Kat B
@dedkatbouns
Followers
619
Following
10K
Statuses
5K
Restaurant Maven | Opened 400+ locations across the U.S., UK, and more, still counting. Taking dining trends seriously, but not much else. On the lash.
Joined November 2017
Restaurant recovery remains elusive. With neither full nor limited service seeing consistent year-over-year traffic growth since 2019 (aside from 2021’s rebound). Late-night day part traffic is the lone rose among the thorns for QSR.
2
1
18
If you grew up in Seattle, you’ve spent a late night at Beth’s. It’s not just bird flu driving prices up. In 2024, Washington required all eggs sold to be cage-free. Beth’s egg costs jumped from 9 cents to 27 cents each ($40 per case). Now, they’re paying $80–$150 per case, depending on the week.
3
3
17
Bob’s Red Mill is closing its Milwaukie retail store and café after 22 years. Both operations have experienced losses for several years, Trey Winthrop said, and running a retail space and a restaurant is a very different entity. It requires a much different level of expertise.
0
0
8
RT @m3_melody: Sat down with my colleagues @KennyCap_Phd and @MrAwsumb to deep dive into yesterday's NFP report, the general state of hous…
0
22
0
RT @FCNightingale: Federal Reserve 2025 stress test scenario Unemployment rate rises to 10% Severe market volatility Widening of corpor…
0
40
0
Since Jan 1, 21 states raised minimum wages, and we’ve seen health care and benefits costs rising in double digits for 2025 plans. The last time most major players raised prices was in Q3/Q4 2023 and then froze them to protect traffic. With rising food and labor costs, further hikes are inevitable.
Anyone else seeing food prices rise? Seeing the trend again at restaurants.
0
1
12
Restaurants shed 15,700 jobs in January, with industry employment adjusted down by 100,000. Post-pandemic hiring slows as labor costs rise, tech investments increase, and sales remain weak. Average hourly earnings in hospitality rose 3.6% to $19.91.
0
2
15
Seattle’s $20.76/hour minimum wage and soaring costs force restaurants to adapt. Geraldine’s Counter faces $140 per case of eggs, triple last year. Anchovies & Salt saves $27K-$30K/month with six robot servers.
2
0
10
Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, headquartered in Australia, will close 205 unprofitable stores globally, including 172 in Japan. The closures are expected to save AUD 15.5M (JPY 1.5B) annually as the company shifts focus to profitable markets.
1
0
10
Open Restaurant Group halts UK expansion, citing £166K in new taxes eating 70% of profits. CEO Sam Morgan shifts focus to UAE, where lower taxes and VAT offer better returns. “The UK hospitality sector is stifled for growth and investment,” he warns.
0
3
12
Marks & Spencer braces for a £40M annual hit from new packaging levies starting in October, part of the UK’s £2B Extended Producer Responsibility scheme. The tax aims to fund local recycling efforts but adds to the growing burden of £5B in wage and national insurance hikes.
0
0
6
Singapore’s F&B sector faced a brutal year in 2024 with over 3,300 closures, the highest in nearly two decades. Rising costs and an unforgiving market have even forced Michelin-starred spots to shut their doors.
0
0
8
Unico Properties faces foreclosure on The Lovejoy building in Portland’s Pearl District after defaulting on a $24M loan. The building’s value has dropped 56% since 2014.
0
2
13
Legacy casual dining brands are fighting an uphill battle for survival. The gap between them and their peers is widening, with traffic at legacy brands dropping 27.2% over the last five years, compared to a 16.2% decline for others. Sales growth for legacy brands reached just 4.2%, falling short of the 7.5% seen in other casual dining chains. The mounting pressure to innovate is clear…
1
0
11
Tony Moralejo is stepping down as Applebee’s president effective March 4. He took on the role in January 2023. The announcement comes on the heels of Dine Brands’ recent layoffs and Applebee’s efforts to recover from declining same-store sales.
Dine Brands, parent of Applebee’s and IHOP, cuts 9% of corporate staff. Applebee’s has seen 6 consecutive quarters of sales declines.
1
0
11
@cherrygarciafan @JackMonero Got to meet & eat at my opening in Leicester Square with Simon Le Bon and John Taylor. My 80s heart melted. Good tune selection 🔥❤️
1
0
2
Starbucks wants you to raise your goblets of rock…. espresso… and gather your army of sharpies with their new AC/DC Ad for Super Bowl Sunday.⚡️
1
2
14
Big changes at Seattle’s iconic Canlis. Executive chef Aisha Ibrahim and sous chef Samantha Beaird are leaving in April to start their own restaurant. Co-owner Brian Canlis is heading to Nashville to work with Will Guidara, probably the industry’s premier thinker on hospitality (and yes, a key inspiration for The Bear.)
0
0
11
UK Hospitality operators are bracing for impact ahead of April’s tax hike. “It’s no longer a cost of living crisis; it’s a tax crisis.” Independents are scrapping expansion plans, cutting staff, and warning of a future where only chains survive.
0
0
6