The backyard cookout was already an American ritual by 1976, but the food on the table was not always the burger-and-brat lineup people imagine today. A look at Bicentennial-era menus shows a holiday spread that was broader, sweeter, and often far more formal than the modern Fourth. In many homes, Independence Day food still carried the fingerprints of midcentury entertaining.

The 1976 Fourth of July table was more elaborate than today’s cookout

Magazine menus from the Bicentennial year make one thing clear: Americans did not all celebrate with a simple grill-and-chill dinner. Food Timeline’s archive of July 1976 food features shows national magazines suggesting full holiday menus with baked ham, oven-fried turkey strips, potato salad, braised pepper salad, pecan pie, buttermilk chocolate cake, lemonade, peanuts, and watermelon. Gourmet even proposed a July 4 luncheon built around vichyssoise, broiled salmon steaks with dill butter, tomato aspic, rolls, and a watermelon bombe.

That sounds strikingly formal now, but it fit the era. Holiday entertaining in the 1970s still borrowed heavily from magazine food culture, where hostesses were encouraged to build coordinated menus rather than just put out chips and let the grill do the work. A Fourth of July spread could be patriotic, seasonal, and carefully staged all at once.

Even barbecue looked broader than many people expect. Good Housekeeping’s Bicentennial-style menus featured beef short ribs, red snapper, shrimp, chicken with smoky barbecue sauce, dirty rice, tortillas, and peach cobbler. The message was not that one “correct” July 4 plate existed, but that the holiday could showcase regional American food in a highly curated way.

Molded salads, aspics, and sweet-savory sides were still mainstream

What would probably surprise modern eaters most is not the presence of meat or watermelon, but the side dishes. In the 1970s, gelatin-based salads and molded dishes still had real social currency. Food Timeline’s survey of period foods highlights the decade’s affection for Watergate salad and other molded, fluffy, sweet-savory creations, while Smithsonian has noted how deeply Jell-O culture had embedded itself in American home cooking by the time the 1970s arrived.

That helps explain why a tomato aspic could appear on a July 4 menu without irony. So could macaroni salads loaded with salami, “health salad,” sweet-and-sour slaw, or fruit-heavy dishes that blurred the line between side and dessert. These foods were portable, make-ahead friendly, and visually impressive, which mattered in the picnic-and-potluck culture of the time.

The era also sat at an interesting crossroads. Smithsonian has written that the 1960s and 1970s brought a wider range of culinary influences and more interest in whole foods and global flavors. So the same Independence Day table might include old-school molded salad, smoky barbecue, and something like Szechwan broccoli and beef salad. The combination feels eclectic now, but in 1976 it read as modern.

The biggest surprise may be how transitional the menu really was

Some July 4 staples were already firmly in place. Watermelon, potato salad, cold drinks, and grilled meats were central enough to feel recognizable today. Hot dogs were certainly part of the broader American summer tradition, and federal food surveys from the late 1970s show hot dogs were common enough to be singled out as a standard household food category.

But the holiday menu had not yet narrowed into the streamlined, brand-friendly cookout many Americans know now. The 1976 spread still left room for ham, seafood, layer cakes, molded desserts, homemade relishes, and multicourse picnic menus. It reflected a country that still cooked more from magazines, served more from casseroles and molds, and treated holiday food as a presentation event.

That is why the menu from 50 years ago feels so surprising. It was not exactly old-fashioned and not yet contemporary either. It sat between midcentury domestic showmanship and the casual grill culture that would dominate later decades, making the Bicentennial Fourth less like a modern barbecue and more like a carefully composed summer banquet.

Most people do not think of lunch meat, burgers, or sugary drinks as cancer-related foods. But a growing body of evidence suggests some weekly staples may raise colon cancer risk more than many Americans realize.

Processed meats remain the clearest dietary red flag

Among the strongest food-related links to colon cancer is processed meat. That category includes bacon, sausage, hot dogs, deli turkey, ham, salami, and many packaged sandwich meats that appear in American kitchens every week. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans after reviewing evidence tying regular intake to colorectal cancer.

The concern is not only the meat itself, but what happens during processing. Curing, smoking, salting, and adding preservatives such as nitrates and nitrites can lead to compounds that may damage cells in the colon. When these foods are eaten often, especially over years, researchers believe the cumulative effect matters far more than any single serving.

