May 23, 2013
Industry News
Hispanics' Restaurant Visits Fall by 86M in 2012

While total restaurant visits increased by 1 percent in 2012 compared to prior year, visits by U.S. Hispanics declined by 1 percent, a loss of 86 million visits, reports The NPD Group, a leading global information company.

Declines were steepest among less bicultural U.S. Hispanics, who...

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Industry News
Freshii Launches New ‘Green Wrap’

Freshii is celebrating the launch of its newest menu item, the Green Wrap, as the next addition to its super food line up. Made from a collard green leaf, Freshii is revolutionizing the wrap and expanding its mission ‘Eat.Energize’ by elevating healthy eating for even the busiest...

Read Full Story // read more about: Freshii, Menu Development, Health
Industry News
California-Based Dog Haus Launches National Franchise

Born from a passion for hot dogs, what started between friends as an idea for a fun new concept has turned into Dog Haus, a full-fledged thriving restaurant with three locations in Southern California.  

Read Full Story // read more about: Dog Haus, Operations, Franchising, Growth, Expansion
Industry News
Whataburger Condiments Hit the Shelf at Texas, Mexico H-E-Bs

At the Whataburger Family Convention, a biannual gathering of more than 2,000 Whataburger attendees, CEO Preston Atkinson announced Whataburger will launch into retail sales for the first time by bottling its popular line of condiments—Fancy Ketchup, Spicy Ketchup, and Original Mustard...

Read Full Story // read more about: Whataburger, Burgers, Menu Development
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...

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, Equipment, Finance, Kitchen
Industry News
WFF Announces Keynote Speakers for Executive Summit

Women’s Foodservice Forum will host its annual Executive Summit, a gathering of restaurant and foodservice industry executives, July 29–31, 2013, at the JW Marriott in Chicago.

Exclusively for industry executives, WFF Executive Summit will feature interactive, business-...

Read Full Story // read more about: Training, Executive Insights
Industry News
Freshens Gets Sweet and Savory With New Crepe Options

Freshens relies heavily on customer research to keep its product offerings relevant and on trend with its customers.  

The Atlanta-based company conducted a series of focus groups to gain insight into flavor profiles that its loyal customer base was seeking for new crepe menu...

Read Full Story // read more about: Freshens, Desserts, Healthy Menus, Menu Development
Industry News
Gold Star Chili Partners Up with Local Fire Department

In a new series of television commercials, Gold Star Chili, The Flavor of Cincinnati, enlisted the aid of neighborhood firefighters to introduce Cincinnati-style chili lovers to the chain’s hotter menu options: Firehouse cheese coneys and 3, 4, and 5-Ways. 

Read Full Story // read more about: Gold Star Chili, Menu Development, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
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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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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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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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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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