant chain was sold to Authentic Restaurant Brands for $225 million. Morgan Stanley & Co LLC is serving as financial adviser to Fogo de Chão and Rhône, while Sullivan & Cromwell served as legal counsel.

Persons: Paulo Whitaker, Rhône, Bain, Burger King, Dunkin, Ellis, Morgan Stanley, Sullivan, Cromwell, Abigail Summerville, Anirban Sen, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Fogo de Chao, REUTERS, Bain Capital, Rhone Capital, Dunkin ’ Brands Inc, Brands Inc, Benihana, Deutsche Bank, Kirkland, Thomson Locations: Fogo de, Fogo de Chao Brazilian, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Chão, Fogo, Rhone, Southern Brazil, dealmaking, Sandwich, New York

☆ Major global firms warn of slow China sales as post-pandemic surge fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Aug 2 (Reuters) - From consumer goods giant Unilever (ULVR.L) to automaker Nissan (7201.T) and machinery maker Caterpillar (CAT.N), global firms have warned of slowing earnings in China as the world's second-largest economy loses its post-pandemic bounce. A continued rebound has been limited to a handful of sectors such as dining and luxury goods, driving double-digit China sales growth for the likes of Starbucks (SBUX.O) and LVMH (LVMH.PA). Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) cut its full-year sales target last week due to a sales dip in China, its top market. "Unfortunately, our (China) sales outlook is now falling far below our production capacity," Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida said last week. "We mentioned during our last earnings call that we expected sales in China to be below the typical 5% to 10% of our enterprise sales.

Persons: Graeme Pitkethly, we're, Makoto Uchida, Jim Umpleby, Jacob Stausholm, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Jean, Jacques Guiony, Mimosa Spencer, Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh, Richa Naidu, Melanie Burton, Daniel Leussink, Victoria Waldersee, Miranda Murray, Rishav Chatterjee, Deborah Sophia, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Yuvraj Malik, Miyoung Kim, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Unilever, Nissan, Caterpillar, Starbucks, Procter, Gamble, L'Oreal, Global, Volkswagen, Samsung, SK Hynix, Apple, Rio Tinto, Tinto, Yum, HK, KFC, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: China, KS, Rio, Yum China, Kailyn Rhone, New York, Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, London, Melbourne, Tokyo, Victoria, Berlin, Bengaluru

☆ U.S. fast-food chains add automation to boost speed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

With mass shortages of low-cost labor due to the pandemic, chains shifted to technology investments in their kitchens to fill the gap. The addition of automation tools in restaurant chains could cut down on wait times, driving higher consumer engagement and increasing sales for the rest of the year, restaurant executives say. Thirty-six percent of 1,000 U.S. people told HungerRush in a survey in May that they believed major restaurant chains don’t have enough staff to take orders, prepare food, and handle deliveries. Last year, Domino's Pizza Enterprises announced an automated pizza prep device in partnership with Picnic Works, a Seattle-based food-automation startup. "Anytime there's new automation, it creates new kinds of jobs," said Gaurav Kachhawa, chief product officer at Gupshup, a conversational messaging platform.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Rachel Ruggeri, HungerRush, Aaron Nilsson, Chipotle, Brian Niccol, Domino's, Gaurav Kachhawa, It's, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Siren, Starbucks, National Restaurant Association, Society, Pizza Enterprises, Picnic, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Michigan, Colorado, Houston, Seattle, Indiana, Indiana , Illinois, Wisconsin

☆ Starbucks misses quarterly sales estimates as demand wavers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Starbucks sign is shown on one of the company's stores in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 19, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoAug 1 (Reuters) - Starbucks (SBUX.O) missed market expectations for quarterly comparable sales on Tuesday, signaling dull demand for its coffees and cold drinks both in the North American and international markets. However, the company recorded a sharp recovery in China, with comparable sales surging 46% even as average ticket - or the average amount spent per customer on a visit - declined 1% in the quarter. Global comparable sales at Starbucks rose 10% in the third quarter, compared with analysts' expectations for a 11.8% rise, according to Refinitiv IBES data. In its international segment, same-store sales rose 24%, also missing estimates of 25.7%.

Persons: Mike Blake, Deborah Sophia, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, American, Starbucks, Java, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Seattle , Washington, United States, North America, China, Bengaluru, Kailyn Rhone, New York

☆ McDonald's beats sales estimates as cheaper burgers draw consumers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 27 (Reuters) - McDonald's (MCD.N) beat market expectations for quarterly comparable sales on Thursday, as the restaurant chain's relatively cheaper burgers and fries attracted cost-conscious diners in an inflationary environment. While U.S. restaurant chains including McDonald's have had to raise prices to offset a hit to profit from higher costs, the company has still managed to keep its prices lower than its competitors. Those moves, coupled with improved staffing levels at its chains, have helped McDonald's gain market share from its peers. In contrast, overall traffic at fast-food and quick-service chains climbed just 1.2% in the same period. Easing costs of key ingredients including chicken, cheese and pork have also helped McDonald's, whose total restaurant margins in the United States climbed 12% in the quarter.

