Panera's Big Changes And Beloved Breakfast Cereals: The Week's Top Food News

This week was stuffed with large-scale developments in the world of food. Filming for The Bear season 3 kicked off in Chicago, the SEC sued to block the Kroger/Albertsons grocery merger, and Salt Bae somehow wound his way back into the headlines for conditions at Nusr-Et steakhouse. Read on for more of the week's top stories.

Seasons one and two of the hit TV series The Bear premiered in June 2022 and June 2023, respectively, but production on this show has always taken place during the cold, dreary months of late winter, and season three began filming in Chicago this week. We at The Takeout, along with Italian beef lovers and just about every Chicago food fanatic around, are already eager to enjoy the fruits of that labor. Here's what to know about the next season. – Angela L. Pagán Read More

Which breakfast cereals currently occupy your pantry? Pattern, an ecommerce platform, recently analyzed how cereal prices have changed in 2024. Using Amazon demand data from every day in 2023 and up through 2024 to see which cereals were most searched for by customers, the report is a reflection of our collective morning routine. It turns out that one cereal is by far America's favorite. Can you guess what it is? - Dennis Lee Read More

The month of March is already packed with plenty of new foods to start getting excited about. Some brands are rolling out March Madness meals, while others just want you to feel lucky to taste all the new flavors under the rainbow. Whether you're in the mood for sweet treats at home or some savory new options on the menu at your go-to restaurants, March 2024 is filled with plenty of options. Take a look at all the new foods being served up this month. - Angela L. Pagán Read More

Once again, chef Nusret Gökçe, otherwise known as Salt Bae, has made headlines not for his culinary prowess but his restaurants' eccentricities. The Guardian reports that the salt-sprinkling celebrity has shut off heat to one of his most expensive establishments, Nusr-Et steakhouse in London, and made some notable changes to the menu. - Angela L. Pagán Read More

The long awaited merger of the two largest grocery chains in the U.S., Kroger and Albertsons, might be dead in the water. The Federal Trade Commission has sued to prevent Kroger's $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons, noting that the deal would "eliminate fierce competition between Kroger and Albertsons, leading to higher prices for groceries and other essential household items for millions of Americans." - Angela L. Pagán Read More

Caviar is known for being expensive, but it's also a food that very few of us crave on a daily basis, and many don't even know what they're "missing" by not buying it. The Honeycrisp apple is a different story: It's a luxury food that Americans can't get enough of, even though this variety costs significantly more than your run-of-the-mill Red Delicious or Granny Smith. That's why it's such welcome news that prices on Honeycrisp might finally be coming down, thanks to demand finally matching what orchards are able to produce. - Marnie Shure Read More

As if you aren't hangry enough when visiting the vending machine for a quick snack, you might now have a reason to get even grouchier. Ars Technica reports students at the University of Waterloo in Canada noticed recently that an M&M's vending machine on campus was displaying an unusual dialog box on the order screen. It stated that there was an application error for a file named "Invenda.Vending.FacialRecognition.App.exe," and while I'm no software engineer, I do recognize the words "facial recognition app." - Dennis Lee Read More

Panera Bread has just announced a "new era" for itself, and with that comes a complete overhaul of its menu. By April 4, the bakery cafe chain restaurant with roughly 2,000 locations will be eliminating some of its current offerings, introducing nine new items, and updating 12 classics in the hopes of creating a better customer experience. - Angela L. Pagán Read More

Inside the burning carcass of Twitter (X), a conversation has arisen that has caused a great divide in our nation. No, it's not a political debate. Instead, it's culinary: What kind of cutting board should you use? Over a thousand people commented with their thoughts. Who's right? - Laura Wheatman Hill Read More

The rising price of groceries has been an endless source of concern for many, which means that people are keeping an extra-close tab on how much they're spending at the store. Even though inflation is cooling off, American households are still spending over 10% of their income on food—which is why a recent comment by Kellogg's CEO Gary Pilnick has caused some users on the internet to get a little grouchy. - Dennis Lee Read More

It's been a hell of a year for the U.S. labor movement, and there's reason to believe that 2024 is continuing in the right direction. Starbucks has announced it has "reached an important milestone": The company will come together with the labor union, Starbucks Workers United, to "begin discussions on a foundational framework designed to achieve collective bargaining agreements, including a fair process for organizing, and the resolution of some outstanding litigation." – Marnie Shure Read More