Sugar and spice and everything breakfast: 2014 on the menu

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Breakfast, beverage and retail categories accelerated this year, while operators embraced meaty offerings, despite record-high protein prices.

McDonald's plans to shrink menu, ingredient lists

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

McDonald's has moved from a division structure to a structure that empowers regions to execute their marketing and menu plans toward their specific…

Hurdles expected to remain in place in 2015 for restaurant operators

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

In addition to record-high commodities prices, labor inflation, technology costs and health care/menu labeling regulations, there is also intensified…

Online cultural inclusiveness: Something for restaurant brands to think about

Focusing on how diversity is presented on a company website provides an opportunity to reaffirm our industry’s commitment to reaching a multicultural workforce…

Quiznos turns to millennials in turnaround bid

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Quiznos will launch a new POS (expected in 2015) and will then be able to test some loyalty tools and a mobile app. The brand is also testing gluten-free…

The chefs have spoken: Menu trend predictions for 2015

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

After years on the rise, gluten-free cuisine has fallen out of the top 10 list of the National Restaurant Association's annual survey.

How to get millennials to buy into your restaurant brand

Every step of what patrons experience from how they are greeted to what's on the menu; from how they place orders to how their tables are cleared must be…

'Black Friday' a boon to restaurants, too

by Brenda Rick Smith — Editor, Networld Media Group

Mall-based restaurants can see a significant spike in sales around the holiday season, bolstered by high traffic volumes and consumers' desire for indulgence.

Social media expert: Restaurants need to get better at brand storytelling

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

The challenge is no longer having the biggest presence or most followers; now quality matters before activity.

McDonald's turnaround plan: 'Get closer to the customer'

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

McDonald's CFO said the company is behind some competitors in the digital space and is therefore investing at an 'accelerated rate' to get enhancements to the…

Tillster CEO: Restaurant industry in first phase of mobile payments

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

The technology should have maximum utility for consumers, such as ordering and loyalty; payment alone isn't enough.

Customization, versatility driving the Asian food segment

Highly versatile and easily customizable, the Asian food segment is a perfect segue for East-meets-West flavor mashups that consumers of all ages will love.

Four ways the game has changed for restaurant brands

Nimbleness, dynamic customer relationships, customization and millennial insights are all key to brand success, says FOCUS Brands CEO Steve DeSutter.

How some restaurant operators plan to navigate higher minimum wages

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Restaurant patrons across age groups and political orientations support increasing the minimum wage and adjusting it annually for inflation.

Order kiosks making a comeback in the restaurant industry

by Nicole Troxell — Associate Editor, Networld Media Group

Millennials are accustomed to technology and like a sensory experience – to touch and feel things – and kiosks give them that opportunity.

Prognostication: 2015 menu trends

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Beverages, micro-local, crowdsourcing and increased competition from nontraditional foodservice outlets are all expected to shape the restaurant landscape in…

Think the QSR segment is in trouble? Consider Sonic

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Sonic has dedicated a lot of resources to make sure it's ready for any launch, beginning a promotion before it goes to TV.

Will Apple Pay be good, bad or neutral for the restaurant industry?

Seth Priebatsch, LevelUp's Chief Ninja, prognosticates about the future of Apple's mobile payments platform as it applies to restaurant chains.

Panera, Chipotle set sustainability standards by starting small, thinking big

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

The biggest opportunities to save come with packaging and waste initiatives.

Industry trends: Consumers will spend more for transparency, authenticity, safety

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Watch for menu trends at airport bars and lounges, Hollywood and convenience stores.