Red meat also deserves attention, especially when intake is high and frequent. Beef burgers, steaks, and meat-heavy dinners are deeply woven into American eating habits, and multiple large studies have linked higher consumption of red meat with increased colorectal cancer risk. The risk appears to rise further when meat is charred or cooked at very high temperatures, which can create potentially harmful chemicals.

Real-world eating patterns help explain why this issue is often overlooked. A breakfast sandwich, deli lunch, and grilled dinner can stack exposures in a way that feels normal rather than excessive. For many families, these foods are convenient, affordable, and familiar, which is exactly why public health experts continue to focus on them.

Sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods may worsen the picture

Soft drinks, sweet teas, energy drinks, and other sugar-sweetened beverages have also drawn concern. A 2021 study in Gut found that women who consumed higher amounts of sugary drinks in adolescence and adulthood had a greater risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. Researchers have pointed to insulin spikes, weight gain, and chronic inflammation as possible pathways linking these drinks to cancer development.

Ultra-processed foods are another major issue because they dominate the modern American diet. Packaged snack cakes, chips, frozen meals, instant noodles, flavored crackers, and many fast-food items often contain refined starches, additives, emulsifiers, and excess sodium. Studies published in recent years have associated higher intake of ultra-processed foods with elevated colorectal cancer risk, particularly in men in some cohorts.

These foods may affect the body in several ways at once. They tend to displace fiber-rich foods that support a healthier gut microbiome, while also promoting obesity, which is a known risk factor for colorectal cancer. Some researchers are also investigating whether certain additives and packaging-related chemicals may contribute to intestinal inflammation.

What makes this especially important is how ordinary these products have become. A soda with lunch, packaged snacks in the afternoon, and frozen convenience foods at night can form a routine that feels harmless. Over time, however, that pattern may be exactly the kind experts worry about.

The bigger risk is dietary pattern, not one “bad” food

No doctor is saying that eating a hot dog at a ballgame or drinking a soda at a party guarantees colon cancer. The evidence points instead to repeated exposure and overall dietary pattern. Risk rises when processed meats, red meat, sugary drinks, and ultra-processed foods crowd out beans, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains.

Low-fiber eating is a major part of this story, even though it often receives less attention than processed meat. Diets low in fiber can slow digestion and reduce production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids in the colon. That matters because fiber helps support bowel regularity, nourishes healthy gut bacteria, and may reduce contact time between potential carcinogens and the intestinal lining.

Experts increasingly recommend practical substitution rather than perfection. Swapping deli meat for roasted chicken, replacing some beef meals with beans or fish, and trading soda for water or unsweetened tea can meaningfully improve the overall pattern. Adding oats, lentils, berries, leafy greens, and whole grains may also help lower risk.

Colon cancer rates in younger adults have become a growing concern, making prevention more urgent. Screening remains essential, especially for people with symptoms or family history, but everyday food choices are one of the few risk factors most people can actually change. Quiet links matter when the foods involved are eaten every week.

Some grocery disappearances happen with a big recall or a loud brand announcement. More often, products simply lose shelf space, get reformulated, or vanish after one last reset.

That quiet churn is reshaping the modern supermarket. The biggest losers are often the items that no longer fit how Americans shop, eat, or judge value.

Plant-based meat is losing its once-premium real estate

A few years ago, plant-based burgers and sausages seemed destined to dominate the meat case. Now the category is clearly retreating, especially in its refrigerated form. Food Business News reported that some major retailers moved Beyond Meat products out of the fresh meat case and into frozen, a shift the company said disrupted availability and helped drive an 11% volume decline in the first quarter of 2025.

The broader numbers point in the same direction. According to reporting on The Good Food Institute’s 2026 State of the Industry data, U.S. plant-based sales fell for a second straight year, with dollar sales down 2% from 2024 to 2025 and unit sales down 3%. That is not a full-category collapse, but it is enough to force retailers to trim weaker SKUs.

What disappears first are usually the niche extensions: specialty crumbles, premium flavored patties, or duplicate sizes that take up too much cooler space. Retailers increasingly prefer fewer, clearer options that turn faster. In a store environment where every chilled slot has to earn its keep, underperforming alternatives rarely get endless patience.

For shoppers, that means the category may not vanish entirely, but its old footprint is not coming back. Expect fewer experimental launches, less refrigerator-space dominance, and a stronger push toward frozen formats that are easier for stores to manage.

