Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

New York

Managing Editor at Restaurant Hospitality

Managing Editor at Supermarket News

Managing Editor at Nation's Restaurant News

Managing editor @NRNonline, @RH_restaurant, @SN_news, @foodmanagement. Proud @ASU alumna. she/her

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Articles

Taco Bell nuggets, off-premises popularity, Jollibee growth

6 days ago | nrn.com | Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Get all the headlines in today's Restaurant Daily podcastTaco Bell is bringing back its popular Crispy Chicken Nuggets, which debuted in December and sold out in less than a week. Keep your eye on Jollibee. Last year, Jollibee grew to more than 100 locations, while sales jumped by nearly 17%. Olympic track and field champion Gabby Thomas shared advice at the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix on Tuesday, drawing parallels between the restaurant industry and her sport.
Olympic champion Gabby Thomas draws parallels between restaurant industry, track and field

1 week ago | nrn.com | Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Olympic track-and-field champion Gabby Thomas on Tuesday shared advice and inspiration at the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix. “When you’re genuinely leading with passion it’s so worth it and so much fun,” Thomas said of pursuing and balancing a variety of passions, as so many restaurateurs do.
Chili’s CEO, Burger King franchisee bankruptcy, Scooter’s Coffee rewards

1 week ago | nrn.com | Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Kevin Hochman on Tuesday accepted the Restaurant Leader of the Year award at the Restaurant Leadership Conference. But the Chili’s CEO said that while he’s the face of the casual-dining brand and its recent turnaround, much of the credit goes to his colleagues in marketing, operations and other areas. In other Chili’s news … The casual-dining chain is not letting up on its head-on competition with fast food. The company announced it’s adding the Big QP burger to its 3 For Me menu.
Burger King CMO, Starbucks dress code, consumer confidence

1 week ago | nrn.com | Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Burger King has named Joel Yashinsky as chief marketing officer for the United States and Canada. Yashinsky succeeds Pat O’Toole as CMO for the United States and Canada. Starbucks will as of May 12 be modifying its dress code for all North American stores. The company said the new dress code will enhance the green apron as a symbol for the coffee maker. Consumer confidence fell off a cliff in April.
Teen restaurant faves, Portillo’s breakfast, Pacesetter Award

1 week ago | nrn.com | Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Teenagers still very much prefer Starbucks for their coffee and beverage needs, though the percentage of these consumers indicating as much fell by six points from the fall. This is according to Piper Sandler’s latest Taking Stock with Teens Survey. Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s remain their top two favorites, respectively. Portillo’s is partnering with Chicago brands Stan's Donuts and Metropolis Coffee in a five-store breakfast test in the Chicago area that starts April 15.
Lowered restaurant sales projections, Sizzling Platter buyer, March inflation

1 week ago | nrn.com | Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Technomic has lowered its projections for restaurant sales this year. The data firm, a sister company of Restaurant Business and Nation’s Restaurant News, expects sales to increase from a range of 2.8% to 4.2% in 2025, citing early-year sales issues related to weather and economic challenges. It seems the mega-franchise group Sizzling Platter has a buyer.
Tariff pause, Subway CMO, McDonald’s lemonade

1 week ago | nrn.com | Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

President Trump paused most of his “reciprocal” tariffs on Wednesday, but not all of them. Trump announced on a social media post that he has authorized a 90-day pause of a broad set of tariffs instituted last week. Subway has a new chief marketing officer. The sandwich giant named Greg Lyons its new global chief marketing officer. He comes to the company from Pepsico Beverages North America, where he’d been CMO. McDonald’s has made an upgrade to its lemonade.
For Erika Cospy Carr, A lifelong goal to make change

2 weeks ago | nrn.com | Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Erika Cospy Carr may be relatively new to her role in the restaurant industry — she’s been leading the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance since January — but her background shows that she’s always been committed to service and her impact is undeniable, especially as the industry navigates a changing DEI landscape. “I believe the landscape for women in the workforce is different than when I first started out, although not necessarily easier,” Carr said in an email.
Biglari-El Pollo Loco, Dave & Buster’s ‘mistakes,’ Smalls Sliders CEO

2 weeks ago | nrn.com | Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Sardar Biglari wants a chicken chain. The chairman of Steak n Shake owner Biglari Holdings has made an offer to buy El Pollo Loco, according to federal securities filings on Monday. Dave & Buster’s is working its way through “mistakes” of past management. That is according to Kevin Sheehan, the food-and-games chain’s interim CEO. Smalls Sliders has a new CEO. Charles Watson, the former CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, has taken the helm of the fast-casual slider chain.
IHOP menu, first-party ordering, caffeine safety

2 weeks ago | nrn.com | Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

As it strives to turn around four consecutive quarters of same-store sales declines, IHOP is shifting its focus to simplicity, reducing SKUs and food preparation complexities. As part of this shift, under new president Lawrence Kim, the chain’s Pancake of the Month promotion will now be a “Pancake of the Moment,” promotion, with product launches bimonthly instead of monthly. First-party ordering is gaining momentum at restaurants.