Earth-friendly fare

by Valerie Killifer — senior editor, NetWorld Alliance

As restaurants go green, options for operators grow in numbers.

New York Burger Co. dubbed 'best burger'

February 14, 2007

New York — New York Burger Co. was voted "Best Burger" by AOL Cityguide's consumer voters. The fast-casual restaurant also won the title in 2005.   The…

Moe's adds grilled tilapia

February 13, 2007

ATLANTA — Moe's Southwest Grill, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Raving Brands Inc., is introducing grilled tilapia at the burrito chain's 334 nation-wide…

Brawling over breakfast

The fast-casual battle for breakfast is shaping up to be a bruiser.

Fast Casual launches reader survey

February 11, 2007

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Fast Casual.com has launched a reader survey designed to pinpoint hot topics and products as they relate to fast-casual trends and…

Starbucks dropping trans fat from China outlets

February 7, 2007

Arab Times: Starbucks Corp. plans to eliminate food items containing trans fat from its outlets in China within the next six months, the company said. The…

Fast casual segment growing in Toledo

February 5, 2007

Toledo Blade: For years, Panera Bread was king of the Toledo fast-casual market. In recent months, however, several other fast-casual chains have moved into…

California Tortilla launches text-message promotion

February 5, 2007

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain California Tortilla is using a text-message campaign to enroll customers in its newly launched VIP…

Espresscio Kiosks to focus on office complexes

February 5, 2007

HEATHROW, Fla. — Ultimate Franchise Systems Inc. has developed a fast-casual concept to focus on high rise buildings, office complexes and…

Bruegger's keeps on rollin'

by Valerie Killifer — senior editor, NetWorld Alliance

Marking its 11th consecutive quarter of growth, Bruegger's CEO Jim Greco looks toward the future.

McDonald's takes Starbucks to the mat

February 4, 2007

Eagle-Tribune: McDonald's Corp.'s coffee has bested brews from Starbucks Corp., Burger King Holdings Inc. and Dunkin' Donuts Inc., according to Consumer…

Minimum wage, maximum impact

With the Senate passing its own version of a bill to increase minimum wage, where the issue will land is anybody's guess.

LA push to ban trans fat hits wall

January 29, 2007

Los Angeles Times: A campaign by Los Angeles County to ban the use of trans fat in restaurants suffered a setback Friday when legal advisors told public…

Starbucks plans to offer mp3 downloads

January 25, 2007

BLOOMBERG: Seattle-based Starbucks Corp. plans to begin offering downloads for portable music players sometime this year, Starbucks Entertainment president…

HyperActive Tech, Zaxby's partner

January 25, 2007

PITTSBURGH — Zaxby's Franchising Inc., a fast casual restaurant chain with more than 350 locations throughout the southeastern United States, has named…

Building an e-mail list

by Valerie Killifer — senior editor, NetWorld Alliance

January 25, 2007

When it comes to a customer-based e-mail list, McAlister's Deli has learned bigger is better.

Panera marks trans-fat-free anniversary

January 22, 2007

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo. — February marks the one-year anniversary of Panera Bread's voluntary removal of trans fat from its bakery-cafe menu on a national…

Building brand loyalty

Fast casuals are looking to loyalty programs to boost revenue and increase repeat traffic.

Starbucks switches to hormone-free milk

January 16, 2007

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Starbucks Coffee Co. said Tuesday that it has stopped using dairy products with Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, or rBGH, in…

Caribou Coffee partners with Keurig

January 7, 2007

WAKEFIELD, Mass. — Keurig, a gourmet single cup brewer, and Caribou Coffee Company Inc. announced a partnership to market Caribou's gourmet coffees in Keurig…