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

According to a release, KFC US has created the first GPS cassette tape in an effort to both modernize cassette tape technology and pay homage to the classic American road trip.

According to CBC News, fast-food restaurants in Quebec are closing due to unemployment rate nearing all-time low. KFC, McDonald’s, and Tim Hortons are part of the casualties.

According to Daily Meal, Panera Bread has released the largest “clean” kids’ menu of any national restaurant chain which features classic half-size portions of regular menu items such as mac and cheese, broccoli cheddar soup, and Greek salad. Its CEO challenges fast-food executives of McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s to eat their chains’ kids’ meals for a week to take a hard look at their kids’ menu offerings.

According to Food and Wine, Taco Bell is set to open 300 to 350 locations of new drive-thru-less cantinas in the US by 2022, and the majority of the new “urban in-line” locations will serve beer, wine, sangria, and Twisted Freezes or slushies with tequila, rum, or vodka.

According to Daily Mail, the employees of a pizza restaurant in Tasmania has painted the words 'to pineapple on pizza' on the anti-gay marriage campaign billboard – making it read 'It's OK to say NO to pineapple on pizza.' It was after the billboard popped up on the wall outside their Tasmania business.

According to B&T Magazine, a new study by Roy Morgan Research into the satisfaction levels of Australian quick service restaurant customers has found Grill’d burger fans to be fairly satisfied or very satisfied, with a 90.7% satisfaction rate. It was closely followed by Guzman Y Gomez with 89.3%, Crust Pizza (86.6%) and Subway (85.8%). McDonalds’ customer satisfaction was only 66.2%.

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

According to Financial Times, Switzerland-based Nestlé has acquired a majority stake in the California-based Blue Bottle, which is valued at more than $700m in the café and roastery industry, to accelerate its expansion in the US coffee market.

According to The Press and Journal, fast food giant McDonald’s UK has pledged to help its 17,500 British farmer suppliers address the challenge of recruiting the right skills and talent.

According to Daily Mail, researchers from Boston University in Massachusetts claim that the fat found in fast food can help protect against the deadliest form of skin cancer.

According to a release, 7-Eleven stores at North Texas ramps up its prepared-food program with 15 new and locally made heat-and-eat meals. The restaurant-quality meal solutions were created with inspiration from Italian, homestyle, Asian, and Mexican recipes. The meals are delivered daily to participating 7-Eleven stores in select markets, available in the refrigerated case beginning Sept. 11.

According to CBC News, KFC Canada condemned a franchisee's memo directing employees to speak English only as the internal memo is not in line with the company values.

According to Fox News, McDonald's Corp. is set to drop the Minute Maid apple juice box from its Happy Meals and replace it with the 6-ounce Honest Kids Appley Ever After box which contains 42% apple juice made by Honest Kids.

According to Thrillist, Taco Bell has launched a menu addition with black rice as the main ingredient. The offerings, which are called Forbidden Bowl and Forbidden Burrito, are being tested at Taco Bell's Irvine location in California and are set to stay until the 21st of September.

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

According to Alberta Farmer Express, Canada is set to roll out its sustainable beef initiative across the country. The effort to make Canada a world leader in producing cattle raised to the highest environmental, animal health and welfare, and food-safety standards goes back more than three years when fast-food giant McDonald’s picked this country for its global sustainable beef pilot. After the pilot ended, the Canadian roundtable took on the job of refining the ‘indicators’ created for the fast-food giant’s program.

In a newly-launched promotion, Burger King is giving out free Whopper sandwiches to anyone who’s been fired. To avail, one must publicly confess to getting canned on LinkedIn with the following public message admitting you got fired, “I got fired. I want a free Whopper. #WhopperSeverance.”

Following the test of new autonomous robot delivery technology in San Francisco, Jack in the Box introduces its latest advertising campaign with the launch of Crave Crasher – a new mobile-optimized, browser-based game that challenges players to “crash their cravings” using the brand’s infamous Crave Van. Those who beat the game have the opportunity to sign up for Jack in the Box deals and coupons.

