More Articles By Monica Rogers, Contributing Editor
- Organic Takeout: Go-To To-Go
Seattle-based restaurant chain Organic To Go has expanded its menu of "clean" American comfort foods with items like chicken pot pie and vegetarian chili to boost its catering and cafe businesses. More - Podcast: Big, Fat, Sexy CKE
CKE Restaurants makes no apologies for food upgrades that add fat and calories or for the sexy ads that sell them. The parent of Hardee's and Carl's Jr. reports 2008 same-store-sales increases of 2.5 percent for both chains. Chain Leader gets the strategic update from Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing. More - An Apple a Day at Burger King
Burger King is selling so many of its BK Fresh Apple Fries to both kids and adults that the company is thinking about offering the apples as a substitution for the fries that normally come with combo meals. More - Varietal Show: Fleming's Wine List
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar makes wine accessible to guests with an extensive by-the-glass wine list it updates every year and a flight program that provides three different tastes. More - Sushi Samba Menu: Kid Tested, Kid Approved
Sushi Samba, the nighttime hotspot known for its creative cocktails and fusion fare, has developed a kids menu that is just as sophisticated and healthful as its adult offerings. Also, a wrapup of kid favorites at other chains. More - Name Dropping at Saladworks
Saladworks’ Signature Series features salads developed by celebrity chefs such as David Burke and Hope Cohen. The Conshohocken, Pa.-based chain credits the limited-time offers for boosting sales and traffic. More - Forging Ahead at La Madeleine
With a new store prototype that streamlines traffic and takeout procedures and new management at the helm, La Madeleine is poised to make more headlines. The Dallas-based bakery-cafe chain is investing in a fresh crop of new products while contending with rising commodity prices and a sluggish economy. More - Beertending at Pub Concepts
Hospitality USA has developed 11 beer cocktails for its pub concepts that give guests another way to enjoy their brew while boosting bar sales. More - Upper Crust: Mimis Cafe's Top Fish Entrees
Macadamia-nut crusted fish dishes have become a big hit with seafood lovers at Tustin, Calif.-based Mimis Cafe. So big that the 132-unit chain has kept the crust offering on every seasonal menu since it launched last year. More - Q&A: Crab Is Joe's Middle Name
Matthew Dunn, who joined Joe's Crab Shack as director of culinary and executive chef in January, spoke to Chain Leader about his efforts to put crab back at the center of the plate and offer zesty new tastes and values. More - P.F. Chang's Beverage Menu Gets Oriented
In June P.F. Chang's China Bistro will roll out its updated beverage program of classic cocktails with an Asian spin, user-friendly wine menus, expanded non-alcoholic specialty drinks and ramped-up training. More - Limited Time Offers: Seasons Eatings
Houlihan's limited-time offers feature seasonal ingredients and show off its epicurean side. The seasonal LTOs have boosted the casual-dining chain’s food and wine sales and check averages. More - Salsarita's Gets All Souped Up
When Salsarita's Fresh Cantina began looking for ways to expand combo-meal and healthful choices, a customized build-your-own-soup program using existing ingredients and equipment was the easy answer. More - Podcast: T.G.I. Friday's Presents Best in Show
Chain Leader spoke with T.G.I. Friday's the week it launched a multimillion-dollar promotion with the Food Network. Here's what Scott Randolph, senior director of culinary and R&D, had to say about the competition and adapting the recipes to fit Friday's menus. More - Web Exclusive: Applebee's and Darden Go Green at Headquarters
While it may take a while for chain-restaurant giants Applebee's International and Darden Restaurants to go systemwide with sustainable restaurant designs, both companies have committed to green support centers. More - Ingredient Sourcing: Staying Close to Home
Wichcraft has found that buying local ingredients results in better products and cost savings. The 12-unit sandwich chain is now taking its local buying practices national, maintaining its strong ties with New York area purveyors while developing new ones on the West Coast. More - Restaurant Chains Find Sustainable Returns
Chains are trying all sorts of green programs to reduce their impact on the environment, from putting solar water-heating panels on roofs to even using worms to compost waste. While many are still testing the water, others such as McDonald's and Ted's Montana Grill are well on their way to a comprehensive strategy that saves money, energy and the Earth. More - Podcast: Independent Study
Anybody craving innkeeper Mark Dresser's Blueberry Stuffed French Toast used to have to travel to The Maples Inn in Bar Harbor, Maine, to get some. But Vicorp Restaurants' “Legendary Restaurants, Legendary Recipes” program has changed all that. More - Wildly Popular Bison Rolls Out at O'Natural's
O’Naturals wanted to find a way to keep wild bison on the menu after dropping the beef and bison burgers from its menu. So it created the Wild West sandwich, featuring wild-bison meatloaf. More - Lemon Aid for the Beverage Menu
After learning that five of its top 10 cocktails had a lemon or citrus profile, Ruth’s Chris created its own signature version of lemoncello, vodka infused with fresh lemons, to serve as the base for a dozen fusion cocktails. More
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