Latest news with #Meat
Miami Herald
25-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Pizza Hut makes big menu change amid startling customer behavior
It is no secret that consumers nationwide are pulling back their spending on fast food for several reasons, such as to save money due to concerns about inflation and tariffs. Also, more consumers are pivoting towards healthier foods, a trend that blossomed after the Covid pandemic. Fast-food prices have also increased by roughly 47% over the past decade, which has scared away many consumers struggling to afford a higher cost of living. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter A survey from LendingTree last year found that 78% of Americans view fast food as a luxury, since it has become less affordable. Also, 62% of Americans said they're eating less fast food due to rising prices, and 56% said they choose to make food at home when they want an easy and cheap meal. Related: Pizza Hut struggles to reverse troubling consumer trend Amid this consumer trend, Pizza Hut, which is owned by Yum Brands (YUM) , saw its system sales in the U.S. decrease by 7% year-over-year during the quarter, and its operating profit dipped by a whopping 20%. During an earnings call in April, Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs said Pizza Hut's sales performance in the U.S. was "disappointing" and flagged that the pizza chain was operating in an "intense competitive environment." "Pizza Hut is in a tough category right now in QSR (quick-service restaurants) in the U.S., and certainly the pizza category with everybody reporting negative sales is pressured," said Gibbs during the call. "But we've obviously seen Pizza Hut have significant growth in years past when they get the offerings right for consumers, like with melts and value." Image source: Shannon O'Hara/Getty Images To help attract customers back into its stores, Pizza Hut is shaking up its menu with four new limited-edition items at discounted prices. The pizza chain has launched Hut Lover's Pizzas, which include a new Spicy Hawaiian Lover's pizza that contains "spicy marinara sauce, ham, bacon, pineapple, jalapeño, and red chili flakes," according to a new press release. Related: Domino's Pizza suffers a startling loss as customers switch gears It also introduced a Meat Lover's pizza, which is topped with "pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, bacon, seasoned pork, and beef." Pizza Hut's new Pepperoni Lover's pizza just contains extra cheese and pepperoni, while its new Veggie Lover's pizza is loaded with "mushrooms, onions, green peppers, diced tomatoes, and black olives." A large size of one of these pizzas costs $12.99. This is a deal, because a large pizza at Pizza Hut usually costs a little under $20, depending on the region. The new announcement from Pizza Hut comes after it recently made several bold attempts this year to win back customers. More Food + Dining: Papa Johns makes major menu change to win back customersSteak 'n Shake's beef tallow fries aren't as healthy as they appearChick-fil-A angers customers with major change in stores In February, it introduced its Ultimate Hut Bundle. This deal allows customers to order two medium pizzas, any eight boneless wings, sticks, and two dipping sauces, starting at $24.99. The following month, Pizza Hut brought back Cheesy Bites Pizza, a fan-favorite menu item, for a limited time. It also introduced three new exclusive dipping sauces: Chipotle Ranch, Ultimate Ranch, and Pepperoni Ranch. During the earnings call in April, Gibbs said that Pizza Hut will focus on its "3D strategy" to boost its sales going forward. This strategy includes "distinctive offerings for group occasions, dependable everyday value through platforms such as the $7 deal levers, and disruptive innovation to gain share in a competitive market." Related: McDonald's to suffer massive boycott from customers The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Axios
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Cleveland filmmaker slashes horror norms with queer cinema
Queer culture and the horror genre haven't traditionally gone hand in hand, but one Northeast Ohio filmmaker is hoping to change that. The intrigue: Westlake native Roger Conners' new film, "Meat the Movie," premieres at Capitol Theatre on Thursday. Conners describes it as an "LGBTQIA+-themed slasher film" that is an "unabashedly queer piece of cinema." What they're saying: "If you're a fan of the horror genre and you're queer, you've felt underrepresented," Conners tells Axios. "My goal from day one was to make a horror movie for queer fans of the genre and a movie reflecting the Cleveland queer scene." Flashback: Conners' life in the arts began as a teenager at Cleveland's Near West Theatre. He went on to star in several independent horror films, earning the proud moniker of "Scream Queer" from his peers. Conners directed his first film, "Rebirth," in 2020 before turning his attention to "Meat." The plot: A friend circle lets one of its own take the fall after a night of debauchery that leaves one of them dead. Years later, a killer named "The Stud" — whose look takes inspiration from fetish wear and queer culture — begins murdering the group members one by one. Zoom in: Conners shot most of the movie with primarily local talent in downtown Cleveland and a mansion in Hocking Hills. The big picture: The timing of the movie's release is important for Conners, given the obstacles currently facing the LGBTQ+ community.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Food- and drink-tech VC deals slide
