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US burger chain tries to shake 'premium' image in a country that prefers chicken HO CHI MINH CITY -- Last year, a market researcher pegged McDonald's Vietnam as having a "premium image." The fast-food juggernaut agrees, and it's not entirely thrilled. McDonald's aims to have 100 stores in Vietnam in about three years, a tall order for a business that is up to 39 eateries 12 years after Henry Nguyen, a son-in-law of a former prime minister, brought it to the country. To hit that goal, the burger chain aims to remake its image and go mass market, Dan Ta, McDonald's Vietnam chief development officer, told Nikkei Asia. "Our brand is perceived as a premium store," Ta said. "We want to be able to serve the mass audience." This means potential discounts and expanding to…

Although AI is likely to continue gobbling up market attention in 2026, some analysts see opportunity in big food stocks. After a two-year "normalization" period, during which independent mom-and-pop shops clawed back some ground, Bank of America analyst Sara Senatore wrote in a recent report that fast-casual leaders are "best positioned to reaccelerate" as they pivot back to aggressive consolidation. "With chains now redoubling their efforts on driving sales [through] value, menu innovation, [and] marketing, we'd expect large restaurant concepts to return to share gainer status," Senatore wrote. The rotation into non-tech stocks is already taking shape, and analysts note that three big food chains — Chipotle (CMG), Wingstop (WING), and Cava (CAVA) — may be top contenders for 2026 comebacks. According to a 2025 BofA report, while consumer spending…

  After two decades as a staple of American dessert culture, Sprinkles is closing all of its retail locations nationwide, including its cherished shop in Disney Springs, bringing an abrupt end to a brand that once helped define the U.S. cupcake boom. The news, first flagged by industry trackers and social media posts, was confirmed in a carefully measured Instagram video by Candace Nelson, the bakery’s founder, who sold the company more than a decade ago. In the candid and emotional message, Nelson, who launched Sprinkles in Beverly Hills in 2005 and exited operational ownership in 2012, spoke about the closure with a sense of shock and personal loss. In the video, Nelson reflected on the closure with true emotion. “I thought it would be forever. I thought it would…

Starbucks and Burger King, along with other large Western companies, are offloading large shares of their China operations to private equity groups based in China, according to CNBC. Starbucks agreed to sell 60% of its China operations to Boyu Capital for $4 billion. CPE Capital is acquiring an 83% stake in Burger King's China business for $350 million. IDG Capital purchased a controlling share of Yoplait's operations in China, valued at around $250 million. Reports also indicate that General Mills may sell its Häagen-Dazs locations in China, and Oatly, the oat milk brand from Sweden, may offload its China arm. This pattern marks a departure from how Western brands once operated in the country. Foreign food companies previously succeeded without changing their menus much to suit local tastes, but homegrown…

Luckin Coffee could be returning to the Nasdaq five years after the company was delisted due to financial fraud. Jinyi Guo, the CEO of the mobile-only Chinese coffee chain, said at a recent government event in Xiamen that the company is preparing to relist on the U.S. stock market and expand its footprint in America as well. Chinese media reports that Guo said once the company is relisted on the Nasdaq, it will help Luckin become a more global hub for development and business. "The company remains committed to the U.S. capital markets, but there is currently no definitive timeline for relisting on a major exchange,” Luckin Coffee said in a statement sent to media. “Our top priority at this time is to focus on strategic execution, deepen operational development,…