Operations: Page 16

  • Two female Portillo's employees wearing yellow vests and serving customers at the drive-thru
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    Courtesy of Portillo's
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    Portillo’s four-pronged strategy emphasizes drive-thru speed

    The chain is working to improve staff deployment and food throughput as part of an overhaul plan, as drive-thru speeds lag 2019 numbers. 

    By • May 8, 2024
  • A closeup of beverage cups featuring the logo of Starbucks Coffee.
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    Stephen Chernin via Getty Images
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    Starbucks’ late-night delivery pilot ‘doubled our business,’ CEO says

    A third-party partner prepared Starbucks orders for delivery offsite between the hours of 5 p.m. and 5 a.m., and the coffee giant aims to make a $2 billion business out of this model over the next five years.

    By • May 7, 2024
  • Outback Steakhouse exterior
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    Courtesy of Bloomin' Brands
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    Bloomin’ Brands CEO David Deno to retire

    The restaurant industry executive has been CEO at the Outback parent for five years. The board has begun a search for his successor. 

    By • May 7, 2024
  • Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz speaking at a shareholder meeting
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    Stephen Brashear via Getty Images
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    Starbucks needs to focus on experience, not transactions, former CEO says

    Howard Schultz called on the chain's executives to “spend more time with those who wear the green apron” and to better understand customer needs. 

    By Bryan Wassel • May 7, 2024
  • Steak on a plate.
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    Sweetgreen targets dinner customers with steak

    The salad chain is following up the successful rollout of protein plates last year with steak, which accounted for nearly one-fifth of dinner orders in a pilot. 

    By • May 7, 2024
  • An image of two phones showcasing Instacart's new restaurant delivery feature.
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    Courtesy of Uber Eats/Instacart
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    Instacart adds restaurant delivery with Uber Eats

    Over the next few weeks, Instacart will add a restaurant tab powered by Uber Eats to its app, giving Uber access to potentially millions of new customers.

    By • May 7, 2024
  • El Pollo Loco's first LA Mex restaurants, which emphasize off-premise, opened in 2021.
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    Courtesy of El Pollo Loco
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    El Pollo Loco’s new CEO unveils 5-part operations overhaul

    From digital investments to incentivizing franchisees to bolster growth, Liz Williams laid out a path she expects will drive sales while decreasing costs.

    By • May 6, 2024
  • Juan Carlos Loredo, wearing a sport coat and gray trousers, smiles in an office.
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    Courtesy of Pizza Hut
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    Pizza Hut taps Wendy’s exec as US president

    Carl Loredo, Wendy’s former global chief marketing officer, joins the pizza chain after U.S. sales slid 6% year over year last quarter.

    By • May 6, 2024
  • Image of tablet with recipe and ingredient at background
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    Permission granted by ECRS
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    Sponsored by reciProfity

    Understanding the true cost of ingredients

    With wholesale food prices up nearly 30% from pre-pandemic levels, many restaurants are struggling to maintain even the slimmest of profit margins. How can restaurateurs understand and control ever-changing ingredient costs?

    By Colleen Marble • May 6, 2024
  • In this photo illustration, a Papa John's pizza box is seen on July 11, 2018 in Miami, Florida.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Papa Johns names new chief supply chain officer

    Kurt Milburn takes up the role as the pizza chain looks to cut supply chain costs and boost productivity.

    By Alejandra Carranza • May 3, 2024
  • Burritos from Denny's virtual brand Banda Burrito
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    Permission granted by Denny's
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    Denny’s virtual brands engage Gen Z, fuel off-premise growth

    By leveraging slow dayparts like dinner and late night, the casual chain’s three delivery-only brands are increasing sales and capturing younger demographics.

    By • May 3, 2024
  • The outside of a McDonald's restaurant
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s credits speed, personalization for high satisfaction

    The fast food chain is attracting consumers with customized messaging and cementing their loyalty with swift and consistent service.