According to Daily Mail, In-N-Out filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Smashburger for 'stealing' the concept of its 'Double Double' sandwich with Smashburger’s new menu item, 'Triple Double'.

According to Indianapolis Business Journal, Simon Property Group, the Indianapolis’ largest shopping mall operator, has filed a lawsuit against Starbucks Corp. over the coffee giant’s plan to close 78 Teavana stores in its malls across the country. Following the announcement of plans to shutter all Teavana stores in July, Simon is seeking temporary and permanent injunctions preventing Starbucks from closing the stores as the other 76 Teavana leases in his malls extend as far as January 2027.

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

According to Daily Mail, the Subway footlong class action settlement was called ‘utterly worthless’ by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. The U.S. federal appeals court on Friday threw out a class-action settlement intended to resolve claims that the Subway sandwich chain deceived customers by selling 'Footlong' subs that were less than a foot long.

AHA and Flytrex partnered to expand its delivery bandwidth with the first ever commercial drone delivery system deployed in Reykjavík, Iceland. Flytrex revealed that using its drone delivery system, AHA is now delivering goods between two parts of the city that are separated by a wide river, cutting delivery times and costs.

According to Grub Street, Walmart has launched the organic fast-food restaurant ‘Grown’ inside one of its supermarkets in Orlando, Florida. Grown makes healthy, organic, “farm-to-fork,” sourced locally when possible, and serves smoothies, avocado toast, and housemade falafel, as well as organic cereal or gluten-free French-toast sticks for kids.

KFC US created "The Hard Way" virtual reality experience to train its real-world cooks to make fried chicken the way that Colonel Sanders invented more than 70 years ago. KFC will use the VR simulation to supplement its robust, multi-step employee training program, called Chicken Mastery Certification, which provides detailed eLearning and hands-on training for cooks in each of KFC's kitchens.

Baskin-Robbins US conducted a survey in partnership with Juliet A. Boghossian, behavioral food expert and founder of Food-ology, to reveal a person’s trait by their kind of ice cream eating behavior. The study identified the following personality categories based on ice cream eating preferences: people who prefer eating ice cream on a cone are optimists; those who would rather enjoy ice cream in a bowl or cup are analytical types; people who prefer a layered ice cream cookie sandwich are the eccentrics; the passionate, motivated and loyalists prefer ice cream sundaes of Vanilla and Chocolate; and people who prefer to enjoy their ice cream as a milkshake are young at heart, fearless, athletic and are more likely to take impulsive risks.

According to Business Insider, the Starbucks US online store is discounting items up to 50% as the coffee giant prepares to shutter the store for good. The company will close its online store on October 1, and people will still be able to buy items currently sold online at third-party sellers like Amazon and Starbucks' grocery partners.

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

Chipotle Mexican Grill has partnered with Deloitte Digital to help transform its mobile customer experience. Deloitte Digital, the creative digital consultancy within Deloitte Consulting LLP, will redesign Chipotle's iOS and Android ordering apps which will be launched in the fall of 2017, with additional channels by the end of the year.

Dunkin’ Donuts US is doubling down on fall flavors, with the brand's classic pumpkin coffees and baked goods to make a comeback before the end of August. The new Maple Pecan flavored coffees, Maple Sugar Bacon Breakfast Sandwich, and Festive Fall Donut will arrive at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants by August 28, available for a limited time through fall.

According to Motley Fool, a number of chains including Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin' Brands', Dunkin' Donuts, and Jack in the Box have turned their innovation attention toward breakfast. The coming weeks will see new breakfast items being introduced to stores nationwide, which will include the Naked Egg Taco by Taco Bell, breakfast bowls by Chick-fil-A, Munchie Mashups of Jack In the Box (which can be associated with a morning meal), and Maple Sugar Bacon Breakfast Sandwich from Dunkin' Donuts.

