Can coasters address consumer disengagement in restaurants?

August 5, 2016

In hopes of counteracting phone distractions in restaurants, Heckler Design has created coasters made to hold customer phones, according to a company press…

A good summer for McDonald's and Chipotle, not so good for Arby's and KFC

August 5, 2016

McDonald's is clearly winning the traffic game this summer, while Chipotle is showing signs of a healthy rebound from its E.coli-based fall from grace…

Dunkin' Donuts expands in Atlanta with 3 franchisees

August 4, 2016

Dunkin' Donuts announced an agreement with three existing franchise groups to develop 13 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and four multi-brand units with…

Bruster's offers hot LTOs to cool down from summer

August 4, 2016

Bruster's is offering a couple of new LTOs to see us through to the end of summer. The new flavors include cayenne chocolate chunk and s'mores.

5 questions for diners making the digital switch

by Jackie Berg — mArketing director, olo

As we cruise through 2016, with nearly 80 percent smartphone adoption, there is little debate: A restaurant brand's digital program is now of paramount…

DoorDash delivers Dunkin' Donuts daily in NYC

August 2, 2016

Dunkin' Donuts introduced its delivery service to New York City in Brooklyn and Manhattan, according to a company press release. DoorDash will be handling the…

The true effects of food photos: part 1

by Matthew Harper — Intern, Networld Media Group

Back in the 1800s when photography was first invented, it would have been hard to imagine people using the technology to document lunch. As restaurants are…

White Castle launches new menu item, social media contest

August 1, 2016

White Castle is introducing a new item, pretzel chicken rings, according to a news release. The company is also kicking off a social media contest for Twitter…

Subway campaign quenches both consumer and Third World thirst

July 29, 2016

Subway is partnering with World Vision and Dasani for its new Fresh Water 4 All campaign. The goal is to help provide clean water to hard-to-reach areas around…

Wendy's and Uber partner to benefit kids in foster care

July 29, 2016

Wendy's is partnering with Uber to help kids in foster care find homes, according to a company press release. From now until the end of the promotion, Uber…

Dunkin' Donuts' new coffee is cool

July 28, 2016

Dunkin' Donuts announced in a company press release that on Monday, Aug. 1, cold-brew coffee will become available at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants…

Arby's Q2 same-store sales growth triple industry average

July 27, 2016

If you hear some hooping and hollering down in Georgia today, it's probably coming from Arby's headquarters, where the reinvigorated brand is celebrating its…

Learning from the best and the worst restaurant apps

Nearly half of the top 100 restaurant chains don't have a native app, even though consumers expect one. Gleaning wisdom from over 1 million app reviews has…

AI meets customer engagement: Creepy or necessary?

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

A new artificial intelligence platform promises to engage diners in a caring way with very little thought and effort from restaurant operators.

Sonic offers new summer drinks

July 26, 2016

Sonic Drive-In is adding options to its menu, including a new line of Island Breeze frozen drinks, according to a press release. Flavors include pina colada…

Smoothie system sales down, the NPD Group finds

July 25, 2016

Dollar sales of smoothie makers declined during the first part of 2016, a press release said. According to the NPD Group, a global information company, dollar…

McDonald's brings virtual reality to light

by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator

McDonald's just completed a makeover of a Singapore location and it is using virtual reality kiosks to show off all its improvements.

Historic 1st FAA-approved food delivery? Of course, it's a Slurpee and a doughnut

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

Just how long do we have before these autonomous flying delivery trucks fill our skies like a perpetual "day of the locusts"?

3,000+ Japanese McDonald's location giving out Pokemon Go loot in Happy Meals

This Wednesday, the craze that is Pokemon Go here in the U.S. got a lift from the McDonald's chain in Japan, where the game has still not launched. McDonald's…

Why your app isn't appealing to your customer base

Not all apps are created equal, and consumers don't have the patience to wait while you to get it right.