Operations
QSRweb's Top 5 articles for 2024
These were the Top 5 stories on QSRweb.com in 2024.
December 20, 2024 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group
The QSR industry continues to navigate a complex landscape in 2024, facing challenges from rising costs, evolving consumer preferences, and increased competition. While industry sales remain strong, operators are grappling with labor shortages, navigating inflationary pressures, and seeking innovative ways to attract and retain customers in a crowded market.
1. 8 tips for fast-food restaurant design
Since the pandemic, fast-food restaurant design has become geared toward efficient, fast pickup and drive-thrus. But designing an interior takes careful thought and consideration for a comfortable, friendly dining experience.
"Quality is so important these days and people notice it right away when you come into a restaurant," said Dan Wilson, a licensed architect and restaurant division lead of architectural design firm Tessere. He added that since the COVID-19 pandemic, fast-food restaurants have been geared toward people on the go who don't want to dine-in.
"Everything that's happening in a restaurant gives you an impression of the place (and) whether or not you're going to come back," he added.
2. Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken launches prototype to roll out this year
Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken launched a prototype that began rolling out in stores in 2024. With dual drive-thru lanes and an online ordering pick-up area, the prototype focuses on functionality and better customer interactions.
The redesign was important to our nearly 60-year-old brand because we hadn't modernized our brand in over two decades, yet we make a best-in-class product," Ryan Weaver, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken CEO, said in the article. "We wanted the quality of our branding and our physical assets to better align with the quality of our product. Hence, we decided to refresh the brand, and a new prototype was a part of that, which we know will make the franchisees and customers' lives and experience at Lee's even better."
3. Jollibee takes flight: Filipino QSR's US growth hits 100 stores and beyond
Filipino fast-food chain Jollibee is experiencing explosive growth in the U.S. This growth is evident in its store count, reaching a significant milestone with its 101st North American location, which opened in Seattle in 2024.
"Our products are very universal. They're not distinctly Filipino," Nick Bedell, marketing director for Jollibee, said in the article. "They're a unique take on some of the ways they're prepared."
4. Big Dave's Cheesesteaks thrives on culture, customer service, training
Derrick Hayes has three pillars for Big Dave's Cheesesteaks: customer service, tight training and strict adherence to the brand's culture. Big Dave's Cheesesteaks inked a deal for 10 units in Florida, the brand's first franchising contract, in 2024.
Hayes was able to grow the concept "by bringing all things cheesesteak to the South, which had never been done in the right way," he said, adding great cheesesteaks are made with the right bread — protecting the culture of the sandwich.
5. 8 restaurant marketing strategies for 2025
Restaurant marketing focuses on attracting customers and building a loyal following. Key strategies include: effective email marketing; SMS marketing; claiming your restaurant's listings; giving back to the community and more. Effective restaurant marketing emphasizes unique selling propositions, such as exceptional food quality, ambiance, customer service, or a specific niche. Building a strong brand identity and consistently delivering a positive customer experience are crucial for long-term success.
This story included eight restaurant marketing strategies for 2024.
About Mandy Wolf Detwiler
Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.
An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.
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