Restaurant and Foodservice
The rise of fine-casual dining
Chef-driven fine-casual concepts catch on with time-crunched consumers craving something new
Results for "fast casual"
Food
Top 10: Pinnacle puts out new products, Amazon makes changes at Whole Foods
New products from Pinnacle Foods, Unilever resonated with SmartBrief readers this week.
Restaurant and Foodservice
How the Amazon Prime mindset has changed fast casual dining
Meatheads founder and chief executive Tom Jednorowicz shares tips on how restaurants can preserve the in-restaurant dining experience in the age of delivery.
Management
Do you need others to lose for you to win?
Take a deep breath. You're probably not in a fight to the death.
Food
Top 10: Toll of wildfires on wine, Conagra’s strategy and an investment for Culver’s
Stories about the wildfires in wine country, new candy launches and a fresh investment for Culver's struck a chord with readers this week.
Restaurant and Foodservice
Newk’s: A case study on cutting franchise costs
Senior construction director Mike Snyder has created a comprehensive build-out plan that cuts costs for franchisees.
Restaurant and Foodservice
What’s next for fast casuals?
Is this the end of the golden age of fast casual dining?
Food
Pizza, poke and Indian concepts are hot in the field of fast-casual
Here’s a look at how pizzerias and two other hot concepts -- poke and Indian cuisine -- are fanning the fast-casual flames.
Restaurant and Foodservice
LTOs – Here today and gone tomorrow…but do they leave ROI behind?
There is no question that LTOs are an important part of the restaurant industry’s marketing initiatives, but measuring the performance of an LTO can sometimes be challenging.
Food
Report: Appetite for healthy, plant-forward menus growing, but more work needed on climate issues
The foodservice industry is succeeding in driving consumer and investor enthusiasm for healthy, sustainable food options that emphasize plants over animal proteins, according to the 2017 Menus of Change Annual Report.
Management
4 ways mentoring employees leads to company growth
Learn about project-specific mentoring and why growth springs from developing your people.
Food
NRA Show 2017 to offer insights on sustainability, millennial trends and more
More than 45,000 restaurant industry professionals are expected to attend the annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show and BAR 17 event later this month. Here's a preview of the sessions and speakers.
Consumer Insights
Lessons for grocerants from fast casual restaurants
Concentrating on upping fresh perimeter experiences, food retailers have been savvy to the fresh trend for some time, and a small number, have even emerged as talented grocerant operators.
Communication
“Radical Candor” author Kim Scott on overcoming your fear of feedback
Here's what managers and employees of any age can learn about giving and receiving feedback.
Communication
Spontaneous speaking: The 5-second strategy to improve delivery
When there’s no time to prepare, how do you formulate your thoughts in the moment so you can be compelling and engaging?
Food
Top 10: Unilever’s spread sale, Taco Bell’s breakfast test
Top 10: Unilever’s spread sale, Taco Bell’s breakfast test
Restaurant and Foodservice
Vertical gardens offer fresh produce with a small footprint
Demand for fresh produce is on the rise as consumer interest in both local and plant-based foods continues to grow. Vertical gardens can provide a source of herbs, leafy greens and other produce for urban farms and restaurants that have minimal space.
Communication
When “thank you” wears out
"Please" and "thank you" are essential but not invincible communication tools.
Consumer Insights
Greens galore: New report shows salad has staying power
While salads may have had the reputation of being a ‘diet’ food or just a side, that’s no longer the case.
Food
Top 10: Coca-Cola closes startup incubator, Burt’s Bees’ new protein shakes, Starbucks to launch AI barista
New technology, new marketing tactics and new products made this week’s top news, but the most-read news story was the announcement that Coca-Cola’s startup incubator, The Founders program, closed.
Food
Top 10: Candy company appointments, healthy food moves
Candy company executive promotions and healthy food stories topped this week's most-clicked list.
Consumer Insights
Datassential: 15 flavor trends to watch in 2017 and beyond
What’s the next _______? New ingredients and flavors are popping up on menus at a rapid pace, so this year Datassential expanded its annual list of 10 ingredients to watch to include 5 more.
Food
Top 10: Publix, Wegmans in Va., new convenience products, digital marketing and savory jams
This week's top news ran the gamut, covering food retail, new CPG products, digital marketing and trends in jams.
