European Parliament approves 2021 single-use plastics ban

The new measure, which includes restrictions on cutlery, straws, cups and foam containers, could increase costs as restaurants switch to plastic alternatives. 

By Katie Pyzyk • April 1, 2019

McDonald's makes millennial black consumers top priority with extensive 'campaign movement'

"Black & Positively Golden" is the chain's most significant effort targeted at African-Americans in 16 years and specifically courts younger consumers.

By Peter Adams • April 1, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Independent restaurants

Dining room refreshes, menu innovation and other unique offerings can help independents stand out from competitors, win new customers and keep existing ones coming back. 

By Restaurant Dive staff

Fair-weather diners: How temperature influences consumer cravings

While extreme weather can hurt restaurant foot traffic, operators also should consider the impact it has on menu selection and customer mood.

By Julie Littman • March 29, 2019

Dunkin' and Peeps hit the road for spring-themed campaign

Dunkin's coffee car and the Peepsmobile will journey together through New England to dish out new marshmallow-flavored coffee and Peeps doughnuts.

By Erica Sweeney • March 29, 2019

Shift Change: CKE Restaurants, Inspire Brands, Papa John's add new C-suite execs

This week's Shift Change highlights executive promotions and additions at CKE Restaurants, Inspire Brands, Papa John's, Little Caesars, Dickey's and more.

By Julie Littman • March 29, 2019

Postmates' latest partnership brings in-app food ordering to Coachella

A collaboration with AEG Presents lets concertgoers skip concession lines and pick up food and merchandise within a few minutes.

By Kevin Whiteley • March 29, 2019

Outback to open fast casual spinoff in the US

The restaurant joins chains like The Cheesecake Factory and Cracker Barrel in branching beyond casual dining to test a new revenue model. 

By Julie Littman • March 28, 2019

ezCater acquires Monkey Group, growing its catering platform capabilities

The deal brings together two top catering tech firms, creating a more robust tool to support the growing off-premise segment. 

By Julie Littman • March 27, 2019

McDonald's will no longer fight minimum wage hikes

The fast food chain, whose average starting wage is currently about $10 per hour, says labor is its biggest challenge right now.

By Julie Littman • March 27, 2019

Papa John's struggles with 220% turnover rate for delivery drivers

Low unemployment and bad publicity have made it difficult for the national pizza chain to retain drivers, which is why it has turned to third-party delivery to supplement its workforce, according to a BTIG report. 

By Julie Littman • March 27, 2019

Bad hygiene at restaurants is a top frustration for diners, study says

More than half of diners would complain or demand a discount if they found a foreign object in their food, while another 49% would complain if it came out cold, according to a study from Big Domain. 

By Kevin Whiteley • March 26, 2019

McDonald's buys Dynamic Yield for $300M to improve drive-thru experience

The new technology will be used to roll out digital menu boards that can change depending on the weather, time of day and existing restaurant traffic, providing more personalization at the drive-thru. 

By Julie Littman • March 26, 2019

Virtual kitchen startup Keatz secures $13.5M in new funding

The Berlin-based cloud kitchen company has hefty competition in the European market, with Uber Eats and eatsa also doubling down in this segment. 

By Alicia Kelso • March 25, 2019

Wetzel's Pretzels to test delivery with virtual kitchen

The Kitchen United partnership lets the pretzel chain break free of its mall-based locations and stave off competition from Auntie Anne's, which has already made big off-premise moves. 

By Julie Littman • March 25, 2019

San Antonio Airport ban unlikely to ruffle Chick-fil-A's feathers

The hyper-popular chicken chain continues to gobble up market share and earn top scores in consumer satisfaction, despite long-standing accusations of LGBTQ discrimination.

By Kevin Whiteley • March 25, 2019

Blockchain card offers low cost payment technology for restaurants

Yosemite Card offers zero to extremely low transaction fees by removing intermediaries during the payment process, giving restaurants a new way to reduce overall operating costs.

By Julie Littman • March 22, 2019

Dunkin' and Saucony bring back doughnut-themed running shoe

Last year's Boston Marathon collaboration between the two local brands quickly sold out, prompting them to create a new limited-edition offering.

By Erica Sweeney • March 22, 2019

Shift Change: Chipotle, Papa John's add female board members; 3 Potbelly directors depart

This week's Shift Change also highlights executive news at Smoothie King and Starbucks. 

By Julie Littman • March 22, 2019

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

The 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

Forecasting 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