Businesses can only expect limited boost from stimulus checks: Fed study

Households have channeled federal stimulus checks primarily towards savings or reducing debt, giving businesses just a limited lift from consumer spending, according to the New York Federal Reserve.

By Jim Tyson • April 28, 2021

Starbucks' digital success partially driven by AI engine, CEO Kevin Johnson says

Deep Brew personalizes diner offers to secure loyalty and drive more frequent engagement. Though transactions were down 10% for Q2, ticket prices rose 22%.

By Emma Liem Beckett • April 28, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Menu development

Restaurants big and small are experimenting with their menus to align with the preferences of on-the-go diners and mitigate the impact of rising food costs, supply chain disruption and shrinking consumer discretionary funds. 

By Restaurant Dive staff

Consumer habits: Lessons learned during a year of uncertainty

Explore feedback from consumers across North America to understand how their priorities have changed.

April 26, 2021

Study: 39% of married parents would spend more at a restaurant with a loyalty program

Married parents would also purchase more at restaurants if they could order and pay digitally, while single parents are more likely to order more through curbside pickup, research from PYMNTS and Paytronix finds.

By Alicia Kelso • April 23, 2021

Deliverect lands another $65M in funding, 1 year after raising $18M

The tech company will use the cash infusion to support further R&D, solidify its position in the U.S. and continue its international expansion.

By Alicia Kelso • April 21, 2021

Toast adds enhanced tools to contactless order and pay platform

The new options aim to cut overhead costs while allowing guests to create group orders from individual devices and place it onto one check, as well as start a tab on their own.

By Alicia Kelso • April 15, 2021

Report: 37% of diners order delivery from the channel with the lowest fees

Research from BentoBox and The Infatuation also finds that nearly 50% of diners would order delivery directly from a restaurant if it's an easy process. 

By Alicia Kelso • April 12, 2021

OpenTable opens 1st restaurant as innovation lab

The reservation platform's brick-and-mortar eatery is located inside Kayak Miami Beach — the first hotel from sister company Kayak— and will be used to hone diner data and develop new technology. 

By Alicia Kelso • April 8, 2021

Restaurants could see up to 30% check boost from latest stimulus, Rabobank predicts

This forecast is double what the previous two rounds of stimulus checks provided restaurants. During the four weeks immediately after those payments were made, restaurant spending was up 10% to 15%.

By Alicia Kelso • April 7, 2021

Noodles & Company's new CFO talks how ghost kitchens, drive-thrus will shape the chain's future

Carl Lukach, who started at the chain in November, says 70% to 80% of the stores built this year will have a drive-thru pickup window.

By Julie Littman • March 29, 2021

Miami 1 year later: Sunshine, loose restrictions spark restaurant real estate frenzy

The city's balmy climate and open space — combined with the local government's relatively loose COVID-19 limits — insulated its dining scene from the level of revenue disruption suffered by markets like New York City.

By Emma Liem Beckett • March 26, 2021

Washington, DC, 1 year later: Restaurants hammered by protests, insurrection and inauguration restrictions

While other major restaurant cities struggled to survive pandemic restrictions, District operators also had to contend with government-mandated curfews amid widespread protests and the fallout of the Capitol riot. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • March 24, 2021

Chicago 1 year later: Winter froze restaurant sales amid strict restrictions

Brutally cold weather is a staple of life in Illinois' restaurant capital, but the coronavirus forced many operators into hibernation, risking the future of one of the most impactful industries in the region.

By Julie Littman • March 22, 2021

Los Angeles 1 year later: Restaurants feel abandoned amid 'random' restrictions

California's aggressive response to the COVID-19 outbreak — including two rounds of months-long outdoor dining bans — put pressure on LA restaurants' bottom lines despite state and county aid.

By Emma Liem Beckett • March 19, 2021

New York City 1 year later: Restaurants faced a 'one-two punch'

Restaurants in the Big Apple dealt with constantly shifting dining room regulations and a tough winter climate on top of declining sales related to the pandemic.

By Julie Littman • March 17, 2021

Restaurant job growth, sales boost from stimulus checks hint at recovery

The $1,400 stimulus checks that are part of President Joe Biden's COVID-19 relief package could lift restaurant sales by low- to mid-single digits for up to seven weeks, per Bloomberg Intelligence.

By Alicia Kelso • March 9, 2021

In for a treat: Work these trends into your 2021 menus

From Spanish stews to infused seltzers, here are the top 2021 food trends and flavors you won't want to miss.  

March 1, 2021

McDonald's, Yum Brands sign global partnerships with Beyond Meat

The word "exclusive" doesn't appear in either announcement, which could mean the door is open for other plant-based partnerships as the chains ramp up their offerings in the category.

By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 26, 2021

Will Clubhouse be the next social media platform for marketers?

The parent company of Burger King and Popeyes jumped on the buzzy app last week, opening the possibility of another digital channel for brands to utilize.

By Chris Kelly • Feb. 18, 2021

Report: Loyalty customers spend more than twice as much on takeout meals

The spending disparity between loyalty members and non-members reflects why so many major brands, including Taco Bell, Wendy's and White Castle, have added or enhanced their loyalty programs during the pandemic.

By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 17, 2021

McDonald's escalates chicken sandwich wars with merch drop

A capsule collection for the new Crispy Chicken Sandwich includes a hoodie and a vinyl record with a track that will be in the chain's advertising.

By Robert Williams • Feb. 17, 2021

Starbucks is testing 100% plant-based menu at a Seattle location

The chain develops plant-based products at its R&D lab before testing them at the store, CEO Kevin Johnson said during the company's Q1 earnings call. 

By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 3, 2021

McDonald's plans to open nearly 500 restaurants in US and IOM segments in 2021

The chain called new restaurant development an "important driver of our growth" during its recent Q4 earnings call. McDonald's will also spend $500 million to modernize 1,200 existing locations. 

By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 1, 2021

NRA: Restaurant sales will rise 11% in 2021 after 24% dip last year

Bars and taverns suffered the most in 2020 with a sales decline of 65%, while full-service decreased 30%, according to the National Restaurant Association's 2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Report. 

By Julie Littman • Jan. 26, 2021

Survey: 26% of consumers currently comfortable dining indoors

A new report from HealthCare Insider finds that comfort levels about dining at a restaurant differ by gender and geographic location, with men 40% more likely than women to feel comfortable eating indoors by spring. 

By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 25, 2021