Why playing the 'right' background music increases sales

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Restaurants that play a carefully selected mix of music reflecting their cultures can increase sales by more than 9 percent, according to a 2016 study.

Mcdonald's faces European antitrust suits

April 5, 2017

Consumer groups in three European nations have got a beef with McDonald's these days that has little to do with the chain's ubiquitous burgers, but rather…

Food truck growth goes full throttle: Part 1

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

This four-part series explores the successes and challenges of the food truck industry, Food truck revenues have increased from $650 million in 2013 and should…

From food trucks to food halls: Slapfish founder launches 2 concepts

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Chef Andrew Gruel, who opened his first concept — Slapfish — as a food truck, has just launched two concepts inside an Orange County food hall.

Study: UK restaurateurs need to improve customer experience

April 4, 2017

U.K. restaurateurs and retailers are not providing a rewarding customer experience despite the fact that consumers are more likely to buy if they have a…

Burger King expands in sub-Saharan Africa

April 4, 2017

A new form of royalty is beefing up its presence in sub-Saharan Africa. Burger King will add several units to its existing store count in Kenya and at the…

Bard of 2 brands, 'Carl Hardee,' takes chains to next level

April 3, 2017

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's parent, CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., is launching an ad campaign to stake a claim on the burger landscape as "pioneers" in the…

DQ, Mazzio's and Rave roll out the tech to roll in the employees

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

At the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit in Dallas this week, three big restaurant companies discussed how tech is changing the way they hire and…

Food trucks and restaurants – a symbiotic relationship

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

While many limited service restaurants are clearly interested in expanding into food trucks, veteran food truck operators are using the skills they develop on…

DoorDash partnership turns Jack in the Box to 'Jack at your door'

April 3, 2017

Jack in the Box's San Francisco pilot with DoorDash went so well that the company has expanded the home delivery program to more than 200 cities across 14 new…

Exec behind 'Best Sports Commercial' of all time is new Marco's CMO

April 3, 2017

Marco's Pizza has named veteran marketing executive Steve Seyferth as its new CMO, according to a news release. Seyferth has a background that includes leading…

C-Speak: PDQ president using tech to get rid of the back office

PDQ President Steve Erickson and David Cantu, co-founder of HotSchedules, discuss how the brand uses technology to control operations and deliver better…

Growth slows for restaurant chains in 2016

March 31, 2017

The Top 500 chain restaurants experienced a deceleration in 2016 with cumulative sales growth checking in at 3.6 percent, down from 5.2 percent the prior year…

Keynoter: Want to motivate employees? Try ‘trust and track’ instead of ‘command and control’

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Creating an employee training system that delivers outstanding customer service requires making employees feel engaged and providing regular feedback…

Heard at the Summit: Attendees share insights, pain points and keys to success

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit attendees discuss everything from bunnies to BS.

Which Wich founder tells Summit attendees: 'If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, BS them until you both believe it'

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Jeff Sinelli learned early in life a few lessons that helped him pursue his dreams and not be afraid to get out of his comfort zone. He also learned the…

Social Media Marketing Guide for Food Truck Success

This guide is designed to give food truck operators an understanding of social media marketing.

Presented by FoodTruckOperator.com

Study: Consumers receptive to chatbots

March 30, 2017

A majority of consumers are comfortable talking with a chatbot yet only a fraction have engaged with one, according to the 2017 Mobile Consumer Report from…

Which Wich CEO, Summit attendees make 10,000 PB&Js for Dallas homeless

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Attendees at this year's Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit rolled up their sleeves and made more than 10,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches…

McDonald's massive move to mobile ordering: A big change that warrants big groundwork

by Russell Zack — SVP, Products and Solutions, HelloWorld

McDonald’s and its recently unveiled plans to implement mobile ordering and curbside pickup is proof that even the mightiest brands now know mobile ordering is…