Waking up to late night

As QSR and casual dining segments increase their late-night business, fast casual remains absent in this growing space.

Panera emerges as consumers' favorite sandwich chain

October 24, 2012

Panera Bread topped the list of Americans' favorite sandwich chains, according to a national study from customer intelligence solution provider Market Force.

Report: Consumers not 'extremely' concerned about food safety

October 17, 2012

Even with frequent food safety outbreaks and recalls, concern levels about the safety of the U.S. food supply remain relatively constant with temporary spikes…

Fast Casual CEOs discuss their views on technology innovation

A trio of fast casual execs discuss the best time to adopt technology, look at new technologies hitting the sector.

Technomic: Barbell menus appeal to all income levels

October 16, 2012

The foodservice industry can build incremental sales by appealing to middle- and lower-income consumers as much as those with greater disposable income…

NPD: US Hispanics perceive healthier meals as less tasty

October 12, 2012

As more brands increase their marketing efforts to appeal to the growing Hispanic population, new research from The NPD Group shows a discrepancy in how that…

Mobile app replaces punch cards at Pinkberry

October 12, 2012

Pinkberry is no longer using paper punch cards and has created Pinkcard, a new loyalty program via a mobile app.

Wanted: More female leaders in the industry

Meatheads President Lyn Devorkin, who will attend this year's Fast Casual Executive Summit, discusses why more women should lead in the industry.

Mimi's Café goes fast casual

October 5, 2012

Mimi's Café is launching a new prototype restaurant designed around the Parisian experience, however, the casual dining brand is now trying its hand at fast…

Taco Bell closing perception gap on Chipotle

October 4, 2012

Earlier this week hedge fund investor David Einhorn announced he was shorting Chipotle in part because of perception gains made by Taco Bell. Einhorn has been…

Smaller chains need mobile, too

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

As consumers become more comfortable with mobile payments, restaurant owners are looking for inexpensive ways to provide them.

Study: Chipotle is America's favorite Mexican food chain

October 4, 2012

In the battle of the burritos, Chipotle takes the prize, according to a national study from Market Force, a leader in customer intelligence solutions. Chipotle…

Report: QSR traffic, tickets grow in second quarter

October 3, 2012

Consumers pulled back from visits to midscale and casual dining restaurants in the April, May and June quarter, continuing a four-year streak of visit losses…

The great bacon shortage

by Ed Zimmerman — President, pizza.com

Meat prices will rise next year; keep your customers aware, manage your menu prices and promote items that use less animal protein.

Restaurant traffic, sales up for 15th consecutive month

October 1, 2012

Buoyed by stronger same-store sales and customer traffic levels, the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) posted a modest gain…

Spices going mainstream? (commentary)

More chains, large and small, are getting more creative with spices.

Wendy's, In-N-Out, Caribou Coffee top Zagat's 2012 list

September 28, 2012

Wendy's and In-N-Out Burger were once again named the top overall chains in this year's Zagat Fast-Food Survey. Both brands were No. 1 in the 2011 survey as…

Report: U.S., Canada, China restaurants gain traffic in Q2

September 27, 2012

If it wasn't rainy, cloudy weather that kept foodservice customers away throughout much of Europe in the April, May and June quarter, it was economic concerns…

New report analyzes fast casual customers

September 27, 2012

Technomic has published a new report called "Understanding Fast-Casual Restaurants and Their Customers," that examines the demographic composition, behavior…

Report: Social media linked to fewer than 1% of sales

September 27, 2012

Data from a Forrester research study found that fewer than 1 percent of transactions could be traced back to social links. The report, "The Purchase Path of…