Luckin Coffee, Church’s Texas Chicken, Cotton Patch Cafe
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July 1, 2026
Luckin Coffee is bringing kiosks to its New York locations. The fast-growing Chinese coffee chain is adding two New York City locations, giving the company 20 after opening its first location there last year. The company is also adding kiosks, giving more customers the ability to order beverages from the digital-order-only concept. Luckin has more than 35,000 locations globally but is working to break into the U.S. market with its digital-first, fast-growth operating model.
Church’s Texas Chicken has launched catering to meet more occasions, from family gatherings to office lunches. Catered meals can be picked up or delivered from participating locations and can be ordered up to 90 days in advance. The menu includes buffet-style, full meal bundles and individually packaged meals. With this launch, Church’s joins a growing number of chains jumping into the channel, including Bojangles and Sweetgreen. Chipotle is testing catering, while IHOP is bolstering marketing spend behind its channel. According to new data from ezCater’s 2026 Catering Growth Forum, workplaces are increasing their investment in food, with 91% planning to spend the same or more in 2026, up from 82% in 2024. Further, catering is expected to grow more than 6% year-over-year in 2026.
Cotton Patch Cafe has been sold. Local Favorite Restaurants acquired the casual-dining chain from Altamont Capital Partners for an undisclosed amount. 46-unit Cotton Patch will join Local Favorite’s group of nine brands and 50 locations. Both companies are based in the Dallas area and the deal is expected to fuel Cotton Patch’s growth across Texas. Cotton Patch CEO Brandon Coleman will become CEO of Local Favorite.
Get all the headlines in today’s Restaurant Daily podcast.
About the Author
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)
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