Trending this week: Wingstop to expand social footprint with limited edition shoesTrending this week: Wingstop to expand social footprint with limited edition shoes

This week on nrn.com, the top story Taco Bell’s long-awaited ‘redefined drive-thru’ to open Tuesday in Minnesota. Dubbed the “Taco Bell Defy” — and once described as looking like a “Demolition Man” prophesy come true — the two-story restaurant features a four-lane drive-thru, digital check-in screens using QR codes for mobile orders, a vertical lift to send orders down to cars, and two-way video communication with restaurant staffers on the unit’s second floor.

In other news, 

Wingstop Inc. is expanding its footprint on social media with a sneaker collaboration giveaway that starts Thursday, the company said. The Dallas-based chicken wing concept is using its branded Instagram, TikTok and Twitter platforms to expand on a social-media joke about its winged logo resembling a shoe symbol.

Also, Wetzel’s Pretzels is crafting plans for a stand-alone Twisted by Wetzel’s large format unit as it continues to offer a portfolio of sizes that range from kiosks in department stores and convenience stores to food trucks. Jennifer Schuler, CEO of Pasadena, Calif.-based Wetzel’s, shared her brand’s multiple strategies for “Unlocking Growth Through Flexible Store Footprints” in a CREATE Live session.

See what else is trending on NRN.com this week.