Restaurant unit count drops in fall 2011

March 12, 2012

The total U.S. restaurant unit count dropped from 587,335 in Fall 2010 to 580,852 in Fall 2011, mostly due to independent restaurant closings. The data…

McDonald's franchisee's deployment puts nutritional kiosks in spotlight

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Impending menu labeling laws cause some operators to consider in-store technology.

McDonald's perception rises among parents

March 9, 2012

McDonald's just matched its best perception numbers with parents since the beginning of 2008, according to YouGov BrandIndex.

NRA awards 18 Food and Beverage Product Innovations Awards

March 8, 2012

The National Restaurant Association has announced the recipients of the 2012 Food and Beverage Product Innovations Awards, which recognize consumable products…

Covering the basics of QR codes

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Nick Sears of rVue discusses how QR codes work, and how to best interact with and implement them into a mobile marketing strategy.  

Restaurant operators report positive sales for 8th consecutive month

February 29, 2012

The outlook for the restaurant industry is positive for the coming months, as the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) remained…

Chick-fil-A, Subway get high customer experience ratings

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

February 29, 2012

Chick-fil-A and Subway tied with Starbucks to earn the top customer experience ratings in the restaurant industry, out of 17 total chains.

Live from New York

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

The International Restaurant and Foodservice Show, set for the first weekend in March, will include a new Healthy Solutions Pavilion this year.

Sonic introduces Sweet Potato Tots, Justice League kids' meals

February 28, 2012

Sonic has introduced new Sweet Potato Tots to its menu for a limited time.

Commentary: Restaurants need to embrace a health and wellness strategy

From Burger King's barbell breakfast menu to McDonald's apple slices and sodium reduction commitment, chains are wise to embrace a health and wellness strategy.

Are restaurant marketers missing the big spenders?

by Barry Klein — Marketing Directo, Go Roma

Restaurant occasions are integral to the Boomer generation's demographics, so why aren't brands marketing to them directly?

Seafood promotions kick off Lenten season

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

About 23 percent of McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwiches are purchased during Lent.

2012 Top 10 food trends include "heirloom foods"

by Darrel Suderman — President, Food Technical Consulting

Look for more restaurant concepts to embrace Neapolitan pizza, burgers topped with an egg, and Nordic cuisine.

Commentary: Loyalty marketing drives sales and brand affinity

Starbucks and industry stats show what works for QSRs.

Commentary: Pinterest offers restaurants another way to communicate with customers

Editor's note: This post was originally published on SmartBlog on Restaurants. For more foodservice news, sign up for Restaurant SmartBrief.

When is food service NOT a restaurant?

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

If you own a place that sells prepared food for people to eat, you're in the restaurant business, right? Not necessarily.

Sonic reaches out to Hispanic consumers with new bicultural website

February 14, 2012

Sonic, America's Drive-In, is reaching out to the fast-growing Hispanic demographic with its new bicultural website.

Restaurants adapt to 'new normal' with efficiency, innovation

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Mergers and acquisitions market won't be as active in 2012.

Report: Soups and salads appearing more on menus

February 13, 2012

Away-from-home soup and salad purchases are on the rise, as consumers seek light, healthy and affordable fare, according to new research from Technomic.

Survey: Dunkin' Donuts coffee fans are the most loyal

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

McDonald's, Subway tie atop the QSR category for most loyal fans.