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

Starbucks has partnered with volunteer service organisation Points of Light to launch its Service Fellows program. The initial six-month pilot will see 36 Starbucks store employees from 13 cities across the United States serve with a Points of Light affiliate in their community. Read more here.

Chipotle has announced today its first Chipotle Aluminaries Project, a seven-month-long accelerator program built to help growth-stage ventures “with a shared vision to cultivate a better world.” Starting on September 12, companies can submit applications for an opportunity to receive mentorship and direct coaching from industry leaders. Read more here.

McDonald’s has launched its Youth Opportunity global initiative, which aims to reduce barriers to employment for two million young persons by 2025 through pre-employment job readiness training, employment opportunities and workplace development programs. Read more here.

Plant-based fast casual burger chain Next Level Burger has expanded to Potrero Hill in San Francisco, United States. Read more here.

Ever wondered why most logos of known fast food brands use the colour yellow? Metro interviewed a marketing adviser who explained the psychological impact of using it. Read more here.

(Photo credit: Chipotle Facebook page)

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

Following the growing trend of plant-based diets among consumers, Starbucks unveiled its new plant-based Protein Blended Cold Brew on menus across the United States. The new beverages are offered in almond and cacao flavors and follows the coffee giant's earlier range of premium cold brew drinks. Read more here.

Continuing its efforts to revitalise its brand, McDonald's announced that it is investing roughly USD$6 billion throughout 2018 and 2019 on the construction and modernisation of its restaurants. The transformed restaurants will feature modernized dining rooms with globally and locally inspired décor along with digital self-order kiosks. Read more here.

Bloomberg has reported that dining out is taking off in the U.S., with spending at U.S. restaurants surging over the past three months. According to data from the Commerce Department, food-service and drinking establishments across the U.S. rose 1.3% in July to $61.6 billion, bringing the three-month annualized gain to 25.3 percent, the fastest pace in figures going back to 1992. Read more here.

Tim Hortons is finally responding to customer complaints about its leaky coffee cup lids, according to a report by Huffington Post Canada. The coffee brand's president Alex Macedo announced that the coffee brand is trialling new, more environmentally-friendly packaging at six of its locations featuring maple leaf designed lids that can be properly closed. Read more here.

Insider reports that Taco Bell is testing its new Reaper Ranch Fries, which features the eponymous sauce made from Carolina Reaper chili peppers. The Carolina Reaper is a hybrid of a ghost pepper and red habanero and is considered by the Guinness World Records as "the world's hottest chili pepper", a title it has held since 2013. Read more here.

(Photo credit: Starbucks)

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

McDonald’s announced its unveiling of a newly-designed restaurant at Clark and Ontario streets in Chicago that will serve as the brand’s flagship restaurant. Showcasing a one-of-a-kind modern, environmentally-friendly design and enhanced customer experience with self-order kiosks, table service, mobile order and payment, and delivery, the 19,000-square-foot restaurant was constructed with sustainability, green spaces, and energy conservation in mind. Read more here. 

The global fast food giant also announced the return of the McGold Card, which will grant a lucky few free McDonald’s for life. Read more here.

Following the launch of the first Kosher McDonald’s outside of Israel twenty years ago, a new kosher fast food stand will open in Buenos Aires, The Times of Israel reports. The stand, named Bocasher, will open in the Boca Juniors’ Bombonera stadium, and is believed to be the first kosher fast food stand at a soccer stadium in Latin America. Read more here.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Zume Inc., a startup that makes and delivers fresh pizzas with the help of robots, is drawing interest from the SoftBank Group Corp. who is in talks with them to invest up to USD$750 million. Zume, which owns a patent for delivery trucks capable of cooking food while it’s en route to customers, is operated in part by robots and have ovens that fire up on demand, via a remote cloud signal. Read more here.

Shares of pizza giant Papa John’s International Inc. fell by 7%, hitting a near four-year low, a day after the U.S. chain lowered its current-quarter forecast blaming its ongoing tussle with the chain’s founder, Reuters reports. The pizza company also reported that its second-quarter comparable sales fell 6.1% in North America, predicting that it would continue to slip for the coming months. Read more here.

(Photo credit: McDonald's)

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

Burger King has been offering free burgers to female customers in Saudi Arabia, in celebration of the newly granted right of women to drive.

