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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sgt. Elder Fernandes, a 23-year-old <keyword id="67780" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Fort-Hood">Fort Hood</keyword> soldier, was found dead on Tuesday, his family's lawyer, Natalie Khawam, told The Boston Globe.</li><li>Fernandes had accused a male superior officer of sexually assaulting him in April but was harassed for doing so, his mother told The Globe.</li><li>He was hospitalized on August 11 and was last seen by a staff sergeant who drove him home on August 17. His family said they didn't know why he was in the hospital to begin with.</li><li>"I just can't go back to Boston without my son. I need answers," his mother, Ailina Fernandes, told The Globe.</li></ul>A 23-year-old Fort Hood soldier who had reported being sexually abused and went missing more than a week ago was found dead on Tuesday evening.Natalie Khawam, the lawyer for Sgt. Elder Fernandes' family, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/08/25/metro/mother-missing-fort-hood-soldier-i-just-cant-go-back-boston-without-my-son/">told The Boston Globe</a> that his body was found hanging from a tree about 25 miles from the Army base in Killeen, Texas.A person walking by a railroad track in Temple came across Fernandes' body, and investigators identified him with his driver's license found in a black backpack nearby, Khawam said."Our worst nightmare has happened," Khawam said in a statement to The Globe. "One of our own, Sergeant Elder Fernandes has been found dead today. We are sickened by this tragedy that has happened one too many times. We are heartbroken for Elder Fernandes's family."The statement said Khawam was seeking a congressional investigation of Fort Hood.Fernandes was discharged from the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center on August 17 and given a ride home by his staff sergeant, <a href="https://www.fox44news.com/news/local-news/killeen-pd-searching-for-missing-soldier/">KWKT-TV reported last week</a>, citing Fernandes' family and the Killeen Police Department. His family said they didn't know why he was in the hospital.He didn't show up to work on August 18 and was reported missing. Fernandes' car was found in his unit's parking lot, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/forthood/photos/a.382438562158/10158411705497159/?type=3&amp;theaterater">Fort Hood said in a press release</a>.<h2>'I can't resume my life not knowing'</h2>Fernandes' mother, Ailina Fernandes, told The Globe that when she flew to Texas last week, she was unaware that her son had accused a male superior officer of groping him in a supply closet in April, or that reporting this resulted in him being harassed and bullied.She also said she didn't know that he had become suicidal or that he had been transferred to another unit because of safety concerns.She told the newspaper that her son had been tight-lipped on the phone, saying only that he wanted to "clear his mind." She said he told her that he would call her after being discharged from the hospital, but she didn't hear from him again."I just can't go back to Boston without my son," Ailina Fernandes told The Globe. "I need answers. I can't resume my life not knowing."Elder Fernandes is not the only soldier who has been reported missing from Fort Hood. The nonprofit <a href="https://missingpeopleinamerica.com/2020/06/what-is-happening-at-fort-hood">Missing People in America</a> said that nine others had vanished in 2020 alone.Pfc. <keyword id="9493597" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vanessa-guillen">Vanessa Guillen</keyword>'s disappearance and death <a href="https://www.insider.com/vanessa-guillen-fort-hood-disappearance-army-suspects-foul-play-2020-6">made headlines</a> earlier this year. Her family said she was sexually abused. Fort Hood denied the allegation, saying there was no "credible information" to back it.<h2>The Army denied any link between his disappearance and a sexual-abuse investigation</h2>Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam, a 1st Cavalry Division spokesman, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/missing-fort-hood-soldier-victim-abusive-sexual-contact-army-says-n1237781">told NBC News over the weekend</a> about "an open investigation of abusive sexual contact involving Sgt. Fernandes.""The unit sexual assault response coordinator has been working closely with Sgt. Fernandes, ensuring he was aware of all his reporting, care, and victim advocacy options," he added.However, Fort Hood <a href="https://forthoodpresscenter.com/1st-cavalry-division-committed-to-finding-sgt-elder-fernandes/">said in a statement</a> on Saturday that Fernandes "left on his own accord" and that there was "no connection between the disappearance of Sgt. Fernandes and any other ongoing cases at Fort Hood."Ailina Fernandes said she didn't believe this."Elder is a lovely family boy, he wouldn't run away without letting us know where he is at," she told The Globe on Tuesday, adding, "If the Army drove Elder that crazy to make Elder do something like that, then shame on them, because that is not the Elder I know."The Globe said the military was denying Ailina Fernandes information about her son's hospitalization because of health-privacy laws. But Khawam, who also represented Guillen's family, is demanding answers."People have to be held accountable for what they've done here," Khawam said. "Enough is enough. These families all need answers."Fort Hood did not immediately respond to Insider's request for a comment.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/missing-fort-hood-soldier-elder-fernandes-reported-sexual-abuse-2020-8">A 23-year-old Fort Hood soldier who has been missing for a week had reported sexual abuse before his disappearance</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vanessa-guillen-soldier-missing-remains-identified-family-lawyer-2020-7">Remains of missing Texas soldier Vanessa Guillen have been identified, family lawyer says</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/murder-of-vanessa-guilln-sparks-us-militarys-metoo-moment-2020-7">The murder of Vanessa Guillén has opened the floodgates on sexual assault in the US military as servicewomen rush to share their stories</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mccarthy-orders-review-at-texas-fort-hood-over-guillen-case-2020-7">Top Army civilian official launches review of command climate at Texas base over Vanessa Guillén case</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/us-army-twitch-video-game-streaming-users-war-crimes-esports-2020-8">The US Army will resume video game streaming on Twitch following the controversial bans of users who brought up war crimes</a></li></ul>

A Fort Hood soldier who reported being sexually abused and then went missing has been found dead hanging from a tree, his family's lawyer says

<keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> gets a mixed bag this week, but none too palatable and the majority flopped at the <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword>. A total of four movies were released on July 18 – <keyword id="1458485" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hate-Story-2">Hate Story 2</keyword>, <keyword id="1812799" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amit-Sahni-Ki-List">Amit Sahni Ki List</keyword>, <keyword id="2364604" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pizza-3D">Pizza 3D</keyword> and finally, <keyword id="20397" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajesh-Khanna">Rajesh Khanna</keyword> tribute film <keyword id="1152105" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Riyasat">Riyasat</keyword>, released on his 2nd death anniversary. But those who expected to find a superb <keyword id="2437016" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Thriller-erotica">thriller-erotica</keyword> in <keyword id="2296101" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vishal-Pandya">Vishal Pandya</keyword>’s <keyword id="753788" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hate-Story">Hate Story</keyword> 2 could be disappointed – neither the sizzle, nor the thrill matched the earlier Hate Story (a 2012 film directed by <keyword id="30014" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Vivek-Agnihotri">Vivek Agnihotri</keyword> and starring <keyword id="455333" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Paoli-Dam">Paoli Dam</keyword>, Gulshan Devaiah and <keyword id="8255" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nikhil-Dwivedi">Nikhil Dwivedi</keyword>). In spite of some spirited acting by <keyword id="22533" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Surveen-Chawla">Surveen Chawla</keyword> and <keyword id="21678" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="sushant-singh">Sushant Singh</keyword>, the current movie turned out to be a mediocre <keyword id="1321184" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="revenge-drama">revenge drama</keyword> with lots of skin show, but still managed to do amazingly well at the <keyword id="827271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domestic-Box-Office">domestic box office</keyword>. Produced by <keyword id="24468" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhushan-Kumar">Bhushan Kumar</keyword> and <keyword id="15260" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="vikram-bhatt">Vikram Bhatt</keyword>, Hate Story 2 netted Rs 5.46 crore on the opening Friday (trade figure stood at Rs 4.61 crore) and went on to collect Rs 15.85 crore nett in the first three days (trade figure was Rs 14.30 crore). But there was the usual Monday drop and the movie collected around Rs 2.68 crore on the fourth day (trade figure was Rs 2.11 crore), thus netting a total of Rs 18.53 crore after Day 4. 
 
Hate Story 2 hit 600 screens across the country but thanks to the fantastic business it is doing, the distributors now want it to be released in 1,200 screens pan-India, as per media reports. The opening weekend collections of Hate Story 2 were bigger than some A-list movies, including <keyword id="6377522" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="queen">Queen</keyword>, Highway and Dedh Ishqiya, and the 15th highest in 2014. It had a budget of Rs 14 crore (cost and P&amp;A), which means the flick is making profits. Interestingly, the official trailer of Hate Story 2 crossed over 4 million views on <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> within four days of its launch, but if you ask us, it’s a total put-off in many ways in spite of earning more than the other three releases. 
 
In stark contrast, Vir Das-Vega Tamotia-Anindita Nayar-starrer <keyword id="2336494" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amit-Sahni">Amit Sahni</keyword> Ki List turns out to be a refreshing <keyword id="1636016" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="rom-com">rom-com</keyword> with loads of laughter and some pertinent points about relationships. But <keyword id="664154" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ajay-Bhuyan">Ajay Bhuyan</keyword>’s directorial endeavour failed to win hearts, netting a little over Rs 3.1 crore at home after the first Monday. Pizza 3D, a remake of the 2012 Tamil <keyword id="828468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Supernatural">supernatural</keyword> thriller, came loaded with terror bytes but earned around Rs 2.87 crore nett in the first three days. Incidentally, the Tamil version of this movie was a sleeper hit. 
 
 
 
However, the worst is Ashok Tyagi-directed Riyasat, yet another version of Mario Puzo’s Godfather and <keyword id="1076" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="superstar">superstar</keyword> Rajesh Khanna’s (<keyword id="4753" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Saheb">Saheb</keyword>) last outing. First day collections stood at a paltry Rs 36 lakh and the rest of the numbers are yet to come in. But industry insiders expect it to be a box office bomb and Khanna’s listless presence is not likely to help it. Although Aryan Vaid (Shakti), the elder son and heir, and <keyword id="15984" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aryeman-Ramsay">Aryeman Ramsay</keyword> (his younger son <keyword id="3037" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Vijay">Vijay</keyword>) performed well, India’s first-ever superstar was completely off-colour and looked totally under the weather – hardly a fitting tribute to an <keyword id="271" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="actor">actor</keyword> of his stature. 
 
Critically speaking, Amit Sahni Ki List still tops the list in spite of the box office debacle and the shoddy treatment of an intriguing script. Here we meet Amit Sahni (<keyword id="671" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vir-das">Vir Das</keyword>), an <keyword id="140092" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="investment-banker">investment banker</keyword> trying to find the perfect relationship and not get hurt in the process. His serio-comic vulnerability reminds one of the young gang from Dil Chahta Hai and the carefully made check list of partner’s qualities once again makes us realise life does not follow a perfect script in spite of all our efforts. But the movie loses pace in-between, loses coherence and a drab ending ultimately mars the freshness. 
 Directed by debutant <keyword id="2174779" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akshay-Akkineni">Akshay Akkineni</keyword>, Pizza 3D captures the paranormal experiences of Kunal (<keyword id="480238" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akshay-Oberoi">Akshay Oberoi</keyword>), a <keyword id="1079002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="pizza-delivery-boy">pizza delivery boy</keyword> married to the <keyword id="2437008" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="horror-thriller-writer">horror thriller writer</keyword> <keyword id="741" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nikita">Nikita</keyword> (<keyword id="12341" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Parvathy-Omanakuttan">Parvathy Omanakuttan</keyword>). What follows is a terror fest, with loads of twists and turns, leading to a climax that is spooky enough to please horror fans. However, the 3D effects did not add much to the terror elements. 
 
Overall, an average week for Bollywood, but you are bound to experience some dhamaka when Salman Khan-Jacqueline Fernandez-starrer <keyword id="6362088" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="kick">Kick</keyword> is released on July 25. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

