Photograph courtesy of Taco Cabana
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As summer wraps up, fall menu launches speed up
Taste tracker: Shake Shack partners with chef Dominique Crenn; bacon and cheddar team up at Wendy’s and Schlotzsky’s; nachos and tacos trend at El Pollo Loco, Torchy’s and Taco Cabana; Dutch Bros. and Bennigan’s tout new drinks; and sweet treats get seasMultimedia
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Operations
Hitting resistance elsewhere, ghost kitchens and virtual concepts find a happy home in family dining
Reality Check: Old-guard chains are finding the alternative operations to be persistently effective side hustles.
Financing
The Tijuana Flats bankruptcy highlights the dangers of menu miscues
The Bottom Line: The fast-casual chain’s problems following new menu debuts in 2021 and 2022 show that adding new items isn’t always the right idea.
Financing
For Papa Johns, the CEO departure came at the wrong time
The Bottom Line: The pizza chain worked to convince franchisees to buy into a massive marketing shift. And then the brand’s CEO left.