Corporate
-
Peet's expands Order Ahead service
The chain's customers can now buy coffee, food and beans for pickup through its mobile app, joining a throng of coffeehouses doubling down on convenience.
By Lauren Manning • April 18, 2019 -
Taco Bell pens open letter pushing fans to take down Taco Tuesday
The "Taco reBELLion" campaign appears to parody the recent spate of cause-driven, politically charged marketing from other brands.
By Peter Adams • April 18, 2019 -
ColumnShift Change: McDonald's hires franchise exec; Chick-fil-A adds new board members
This week's Shift Change highlights executive changes at McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Dutch Bros Coffee, El Pollo Loco, CKE Restaurants and Black Bear Diner.
By Julie Littman • April 18, 2019 -
McDonald's cutting premium burgers from menu
Following its reduction to its late-night menu, the fast food chain is cutting its Signature Crafted Recipes from its menu, a strategy that falls in line with its desire to shorten drive-thru times.
By Julie Littman • April 17, 2019 -
Dunkin' pilots multi-tender options for loyalty program
Allowing customers to earn rewards no matter how they pay should keep the brand competitive while Starbucks and others revamp their programs to make it easier to earn points.
By Lauren Manning • April 17, 2019 -
OpinionMcDonald's bets personalization will keep diners lovin' it
The fast food giant's $300 million acquisition of Dynamic Yield reflects growing diner demand for engaging, digitally tailored brand interactions, says Wi5 CEO Prask Sutton.
By Prask Sutton • April 16, 2019 -
Restaurants adding surcharges to cover healthcare costs
Despite the added price, diners have been willing to pay additional fees that go toward employees' healthcare costs, paid time off and other benefits.
By Alicia Kelso • April 16, 2019 -
OpinionBurger King plans to treat chickens better, and now they're going plant-based. Where's McDonald's?
Improving its animal welfare standards and introducing more vegetarian options could drive profits and protect against public backlash, says Kenny Torrella, VP of public engagement at Mercy for Animals.
By Kenny Torella • April 15, 2019 -
McDonald's cage-free egg progress signals an industry sea change
The chain claims to be 33% cage-free on its way to reach 100% by 2025, and analysts predict the move will bring these egg costs down.
By Alicia Kelso • April 12, 2019 -
Column
Shift Change: Kona Grill appoints interim CEO; Subway gets a new CIO
This week's Shift Change highlights executive changes at Subway, Kona Grill and Farmer Boys.
By Julie Littman • April 12, 2019 -
Papa Murphy's acquired by MTY Food Group for $190M
The sale will give the take-and-bake pizza chain new capital investments that could help top line sales growth and increase franchisee profitability.
By Julie Littman • April 11, 2019 -
Q&AJeni Britton Bauer on how simple goals can create a splendid brand
The founder of Jeni's Spendid Ice Creams shares what it takes to build a brand into a cult favorite, how to encourage creativity and what to look for in a team.
By Emma Liem • April 10, 2019 -
Dig Inn lands $20M led by Danny Meyer-backed investor, will expand into full-service
The farm-to-table plans to open a sit-down location in New York City, in a move that bucks the industry trend of casual dining chain's launching fast casual concepts to drive growth.
By Kevin Whiteley • April 10, 2019 -
Burger King sues to end franchise agreement after rat video surfaces
The fast food chain wants operator Fritz Management to stop using its brand name in 37 locations in Texas, claiming negative media attention following viral videos of rodents in a kitchen, are causing sales to decline.
By Alicia Kelso • April 09, 2019 -
Activist investor wants to take over J. Alexander's for $186M
The causal chain rejected the offer from Ancora Advisors, which owns 1.3 million shares of the company, saying the proposal would undermine shareholder value.
By Lauren Manning • UPDATED: April 12, 2019 at 9:54 a.m. -
Former Land O'Lakes CIO joins Subway amid leadership shake ups
Mike Marcie is joining Subway as it battles for relevance in a saturated fast food market and undergoes a leadership shuffle.
By Samantha Ann Schwartz • April 09, 2019 -
Benihana enters sports arenas with AEG partnership
The restaurant is bringing its teppanyaki tables and performing chefs to 400- and 550-square-foot units in Dignity Health Sports Park and Sprint Center as casual chains look to nontraditional channels for growth.
By Kevin Whiteley • April 08, 2019 -
Taco Bell launches 'hiring parties' to beef up labor force
The Mexican QSR is using a different approach to hire workers in a tight labor market, hosting 600 events where prospective workers can partake in on-the-spot interviews and speak with employees and managers.
By Emma Liem • April 05, 2019 -
Column
Shift Change: Kona Grill, Red Robin CEOs depart
This week's Shift Change highlights executive changes at Red Robin, Vitality Bowls, Kona Grill, Little Caesars and more.
By Julie Littman • April 05, 2019 -
McDonald's cuts down late-night menu
The fast food chain's move is in line with its overall strategy to increase efficiencies and reduce its reliance on labor.
By Julie Littman • April 05, 2019 -
Red Robin's CEO retires amid brand overhaul
Denny Marie Post exits the casual dining chain after eight years of executive leadership, leaving only two other women CEOs in the public restaurant space.
By Julie Littman • April 04, 2019 -
Subway launches sandwich created with Tastemade data
The media brand's data-driven insights will help the chain offer locally relevant menu items for U.S. diners, such as the Green Goddess Tuna Melt.
By Lauren Manning • April 04, 2019 -
McDonald's invests $3.7M in app developer
The fast food chain's latest move will give it a competitive edge with access to new technology that will enhance the customer experience and drive sales.
By Julie Littman • April 02, 2019 -
Deep DiveCrashing the C-suite ceiling: How female restaurant leaders are pushing for more diversity
Even though more women work in the restaurant industry than men, fewer are at the executive level. Brands like Auntie Anne's, Red Lobster, Starbucks and McDonald's hope to change that.
By Julie Littman • April 01, 2019 -
Darden's animal welfare policy focuses on antibiotic reduction, better treatment
Drawing on consumer concerns, major chains like McDonald's and The Cheesecake Factory have started to switch to antibiotic-free meat and institute policies that reduce harm to animals.
By Lauren Manning • April 01, 2019
