June 19, 2013
Industry News
EVOS Celebrates Earth Day, Guests With Free Milkshakes

EVOS, a fast-casual restaurant offering healthier all-American favorites with an earth-friendly attitude and “greater good” conscience, is celebrating Earth Day, Monday, April 22, with free organic milkshakes, no purchase necessary. This offer demonstrates just one of many ways EVOS supports local and organic farmers. Since...

Read Full Story // read more about: EVOS, Desserts, Green, Promotions
Industry News
16 Handles Promises a Pick-Me-Up with Tiramisu Flavor

Frozen-yogurt brand 16 Handles announced the release of its newest flavor: Tiramisu. Tiramisu pairs the rich flavor of espresso-soaked ladyfinger cookies with hits of vanilla and cinnamon. The new flavor pairs well with a variety of 16 Handles’ toppings, including graham cracker crumbs, bananas, and caramel or chocolate sauce. ...

Read Full Story // read more about: 16 Handles, Desserts, Menu Development
Industry News
Portland Int'l Airport Donates Food to Local Residents

Portland International Airport (PDX) concessionaries, Port of Portland and St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), are partnering to fight hunger in the Portland metro area by donating extra food to local residents. The new food donation program at PDX collects and distributes unsold, ready-to-eat food products such as sandwiches, salads, parfaits,...

Read Full Story // read more about: Charitable Giving
Health
The Extra Mile

There’s been no shortage of foodservice professionals who are striving to do right by their customers in the health department. Whether it’s brands offering healthier menu items or executives practicing what they preach about nutrition, the industry is coming together to bring real change to the way Americans eat and live.

Read Full Story // read more about: Freebirds, Fresh D'Lite, Garbanzo, Sharky's Woodfired Mexican Grill, Healthy Menus, Competition, Consumer Trends, Menu Innovations, Promotions
Women in Foodservice
R&D Finds Its Feminine Side

Though research and development used to be an old boys’ club in the limited-service industry, the tables are slowly starting to turn. As quick serves and fast casuals expand their gender horizons both in the C-suite and beyond, more women are leading R&D efforts and bringing their unique viewpoint to the menu-creation process....

Read Full Story // read more about: Noodles & Company, Popeyes, Zaxby's, Menu Development, Consumer Trends, Menu Innovations
Industry News
Burger King Shakes Up Senior Management Team

Burger King Worldwide (BKW) announced an evolution of its senior management team as CEO Bernardo Hees and chief financial officer Daniel Schwartz assume new roles within the company. With a succession plan firmly in place, additional changes to BKW’s senior management team are a testament to the depth and breadth of the...

Read Full Story // read more about: Burger King, Burgers, Finance, Operations, Growth, Human Resources
Industry News
Not a Fan of Spicy Chicken? Bojangles' Has an Item for You

Bojangles’ has added a milder, Southern-flavored, 100 percent white meat boneless chicken product to its menu called Homestyle Tenders.  The new tenderloin filets have a one-of-a-kind flavor for fans looking for a milder option at Bojangles’.  Homestyle Tenders are now available for purchase at all company...

Read Full Story // read more about: Bojangles', Menu Development
Industry News
In a Search for Foodies, Ritter's Creates Unique Flavors

Inspired by consumers’ ever-increasing obsession with the story of their food and everything Food Network–related, Ritter’s Frozen Custard realized last summer that the time had come to spice up its menu and capture this growing market. And the chain wasn’t afraid to go outside of its comfort zone. Developing a...

Read Full Story // read more about: Ritter's, Desserts, Menu Development, Social Media
Industry News
Blendtec Brings Commercial Sales Director on Board

Blendtec announced the appointment of its new commercial sales director, Scott Hinckley. Hinckley has worked with Blendtec as a consultant for the past six months, and he is expected to have a smooth, quick transition.

The company’s goals for growth focus on building on its existing...

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, Equipment, Human Resources
Industry News
SPIN!'s First Franchise Now Open in SoCal

SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza’s first franchise location is now open in Southern California in the City of Orange near Honda Center and Angels Stadium of Anaheim in Orange County. The restaurant is operated by Hofman Hospitality Group (HHG), which has completed a franchise agreement to open 37...

