Adult Happy Meals

PRESENTED BY KALSHI

TGIF, Future Party. Here’s a wild stat to keep in mind for Sunday’s World Cup Final: Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi will be facing off against Spanish wunderkind Lamine Yamal for the first time — but it’s not the first time they’ve met. The two actually crossed paths in 2007, when a then-20-year-old Messi took a photo alongside five-month-old Yamal as part of a UNICEF campaign. Now that’s fate.

Fancy restaurants across the country are starting to offer happy meals for adults — and the discounted combos are becoming a bright spot for younger diners.

Why It Hits: Inflation and rising costs of living have tightened people’s wallets, especially when it comes to eating out — restaurant traffic has declined in 15 of the past 16 months, according to the National Restaurant Association. That problem has been compounded by double-digit increases in meal prices, driven largely by steep increases in beef costs. Finding ways to keep people coming through the door is paramount for restaurants looking to stay in business.

Inside The Box: Everyone just wants a little box of goodies.

Last Bite: The restaurants report that they routinely sell out of these meals and even have to turn people away at the door. Beyond getting a good meal at a reasonable price (at least compared to these restaurants’ usual menu prices), diners love that the offerings are thoughtfully curated, with packaging that reflects the restaurant’s vibe and menu items that pair well together. In fact, Gen Z prefers a well-thought-out bundled meal over food discounts or free items, according to Bloomberg.

In other words, diners dig great branding.

Next Order: Some restaurants may explore spinning off mini restaurants to house their lower-cost adult happy meals.

Argentina or Spain?

Kalshi traders have placed more than $700 million on the outcome of the World Cup Final (spoiler: Spain is leading with a 57% chance as of this writing).

Think you know how it’ll play out? Put your money where your mouth is with Kalshi, the prediction market where you can trade on the outcomes of sports, politics, culture, and more.

Today’s markets include:

Trade $10, get $10 on Kalshi today.

A new crop of EV companies is popping up, offering smaller, cheaper, and more personality-driven alternatives to those from big automakers.

The Big Picture: The EV market has had a rough few years, as demand in the US hasn’t accelerated as quickly as many expected — sales have dropped 20% this year alone, according to Cox Automotive. The cars were too expensive, and the promised charging infrastructure never fully arrived. These new vehicles could help reset the EV race on American roads.

Between The Lanes: Big brands like Honda and Ford may have put the brakes on EV production… but some new players would like to fill the garage.

Final Turn: In many ways, these cars are positioned as entry-level vehicles for younger drivers, Sunday cruisers, or a safer alternative to golf carts (which, by the way, are a $6 billion market and have taken over suburban communities).

By building vehicles that are more humble and fun, maybe EVs can find their place in the mainstream market again — not by competing with the car already in your garage, but by offering something entirely different.

The Future: One day, people may use gas-powered vehicles for longer, out-of-town trips and smaller EVs for everyday errands and local travel.

Loose skin, wrinkles, and fine lines… these aren’t just skin problems — they’re cellular problems.

So, why do most skincare products only work on the surface?

Aramore goes where real aging begins, targeting your cells’ NAD+, the molecule that helps repair and restore cellular health.

AKA: smoother-looking skin, fewer visible lines, and a more even-looking tone.

But don’t take our word for it (or Glossy’s or NewBeauty’s) — check out the rave reviews from fans.

Save 20% sitewide with code FUTURE20.

44.8% of you voted I’m waiting for the hype to die down in yesterday’s poll: Where are you with The Odyssey?

“My husband wants to see it in 70mm. I don’t want to see it twice, and I wanted to avoid a seat that was in the third row and to the side, so we’re waiting until next Thursday.”

“Actually trying to get tickets, which is a difficult challenge because scoring a single seat in the first row on the edge is the least desirable outcome.”

“I studied ancient Greek history for 3 years in college (including a semester of Ancient Greek, where we read a little Homer). I read The Iliad and The Odyssey for fun. But I don’t need $600 tickets or long lines… Patience is a virtue.”

“Then, when there is nothing else on, I will watch it on Amazon Prime for FREE on my TV. It might be a few years, but I can wait.”

“My grandson, who is a movie connoisseur, bought his ticket over a year ago and is traveling 5 hours+ to see the film! Hope it is worth it!”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🎫 Massachusetts is trying to pass a law that would cap ticket resale prices at 110% of their original value.

📺 Netflix will stop releasing viewership data every six months in favor of an annual report.

🎭 SNL favorite Chloe Fineman is leaving the show after seven seasons.

📱 The EU has ruled that Google must give AI competitors greater access to Android devices.

🧠 Health-focused AI startup Hemispheric, founded by one of the inventors of Apple’s Face ID, is developing low-cost brain-scanning tech.

🥡 You can now order DoorDash from a command line — in case you don’t want to stop coding just to grab lunch.

🤝 Beehiiv is getting into the social media game with its new on-platform Communities feature.

🧑‍🏫 TikTok is rolling out educational videos to help people identify AI-generated content on the platform.

👀 X will start reallocating monetized impressions from stolen content to the original creator.