How Covid helped Olive Garden and Chipotle dominate the restaurant business
CNN
Restaurants of all sizes have had a difficult few years — but chains are coming out on top.
Several new challenges have made running restaurants and (working in them) even harder than usual, including pandemic restrictions, staffing challenges, supply chain disruptions and increasing costs. About 90,000 US restaurants have temporarily or permanently closed their doors because of the pandemic, according to The National Restaurant Association.
Big chains, even vulnerable ones like casual dining establishments, have fared a lot better than small restaurants and independents, thanks in large part to easier access to cash and the ability to lean on parent companies to lead the way on strategic shifts. In 2021, the top 500 restaurant chains accounted for 63% of total US restaurant sales, up from 58% in 2019, according to restaurant consulting firm Technomic.
A federal three-judge panel on Wednesday allowed California to use a new voter-approved US House map that is designed to boost Democrats in the 2026 midterms.
Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, arrives in Washington this week for high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump on the future of Venezuela following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro. The meeting comes after Trump surprised many by allowing Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control, dashing opposition hopes for a new democratic era.
A judge decided not to issue a temporary restraining order after Minnesota and the Twin Cities sued federal officials, claiming their immigration enforcement operation involves warrantless arrests and excessive force.
After an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis one week ago, reactions on social media and among politicians and political influencers rapidly polarized.
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The United States is indefinitely suspending immigrant visa processing from 75 countries in another expansion of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
The US announced the start of the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan on Wednesday as a new committee was formed to run the battered enclave.
Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin said Wednesday that US Attorney Jeanine Pirro wants a formal interview with her following her involvement in a controversial video urging service members and intelligence officials to disobey illegal orders.
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Top Trump administration officials met Tuesday to further refine a set of options for the president to take action against Iran amid its deadly crackdown on protesters.
The decision that may make it easier for other candidates to challenge voting laws – even if they ultimately win their election.
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The au pair who was having an extra-marital affair with Brendan Banfield when he allegedly killed his wife and another man in February 2023 is set to resume her pivotal testimony in Banfield’s double-murder trial Wednesday morning.