Open Tab is a weekly roundup that includes news, gossip and stories I have kept open in my tabs. Last week, we covered the scathing reviews of Travis Kelce’s and Patrick Mahomes 1587 Prime. I enjoyed reading Caity Weaver’s extensive investigation into the best freebread in America. I spent the first 1,000 words or so waiting for a mention Bertucci’s warm, perfect, and free rolls, only to have them dismissed without much ceremony. I noticed that there was a lot of grumbling regarding the Erewhon opening at LACMA on the 19th of April. What do you think of the merging of two of LA’s greatest cultural institutions in this way? Philz coffee has not changed its anti-Pride Flag stance from last week. According to a leaked document reported by the San Francisco Chronicle this week, Philz coffee will have “a new, ‘unifying,’ piece of artwork in every store.” I vote for a photorealistic Divine mural. He served fries to battleground states during the election, and welcomed guests at the White House with big macs. He even ate cheeseburgers allegedly as part of his evening wind-down ritual. How does his penchant for fast-food fit with the MAHA movement’s juggernaut? It’s impossible to say. But given Trump’s love for McDonald’s, the news that he recently DoorDashed a few to the Oval Office is not surprising. It’s less shocking to learn that the whole thing was an attempt to promote Trump’s “no-tax on tips” policy, which, in reality, servers are not all that excited about. The current culture war in the United States is exemplified by Trump’s inexplicable question to the Dasher, Sharon Simmons. She responded, “I don’t really have an opinion about that.” In 2023, I wrote about Utah-founded Crumbl being the fastest-growing dessert store in the country. Swig, another Utah-based company, helped popularize Dirty Soda. The concept has exploded in part because of its appearances on Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. But this week, the Utahification of food has hit a rough patch. McDonald’s is on the Dirty Soda train, offering drinks like the Dirty Dr. Pepper, which is a Dr. Pepper with coconut cream and lime. But Crumbl, Utah’s original export, appears to be in trouble. According to franchise documents, after a slowdown in growth in 2024 the company reported less money per franchisee in 2025. Could this be the end of the company? Will Crumbl be able to pivot towards AI to save the company in some way? I can’t wait for the answer.
