Building genuine customer engagement in an Instagram world

Instead of exhausting yourself trying to change customer behavior, take the necessary steps to minimize the distractions cell phones can present.

Adding kiosks? Read this first

by Nicole Troxell — Associate Editor, Networld Media Group

POS kiosks can be essential tools in enabling customers to have a more pleasurable dining experience. But are there certain features restaurant owners and…

Chipotle responds to NYPD 'hands up' flap

December 29, 2014

A 'spontaneous, unplanned action taken by an individual crew member' toward a group of New York police officers has caused a flap for Chipotle.

How to choose the best rewards for your loyalty program

by Bob Leonard — Owner, Bolen

It's important to set the minimum purchase amount at a reasonable level so customers don’t get frustrated that they are never earning punches and thus feel…

Executive round table: Fast casual segment leaders make their 2015 predictions

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Local marketing, local sourcing, mobile technologies and customer service initiatives are all expected to move to the front burner in the New Year.

Debunking McDonald's service time criticism

by Darrel Suderman — President, Food Technical Consulting

Customers and investors prefer innovation and quality over short wait times.

North Carolina Qdoba target of 'nurse-in' following incident

December 8, 2014

A group of moms staged a 'nurse-in' at a North Carolina Qdoba in support of another mom who was asked to cover up while breastfeeding her infant son, according…

Starbucks offers wireless device charging stations

November 19, 2014

Customers can place compatible devices on designated 'Powermat Spots' and charge them wirelessly.

How a hotel became a hot fast casual concept

by Brenda Rick Smith — Editor, Networld Media Group

Marriott transformed its Courtyard food and beverage offerings away from the traditional buffet into a new fast casual format, resulting in a 27-percent jump…

LivingSocial adds communication platform for merchants

November 17, 2014

LivingSocial has launched Connect, a communications toolkit for merchants to engage and build relationships with customers acquired through its platform.

Technology, desire to connect with customer drives Buffalo Wild Wings' success

by Brenda Rick Smith — Editor, Networld Media Group

Based on customer research and feedback, Buffalo Wild Wings invested significantly in defining, delivering and enhancing its brand experience using technology.

Orange Leaf adds mobile marketing, customer optimization programs

November 4, 2014

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt has announced partnerships with Mobivity, to power its mobile marketing program, and InMoment, to launch a new guest experience…

Delivery startups targeting fast food crowd

October 27, 2014

The quick-service marketplace continues to get more crowded. A growing number of online food companies are popping up, particularly in the San Francisco area…

Winget: 'Being passionate is a total load of crap'

by Alicia Kelso — senior editor, QSRweb.com

Success is much simpler than we make it out to be, says bestselling author Larry Winget. Success boils down to hard work and excellence.

Webinar: There's more to mobile payments than payments: engaging your customers in the age of the new mobile wallet

The shift to mobile payments is underway, especially now that Apple is encouraging customers to pull out their smartphones instead of their old leather wallets…

Bowl of Heaven celebrates 4th anniversary with free acai bowls

October 14, 2014

Also samples new smoothie offerings and offers discounts on special Maq7 juice blend.

Pie Five Pizza encourages paying it forward with #pieitforward campaign

October 14, 2014

To celebrate National Pizza Month fast casual pizza brand Pie Five Pizza has kicked off the Pie It Forward campaign that surprises one guest at each location…

Deliver more than food; deliver an experience

by Erle Dardick — CEO, Monkeymedia

Lean on your supply chain partners to innovate for you; they have resources and answers.

Uber's move into foodservice showcases importance of convenience

by Ed Zimmerman — President, pizza.com

Recent partnerships and service launches show that consumers want convenience and are willing to pay for it.

Starbucks opens Community Store in Seoul

October 2, 2014

A portion from every purchase at the store will go to Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea to support skills development for youth.