Read Full Story // read more about: SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza, Pizza, Franchising, Growth
Industry News
McDonald's Introducing Breakfast After Midnight

Earlier this year, McDonald’s dangled the idea of serving breakfast all day, a much-demanded change that the fast-food giant has tried and failed to make in the past. But even if anytime McMuffins remain out of reach, it looks like the company...

Read Full Story // read more about: McDonald's, Breakfast, Menu Innovations
Industry News
WFF CEO Woods Earns Dallas Directors Award

Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) president and CEO Fritzi Woods was recently recognized as an honoree of Dallas Business Journal’s 2013 Outstanding Directors Award. The Outstanding Directors Award program operates in conjunction with the National Association of Corporate...

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Industry News
Jamba Juice and NCR Ease the Way for Mobile Ordering

NCR Corporation announced that it is working with Jamba Juice, in collaboration with PayPal, on a series of customized mobile solutions, including a Jamba Juice–branded iOS and Android mobile ordering and payment solution.

This ordering functionality is available in select Jamba...

Read Full Story // read more about: Jamba Juice, Beverage, Online & Remote Ordering, Ordering, Technology
Each social media channel has its ups and downs for quick-service brands.
Denise Lee Yohn: QSR’s Marketing Guru
The Social Media Smarts

Q: While using Facebook and other social media networks, which is the best method and what works the most effectively?

Read Full Story // read more about: Marketing, Social Media
Industry News
NRA: Restaurants to Add 448,000 Jobs This Summer

Restaurants are expected to add 448,000 jobs this summer season, a 4.5 percent increase over the March 2013 employment level, according to National Restaurant Association (NRA) projections. The projected gain represents an improvement over the 2012 summer season.

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, In the Store, Human Resources
Industry News
DQ Stirs Up New Blizzard Creation

Excitement continues at Dairy Queen and DQ Grill & Chill restaurants in the U.S. nation-wide, as the Dairy Queen system kicks off the summer season with a selection of cool treats led by the debut of the blockbuster S’mores Blizzard Treat on May 27.

...

Read Full Story // read more about: Dairy Queen, Desserts, Menu Innovations
Five to Seven will invest in healthy and sustainble fast food brands globally.
Healthy Menus
Good Food for All

Five to Seven, a new restaurant funding initiative launched in May by foodservice industry veterans Brad Blum and John Vincent, has goodness at its core and as its goal. “Good food for the planet” is the initiative’s tagline, as Blum and Vincent want “good food”...

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A Wing Zone franchisee changed his cooking equipment to get better results.
Back of House
The Transformational Franchisee

Army and Air Force foodservice provider The Exchange has been serving U.S. military families since 1895 with meals in cafeteria lines and snack bars. It wasn’t until 1985, however, that it first signed a license agreement with a name-brand food franchisee—at the time, Burger King.

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McAlisters Deli franchisee says casual dining experience helps in quick service.
Sandwiches
What You Can Learn from Casual Dining

David Blackburn has been in the foodservice business his entire adult life. Since 1979, the McAlister’s Deli franchisee has cataloged more than 25 years of experience in the casual-dining sector, spending 16 of those as regional vice president of operations at O’Charley’s....

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Corner Bakery's new menu items use fresh ingredients to offer premium quality.
Breakfast
The Corner of Innovation

In a push to distinguish itself from growing competition in the fast-casual bakery-café space, Corner Bakery Café is doubling down on menu innovation.

The 22-year-old, Dallas-based chain recently leveraged its high-quality kitchen equipment and capabilities, as well as more than 40 fresh...

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A new tool from GS1 U.S. will help operators protect their food safety.
Food Safety
Cracking the Food Safety Code

For years, barcode technology has been commonplace in the retail sector, where it’s used to gather information about products, sales, and even consumer trends at various transaction points. But now, due to a major standardization initiative and broadening food-safety concerns, the same...

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The Boston Fire Department was treated to free meals at Firehouse Subs.
Charitable Giving
Nurturing Boston

As soon as he learned about the April 15th Boston bombings, Dave Tucci, the New England area representative for Firehouse Subs’ DMA, called the Firehouse franchisee closest to the bombings.