Restaurant and Foodservice
The burgeoning business of foodservice in retail
Retailers and food brands alike try a heavier hand in foodservice to meet consumer demand for prepared foods and meals.
Consumer Insights
Foodservice today: Diners seek cues to fresh, healthy, culinary skill
In foodservice of the past, processed uniformity in food reassured consumers of quality and safety in products, but today such characteristics are anathema to many.
Food Retail
How convenience stores are a growing food and beverage opportunity
As this segment continues to evolve, there are opportunities for manufacturers and distributors to help c-stores meet modern consumers’ needs.
Restaurant and Foodservice
Chocolate makers put the focus on healthy ingredients
Chocolate brands showed off their health-focused sweets at the Summer Fancy Food Show
Digital Technology
3 ways to sell using Snapchat
Snapchat has built a huge following with teens and millennials -- reaching 41% of all 18- to 34-year-olds in the U.S. daily. And now, brands are eagerly jumping on board as well.
Food
Chicago chef takes top prize with duck sausage at 19th annual Championship BBQ and Cookout
The 19th annual Championship BBQ and Cookout in Chicago last month drew more than 800 restaurant, foodservice and hospitality professionals to sample barbecue dishes and support World Central Kitchen.
Restaurant and Foodservice
College, university foodservice operators look to distributors, manufacturers for help
With a young customer base that is starting to exercise its own decisions and form its own tastes and preferences, C&U decision makers are always on the lookout for the concepts, ingredients and dishes that will resonate with students.
Food
Top 10: Gen Y’s dining habits, Pei Wei’s expansion plans and Target’s new take on groceries
The millennial generation's role in driving healthy food trends was the most-read food and beverage story this week, followed by Target's grocery plans and Pei Wei's growth. Check out the entire top 10 list.
Restaurant and Foodservice
How Newk’s Eatery sees fast-casual 2.0
Chris NewcombPhoto: Newk’s Eatery Newk’s Eatery co-founder and CEO Chris Newcomb’s first go-around as a restaurant owner included plenty of trial-and-error and learning on...
Food
Top 10: McDonald’s, Burger King and fast-casual trends
Photo: Flickr user Mike Mozart Chain restaurant stories resounded with SmartBrief readers this week, starting with McDonald’s application to trademark the slogan “The Simpler...
Food
Top 15: General Mills, fast casual, hummus and more in this week’s news
This week’s most popular stories across our food and beverage briefs run the gamut, reflecting big trends in the industry such as large companies...
Food
Top 10: CPG targets millennials, Taco Bell’s alcohol service and more in this week’s news
This week, we were given a look inside Taco Bell’s first location to serve alcohol, which could perhaps be a sign of things to...
Food
Top 10: News about the future of the food industry caught readers’ eyes
(Photo: Flickr user Mike Mozart) SmartBrief readers were most interested in stories about the future of the food industry from all aspects this week....
Restaurant and Foodservice
NRA Show 2016 to shake things up with crowdsourced session, a new kind of keynote
Take a look ahead to the NRA Show 2016, from education sessions on menu trends and boosting profits, to keynotes with executives from Uber and Red Robin.
Restaurant and Foodservice
Women make their way in restaurant franchising
(Photo: Newk’s Eatery) Women play integral roles in keeping U.S. restaurants rolling along, and the industry provides both sexes with the chance to learn...
Restaurant and Foodservice
Fast Casual Social 100 report and the new age consumer
The $27 billion Fast Casual segment of the $632 billion restaurant industry grew at an astonishing 20.8% in 2011 over 2010, confirming that there...
Restaurant and Foodservice
Foodable WebTV network releases Fast Casual Nation documentary trailer
With fast casual restaurants rapidly on the rise, the restaurant industry has forever changed. Even though fast casuals are emerging as the consumer favorite,...
Restaurant and Foodservice
How fast-casual chains are changing the way America eats
Not everyone is familiar with the term “fast casual” yet, but there’s a good chance you’ve eaten at one of these restaurant chains before,...
Food
Keeping it casual: The Casual Dining Social 100
Fast casual has certainly given other segments in the restaurant industry a run for their money in the past few years, and it’s no...