Pie Five, Firehouse, First Watch,Pei Wei execs discuss 'the good, the bad and the ugly' of online reviews

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

A recent survey found that 61 percent of the dining public check online reviews before visiting a restaurant. How those reviews can help or hurt sales was a…

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…

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.

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…

Social Media Marketing Guide for Food Truck Success

This guide is designed to give food truck operators an understanding of social media marketing.

Presented by FoodTruckOperator.com

Study: Consumers receptive to chatbots

March 30, 2017

A majority of consumers are comfortable talking with a chatbot yet only a fraction have engaged with one, according to the 2017 Mobile Consumer Report from…

Rosati's CEO: 'If your company is a boys club then join the club'

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Marla Topliff, president of Rosati's Pizza, fell in love with the restaurant business after working as a marketer for Rosati's.

3 pizza concepts adopt Punchh platform

March 23, 2017

Punchh, a restaurant technology platform, added MOD Pizza, Pizza Inn and PizzaRev in the second half of 2016, according to a press release.

NRA implores Congress: 'Keep debit-swipe fee controls in place'

March 22, 2017

The National Restaurant Association has joined forces with dozens of other restaurant groups to launch a campaign against repealing debit swipe-fee protections…

Fish and pizza? Yes, please at Rapid Fired

March 21, 2017

Fish-focused events, including the Lenten season being celebrated by many Christians, can be real puzzlers for pizza chains. Rapid Fired Pizza, however, thinks…

Company launches platform to lower costs of mobile-ordering deployments

March 21, 2017

Avanti, the company that provided Subway with its mobile-ordering platform, has made it possible for smaller chains to use the same type of system since it…

Domino's Tracker commercial takes TV viewers on a 'day off'

March 20, 2017

After Domino's said its "tracker" has monitored the progress of more than 100 million orders over the last eight years of its existence, it's finally getting…

5 key actions to maximize mobile email marketing

by Seshu Madabushi — Founder & CEO, mKonnekt

Being in the restaurant business today means being in the business of mobile communication. These five steps are key to making that mobile marketing work well.

Stay solid: Join the movement to add 'e' to Pi Day

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

Enough of this obscure 3.14 math stuff. Join restaurateurs everywhere to make this day about the real "pie" — the one dripping with cheese on a steamy crust.

Brand new way for brands to engage on-the-go

March 12, 2017

Brands seeking new efficiencies and novel approaches to mobile subscriber engagement are taking note of Google's introduction of its Rich Communication…

Papa John's enhances digital ordering with PayPal, Papa Track

March 9, 2017

Papa John's International has enhanced its digital ordering process by adding PayPal as a payments option and introducing Papa Track. This tracker is designed…

Amazon expands food delivery service

February 28, 2017

Washington, D.C. Amazon Prime members can now get deliveries from 150 restaurants, including Osteria Morini, Bolt Burgers, Pizza Mart and Maketto, according to…

Multi-Unit Menu Management Release Saves Time and Improves Consistency for Restaurant Chains

VANCOUVER, BC, — A new release from pizza and delivery point of sale developer SpeedLine Solutions Inc. helps restaurant chains save time and improve brand…

Fake news on McDonald's and Chipotle stopped in its tracks

February 15, 2017

Fake news is again causing problems for the foodservice industry, this time inolving McDonald's and Chipotle. The event also involved reporters at USA Today…

Harris poll yields dim glow for restaurant brands

February 14, 2017

These are not only tumultuous but very partisan times in the U.S., and a Harris Poll indicated that the public perception of foodservice brands often swirls…