Rising Roll Gourmet launches Springtime LTOs

March 22, 2012

Rising Roll Gourmet welcomes the warm days of spring with the rollout of several new limited-time items.

Foodservice Social Media Universe conference seeks 'Best of' award nominations

March 22, 2012

The Foodservice Social Media Universe conference, set for Sept. 16-18, 2012 at the Swissotel in Chicago, is seeking award nominations for social media…

Red Door Interactive wins Silver ADDY for Rubio's campaign

March 14, 2012

Red Door Interactive was awarded a Silver ADDY for its work on behalf of Rubio's Restaurants, the company has announced.

Tropical Smoothie names new VP, marketing

March 13, 2012

Tropical Smoothie Café has announced the hiring of Cyndi Richardson as vice president of marketing. In this role, Richardson will be responsible for creating…

Restaurants sign up for new cause-based mobile app

March 13, 2012

A handful of restaurants have signed up for ValuedPatron Marketing Services LLC's new Eat-A-Bite, Give-A-Bit smartphone application that helps patrons and…

Caribou Coffee uses social media to spearhead evolution

by Valerie Killifer — senior editor, NetWorld Alliance

Caribou Coffee underwent a brand relaunch in late 2009 and is using social media to ensure its evolution continues down the right path.

HuHot Mongolian Grills kicks off video contest

March 12, 2012

HuHot Mongolian Grills is inviting patrons to “Feed Your Inner Warrior,” through a video contest this March with cash prizes.

Buffalo Wild Wings to promote March Madness

March 8, 2012

Buffalo Wild Wings is launching its new multi-platform ad campaign during the month of March, one of its busiest times of the year.

Zoes Kitchen Facebook contest to give away "The Good Life"

March 7, 2012

Zoes Kitchen is launching a Facebook giveaway, Zoes Good Life, that will give one winner a huge grand prize. From March 6 – April 3, fans who "Like" Zoes…

Panera Bread to boost ad spend, cites fast casual competition

March 7, 2012

Panera Bread Co. has announced its plans to increase its media investment in 2012 by 26 percent, according to a story in The Wall Street Journal.

The difference between social marketing and social operational insights

Operators can extract both marketing and operational insights from online feedback, but first they must understand the differences between the two.

NRA, LivingSocial form marketing-best-practices partnership

March 6, 2012

The National Restaurant Association and LivingSocial have announced a new partnership through which both organizations will work to educate and inform…

Restaurant chains join Healthy Dining's new School Wellness program

March 6, 2012

Healthy Dining has announced the rollout of a research-based initiative, the "Healthy Dining School Wellness Rewards Program," designed to contribute to the…

Cosi CEO Carin Stutz talks brand turnaround

by Valerie Killifer — senior editor, NetWorld Alliance

How Cosi's new CEO plans to rebrand, reimage and rebuild the chain.

Panchero's debuts new logo, website

March 1, 2012

Panchero’s Mexican Grill is launching an evolved brand identity including a new logo and website.

Is your restaurant on a desire path?

by Nate DaPore — President and CEO, PeopleMatter

Put your product on paths that grow more and more comfortable as consumers use them.

Starbucks earns high customer experience ratings

February 29, 2012

Chick-fil-A and Subway tied with Starbucks to earn the top customer experience ratings in the restaurant industry, out of 17 total chains.

NFL players open Panera Bread in Santa Barbara market

February 28, 2012

Panera Bread will open its first Santa Barbara, Calif., bakery-cafe on March 3, co-owned by former USC All-American, NFL player and current ESPN broadcaster…

FREEBIRDS marks first locale in San Francisco Bay

February 22, 2012

FREEBIRDS World Burrito has announced that it will open its first Bay Area location in Foster City, Calif., on Feb. 29. To celebrate, FREEBIRDS will give the…

Courting new trials

by Janet Eden-Harris — CMO & SVP Strategy, Market Force

Let’s talk for a minute about new trial. No, not the court kind, but the kind that every restaurant wants … new consumers trying out your restaurant for the…