Summit: Don't set social media expectations

Sometimes with social media, the best strategy is just to dive right in, said Paul Flanigan at the 2011 Retail Customer Experience Executive Summit. Also: the…

Top That! Pizza breaks ground on third location

August 11, 2011

Top That! Pizza has announced the groundbreaking of its third location at the Tulsa Hills Shopping Center in Oklahoma. The new store will be operated by…

Scotsman Ice launches Luv the Nug app

August 11, 2011

Fans of Scotsman's Original Chewable Ice can now find locations that serve nugget ice with a new iPhone application released by Scotsman Ice Systems. By…

Smallcakes catches MTV Music Awards fever

August 11, 2011

Beautiful Brands' Smallcakes cupcakery has been invited to be the exclusive brand vendor to the Conga Room at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28, in…

Tableside POS is a game changer

by Nate DaPore — President and CEO, PeopleMatter

Higher sales, fewer servers, faster table turns, and happier, more loyal customers – Tableside Point-of-Sale offers all this and more. I foresee that it is…

Mobile website or app: Which is better for your business?

by Nash Sherchan — VP Marketing, iMediAd Hospitality

The one thing I always get asked about going mobile is whether a restaurant should build a mobile site or mobile app.

Qdoba's same-store sales up

August 10, 2011

Jack in the Box Inc., parent company of Qdoba Mexican Grill and Jack in the Box, released its financial report for the third quarter 2011, ended July 10, which…

Technomic: Chains continue to grow through franchising

August 10, 2011

As the economy keeps moving at a slow pace, restaurant brands continue to tap into franchising as an avenue for growth.

Menchie's reaches 100-store milestone

August 10, 2011

Menchie’s began its franchising initiative three years ago and has now announced that it has reached the company's 100th location with a recent opening in…

Charley's Grilled Subs awards $18,000 in scholarship funds

August 10, 2011

Charley’s Grilled Subs has announced that it has awarded $18,000 in scholarships to restaurant employees throughout its 430-unit franchise system.

Moe's rolls out new Taco Stacks

August 10, 2011

The giant Homewrecker burrito at Moe’s Southwest Grill finally has an adversary: Moe’s new Taco Stacks. Weighing in at just over 1 pound, this limited-time…

FREEBIRDS continues on expansion track

August 10, 2011

FREEBIRDS World Burrito continues to blaze new expansion trails with the opening of two locations in Texas, bringing the system-wide total of restaurants to 54.

Slow economic recovery slows digital menu board deployments

by Scott Sharon — CEO, START

Many of us have been working hard on the development of digital menu boards (and digital signage) and investing capital for several years because we believe…

You can’t get mustard only here

Always make sure you're in the right place.

Social Media Part 1: Do I know you?

by Lori Walderich — CMO, Top That! Pizza

It's important to know who makes up your social media audience

Newk's Cafe continues down growth path

August 9, 2011

Newk’s Express Café is on pace to exceed its expansion plans for 2011. The company has already signed 35 agreements for new locations in 2011. Six restaurants…

Smashburger names new president

August 9, 2011

Smashburger has announced several key promotions, including the promotion of Greg Creighton to the position of president, where he will take on an expanded…

Seattle's Best 'Level System' proves success

August 9, 2011

Less than one year after launch, Starbucks-owned Seattle's Best Coffee reports that its radically simplified 'Level System' packaged coffee line is making a…

The quest for authenticity

by Valerie Killifer — Editor, FastCasual.com

A lot has been written about authencity over the past several years – in personal relationships, business endeavors and brand management.

NPD: U.S. restaurant counts declined 2%

August 8, 2011

U.S. restaurant unit counts declined by 2 percent, for a loss of 9,450 restaurants, based on the most recent restaurant census conducted by The NPD Group.