The top 10 (unmentioned) food industry trends

by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc

Adventure in food and flavor is back, comfort food is out.

The Apps of Foodservice

by Nate DaPore — President and CEO, PeopleMatter

Now is the time for restaurants to take control of their mobile presence -- develop apps, mobilize websites, give flexibility to online menus, add special…

I could not have said it better myself

by Don Fox — CEO, Firehouse of America

Put a bunch of fast casual restaurateurs in a room together and before long it is likely that a discussion will break out on what sets us apart from our fast…

What else can I get you?

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Listen to your customers before -- and after -- tweaking your menu options, and teach your staff how to sell something new.

But I thought it was being done – Inspecting the expected

We may have too much faith that it cannot happen, or won’t happen or we’re simply naïve. Perhaps we don’t seek, therefore we don’t find. Maybe it’s…

A lesson in loyalty

by Janet Eden-Harris — CMO & SVP Strategy, Market Force

Recession or not, the restaurant industry is here and growing. Consumers spend a huge percentage of their food budgets on eating out at restaurants, and…

Screening your background screener

by Amanda Richardson — Senior Vice President of Product and Marketing, Snagajob

If your application process takes too long, it could repel top talent, leading to bad hires, high turnover and lost profits.

Putting a ribbon on the recession

by Don Fox — CEO, Firehouse of America

Conventional wisdom (or at least the wisdom of the National Bureau of Economic Research) says that the Great Recession began in December of 2007 and ended in…

Revitalize ‘good service’: A foodservice must

by Nate DaPore — President and CEO, PeopleMatter

Loyal customers make approximately 70 percent of all purchases, so increasing loyalty by a mere five percentage points can increase profits by more than 6…

Convenience stores, QSR, fast casual and the food police

by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc

Perhaps it is consumers who should be studied further to uncover the reason for their behavioral disconnects, instead of placing all the blame on QSRs and…

What’s on your kids’ menu?

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

About 8 percent of all Americans under the age of 18 have some kind of food allergy.

The top 5 reasons to franchise your business

by Harold Kestenbaum — Partner, Gordon & Rees, LLP

If you are an entrepreneur and you have one, two or even three operations, why should you be thinking about franchising? There are many reasons, but here are…

Gloves! The controversy continues – Part 1

by Paul Mcginnis — Vice President, Marketing, Ecolab Food Safety Specialties

To glove, or not to glove, that is the question. It’s a debate that has raged in foodservice circles for years and centers on the question of whether hand…

Ring in 2012 with organic food innovation

by Darrel Suderman — President, Food Technical Consulting

I predict that 2012 will be a banner year for Organic Food Product Innovation, and those who sit on the sidelines will miss the opportunity to strike gold in…

3 trends hitting foodservice

by Nate DaPore — President and CEO, PeopleMatter

The next big thing to hit foodservice is gamification, especially in marketing.

Wrestling with a million dollar baby - skimming

The restaurant industry is rife with ways to lose profitability. Just when you think you have things buttoned up, a new twist comes along that can threaten…

2012 will be the year of more information

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Miniature portions, specialty beverages are among the trends to watch.

Renting a really green Christmas tree

by Amanda Richardson — Senior Vice President of Product and Marketing, Snagajob

Rent a tree. For Christmas. It's a fledgling industry, but it exists. These days you can rent a Christmas tree and enjoy the holiday guilt-free, knowing that…

Adaptation – 3 Categories Evolve

by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc

Be mindful of where categories were during the Recession and do not stray too far from the familiar.

A leopard that couldn’t change its spots

What exactly do you know about employees assigned to handle your deposits?