Venture-capital deals in food-tech are likely to decline sharply this year in both value and transaction terms, Pitchbook research has suggested. Presenting its latest food-tech VC trends report, which includes deals in the beverages segment, Pitchbook painted a tough picture for the investing environment from both the buy and sell sides, with valuations still proving to be problematic. While the data set only covers the first quarter, the numbers look bleak for the rest of 2025 if extrapolated out over the full year, with the slope of the declines suggesting a substantial recovery would be needed to gain ground on 2024. Food-tech venture-capital deals slid 49.6% quarter-on-quarter to $1.4bn and the number of transactions fell 15.1% to 202, according to PitchBook, which provided perspective on previous years as a whole: 2024 at $10.3bn and 1,127 deals; Covid-19 'era highs' in 2021 of $49.8bn/2,721; and pre-Covid figures in 2019 of $22.4bn/1,591. 'Investor caution remains elevated, with a marked shift toward more mature start-ups boasting proven business models. This has led to a sharp reduction in seed and early-stage funding,' PitchBook noted in the report commentary. PitchBook indicated VC investors remain selective, although it highlighted the functional foods sector 'emerged as one of the strongest near-term opportunities in food-tech amid the broader funding downturn'. PepsiCo's sizeable deal for US beverage group Poppi in March was singled out as one that 'could spur further acquisitions as major brands look to expand their functional food portfolios'. Valuations continue to be a headwind, with VC funds more demanding when it comes to the investment criteria. 'For investors, the sharp rise in median valuations signals a flight to quality, with capital being concentrated in fewer, more mature start-ups that can demonstrate proven business models and scalability,' the report, led by PitchBook's senior research analyst for food-tech Alex Frederick, suggested. 'For start-ups, the environment is increasingly challenging, especially at the early stage, where median valuations have dropped to $6.1 million from $12.1 million in 2021, reflecting tougher fundraising conditions and elevated expectations from investors.' The insights report added: 'Start-ups must demonstrate not only innovation but also clear market traction, operational efficiency, and alignment with major trends such as sustainability, health, and supply chain resilience to stand out.' Despite the ongoing challenges in alternative proteins – Beyond Meat being one such example given by PitchBook – there are some areas in the space that are grabbing investor attention. 'Early-stage dealmaking in alt-proteins remains robust, particularly in fermentation,' or what PitchBook refers to as 'enabling infrastructure' in the development of the category. M&A benefited as stock market swings 'kept the IPO window closed' in the first quarter, PitchBook said, adding a note of optimism. 'As public markets begin to stabilise, IPO momentum is building across the broader VC ecosystem. While no food-tech IPOs are imminent, successful listings in other sectors will serve as important market tests.' Besides the cited PepsiCo deal being a bright spot in functional food and drinks, Frederick said: 'Alt-proteins, particularly fermentation, remained active as well despite broader headwinds for the space. 'Meanwhile, strategic M&A continued to dominate the exit landscape. With the IPO window beginning to open, companies like Trax Retail, GrubMarket, and Apeel are positioned as potential candidates for public listings.' With the growing interest in AI overall, PitchBook also suggested the food-tech sector may be losing out as interest is overshadowed from elsewhere. 'PitchBook data shows that 71% of all venture capital deployed in Q1 went to AI and machine learning (ML) start-ups. Food-tech, by contrast, has seen fewer AI-native start-ups close major rounds,' according to the report. 'As capital increasingly gravitates toward AI, generalist investors may be overlooking attractive food-tech opportunities to get AI exposure.' "Food- and drink-tech VC deals slide – research" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Food- and drink-tech VC deals slide
Venture-capital deals in food-tech are likely to decline sharply this year in both value and transaction terms, Pitchbook research has suggested. Presenting its latest food-tech VC trends report, which includes deals in the beverages segment, Pitchbook painted a tough picture for the investing environment from both the buy and sell sides, with valuations still proving to be problematic. While the data set only covers the first quarter, the numbers look bleak for the rest of 2025 if extrapolated out over the full year, with the slope of the declines suggesting a substantial recovery would be needed to gain ground on 2024. Food-tech venture-capital deals slid 49.6% quarter-on-quarter to $1.4bn and the number of transactions fell 15.1% to 202, according to PitchBook, which provided perspective on previous years as a whole: 2024 at $10.3bn and 1,127 deals; Covid-19 'era highs' in 2021 of $49.8bn/2,721; and pre-Covid figures in 2019 of $22.4bn/1,591. 