May 23, 2013
Industry News
Charitable Causes Drive Sales, Engage Employees

Restaurant brands can boost sales, support their community, and encourage team building and job satisfaction by engaging in philanthropic causes. That was the message of a webinar hosted by Share Our Strength on June 13. The webinar focused on altruistic causes that can drive sales for franchisees and the brand overall.

Read Full Story // read more about: Charitable Giving, Human Resources, Operations
Industry News
Wynn Invests $15M in Pie Face USA to Fund U.S. Expansion

Pie Face Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation and Brooklyn, New York-based subsidiary of Pie Face Holdings Pty Ltd, based in Sydney, Australia, today announced the closing of a private placement of shares of its common stock. Total gross proceeds to Pie Face USA were $15 million. The purchased shares represent approximately 43 percent...

Read Full Story // read more about: Pie Face, Finance, Growth, Emerging Concepts, Expansion
Industry News
Stepping Up to Fast Casual

On May 30, Yoshinoya America opened the first-ever Asiana Grill Yoshinoya in Fullerton, California. While the company has long been known in California and Nevada for its quick-service concept, the Asiana Grill Yoshinoya marks its first foray into fast casual.

Read Full Story // read more about: Asiana Grill Yoshinoya, Pie Five, Pizza Inn, Yoshinoya, Pizza, Growth, Fast Casual
Industry News
Charles Morrison Named Wingstop CEO

The Wingstop Board of Directors today announced Charles Morrison has been named president and chief executive officer of the company. Morrison replaces James Flynn, who becomes executive chairman of the Board.

Read Full Story // read more about: Wingstop, Human Resources
Industry News
Clustered Growth Strategy Boosts Toppers' Social Media

By clustering store openings, Toppers Pizza has found a strategic growth strategy that simultaneously protects brand awareness and boosts social media fans. The multiunit growth strategy brings in a seasoned business partner who is dedicated to building at least five to six stores.

Read Full Story // read more about: Toppers Pizza, Pizza, Social Media
Food Safety
The Evolution of Food Safety

Quick-service restaurants have an obligation to their customers to provide safe food no matter which challenges may arise on a daily basis. Staff shortages, supply deliveries gone haywire, and increases in food costs all place pressures on foodservice operations, but few in the industry would argue that the importance of food safety...

Read Full Story // read more about: Healthy Menus, Ingredients & Dayparts
Industry News
Hungry Howie’s Pizza Recognizes Top Franchisees

Hungry Howie’s held its annual national convention from May 15-17 to recognize the best of the best in the company’s stores and franchisees. The Franchisee of the Year Award went to Don Copus for best embracing Hungry Howie’s brand concept and philosophy. Copus also earned the Highest Percent of Sales Increase Award...

Read Full Story // read more about: Hungry Howie's Pizza, Pizza, Franchising, Human Resources
Industry News
Taco Bell Debuts Gourmet-Inspired Menu July 5

Taco Bell will bring gourmet inspired bowls and burritos with its new Cantina Bell menu, an industry-changing partnership with chef Lorena Garcia that launches nationwide Thursday, July 5. The expanded menu, with suggested prices fewer than $5, delivers extraordinary value, incredible convenience, accessibility, and is inspired by...

Read Full Story // read more about: Taco Bell, Menu Development, Menu Innovations
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
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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
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
Low calorie menu options boost quick service restaurant sales.
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’...

Read Full Story // read more about: Healthy Menus, Consumer Trends, Menu Innovations, Ingredients & Dayparts
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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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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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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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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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...

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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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