Guzman y Gomez, McDonald’s and I Heart Mac & Cheese
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May 27, 2026
Australian fast-casual chain Guzman y Gomez has officially exited the U.S. after closing its 8 domestic locations in the Chicago area. The brand was founded in Australia in 2006 and debuted in the U.S. in January 2020. It went public on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2024 and is now refocusing its expansion strategy on its home market and Asia-Pacific region, where it operates over 200 restaurants. Despite initial ambitions to challenge major chains like Chipotle and Qdoba, Guzman y Gomez couldn't achieve the scale needed for profitability in the U.S., executives shared in a filing with the ASE.
McDonald’s is rethinking some of its climate targets. The fast-food giant said that it does not think it will be able to meet some of its emissions-reductions targets by 2030, citing factors beyond the company’s control. The company said that it remains committed to eliminating emissions by 2050 but is rethinking how to accomplish that particular goal.
The state of Indiana has ordered sanctions against I Heart Mac and Cheese. In a sweeping, 132-page order, the state found that the fast-casual chain’s parent company and executives omitted certain information and made other misleading statements in their drive to sell franchises, including the cost of operating the business, operational problems and the management team’s history in the restaurant business. Indiana has ordered the franchise to pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars to franchisees in the state along with other sanctions. The company has been ordered to stop franchising in the state.
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About the Authors
Leigh Anne Zinsmeister
Managing Editor
Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservices Vertical, specifically Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, and Foodservice Director. Leigh Anne works on all of the brands’ special reports, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Top 500 report and Restaurant Hospitality’s Best Cocktails and Best Sandwiches contests. She also manages the group’s digital engagement team, and was the managing editor for Supermarket News until December 2024.
Leigh Anne lives in New York City, but also claims Phoenix, Dallas and Cleveland as hometowns. Leigh Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she also studied European history.
Email Leigh Anne at [email protected]
Leigh Anne Zinsmeister’s experience:
Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)
Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)
Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)
Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)
Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)
Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)
Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)
Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)
Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)
Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)
Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)
Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)
Lisa Jennings
Executive Editor, Restaurant Business
Lisa Jennings is a veteran restaurant industry reporter and editor who covers the fast-casual sector, independent restaurants and emerging chain concepts. Her experience includes other industry publications as well as the daily newspaper The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., where she was Food Editor. Her work has been cited in the Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, FoodBeast, The Huffington Post, Time.com and more.
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