June 18, 2013
Industry News
Newk's Springs Into Action With Four LTO Pizzas

This month, Newk’s Express Café launched four new pizza flavors. The pizzas—Salmon, Buffalo Chicken, Steak and Mushroom, and Crawfish—will be available through the spring. The Salmon pizza features fresh dill, capers, red onion, and a tangy dill sauce. The Buffalo Chicken pizza has Cheddar, Provolone, celery, and...

Read Full Story // read more about: Newk's Express Cafe, Menu Development, Pizza
Industry News
Cinnabon Blends Mint and Oreo for New LTO Beverage

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Cinnabon has introduced a new minty treat: the Oreo Mint Chillatta. The new specialty beverage is available now at participating Cinnabon bakeries. This creamy Chillatta is a blend of sweet cream, Oreo cookies, mint flavoring, and a ribbon of chocolate sauce, topped with whipped cream...

Read Full Story // read more about: Cinnabon, Beverage, Desserts, Menu Development
Industry News
LTO Shrimp Items are Hot Off the Grill at Pollo Tropical

Shrimp is grilling at all Pollo Tropical kitchens for a limited-time-only menu appearance in the Shrimp Create Your Own TropiChop, Shrimp Quesadilla Wrap, and Shrimp Quesadilla Salad. The Grilled Shrimp Create Your Own TropiChop arrives just in time for the Lent season and can be created using the many fresh ingredients that are part of...

Read Full Story // read more about: Pollo Tropical, Healthy Menus, Menu Development
Health
Let's Talk About Health

Jamba Juice’s menu items, from its juices and smoothies to its oatmeal and wraps, are something of a healthy trifecta: They’re low in calories and fat, high in nutrients like Vitamins A and C, and contain fresh ingredients like fruits and vegetables.

Read Full Story // read more about: Hannah's Bretzel, Jamba Juice, Roti Mediterranean Grill, Healthy Menus, Marketing, Promotions
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...

Read Full Story // read more about: Dairy Queen, Meatheads, Wendy's, Growth, Human Resources
Sustainability
When Burritos and Cotton Collide

Chipotle’s commitment to organic cotton might not be apparent to diners, but every employee wears the evidence—literally. One hundred percent of Chipotle’s employees wear uniforms from Loomstate, a company dedicated to offering sustainable, organic, and quality clothing. The initiative kicked off in 2010, and the...

Read Full Story // read more about: Chipotle, Back of House, Back Office, Human Resources
Industry News
Submit Your Brand for Best Franchise Deals Today!

It's that time of the year again: QSR is looking for the quick-service industry’s best franchise deals. Weighing investment figures, sales trends, and corporate support, among other things, we've produced one the industry's annual can't-miss franchise reports for the last four years.

Read Full Story // read more about: Finance, Franchising
Industry News
Woody's Bar-B-Q Cooks Up Revamped Menu

After 33 years in the barbecue business, Woody Mills and his partner, Yolanda Mills-Mawman, have discovered that the best way to keep their fans coming back for more is to throw in the occasional pleasant surprise. While the bulk of their business is founded on tried-and-true signature dishes and comfort food sides—many of which...

Read Full Story // read more about: Woody's Bar-B-Q, Burgers, Menu Development
Industry News
Yogurtland Introduces Three New Flavors

Nothing beats summer heat like an old-fashioned root beer float, a frozen orange-cream pop, or the cool refreshing taste of hibiscus and passion fruit. Beginning today, Yogurtland will offer these three (non-fat) flavors – Orangesicle Frozen Yogurt, Root Beer Float Frozen Yogurt, and...

Read Full Story // read more about: Yogurtland, Desserts, Menu Innovations, Social Media
Industry News
Pie Five Breaks the Double-Digit Unit Threshold

For fast casual Pie Five, the start-up days are officially over.  

On Monday, June 10, Pie Five Pizza Co. is opening the doors to its 10th corporate-owned location in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and its eleventh store for the entire chain, with its newest restaurant in...

Read Full Story // read more about: Pie Five, Pizza, Franchising, Growth, Fast Casual
Industry News
Sonic Makes Mornings Sweeter

Not a morning person? You may not be alone. According to a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive, nearly half (46 percent) of Millennials are not morning people. The good news is that Sonic Drive-In is making mornings a little bit sweeter with the introduction of Cinnasnacks to the menu....

Read Full Story // read more about: Sonic, Breakfast, Menu Innovations
Industry News
Cups Brings the Party to Parsippany, NJ

Cups Frozen Yogurt, a beach-themed, self-serve fro-yo concept, will open its second franchise location on Thursday, May 23, in Parsippany, New Jersey.

To celebrate the grand opening, Cups Parsippany will be offering free frozen yogurt from 4 to 7 p.m. on May 23.

Also, during the...

Read Full Story // read more about: Cups Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Franchising, Growth
Industry News
Doc Popcorn Expands into Palace Entertainment Venues

Doc Popcorn plans to open approximately 15 new locations in Palace Entertainment venues across the country. The announcement follows the success of Doc Popcorn’s first PopCart unit at the Lake Compounce Amusement Park, a Palace Entertainment venue located in Bristol, Conneticut.

...

Read Full Story // read more about: Doc Popcorn, Growth, Health
Industry News
What's Da Scoop? Launches in Dallas

Launching in Dallas/Fort Worth in May 2013 and delivering hand-scooped, premium old-fashioned ice creams fresh from Wisconsin to DFW-area ice cream enthusiasts, What's Da Scoop? is anything but your ordinary neighborhood ice cream truck. With the ever-growing...

Read Full Story // read more about: What's Da Scoop?, Desserts, Growth
Industry News
Henny Penny Names New Corporate Chef

Foodservice equipment designer and manufacturer Henny Penny Corporation hired Benjamin Leingang to be the company’s new corporate chef. Chef Leingang comes to Henny Penny from Compass Group North America, a foodservice management company. Most recently, Chef Leingang managed all aspects of...

Read Full Story // read more about: Menu Development, Human Resources
Industry News
Burger 21 Breaks Into Eighth State: Pennsylvania

Burger 21, a new better-burger founded by the owners of The Melting Pot Restaurants, announced it has signed a franchise agreement to open a restaurant in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, early next year. 

This deal marks the brand’s first location in Pennsylvania and the 25...

Read Full Story // read more about: Burger 21, Burgers, Franchising, Growth, Fast Casual
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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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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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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Five to Seven will invest in healthy and sustainble fast food brands globally.
Finance
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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Superfoods like blueberries offer nutritional and flavorful menu potential.
Healthy Menus
Wonder Food

Look, up on the table! It’s a burdock. It’s a plantain. It’s … superfood!

Although there’s nothing really super-heroic about eating nutrition-rich fruits and vegetables, the foods give customers an opportunity to pursue healthier options at a time when many...

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Fast casual brands added table service to open on Winter Park's Park Avenue.
Back of House
The Table Service Upgrade

The city of Winter Park, Florida, was in a quandary. Up-and-coming fast-casual concepts Firehouse Subs and BurgerFi wanted to move into the town’s upscale dining and shopping district, Park Avenue, but business owners and city officials were worried that the posh image would become...

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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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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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