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Americas fast casual restaurants are almost universally struggling. But a few chains are betting on one universally beloved fried finger food to draw customers back into booths: the humble mozzarella stick. Over the past year or so, the fast casual sector has faced a chilling effect as inflation and rising menu prices continue to drive consumers away. Last year, chains including Red Lobster, Tijuana Flats, Buca di Beppo, and BurgerFi all sought bankruptcy protection. Others, like Dine Brands (the owner of Applebees and IHOP) and Darden (the owner of Olive Garden) have recently reported lackluster financial results. Amidst this dreary environment, Chilis, the fast casual restaurant known for its margaritas and appetizers, is having a shockingly good year. The brand saw a 31% jump in sales in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, alongside a nearly 20% increase in traffic. Chilis parent company, Brinker International, raked in total sales of about $1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2025 compared to about $1.1 billion in 2024. A good portion of Chilis success can be attributed to several viral appetizersmost notably, its fried mozzarella stickswhich have boosted the restaurants visibility in the cultural zeitgeist. Now, TJI Fridays seems to be taking a page out of Chilis book to revitalize its dying brand by putting mozzarella sticks front and center. [Photo: Chili’s] Chili’s pioneers mozzarella stick-Tok In a January earnings call, Chilis CEO Kevin Hochman laid out a few of the changes driving Chilis recent success, including simplifying the menu, upgrading ingredients, and, crucially, investing in a social media marketing campaign centered around appetizers. Back in April 2024, Chilis partnered with a number of social media influencers to market its Triple Dipper, an appetizer plate that lets customers choose three different dishes (the mozzarella sticks, which were added to the menu in 2002, being one of the most popular choices.) The collabs took off, spawning dozens of TikToks with viewership in the hundreds of thousands of influencers sampling both the Triple Dipper and the mozzarella sticks by themselves. The mozzarella sticks developed a kind of cult online fanbase both for their chunky rectangular form factor and for their cheese-pull properties, a measurement of how stretchy melted cheese is thats a sought-after characteristic for food-based content creators. The appetizer was so popular among young fans on TikTok that the company introduced two new flavors in 2024, Nashville Hot Mozz and Honey Chipotle Mozz, which, predictably, spawned another wave of Chilis mozzarella stick reviews. In all, Hochman told investors, interest in the Triple Dipper doubled year-over-year, jumping from accounting for 7% of total sales to 14%. [Photo: TGI Fridays] TJI Fridays goes stick-for-stick with Chili’s It looks like TJI Fridays is now hoping to dip into the mozzarella stick craze in an effort to revive its business. It’s been a rough several years for TGI Friday’s. In early 2024, the chain abruptly shuttered a series of underperforming stores. Then, in December, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing financial difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemicas the main factor driving the decision. Today, the company has whittled down its presence in the U.S. to just 85 stores, compared to 600 during its heyday in 2006. Now, under CEO Ray Blanchette, who previously ran the company between 2018 and 2023 and returned again in January, TJI Fridays is taking a bold risk to turn its fate around. In an interview with CNN this week, Blanchette shared that the company is planning to change 85% of its menu to streamline the available options and attract both Gen Zers and millennials to the chain. [Photo: TGI Fridays] To start, the company is paring back on the more out-there items on the menu (at one point, oddly, that included sushi), introducing a new signature sauce, and revamping its cocktail menu. According to Blanchette, the new drink offerings include seven signature cocktails from the companys early days, now with eye-catching colors, and theyre intended to entice Gen Zers who love speciality beverages. Chilis has used a similar strategy for some time, debuting a margarita of the month in neon hues that often take off on socials (like last summers Berry Shark Bite Marg and this months 90s-inspired Radical Rita.) And, of course, TGI Fridays is introducing its own spin on the saucy mozzarella sticks. Blanchette says that the brand has offered mozzarella sticks for decades, and actually helped turn them into a staple on menus across the industry. On its new menu, the chain will go stick-for-stick with Chilis through flavors including Franks RedHot Buffalo, Garlic Parmesan, and Whiskey Glaze. For us, mozzarella sticks are not a trend, Blanchette told Fast Company. [. . .] When we saw others leaning into sauced versions, we knew it was time to remind everyone who did it firstand now were raising the bar. To spread the word, TGI Fridays has a new socials team thats already jumping on mozzarella stick-Tok, including with a video posted this week of mozzarella sticks getting tossed in sauce to George Michaels sensual Careless Whisper. Chilis may have paved the way, but TGI Fridays will be the first testcase of whether mozzarella sticks are enough to save Americas fast casual restaurants.
