Yum’s exec shake-up, Potbelly’s acquisition, and inflation warning signs

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Yum Brands’ C-suite shake-up, RaceTrac’s Potbelly acquisition, and concerning data on inflation and jobs. First up is Yum Brands, which announced a shake-up of the C-suite that included adding a new title for Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant plus the exit of chief digital and technology officer Joe Park. What does this mean for the biggest restaurant company in the world — especially after Taco Bell recently had such high-profile issues with its AI ordering tech? Next they talk about the surprising acquisition of Potbelly by convenience store chain RaceTrac. Sam and Alicia weigh in on what this means from a competition standpoint — more and more C-stores are competing with fresh foodservice — plus what it could mean for the broader M&A landscape. Then they talk about new data showing weak job growth plus rising inflation, particularly among full-service restaurants. Can we make any conclusions about these numbers and where they suggest the industry is going? Sam and Alicia discuss. Finally, we share a conversation between senior food and beverage editor Bret Thorn and WOWorks’ vice president of culinary, Cole Thompson.  

For more on these stories:  

Yum Brands shakes up C-suite before Chris Turner takes over as CEO

Potbelly acquired by c-store company RaceTrac

Restaurants are a bright spot amid a slow jobs report