As reported by The Drum, the free burgers have been named as ‘WhoppHer’, and come with the subtitle that says ‘Celebrating Our Driving Women' in Arabic and English.

Women who drive through the BK stores in the country from June 24 to July 24 will receive WhoppHer. Read more here.

Outgoing Domino’s Pizza CEO Patrick Doyle shared his confidence in leaving the company in a good position.

In a recent interview cited in Chief Executive, Doyle shared that while he has no definite future plans to pursue, he believes that it is best for him to not meddle in the transitioning of the company with incoming CEO Richard Allison who is currently the international chief.

“The best thing for the business is that when you’ve got someone to the point where they’re ready to go as the next CEO, and they’ve got their team in place ready to do well, then my job is to get out of the way and let that happen,” Doyle said.

As Doyle describes Domino as his highest accomplishment, the retiring chief thinks that scales and technological change are factors that drove the numbers up.

“The speed with which you’re sorting through winners and losers in categories has increased... So scale matters more than in the past. You’re seeing small, nimble players doing very well, and the largest players are doing very well in many industries. But traditional competitors who don’t have scale or agility are struggling to compete in a lot of categories.” Read more here.

Wendy’s has launched its new $1 Buffalo Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich in the United States.

As reported by Fox News, The new hot item in the menu features a spicy Buffalo Ranch sauce and is made with Wendy’s crispy chicken patty and comes with lettuce and Monterey Jack.

The $1 sandwich is available for a limited time at participating Wendy’s locations. Read more here. 

Fast casual chain Wow Bao will relocate its Chicago unit as it goes fully automated and cashless, less than a year after launching Eatsa’s cashless ordering system at one of its sites.

According to Nation's Restaurant News, they said that they are relocating at Michigan Avenue, and the new store will become a fully tech-enabled restaurant "that doesn’t require employees to take orders or call out orders for pick up."

Wow Bao president Geoff Alexander has said that future locations will adopt the “self-serving animated cubbies” as the company expands.

The new restaurant is expected to open after July 4. Read more here. 

And finally, BusinessTech recently reviewed the most fattening fast food items available in South Africa based on kilojoule rating. Find out what they are here.

(Photo courtesy: Burger King Saudi Arabia)

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

Starbucks forecasted earlier this week slower sales growth than Wall Street expected this quarter and announced its plans to close about 150 U.S. cafes next fiscal year “to boost performance.”

In a released statement, the global coffee company anticipates lower net new store growth in the United States for fiscal year 2019 and plans to address “rapidly-changing” consumer preferences by introducing new cold drinks like a mango dragon fruit beverage and focusing on growing health and wellness trends.

“While certain demand headwinds are transitory, and some of our cost increases are appropriate investments for the future, our recent performance does not reflect the potential of our exceptional brand and is not acceptable,” Starbucks president and CEO Kevin Johnson said. Read more here.

After two decades of operating in tandem, fast-food chain Hardee’s and Carl's Jr. are breaking up – branding-wise.

USA Today reports the former is undergoing a rebranding effort to “clean up the chain's reputation” by pursuing a more wholesome image, departing from Carl's Jr. provocative advertisements.

“Basically everything we looked at said these two brands need to be separated," says Jason Marker, CEO of CKE Restaurants, Inc. – the parent company of Hardee’s and Carl's Jr.

"The reason it’s important is because it means we don’t have to compromise. From a food point of view, you don’t have to invent one thing that satisfies two very different brands.”

The company previously aligned the two brands after a 1997 merger when CKE bought Hardee’s from Imasco for about $327 million. Read more here.

Chick-fil-A is the only fast food chain to make the top ten of The Harris Poll’s 2018 Reputation Quotient Rankings, featuring the top 100 most visible companies.

According to Reader’s Digest, the brand ranks at #4 and is nestled between Tesla Motors and The Walt Disney Company.

The fast-food company reportedly ranked in the poll’s six Corporation Reputation Dimensions: Products & Services (#6), Vision & Leadership (#9), Emotional Appeal (#2), Workplace Environment (#2), Financial Performance (#7), and Social Responsibility (#4). Read more here.

Business Insider spoke with several current and former crew members from McDonald’s to find out what they learned from working at the restaurant. The lessons ranged from treating everyone with kindness to learning to work with others. Read their stories here.

A startup in San Francisco, U.S.A. is debuting a new concept that aims to use machines to produce burgers.

