Bacon: An indispensible ingredient in food innovation

by Darrel Suderman — President, Food Technical Consulting

Bacon appears to be one ingredient that the American consumer cannot do without. It's been around since the beginning of time, but never been applied to so…

Restaurant Performance Index improves in September

October 30, 2011

After slow reports in July and August, the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) topped the 100 mark in September for the first…

NPD Group: Revenue-generating beverage orders on the decline

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Tap water requests on the rise, along with specialty coffees and iced tea.

NRA recaps recent victories at FCES 2011

by James Bickers

Nutrition, menu labeling, marketing to kids are areas in which the foodservice industry has gained ground.

NRA launches e-Learning resource

October 24, 2011

Highlights from the annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show are now available online. The NRA has launched an e-Learning component…

Technomic creates insights group to keep up with fast casual growth

October 24, 2011

As a follow-up to its Foodservice Planning Program study of the fast casual segment, presented to suppliers in January 2012, Technomic is launching a new Fast…

Snagajob is No. 1 'Best Small Company to Work For in America'

October 17, 2011

Snagajob, a provider of workforce solutions for employers, many within the restaurant industry, took the No. 1 position on Entrepreneur.com and the Great Place…

Technomic develops newsletter for international growth markets

October 13, 2011

Food and beverage industry research firm Technomic has created a new newsletter, BRIC, which focuses on the growing international markets of Brazil, Russia…

What’s the hottest segment of the restaurant industry? Fast casual. [Infographic]

by Valerie Killifer — Editor, FastCasual.com

Since the economic downturn, the fast casual segment has led the restaurant industry in both sales and unit growth. And it continues to outperform on both…

Technomic: Strong growth continues for bakery cafes

October 10, 2011

The bakery cafe category, which accounts for $5 billion in annual sales and more than 3,600 units nationwide, has been able to successfully navigate the…

A gluten-free pizza contest? Yes, it does exist

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Recently, I shared with you that I had the pleasure of attending the Florida Restaurant and Lodging show in Orlando last month. My time in Orlando was spent…

Restaurant Performance Index drops again

September 29, 2011

Less than one out of five restaurant operators expect economic conditions to improve in the next six months, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Report: Facebook activity up for restaurant brands

September 27, 2011

Facebook activity accelerated for many restaurant bands in September. A report from social media benchmarking/intelligence company Unmetric found that 15 top…

Clicks and cravings: How social media impacts food choices

by Melissa Abbott — Director, Culinary Insights, The Hartman Group, Inc

There is no debate that social media and digital technologies have altered U.S. consumers' shopping behaviors and purchase decisions for foods and beverages.

Report: Customers tend to patronize independent restaurants over chains

September 26, 2011

Battling with low-operator and consumer confidence, rising food costs and a lack of corporate support, independent restaurants can be hit hard in these poor…

NRA seeking experts for show sessions

September 25, 2011

The National Restaurant Association is now accepting proposals for education sessions from individuals and organizations for its 2012 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel…

Technomic: Mediterranean cuisine presents opportunities

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

September 22, 2011

Mediterranean cuisine is increasingly appearing on restaurant menus across numerous segments, according to recent research from Technomic.

Commentary: Predicting fast casual's major contenders

New chains specializing in Mexican, Asian or the better burger concept could be the industry's next leaders.

NPD Group: Restaurant traffic slips slightly in Q2

September 18, 2011

Just as the U.S. economy stalled in the second quarter of the year, so did restaurant industry traffic, according to The NPD Group, a market research company.

NRA Innovations Awards application process opens

September 14, 2011

The National Restaurant Association is now seeking applications from foodservice equipment manufacturers for its 2012 Kitchen Innovations Awards.