Intelligence download: 7-Eleven gets fresh
7-Eleven has hired Pizza Hut veteran Kelly Buckley to assemble a foodservice team that can go tong-to-tong with quick-service restaurant chains. In the meantime, she’s eying such possible menu additions as beer-infused brats, more salads, beef mini-tacos and two empanadas.
Project Pie plots a future without Papa
That’s Papa Murphy’s, which recently sold its stake in the fast-casual chain. Founder and CEO James Markham said the parting won’t deter his efforts to make the concept a standout in the crowded fast-casual-pizza derby.
Give entrepreneurs a trend and they'll try to exploit it. Present them with a groundswell like America's heightened interest in eating better, and you could incite a gold rush. Why, then, with weight loss emerging as a major and potentially permanent consumer anxiety, are there so few health-focused concepts in this year's newcomer roundup?