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Mark Brandau

Associate editor

[email protected]

Mark’s Recent activity

Qdoba CEO on chain's new prototype
Apr 04, 2010
CHICAGO Gary Beisler, chief executive of Qdoba Mexican Grill, knew his fast-casual brand would be in for a bumpy ride as the country began its descent into the recession. As the economic news worsened during the...
Dairy Queen to offer Mini Blizzard
Dairy Queen to offer Mini Blizzard
Apr 01, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS Dairy Queen will begin selling in August a Mini Blizzard, which is about half the size of its small 12-ounce signature frozen treat. Chief brand officer Michael Keller said the Mini Blizzard achieved high...
Cosi cuts loss in 4Q
Mar 31, 2010
DEERFIELD Ill. Having narrowed its fourth-quarter and full-year net losses, fast-casual operator Cosi Inc. said its efforts to cut costs and improve service would help the chain recover from the beating it has taken...
McDonald's opens training site in China
Mar 30, 2010
SHANGHAI McDonald's opened its first Hamburger University in mainland China, where the company expects to train an estimated 5,000 managers over the next five years as part of aggressive growth plans for the Chinese...
A look at the fastest-growing chains
Mar 25, 2010
The annual Technomic Top 500 report found that 2009 was a brutal year for the industry’s largest concepts, with aggregate systemwide sales for the largest chains falling 0.8 percent. Upstarts, however, including...
Restaurants hungry for more snack sales
Mar 24, 2010
CHICAGO Restaurant operators are ramping up marketing and R&D efforts to grab more snack sales, but they continue to face a considerable challenge in that daypart from retail locations, according to research firm...
The changing American diner
The changing American diner
Mar 22, 2010
The average American consumer has been evolving for quite some time, and Nation’s Restaurant News’ upcoming special report reinforces the most crucial aspect of that change: There no longer is a typical American...
Einstein Noah hires marketing VP, new ad agency
Mar 19, 2010
LAKEWOOD Colo. In moves that could signify the preparation for a major marketing and advertising push, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group has appointed a vice president of marketing and tapped a new agency of record.Jeff...
Restaurants find the simple text a powerful tool
Restaurants find the simple text a powerful tool
Mar 18, 2010
With the advent of smart-phone apps, enhanced mobile websites and scannable 2-D bar codes, marketers can easily get overwhelmed trying to keep up. But restaurants don’t always have to chase the next big thing in...
Lettuce Entertain You expands portfolio
Lettuce Entertain You expands portfolio
Mar 18, 2010
CHICAGO Prolific multiconcept operator Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises opened two Mexican concepts in Las Vegas on Thursday, a week after debuting its latest Chicago restaurant, M Burger. Located at the Fashion Show...
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