Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer and CEO Randy Garutti say the company was eligible for a Paycheck Protection Program. What they didn’t know was how complicated applying would be and that many smaller employers would be left high and dry. What do you think of Shake Shack’s decision to return the $10 million loan it received as part of the Paycheck Protection Program?

The massive strain placed on the nation’s grocery supply chain as a result of the coronavirus pandemic may be revealing some shortcomings in the system. Which current supply chain challenges facing the grocery channel appear temporary and which need longer term attention?

Marie Janes Cannabis Connection will give “new meaning to the term pizza joint” after it became the first marijuana dispensary in the U.S. to add in-house pizza to its cannabis delivery and pickup menu. Do you expect cannabis/food combo stores to become commonplace in states where recreational marijuana is legal?

The Broad Branch Market in Chevy Chase, Md. has begun utilizing robots for delivery in order to allow customers to get groceries with minimal human interaction. Do you see robotic delivery taking off in the same way as curbside pickup in response to the coronavirus pandemic?

Many restaurants are struggling to pivot to pickup and delivery as major cities have temporarily outright banned dining-in. What suggestions would you have for local restaurants attempting to weather the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak?

Panera Bread has announced a new subscription program that offers unlimited coffee for $8.99 a month. Does a coffee subscription program make sense for Panera Bread, and should other fast-casual chains or QSRs come up with their own programs?

In a dramatic example of reverse-advertising, Burger King launched a campaign showcasing a moldy, aging version of its iconic Whopper. Was “The Moldy Whopper” campaign an effective way for Burger King to draw attention its rollout of preservative-free burgers?

According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual survey, consumers are expected to spend a record $17.2 billion at retail for the Super Bowl. Much of that will be spent on food. Does the focus on food for the Super Bowl give grocers the opportunity to capture sales in other categories connected to the game?

Consumer exuberance — irrational or otherwise — for plant-based meats may be wearing off some. That’s based on the experience of the largest franchisee of Burger King franchises in the U.S. who has dropped the price of the Impossible Whopper in response to a dip in sales. How would you rate the future prospects for plant-based vs. lab-grown meats?

Crossovers aren’t just for comic book characters anymore as consumer packaged goods companies are reaching across the aisle to other manufacturers to create product mashups that let both companies capitalize on their name brand recognition. What do you see as the pros and cons of brand mashups?

Burger King is testing out a new look at two of its locations, and the new dining experience is looking high-concept. What do you make of brands applying high-concept design elements like “Whopperishness” or “transparency” to improve the appeal of the dining experience?

More shoppers in Virginia will be able to drink alcohol beverages openly at shopping centers if a recently-introduced law is passed. Are there more pros than cons in expanding open-container drinking at shopping centers?

After a series of struggles mid-decade that painted a bleak picture for the future of Chipotle, the fast-casual burrito chain is rolling out a new redesign to build on its digital momentum as online sales approach $1 billion. What do you see as the greater benefit of Chipotle’s new design: easing online pickup or increasing transparency?

IHOP has announced plans to open a new fast-casual restaurant concept called Flip’d by IHOP that features an all-day menu “inspired” by the chain’s signature items. Do you see Flip’d by IHOP providing real competition for other restaurants and retailers fighting for market share in the breakfast category?

At Chipotle Mexican Grill, workers get paid to take the day off if they’re sick, but they’re often asked to check in with a nurse to validate their condition. Does having on-call nurses sound like a good investment for most restaurants as well as food retailers?

When customers order pre-made meals from Kroger in the future, the food might not have ever seen the inside of a Kroger. But if the hype about dark kitchens is true, the orders should get there lightning fast. What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges facing retailers like Kroger that are experimenting with dark kitchens for home food delivery?

A joint study found that Starbucks’ stores experienced a decline in traffic since shifting from a customer-only to an open bathroom policy in May 2018. Is an open, customer-only or no-access bathroom policy the best option for stores and food establishments?

Chick-fil-A is inviting more controversy after announcing a new corporate giving plan that will exclude two organizations known for their opposition to same-sex relationships. Do you think Chick-fil-A has made the right decision with its publicly announced focus on charitable giving?

Dunkin’ last week launched its first-ever online pop-up shop, offering an array of “Dunkin’-ized” holiday gifts that can’t be purchased anywhere else. Do concepts such as Dunkin’s online-only holiday pop-up offer opportunities for other QSRs and retailers?

McDonald’s is testing the use of artificial intelligence to enable the drive-thru to predict what customers want before they place an order. Is offering predictive suggestions at the drive-thru a good way to upsell, and could other restaurants benefit from such an offering?

Chipotle Mexican Grill has announced that it is adding a new perk to its employee education benefits package — debt-free college degrees. How important are educational benefits in helping retailers and restaurants to recruit and retain their best employees?

Kroger, the second-largest grocer in the U.S., has opened its first food hall inside a new store in downtown Cincinnati near its headquarters. Are food halls a natural complement to grocers’ urban locations?

In recent years, Starbucks added online ordering with in-store pickup and home delivery to try to manage its line problem. How important a feature will mobile order and in-store pickup become for foodservice operators over the next decade?

With an endless number of new product and concept introductions by retailers and brands each year, retailing execs might want to take a close look at Popeyes and its new fried chicken sandwich to find a recipe for success. To what do you attribute the roaring success of Popeyes’ new fried chicken sandwich?

Tim Hortons has announced a pilot of a plant-based egg alternative at locations in Canada. How important do you see plant-based protein alternatives to cheese, eggs, meat and milk becoming for retail and restaurant operators?

