NRN editors discuss Panera joining the chicken sandwich wars, Washington D.C. suing Grubhub and Waitr helping drivers with their gasNRN editors discuss Panera joining the chicken sandwich wars, Washington D.C. suing Grubhub and Waitr helping drivers with their gas

This week on the Extra Serving podcast, a production of Nation’s Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, Sam Oches and Lisa Jennings discussed Panera Bread’s entrance into the chicken sandwich wars with its own healthier option.

The fast-casual chain announced the new menu item earlier this week with a healthier spin: The chicken isn’t fried like the rest of its chicken sandwich war competitors. Is it too late to join the chicken sandwich was? Is it time to retire the name? The editors discuss.

Next, the team discussed third-party delivery company Waitr’s new policy of passing out gas cards to employees to help offset the price of gas for its drivers. The team speaks about the logistics of being a delivery driver and how this move can or will impact restaurants who may be experiencing slower-than-usual traffic due to rising gas prices.

Then, the team discussed how Grubhub is being sued by the city of Washington D.C., following in the footsteps of many other cities, for false advertising and excessive fees tied to the pandemic.

Plus, chef Spike Mendelsohn talks with Jennings about Chfty Pizza, his new NFT collaboration with Tom Colicchio on Discord that’s functioning as a membership to a community of chefs and foodies alike with an online presence and in real life events.