2 national chains show how to do good by just doing business

April 7, 2017

Uncle Maddio's and Jersey Mike's are sharing their success with organizations committed to helping people in their communities. Autism, for example, is at the…

It's spring in restaurantland and the stores are sprouting

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

At least four chains have announced plans for major growth initiatives, proving that expansion is the order of the day in the pizza and quick-serve sectors.

Pressure grows to make restaurant kiosks 'disability-friendly'

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

A recent lawsuit on behalf of a blind customer against Eatsa, a restaurant that uses self-order kiosks, has put the kiosk industry in the spotlight.

Hot Heads & Rapid Fired Pizza founder on a regional growth approach

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

Hot Heads Burritos founder, Ray Wiley, is on a roll again, this time with a fast pizza concept, called Rapid Fired. The chain has taken a regional approach to…

Cowboy Chicken, Elevation Burger execs: Pay supply chain due respect or pay consequences

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

In a world, where customers are demanding that restaurants use ethically produced, sustainable and healthful ingredients, supply chain management has grown in…

Fast insights on crisis management, leadership development and restaurant/retail partnerships

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Attendees at the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit in Dallas got down to business with fast insights in three key business management areas.

Papa John's gets 'down to earth' in the Bluegrass

April 5, 2017

Papa John's is really getting down-to-earth about its toppings this spring, beginning right in the heart of the Bluegrass State, just in time for the great…

Making mobile ordering your friend

by Nic Gray — CEO, Hyprloco

Mobile ordering is becoming a more prevalent channel that guests choose to interact with your restaurant for off-premise orders. Mobile promises to increase…

Why playing the 'right' background music increases sales

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Restaurants that play a carefully selected mix of music reflecting their cultures can increase sales by more than 9 percent, according to a 2016 study.

Food truck growth goes full throttle: Part 1

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

This four-part series explores the successes and challenges of the food truck industry, Food truck revenues have increased from $650 million in 2013 and should…

Study: UK restaurateurs need to improve customer experience

April 4, 2017

U.K. restaurateurs and retailers are not providing a rewarding customer experience despite the fact that consumers are more likely to buy if they have a…

Papa Murphy's capitalizes on nation's 'eat-at-home' trend

April 4, 2017

Take-and-bake chain, Papa Murphy’s, is angling to steal market share while the trend toward eating at home continues to sweep U.S. households. In a nod to what…

5 pizza brands explore new territories

April 4, 2017

Pizza's worldwide appeal needs no further proof than the weekly parade of pizza restaurant opening announcements. In fact, at least five established brands…

Commodities: Much joy in 'pizza-ville' as stock values soar

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

Values of the brands monitored by Pizza Marketplace soared in last week's trading. And although that news was tempered somewhat by slightly higher commodity…

DQ, Mazzio's and Rave roll out the tech to roll in the employees

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

At the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit in Dallas this week, three big restaurant companies discussed how tech is changing the way they hire and…

Exec behind 'Best Sports Commercial' of all time is new Marco's CMO

April 3, 2017

Marco's Pizza has named veteran marketing executive Steve Seyferth as its new CMO, according to a news release. Seyferth has a background that includes leading…

C-Speak: PDQ president using tech to get rid of the back office

PDQ President Steve Erickson and David Cantu, co-founder of HotSchedules, discuss how the brand uses technology to control operations and deliver better…

Growth slows for restaurant chains in 2016

March 31, 2017

The Top 500 chain restaurants experienced a deceleration in 2016 with cumulative sales growth checking in at 3.6 percent, down from 5.2 percent the prior year…

Keynoter: Want to motivate employees? Try ‘trust and track’ instead of ‘command and control’

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Creating an employee training system that delivers outstanding customer service requires making employees feel engaged and providing regular feedback…

Heard at the Summit: Attendees share insights, pain points and keys to success

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit attendees discuss everything from bunnies to BS.