Eatery Pulse Team 
White Castle has brought on the comfort foods, as it returns the Sloppy Joe Slider and Mac and Cheese Nibblers, and adds a new Smoky Joe Slider. Customers will be able to mix and match sliders in the burger and slider chain’s newly-released six-pack, which is priced at $6.
The Subway sandwich-shop chain named Chef Paul Fabre senior vice president of Culinary and Innovation. He joins Subway’s culinary and product development team, equipped with two decades of restaurant experience, as the QSR chain seeks to find its renaissance amid a national health crisis and on-and-off battles with franchisees over discounts.
Jamba partnered with Blendid for the first-ever co-branded kiosk, Jamba by Blendid. The robotic invention, located in the Dixon Walmart in California, features Blendid’s autonomous and contactless food platform operating with Jamba, a fast-casual chain of blended smoothies made from fruits and vegetables.
Hot pot chain The Dolar Shop opens its first Manhattan restaurant today in the East Village. The 3rd Avenue opening is the second among a potential four New York units of the Chinese-Macanese, one-person, hot pot chain that are arriving in the market. The 55-unit, global restaurant venture previously expanded to Sydney, Vancouver, Seattle, and Flushing, New York.
El Pollo Loco launched a redesign of its restaurants, aiming to take its off-premise business to the next level. The fire-grilled chicken chain has reimagined the layout, known as L.A. Mex, based on new consumer habits to create its restaurant of the future. Moving forward, the digital and contactless experience—of primary interest to consumers due to COVID-19—are front and center in the new prototypes.
November restaurant industry comp(arable) sales decreased 10.3 percent from last year. Comp traffic also dropped 16.3 percent, according to new data released by data-analytics firm Black Box Intelligence. Comp sales results are down nearly 3 percentage-points from October, when the industry posted a 7.5 percent decrease from last year. Starting with May’s sales results, each month had been sequentially better as 2020 progressed.
ezCater announced its partnership with Subway to grow the Footlongs chain’s off-premises business. By creating a catering platform on the ezCater marketplace, the QSR sandwich-shop chain will simplify large catering orders for its customers. It also increases Subway’s digital-ordering capabilities.
Boston Market expanded a variety of meal options for the 2020 holiday season. Whole Roasted Turkey, Spiral-Sliced Ham and Rotisserie Prime Rib make up the Heat & Serve meals collection. These come with sides, appetizers and pies, serving four to 12 people at about $10 per person. The 300-unit fast-casual restaurant chain also expanded catering, in-restaurant a-la-carte and home-delivery options, as well.
Performance Food Group (PFG) appointed Warren M. Thompson to the Board of Directors. He will serve as an independent director, expanding the PFG Board to a total of 11 directors. Thompson will join the PFG Audit and Technology Committees, effective immediately.
Dunkin’ debuted a new Sugarplum Macchiato beverage, inspired by holiday visions of sugarplums. The coffee chain will serve the new holiday drink hot or on ice.
