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Dutch Bros’ torrid pace, McDonald’s bumpy road, low-income consumers tighten beltsDutch Bros’ torrid pace, McDonald’s bumpy road, low-income consumers tighten belts

Plus, the National Restaurant Association State of the Industry report

Sam Oches, Alicia Kelso

February 18, 2025

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss recent earnings reports from major restaurant companies, results of which have so far been a mixed bag. First up is Dutch Bros, which just crossed the 1,000-unit mark and enjoyed massive sales growth in 2024. Could its ceiling be even higher than the 4,000-unit goal it set for itself? On the other hand, there’s McDonald’s, where sales have continued to be sluggish in the wake of its E. coli outbreak in the fall. Could the real issue be low-income consumers, who seem to be pulling back on restaurant spending in the midst of economic turmoil? Sam and Alicia discuss. In this week’s extra serving, senior editor Joanna Fantozzi joins to talk about the recent National Restaurant Association State of the Industry report, which found that operators aren’t entirely satisfied with their technology investments. Finally, we share an interview between senior F&B editor Bret Thorn and Marco’s Pizza’s director of culinary innovation, Kathleen Kennedy.

 

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About the Authors

Sam Oches

Editor in Chief

Sam Oches is an award-winning Editorial Director with Informa Connect Foodservice and editor in chief of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. A graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, Sam previously served as Editorial Director of Food News Media, publisher of QSR and FSR magazines. He’s a past president of the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC) and a past board member with the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). His foodservice insights have been shared in national media outlets such as the New York Times, USA Today, National Public Radio, and CNBC. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and three kids.

Alicia Kelso

Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.

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