Extra Serving: A restaurant industry podcast

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Taco Bell’s renewal of its partnership with Pepsi, the QSR pizza category’s market share gains against retail, and Wendy’s efforts to win back customers. First up is the news that Taco Bell renewed its contract with Pepsi through 2036. This came in the wake of Yum sister chain KFC making the switch to Coca-Cola, a move that prompted many to wonder if Taco Bell would follow suit. Sam and Alicia discuss Taco Bell’s decision and why it made a lot of sense even beyond the implications of the Baja Blast. Speaking of beverages, Sweetgreen announced that it was rolling out new and improved drinks, including Tropical Black Tea and Fresh Blackberry Basil options. The fast-casual brand’s sales have been plummeting, and it’s tried to drive excitement with new products like Ripple Fries and Wraps. Could more attention toward beverages re-energize the chain? Sam and Alicia aren’t so sure, but they talk about how healthier, functional, and house-made beverages could be a good lane for fast casuals like Sweetgreen.They then turn their attention to the pizza category, which was the only menu category last year to suffer sales declines, according to Technomic. But new data suggests there’s at least one thing the category can brag about: According to Numerator, QSR pizza now accounts for 45% of total pizza spending, which is a 3.1% increase compared to 2019. Sam and Alicia discuss the data and why pizza has ended up in a war for convenience, leading to issues among the bigger chains. Finally, Sam and Alicia discuss Wendy’s, the national burger chain whose sales fell by 12% last quarter as it looks to solve operational, product, and marketing issues. The company recently brought back yellow packaging — a throwback to branding that was discontinued in 2012 — and also introduced a new Dave’s Single combo meal for $7.99. Are these silver bullets for Wendy’s? Hardly. But Sam and Alicia talk about why they could be steps in the right direction. For more on these stories: Sweetgreen beefs up beverage offeringsQSR pizza is stealing share from the freezer aisleWendy’s turns its attention to value

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including KFC U.S.’s switch from Pepsi to Coca-Cola products, Taco Bell’s expansion of its Live Mas Cafe concept, and Domino’s underwhelming sales results.First up is the news that KFC U.S. was switching from Pepsi products to Coca-Cola after 40 years. It’s unusual for such a massive chain to switch beverage providers, and Sam and Alicia discuss the ramifications of such a big pivot from KFC, plus what it signals about the future of beverage innovation.Speaking of Yum Brands and beverages, Sam and Alicia next tackle Taco Bell, which announced that it would expand its beverage-forward Live Mas Cafe to the Midwest — while also announcing that it was launching four new horchata products. They discuss Taco Bell’s approach to beverages and why the brand is so well positioned to capitalize consumer demand for new drinks.They then turn their attention to Domino’s Pizza, which reported that its same-store sales grew only 0.3% in Q3. That was despite the launch of the Domino, a single-serve pizza product that the company considered one of the biggest innovations in its history. Sam and Alicia discuss Domino’s recent performance and why the company’s reliance on promotions and discounts could hurt the brand in the long term. Finally, we share a conversation between senior food and beverage editor Bret Thorn and Courtney Bufford-Hughes, director of culinary innovation for Edible Brands, owner of Rōti Mediterranean Grill and Edible Arrangements.For more on these stories: KFC U.S. switches from Pepsi to CokeTaco Bell’s Live Más Café debuts in the MidwestDomino’s sales impacted by pressured consumersLearn more about our Nest community by clicking here.

For more than 30 years, Amy Alarcon has served as a chef at some of America’s favorite restaurant chains, from Church’s Chicken to Taco Cabana and Arby’s. But it was at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen that Alarcon established herself as a major influence on the way Americans eat, overseeing for 18 years the development of some of that chain’s most popular menu items, including its iconic Chicken Sandwich. Alarcon’s time at Popeyes included three wins at the restaurant industry’s premier MenuMasters Awards, which recognize culinary excellence.Today, Alarcon is vice president of culinary for Burger King, where she’s helping the nation’s eighth-largest restaurant chain reestablish itself as a leader in menu innovation. In the first ever episode of the MenuMasters Spotlight podcast series, powered by Nation’s Restaurant News and sponsored by Ventura Foods, Alarcon joins NRN editor in chief Sam Oches for an in-depth conversation on her career and her approach to menu innovation, and to reflect on the ways in which her MenuMasters Awards wins have supercharged her role as a corporate chef.

