Global Foodservice News

Chronic Tacos, the southern California Mexican grill chain, recently announced a new collaboration with the multi-platinum rock band Incubus. Incubus, known for their unique funk/pop/rock sound, is set to play Los Angeles’ historic Hollywood Bowl on October 6. Chronic Tacos is giving five fans the opportunity to win free tickets to see the band, which…

The new restaurant will debut with limited tables; pickup lockers and a design aimed at improving delivery times. Doherty Enterprises Inc., the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar franchisee, will officially open a new first-of-its-kind To Go version of the traditional casual-dining concept on Tuesday, Sept. 12, the company said this week. The Allendale, N.J.-based company,…

KANSAS CITY — When it comes to flavors, the melting pot of America stirs in the streets. Food trucks are featuring the tastes of Asia, Africa and Latin America. In one trend, Korean and Mexican cuisines are merging, creating new dishes. The global flavors may interest consumer packaged goods companies. Flavors traditionally found in food…

Portillo’s restaurant of the future is coming, and it will have a smaller box, a more efficient kitchen, and a design to support off-premise business—all while maintaining an $8 million-plus average unit volume. Oh, and contrary to plans at McDonald’s, Portillo’s guests will soon get their own self-serve beverages. These changes come as the Chicago-based…

EzCater adding to its considerable catering capabilities as bulk orders continue to be an area of growth for restaurants. Nearly half of Panera’s more than 2,000 restaurants are now accepting orders through the ezCater app and website, and the chain plans to add hundreds more in the coming months, the two companies said Wednesday. Workplaces…

Red Lobster announced Horace Dawson has been named the Chief Executive Officer of the company and is joining the company’s board. Since 2014, Dawson served as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Red Lobster where he led legal affairs and was responsible for communications, risk management, and government relations. Dawson is a 30-year…

Punch Bowl Social founder Robert Thompson has secured over $200 million to feed his up-and-coming eatertainment babies. He attracted investments from prestigious names in the restaurant industry like Bill Allen—co-founder of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and former CEO of Bloomin’ Brands—and Stephen King, who served as CEO of eatertainment chain Dave & Buster’s for over a…

Palermo Villa, Inc. is expanding its Primo Thin line of frozen pizzas with the addition of two new varieties: Avocado Club and Southwest Veggie. The company also is giving its packaging a makeover, adding nutritional callouts that highlight the brand’s low-calorie counts. The new Avocado Club pizza comes on a whole wheat crust and includes…

The U.S. Department of Labor’s newly proposed overtime rules would extend overtime protections to 3.6 million more workers The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a new rule that would raise the ceiling on overtime eligibility requirements to workers earning less than $1,059 per week or about $55,000 per year, up nearly 55% from the…

Data from JLL and Placer.ai shows a significant uptick in demand for drive-thru locations, including drive-thrus with multiple lanes. We’ve tried to articulate the state of the consumer for about a year now and more signs are starting to show of a pullback on discretionary spending. That said, consumers have largely shown a sustained willingness to…