COLUMN: Throwing a Lifeline to Leaders in a Volatile Market

Business owners must keep their fingers on the pulse to forecast whether the cash in the business is sufficient to maintain operations and overcome the volatile market conditions.

Robots Can Benefit Grocers If They Can Master the Process

Retailers including Walmart and Kroger have embraced in-store robots to help keep stores clean on a consistent schedule, and the automated tools offer benefits for any retailer to enhance its operations.

Execs: Food Industry on Verge of Major Tech Transformation

The food industry is on the precipice of a tectonic shift, according to industry insiders. Technology is the driving force behind the projected change.

Will AI Ordering Go Mainstream at Restaurants?

In response to labor shortages, some restaurants are turning to AI-powered bots that answer phones and communicate with customers.

Amid Labor Shortage, Gen Z Demanding ‘EWA’ Pay

Companies like McDonald’s are allowing workers to access hourly pay on demand in the hopes of shoring up the ongoing labor shortage.

What U.S. Restaurants Can Learn from the U.K.

Struggling U.S. restaurateurs could learn a lesson or two from their counterparts in the U.K., where COVID, labor shortages, supply chain and energy issues, and Brexit, have complicated survival, experts say.

Food Industry Automation Gaining Momentum Amid Labor Shortage

Image courtesy of Miso Robotics Amid the pandemic-related labor shortage, investment in automation continues to gain momentum, particularly in the restaurant space. In fact, the food automation market is expected to grow at a CAGR …

As Masks Come Off, Restaurant Industry Outlook Tempered by Labor Shortage

With masks coming off, restaurants are bracing for a surge in business, evidenced by increased job posting for servers, bartenders and a host of other rolls, reports PeopleReady, an on-demand labor company. Unfortunately, many of …

FI Fast Break audio news: March 16, 2022

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine the impact the crisis in the Ukraine is having on the global food supply, coin circulation challenges, and more. The Food Institute Podcast …

FI Fast Break audio news: March 9, 2022

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine restaurant chains’ recent appeal to video gamers, increasing support for U.S. agriculture, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News …

Restaurants Work New Strategies to Retain Staff

Hiring new employees is hard for businesses across the food landscape. Retaining them is even harder. And if you are a restaurant operator amid the current worker shortage, your staffing problems are the hardest. The …

FI Fast Break audio news: Feb. 23, 2022

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we update the ongoing bird flu outbreak, the restaurant industry’s recovery, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Feb. 23, …

FI Fast Break audio news: Feb. 16, 2022

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine America’s bird flu outbreak, inflation, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Feb. 16, 2022 The FI Fast …

FI Fast Break audio news: Feb. 9, 2022

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine Walmart’s online grocery growth, the popularity of Veganuary, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Feb. 9, 2022 …

FI Fast Break audio news: Feb. 2, 2022

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine the restaurant industry’s outlook for 2022, labor shortage strategies, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Feb. 2, …

Great Resignation Now Giving Way to Great Sabbatical

The so-called Great Resignation has led companies to reconsider employee retention programs with many now offering sabbaticals as a means of keeping their most qualified workers in the fold. The Society for Human Resource Management …

FI Fast Break audio news: Jan. 26, 2022

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine Coca-Cola’s experiment with alcohol, Walmart’s investment in indoor farming, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Jan. 26, …

FI Fast Break audio news: Jan. 19, 2022

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine the evolution of convenience stores, and provide an update on port backlogs. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Jan. …

Omicron Wreaks Havoc on Workforce

The COVID-19 omicron variant is impacting every corner of the food industry. Case in point: the 2022 Annual Meat Conference, scheduled for February 7-9 in Washington, D.C., has been canceled. The North American Meat Institute …

FI Fast Break audio news: Jan. 12, 2022

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine projected food-cost increases, businesses’ “boomerang” employee issue, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Jan. 12, 2022 The …

Driver Shortage Pushes Autonomous Trucking Closer to Reality

Unmanned trucks are hitting the streets. Autonomous trucking startup TuSimple completed its first run on open public roads without a human in the vehicle, reported TechCrunch (Dec. 29). The autonomous driving system navigated 100% of …

FI Fast Break audio news: Jan. 5, 2022

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine the flexitarian movement, the rise of convenience stores, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Jan. 5, 2022 …

Life Amid Omicron Rife with Frustration for Retailers, Restaurants

The omicron coronavirus variant is causing headaches for American businesses. With the daily COVID case count surging above the half-million mark in the U.S., governments and businesses are imposing vaccine requirements on both employees and …

FI Fast Break audio news: Dec. 28, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine the future of trade shows, the prospects for plant-based cheese, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Dec. …

FI Fast Break audio news: Dec. 22, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we break down predictions for food inflation and multiple labor disputes. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Dec. 22, 2021 The …

Demand, Labor Challenges Broaden Raw Ingredient Shortages

Labor issues continue to fan the flames of supply chain disruption, fueling raw material shortages and poking holes in production output, while food manufacturers struggle to keep up with volatile demand. “The U.S. manufacturing sector …

FI Fast Break audio news: Dec. 8, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine New York City’s vaccination mandate, optimism within the fine-dining space, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Dec. …

With Strikes Mounting, Has Labor Reached an Inflection Point?

If the recent spate of labor unrest and the massive wave of resignations are any indication, workers are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore, to quote “Network” anchorman Howard Beale. More …

FI Fast Break audio news: Dec. 1, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine how restaurants are rethinking delivery, grocery chains’ big boost from Turkey Wednesday 2021, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break …

Labor Shortage Update: Restaurants Limit Delivery, Online Sales to Focus on Dine-In

The labor shortage continues to take a toll on restaurants across the U.S., just as the holiday season gets underway. For example, a California Boston Market shut on Thanksgiving after staff did not show up, …

FI Fast Break audio news: Nov. 23, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine the “Strikesgiving” trend, Thanksgiving shopping projections, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Nov. 23, 2021 The FI …

FI Fast Break audio news: Nov. 17, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine rising food prices, the so-called “shroom boom,” and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Nov. 17, 2021 The …

Food Industry Insiders Say Communication, Personal Connections Key for 2022

Despite rising inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and labor challenges, the food industry should be looking forward to 2022. Additionally, collaboration, communication, and developing personal connections will be critical growth drivers. These were some of the …

FI Fast Break audio news: Nov. 10, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine changing consumer purchasing habits, the lunch day-part’s recovery at restaurants, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Nov. …

Industry Insiders: Time to Rethink Compensation Packages in Hospitality Sector

Recently released October statistics from Indeed Hiring Lab indicated fewer people are looking for jobs in the hospitality-tourism sector – nearly 24% fewer than in February 2020 when the pandemic first took hold. Even with …

FI Webinar Recap: Retaining Talent Amid ‘The Great Resignation’

Many have lamented America’s current labor shortage. Kristine Gunn, conversely, has tried to maintain an air of positivity, focused on the opportunity that lies ahead. “This really is a time for organizations to reimagine – …