Hard seltzers, craft spinoffs, and fringe drink variants are being cut back

Beverage shelves still look crowded, but the mix is getting tighter. Brewbound, citing Bump Williams Consulting and NIQ data, reported that total beer SKUs at off-premise retailers fell 6% in 2024, with hard seltzer suffering the steepest contraction at 12%. That is a major clue about what happens when a trend matures and retailers stop rewarding endless flavor proliferation.

The same logic applies across grocery beverage aisles. Limited flavors, seasonal experiments, and line extensions without repeat demand may get a brief run, but many never survive the next assortment review. Even large beverage companies are leaning toward sharper portfolio management, focusing on proven drinking occasions rather than maintaining every novelty launch indefinitely.

Coca-Cola’s recent North American strategy illustrates the point. The company continues to launch selective flavors and limited-time products, but those releases are tightly tied to specific campaigns and occasions rather than permanent shelf expansion. In other words, the modern beverage aisle increasingly favors rotation over accumulation.

That means shoppers should not assume a favorite oddball soda, sparkling water flavor, or alcoholic crossover drink will remain available just because it showed up nationwide once. When velocities soften, shelf space gets reassigned quickly, and most fringe beverage variants do not earn a second life.

Old-school pantry holdovers are being squeezed by simplification

The quietest losses are often in the center store. Pantry categories such as canned fruit variants, specialty baking goods, lesser-known cookies, and slow-moving frozen meals are under pressure as manufacturers simplify portfolios and retailers reduce duplication. Shoppers may still see a full aisle, but the number of distinct products inside it is often shrinking.

Some of this is structural. The FDA announced in July 2025 that it was revoking or proposing to revoke 52 obsolete food standards of identity, many involving canned fruits, vegetables, dairy products, baked goods, and macaroni products. That does not mean those foods disappear overnight, but it reflects a wider industry reality: older, highly specific product definitions and marginal formats are losing relevance.

Manufacturers are also making sharper choices. J.M. Smucker said its 2025 results reflected divestitures that included the Voortman business and certain sweet baked snack value brands. Conagra, meanwhile, has emphasized multi-year portfolio modernization across frozen and retail lines, signaling that legacy products increasingly must justify their place.

The practical result is familiar to anyone who has hunted for a once-common item and found only a broader mainstream substitute. The disappearing six are less about one exact brand list than a retail pattern: refrigerated plant-based meat, hard seltzer spinoffs, fringe soda flavors, niche canned goods, slow-selling frozen meals, and secondary cookie or snack lines. Once those products lose shelf velocity, they usually do not come back.

Grocery promotions remain a major budget tool for households as food prices stay elevated, and out-of-stock sale items can quickly erase expected savings. For shoppers at chains such as Publix, Kroger and Aldi, rain check policies can still preserve a sale price later, but the rules depend on the store and the product.

How rain checks work at supermarkets and what shoppers can ask for

A rain check is a store-issued promise that lets a customer buy an advertised sale item later at the same promotional price after it has sold out. The Grocery Coupon Guide article cited Publix and Kroger as examples of traditional supermarkets that commonly offer rain checks at customer service desks, while noting that the practice is not universal across all chains. No national grocery trade group rule was identified in the source material, and policies are set by each retailer.

The first rule is procedural: shoppers generally need to ask for a rain check before leaving the store when a promoted item is unavailable. According to the source article, customer service staff typically write the product, sale price and any purchase limit on a paper slip. The article also stated that stores usually require the original paper slip and may not accept a photo or digital copy.

A second core rule involves quantity. If the weekly ad limited the deal to a certain number of items, the rain check usually carries that same cap, according to the source article. That means the later purchase is tied to the original terms of the promotion, not an open-ended right to buy unlimited quantities at the lower price.

Store policies vary by chain, and some items or stores are excluded

The biggest local impact for shoppers is that rain check availability differs by retailer and, in some cases, by product category. The source article said major traditional supermarkets often provide them, but also said Aldi is among the discount retailers that may not issue rain checks because limited-quantity inventory is purchased in batches. That distinction matters for shoppers who split trips between full-service grocers and discount chains.

The source material also said some stores do not issue rain checks for perishable items such as fresh meat or produce. It did not provide a full chain-by-chain list of exclusions, and the companies named in the article were not quoted directly in the reference material. As a result, what is confirmed is the general practice described by the source, while item-level exclusions may differ by location and current store policy.

What is not yet known from the provided material is which specific stores in any given city are actively issuing rain checks today or whether all locations in a chain follow identical procedures. The source did not include a comprehensive location list for Publix, Kroger or Aldi, and shoppers may encounter store-level variations in how customer service desks handle requests.

