Ahead of April Fool’s Day, chains have been releasing menu items that may be real. This is a tradition in the restaurant industry where brands promote various menu items that seem outlandish in the hopes that they will drive customers to their...

The industry is responding to more discerning consumers and scrambling for top-of-mind awareness.

Washington, D.C.-based company &pizza is known for being an unconventional brand, from its oblong pies with quirky toppings, to its texting-only “Pizza Plug” hotline and political messaging. Although the emerging brand was once a significant...