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☆ Subway's late cofounder will give half the company to a charity where his 2 sons work, amid reports the chain is considering a sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Subway's last surviving founder, Peter Buck, died in 2021. Buck, who died last year, left his 50% stake in the chain to the Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation, according to a Tuesday announcement by the charity. Peter Buck was 34 when he partnered with a 17-year-old family friend, Fred DeLuca, to open a submarine sandwich shop. In 2020, the chain laid off hundreds of corporate staff to cut costs amid rumors of a company sale. Are you a Subway insider with insight to share?

☆ Uber Eats is sharing what your delivery driver knows about you as videos of angry drivers confronting customers go viral
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Uber Eats customers now have an answer. Customers ordering from the app can access a new "View as Delivery Person " feature, which was rolled out last week. Uber said the feature allows Uber Eats users to toggle to a screen showing how the food courier views their order. "While most interactions are delightful, we also found that when awkward or unwanted interactions occur, it is concerning," Uber Eats told Insider. The photo taken of your delivery is also deleted after the delivery person closes the app, according to the company.

☆ A new ultrafast pizza delivery startup in Philly delivers food in just over 12 minutes on average. Here's how it works.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Chain said one of Muncho's two vans recently became profitable, while the second one is on its way to profitability. Muncho plans to build out its operation in Philadelphia first, before committing to growth outside the city. Muncho's pepperoni pizza.

☆ McDonald's is testing strawless lids in the US after uproar over paper straws in UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In 2018, it rolled out paper straws in the UK, but admitted the alt-materials were not recyclable. The chain recently began testing strawless lids for cold beverages in select US markets. A few years after Starbucks launched strawless lids, McDonald's is testing out its own in select US markets, the company confirmed. In 2018, McDonald's pledged to recycle food and beverage packaging in 100% of McDonald's restaurants by the end of 2025. The new lids come after McDonald's restaurants in the UK rolled out paper straws in 2018.

☆ McDonald's Exec Slams California Lawmakers for Passing Fast-Food Law
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The FAST Recovery Act could raise minimum wage for California fast food workers to $22 an hour. This week, a top McDonald's exec slammed lawmakers for passing the law in an open letter. AB 257 creates a 10-member council of fast food workers, franchisees, franchisors, advocates for fast food employees, and representatives from the governor's office. The organization said higher wage mandates could raise costs for California fast-food restaurants by $3 billion. "As California fast-food workers defend this landmark law and assert their voice, SEIU is absolutely committed to standing with them in their fight."

☆ 7-Eleven is quietly testing self-driving robots to deliver Slurpees and Big Bite Hot Dogs in Los Angeles. Here's how it works.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

7-Eleven is testing autonomous robot deliveries in the Los Angeles area. 7-Eleven has been testing self-driving robots to deliver some of the convenience store chain's most iconic foods and snacks – from Slurpees to Big Bite Hot Dogs. Uber Eats is testing Serve's robots in Los Angeles. The robot deliveries for 7-Eleven can only be made through the 7-Eleven delivery app, dubbed 7Now. Serve Robotics launched in 2017 as a division of Postmates and has been testing its autonomous delivery robots since 2018.

☆ Chipotle wants to hire 15,000 restaurant workers as it plans double in size to 7,000 restaurants in the coming years
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The chain is known for worker perks such as bonus programs for crew members and debt-free degrees. The new campaign features six employees who have risen the ranks from restaurant crew member to management. Chipotle said campaigns showing the "transparent career progression" of current workers, as well as highlighting company perks, are part of its latest campaign. The new range shifted from $11 to $18 an hour for US crew members and managers. Chipotle is widely known for its perks, such as bonus programs for crew members, debt-free degrees, and tuition reimbursement.

☆ Starbucks is inviting social workers to assist homeless people at some of its cafés
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But as homeless people seek refuge in cafés, Starbucks has invited outreach workers to talk them. Starbucks contracts with outreach workers in eight US cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle. Recently, the Seattle-based chain has opted to bring in outreach workers to assist homeless people, The Guardian reported. Starbucks cafés in eight US cities, including Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago, are part of the two-year-old program, according to the article. The company changed its bathroom policy after a racial-discrimination incident in which a Black customer was denied access to the bathroom.

The victims of Saturday’s mass shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio included many longtime regulars who were excited to ring in the Lunar New Year. Nancy Liu, fatally wounded, fell to the ground, he said. Nancy Liu was 62 and loved volleyball, dancing, singing and music. The couple had been going to the dance studio for about a decade, Liu said. Courtesy Nhan and Quan familyNhan’s family said on Twitter that she had been going to the studio for years.

