Warming customers up to winter menu innovation

by Mike Sisco — CEO, Embed Digital

Menu innovation is a must for forward-thinking restaurant brands, but how do these industry leaders warm their customers up to new ingredients and meals?

Pizza Inn, Pie Five parent up, other public pizza brands down

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

Of the major publicly traded U.S. pizza brands, only two-brand parent, Rave Restaurant Group last week had much to celebrate.

4 menu trends fast casual operators should master

These four trends are continuing to grow in popularity, and here’s how and why you should play with them on your menu.

Presented by FastCasual.com

'From pizza to pad thai' -- Kroger-Clustertruck partnership puts ghost kitchens in Midwest metros

December 3, 2019

U.S. grocery superpower, Kroger, has partnered with delivery-only software platform, Clustertruck to offer a ghost kitchen concept that will serve multiple…

Does your pizzeria suck the cheer right out of staff this season?

Another holiday season is officially off and running this week and along with it are the increased demands many pizzerias place on their in-store teams this…

Traders gave a little early 'thanks' for pizza brands last week

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

All but one publicly traded U.S. pizza brand got some gratitude a week early last week when investors worked helped raise the value of three of the nation's…

Pumpkin 'squashes' apple for seasonal dessert of choice

November 22, 2019

Let's all take a moment here to remember the cobbler, which appears to have fallen from grace for the dessert of choice on Thanksgiving Day, according to…

A bitter pill: Jack in the Box, Chicken Salad Chick's, Mutt's Canine Cantina leaders discuss responding to reviews

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

You might well say that restaurant success today is actually "written in the stars," since those stars are the measurement of the positive and negative reviews…

Rough week for Rave on the trading floor

The good news is that just about every essential pizza commodity price fell in value last week. The bad news is that most pizza company stock values did too.

The scary side of ghost kitchens

by Ray Reddy — CEO and Co-Founder, Ritual

Pizzerias have long been THE spots in the neighborhood where people meet, make connections and truly build a community. But what happens when those meeting…

Best practices for integrating carryout

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

By envisioning the carryout business as a component of an emerging, integrated digital ecosystem, restaurant decision makers can allocate resources in a way…

10-year outlook: commercial foodservice poised for growth as away-from-home dining expands

November 5, 2019

The commercial foodservice industry will continue to expand as Americans eat more meals away from home, but operators face a host of challenges from a more…

Dog Haus, Ike's, Zoup leaders say being trendy is definitely not 'where it's at'

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

The name of the game now in limited-service menu innovation has less to do with following the waves of trends that regularly sweep through food service and…

Papa John's adds brand's 1st crust flavor in 35 years

November 4, 2019

For the first time in its 35-year history, Papa John's is adding a flavor to its original crust by baking the brand's garlic sauce and Parmesan-Romano cheese…

Chowbotics upgrades robotic salad making kiosk

October 31, 2019

Chowbotics has introduced Sally 2.0, the newest iteration of its fresh food robot, which first came to market in 2018 and is in action at more than 7…

Still no pumpkin? Pizza Inn has a delicious one

October 31, 2019

'Tis the day and the season for all things pumpkin-related, which is among the reasons Pizza Inn is returning its Pumpkin Pizzert to the brand's all-day…

Domino's, Papa John's 'treated,' Pizza Hut ... not so much

On the stock market last week, investors were in a 'tricky' mood when it came to Pizza Hut parent, Yum Brands, though they morphed into little darlings with…

New Uno Pizzeria menu offers 65+ items for 6 different diets

October 24, 2019

Uno Pizzeria & Grill has launched its "Love All, Feed All" menu, designed for guests with specific dietary preferences or requirements. The brand's…

The food safety of food tech: An expert's pre-purchase checklists

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

From automated assembly lines, to salad-making robots, food tech is increasingly becoming part of daily life in QSR kitchens. Here, a food tech and safety…

Pizza Hut's new plant-based pie box 'cuts corners'

October 23, 2019

Pizza Hut is ushering in a curvier look beginning today for a limited time with the use of round take-out and delivery boxes on its test of a plant-based pizza…