According to The Star, McDonald’s Canada is selling 67-cent hamburgers every Wednesday to mark its 50th year in Canada. The burgers can only be purchased in store with a three-hamburger limit per customer, while supplies last, according to the franchise.

Marble, maker of autonomous ground-delivery robots, partners with DoorDash, an on-demand delivery platform operating in more than 500 cities nationwide, to begin testing deliveries under a pilot program in the San Francisco Bay Area. DoorDash will be using Marble’s robots to deliver customer orders in select neighborhoods. To celebrate the Marble-DoorDash partnership and initial pilot program, the companies partnered with restaurant chain Jack in the Box in early August to test out a delivery in the North Beach neighborhood and showcase the partnership.

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

According to Nation’s Restaurant News, Dunkin’ Donuts is set to take a shorter name to reinforce a beverage-led image. It will test-drive the abbreviated “Dunkin’” signage beginning with a California test location.

According to Nation’s Restaurant News, Papa John’s US rolls out gluten-free crust in five markets. The crust is made with sorghum, teff, amaranth and quinoa.

Starbucks announced the exclusive launch of its two new products to grocery locations across US: the new ready-to-drink Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Flavored Ground Coffee.

Taco Bell Foundation is planning to award $10 million in Live Más Scholarships by 2022. The Foundation has already awarded $2.8 million in education, support to more than 440 students and Taco Bell employees in its first two years.

According to Berkeley Side, the city of Berkeley in California adopted an ordinance mandating that children’s fast food meals will be served with water or milk, rather than soda as beverage.

According to New York Post, sales of McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s are growing faster than the US economy, which rose by a meager 2.6 percent in the second quarter. The burger chains are producing strong results because diners are eating at fast food joints more than at other restaurants, say industry experts.

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

According to TIME, Starbucks launched the Pepper Nitro with a Jerky Twist in celebration of small-lot coffee growers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, using coffee beans from reserves in that very region. The beverage is only available at the Seattle Reserve Roastery for a limited time.

READ MORE HERE

According to CNBC, Yum Brands’ exceeded analysts’ earnings and revenue expectations during the quarter despite the weaker same-store sales at Taco Bell.

READ MORE HERE

According to USA TODAY, Dunkin' Donuts is set to trial the removal of non-breakfast sandwiches from menu to simplify its U.S. menu and attract more customers.

READ MORE HERE

According to EPR Retail News, Restaurant Brands has entered a joint venture to develop and launch Tim Hortons in Spain.

READ MORE HERE

According to The Sun, Burger King UK is extending its delivery service with Just Eat to over 100 stores by the end of the year, from the present 59 participating restaurants.

READ MORE HERE
 

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

In the latest Starbucks report of the Q3 financial and operating results, the company announced the closing of all 379 Teavana retail stores. This follows the report during Q2 that many of the mall-based Teavana retail stores have been persistently underperforming.

READ MORE HERE

McDonald’s reports the second quarter 2017 results with the global comparable sales increasing by 6.6%, which reflects positive guest counts in all segments. The systemwide sales, which include sales at all restaurants operated by the company and franchisees, increased by 8% in constant currencies, due to strong comparable sales performance and restaurant expansion.

READ MORE HERE

According to Business Insider, Papa John's Pizza has transitioned toward a cleaner menu by using poultry raised without antibiotics, making the brand the first national delivery-centric pizza chain to make such a switch.

READ MORE HERE

According to Medical News Bulletin, a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that per capita densities of fast-food restaurants and full-service restaurants do not correlate to obesity rates in the United States.

READ MORE HERE

According to Retail News Asia, Philippine pizza-parlor chain Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures (SPAVI) is set to expand its overseas footprint with a move into the United Arab Emirates next year.

READ MORE HERE

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

According to a press release, Subway US is rolling out the brand’s Fresh Forward design with its new decor featuring bold, bright colors, kiosks, curated music, and more. It is done to transform every aspect of the customer experience.

READ MORE HERE

According to an article by Bloomberg, the influence of cheese over the American consumers is massive enough that it has become the trend in every fast food menu. Chipotle, Wendy's, Moe's, and Taco Bell have made changes to their menus and are now offering cheesier products.

