June 18, 2013
Outside Insights
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 greatest visibility into store activities...

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, Back Office, Security, In the Store
Industry News
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 serves.

Read Full Story // read more about: Little Muenster, Kiosk, Online & Remote Ordering, Point Of Sale, In the Store, Consumer Trends, Ordering
Industry News
Subway, Checkers Execs Back for More on "Undercover Boss"

One appearance on CBS’s hit show “Undercover Boss” just wasn’t enough for two quick-serve industry execs. That’s why Subway chief development officer Don Fertman and Checkers president and CEO Rick Silva are going back for round two this Friday. The “Epic Bosses” episode catches up with nine...

Read Full Story // read more about: Checkers, Subway, Operations, Sandwiches, Training, In the Store, Human Resources
Industry News
LiveWall Creates Vertical Gardens for Restaurants

Vertical gardens, or plants on walls, can offer a cost-effective opportunity for restaurants to improve nutrition, meal taste, and prestige.  By providing a convenient method for growing and harvesting produce, owners and managers can provide their chefs with low-cost fresh herbs and vegetables, which can enhance the quality and...

Read Full Story // read more about: Green, Healthy Menus
Industry News
Restaurant Equippers to Open Equipment Warehouse in Philly

Restaurant Equippers has announced plans to open its third warehouse store this summer to serve the Northeast region of the country.   The Columbus, Ohio–based company has begun construction on the 40,000-square-foot state-of-the-art store at The Point in Pennsauken, New Jersey.  Restaurant Equippers’ focus on...

Read Full Story // read more about: Equipment
Industry News
Baskin-Robbins Sherbet Shows Up on Freezer Aisles

Baskin-Robbins, the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, announced the launch of a new line of shelf-stable, sherbet-flavored freezer bars, which are rolling out at major national retailers this spring. Baskin-Robbins’ Sherbet Flavored Freezer Bars are the first freezer bar treat from Baskin-Robbins that...

Read Full Story // read more about: Baskin-Robbins, Desserts, Menu Development
Emerging Concepts
One to Watch: Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina

Prior to purchasing Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina from its founder in 2011, CEO Phil Friedman spent 11 years expanding McAlister’s Deli from 27 to 300 units. These days, he and Salsarita’s president and COO Larry Reinstein are looking to grow the fresh-Mex concept. And grow it has, with a double-digit percentage growth in...

Read Full Story // read more about: Salsarita's, Competition, Franchising, Growth
Menu Innovations
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 keeping in stride, and many have ventured beyond...

Read Full Story // read more about: BurgerFi, Daily Juice, Hannah's Bretzel, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Healthy Menus, Consumer Trends, Health, Ingredients & Dayparts
Industry News
Rita's Italian Ice Fights Childhood Cancer

Rita’s Italian Ice, the nation’s largest Italian Ice concept with over 625 outlets in 20 states, announced its annual Paper Lemon Fundraising Campaign and eighth annual partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a national nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure...

Read Full Story // read more about: Rita's Italian Ice, Charitable Giving, Desserts, Charitable Giving
Industry News
Dunkin' Donuts Celebrates National Donut Day

Today, June 7, is National Donut Day, and Dunkin' Donuts is marking the holiday with special treats for everyone. First, Dunkin' Donuts is treating guests to a delicious, free donut of their choice (while supplies last) with the purchase of any beverage. The...

Read Full Story // read more about: Dunkin' Donuts, Breakfast, Menu Innovations, Promotions
Industry News
Blaze Pizza Rolls Out New Franchises

Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza announced that an affiliate of Levy Family Partners has signed an agreement to develop 15 franchise stores in Chicago and 10 franchise stores in Miami. Levy Family Partners was established by entrepreneur Larry Levy, founder and chairman of Levy Restaurants, as the...

Read Full Story // read more about: Blaze Pizza, Pizza, Food & Beverage, Franchising, Fast Casual
Industry News
Jake's Wayback Celebrates Summer with Free Milkshakes

Jake’s Wayback Burgers, with 70 locations announced that on Monday, June 17, the hometown burger joint will celebrate the start of summer by giving away free 12 oz. Black & White hand-dipped milkshakes. The free milkshakes will take place at every Jake’s Wayback Burgers locations...

Read Full Story // read more about: Jake's Wayback Burgers, Burgers, Desserts, Promotions
Industry News
Domino's Ordering App Now Available on Windows Phone 8

Domino's Pizza announced the release of its Domino’s Pizza app for Windows Phone 8. This newest mobile offering gives Domino’s an app presence on nearly 95 percent of the smartphones sold in the U.S., and offers a few features that are exclusive to Windows Phone.

In a...

Read Full Story // read more about: Domino's, Online & Remote Ordering, Pizza, Consumer Trends, Ordering
Industry News
Symplicity Laundry, Warewashing Gets Update

Betco Corporation announced updates to the Symplicity line of laundry and warewashing products.

Betco now offers Symplicity Classic Premium Laundry Detergent, Symplicity Classic Economy Laundry Detergent, and Symplicity Classic Dry Bleach in a 50-pound fiber drum and new packaging. The...

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House
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
May College Graduate Opening Red Mango

As new college graduates polish their resumes and prepare to enter the workforce, a growing crowd of 20-somethings is emerging with dreams of owning a business and working for themselves.

Read Full Story // read more about: Red Mango, Desserts, Healthy Menus, Franchising
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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