The Future of AI and the Food Industry

The future of the food industry is coming into focus as artificial intelligence (AI) grows increasingly popular.

Investors See Tough Times Ahead for Fast Casuals

It’s difficult to project how the fast-casual industry will perform in a recession. The current version of the industry hasn’t really seen one. To be sure, the fast-casual concept predates the financial crisis of the …

Restaurants Grapple with Rising Chicken Prices

Chicken is not as cheap as it used to be. USDA reported prices for skinned boneless chicken breasts in the Northeast region were ranging between $3.30 and $3.35 per lb. on May 4. Food Institute …

Restaurant Brands Increasingly Court Marijuana Users

Image courtesy of Wingstop While 18 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. have legalized marijuana for recreational use, it remains illegal on the federal level. Yet, several national restaurant brands are incorporating marijuana into their marketing …

Why Restaurant Chain CEOs are Jumping Ship

While leadership changes are nothing new for restaurant chains, CEOs have been resigning in spades over the past two months, including departures from prominent brands like Starbucks, Dominos, Denny’s, Red Lobster, and Wingstop. What’s behind …

Why Food Brands Should be Targeting Gamers

Gamers are proving to be an influential demographic in the food industry. In fact, research from Wunderman Thompson Commerce’s Future Shopper Report 2021 shows that globally, 84% of online shoppers are gamers. With this in …

Digesting This Week’s Earnings from McDonald’s and Other Food Companies

With a slew of earnings being released over the past week, The Food Institute looked into which companies are thriving, as well as which companies are experiencing issues. EARNINGS ‘WINNERS’ McDonalds (MCD) Global comparable sales …

Wingstop “Brand Hack” Reflects Agility of Virtual Restaurant Concepts

Wingstop’s foray into chicken thighs is the industry’s newest testament to the growing power of the virtual restaurant. The company is launching Thighstop, a virtual concept “brand hack” that will serve up crispy chicken thighs for …

Wing and a Prayer: Restaurants Scramble During Chicken Shortage

Restaurants throughout America are dealing with a frustrating shortage of chicken wings that shows no signs of slowing. This has pushed executive chefs like Dan Miles to do what was previously unthinkable: either sell a …

Chicken Wings Fly High

Food Institute Focus – Chicken Wings Fly High