Subway is testing a one-net-carb bread option as part of a new product partnership with food tech startup Hero Labs.The item is being promoted by Tom Brady, who appears in the current campaign and is an investor in Hero Labs, along with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures, and musicians The Weeknd and Lil Baby. “The alliance is noteworthy because Brady has been called out by the brand itself because he doesn’t eat bread, as seen in a spot with Stephen Curry (‘Do you even eat bread?’ ‘Steph, it’s a commercial,’ says Brady) and another called ‘Bready,’” …

McDonald’s workers in 12 Eastern and Midwestern U.S. cities walked off the job Oct. 26 to protest the company’s handling of ongoing sexual harassment claims. “In the complaints, which come from multiple cities across the U.S., workers alleged ongoing sexual harassment, including unwanted touching and consistent dismissal of the issues by local leadership,” per Restaurant Dive. The strikes took place in Charleston, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Durham, North Carolina; Marion, North Carolina; Chicago; Detroit; Houston; Miami; Milwaukee; Orlando; St. Louis; and Tampa.

Kohl’s is giving shoppers the ultimate gift ahead of the holiday shopping season: an easier way to handle the return of unwanted purchases. Self returns will allow consumers to bypass the dreaded return line in 200 stores across the country. "You come in, scan your product, initiate the return, put it in a bag and drop it in the slot,” Paul Gaffney, Kohl’s chief technology and supply chain officer, tells USA Today. “You don't have to wait in the line and you don't have to give anyone else control of the process.” The retailer is also offering self-pickup at 100 …

Just in time for Halloween, Mars announced last month it is changing its current green Skittle flavor (green apple) and going back to its original iteration (lime). “In 2013, somebody at Skittles had the bright idea to mix up the original bag of chewy fruit pellets by swapping out the flavor of their green Skittle,” per Slate. “Bidding farewell to reliable lime, Skittles hopped on the green apple wave, embracing a noxious and overpowering flavoring that was seeping into every corner of the fruit candy market at the time. Instead of considering how their candy is consumed, Skittles chose …

Mattel Inc.’s Hot Wheels brand is introducing a new Non-Fungible Token series called Hot Wheels NFT Garage. Series 1 of the collection will launch on Nov. 16. There will be a total of 40 different Hot Wheels NFT designs in the first series. The NFTs launch through a partnership with Wax (The Worldwide Asset eXchange) blockchain. The Rare and Premium cards can be redeemed for physical, special-edition Hot Wheels die-casts.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra says the automaker can “absolutely” catch Tesla in U.S. sales of electric vehicles by 2025. “Barra said an influx of new products, including the soon-to-be-released GMC Hummer pickup and Cadillac Lyriq as well as an upcoming Chevrolet crossover, will help the company beat Tesla,” whose market share is waning, per CNBC. The vehicles are part of GM’s plan to release at least 30 EVs by 2025.

JC Penney has named Marc Rosen, a former executive of Levi Strauss & Co. and Walmart as its chief executive officer effective Nov. 1. Penney operates 650 stores after its bankruptcy and sale to Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Group. “During his tenure at Levi Strauss & Co., Rosen held executive-level roles overseeing their direct-to-consumer business. He was responsible for leading the company’s global e-commerce and retail businesses, including 3,000 stores,” per Chain Store Age. 

Former El Pollo Loco CEO Bernard Acoca has been appointed the CEO of Zaxby’s, a Georgia-based chicken and sandwich restaurant. Alcoca resigned from El Pollo Loco just two weeks ago after three years in the role. Acoca has been brought in to grow the brand, while Zach McLeroy, CEO and cofounder of Zaxby’s, “will stay on to serve as a guide of the company’s heritage,” according to Nation’s Restaurant News. Zaxby’s has 900 locations across 17 states vs. El Pollo Loco, which has 480 restaurants in Arizona, California, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas and Utah.

The plethora of sports gambling ads on TV, radio and online from operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel Group is beginning to concern regulators. Those companies and the like are spending hundreds of millions of dollars, and large shares of their revenues, on marketing -- including celebrity-filled TV commercials, ads on billboards and podcasts, and sponsorships. “If the industry does not control itself, the government will step in and certainly create standards they may not want,” says David Rebuck, director of the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement. 

Baseball is struggling in popularity, based on measures like game attendance and social media relevance. “The game competes with myriad sports and entertainment options that did not exist decades ago, and the methodical pace of play alienates some potential fans,” per The New York Times. “But just as concerning for the game is that many young people believe it is not cool — that it is the exclusive domain of nostalgic old men and data geeks. And a big reason is its tenuous relationship with the audience that, for generations, has helped define what cool is.”