Restaurants

  1. Channel: Mass
Bloomberg reports that in the UK, both Tesco and J Sainsbury suffered disruptions over the weekend caused by “technical disruptions.” According to the story, “J Sainsbury Plc, the country’s second-largest grocer, experienced ‘issues’ with contactless payments and won’t be able to deliver the ‘vast majority’ of the day’s online orders … Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Officer […]
  1. Holiday & Events
  At the intersection of time starved consumers and family fun at our house Easter was alive with activity both inside and out and always included extended family members the help make that day special. Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes that the more time you have to spend with […]
  1. Shopper & Customer
  Consumers are dynamic not static according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. So, the question becomes just why are consumers in 2024 time-starved? Ok, let’s see a few reasons: ·         Busy Lives: The juggle of work, family, and personal commitments continue to be a major time drain. ·         Economic Factors: With […]
  1. Media & Marketing
  Five Iron Golf, the nation’s leading indoor golf and entertainment space that is consumer focused, interactive, participatory and selling both food and beverage recently announced a partnership with Rehab Monster proving you don’t have to have 100 plus locations to garner marketing partnerships that drive new electricity. Now according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® […]
  1. Channel: Restaurants
Starbucks has reached a footprint landmark – having opened about 3,000 locations in 2023, it now has more units than Subway, and has become the second-largest restaurant chain in the world as measured by locations. Technomic reports that Starbucks now has 2,000 more locations than Subway, with 38,587 stores.  McDonald’s is the biggest chain in […]
  1. Department & Category
  At the intersection of consumers trends, pizza delivery success, and branded line extensions Casey’s General Stores have added new hand-held food menu items for immediate consumption is a perfect fit Edifying its consumer focused grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared menu in the minds-eye of the consumer, according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® […]
  1. Channel: Mass
Strategic brand partnerships and collaborations can help merchants raise brand awareness and expand into new markets. Target is partnering with Hudson’s Bay to bring its popular kids apparel brand, Cat & Jack, to Canada. Target made its official exit from Canada in 2015, with CEO Brian Cornell reporting that area of the business was “losing […]
  1. Department & Category
FMI-The Food Industry Association is out with the 2024 version of the Power of Seafood report, which finds that “seafood volume and dollar amounts have decreased.  However, the study says, “consumers are choosing to cook seafood dishes at home. With these shifts in purchasing and consumption, food retailers can attract seafood shoppers by emphasizing nutrition, […]
  1. Channel: Restaurants
Taco Bell customers in Oakland are facing a change in their dining experience. Recent reports confirm that multiple Taco Bell restaurants in the city have closed their indoor dining areas. KRON4 reporters visited two locations, one at 3535 35th Ave. and another at 630 Hegenberger Road, and confirmed the shutdown of their dining rooms.
  1. Corporate Strategy
WASHINGTON – Retail sales continued to grow in February, building off solid gains from January, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions, released today by the National Retail Federation. Click here to access February’s retail data.Total retail sales, excluding automobiles and gasoline, were up 1.06% seasonally adjusted month over month and up 6.3% […]
  1. Media & Marketing
  Don’t want to cook, don’t want to do dishes, well according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® your kids don’t want you hear you complain about cooking dinner either. Chuck E. Cheese has a new program for that has a great chance to make the entire family happy according […]
  1. Department: HBC
Scott Moses,  partner and Head of the Grocery, Pharmacy & Restaurants Investment Banking practice at Solomon Partners, appeared on Yahoo Finance the other day to talk about the issue of shrinkflation, but the conversation evolved into a discussion of the rationale for the Kroger-Albertsons deal.  No matter how you feel about the proposed deal – […]
  1. Channel: Restaurants
  Grocery stores and Convenience stores may be selling more grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meals and meal component that ever, however Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® strongly believes that restaurants hold several advantages over convenience stores (c-stores) and grocery stores when it comes to selling meals to-go: Specialization in […]
  1. Shopper & Customer
  It is at the intersection of cooking dinner/a meal at home, ordering takeout, or buying fresh prepared meals or meal components from a grocery store, restaurant, convenience store, dollar store etc. that the concept of the “grocerant,” continues to thrive in the minds-eye of the consumer according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, […]
  1. Technology & Innovation
Gen Alpha is poised to reach 2 billion people by 2025, making it the largest generation in history, according to Matt Smith, Trends Manager at GWI. However, the influence and impact of this consumer base already are significant, considering the heightened role they’ve played in household decision-making processes since the start of the pandemic. “Families […]
  1. Department & Category
  Food Marketers have great jobs and most have lots of fun while working.  Imagine being the new person on the marketing staff and tasked with driving brand awareness while driving top-line sales and bottom-line profits for the brand.  According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® blending pancakes and potato […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
WASHINGTON – Inflation and the Federal Reserve’s efforts to bring it under control will remain big factors in the economy this year, according to National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz.“With the U.S. economy’s strength resting heavily on household spending, all eyes are on the consumer – and how consumers will respond the next few […]
  1. Channel: Restaurants
Bloomberg has a good piece about how the Howard Schultz era (eras?) at Starbucks finally is over. Here’s how Bloomberg frames the story: “Howard Schultz officially stepped down as chief executive of Starbucks Corp. in March 2023. But with Schultz, you’re never really sure that he’s gone. “Twice before the longtime CEO has handed over […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
Got this email from an MNB reader: I believe the final ruling on the merger will come down to who best defines “grocery store” for the courts.  If it’s the broader definition that includes WMT, Costco, Dollar General, Target, delivery & remote options, etc., Kroger will prevail.   If the 1980s / FTC definition of […]
  1. Channel: Restaurants
  Time and time again we all stumble.  Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes that good companies are simply better at recovering from those stumbles.  Let’s take a look at Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden and other popular restaurant chains, has faced its share of challenges and […]
  1. Department & Category
Forbes has a piece about online membership retailer Thrive Market and the value proposition core to its operation. An excerpt: “For Thrive Market CEO Nick Green, access to good food is personal. Green grew up in the midwest in a middle class family. His mother, who’s Mexican-American, worked hard to get healthy, wholesome food on […]
  1. Associates & Employees
In 2023, the Biden National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) and its General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo continued implementing a highly pro-labor agenda that has significantly changed the union and labor landscape for retail employers. In addition, Abruzzo and the Board’s regional directors are imposing and enforcing aggressively some of their most controversial new measures […]
  1. Department & Category
  In a time when there are more digital natives working and spending money than ever before retailers are evolving to give them what they want and according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® that means technology. There is no doubt that more and more retail foodservice executives are embracing […]
  1. Associates & Employees
Starbucks and the Workers United union have agreed on a framework for collective bargaining discussions for the nearly 400 stores represented by the union. They also have aligned on how to resolve litigation between the union and the company and are seeking to establish a fair process for workers to organize. As a sign of […]
  1. Channel: Restaurants
There were numerous press reports yesterday that fast feeder Wendy’s plans to institute surge pricing – charging higher prices at high-demand times – sometime next year. The reports seemed to emanate from comments made earlier this month by the company’s new CEO-president, Kirk Tanner, who said that the chain plans to rollout “dynamic pricing,” enabled […]
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Editor’s Choice

