Flavors of Yucatán Fuel District Taco’s Growth

District Taco is more of a mission than a restaurant chain, bringing Yucatán cuisine and flavors to the masses.

Breakfast Chain Perkins Looks to Flip Script With Bold Rebrand

Perkins, the 66-year-old breakfast restaurant chain, is evolving. Long a fixture near interstate exits, the chain aims to give customers new offerings that will inspire frequent pitstops.

Analysis: Why Has Adoption of AI Been So Slow in F&B?

While restaurant chains like McDonald’s have had notable swings and misses regarding AI, business leaders insist the technology offers invaluable uses to food companies, aiding personalized offers, sales forecasting, and more.

Riding High: Data Shows LongHorn Steakhouse Ascending Among Casual-Dining Chains

LongHorn Steakhouse has become a prime candidate to unseat rivals like Texas Roadhouse as America’s preferred steakhouse.

Turning Negative Reviews into Opportunities: A Restaurant’s Guide to Online Feedback

In 2024, online reviews can have an immeasurable impact on restaurants. The difference in public perception between a 4.5-star Google review and a 4.0 rating, for example, can be costly.

Buc-ee’s – Not Your Father’s Fuel Stop

Buc-ee’s has redefined the c-store by boasting the cleanest restrooms, a wide array of private-label goods, music, foodservice, and more.

Fast-Food Chains Betting on Bite-Sized Snacks

These days, mini meals have major appeal for Gen Z. QSRs have taken notice, with new offerings like KFC’s Apple Pie Poppers.

Plant-based Consumers’ Favorite QSRs

U.S. consumers love fast food and those who follow a plant-forward diet are no exception. Which quick service restaurants (QSRs) are plant-based consumers seeking out this year?

Wild Results: Buffalo Wild Wings Promotion Pays Huge Dividends

The promotion, which started in mid-May, saw visits on Monday, May 27 increase nearly 56% compared to the average number of Monday visitors from the four months prior.

Gut Feelings: Experts Largely Bullish on Prebiotic Sodas

Many industry experts believe prebiotic sodas represent a gut-health trend with real staying power as major soda brands appear poised to respond.

Private Label Drives Summer Growth

For many major retailers, the latest quarterly results tell a familiar tale: consumers are fed up with high prices, spending less, and commodifying their loyalty by taking the best deal right now, regardless of whose logo adorns their grocery bag or shopping cart. 

A Fork in the Road to Sustainability: Nestlé’s New Plant-Based Fork

The innovation is a key part of its commitment to eliminate or reduce plastics in packaging while scaling reusable and refillable systems.

Tapping Out: 2024 is Mocktail Time for Gen Z

“Gen Z is tapped in, and they see the negative impact alcohol can have on their lives,” said Michelle Houston, founder of the To Be Honest Beverage Company.

Fast-Food Chains Racing to the Bottom to Attract Inflation-Weary Consumers

All of a sudden, $5 value meals are everywhere, from fast-food chains to major retailers. Industry insiders say the deals are simply a short-term solution, however.

Drinks Catering to Gen Z Steal the Show in Chicago

The event’s exhibitors focused on foods, drinks, and equipment designed to help foodservice operators create unique taste experiences. Beyond offering crave-worthy fusion dishes and fun iced beverages, exhibitors offered a wide array of vending machines on the show floor.

Seafood Restaurant Outlook: Lessons Learned from Red Lobster’s Demise

What can seafood restaurant operators learn from the demise of Red Lobster? Andy Diamond, president of seafood franchise Angry Crab Shack, recently noted how operators can stay ahead of volatile market pricing to deliver value.

Falling Stars: Inflation Cuts Into Retailers’ Ratings

The most recent rising trend in retail is lowering one’s expectations of retail. This year, clothing companies tended to fall the worst, followed closely by QSRs, big box stores, and grocers, in that order.

Cooking Up a Storm: Gen Alpha Kids Have Become Tiny Tastemakers

Don’t look now, but Gen Alpha’s influence in the food industry is rising due to its increasing interest in cooking.

In Today’s Market, What Defines Value?

Many consumers feel they can’t win on cost alone – they also need an experience, or at least a decent reason to visit a brick-and-mortar store.

