New Dickey's franchisee to open in Virginia

December 29, 2016

Dickey's Barbecue Pit said it will open in Loudoun County, Virginia, this coming fall, under ownership of first-time franchisee, Chris Mills, according to a…

'If in doubt, leave it out': The lessons in Cinnabon's Carrie Fisher tweet

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Cinnabon's poorly received social media post about Carrie Fisher, upon her death this week, has restaurant leaders talking about how best to prevent such…

5 findings inside diners' minds make great guides for 2017

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

NPD Group recently outlined its top five predictions about the American diner's state of mind as it relates to the dinner plate. Taken collectively, these five…

Fast Casual openings and additions to kick off 2017

December 28, 2016

Fast casual brands are taking a deep breath and heading into 2017 with gusto and great hope, with new sites opening and new offerings appearing on menus. Here…

Diversified spins off Bagger Dave's

December 28, 2016

Diversified Restaurant Holdings — the largest franchisee for Buffalo Wild Wings and creator and operator of Bagger Dave's Burger Tavern — announced this week…

Vitality Bowls continues growth in new year

December 27, 2016

In the last year, Vitality Bowls has signed 27 new agreements in markets across the country, opened 11 new restaurant locations in three states, added a sixth…

Global Q3 restaurant traffic holds it own

December 21, 2016

The restaurant industry worldwide was stable for Q3 2016 and, in fact, performed better than the previous quarter despite numerous events around the globe that…

Panera makes major move on chicken welfare

December 21, 2016

Panera Bread gave a gift to the globe's livestock chickens this week when it became one of the largest foodservice chains to commit to improving the welfare of…

New food hub connects the local vegetable stand to biggest restaurant brands

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

December 20, 2016

Restaurateurs hoping for a central, tech-connected marketplace linking small local farmers to the skyrocketing number of restaurants, whose customers are…

Vapiano franchising CEO named to exec board

December 16, 2016

Vapiano CEO Mario C. Bauer, will take a seat Jan 1, 2017, on the executive board for Vapiano SE, with responsibilities for developing new markets, new market…

Study: Customer data is growing player in restaurant marketing

December 16, 2016

Research from Winterberry Group found that guest data plays a key role in the way restaurants handle challenges, including increased competition, declining…

4 union organization changes restaurateurs need to know

Restaurant operators must take the time now to learn how recent union-relaterd labor rulings from the National Labor Relations Board may affect their…

Pret a Manger 1st US chain to issue humane commitment for chickens

December 15, 2016

Pret A Manger is the first U.S. national restaurant chain to commit to improvements for the welfare of the chickens raised for its food operations, according…

Blast & Brew taps into allure of personal choice

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

The new Blast & Brew pizza and beer franchise gives customers creative choice regarding what's on their plates and how they most prefer to wash it down. Here…

Delivery data: Mac and cheese, oxtail soup top 2016 at-home orders

December 15, 2016

The market for home-meal delivery grew substantially over the past year, and Grubhub, a mobile food-ordering company, has used data about those deliveries to…

Johnny Rockets tests self-order kiosks in moving to a QSR format

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Self-order kiosks play an important role in moving to more of a quick-serve format for Johnny Rockets as the 30-year-old iconic brand seeks to refresh itself.

2 studies yield 2016 and 2017 chain winners and losers

December 13, 2016

As the year that was 2016 heads into the history books, year-end awards and year-beginning trend predictions have begun in earnest. For instance, Technomic has…

All hail the diehards: Limited-service chains open Christmas

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

News reporters, convenience and retail store employees, first responders and medical personnel are among that committed group of people who rarely get holidays…

Vapiano opens arms to Disney Paris visitors

December 12, 2016

Much like the fanned-out arms of an old tree at the center of  Vapiano's newest location, the chain itself is on a growth spurt throughout Europe. The most…

How the election could (and should) change the way restaurants do business

By Mike Lukianoff, Chief Analytics Officer/Fishbowl