Expiration dates, coupons and supply limits explain why the rules matter

The source article identified expiration dates as a major rule shoppers often overlook. It said many supermarkets set a 30-day redemption window, though that period is not presented as a universal standard across all chains. That deadline helps stores manage inventory and promotions over a defined period instead of carrying forward a sale indefinitely.

The article also said shoppers may be able to combine a rain check with a manufacturer coupon if the store otherwise accepts that coupon on the item. In practice, that means the shopper could receive the advertised sale price later and still apply an additional discount at checkout. The source framed that as a strategy used by experienced coupon shoppers, not as a guarantee at every chain.

The broader reason rain checks remain useful is that they shift some of the risk of temporary stock shortages back to the retailer by requiring the store to honor an advertised price later, according to the article. For customers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: ask promptly, confirm the item limit and expiration date, and check whether the store excludes certain departments or does not offer rain checks at all.

Independent restaurants across the U.S. continue to face high operating costs, labor pressure, and uneven customer traffic in 2026. In Texas, that strain is now showing up in three more local closures: Restaurant Beatrice in Dallas, Louisiana Longhorn Café in Round Rock, and Mija Barbecue in Cedar Hill.

Three Texas restaurants have confirmed final days this month

Restaurant Beatrice in North Oak Cliff closed in early June after just over four years, with D Magazine reporting on June 3 that the Cajun restaurant would shut down at the end of that week. The publication said the closure would also end the run of what Michelle Carpenter described as Texas’ only B Corp-certified restaurant. Carpenter and co-owner Hanh Ho had opened Beatrice at 1111 N. Beckley Ave. as a highly personal Cajun and Creole restaurant tied closely to Carpenter’s family background.

Louisiana Longhorn Café in Round Rock also set a firm end date this month. According to the reference reporting provided by NewsBreak, the downtown Round Rock restaurant is closing on June 20, 2026, ending a run that began in 1999. The restaurant had served Cajun staples including gumbo, étouffée, po’boys, and fried catfish for more than 25 years.

Mija Barbecue in Cedar Hill is the third confirmed loss. The family-run business announced that it would close on June 27, 2026, according to the reference reporting provided. Mija operated at 406 W. Belt Line Road and had grown from a backyard barbecue project into a brick-and-mortar restaurant, with D Magazine previously documenting its rise from a pop-up to a permanent home in a converted 1938 house.

The closures reach three very different Texas communities

The impact is spread across three separate Texas dining markets rather than one metro area. In Dallas, Beatrice’s closure removes a restaurant that had earned recognition from D Magazine, Eater, and the James Beard Foundation, and that stood out in Oak Cliff for its sustainability programs and community partnerships. D Magazine reported that the restaurant maintained a place in its 50 Best Restaurants list and had built programming that included a Women in Restaurants Leadership initiative.

In Round Rock, the loss is defined more by longevity than awards. Louisiana Longhorn Café had been part of the city’s downtown routine since 1999, first under founders Melinda and Ray Overstreet and later under Jenny and Warren Smith, who bought it in December 2021, according to the reference material provided by the user. Its closure means one fewer long-running independent restaurant in a fast-growing Central Texas community.

Cedar Hill’s confirmed loss is smaller in scale but significant locally. Mija Barbecue had only been in its full-time restaurant space since 2024, but D Magazine reported that the business itself dated to early 2019 and had become part of Cedar Hill’s food scene through brewery pop-ups and community support. No statewide list of additional affected locations exists because these are three separate independent restaurant closures, not a chain shutdown.

Owners and industry conditions explain why these exits are happening

The clearest publicly stated reason is at Restaurant Beatrice. D Magazine reported that Carpenter has been recovering from surgery and said bringing in an executive chef to replace her was likely not financially feasible. The same report also quoted Ho saying operating conditions for independent restaurants had become “untenable,” pointing to pressures also described by the Texas Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association.

For Louisiana Longhorn Café and Mija Barbecue, the owners have not released detailed business explanations. The reference material states that Louisiana Longhorn Café’s June announcement focused on thanking the community rather than identifying a single cause, and Mija Barbecue said only that the decision followed “much prayer, discussion, and reflection.” That means any broader explanation has to remain industry context, not a confirmed cause for those two businesses.

