3 execs describe how to take on the world without losing your brand

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

Taking a brand to another country is one of the most complex challenges a brand's leadership can undertake. At the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit…

Wendy's twitter-mania: Is brand 'character assassination' a dead end?

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

There has long been a credo in advertising that great brands don't denigrate, they differentiate since some argue that when chains start taking shots at each…

Capturing today's diners? A lot of it is still about 'the money'

Even with the surprises that the AlixPartners diners' preferences poll has shown this week, in many ways it still all comes down to the fact that customers…

Yelp's restaurant review data gets much easier to use

April 14, 2017

Restaurant social media managers at the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit in Dallas last month clearly identified Yelp as the go-to source of…

Study: Many consumers lukewarm on restaurant tech, loyalty programs

April 13, 2017

The new trends survey from AlixPartners provides some significant surprises concerning consumers' views of restaurant technology, loyalty programs, third-party…

Study: Wanderlust is stealing restaurant dollars

April 12, 2017

Consumers' love of travel is slicing into the food service sector's pie, potentially creating a defining moment for the restaurant industry.

Mergin' and movin' out in the pizza universe

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

April 12, 2017

Four pizza brands are planning additions to their worldwide restaurant system pies this spring, along with two other brands who are set to merge.

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…

Commodities: Cheese prices drop, so does Domino's stock

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

Overall, it was a fairly costly week for pizza operators' essential commodities, though ascending cheese prices returned to reality and the stock market…

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…

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…

Why playing the 'right' background music increases sales

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, 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.

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…

McDonald's massive move to mobile ordering: A big change that warrants big groundwork

by Russell Zack — SVP, Products and Solutions, HelloWorld

McDonald’s and its recently unveiled plans to implement mobile ordering and curbside pickup is proof that even the mightiest brands now know mobile ordering is…

New system uses data, cameras and sensors to improve restaurant operations

March 28, 2017

Revel Systems is partnering with Dragontail Systems to implement their food preparation process software and machine learning technology in restaurants…

With 10 million daily food deliveries, Meituan-Dianping a name to know

March 28, 2017

It may be relatively unknown in the Western World, but in 20 of China's biggest cities, the name Meituan-Dianping is as commonly heard as Amazon and Google.

Commodities: Ever feel like you've been here before?

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

It's a bit like the movie, Groundhog Day, in the commodities and trading report for pizza these days, with the same trends that started about a month ago…

Trumpcare yanked before vote, Affordable Care Act remains ... for now

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

Trumpcare was pulled from consideration in a vote by Congress, despite an ultimatum from the President to vote on the measure. For now, the Affordable Care Act…

Pizza Press presses forward, 150 new sites by late 2018

March 23, 2017

Five years after its inception, Pizza Press is having a growth spurt, announcing this week plans to open nearly 150 restaurants worldwide over the next two…