The Latest
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Photo by Michael Browning on Unsplash
Deep DiveMapping the rise of ghost kitchens
Are ghost kitchens really on their way to becoming a mainstream restaurant channel? And what risks come with the opportunity they promise? Restaurant Dive aims to answer these questions and more in a six-part article series.
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Taco Bell served 30M more cars year-over-year as drive-thru demand 'skyrocketed'
The chain, which grew same-store sales by 3%, improved drive-thru times by 17 seconds.
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Kendall Davis/Restaurant Dive
Ghost restaurant calculator
Thinking about developing a ghost kitchen business plan? Use this calculator to crunch the numbers and determine profitability.
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Restaurants sue Grubhub over adding 150K non-partnered listings
Two plaintiffs are seeking class action status on behalf of the restaurants listed on the aggregator's platform without permission, and claim the practice results in lost orders and an inability to address customer concerns.
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What we know — and don't know — about PPP loan forgiveness
Financial experts weigh in on what is known, and yet to be known, about the Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness process to try to clear up confusion.
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Permission granted by 101 North Eatery & Bar
Third-party delivery is vital now, but operators believe curbside changes will be most permanent
A study shows that nearly 40% of restaurants said they would not have been able to stay open during the pandemic without the likes of DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub.
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McDonald's franchisee optimism highest in over a decade, report says
Growing sales led by celebrity-endorsed meals and the introduction of spicy chicken nuggets improved owner-operators' outlook to slightly below an all-time high seen in 2004, according to Kalinowski Equity Research's latest survey.
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Courtesy of White Castle
White Castle will partially close all restaurants every presidential Election Day
Staff who are scheduled to work between 7 and 11 a.m. on Nov. 3 in its restaurants, manufacturing plants or office will be paid for the four-hour break so they can vote.
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Indoor dining to cease in Chicago Friday
After reaching 40% dine-in capacity on Oct. 1, restaurants in the Windy City must reclose their dining rooms due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.
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Courtesy of Restaurant Brands International
Burger King parent to modernize 10K drive-thrus by 2022
Restaurant Brands International will add over 40,000 digital screens to Burger King and Tim Hortons brands that will provide predictive technology, contactless payment options and integrate with loyalty programs.
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Kendall Davis/Restaurant Dive
Deep DiveIndependent restaurants go dark to keep the lights on
The Independent Restaurant Coalition estimates that as many as 85% of mom-and-pop restaurants could close by the end of 2020. But some of them are finding new life in virtual brands and ghost kitchens.
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DoorDash
DoorDash initiative brings closed restaurants back to life via delivery-only models
The aggregator has launched "Reopen for Delivery," a program that selects local merchants who closed during the COVID-19 crisis and helps re-establish them as delivery-only concepts.
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California restaurants seek over $100M in refunds for liquor and health fees
Owners say counties continued to charge for alcohol and health permits, as well as tourism assessments, even while operations were shuttered due to government restrictions.
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Rubio's among the largest fast casual chains to declare bankruptcy this year
The company joins a growing list of restaurants, including Ruby Tuesday, Sizzler USA, California Pizza Kitchen and CEC Entertainment, to file for Chapter 11 during the pandemic.
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Courtesy of White Castle
White Castle is bringing Flippy the robot to 10 more restaurants
The robot optimizes staffing during hard-to-fill, late-night shifts at the 24-hour restaurant, and integrates with delivery applications to sync order completion with driver pickup times.
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Thai Phi Le
Sweetgreen to lay off 20% of corporate employees amid restructuring
The chain's two-year reorganization plan includes accelerating store growth in new communities, reducing menu and operational complexity, investing in store leadership and enhancing digital ordering.
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Thai Phi Le
Dunkin' in preliminary talks to be acquired by Inspire Brands
The potential sale, which could value Dunkin' at $8.8 billion, would be the largest deal among two restaurant holding companies this year and suggests healthy M&A activity still exists amid the pandemic.
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Retrieved from Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. on October 26, 2020
Chipotle lets diners track environmental impact of burritos as restaurants prioritize sustainability
The Real Foodprint tracker, which mirrors a recent move by Panera to label eco-conscious menu items, is explained by Bill Nye in TikTok videos.
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McDonald's seeks to dismiss racial discrimination lawsuit by Black former franchisees
McDonald's claims that the complaint is based on "vague and conclusory allegations" and doesn't provide viable evidence of intentional racial discrimination, breach of contract and fraud.
UPDATED: Oct. 26, 2020 at 11:26 a.m. -
Permission granted by Saladworks
Saladworks expands grocery footprint with The Giant Company
The fast-casual salad franchise already has several locations in other grocery stores, including ShopRite, and has plans for at least 10 more by early next year.
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Christopher Doering
Nestlé moves to keep rights to sell California Pizza Kitchen's frozen line
The restaurant chain wants to reject its trademark contract with the Switzerland food giant, which acquired the license in 2010 from Kraft, as part of its bankruptcy restructuring.
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Alabama Extension. (2020). "The image" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
North Carolina restaurant group wins business interruption case to recover COVID-19 losses
The group's attorney says this is the first decision in favor of a restaurant business against an insurance company claiming that the pandemic caused a "physical loss."
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Bankrupt Ruby Tuesday granted 2-month rent deferral
A judge will allow the casual chain to not pay rent for 60 days after hearing the company's plan to provide landlords with a cut of a $22.5 million retirement plan trust fund it will liquidate as part of Chapter 11 proceedings.
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Ryan McKnight / Industry Dive
Lyft, Uber ordered to reclassify California drivers, putting all eyes on Prop 22
The ruling puts added pressure on a state ballot measure that would classify app-based drivers as independent contractors.
UPDATED: Oct. 23, 2020 at 10:54 a.m. -
Photography by Gage Skidmore / Photo Illustration by Kendall Davis/Restaurant Dive
Where the presidential candidates stand on workplace issues
Restaurant Dive and HR Dive are providing an ongoing comparison of the nominees' platforms on topics such as tip credits and minimum wage.
UPDATED: Oct. 23, 2020 at 10:28 a.m.