That broader context is still relevant. D Magazine’s 2026 dining outlook warned that a weakening economy would be hard on small restaurants, while reporting on Beatrice cited ongoing financial challenges common to independently owned operations. For customers, the practical reality is immediate: all three restaurants have now either closed or reached their final announced service dates in June 2026, leaving Dallas, Round Rock, and Cedar Hill with one fewer independent gathering place.

Independent breweries across the U.S. are continuing to face pressure from higher operating costs, shifting drinking habits, and a more crowded craft beer market. In southwest Michigan, that pressure culminated on April 14, 2026, when Greenbush Brewing Co. in Sawyer shut down effective immediately after nearly 15 years in business.

Greenbush Brewing Co. shut down immediately on April 14

Greenbush Brewing Co. confirmed the closure in a social media announcement on Tuesday, April 14, saying the business was ending operations effective immediately. WNDU reported the Sawyer brewery closed unexpectedly after nearly 15 years, while local coverage from ABC57 said the shutdown followed the brewery’s final day of service on Monday.

The business had operated out of 5885 Sawyer Road in Sawyer and built a following across southwest Michigan and the broader Michiana region. Greenbush opened in 2011 under founder Scott Sullivan and became known for beers including Brother Benjamin and Star Chicken Shotgun, along with a food operation that drew destination traffic.

The timing stood out because the closure came only weeks before the company would have reached its 15th anniversary. In its public message, the brewery attributed the decision to economic conditions and the strain on the restaurant industry, saying it had reached a point where it could no longer continue.

The abruptness of the shutdown was also a central part of the story. ABC57 reported that former employees said they received little or no advance notice, and that some workers learned on April 14 that their jobs had ended that day.

Sawyer and Berrien County are left with immediate local fallout

The confirmed closure affects Sawyer in Berrien County, a tourism-focused part of southwest Michigan near Warren Dunes State Park and the Harbor Country corridor. ABC57 reported residents and neighboring businesses described Greenbush as a destination that helped bring out-of-town visitors into nearby shops and restaurants, making its loss larger than a single storefront closing.

What is confirmed is that the Sawyer brewery and taproom ceased operations immediately. Local reports also make clear that the business had become a regional draw, not only for local customers but for travelers from elsewhere in Michigan, northern Indiana, and the Chicago area.

What is not yet fully known is whether any part of the broader Greenbush business could return in another form. The company has not released a detailed public breakdown of assets, staffing totals, or any formal plan for the brewery site, and there has been no comprehensive public list of affected job counts.

Greenbush had previously expanded beyond Michigan with a South Bend, Indiana location, but that operation had already closed before the Sawyer shutdown. That leaves the Michigan closure as the central event now affecting customers, workers, and nearby businesses tied to the brewery’s traffic.

Rising costs and industry strain are at the center of the closure

Greenbush itself pointed to the broader restaurant economy when it announced the closure, and that explanation aligns with reporting from WNDU and other local outlets. WNDU cited a brewery consultant who said craft beer businesses are being squeezed by market saturation and rising costs, with more closures than openings in the current environment.

Those pressures have been building across the craft brewing and brewpub sectors. Industry challenges frequently cited in recent reporting include higher labor costs, more expensive ingredients, utility increases, packaging expenses, and softer consumer demand as drinkers spread spending across beer, cocktails, nonalcoholic products, and other beverage categories.

For Greenbush, those headwinds were especially important because the business operated as both a brewery and a restaurant destination. That model can create multiple revenue streams, but it also exposes operators to food, staffing, and hospitality costs at the same time they are managing brewing production and distribution.

For customers in Michigan, the practical impact is straightforward: the Sawyer location is closed and no reopening date has been officially announced by the company. As of the latest local reporting, the site’s future, the status of employees, and any next step for the Greenbush brand remained unresolved, leaving the closure as one more sign of how difficult the operating environment has become for independent breweries.

Restaurant growth has slowed across much of the industry as higher costs and weaker traffic push some chains to delay openings or close underperforming stores. In Texas, however, Bojangles is continuing a multi-market expansion plan that is adding restaurants across Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

Bojangles is adding restaurants across multiple Texas markets

Bojangles, the North Carolina-based fried chicken chain, has announced or opened new restaurants in several Texas communities as part of a broader state expansion, according to company statements cited by NewsBreak. The confirmed Texas markets named in the latest expansion update include McKinney, Manor, Celina, Georgetown, Spring, League City, Orange and Seguin, with additional development also underway in the San Antonio area.

