Weekly Global News Wrap: McDonald's closing hundreds of Walmart locations; Starbucks' “borrow a cup” program; Taco Bell, IHOP seeking thousands of new hires

Here is a summary of the most interesting news stories of the week from around the world.

McDonald’s is closing hundreds of restaurants inside of Walmart, as more customers pivot to online shopping and ordering via drive-thrus. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the fast food chain will have around 150 locations that remain across the retailer’s 3,570 SuperCenters. Read more here.

Starbucks is launching an experimental "borrow a cup" program at select locations. As explained by CNN, the two month trial sees customers ordering their drinks in a reusable cup and pay a US$1 refundable deposit. When the customer is done with their drink, they return the cup and receive a $1 credit as their refund plus 10 Bonus Stars for their Starbucks Rewards account. Read more here.

Chipotle announced it upgraded its debt-free degree program that it offers to its employees by offering debt-free degrees in Agriculture, Culinary, and Hospitality to all eligible employees. In an announcement. The company teamed up with Guild Education, an education and upskilling company in the United States. Read more here.

Dine Brands’ IHOP announced it is seeking to have 10,000 new hires for their franchised locations over the coming months. The brand will also be hosting a National Recruiting Day on 19 May for a variety of part- and full-time opportunities across all 1,600+ restaurants across the system. Read more here.

Taco Bell expanded benefits for general managers at company-owned restaurants in the U.S., offering four weeks of accrued vacation annually, four weeks of paid time off for "baby bonding" for new parents and guardians, and eight weeks of paid short-term disability following the birth of a child, it said in a press release. The fast food chain is also looking to hire at least 5,000 team members across nearly 2,000 locations. Read more here.