June Restaurant Industry News Roundup

July 2, 2021

Industry News, QSR Blog, Restaurant Management

We have reached the seventh level of the game! June flew past us with a buffet of news bites, from the tumultuous end of the restaurant revitalization fund to celebrations involving one of our favorite restaurant philanthropists. For our June Restaurant Industry News Roundup, our focus is both international and full of domestic flavors. Before we jump in, raise your hand if you expected another installment of the chicken sandwich war. We didn’t, but that just shows you that you have to stay tuned in to stay ahead. Join us as we do just that.

The Cost of Counting Calories

Amidst plans to show menu item calorie content, restaurants are pushing for these plans to be delayed as the entire sector recovers from the effects of the pandemic. The primary concern is that the additional operational costs necessary are going to hit struggling restaurants harder. The plans are part of the government’s efforts to mitigate obesity, which is a common and preventable malady that impacts many.

Some restaurants are supportive of this initiative but believe that the new rules should only apply to larger businesses in the sector. According to Mowgli Steet Food’s founder Nisha Katona, “Personally, I can see the value in it, and it’s something my business will manage to do – but it’ll see the end of small restaurants if they’re ever compelled to do it.”

Generally, the cost of these changes is heavy on some operators’ minds, specifically concerning different business models, especially restaurant operations that don’t employ digital signage. For instance, with The Pig hotels and restaurants, the proposed rules would be costly because the menus change daily. “What people eat, and drink is down to them. We should all be taking responsibility for ourselves,” says Robin Hutson, chairman of The Pig hotels and restaurants.

Fortunately, the Department for Health has pledged to “work with businesses and local authorities to ensure the out-of-home calorie labeling regulations are implemented as smoothly as possible” considering the impact of COVID-19. Check with your local government to see when this might apply to you and what you can do if it does.

Pride Month Pettiness

The saga of the chicken sandwich war continues, but Burger King is bringing an extra side of petty. The company announced that it would donate 40 cents to the Human Rights Campaign for every Ch’King chicken sandwich it sold in June. They took a dig at competitor Chick-fil-A, by clarifying that the donations would count “even on Sundays.” Without getting too in-depth into the history of the outwardly Christian Chick-fil-A, they’ve since tried to distance themselves from their stance on the LGBT community, by ceasing donations to the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Burger King is yet another restaurant wanting a bite out of the chicken sandwich war. Ever since Popeye’s debuted their chicken sandwich in 2019, the quick-serve segment has seen Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Zaxby’s, and more enter the arena with their sandwiches. Burger King launched their chicken sandwich in February, which is served on a potato bun. Have you tried any of the chicken sandwiches?

The Beyhive v. Trick Daddy 2021

As we wind down our June Restaurant Industry News Roundup, we end with some rather interesting pop culture news. For some reason, rapper Trick Daddy felt compelled to share his thoughts about the inimitable Beyoncé. The emcee made the claim that Beyoncé “couldn’t sing,” which was met with much derision from the beyhive. C’mon, Trick Daddy.

As soon as the story leaked to the public, the beyhive swarmed to Yelp to review his Miami restaurant, Sunday’s Eatery. Beyoncé fans flooded Yelp with negative comments, and eventually, Yelp had to disable comments on the restaurant’s page citing “unusual activities.” Yelp stated that it wanted to ensure that the posts are truly related to experiences at the restaurant and not recent news. In a recent radio interview, the artist explained his comments as simply sharing “his opinion.”