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With its accessible and affordable array of international products, Trader Joe’s opens consumers’ palates to unfamiliar cuisines. But it can work both ways, say operators—restaurants also provide taste experiences that benefit retail sales.

The Bottom Line: Concern is already heightened about the fast-food price-value equation. What will happen come April when the country’s largest dining-out market raises the sector’s wages?

Expected to open in February, Kernel will attempt to reinvent the team member experience. Brand president Stephen Goldstein describes how the concept is designed to benefit both the planet and workers.