May 26, 2013
Competition
Standout Store: Dunkin’ Donuts

Adam Goldman entered the Dunkin’ Donuts system in 2010, purchasing a pair of stores in Paterson, New Jersey, that included a forgotten downtown spot. With an entrepreneurial spirit, Goldman raised the downtown unit’s prospects with an unrelenting focus on fresh product and high-level customer service. Today, Goldman’s...

Read Full Story // read more about: Dunkin' Donuts, Breakfast, Promotions
Industry News
Henny Penny Launches Better Solutions Ad Campaign

Leading foodservice equipment innovator and manufacturer Henny Penny Corporation has launched a new advertising campaign to spotlight the company’s equipment solutions, as well as the positive effects they can have on a restaurant’s bottom line. Dubbed the “Better Solutions” campaign and created by nationally...

Read Full Story // read more about: Equipment, Marketing
Industry News
Rational Grows 11% in 2012, Wins Technology Awards

This year, the first-class industry publications, GVmanager and 24 Stunden Gastlichkeit , once again awarded the best in the industry with the BEST of Market 2013 at the Internorga fair in Hamburg on behalf of their readers. More than 2,200 decision makers from the hotel, gastronomy, and catering industries again put Rational in...

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, Equipment, Finance, Kitchen
Industry News
Pollo Tropical Plays with Pineapple for Latest LTO

Pineapple is the newest star in the Pollo Tropical kitchens, as the brand introduces its Tangy Pineapple Chicken Wrap and Tangy Pineapple Chicken Salad. The Tangy Pineapple Chicken Wrap features pineapple grilled with olive oil, cumin, and a hint of black pepper; marinated then flame-grilled chicken breast; Monterey Jack Cheese and...

Read Full Story // read more about: Pollo Tropical, Menu Development
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 town that sees a lot of traffic from...

Read Full Story // read more about: Sonic, Beverage, Design, Digital Signage & Menuboards
Marc Halperin: Resident F&B Expert
Little Wonders

For decades, the value proposition in quick-serve circles was pretty easy to capture in a catchphrase: More Is Better. Give those 18–34-year-old guys bigger burgers, burritos, sandwiches, and pizzas; super-size the drinks and sides; pile the toppings high; ladle on the extras, and you had a surefire formula for success.

Read Full Story // read more about: Menu Development, Menu Innovations
Industry News
Alaska Seafood Goes Vintage with Marketing Materials

Capture the delicious heritage of wild Alaska cod with new merchandising materials from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI). Inspired by the tradition of Alaska's fisheries, this vintage-inspired creative evokes the energy and dedication that have been passed down for generations in Alaska's fishing communities and...

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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—they are eating less at those times, opting...

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
Industry News
Huddle House Offers $25K to Operators Who Remodel

Huddle House is offering a $25,000 financial incentive to the first 100 franchisees who commit to a remodel by July 31, 2014.

Franchisees would use $20,000 of the incentive to offset the costs of the remodel, with the remaining $5,000 to be used for local marketing efforts.

Should...

Read Full Story // read more about: Huddle House, Design, Finance, Franchising, Growth
Industry News
Pollo Tropical Plays with Pineapple for Latest LTO

Pineapple is the newest star in the Pollo Tropical kitchens, as the brand introduces its Tangy Pineapple Chicken Wrap and Tangy Pineapple Chicken Salad.

The Tangy Pineapple Chicken Wrap features pineapple grilled with olive oil, cumin, and a hint of black pepper; marinated then flame-...

Read Full Story // read more about: Pollo Tropical, Menu Development
Industry News
Krispy Kreme Cashes In on Salted Caramel Craze

Krispy Kreme is getting in on the salted caramel trend with a unique sweet and savory, soft and crunchy doughnut treat.

From June 24 through September 1, Krispy Kreme’s limited-time caramel and chocolate offerings will feature hand-dipped and handcrafted doughnuts topped with smooth...

Read Full Story // read more about: Krispy Kreme, Desserts, Menu Development
Industry News
Jack in the Box Donates $325K to Big Brothers Big Sisters

The Jack in the Box Foundation announced a $325,000 donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters, its primary charitable partner since 1998.

Monies for the donation were raised during the 23rd annual Jack in the Box Charity Golf Tournament, which was held April 26 in Indian Wells, California.

Read Full Story // read more about: Jack in the Box, Charitable Giving
Industry News
Coffee Away From Home Fuels Limited-Service Growth

New findings from a recent breakfast study show that coffee sales are on the rise nationally, and that customers’ increasingly having their morning cups of joe away from home continues to be a key driver in fueling growth for limited-service restaurants and cafés.  

The...

Read Full Story // read more about: Beverage, Consumer Trends, Growth
Industry News
Wingstop Soars High in Q1

Wingstop is off to another strong start in 2013, with same-store sales up 13 percent in the first quarter.

The 565-unit concept also opened 14 new restaurants and signed development agreements to result in an additional 70 locations, bringing the total pipeline of opening commitments to...

Read Full Story // read more about: Wingstop, Finance, Promotions
Industry News
Wixon Taps Into Its Southern Side for New Coating System

Wixon, a manufacturer of seasonings, flavors, and technologies for the food and beverage industry, now offers a proprietary Southern-Style Coating System, ideal for poultry.

The system features innovative technologies for blocking bitter notes from over-frying, and flavor systems that...

Read Full Story // read more about: Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
Tasti D Lite chair Jim Amos mentors young leaders to protect future of brand.
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...

Read Full Story // read more about: Jack in the Box, Tasti D-Lite, Human Resources
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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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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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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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 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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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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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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