Trend report: Global flavors hit the mainstream

March 11, 2013

Authentic regional foods from around the world are emerging as the norm rather than the exception thanks to changing demographics and a shift in consumer…

Food industry report shows consumers are moving out of economic crisis

March 8, 2013

Culinary Tides Inc. has released its report "Top 10 Trends Analysis — Shifting Sands 2013." The analysis covers government, technology, health, consumer…

Gluten-free requests reach new high

March 6, 2013

In January, about one-third of U.S. adults said they wanted to cut down on gluten or avoid gluten in their diet all together, marking the highest percentage…

Smartphones: The secret ingredient

Branded mobile apps provide a direct link to the loyal customer, which in turn enriches the brand-consumer relationship and provides new and powerful…

Restaurant operators optimistic about the months ahead

March 1, 2013

Driven by a more optimistic outlook among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) rose to its highest…

Commentary: Why fast casual is not the future of restaurant business

An industry expert describes how fast casual is evolving into fresh casual.

Experts warn of impending food price increases

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Effects of the 2012 summer drought and a possible sequester are expected to contribute to trend.

Will mobile tech be the death of cash registers?

by James Wester — Editor 1, Mobile Payments Today

Fast Casual Senior Editor Cherryh Butler spoke to a number of companies providing tablet solutions that predict they'll eventually replace cash registers.

NAPICS '13: Is 'better pizza' the next fast casual category?

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

The keynote presentation at The North American Pizza and Ice Cream Show in Columbus, Ohio, focused on trends in pizza and ice cream.

Report: 140M U.S. consumers connected to a restaurant brand on social media

February 19, 2013

The Restaurant Social Media Index (RSMI) recently reported that 139.3 million unique U.S. consumers are connected to at least one restaurant brand on social…

Applebee's fast casual test a success in KC

February 15, 2013

Kansas City, Mo.-based Applebee's seems to be fully embracing the fast casual concept. The express lunch service it introduced at one location last summer was…

Top 100: Fast casual trends - No. 10

February 14, 2013

No. 10: Flex casual

Celebrity chefs headline NRA Show's Culinary Showcase event

February 14, 2013

The National Restaurant Association announced that celebrity chefs from across the country — including Top Chef Masters winner Rick Bayless, Iron Chef's Cat…

Report: Restaurants that focus on customer loyalty will win in slow economy

February 12, 2013

With little to no growth forecasted for the restaurant industry in the next several years and consumer frugality being the "new norm," restaurants will need to…

Report: Fast casual, casual dining visits cutting into QSR traffic

February 12, 2013

According to a new report from Technomic, customer enthusiasm is up for the casual dining segment. This comes after a few years of a slowdown for the segment…

Study: Lower-calorie menu items increase traffic and sales

February 8, 2013

Restaurants that serve more lower-calorie options perform better financially, according to a new study by Hudson Institute. Throughout the past five years…

Top 100: Fast casual trends - No. 8

February 7, 2013

No. 8: Catering

NRA: Restaurant job growth hit 17-year high in 2012

February 7, 2013

The restaurant industry added jobs at double the rate of the overall economy in 2012, and the National Restaurant Association expects this trend to continue in…

Growth in pork demand necessitates supply chain discipline

February 6, 2013

Rabobank has published a new research report on the global pork industry which states that as a result of continuing high feed costs, the key success factor…

Report: Demographic shift influencing food trends

February 6, 2013

A new market research report jointly published by Packaged Facts and CCD Innovation shows how the growth in the Hispanic and Asian populations is causing a…