May 19, 2013

Women in Foodservice

Industry News
Street Taco Trio Makes Its Debut at California Tortilla

The fans spoke, and California Tortilla listened. Street Tacos edged out the competition to win March’s Elito 8 Tournament; now they’re available at California Tortilla locations nationwide starting Monday, May 20. For a limited time only, customers can get all the flavors of the city streets inside their...

Read Full Story // read more about: California Tortilla, Menu Development, Promotions
Industry News
Franchise Vet Wins Perkins' Franchisee of the Year Award

Perkins & Marie Callender’s recognized its Franchisee of the Year, Dan Esmond, owner/operator of four Perkins Restaurants & Bakeries in Lawrence, Topeka, Great Bend, and McPherson, Kansas.

Read Full Story // read more about: Perkins, Beverage, Breakfast, Charitable Giving, Franchising
Industry News
Smithfield's Receives Heart-Warming Thanks from Troops

Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q (SCNB) recently shipped care packages with official SCNB T-shirts and all of the ingredients needed to prepare its eastern North Carolina–style chicken, barbecue, and other southern staples to U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan.   Although the brand knew its donation would be consumed...

Read Full Story // read more about: Smithfield's, Charitable Giving
Competition
The Great Migration

On Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s 17th Street, tucked in the shadow of giants Chipotle and Panera Bread, an upstart burger joint dreams of someday entering the same upper ranks of the fast-casual world that those two brands helped create. Though the restaurant carries a familiar name, its vibe is decidedly fresh. Welcome to Shula...

Read Full Story // read more about: Larkburger, Shula Burger, Operations, Consumer Trends, Growth, Fast Casual
Menu Innovations
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 variety of flavors, roast coffees with a 100...

Read Full Story // read more about: Burger King, Beverage, Burgers, Ingredients & Dayparts
Alan Philips: Trends to Watch
No Business Like Show Business

A couple of years ago, I embarked on a journey into the world of pop-up restaurants. After almost a decade of consulting, I decided it was time to take on a project that was a pure representation of my passions: food, wine, and creating unique hospitality experiences. Not to be held up by things like good sense, I decided to take a shot...

Read Full Story // read more about: Marketing, Competition, In the Store, Consumer Trends, Promotions
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 his support of the program.

Read Full Story // read more about: Taco Bell, Charitable Giving
Outside Insights
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 highest percentage of data security...

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, Point Of Sale, Security, In the Store, Ordering
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
...
Read Full Story // read more about: Cosi, Competition, Growth
Industry News
8 Lessons from WFF's Annual Leadership Conference

For the first time, QSR had the honor of attending the Women’s Foodservice Forum’s Annual Leadership Development Conference, held this year on April 14–17 in Orlando, Florida.

Read Full Story // read more about: Marketing, Operations, Executive Insights, Women in Foodservice, Outside Insights
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
Industry News
Registration Now Open for Share Our Strength's Program

More than 16 million children in America struggle with hunger, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This September, thousands of restaurants and chefs nationwide will band together to bring attention to this plight, and raise money to fund solutions, through Share Our...

Read Full Story // read more about: Charitable Giving, In the Store, Operations
Health
The Truth About HFCS, Trans Fats, & Sodium

Dr. Ruth Kava isn’t concerned with the hype or hyperbole, emotion or ideology. She’s after one result: scientific accuracy.

A senior nutrition fellow with the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH), a New York–based organization that highlights peer-reviewed...

Read Full Story // read more about: Healthy Menus
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
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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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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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...

See More
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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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...

See More
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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Women in Foodservice
Mother Knows Best

No longer do women have to choose between a career and motherhood. But finding time to work and have a successful foodservice career—while also raising kids and staying in tune with a busy family—can be a daunting challenge.

“The restaurants are very important to us, but my family is very important to me, as well,” says America Corrales Bortin, cofounder of America’s Taco Shop in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Read Full Story // read more about: America's Taco Shop, Doc Popcorn, PBandU, In the Store, Human Resources
Industry News
Taco Bell and Lorena Garcia Team Up for New Steak Items

Taco Bell is introducing a new steak to all menu items, including the Cantina Bell Steak Burrito, priced at $4.99.

As part of Taco Bell's commitment to quality and listening to customers, the new steak is the latest menu item to Cantina Bell, which was launched nationally in 2012. 

Read Full Story // read more about: Taco Bell, Menu Development, Women in Foodservice
Industry News
Penn Station Subs Pulls into the Northern Virginia Station

Penn Station East Coast Subs, the fast-casual restaurant known for its Philadelphia Cheesesteak Sub sandwich served hot and made-to-order on freshly baked French bread, will open its first Northern Virginia restaurant in early February in the Haymarket Village Center.

Penn Station will bring 40 new jobs to Haymarket with this store opening. The owner is Anna Prendergast, whose second Penn Station location is already under construction in Fairfax, Virginia, and will open in March.

Read Full Story // read more about: Penn Station East Coast Subs, Sandwiches, Women in Foodservice, Franchising, Growth
Industry News
SPIN! Pizza Touted by Local Missouri Publications

SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza has been named best pizza by two local publications in Missouri. Both Kansas City Magazine and 435 South Magazine have awarded SPIN! top honors in their annual “City’s Best” issues.

Kansas City Magazinereported that SPIN! was “far and away” the leader in its readers’ votes. The repeat awards join a raft of local and national awards that SPIN! has accrued for its food and environs since opening its first location in 2005.

Read Full Story // read more about: SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza, Design, Pizza, Women in Foodservice, Franchising, Growth, Ingredients & Dayparts
Industry News
Dickey's Barbecue Pit Serves Up $1 Pulled-Pork Sandwiches

Dickey’s franchise owners Peggy and Joe Anicka have enjoyed serving the Commerce Township, Michigan, community slow, pit-smoked barbecue.

On Friday, January 25, Dickey's will be offering $1 Pulled Pork Big Barbecue sandwiches from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in honor of its grand-opening celebration.

Read Full Story // read more about: Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Marketing, Women in Foodservice, Franchising, Promotions, Growth
Industry News
Cousins Subs Makes it Better with New Foundation

Cousins Subs restaurants has established The Make It Better Foundation to improve the welfare and quality of life in the communities Cousins Subs serves.

"Cousins Subs has a longstanding tradition of commitment to the communities we serve," says Christine Specht, president and COO at Cousins Subs. "We have supported a multitude of causes and organizations throughout our 40-year history. By establishing The Make It Better Foundation, we hope we can do even more."

Read Full Story // read more about: Cousins Subs, Charitable Giving, Sandwiches, Women in Foodservice
Industry News
Nancy Clark Joins Fiesta Restaurant Group as Chief People Officer

Fiesta Restaurant Group, the owner, operator, and franchisor of the Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana fast-casual restaurant brands, announced that Nancy Clark has joined the company as vice president, chief people officer, effective January 10, 2013.

Clark is a highly regarded human resources business leader with more than 15 years of experience at several high-profile and diverse organizations, including J.C. Penney Corporation, PepsiCo, and General Electric Company.

Read Full Story // read more about: Pollo Tropical, Taco Cabana, Women in Foodservice, Human Resources
Industry News
Industry Vet Sheri Miksa Takes the Reins at Boneheads

Boneheads Grilled Fish & Piri Piri Chicken, the popular six-unit Atlanta-based fast-casual restaurant chain known for its signature Piri-Piri Chicken and distinctively flavored fresh grilled seafood menu, hasnamed 25-year hospitality and restaurant industry veteran, Sheri Miksa, as its new CEO and president. 

Read Full Story // read more about: Boneheads, Women in Foodservice, Human Resources