May 20, 2013
Industry News
Owner of Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s Plans $100 Million IPO

CKE Inc., owner of the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s brands, has plans to go public again. The company filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, May 17, seeking to raise an estimated $100 million IPO. CKE Inc. plans to use the IPO proceeds to repay debts and for other unnamed corporate purposes,...

Read Full Story // read more about: Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Burgers, Finance, Legal
Industry News
‘Inspired’ Operators Turn to Pork

Just one year into the National Pork Board’s “Be Inspired” campaign, chefs and operators have taken the challenge to heart and debuted innovative pork offerings throughout the foodservice industry. The culinary ingenuity was showcased at this year’s Pork Summit, hosted by the National Pork Board at the Culinary...

Read Full Story // read more about: Menu Development, Menu Innovations, Ingredients & Dayparts
Industry News
DQ Rolls Out Blizzard, Burger Offerings for Summer

The Dairy Queen system is kicking off the summer season in June with the addition of cool treats and hot eats including the debut of the Sweet Apple BBQ GrillBurger, the new Turtle Brownie Blizzard Treat, and new flavors of the award winning Royal Shakes.

Read Full Story // read more about: Dairy Queen, Burgers, Desserts, Menu Innovations
Industry News
Fast Casual Strengthens, Led by Panera, Five Guys

Fast-casual chains strengthened their gains on the overall restaurant industry, with the top 150 fast-casual chains growing 8.4 percent to $21.5 billion in 2011, a faster rate than in 2010 (6.6 percent). In comparison, 2011 sales growth for the  Top 500 U.S. chains was 3.5 percent .

Read Full Story // read more about: Chipotle, Donatos, Five Guys, Jason's Deli, Panda Express, Panera Bread, Zaxby's, Finance, Consumer Trends, Growth, Fast Casual
Industry News
Gold Star Chili Launches New Catering Group

Gold Star Chili of Cincinnati announces the launch of a new catering division, offering three ways to add local flavor to any kind of event. “In the past, Gold Star Chili has offered catering services upon request,” says Charlie Howard, Gold Star Chili’s vice president of marketing and brand development. “This...

Read Full Story // read more about: Gold Star Chili, Kiosk, Marketing, Menu Development, Growth
Industry News
Does Asparagus Stand a Chance Against Fries?

Mark Bucher, founder of BGR The Burger Joint, is fighting for asparagus’ permanent existence at BGR’s 19 locations. Starting May 15, he has one month to successfully leverage in-store marketing and a Twitter campaign (#savetheasparagus) to keep asparagus on the menu, or come June 16, it will be a casualty of the french fry...

Read Full Story // read more about: BGR The Burger Joint, Burgers, Healthy Menus, Loyalty, Marketing, Menu Development, In the Store, Consumer Trends, Menu Innovations, Social Media, Promotions, Health, Operations
Promotions
The Buzz About Bonnaroo

For music fans, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, to be held June 7–10 in rural Manchester, Tennessee, will have a little bit of everything. Pining for some spacey jam sessions? Phish, Dispatch, and Umphrey’s McGee will have you covered. Maybe you’re looking for some ’90s nostalgia; try Radiohead, Red Hot...

Read Full Story // read more about: Ben & Jerry's, Desserts, Marketing, Consumer Trends
Industry News
Millenial Consumers Rank Their Top Chains

Millennials are unique. They communicate differently, are self-expressive, confident, liberal, upbeat, and open to change. But marketing to them can be a challenge. This group (ages 19-34) has a distinct perspective on dining occasions, placing more value on attributes like social responsibility, sustainability, local, and organic,...

Read Full Story // read more about: Chick-fil-A, Corner Bakery Cafe, In-N-Out Burger, Jimmy John's, McAlister's Deli, Green, Loyalty, Consumer Trends, Sustainability
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
Industry News
At Chick-fil-A, Old Salads Just Don't Cut It

Chick-fil-A isn’t one to back down from a challenge—even one that’s self-imposed. That’s why, despite the fact that customers weren’t complaining about current salad offerings, the chicken chain decided to scrap its salad lineup in favor of three brand new options...

Read Full Story // read more about: Chick-fil-A, Digital Signage & Menuboards, Healthy Menus, Menu Development, Operations
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
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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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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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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Secure quick serve restaurants improve sales and have high return on investment.
Back of House
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...

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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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Burger King's new coffee beverages position the brand to compete with McDonalds.
Beverage
Coffee is King

Forget quick-serve mainstays like burgers and fries. These days, limited-service brands are looking to coffee to beef up business, and Burger King is the latest chain to get in on the action.

Burger King’s customers can now enjoy 10 new specialty drinks, including iced coffees in a...

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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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