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CosMc’s closures, restaurant hiring, Hartung/Portillo’sCosMc’s closures, restaurant hiring, Hartung/Portillo’s

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Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, Managing Editor

January 13, 2025

McDonald’s is already closing some CosMc’s units. The fast-food burger giant said it is closing three locations of the new drive-thru beverage concept in Texas, all of which have larger formats. But the company said it still plans to open the other two locations planned in the state, both of which have smaller formats.

Despite all the concern about closures, weak traffic and bankruptcies, restaurants keep hiring. Restaurants and bars added nearly 30,000 jobs in December, according to new federal data. That represented 12% of all hiring in the month.

In an interesting fast-casual mashup, Portillo’s has named Jack Hartung, Chipotle’s president and chief strategy officer, to its board. The move is effective immediately.

Another new CEO has been named. Bartaco has promoted Anthony Valletta, president of the concept, to CEO to succeed Scott Lawton, the co-founder who will transition to chair. Valletta brings more than two decades of experience in hospitality leadership to the role, including at the Mina Group, Del Frisco’s, and Darden.

Get all the headlines in today’s Restaurant Daily podcast.

About the Author

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Managing Editor

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservices Vertical, specifically Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, and Foodservice Director.  Leigh Anne works on all of the brands’ special reports, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Top 500 report and Restaurant Hospitality’s Best Cocktails and Best Sandwiches contests. She also manages the group’s digital engagement team, and was the managing editor for Supermarket News until December 2024.

Leigh Anne lives in New York City, but also claims Phoenix, Dallas and Cleveland as hometowns. Leigh Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she also studied European history. 

Email Leigh Anne at [email protected] 

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister’s experience: 

  • Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)

  • Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)

  • Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)

  • Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)

  • Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)

  • Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)

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