'Investor caution remains elevated, with a marked shift toward more mature start-ups boasting proven business models. This has led to a sharp reduction in seed and early-stage funding,' PitchBook noted in the report commentary. PitchBook indicated VC investors remain selective, although it highlighted the functional foods sector 'emerged as one of the strongest near-term opportunities in food-tech amid the broader funding downturn'. PepsiCo's sizeable deal for US beverage group Poppi in March was singled out as one that 'could spur further acquisitions as major brands look to expand their functional food portfolios'. Valuations continue to be a headwind, with VC funds more demanding when it comes to the investment criteria. 'For investors, the sharp rise in median valuations signals a flight to quality, with capital being concentrated in fewer, more mature start-ups that can demonstrate proven business models and scalability,' the report, led by PitchBook's senior research analyst for food-tech Alex Frederick, suggested. 'For start-ups, the environment is increasingly challenging, especially at the early stage, where median valuations have dropped to $6.1 million from $12.1 million in 2021, reflecting tougher fundraising conditions and elevated expectations from investors.' The insights report added: 'Start-ups must demonstrate not only innovation but also clear market traction, operational efficiency, and alignment with major trends such as sustainability, health, and supply chain resilience to stand out.' Despite the ongoing challenges in alternative proteins – Beyond Meat being one such example given by PitchBook – there are some areas in the space that are grabbing investor attention. 'Early-stage dealmaking in alt-proteins remains robust, particularly in fermentation,' or what PitchBook refers to as 'enabling infrastructure' in the development of the category. M&A benefited as stock market swings 'kept the IPO window closed' in the first quarter, PitchBook said, adding a note of optimism. 'As public markets begin to stabilise, IPO momentum is building across the broader VC ecosystem. While no food-tech IPOs are imminent, successful listings in other sectors will serve as important market tests.' Besides the cited PepsiCo deal being a bright spot in functional food and drinks, Frederick said: 'Alt-proteins, particularly fermentation, remained active as well despite broader headwinds for the space. 'Meanwhile, strategic M&A continued to dominate the exit landscape. With the IPO window beginning to open, companies like Trax Retail, GrubMarket, and Apeel are positioned as potential candidates for public listings.' With the growing interest in AI overall, PitchBook also suggested the food-tech sector may be losing out as interest is overshadowed from elsewhere. 'PitchBook data shows that 71% of all venture capital deployed in Q1 went to AI and machine learning (ML) start-ups. Food-tech, by contrast, has seen fewer AI-native start-ups close major rounds,' according to the report. 'As capital increasingly gravitates toward AI, generalist investors may be overlooking attractive food-tech opportunities to get AI exposure.' "Food- and drink-tech VC deals slide – research" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Calgary Herald
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Vancouver theatre: Here are the six best plays to see in June
Article content Ah, June. Summer sunshine (maybe) and summer theatre. Musicals, comedies, more musicals and comedies, and a few outliers. June in Vancouver means Bard on the Beach — three shows this year are comedies. And Theatre Under the Stars — two musicals. And the Arts Club's summer musical. Funnyman Colin Mochrie at the Improv Centre. Theatre in the Country's musical. A post-apocalyptic musical from Renegade Arts. An embarrassment of musical and comic riches. Article content Article content Article content Article content No one is funnier than Oscar Wilde, who here applies his incomparable wit to a fin de siècle tale of political scandal and blackmail. The kind of material the Vancouver Playhouse would once have produced now frequently gets done, and done well, by United Players. Starring Hayley Sullivan, Cat Smith and Chris Cope. After 11 seasons at the Shaw Festival, director Moya O'Connell knows the period style. Article content Article content Haus of Yolo Article content From New Zealand's The Dust Palace, The Cultch's season-ender features acrobats creating their own costumes onstage in real time: 'from sewing machine to circus routine.' In this 'anti-cabaret cabaret,' the show's four performers take turns playing the designer and the Sexy Meat Puppets who wear the clothes and do the routines. One reviewer described it as a celebration of 'the half-naked body in the tiniest leotards I have ever seen.' Article content Article content Article content Bard on the Beach opens its season with one of Shakespeare's finest romantic comedies, featuring witty lovers Beatrice and Benedick. A couple of Bard veterans, the divine Jennifer Lines as Beatrice and hilarious Scott Bellis as goofy Constable Dogberry, make this a guaranteed winner. I don't know about the 'additional text by Canadian playwright Erin Shields' to enhance the near-serious subplot. But director Johnna Wright has a good track record with Bard comedies. Article content Article content Waitress Article content Local TV star Rachel Drance (The Flash, Virgin River) plays a pregnant small-town waitress in a bad marriage whose pie-baking skills save her. Warning: Extramarital sex! Adapted from the 2007 movie, the stage play has music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Sara Bareilles and an A-list supporting cast including Ben Elliott, Josh Epstein, Jennie Neumann and Tom Pickett. The Arts Club's Ashlie Corcoran directs.