Box Office: Hate
Story 2 Steals The Show, But Don’t Miss Amit Sahni Ki List

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Keani Rawlins-Fernandez grew up in Hawaii and has seen tourism increase over the years.</li><li>Now a local council member, Rawlins-Fernandez says locals can feel overrun by tourists.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, a vice chair of the Maui County Council, about how tourism has affected her life in Hawaii. The following has been edited for length and clarity.The tropical islands of Hawaii have long been a dream destination for tourists, drawn by the pristine beaches, vibrant culture, and an "aloha" free spirit. But for me it's home.Many economic, social, and financial issues arise with unrestricted tourism, and I don't know how Hawaii will continue to cope with these numbers.I grew up in Molokai, the only island of Hawaii where the economy is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/why-molokai-least-developed-hawaiis-islands-180973019/">not reliant on tourism</a>. Here, agriculture and farming are our main industries.As a policymaker, I use my platform to fight against unrestricted tourism, counteract our current housing crisis, and campaign to protect our ocean and reef health.<h2>It's my responsibility to advocate for my local community</h2>When I was growing up, big corporations fell in love with the white-sand beaches, canoes, and divers and transformed our land into a shoreline of resorts like Waikiki in Oahu. They attempted to do this in Molokai, but the community fought it.I went to law school to become a policymaker because it was my kuleana — responsibility — to advocate for my community the same way my elders did.I was inspired by the work of Uncle Walter Ritte, a Native Hawaiian activist and educator who protested the military bombing practices on Kaho'olawe and won its eventual return to Native Hawaiian control from the US military.I hold the County Council seat for the Molokai residency area and am part of the Efficiency Solutions and Circular Systems Committee, where I can discuss high-level budgets and allocation of resources to solve economic inequality that has been around for generations.<div type="image" title="Keani Rawlins Fernandez, Maui County Council Vice-Chair" height="2693" width="1989" msid="105095982" hostid="261" sizebytes="545550"></div><h2>Tourism has displaced Native Hawaiians by driving up costs</h2>The number of tourists in Hawaii is overwhelming the local population and threatening the islands' cultural heritage.Native Hawaiians, already displaced from their lands during colonization, are experiencing a housing crisis. When houses become available, they are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2020-01-08/nearly-a-quarter-of-hawaii-homes-are-purchased-by-out-of-state-buyers">bought by tourists instead of locals</a>.People are buying our land as investment properties, so our Kanaka 'Ōiwi — locals — are <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/2023/01/23/hawaiians-cannot-afford-to-live-in-hawaii-las-vegas-drawing-natives/">forced to move further out</a>, and they can't maintain their local traditions or routines. Basically, they need to start over and make a new place their home.The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hawaiibusiness.com/tracking-hawaii-paychecks-minimum-wage-living-costs-inflation/#:~:text=Housing%20Prices%20Outpace%20Wages%20for,inflation%20%E2%80%93%20increased%20only%2039%25.">cost of living has skyrocketed</a> as demand drives up real-estate prices. Residents of islands like Maui and Oahu, where tourism is at peak levels, <a target="_blank" href="https://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/economic/reports/Native_Hawaiians_in_Tourism_2021.pdf">rely on resorts and hotels for jobs</a> to support their livelihood. During COVID, there was no tourism, and their jobs were the first to go. My island in Molokai fared better because the model is to cater to local businesses and local patrons instead.<h2>We can't commute easily because tourists are getting their sunset pictures</h2>A large part of Hawaii's economy is reliant on tourism, but in popular tourist areas, overtourism is placing huge strains on the infrastructure and environment — especially when the number of visitors exceeds the resident population.For example, famous sights like Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head on Oahu draw crowds of tourists for sunrise or sunset views. This clogs up our highways during the hours when locals are trying to commute or drop their kids off at school.The state Department of Transportation wants to create more <a target="_blank" href="https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/06/this-stretch-of-north-shore-highway-could-be-moving-inland-with-a-parking-lot-on-the-beach-side/">parking spots</a> or widen highways. Instead, people should consider group trolley systems like the ones in Zion National Park in Utah, which I recently visited, to manage tourists. This makes more sense than allowing tourists to rent their own car for the duration of their visit.<h2>Locals feel like their home is a theme park — and it can be dangerous</h2>Our locals feel like their homes are treated like a theme park and there's no more privacy.We've heard stories of tourists <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/2018/06/18/hawaii-volcano-kilauea-eruption-photos-fines-arrests/">trespassing on properties</a> for photo opportunities. But they need to understand that unlike television or social-media posts, this is real life.There aren't always safeguards and railings at places like our waterfalls or volcanoes. Tourists have passed away or become severely hurt. It puts our emergency responders at risk if tourists are trespassing in dangerous places.<h2>Our beaches and reefs are being degraded for the sake of tourism</h2>Excessive tourist activity is also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2023/01/16/tourists-are-loving-hawaiis-coral-reefs-to-death/">taking a major toll </a>on Hawaii's fragile island ecosystems.For instance, the natural sand dunes in Hawaii enable a cyclical restoration of the white-sand beaches. However, the construction of resorts and hotel chains on the dunes disrupts this cycle, preventing the beaches from replenishing lost sand. With the dunes unable to supply fresh sand, the beaches steadily erode away.I've seen temporary seawalls being built in front of condos and resorts which interrupt the natural cycle of sand migration. We see how degraded our coral reefs, essential for marine wildlife, are in the face of pollution, sunscreen toxins, and careless snorkelers.We are islands, and we don't have that much land to bury trash in landfills, so excessive rubbish ends up in our waters and damages the ecosystem.<h2>Tourism has perks, but it needs to be managed better</h2>There are some positives to the steady increase in tourists, like those tourists who volunteer with the Red Cross. However, extractive tourism needs to stop. I also want our community to rely on other jobs, because tourism ebbs and flows.My message to tourists is to visit responsibly, respect local culture, and minimize one's footprint. Support local businesses over chain restaurants, go on tours instead of taking your own or a rented vehicle, make sure you're staying at a legitimate Airbnb or VRBO, and come with respect and gratitude, not entitlement.

I'm a native Hawaiian. Locals are tired of tourists treating the island like a theme park – here's what to know before you visit.       

