Operations
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Starbucks invests $100M in food, retail incubator
The coffee giant's backing of Valor Siren Ventures, a fund that will support food and technology startups, could drive innovation that would give it an edge over competitors.
By Julie Littman • March 21, 2019 -
Burger King sets rivals' ads aflame with AR app
Customers in Brazil win a free Whopper for virtually burning print and billboard ads of competitors like McDonald's.
By Robert Williams • March 21, 2019 -
Maryland legislature advances statewide EPS foam ban bill
The legislation would ban foam containers in restaurants and other food service establishments starting next summer. If signed into law, it will be the first such statewide policy in the U.S.
By Katie Pyzyk • March 21, 2019 -
Deep DiveThe blunt truth: Cannabis retail is here
It's a growth industry where the potential is high, but retailers, restaurants and consumers are on a steep learning curve.
By Daphne Howland • March 21, 2019 -
OpinionForecasting for the future: What restaurants need to calculate
Restaurants can no longer rely on just historical data to predict demand, and should carefully examine labor and inventory to grow efficiency, says Fourth CTO Christian Berthelsen.
By Christian Berthelsen • March 20, 2019 -
Denny's turns to tech, Magic Johnson for new leadership training program
The casual chain is hoping to boost recruitment and retention with programs that use different technologies to teach skills needed for employees to succeed in the restaurant industry.
By Julie Littman • March 20, 2019 -
Sandwich chain Blimpie lifts customer spending 11% with personalized offers
At 70 locations, the Mobivity-powered test issued personalized offers to customers' phones and paper receipts based on their order history.
By Robert Williams • March 20, 2019 -
Yum Brands works on science-based carbon emissions reduction targets
If Yum sets goals in accordance with Science-Based Targets Initiative standards, it would be the second restaurant group do so — but it's a heavy lift for the firm with thousands of franchised restaurants.
By Emma Cosgrove • March 19, 2019 -
IHOP to open 19 locations in Pakistan
Dine Brands joins the likes of FAT Brands, Yum and McDonald's expanding into Asia-Pacific markets hungry for convenient and affordable American eateries.
By Kevin Whiteley • March 19, 2019 -
McDonald's to improve delivery packaging, drive-thru times
Now that the chain has brought delivery to more than 9,000 U.S. locations, it aims to improve awareness and overall experience as dine-in traffic slips.
By Julie Littman • March 18, 2019 -
Buffalo Wild Wings debuts 'Jewel Stool' supporting vasectomy patients for March Madness
Part of a larger campaign, the customized barstool recognizes the uptick in surgeries that occur around the college basketball tournament.
By Erica Sweeney • March 18, 2019 -
Nearly 40% of restaurant, hospitality workers are sleep deprived
Restaurant workers that aren't getting enough sleep are more likely to be dissatisfied and look for another job, adding to the ongoing retention issues plaguing the industry.
By Kevin Whiteley • March 18, 2019 -
ColumnShift Change: Popeyes and J. Alexander's under new leadership, Wingstop adds chief growth and experience officer role
This week's Shift Change highlights exec changes at Dunkin' Brands, Wingstop, Restaurant Brands International and J. Alexander's.
By Julie Littman • March 15, 2019 -
Burger King takes on Starbucks with app-based coffee subscription service
BK Café Coffee lets users pay $5 per month — or, "the price of a large cappuccino from Starbucks"— for a daily brew.
By Peter Adams • March 15, 2019 -
Shake Shack pilots four-day work week to improve retention
Restaurants are turning to incentive programs, educational courses and other tools to hang on to their employees during a growing labor shortage.
By Julie Littman • March 15, 2019 -
Order up: Kroger announces new in-store eateries
Mariano's will open Pork & Mindy barbecue joints inside select stores while Kroger Marketplaces in Ohio will soon get outposts of the popular Rapid Fired Pizza chain.
By Lauren Manning • March 15, 2019 -
Del Frisco's forges ahead on expansion plans despite significant traffic declines
The restaurant group plans to add 11 new bartaco locations by the end of 2020, and CEO Norman Abdallah is hopeful the brand's performance will boost Double Eagle and Del Frisco's Grille's business.
By Alicia Kelso • March 14, 2019 -
DoorDash overtakes Grubhub in delivery market share
Ongoing expansion and new restaurant partnerships have paid off as the company rose from 15% share of consumer spend to over 27% in one year.
By Julie Littman • March 13, 2019 -
Delivery search engine FoodBoss gains $2M in funding
Former McDonald's CEO Don Thompson led the investment round in the platform, which allows consumers to compare delivery times and costs from major third-party aggregators like Uber Eats and Postmates.
By Kevin Whiteley • March 13, 2019 -
McDonald's bets on 'augmented writing' to curb bias in job descriptions
The tech also is expected to help hiring managers and recruiters write job descriptions that reflect the chain's brand voice.
By Valerie Bolden-Barrett • March 13, 2019 -
Uber Eats serving up virtual kitchens in Paris, Bloomberg reports
Kitchen rental companies offer restaurateurs a new way to test menu items with a smaller investment as momentum for delivery-only concepts grow.
By Julie Littman • March 13, 2019 -
Jury awards misclassified Steak 'n Shake managers $3M
As the verdict demonstrates, simply calling an employee a "manager" is not sufficient to prove that he or she is exempt from overtime requirements.
By Jennifer Carsen • March 12, 2019 -
McDonald's new gender initiative could boost recruitment and retention
The fast food chain will focus on increasing gender diversity at all levels of the company, which may make it more competitive against other brands committed to similar efforts such as Yum Brands, Starbucks and Panda Express.
By Alicia Kelso • March 12, 2019 -
Waitr looks to add reservations, loyalty programs
The delivery platform, which focuses on single-unit restaurants and independent chains, has consistently grown since its launch in 2013. But its new plans could bring it head-to-head with heavyweights like OpenTable.
By Kevin Whiteley • March 11, 2019 -
DOL proposes $35K overtime rule threshold
The proposal, which is supported by the National Restaurant Association and International Franchise Association, will have far reaching implications for the restaurant industry and give over 1 million workers access to overtime pay.
By Ryan Golden • March 08, 2019
