Anyone who has ever sat near restless children in a fine-dining restaurant knows that when kids aren’t happy, everyone hears about it. Chris Kuehn, chief marketing officer for the Raleigh, N.C.-based Golden Corral buffet chain, says...

In a booming economy, an operator might say the location of his restaurant was the reason for the business’s success. But nowadays, when times are tough, most agree it’s more about making the concept flexible enough to change with the times and...

Ferran Adrià has no worries when it comes to filling the seats at elBulli, his storied restaurant in Roses, Spain.With more than 2 million reservation requests a year and only about 8,000 places available, the seasonal restaurant is able to...

Do-gooder environmentalism might sound like a costly luxury when many restaurants are struggling just to stay open, but for three-unit Sweetgreen in the Washington, D.C., area, it’s just part of doing business. And business is growing, the chain’s...

At first glance, the name Hooters doesn’t necessarily inspire words like family or loyalty. But as is usually the case, first appearances can be deceiving. Devoted fans of the 450-unit, Atlanta-based dinnerhouse chain already know as...

High-end steakhouses have been hit hard during this recession, as both consumers and businesses rein in their spending on big-ticket meals. In New York City, the pain has been particularly acute, as steakhouses watched Wall Street...

Operators of all kinds say the battle of running a restaurant is won or lost within a unit’s four walls.The number of customer transactions, the gross profit on each item, the cost control of food, labor and maintenance all play weighty roles in...

Most carnivores and omnivores have experienced at one time or another the feeling of being overcome by a sudden, intense desire to sink one’s teeth deep into a big, juicy hamburger. Five Guys Burgers and Fries has grown to 400 units by...

James Greco, chief executive of Bruegger’s Enterprises Inc., acknowledges that the Burlington, Vt.-based Bruegger’s Bagels’ concept has had to mend a hole or two in its growth plans over the past 26 years. However, he says, the...

Operators in the breakfast-and-lunch segment are finding that the “early to bed, early to rise” business model can make for happy employees and healthy returns—no matter the economy.With hours that contribute to workers’ quality of life, limited...