More Articles By Mary Boltz Chapman, Editor-in-Chief
- Cost of Arrogance
Industry leaders with an overblown sense of entitlement will miss the opportunity to learn how to maintain and even build business during tough times. More - Coffee Menu: Pairing Up
Coffeehouses and a growing list of restaurant chains are pairing high-margin coffee and espresso drinks with food the same way you choose wine to complement an entree. More - Consumers Have Bargaining Power
Coupon use is up after many years of decline, says the Promotion Marketing Association's Coupon Council, and restaurant-specific research shows a common theme. More - Menu Development: Sometimes What's Old Is New Again
Noodles & Company, the 200-unit, fast-casual restaurant chain based in Broomfield, Colo., is rolling out a new “signature dish” to its menu: Spaghetti & Meatballs. The dish debuted in Colorado in December and will reach menus nationwide this spring. Plus other old-is-new items recently added to restaurant chain menus. More - Make Your Bonus: Diversity Initiative
Develop benchmark and go-forward plan to match the gender and ethnic makeup of store-level employees with their communities. Follow equal opportunity laws at every step to ensure a fair and appropriate pipeline of candidates. More - Executive Q&A: Dunkin' Brands' Jon Luther Passes the CEO Torch
The chief executive shares insight into the decision to hire former Papa John's CEO Nigel Travis, the timing and what he'll focus on going forward at Dunkin' Brands. More - Franchisee Relations: Cold Stone Execs Take a Road Trip
For years Cold Stone Creamery held its annual franchise meeting in Las Vegas, gathering franchisees, who paid registration fees on top of traveling expenses, to share the company's plans. This year, the executive team brought the annual franchise meeting to the franchisees in a tour highlighting an ambitious vision. More - Predictions and Warnings
If you’re a regular reader, you know me as an optimist, maybe even a naive one. But not today. I don’t see good times in the near future for restaurant chains and their partners. More - Menu Development: Filling Holes
Restaurant chain Moe's Southwest Grill finds inspiration for filling gaps in its menu from several sources including food associations and other segments of the industry. More - Pizza Chains Are Built for Speed
National pizza chains see a majority of pies walk out the door. Fully 43.0 percent of fast-food customers ordering pizza on their last occasion used carryout, a 21-quarter average shows; 34.1 percent, delivery; and 18.3 percent, eat-in. More - Menu Development: Mind the Gap
Restaurant chain menu developers and their marketing partners can take the heavy analytics route to gap analysis or examine the following areas for opportunities. More - Share and Share Alike
As consumers pull back on spending and dine out less often, maybe now is the best time to share best practices with other restaurant chains. More - Customers Demand Best Food at the Best Price
It's the food, stupid. It's also the cleanliness, value, service and menu variety, as Restaurants & Institutions' Consumers' Choice in Chains reveals in detail. The annual research not only shows which chains consumers visit most often and rate the highest, it also reveals what makes up those dining decisions. More - Food Allergies: Welcoming Intolerance
Restaurant chains such as Red Robin and Biaggi's are cultivating a loyal base of customers with food allergies by offering allergen-free menus, providing information about those menus on their Web sites, and training staff to accommodate their needs. More - Supply Chain Technology: Made to Order
Church's Chicken has added a module to its Internet-based supply-chain system that automates invoice entry, saving time at the restaurant and mistakes at the distributor. More - Supply Chain Software Aids Quality and Safety
"Eat Fresh" is its slogan, and the supply chain takes it seriously. Subway uses its Internet-based supply-management system to not only bring product into its stores but to give all steps in the supply chain visibility into the process to ensure it's safe and consistent. More - Driving Traffic: Mix and Match
From sending an e-mail newsletter to a small group of loyal customers to running new menu specials, restaurant chains are combining different tactics to increase customer counts. Chain Leader’s exclusive Driving Traffic research. More - Research Report: Keep Customers Coming
This year the question is more relevant than ever: How do you get more customers coming through the doors? Operators use many methods, from sending an e-mail newsletter to a small group of loyal guests to airing a national television campaign. But which methods are the best investments? More - For the Defense
If I had a nickel for every time I heard or read someone say, “I don’t eat in chains,” I could take you out to a nice dinner at Morton’s. First of all, they are obviously lying or incredibly ignorant. Come on—no Starbucks, no McDonald’s, no Olive Garden, ever? Impossible. More - Over the Counter: Takeout Trends
Dinner comprises 54.8 percent of fast-food users' carryout occasions, according to a 21-quarter average from Quick-Track, a quarterly survey by San Clemente, Calif.-based Sandelman & Associates. The evening meal makes up 48.4 percent of all QSR users' most recent purchase occasions. More
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