The Americas
Handshake Speakeasy North America’s best bar again
For the second year running, Mexcio City favorite Handshake Speakeasy has been crowned the best bar in North America. It was also named the best in Mexico in the ceremony in Vancouver. Head bartender Eric van Beek has continued to push the boundaries of conventional cocktail making, keeping the bar ahead of the pack. New York City’s Superbueno came second in the ranking followed by another Mexico City spot, Tlecān in third spot. The Big Apple is the region’s undisputed destination for craft cocktails, holding 11 of the 26 bars from the US on the list.
McDonald’s blames surprise decline on tariffs uncertainty
The burger giant is among a number of companies that have warned the uncertainty surrounding the trade tariffs is damaging business. Reporting a 3.6% decline in sales in its home market during Q1 of 2025, McDonald’s attributed the disappointing results to lower customer numbers who cut back on spending in the face of the unpredictable economic outlook. To put this into perspective, it represents the largest fall in quarterly sales since the Covid lockdowns in 2020. “Consumers today are grappling with uncertainty,” said chief executive, Chris Kempczinski.
Asia Pacific
Hong Kong sees a drop in licensed restaurants
A new analysis from the South China Morning Post has reported a year on year drop in licensed restaurants in Hong Kong. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department reported 17,154 licenses as the end of April, down 255 on the same month last year. A combination of Hong Kong locals travelling to mainland China and tourists preferring lighter food options including street food and snacks is seen as the main driver of the trend. This marks the first year-on-year drop in licenses since the pre-pandemic period.
Hungry Jacks Australia fined
The Australian fast food franchise has been ordered to pay fines worth in excess of AU$150,000 by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The fine comes after Hungry Jacks was found to have given out free toys with children’s meals without adequate warnings about batteries included with the Garfield dolls. The consumer watchdog said the operator had distributed over 27,000 of the toys without the required warnings about the potentially dangerous button batteries included in May 2024. The watchdog has the power to impose fines of up to AU$10m.
EAME
DoorDash takes over Deliveroo
UK food delivery app Deliveroo has agreed to be taken over by US firm DoorDash in a deal worth £2.9bn ($3.8bn). Joining forces, the two companies will pose significant competition to other rivals on the food delivery market including Uber Eats and JustEat in the UK. The deal is set to supercharge the combined company, which will have a presence in over 40 markets serving 50 million customers every month, providing a compelling base for further development. Founded in 2013, Deliveroo currently operates in nine countries with 130,000 delivery drivers.
Free fine dining for young guests in Galway
Irish restaurant Aniar invites young people, aged 7-15 to enjoy a specially curated 12-course tasting menu for free when accompanied by a paying adult in April and May. Based in Galway on the west coast of Ireland, the restaurant holding one Michelin star, is owned by chef Jp McMahon who hopes to make young people feel enthusiastic about Irish food while the experience of enjoying dinner in a formal setting can help to introduce young people to the rituals around dining, McMahon has previously spoken of the importance of including children in the fine dining restaurant where he has long offered a special tasting menu for young guests.
Tina Nielsen
