The great bacon shortage

by Ed Zimmerman — President, pizza.com

Meat prices will rise next year; keep your customers aware, manage your menu prices and promote items that use less animal protein.

POS system hackers are caught and prosecuted

by Brad Cyprus — Chief of Security and Compliance, Vendor Safe Technologies

Subway has been the subject of intensive scrutiny and media attention since it came to light that its POS system was found to be vulnerable and that several…

Own reviews; control content

by Jitendra Gupta — Mobile CRM Director, Punchh

It seems the new four-letter word in the restaurant business is Yelp. The open-forum review site has empowered diners to share opinions online with a…

What is the role of 'thought leadership' in new product innovation?

by Darrel Suderman — President, Food Technical Consulting

The old paradigm of type-A R&D; business managers that run large R&D; departments is out, and the new model of servant leaders with innovative thought…

The sustainability playground: sustainability defined

by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc

Sustainability can be broken into the branches of organic, local, seasonal, green and ethical.

Protect yourself as well as your customers

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Companies that offer restaurant liability insurance have begun expanding policies to cover claims related to gluten reactions as well as food poisoning and…

Why my employees won't steal from me: 5 myths

Studies on workplace behavior, criminal investigations on employee fraud, and anecdotal stories have proven that the workplace environment must be controlled…

Restaurants offer silver lining to today’s economy

by Nate DaPore — President and CEO, PeopleMatter

More than a quarter of new jobs — 29.2 percent — are in foodservice.

Nielsen research, restaurant CEOs say ‘Mobile is it’

by Jitendra Gupta — Mobile CRM Director, Punchh

Sports and politics are dissected endlessly in the media, but it's my hunch that Americans spend significantly more time talking about food. Big games happen…

Just like dominos this menu item shall fall

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Gluten free can be one of the best places for restaurants to shine, or just the opposite.

How many loyal, card-carrying customers do you really have?

by Jitendra Gupta — Mobile CRM Director, Punchh

I've seen a lot of people on Facebook lately posting statements, "You'll never hear anyone say...."

It’s not a chicken-and-egg scenario: quality comes before sales

by Jason Hamilton — VP of Marketing, Snagajob

By assessing applicants for their behavioral preferences, you can find out if an applicant has the energy to work the drive-thru, the customer service for the…

Restaurant Social Media Top 10 [Infographic]

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

How the largest limited-service restaurants in the U.S. stack up on social networks.

To acquire customers, you must engage them

by Jitendra Gupta — Mobile CRM Director, Punchh

Customer acquisition isn't rocket science. It's actually harder.

Game changers and shapers inspiring product development and innovation – Part 2

by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc

Settings in demand during economic recovery include approachable, family friendly dining, vibrant, inspired, authentic and rustic.

Redecorating with loss prevention

A good loss prevention program starts with an assessment of the current processes in operation.

This Olympian doesn’t want to be on a Wheaties box

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Gold medalist learns new non-carb diet and realizes positive results.

Game changers and shapers inspiring product development and innovation – Part 1

by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc

The terms now capturing restaurant consumers' mindsets include simplicity, value, authenticity, playfulness, escapism, invigorating and risk taking.

Spread of hours in New York

by Rick Casmass — VP Marketing, Valiant

Are you familiar with the regulation regarding the spread of hours in New York? It applies to virtually every restaurant in the state and failure to adhere to…

How does a restaurant pop the question?

by Nate DaPore — President and CEO, PeopleMatter

Engaged employees can increase revenue per interaction, improve repeat business and ensure customer advocacy.