White Castle among 1st QSRs to add dairy-free cheese

February 19, 2020

White Castle is amping up its plant-based menu item presence, saying it will launch a dairy-free cheddar option in New York- and New Jersey-area restaurants…

Making QSR menus maximize profits

With key players like dogs, workhorses, puzzles and stars, the art of menu engineering may at first sound like a kind of weird board game. But those who master…

Bojangles' hires former Wendy's culinary innovation chief

February 6, 2020

Bojangles' has hired Wendy's former director of culinary innovation, Chef Marshall Scarborough, as Bojangles' vice president of menu and culinary innovation.

McDonald's launches a game of 'Chicken' in breakfast daypart

January 28, 2020

With Wendy's poised to launch its considerable weight back into the first meal of the day, McDonald's said today it's adding chicken to its breakfast menus by…

Roy Rogers steps into breakfast with brisket LTO

January 9, 2020

Roy Rogers is taking a tip-toe into breakfast with one of its two new year LTOs, dubbed one of the brand's most "differentiating" in the last year by leaders…

Chick-fil-A tests trimmed-down menu in Arizona, Charlotte

January 3, 2020

Pulling out complexity, while putting in spice is Chipotle's mission at its stores in Charlotte, North Carolina and the entire state of Arizona, which the…

What 2020's increasingly anxious QSR customer means for your brand

We Americans are a restless, anxious bunch these days, and QSRs are feeling the ripple effects of that fact. That's one of the primary findings of the data…

2019 top food news: A heated game of chicken

America's love for chicken was evident in the top food news stories for the past year. But perhaps nearly as prominent in the top 10 list of such stories for…

4 menu trends fast casual operators should master

These four trends are continuing to grow in popularity, and here’s how and why you should play with them on your menu.

Presented by FastCasual.com

From booze in tea to oysters in bags, academia takes a turn at 2020 trend predictions

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

Data analysts and marketers have long held the title of food trend prediction pros. But now some of the academics and agricultural specialists are looking into…

Togo's 2020 transformation: 'It's not just new paint'

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

Ask anyone who's made a deli sandwich, they'll tell you, making these mouthwatering monstrosities is both time and labor-intensive. But 48-year-old Togo's has…

Dog Haus, Ike's, Zoup leaders say being trendy is definitely not 'where it's at'

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

The name of the game now in limited-service menu innovation has less to do with following the waves of trends that regularly sweep through food service and…

A&W gives its curds a kick

October 29, 2019

A&W Restaurants is kicking it up a notch to ride out the end of the year with its sriracha cheese curds LTO, featuring the brand's well-loved Wisconsin…

Wendy's Carolinas-only LTO heats up fall

October 18, 2019

Wendy's has brought back it Carolina Classic Burger LTO, but specifically to its North and South Carolina locations, a news release said. The special item…

McDonald's McRib returns with 'sticky' Instagram campaign

October 7, 2019

McDonald's storied boneless barbecue pork sandwich, the McRib, has returned today as an LTO to more than 10,000 U.S. restaurants, complete with barbecue sauce…

The tongue-wagging 'Wow!' power of Dog Haus + fast casual summit preview

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

From the Tae Kwon Dog to the Bad Mutha Clucka, Dog Haus does dogs, sausages and other eats on a whole other plane. Today, Dog Haus Partner for Marketing and…

Lion's Choice: Fast food where customers slow down

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

In a QSR world driven by a faster-is-better mentality and constantly abuzz with talk of ghost kitchens and home delivery, one longtime St. Louis-based QSR…

Unified Menu Management: Serving Up New Efficiencies

Time for a quick quiz: How many different versions of your menu are floating around online at this very minute? Was your answer a definitive “one?” If not…

CKE, Carl's Jr., Hardee's ... a plant-based love story

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

It's well-established now that QSR plant-based mania is in full swing. But how do the category's firmly ensconced and very beef-based burger brands even go…

KFC's Atlanta store 'Beyond Chicken' test sells out in under 5 hours

August 28, 2019

The familiar red-and-white bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken transformed into green, both literally and figuratively, yesterday, when the fried chicken chain…