From dark to light: Fast-casual chain used its restaurants as dark kitchens to test virtual brand Wingville; high demand and ROI results prompt Fazoli’s to add chicken wings to core menu this week
Chains excluded from restaurant grant program proposed as part of HEROES Act; grants are geared for independent restaurants, food trucks and bars in underrepresented communities with a focus on women- and minority-operated establishments.
Pandemic menu moves: Outback Steakhouse reduces Bloomin' Onion price by up to $3, adds combo value meals; IHOP debuts happy hour menu; Pizza Hut introduces promotional pricing on signature pan pizza
Penny, the food assistant robot, rebrands as Servi as widespread adoption is announced in Japan; demand in U.S. and abroad has surged amid COVID-19 crisis; a top national casual-dining chain is latest to test robot helpers
Elsewhere, some states are only just beginning to allow indoor dining, while others are gradually loosening limits on operations, citing declining infection rates
