Ron Ruggless

Southwest Bureau Chief
Nation's Restaurant News

Phone: 214.366.4391

Follow on LinkedIn

Ron Ruggless covers the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

He joined NRN in 1992 after working 10 years in various roles at the Dallas Times Herald newspaper, including restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor and lifestyle editor. He also edited several printings of the Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and his articles have appeared in Food & Wine and Self magazines.

Articles by Ron Ruggless
Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter icons
Expert tips for navigating the changing social media landscape 
Social media specialists weigh in on how best to deploy resources in the digital space
Adult-only restaurant visits on the rise
Visits by parties with kids remained flat in 2012, The NPD Group says
Newk's rolls out rebranding initiative
The fast-casual chain is now known as Newk's Eatery and has a new logo
David Catalano named president of Romano’s Macaroni Grill
The appointment came as Ignite Restaurant Group completed its purchase of the chain
Chili's begins marketing pizza nationwide
The casual-dining chain will also debut a new flatbread platform in May
Chuy's 1Q preview shows sales growth
Increase due to higher check averages at the casual-dining brand
Chuck E. Cheese's
Chuck E. Cheese’s introduces mobile app
The “Say Cheese!” app features augmented reality technology
Restaurant chains look to Southeast Asia for growth
Starbucks and Wingstop recently struck development deals in the region
Twisted Root Burger Co.
Twisted Root looks to suburbs for growth
Founder Jason Boso says the better-burger concept will double its unit count in 2014
A&W introduces Mini Polar Swirls via Twitter's Vine
The brand is promoting the new offering with a series of short, magic-themed videos
Pizza Hut Crazy Cheesy Crust pizza
Pizza Hut debuts Crazy Cheesy Crust pizza
The new limited-time pie features a crust of cheese-filled pockets
Panera bread-bowl turkey chili
Panera testing donation-based menu item
Customers can pay what they wish for turkey chili at 48 St. Louis Bread Co. restaurants
Restaurant M&A activity levels off in 2012
Annual census shows private equity, franchise deals still dominate deal making
Twin Peaks expands in growing segment
Randy DeWitt, CEO of parent Front Burner Restaurants LP, talks strategy with NRN
Sonic exploring loyalty program, new ads
The quick-service operator is looking into more ways to boost traffic and maintain profit margins
Free eNewsletters! 
Want the latest in the world of foodservice news & trends? 
Check out our e-newsletters