Extra Serving: A restaurant industry podcast · 2026-06-15 · 1h 10m
On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including Cracker Barrel’s newfound momentum, KFC’s ongoing revitalization, and a menu innovation boom across the industry. First up is Cracker Barrel, which is continuing in its comeback after last year’s controversial rebrand derailed growth. In its most recent quarter, Cracker Barrel experienced a same-store sales decline of 2.6% and traffic decline of 6.7% - not great, but better than expected and enough for the company to raise its guidance for the year. Sam and Alicia discuss why this is good news for Cracker Barrel and how CEO Julie Felss Masino has made the right moves to get this brand back on track. Next they tackle KFC, which has experienced three consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth after seven straight negative quarters. KFC’s U.S. president Catherine Tan-Gillespie spoke with Alicia about the keys to that reversal, and Alicia shares those details on the pod, plus she and Sam talk about how KFC is competing within an ever-more-competitive chicken category.
Domino’s CEO’s surprising announcement, LongHorn Steakhouse’s shocking performance, and a bevy of Starbucks news58 / 100Pizza Hut’s sale, Jersey Mike’s new crown, KFC’s next chapterMcDonald’s new strategy, World Cup marketing, and creative pricingWendy’s new CEO, Starbucks AI walk-back, and CAVA’s big quarterTrends to watch according to the National Restaurant Association Show