May 20, 2013
Industry News
With Unprecedented Growth, WFF Launches New Campaign

The foodservice industry is expected to have its fourth straight year of growth, reaching sales in excess of $660 billion, according to the NRA Industry Forecast. The results of this growth are seen every day in headlines—the pressure for innovation, mergers and acquisitions, the struggle for talent recruitment and retention. These...

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Industry News
Huddle House Puts on Fresh Face, Readies for Growth

The times are a changin' at family-dining chain Huddle House. With new CEO Michael Abt on board since October 2012, an updated design prototype, and a sharper focus on franchisee growth and profitability, the brand is ready to hit new heights in 2013 and beyond. To ensure its success, Abt says the brand will continue its long-time...

Read Full Story // read more about: Huddle House, Breakfast, Menu Development, Operations, Franchising, Growth
Industry News
Finally! Wendy’s Debuts Flatbread

After two years of planning, trials, tests, retooling, and finding a vendor willing to spend millions on a new ingredient, Wendy’s is rolling out its latest offering: Flatbread Grilled Chicken Sandwiches. The Smoky Honey Mustard and Asiago Ranch limited-time offers hit stores nationwide this week in an effort to compete with...

Read Full Story // read more about: Wendy's, Burgers, Menu Innovations
Industry News
KFC Doubles Down in South Africa

KFC South Africa launched the iconic Double Down, the first all-meat burger with no roll. This launch follows the product’s introduction in other global markets, including North America, Asia, and Australia. The Double Down “man-meal” will be available in all of KFC’s 700 restaurants across South Africa until the...

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Industry News
Pie Five Lands First Multiunit Agreement in Florida

Pie Five Pizza Co., a subsidiary of Pizza Inn Holdings, has awarded the first multiunit franchise agreement for Florida to develop 10 locations. The deal with one of Florida’s most successful entrepreneurs, L. Gale Lemerand, will introduce the fast-casual brand to the state with aggressive growth plans for the Orlando,...

Read Full Story // read more about: Pie Five, Pizza, Franchising, Growth
Menu Innovations
Dressing Up

Not that long ago, consumers visited limited-service restaurants mostly for items such as burgers, fried chicken, french fries, and sandwiches. But in the past two decades, salads have become an integral part of quick-service and fast-casual menus, now showcased as a prominent entrée on many restaurants’ menuboards. “The...

Read Full Story // read more about: Corner Bakery Cafe, Saladworks, Sweetgreen, Tender Greens, Tossed, Wendy's, Healthy Menus, Ingredients & Dayparts
Franchising
Breaking Out in Captivity

January marked Rick Glitchen’s 20th year in the coffee business. Previously a lawyer, Glitchen started off in the quick-service industry with his brother, opening his own street-side café location in 1993. The duo ran their own units for more than two years before signing on with Seattle’s Best Coffee in 1996 and converting...

Read Full Story // read more about: Seattle's Best, Promotions, Growth
Denise Lee Yohn: QSR’s Marketing Guru
How to Succeed in a New Market

Q: You've got a popular concept with a few locations in one market, and you're looking to expand into a new market. What's the best way to do so? A: Expanding into a new market can be both risky and rewarding, but there are a few ways you can increase your odds of success.

Read Full Story // read more about: Marketing, Growth
Industry News
CIA President Increases Student Scholarships by $3.6M

Dr. Tim Ryan celebrated the college's accomplishments of the past year before more than 700 employees of the college's four campuses during The Culinary Institute of America's (CIA) annual State of the Institute address. Accomplishments included the graduation of 1,051 associate...

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, Finance, Kitchen
Industry News
Rational Grows 11% in 2012, Wins Technology Awards

This year, the first-class industry publications, GVmanager and 24 Stunden Gastlichkeit, once again awarded the best in the industry with the BEST of Market 2013 at the Internorga fair in Hamburg on behalf of their readers.

More than 2,200 decision makers from the hotel...