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E-Commerce
Steel has long anchored modern construction, but its environmental toll is staggering: producing a single ton emits nearly two tons of CO2. Steel is also complex to manage in construction processes, which prevents smaller contractors and projects from using it. A material invented at the University of Maryland will soon offer a radical alternative. Called Superwood, it has a 50% greater tensile strength than steel and a strength-to-weight ratio that’s 10 times better. It’s lighter, tougher, and also locks away carbon. After seven years of development, the startup commercializing the technology will begin mass production this summer. Weve spent years perfecting our molecular reconfiguration process to maintain the extraordinary properties demonstrated in the lab, while making the process commercially viable, Alex Laucofounder and executive chairman of InventWoodtells me over email. [Photo: InventWood] The company was founded in 2016 by Dr. Liangbing Hu at the University of Maryland, after he developed the first transparent wood as a better insulating alternative to glass. What began as pioneering academic work evolved through several breakthrough iterations, Lau says. Hu turned his research into Superwood in 2017. The work was documented in a 2018 Nature paper that revealed a method of transforming ordinary wood into a substance rivaling titanium alloys. The discovery held the promise of a sustainable, CO2 negative construction material that was better than steel, but it was far from commercialization. During this time, Dr. Hu focused on further refining the technology and bringing manufacturing costs down. Then, in 2021, Lau recognized that the technology had reached sufficient maturity for full-scale commercialization. At that point, I helped pull together a complete team to kick off the manufacturing process, he says. Since 2021, we’ve been intensely focused on creating a scalable process and ensuring the quality standards necessary to bring SuperWood to market. Magnified images of (left) untreated wood and the same wood treated by a new process (right) invented by UMD engineers that compresses the natural structures of wood into a new material five times thinner. [Images: courtesy University of Maryland] How Superwood is made Making Superwood is a complex process, but it requires two primary steps. First, lignina polymer that stiffens wood and gives it its brown hueis partially dissolved using food-grade chemicals. As Orlando J. Rojas, a professor at Finlands Aalto University, noted back when the discovery came out in 2018, the trick is to remove just enough lignin to maximize hydrogen bonding between cellulose fibers without compromising its structural integrity. Next, the wood is compressed at 150°F, collapsing its cellular structure into a dense matrix. The result is a material five times thinner than the original, but 12 times stronger and 10 times tougher. This molecular reconfiguration eliminates woods inherent weaknesses. Natural wood is porous and prone to rot, but Superwoods tightly packed cellulose fibers create a barrier against moisture, termites, and fungi. Its Class A fire ratingachieved without chemical flame retardantsstems from its density, which starves flames of oxygen. Lab tests proved its ballistic resistance: A projectile pierced untreated wood, but it lodged halfway through a same-thickness Superwood block. Unlike steel or carbon fiber, it requires no energy-intensive smelting or synthetic resins. Initially, it took weeks to make a single plank of Superwood, but Inventwoods team streamlined the process to just a few hours, enabling bulk production of the material. Lau tells me that the companys first facility in Frederick, Maryland, will produce one million square feet of Superwood annually starting this summer, focusing initially on interior finishes for commercial and high-end residential projects. A second phase in fall 2025 will introduce exterior-grade panels for siding and roofing. He envisions structural beams and columns within a few years, pending certification. Their plan is to build a larger facility that will scale to over 30 million square feet, enabling use in infrastructure and large developments, Lau says. If you are wondering about how architects and crews can actually use this to build, you are not alone: If its stronger than steel, does it require special tools? According to Lau, contractors can cut, drill, and fasten Superwood with standard woodworking tools, though its density may demand adjusted techniques. No specialized tools are required, making adoption straightforward, Lau says. The materials stability minimizes warping, and polymer coatings enable outdoor use without sacrificing aesthetics. Its compressed fibers deepen natural grain patterns, yielding finishes akin to tropical hardwoods. [Photo: courtesy University of Maryland] It can change everything Lau didnt disclose information about price, tought he did say Superwoods initial