Qdoba Mexican Grill opens 500th restaurant

September 1, 2009

To celebrate the opening of Qdoba Mexican Grill's 500th restaurant in Centennial, Colo., Qdoba will give away free entrees to the first 500 people who enter…

Garden Fresh Club Veg reaches 1 million members

September 1, 2009

Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes restaurants have celebrated a Club Veg milestone. The company's e-mail/online loyalty program has reached 1 million members.

Starbucks acquires operating control of Starbucks Coffee France

August 31, 2009

Starbucks Coffee Co. has announced that its subsidiaries, Starbucks Coffee EMEA and Starbucks Coffee International Inc., have entered into an agreement with…

Fast Casual Alliance gives Western Foodservice Expo presentation

August 31, 2009

Members of the Fast Casual Alliance (FCA) spoke to an audience of Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo attendees Aug. 31 about the trends shaping the…

NRA's industry outlook posts slight gain

August 30, 2009

The outlook for the restaurant industry improved somewhat in July, as the National Restaurant Association's comprehensive index of restaurant activity…

Beautiful Brands signs another concept to its franchise roster

August 25, 2009

Beautiful Brands International has signed Tulsa-based restaurant Cafe Olé to its portfolio of restaurants to market and franchise worldwide. The agreement…

Bruegger's to re-enter Seattle market

August 24, 2009

Breugger's once had 22 stores in the Seattle area in the mid-1990s. But the company was sold, and new owners closed the local shops, according to a story in…

Chipotle ordering app now available

August 24, 2009

Chipotle Mexican Grill has made its new ordering application available on the Apple App Store. The mobile ordering app gives iPhone and iPod touch users the…

UFood closes Salt Lake City restaurant

August 23, 2009

UFood Restaurant Group Inc. has announced today that its Salt Lake City franchisee has terminated the operation of the UFood Grill Restaurant in the city, as a…

White paper: How to use customer complaints to your advantage

How guest complaints can be used to boost your customer service.

Dallas sees growth in fast casuals

August 20, 2009

Although restaurant growth in Dallas has slowed in the past few years, industry experts see the area as a growth opportunity, according to the Dallas Morning…

Starbucks to raise prices on some drinks

The price of some drinks, such as 12-ounce lattes and brewed coffees, will decrease an average of 5 cents to 15 cents.

FlatTop Grill merges with Stir Crazy

August 20, 2009

The casual-dining brand Stir Crazy Restaurants and fast casual FlatTop Grill have combined to form Flat Out Crazy LLC, to be headquartered in Chicago. The…

Starbuck settles allegations over gift card refunds

August 18, 2009

District Attorneys in Northern California have reached a $225,000 settlement with Starbucks over the company's alleged failure to refund gift card balances to…

Labor management key to fast casual cost savings

Operators who improve on training now are more likely to have profitable stores and happy employees.

Fatburger releases statement on recalled meat

August 17, 2009

Earlier this month, Commerce, Calif-based Sterling Pacific Meat Co. recalled more than 3,500 pounds of ground beef products that might be contaminated with E.

Kagle resigns from Jamba board

August 16, 2009

Robert C. Kagle has resigned from the board of directors of Emeryville, Calif.-based Jamba Inc., effective immediately, the company has announced.   Kagle…

Burgerville apologizes to bicyclist over drive-thru ban

August 16, 2009

Burgerville has announced that it will open its drive-thrus to customers on bicycles, according to a story in the Oregonian newspaper. The move came days after…

Technomic finds growth opportunities for restaurants in consumer catering

August 16, 2009

The recession has taken its toll on the restaurant industry, including brands that have grown their catering services by focusing on box lunches or party trays…

Boost orders, loyalty with direct digital marketing programs

Mobile marketing is a cost-effective tactic for increasing orders and improving the guest experience.