Global Foodservice News
Buffalo Wild Wings Launches Trivia Series with Big Prizes on the Line
Buffalo Wild Wings knows customers are champing at the bit to go out once again. To direct that pent-up demand toward its doors, the brand is launching Blazin’ Trivia, a new weekly trivia night with $50,000 and a trip to Las Vegas on the line. The game will be hosted every Wednesday night, with teams…
Read MoreFresh Ideas Positioned Smashburger for Growth During the Pandemic
Smashburger president Carl Bachmann wants the chain to be the No. 1 fast-casual brand. And the pandemic didn’t stop him from thinking big. “We kept the doors open the whole time, so we didn’t lose as many employees as other chains,” said Bachmann. That, and developing and promoting team members from within, are helping Smashburger…
Read MoreRestaurant Industry Still Missing 1.46 Million Jobs
Restaurants gained 186,000 jobs in May, but the industry still has a long road toward reaching pre-pandemic figures. Last month, 10.83 million were on the payroll, and that’s 1.46 million fewer than February 2020, when the industry boasted 12.29 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It also doesn’t help that quick-service and full-service…
Read MoreHow World of Beer Rose from Major Layoffs to Soaring Sales
The COVID-19 pandemic was arguably the most dramatic event World of Beer CEO Paul Avery has faced in his career. The 54-unit chain decided to quickly furlough 92 percent of its staff in an attempt to allow everyone to get proper government assistance. For those who remained, salaries were reduced 50 percent. At one point…
Read MoreKrispy Kreme goes public with IPO filing, looking to raise $100 million
The doughnut and coffee chain will be trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol, “DNUT.” The news was announced a month after Krispy Kreme initially filed a draft registration for an IPO with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The IPO will take Krispy Kreme public for the first time since the acquisition by…
Read MoreLettuce Entertain You president sees the future of restaurants as brick and mortar, not virtual
As Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) marks its fiftieth year in business, president RJ Melman doesn’t see any signs of slowing down. The multi-concept operator has over 150 restaurants in several states across the country ranging from fast-casual to fine-dining and, during the pandemic, brought some closed concepts back as virtual restaurants. Melman, however, does…
Read MoreStaying Nimble: Chipotle Prepares for Expansion with Multiple Formats
Perhaps more than anything else, restaurants of the future will need to be flexible in format to serve guests with varying needs. That’s according to Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Chief of Development Tabassum Zalotrawala, who shared her insights during a session on “Inside Chipotle’s Recipe for Growth,” part of the ongoing Nation’s Restaurant News digital series…
Read MoreSenate Bill Aims to Clear Path for CBD in Interstate Commerce
Bipartisan legislation introduced in the US Senate on May 19 would ensure hemp-derived CBD (cannabidiol) products are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration like other legal products used in dietary supplements, foods, and beverages. The bill, the Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act, was sponsored by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, Senator Rand Paul…
Read More5 Food & Beverage Trends Accelerated, Altered or Accentuated by the Pandemic
We are living through an unprecedented time in which the pandemic has accelerated, altered, or accentuated trends in many spheres of food and beverage culture. As we move forward into the summer of 2021 — in the context of promising trends in vaccinations and states opening fully for business — many of these behavioral changes…
Read MoreMichelin Star Chef Michael Mina is Opening a New Restaurant in Seattle this Fall
The modern American steakhouse will use seasonal and regional ingredients, and all-natural, organic, hormone-free beef. Much like the other seven locations across the country, Bourbon Steak promises to bring its award-winning, creative interpretations of classic steakhouse dishes to the Emerald City. “Growing up outside of Seattle, this project is very close to home for me,”…
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