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Hollis Johnson/Business InsiderCasual-dining chains are evolving.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Since the recession, the percentage of adult Americans who say they don't eat out as much as they want to has doubled to roughly 42%. </li><li>Restaurant industry consultant Malcolm Knapp says this dissatisfaction can be linked to growing anxieties in the US and doubt in the reality of the American dream. </li><li>Casual-dining chains have been hit especially hard, struggling to boost sales since the recession. </li><li>The solutions - off-premise and more experiential dining - hint at how Americans are attempting to deal with their anxieties in an era of economic distrust. </li><li><a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/drivethru">Sign up for Business Insider's retail newsletter, The Drive-Thru, to get more stories like this in your inbox. </a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Almost half of Americans are not eating out as much as they want to, according to data from the National Restaurant Association. And, when they do go out, it isn't to the sit-down, casual-dining chains that once represented a cornerstone of the cheery, neighborhood-based American dream. In the early 2000s, the percentage of adults who said they weren't eating out as often as they would like to hovered in the mid-20s. That percentage climbed during the recession, reaching 41% in 2010, according to a survey done by ORC International for the National Restaurant Association. Yet, as the economy improved, this dissatisfaction remained. In May 2019, 42% of respondents said they were not eating out as often as they liked.Many restaurants are similarly dissatisfied with how often diners are visiting. Over the three-month period ending in September, comparable restaurant sales fell by 0.4%, according to Black Box Intelligence data from TDn2K. Comparable foot traffic - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/too-many-restaurants-sparks-industry-slump-2017-5">which has continued to decline since the recession</a> - fell by 3.5% during the same time period. Restaurant industry consultant <a href="http://www.malcolmknapp.com/">Malcolm Knapp</a> says this dissatisfaction with dining out is linked to a growing anxiety seeping into the American consciousness, prompted by a wide variety of factors. In a recent conversation with Business Insider, Knapp pointed to factors such as middle-class Americans receiving smaller-than-expected tax returns, political polarization, and income inequality to explain the state of the industry - and, especially, the state of casual dining. "You have people starting to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ian-bremmer-globalism-american-dream-dead-chinese-dream-alive-2018-5">doubt that the American dream is real,"</a> Knapp said. <h2>Anxiety is transforming restaurants</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</div></div></div>Sit-down, casual-dining spots - once a go-to for Americans seeking a night out - have seen the biggest sales decline since the recession. Placer.ai data found that there was a 7.4% drop in foot traffic, on average, for the 10 top fast-casual brands between 2018 and 2019, following a 0.4% decline between 2017 and 2018. "We're seeing that there is an erosion in traffic. We keep on losing traffic and we have since the recession, for the overall chain-restaurant industry and for casual dining itself," said TDn2K's vice president of insights and knowledge, Victor Fernandez. Part of the reason for the decline is simply that there are too many restaurants to continue to grow same-store traffic, according to Fernandez. Casual-dining chains, in particular, have needed to close more locations to boost same-stores sales figures for the industry. But, there are other factors that are hitting the casual-dining industry especially hard. "There's something to be said in terms of perception, from a lot of those brands, especially when you speak about casual dining, a lot of the ... big, big companies in that space are brands that have been around for a long time," Fernandez said. Millennials have been charged with killing casual dining in the past, as chains such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Applebee's, and TGI Fridays struggled to build sales following the recession and shuttered hundreds of locations."Millennial consumers are more attracted than their elders to cooking at home, ordering delivery from restaurants, and eating quickly, in fast-casual or quick-serve restaurants," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/buffalo-wild-wings-ceo-on-why-restaurants-struggle-2017-5">Buffalo Wild Wings' then-CEO Sally Smith wrote in a letter to shareholders in 2017, prior to leaving the company.</a>However, some experts - such as Knapp - argue that it is impossible to separate changing tastes from bigger problems looming in the American psyche.Two of the main tactics that casual-dining chains have used to distinguish themselves from the competition and boost sales are building up takeout business and making dining in restaurants a more complete experience. These trends can be seen as two approaches to dealing with the anxieties of modern American life: receding into the privacy of one's home or seeking distraction through experiences and connection. "Our social fabric has just been ripped. And, it's hard to quantify, but that affects people," Knapp said. <h2>Delivery isn't just convenience - it is avoidance</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</div></div></div>While it is typically seen as a desire for convenience, Knapp says that many people retreated into their homes following the recession to escape the anxieties of daily life. David Portalatin, NPD food industry advisor, points to the rise of streaming, video games, and other ways for people to relax and socialize that have moved to the home. "The American consumer has gone through this macro shift, where everything is at home now," Portalatin said. With entertainment going from outside the home to inside people's houses, restaurants are also aiming to boost sales by going after these customers eating at home. Many casual-dining chains - along with the rest of the restaurant industry - are making major investments in delivery and carry-out.On Wednesday, Chili's announced two weeks of free delivery after rolling out the service nationally in June. In September, Outback Steakhouse announced a partnership with DoorDash. Around the same time, Carrabba's announced partnerships with DoorDash and Uber Eats. Ghost kitchens are an increasingly hot concept, with chains such as Chick-fil-A, Wendy's, and Sweetgreen opening delivery-only locations <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-wendys-ghost-kitchens-growth-2019-10">in partnership with Kitchen United.</a>"Going out is a more precious thing than it was," Knapp said. "It's not a disappointment. It's a loss. And people get angry about loss." <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</div></div></div>When customers venture outside the home in 2019, they are seeking a more over-the-top experience than old-school casual-dining chains can offer. They can't afford to waste the money or the time on a subpar meal. According to TDn2K data, fine dining has been the best performing segment in the restaurant industry for the last three years, with Fernandez saying that people now gravitate towards these pricier options when they're seeking "more of an experience."<a href="https://www.fsrmagazine.com/emerging-brands/eatertainment-next-frontier-casual-dining">"Eatertainment" chains</a> that offer a full night of events, such as Topgolf and bowling-centric Pinstripes, are swiftly growing. More traditional chains are clearly intrigued by the category. In July, Cracker Barrel announced a $140 million investment in Punch Bowl Social, an entertainment chain that lets customers bowl and play shuffleboard. Technomic noted in a roundup of trends that 38% of economists are predicting an economic recession in 2020, while another 41% say a recession is likely to hit in 2021, <a href="https://www.technomic.com/technomics-take/technomics-take-7-hot-trends-watch-2020">according to Blue Chip Economic Indicators.</a> A recession would feed into the anxiety and economic instability that has driven casual-dining chains to provide for customers unwilling to leave the comfort of their homes, as well as to attempt to provide a relief from daily anxieties. "Everything that happens in society turns up in the restaurant business," Knapp said. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/popeyes-chick-fil-a-chicken-sandwich-taste-test-comparison-2019-11">Popeyes' famous chicken sandwich is now back 'for good' - so we compared it to 5 other fast-food fried-chicken sandwiches</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

A perfect storm of anxiety and the death of the American dream are transforming chains like Applebee's and TGI Fridays

