News

Chains

Chipotle Forges Ahead With Its Comeback Plan

6 years ago

Later operating hours, cheap tacos, more bacon. CEO Brian Niccol is taking what worked at Taco Bell and plugging it into Chipotle's playbook.

Tech

McDonald’s Argues That Digital Kiosks Mean More Employees

6 years ago

This may be true for now, but we find it hard to believe that, without humans taking orders, operators won't see opportunities to cut staff in the future.

Tech

DoorDash Adds Free In-Store Pickup and a Subscription Plan

6 years ago

The delivery story is far more complex than a few strong players battling to bring you dinner. It's about customer loyalty and retention and, for the companies involved, becoming an indispensable part of daily life.

Tech

Zume Is Getting Nearly $750 Million From SoftBank for Robot Pizza

6 years ago

Robot pizza is not a bad idea, in some circumstances, which is why Domino's is already in the game. Can three quarters of a billion dollars help one company catch up?

Chains

Papa John’s Comeback Plan Depends on Getting Rid of John

6 years ago

Papa John's was already having sales troubles earlier this year, before the fallout with the company's founder. Now, however, the situation is exponentially worse: the company is expecting an unspecified number of store closures and potentially double-digit sales declines by the end of the year.

Independents

Gentrification Is Changing the Definition of the Neighborhood Restaurant

6 years ago

In gentrified areas, what does a neighborhood restaurant look like? Increasingly, the plate of pancakes or burgers is getting switched out for lamb neck and squash blossoms, and the customer base is there to support it.

Food

Calorie Counts on Menus Slow Down Some Diners

6 years ago

Shame can be a powerful force.

Operations

Restaurant Recruiters Work to Take the Headache Out of Hiring

6 years ago

Recruiters are expensive, but they're worth it. Operators may actually be able to lower staffing costs and increase retention rates by investing in hospitality talent agencies.

Independents

No Tips Allowed: How Three Small Restaurants Make It Work

6 years ago

Nobody says it's easy. All three say it's worth it.

Chains

Smaller Restaurants Miss on Growth Numbers This Earnings Season

6 years ago

Restaurant company stock performance may not be indicative of consumer sentiment, but it does indicate potential business troubles that could cause rocky days ahead for even beloved brands.

Tech

Square’s Payments Hardware Now Supports Custom Point of Sale

6 years ago

True to form, Square is making it easy for developers (or restaurants) to build their own point-of-sale solutions accepting Square payments, no salesperson required.

Chains

Pizza Hut Is Still Losing Even as a Rival Stumbles

6 years ago

If there's a competitive sales lift to be had from Papa John's disastrous summer, Pizza Hut isn't seeing it.