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, Equipment, Finance, Kitchen
Industry News
Freshens Gets Sweet and Savory With New Crepe Options

Freshens relies heavily on customer research to keep its product offerings relevant and on trend with its customers.  

The Atlanta-based company conducted a series of focus groups to gain insight into flavor profiles that its loyal customer base was seeking for new crepe menu...

Read Full Story // read more about: Freshens, Desserts, Healthy Menus, Menu Development
Industry News
Cintas Identifies 5 Overlooked Sustainability Areas

Identified by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) as a top trend for 2013, sustainability continues to rank high on the list of what consumers expect most from restaurants. From locally-sourced food to recyclable and compostable products, many quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are looking...

Read Full Story // read more about: Operations, Sustainability
Industry News
Hispanics' Restaurant Visits Fall by 86M in 2012

While total restaurant visits increased by 1 percent in 2012 compared to prior year, visits by U.S. Hispanics declined by 1 percent, a loss of 86 million visits, reports The NPD Group, a leading global information company.

Declines were steepest among less bicultural U.S. Hispanics, who...

Read Full Story // read more about: Consumer Trends, Outside Insights
Industry News
Bruster's Gives Fans a Taste of What's to Come

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, ranked No. 10 out of 100 limited-service restaurants nationwide by premier consulting firm WD Partners, has introduced the first of three new spring flavors.

Freshly made Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, with ribbons of raspberry sauce and creamy chocolate...

Read Full Story // read more about: Bruster's, Desserts, Menu Development
Employee social networks give quick serves powerful human resources tool.
Human Resources
The Perfect Match

Finding a great employee—much like finding a significant other—isn’t always easy. That’s why some operators are turning to online tools like Shiftgig for help seeking out the most compatible workers on the market.

While many hiring platforms, such as PeopleMatter...

Read Full Story // read more about: Q-BBQ, Back of House, Back Office, In the Store, Social Media
Industry News
California-Based Dog Haus Launches National Franchise

Born from a passion for hot dogs, what started between friends as an idea for a fun new concept has turned into Dog Haus, a full-fledged thriving restaurant with three locations in Southern California.  

Read Full Story // read more about: Dog Haus, Operations, Franchising, Growth, Expansion
Superfoods like whole grains and oatmeal offer healthy menu alternative.
Healthy Menus
The Other Side of Super

Superfoods have swept the culinary world into a frenzy, enticing consumers with a taste of the exotic and courting them with nutrition and functionality, to the point where restaurants across the country are trying to stake a claim in this fledgling movement.

Quick-service restaurants are...

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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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Operators must protect their quick serve business from credit card fraud.
Back of House
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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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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Burger King's new coffee beverages position the brand to compete with McDonalds.
Beverage
Coffee is King

Forget quick-serve mainstays like burgers and fries. These days, limited-service brands are looking to coffee to beef up business, and Burger King is the latest chain to get in on the action.

Burger King’s customers can now enjoy 10 new specialty drinks, including iced coffees in a...

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Tin Drum Asia Cafe used equity firm investment to stay debt free in growth.
Finance
Striking Gold

Steven Chan’s business was at a crossroads last year. His Atlanta-based fast casual Tin Drum AsiaCafé launched in 2000, sold its first franchise in 2001, and was growing slowly due to Chan’s determination to keep it debt-free. At the beginning of 2012, Tin Drum had 10 franchises in...

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Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey is innovativing the POS space with Square.
Point Of Sale
Can Square Change POS Forever?

Jack Dorsey, who cofounded Twitter and Square, was raised by parents in the quick-service industry. His father owned a pizza restaurant, and his mother ran a coffee shop.

It’s little surprise, then, that Dorsey’s latest initiative with Square is to broaden its use within quick...

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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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Women in Foodservice
Mother Knows Best

No longer do women have to choose between a career and motherhood. But finding time to work and have a successful foodservice career—while also raising kids and staying in tune with a busy family—can be a daunting challenge.

