Identifying key brand ingredients. More third-party delivery news. Plus, consumer confidence takes a dip. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

In the foodservice industry, the term "brand" gets tossed about pretty loosely. In some instances, it refers to a specific company, usually a restaurant. Sometimes the brand refers to a logo or a specific product. These interpretations of a brand are pretty narrow.

What most fail to realize is that from the customer’s perspective, the brand is not any one of those elements. Rather, a brand is the sum of all those elements and more. A brand consists of not only what products or services a company provides but also how it provides it. When combined correctly, those elements create something even more valuable: brand loyalty.

Most importantly, though, brands are unique. The best companies “become more like themselves and less like other brands,” said Matthew Mabel of Texas-based consulting firm Surrender in a blog post. “Restaurants succeed by being different than their competition and telling their story to the guests, lapsed users, and non-users.”

In encouraging foodservice industry leaders to think critically about their brands, Mabel added, “You must make moves that support the branding work you have built your whole life, whether you have known it or not.”

As Gen Z’s influence continues to expand in the foodservice industry, the importance of cultivating consistent and authentic brand experiences will only grow in importance, as an article from The Food Institute points out.

Foodservice News

• An AI-driven robot has debuted in a Georgia Walmart’s restaurant, per Progressive Grocer. The robot serves customers a range of coffees, milk teas and fruit tea drinks. This restaurant was opened in collaboration with Ghost Kitchens America.
• Taco Bell is making a run for the border. Actually, it’s making a run for multiple borders. Parent company Yum Brands views Taco Bell as ready to really emerge on the global stage and plans to triple its international unit count by 2030, per a Restaurant Business story. The chain operates just 1,100 units outside the U.S. at the moment. Taco Bell is working with some large operating partners outside of the U.S. that have the ability to open more than 100 units in their markets.
• A new Dallas steakhouse is offering a uniquely comprehensive experience. The brainchild of multiconcept operators Reach Hospitality, EVELYN is a high-end, 9,500-square-foot facility featuring an intimate dining room, a main bar area and a lounge that will function as a late-night area with a “high-energy ‘70s and ‘80s dance floor vibe, per this story from Dallas Innovates. EVELYN will feature a full dinner menu as well as a late-night menu. Also available is a $150 martini, which includes black truffle bitters and caviar-stuffed olives.
• While many concepts look to trim their menus, The Cheesecake Factory is going in another direction. Many concepts across a variety of segments are looking at their menus in search of ways to streamline their offerings in an attempt to lower operating costs. And for its part, The Cheesecake Factory did eliminate 13 menu items, as this Nation’s Restaurant News story notes. But the chain, known for its massive menus, countered that by adding 22 new items.
• Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is the latest casual dining chain to test third-party delivery. Parent company Darden expanded its partnership with Uber Eats to include a test drive of delivery at 10 Cheddar’s locations. Customers order through the chain’s website and app, while Uber Direct handles the delivery. If all goes well, the chain will roll out this option to all 182 locations, per a Restaurant Dive story.
• The latest feature of third-party delivery: buy now, pay later. DoorDash is partnering with a financial company to allow customers to buy their food and schedule four interest-free payments, per a CNN story. Normally, buy now, pay later services are reserved for larger purchases, like furniture. For that reason, this development has some observers wondering what it says about the overall state of the U.S. economy.

Economic News

• Consumer confidence dipped considerably in March, per data from The Conference Board. The organization’s Consumer Confidence Index fell by 7.2 points in March for a reading of 92.9. Analysts had expected the index to come in at 94.5, per an Associated Press article. The Present Situation Index declined 3.6 points for a reading of 134.5 The Expectations Index declined 9.6 points for a reading of 65.2, its lowest level in 12 years. “Consumers' expectations were especially gloomy, with pessimism about future business conditions deepening and confidence about future employment prospects falling to a 12-year low,” said Stephanie Guichard, senior economist, global indicators at The Conference Board. “Meanwhile, consumers' optimism about future income — which had held up quite strongly in the past few months—largely vanished, suggesting worries about the economy and labor market have started to spread into consumers' assessments of their personal situations.”
• The Conference Board Leading Economic Index declined 0.3% in February. This follows a 0.2% January decline. Half of the study’s components declined in February, which led to its overall decline.
• Sales of new single-family homes increased 1.8% in February compared to the previous month, per data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is also 5.1% greater than February 2024.
• Sales of existing homes increased 4.2% in February on a month-over-month basis, per data from the National Association of Realtors. Compared to February of 2024, existing home sales declined by 1.2%. The 4.26 million units sold for the month was greater than the 3.95 million units analysts had projected, per a Reuters story via Yahoo! Finance. “Home buyers are slowly entering the market. Mortgage rates have not changed much, but more inventory and choices are releasing pent-up housing demand,” per Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist.
• Initial jobless claims grew by 2,000, resulting in a total of 223,000 for the week ending March 15, 2025, per the U.S. Department of Labor. The 4-week moving average was 227,000, an increase of 750 from the previous week.