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NRN editors discuss food trends, influencer marketing, and Red Lobster’s futureNRN editors discuss food trends, influencer marketing, and Red Lobster’s future

Plus, hear from Chris Eichfeld, director of supply chain for District Taco

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

April 19, 2024

 

This week on the Extra Serving podcast, a product of Nation’s Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Sam Oches, and Bret Thorn spoke about food trends.

Senior food and beverage editor Thorn spoke about the latest food trends at chains and independents. Throughout the week on First Bite, Thorn covered some of the latest trends, including the “swicy” combination and the rise in sauces. The team gets into some other trends on the episode.

Check out the episodes of First Bite here:

Next, the team talked about how celebrities — and now influencers — are changing the landscape of restaurant marketing. While those partnerships are far from new, it seems like the industry has been hitting the gas. With the influencer economy, such partnerships have become more accessible for smaller brands.

Finally, the team talked about music and restaurants. Applebee’s campaign with Walker Hayes in 2021 was a success and now it seems like Red Lobster is trying to emulate the success, for much less money. Is this low-hanging fruit for the struggling brand, and is it culturally relevant?

This week’s guest is Chris Eichfeld, director of supply chain for District Taco.

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About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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