The Nation Restaurant News' top story this week was that the Florida Senate passed a bill that protects restaurants and consumers from third-party delivery services. Last week, the Florida Senate passed a bill to regulate third-party food delivery apps, aimed at increasing consumer and business protections for companies like DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats, among others. The bill then heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk for final approval.
In other news, Panera Bread announced its “biggest menu transformation ever,” including nine new items, revised recipes and portion sizes, and 20 total menu updates. The new menu includes sandwiches such as the Toasted His Italiano Sandwich with Black Forest Ham, Soppressata and Provolone. There are also salads like the Southwest Chicken Ranch with romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, ranch dressing and chipotle aioli. Panera Chief Operating Officer Debbie Roberts called the menu overhaul the start of what the company calls a “new era for Panera.” [its] “Roots” was ranked in the salad and sandwich category.
El Pollo Loco Holdings is also investing in technology for kiosks and kitchen equipment to offset increased labor costs as California prepares to raise quick-service wages to $20 an hour on April 1. Brand executives said they are paying attention.
Click through the gallery to see what else is trending on NRN.com.
