From free cheesecake to dollar drinks, casual dining shifts focus to millennials

The Cheesecake Factory gave away 40,000 free slices of cheesecake through DoorDash Wednesday, but it remains to be seen if the promotion will drive growth for the casual chain. 

By Julie Littman • Dec. 6, 2018

Shake Shack owner nixes fast casual model at NYC pizzeria

After 15 months as an upscale fast casual restaurant, Union Square Hospitality Group's Martina will switch to a more traditional table-service model.

By Kristine Sherred • Dec. 5, 2018

Strong Thanksgiving dining spend signals growth through New Year's

Spending was up 4.1% Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, with quick-service restaurants posting strong market share fueled by mobile offerings. 

By Julie Littman • Dec. 4, 2018

Beyond value menus, fast food prices inching closer to fast casual

What once was a 30% price difference between chains like Shake Shack and McDonald's has plunged to 8%, as fast food contends with higher wages and food costs amid sluggish traffic.

By Kristine Sherred • Dec. 4, 2018

Wind to power more than 1,000 Starbucks stores

The coffee giant has invested $325 million in a wind farm as part of its goal to operate all of its locations with renewable energy.

By Julie Littman • Dec. 3, 2018

Asian grocerant Be-Se-To coming to Maryland next year

The two-story retailer/restaurant hybrid includes a Korean restaurant, a Korean-style Japanese restaurant, a Korean-style Chinese restaurant, and a Korean dessert shop.

By Krishna Thakker • Dec. 3, 2018

Tock snags $9.5M in funding, further upending reservation game

With nearly 1,000 restaurant clients in two dozen countries, Chicago-based Tock now has more funding than Resy, which acquired Reserve last month.

By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 30, 2018

Dunkin' hit by online data breach

Hackers used information from other company data breaches to gain access to DD Perks accounts, as well as customer names, emails and passwords.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 30, 2018

McDonald's extends renovations deadline to 2022

As tensions with franchisees rise, the chain will let operators delay remodeling — which includes self-order kiosks and extra drive-thru lanes — but at a cost.

By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 29, 2018

Cracker Barrel navigates guest satisfaction issues as off-premise business grows

During its latest earnings report, the company noted sales and check increases buoyed in part by off-premise growth, but traffic continued to decline. 

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 29, 2018

Baskin-Robbins scoops up redesign to sweeten customer engagement

The ice cream chain's new concept store in California includes a frozen treat menu, more comfortable seating and unique location-specific artwork.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 29, 2018

Auntie Anne's hits the pavement with food trucks

The pretzel chain has built a fleet of two dozen trucks since 2013 and even more street-side carts and standalone shops in a quest to find customers where they are.

By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 28, 2018

Abuelo's CMO dishes on social influencers and scooping up the growing Gen Z market

The Tex-Mex chain's Renae Scott discusses influencer marketing's challenges and opportunities and what success looks like to the company.

By Jacqueline Renfrow • Nov. 28, 2018

Restaurants adapt menus daily in wake of romaine recall

Alternative leafy greens are in high demand as chains try to swap out the recalled lettuce, but some companies are facing high prices and trouble securing daily supplies. 

By Julie Littman • Nov. 28, 2018

NYC salmonella cases drop after public letter grades, study says

Research shows that since the scoring system was implemented, outbreaks dropped more than 5% in the city, and now 71% of restaurants earn A's. 

By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 27, 2018

QSRs to grow 4.6% globally by 2022, bolstered by consumer demand

North America leads the quick-service segment, but growth in Asia and Europe will revive the category as global diners push for unique experiences in convenient packages.

By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 27, 2018

Restaurants embrace LTOs, add-ons to spice up slim menus

Chains across categories have cut back long menus in favor of specialty sauces and extras like shrimp and grilled chicken add-ons, offering customers variety without overburdening the ingredient list.

By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 26, 2018

How will restaurants contend with rising minimum wages?

About 20 states are set to increase their minimum wage on Jan. 1, including Arkansas and Missouri, which turned out a record number of voters. 

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 21, 2018

How can restaurant operators improve toxic kitchen cultures?

According to research from advocacy group FairKitchens, 1 in 4 back-of-house workers have reported physical abuse on the job, and nearly two-thirds of chefs suffer from depression. 

By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 21, 2018

Jack in the Box franchisees dispute lease restructuring to new property company

The franchisee association alleges the burger chain's proposed strategy to move leases under a new property company could leave owners high and dry.

By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 20, 2018

Chipotle rehires manager who asked black men to prepay

The incident sparked extensive discussion on Twitter and elsewhere, with some comparing it to an April incident at a Philadelphia Starbucks.

By Ryan Golden • Nov. 20, 2018

Panera intensifies breakfast competition by adding delivery

The fast casual giant, which began delivery in 2014, announced it will add breakfast delivery to 381 cafes for orders of $5 or more. 

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 19, 2018

A former Chipotle HR exec shares lessons learned — and what's next

In our latest "Exit Interview," Mike Ferguson discusses why he prioritizes development, draws on the employee experience and values the ridiculous.

By Kathryn Moody • Nov. 19, 2018

Survey: Restaurant remodels still cost less than building from the ground up

Median costs for a brand-new restaurant land around $650,000 versus $425,000 to retrofit a space for foodservice, yet profits end up equal, according to a survey of 580 operators.

By Kristine Sherred • Nov. 16, 2018

Famous Dave's explores virtual kitchen models

The company is scouting locations in California and Minneapolis that would be dedicated solely to catering and delivery. 

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 16, 2018