Sysco has inked a deal to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot. Plus, Urban Value Corner Store will expand its rollout of AI-driven “smart store coolers,” and consumer confidence inches up. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

In a deal valued at $29.1 billion, Sysco has inked a deal to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot. As a result of this move, Sysco is now in the cash and carry segment of the industry, which is a $60 billion to $70 billion market segment, per the company’s release announcing the deal.

Restaurant Depot operates 166 warehouse stores across 35 states and has more than 725,000 customers, mostly independent restaurants, the release added. For the 2025 calendar year, Restaurant Depot had revenue of $16 billion. Sysco plans to continue to open more Restaurant Depot locations, the release added.

Naturally, not everyone is happy with the idea of Sysco buying Restaurant Depot. The International Restaurant Coalition is calling on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to block the deal, Restaurant Business reports. The coalition cited Sysco’s comments on the deal saying that it would create an “omnichannel partner for the entire foodservice industry.”

Foodservice News

• The restaurant industry returned to expansion mode in February, per the National Restaurant Association. Its Restaurant Performance Index came in at 100.9 for the month, which is up 1.0% from January. Any reading of more than 100 indicates a period of expansion. The association attributes the growth to stronger monthly sales and a positive outlook for business conditions.
• Urban Value Corner Store will expand its rollout of AI-driven “smart store coolers,” per a C-Store Dive story. To use the coolers, customers tap a card or digital wallet to open the door and then grab the items they want. Once the door closes the system charges the customer. Urban Value’s c-stores tend to operate from apartment buildings and single-family communities. It has introduced this technology at three locations, thus far.
• Nothing Bundt Cales was acquired by private-equity firm KKR for more than $2 billion, per multiple published reports including this one from Reuters. Back in 2021, Roark acquired the chain, which, as its name implies, makes bundt cakes. Nothing Bundt Cakes has more than 500 units systemwide.
• Datassential has released a list of the Top Ten Emerging Restaurant Chains, restaurant development + design reports. This list highlights chains that have achieved meaningful scale while demonstrating consistent multi-year growth and alignment with consumer trends shaping the U.S. restaurant industry. The ten companies include represent a variety of menu and service styles.
• Fatburger says “bonjour” to France. The fast-casual burger chain opened a restaurant in France, per a company release. Located in Rosny-sous-Bois this marks the first of 30 locations Fatburger plans to open in France with partner Big M CIE. The opening comes as Fatburger’s parent company contends with various issues surrounding its bankruptcy filing from earlier this year.
• A “more vibrant environment and modernized” look are on the menu with Johnny Carino’s latest prototype, per a restaurant development + design article. The design features an expansive bar with multiple televisions and an open kitchen.
• Tariffs on items like wine and spirts have restaurant operators reworking the menus and stocking strategy, per a Reuters story. With these prices continuing to go up, some restaurants are looking for lower-priced options.
• It was a busy week for the legendary Delmonico’s Hospitality Group. The company named Adam Plitt its executive chef and unveiled a location in Midtown Manhattan for its second Delmonico’s restaurant. Plitt’s resume includes working with some legendary restaurants including Le Bernardin, among others.
• Papa John’s now sells toasted sandwiches. Under pressure to grow its market share, the Louisville-based pizza chain added this menu category to broaden its customer reach, per a Restaurant Dive story.

Economic News

• Consumer confidence inched up 0.8 points for a reading of 91.8, per The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index. The Present Situation Index posted a 4.6-point increase for a total of 123.3. The Expectation Index came in at 70.9, which is 1.9 points less than the previous month. Despite the modest increase, the study shows consumer confidence continues to struggle, as this Yahoo! Finance analysis shows.
• How do consumers feel about AI agents helping them shop? Those interested in AI shopping prefer the technology to act as an extension of their prior inputs or historical preferences and not with full autonomy, per an Ipsos study. Interesting to note, during a time when few Americans can agree on anything, a bipartisan 63% told Ipsos they feel government should play a role in regulating AI, Ipsos added. Also, 53% of consumers think government should ensure AI outputs are accurate.
• Business leaders who succeed in this business cycle will do four things well, according to ITR Economics. This includes timing investments with the business cycle and not the headlines, controlling costs with strategic timing, prioritize sourcing for productivity and evaluating exposure to AI-driven demand. The blog post on the ITR Economics website explains each of these four aspects in detail.
• The number of job openings totaled 6.9 million in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. For the month, hires decreased to 4.8 million, which is less than 5.3 million from the previous month. Total separations came in at 4.9 million, which is slightly less than 5.1 million from the previous month. Within separations, quits totaled 3.0 million and layoffs and totaled 1.7 million.