Former master franchisee of Auntie Anne's Pretzels writes about the obstacles he faced that "will make anyone in business laugh, cringe and think twice about doing business in Asia …

Franchisees cite uncertainty of tax policies, cost of implementing new health care rules and rising cost of energy as major concerns for the coming year.

Expect mobile and human resources technology to grow significantly.

The results of this year's list show that franchising is on the upswing after several tough years.

Wheat prices drop more than 20 cents in a week.

Digital technologies will be a major focus in the New Year.

Commodities, rebranding efforts and social media initiatives are also big non-food stories from this year.

Cheese prices continue to fall.

Chicken pizza toppings have increased 26 percent in the past three years.

The new restaurant introduces a new design that will serve as the prototype for future Loop locations.

The average cost of a data breach for non-PCI compliance is $80,000.

The top trends of 2012 will carry into the new year.

Shares drop 10 percent after the company updates its Q4 and 2013 growth.

Every frustration that you eliminate from your restaurant's website removes a barrier that stops a visitor from becoming your customer.

'Fast Food Forward' movement is growing slowly through volunteer, social media efforts.

There are three things restaurant owners can learn from rewards programs at casinos.

Takeout, dine-in, curbside and catering are all very different products and services and your customers will come for each of these reasons if you do a good job at designing the experiences.

Gas prices stay relatively stable through the holiday weekend.

With almost 50 percent of all searches for restaurants being done by mobile devices, a mobile marketing strategy is no longer just a good idea, but a means for future survival.

With its new solution, Boloco guests can play games while they wait for their food.