The latest food and beverage industry news and trend analysis

Delivery Hero has unveiled Herogen, an in-house autonomous AI coding agent that currently delivers the output equivalent of 130 senior engineers and handles nearly 10% of the company’s code change requests.

PepsiCo’s Lay’s brand enters the experiential dining sector in Shanghai with a limited-time restaurant concept designed to grow the away-from-home channel and engage younger consumers.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has expanded its leadership team with the appointments of Rafik Farouk and Jackie Lobdell to oversee business development and franchise sales as the brand nears the 600-restaurant milestone.

7-Eleven is closing 645 legacy stores across North America during fiscal 2026, launching mass liquidation sales as the retailer consolidates its real estate portfolio to focus on larger, food-forward convenience formats.

Krispy Kreme, Inc. enters the Netherlands market through an agreement with Jafa Holding BV, planning 30 locations over the next five years as part of its global capital-light expansion strategy.

Taco Bell is expanding its premium "topped fries" category with the launch of Zab's Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries, a limited-time offering that marks the brand's first partnership centred on the rare St. Augustine Datil pepper to capture the "sweet-heat" consumer trend.

DPC Dash Ltd continues to dominate the Chinese pizza market in Q1 2026, breaking global sales records and expanding its store footprint to 1,462 locations under its proven 4D strategic framework.

Empire Company Limited is set to acquire Mayrand Food Group, a move that provides the retail giant with a strategic entry into the growing Quebec discount and warehouse food market serving both households and foodservice operators.