In January 2023, Culver's ditched Pepsi and began promoting Coca-Cola products on its website. Coca-Cola beverages dominate restaurant chains. Up until recently, Culver's also served Pepsi beverages. But the Wisconsin-based fast-food chain, known for its butterburgers and frozen custard desserts, has ditched Pepsi for Coca-Cola products. The Culver's website now advertises that it sells about nine Coca-Cola beverages, including Diet Coke and Coke.

☆ Why McDonald's and Domino's could win a recession, while Starbucks and Burger King could suffer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Some consumers trade down from casual-dining favorites to fast-food chains, analysts said. Analysts predicted what top publicly traded chains could do well with consumers during a recession. Typically during a recession, restaurants feel the pain first. Analysts think McDonald's, Papa Johns, Olive Garden, Taco Bell, Chipotle, and Domino's are set up for success during a recession. Analysts are undecided or mixed on brands like Starbucks, Wendy's, and Cheesecake Factory and how they might fare during a recession.

☆ Customers might hate Starbucks' new reward program, but Wall Street loves it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Starbucks is making changes to its Starbucks Rewards program on February 13. With customers highly likely to customize these drinks with add-ons, that will generate "higher tickets and higher margins" for Starbucks, BofA said. The new rewards program might give Starbucks a lift if the economy tanks in the coming months. "In a macro slowdown, we believe the power of Starbucks Rewards will insulate the company, a key distinction from prior downturns," BofA said. Starbucks Rewards members accounted for 55% of sales at US company-operated stores, Starbucks said in a fourth-quarter earnings call.

☆ Here are the states where egg prices have doubled — and the lucky few where they've risen by just 50%, according to new data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Alex Bitter | Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Egg prices in some states doubled in December, compared with the same month in 2021, according to data from Instacart. Even so, the highest prices for a dozen eggs were in other states, such as Hawaii and Florida. Egg prices increased the most in upper Midwestern states year-over-year in December, according to Instacart. In 2019, chickens on its farms produced just over 17 billion eggs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Despite the increases, states like Iowa still had some of the lowest egg prices in the US.

☆ It's about to get easier to get Starbucks for delivery
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Starbucks, which also uses Uber Eats, said loyalty members cannot earn rewards through delivery. While some restaurant chains offer a limited menu on third-party delivery apps, Starbucks plans to offer about 95% of its core menu on DoorDash. StarbucksUber Eats, on the other hand, told Insider that the Starbucks menu on its app "is optimized for delivery to maintain quality. Delivery is not available through the Starbucks app, and "delivery orders placed through DoorDash or UberEats apps are not eligible for Starbucks Rewards, including both earning and redeeming of Stars," Starbucks told Insider. Are you a fast food or Starbucks insider with insight to share?

☆ The average Chick-fil-A franchise exceeds $8 million in sales and has one of the lowest fast-food franchise startup fee — here's how to open one
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Hayley Peterson | Dominick Reuter | Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Chick-fil-A 's fee for a new restaurant is $10,000 – one of the lowest of any major fast-food brandChick-fil-A restaurants average more than $8 million in sales annually among non-mall locations. By comparison, McDonald's restaurants posted average domestic sales of $4 million in 2021, according to the chain's franchise disclosure report for 2022. McDonald's, for example, requires potential franchisees to pay from $1.4 million and $2.5 million in startup costs — including a $45,000 franchise fee. Total costs to launch a franchised Chick-fil-A restaurant ranges from $219,055 to $2,912,697, according to 2022 FDD documents. While a Chick-fil-A costs less up-front, over time franchisees end up paying a lot more to the company to operate the business.

☆ Celebrity chef David Chang blasts Costco's famous $4.99 rotisserie chicken as 'inedible' and 'disgusting'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This week, he talked about a trip to Costco, and noted how he dislikes the chain's rotisserie chicken. "I think the Costco chicken is the worst rotisserie chicken," he said during his latest "The Dave Chang Show" podcast. He noted how the meat selections are shockingly cheap, which led to a shaming session of Costco's famed rotisserie chicken. Notably, the retailer calls its product "Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken," and "seasoning" is listed on the ingredient label. So, which supermarket has good rotisserie chicken?

☆ In-N-Out is making a rare expansion into Tennessee, but it will be years before any restaurants open — here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In-N-Out, which turns 75 this year, is expanding to its eighth state – Tennessee. Here's why it takes so long for In-N-Out to open restaurants in new states. It took about three years for In-N-Out to open the first Colorado restaurant after announcing expansion there in 2017. Why does it take so long to open In-N-Out in a new region? The same will be true for Tennessee, as In-N-Out doesn't build restaurants further than 500 miles from its distribution centers.

