Operations
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Moriah Solomon. (2021). [Photograph]. Retrieved from Unsplash.
CDC: On-site restaurant dining leads to increase rate of COVID-19 cases, deaths
The National Restaurant Association criticized the the latest research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calling it "an ill-informed attack on the industry hardest-hit by the pandemic."
By Alicia Kelso • March 08, 2021 -
Uber Eats' US and Canada head leaves after 6 months
Sarfraz Maredia, current leader of Uber's rides division in the U.S. and Canada, will take on the position vacated by Stephane Ficaja.
By Emma Liem Beckett • March 08, 2021 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Moriah Solomon. (2021). [Photograph]. Retrieved from Unsplash.
TrendlineThe Restaurant Dive Outlook on 2021
After a year that turned the restaurant industry upside down, operators are using technology investments, acquisitions and innovative design to stake their claim in a changed environment.
By Restaurant Dive staff -
Panda Express opens first ghost kitchen in San Francisco
The delivery-only location is Panda's initial step in offering faster dining solutions for off-premise guests, with plans to test more concepts this year.
By Julie Littman • March 05, 2021 -
Applebee's launches ghost kitchen pilot in 3 cities
The ghost kitchens cropping up in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Miami are expected to help online delivery demand where the casual chain doesn't have a strong presence.
By Alicia Kelso • March 04, 2021 -
Julie Littman/Restaurant Dive
Domino's, Papa John's sales soar on pandemic delivery demand, but complications loom
Both chains reported double-digit same-store sales growth last year, but delivery aggregators' growing market share could complicate strategies when pizza sales return to normal levels.
By Julie Littman • March 04, 2021 -
Wendy's expects to reach 8K units globally by 2025
With a growing emphasis on nontraditional locations like drive-thru only units and dark kitchens, the QSR expects to open 250 stores globally in 2021.
By Julie Littman • March 04, 2021 -
Postmates' robotics division splits off, becomes Serve Robotics
Serve Robotics closed its first funding round and will continue to develop and operate autonomous delivery robots in urban markets as it pursues new partnerships.
By Emma Liem Beckett • March 03, 2021 -
Thai Phi Le/Restaurant Dive
Chipotle to settle 2017 overtime dispute with $15M payout
Plaintiffs alleged Chipotle switched employees who were eligible for overtime back to "exempt" status while an injunction related to the The Fair Labor Standards Act, which expanded overtime rules, was in place.
By Alicia Kelso • March 03, 2021 -
Texas, Mississippi and Massachusetts reopen dining rooms at 100% capacity
The states cite a reduction in cases and hospitalization rates and increased access to vaccines as cause for removing restrictions, but a CDC official says it may be too soon.
By Julie Littman • March 03, 2021 -
DoorDash
CFO of still-unprofitable DoorDash shares growth plans, investments
The takeout and delivery app with a 48% market monopoly is investing in food preparation robots, its subscription program and partnerships with commercial retailers, Prabir Adarkar said, after its first earnings report as a public company.
By Jane Thier • March 02, 2021 -
Shake Shack borrows $225M to support expansion plans
The funding will be used to aid opening additional units, new store formats and drive-thrus, as well as improvements to the digital guest experience and further investments in talent development.
By Julie Littman • March 02, 2021 -
Retrieved from Bojangles/Business Wire on March 02, 2021
Bojangles' largest franchisee plots 45-unit expansion
Operator Jeff Rigsby of BOJ of WNC will develop restaurants in his existing markets of Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee, as well as move into Columbus, Ohio.
By Julie Littman • March 02, 2021 -
McDonald's mulls partial sale of AI company Dynamic Yield
Following franchisee complaints, the fast food giant is evaluating the tech company's drive-thru performance and could sell the part that works with outside retailers.
By Alicia Kelso • UPDATED: March 1, 2021 at 5 p.m. -
Steak 'n Shake's eyes self-service kiosks in QSR conversion
The chain hopes to generate better profitability in its dining rooms as it moves away from a high-cost, slow production full-service model.
By Julie Littman • March 01, 2021 -
Packaging manufacturers compete for raw materials as takeout shakes up foodservice
There has been "an increased use of tamper-evident and tamper-resistant packaging, designed to protect food and beverage when it’s on the go," said Natha Dempsey, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute.
By Jen A. Miller • Feb. 26, 2021 -
Retrieved from Papa John's/Business Wire on February 26, 2021
Product innovation propels Papa John's growth in 2020
Following the release of four new products, the pizza chain posted same-store sales growth of 17.6% in North America last year driven by higher check and transactions.
By Julie Littman • Feb. 26, 2021 -
Courtesy of California Pizza Kitchen
As restaurants recover, their success formula will change
Off-premise innovations like ghost kitchens will characterize the industry going forward, a Duff & Phelps analysis says.
By Robert Freedman • Feb. 24, 2021 -
Cracker Barrel to test virtual chicken and biscuits brand as off-premise grows 78%
The company has been operating its ghost kitchen facility in Indianapolis since the fall and plans to launch the concept from the location this week.
By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 24, 2021 -
88% of restaurants considering swapping to digital menus, survey says
Seventy-six percent of operators plan to continue offering contactless payment options this year as well, Square's Future of Restaurants 2021 report shows.
By Julie Littman • Feb. 24, 2021 -
Industry Dive
Remote Chipotle ERG will support minority mentorship program
The group, which will hold virtual roundtable discussions and quarterly diversity and inclusion training, builds on the fast casual chain's past efforts to make talent development more accessible.
By Ryan Golden • Feb. 24, 2021 -
White Castle ghost kitchen to stay closed until late spring
The fast food chain originally planned to resume its operations in Orlando, Florida, for online pickup orders on Thursday, but now says its current location is too small to sustain demand.
By Julie Littman • UPDATED: Feb. 26, 2021 at 11:05 a.m. -
Julie Littman/Restaurant Dive
California fines Burgerim $4M, orders it to refund franchise fees
The chain sold franchises to 1,550 operators who paid $57.7 million in fees, according to a complaint by the state, but didn't deliver the refunds it promised to many franchisees.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Feb. 24, 2021 -
Steak 'n Shake dodges bankruptcy, sues lender for alleged takeover scheme
The chain claims Fortress Investment Group used confidential financial information to try and buy Steak 'n Shake's loans, push it into bankruptcy and acquire it through a credit bid.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Feb. 23, 2021 -
Permission granted by Yelp
Yelp adds takeout features, enhanced analytics to Waitlist
The latest updates to the company's restaurant products include guest profiles and POS integration, which give users more data on operational performance, customer preferences and ordering behavior.
By Julie Littman • Feb. 23, 2021 -
Retrieved from Lazy Dog on February 19, 2021
Dramatic layoffs 'kindest' approach to pandemic, Lazy Dog CFO says
Innovations like a retro-styled TV dinner helped boost kitchen productivity and gave employees more hours, Robert Linder said.
By Robert Freedman • Feb. 22, 2021
