The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: AI Cashiers, Secret Chick-fil-A Cafés, and Thanksgiving Hacks

Date: November 13, 2025
Hosts: Lauren Gruel & Andrew Gruel (Note: This episode appears to feature the "American Gravy" food segment hosted by the Gruels as a guest segment or crossover.)

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Lauren and Andrew Gruel blend food news, cultural commentary, and family banter to tackle trending topics in the food and dining industry. The show covers Chick-fil-A’s new café venture, AI-powered international cashiers at New York City restaurants, Thanksgiving cooking tips, food industry facts, and the latest in food trends worth keeping—or ditching. The hosts offer practical kitchen insights and sharp social commentary, all while keeping the mood humorous and relatable.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trending Food Industry News

Chick-fil-A’s Café Concept: Daybright Coffee (04:10 – 05:46)

• Topic: Chick-fil-A launches "Daybright Coffee" in Georgia, offering drinks, donuts, and quick bites, aiming to enter the café market.
• Andrew: "There's a lot of brands that have tried to jump into this spinoff drink space... but when I've seen brands break away from what they do and they do best and people know them for, it's not always that successful." (05:12)
• Discussion of risky brand diversification; comparisons to McDonald’s unsuccessful drink-only concept and Chipotle's failed side ventures.
• Hosts are curious but cautious about Chick-fil-A's move.

AI Cashiers—International Fast Food Labor (05:46 – 08:20)

• Topic: NYC restaurants hire remote Filipino workers to take orders via video call for $3/hour, sparking internet outrage.
• Lauren: "But why wouldn't they just do one of those, like, mobile ordering where you do it yourself?" (06:16)
• Andrew: "People don't. There's a lot of surveys that have shown people don't...because I still think the mobile ordering format...it's still confusing." (06:20)
• Andrew: "So five units of labor at $30 an hour, what they're mandating, minus the $3 an hour that you have to pay in the Philippines...that's right there. $1,000 every single day you're saving by doing it that way." (07:27)
• Conversation about automation, cost-cutting, and the loss of genuine hospitality in American fast food culture.

2. Thanksgiving Food Favorites and Hacks

Side Dishes Win Over Turkey (08:25 – 11:21)

• Topic: Recent study says stuffing—not turkey—is America's favorite Thanksgiving dish.
• Lauren: "Turkey, unless you make it, is horrible. It's dry." (08:40)
• Andrew’s Cooking Tip: "Separate the legs, the thighs, and the breasts, and cook the breasts separately than the legs and the thighs, because that's how you're gonna get the perfect meat every single time." (08:49)
• The French roast and spatchcock methods are also discussed for better turkey results (09:15–09:46).
• Most Americans prefer cooking or eating sides; 66% would rather cook sides, and 47% would eat only sides (10:36).
• Lauren: Admits to eating "sides all day long" after holidays, integrating leftovers into creative meals.

3. “Blow Your Biscuits” – Surprising Food Facts

Grocery Industry Consolidation & CAFOs (11:22 – 13:40)

• Andrew: "80% of grocery store products are owned by 10 companies." (11:44)
• Andrew: "99% of the meat that you buy comes from basically meat operations that utilize CAFOs—Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations." (12:10)
• Discussion about mass food production, consumer misconceptions, and the negatives of industrial agriculture.

Why Americans Refrigerate Eggs (13:58 – 14:44)

• Lauren: Explains that U.S. eggs are washed, removing the protective cuticle, hence the need for refrigeration.
• In Europe, eggs are unwashed and remain shelf-stable for up to three weeks.
• Family joke: "Sometimes our kids go two to three weeks without taking a shower." (14:44)

4. Diner Nostalgia & Denny’s Deal (15:28 – 21:23)

• Reminiscences about Denny’s iconic menu and formative experiences.
• Denny’s acquired for $620 million; plan is to go private, not close down.
• Andrew: "When a company goes from public to private, then they can actually make bigger changes...maybe a good thing, maybe they're gonna bring back the Della Dinger." (21:02)

5. Home Kitchen Tip: Cast Iron Potato Pizza (21:27 – 22:29)

• Andrew: Sharpen your skills segment—transform leftover baked potato into a skillet “pizza” by smashing it into a cast iron pan, adding toppings, and baking at high heat.
• Lauren: "That sounds fabulous. Ooh, we should try it tonight." (22:18)

6. Food Trends to “86” (22:47 – 29:36)

Critique of Weight Loss Drugs and "Curvy" Shapewear

• Lauren: Discusses the prevalence of ads for weight-loss drugs like GLP-1 agonists (e.g., Ozempic) and the social impact of brands like Skims promoting extreme body shapes. (23:02 – 24:23)
• Andrew: "There's a difference between superficiality and health...need to be more active and eat healthier." (24:23)
• Criticism of misleading marketing labels like “natural”—the FDA does not regulate the term; could be meaningless. (25:12)
• California’s new food allergen labeling law: may have unintended consequences and cost restaurants millions; could worsen legal risk.

European vs. American Food Labeling & Lifestyle

• Ingredients in U.S. vs. European foods and the nuance of labeling laws.
• Andrew: "In many cases, not only are they the exact same product...but in breads, it's different because they don't use glyphosate on all the wheat in Europe." (28:46)
• Lifestyle observations: Europeans walk and eat differently, which may explain some health differences rather than just ingredients. Anecdotes from work travel in Europe, walking off calories, and appreciating slower-paced meals.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Andrew: "People love Chick-fil-A because they say, thank you. They say, please come again, my pleasure. All that good stuff... We're losing it, right? We're outsourcing it." (08:02)
• Lauren: "Turkey, unless you make it, is horrible. It's dry." (08:40)
• Andrew: "80% of grocery store products are owned by 10 companies." (11:44)
• Andrew: "You want that animal to only have one bad day, and that's the day that we slaughter it to eat it; the rest of its life to be wonderful." (13:31)
• Lauren: "Sometimes our kids go two to three weeks without taking a shower." (14:44)
• Andrew: "When a company goes from public to private, then they can actually make bigger changes...maybe a good thing, maybe they're gonna bring back the Della Dinger." (21:02)
• Andrew: "I could take the most unnatural chemically laden synthetic food ever and write 'natural' across the front and be like natural pretzels." (25:31)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Chick-fil-A “Daybright Coffee” concept: 04:10 – 05:46
• Remote AI cashiers in NYC fast food: 05:46 – 08:20
• Thanksgiving favorites & turkey tips: 08:25 – 11:21
• Grocery consolidation & CAFO meat: 11:22 – 13:40
• Egg refrigeration facts: 13:58 – 14:44
• Denny’s nostalgia & private equity buyout: 15:28 – 21:23
• Cast iron skillet potato pizza: 21:27 – 22:29
• Weight loss drugs & “natural” food labeling: 22:47 – 26:14
• Allergen laws & food labeling, European comparison: 26:14 – 29:36
• Banter about European lifestyle, food, and travel: 29:36 – 32:05

Tone and Style

The episode features fast-paced, witty banter between the married hosts, blending practical kitchen knowledge, strong opinions on food industry trends, and playful family anecdotes. There’s a distinctively casual, conversational tone with moments of humor, light sarcasm, and direct engagement with pop culture and current events—making food industry issues relatable for everyday listeners.

Best For

• Listeners interested in food trends, restaurant news, and kitchen hacks
• Those curious about the intersection of food, culture, and business
• Fans of engaging, personality-driven podcasting with a humorous edge