The Restaurant Report

In this episode, we dive into the brand-building elements for legacy brands to break thru and connect with a new generation of consumers. Dawn Petite serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Friendly’s Restaurants, which operates over 130 (company-operated and franchised) friendly, full-service restaurants. Dawn began her career at Friendly’s Restaurants as an operations manager and has been with...

Looking at the fast casual segment opens up some of the key categories as new movers based on consumer changes in the past few years. Operational restaurant trends in 2022 included an ongoing focus on off-premises dining, which put snacks and desserts front and center for operators seeking to optimize sales in the drive-thru and via carry-out and delivery. This has led an array of brands like Oran...

Building the right culture for your restaurant business could be the make or break this year as we see more and more operators facing one of the biggest challenges they have faced in the past decade, mainly since building teams and people are decade-lasting initiatives. CCI Consulting found that more than 50% of businesses lack one critical skill that can make a difference: "leading change." This...

In this podcast, we had a chance to dive deep into trends and styles for 2023 with Steve Schulze, the CEO of Nékter Juice Bar. Our conversation dove into the company's growth and what seems to be evolving into a new era for restaurants around consumer satisfaction and how the next generations perceive eating out. The big analysis is that many shifts are starting to take aim at what has been a very...

My Top five Predictions and Trends to watch in 2023 are a mix of brands, consumer trends, and the future of technology. In this episode, I will deliver trends and ideas for 2023 for your restaurant business and a special interview on operation trends with Andrew Gibson of CA Energywise. Some of my trends to watch in 2023 Four Breakout Brands and why Where will alternative proteins go Web3 and Bloc...

The skills needed for the times ahead are not built overnight. Personal experiences and professional development form strong leaders through quality learning experiences and development. The key to a successful 2023 is the ability to be agile, committed, and innovative in your approach. In today's podcast, we dive in deep with consultant an author Rudy Miick to discuss key areas that will make you...

Franchise programs continue to build in the re-birth of the fast-casual segment for 2022-23, and a handful of companies understand what it takes to grow these brands to the next level. DMD Ventures owns and operates some of the most successful and spirited brands in the United States. We dive deep with Co-Founders & Co CEOs Fred Burgess and Jack Flechner to understand how they have been able t...

Understanding the new model of hospitality is gaining some ground with a shifting tide to technology, consumer demand, and a new server for exploration by the next-gen consumer. Tech-enabled hospitality startup, CAMO, is democratizing hotel dining by reimagining room service, reinventing the way travelers experience cuisine, and helping hotels generate profits from traditionally underutilized kitc...

These days, part of building a brand is the commitment to digital and addressing the needs of the new consumer - Hawaiian Bros has put together a model for growth that causes some fast casual operators to scratch their heads. GROWTH + EXPANSION: As one of the fastest-growing concepts in the country. they have built a fan base across Missouri, throughout Texas and Oklahoma, in Chicago and New York,...

Understanding the landscape of the restaurant industry is getting more and more difficult with various market conditions that are in place to shift so much of what we are doing now. In this deep dive Restaurant Innovator Series, we get into where the shifts will occur with Don Fox, the CEO of Firehouse Subs. Innovation Starbucks Odyssey program will be the new platform for “Web3-powered experience...

The National Restaurant Association, in partnership with the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and Technomic, conducted the 17th annual What’s Hot survey targeted to thought leaders in the culinary field. More than 500 professionals from the ACF and chefs associated with Association programs weighed in on what they see as the leading menu trends for the coming year. While most trends align with c...

Topical Smoothie is adding a double drive-thru restaurant that could help drive franchising growth for the brand. Existing franchisees are also behind 70% of the company’s total cafe openings this year, and have helped increase its year-to-date opening by 25% compared to the first three quarters of 2021. The chain also is one of the rising stars in consumer sentiment, growing to #28 on the Foodabl...

A new entry into the use case for NFTs and their connection to loyalty and rewards is now Starbucks. They unveiled Starbucks Odyssey, a new experience powered by Web3 layer two solution Polygon that will offer Starbucks Rewards members and partners (employees) in the United States the opportunity to earn and purchase digital collectible assets that will unlock access to new benefits and immersive...

