This week on Nation's Restaurant News the top story was How restaurant companies are navigating a messy real estate market. The restaurant real estate market has been a bit messy as of late, to say the least. Demand is high. Inventory – especially for table stakes drive-thru locations – is low. Costs are astronomical. Construction, supplies, permits are painfully slow. As Portillo’s CEO Michael Osanloo described during his company’s most recent earnings call, “It’s sort of whatever the military acronym is for SNAFU – Situation Normal All Messed Up. We continue to face delays in all kinds of last-minute things. I think we have reconciled ourselves to this is a new normal.”
In other news, what’s it take to win over the wildly influential Gen Z consumer? Apparently a big, purple mascot who has been around for 52 years. That is, at least, according to a new report from research and consulting firm dcdx titled “Gen Z’s Top 25 Most Magnetic Brands.” Topping that list of 25 is McDonald’s, with a proprietary “GenZ Score” of 99.3. The 0-100 score is derived from a brand’s ability to attract popular and consistent user-generated content, which the firm calls “the currency of modern brands.”
Also, Taco Bell’s Double Decker Taco is making its way back to the national menu starting today for a limited time. The Double Decker – a bean-filled tortilla wrapped around a taco shell and filled with beef, lettuce and shredded cheddar cheese – will be available for $2.99, or as a Double Decker Supreme, with added diced tomatoes and reduced-fat sour cream, for $3.69.
See what else was trending on NRN.com this week.