FI Fast Break audio news: Jan. 8, 2025
The latest FI Fast Break podcast touches on the push to reframe products like plant-based dairy and meat alternatives as conventional fare.
Tag: mcdonalds
Retail Reimagined: Shoppers Skipping Middle Ground for Luxury, Value
Consumers are reshaping retail by prioritizing convenience, with Millennials driving trends like smaller store formats. Meanwhile, shifts in spending patterns reveal a preference for luxury or value over mid-priced options.
FI Fast Break audio news: Nov. 20, 2024
The latest Food Institute Fast Break news podcast touches on restaurant operators’ outlook on labor for 2025.
Electro-Agriculture: A Novel Method Allowing Plants to Grow in the Dark
Bioengineers have developed a farming method that essentially replaces photosynthesis with a solar-powered chemical reaction, which could enhance sustainability and restore ecosystems.
Timing and Loyalty Mitigate Impact of McDonald’s Outbreak
McDonald’s recent food safety issue linked to tainted onions has had a muted impact on its stock and consumer response, as confidence remains strong due to the chain’s history and quick corrective actions.
McDonald’s Debuts Chicken Big Mac
McDonald’s is launching a Chicken Big Mac, a limited-time twist on its iconic Big Mac, starting October 10 at participating U.S. locations. The chain piloted the sandwich at an LA pop-up and is promoting it through a social media-driven campaign.
Biting the Bullet: Q2 Restaurant Earnings Show a Shift in Consumer Appetite
One of the biggest changes in the market over the past 10-15 years is that investors have succeeded solely by buying the best business, not necessarily the best stock. Focusing on fundamentals over quality has …
Cash or Credits? Walmart, McDonald’s Explore New Kind of Employee Compensation
New employee compensation initiatives at employers like McDonald’s and Walmart aim to make on-the-job experience count toward college credits.
FI News Review (August 2, 2024) – The Ins and Outs of AI Drive Thru Chatbots
FI Fast Break audio news: Aug. 1, 2024
The latest FI news podcast touches on the La Niña weather pattern that’s likely to form later this year and how it could impact ag.
Analysis: Why Has Adoption of AI Been So Slow in F&B?
While restaurant chains like McDonald’s have had notable swings and misses regarding AI, business leaders insist the technology offers invaluable uses to food companies, aiding personalized offers, sales forecasting, and more.
July Fourth Food Report: Grilling Burgers is 3x Cheaper than Dining Out
Grillers rejoice. Hosting a July Fourth cookout could cost less than it did in 2023 (if consumers prep more staples at home).
Fast-Food Chains Racing to the Bottom to Attract Inflation-Weary Consumers
All of a sudden, $5 value meals are everywhere, from fast-food chains to major retailers. Industry insiders say the deals are simply a short-term solution, however.
Falling Stars: Inflation Cuts Into Retailers’ Ratings
The most recent rising trend in retail is lowering one’s expectations of retail. This year, clothing companies tended to fall the worst, followed closely by QSRs, big box stores, and grocers, in that order.
Consumers Have Forced the Value Wars
Food prices are up; consumer confidence is down. Many QSRs and retail outlets reported losses in the last quarter. The Value Wars are here.
McDonald’s Execs Promise to be Price Sensitive in Q2, as ‘All Income Cohorts Are Seeking Value’
McDonald’s Execs Promise to be Price Sensitive in Q2, as ‘All Income Cohorts Are Seeking Value’
Best Ways to Innovate in Fast Food
Gen Z Teens Reducing Spend, Supporting Smaller Brands
Among CPG energy drink brands, Celsius over-indexes with teens, with 17% citing it as their favorite energy drink brand (vs. ~12% market share) while Monster and Red Bull under-index. Among snack brands, Campbell’s Goldfish are still most preferred. Teens report highest intentions to eat more or the same amount of Mondelez’s Clif Bar and Hershey’s products.
FI Fast Break audio news: April 10, 2024
The latest Food Institute news podcast touches on the demise of the open-all-night restaurant in the United States.
Fast-Flation: Fast Food Restaurant Prices Surge, Even as Inflation Wanes
Major fast-food restaurants have raised prices by 60% on average between 2014 and 2024. McDonald’s is the worst offender with average menu prices increasing more than three times the national rate of inflation over the past decade.
CosMc’s: Unraveling the Hype for the “Skip the Buzz” Generation
The arrival of McDonald’s new CosMc’s concept sent a wave of excitement rippling through the fast-food world.
Limited-Time Offers Providing Major Appeal
Limited-time offers (LTOs) continue to drum up significant business for restaurants, particularly among fast-food chains, in 2024.
IPOs and Inflection Points: Panera and Starbucks Brace for Change
They say when one door closes, another opens. That may very well be true, but for restaurant brands and their clientele, the wrong door can sometimes lead down a disastrous path – just look at …
Poultry Power Meets Global Flavor
Chicken listings on restaurant menus have grown 6.4% in the past five years, outpacing the 4.7% of burgers and other beef-based items.
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Burgernomics: Fast Food Inflation and an $18 Big Mac Combo
The recent uproar over a McDonald’s in Darien, Connecticut, that charged a whopping $17.59 for a Big Mac combo meal is more than just local news; it’s a snapshot of the changing economic landscape.
Can Ghost Kitchens Be Resurrected?
Has the would-be darling of the pandemic-era – ghost kitchens – been resurrected by a partnership between Denny’s and Franklin Junction?
Report: Restaurant LTOs Forge Long-Term Brand Connections
Limited-time offers (LTOs) significantly impact consumer behavior within the foodservice industry. In fact, 91% percent of consumers are more inclined to visit establishments that provide new items, according to a recent report from Circana.
Preparing for Launch: CosMc’s and the Next Wave of Beverage Chains
In terms of the beverage industry overall, this is a very smart play for McDonald’s and other brands will follow.
The 2024 Foodservice Forecast
Lizzy Freier, Director, Menu Research & Insights at Technomic discusses restaurant traffic, international cuisines, LTOs and more.
‘Gen Z’s Most Magnetic Brands’ Report Praises McDonald’s, Starbucks
McDonald’s has nearly as much brand magnetism with Gen Z as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Ariana Grande. And in 2023, the purple-hued force of attraction that connected the burger giant with young consumers was …
Teens’ Top 5 Restaurant Chains
Teens are trendsetters. They are typically early to the next big thing and most of their spending is discretionary, making them a lucrative demographic to study.
FI Fast Break audio news: Nov. 29, 2023
The latest Food Institute news podcast discusses which food and beverage brands resonate with Gen Z consumers.
California Wage Law: The Dominos Are Poised to Fall
QSR jobs will be in high demand once the law passes as workers try to reduce their dining expenses in lieu of high food costs and an inflationary environment. More importantly, however, California just bolstered the prospects of hundreds of thousands of current and (more importantly) future fast-food workers.
American Restaurant Chains Thriving in India
While 40% of India’s residents are vegetarian, there’s still a large addressable market open to omnivore cuisine. Plus, much of the country is infatuated with western culture – a fact QSRs are taking note of.
Rock the Block(chain): NFTs in Food and Beverage
The heck is an NFT? Their precursors in the ‘90s were called pogs – often cheap and of limited variety for the average consumer, easily tradable and without much long-term staying power. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) …
What Will 100% Digital Sales at Fast-Food Chains Look Like?
On a recent earnings call, Yum Brands announced its goal to make 100% of its global system sales digital transactions.