June 20, 2013

Women in Foodservice

Industry News
Oklahoma Sonic Unit Makes Ordering a Breeze for Truckers

Sonic Drive-In in Valliant, Oklahoma, wants people to know, “Truckers Welcome!” This message scrolls across a large banner in front of the drive-in, and local franchisees, Tommy and Julie Dorries, have gone to great lengths to deliver a unique experience for truck drivers in a town that sees a lot of traffic from...

Read Full Story // read more about: Sonic, Beverage, Design, Digital Signage & Menuboards
Marc Halperin: Resident F&B Expert
Little Wonders

For decades, the value proposition in quick-serve circles was pretty easy to capture in a catchphrase: More Is Better. Give those 18–34-year-old guys bigger burgers, burritos, sandwiches, and pizzas; super-size the drinks and sides; pile the toppings high; ladle on the extras, and you had a surefire formula for success.

Read Full Story // read more about: Menu Development, Menu Innovations
Industry News
Alaska Seafood Goes Vintage with Marketing Materials

Capture the delicious heritage of wild Alaska cod with new merchandising materials from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI). Inspired by the tradition of Alaska's fisheries, this vintage-inspired creative evokes the energy and dedication that have been passed down for generations in Alaska's fishing communities and...

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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—they are eating less at those times, opting...

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
Alan Philips: Trends to Watch
Be Like Bobby

My idea of “inclusive exclusivity” started in a boardroom many years ago in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I was making a presentation to a group of executives at the Borgata Hotel, Casino, & Spa to explain how they could import the feel of New York’s hottest nightclubs and restaurants to the Jersey Shore. Although this...

Read Full Story // read more about: Bobby's Burger Palace, Burgers, Growth
Human Resources
The Perfect Match

Finding a great employee—much like finding a significant other—isn’t always easy. That’s why some operators are turning to online tools like Shiftgig for help seeking out the most compatible workers on the market. While many hiring platforms, such as PeopleMatter HIRE, assist with interview screening, onboarding,...

Read Full Story // read more about: Q-BBQ, Back of House, Back Office, In the Store, Social Media
Industry News
Foodstart.com Lets Customers Get Restaurants Off the Ground

Foodstart.com, the first crowd-funding site designed just for the food and beverage industry, opened its virtual doors. Restaurant and food truck owners now can raise capital online in small increments from their extended community of friends, family, and future customers. Only instead of a cash return, backers receive perks and rewards...

Read Full Story // read more about: Finance, Loyalty
Industry News
New Menus, Ads Usher In Del Taco's Next Growth Phase

Having been in refresh mode for more than year, Del Taco is ready to enter the final phase of a major brand upgrade that has so far included new store and branding designs, as well as operational tweaks at the corporate office. This week, the Lake Forest, California­–based brand launched two new menus, Buck & Under and New...

Read Full Story // read more about: Del Taco, Marketing, Competition, In the Store, Menu Innovations, Promotions, Growth
Industry News
McDonald's Introducing Breakfast After Midnight

Earlier this year, McDonald’s dangled the idea of serving breakfast all day, a much-demanded change that the fast-food giant has tried and failed to make in the past. But even if anytime McMuffins remain out of reach, it looks like the company...

Read Full Story // read more about: McDonald's, Breakfast, Menu Innovations
Industry News
Blendtec Brings Commercial Sales Director on Board

Blendtec announced the appointment of its new commercial sales director, Scott Hinckley. Hinckley has worked with Blendtec as a consultant for the past six months, and he is expected to have a smooth, quick transition.

The company’s goals for growth focus on building on its existing...

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, Equipment, Human Resources
Industry News
SPIN!'s First Franchise Now Open in SoCal

SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza’s first franchise location is now open in Southern California in the City of Orange near Honda Center and Angels Stadium of Anaheim in Orange County. The restaurant is operated by Hofman Hospitality Group (HHG), which has completed a franchise agreement to open 37...

Read Full Story // read more about: SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza, Pizza, Franchising, Growth
Industry News
WFF CEO Woods Earns Dallas Directors Award

Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) president and CEO Fritzi Woods was recently recognized as an honoree of Dallas Business Journal’s 2013 Outstanding Directors Award. The Outstanding Directors Award program operates in conjunction with the National Association of Corporate...

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Each social media channel has its ups and downs for quick-service brands.
Denise Lee Yohn: QSR’s Marketing Guru
The Social Media Smarts

Q: While using Facebook and other social media networks, which is the best method and what works the most effectively?

Read Full Story // read more about: Marketing, Social Media
Industry News
Jamba Juice and NCR Ease the Way for Mobile Ordering

NCR Corporation announced that it is working with Jamba Juice, in collaboration with PayPal, on a series of customized mobile solutions, including a Jamba Juice–branded iOS and Android mobile ordering and payment solution.

This ordering functionality is available in select Jamba...

Read Full Story // read more about: Jamba Juice, Beverage, Online & Remote Ordering, Ordering, Technology
Industry News
NRA: Restaurants to Add 448,000 Jobs This Summer

Restaurants are expected to add 448,000 jobs this summer season, a 4.5 percent increase over the March 2013 employment level, according to National Restaurant Association (NRA) projections. The projected gain represents an improvement over the 2012 summer season.

Read Full Story // read more about: Back of House, In the Store, Human Resources
Industry News
Togo's Pulls Out All the Stops With Pulled Pork Sandwich

Togo’s, a “West Coast Original” since 1971 serving up made-to-order sandwiches stuffed with fresh ingredients, announced the return of its BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, available through August 27 at Togo’s nearly 250 locations.

Togo’s BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich...

Read Full Story // read more about: Togo's, Menu Development, Sandwiches
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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Beverage
Ensure Ice Safety by Cleaning Frequently, Handling Properly

When it comes to ice, the Food and Drug Administration is crystal clear: Ice is considered a food—and it must be as safe as drinking water. The rule applies whether the ice is to be consumed or placed in contact with food or beverages to cool them.

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Food Safety
The Low Down on High Chair Cleanliness

The high chairs you keep on hand for your youngest customers are a welcome convenience for their moms and dads. But ensuring that high chair surfaces are cleaned and sanitized is often overlooked even in quick-service restaurants that employ the most disciplined hygiene procedures.

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Five to Seven will invest in healthy and sustainble fast food brands globally.
Healthy Menus
Good Food for All

Five to Seven, a new restaurant funding initiative launched in May by foodservice industry veterans Brad Blum and John Vincent, has goodness at its core and as its goal. “Good food for the planet” is the initiative’s tagline, as Blum and Vincent want “good food”...

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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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New fast food brands like Live Basil first start as innovative business ideas.
Finance
Birth of a Brand

It always starts with a simple idea.

For Brian Bailey at Ichor Restaurant Group, it began with the idea that Ohioans needed better barbecue. Six years after that idea initially took hold, Old Carolina Barbecue opened the doors to its first unit, in Canton, Ohio. The company later opened...

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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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A Wing Zone franchisee changed his cooking equipment to get better results.
Back of House
The Transformational Franchisee

Army and Air Force foodservice provider The Exchange has been serving U.S. military families since 1895 with meals in cafeteria lines and snack bars. It wasn’t until 1985, however, that it first signed a license agreement with a name-brand food franchisee—at the time, Burger King.

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