OpenTable releases Restaurant Industry Index

November 21, 2013

OpenTable Inc. has released the OpenTable Restaurant Industry Index for the Q3 2013.

Panera enters single-serve coffee market

November 21, 2013

Hoping to capitalize on the success of Keurig's single-cup coffee options, Panera Bread is introducing its own branded version of the trend. The chain's…

Kneaders launches Christmas campaign

November 21, 2013

Kneaders Bakery and Café will give a $25-gift card each week to customers leading up to Christmas as part of its "That's What Christmas Means To Me" campaign…

Costa Vida riding wave through Utah County

November 21, 2013

Nearly nine years ago, local entrepreneurs Sean Collins and Dave Rutter decided to open the first franchised Costa Vida location in Utah County in Utah. Next…

Caribou launches eGifting

November 21, 2013

Caribou Coffee has partnered with CashStar, a digital gifting company, to launch an eGift card program to allow consumers to purchase and send personalized…

Fresh To Order opening in Atlanta's CNN Center

November 21, 2013

Atlanta-based Fresh To Order will open a non-traditional location in the city's landmark CNN Center this week, according to a company press release.

Report: Fast casuals must offer more value to stay competitive

November 21, 2013

Due to consumers' budgets still being constrained, fast casual restaurants must find a way to provide more value in order to justify higher prices, according…

Social Restaurant Podcast: Motivating employees with Eric Chester

by Nate Riggs — CEO / Owner, NR Media Group

In this episode of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I talk with Eric Chester, founder and CEO of the Center for Work Ethic Development on the topic of igniting…

Courting customers as the economy turns around

Fast casuals must deliver a prime overall dining experience to avoid losing customers who can again afford upscale meals.

IKEA's fast food intrusion

by Darrel Suderman — President, Food Technical Consulting

Meatballs have all of the characteristics to be an American menu hit.

6 ways mobile apps connect customers to restaurants

by Jess Taylor — CEO, Blue Rocket

Imagine walking into your favorite restaurant, skipping past the long peak-time rush lines, picking up your food and walking out the door. Now imagine it only…

NRA releases new Restaurant Operations Report

November 20, 2013

The National Restaurant Association this week released a new edition of the Restaurant Operations Report, a comprehensive resource that aims to help restaurant…

Smashburger appoints new CEO

November 20, 2013

Smashburger announced Tuesday that Scott Crane, who has led company operations for the past six years as president, is now the chain's CEO. This news comes…

Kosher certification program focuses on food safety

November 20, 2013

A Canadian Rabbi has launched a Kosher food certification program designed to inform consumers whether certain products meet the strict standards of Kosher…

Boston Market offering holiday catering

November 20, 2013

Boston Market expects to serve more than 1 million customers on Thanksgiving Day and is offering a variety of catering and holiday meal options in each of its…

Robeks ends 2013 with growth spurt

November 20, 2013

Smoothie franchise Robeks finished 2013 with a burst of activity, announcing plans to bring the brand to Philadelphia as well as New York City, with more…

Four fast casuals up for PETA2 Awards

November 20, 2013

Four fast casual concepts are nominees for Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant Chain in Peta2's eighth annual Libby Awards. Peta2, PETA's youth division, has…

SoftTouch integrates bitcoin acceptance into POS

November 20, 2013

SoftTouch POS has announced the integration of bitcoin acceptance into its flagship point-of-sale payment system. According to CoinDesk, the integration was…

Marco's Pizza expects to hit 500-unit mark in April 2014

November 20, 2013

Marco's Pizza announced today that it expects to end 2013 with unprecedented growth after four consecutive quarters of record store openings.

Pie Five Pizza grows Kansas footprint

November 20, 2013

Pie Five Pizza opens the doors of its newest location today, at the Oak Park Commons Shopping Center in Lenexa, Kan. This opening comes a few months after Pie…