Here are trending economic and food industry data points, as well as major economic and company earnings releases for the coming week: unemployment benefits, global debt, surging commodities, restaurant reservations, Coca-Cola (COKE), and more Trending …
While COVID-19 has kept celebrities off the red carpet, a number of product collaborations, endorsements and corporate finance endeavors have kept them in the spotlight. And while star power has certainly proven to be a …
As sustainable practices become increasingly important to today’s consumers, food brands are making their environmental goals and initiatives clear. In honor of Earth Day, here’s a closer look at companies taking steps to become more …
Food is Gen Z’s No. 1 wallet priority at 23%, according to Piper Sandler’s annual Taking Stock with Teens survey. The survey highlights discretionary spending trends and brand preferences from 7,000 teens across 47 U.S. …
While the concept of “food as medicine” has been around for centuries, the philosophy is gaining momentum of late. So much so, in fact, that The Food Institute will highlight the concept and the growing …
A vegan diet is essentially the strictest form of vegetarianism. That is, in addition to avoiding animal flesh, vegans also cut out dairy, eggs and animal-derived ingredients, such as gelatin whey and casein. And as …
Breaking up is hard to do, but Walmart and McDonald’s seem to have made the split on decent terms. McDonald’s recently announced plans to shutter hundreds of its locations positioned within Walmart stores. After the …
Impossible Foods is reportedly planning for a $10 billion public listing within the next year, either through an IPO or a SPAC. The valuation would be substantially higher than the $4 billion the company was worth …
Free is good, as any customer will tell you, and fast-casual restaurants are beginning to see the benefits of offering free (or virtually free) coffee to drive increased traffic and revenue. In February 2020, Panera …
The push for the Raise the Wage Act, which would increase the minimum wage to $15, is pressuring U.S. businesses like restaurants that depend on keeping labor costs in check to survive. QSRs are finding …
While the fast-food “chicken wars” have been going on for some time, Taco Bell and Chipotle are now headed for battle on another front. The two largest Mexican-food chains are testing new items and jockeying …
Unilever plans to introduce carbon-footprint details for all 70,000 of its products and is researching best methods for gathering and presenting the information. A key motivator for the company is that brands perceived as sustainable …
As the pandemic continues and vaccines become more readily available in the U.S., here are some insights into how consumers feel about dining out and shopping in stores: Dining Out A significant number of Americans …
Pizza has been in high demand throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But, as indoor dining resumes and competition between food pick-up and delivery services heats up, how will major pizza chains maintain sales momentum? Major …
During the pandemic, restaurants have had to find new ways of winning over consumers. Those who are innovating seem to be recovering well from pandemic-related losses. “300 million people wake up hungry each day, and …
Consumers are increasing their off-premises dinner purchases, according to the latest weekly survey from the National Restaurant Association. In the early spring 2021 period, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers have increased their weekly off-premises dinner …
In its latest investigative video, The Food Institute visits a unique New York City restaurant with a “back-to-the-future” business model. The Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is revolutionizing a beloved relic of the past – the automat …
There have been recent signs of recovery for the restaurant industry, but obstacles still need to be scaled before the industry is back to a full bill of health. RESTAURANT SALES SHOWING RECOVERY Restaurant sales …
Just like grocery stores and restaurants have changed operational strategies during the pandemic, so have convenience stores. Whether it’s selling more ready-to-eat and heat-and-eat foodservice items to make a dent in lower gasoline sales or …
Throughout the pandemic, consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies benefitted from purchases of classic CPG items like canned vegetables, pasta, and coffee, as consumers stocked up during quarantine. However, as the country opens back up, CPG …
Global food prices are the highest they’ve been in six years, with the price of agricultural commodities traded on the global stage rising 50% since the middle of 2020, according to economists at Rabobank. Additionally, …
There’s a bright future for BrightFarms. Abby Prior, the company’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, joins the Food Institute Podcast to discuss the company’s growth plans in 2021. Additionally, Prior shares her own …
Wendy’s relaunched its national breakfast menu just weeks before states began issuing stay-at home orders due to COVID-19. While breakfast sales at most fast-food chains stagnated during the pandemic, the Wendy’s breakfast menu performed surprisingly …
Today is International Women’s Day (IWD), a day created in 1911 to celebrate the achievements of women. These days, IWD is largely viewed as an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of women in areas such …
While the gap between food insecurity and food waste is significant, increased government, industry and community efforts can narrow the divide. But with global food demand projected to rise anywhere between 59% to 98% by 2050 …
President Biden denounced state leaders who are choosing to relax COVID-19 restrictions and protective measures at businesses including restaurants. Biden called the moves “Neanderthal thinking” and “a big mistake,” reported The Hill (March 3). His …
Danone is being pressured on three fronts: nondairy substitutes are failing to compensate for a slowdown in yogurt consumption, demand for bottled water has wilted, and infant formula sales have weakened due to slowing birthrates. …
A mentoring session from nearly six months ago still sticks in the mind of Talita Ramos Erickson. When speaking with a recent business school graduate, Ramos Erickson was informed the fledgling professional wouldn’t even consider …
The latest USDA data shows that dairy farms are on the decline, while plant-based milk alternatives are growing in popularity. DAIRY FARM NUMBERS DECLINE USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s latest Milk Production report shows another …
Plant-based companies are finding a home in fast-food, as demand for meat-free options grows among consumers. About one-third of consumers said their consumption of various meat alternatives has increased over the past year, according to …
With a 90-day protest unfolding at McDonald’s headquarters, the fast food giant is contending with allegations that it set Black franchise owners up to contend with higher overhead costs for security, insurance, employee turnover, and …
Distributing hope in a pandemic became a new business requirement during the past year, and DMA President and CEO Pat Mulhern recently shared how the foodservice and food distribution industries pivoted to contend with stay-at-home …
You may have noticed nearly every QSR chain in existence is releasing new, premium chicken sandwiches lately. The Food Institute recently examined these ultra-competitive “chicken sandwich wars” in an in-depth investigative video, featuring interviews with …
Lizzy Freier, senior research manager of menu at Technomic, spoke with The Food Institute’s Susan Choi about the so-called chicken sandwich wars in the quick service restaurant segment, the impact of the pandemic on sales, …
On February 18, The Food Institute, in conjunction with DMA, hosted a webinar that examined the recent explosion of ghost kitchens and virtual brands. The event, which featured executives from Denny’s, Kitchen United, and Lettuce …