pricing will be premium but competitive with top-notch tropical hardwoods and hybrid woods, which are composite materials that combine wood with other materials like steel or concrete. This means that, pound by pound, it will be much more expensive than steel at this point, more than 10 times in fact: $12.50 to $25 per pound for Superwood as opposed to steels $1 to $2 per pound. But then you need to factor in other factors to understand its true cost. If Superwoods offers 10x superior strength-to-weight ratio, a 10-pound beam could match the load-bearing capacity of a 100-pound steel beam, in theory effectively reducing its effective cost to $1.25 to $2.50 per pound when adjusted for performance. [Photo: InventWood] You also need to factor in its resistance to corrosion and rot, plus the fact that you can make a building entirely out of Superwood and eliminate the need for other structural elements and wall materials. Then theres the economical and environmental cost of fire retardants, since the material naturally retards fire even if its wood. Since wood comes from the most effective living carbon sequestration system on the planettrees!it will actually suck CO2 out of the atmosphere (the material is made from wood from sustainable tree farms). Clearly, Superwoods long-term value proposition narrows the gap with steel in relative and absolute terms. The company expects to achieve better economics as they scale up production too, Lau adds. Superwood, in theory, could extend beyond construction. Early research proposed applications in vehicles, aircraft, and furniture, leveraging its moldability and cost savings over carbon fiber. For now, InventWood is focused on buildings, however, where steel and concrete account for a massive carbon footprint, pollution, and economic bill. We want to get to the bones of the building, Lau says. He believes that Superwood can transform the construction industry. We will see when the first batches roll out this summer and companies start using them.
Category:
E-Commerce
Gen Alpha, the youngest generation of active consumers in the market, are teetering on the onset of teen angst. For many of them, an unavoidable trigger of it will be those pesky hormonal-triggered breakouts. Its a moment for the skincare industry to once again swoop in and offer tweens and teens a smorgasbord of problem-skin creams, gels, patches and facemasks treatments. That part hasnt changed for generations of consumers. Whats evolved are the strategies brands are using today to reach the youngest of them. Previous generations of teens, for instance, would see ads for acne brands in glossy magazines, newspaper inserts, on TV during Nickelodeon commercial breaks and on the radio. None of this will effectively work with Gen Alpha, a fully digitally native cohort. They live and breathe the internet, gaming and social media. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-04-at-7.22.40\u202fAM.png","headline":"Subscribe to Bagable ","description":"Discover the brands and trends to shop, by Parija Kavilanz. To learn more visit bagable.com","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.bagable.com","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}} So in March, Switzerland-based Galderma, maker of skincare brand Cetaphil and Differin (a popular over-the-counter acne treatment sold in Walmart, Target, Ulta and on Amazon), for the first time took its acne brand to one of Gen Alphas most popular hangoutsthe gaming platform Roblox. Roblox has about 98 million active daily users, with 80% of them below the age of 25. On average, users spent a total of 21.7 billion hours on the platform just in its first quarter this year, up 30% from a year ago. The when, the where and the why of [our] effort is very rooted in data, says Tara Loftis, global president of dermatological skincare at Galderma. Acne impacts 85% of people between the ages of 12 and 24. Where are tweens and younger GenZers spending most of their time? The answer is gaming. Loftis and her team partnered with marketing agency Dentsu and dreamed up what it would look like for Differin to integrate directly into Roblox. [Screenshot: Galderma] A novel approach for skincare Walmart, Fenty Beauty, Crocs, H&M, PacSun, Nike and e.l.f. Beauty are among dozens of major brands that have created their presence in the Roblox metaverse. However, Differins entry, according to industry experts, makes it one of the first brands in the acne-care category to now be on Roblox. It is a novel approach by skincare brands trying to connect with young consumers, says Larissa Jensen, senior vice president and global beauty industry advisor at market research firm Circana. Cosmetics brands, such as e.l.f, have been turning to Roblox to reach a very specific younger demographic. That isnt new. But, for skincare [brands], its a little bit more challenging to integrate skincare into a gaming platform, Jensen says. With makeup, you can engage with the brand through gameplay where you put makeup on your