Forbes reports that Creator will be debuting its internet-speculated burger robot to the public, selling $6 burgers featuring ingredients like umami dust, and is reportedly capable of cooking and wrapping 120 burgers per hour. The restaurant is expected to have 2 machines, producing an output of 240 burgers per hour.

Despite the automation Creator says it wants customer and staff experience to be “built on a foundation of creativity and social interaction” where the latter could focus more on creative enhancements. Read more here.

(Photo courtesy: Forbes/Aubrie Pick)
 

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

After causing a stir in social media, IHOP (International House of Pancakes) has clarified that they have not permanently changed their name to IHOB or the International House of Burgers.

"We have from the beginning said IHOb was fun, a tongue in cheek way to launch our new burgers. It was not a permanent change to the actual IHOP name," IHOP spokeswoman Stephanie Peterson said to CNET, but adds that the chain would continue to use "touches of IHOb" throughout the summer to promote its burgers.

The marketing ploy proved to be effective with customers (reacting in various ways), even featuring commentary from other restaurant rivals via social media. Read more here.

McDonald's largest independent franchisee Arcos Dorados Holdings, Inc. announced that it will once again give 45 children in Latin America and the Caribbean the chance to participate in the global brand's exclusive Player Escort Program for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

A record 119,000 children from around the world participated in the selection process this year.

"We are a family-oriented company, and we are proud to be involved in an initiative that brings parents and children together around sporting activities. Walking hand-in-hand with their idols onto the football field will be an unforgettable experience for these children.” said Daniel Schleiniger, Vice President of Communications & Investor Relations at Arcos Dorados.  Read more here.

A fast casual in Boston, U.S.A. is now operating with robots as its cooks.

CNBC reports that start-up Spyce programmed robots to create grain bowls, programmed to dispense and heat ingredients while humans applied garnishes and extras. The recipes were created with French chef Daniel Boulud, who has eponymous restaurants in New York and other cities. Read more here. 

Cajun seafood multi-site restaurant Angry Crab Shack is gearing up for nationwide expansion following its recent announcement of its franchise opportunity.

Initially finding success with seven locations open across Arizona, the brand looks to build on momentum by partnering with local entrepreneurs in metropolitan cities across the southwestern United States. The brand aims to have awarded 100 locations nationwide in five years. Read more here.

SONIC released its new Crispy Tenders - 100 percent all white meat tenders that can be enjoyed on its own or in their Crispy Tender Dinner featuring three Crispy Tenders, medium Crispy Golden Tots, an onion ring and the drive-in’s famous Texas toast. Read more here.

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

Wendy's recently announced its initiative to source vine-ripened tomatoes for its North American restaurants exclusively from greenhouse farms by early 2019, said to be a first in the QSR industry.

Tomatoes for the global fast food chain will be grown in indoor greenhouse and hydroponic farms from approximately a dozen suppliers throughout North America, including the West Coast, Pacific Northwest, Southeast and Great Lakes regions of the United States; Eastern and Western Canada; and Mexico.

"We've always been committed to providing customers with fresh, high-quality food. From our fresh never frozen beef, to creating the first salad bar in the QSR space, to hand-chopping produce in our restaurants daily, this newest initiative to source vine-ripened tomatoes from greenhouse farms is the latest way we're delivering on that commitment," said , Wendy's chief communications officer Liliana Esposito said. Read more here.

Ahead of its 100th year celebration, A&W expects to open another 12 sites this year. Acquired by a group of franchisees from YUM! Brands in late 2011, the iconic brand opened 15 franchise locations in 2017. Read more here.

The first-ever combined store of IHOP and Applebee's is days away from opening. The 12,000-square-foot hybrid restaurant is located inside the Millender Center building at Jefferson and Brush Street, in Detroit, U.S.A.

The IHOP portion previously opened in late May serving 19 different all-day menu items while the Applebee's half is set to go live for lunch and dinner on June 26. Read more here. 

Chick-fil-A rolls out two seasonal beverage items to beat the summer heat: the new White Peach Tea Lemonade and the returning Peach Milkshake. Read more here. 

Selected Burger King restaurants are introducing its new Crispy Pretzel Chicken Fries for a limited time. The new offering is made with juicy white meat chicken and coated in a salty pretzel breading seasoned with savory spices and herbs. Read more here.

