The top story on NRN.com this week was that Sonic Drive-In is teaming up with the X Games to host an extreme sports competition at the end of June, with the quick-service restaurant chain set to set up a race course and tasting area at the event.
It was another week of tough economic news for the restaurant industry. BurgerFi announced it was “considering strategic alternatives” as the fast-casual chain falls far behind its competitors. The company has entered into a forbearance agreement with its lenders and is undergoing a “strategic review process” to ensure a stable financial future. Meanwhile, fellow fast-casual chain Rubio’s abruptly closed about 50 locations in California before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection days later. The company said the decision to close 48 locations was driven in part by rising costs of doing business in California.
Of course, there was menu news this week, too: Taco Bell announced it would be rolling out the Cheez-It Crunchwrap nationwide. The chain tested the item, along with the Cheez-It Tostada, for the first time in 2022, and they became the most popular test items of the year. And last week’s Menu Tracker featured new items from 21 chains.
Click through the gallery to see all these stories and more, including the new CEO of a startup taco chain and new global CEO of Jose Andrés.
