CHICAGO, June 24, 2025 — Blame it on the heat. Whatever the cause, the food-away-from-home business gave rise to some unusual developments over the last week or so. Here’s what we mean.
National Weather Service airs some dietary tips
The National Weather Service usually limits its scope to predicting the weather and sounding an alarm when extreme conditions pose a public threat. So it set social media abuzz when it detoured last week into the unfamiliar role of recommending changes in Americans’ dining habits.
The federal agency’s Las Vegas office urged the public via a post on the X (formerly Twitter) to forego coffee and alcohol as temperatures climbed into triple digits. Both are known to be diuretics that can accelerate dehydration to a dangerous level.
Residents of southern Nevada, southeastern California, and northwestern Arizona were also advised to avoid heavy foods. “Meals high in proteins raise body temperature,” the post explained.
The healthier alternatives would be to drink plenty of water or sports drink, the service advised.
Chick-fil-A turns the table by charging delivery services a fee
The high-flying Chick-fil-A quick-service chain has alerted third-party delivery personnel that it will start charging them $1 for each drink carrier they formerly received for free.
The chain also advised the order haulers via social media that they will no longer be provided with bags to cart the food.
In a Facebook post, the Atlanta-based operation explained that its contract with services like DoorDash and Uber Eats specifies the carriers and bags will be supplied by those parties, not any Chick-fil-A branches they serve.
Texas to rethink its policy on THC products
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stunned his conservative followers by vetoing legislation over the weekend that would have outlawed THC-laced foods and beverages.
Products containing the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana are legal in the Lone Star State. Yet Texas was poised to become the first state in the nation to reverse legalization and outlaw the recreational use of THC again. The re-ban effort was led by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who voiced concerns about children getting hold of products that were intended solely for adults.
Abbott said he vetoed the legislation because regulation made more sense than an outright ban. He called for a special legislative session to determine how to keep intoxicating products out of children’s hands instead of just outlawing a business that already generates billions of dollars in revenues.
Kroger to close 60 stores
Food-away-from-home giant The Kroger Co. said it will close 60 of its supermarkets over the next 18 months after posting an 8.5% decline in net income and a slight decrease in revenues for the first quarter ended May 24.
The company said it took a $100 million impairment charge during the quarter to cover the closings. Management said it would invest savings from the closings into enhancing customers’ experiences at the stores that remain open.
Kroger operates more than 2,700 retail outlets under a variety of names, including Mariano’s, Ralphs, and Fred Meyer. The company noted that sales of fresh foods had been a bright spot in its financial performance during the quarter.
The closings were announced months after Kroger was blocked from one of the biggest acquisitions ever tried in the grocery business, the $25 billion purchase of the Albertsons supermarket chain. The deal was halted by a federal judge who cited antitrust concerns.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.
Cover image courtesy: Closed Loop Project