Consumers say one thing, do another when it comes to healthy choices

by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc

Consumers sometimes say one thing, but do another when it comes to healthful choices. This conflict affects their food choices and translates into complex…

Snack foods making their way onto plates

August 27, 2014

U.S. consumers are eating traditional snack foods, particularly snacks with a perceived health benefit, in between and at meals, and this behavior will drive…

A thing for wings

by Brenda Rick Smith — Editor, Networld Media Group

From QSRs to sports bars, wings are on menus everywhere. Why?

Taste trends: fermented flavors riding in on the heat wave

August 21, 2014

Consumers are developing a taste for fermented foods like kimchi, craft pickles and fish sauce, according to the newest Culinary Trend Tracking Series (CuTTS…

Consumer traffic, unit growth low in 2014

August 13, 2014

Quick service restaurants grew units to 337,667, up 2 percent, and unit counts for full service restaurants, which include casual dining, midscale/family…

More consumers eating meals alone

August 6, 2014

New research from The NPD Group shows that consumption behaviors in the U.S. are shifting and are more individualized than previous generations. More than 5…

Financial analysts predict downward spiral of QSR burger brands

August 6, 2014

Are burgers and fries no longer American staples? Some financial analysts predict that will soon be the case.

Restaurant industry adds nearly 19K jobs in July

August 4, 2014

The National Restaurant Association's Chief Economist Bruce Grindy announced today that the restaurant industry added a net 18,600 jobs in July on a…

Restaurant traffic slips in June, same-store sales continue to rise

August 1, 2014

The National Restaurant Association’s monthly Restaurant Performance Index reported a moderate decline in June, driven largely by softer traffic. The RPI was…

McDonald's, Starbucks cited as Millennials' 'guilty pleasures'

July 30, 2014

A new report from mobile financial services company Level Money examines how Millennial consumers spend their money on "guilty pleasures." According to a news…

How do you become the Uber of food?

by Ed Zimmerman — President, pizza.com

When an idea comes along like UBER or OpenTable, you have to challenge the status quo and create a better way to serve the customer.

Younger consumers prioritize speed of service and technology

July 25, 2014

Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers total about 74 percent of the U.S. population, and make up a majority of foodservice consumers.

5 Lessons Learned From Recent Retail Data Breaches [infographic]

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Here are some hard lessons learned for retailers concerning data breaches.

More consumers opting for takeout meals over hotel room service

July 23, 2014

Recent data from PFK Hospitality Research shows that hotel room service revenues fell 9.5 percent from 2007 to 2012, with some hotels discontinuing operations…

U.S. restaurant traffic remains stagnant with no tailwind in sight

July 23, 2014

U.S. consumers made approximately 61 billion visits to restaurants in the year ending May 2014, which is a stagnant number and remains below pre-Recession…

Are Millennials really that hard to please?

Exceeding expectations on food taste is the best way to assure a great experience across generations.

Why is the speakeasy bar concept growing internationally but not in the US?

by Darrel Suderman — President, Food Technical Consulting

Colombian-based Wingz's customers require an electronic key to gain access to its restaurants.

Multiunit franchisee growth outpacing restaurant industry growth

July 16, 2014

According to new data from the Restaurant Finance Monitor’s annual "Monitor 200" ranking, the 200 largest restaurant franchisees in the country saw their total…

Kronos outlines three trends transforming workforce management

July 16, 2014

Kronos Incorporated recently hosted an event with retail and hospitality executives, including those from Starbucks, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Forever 21 and…

Holy jalapeno! How hot will menus get?

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Sriracha, according to CCD Innovation, is in 2014 what chipotle was in 2009.