Food & Bev Roundtable
Quick service restaurants (QSRs) are under increasing pressure to enhance speed, efficiency, and customer experience—all while managing a growing network of digital systems. From AI-powered ordering kiosks to real-time kitchen automation, modern QSRs are more connected than ever. The restaurant AI market was valued at $9.68 billion in 2024, and expected to reach $49…
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Value Meals Are Fast Food’s Summer Strategy. What’s the Long Game Amid Persistent Inflation?
This summer, fast food chains are responding with a competitive push towards value meals in an effort to combat the rising cost of living and inflation, which has hit wallets worldwide. And $5 dollar value meals seem to be the magic answer. As families seek ways to stretch their budgets further, the fast food…
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With 800 New Stores in the Offing, How Will Aldi’s Massive Expansion Impact the Grocery Industry?
Grocery chain Aldi recently announced plans to add 800 new stores in the U.S. within five years, focusing on the Northeast, Midwest, western U.S., and Southern California, with a debut in Las Vegas. In the Southeast, Aldi’s massive expansion plans include converting a whopping 400 Winn-Dixies and Harveys locations into Aldi stores, starting with about…
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Domino’s Pizza’s AI and Robotics Investments Forge a Path for Other QSRs to Follow in 2024
The QSR (quick service restaurant) industry is undergoing a significant transformation driven by AI and robotics automation advancements. Among those leading the charge, Domino’s Pizza is launching its own strategy for evolving its operations and customer service ecosystem to take advantage of robotics, AI-powered software, and more proactive tools that elevate the Domino’s experience….
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Resilience, Reinvention, and the Relentless Pursuit of Growth: Larry North’s Journey from Fitness Icon to Private Equity Leader
Entrepreneurship is being glamorized in real time. Social media highlights overnight wins, AI tools promise instant scale, and private equity is reshaping industries at a rapid clip. Yet behind every “success story” is something far less flashy: failure, adaptability, and the discipline to keep going when life hits hard. According to the U.S. Bureau…
Consulting Reframed: Perspective, Leadership, and Impact Beyond the Client
As organizations navigate accelerating digital transformation, tighter margins, and increasing organizational complexity, the role of consultants is being re-examined. Today’s most effective consulting leaders are no longer valued simply for delivering projects, but for bringing outside perspective, cross-industry insight, and the ability to lead through ambiguity. Most large organizations today are not short on…
Laughter as a Service: How Comedy Can Power Trust, Teamwork, and Career Growth
Comedy might be the most underused business skill in your toolkit… In a world of back-to-back Zoom calls, Slack threads, and AI-generated everything, real human connection can start to feel like an afterthought. We’re moving faster than ever, but sometimes we’re listening less, reacting more, and missing the small moments that actually build trust. The…
The Art of Evolution: Leading a Founder-Led Brand Into Its Next Chapter with Mary Beth Sheridan
For many retail brands, growth today isn’t just about innovation — it’s about keeping pace with customers whose expectations are evolving in real time, led by younger generations who expect brands to reflect their values and show up with cultural relevance. In fact, recent research from MG2 found that the overwhelming majority of Gen Z…