The company currently lists more than 20 locations in Texas, according to the same report, marking a sharp increase from just a few years ago when its presence in the state was limited. Bojangles has also said Texas is now one of its most important growth targets as it expands beyond its traditional Southeastern base. Additional restaurants are expected to open through 2026 as signed franchise agreements and development deals move forward.

One of the chain’s recent milestones in the state was the opening of its first Austin-area restaurant in Manor earlier this year. Company executives described Central Texas as a priority market in public comments referenced in the report. Bojangles has not publicly released a single statewide schedule listing every opening date for every planned Texas restaurant.

Where the Texas buildout is confirmed, and what remains undisclosed

What is confirmed is that Bojangles has either opened or announced locations in a range of North Texas, Central Texas, Gulf Coast and East Texas communities. The cities identified in the latest reporting span fast-growing suburban and exurban areas as well as established regional corridors, suggesting the company is not concentrating on only one metro area. San Antonio remains another active development zone, although the company has not published a full list of specific sites there.

The current confirmed city list includes McKinney and Celina in North Texas; Manor and Georgetown in Central Texas; Spring and League City in the Houston area; Orange in East Texas; and Seguin between San Antonio and Austin. Those place names offer the clearest public picture so far of where the brand is planting stores. The company has not released a comprehensive list of every future Texas address or the projected unit count for each metro area.

Texas also appears to be one piece of a larger national push. According to the report, Bojangles is pursuing dozens of new locations across the country as it works toward 1,000 restaurants nationwide. The article did not identify comparable expansion counts for every other state, so a direct state-by-state comparison is not fully available from the public information cited there.

Why Texas is a priority as other operators pull back

Bojangles has framed the Texas move as part of a long-term growth strategy built on franchise agreements and development deals in major metropolitan areas, according to the company information cited in the report. Rather than relying on a single flagship market, the chain is targeting several of the state’s largest population centers at once. That approach can spread risk across different trade areas while giving the brand access to rapidly growing suburban communities.

The broader restaurant backdrop is more cautious. Across the industry, some operators have slowed expansion because of inflation, labor costs, construction expenses and uneven consumer spending, trends widely discussed in earnings calls and company filings over the past two years. The source material for this expansion did not tie Bojangles’ Texas growth to one single factor, but it did identify signed franchise development deals as the mechanism driving the buildout.

For Texas customers, the practical effect is straightforward: more Bojangles restaurants are expected to open in additional communities through 2026, while some exact addresses and launch dates remain unannounced. Residents in the named cities may see construction, permitting or opening activity before the company publishes a complete statewide roster. Bojangles has said Texas will remain a key growth market as those projects advance.

Independent restaurants across the U.S. continue to face high costs, uneven consumer spending and financing pressure in 2026. In Florida this month, that pressure is showing up in three locally significant closures in Orlando, Coral Springs and St. Petersburg.

Three confirmed closures across Orlando, Coral Springs and St. Petersburg

Three Florida restaurants are confirmed to be closing or already closed this month: Better Than Sex in Orlando, La Fontana Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant in Coral Springs, and Red Mesa Cantina in downtown St. Petersburg. The Orlando dessert restaurant served its last customers on June 14 after 10 years, according to the business’s public announcement reported by FOX 35 Orlando.

La Fontana’s owners announced that the family-run restaurant at The Walk on University Drive will close on June 21, 2026, which is Father’s Day, ending an 18-year run in Coral Springs, according to Coral Springs News and Coral Springs Talk. The reports said owners Spartaco and Antonio Tare thanked customers and described the restaurant as more than a business to their family.

Red Mesa Cantina closed more abruptly. The downtown St. Petersburg restaurant at 128 3rd Street S. announced its immediate closure on June 2, one day after parent company Veytia Ventures LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Middle District of Florida, according to Creative Loafing Tampa and bankruptcy case records.

Together, the three closures represent three different timelines: one immediate shutdown, one restaurant with a final service date already completed, and one restaurant giving diners a last weekend to return. What is verified is the count, the cities and the closing dates. No broader statewide master list of June restaurant closures has been released by any state agency.

What the closings mean in each Florida community

In Orlando, the closing affects Ivanhoe Village, where Better Than Sex operated at 1905 N. Orange Avenue. FOX 35 Orlando reported the adults-only dessert restaurant opened in January 2016 and said its Orlando location would close while other locations, including Key West, Savannah, Plano and Greenville, continue operating.

