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Weekly News Wrap: KFC rallies after being trumped by Chick-fil-A; Combo deals boost fast food sales; AI invades restaurant chains
Read what’s been keeping QSRs awake at night.
- According to Business Insider, Chick-fil-A restaurants sell three times as much as KFC locations — and it's made the chicken chain No. 1 in the industry. Read more here.
- Business Insider Indonesia reports that the rise of the combo deal is driving sales across the fast-food industry, according to data from the NPD Group. Read more here.
- KFC recently opened a concept store with a robot taking orders, while Pizza Hut is collaborating with Pepper, the "human robot", reveals RetailDetail EU. Read more here.
- Nikkei Asian Review reports that the Japanese arm of U.S. hamburger chain Wendy's will purchase Suntory Holdings' fast-food unit First Kitchen this summer, taking the opportunity afforded by McDonald's weak footing to expand its presence in the country. Read more here.
- A little-known fast-food chain run by two former Costco executives is about to launch a rapid expansion, thanks to an investment from one of Costco's founders, according to Business Insider. Read more here.
- Bloomberg shares that Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc., controlled by private equity firm Roark Capital Group Inc., is planning to open 25 locations in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia over the next seven years. Read more here.
- McDonald's shares had a heck of a run last year as the company began to turn itself around, but this year investors are showing some McLovin' to shares of a fast-food competitor, according to TheStreet. Read more here.
- News.com.au reveals that the controversial McDonald’s pop-up restaurant serving free fries opened in Sydney today with little fanfare, after local residents tried to launch a campaign to have the store shut down. Read more here.
- Former McDonald's CEO Ed Rensi maintains that it's cheaper to "buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee," according to Zero Hedge. Read more here.