READ MORE HERE

To have more customers during the mid-afternoon, McDonald’s started rolling out croissants, muffin tops and a new sundae-topping station. According to Bloomberg, the company is rejecting its recent health food kick to ramp up the sales during dead-zone hours.

READ MORE HERE

The EU has voted to reduce the presence of acrylamide, a known carcinogenic substance, in fries, crisps, bread, and other food. The new regulation will require food manufacturers, fast-food chains and restaurants to take measures to ensure acrylamide levels in their products remain below benchmarks.

READ MORE HERE

According to Business Insider, a fast food chain that aspires to be the vegan McDonald’s is expanding in the US. In just two years, By Chloe has gone from a single New York City vegan cafe to a mini-chain with seven locations in New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles.

READ MORE HERE
 

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

According to The Herald, the government of Zimbabwe banned the use of polystyrene material, commonly known as kaylight packaging, and related plastic packaging citing health hazards and pollution. The fast-food industry in the country, which serves three million customers, has suffered a big blow.

READ MORE HERE

Miso Robotics, a California-based tech start-up, has created a new robotic fry cook named Flippy. According to an article by CNBC, Flippy can cook numerous burgers to perfection without any human assistance by using sensors and cameras to monitor food temperature. Flippy will be launched in CaliBurger chains in 2018.

READ MORE HERE

In an article by Wauchope Gazette, McDonald’s Australia is poised to change its retail strategy. Out of its 960 stores, just over 10 per cent are in retail precincts. Joshua Bannister, senior development director McDonald's, said that the chain was primarily focused on restaurants with drive-thrus and stores around highways, railways and airports.

READ MORE HERE

McDonald’s is making efforts to reverse its fading popularity with expanding delivery, employing digital ordering kiosks in restaurants, and rolling out an app that saves about seven seconds. According to Journal Star, the fast food brand estimates that it would take 10 seconds for a customer to tell an employee their order number from the app, down from the 17-second average of ordering at the drive-thru, a difference that could help ease pileups.

READ MORE HERE

An article by Hindu Business Line said that UK and US-based chains like Southern Fried Chicken, Texas Chicken and Genuine Broaster Chicken are re-entering the Indian market after KFC experienced challenges in the country.

READ MORE HERE

Photo credit: biglittlefood

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

A report by Investor’s Business Daily found that smartphone conveniences are making their way into the world of burgers and fries. Many in the quick service restaurant industry are betting that its future lies in that technology — in large part through mobile orders, payments and delivery.

READ MORE HERE

Quick services restaurants are struggling in India despite having paying customers due to the miscalculations of the investors as well as the confinement to the traditional taste of the locals, The Economic Times reported. Brands have to change their India plan, which meant smaller stores, more food innovations and moving out of high streets.

READ MORE HERE

Another report by The Economic Times announced the partnership between KFC and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to launch a delivery system for consumers on trains.

READ MORE HERE

Starbucks Coffee launches two new nitrogen-infused coffee flavour with Nitro Cascara Cloud, and the Nitro Dirty Chai. According to Bustle, both drinks use Starbuck’s Nitro Cold Brew, the brand’s signature cold brewed coffee which is infused with nitrogen to give it a rich, smooth, velvety texture.

READ MORE HERE

Chick-fil-A is handing out free food on July 11 to celebrate its annual Cow Appreciation Day at its more than 2,100 restaurants nationwide. In an article by Thrillist, one simple instruction was given and it is to wear some kind of "cow attire" to qualify. The promotion is open until 7pm local time.

READ MORE HERE
 

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

In a report by The Economic Times, McDonald’s shut down 43 out of 55 Delhi outlets due to the infighting between Connaught Plaza Restaurants (CPRL), the 50:50 local joint venture between Vikram Bakshi and the US-headquartered McDonald's. The decision will render 1,700 employees jobless.