    By Bryan Wassel • May 2, 2024
  • An exterior image of a Shake Shack restaurant
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Shake Shack’s kiosks are now its largest ordering channel

    The chain added upselling options to its kiosks and made the channel’s customization experience more similar to online ordering.

    By • May 2, 2024
  • The outside of a Starbucks store
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Starbucks’ mobile ordering is so popular, it’s slowing some orders down

    Starbucks will roll out new procedures that will help workers reduce wait times, CEO Laxman Narasimhan said Tuesday.

    By Bryan Wassel • May 1, 2024
  • A photo of the outside of a Wingstop.
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    Courtesy of Wingstop
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    Wingstop accelerates growth trajectory amid record-breaking Q1

    The company, which now expects to open up to 25 more net new units than initially planned, reported 21.6% same-store sales growth.

    By • May 1, 2024
  • Donatos Pizza executives Tom Krouse and Kevin King
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    Courtesy of Donatos Pizza
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    Donatos CEO to retire, president will assume post

    Tom Krouse will retire in October after 20-plus years at the pizza chain. President Kevin King will take on the role of CEO upon Krouse’s retirement. 

    By • May 1, 2024
  • Two women putting an order for food through a kiosk
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    Don Wu via Getty Images
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    Yum’s digital sales mix tops 50% systemwide

    Following several quarters of kiosk and e-commerce deployment, digital is on track to generate $30 billion in annualized sales. 

    By • May 1, 2024
  • A picture of an IHOP server taking an order using a tablet.
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    Courtesy of IHOP
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    IHOP’s POS migration is boosting speed, check totals

    The diner chain has nearly completed a two-year migration of 1,500 restaurants to Tray’s platform, which integrates with handheld server tablets to trim order and pay times at tables. 

    By • April 30, 2024
  • A photo of a sign in the window of a Foxtrot site. It says "Thanks a lot! As of today, we are closing for the final time. Thank you for the time we had together."
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    Permission granted by Camille Gramont
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    Column

    Pardon the Disruption: What the sudden loss of Foxtrot and Dom’s means for retail

    Their demise underscores just how difficult it is to bring new, innovative ideas to life in the shadow of large-scale competitors and the grinding need for efficiency.

    By Jeff Wells • April 30, 2024
  • An image of Burger King's Sizzle remodeled restaurant
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    Courtesy of Burger King
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    Burger King commits additional $300M to accelerate remodels

    The chain will give top-performing restaurants cash incentives to complete remodels and expects to overhaul up to 90% of its U.S. units by 2028.

    By • April 30, 2024
  • A picture of a building with Domino's signage and a car parked on the left side.
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    Courtesy of Domino's
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    Domino’s Q1 US sales driven by loyalty, promotions

    Domestic comps rose 5.6%, the highest increase since 2021, due to rewards member growth, successful marketing campaigns and improved operations.

    By • April 29, 2024
  • An image of food bowls from Chipotle's experimental fast casual brand, Farmesa Fresh Eatery.
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Chipotle pulls plug on Farmesa fast casual concept

    Farmesa Fresh Eatery marks the third spinoff that the company has attempted but shuttered in the past decade. 

    By • April 26, 2024
  • A hand dips a chicken tender into a dipping sauce.
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    Courtesy of Sticky's
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    Chicken tender chain Sticky’s Finger Joint files for Chapter 11

    Low foot traffic in Manhattan, exacerbated by high prices for chicken and potatoes, left 12-unit Sticky’s in a weak position.

    By • April 26, 2024
  • A bank of windows below a red sign that says "Chipotle." A man stands in the background inside the restaurant.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Chipotle makes order fulfillment, not fancier tech, its top CX focus

    Faster order speed is “one of those things that cascades into everything being a lot better,” CEO Brian Niccol said.

    By Bryan Wassel • April 25, 2024
  • Chipotle workers prepare food
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Chipotle’s traffic rose 5% in Q1 despite price hikes

    Visits outpaced the fast casual industry during the quarter thanks to the chain’s strongest throughput in four years and Barbacoa and Carne Asada promotions.

    By • April 25, 2024