Maria Johnson, MBA’s Post

Did you hear what happened in the grocery, restaurant, and hospitality industries this week? Check out the latest headlines from our #ShermsWeeklyInsider series! P.S. Follow us and our Founder & CEO Neal Sherman for the latest industry news. #grocery #cstore #restaurant #hospitality

Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market collectively operated less than 40 stores in just a few markets. The former was just a decade old, while the latter’s first location hadn’t even celebrated three years in business. But when the news hit last week that both retailers, which merged last fall under newly formed parent company Outfoxed Hospitality, had ceased operations, the outpouring of shock, grief and frustration across the industry was enormous. It’s not clear what led to the demise of Foxtrot and Dom's — two retailers that that had seemed so promising. What is clear, however, is that Foxtrot and Dom’s were operating during a tough time for upscale, innovative retailers. Their downfall comes as both consumers and retailers are feeling more pressure than ever to cut costs, pare down and focus on the essentials. Indeed, we’ve entered a period where creative new retail ideas will struggle to flourish against the raw power of large players and the grinding need for efficiency — and it’ll likely only get tougher from here.

Great read on the balancing act of innovation and efficiency in the grocery market. The article explores the fresh, innovative ideas of Foxtrot and Dom's and what lessons we can learn from their demise in a high inflationary market. As the grocery industry continues to evolve, it's crucial to find the right balance yet not lose focus on customer demands. What strategies have you implemented to stay ahead in this dynamic industry? #groceryindustry #innovation #efficiency

It's difficult to pinpoint what led to the demise of Foxtrot and Dom's Kitchen & Market when both models seemed so promising. Some opinions are that it took too much venture capital and grew too quickly. Both businesses did have labor intensive models, including Dom's foodservice stalls that required labor capital to run and workers to take and make orders. Check out the latest from Jeff Wells from Grocery Dive: https://lnkd.in/eMvgn-Yj

Remember Foxtrot? The upscale corner store with a unique selection of products? Well, if you haven’t heard, they recently closed all of their stores and it was pretty abrupt. So what does that mean for the Foxtrot employees, featured brands, and investments? Head over to my blog to hear my thoughts on Foxtrot closing. https://lnkd.in/d5Qq2rFy Did you have a chance to shop in Foxtrot before their closure? Let me know in the comments. #foxtrotmarket #favoritedaughterfavoritethings #favoritedaughter

🌟 Here we go again - growing is in our DNA🌟 As our business continues to grow at an incredible pace, we’re thrilled to announce the arrival and installation of further blending tanks in the factory! We need to handle over 50,000 litres of liquid every day—a true testament to the scale of our operations. This is for January, which should be a quiet month and Quarter! Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening across the business: ✅ Production: The 5 lines are running, with the team back on 24/5 shifts after a well-earned Christmas break. ✅ Blending: Adjusting to new shift patterns to keep up with demand. ✅ Engineering: Working hard to implement a fully automated system to increase efficiency. ✅ Warehouse: Bustling with activity, so we’re introducing new software to streamline operations. ✅ Commercial: Busy crafting budgets, launching new products in waves, and winning customers in even bigger waves! ✅ Finance: Refining systems, enhancing data insights, and driving smarter processes. It’s incredible to see all our teams working together, aligned in their goals and planning for an even brighter future. It’s only January, and we’ve already achieved so much. A big shoutout to the entire Mallows Bottling & Beverages family—you’re making it happen! #Teamwork #Growth #Innovation #MallowsBeverages #2025Goals #contractbottling #softdrinks #spirits #rtd’s #innovating

🥒🥫 Green beans. Next time you see an end cap with cans of them at your local grocery store, think of the process is takes to get them there. Stan Zylowski, Co-founder and Chairman at Movista, shed light on it in our most recent #RELEXTalks episode earlier this month. Follow RELEX Solutions on LinkedIn to learn more about the world around you!  #Retail #Grocer #SupplyChain

At Dave’s Hot Chicken, every tech pilot serves a bigger goal: supporting franchisees and improving the guest experience. Take the self-service kiosks, for example. Positioned near the counter for easy staff support, they’ve achieved: 📈 25% adoption rates 💲 4–6% higher check averages But that’s just the start. The Chino Hills location is also testing: 🤖 Robotic arms to simplify frying 🎥 Marketing boards for dynamic guest engagement As COO Jim Bitticks says, “All of these efforts aim to make Dave’s better and create a great business model for franchisees.” How do you think tech like this will reshape quick-service dining? #FranchiseSuccess #HospitalityTech #QSRInnovation https://lnkd.in/g9r6FKVE

Can we have an honest discussion about Foxtrot? First, big kudos to Snaxshot for breaking the news before anyone else and handling it, IMHO, in a balanced and professional manner. Second, to be clear, I am very upset to see Foxtrot close down, especially in this rapid manner. I know how hard this must be for everyone involved and I am so sad to see these stores close, especially the one in Old Town Alexandria, which was anchoring such an important corner of the neighborhood. But, maybe this is a time for greater reflection for the industry. I assume, as everyone should Foxtrot did not fail because of mismanagement or poor leadership. No blame there. Macro effects - high rents, high labor costs and reduced foot traffic in downtown areas- were likely the biggest problems Foxtrot faced and made profitability impossible. Scaling too fast was also likely another key problem. I can only guess here. But the scaling too fast question should make us all take a step back and look at the assumptions behind why Foxtrot was such a darling of the industry and investor portfolios...until this week. To my knowledge bodegas and CVS locations (that Foxtrot was, I assume, competing against) are not failing and shutting down at the same rate. So maybe, this is another case where investors, who come from the 0.1%, were just WAY WAY too out of touch with the vast majority of consumers. Investors in the food industry continue to assume that the market for eclectic and esoteric food and bev is/was much, much bigger than it actually is....so many examples. Maybe bodegas and old school delis aren't so bad. They get the job done. They do not have to be "cool." They have been great businesses for immigrant families for generations. Why do we need to make them "cool?" Food is not fashion. Food and beverage (non-alcohol) are not lifestyle brands. Food brands are not aspirational brands. Consumers don't anchor their identity to food brands or get tattoos of food company logos. Food is amazing, personal and cultural...food brands are not. We are commodities. We are easily replaceable and often consumers don't distinguish between brands. It takes a hundred years and continuous work to build brand loyalty in a commodity...I am competing against one of those. Let's stop trying to make food "cool" and just make it better for the average consumer. Our consumers should be families and people just trying to pay their rent and get to work and not the millionaire heiress with the huge TikTok following. https://lnkd.in/ebMgUn6y

Alimentation Couche-Tard is set to acquire Giant Eagle, Inc.'s GetGo c-store business • Approximately 270 GetGo locations across 5 states included in the deal • Acquisition covers convenience retail and fueling locations • Couche-Tard and Giant Eagle to partner on myPerks loyalty program • Deal expected to close next year, pending regulatory approval • Financial terms not disclosed What this means: ✅ Couche-Tard expands its network of 16,700+ stores ✅ Giant Eagle to focus on core supermarket and pharmacy businesses ✅ Potential for price reductions and store improvements at Giant Eagle Brian Hannasch, Couche-Tard CEO, expressed excitement about welcoming GetGo's talented team and innovative approach. Giant Eagle CEO Bill Artman sees this as a win-win, allowing strategic investments in their core business while partnering GetGo with an industry leader. Progressive Grocer https://lnkd.in/gdKziStk #retail #conveniencestores #supermarkets #acquisition #cstores #strategy