READ MORE HERE

According to a new report from Cushman & Wakefield from The Financial, the increasing presence of F&B (food and beverage) options in shopping centres is being driven by rapid global growth in consumer spending on eating out. Meteoric rise of food halls and restaurants is the biggest retail growth story in the US. Average annual growth in China averaged 11.2% over the last four years, but this is expected to slow marginally to 10.7% a year between 2017-2020.

READ MORE HERE

Starbucks Corp. said that it will launch its first restaurant in Uruguay in 2018, in an article by Market Watch. The company has reached a licensing agreement with longtime partner Alsea, a restaurant operator for Latin America and Spain, to develop and operate the new stores. The first Uruguay cafe will be in Montevideo.

READ MORE HERE

According to Times of India, fast food chains and restaurants across India witnessed a rise in footfalls on the first day following the nationwide switch to Goods and Services Tax. The change in tax imposed on food items led to a fall in price ranging from 20 to 25. The prices have dropped due to food and beverages coming under the 18% tax slab under the GST regime.

READ MORE HERE

Burgers by Beyond Meat, the company that makes faux meat from plants, will be available at fast food chain BurgerFi starting July 3 as reported by Business Insider. The company has a long line of investors, including Bill Gates.

READ MORE HERE

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

Mcdonald’s is poised to take the brand’s biggest risk in history by adding fresh beef to its menu, in a report by Business Insider. The chain ranked last in terms of service for the third year in a row among all major fast-food chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index's 2017 survey.

READ MORE HERE

According to a report by Seeking Alpha, the growth of Starbucks China is stagnating as opposed to the expectation that a larger Chinese coffee market (currently with an annual growth rate at 20% according to BBC) will elevate Starbucks's earnings.

READ MORE HERE

In a report by Digital Journal, global fast food market will amount to $645.0 Bn by 2020. Asia Pacific and North America dominated the fast food market and together accounted for around 65% shares in total demand in 2014. The growing demand for fast food in these regions is fueled by the modern lifestyle of people and convenient restaurant food.

READ MORE HERE

With the rise of Quick Service Restaurants, the rice market is thriving correspondingly. The global rice market is expected to grow with a healthy single digit CAGR from 2013 to 2019.

READ MORE HERE

A report by Sydney-based George Institute for Global Health ranks Australia's 13 fast food giants with 2.5 health star rating, according to Coach. The report assigned health star rankings to individual food offerings to reveal not only which chain is the healthiest, but which offers the widest range of healthy (and not so healthy) foods.

READ MORE HERE

Photo credit: Signage Live

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

• The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions joined critics of the McDonald's near US$2.1 billion sale of its Hong Kong and China operations, saying that it could hit workers' pay, according to a report by Channel News Asia. READ MORE HERE

• According to a report by the BBC, plans to ban fast-food restaurants near Milton Keynes schools in Buckinghamshire, England moved a step closer after a council backed plans to consult the public. READ MORE HERE

• The Local Italy reported that McDonald's has funded a €300,000 restoration project to an ancient Roman road to create the world's first 'restaurant-museum', where visitors can see the ancient street while eating their burgers, thanks to a transparent floor. READ MORE HERE

• Former singer Grace Slick revealed that she had allowed a fast food chain to use her music in an advertisement, specifically so she could use her payment to fund causes to which the chain’s management is opposed, according to a report by The Guardian. READ MORE HERE

• Bloomberg reported that McDonald's has revealed plans to offer $1 sodas and $2 McCafe specialty drinks across the U.S., in a move that may also help cope with the eventual rebound in food costs. READ MORE HERE

• A DNA analysis of the poultry in several popular grilled chicken sandwiches and wraps found at least one fast food restaurant isn't serving up nearly as much of the key ingredient as people may think, CBC Canada reported. READ MORE HERE

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

• Business Insider reported on new fast food chains that are using healthy food to compete with legacy brands, creating low-calorie menus for around the same price. Though these new US chains are regional, they're growing in popularity, so they could spread nationwide in the coming years. READ MORE HERE

