Leslie Patton (@PattonLes) profile picture

Leslie Patton

@PattonLes

I write about household products (toilet paper, cleaners!) for @BloombergNews. Musings and opinions are my own.

 Chicago
Joined October 2014
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Photo by Leslie Patton (@PattonLes)Photo by Leslie Patton (@PattonLes)Photo by Leslie Patton (@PattonLes)Photo by Leslie Patton (@PattonLes)Photo by Leslie Patton (@PattonLes)Photo by Leslie Patton (@PattonLes)
love this Shrinkflation story in which Subway puts less meat on sandwiches but says it's an improvement on the product bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Fewer Nuggets, Smaller Salads: Shrinkflation Hits US Restaurant Diners

Fewer Nuggets, Smaller Salads: Shrinkflation Hits US Restaurant Diners

Portions are getting smaller, but prices are staying the same, or sometimes even going up.

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Burger King is cutting artificial flavors and additives from its menu, but at least one controversial ingredient is sticking around @deenashanker @pattonles @lydiamulvany bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @business

Burger King Trims Artificial Additives—With One Big Exception

Burger King is cutting artificial flavors and additives from its menu, but at least one controversial ingredient is sticking around.

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Leslie Patton retweeted
Deena Shanker (@deenashanker) profile picture
Deena Shanker@deenashanker9 Jan 2020
Taco Bell is offering $100k to be a manager at its restaurants AND it's committing to make all of its customer packaging recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025. via @PattonLes bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
You Can Now Make $100,000 Working at Taco Bell

You Can Now Make $100,000 Working at Taco Bell

Wanted: Restaurant manager. Competitive salary: $100,000.

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For diners who still like to eat animal products - but slightly less than before - behold the flexitarian option! We're talking beef/mushroom burgers, chicken/cauliflower nuggets & a surprise mix of almond/cow milk that I didn't realize we were asking for. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
If You Kind of Like Peas, Maybe You’ll Love a Pea-Beef Mash

If You Kind of Like Peas, Maybe You’ll Love a Pea-Beef Mash

The new trend is fusing plants with meat, to appeal to the ‘vegetarian-ish.’

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Starbucks' new FIVE FLOOR Chicago roastery opens Nov. 15 and will be the biggest yet. (Legit question: How many times do you have to go up and down those stairs to burn off a Frappuccino?) bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @PattonLes

Starbucks Is Betting Chicago Wants a Five-Floor Coffee Shop

Starbucks Corp. may be thinking small with its micro-cafe in New York, but the company is going big -- five floors big -- in Chicago.

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In case you missed it, this story from @PattonLes & @claireeboston is nerdy and good. Basically, restaurants have taken advantage of more than a decade of ultra-low interest rates and levered up to build new locations, and investors are starting to panic. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Restaurant Debt Braces for a Record as Industry Growth Slows

Restaurant Debt Braces for a Record as Industry Growth Slows

The restaurant industry is bracing for a reckoning as a record tide of debt threatens to choke franchisees of major chains like Pizza Hut and Burger King.

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"I have had it with these motherf-ing pickles on this motherf-ing wing!" (Just kidding, pickles are delicious.) Story on Samuel L. Jackson's restaurant bet here via @PattonLes bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Dave’s Hot Chicken Wants to Be the Next Blaze Pizza

Dave’s Hot Chicken Wants to Be the Next Blaze Pizza

The investors behind Blaze Pizza are pivoting to fried chicken.

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Tired of fast-food workers misunderstanding your "no pickles" Big Mac order? Worry not: the robots are coming for your drive-thru. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… $MCD via @PattonLes
McDonald’s Buys Startup to Add Automated Drive-Thru Ordering

McDonald’s Buys Startup to Add Automated Drive-Thru Ordering

McDonald’s Corp. is making a bet it can automate the task of taking drive-thru orders.

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Leslie Patton retweeted
Jeff Green (@JeffAGreen) profile picture
Jeff Green
@JeffAGreen27 Aug 2019
WE HAVE THE (PIZZA) MEATS: Papa John’s appoints Arby’s president Rob Lynch as its CEO, reports @PattonLes bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @business
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Leslie Patton retweeted
Kevin Orland (@kevinorland) profile picture
Kevin Orland@kevinorland15 Aug 2019
Regenerative agriculture is picking up steam bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @markets

U.S. Farmers Plant Crops You Won't Eat in Climate Change Fight

In a tough year for farmers, North Dakota’s Dennis Haugen is a standout. And he may have climate change to thank for it.

