This week on the Extra Serving podcast, a product of Nation’s Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, and Bret Thorn discussed specialty beverages.
This week we talked about CosMc’s. The highly anticipated debut of McDonald’s new concept happened last week after McDonald’s investor day. The restaurant focuses on specialty beverages and is a drive-thru-only concept with its first location outside of Chicago. There are plans for nine more units in Texas over the next few months.
This brings us to our next item: specialty beverages. After the rise of brands like Dutch Bros and 7 Brews, restaurants big and small are seeing the demand for specialty beverages from consumers. In addition to CosMc’s, where McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said the brand has a “right to win” in specialty beverages, Taco Bell is also testing new specialty beverages. Do the big guys have a leg up?
Finally, the editors talked about Boston Market. The latest development in the brand’s saga is that the owner, Jay Pandya, has declared personal bankruptcy, which could spell a bankruptcy filing for the fast-casual restaurant.
This week’s interview is Matthew Rudofker, head of culinary for Local Kitchens.