• According to a report by ABC7, Honest, a well-known Indian fast food chain offering vegetarian fast food, opened its first location in the U.S. in a Schaumburg, Illinois strip mall. READ MORE HERE

• News.com.au wrote an article about the key take outs from 'The Founder', a new film which chronicles the rise of McDonald’s from a family-run burger joint to the international behemoth it is today. READ MORE HERE

• Vegans are showing more buying power as Pret a Manger, the U.K.-based global sandwich giant, launched its Christmas menu with an all-new vegan option, according to an article by Fortune. The baguette is available on the U.K. menu. READ MORE HERE

• According to a report by the Daily Mail, the Pittsburgh-area McDonald's franchisee who created the Big Mac nearly 50 years ago has died. Michael 'Jim' Delligatti was 98. READ MORE HERE

• Reuters reported that Amrest Holdings has signed an agreement to acquire 15 KFC restaurants in Germany from the German branch of Kentucky Fried Chicken (Great Britain) Ltd. The estimated value of the sale is 10.3 million euros ($10.94 million). READ MORE HERE

• McDonald’s Corp. is expanding a program that ditches frozen patties in favor of fresh beef, making another break with decades of fast-food practices in a bid to revitalize the chain, according to an article by Bloomberg. READ MORE HERE

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

• According to an article by INSIDER, Taco Bell is now serving a low-calorie “Fresco” menu, a high-protein “Cantina” menu, and a vegetarian menu certified by the American Vegetarian Association, making it one of America's healthiest fast food chains. READ MORE HERE

• After taking a severe hit from demonetization, India's fast food industry is seeing a resurgence thanks to an sudden growth in cashless transactions in the sector, The Times of India reports. READ MORE HERE

• The Global Times reported that a Chinese fast food chain has been ordered to change its name and menu after a vulgar advertising campaign was met with outrage and criticism on Chinese social media. READ MORE HERE

• According to the Washington Post, Brazil's fast food industry is growing despite its ongoing recession, and with it people's waistlines. The number of overweight people, now account for 57 percent of Brazil’s population — with one in five obese. READ MORE HERE

• In Hokkaido, Japan, reindeer have a new job delivering pizzas to Domino's customers. The pizza company is working with reindeer breeders at the Hokkaido Delivery Integrated Research Center to train them how to deliver pizza, according to the Telegraph. READ MORE HERE

• WestJet will become the world’s first airline to exclusively serve McDonald’s "McCafé" coffee on its flights, according to USA Today. McDonald’s beat out competing bids from Starbucks and Canadian brand Tim Horton’s for an exclusive contract to provide its coffee on WestJet’s 650 daily flights. READ MORE HERE

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

• The fast food industry appears to be staying ahead of the food and beverage industry in Singapore, according to the latest official figures covered by the Straits Times. Data showed that sales at fast-food outlets were better than those at restaurants this year until September, except for June. READ MORE HERE

• McDonald’s customers across the U.S. will be able to choose table service inside restaurants, according to an article by the Wall Street Journal. It is part of an effort central to revive the burger giant’s sales, which have flagged in recent quarters. READ MORE HERE

• In honor of National Fast Food Day, Business Insider tested America's finest fast food options to see how they all stack up, ranking fast food chains from best to worst. READ MORE HERE

• Morgan Spurlock, the director and star of Super Size Me, is opening his own fast foodery in Columbus, Ohio, according to a report by Forbes. Holy Chicken aims to offer only "hormone-free, antibiotic-free, cage-free, free-range, farm-raised, humanely raised 100 percent natural" chickens that the company raised. READ MORE HERE

• According to a report by the NZ Herald, fast food flooded Kaikoura, New Zealand after Rob Coombes hauled in 400 pieces of KFC chicken, 300 McDonald's burgers, 50 Domino's pizza, among other things for the recent earthquake's victims. READ MORE HERE

• The Sydney Morning Herald reported that on the formation of the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union's (RAFFWU), a response to a nation-wide wages scandal centred on workplace agreements. READ MORE HERE