Hello, and welcome to this week's edition of the Insider Tech <keyword id="621414" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Newsletter">newsletter</keyword>, where we break down the biggest news in tech, including:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-data-leak-security-experts-skeptical-2021-4">Facebook's latest user privacy fiasco</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/snowflake-databricks-big-data-ai-collision-course-ghodsi-slootman-2021-4">Snowflake and Databricks are on a collision course</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/face-mask-spacex-spacesuit-covid-william-honeywell-2021-4">The $300 face mask for your cyborg makeover</a></li></ul><h4><a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/insider-tech">Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.</a></h4>Soundtrack: This week's newsletter has been specially designed to be consumed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTzb-sduiWc">while listening to Blue Öyster Cult's "Godzilla"</a><h3>This week: It's smackdown season in techland</h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-watch-godzilla-vs-kong"></a>Maybe it's because of all the hoopla over the new <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-watch-godzilla-vs-kong">"Godzilla vs. Kong" movie,</a> but I'm noticing a lot of news about clashes between the titans of the tech industry lately. The decade-long courtroom battle between <keyword id="6355629" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="google">Google</keyword> and <keyword id="43340" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Oracle">Oracle</keyword> came to a close this week when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oracle-google-lawsuit-java-android-supreme-court-github-redmonk-2021-4">the US Supreme Court declared Google the victor</a>, absolving it of any allegations that it stole Oracle's code by using Java APIs in the Android operating system. <ul><li>"Sanity has prevailed," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-oracle-open-source-supreme-court-copyright-2021-4">said one James Gosling, who happens to be the guy who created Java. </a> Had Oracle prevailed, many predicted chaos in the software industry amid a barrage of dubious copyright lawsuits.</li></ul>Another brewing showdown between Box and activist investor Starboard Value <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/box-kkr-500-million-investment-no-acquisition-turnaround-growth-ahead-2021-4">seems to have been averted</a>.<ul><li>Starboard was said to be preparing to launch a board challenge with the ultimate aim of putting Box on the auction block. But <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/box-kkr-500-million-investment-no-acquisition-turnaround-growth-ahead-2021-4">with KKR's $500 million investment in Box this week,</a> a sale is likely no longer in the cards - at least for now.</li></ul>And of course, tensions between <keyword id="6354427" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="apple">Apple</keyword> and <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> continue to rise as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-apple-ios-14-damage-audience-network-ad-business-2020-8">we near the release of Apple's new privacy feature</a>, which will make it easy for iPhone users to avoid the ad targeting Facebook's business depends on.<ul><li>Apple CEO Tim Cook threw a little fuel on the fire this week by calling <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-apple-ios-update-data-tracking-newspaper-ads-2020-12">Facebook's concerns</a> about the impact on its ad business <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tim-cook-facebook-objections-over-privacy-feature-flimsy-2021-4">a "flimsy argument,"</a> during an interview with the New York Times' Kara Swisher.</li><li>Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg may too preoccupied to remonstrate, given the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-data-leak-security-experts-skeptical-2021-4">fallout from the leak of 500 million users' personal information.</a></li></ul>But, lest you grow tired of the same old tech match-ups, don't fear: a new rivalry is forming. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/snowflake-databricks-big-data-ai-collision-course-ghodsi-slootman-2021-4"><div type="image" title="Ghodsi.Slootman" height="1012" width="1598" msid="82007352" hostid="261"></div></a>As Jeff Elder and Rosalie Chan report, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/snowflake-databricks-big-data-ai-collision-course-ghodsi-slootman-2021-4">Snowflake and Databricks, two of the hottest, young enterprise tech companies are inexorably moving into each other's turf </a>in a battle for data supremacy.<ul><li>Each company has carved out a lucrative role helping business customers analyze data in the cloud. But, as one industry analyst notes in the story, the two companies' interests are starting to converge, putting them "on a collision course."</li><li>Throw in a pugnacious CEO (Snowflake's Frank Slootman) who <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/snowflake-frank-slootman-shuns-feel-good-liberal-ethos-big-tech-2021-3">likens himself to WWII's General George S. Patton</a>, and a rival CEO (Databrick's Ali Ghodsi) skilled at forming alliances with deep-pocketed partners and at raising cash, and you have the makings for a great rivalry.</li></ul>Read the full story here:<h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/snowflake-databricks-big-data-ai-collision-course-ghodsi-slootman-2021-4">The next big tech rivalry will be between $67 billion Snowflake and $28 billion Databricks, which are on a 'collision course' as the AI and data analysis market heats up</a></h3><h3>From the curious file...</h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-dynamics-spot-robot-french-military-combat-out-of-battery-2021-4">Don't bring a robot to war without charging its battery:</a> That's the lesson from Saint-Cyr, the elite French military academy whose alumni include Charles de Gaulle, after a series of combat exercises with "Spot," the robotic quadruped made by Boston Robotics. Apparently Spot performed valiantly under fire, doing tasks like reconnaissance - right up <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-dynamics-spot-robot-french-military-combat-out-of-battery-2021-4">until its battery died midway through the action.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boston-dynamics-spot-robot-french-military-combat-out-of-battery-2021-4"><div type="image" title="Spot construction2" height="2944" width="3926" msid="82007354" hostid="261"></div></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-owner-bytedance-challenges-western-tech-with-training-camp-for-top-university-students-2021-4">Camp ByteDance:</a> The "world's top university students" have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-owner-bytedance-challenges-western-tech-with-training-camp-for-top-university-students-2021-4">invited to TikTok-parent company ByteDance's Beijing headquarters for a weeklong training camp</a>. Campers will focus on skills like speech recognition, computer vision and graphics, in addition to being eligible for "big cash prizes" and internships. The camp, now in its fourth year, reflects the growing competition for AI experts amid the US and China's tech cold war.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/these-two-coinbase-employees-got-wed-by-swapping-nfts-2021-4">Blockchain wedding:</a> The hot new wedding item in Silicon Valley is an NFT, or non-fungible token. In March, a bride and groom in Palo Atlo <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/these-two-coinbase-employees-got-wed-by-swapping-nfts-2021-4">whipped out their cellphones at the altar and swapped an animation of unique, blockchain-based digital rings as part of their vows</a>. The blockchain is "forever," just as "love should be," said the bride said, who like her new husband, work at ... Coinbase. <h3>Snapshot: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/face-mask-spacex-spacesuit-covid-william-honeywell-2021-4">The face mask to kick off your cyborg makeover</a></h3>Covid-wear reached a new pinnacle this week with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/face-mask-spacex-spacesuit-covid-william-honeywell-2021-4">the release of the Xubermask</a>, a wild-looking internet-connected face mask that's the result of a collaboration between musician-cum-entrepreneur Will.i.am, electronics company Honeywell, and Jose Fernandez, a designer whose credits include the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronauts-give-spacex-spacesuits-5-star-review-2020-6">SpaceX flight suit.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/face-mask-spacex-spacesuit-covid-william-honeywell-2021-4"><div type="image" title="Xupermask" height="1049" width="1398" msid="82007355" hostid="261"></div></a>The mask is made of mesh and silicone, and comes with built-in noise-cancelling headphones, dual three-speed fans and LED lights. It'll cost you $300, but you'll be protected from germs and smog, and you'll look like a cyber-warrior. <h3>Recommended Readings:</h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employees-annual-reviews-rating-2021-4">Leaked Amazon documents detail a controversial system that insiders say forces managers to give bad reviews to good employees</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-libra-flopped-before-crypto-boom-zuck-never-gives-up-2021-4">OPINION: Mark Zuckerberg's first crack at a cryptocurrency was an embarrassing flop. Don't bet on him giving up so easily.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deepmind-cofounder-elon-musk-tesla-orient-express-2021-4">DeepMind's cofounder partied with Elon Musk for his raucous 40th birthday party on the Orient Express, a new book revealed</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/clubhouse-top-executives-early-employees-2021-4">Clubhouse only has about 35 employees. Meet the 13 executives and earliest employees behind the year-old startup in talks for a $4 billion valuation.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-adds-new-executives-to-search-team-under-prabhakar-raghavan-2021-4">Google continues its Search leadership shuffle, appointing new executives to focus its most important business</a><h3>Not necessarily in tech:</h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-marcus-burnout-cloud-tech-hiring-attrition-culture-gs-2021-4">Burnout, blown deadlines, and a tech-talent exodus: How Goldman Sachs' Marcus is struggling to live up to its lofty consumer-banking ambitions</a>Thanks for reading, and if you like this newsletter, <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/insider-tech">tell your friends and colleagues they can sign up here to receive it</a>.- Alexei

