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California fast-food prices, Taco Bell international, Buca di Beppo closuresCalifornia fast-food prices, Taco Bell international, Buca di Beppo closures

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NRN staff

July 31, 2024

Fast-food restaurants in California have raised prices faster than average and are losing more customers in the process. Prices at quick-service restaurants were up 7.5% in California in June, compared with 3.1% nationally, according to data from Revenue Management Systems.

Taco Bell executives have made it clear they want the chain’s international division to be parent company Yum Brands’ next growth engine. To show its commitment to this goal, the chain opened up its internal incubator program to global participants for the first time and NRN executive editor Alicia Kelso recently had the chance to observe the process.

Buca di Beppo closed 13 restaurants across the country this week. Parent company Earl Enterprises said in a statement that the stores had been unable to recover from the pandemic and other market pressures.

A baseball-themed eatertainment concept out of Mexico called Batbox has won a $7.3 million Series A funding round to grow the concept in the U.S. Batbox is a sports bar with high-tech baseball simulators that allow guests to play as batter or pitcher.

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