May 22, 2013
Industry News
One in Four Adults Plans to Eat Out for Mother's Day

New research from the National Restaurant Association (NRA) shows that more than one-quarter of American adults will celebrate Mother’s Day by dining out, and nearly one in 10 will rely on restaurant takeout or delivery for their special Mother’s Day meal. Overall, the NRA projects that 80 million American adults will enjoy...

Read Full Story // read more about: Consumer Trends, Outside Insights
Industry News
Qdoba's Mango Salad LTO is Back

Qdoba Mexican Grill kicks off summer early with the return of its popular, limited-time Mango Salad. The Mango Salad will be available in all restaurants starting May 6, while supplies last. Qdoba’s Mango Salad features mango salsa, which is packed with a combination of mangos, cucumbers, and red bell peppers, served over a bed of...

Read Full Story // read more about: Qdoba, Healthy Menus, Menu Innovations
Executive Insights
Under the Wing

Early on in his career, Jim Amos, chairman and former CEO of Tasti D-Lite, would make it his mission to track down his mentor, a business leader who hated flying so much that he would drive his personal coach around the country to various meetings and engagements. “I would call his secretary and find out where he was, and I would...

Read Full Story // read more about: Jack in the Box, Tasti D-Lite, Human Resources
Health
Slimmer Items, Hefty Sales

The lower the calorie counts in restaurant menu items, the better for business, according to recent research by public policy research organization Hudson Institute. The report analyzed 21 of the nation’s largest restaurant chains, including quick-service brands like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King. It found that...

Read Full Story // read more about: Healthy Menus, Consumer Trends, Menu Innovations, Ingredients & Dayparts
Industry News
Perkins Puts On a New Face with Remodeled Restaurants

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery announced a remodeling initiative that will be seeded in more than 20 corporate locations during the first half of 2013, with franchise restaurants to follow shortly thereafter.  The culmination of extensive research conducted across the country, Perkins remodelpackage—developed by...

Read Full Story // read more about: Perkins, Design
Industry News
Rita's Italian Ice and Strawberry Starburst Unite

Rita’s Italian Ice, the nation’s largest Italian Ice concept with more than 625 outlets in 20 states, announced tit has partnered with STARBURST on Rita’s newest Ice flavor.  STARBURST Strawberry Ice will be available for a limited time at all open Rita’s Ice outlets through Tuesday, May 21, 2013.  ...

Read Full Story // read more about: Rita's Italian Ice, Desserts, Menu Development, Promotions
Industry News
Offering Value Isn't Enough; Taco Bell Wants to Redefine It

It may seem like a lofty goal, but Taco Bell is dead set on not only redefining value at the quick-service level, but also delivering it to consumers in a variety of ways. Specifically, the brand is focusing on four key areas: the low- and high-price end of the menu, new menus and promotions, and limited-time offers, said Chris Brandt,...

Read Full Story // read more about: Taco Bell, Menu Development, Executive Insights, Promotions
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 such a person to be and do any number of those...

Read Full Story // read more about: Healthy Menus, Competition, Women in Foodservice, Growth
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
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
Industry News
Offering Value Isn't Enough; Taco Bell Wants to Redefine It

It may seem like a lofty goal, but Taco Bell is dead set on not only redefining value at the quick-service level, but also delivering it to consumers in a variety of ways.

Specifically, the brand is focusing on four key areas: the low- and high-price end of the menu, new menus and...

Read Full Story // read more about: Taco Bell, Menu Development, Executive Insights, Promotions
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...

See More
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...

See More
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...

See More
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...

See More
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...

See More
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....

See More
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...

See More
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...

See More
 
Industry News
Fazoli's Cathy Hull Recognized as Top Marketing Exec in 2012

Cathy Hull, Fazoli’s chief marketing officer, has been selected by the ranking committee of ExecRank as a “Top Private Company Marketing Executive” for 2012.

The rankings are the result of two years of research and feedback from evaluation committees and top chief marketing officers that yielded an algorithm for how to rank marketing executives based on their performance in 24 key areas.

Read Full Story // read more about: Fazoli's, Marketing, Menu Development, Women in Foodservice, Outside Insights
Industry News
Katherine Schieffelin Joins NRAEF as SVP

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) announced that Katherine Speyer Schieffelin has joined the foundation as senior vice president and chief development officer.

Schieffelin brings more than a decade of experience in management, fundraising, and campaign planning to the NRAEF and will aid in the foundation’s mission to enhance the industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement, and the promotion of career opportunities. 

Read Full Story // read more about: Operations, Women in Foodservice, Human Resources
Industry News
Industry Recruiting Co. Earns WBENC Accreditation

Patrice Rice, CEO and founder of Patrice & Associates Hospitality Recruiting—which helps thousands of managerial candidates find rewarding jobs in the restaurant and hospitality industry—announced that Patrice & Associates has earned accreditation from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

Read Full Story // read more about: Women in Foodservice, Human Resources
Industry News
Maui Wowi Franchisee Raises $1,200 for Make-A-Wish

An Illinois franchisee of Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffees & Smoothies recently donated more than $1200 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation as part of the Ultimate Gymnastics Tournament that was held November 30–December 2, 2012 at Harper College.

The 13th-annual Ultimate Wish Classic has raised more than $400,000 for the charitable foundation.

Read Full Story // read more about: Maui Wowi, Beverage, Charitable Giving, Women in Foodservice
Industry News
Maui Wowi Surfs into Southern California

Maui Wowi Hawaiian, a tropical island-themed franchise concept serving fresh Hawaiian-grown coffee and all-natural smoothies, embodies the Aloha spirit and laidback lifestyle that its newest franchise operator has lived and breathed all her life.

Maui Wowi welcomes Pa 'Akai Ventures, operated by Jenna Roberts, to join the company's growing West Coast presence as a new franchisee in El Cajon, California, near San Diego.

Read Full Story // read more about: Maui Wowi, Beverage, Women in Foodservice, Franchising, Growth
Industry News
NRA President Recognized for Healthy-Living Initiatives

National Restaurant Association (NRA) president and CEO Dawn Sweeney has been recognized by the Campaign to End Obesity for her work in helping inspire and guide the foodservice industry’s nutrition initiatives.

Sweeney, in recognition of her efforts, received the award at a December 6 awards gala at Discovery Channel Worldwide headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

Read Full Story // read more about: Healthy Menus, Women in Foodservice
Industry News
Barberitos Makes its Way to Cary, North Carolina

Barberitos Franchising Inc. announces the opening of its 31st restaurant location in Cary, North Carolina. The new store will open in February 2013.

Read Full Story // read more about: Barberitos, Operations, Women in Foodservice, Franchising, Growth, Expansion
Industry News
Fish Consulting Expands its Team, Promotes Senior Leaders

Fish Consulting, a full-service national communications firm specializing in franchise marketing and public relations, announces it has promoted several senior leaders and added two new employees.

Read Full Story // read more about: Fish Consulting LLC, Marketing, Women in Foodservice, Human Resources