In Coral Springs, the confirmed impact is limited to La Fontana’s single location at The Walk. Local coverage identified it as a neighborhood staple for wood-fired pizza and Italian meals, but no additional South Florida locations were tied to the closure because the restaurant was independently owned.

In St. Petersburg, the impact is broader because the closure also affected Red Mesa Event Spaces above the cantina. Creative Loafing Tampa reported the shutdown was effective immediately, and later reporting cited couples with future bookings seeking refunds or transfers while the bankruptcy case moved forward.

What is not fully known is whether any additional related Florida hospitality operations will be affected beyond the cantina event business. Reporting indicates the original Red Mesa Restaurant on 4th Street North and Red Mesa Mercado locations remain open, but no public filing reviewed here says those other restaurants are closing.

Why these restaurants are closing and what customers should expect

The reasons differ by restaurant. Better Than Sex publicly described its Orlando closure as a difficult decision but, in the reporting available, did not release a detailed financial explanation for shutting that location while keeping others open. That means the closure is confirmed, but the company has not publicly provided a fuller cause beyond its farewell statement.

La Fontana’s closure appears tied primarily to the owners’ personal decision to leave after a long run. Coral Springs coverage said the Tare brothers, originally from Ferrara, Italy, plan to return to Europe after navigating years that included the pandemic, a recession and a family loss.

For Red Mesa Cantina, the explanation is more directly documented. In a statement cited by local television and other outlets, the owners attributed the shutdown to economic and market conditions that made restaurants and events harder for customers to prioritize, and the bankruptcy filing listed liabilities between $1,000,001 and $10 million. Separately, the U.S. Department of Labor said in March 2023 that Red Mesa Restaurant and Red Mesa Cantina violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, resulting in $190,730 in back wages and damages for 89 workers.

For customers, the practical picture is now clear. Orlando and St. Petersburg diners can no longer return to those specific restaurants, while Coral Springs customers had until June 21 for one final visit. In St. Petersburg, event clients are still tied to court-supervised refund or transfer procedures, according to bankruptcy filings, leaving the clearest next step in that case inside the legal process rather than the dining room.

Fresh produce gets the halo, but the can aisle deserves more credit. In several cases, nutritionists quietly favor canned foods because processing locks in nutrients, improves availability, or makes healthy eating far easier on a busy weeknight.

Why canned can sometimes beat fresh

Canned foods are often packed within hours of harvest or processing, which helps preserve nutrients that can fade during transport and storage. The American Heart Association notes that canned fruits and vegetables can absolutely fit into a healthy diet, especially when shoppers choose no-salt-added or reduced-sodium options. That matters because “fresh” supermarket produce may already be days or weeks removed from peak quality.

Tomatoes are the classic example. Many dietitians prefer canned tomatoes for sauces, soups, and braises because heat processing boosts the availability of lycopene, the antioxidant most associated with tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes still have value, of course, but canned crushed, diced, and whole peeled tomatoes can offer a nutritional edge when the goal is maximizing lycopene intake.

Pumpkin is another overlooked winner. Plain canned pumpkin is concentrated, consistent, and naturally rich in beta-carotene, the plant compound the body converts to vitamin A. It is also easier to use regularly than fresh pumpkin, which is bulky, seasonal, and often ends up as decorative produce rather than dinner. For shoppers who want reliable nutrition without prep work, canned simply makes the healthier choice easier.

The 7 cans experts reach for most

First are canned beans: black beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans, and lentils. They deliver fiber, plant protein, iron, and potassium at a very low cost, and they remove the soaking and long simmering that keeps many people from eating legumes often enough. Nutrition professionals routinely recommend rinsing them to reduce sodium while keeping the nutritional payoff high.

Second and third are canned tomatoes and canned pumpkin, both pantry workhorses with unusually strong nutrition cases. Fourth is canned salmon with bones, which offers protein, omega-3 fats, and meaningful calcium because the softened bones are edible. USDA data on canned salmon show it can provide a notable share of daily calcium needs, something fresh fillets do not match unless bones are eaten too.

Fifth is canned sardines, a food many shoppers skip despite strong support from heart-health experts. Harvard Health has highlighted smaller fish such as sardines as a smart seafood choice, and canned versions are widely available and budget-friendly. Sixth is canned corn, which is often picked and packed at peak ripeness, preserving sweetness and nutrients better than tired ears sitting in produce bins. Seventh is canned peaches or pears packed in juice, not syrup, which can be more nutritious than underripe imported fruit that never fully develops flavor.

