May 23, 2013

Women in Foodservice

Industry News
A Quick-Serve Rebound?

In a sign that the economic landscape might finally be rebounding for quick serves, early results from Technomic’s upcoming “Top 500 Restaurant Chain” report reveal that the fastest-growing limited-service restaurant chains in the U.S. realized average sales increases of 22.3 percent between 2011 and 2012.

Read Full Story // read more about: Chipotle, Dickey's, Firehouse Subs
Industry News
McAlister's Gets Hearty and Healthy with New Menu Items

McAlister’s Deli, a leading fast-casual restaurant, is offering guests new limited-time menu items including sandwich grillers, a seasonal berry salad, and hearty pot roast. The menu runs April 8–June 30 and features:

Read Full Story // read more about: McAlister's Deli, Healthy Menus, Menu Development, Sandwiches
Consumer Trends
The Secret’s Out

Though not new, secret and hidden menus have taken hold in recent years as social media–savvy diners share off-the-menu experiences with potentially viral audiences. And today, more quick-service brands are finding that a secret menu can offer guests a fun and unique experience worth coming back for.

Read Full Story // read more about: Boloco, In-N-Out Burger, Panera Bread, Marketing, Competition, Menu Innovations, Promotions
Outside Insights
Planting the ‘Seeds’ of Marketing

The old adage “squeezing blood out of a turnip” may best describe how many marketers today feel when it comes to finding new ways to stretch their marketing budget dollars. Whether they slashed advertising media buys, reduced the number of new collateral materials, or scaled back on product launches, retailers were affected...

Read Full Story // read more about: Marketing
Outside Insights
3 Tips for Food Truck Insurance

There’s a food truck for every type of cuisine nowadays. Mobile eateries’ sudden rise in popularity has taken the country by storm, and just like other businesses, the trucks need to be insured, whether they’re operators’ main business or secondary source of income. From 2011 to 2012, Progressive saw a nearly 20...

Read Full Story // read more about: In the Store
Industry News
KFC Debuts New Original Recipe Boneless

When nearly four in five servings of fried chicken in the U.S. are served “off the bone” – strips, bites, and filets – what’s the most famous fried chicken restaurant in the world to do? For KFC, the answer was simple: Get rid of the bones.

Read Full Story // read more about: KFC, Menu Development, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations, Social Media, Promotions
Industry News
Seattle's Best Taps Into $4.3B Blended Beverage Industry

Seattle’s Best Coffee, a division of Starbucks Corporation, partnered with food manufacturer Inventure Foods Inc. to launch a first for the coffee industry: a blend-at-home frozen coffee beverage line. “The blended marketplace is huge and growing; it’s a $4.3 billion category,” says Jennifer Dimaris, vice...

Read Full Story // read more about: Seattle's Best, Beverage, Menu Innovations, Ingredients & Dayparts
Industry News
Barberitos Brings Back Mango Salsa

Barberitos rolls out its warm-weather menu item: mango salsa. The sweet salsa made its debut last year and was a hit. It is commonly paired with the jerk tilapia available on Fridays, as well as Barberitos chicken. Mango salsa will be available throughout the summer at all Barberitos locations. Barberitos is a quick service restaurant...

Read Full Story // read more about: Barberitos, Menu Development, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
Industry News
One Year After Acquisition, Krystal Keeps Growing

As Krystal marks its first year under the ownership of Argonne Capital Group, president and CEO Doug Pendergast is sharing significant milestones and changes that will pave the way for the iconic brand’s future success.

Pendergast says in just the nine months of 2012 following the...

Read Full Story // read more about: Krystal, Burgers, Finance, Growth
Industry News
WOW Café Expands its 'Wings' and Rebrands as American Grill

New Orleans’ favorite wing joint WOW Café has gotten a facelift and will roll out a new trade dress among locations across New Orleans and the U.S. 

Read Full Story // read more about: WOW Cafe, Marketing, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
Industry News
Panera's Bill Moreton Steps Down; Shaich To Be Sole CEO

Panera Bread Company announced that president and co-CEO Bill Moreton will transition to executive vice chairman, due to a recognition of his need to spend increased amounts of time on a family matter.

Read Full Story // read more about: Panera Bread, Sandwiches, Human Resources
Industry News
Wendy's Celebrates National Salad Month

May is National Salad Month and no other quick service chain has more reason to celebrate salads than Wendy’s.

Read Full Story // read more about: Wendy's, Menu Development, Food & Beverage, Menu Innovations
Industry News
McAlister's Grows 5 Percent in Q1 2013

McAlister's Deli, a leading fast-casual restaurant, announced a same-store sales increase of 5 percent during the first quarter of 2013. 

This marks the 11th straight quarter of positive sales growth. Comp sales were driven primarily by an increase in entrée...

