Weekly Global News Wrap: Pizza Hut opens 1,500 digital pickup windows; Chipotle gives away $100,000 in bitcoin; Starbucks strikes deal with U.S. federal agency over alleged racial bias in promoting employees
Here is a summary of the most interesting news stories of the week from around the world.
Pizza Hut announced the unveiling of “The Hut Lane,” a dedicated digital order pickup window available at more than 1,500 locations. In a statement, the chain said the move is part of the brand's long-term strategy to modernize through digital ordering and improved customer experiences. Read more here.
Starbucks said it has resolved allegations from the U.S.’ Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about alleged racial bias in its employee promotions, based on data from 2007 through 2011, CNBC has reported. To make the promotion process for cafe employees more formal and transparent, the company said it is developing an application tracking system that shows all retail job postings and includes ways to track data. Read more here.
Chick-fil-A announced its annual college scholarship winners for 2021 totaling US$19 million in educational funds for team members pursuing higher education. As reported by Nation’s Restaurant News, the chain will award 7,492 scholarships — nearly 400 of which were directly financed by the sale of Chick-fil-A bottled sauces in supermarkets. Read more here.
Chipotle Mexican Grill celebrated National Burrito Day on April 1 by giving away US$100,000 in free burritos and US$100,000 of bitcoin cryptocurrency. In a press release, the fast-casual chain is challenging customers to guess the correct six-digit passcode on its "Burritos or Bitcoin" microsite to unlock the prizes. Read more here.
Restaurant Brands International global chief marketing officer Fernando Machado has resigned after seven years with the company, Forbes reported. Since being promoted to the role in January 2020, Machado has overseen marketing for RBI subsidiaries Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons. He joined the company in 2014 as Burger King’s head of brand marketing before becoming CMO in 2017. Read more here.
