Yum China FY19 results rosy, but 2020 coronavirus pulls business back

February 6, 2020

After watching its stock soar 43% last year, Yum China's latest financials are already sending investors to the sell column as the company makes clear that the…

US restaurants vs coronavirus: The very real things US brands can do now

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

No, the coronavirus is not a major health threat in the U.S. at this time. But the fact is, that could quickly change, and there are some very real…

Leveraging technology to manage restaurant labor costs

Labor can make or break a restaurant, being the one variable that exists in all facets of a restaurant’s core functionality and a top concern among managers…

California Pizza Kitchen going to Canada, eh?

February 5, 2020

California Pizza Kitchen, based in Beverly Hills, is taking its wares north of the border to Canada in partnership with longtime Alberta restaurateur, Samira…

Moving from pizza to pistachio doughnuts: Chicago restaurateur says it's a natural

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

Ask a pizzaiolo the key to mastering the pie and you'll likely hear it's the dough. Chicago restaurateur Rich Labriola won't argue that point. In fact, he's so…

KFC, Pizza Hut launch 'contactless' delivery in China amid virus fears

February 4, 2020

In China, where the coronavirus has taken its heaviest toll thus far, Yum Brands' KFC and Pizza Hut stores have initiated contactless delivery as part of the…

Domino's, Papa John's, pizza ingredient prices all down last week

From wheat and cheese to the gas that fires pizza ovens and powers delivery vehicles, all major pizza commodity prices took dives last week. The bad news is…

Fired Pie fires up new concept store

January 31, 2020

Fired Pie is opening a new concept store this morning on West Northern Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona, that the brand said is designed for its increasingly…

Blaze enters multi-unit deal in around Chicago

January 31, 2020

Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza has partnered with multi-brand operators Elie Damouni, George Damouni, Nadim Burbar and Daniel Burbar to grow the brand around Chicago…

Papa John's on target for 90-cent annual dividend

January 30, 2020

Papa John's board said it will pay a quarterly dividend of 22 ½ cents per common share on Feb. 21 to shareholders of record on Feb. 10. The company said in a…

70% of your customers visit once and never return—here’s how to win them back

It’s been said time and time again—turning a first time visitor into a loyal customer is the ultimate win for any business.

Yum China closes Wuhan stores due to virus, Yum Brands declares dividend

January 27, 2020

Yum China confirmed that it has temporarily closed some of its KFC and Pizza Hut stores in Wuhan, China due to the well-publicized coronavirus outbreak there…

Papa John's continues on a "roll" with traders last week

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

It was a relatively dismal trading week for all but one of the nation's publicly traded pizza brands, but gas prices are giving operators a break at the store…

How Domino's connects corporate execs to reality of store life

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

Store-level employees are often on the receiving end of corporate dictums that may not always sync with pizza restaurant reality. Enter Domino's Pizza Prep…

Papa John's, Yum up, while Domino's, Rave down, as trading week trends mirror year

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

The trends established over the last 12 months at some of the world's major publicly traded pizza brands were mirrored in the trends of the last week on the…

C-Speak: Nestlé Professional president preps restaurant pros for year ahead

Restaurant brands often look to culinary & beverage product providers, like Nestlé Professional, when planning LTOs and trying to determine trends for…

What pizza operators can learn from Domino's use of AI

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

Tuesday, Pizza Marketplace told you about Domino's use of AI to boost the customer experience. Today, we break down what restaurateurs can take away from the…

Marco's names operations chief to guide growth

January 14, 2020

Marco's Franchising, LLC. has moved longtime franchisee and area representative, Tim Brown, into the role of vice president and chief of operations. The brand…

Domino's digs into GPUs' data-churning mega-muscle to transform customer experience

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

Domino's has discovered a virtual goldmine in the data-handling computer power of a resource once confined to the picture-heavy needs of video gaming — the GPU.

Papa John's only winner in last week's pizza trading wars

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

Trading in the runup to National Pizza Week was anything but a celebration for most publicly traded brands, with all but Papa John's posting losses.