Tag

Restaurant Industry

All articles tagged with #restaurant industry

business-and-community2 days ago•1 min saved

Dampf Good BBQ Abandons Durham Expansion After Backlash Over Social Media Views

Nick Dampf, owner of the Michelin-recommended Texas-style barbecue food truck Dampf Good BBQ, has cancelled plans to open its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Durham. The decision follows intense community backlash over the owner's past social media posts expressing conservative Christian views, including opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion. While Dampf maintains that his business welcomes all customers, local activists and officials argued that his views conflicted with Durham's progressive identity and LGBTQ-friendly culture. The restaurant will remain at its current location in Cary and continue searching for a new permanent site elsewhere.

via WUNC News|

#business-and-community #dampf-good-bbq #durham

business2 days ago•23 min saved

True Food Kitchen files for Chapter 11, closing 12 sites including San Diego's UTC location

True Food Kitchen has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, closing 12 restaurants nationwide, including its San Diego UTC location, while retaining 34 sites across 14 states. The Arizona-based chain secured $20 million in financing to support a court-supervised sale process aimed at finding a long-term partner. The filing follows years of leadership turnover, pandemic-related disruptions, and financial struggles despite a 2018 investment by Oprah Winfrey.

via San Diego Union-Tribune|

#business #chapter-11-bankruptcy #corporate-restructuring

business3 days ago•2 min saved

True Food Kitchen files for Chapter 11, closing 12 locations to restructure

True Food Kitchen filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 4, 2026, to restructure its operations and close 12 underperforming locations. The Scottsdale-based chain, which carries approximately $42.1 million in debt, is retaining 34 restaurants across 14 states. The company secured $20 million in debtor-in-possession financing from HumanCo to maintain operations during a court-supervised sale process aimed at finding a long-term partner. The restructuring follows a decade of expansion challenges, leadership turnover, and pandemic impacts, with the final day of service for closed locations occurring on October 4.

via ABC15 Arizona|

#bankruptcy #business #corporate-restructuring

business3 days ago•16 min saved

True Food Kitchen files for Chapter 11, closes 12 sites to restructure

True Food Kitchen has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed 12 locations across nine states. The chain, backed by Oprah Winfrey, retains 34 restaurants and is seeking a long-term partner through a court-supervised sale.

via The Independent|

#bankruptcy #business #chapter-11

business4 days ago•3 min saved

True Food Kitchen Files for Chapter 11, Closes 12 Locations Amid Debt and Leadership Turmoil

True Food Kitchen has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Texas, closing 12 locations and reducing its footprint to 34 restaurants across 14 states. The company, backed by Oprah Winfrey, cites $42 million in debt, management turnover, and pandemic impacts as key factors. It is pursuing a court-supervised sale while securing $20 million in financing to continue operations.

via Business Insider|

#bankruptcy #business #chapter-11

business5 days ago•6 min saved

Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy Prioritizes Long-Term Private Growth Over Quarterly Pressures

Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy reaffirmed the chain's commitment to remaining privately held, citing the ability to plan for decades rather than quarters. Despite industry-wide traffic declines, Chick-fil-A reported 14% revenue growth in 2025 and expanded internationally. The company is pursuing new ventures like Daybright and Acrew Home Professionals while maintaining its core focus on human hospitality and Sunday closures.

via CNBC|

#andrew-cathy #business #chick-fil-a

business14 days ago•9 min saved

Hooters Names Ohio Woman to 2027 Calendar Amid Store Closures

Hooters has selected Sophia Zullo, an Ohio resident, as the cover model for its 2027 bikini calendar. This choice is notable because the chain is currently consolidating operations in its home state of Florida, where it recently closed a 30-year-old location in Panama City Beach. Despite these closures, the brand maintains only two remaining locations in Ohio, in Dayton and Mason. The announcement signals the company's intent to continue marketing its iconic calendar despite a shrinking physical footprint.

via Fox News|

#bikini-calendar #business #florida

business15 days ago•2 min saved

Cracker Barrel Boosts Core Dinners, Cuts Debt via $77M Sale-Leaseback

Cracker Barrel is upgrading its chicken, hamburger, and steak dinners to improve guest satisfaction, while using $77 million from a sale-leaseback of 26 restaurants to reduce debt. The company faces pressure from lower-income consumers but maintains a low average check of $16. UBS raised its price target to $46 but kept a Neutral rating, signaling cautious optimism about the turnaround.

