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 8, 2019

Resy in serious talks with potential buyer, Recode reports

An acquisition of one of the largest reservation platforms could provide more space for rising stars Yelp and Google to carve a strong niche in the segment. 

By Julie Littman • March 7, 2019

Yum China's Innovation Center could help fend off US transplants

The Yum Brands spinoff believes product experimentation is key to its success in the fast-changing market, where American heavyweights Shake Shack and Starbucks are testing their own new concepts. 

By Kevin Whiteley • March 7, 2019

Toast's new offerings reflect tech's growing role in customer experience

The platform has launched a suite of new features, including Toast Guest Feedback, which allows restaurants to respond to guest reviews in real-time.

By Alicia Kelso • March 6, 2019

Mario Batali is no longer in the restaurant business

The celebrity chef has given up his stake in Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group following backlash incited by sexual misconduct allegations, and will no longer profit from the 16 restaurants the firm manages.

By Julie Littman • March 6, 2019

Papa Gino's, D'Angelo see 14x response rate for SMS offers

A mobile campaign with Mobivity's Recurrency platform drove more than 25,000 transactions and $125,000 in attributable revenue.

By Robert Williams • March 6, 2019

Famous Dave's to test ghost restaurant, virtual kitchen concepts

The barbecue chain joins Red Robin, Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's as it rolls out delivery-only concepts to strengthen its off-premise push.  

By Julie Littman • March 6, 2019

Habit Burger to open more drive-thrus this year

Car service will hit more than 20 locations, following moves by Chipotle and Panera as the fast casual category looks to capture more customers on the go.

By Julie Littman • March 5, 2019

Papa John's founder John Schnatter agrees to resign from board

A settlement signals the beginning of the end of a yearlong dispute between the ousted founder and corporate, which could allow the pizza chain to put greater focus on new marketing efforts.

By Julie Littman • March 5, 2019

Dunkin' trolls McDonald's over Donut Sticks launch

The coffee chain mockingly tweeted "blueprints" of new donut packaging, which emulate the burger giant's Big Mac box, suggesting McDonald's copied its Donut Fries offering.

By Kevin Whiteley • March 5, 2019

Restaurants need to incorporate apps to keep a seat at the table

As ordering online increases, eateries need to change their strategies related to customer flow, menus, real estate and data, says Ritual CEO Ray Reddy. 

By Ray Reddy • March 4, 2019

Shift Change: Wingstop's CXO leaves; Salata adds chief development officer

The latest installment of Shift Change highlights executive changes at Wingstop, Salata Salad Kitchen, Robeks and Pancheros Mexican Grill.

By Julie Littman • March 1, 2019

Domino's value offerings protect it from third-party delivery threat, report says

While rivals Pizza Hut and Papa John's test the waters with outside delivery partners, Domino's is still focusing on in-house technology to improve its efficiency and guest experience.

By Julie Littman • Feb. 28, 2019

Panda Express adds plant-based options following PETA petitions

Responding to activist pressure, the nation's largest Chinese food chain will remove chicken broth and animal seasonings from several dishes such as chow mein and eggplant tofu.

By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 27, 2019

Delivery throws restaurants a lifeline during extreme weather

Heat waves and snow storms can cripple sales for restaurants that rely on dine-in traffic, but delivery partnerships can help squeeze new growth opportunities out of inclement conditions. 

By Julie Littman • Feb. 27, 2019

Presto, ShiftOne gain new funding for employee retention technology

Presto will put $30 million in new investments toward its AI platform, and ShiftOne will use its additional $2.6 million to bring new features to its scheduling system as demand for staffing forecasting grows. 

By Kevin Whiteley • Feb. 27, 2019

Shake Shack overhauling enterprise systems with 'Project Concrete'

The burger chain is investing in automated business processes to eliminate administrative manual tasks.

By Samantha Schwartz • Feb. 27, 2019

Uber Eats strengthens position in UK delivery, plans to leave India

Ahead of a potential IPO, the aggregator is gunning for more market share in the U.K., while it pulls out of other overseas markets to help turn a profit.

By Julie Littman • Feb. 26, 2019

Burger King, KFC revamp brand mascots as chicken rivalry heats up

Burger King has debuted the "K.F.G.," or King of Flame Grilling — which mocks Colonel Sanders — while KFC rolls out a RoboCop iteration of its mascot.

By Erica Sweeney • Feb. 25, 2019

Shift Change: Shake Shack beefs up c-suite; PDQ adds first CMO

The latest installment of Shift Change highlights executive changes at Shake Shack, PDQ, REGO Restaurant Groups and Wendy's.

By Julie Littman • Feb. 22, 2019

Baskin-Robbins sees 12% lift in store visits from Spotify ads

The ice cream chain matched 430,000 U.S. store visits to an audio ad via new measurement partner Placed.

By Robert Williams • Feb. 22, 2019

GetSwift's farm-to-table, scheduling tech deals solidify its last-mile offering

As more companies look to improve their delivery operations, they have found that they also need staffing solutions such as scheduling to go along with it.  

Feb. 22, 2019