Tucci was relieved to find out that all employees at Firehouse’s Copley Square location...

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Fast casual brands attract customers with alcoholic beverage programs
Beverage
Buying into Booze

Fast-casual restaurants were once able to claim premium food, modern décor, and all-around upscale service as hallmarks of their category. But with more quick-service chains retooling in those areas to compete for post-recession consumers, fast casuals have been left to search for new ways to...

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Operators must protect their quick serve business from credit card fraud.
Point Of Sale
How to Prevent Credit Card Fraud

Every merchant that accepts credit and debit cards is required to be compliant with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards (DSS), whose next set of standards will be released in October 2013. Yet despite these compliance requirements, the food and beverage industry had the...

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New fast food brands like Live Basil first start as innovative business ideas.
Finance
Birth of a Brand

It always starts with a simple idea.

For Brian Bailey at Ichor Restaurant Group, it began with the idea that Ohioans needed better barbecue. Six years after that idea initially took hold, Old Carolina Barbecue opened the doors to its first unit, in Canton, Ohio. The company later opened...

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Industry News
Cintas Partner Receives RFMA's Vendor of the Year Award

Cintas Corporation, a leader in fire-protection services, announced that Annaji Sailer, a Cintas employee-partner, has received the prestigious “Vendor of the Year” award from the Restaurant Facility Management Association (RFMA).

Sailer works for Dunnwell, a division of Cintas Fire Protection, and has been a RFMA member for nearly five years, dedicating herself to advancing the restaurant facility management profession and women within the industry.

Read Full Story // read more about: Women in Foodservice
Women in Foodservice
Tap Into the Network

More women enter the foodservice industry every year, and they’re being met with a growing wealth of experience and support from which they can draw. A number of networking and leadership development groups have taken on the task of providing stronger gender diversity at all levels of the industry, and are ensuring that more growth opportunities exist for women.

Read Full Story // read more about: Dairy Queen, Meatheads, Wendy's, Growth, Human Resources
Industry News
WFF Partners Up with People Report

 

Read Full Story // read more about: Operations, Consumer Trends, Women in Foodservice, Technology
Industry News
Apply Now for Les Dames d'Escoffier Int'l Awards

The application period for the fifth-annual Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) Legacy Awards is now open.

This year, six LDEI Legacy Awards will be given in three categories: Culinary, Wine, and Entrepreneurship.

Each Legacy Award offers a one-week workplace experience under the direction of highly successful, award-winning members of LDEI. The Legacy experience is a high-energy, labor-intensive, and career-expanding opportunity.

Read Full Story // read more about: Women in Foodservice
Industry News
Women's Foodservice Forum Appoints New Board Members

Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) is pleased to welcome three new members to its Board of Directors: Karen Bowman of Deloitte, Twila Day of Sysco, and Jack Sinclair of Walmart.

WFF Board member Marie Perry, of Brinker International, has joined the board’s Executive Committee in the role of treasurer, replacing the retiring Julie Swan, formerly of Sysco.

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Industry News
NRA, NRAEF Name New Board Members and Officers

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) announced they have elected officers to their Board of Directors and Board of Trustees, respectively.

The officers began their one-year terms on January 1, 2013, and recently led their first board meetings.

In addition, the Association and the Educational Foundation have named several industry leaders to join their respective boards.

Read Full Story // read more about: Women in Foodservice
Industry News
WFF Meets with White House, Discusses Women Leaders

On Wednesday, February 20, 2013, the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) brought over 30 women executives from the foodservice industry to the White House to forge a strategic alliance between key business leaders and White House initiatives.

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, Back Office, Women in Foodservice
Industry News
WFF Hits Capitol Hill for White House Issues Briefing

On February 20, 2013, Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) board chair Lorna Donatone and president and CEO Fritzi Woods led a delegation of more than 30 foodservice executives to Washington to participate in the organization’s first White House issues briefing. 

The visit marks WFF’s continued efforts to elevate the mission, purpose, and goals of the organization: to advance women leaders. 

Read Full Story // read more about: Women in Foodservice