 

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

During the company's first-quarter earnings call, McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook said the company had begun "an aggressive plan and one of the most significant transformations in our history." This includes installing ordering kiosks, adding curbside pickup in some locations, and improving the drive-thru experience. The initiative, dubbed the "Experience of the Future" (EOTF), works in tandem with the company's improvements on the digital side, including mobile ordering and payment, as well as delivery in a growing number of stores. Read more here.

Reuters reported that QSR Brands, Malaysia’s largest QSR operator, is considering an initial public offering to raise around 2 billion ringgit ($509.6 million), shareholder Johor Corp said. Johor Corp would like to see QSR’s IPO done no later than November, its president and chief executive officer, Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim, told reporters. Johor Corp is the investment arm of Malaysia’s Johor state.

Suzanne Greco, chief executive officer of Subway, has informed the company's Shareholders of her intent to retire as CEO. Subway has appointed Trevor Haynes, chief business development officer, as interim CEO, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company. Greco and Haynes will work together to ensure a smooth transition until Greco officially retires on June 30, 2018, at which point she will serve as a Senior Advisor to the company. Read more here.

Chipotle Mexican Grill and DoorDash has announced a national delivery partnership. The new partnership now makes Chipotle delivery available from more than 1,500 Chipotle restaurants across the country, the company's largest delivery footprint to date. Read more here. 

Starbucks Corporation has announced it will form a global coffee alliance with Nestlé S.A. to accelerate and grow the global reach of Starbucks brands in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Foodservice. As part of the alliance, Nestlé will obtain the rights to market, sell, and distribute Starbucks, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Starbucks Reserve, Teavana, Starbucks VIA, and Torrefazione Italia packaged coffee and tea in all global at-home and away-from-home channels. Read more here.

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

Domino's Pizza US is accelerating its quest for digital dominance in the restaurant industry and continuing its investment in developing platforms using artificial intelligence (AI) by launching a voice recognition application to take telephone orders coming into its stores. Read more here.

The Wendy's Company has announced a 2020 goal of opening more than 600 new restaurants across the globe. As part of its efforts to grow and differentiate the brand while keeping energy stewardship at the forefront, Wendy's recently unveiled a new "Smart Family of Designs," providing a portfolio of development options to franchisees, including buildings that fit into smaller footprints. These designs provide more access to real estate, the ability to customise needs for specific trade areas and reduces the development investment for franchisees looking to build new restaurants. Read more here.

In honor of its 30th birthday, Auntie Anne's, the hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise, has partnered with six artists to create a graphic design-inspired line of clothing and accessories. The eclectic "For the Love of Pretzels" Collection has debuted in time for National Pretzel Day on April 26. Read more here.

Investing.com reported that parent company Restaurant Brands International is testing delivery with hundreds of Burger King and Popeyes restaurants in the US. The brands expect to expand delivery quickly into other markets as they join a growing number of companies seeking to bring their food directly to consumers. 

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

The Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group (Australia) Pty Ltd has collapsed, with the company being placed in the hands of voluntary administrators less than 12 months after the British celebrity chef visited Australia to relaunch the six local restaurants bearing his name. According to The Age, the Canberra outlet closed immediately on Monday. The remaining five sites, in the Sydney CBD, Parramatta, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, will continue to operate, salvaged by a last-minute sale to Brisbane-based Hallmark Group.

Starbucks Coffee Company has announced it will be closing more than 8,000 company-owned stores in the United States on the afternoon of May 29 to conduct racial-bias education geared toward preventing discrimination in its stores. The training will be provided to nearly 175,000 partners (employees) across the country, and will become part of the onboarding process for new partners. Read more here.

Global food and beverage company, Retail Food Group has declared Germany a significant market in Western Europe for its Gloria Jean’s Coffees brand following the signing of an important Master Franchise Agreement with a group of local businessmen. The owners are set to open 40 Gloria Jean’s outlets in Germany in the next five years with an option to expand their current 10-year agreement with Retail Food Group to 20 years. Read more here.

Business Insider reported that Chipotle is looking to breakfast and drive-thru windows to boost sales, billionaire investor Bill Ackman said at a conference. In a separate article on Bloomberg, Ackman said there was plenty of opportunity to improve the performance of Chipotle under its new Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol, including introducing desserts and breakfast, extending its hours and adding drive-through windows.

Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts have teamed on Dunkin’ Donuts coffee favored ice creams to be sold in US grocery stores. According to the Press Telegram, there will be three flavors: Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee; Dunkin’ Donuts French Vanilla Coffee; and Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Chocolate Chip. Read more here.

UK pub operator Wetherspoon has made the decision to forgo the use of social media for its company going forward, claiming the platforms don’t add enough value to its business. According to Smart Company, the pub chain - which had over 44,000 Twitter followers and over 100,000 Facebook followers - has deleted the accounts for each of its 900 pubs and its head office. 

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

Earth 911 reported that the newest trend in sustainable burgers has brought the introduction of the blended burger — a beef patty blended with mushrooms. It still has real meat for those who just don’t want to give it up, but its carbon footprint is significantly smaller. Read more here.

Subway took the top spot out of the 24 fast food chains included in this year's Ratings, earning a score of 83% and placing second overall out of 318 companies across 20 industries. Popeye's came in a close second with a rating of 81% and an overall rank of 12th. Two other fast food chains received "excellent" ratings: Panera Bread and Little Caesar's, both of which received a score of 80% and placed 17th overall. Click here to view the results.

According to an article on Korea Times, Domino's Pizza has come under criticism for its GPS Tracker service the pizza giant launched in South Korea recently in cooperation with SK Broadband. Some deliverers allege Domino's forced them for several months to agree to use the service that discloses their personal data, such as photo, name and mobile phone number. Read more here.

On April 11, the KFC Foundation, an independent 501 non-profit organization funded by KFC franchisees, announced personal finance program, MyChange, as its newest charitable offering for employees at participating KFC U.S. restaurants. Offered in partnership with Sum180, MyChange fosters personalised financial wellness and teaches foundational personal finance skills to KFC’s restaurant employees who choose to enroll in the program. Read more here

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

Domino's Pizza US is giving loyal customers yet another way to earn points toward free pizza – by beating the new Piece of the Pie Pursuit mobile game. Piece of the Pie Pursuit puts players in the center of Domino's latest TV commercial about Piece of the Pie Rewards, featuring a custom-built Rube Goldberg machine. According to PR Newswire, players who beat all six levels in the game will receive 10 Piece of the Pie Rewards bonus points toward free pizza once they place their next qualifying order.

Dunkin’ Donuts is testing a new “snacking menu” featuring a number of curious items. The $2 snacking menu includes donut fries, Munchkin dippers, waffle-breaded chicken tenders, pretzel bites with honey mustard sauce, ham-and-cheese roll-ups, and gluten-free brownies. A Dunkin’ spokeswoman confirmed in an article from Boston News that the new snack menu is being tested at “a small number of its restaurants in the Boston market,” including 265 Franklin St. in Boston, the 100 Harborside Drive location outside Logan airport, and the chain’s new concept store at 588 Washington St. in Quincy.

Starbucks Coffee Korea Co., a 50/50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee International and Shinsegae Group, launched a voice recognition ordering in South Korea by integrating with Bixby, Samsung’s intelligent assistant. According to Chain Store Age, Starbucks Coffee Korea is the first retailer to leverage Samsung’s Bixby to allow for end-to-end ordering and payment.

According to Buzzfeed News, Chick-Fil-A will soon be bigger than Taco Bell, Burger King, and Wendy's. With about $9 billion in sales in 2017, the Atlanta-based restaurant — as well known for its sandwiches as for its strong Christian values — ranks seventh nationwide amongst fast-food chains in terms of sales, but it’s on track to become the third largest in the next two years, behind McDonald’s and Starbucks, according to restaurant consultancy Technomic.

Taco Bell has continued its value push with the introduction of the new $1 Triple Melt Burrito and $1 Triple Melt Nachos, available in restaurants nationwide beginning April 5. According to PR Newswire, the newest cheesy offerings plus the test of the $1 Crispy Chicken Taco in Oklahoma City, OK and fan-favorite Beefy Crunch Burrito for $1 in Chattanooga, TN reinforce the brand's 2018 dedication to innovative value without compromise.

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

The new owner of Buffalo Wild Wings is axing more than 130 jobs at its former Golden Valley headquarters following the chain's recent acquisition by Arby's Restaurant Group Inc. According to Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Inspire Brands chief people officer Melissa Strait wrote to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and notified them that 132 employees in their headquarters are subject for termination. Read more here.

