Jonathan Maze

The pizza chain is reducing how much customers need to spend to earn points and will let customers earn points earlier. It is the latest fast-food company to upgrade its loyalty program, which has become a key marketing tool.

Jay Pandya took over Corner Bakery during the pandemic in 2020. He demanded tough cost cuts, and refused to pay bills. Employees left in droves. Workers were locked out of stores. And the company’s lender accused him of using the company as a “piggy bank.”

Nearly 40% of the chain’s locations are taking the company to arbitration in a bid to get out of their franchise agreement, saying they’re losing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The burger giant is ditching self-serve soft drinks by 2032 to “create a consistent experience” across its different ordering channels.

Jay Pandya has long portrayed himself as a “business tycoon,” with restaurant and real estate holdings along the East Coast, before he bought Boston Market and Corner Bakery. But that history is filled with lawsuits, unpaid bills and allegations that he bilked investors.

The Bottom Line: The burger chain kicked off the plant-based, fast-food trend with the introduction of the menu item five years ago. While the trend has slowed at quick-service concepts, that doesn’t make the move any less important.