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Is your freezer home to a random box of Morningstar veggie burgers? You aren't alone! Legacy v-burgers, or what I like to think of as Beyond Meat 1.0, are having a bit of a comeback as the plant-based trend raises all ships. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @livrockeman & @PattonLes

Legacy Veggie Burgers Fight to Stay Relevant in the Age of Beyond Meat

The meatless-meat category is facing a renaissance, and legacy veggie burger brands are fighting to stay relevant in the frozen-food aisle.

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Leslie Patton retweeted
Nick Turner (@NewsyNick) profile picture
Nick Turner@NewsyNick24 Jul 2019
The best part of this is Chipotle's CEO used to be the head of Taco Bell. It's like when your teenager comes back from a semester in Europe and suddenly won't eat your tuna casserole. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @PattonLes @deenashanker
No Beyond Burrito: Chipotle’s CEO Says Faux Meat Is Too Processed

No Beyond Burrito: Chipotle’s CEO Says Faux Meat Is Too Processed

Restaurants are lining up to put meat substitutes from Beyond Meat Inc. and Impossible Foods Inc. on their menus -- but don’t expect Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. to join them.

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Leslie Patton retweeted
Nick Turner (@NewsyNick) profile picture
Nick Turner@NewsyNick15 Jul 2019
Chipotle has come all the way back from being synonymous with food poisoning. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @PattonLes
Ackman Builds on His 2019 Rebound as Chipotle Rallies to Record

Ackman Builds on His 2019 Rebound as Chipotle Rallies to Record

Bill Ackman has made about $730 million betting on burritos.

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Panera is testing out a dinner menu, complete with flatbreads and protein bowls, but I'll still be ordering a U-Pick-2 with Frontega Chicken and French Onion Soup and all the delicious sodium thankyouverymuch. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Panera Pushes Beyond Soups and Sandwiches With New Dinner Menu

First came runny yolks at breakfast. Now, Panera Bread Co. is betting on protein bowls and flat breads for dinner.

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Leslie Patton retweeted
Nick Turner (@NewsyNick) profile picture
Nick Turner@NewsyNick13 Jun 2019
Impossible Burger living up to its name. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @deenashanker @PattonLes @lydiamulvany
Impossible Burger Shortages Hit White Castle and Red Robin

Impossible Burger Shortages Hit White Castle and Red Robin

Large restaurant chains Red Robin and White Castle are reporting shortages of Impossible Foods Inc.’s popular meat-free patties, even as the plant-based food producer embarks on a nationwide expans...

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Alkaline water has exploded in the last couple of years, fueled by celebrity endorsements, social media and an ever-increasing interest in the latest wellness trends. But is it worth all the hype? bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @SitkaWriter @PattonLes

Alkaline Water Is Booming and Big Soda Is Pouring In

Big beverage companies are selling hydration with a higher pH level, even though benefits may be dubious.

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Tariffs will hit Americans right where it hurts the most: the stomach. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @PattonLes

A Global Trade War Could Boost America's Lunch Bill by $875 Million

The growing threat of an all-out global trade war means Americans may have to fork out more cash at lunchtime.

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During the trial, returned containers will go to NJ/PA for washing, then back to the factories for refilling. That's a big carbon footprint, but the carbon cost = disposable packaging after just 2 or 3 uses. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… #esg @apbenven @TiffanyKary @echasan
The New Recycling Is Called 'Recommerce'

The New Recycling Is Called 'Recommerce'

Kroger and Walgreens join consumer product giants to bring reusable containers for every part of your life.

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Leslie Patton retweeted
Lisa Wolfson (@LisaAWolfson) profile picture
Lisa Wolfson@LisaAWolfson15 May 2019
Don't be spooked by ghost kitchens -- your delivery order may have been prepared in one @PattonLes @theterminal @business bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
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Today I edited a story that was totally and utterly out of my comfort zone: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

HBO Removes Accidental Starbucks Cup Left in Game of Thrones Episode

"The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake."

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