Panera Bread has introduced Croissant Toast Sandwiches that use buttery croissant dough as sandwich bread. The Croque Monsieur features Black Forest ham and cheeses, while the Fromage combines cheeses and caramelized onions. The limited-time sandwiches are part of Panera's spring menu refresh, which also features a Strawberry Caprese Salad.

Grocery retailer Wegmans will open its first New York City restaurant, called Next Door, on April 30. Next Door will showcase a menu centered around traditional and contemporary Japanese cuisine, with dishes like Chu-Toro Tartare, Vegetarian Nigiri, and Tokyo-style Beef Tenderloin. The menu was developed by a team of chefs including Oliver Lange, formerly with David Bouley, Matsu Matsuoka, previously of Aburi Hana, and John Emerson, who holds the title of Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador.

Chipotle Mexican Grill has extended its collaboration with the National Hockey League and the NHL Players' Association, maintaining its status as the NHL's official Mexican-themed quickservice restaurant. To celebrate the Stanley Cup playoffs, Chipotle will offer a buy-one-get-one promotion for US and Canadian customers wearing hockey jerseys after 3 p.m. on April 21.

Relish: A Food, Wine & Spirits Experience is set to debut from June 27 to 29 in Newport Beach, Calif.. Organized by celebrity chef Jamie Gwen and Nicole Hirsty of Cobalt Events, the festival is designed to revive the local culinary scene after the absence of the Newport Beach Food & Wine event, which was paused during the pandemic. It will feature top-tier chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists, with highlights including a cocktail reception, master classes, and curated dinners.

Strategies such as promoting from within, adapting to local market conditions and becoming involved with multiple brands may help as leaders strive to develop successful restaurant teams, writes Hudson Sandefur, a multiunit owner with Chicken Salad Chick, Zaxby's and Scooter's Coffee. "The true measure of success in the QSR industry isn't about food or profits alone -- it's about the relationships you build, the communities you create, and the team you develop," Sandefur writes.

Creating a culture-first company where your teams look forward to working each day involves setting clear expectations up front, introducing changes in increments, offering shared learning experiences and creating accountability methods, writes Thiru Thangarathinam, the founder and CEO of KeenStack. "A culture-first company is a business that is built around people and, therefore, built to succeed," Thangarathinam notes.