Chipotle Mexican Grill on March 2 launched the Fajita Quesadilla as a digital-only menu item available through its app and website, according to a press release. The item began as a viral menu hack created by a pair of TikTok creators, Alexis Frost and Keith Lee, but posed a challenge for the chain’s restaurants as… read more

Lafayette Square, a Miami-based investment firm, has signed a $50 million deal to provide financing for Yum Brands franchisees from underrepresented groups, the companies announced. The financing program is called Franchise Fast Start. It’s designed to connect qualified franchisees from underrepresented groups with access to the funding needed for them to become multi-unit restaurant operators…. read more

Process Expo, the global food and equipment technology show, announced registration for its 2023 exposition is now open. The event will be held October 23 – 25, in the South Hall of the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. A series of new features are planned for the 2023 edition to enhance educational and… read more

NRA predicts job and tech growth in 2023 The foodservice industry is expected to generate $997 billion in sales and 500,000 new jobs by the end of 2023, according to the National Restaurant Association. The forecast was unveiled as part of the NRA’s 2023 State of the Restaurant Industry report, an annual publication that combines… read more

The restaurant chain builds demand by teasing the return of popular items and putting a time limit on current best-sellers. Two brand-new LTOs are also in test . . . . The cheesy quesadilla-burrito hybrid known as the Quesarito has an expiration date of April 19, but starting in a week, three other popular items… read more

In-N-Out’s Catering Channel Introduces Fries for the First Time For In-N-Out, catering isn’t new. The California-based quick-service restaurant brand has had 10 catering trucks — called Cookout Trucks — since 1974. But now, for the first time ever, one is serving up fries. This month, the chain will debut its newest truck named after co-founder… read more

How Christina Guidera built a forward-thinking business that marries baking and entrepreneurship . . . . As the founder and CEO of King Street Baking Co., Pastry Chef Christina Guidera is proud to have structured a baking company around women. Growing up in New Jersey, Guidera spent countless hours baking with her grandma, a “traditional… read more

El Pollo Loco Works to Hold Onto Younger, Budget-Pinched Customers El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. is working to hold onto a growing base of younger customers and economically pinched lower-income patrons, executives said Thursday. The Costa Mesa, Calif.-based fire-grilled chicken brand would continue to drive differentiation, said Larry Roberts, the brand CEO, on a fourth-quarter… read more