avatar. Its harder to interact in the metaverse with skincare. If Galderma has success with this strategy, you can bet that other brands will be paying attention. The Roblox activation for Differin involves three mini games (for players ages 13 and up) as part of the brands Level Up Lobby. [Screenshot: Galderma] In one game called Foam Blaster, the challenge is to use a blaster to clean hovering faces with Differin’s 10% benzoyl peroxide maximum strength foaming cleanser. Players in Power Patch Splat launch Differin power patches at the right moment to splat pimples. In Zit Zapper, the objective is to zap zits as they appear on hovering faces with Differin’s 10% Benzoyl Peroxide spot treatment. The goal with these roblox games, said Loftis, is to create brand awareness and educate Gen Zalpa (Gen Alpha and younger GenZers) about skincare through gamifying acne care and integrating Differin into that experience. Although players cant buy Differin products on Roblox, they are able to upload their receipt for any Differin purchase to unlock virtual rewards in the games. What we didnt want to do was to have this look like ad necessarily, in the traditional sense, says Loftis. Two reasons for that. We are not able to target anyone under the age of 13, or to target people specifically that have acne. But what we can do is make that assumption about where 80% of acne sufferers are. They are Gen Zalpa and theyre on Roblox. [Screenshot: Galderma] Chasing the Roblox Gold Rush Clay Colarusso, head of TeenVoice, a teen market research and insights company, is very familiar with the Gold Rush of brands to the Roblox metaverse as they strive to capture the attention of the youngest hoppers and influence their future spending habits. Marketers trying to unlock the tween and teen markets and the billions of household dollars that theyre either influencing their parents to spend, or the dollars theyre spending directly, has been happening for decades, says Colarusso. Im a child of the 80s and I distinctly remember the toy and breakfast cereal commercials that would play one after another as I watched Saturday morning cartoons, says Colarusso. Kids back then would go to mom and dad and ask them to put the toy on the birthday wishlist. The difference today, he says, is that the path to purchase is much shorter through digital marketing than it was with traditional media in the 80s. If Im on Roblox and I have an opportunity to buy, and maybe even have my parents credit card already preloaded in there, I can purchase immediately. Or, I can influence my parents to buy it for me, Colarusso says. Its a marketers dream. But where it gets tricky is on the data side. Brands have to be careful when they target young consumers. The Federal Trade Commission, through its Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA), prohibits companies, websites and online services from collecting personal information of children under 13 without parental approval. The concern is really less about brands marketing to this demographic, with certain obvious exceptions, and more about data collection and privacy concerns especially when dealing with consumers under 13, Colarusso says. This is why folks get really nervous when they think about marketing or how to market to kids, and rightfully so. They need to behave in a judicious and prudent way.Roblox says on its website that the platform is compliant with the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) and other international regulatory standards.” For people 13 and older who are eligible to see ads, Roblox said ads must be clearly and prominently disclosed using simple and understandable language. Hate to be sold to According to Galderma, in less than 30 days after the Differin Roblox games launched, the Differin Level Up Lobby campaign (which ends on May 31) has attracted more than three million visits with more than 365,000 mini games and nearly 12,000 hours of brand engagement on the gaming platform. We know that Gen Zalpha hates being sold to. These are games. If they struggle with acne, we hope to educate them about skincare through gaming that resonates, says Loftis. If not, its still a fun game. So far, she says a fairly high number of people playing the games are playing them completely. We went big on our gaming, which means we basically moved away 100% from traditional advertising for Differin, Loftis says. Gen Zalpha isnt going to buy an acne patch because they see an ad. Theyre going to buy it because they see a really compelling before and after result that their favorite gamer or TikToker talks about. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-04-at-7.22.40\u202fAM.png","headline":"Subscribe to Bagable ","description":"Discover the brands and trends to shop, by Parija Kavilanz. To learn more visit bagable.com","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.bagable.com","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}}
Category:
E-Commerce
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