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.

African cuisine gains consumer appeal

by Valerie Killifer — senior editor, NetWorld Alliance

How Safari and Safari Express provide key insights into the lives of their owners and the flavors found in East African cuisine.

Smashburger ranked America's Most Promising Company

November 30, 2011

Smashburger has been ranked No. 1 on Forbes' inaugural America’s Most Promising Companies list. The list features 100 privately held up-and-comers with…

Restaurant industry donates $3 billion annually

November 30, 2011

As part of its ongoing campaign to tell the story of America’s restaurants, the National Restaurant Association has unveiled its latest “America Works Here…

NRA show to debut Healthier Kids Fare pavilion

November 28, 2011

This year's National Restaurant Association's Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, May 5-8, will feature a new pavilion focused entirely on healthful children's…

Thanksgiving and giving thanks

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

An often overlooked trend in the restaurant industry is giving back.

Fast Casual Executive Summit: Beverage trends

McAlister's Annica Kreider represents her fellow panelists in this interview about beverage trends as discussed at the 2011 Fast Casual Executive Summit.

Fast Casual Executive Summit: Digital signage ROI

Joseph Grove with FastCasual.com speaks with Rodrick Glass from Allure Global about his presentation at the 2011 Fast Casual Executive Summit. Rodrick spoke on…

Fast Casual Executive Summit: Busting some myths

Joseph Grove with FastCasual.com interviews Suzy Badaracco--toxicologist, trend-spotter and registered dietician--after spoke about food and flavor trends at…

Fast Casual Executive Summit: Future foodservice consumers

Joseph Grove of FastCasual.com speaks with John Weber, vice president of LEK Consulting, about the new foodservice consumer. Weber was a presenter at the 201…

An American Food Culture: Rising and Thriving

By Mindy Armstrong, Insights Manager, FoodIQ 

Study: Daily deal promotions generate new customers

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Many concerns about offering such deals are overstated.

First impressions still count for new customers

by Janet Eden-Harris — CMO & SVP Strategy, Market Force

Food is still the biggest driver of a customer's first impression.

Starbucks, health and wellness

by Valerie Killifer — Editor, FastCasual.com

In 2010, The Wall Street Journal posted a story indicating economists look toward Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts for insight on consumer spending. The story…

Technomic: Restaurant alcohol sales expected to rise in 2012

November 9, 2011

A forecast recently released by Technomic predicts a 2.4 percent gain in away-from-home alcohol sales in 2012.