A Southern California institution is taking its pricey lattes across the pond. Urth Caffé — the celeb-friendly cafe chain that grew from modest origins to a SoCal staple — revealed it will open an outpost in London’s Covent Garden in early 2027. “London is calling…and Urth Caffé has answered,” the company announced on Instagram — calling … Read more
Members-only clubs meet fitness. As wellness experiences replace traditional social gatherings in a growing movement called “daylife,” gyms and fitness studios are leaning into the moment and blending the two. And one wellness mecca is continuing to blur the line between going out and working out with the launch of an exclusive social club that … Read more
Merchandise from a regional grocery store chain with locations across the Midwest and South has become a hot commodity. Nicola Miller, of Suffolk, England, will detour as much as 50 miles to visit a Piggly Wiggly when she’s in America, hoping to add another T-shirt featuring the iconic, cheerful Mr. Pig to her collection, Food & Drink reported. … Read more
Bahama Breeze is about to blow away for good. Earlier this year, parent company — Darden Restaurants — announced all Bahama Breeze locations would close down for good, sailing away after 30 years. The Orlando-based chain revealed 14 of its restaurants would shut down while 28 would be converted into other Darden brand eateries (Olive … Read more
They’re flying the coop. Classic American fried chicken chain KFC has permanently closed a total of 44 restaurants across California from July 2025 to July 2026, according to a new analysis from search visibility platform Local Falcon. The chain closed 312 restaurants nationwide in the same period, representing a 7.6% loss in the chain’s national … Read more
Your wings are going digital. Another Wingstop location supposedly just took cash off its menu as the chain pushes for cashless stores — and customers are outraged over it. The move toward contactless payment started in 2022, when Wingstop rolled out its first “restaurant of the future.” The prototype was in Dallas, Texas and smaller … Read more
Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright said Wednesday the fast-casual chain is seeing improvement in customers’ perceptions of affordability. Speaking on Chipotle’s second-quarter earnings call, Boatwright said the company’s brand tracking showed improved perceptions of value across “all income groups and age cohorts.” “As it relates to value, I’m happy to report our brand tracker showed really solid progress across all … Read more
Cracker Barrel is selling restaurant properties and exiting its Maple Street Biscuit Company business as it works to cut debt and improve profits. The Southern country-themed chain said Monday it sold the Maple Street brand and assets tied to 35 locations to Biscuit Belly LLC. Cracker Barrel will close the remaining 16 Maple Street restaurants. … Read more
They’re hot to tot. When one pictures the best fast food fries in the US, they might imagine McDonald’s or another multinational burger chain. However, the nation’s tastiest potato sticks are allegedly served at — wait for it — homegrown California Tex-Mex chain Del Taco, at least according to USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards … Read more
A fast food chain with a rabid fan base is finally coming to downtown San Francisco after an excruciating six-year wait thanks to red tape and bureaucracy. Jollibee, a Filipino fried chicken chain that was crowned at one point the best fast food fried chicken seller in the nation, will open its doors in the … Read more
The days of polishing off a towering burger with endless steak fries at your neighborhood Red Robin may soon be numbered. Another location has bitten the dust as the 57-year-old burger chain presses ahead with a restructuring plan that could shutter up to 50 locations nationwide, as per TheStreet. Its latest casualty is the longtime … Read more
Are you ready for Freddy? California burger lovers are getting a taste of the Midwest, with Wichita staple Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers announcing its expansion on the West Coast as dozens of new locations are set to pop up across the Golden State. The popular fast-casual chain, known for its fresh never-frozen beef, small-batch … Read more
It’s dough-ver for another pizza icon. A Papa Murphy’s franchisor has announced that up to 50 locations will close down after a performance review of the company’s lagging brands. The Canadian franchisor and operator, MTY Group, said in an earnings call that 45 to 50 Papa Murphy’s spots will shut in the next six to … Read more
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta plans to design its own artificial intelligence chips in-house starting in September – part of an industry-wide effort by the biggest names in AI to start making their own chips amid ongoing high demand. Zuck’s initiative, known internally as “Iris,” centers on developing custom silicon to supercharge the AI systems behind Facebook … Read more
New Yorkers are about to see another long line. For the first time ever, the South African-born chain Nando’s will set foot in the Big Apple. And our friends from across the pond are calling it an answer to a prayer. Wildly popular in the UK, the Empire State will officially get a taste of … Read more
America’s favorite fast-food chicken chain has been knocked from the top spot in a closely watched customer satisfaction ranking. Chick-fil-A, which topped the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) in 2025, fell to second place this year. Jersey Mike’s claimed first place, with an ACSI score of 84 out of 100, edging Chick-fil-A’s 83. The shift marks … Read more
Another grocery giant is following in Walmart’s footsteps, hitting shoppers where it hurts — their wallets. Walmart recently found another way to nickel-and-dime shoppers before they even get to the checkout, as back in December, the retail giant revealed it would add dynamic pricing to its store shelves. Also known as surge pricing, the controversial … Read more
Say adiós to an old favorite. After a year of bad business, a popular Tex-Mex chain is calling it quits. On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, known for slinging a variety of fajitas and a massive selection of margaritas, announced that it has closed all of its company-owned restaurants. An On The Border location … Read more
It seems like Kroger is adding a little fuel to the summer fire. The grocery giant has announced a warm-weather promotion that lets shoppers save up to $35 on their next gas fill-up, turning trips to the supermarket into rewards and fuel-saving hacks. The summer series, which runs Fridays from now through July 24, is … Read more
Burger King is adding fuel to the fast-food fire with a hot new summer menu item. Its new Loaded Jalapeño Whopper promises plenty of heat, but some burger lovers say the chain’s latest creation is little more than a spicy copy of a Wendy’s sandwich. Earlier this week, Burger King announced three seasonal food additions, … Read more