A new generation of foodservice brands is expanding at remarkable speed. Built on simplified menus, systemized operations and strong branding — often amplified by social media — these concepts are delivering impressive returns and reshaping the market.
Many of them follow a similar formula: take a low-cost core product, streamline the process and scale it aggressively.
A highly efficient system. But one that raises uncomfortable questions. Is something getting lost along the way?
In this conversation, Will Odwarka and Jonathan Doughty question whether convenience is starting to dictate not just how we eat — but what we eat. “We make a decision to go convenient, cheap… and then walk away and think this is enough,” Odwarka notes.
At the same time, the rapid expansion of these formats may be narrowing choice, particularly in high-traffic environments where alternatives are becoming harder to find.
Watch the video below to hear Odwarka and Doughty discuss whether the industry is shaping demand — or simply responding to it.
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