“The restaurants are very important to us, but my family is very important to me, as well,” says America Corrales Bortin, cofounder of America’s Taco Shop in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Read Full Story // read more about: America's Taco Shop, Doc Popcorn, PBandU, In the Store, Human Resources
Industry News
Taco Bell and Lorena Garcia Team Up for New Steak Items

Taco Bell is introducing a new steak to all menu items, including the Cantina Bell Steak Burrito, priced at $4.99.

As part of Taco Bell's commitment to quality and listening to customers, the new steak is the latest menu item to Cantina Bell, which was launched nationally in 2012. 

Read Full Story // read more about: Taco Bell, Menu Development, Women in Foodservice
Industry News
Penn Station Subs Pulls into the Northern Virginia Station

Penn Station East Coast Subs, the fast-casual restaurant known for its Philadelphia Cheesesteak Sub sandwich served hot and made-to-order on freshly baked French bread, will open its first Northern Virginia restaurant in early February in the Haymarket Village Center.

Penn Station will bring 40 new jobs to Haymarket with this store opening. The owner is Anna Prendergast, whose second Penn Station location is already under construction in Fairfax, Virginia, and will open in March.

Read Full Story // read more about: Penn Station East Coast Subs, Sandwiches, Women in Foodservice, Franchising, Growth
Industry News
SPIN! Pizza Touted by Local Missouri Publications

SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza has been named best pizza by two local publications in Missouri. Both Kansas City Magazine and 435 South Magazine have awarded SPIN! top honors in their annual “City’s Best” issues.

Kansas City Magazinereported that SPIN! was “far and away” the leader in its readers’ votes. The repeat awards join a raft of local and national awards that SPIN! has accrued for its food and environs since opening its first location in 2005.

Read Full Story // read more about: SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza, Design, Pizza, Women in Foodservice, Franchising, Growth, Ingredients & Dayparts
Industry News
Dickey's Barbecue Pit Serves Up $1 Pulled-Pork Sandwiches

Dickey’s franchise owners Peggy and Joe Anicka have enjoyed serving the Commerce Township, Michigan, community slow, pit-smoked barbecue.

On Friday, January 25, Dickey's will be offering $1 Pulled Pork Big Barbecue sandwiches from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in honor of its grand-opening celebration.

Read Full Story // read more about: Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Marketing, Women in Foodservice, Franchising, Promotions, Growth
Industry News
Cousins Subs Makes it Better with New Foundation

Cousins Subs restaurants has established The Make It Better Foundation to improve the welfare and quality of life in the communities Cousins Subs serves.

"Cousins Subs has a longstanding tradition of commitment to the communities we serve," says Christine Specht, president and COO at Cousins Subs. "We have supported a multitude of causes and organizations throughout our 40-year history. By establishing The Make It Better Foundation, we hope we can do even more."

Read Full Story // read more about: Cousins Subs, Charitable Giving, Sandwiches, Women in Foodservice
Industry News
Nancy Clark Joins Fiesta Restaurant Group as Chief People Officer

Fiesta Restaurant Group, the owner, operator, and franchisor of the Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana fast-casual restaurant brands, announced that Nancy Clark has joined the company as vice president, chief people officer, effective January 10, 2013.

Clark is a highly regarded human resources business leader with more than 15 years of experience at several high-profile and diverse organizations, including J.C. Penney Corporation, PepsiCo, and General Electric Company.

Read Full Story // read more about: Pollo Tropical, Taco Cabana, Women in Foodservice, Human Resources
Industry News
Industry Vet Sheri Miksa Takes the Reins at Boneheads

Boneheads Grilled Fish & Piri Piri Chicken, the popular six-unit Atlanta-based fast-casual restaurant chain known for its signature Piri-Piri Chicken and distinctively flavored fresh grilled seafood menu, hasnamed 25-year hospitality and restaurant industry veteran, Sheri Miksa, as its new CEO and president. 

Read Full Story // read more about: Boneheads, Women in Foodservice, Human Resources