The episode begins with a sponsorship message from Campbell's Food Service, promoting their support for restaurant operators. Hosts Leanne Zinsmeister and Heather Lally introduce the show as a daily news source from Restaurant Business and Nation's Restaurant News. Starbucks is changing its Assistant Store Manager program, renaming the role to Coffeehouse Coaches after a pilot involving 62 employees. Chief Partner Officer Sarah Kelly explained in a blog post that the new name better reflects the role's focus on people and the coffeehouse experience. This change is part of broader efforts under CEO Brian Nickell to reverse negative sales and traffic trends that have persisted for nearly two years. Starbucks plans to have a Coffeehouse Coach in every U.S. location by the end of the year, with positions posting nationwide soon and expansion to Canada following. Sweetgreen is experiencing another executive departure, with Chief Development Officer Chris Tarrant leaving at the end of January. Tarrant joined Sweetgreen in late 2024 after serving in the same role at Nothing Bundt Cakes and has over six years of development experience at Starbucks. His departure comes about a month after co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Nathaniel Rue announced his retirement. Sweetgreen had a tough 2025, revising its same-store sales and growth outlooks downward. The company stated it is actively advancing a succession plan. Five Guys is opening a flagship location in Las Vegas that includes a full bar. The episode provides a concise overview of these developments in the restaurant industry.
