The Week in Restaurants

Informa Foodservice
  • 5.0 (2)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

What's happening in the restaurant industry this week, with a discussion on the week's biggest news and topics, along with technology trends and other issues.

  1. 2H AGO

    Want more sales? Just add cheese

    Do you want strong sales? Just add more cheese. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at strong sales results from Applebee’s, which used a cheesy new burger to win over customers. We also look at other casual-dining results. We also look at Burger King, which is making improvements to its Whopper. And we talk about the company’s use of AI to help with operations. And we talk about the pizza sector, where sales challenges at major chains have held down the sector’s overall performance. On Tech Check, Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski talks about a merger in the restaurant reservations space.

    28 min

  2. FEB 20

    Subway pulls back on its free sub offer

    Subway is already pulling back on a free sub offer. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the sandwich giant’s decision to end a fourth-Footlong-free offer as part of the chain’s Sub Club loyalty program. In addition, Robert Byrne, senior director of consumer and industry insights at Technomic, provides some special insight into one of Subway’s biggest challenges. That is part of a new feature in the podcast featuring insights from the data firm and Restaurant Business sister company. We also discuss Wingstop’s rare same-store sales decline and what the company plans to do about it. And we talk about Nelson Peltz’s plans for Wendy’s. On Tech Check, Senior Technology Editor Joe Guszkowski talks about how restaurants are spending their tech dollars.  For more on this year's Restaurant Leadership Conference, visit: https://informaconnect.com/restaurant-leadership-conference/?utm_source=skot&utm_medium=radio&utm_campaign=rlc26

    32 min

  3. FEB 13

    Why Red Lobster may close more restaurants

    The Week in Restaurants: This week’s episode of the weekly restaurant news discussion podcast looks at Red Lobster, McDonald’s earnings and the Fat Brands bankruptcy. For more on this year's Restaurant Leadership Conference, visit: https://informaconnect.com/restaurant-leadership-conference/?utm_source=skot&utm_medium=radio&utm_campaign=rlc26

    27 min

  4. FEB 6

    How will Chipotle lift itself out of its sales slump?

    How is Chipotle going to lift itself out of its sales slump? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the sales challenges Chipotle had last week and how the fast-casual burrito chain plans to lift itself out of its slump.  We talk about Pizza Hut, which is closing 250 locations, as well as another Yum Brands-owned chain, Habit Burger.  And a big Subway franchisee filed for bankruptcy after using merchant cash advance financing. We discuss that issue.  On Tech Check, Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski talks about vibe coding.  For more on this year's Restaurant Leadership Conference: https://informaconnect.com/restaurant-leadership-conference/?utm_source=skot&utm_medium=radio&utm_campaign=rlc26

    34 min

  5. JAN 30

    Chili's and Ruby Tuesday are headed in different directions

    Two casual-dining chains are on two very different trajectories.  This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the performance of Chili’s, which had another strong quarter.  And we compare that with Ruby Tuesday, which is facing a social media backlash after firing a manager on Christmas. We also talk about Starbucks, which reported 4% same-store sales growth last quarter. The company also announced changes to its loyalty program, bringing back tiers—though customers will lose the double points they get when they spend funds loaded on their Starbucks cards. Fat Brands also filed for bankruptcy, and we explain why that was inevitable. On Tech Check, Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski talks about analog. For more on this year's Restaurant Leadership Conference: https://informaconnect.com/restaurant-leadership-conference/?utm_source=skot&utm_medium=radio&utm_campaign=rlc26

    34 min

  6. JAN 23

    On the bankruptcy of a big Popeyes franchisee

    A big Popeyes franchisee files for bankruptcy and tests the company’s leadership. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the bankruptcy filing of Sailormen, a 130-unit franchisee based in Miami. What does it say about the state of Popeyes?  The burger business appears to be doing just fine, at least at some chains. We’ll talk about that.  We also talk about what chains should go public and a couple that could go private this year. In addition, Senior Technology Editor Joe Guszkowski discusses the future of Olo. Learn more about the Restaurant Leadership Conference in April: https://informaconnect.com/restaurant-leadership-conference/?utm_source=skot&utm_medium=radio&utm_campaign=rlc26

    33 min

  7. JAN 16

    What restaurants are expecting from 2026

    2026 will be another challenging year, but restaurants are ready. That was one takeaway from the annual ICR investor conference held earlier this week in Orlando.  On this week's episode of The Week in Restaurants, we talk about other happenings at the conference, including a much-anticipated presentation by Fat Brands. We also talk about Dutch Bros' acquisition of Clutch Cafe and what it means for the coffee industry. And we look at how Minneapolis restaurants are responding to a surge of ICE activity following the deadly shooting of Renee Good. On Tech Check, Joe Guszkowski talks about a new idea for bringing down delivery costs.

    15 min

  8. JAN 9

    Why Salad and Go is closing restaurants

    More Salad and Go locations are Salad and Gone. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants examines the drive-thru salad chain, which closed its remaining locations in Texas and Oklahoma. We discuss why that concept has struggled.  We also talk about protein. A dozen restaurant chains have introduced new protein items this week. What’s behind that trend and is it a fad?  Some notable Fat Brands executives just got some retention bonuses and raises we’ll examine that particular bit of news.  Later on in Tech Check, Joe talks about a fake Reddit post.

    28 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

What's happening in the restaurant industry this week, with a discussion on the week's biggest news and topics, along with technology trends and other issues.

Information

  • Creator
    Informa Foodservice
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Informa Foodservice
  • Show Website
    The Week in Restaurants

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