Canadian doughnut chain Tim Hortons has announced the launch of an “innovation cafe” which will be used to test new tech initiatives and menu items for a potential broader rollout.  Are labs like Tim Hortons innovation cafe overkill for mass retailers/QSR chains?

Starbucks is planning a launch of a cloud-based platform providing end-to-end solutions focused on improving the customer experience in restaurants. Will cloud-based platform elevate Starbucks beyond being just a coffee company?

McDonald’s franchisees across the country think they have an idea to keep Chick-fil-A from eating their lunch. They want a chicken sandwich that’s just like their rival’s. Do you think McDonald’s needs to develop its own premium chicken sandwich to head off market share losses to Chick-fil-A?

Cloud kitchens, which offer shareable cooking facilities to support food delivery, are just getting started but are already seen by some as a threat to restaurants and the overall grocery channel. Do cloud kitchens have the potential to disrupt both the restaurant and overall grocery space?

Crate and Barrel is the latest chain to open an in-store restaurant in hopes that shoppers will stop and stay a while. What makes an in-store restaurant a success for a given retail chain or area of retail?

Shake Shack’s founder and acclaimed restaurateur said his sustainability choices have largely been done for “intuitive” rather than “intentional” reasons. What lessons might retailers and brands learn from Danny Meyer’s approach to sustainability and transparency?

Amazon Restaurants, the e-tail giant’s restaurant delivery service launched in 2015, will not deliver any more meals after June 24, GeekWire reports. Do you think the latest news means that Amazon has abandoned restaurant deliveries altogether or does it have something else planned?

McDonald’s, which often promotes itself as “America’s best first job,” has formed a partnership with AARP to hire more workers over the age of 50. Do you see more pros than cons for retailers and food establishments in hiring a greater percentage of older workers?

Beyond Meat is set to go public this week with a valuation over $1 billion in another sign that meat substitutes are heading mainstream. How likely is it that plant-based meat alternatives will achieve the same popularity as non-dairy milk alternatives?

McDonald’s, a target of worker groups promoting a $15 an hour minimum, recently said it would stop engaging in a National Restaurant Association campaign to kill such efforts. Does McDonald’s gain anything from its announcement that it will no longer oppose efforts to raise minimum wages on the local, state or federal level?

Yesterday, McDonald’s announced it would acquire Dynamic Yield Ltd., a firm that specializes in creating personalization and decision logic tech. What benefits will McDonald’s see with the deployment of recommendation tech at drive-thrus, in-store kiosks and on its mobile app?

Burger King last week introduced a $5.00-a-month coffee subscription service. Does the BK Café Subscription program represent a competitive threat to McDonald’s, Starbucks, Dunkin or others?

Burger King wants you to know that if you eat its new limited-edition sandwich, you are very likely to have a nightmare when you go to sleep. What do you think of Burger King’s approach to marketing its Nightmare King sandwich?

Some fledgling apps are enabling travelers at a number airports to order food, gifts or other items for delivery wherever they are for a small fee. Do you see mobile delivery inside airport terminals becoming commonplace in the years ahead?

The meal kit business isn’t easy, but that isn’t stopping new players from entering the market on a regular basis. The latest case in point is Chick-fil-A, which will begin testing its MealTime kits at 150 restaurants in the Atlanta area beginning on Aug. 27. What do you think about the meal kit business, in general, and Chick-fil-A’s entry into it?

McDonald’s is offering free fries every Friday for the rest of the year for spending at least $1.00 through its mobile app. How important is it for QSR establishments to encourage mobile ordering and payment?

Papa John’s chairman, John Schnatter, last week resigned over using a racial slur against African Americans on a conference call with a marketing company. But the fallout appears far from done. Will Papa John’s need to take to further steps to move past its founder’s comments?

According to a study from Boomtown, “digital forward” brick and mortar stores and restaurants have raised consumer expectations with their on-premise tech-investments. Do small independent stores and restaurants get punished for lacking good in-store tech solutions widely available at larger chains?

David Hoffmann, the newly named CEO of Dunkin’ Brands, knows what it takes to keep the brand relevant in the minds of consumers — and it isn’t doughnuts. Do you think Dunkin’ Donuts is headed in the right direction under David Hoffmann?

For years there has been speculation that technological advancements would eventually automate away fast food jobs. The launch of a new robotic burger chef will doubtless have people wondering if that possible future is here. Is Creator among the first steps toward total automation of fast food jobs?

IHOP, the company formerly known as the International House of Pancakes, created a lot of attention for itself when it tweeted last week that it was considering a name change to IHOb. Social media blew up in bewilderment and bluster. Will IHOP’s IHOb campaign to support its Ultimate Steakburger launch help the chain gain share of the lunch market?

MealPal, a subscription service that promises more than 40 percent off lunch for consumers, continues to gain traction. The service launched this month in Seattle, its fourteenth city. How likely is the MealPal lunch subscription service to succeed in the U.S.?

Shake Shack said last week it was ending its test of a cashless location in lower Manhattan following customer complaints. Was being cash-only or kiosk-only likely the bigger drawback for customers at Shake Shack’s Astor Place location?

On the ground floor of McDonald’s new headquarters building in Chicago, its restaurant is now featuring menu items from the fast-food chain’s businesses from around the world. Do you think it is likely that international menu items will be tested in the U.S., should they sell well in Chicago?

As legalization spreads across the country and cannabis becoming less of a taboo, more marketers this year partook in 4/20, the unofficial national celebration of weed. Has it become less risky to run marketing campaigns around 4/20 and using cannabis-themes in general?