Next-level Insight: Using AI to Fuel Food Business Strategies

With a focus on staying ahead of emerging trends, the recent joint webinar between Nextatlas and Barilla Group provided invaluable insights into the power of AI-based trend forecasting in the food industry.  A New Frontier ...

The Future of Food Delivery: Are Uber, DoorDash, and Instacart Destined to Win the Delivery War?

For now, third-party delivery companies are operating full speed ahead. But how much are consumers willing to pay for convenience?

Opinion: Why Casual-Dining Restaurant Chains are in Crisis

Casual dining is about to implode. It has already started. Full-service restaurants that were popular in the 1980s and ‘90s – old brands – I think they’re going to be cut in half. TGI Friday’s …

The Summer of Swicy

Asian cuisines like Thai, Korean, and Chinese have long used swicy foods as an enticing way to attract new and long-time patrons, and many mainstream and fusion restaurants are combining classic American fare with these staple flavors from across the world.

Crumbl-ing Facade: Cookie Chain Experiencing the High Costs of Rapid Growth

Crumbl keeps making its new locations bigger, but is it a facade? The Utah-based bakery chain originally had small, humble retail footprints.

Could Daiya’s Latest Alt-Cheese Innovation Be a Game-Changer?

Daiya’s newest alt-cheese recipe utilizes proprietary fermentation technology to mimic the texture and meltability of traditional dairy cheese. Could it be a game-changer for the plant-based cheese category?

Mountain Mike’s Pizza Plans to Reach the Upper Crust

The newly minted CEO isn’t oblivious to Mountain Mike’s challenges in its crowded sector. For example, Metevier knows he needs to be sensitive to labor costs now that his California-based chain must deal with that state’s recent implementation of a $20 minimum wage (85% of the chains locations are based within the Golden State.)

BREAKING: Foxtrot, Dom’s Kitchen & Market to Close

Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market have closed their doors effective immediately. The closure will affect 33 Foxtrot locations and 2 Dom’s locations across Chicago, Austin, Dallas and D.C. areas.

Restaurant Chains Dominate Top 10 Fastest-Growing Retail Brands

Yelp has released its first-ever list of the 50 fastest-growing brands in the U.S. Restaurant chains dominate the top ten, half of which are “challenger brands” – businesses that are not market leaders but aim to compete by disrupting their industries.

The Red Lobster Boat is Taking on Water – Again

After an endless shrimp fiasco, Red Lobster is reportedly considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to restructure its debt.

Why the All-Night Diner is Dying

The all-night diner is all but dead in America, with Yelp revealing that the number of 24-hour eateries is down 18% since 2020.

An Evolution Explained: Mondelēz Report Reveals Changing Consumption Habits

Other noteworthy shifts include the emergence of Gen Z and Gen Alpha as influential consumer groups. These young consumers are influencing market trends such as the push for labeling transparency and ethical production.

FI Exclusive: Chef Robert Irvine Provides Guide for Restaurants to Survive Wage Hikes

The celebrity chef, who appeared on Food Network’s Restaurant: Impossible show between 2011 and 2023, fears that as many as one-fifth of all American “mom-and-pop” restaurants could be forced to close by year’s end due to rising labor costs.

Premium, Ethical, and On-Demand: The New Age of Snacking Unwrapped

For starters, the global demographic landscape is undergoing a noteworthy transformation, with “second lifers” – those embarking on new chapters post-retirement – emerging as a powerful group of consumers. By 2050, the over-60 demographic is expected to double. This shift is pushing the market towards balanced nutrition.

Co-Branding a Powerful Tool to Pique Consumer Interest

Co-Branding is a powerful tool to pique consumer interest, from Oreo and Breyers Ice Cream, to Mike’s Hot Honey and Lou Malnati’s pizza,

Fast-Food Chains’ ‘Wrap Battle’ Has Commenced

A wrap battle is booming in the QSR arena. By remixing preexisting ingredients with build-your-own appeal, major players are producing flavor-drenched “hunger hacks” and fresh affordable snacks that span dayparts.

Can Fine Dining Survive Without Weekends? Canlis Will Find Out

The restaurant is an outlier in another way: no tipping. Instead, staff are paid what Canlis said is a high hourly wage. The change in schedules will not affect salaries.