During a recession, there is a decline in consumer spending when the credit markets become harder and harder for consumers to utilize. This is a key trigger point we are watching very closely as the impact on the casual and fine dining sales will most likely be the first to be affected. Our Foodable Labs data shows that current trends for consumer traffic have been trending down for most sectors....

The real heartbeat of the restaurant industry is that of the independent operator. With this sector being one of the most affected by the Cerveza Flu, it’s clear there needs to be a new understanding of running an operation in the future. This sector will need to address one of the savviest consumer sets in the history of modern society. Gen Z visited restaurants 66 fewer times in the 12 months th...

Is the restaurant industry facing a major collapse under economic pressure? Why the mass exodus of significant CEO's within the last year, with Darden, Red Robin, Denny’s, Brinker, and Starbucks all stating their CEOs were retiring after guiding their companies through the pandemic for over the past two years. Wingstop and Red Lobster’s CEOs left for positions at other companies, adding to the tur...

The Fed Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified in front of Congress this week. The update comes after the S&P 500’s worst week since March 2020, including its fall into a bear market and the biggest Fed hike since 1994. With this new economic pressure, the restaurant industry continues to face rising menu prices and a double-digit slow down in retail restaurant traffic with consumers now dining out...

Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill is planning to open a drive-thru service model for their casual dining business. Considered to be the first pure-play drive-thru in casual dining this could be the birth of something very exciting for the restaurant business. The drive-thru is being added to a restaurant in Bowling Green, Ky., and is expected to be up and running this summer. The big question is how w...

You can now pay for your burritos and tacos with Bitcoin and other digital currencies, which could open up an array of innovations around loyalty and decentralized payment. Flexa has announced that the Mexican fast-casual chain can now accept digital payments through its platform. The option is available at all Chipotle locations in the US, and you can use the option on the Flexa-enabled wallet ap...

Today I breakdown three tech categories that could be leaders in the future recovery of the restaurant industry. The key will be consumer adoption, UX, and the storytelling that many restaurants will need to implement to shift into a next-gen technology future. Faster Mobile Payments Square, for instance, launched new handheld devices for servers that are designed to speed table turns. And Toast u...

Even with rampant inflation and rapidly accelerating interest rates, household borrowing climbed to start 2022 and hit a new record, the Federal Reserve reported Tuesday. Consumer debt and credit rose 1.7% in the first quarter to $15.84 trillion. The rise in total household credit was propelled largely by a $250 billion increase in mortgage debt, which now stands at $11.18 trillion, an increase of...

Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. CMG, -5.23% shed 5.23% to $1,252.89 Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. closed $705.66 short of its 52-week high ($1,958.55), which the company achieved on September 23rd. The stock underperformed when compared to some of its competitors Wednesday, as McDonald's Corp. MCD, -4.38% fell 4.38% to $231.05, Yum! Brands Inc. YUM, -2.68% fell 2.68% to $109.46, and...

Woworks acquired Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina, a 54-unit fast casual chain, and Zoup Eatery, a 68-unit fast casual chain, in a press release this past Thursday.  Zoup will continue to be run separately by Eric Ersher, founder and previous CEO of Zoup Systems.  With these acquisitions, Woworks will own six brands and over 400 restaurant locations. Since its birth in 2020, Woworks, the...

Today I breakdown Reef Kitchens as they seek an ownership stake in 800 Degrees Go, a joint venture between restaurant chain 800 Degrees and robotics company Piestro, 800 Degrees Go announced Thursday. Reef will also open 500 800 Degrees Go locations through 2027, and Kenneth Rourke, Reef’s EVP of kitchens and brands, has joined 800 Degrees Go’s board. 800 Degrees Go currently operates out of 40 Re...

Shares of the California-based chain crashed over 5% in the afternoon trading session, more than doubling the decline of the S&P 500 Restaurants index. The decline could certainly be correlated with the anticipated earnings release, which is leaning in to some uncertainty as inflation impacts on margins have promoted price increases across products. According to Keybanc, prices have increased by 5...