  1. Media & Marketing
  2. Channel: Restaurants
  3. Department & Category
  4. Department: Consumer Durables
  5. Department: Food
  6. Department: Nonfood
  7. ESG
  8. Media & Marketing
  9. Data & Insights
  10. Shopper & Customer
  11. Technology & Innovation
  12. Trends & External Forces
  13. Merchandising
  Don’t want to cook, don’t want to do dishes, well according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® your kids don’t want you hear you complain about cooking dinner either. Chuck E. Cheese has a new program for that has a great chance to make the entire family happy according […]
  1. Channel: Mass
  2. Corporate Finance
  3. Media & Marketing
  4. Agencies & Vendors
  5. Data & Insights
  6. Trends & External Forces
Target reported Q4 and 2023 financial results at its annual investor day on March 5, 2024. Quarterly comp performance improved sequentially from Q2 to Q4, but 2023 ended with comps down -3.7%. Profitability outperformed expectations as the company realized $2B of operating income growth in 2023 and reported notable gross margin improvements. The stock was […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
  2. CPG: Food
  3. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
  4. Channel: Grocery
  5. Channel: Mass
  6. Department & Category
  7. Department: Beverage
  8. Department: Food
  9. Department: HBC
  10. Acquisitions, Divestitures & Mergers
  11. Corporate Strategy
  12. Corporate Finance
  13. ESG
  14. Partnerships & Alt Profit
  15. Media & Marketing
  16. Data & Insights
  17. Shopper & Customer
  18. Technology & Innovation
  19. Trends & External Forces
  20. Retail Operations
  21. Associates & Employees
  22. Operations & Supply Chain
  23. Owned Brands (Private Label)
  24. Stores & Formats
Comments from Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen. "Kroger achieved strong 2023 results, in line with our long-term growth model and built upon three consecutive years of historic growth.

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