Extra Serving: A restaurant industry podcast · 2026-06-08 · 41 min
On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including McDonald’s new corporate strategy, the World Cup’s plentiful promotions, and how brands are strategically leveraging pricing in their marketing. First up is McDonald’s, which announced its new McDonald’s Next corporate strategy that emphasizes operational efficiency and hospitality. Alicia details what exactly this means before she and Sam discuss how the strategy fits into the broader industry push toward operational excellence and what it could look like for the No. 1 restaurant brand in the world. Next they dive into the World Cup, which kicks off this week and could be a boon to restaurant companies looking for a marketing win. Learn more about how some bigger chains are riding the World Cup’s coattails - and how it could help reshape the summer for many brands. That leads naturally into a conversation on recent restaurant marketing efforts - particularly those centered around pricing.
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 chapterCracker Barrel claws back, KFC explores table service, and menu innovations galoreWendy’s new CEO, Starbucks AI walk-back, and CAVA’s big quarterTrends to watch according to the National Restaurant Association Show