Miscellaneous

🍝 Bret Thorn, senior editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999, is a prominent figure in food and beverage journalism. Awarded the 2006 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award, he also has a history of writing for The New York Sun (2005-2008) and spending five years in Thailand reporting on business and food. An alum of Tufts University and Le Cordon Bleu, Thorn was also an editor at Asia Times (1995-1997).

🛩 Riyadh Air, the new Saudi Arabian national carrier, has partnered with Amadeus for global distribution. By 2030, Riyadh Air aims to serve over 100 destinations, aligning with Vision 2030 to boost tourism and diversify the economy. The airline will add $20 billion to Saudi Arabia's non-oil GDP and create 200,000 jobs. Vincent Coste of Riyadh Air emphasizes global reach and seamless experiences, while Maher Koubaa of Amadeus highlights advanced retailing and support for Saudi Arabia's tourism ambitions.

💰 Millennium Hotels & Resorts and Maritim Hotels announced a strategic loyalty partnership at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel & Spa, London. MyMillennium and MyMaritim members gain exclusive benefits, including loyalty discounts on room rates. The collaboration expands access to destinations like Singapore, London, New York, Dubai, and German cities such as Munich and Berlin. Key figures include Saurabh Prakash, Roland Elter, and Kwek Leng Beng. This partnership enhances loyalty through joint sales initiatives and shared privileges.

🍽 Bret Thorn, senior editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999, is renowned for his expertise in food trends. A Tufts University magna cum laude history graduate, he studied at Le Cordon Bleu and in China. He’s known for winning the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and is a former IFEC president. Thorn contributed to the Oxford Encyclopedia and the Oxford Companion. His career highlights include work in Thailand and with the New York Sun.

🍴 Grand Pacific in Manchester is unveiling a refreshed dining concept from September 8-20, 2025. Located in the historic 19th-century Liberal Reform Club, the restaurant offers a 50% discount on à la carte dining during this period. The new menu highlights British gastronomy with locally sourced ingredients, featuring dishes like Confit Duck leg Bon Bons and Trio of Jersey ‘Rockafella’ Oysters. A refined high tea and Sunday roast are also available. Use code GRAND50 for the discount.

🍷 Max Hayward and Joshua Chapman emerged as champions on 25th July at the Rock Oyster Festival, UK, winning the Don Papa Chefs & Shakers competition. Their winning creations featured a Don Papa Rum cocktail with banana-cello and calamansi soda, and Adobo pork croquette with Filipino mango salad. The event celebrated Filipino culture, using native ingredients such as Ube powder and banana ketchup. Judged by Mae Magnaye-Williams and Cressida Lawlor, the competition showcased the essence of Sugarlandia.

☕ Starbucks aims for service times under 4 minutes for counter and drive-thru; average drive-thru time is 3 minutes 20 seconds at over 7,600 locations. The company will remodel 1,000 U.S. stores by 2024, with a $150,000 investment per store. A new prototype debuts in fiscal 2026, focusing on community coffeehouses. Starbucks Rewards, with 34 million members, will be revamped by 2026 to deepen loyalty and engagement, moving away from a discount-focused strategy.

💸 Gig workers, restaurants, and consumers are impacted by fraud in food delivery. Gig workers lose earnings to scams, with fraudsters using cloned apps to unfairly grab jobs. Restaurants face direct losses and promotional abuses affecting profits, especially small businesses. Consumers sometimes exploit refunds, undermining platform trust. Fraud leads to tightened rules, slower payments, and reduced customer retention, causing financial strain across all parties involved.

🏥 Paula Deen, 78, announced the closure of The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box in Savannah, GA, after 30 years, effective July 31. Though the reason remains undisclosed, she thanked patrons for 36 years of support. Deen's four other restaurants in Nashville, Pigeon Forge, Myrtle Beach, and Branson will continue operations. Her Food Network show was canceled in 2013 following a legal deposition. Her YouTube channel has over 583,000 subscribers.