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On this week's Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Taco Bell’s nostalgic menu, Jack in the Box’s CEO-in-waiting, and Chipotle’s Gen Alpha influencer partnership.
First up is Taco Bell, which never lacks for menu news. The brand introduced three new energy drinks — the Pineapple Citrus Energy Refresher, Strawberry Tropics Energy Refresher, and the Pineapple Citrus Energy Freeze — as well as the Chicken Enchilada Nacho Fries LTO. But it also reintroduced its Decades menu, honoring the nostalgia of 2016 with an LTO menu that features the Naked Chicken Chalupa, Meximelt, Beefy Crunch Burrito, and Caramel Apple Empanada. Sam and Alicia unpack the menu additions and especially dig into the idea of nostalgia, noting how Taco Bell and other brands are leveraging it to attract young customers in particular.
Next they discuss Jack in the Box, which hired Taco Bell’s chief brand officer Taylor Montgomery as president. The company announced that Montgomery would be promoted to CEO within the next 12 months, and Sam and Alicia discuss that strategy and how it might incentivize Montgomery to score some quick for a brand that sorely needs them.
They tackle McDonald’s next, and specifically how the Golden Arches has been losing lower-income consumers for the past seven years. Recent data from Numerator shows that the share of McDonald’s guests who make less than $50,000 has been shrinking since 2019, with the firm estimating that it has cost the company $310 million in sales. Sam and Alicia talk about why that’s a problem for McDonald’s, but also about why there are other economic warning signs suggesting that lower income consumers are pulling back on their discretionary spend broadly — and how it could negatively impact restaurants.
They shift their attention next to Chipotle, which partnered with Gen Alpha influencer Salish Matter on the Salish Matter Meal — a Kid’s Cheese Quesadilla with white rice, black beans, guacamole, kid’s chips, and chocolate milk. Aside from making Sam and Alicia — both parents of Gen Alpha kids — feel old, it also gives them a chance to talk about the spending power of kids today and how their opinions are increasingly shaping where their parents dine out.
They close things out with Quick Fire round of headlines, including Panera’s new tiered loyalty program, Starbucks’ latest round of layoffs, and California Pizza Kitchen’s new vending machines.
For more on these stories:
Taco Bell’s latest Decades Menu inspired by 2016 nostalgia
Taylor Montgomery named Jack in the Box president, and likely next CEO
Chipotle’s new collab highlights the growing influence of Gen Alpha
