Caribou Coffee and Starbucks undergo new promotion campaigns

March 2, 2006

The Caribou Coffee Company has launched "Wake Up and Smell the Music," its first national multi-media advertising campaign. The company's partner in the…

Starbucks VP quits

March 1, 2006

Starbucks Corp. vice president Don MacKinnon resigned for personal reasons March 2, the company said. MacKinnon joined the company in 1999 after Starbucks…

McDonald's upscales coffee

February 28, 2006

McDonald's will roll out premium coffee at its 13,000 U.S. stores in 2006. The company said the premium coffee uses higher-quality beans — and is pricier for…

NRA: 30 months of consecutive growth

February 28, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The outlook for the restaurant industry continued to improve in January, as the National Restaurant Association's comprehensive index of…

Chipotle's IPO success influences fast-casual growth

by Julie Sturgeon — independent journalist, CEOEditor, Inc.

Fast-casual restaurants as a whole are racking up impressive numbers, but are they enough to sustain Wall Street's appetite?

Panera removes trans fats

February 23, 2006

Richmond Heights, MO—Panera Bread announced it has voluntarily removed trans fat from its menu. All Panera Bread menu items will be free of trans fat by the…

Starbucks signs deal with East Coast grocer

February 22, 2006

Starbucks signed a five-year deal with Giant Food supermarkets. The grocery chain operates in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C.   According to a news…

New World's 2005 revenue increases 4.1%

February 22, 2006

GOLDEN, Colo.—New World Restaurant Group Inc. announced improved financial results for its 2005 fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Jan. 3, 2006.   Revenue…

Panera Bread to add 5 metro stores in Denver

February 22, 2006

DENVER — Panera Bread plans to open five more restaurants in metro Denver in 2006.   Ken Rosenthal of the Denver area owns Breads of the World. He also helped…

Baker Bros expands in Texas

February 22, 2006

DALLAS— Baker Bros American Deli, a fast-casual concept headquartered here, has executed an area development agreement with Independence Franchising of Texas…

Success story: Camille's Sidewalk Café

February 22, 2006

How many people can say they work in peace and harmony with their spouse day in and day out? In the restaurant business, where stress and "Type A…

Gift cards are big business

February 22, 2006

Using stored-value cards instead of cash is a growing trend among U.S. consumers. The Federal Reserve estimates about 20 million consumers will spend $7…

The truth behind organic and all-natural foods

Organic foods are a growing trend, but USDA fines restaurants up to $10,000 for misuse of the regulated term.

Corner Bakery Café selects PAR

February 15, 2006

Corner Bakery Café selected ParTech's ViGo hardware terminals for their cafes. PAR will also provide lifecycle support services for the technology systems in…

Caribou Coffee announces fourth-quarter results

February 15, 2006

Caribou Coffee Company Inc., the second largest company owned gourmet coffeehouse operator in terms of coffeehouses, announced that fourth quarter of 2005 and…

Einstein Brothers set up at Pearl Harbor

February 14, 2006

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Sailors and their families will be saying 'Aloha' to bagels this spring when Sodexho opens an Einstein Brothers on the Navy base at…

Bruegger's reports strongest growth in six years

February 12, 2006

BURLINGTON, Vt. — Bruegger's Enterprises announced that fourth quarter revenue for comparable sales grew 6.8 percent at company locations and 4.9 percent…

Camille's Sidewalk Café earns award from Arkansas governor

February 6, 2006

NORTHWEST, Ark. — Camille's Sidewalk Café earned the Healthy Arkansas Restaurant Gold Award from Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.   The Healthy Arkansas…

Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers and Shakers

January 25, 2006

It wasn't long ago that you had to look up the definition of "fast casual" to understand the meaning of this unique restaurant concept that is a hybrid of the…

Camille's sales up 9 percent

January 23, 2006

TULSA, Okla. — Camille's Sidewalk Café, the Tulsa-based franchisor of fast-casual coastal influenced cafés, reported a 9-percent same-store sales increase. …