DEE-ANN DURBIN

I cover the food and beverage industry.

Brazil drought punishes coffee farms and threatens to push prices even higher

Brazilian coffee farmers are grappling with above-average temperatures as the country, the world’s largest coffee producer, faces its worst drought in more than seven decades.

Olive Garden teams up with Uber Direct to offer delivery

Olive Garden is teaming up with Uber to offer delivery for the first time. Darden Restaurants, which owns Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and other chains, said Olive Garden will be the first of its brands to offer third-party delivery starting later this year.

Kroger and Albertsons make a final pitch for their merger before a judge decides whether to block it

Kroger and Albertsons have made their final argument in federal court in support of their proposed merger.

A state’s experience with grocery chain mergers spurs a fight to stop Albertsons’ deal with Kroger

Washington state is in court to try to block a proposed merger between Albertsons and Kroger. The case that opened Monday is one of several challenging the $24.6 billion deal.

Boar’s Head closing Virginia plant linked to deadly listeria outbreak

Boar’s Head is closing the Virginia plant tied to a deadly listeria outbreak. The Sarasota, Florida-based company said it will also permanently discontinue production of liverwurst, the product linked to the deaths of at least nine people in the U.S.

McDonald’s extends $5 deal through December to keep customers coming

McDonald’s is extending its $5 value meal until December at most U.S. stores, and the company’s rivals are likely to follow.

Starbucks’ new CEO wants to recapture the coffeehouse vibe

Starbucks’ new chairman and CEO says he plans to focus on improving service and reestablishing the struggling coffee giant’s stores as gathering places.

Starbucks turns to a celebrity CEO as it struggles to define itself for an era of mobile orders

Fifty-three years after its founding, Starbucks is unhappy with what it’s become – and trying to figure out how to meet customers’ changing needs without losing its coffeehouse roots.

CEOs of Albertsons and Kroger says shoppers would see lower prices after merger

The chief executive officers of Kroger and Albertsons have insisted that merging would allow the two supermarket companies to lower prices and more effectively compete with retail giants like Walmart and Amazon.

Restaurants are catering to a growing number of solo diners

A growing number of restaurant customers are choosing to eat alone. Restaurant reservation site OpenTable says solo dining reservations in the U.S. increased 29% over the last two years.

Labor Day hotel strikes reflect the frustrations of a workforce largely made up of women of color

More than 10,000 workers at 25 U.S. hotels are on strike after choosing Labor Day weekend to amplify their demands for higher pay, fairer workloads and the reversal of COVID-era cuts.

Chipotle may have violated workers’ unionization rights, US labor board says

The National Labor Relations Board says Chipotle may have violated federal labor law in its treatment of employees at its only unionized store.

Kroger and Albertsons defend merger plan in federal court against US regulators’ objections

A lawyer for supermarket chain Albertsons has told a federal judge that the company might have to lay off workers and close stores if its planned merger with Kroger isn’t allowed to proceed.

What to know about the proposed Kroger and Albertsons merger that’s headed to court this week

The largest proposed grocery merger in U.S. history is heading to court. On one side are supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons, which say their planned merger will help them compete against rivals like Costco.

Sweet and salty deal worth $30 billion would put M&M’s and Snickers alongside Cheez-It and Pringles

M&M’s maker Mars is paying nearly $30 billion for Kellanova, the maker of Cheez-Its and Pop-Tarts. The acquisition could significantly broaden Mars’ snacking portfolio and help it expand globally.

Starbucks CEO replaced by Brian Niccol, a fixer who revived Chipotle when the chain was in distress

Starbucks named Chipotle’s Brian Niccol to be its new chairman and CEO on Tuesday. The Seattle coffee giant has been struggling with fading sales and hopes Niccol can engineer a turnaround.

Why Trump’s and Harris’ proposals to end federal taxes on tips would be difficult to enact

If nothing else, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris agree on one thing, at least: Both say they want to eliminate federal taxes on workers’ tips.

Beyond Meat reports better-than-expected sales despite demand remaining weak

Beyond Meat has reported better-than-expected sales in the second quarter despite continuing weak demand for its plant-based meat.

WK Kellogg to close Omaha plant, downsize in Memphis as it shifts production to newer facilities

WK Kellogg Co. is closing one U.S. cereal plant and downsizing another as part of a plan to consolidate its operations in newer facilities.

DoorDash sees record orders and revenue in second quarter even as US restaurant traffic slows

DoorDash set quarterly records for total orders and revenue despite slowing U.S. restaurant traffic.

Proposed US rule would ban airlines from charging parents additional fees to sit with their children

The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a new rule that would ban airlines from charging parents to sit with their young children.

Starbucks quarterly revenue falls on weak traffic in US and China

Starbucks’ revenue fell 1% in the April-June period as customer traffic weakened in the U.S. and China.

McDonald’s same-store sales fall for 1st time since 2020 as tapped-out customers hold on to cash

McDonald’s global same-stores fell for the first time in nearly four years in the second quarter as inflation-weary consumers skipped eating out or chose cheaper options.

Kroger, Albertsons agree to temporarily halt merger plans while Colorado lawsuit proceeds

Supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons on Thursday agreed to temporarily halt their proposed merger in Colorado until a judge has considered the state’s objections.

Spicy dispute over the origins of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos winds up in court

A court case could soon settle a spicy dispute: Who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? A former PepsiCo executive is suing the company in California, saying it destroyed his career after questioning his claim that he invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Coca-Cola raises full-year sales guidance after stronger-than-expected second quarter

Coca-Cola is raising is full-year sales guidance after a stronger-than-expected second quarter. The Atlanta beverage giant said it now expects organic sales to grow between 9% and 10% this year, up from 8% to 9% previously.

How the departure of one prominent restaurant critic revealed the potential hazards of the job

Restaurant critics appear to have the best job in journalism, enjoying meals a few nights a week on someone else’s dime.

Darden Restaurants buys Tex-Mex chain Chuy’s for $605 million

The parent company of Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House and other chains says it’s buying the Tex-Mex chain Chuy’s as it seeks to expand its dining options.

Tyson Foods heir pleads not guilty to charge of driving while intoxicated

Tyson Foods heir and executive John R. Tyson has pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Stop & Shop closing 32 underperforming grocery stores in the Northeast

Grocery store chain Stop & Shop says it will close 32 underperforming grocery stores across the Northeast by the end of this year.

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