How to shop the can aisle like a nutritionist

The first rule is to read the label with more care than shoppers usually give fresh produce. The FDA requires nutrition labeling on most canned foods, which makes it easier to compare sodium, added sugars, and serving sizes. Look for phrases such as “no salt added,” “reduced sodium,” “packed in water,” or “packed in 100% juice,” and avoid products loaded with heavy syrup or creamy sauces.

For canned fish, prioritize salmon and sardines for their EPA and DHA omega-3 fats. The NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements identifies salmon and sardines among the richest seafood sources of these long-chain omega-3s. Sardines also bring iron, and both fish options offer shelf-stable nutrition that makes it far easier to eat seafood regularly instead of only when fresh fillets are available.

Finally, think of canned foods as tools for consistency, not compromise. A can of beans can turn into tacos in 10 minutes, canned tomatoes can anchor a deeply nutritious pasta sauce, and canned pumpkin can disappear into oatmeal, soup, or muffin batter. The healthiest food is often the one you will actually use, and in that contest, these seven overlooked cans beat fresh more often than most shoppers think.

Digital coupons look like modern thrift. Tap a deal, scan a code, save a few dollars.

But for millions of shoppers, that habit is quietly backfiring. The problem is not that digital coupons never work. It is that they often change how people shop in ways that lead to bigger baskets, worse comparisons, and more checkout surprises.

The savings trap starts before you reach the register

Digital coupons are now central to grocery marketing, especially as paper offers fade. Consumer Reports, citing Inmar Intelligence, noted that 39 billion coupons had been distributed by August 2024, down sharply from prior years, while stores increasingly tied the best discounts to apps and loyalty accounts. That shift has made couponing feel frictionless, but it has also moved the savings decision onto the retailer’s turf.

That matters because digital deals are often designed to capture shoppers at the bottom of the buying funnel. Research posted on SSRN in 2025 described in-store and app-based coupon systems as tools that prompt unplanned decisions right as consumers are making purchase choices. In plain terms, shoppers do not just redeem offers. They are nudged into extra purchases when their guard is lowest.

Survey data points the same way. Savings.com reported in 2025 that 25% of shoppers said coupons make them spend more than planned, while 42% said discounts lead them to buy items they otherwise would not have purchased. That is the core paradox of digital couponing: a $1 or $2 discount can feel like a win even when it adds $8 or $12 of unplanned spending to the basket.

Why “app-only savings” can produce a higher total bill

The most expensive digital coupon mistake is focusing on the discount instead of the final price. A loyalty deal may reduce a branded cereal, frozen meal, or snack, but the discounted item can still cost more than a competing store brand or a rival retailer’s everyday price. When shoppers chase clipped offers item by item, they often stop comparing unit prices, which is where real savings usually show up.

That effect is compounded by thresholds and bundle rules. Buy-2, buy-5, or spend-$25 promotions encourage shoppers to stretch beyond their original list to unlock a deal. Economically, the coupon feels like a reward. Behaviorally, it acts like a spending trigger. The result is a cart built around qualifying for offers rather than meeting actual household needs.

There is also the issue of personalized pricing and app ecosystems. The Federal Trade Commission said in 2024 that it was studying how companies use consumer data in “surveillance pricing,” including targeted prices and promotions. Consumer Reports later reported on pricing experiments tied to grocery delivery platforms. Even when a coupon is real, the broader digital environment may be steering shoppers toward offers that maximize retailer revenue, not household savings.

The smarter way to use digital coupons without getting played

Digital coupons still have value, but only when they are the last step in a disciplined plan rather than the starting point. Build the list first, compare unit prices second, and clip deals only on items you already intended to buy. That sequence matters because it prevents the coupon from becoming the reason an item enters the cart.

Shoppers should also watch for operational failures that erase expected savings. Consumer advocates have warned that app-based discounts can be missed if the wrong size is selected, the offer is not properly clipped, the loyalty number is mismatched, or checkout happens before the coupon syncs. ConsumerAffairs recently highlighted how many older shoppers reach the register expecting a sale price only to discover the app discount never applied.

The broader lesson is simple. Retailers love digital coupons because they do more than discount products. They gather data, shape behavior, and increase engagement. Consumers should use them the opposite way: narrowly, skeptically, and only after confirming the item is still the best value in the aisle. The goal is not to win the deal. It is to pay less overall.