May 21, 2013
Industry News
Mushroom Chicken Sandwich Gets in The Loop

The Loop Pizza Grill is starting the spring season off with a fresh start with a flavorful new sandwich, the Mushroom Swiss Grilled Chicken Sandwich. The Loop's new offering will be available starting April 1.  The chicken is marinated for 24 hours in a homemade buttermilk recipe, then char-grilled. "There is something...

Read Full Story // read more about: The Loop, Menu Development, Sandwiches
Industry News
Baskin-Robbins Welcomes Spring with New Chick Cake

Spring has arrived at Baskin-Robbins as the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty shops announces the newest addition to its innovative selection of ice cream cakes – the Chick Cake. Also available this spring is the Chick Individual Treat, which is the perfect single serving partner to accompany Baskin-Robbins’...

Read Full Story // read more about: Baskin-Robbins, Menu Development, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
Industry News
Doc Popcorn 'Pops' New Cocoa Marshmallow Crunch Flavor

Doc Popcorn will pop a new Cocoa Marshmallow Crunch flavor. This new specialty flavor will be available for a limited time only at participating Doc Popcorn locations.

Read Full Story // read more about: Doc Popcorn, Menu Development, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
Industry News
Saladworks Introduces New LTO SpringFit Salad

Saladworks is pleased to announce its new spring seasonal salad, the SpringFit Salad, which will be available in all Saladworks locations from March 18 until May 26.

Read Full Story // read more about: Saladworks, Healthy Menus, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
Industry News
Carl's Jr. and Hardee's Unveil Jim Beam Bourbon Burger

In yet another fast food first, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s will begin selling burgers with the taste of a branded, distilled spirit when they introduce the new Jim Beam Bourbon Burger. 

Read Full Story // read more about: Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Burgers, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
Menu Innovations
No Hike Here

Despite drought-driven food-price increases, quick serves are refusing to pass rising costs on to the customer, according to a recent survey by group purchasing firm SpenDifference. The study shows that more than one-quarter (26 percent) of restaurants maintained steady pricing in 2012, compared with 14 percent the year before. ...

Read Full Story // read more about: Panchero's, Point Of Sale
Industry News
Brands Battle Theft, Buddy-Punching With Biometrics

View a webinar on this topic, featuring first-hand experience from Hooters Employee theft may not be many brands’ No. 1 challenge in the ever-tenuous economic environment, but it’s a threat that exists in many forms. And quick serves across the industry are doing something about it, with the help of biometric...

Read Full Story // read more about: Popeyes, Smoothie King, Wingstop, Equipment, Operations, Point Of Sale
Industry News
Burger King Gets Spring Fever with New Burger Fest Menu

Whether you’re experiencing a case of spring fever or have been counting down the days awaiting the calendar’s “official” first day of spring, Burger King is ready to turn up the heat and celebrate the season with the new Burger Fest menu.  Burger King Worldwide unveiled a lineup of 12 menu items, ranging...

Read Full Story // read more about: Burger King, Beverage, Burgers, Desserts, Menu Development
Small portions give customers control over health, values, and variety.
Menu Innovations
Small Portions a Big Idea

Small portions are very big these days.

Many 2013 trend predictions determined that small plates and snacking are expected to be popular among chefs and restaurant operators this year. While diners are still eating during the traditional meal times—breakfast, lunch, and dinner...

Read Full Story // read more about: Pei Wei, Qdoba, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Wendy's, White Castle, Wow Bao, Menu Development, Consumer Trends, Health, Ingredients & Dayparts
Restaurant operators learn valuable tips at restaurant industry's largest show.
Industry News
2013 NRA Show Guide
...
Read Full Story // read more about: Cosi, Competition, Growth
NRA CEO Dawn Sweeney helps protect restaurant operators interests.
Executive Insights
The Advocate

The most powerful woman in the restaurant industry isn’t intimidating, nor is she larger than life. She isn’t cold, tight-lipped, terse, or abrasive. She doesn’t talk down to you. She doesn’t double-book you and cancel at the last second.

Certainly one might expect...

Read Full Story // read more about: Healthy Menus, Competition, Women in Foodservice, Growth
Industry News
At Chick-fil-A, Old Salads Just Don't Cut It

Chick-fil-A isn’t one to back down from a challenge—even one that’s self-imposed. That’s why, despite the fact that customers weren’t complaining about current salad offerings, the chicken chain decided to scrap its salad lineup in favor of three brand new options...

Read Full Story // read more about: Chick-fil-A, Digital Signage & Menuboards, Healthy Menus, Menu Development, Operations
Food production systems like hydroponics help restaurants use more local goods.
Ingredients & Dayparts
Can Quick Serves Save the World?

No longer is local sourcing just a utopian ideal. It’s a practice coming to life and continually gaining momentum in foodservice, with the number of local ingredients on menus growing by 73 percent over the last four years, according to market research firm Mintel.

But, at its most...

Read Full Story // read more about: Chipotle, Mad Greens, Sloco, Green, In the Store, Consumer Trends, Menu Innovations
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay provides strong example of smart restaurant growth.
Alan Philips: Trends to Watch
Be Like Bobby

My idea of “inclusive exclusivity” started in a boardroom many years ago in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I was making a presentation to a group of executives at the Borgata Hotel, Casino, & Spa to explain how they could import the feel of New York’s hottest nightclubs and...

Read Full Story // read more about: Bobby's Burger Palace, Burgers, Growth
Industry News
Dunkin' Donuts Grows Healthy Menu With Turkey Sausage

Helping guests greet the warm weather with more smart choices, Dunkin’ Donuts announced a permanent addition to its DDSMART menu: the Turkey Sausage Breakfast Sandwich.

A breakfast sandwich option under 400 calories, the new sandwich features a fried egg topped with turkey sausage...

Read Full Story // read more about: Dunkin' Donuts, Breakfast, Healthy Menus, Menu Development, Sandwiches
Restaurant operators can promote their brand using restaurant review websites.
Denise Lee Yohn: QSR’s Marketing Guru
From Negative to Positive

Q: What's the right way to handle a negative online review?

A: If you're like most restaurateurs, you're a perfectionist. So a negative review on Yelp...

Read Full Story // read more about: Marketing, Competition, Consumer Trends, Promotions
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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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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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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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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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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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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Secure quick serve restaurants improve sales and have high return on investment.
Back of House
Safety, Security, Sales

Traditionally, when quick serves plan security strategies, they address three main industry challenges: prevent shrinkage, guard against in-store and drive-thru robbery, and protect the company from fraudulent lawsuits. Operators need to carefully examine security solutions that will provide the...

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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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Roy Bergold: Tales from McDonald’s
The Kids’ Meal Compromise

Recently I was talking with Barry Klein, an old friend of mine who was one of the original advertising guys at McDonald’s. He is a marketing consultant now with a large interest in kids marketing. We were discussing the kids’ meal situation and the critics who claim these meals are responsible for our childhood obesity problems.

Barry has a heated position that I would like to share with you, and then I’ll share my comments as well.

Barry: Restaurant operators, which way will you go?

Read Full Story // read more about: McDonald's, Healthy Menus, Women in Foodservice, Promotions, Ingredients & Dayparts