Persons: McDonald's, Deborah Sophia, Anil D'Silva Organizations: U.S, McDonald's, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, Bengaluru, Kailyn Rhone, New York

[1/2] The logo of Chipotle is seen on one of their restaurants in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoJuly 26 (Reuters) - Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.N) missed Wall Street estimates for quarterly sales on Wednesday as a pause in months-long price hikes hurt its top line, sending the company's shares down nearly 9% in extended trading. California-based Chipotle also projected current-quarter comparable sales to grow in the low- to mid-single-digit range, while analysts on average expected a 6.01% increase. Like other restaurants, Chipotle has hiked menu prices to offset the impact of higher input costs of everything from beef to potatoes. Chipotle was not seeing any weakness in the lower-income consumer despite high inflation, CEO Brian Niccol said in a post-earnings call.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Chipotle, Brian Niccol, Scott Boatwright, Peter Saleh, Sante Faustini, Deborah Sophia, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Intelligence, Science, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, California, Bengaluru, Kailyn Rhone, New York

NEW YORK, July 23 (Reuters) - It is Barbie’s world, and U.S. small businesses hope their social-media marketing can help them cash in on it. But as Mattel-licensed Barbie marketing and products flood big companies' stores, hotel suites and social media posts, small firms also seek to capitalize on the hype. “Small businesses may look at the Barbie promotions and dream of that kind of budget and mass brand awareness,” said Brianne Fleming, an adjunct marketing instructor at University of Florida. MoonFire, an arts boutique based in Dallas, Texas, hosted a Barbie-themed collaboration in person with ten small businesses selling hot-pink, Barbie-inspired products. So, for small businesses, the strategy is to be a quick follower,” he said.

Persons: Barbie, “ Barbie, Inditex’s Zara, ”, Brianne Fleming, there's, Iris, Wilglory Tanjong, Kimberly Wagner, Ken, Mica Garbarino, “ Barbie ”, Walker Smith, Smith, “, gatekeepers, Josie Kao, Nick Zieminski Organizations: YORK, Google, Mattel, University of Florida, Monday, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Malibu, Friday’s, Airbnb, Instagram, New York City, New York, Blue Curacao, grenadine, Dallas , Texas, Soho, Kailyn Rhone

☆ Factbox: Europe sees another year of droughts and wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Last year, heat waves resulted in over 61,600 heat-related fatalities across 35 European countries and triggered devastating wildfires. Below is a list of the most recent blazes and heat-related warnings issued in Europe. **********CROATIAA bushfire near the coastal town of Sibenik quickly spread on July 13, fuelled by strong southerly winds. Emergency services were also dealing with fires on the island of Evia, east of Athens, and Aigio, southwest of Athens. RUSSIAIn central Russia's Urals region, in the small village of Shaidurikha near Yekaterinburg, wildfires spread on July 12 and caused significant damage.

Persons: BRGM, Rhodes, El, Dina Kartit, Gaëlle Sheehan, Piotr Lipiński, Alexandra Hudson, Milla Nissi Organizations: Firefighters, Flames, El Pais, Caldera, SWITZERLAND Swiss, Swiss, TURKEY, Directorate of Forestry, Thomson Locations: Europe, Sicily, CROATIA, Sibenik, Grebastica, FRANCE, Nouvelle, Aquitaine, Occitanie, Grand Est, Bouches, Du, Rhone, Corsica, France, GREECE, Corfu, Evia, Athens, Cyprus, Israel, Italy, ITALY, Calabria, Italian, Rome, Lazio, PORTUGAL Mainland Portugal, May, RUSSIA, Russia's, Shaidurikha, Yekaterinburg, SPAIN, La Palma, Spanish, Spain, Bitsch, Valais, Turkey's, Hatay, Mersin, Canakkale, Turkish

July 13 (Reuters) - High river temperatures that look set to restrict power output at two French nuclear plants that use river water to cool reactors may trigger increased fossil fuel-fired power output elsewhere due to Europe's extensive regional power trading. French power system in hot waterIn turn, any increased output from fossil fuel-fired power plants will likely lift regional power sector emissions, undermining regional efforts to accelerate cuts to all forms of industrial pollution. France is also Europe's second largest electricity generator behind Germany, producing roughly 470 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in 2022, compared to Germany's 582TWh, and 324TWh by Europe's third largest generator, the United Kingdom. France's high proportion of non-emitting nuclear power means that its power sector has by far the lowest carbon intensity of any major European economy, averaging around 85 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour of electricity produced. That compares to more than 385 grams in Germany, 257 in the United Kingdom, and 300 for Europe as a whole, Ember data shows.

Persons: Germany's 582TWh, Gavin Maguire, Jamie Freed Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, EDF, RTE, Reuters, Thomson Locations: France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Ember, Europe, Belgium, Luxembourg

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