No daypart has grown faster than breakfast over the last 5 years, and no daypart has contributed more to the success that many quick-service chains are having in a down economy. Breakfast has been and continues to be the “shining star” … driving traffic and profits as more and more consumers eat breakfast away from home. This webinar will discuss the phenomenal growth of the A.M. daypart, the prospects for future growth, and the strategies and innovative products chains have used to help them continue their dramatic success in the morning.

In the current economic and political climate, the restaurant industry faces a host of energy-related challenges. With a well-crafted energy management strategy, owners and operators can reduce operational expenses, comply with impending regulations, and appeal to environmentally conscious patrons—all without affecting product and service levels.

Each year QSR partners with Insula Research to name the winners of this highly anticipated study. The program will cover results of this year's study, including top performers in speed of service, order accuracy, menuboard appearance, and speaker clarity—plus some data not published in QSR magazine. In addition, our panel will share the results of QSR's own proprietary research into consumer preferences in the drive-thru, addressing such issues as whether speed is as important as the industry thinks it is. We'll also hear operational best practices from a top-5 finisher in the study, and get insight into how digital displays can lead to a competitive advantage.

You remember trans fat. Back in 2007, removing it from the menu was THE hot topic for the foodservice industry. Two years later, where do we stand in addressing the issue? To answer this question, QSR teamed with Qualisoy and the Soyfoods Council to produce a free webcast that will help restaurant operators understand recent and coming advances in trans fat-free oils, how new oils affect store costs, best practices for oil use, how to address challenges in baking applications, and more. Panelists include: Mary Miller, senior manager of food safety and product standards, KFC; Roger Daniels, director of R&D and new business development, Bunge Oils; Brenda Fried, VP of marketing, Frymaster, and founding partner of FitFrying™

Each year QSR magazine and Insula Research present the results of the highly anticipated Quick-Service Drive-Thru Performance Study, in which researchers visit literally thousands of drive-thru operations across the country to determine what's working in the drive-thru.

This webinar covers results of that study, plus drive-thru best practices, security issues, consumer preferences, and more. Panelists include Brian Baker, president of Insula Research; Sherri Daye Scott, editor of QSR; Phil Tondelli, managing director of Ready Access; and Rick Fortman, executive vice president of operations at Carl's Jr.

Data security and PCI compliance are top-of-mind payment issues for restaurant operators. This was brought home with the indictments of the gang responsible for the largest credit card hacking scheme in U.S history, in which one of the retailer victims was a restaurant chain. Couple news like that with new requirements of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard 1.2, and you have the focus of this informative webinar.

Topics covered include evolving threats to credit card security, best practices for compliance, potential penalties, how much to rely on vendors, justifying compliance costs, what to do with an older POS system or payment device, and much more.

Panelists are Mike Herman, a member of the PCI Security Standards Council Board of Advisors and VISA's Fraud Roundtable, and chief compliance officer for Chase Paymentech; John Koontz, chief information officer for RealMex Restaurants; Richard Del Valle, director of restaurant systems for Friendly's; and Christopher Justice, president of Merchant Link.

Are You Ready for the Trans Fat Revolution?

Removing trans fats from food served in restaurants is a critical issue facing the industry today. To help restaurant operators understand the implications for business, QSR hosted a webcast on June 28, 2007, that explored such key issues as: What are trans fats and how did they get there; how trans-free frying oils perform in taste and longevity; whether there is an adequate supply of trans-free oil; and the steps you need to take to eliminate trans fat from your menu.

Moderated by QSR's Greg Sanders, the panel included chef Chris Koetke of Kendall College, Linda Brugler of Frymaster, Howard Shuman of Bunge Oils, and Helene Clark of ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston.

Contactless Payment

Contactless payment has been the coming thing in the restaurant industry for years. Current buzz places this payment technology at a "tipping point" in our business, so to see if it's true, QSR magazine hosted an hour-long webcast in which we spoke to a number of experts on the topic and answered questions from the audience. Although the live event is over, you can still reap the benefits of the knowledge shared by viewing a recording of the webcast.

Panelists included Cathy Medich of the Smart Card Alliance, Sahir Anand of the Aberdeen Group, and Paul Rasori of VeriFone. The event was moderated by QSR's associate publisher Greg Sanders, who also shared insight on contactless payment from Arby's, Jack in the Box, and Smoothie King.