via nypost.com|

#business #consumer-trends #corporate-finance

economy16 days ago•0 min saved

Texas BBQ joints cut brisket and ribs as beef costs surge 40%

Rising beef costs are forcing Texas barbecue restaurants to remove staple items like brisket and ribs from their menus. Owners report a 40% price increase over two years, citing prohibitive costs and high diesel prices. Some businesses prefer removing items over raising prices, while customers urge support for local establishments.

via KCRG|

#beef-prices #economy #inflation

business16 days ago•0 min saved

McDonald's Chief Warns Inflation and Flat Traffic Will Persist

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski stated that high inflation and stagnant customer traffic will continue to burden the restaurant sector, noting that the company expects these conditions to remain unchanged. He emphasized that the industry must adapt to this persistent environment rather than viewing it as a temporary difficulty. The chain reported minimal U.S. same-store sales growth in its latest quarter as diners reduced visits due to rising costs. Kempczinski highlighted that beef prices have nearly doubled in major markets over five years, while labor and construction costs have also increased. To maintain market share, McDonald's is focusing on attracting customers from competitors through strategic pricing and promotions, acknowledging that previous rapid price hikes after the pandemic were a mistake. The company plans to detail its growth strategies during an upcoming investor day, aiming to navigate the sticky inflationary landscape globally.

via CNBC|

#business #chris-kempczinski #consumer-spending

business25 days ago•10 min saved

Danny Meyer’s Regret-Driven Playbook for Enlightened Hospitality

Danny Meyer, the NYC restaurateur behind Union Square Hospitality Group and Shake Shack, discusses his forthcoming memoir What Could Possibly Go Right? and the missteps—like ill-timed juice ventures, tipping experiments, and slow responses to #MeToo and racial justice issues—that taught him to balance persuasion with accountability. The book, framed around enlightened hospitality, blends personal history with business case studies and shows a leader who remains deeply involved in expansion and investments while reflecting on how mistakes shaped his approach to service and company culture.

via The New York Times|

#business #danny-meyer #hospitality

local1 month ago•3 min saved

NYC eyes year-round outdoor dining as council moves bills forward

New York City's City Council is advancing a package of bills to revive and expand outdoor dining, including year-round curbside dining, winter enclosures, and more flexible payment options, with the aim of reducing red tape and boosting restaurants citywide beyond Manhattan and Brooklyn.

via Gothamist|

#city-council #legislation #local

business2 months ago•4 min saved

Lettuce Fallout: Cyclospora Outbreak Tests Trust in Taco Bell and Taylor Farms

The Cyclospora outbreak linked to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce has sparked a trust crisis for Taco Bell and other brands as regulators issue mixed guidance, recalls, and a false-positive test result; with 4,173 confirmed cases across 41 states and about 1,644 Taco Bell customers reporting illness, fast-food chains have scrambled to reassure customers (even offering a $1 lettuce-free option) while social media fuels confusion, contributing to a roughly 31% drop in Taco Bell visits and ripple effects for independent eateries.

via NBC News|

#brand-reputation #business #cyclospora

lifestyle3 months ago•45 min saved

Denver Bartender's Bizarre Table Dispute Goes Viral Over a Potato and Shrimp

A Denver bartender recounts a wild encounter where a diner claims a plate’s sides aren’t hers during a crab-and-shrimp order; after a brief back-and-forth about missing sides, the diner refuses the kitchen’s offer to fetch them, a manager gets involved, and a companion apologizes as they leave. The piece uses the event to illustrate a broader trend of increasingly rude behavior toward restaurant staff.

via Yahoo|

#baked-potato #bartender-story #customer-behavior

business3 months ago•3 min saved

Last New York Hooters closes as bankruptcy wipes out chain

New York’s last Hooters location in Colonie has closed, leaving New York and Massachusetts as the latest states with no Hooters outlets amid the chain’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy; closures have also hit Connecticut and Minnesota with about 30 corporate-owned restaurants shuttered nationwide since the filing in 2025, as the brand pursues a more family-friendly rebrand under new leadership to recapture its 1980s vibe.

via New York Post|

#bankruptcy #business #hooters