It's smackdown season in techland

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BuffaloWildWings/photos/pb.9418270899.-2207520000.1406832652./10152560292750900/?type=3&amp;theater">Facebook</a>Buffalo Wild WingsCasual dining is in danger - and millennials are to blame. Brands such as TGI Fridays, Ruby Tuesday, and Applebee's have faced <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/can-chains-survive-death-of-casual-dining-2017-2">sales slumps and dozens of restaurant closures</a>, as casual dining chains have struggled to attract customers and grow sales. "Casual-dining restaurants face a uniquely challenging market today," <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/bwld-Quote">Buffalo Wild Wings</a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/buffalo-wild-wings-ceo-on-why-restaurants-struggle-2017-5"> CEO Sally Smith recently wrote in a letter to shareholders.</a>According to Smith, these sit-down restaurants' struggles can blamed on the <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/millennials-are-killing">most-frequently besmirched </a>generation: millennials."Millennial consumers are more attracted than their elders to cooking at home, ordering delivery from restaurants and eating quickly, in fast-casual or quick-serve restaurants," Smith wrote. While blaming millennials has become a trend to the point of cliche in retail, Smith isn't wrong to zero in on younger customers' changing tastes as a major factor in casual dining's downfall. "Now, there's many, many options that people are replacing chains with," Victor Fernandez, restaurant industry tracker TDn2K's executive director of insights, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/too-many-restaurants-sparks-industry-slump-2017-5">recently told Business Insider. </a><a href="https://www.blueapron.com/">Blue Apron</a>A sample meal from Blue ApronMany of these options involve cooking at home. Grocery chains are increasingly competing with restaurants, thanks to lower prices and perks such as pick-up and delivery, new technology, and trendy features like wine bars and to-go meals. Plus, meal delivery kits such as Blue Apron are focused on getting millennials on a subscription plan that will convince them to stay in and cook a certain number of days a week. Convenience is also a factor, both when it comes to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chains-invest-in-delivery-to-combat-sales-slump-2017-5">delivery</a> and speed of service. And casual dining chains are still playing catch-up with regards to delivery."The only part of casual dining that's growing right now is the off premise side," said Bonnie Riggs, foodservice industry analyst for NPD, <a href="http://www.nrn.com/casual-dining/casual-dining-finds-ray-light-takeout">recently told Nation's Restaurant News.</a>Cheesecake Factory announced earlier this year it is expanding delivery to half of its 194 US locations through DoorDash, a third party delivery service. T.G.I. Fridays, Chili's, and Maggiano's are all now on Grubhub, and Buffalo Wild Wings and Red Robin are testing the service. Outback Steakhouse is using both third-party services and building its own delivery service.While delivery is clearly a compelling option to offer, it isn't a simple service for restaurants to add. Customers often spend less when ordering delivery, especially at casual dining chains that rely on alcohol orders to drive sales. In-house delivery means added complexities, paying drivers, and additional insurance costs. Using a third-party means losing control over the food's quality.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/chipotle/photos_stream">Chipotle Facebook</a>Then, there are the more convenient chains that have drawn millennial customers away from casual dining options. The growth of fast-casual chains such as Chipotle and Panera have been especially harmful. These chains manage to bring both convenience and lower prices to millennial customers, who are less enthused about spending more money just for the "experience" of sitting in a booth at a casual dining joint. The fast-casual industry grew by 550% from 1999 to 2014, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/02/02/the-chipotle-effect-why-america-is-obsessed-with-fast-casual-food/?utm_term=.0db3676c64b5">The Washington Post reported. </a>By 2020, the fast-casual market in the US is expected to reach $66.9 billion, according<a href="https://www.fastcasual.com/news/fast-casual-industry-to-hit-67b-by-2020/"> to the market-research company Technavio.</a>"They have more of a healthy perception, there's quicker service times," Wedbush analyst Colin Radke <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/can-chains-survive-death-of-casual-dining-2017-2">told Business Insider in March.</a> "The healthiness and the speed of service - that's been taking market share from casual dining."Specific trends aside, when Smith says that millennials tastes differ from what casual dining chains can offer, she's avoiding a more blunt statement: that casual dining brands just aren't cool any more. "When you look at the alternatives out there in the marketplace today and who's creating buzz and creating excitement, it's gone away from chain casual dining," John Antioco, TGI Fridays CEO <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/can-chains-survive-death-of-casual-dining-2017-2">who is attempting to rebrand the chain as a gastropub, </a>told Business Insider. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ways-retailers-trick-you-into-spending-more-money-2017-5">5 ways retailers trick you into spending more money</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Millennials are killing chains like Buffalo Wild Wings and Applebee's

