Cracks in restaurant industry widening due to labor shortage

June 30, 2021

Though the latest restaurant industry data from Black Box Intelligence shows sales grew again for the 14th straight week industry-wide, limited-service didn't…

RFIS 2021 Sponsor Preview: Guardian Protection

Guardian Protection is a premier provider of smart security and automation solutions for multi-location organizations nationwide. Guardian offers 24/7 alarm…

Papa John's plans 250 German stores in 7 years

June 29, 2021

Papa John's is not only expanding into Germany, but doing so in a very big way, with plans to work with franchise partner, PJ Western Group, to open 250 units…

Chick-fil-A earns 7th annual customer satisfaction win as Subway slips down the rankings

June 29, 2021

The annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Restaurant Study again — for the seventh straight year — crowned Chick-fil-A with the award for tops in…

Donatos uses delivery-only kitchens to grow in Nashville

June 29, 2021

Donatos has partnered with Reef Kitchens to expand its presence in Nashville, where the brand already has a location in Midtown and nearby in Murfreesboro. But…

Creator of 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' co-creates drive-thru pizzeria

June 29, 2021

Scott Godino Jr., the founder of B.A.R. (Born And Raised) restaurant concept in Las Vegas, has partnered with Anthony E. Zuiker, who created the TV franchise…

RFIS 2021 Sponsor Preview: Eagle Eye Networks

The Eagle Eye Cloud VMS provides 100% cloud management including mobile and web browser viewing. Traditional camera systems have been costly and challenging…

Robot barista lands $10M for national rollout

June 28, 2021

Botrista Technology Inc., the company behind the drink-making robot —Botrista DrinkBot — has raised $10 million to ramp up national deployment of the…

Using digital in an uncertain marketplace: What Pizza Inn learned

by Douglas Kwong — VP of Marketing, Rave Restaurant Group

Pizza makers were fortunate in becoming the food of the pandemic. That was both a blessing and a curse.

RFIS 2021 Sponsor Preview: Voxie

Voxie is the conversational text marketing leader that helps retailers and restaurants connect with and learn from their customers to drive significantly more…

Gimbal’s Matthew Russo explains how location-based marketing can improve services and revenue

Diners come to expect experiences that are catered to them. How can restaurants understand a diner’s context, preferences, and real-world movement to better…

Mountain Mike's opens San Bernardino County store

June 25, 2021

Mountain Mike's Pizza is opening its first Upland, California, location in San Bernardino's Upland Village Plaza near Burlington.

Restaurant running short of workers? Experts say brands must look within for answers

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

While many believe the answers to the current labor issues in the restaurant industry lie in bringing vast amounts of new workers into the restaurant sector…

Texas, Tennessee lawsuits trigger cancellation of restaurant revitalization money

June 25, 2021

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, established to help commercial foodservice businesses recover financial losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic, has been…

QSRs beating casual dining brands at loyalty game

June 24, 2021

Nearly half (47%) of restaurant customers use at least one loyalty program, according to "Delivering on Restaurant Rewards," a report co-authored by Paytronix…

RFIS 2021 Sponsor Preview: Viking Cloud

Viking Cloud (formerly NuArx, Inc.) is transforming the way organizations approach cyber defense. Our customer-centric SaaS solutions enable cutting-edge ways…

Papa Murphy's design focuses on in-store customer

June 24, 2021

Vancouver, Washington-based Papa Murphy's is launching two major rebranding initiatives — a "Kitchen Delite" store design, created to enhance in-store…

Mici's glorious, 'gut-wrenching,' 1st-person story of starting to franchise

by Elliot Schiffer — Ceo, Mici

It's your baby. It's your life's work. It's your living. And now you're opening up your brand to franchising and all that entails. Mici's Partner and CEO…

Little Caesars to add 25 Charlotte stores in 3 years

June 23, 2021

Little Caesars will add 25 units in the Charlotte, North Carolina market by 2024, substantially increasing the brand's current footprint there of nearly 4…

Little Caesars' hosting National Detroit-style Pizza Day deal

June 23, 2021

Just in case you haven't been keeping up, here's your reminder that Wednesday is National Detroit-Style Pizza Day. Detroit-based Little Caesars is honoring it…