Financing

Why Chipotle needs to push more value

The Week in Restaurants: This week's episode of the restaurant news discussion podcast looks at Chipotle's tough quarter, right-wing pressure on Cracker Barrel and McDonald's new drink lineup.

Earnings season is upon us, and the early returns from Chipotle weren’t great.

On this edition of The Week in Restaurants, we discuss the burrito chain’s tough second quarter, and why it may need to do more to prove it’s a good value.

We also talk about an attack on Cracker Barrel’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies by a pro-Trump legal group. It’s the first restaurant chain to become a target over DEI in Trump’s second term.

And we examine McDonald’s new beverage lineup, which has been adapted from the now-defunct CosMc’s. The drinks are colorful and on-trend, but will they muck up operations?

Then on Tech Check, Joe Guszkowski discusses the loyalty program boom and whether the programs are actually working.

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