Weekly Global News Wrap: CKE Restaurants' new CEO; Papa Murphy's sold to MTY Group; KFC's virtual Colonel

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

McDonald’s USA announced that its egg supply chain is now 33% cage-free, part of its commitment to reach 100% by 2025. The fast food giant said it  will source more than 726 million cage-free eggs for its U.S. restaurants this year. Read more here.

CKE Restaurants Holdings, the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, announced that it has appointed Ned Lyerly as chief executive officer. Working for CKE for over three decades, Lyerly succeeded Jason Marker. Read more here.

Papa Murphy’s, the fifth largest chain in the U.S., has been sold to Canada-based franchisor MTY Group for US$190 million. With the deal, MTY’s combined portfolio will now consist of over 7,000 stores globally. Read more here.

Tim Hortons U.S. announced the arrival of its new loyalty programme. Tims Rewards will give guests a free coffee, tea or baked good after every seventh visit. Read more here.

Looking to ride the marketing wave behind the arrival of the final season of hit U.S. television series Game of Thrones, Wendy’s U.S. is offering a free small Frosty with the purchase of a Spicy Chicken Sandwich Combo through food delivery service DoorDash. Customers can avail of the promo by using the promo code HOUSEWENDYS starting April 14. Read more here.

Seemingly poking fun at the growth of social media influencers, KFC U.S. unveiled its computer-generated version of Colonel Sanders. As reported by AdAge, the virtual influencer claims to have a knack for disruptive business deals, inspirational "collabs" and authentic Gen-Z engagement. Read more here.

Photo credit: KFC U.S. Instagram