Financing

Why PJ's Coffee cut hundreds of food items from its menu

A Deeper Dive: David Mesa, president of the New Orleans-based coffee shop chain, joins the restaurant finance podcast to discuss the state of beverage restaurants and its menu optimization.

Why did PJ’s Coffee dramatically cut back on its menu items?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features David Mesa, the president of PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans. 

PJ’s has 200 locations and is growing at a healthy clip. Mesa joins the podcast to talk about the company’s rebranding.

PJ’s is leaning into its New Orleans heritage with that rebranding, including its menu. Mesa provides the details but here’s one interesting nugget: The company dramatically pared down the number of food items from “hundreds” to 18. 

We talk about a wide range of other issues, including the state of the beverage sector, which is growing at a very rapid clip. We talk about how PJ’s fits.

We also talk about development and the barriers to growth PJ’s is experiencing, including interest rates and competition.

We’re talking coffee and beignets on A Deeper Dive so please check it out. 

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Dutch Bros paid a premium for Salad and Go's leftovers

The Bottom Line: The drive-thru beverage chain is paying more than $100 million to get its hands on up to 65 closed locations of the drive-thru salad chain. That’s a surprisingly successful deal for a bankrupt company.

Workforce

Immigration legislation is piling up at state and federal levels

Government Watch: From the state-sponsored Visa pilot program to the Dignity Act, competing bills could reshape the labor pool for uncertain operators.

Consumer Trends

Did the consumer kill Salad and Go?

Guest Check: The drive-thru salad chain closed all remaining locations this week and filed for bankruptcy. Is it because we didn’t love it enough?

Trending

More from our partners