May 23, 2013
Industry News
Pizza Hut Takes on Interviewing, Twitter-Style

As social media has permanently changed companies’ communication and marketing practices, it has become increasingly important for brands to hire a social media guru who can manage multiple social media platforms in a professional, yet engaging way. And that’s exactly who Pizza Hut is seeking for its new social media...

Read Full Story // read more about: Pizza Hut, Pizza, Social Media, Human Resources
Industry News
Tropical Smoothie Has Food on the Brain

It’s one thing to revitalize a menu, upgrade unit décor, or take on a new marketing platform. But changing consumers’ perception of a brand entirely is a completely different story, and it’s one Tropical Smoothie Café is trying to tell. The 335-plus-unit chain used to be known as a real fruit smoothie–only...

Read Full Story // read more about: Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Beverage, Healthy Menus, Marketing, Menu Development, Sandwiches, Growth
Industry News
Uncle Ben's Introduces Original Converted Brand Rice

The Uncle Ben’s Brand introduces its improved Uncle Ben's Original Converted Brand Rice, delivering noticeably better taste, texture, and overall performance. As America’s number one brand, Uncle Ben's ensures the highest quality from start to finish. This includes the careful selection of its rice, using fewer than...

Read Full Story // read more about: Uncle Ben's, Menu Development, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
Industry News
American Idol Hopeful Serves Up Cool Treats at Rita's

Rita’s Italian Ice, the nation’s largest Italian Ice concept with over 625 outlets in 19 states, announces Lazaro Arbos, a Treat Team Member from Rita’s outlet in Naples, Florida, was chosen as a Top 20 finalist by American Idol 2013 (Season 12). Arbos earned a coveted spot on the popular singing competition’s Top...

Read Full Story // read more about: Rita's Italian Ice, Entertainment, Competition
Industry News
Shopping the Brand

Quick-service sushi concepts, from How Do You Roll? to Yo! Sushi, have taken off in the U.S., with Americans’ increasingly adventurous palates driving growth. And Genji Sushi, which first opened its doors in Philadelphia in 1997, is a quiet leader in the category, with 165 units. But Genji has a trick up its sleeve that’s...

Read Full Story // read more about: Genji Sushi, Operations, Growth
Industry News
US Foods Takes on Spring with New Product Line

US Foods introduced its new spring product line featuring regional favorites from across America. Taking diners on a culinary road trip across the country, the offerings include new burger items from famed New York butcher Pat LaFrieda; baked beans and bacon made with Kentucky bourbon; and a new twist on an American favorite, apple pie...

Read Full Story // read more about: Menu Development, Ingredients & Dayparts
Industry News
Corner Bakery Cafe Debuts New Turkey Monterey Panini

Just in time to help guests snap out of their long winter daze, Corner Bakery Cafe will debut the newest member of its signature grilled panini lineup, the Turkey Monterey Panini.

Read Full Story // read more about: Corner Bakery Cafe, Menu Development, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
Industry News
Fatburger Takes Over Downtown Los Angeles

Fatburger has announced the opening of its first location in downtown Los Angeles. The Hollywood burger chain maintains and upholds the unique culture that Lovie Yancey created when launching the brand 60 years ago. With an array of toppings and condiments to select from, each burger is grilled to order and topped with fresh...

Read Full Story // read more about: Fatburger, Burgers, Franchising, Growth
Industry News
Starbucks Debuts First Non-U.S. Community Store

Starbucks Coffee Company chairman, president, and CEO Howard Schultz inaugurated the first Starbucks community store outside of the United States in the Langsuan neighborhood of Bangkok, Thailand.

Schultz was in Bangkok celebrating 15 years in the market with Starbucks partners and...

Read Full Story // read more about: Starbucks, Beverage, Charitable Giving, Sustainability
Industry News
Sublime Doughnuts Open Up Shop for Franchising

Sublime Doughnuts, Atlanta’s award-winning doughnut shop, announced plans to open franchise opportunities for interested investors.

Sublime Doughnuts is owned by Culinary Institute of America graduate Kamal Grant. Grant opened Sublime Doughnuts in 2008 in the eclectic West Midtown...

Read Full Story // read more about: Sublime Doughnuts, Desserts, Franchising, Growth
Industry News
Oklahoma Sonic Unit Makes Ordering a Breeze for Truckers

Sonic Drive-In in Valliant, Oklahoma, wants people to know, “Truckers Welcome!”

This message scrolls across a large banner in front of the drive-in, and local franchisees, Tommy and Julie Dorries, have gone to great lengths to deliver a unique experience for truck drivers in a...

Read Full Story // read more about: Sonic, Beverage, Design, Digital Signage & Menuboards
Industry News
Dairy Queen Delivers Choco Peanut Butter Brownie

The Dairy Queen system is serving up a new, decadent Choco Peanut Butter Brownie as the featured Blizzard of the Month for May.

A smooth blend of peanut butter, choco chunks, and brownie pieces tumbled with DQsignature creamy vanilla soft serve, Choco Peanut Butter Brownieis available...

Read Full Story // read more about: Dairy Queen, Desserts, Menu Development
Industry News
Consumer's Restaurant Spending Increased 7% in April

First Data Corporation, a global leader in electronic commerce and payment processing, released its First Data SpendTrend analysis for April 2–29, 2013, compared to April 3–30, 2012.

SpendTrend tracks same-store consumer spending by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT,...

Read Full Story // read more about: Finance, Consumer Trends
Industry News
Barberitos Franchising Grows to 48 Locations

Barberitos Franchising Inc. is excited to announce that it has signed five more locations in the Southeast. This brings the total number of franchised Barberitos locations to 48.

Read Full Story // read more about: Barberitos, Operations, Franchising, Growth
Industry News
Qdoba Goes Home as Winner of NRA Kids' Recipe Challenge

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) announced the winners of the Kids Recipe Challenge, a new initiative showcasing restaurants’ culinary ingenuity for creating healthful menu options for children.

Created with founding partner McCormick For Chefs, the Food Away From Home...

Read Full Story // read more about: Qdoba, Healthy Menus
Industry News
Street Taco Trio Makes Its Debut at California Tortilla

The fans spoke, and California Tortilla listened. Street Tacos edged out the competition to win March’s Elito 8 Tournament; now they’re available at California Tortilla locations nationwide starting Monday, May 20.

For a limited time only, customers can get all the ...

Read Full Story // read more about: California Tortilla, Menu Development, Promotions
Women leaders like Flatbread Grill's owners successfully launch new brands.
Finance
Cleared for Launch

Starting any business can be a difficult prospect, but in an industry where men have historically outnumbered women, the roadblocks to doing so can be even more challenging when you’re female.

For many female foodservice entrepreneurs, being taken seriously as a business owner is...

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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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Innovations like the Marinara Tower were featured on the NRA Show floor.
Back of House
Recapping the NRA Show

As the lights went out on the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (NRA Show) in Chicago on Tuesday, there was plenty to consider about the future of the industry.

The show featured no shortage of technological advancements, not just in computing hardware...

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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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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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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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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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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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