Read Full Story // read more about: McAlister's Deli, Finance, Sandwiches, Growth
Industry News
In a Victory for Gamers, Pizza Hut and Xbox Unite

The video game industry has a history of introducing dynamic duos. And now comes another: Xbox and Pizza Hut.

The two category giants have joined forces to launch a first-of-its-kind ordering app that allows users to purchase physical goods straight from the Xbox 360 video game and...

Read Full Story // read more about: Pizza Hut, Online & Remote Ordering, Pizza, Promotions
Panera Bread markets company values in new promotional campaign.
Promotions
Focus On the Values

Panera Bread’s “Live Consciously, Eat Deliciously” platform, which launched in late February after nearly a year of testing and research, is a first for the brand. Rather than touting Panera’s products, it focuses on the concept’s philosophy.

“We really...

Read Full Story // read more about: Panera Bread, Marketing, Social Media
Superfoods like quinoa give quick serve operators a strong marketing tool.
Marc Halperin: Resident F&B Expert
A Super Marketing Tool

Sit down and relax, Mr. and Mrs. Menu Developer. You look tense. Here, have a sip of this blueberry-kale-sun-dried-tomato-açai-green-tea-flaxseed smoothie I’ve just whipped up. It’s loaded with antioxidants, vitamin B, fiber, and lycopene. I think you’ll find it both...

Read Full Story // read more about: Marketing, Promotions, Health, Ingredients & Dayparts
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Executive Insights
Cause and Effect

Everyone in a company has a cause that’s close to his or her heart, but it’s the CEO’s job to select a charitable partner that connects with those who matter most—the customers—while balancing employees’ interests.

Read Full Story // read more about: Arby's, Auntie Anne's, Burgerville, Hungry Howie's, Marketing, Charitable Giving, Women in Foodservice
Industry News
Dylan's to Serve Up Chloe's Soft Serve Fruit Co. Varieties

Dylan's Candy Bar is pleased to announce that it will serve Chloe's Soft Serve Fruit Co., the all-natural, three-ingredient alternative to frozen yogurt and ice cream, in its candy cafe on the second level. Kicking off with four varieties - Dark Chocolate, Banana, Mango and Raspberry - the menu will offer consumers sundaes and smoothies that will include toppings from both Chloe's Soft Serve Fruit Co. and Dylan's Candy Bar, as well as the option of having it served on top of Chloe's very special hot vegan waffle.

Read Full Story // read more about: Chloe's Soft Serve Fruit Co., Dylan's Candy Bar, Desserts, Women in Foodservice, Growth, Emerging Concepts
Industry News
Maui Wowi Hopes It Can Wow More Female Franchisees

Maui Wowi Hawaiian recently initiated an increased effort to draw more female candidates through sharing the success stories of its current female franchisees. Maui Wowi franchise operator Cheryl Kohan is a business owner who knows from experience the type of qualities that lead to success.

Read Full Story // read more about: Maui Wowi, Women in Foodservice, Franchising, Human Resources
Industry News
WFF Opens the Door for Sewell Scholarship Applications

The Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) is now accepting applications for the second-annual WFF Sewell Scholars Award. The scholarship program, in partnership with Sysco Corporation, offers a grant to a high-potential woman in the foodservice industry to attend the WFF Executive Leadership Program.

Read Full Story // read more about: Women in Foodservice, Outside Insights
Industry News
Papa John's Promotes Caroline Oyler to SVP of Legal Affairs

Papa John's International announced the promotion of Caroline Oyler to senior vice president, legal affairs.

In her new position, Oyler is responsible for the company’s legal functions, including intellectual property, international law, ethics, corporate governance, government contracts and franchising, litigation, and labor and employment matters.

Read Full Story // read more about: Papa John's, Legal, Women in Foodservice, Human Resources
Industry News
PreGel America Promotes Anna Pata, Intros Evolution Glazes

PreGel AMERICA, the U.S. subsidiary of the largest specialty dessert ingredient manufacturer in the world, announces the promotion of Anna Pata, formerly key account manager, to director of sales.

Read Full Story // read more about: PreGel America, Back of House, Back Office, Menu Innovations, Women in Foodservice, Operations
Industry News
McDonald's President Jan Fields to Leave the Brand

McDonald's Corporation announces that Jeff Stratton, currently global chief restaurant officer, will succeed Jan Fields as president of McDonald's USA, effective December 1. Fields will be leaving after more than 35 years with the company.

Read Full Story // read more about: McDonald's, Women in Foodservice, Human Resources, Operations
Industry News
Togo's Pops Up in Danville, California

Residents of Danville, California, now have a new go-to, deli-inspired restaurant serving up big, made-to-order sandwiches stuffed with the freshest ingredients.

Togo’s Eateries, Inc., a “West Coast Original” since 1971, announced the opening of its newest restaurant located in the Town and Country Plaza in Danville.

Read Full Story // read more about: Togo's, Sandwiches, Women in Foodservice, Franchising, Growth