This week on Nation's Restaurant News the top story was Krispy Kreme’s transformation into a “doughnut logistics company” is nearly complete. Krispy Kreme has been working on its total brand transformation — from doughnut bakery to the newly dubbed “doughnut logistics company” — for a couple of years now, and the overhaul is nearly complete. As Krispy Kreme continues to work on either closing underperforming stores or turning them into hubs to fulfill orders to grocery and convenience stores, the focus on the “Delivered Fresh Daily” strategy was a driving force of the 12.5% revenue growth for the first quarter ended April 2, as doughnuts are now available to a wider range of customers.
In other news, Condado Tacos has been named the winner of Nation’s Restaurant News’ Taco Showdown, in which eight emerging taco restaurants competed for the crown. Tacos are a staple across the country, and restaurant brands are working hard to differentiate themselves in the space. Some focus on tacos from a specific region, such as the Yucatan Peninsula, while others rely on flavor combinations like chicken tikka.
Also, Conversational AI in the drive-thru lane is nothing new — NRN has been covering the rise of this trending tech phenomenon since 2019, when companies first begin adapting AI voice assistants in earnest — but the trend has now reached a fever pitch, and more and more limited-service chains are replacing humans with AI drive-thru workers. This is only the beginning: as AI becomes more ubiquitous in the restaurant industry, there will be a major shift in the service model and customer experience.
See what else was trending on NRN.com this week.
