May 19, 2013
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...

Read Full Story // read more about: Green, Healthy Menus
Industry News
CKE Inks Security, Compliance Agreement with ControlScan

The security of customers’ personal information is a serious concern in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry, where the ability to accept credit and debit card payments is critical to business success. For quick service restaurant franchisees, payment card acceptance produces a...

Read Full Story // read more about: Security, In the Store
Industry News
MOOYAH Celebrates Burgers with 2 for $14 Offer

To celebrate National Hamburger Month and National Hamburger Day on May 28, MOOYAH, a fast-casual, better-burger, fries, and shakes chain, launched “2 for $14,” allowing guests to choose two MOOYAH burgers, two small french fries, and two regular drinks for $14.

With no coupon...

Read Full Story // read more about: Mooyah, Burgers, Promotions
Industry News
Capri's Deli Gets Animated with Mediapro Digital Menuboards

MEDIAPRO, creator of Animated Digital Menu Boards menuboards and digital retail signage is combining high-definition digital menuboard technology with Capri Deli’s 58-year-old, family-owned catering menu in Covina, California.  

“The process of digitizing the time-tested...

Read Full Story // read more about: Digital Signage & Menuboards
Industry News
Local Kids Select Winners of 1st Kids Recipe Challenge

The National Restaurant Association and McCormick For Chefs will hold the inaugural Kids Recipe Challenge on Saturday, April 27, beginning at 10 a.m. at McCormick World of Flavors at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Approximately 30 kid judges will taste test recipes submitted by restaurants...

Read Full Story // read more about: National Restaurant Association, Back of House, Kitchen, Food & Beverage
Industry News
Mark Wahlberg, Taco Bell Team Up to Help Kids Graduate

The Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, in partnership with Get Schooled, announced the launch of Graduate for Mas, a program challenging teens to make a personal commitment to graduate high school.

Actor and philanthropist Mark Wahlberg, who did not finish high school himself, also announced...

Read Full Story // read more about: Taco Bell, Charitable Giving
Industry News
NRA Expert Testifies on Importance of Travel, Tourism

The senior VP of the National Restaurant Association’s research and knowledge group told a House panel that travel and tourism plays a crucial role in restaurant industry growth, including helping the nation’s nearly one million restaurants create jobs.

Read Full Story // read more about: National Restaurant Association, Operations, Consumer Trends, Outside Insights
Industry News
Fazoli's Hits the Road with Trio of Travel Center Deals

Three new franchisees have agreed to develop Fazoli’s restaurants in travel centers, while two existing operators also have new travel-center units under construction.

Fazoli’s reached agreements with three new franchisees for six travel center units in East Texas; Dubuque,...

Read Full Story // read more about: Fazoli's, Franchising, Growth
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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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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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.
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...

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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...

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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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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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Industry News
Concessions Int'l Names New VP of Business Development

Atlanta-based Concessions International (CI), a leading foodservice concessionaire with operations in airports across the United States,announced the promotion of LeMonica Hakeem to vice president of business development.

Hakeem has worked in a variety of roles within CI and sister company HJ Russell & Company over the past 12 years, most recently as interim director of business development.

She was instrumental in CI being awarded its Atlanta airport contract and three additional locations in its Denver and Dallas/Fort Worth operations.

Read Full Story // read more about: Women in Foodservice, Human Resources
Industry News
Women's Foodservice Forum Returns to White House

Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) returns to the White House to honor extraordinary women veterans who are making a difference in communities across the country. The event is part of the White House Champions of Change, which brings individuals to the White House to share their ideas for winning the future. 

Read Full Story // read more about: Operations, Women in Foodservice
Industry News
Starbucks Recruits Sharon Rothstein as Global CMO

Starbucks Coffee Company announced it has appointed Sharon Rothstein as global chief marketing officer.

Rothstein was previously senior vice president of marketing at innovative specialty beauty retailer Sephora.

Read Full Story // read more about: Starbucks, Beverage, Marketing, Women in Foodservice, Human Resources
Industry News
Cintas Partner Receives RFMA's Vendor of the Year Award

Cintas Corporation, a leader in fire-protection services, announced that Annaji Sailer, a Cintas employee-partner, has received the prestigious “Vendor of the Year” award from the Restaurant Facility Management Association (RFMA).

Sailer works for Dunnwell, a division of Cintas Fire Protection, and has been a RFMA member for nearly five years, dedicating herself to advancing the restaurant facility management profession and women within the industry.

Read Full Story // read more about: Women in Foodservice
Women in Foodservice
Tap Into the Network

More women enter the foodservice industry every year, and they’re being met with a growing wealth of experience and support from which they can draw. A number of networking and leadership development groups have taken on the task of providing stronger gender diversity at all levels of the industry, and are ensuring that more growth opportunities exist for women.

Read Full Story // read more about: Dairy Queen, Meatheads, Wendy's, Growth, Human Resources
Industry News
WFF Partners Up with People Report

 

Read Full Story // read more about: Operations, Consumer Trends, Women in Foodservice, Technology
Industry News
Apply Now for Les Dames d'Escoffier Int'l Awards

The application period for the fifth-annual Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) Legacy Awards is now open.

This year, six LDEI Legacy Awards will be given in three categories: Culinary, Wine, and Entrepreneurship.

Each Legacy Award offers a one-week workplace experience under the direction of highly successful, award-winning members of LDEI. The Legacy experience is a high-energy, labor-intensive, and career-expanding opportunity.

Read Full Story // read more about: Women in Foodservice
Industry News
Women's Foodservice Forum Appoints New Board Members

Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) is pleased to welcome three new members to its Board of Directors: Karen Bowman of Deloitte, Twila Day of Sysco, and Jack Sinclair of Walmart.

WFF Board member Marie Perry, of Brinker International, has joined the board’s Executive Committee in the role of treasurer, replacing the retiring Julie Swan, formerly of Sysco.

Read Full Story // read more about: Women in Foodservice