Competitor News

Krispy Kreme is automating its production process as the company is looking to improve its financial position with a new hub and spoke production model, Additionally, the company has begun testing new technology in its shops that would cut back on repetitive labor, and expects to automate about 18% of its total doughnut production over…

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Competitor News

Tim Horton’s has been in the news over the past several weeks for a number of reasons. First, the Canadian coffee chain announced a few weeks ago that it was introducing flatbread pizzas as a new limited time offer at about 20 locations in the Toronto market. They followed that up by announcing the brand’s…

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Competitor News

Major executive changes continue at Starbucks as COO John Culver announced he will be leaving the Seattle firm effective October 3. His departure comes in the wake of CEO Kevin Johnson retiring in April, General Counsel Rachel Gonzalez leaving in May and North American President Rossann Williams leaving in June. Culver has been with Starbucks…

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Competitor News

Panera announced last month that it was introducing a new drink cup with a base that pops off and can be used as a charging base for a cell phone. The launch ties in with new Charged Lemonade drinks introduced earlier in the spring that are made with plant-based caffeine. They are part of the…

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Competitor News

Aside from its ongoing union problems, there’s more news coming out of Starbucks of late. Of course, with the recent resignation of CEO Kevin Johnson, founder and former CEO Howard Schultz officially took the helm again this week and jumped right into the fray. He hosted a town-hall style open forum for employees at which…

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Competitor News

Starbucks announced this week that it had opened a co-branded store with Amazon Go without any checkout process. The New York City location features Starbucks’ full menu, a variety of food and beverages in the Amazon Go market, and a lounge with workspaces, expanded tables, power outlets, and USB ports. We also noted recently that Panera…

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Competitor News

Krispy Kreme may be going public again, after being privately held by JAB Holdings since it acquired the Winston-Salem based chain out of bankruptcy just about five years ago. Krispy Kreme officials acknowledged earlier this week that it had confidentially filed a draft initial public offering (IPO) with U.S. regulators. The IPO still must be…

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From the Executive Director: Striking Out Cheaters

Before the coronavirus worsened and jeopardized the 2020 baseball season, there was much discussion about the Houston Astros and the sign-stealing scandal that may have fueled their 2017 World Series Championship. Since the scandal broke, a number of people have lost their jobs, including the Astros manager and general manager, as well as the manager…

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Independent Joe #60 February/March 2020

Before the coronavirus worsened and jeopardized the 2020 baseball season, there was much discussion about the Houston Astros and the sign-stealing scandal that may have fueled their 2017 World Series Championship. Since the scandal broke, a number of people have lost their jobs, including the Astros manager and general manager, as well as the manager…

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Competitor News

In its Q4 earnings call with investors just over one week ago, Restaurant Brands International (RBI) CEO Jose Cil confessed that earnings from the Tim Horton Brand had dragged overall results for RBI. The Canadian coffee and donuts chain saw comparable store sales drop 4.3% in the fourth quarter while system-wide sales growth dropped almost…

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