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Hollis JohnsonFast-food chains could be in danger in the coming months.</div></div></div><ul><li>The restaurant industry is engaging in a "turf battle" as fears over store closures increase. </li><li>Rising labor costs, changing millennial tastes, and too many choices means the industry is more competitive than ever before. </li><li>"It's kind of like treading water and fearing something bad will happen," one industry expert told Business Insider. </li></ul> As the restaurant industry gets increasingly competitive, fears are mounting that a fast-food apocalypse is nigh. "It's kind of like treading water and fearing something bad will happen," John Hamburger, the founder of industry trade publication Franchise Times Corp., told Business Insider. While no executives want to say their chains will perish in the onslaught, CEOs are being forced to admit that the competitive environment is causing problems. In a call with investors last week, McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook blamed difficulties bringing in more customers on<a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4167766-mcdonalds-mcd-ceo-steve-easterbrook-q1-2018-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single"> "market share fight."</a> Yum Brands CEO Greg Creed said a<a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4168575-yum-brands-yum-q1-2018-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single"> "very tough marketplace"</a> meant Taco Bell's nacho fries didn't boost sales as much as analysts had expected.Outside of fast food, IHOP president Darren Rebelez cautioned that the <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4167766-mcdonalds-mcd-ceo-steve-easterbrook-q1-2018-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single">"highly competitive environment"</a> meant that growing sales required stealing diners from rivals. "You have to be really good to survive," PF Chang's CEO Michael Osanloo recently told Business Insider, noting that the industry may be more competitive than it has ever been. According to Hamburger, there are many factors contributing to the current tense situation, including generational shifts, labor costs, and a shift in the business model restaurants have adopted over the last decade. "It's a real turf battle," Hamburger said. One thing is almost certain, Hamburger says - some restaurants are going to have to close. <h2>Millennial murder spree</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Joe Scarnici/Getty Images</div></div></div>While <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-endanger-casual-dining-restaurants-2017-5">"millennials are killing" headlines</a> have been mocked by many, the generational shift has hit restaurants hard. Many concepts were designed with baby boomers in mind - and simply weren't able to shift gears to meet millennial demands. "I didn't want to go to the restaurants my parents went to," Hamburger said. "And you don't want to go to the restaurants your parents went to." Casual-dining chains such as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-endanger-casual-dining-restaurants-2017-5">TGI Fridays, Applebee's, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Chili's</a> have already been hit by the phenomenon, with declining sales setting off hundreds of closures. "Millennial consumers are more attracted than their elders to cooking at home, ordering delivery from restaurants, and eating quickly, in fast-casual or quick-serve restaurants," Buffalo Wild Wings CEO Sally Smith wrote in a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/buffalo-wild-wings-ceo-on-why-restaurants-struggle-2017-5">letter to shareholders in 2017.</a> <h2>Too many restaurants </h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Courtesy of SubwaySubway is among the many chains shuttering locations</div></div></div>Casual-dining restaurants could not continue to stumble along in mediocrity - holding steady despite the loss of millennial dollars - in part because there are too many other restaurants that Americans can visit. While same-store sales increased across the restaurant industry last quarter, according to BlackBox TDn2K data, foot traffic declined by 2.7%. That significant drop is still the best foot traffic the industry has seen in years."We believe there is an over-supply of restaurants out there," Victor Fernandez, TDn2K's executive director of insights, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/too-many-restaurants-sparks-industry-slump-2017-5">told Business Insider last year.</a> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-chain-restaurants-are-struggling-2016-10">Many executives,</a> including those of Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, and Olive Garden parent company Darden, are getting anxious about the surplus of restaurants. "Not many categories are truly growing," Dunkin' Brands CEO Nigel Travis <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/too-many-restaurants-in-the-us-says-dunkin-ceo-2017-9">said in September 2017.</a> "The country is probably over-restauranted." PF Chang's Osanloo is more optimistic. "It's been a constant dynamic. There are too many bad restaurants, for sure," he said. "And, I think what happens is that bad restaurants have really short shelf life. Good restaurants do really well." However, even if only bad and mediocre restaurants are culled, that means a significant portion of the places we eat in the US will disappear, leading to the loss of thousands upon thousands of businesses and jobs. <h2>Minimum wage on the rise </h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesWorkers protest outside a McDonald's restaurant on November 10, 2015 in Miami, Florida. The protesters are demanding action from state legislators and presidential candidates to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.</div></div></div>If uninterested millennials and an excess of restaurants aren't big enough problems, there are also issues behind the scenes. Minimum wage <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/minimum-wage-increase-states-in-2018-2017-12">increased in 18 states</a> in 2018. With minimum wage on the rise, it is becoming more expensive to run a restaurant. "I can remember when this was an industry where <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/03/upshot/fast-food-jobs-teenagers-shortage.html">you hired teenagers</a>," Hamburger said. "Now, you're hiring adults." While high employment rates are good in terms of bringing in more customers, it also means restaurants need to pay workers more if they want to attract and keep talent. That's great news for workers, but it causes problems in an industry built on cutting costs as much as possible. "The restaurant industry was not designed to be an expensive labor model," Hamburger said.Research into the impact of increasing minimum wages on the restaurant industry has shown mixed results. However, executives are certainly stressing over the topic. "As we see the rising costs of labor, it just makes sense" to consider adding new automated technology, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jack-in-the-box-ceo-reconsiders-automation-kiosks-2018-1">Jack in the Box CEO Leonard Comma said in January.</a> The rising costs - which include expensive remodels for many chains - are at odds with the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wendys-debuts-4-for-4-value-menu-2018-1">intense discounts</a> restaurants have rolled out in an effort to boost traffic. Slashing prices while costs rise means profit margins are increasingly thin. As a result, the slightest downturn in same-store sales could be devastating. <h2>A business model in peril </h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</div></div></div>Many of these problems are cyclical in nature, Hamburger says. In 1979 - almost 40 years ago - Robert L. Emerson published "Fast Food: The Endless Shake Out," which argues that the industry exists in a cycle of booms and busts.Major waves of closures are a part of the fast-food industry, and one that Hamburger says he has seen occur a number of times since he started covering the restaurant industry in the late '80s. "That's the endless shake out," Hamburger said of current and upcoming closures. "It's happening, and it's more likely to happen when you have all those restaurants." Hamburger argues that current problems have been exacerbated by the industry's overreliance on mega franchisees.In recent years, chains like Jack in the Box, Applebee's, and Taco Bell have significantly increased the proportion of locations that are owned by franchisees rather than by the company itself. That saves money for the companies, many of which are publicly traded. However, it also means that chains can be out of touch with what is actually happening on the ground.Franchisees are also owning more and more locations, with four franchise groups making more than a billion dollars a year and 130 generating revenues greater than $100 million, according to the Restaurant Finance Monitor. In essence, executives making the big-picture decisions for restaurants, such as those relating to <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> and pricing, are increasingly distant from what is happening in stores.The restaurant industry racked in<a href="http://www.restaurant.org/News-Research/Research/Facts-at-a-Glance"> $799 billion in sales in the US in 2017,</a> and its employees accounted for roughly 10% of the American workforce. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/retail-apocalypse">The retail apocalypse</a> has put hundreds of thousands of people out of work, leaving bankrupt companies and empty malls in its path. Now, the restaurant industry needs to brace for a similar hit. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/next-frontier-in-customer-relations?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=ctgr&amp;utm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_content=mobile_ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_campaign=mobile_ctgr_leadgen_messaging-apps-crm"></a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ihop-new-pancake-sliders-ultimate-waffle-stack-vs-mcgriddle-2018-4">We tried IHOP's new breakfast sandwiches to see if they stack up to the McGriddle</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Fast food is on the verge of a crisis - and not every chain will survive