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including the rumor that Starbucks was exploring an acquisition of Chipotle, True Food Kitchen’s bankruptcy filing, and a class-action lawsuit against McDonald’s.First up is the news that Starbucks had explored acquiring Chipotle. While the connective tissue is obvious — Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol was previously chief executive at Chipotle — Sam and Alicia aren’t so sure the deal would make sense, especially at a time when it could be a distraction from Starbucks’ ongoing efforts to build momentum. They discuss the pros and cons of a potential merger between the two companies and why they think it ultimately won’t happen.Next, they unpack True Food Kitchen’s Ch. 11 bankruptcy filing, which comes on the heels of one of its worst years in company history; according to the Technomic Top 500, True Food Kitchen’s sales fell by nearly a percentage point in 2025, while its unit count contracted by 2%. Sam and Alicia talk about the challenges the company has faced, why some of its choices to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic came back to hurt the company, and whether this emblematic of a broader issue with health-minded restaurant concepts. They then turn their attention to Uber’s acquisition of ezCater, the latest salvo in the third-party delivery wars. The $2.3 billion acquisition is a massive flex for Uber, which will bring ezCater’s 140,000 restaurants and $400 average catering order into the Uber Eats marketplace. Sam and Alicia discuss the ongoing consolidation among the digital ordering platforms and why this could be a good opportunity for more restaurants to explore the catering channel. Next up is the class-action lawsuit filed in Illinois against McDonald’s. The lawsuit claims that McDonald’s has leveraged pricing technology to force franchisees into higher prices, which it alleges would be a violation of antitrust laws. Sam and Alicia discuss the lawsuit and why it will likely be unsuccessful, but also use the opportunity to look at pricing in general and why this lawsuit signals a broader push back by consumers against rising prices. Finally, in the Quick Fire portion of the episode, they tackle other headlines from the week in restaurant news, including KFC’s new snackable Go Buckets and Chipotle’s new jingle recorded with the London Vegetable Orchestra.For more on these stories: Starbucks is reportedly eyeing a Chipotle acquisitionTrue Food Kitchen files for Chapter 11 bankruptcyUber to acquire ezCater for $2.3B

On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including El Pollo Loco’s plans for growth in New York, Chipotle’s drive-thru milestone, and a new report that details major struggles at Crumbl Cookies.First up is the chicken category, starting with El Pollo Loco, which announced that it had signed three development agreements that will bring 15 locations to the New York City area over the coming years. Alicia shares why El Pollo Loco is well prepared for this growth today despite two failed attempts in the past, and she and Sam break down what’s possible for the brand as it grows eastward. They also discuss the news that Popeyes is launching a Honey Chicken Biscuit Sandwich, which Sam believes could be a winner against competitors like Bojangles. Next, they turn to the Mexican category, starting with Chipotle, which celebrated its 1,500th Chipotlane location last week. It’s a milestone for a company that once resisted drive thru, and Sam and Alicia discuss the importance of the Chipotlane to Chipotle’s overall strategy — particularly as digital sales become more important to its success. They also discuss Chipotle’s latest margarita promotion, which might suggest the company is exploring more growth in the alcoholic beverage channel, before turning their attention to Taco Bell and its new Global Taco Day promotion with Duolingo. Finally, for the extra serving portion of the episode, Sam and Alicia welcome their colleague, Restaurant Business editor in chief Jonathan Maze, to talk about his reporting on Crumbl Cookies. According to Jonathan’s exclusive report, Crumbl — which was once the fastest-growing brand in the industry — has closed dozens of locations while tightening the screws on franchisees who are under more pressure than ever. For more on these stories: El Pollo Loco sets its sights on New YorkChipotle is bringing its Margaritas back to select citiesA cookie empire is starting to crumble