3 trends hitting foodservice

by Nate DaPore — President and CEO, PeopleMatter

The next big thing to hit foodservice is gamification, especially in marketing.

Gluten free goes mainstream

Gluten-free menu claims have grown 114 percent over the last three years, proving that consumers beyond those diagnosed with celiac disease are eating…

2012 will be the year of more information

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Miniature portions, specialty beverages are among the trends to watch.

Restaurant industry has strong showing in Entrepreneur's top franchise rankings

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Magazine's annual rankings of top franchised companies weigh stability, growth rate, size of the system, startup costs and more.

Commentary: What restaurant marketing trends will emerge in 2012?

Fast casual players are starting to look like two different groups, perhaps three, including "Fine Fast Casual," "Quick Fast Casual" and "Chain Fast Casual…

Adaptation – 3 Categories Evolve

by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc

Be mindful of where categories were during the Recession and do not stray too far from the familiar.

NRA research shows gift cards on more holiday wish lists

December 15, 2011

New research from the National Restaurant Association shows that one in five Americans surveyed plan to give a restaurant gift card as a holiday gift this…

2011: The five stories and trends that shaped the year

by Valerie Killifer — senior editor, NetWorld Alliance

As we look back on 2011, several stories and trends stand out among the rest. Here's a look at our top picks.

NRA predicts 100 million diners for New Year's weekend

December 14, 2011

The National Restaurant Association estimates that 100 million Americans will celebrate the New Year by going out to a restaurant or bar, or by ordering…

Pizza Hut is Google's most searched restaurant for 2011

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

December 14, 2011

Pizza inquiries sweep top three spots.

Famous Dave's opens fast casual restaurant

December 12, 2011

Famous Dave's of America has joined the expanding list of casual dining restaurant chains opening fast casual offshoots.

Consumers not meeting MyPlate standards

December 12, 2011

The nutritionally-balanced quadrants of the USDA’s MyPlate, the new federal dietary guidelines that depict a healthful daily diet, look very different from…

Technomic: Breakfast daypart offers ample opportunity

December 11, 2011

While breakfast sales have grown steadily for restaurants over the past few years, consumer data shows that the market is not yet saturated and there are still…

Beverage innovation becoming a necessity

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

When McDonald's introduced its McCafe concept in 2009, plenty of skeptics thought the burger-and-fry giant was out of its league. But as the coffee line grew…

Kids' nutrition, local sourcing top NRA's 2012 trend predictions

December 7, 2011

The National Restaurant Association's "What's Hot in 2012" survey of nearly 1,800 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) …

Restaurant Performance Index unchanged in October

December 6, 2011

The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) stood at 100.0 in October, essentially unchanged from September’s level of 100.1.…

Mintel: 5 restaurant industry trends for 2012

December 5, 2011

Competition in the foodservice industry is always intense as restaurant chains are constantly jockeying for business and attention in a crowded marketplace.

Restaurant traffic flat first 9 mos of 2011

December 5, 2011

The U.S. restaurant industry entered 2011 in a state of optimism after ending 2010 with two consecutive quarters of one percent traffic increases, but the…

Technomic: Takeout adds revenue without compromising dine-in traffic

December 5, 2011

Nearly 60 percent of consumers recently surveyed by Technomic said they purchase takeout once a week or more. These takeout sales don't seem to be…

Adaptation – 3 Factions Evolve

by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc

The strongest trends, even in the restaurant industry, are the ones most adept at change.