What is the role of fanatical, cult-like menu items in QSR segment?

by Darrel Suderman — President, Food Technical Consulting

Cult-like food products drive brand value as the enormous consumer base recognizes and assigns value to the new product developed by a particular company.

Starbucks urges Washington to 'come together' on fiscal cliff deal

December 27, 2012

Starbucks' customers in the Washington, D.C., market will notice a new message written on their coffee cups for the next couple of days.

Research group lists mini meals as a top 2013 trend

December 27, 2012

The Values Institute at DGWB, a social science research group, has released its second annual forecast of health-related trends that consumers are expected…

Panera pays up for denying promotions to black employees

December 27, 2012

Panera Bread has been ordered by a federal judge to pay employees who were denied promotions because they were "fat, black and/or ugly."

Bruegger's Bagels focused on three markets for growth

December 27, 2012

Bruegger's Bagels has announced plans for aggressive expansion in Nashville, Tenn.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Huntsville, Ala.

Seafood concept operator plans 'dozens' of NY locations

December 26, 2012

A limited-service seafood concept called Boneheads is planning to open "dozens" of units in the New York market. According to the New York Daily News, the…

2013's restaurant marketing trends: 'Partly cloudy with a chance of rain'

Restaurant marketers are tasked with finding brand ambassadors or content co-creators to help build a brand's buzz both online and offline.

Top 100: People - Kevin Miles

December 24, 2012

No. 7: Kevin MilesPresident and COO, Zoe's Kitchen

Top 100: People - Louis Basile

December 24, 2012

No. 6 Louis BasileFounder of Wildflower Bread Company

New book describes hardships of running a Western concept in China

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Former master franchisee of Auntie Anne's Pretzels writes about the obstacles he faced that "will make anyone in business laugh, cringe and think twice about…

Breadcrumb's app update will speed business operations

December 23, 2012

Breadcrumb has unveiled an upgrade to its iPad POS for restaurants, bars and cafes. Breadcrumb 1.2 makes daily operation faster and easier for servers…

Capriotti's ready for some Patriots football

December 21, 2012

Capriotti's Sandwich Shop opens this Sunday at Patriot Place, just in time for the holidays and the New England Patriots' last regular season game.

NRA Educational Foundation appoints new CDO

December 21, 2012

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) announced that Katherine Speyer Schieffelin has been named senior vice president and chief…

New concept intros flame-grilled sausage, dogs to fast casual space

December 21, 2012

Firewurst, a new restaurant introducing flame-grilled sausages and dogs to the fast casual market, opens today in Cary, N.C.

Chinese consumers warming up to coffee trend

December 21, 2012

New research from Mintel unveils an increase in café culture in the China market, which has provided an impetus for coffee retails to plan expansions there.

Giraffas hitting growth spurt in 2013

December 21, 2012

Brazilian fast casual concept Giraffas is further expanding its footprint in the United States. The restaurant, founded in Brazil in 1981, already has about…

Chipotle wins PETA2 award for vegan-friendly fare

December 21, 2012

All the ballots have been cast and tallied to help peta2, PETA's youth division, decide who should be named the winners in the group's seventh annual Libby…

Fazoli's Cathy Hull selected as ExecRank's top marketing exec

December 21, 2012

Cathy Hull, Fazoli's chief marketing officer, has been selected by the ranking committee of ExecRank as a "Top Private Company Marketing Executive" for 2012.

Franchisees cautious about growth until tax policies solidified

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Franchise leaders believe the sector would be growing faster if Washington D.C. addressed the uncertainties of tax policies and other regulations.

Top 100: People - Betsy Craig

December 21, 2012

No. 4: Betsy CraigFounder, MenuTrinfo and Kitchens with Confidence