Saucony released its Dunkin Donuts-themed model of its Kinvara 9 running shoe to celebrate the city of Boston a couple of weeks ahead of the 2018 Boston Marathon. Fast Company reported that the city’s ties with Dunkin are well known, and here runners get the brand’s colors and some sprinkles on their runners. Read more here.

The operator the popular Santouka Ramen chain in the U.S. plans to launch the latest version of their Japan-made AI robot. Plenty USA, Inc. announced that the newest version of SOTA will be at JUNKICHI, a robatayaki izakaya restaurant in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood scheduled to open on April 15, 2018. SOTA will be placed atop tables and was developed to be able to recognize faces, help customers, and make sure communication with the servers goes smoothly. Read more here.

Tim Hortons revitalised its restaurant design to provide guests with a modernised restaurant experience. The new Welcome Image is a part of Tim Hortons' focus on always striving to improve the guest experience, through a more contemporary Restaurant environment, premium quality coffee and food, and new creative ways to connect with guests. It will invest C$700 million to bring the Welcome Image to a majority of Canadian Tim Hortons Restaurants over the next four years. Read more here.

The California-based fast food chain In-N-Out Burger filed a restraining order in Los Angeles Superior Court against Cody Roeder, otherwise known as Trollmunchies on YouTube. According to CNET, Roeder allegedly walked into two different Southern California In-N-Out Burgers - one in Van Nuys on March 13, the other in Burbank on March 14 - posing as the popular fast food chain's CEO. Read more here.

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

Wendy's US is the only fast food chain that has refused to join the Fair Food Program (FFP), which was established in 2011 as a partnership of farmers, farmworkers, and food retailers committed to ensuring humane wages and working conditions for the laborers who pick fruits and vegetables on certain farms, according to an article by ELLE. Burger King, McDonald’s, Subway, and Taco Bell are all on board, and yet Wendy's has held out.

Starbucks Corporation has hosted its 26th Annual Meeting of Shareholders, with more than 3,500 shareholders, partners (employees), invited guests and board members in attendance. Starbucks president and chief executive officer Kevin Johnson highlighted three core assets of the company which include increasing digital engagement, growing relevancy in China, and celebrating the Starbucks Reserve brand as the company’s innovation lab for the future. Read more here.

With revitalised decor, comfortable seating and other amenities, customers will enjoy a new Wendy's experience when they visit the new restaurant at 877 London Blvd. The new restaurant model, named the Smart 55, is designed with a smaller footprint than a traditional Wendy's restaurant and is energy efficient, including high efficiency HVAC units, LED lighting, and use of ENERGY STAR kitchen equipment. Read more here.

In France, everyone is required to take a day off per week. Even if you run your own business. That lesson was learned the hard way by Cedric Vaivre, who owns a bakery in the tourist region of Lake Bakey in Lusigny-sur-Barse, which is about 120 miles south-east of Paris. To meet the demands of the summer season, Vaivre made fresh croissants and baguettes seven days a week. However, local labour laws state that small businesses can only work six out of seven days maximum. Read more from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Panera Bread said that its retail sales for Panera at Home’s refrigerated soups exceeded $100 million in 2017. According to St. Louis Business Journal, Panera’s strong growth in refrigerated soups can be attributed to the company’s commitment to 100 percent clean food, which is free from artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors and colors, the company said.

Taco Bell announced its plans to bring Taco Bell-branded tortilla chips — inspired by the flavours of their tiny sauce packets — to grocery and convenience stores around US. Read more here. 

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

With changing consumer tastes for healthier options and new technologies that streamline ordering and delivery, quick-serve restaurants are ramping up their digital game to compete with the slew of fast-casual eateries like Shake Shack, Chipotle and Whataburger. Read more from Adweek.

Dunkin' Donuts US has announced that On-the-Go Mobile Ordering is now available through the Google Assistant, on iPhones, and Android phones. Through this new integration, DD Perks Rewards members can use the Google Assistant, Google's voice assistant technology, on their iPhones and Android phones to place a mobile order for Dunkin' Donuts coffee, beverages, baked goods and breakfast sandwiches, and then speed past the line in store for pick-up. The new integration is powered by Conversable, a leading AI-powered conversational intelligence platform. Read more here.

