Operations: Page 43
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First Watch eyes significant growth following first day as public company
The proceeds of its IPO, which initially raised $170 million, will help pay off debt and fuel the chain's goal of reaching 2,200 units, CEO Chris Tomasso said.
By Julie Littman • Oct. 4, 2021 -
Deep Dive
Recipe for revenue: Why restaurants are becoming host kitchens
Restaurants are leveraging unused kitchen capacity to facilitate the delivery of other brands and rake in extra cash.
By Julie Littman • Oct. 4, 2021 -
Trendline
Back-of-house Technology
From voice AI at the drive-thru to robot-powered makelines, restaurants are investing in technology solutions to optimize kitchen operations and reduce employee turnover.
By Restaurant Dive staff -
Chili's parent company to boost hourly employee pay to $18 by 2023
Brinker International also plans to raise Chili's general manager pay from $87,000 to $100,000 by 2025, a move that's part of the restaurant group's overall strategy to improve staffing.
By Julie Littman • Oct. 1, 2021 -
NRA: 78% of operators report decline in dine-in business
Eighty-five percent of operators are reporting slimmer margins due to rising food, labor and occupancy costs, a September survey from the National Restaurant Association Research Group found.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 30, 2021 -
Yelp tool helps restaurants manage operations amid off-premise surge
The reservation platform's Guest Manager streamlines its front-of-house products into one suite. The company also debuted a feature that identifies virtual or delivery-only restaurants.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 29, 2021 -
Papa John’s signs largest domestic franchise deal ever
Sun Holdings has agreed to open 100 units in high-growth markets across Texas by 2029, a move that follows several large deals signed by the pizza chain to expand in new and existing international regions.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 29, 2021 -
Cousins Subs adds a storefront to its ghost kitchen
The restaurant chain now offers seating for 14 guests and pickup at the previously delivery-only unit, which opened in downtown Milwaukee in 2019.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 28, 2021 -
Procuring sustainable coffee cups presents a blend of challenges
Increased global demand and recycling setbacks during the pandemic point to the need for better systems within the supply chain.
By Jen A. Miller • Sept. 28, 2021 -
Drive-thru speed of service slowed 26 seconds in 2021, study finds
Order accuracy also declined by 2% year-over-year at QSR chains, which SeeLevel HX attributes to continued restaurant labor woes, supply chain issues and inflation.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 24, 2021 -
Subway records strongest August sales in 8 years on tails of brand refresh
The overhaul, which includes a retooled menu and "never-ending" creative campaign, led to a 33% August sales lift at top-performing restaurants.
By Peter Adams • Sept. 21, 2021 -
McDonald's to remove virgin plastic from Happy Meal toys by 2025
The QSR will source its toys from renewable, recycled or certified materials, which is expected to reduce fossil fuel-based plastic in the products by 90%.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 21, 2021 -
McDonald's enhances kiosks for visually impaired
The fast food chain will add screen-reading software, tactile keypads and the ability to use headphones to place orders via audio prompts at company-owned stores by the end of the year.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 21, 2021 -
Chick-fil-A to launch 3 virtual concepts in Nashville
This fall, guests ordering from the chain's delivery kitchen concept Little Blue Menu can order from Flock & Farm, Garden Day and Outfox Wings, as well as menu items from Chick-fil-A.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 15, 2021 -
IRC: 82% of restaurants fear they will shutter without Restaurant Revitalization Fund refill
The nonprofit urged Congress to refill the RRF before budget reconciliation talks last week, but the House Committee on Small Business didn't vote on a plan that would add $60 billion to the fund.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Sept. 14, 2021 -
Taco Bell expands Taco Lover's Pass nationwide
During the 30-day subscription's trial last fall, 20% of Taco Lover's Pass purchasers were new to the chain's rewards app. An additional 20% renewed the pass a second time.
By Julie Littman • Updated Jan. 6, 2022 -
Feds to require large employers mandate coronavirus vaccine
The requirements will impact some 80 million workers in private sector businesses, in addition to many federal employees and contractors, the White House said.
By Ryan Golden • Updated Sept. 10, 2021 -
Raising tipped minimum wage could spark job loss, study shows
The National Bureau of Economic Research also finds that hiking the tipped minimum wage would do little to prevent employees from falling into low-income brackets.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 9, 2021 -
Why aren't restaurant workers coming back? Here's what the data shows.
While operators continue to point to high unemployment benefits keeping workers from returning, various reports show the staffing shortage is much more complicated.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 8, 2021 -
Wingstop adds thighs to core menu following launch of virtual brand
Thighstop generated 3 billion media impressions in the first days of its rollout, driving much more diner attention than a traditional product launch often captures.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 8, 2021 -
Shake Shack suspends 4-day workweek perk for managers
The burger chain phased out the program after the pandemic began and will focus instead on hiring hourly workers and raising pay.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 7, 2021 -
NRA boosts 2021 restaurant sales projection to $789B
While this predicted total eclipses the National Restaurant Association's previous estimate by $58 billion, it would still come in more than 8% below 2019 sales.
By Julie Littman • Aug. 31, 2021 -
7 of the best-designed outdoor dining structures in NYC
These award-winning "streateries" have played an important role in keeping restaurants viable during the pandemic.
By Matthew Thibault • Aug. 30, 2021 -
McDonald's suggests franchisees close dining rooms
The Golden Arches shared guidance with operators last week on how to shutter indoor seating in areas where COVID-19 cases exceed 250 per 100,000 people, according to Reuters.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Aug. 30, 2021 -
NRA: 6 in 10 US adults have changed restaurant plans due to delta variant
Nineteen percent of consumers have stopped going to restaurants, one of the many growing concerns mentioned in a National Restaurant Association letter urging Congress to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
By Julie Littman • Aug. 26, 2021 -
Perkins debuts virtual bakery brand
Restaurants carrying the Bakery by Perkins virtual concept during its test phase experienced a bakery category sales increase of 10% to 20%.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 26, 2021