🚀 First Watch Expands Its Southern Footprint

July 10, 2025

As we age, our muscles naturally lose mass, strength, and functionality, which can lead to fatigue and weakness beginning as early as our 30s. Recent studies indicate that our mitochondria—the cellular powerhouses that generate 90% of our energy—play a crucial role in this decline, contributing to reduced muscle function as we age. A new way to support and improve muscle health as we age, Mitopure® by Timeline is clinically shown to meaningfully boost our mitochondrial health to improve muscle strength and endurance, without any change in exercise required. Ready to feel stronger, for longer with Mitopure? The Daily Menu readers can take 30% off their first month with code 30NEWSLETTER for a limited time. While supplies last.

🍽️ What’s Cooking?

First Watch Expands Its Southern Footprint

Daytime dining chain First Watch is opening several new locations across Alabama, including Montgomery and Auburn. The brand is known for fresh breakfast and brunch made from scratch, with a rotating seasonal menu. The expansion is part of First Watch’s broader push across the Southeast, targeting high-traffic retail areas and college towns.​ ​Read more.

🃏 Running a Smoother Kitchen

Color-Code Your Cutting Boards and Tongs

Prevent cross-contamination by assigning color codes to cutting boards and tools based on food type—red for raw meat, green for vegetables, blue for seafood, and so on. Extend this system to tongs and prep knives. It’s a simple, visual safeguard that helps kitchen staff stay alert and reduce health code violations.

🚀 Scaling Up

Noma Brings Its Name—and Legacy—To Los Angeles

World-renowned Copenhagen restaurant Noma is launching a new venue in Los Angeles. While it won’t replicate the full tasting menu experience, the new spot will carry forward Noma’s philosophy—local sourcing, fermentation, and experimental flavors. This West Coast entry shows how top-tier restaurants are testing global expansion without losing their identity. Read more.

🦾 Fresh Ideas

Restaurants That Are More Than Just a Meal

From dining in pitch-black rooms to being served by singing waitstaff in New York, U.S. restaurants are leaning into unusual themes to draw crowds. Whether it’s a prison-themed eatery in Chicago or a UFO diner in New Mexico, these experiences are tapping into food tourism and social media buzz. Guests are choosing dinner with a side of storytelling. ​Read more

Showcase your brand/product/services in our newsletter to thousands of leaders in the restaurant industry! Contact us today to advertise with Daily Menu.

Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be sponsored or include affiliate links. Daily Menu might earn commissions or have a business interest in featured companies. Read our privacy policy.