Focus Archive > Page 46

Restaurant Sales are Booming, But for How Long?

The restaurant industry continued to regain its financial footing in June, but the pandemic aftershocks have yet to subside. “The industry right now is extremely strong and is surging. For many operators, they have more business …

Update: Nuggets Taking Center Stage Amid Chicken Wars

Eighty-four percent of consumers globally order chicken from a restaurant at least once a month, according to new research by Technomic. The latest chicken product in high demand appears to be nuggets. POPEYES DEBUTS NUGGETS …

Hard Seltzer Market Could Be Softening  

The hard seltzer market may be falling on hard times. While it may not seem that long ago that beverages like Truly Hard Seltzer were a highlight of many summer get-togethers, the popularity of the …

Industry Report: Natural Food Colors On The Rise

As consumers grow more conscious about their health, preference for organic and natural food will increase at a robust pace. On the flip side, focus on health and wellness has caused sales of synthetic food …

New D.C. Restaurant Reimagines Hospital Food

Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, a longtime judge on Bravo reality TV show “Top Chef,” has debuted a new restaurant aimed at providing healthier hospital food options for workers and patients’ families. Root and Sprig debuted …

Frito-Lay Strike Shines Light on Factory Working Conditions

After nearly three weeks, the Frito-Lay worker strike has ended in Kansas. Employees in Topeka, Kansas have ratified a revised contract addressing what union leaders previously described as a diminished quality of life due to …

Why Salad Bars May Become a Thing of the Past

While grocery stores are experiencing an uptick in foot traffic this summer, most salad stations have stayed dark. Many grocers, including Hy-Vee’s, Wegmans, and Stop & Shop have no plans to reopen them anytime soon, …

Danone and Harmless Harvest – Reading Between the Lines

Danone’s recent majority stake in Harmless Harvest is a curious market event.  Not because they took a majority. Because coconut water is not growing anymore in the U.S. based on sources I’ve reviewed. The pandemic …

Experts Weigh in on Addressing Subway’s Challenges

Whether there’s something fishy or not about Subway’s tuna, the fast-food chain has a real public relations problem. Couple that with franchisees chafing at corporate rules and negative reviews of its new menu options, and …

Uber Eats Makes Significant Inroads with Food Retailers

Consumers in over 400 cities can now have their groceries delivered by Uber. The company’s Uber Eats division recently partnered with 1,200 Albertsons-owned stores, as well as 25 Costco locations across Texas—marking Uber’s first pilot …

Report: Coconut Water Market on Verge of Uptick

Touted as “nature’s sports drink”, coconut water rose to popularity about 10 years ago and has now become a staple in grocery stores and households. Vita Coco, widely viewed as the leading coconut water brand, …

EARNINGS UPDATE: Coca-Cola Reports Strong Second Quarter Results

Coca-Cola Co. released its second quarter earnings this week—and sales rebounded faster than expected. HIGHLIGHTS: Net Revenues grew 42% Organic Revenues (Non-GAAP) grew 37% Operating Income grew 52% Operating Margin was 29.8% versus 27.7% in …

Analysts: Restaurant Customers Seeking Plant-Based Innovation

There’s no denying plant-based food has had a big year. However, the pandemic’s full impact on plant-based momentum in restaurants remains unclear. While the gears of product development are starting to turn again, some major brands have …

Yeast Extract – A Game Changer in the Modern Food Industry

With millennials and Gen Z consumers now hyper-aware of their eating habits and food choices, yeast extract is gaining traction as a versatile ingredient used for savory flavor and quality food. The COVID-19 outbreak encouraged …

DTC Delivery, New Flavors Key to Alcohol Growth

The pandemic, revision of direct-to-consumer delivery laws, and development of new flavors helped lift U.S. distilled spirits consumption in 2020, but it was unclear whether the trend would hold. IWSR reported consumption was up 2% …

UPDATE: Major Ingredient Shortage Impacting Multiple QSRs

Taco Bell is the latest restaurant chain to be hit by significant ingredient shortages. “Sorry if we can’t feed your current crave,” reads an orange banner atop the fast-food chain’s website. “Due to national ingredient …

The Future of Catering? Panera Focusing on Remote Workers

Panera Bread is now catering to remote and hybrid employees as it moves to regain sales in the once high-ticket sector. The chain’s new program, Panera Connects, enables companies to host catered meetings regardless of …

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Growth of Functional Beverage Market Signals Shift Towards Health

Global research firm Mintel predicts strong growth in the functional beverage market as consumers seek out products that enhance their mental and emotional well-being, reported Supermarket News (July 9). WHAT IS DRIVING DEMAND? The Food Institute …

Meat Prices Continue to Rise After Pandemic Push

Inflation is affecting prices across the food continuum, and meat is no exception. Meat prices were up in the first two quarters of the year when compared to both 2020 and 2019, according to analysis …

FI Agriculture Recap: Pandemic Relief for Livestock Producers

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency will begin accepting applications next Tuesday from livestock producers who suffered pandemic losses as a result of their inability to gain sufficient access to processing. Relief will come from the …

Analysts: Brands Must Embrace Omnichannel Approach

In today’s omnichannel world, customer loyalty is difficult to earn and just as tough to maintain. With that, keeping pace with customers’ evolving tastes is an undeniably tall task. These issues were analyzed recently during …

Conagra Latest CPG Brand to Increase Prices

With the Consumer Price Index rising 0.9% in June, food brands are raising prices to keep up with inflation. The latest major company to follow suit is Conagra. Conagra recently cut its fiscal 2022 outlook …

Plant-Based Investments Heating Up

Investments into the plant-based meat industry have risen rapidly of late, with the industry raising over $1.4 billion in 2020 alone, according to a report from IDTechEx. The industry is optimistic that these trends will continue into …

CPI Sees Largest One-Month Change Since 2008

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 0.9 percent in June on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.6 percent in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was the …