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>Good morning! Here's what you need to know.
1. Hertz Is Crashing. The car rental giant was down 13% pre-market after it withdrew its guidance, citing costs of an audit of results dating back to 2011. It now expects results to be "well below" initial forecasts. "Hertz, which has delayed the filing of its second-quarter results pending the completion of the review, has said it would restate its results for 2011 and revise its 2012 and 2013 results," <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hertz-withdraws-guidance-citing-audit-costs-2014-08-20">Marketwatch said</a>. "So far, Hertz said, it doesn't appear it will have to restate its 2012 and 2013 results. The company is also looking into whether its 2014 results have been impacted."
2. Target Cuts Outlook. Shares of the retailer were down 4% pre-market Wednesday after it lowered Q3 earnings guidance to $0.40-$0.50 against expected $0.66, and cut adjusted full-year earnings. "In the U.S., traffic trends continue to recover and monthly sales are improving. Better U.S. sales have continued into August, driven by early back-to-school results."
3. Lowe's Is Falling. The home improvement chain <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-lowes-cos-quarterly-sales-rise-56-percent-2014-8">cut</a> its full-year sales forecast to 4.5% from 5% and same-store sales forecast to 3.5% from 4%. Shares are down more than 3% pre-market Wednesday.
4. Argentina's Workaround. The country is now attempting to pay debt locally to get around a New York court ruling that it still owed a group of hedge funds for its previous default. "The government will submit a bill to Congress that lets overseas debt holders swap into new bonds governed by domestic law with the same terms, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said in a nationwide address yesterday," <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-19/argentina-to-pay-bondholders-in-local-account-to-skirt-ruling.html">according to Bloomberg</a>. "Payments will be made into accounts at the central bank instead of through Bank of New York Mellon Corp., the current trustee." But fund manager Will Nef told them, "The bigger picture hasn't changed at all. Argentina is still locked out of international credit markets because the issue with the holdouts remains unresolved."
5. Shake-Up At Walgreens. WSJ's Michael Siconolfi <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/walgreen-shakeup-followed-bad-projection-1408494546?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection&amp;cb=logged0.4437204145360738">has a report out</a> detailing how two key executives were forced out of the drugstore chain after erroneous results that have caused its share price to plunge 13%. "At an April board meeting, Chief Financial Officer Wade Miquelon forecast $8.5 billion in fiscal 2016 pharmacy-unit earnings, based partly on contracts to sell drugs under Medicare. Last month, directors got a shock. Mr. Miquelon suddenly cut that forecast by $1.1 billion. In early August, the CFO of the nation's largest drugstore chain was gone. Walgreen said several days earlier that its pharmacy chief, Kermit Crawford, would retire at year-end. Behind the botched numbers and management shake-up are Walgreen's efforts to capture a larger role as a middleman dispensing prescription drugs under Medicare's Part D, which subsidizes costs for the elderly and disabled. The saga at Walgreen-which derives 25% to 30% of its prescriptions from Medicare Part D plans-shows the broader risks for those operating in the Medicare ecosystem."
6. FOMC Minutes. Published At 2 P.M. As BI's Myles Udland <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jackson-hole-preview-august-19-2014-8#ixzz3AvvJXGXl">wrote</a> in his preview of the Kansas City Fed's Jackson Hole Conference, which kicks off tomorrow, investors are increasingly focused on what the Fed thinks of the labor market. An interesting wrinkle, pointed out by <a href="http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-skills-gap-is-most-evident-in-retail-trade-and-restaurants">Dean Baker</a>, here is that while you might be tempted to say that surging unfilled job openings reflect workers not having the proper skills, one of the fastest areas of jobs growth is in food service, which is not what we're told are the skills people are lacking for (usually people say it's tech skills that are causing the disparity).
7. UK Manufacturing Orders Rise. The reading of 11 bested forecasts of 4 and July's reading of 2. "The outlook for UK manufacturers remains healthy, with both total and export orders firming up," said Katja Hall, CBI Deputy Director-General, <a href="http://on.ft.com/1vgwQLl">per FT</a>. "Despite a dip in the pace of output growth, companies expect a strong pick-up in the next three months. But with growth flat at best in the eurozone and sterling having risen in recent months, there are still some headwinds to export demand. We need more manufacturers exporting to high-growth markets, which will help to put the recovery onto a more balanced, sustainable footing."
8. Japan Exports Climb. The gain of 3.9% was about in line with estimates for 3.8%. "The export data will be a relief for the Bank of Japan, which has predicated its economic growth and inflation forecasts on a rapid rise in exports as part of the government's 'Abenomics' plan to energize the Japanese economy," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-export-economy-growth-2014-8">Reuters said.</a> "The BOJ can say with more confidence that it will keep its monetary policy on hold," Hiroshi Miyazaki, senior economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities told the wire. 
9. Key Question Over Journalist's Execution. BI's Michael Kelley <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-did-isis-kidnap-james-foley-2014-8#ixzz3Aw0npruf">asks</a> why James Foley, who was believed to be in the custody of pro-Assad forces, ended up with ISIS. "What is unclear is if previous investigations into Foley's whereabouts were inaccurate, if ISIS militants somehow captured Foley from some of the regime's most elite security, or if the Assad regime provided Foley to ISIS. "Until recently, James Foley was thought to be in hands of pro-Assad forces. If Assad is handing over Westerners to ISIS to be killed, it indicates Assad feels cornered, looking for leverage," BBC's Kim Ghattas <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCKimGhattas/statuses/501902109198266369">tweeted</a>, adding that the assessment jibes with what she has been told by sources in Damascus recently.
10. Markets. U.S. Futures are flat. Asian markets closed in the green with Japan's Nikkei up 0.03% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng up 0.15%. European markets were down 0.4%.

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