Weekly Global News Wrap: McDonald’s to spend US$250m for franchisee diversity; Starbucks opens first U.S. unionized cafe; A&W’s ‘anti-celeb’ meal

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

McDonald’s announced plans to invest US$250 million over five years to provide financing alternatives designed to build a more diverse base of operators. As noted by Nation’s Restaurant News, the programme will seek to reduce upfront equity requirements for eligible franchise candidates and will also leverage its network of banking partners to increase access to financing solutions. Read more here.

Starbucks will now have at least one unionized cafe in Buffalo, New York — a U.S. first for the chain. As reported by CNBC, the result marks the first successful attempt in the U.S. at unionizing within the giant coffee chain since going public nearly three decades ago. Read more here.

Jack in the Box is scooping up Del Taco in a US$575 million deal, CNN reported. The acquisition, which is expected to close early next year, will see the California-based brands have over 2,800 restaurants in 25 U.S. states. Read more here.

Poking fun at celebrity meal promotions, A&W is launching an "anti-celeb meal" hiring campaign which puts workers side-by-side with celebrity promotional images from competitors. As reported by Business Insider, the move is part of a hiring and retention campaign. Read more here.

Bringing a popular joke to life, Chipotle has launched a US$8 cilantro soap, Restaurant Business reported. The fast casual chain is even offering a Cilantro Lover badge to its rewards members who order menu items containing cilantro. Read more here.