This week on the Extra Serving podcast, a product of Nation’s Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Sam Oches, and Leigh Anne Zinsmeister spoke about Taco Bell.
Last Friday, the brand held its inaugural Live Más Live event in Las Vegas where, much like an Apple presentation, Taco Bell executives stood in front of a screen on stage and unveiled over a dozen new menu items ranging from Baja Blast Gelato to a Cheez-It-filled Crunchwrap to several new chicken items. During the parent company Yum Brands’ earnings call just a week before the event, CEO David Gibbs said that Taco Bell would be launching a new product every five weeks, double the rate of 2023. What does all this mean for Taco Bell?
And then it’s time for some rumors. There were several financial rumors over the past week in the restaurant industry, including the possible sale of a majority stake in Flynn Group, the largest franchisee in the country. The alleged price? $5 billion. Another rumor is that Inspire Brands may go public. The restaurant group, founded in 2018, would be taking itself and its brands public as a unit for the first time. Inspire famously purchased the formerly public Dunkin’ in 2020. What’s going on in the financial sector of the restaurant industry, and what does it mean for the year ahead?
This week’s interview is Simran Sethi, chief product and wellbeing officer at Choolaah Indian BBQ.