Starbucks Coffee Company opened the doors to its Visitor Center at Hacienda Alsacia, located on the company’s 600-acre coffee farm on the slopes of the Poas volcano in Costa Rica. Hacienda Alsacia is a working farm that has served as a global research and development facility for Starbucks since 2013. Now open to the public, visitors will have the chance to experience coffee from seed to cup and see firsthand the agronomy work the company has been supporting and investing in for more than two decades. Read more here.

McDonald’s Corp. has been updating with new technology, delivery, a revamped menu and curbside pickup. But the chain’s “Experience of the Future” effort could backfire. Bloomberg reported that employees are handling more tasks, in many cases, they say, without pay raises or adequate staffing.

Little Caesars was issued a patent for a robot designed to help assemble pizzas. According to The Next Web, the patent shows a device shaped like a stove top, with stations for different pizza-making tasks. The robot picks up a pan with pizza dough, squishes it, and then distributes sauce, cheese, and pepperoni in the proper proportions.

Ikea's ‘secret innovation’ lab Space10 says it’s developing the ‘fast food of the future’. Metro reported that the brand has announced to create an algae-based hot dog and mealworm burgers with the new fast food concept. Read more here. 

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

Starbucks Corporation - facing flagging growth in the US - is testing digital menu boards to boost sales, especially for the slower afternoon period. According to Bloomberg, the chain has installed the new menus in a handful of US locations. There are also digital menus in some Starbucks airport stores. Read more here.

He was supposed to revolutionize a California fast food kitchen, churning out 150 burgers per hour without requiring a paycheck or benefits. But according to Chicago Tribune, after a single day of working as a cook at a Caliburger location in Pasadena this week, Flippy the burger-flipping robot has stopped flipping. Read more here.

Pizza Hut has something special for this year’s March Madness: a pair of sneakers that you can use to order pizza. According to Fortune, the pizza chain is introducing Pie Tops II - a pair of limited-edition shoes that can be used to order pizza and also pause the college basketball game you’re watching. The shoes come with buttons on their tongues that can be used a bit like keyboards. Press the button one foot to order pizza, and the button on the tongue of the other shoe to pause the game.

McDonald's is no longer testing fresh beef, it's launching it. In an article by CNBC, the burger giant said it has already brought fresh beef Quarter Pounder patties to about 3,500 domestic restaurants so far and it plans to reach some 14,000 U.S. locations by early May. Locations in Hawaii and Alaska are not included in this rollout.

In celebration of International Women's Day, McDonald's has flipped its ‘golden arches’ logo to show a ‘W’, according to restaurant officials. According to an article by Reuters, a McDonald’s in Lynwood, California, which is owned and operated by a woman, first flipped its ‘M’ at the sign in front of the restaurant to celebrate women everywhere, the company said in a statement. By Thursday, all of McDonald’s social media profiles, including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, were displaying an upside-down logo. 

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

Starbucks debuts its premium reserve store in Seattle, inviting visitors to take a journey of discovery with small-lot Starbucks Reserve coffees and Princi food. This location is the first of the company’s new Reserve store concept, introducing a marketplace-style environment to showcase its premium Starbucks Reserve brand. The café, located on street level of Starbucks corporate headquarters in Seattle, was created to offer a mingling of public and private. Read more here.

Chipotle is saying goodbye to burgers: The burrito slinger has shuttered the one and only location of its fast-food concept Tasty Made, the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette reports. The restaurant opened in the Columbus, Ohio suburb of Lancaster in October 2016, with a barebones, In-N-Out-style menu of burgers, fries, and shakes. It was decidedly not an instant hit: The food got decidedly “meh” reviews from the get-go, with customers complaining it was both mediocre and overpriced.

KFC UK has been dealt a new blow after admitting stocks are running low on gravy. The chicken chain was forced to close hundreds of restaurants due to widespread chicken shortages. It has said almost all of its 900 UK and Ireland shops have re-opened but there’s only one problem – the gravy is running low. A spokesman for Yum Brands Inc, which owns the fried chicken chain, said, ‘Due to the ongoing distribution challenges DHL is experiencing, some restaurants are continuing to serve a reduced menu. ‘We’re working as hard as we can to get this sorted out. Read more here.

KFC Germany announced that their restaurants would see a threefold increase within the next five to seven years, bringing the total number from 163 to 500. Demand for their fried chicken picked up in 2017, with KFC sales climbing 10 percent to €243.7 million. The restaurant network expansion is expected to generate a billion euros in additional sales. Read more here.