Bryan, TX

This week on Nation's Restaurant News the top story was Hooters closes dozens of restaurants. Hooters is the latest casual dining chain to close a significant number of locations amid a challenging operating environment where costs remain high and consumers become more discerning. Reports of abrupt closures in markets from Louisville, Kentucky, to Bryan, Texas, to Lakeland, Florida, began spreading Sunday evening. About 40 restaurants around the U.S. have been shuttered, according to local news reports.

Trending this week: Pizza Hut introduces Chicago-style tavern pies and eight new toppings

Pasadena, CA

Applebee’s just launched a new line of chicken sandwiches, and while the initial headline may have been that the casual dining chain is now a bigger part of an intensifying category, the real story is the fact that those chicken sandwiches are hand breaded. Sure, other chains use this...

Why Applebee’s is adding a new culinary capability every year

Miami, FL

Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream on Thursday was named the winner of Nation’s Restaurant News’ Dessert Showdown, which pitted seven emerging dessert chains against each other to compete for your votes. Chill-N Nitrogen is a 15-unit frozen dessert chain based in Miami, and it makes treats with the help...

Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream wins Nation’s Restaurant News’ Dessert Showdown

Clark County, WA

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Timothy A Gruver

Dentist Ellis B. Jardine of Clark County has been suspended for allegedly practicing outside the scope of his licenses and subpar care, the Washington State Department of Health reported on Friday.

Dentist Suspended for Subpar Care & Unlicensed Practices

This classic potato chip flavor is seeing new life in other applications. Although still most frequently seen on potatoes — baked ones and fries as well as chips — the salty-tangy combination is also suitable for other hearty vegetables as well as breads — there’s no reason not to offer salt-and-vinegar bagels or pita chips — and proteins.

The classic combination: Salt and vinegar

Beverages are highly profitable and operationally straightforward, and their sale is also usually incremental. Obviously they’re not always incremental: People go to many chains, such as Starbucks, Dunkin, and Sonic Drive-In just for the drinks. But all of those chains have new ones anyway, because you can’t rest on...

Menu Tracker: New items from Starbucks, Panera, Popeyes, and Sonic Drive-In

Missouri State

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CJ Coombs

The first time my family walked into a Ponderosa Steakhouse was in the late 1960s. It was new and the experience was great. Like other new restaurants, if the management doesn't stay on top, the quality of service can decline. The location we went to did change through the years, but in the beginning, it was great.

The 1960s: the Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses are still around in some states

Jacksonville, FL

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Jacksonville Today

Former teacher Jeffrey Clayton, convicted of lewd behavior with a student at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, walked briskly up to the Duval County Courthouse on Friday carrying a small backpack.

Former Douglas Anderson teacher sentenced to 10 years

Georgia State

Douglas City, CA

Daily Coffee Press

This afternoon, Kentaiwon Durham, the Douglas City Commissioner of Ward 2, entered a guilty plea for wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. Consequently, Durham is mandated to resign from his position as a city commissioner.

Georgia City Commissioner Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in $20K PPP Fraud Scheme

Coffee County, GA

Douglas, GA

A 49-year-old woman from Douglas was recently arrested for allegedly submitting a life insurance policy for her ex-husband without his knowledge. According to a Coffee County Sheriff’s Office incident report, detectives met with a man on May 7 at the Coffee County Law Enforcement Center concerning a reported case of insurance fraud.

Georgia woman charged for allegedly filing life insurance policy application on ex-husband

Camden County, GA

The Current GA

A white sheriff’s deputy in rural Southeast Georgia has responded to a federal lawsuit filed against him by the family of Leonard Cure, a wrongfully convicted Black man from metro Atlanta who he fatally shot during a traffic stop last year along Interstate 95 just north of the Georgia-Florida border.

Camden County deputy denies excessive force allegation in killing of exonerated Black man

Bryce Gruber

The color yellow is gorgeous, eye-catching, and downright happy for most people. So much so that it's the main hue in the world-famous happy face—but science says it's not the best color to wear on a date.

You Shouldn't Wear Yellow on First Dates, Here's Why

Tennessee State

Denver, CO

Snooze A.M. Eatery, the 70-unit daytime breakfast concept, is expanding its beverage program by offering a new “Juicery by Snooze” menu. The Denver, Colo.-based brand launched the new fresh juice program on Thursday, offering three beverages that include::. Super Greens with kale, cucumber, celery, ginger, apple, agave and...

Snooze expands beverage line with Juicery offering

Chicago Happenings

What is more summery than an icy, sweet frozen drink? If the heat wave is getting to you, try whipping up this simple frozen strawberry lemonade. All you need is your choice of lemonade and some frozen strawberries. You can use store-bought lemonade, make your own from scratch, or a powdered version. As for strawberries, frozen ones are the easiest choice. If you'd rather use fresh, add at least two cups of ice until you reach a nice, frozen consistency.

2-Ingredient Frozen Strawberry Lemonade: Beat the Heat!

Saint Johns County, FL

Hastings, FL

Eight people have been arrested on drug charges stemming from an undercover investigation at a convenience store in Hastings, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

8 arrested in Hastings drug and gambling bust

Nashville, TN

Nation’s Restaurant News is excited to host its second-annual Investment Summit this Oct. 8-9 in Nashville. The event, which leads into CREATE: The Event for Emerging Restaurateurs (Oct. 9-11), gives founders and leaders of emerging restaurant concepts the opportunity to learn from and network with members of the investment community.

Investment Summit keynoter Maria Rivera on how she’s growing Smalls Sliders

Before the rise of on-demand delivery, dining out and grocery shopping were two separate consumption occasions. In fact, the difference between how much Americans spend on groceries vs. restaurants is often noted as an economic health indicator by data scientists. However, as on-demand delivery culture has been standardized over the last several years, consumers want to make grocery and restaurant purchases simultaneously. Delivery services are becoming keenly aware of this growing need, so they have begun offering more retail purchasing options alongside restaurant delivery.

How on-demand delivery has blurred the lines between foodservice and retail

The Lens

For decades, Angola has forced prisoners to work in fields in extreme heat. Today, they urged a federal judge to halt the practice. Prisoners filed an emergency motion about working in the summer heat, as part of a proposed class-action lawsuit to end the “Farm Line” — forced agricultural labor at the prison, for little or no pay.

Angola prisoners ask to end field work in worst heat

Virginia State

Margaret Minnicks

Many new laws become effective in Virginia on July 1, 2024. However, a law has always existed in Virginia, but some residents might not be aware of it. According to WSET, leaving grass clippings and other debris on Virginia roads is illegal.

It is illegal to leave grass clippings and other debris on roads in Virginia

New Jersey State

Although the coffee sector is one of the hottest areas of foodservice these days, up-and-coming concept Bad Ass Coffee is going against the grain of most of its bigger competitors. While Starbucks, Dunkin’, and Dutch Bros are largely focused on convenience, Hawaii-based Bad Ass Coffee is targeting the “sip and savor crowd.” As an emerging brand at 31 locations and counting, Bad Ass Coffee recently hired Ivy Hanks (formerly of Tropical Smoothie Cafe) as director of franchise marketing and Eleanor Schwartz (formerly of Caribou Coffee) as director of brand engagement to bring Bad Ass Coffee to the next phase of growth and name recognition.

How two new hires at Bad Ass Coffee are putting the burgeoning brand on the map

NewsBreak

Carl’s Jr. launches two for $6 deal

Carl’s Jr. has launched a $6 value meal a day before McDonald’s own $5 Meal Deal is slated to go into effect. Carl’s 2 for $6...

Carl’s Jr. launches two for $6 deal

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