☆ Olive Garden, Wendy's, and Chick-fil-A are suddenly adding sesame to popular foods like bread sticks and buns, and people with allergies are furious
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Nancy Luna | Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Restaurant bakers are adding in sesame flour since it makes it easier to avoid cross-contamination. Allergy-friendly foods like breadsticks at Olive Garden are now off-limits to allergic consumers. The changes have affected buns at Wendy's and Chick-fil-A and breadsticks at Olive Garden. Olive Garden now lists sesame as an ingredient in its bread sticks. Families locked out of their "allergen safe havens" say they have no recourse but to stop patronizing these chains.

☆ U.S. experts recommend weight-loss drugs for obese children
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Bhanvi Satija | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Metformin has been used off label to achieve weight loss in children. Of the 27 randomized trials of metformin for weight loss in children reviewed by the guidelines panel, 74% showed some positive effect of the medication. Wegovy last month won U.S. approval for chronic weight management in children ages 12 and older. For children ages 2 to 12 years, AAP said there was not currently enough evidence to recommend use of these medications. They also include recommendations for diagnosing obesity annually in children ages 6 years and older, through checks on BMI, and practices such as motivational interviewing.

☆ McDonald's former CEO lied about 'improper' employee relationships before his firing in 2019, SEC alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The SEC accused the former McDonald's CEO of being untruthful in the chain's internal investigation. McDonald's fired Stephen Easterbrook in 2019 over an employee relationship, then discovered more. During that investigation, Easterbook told lawyers brought in by McDonald's board that he hadn't had any other sexual relationships with McDonald's employees besides the one he was being questioned over at the time. "In July 2020, McDonald's learned that Easterbrook had in fact engaged in other relationships with McDonald's employees in violation of the company's Standards of Business Conduct." In August 2020, McDonald's sued Easterbrook "to recover compensation and severance benefits," alleging he concealed evidence and lied about having other relationships with subordinates.

☆ Chili's CEO bought grills that can cook a medium steak in under 3 minutes — and says they could shave more than $5 million in losses from unhappy customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Over the summer, Chili's was testing drone delivery and dining-room robots to improve operations. But, under new CEO Kevin Hochman, Brinker-owned Chili's ditched robots in favor of kitchen automation. "The robotics were slower than what our servers can do," Hochman told Insider. "The robotics were slower than what our servers can do," Hochman told Insider. That alone is likely to save the company millions of dollars from having to comp steaks sent back by unhappy customers.

☆ First woman and LGBTQ person elected Massachusetts governor sworn in
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Maura Healey, the first woman and first open member of the LGBTQ community to be elected governor of Massachusetts, was sworn into office at the Statehouse Thursday, pledging to lead “with empathy and with equity.”Healey’s elevation to governor signals a political shift in the state’s top elected office from GOP to Democratic hands. Kim Driscoll, who served as mayor of Salem, was elected lieutenant governor with Healey and was also sworn in on Thursday. She acknowledged the soaring cost of housing in Massachusetts and vowed in her first 100 days to create a new secretary of housing. She’s only the second Democrat in the past three decades to be elected governor in Massachusetts. Nancy Lane / The Boston Herald via APThe new governor is also part of a record number of women occupying top state elected offices in Massachusetts.

☆ McDonald's CEO warns of possible 2023 layoffs as chain leans into fast service, innovation, and operational efficiencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Despite a strong year, McDonald's CEO said the chain may have layoffs this spring. His 2023 business plan calls for the fast-food giant to move faster and push innovation. "As part of this work, we will evaluate roles and staffing levels in parts of the organization," the CEO said. The executive said he plans to build on the company's Accelerating the Arches growth strategy, first introduced in late 2020. This will help us move faster as an organization, while reducing our global costs and freeing up resources to invest in our growth," Kempczinski said.

☆ See the brands poised to crush their rivals in 2023, including Wawa, Five Below, and Whataburger
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Data firm Placer.ai tracks where people shop, work, and live using their mobile phones. Their data shows the most promising retailers and restaurants for 2023. Chains with winning strategies are growing in underserved markets and giving shoppers value. Chains with cult-like followings like Whataburger and Wawa are among the brands to watch in 2023, Placer.ai said Tuesday. Here are the 10 brands to watch in 2023, according to Placer.ai.

The United States this week also expanded its voluntary genomic sequencing program at airports, adding Seattle and Los Angeles to the program. "Previous COVID-19 wastewater surveillance has shown to be a valuable tool and airplane wastewater surveillance could potentially be an option," she wrote. French researchers reported in July that airplane wastewater tests showed requiring negative COVID tests before international flights does not protect countries from the spread of new variants. They found the Omicron variant in wastewater from two commercial airplanes that flew from Ethiopia to France in December 2021 even though passengers had been required to take COVID tests before boarding. Osterholm and others said mandatory testing before travel to the United States is unlikely to keep new variants out of the country.

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