NEWPORT BEACH Calif. Industry veteran Donald W. Callender, founder of the Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery chain, died Wednesday. He was 81. Callender was known through the restaurant world for his creative mind, attention to detail...
Like all restaurateurs, Dan McDonald wants to be sure he’s not wasting his marketing budget, especially in a year that looks as challenging as 2009 is projected to be.But tracking the return on investment for all his advertising, including for...
Back in 2000, when technology stocks were crashing and dragging the American economy toward the last recession, Scott Shaw saw an opportunity in new media where others saw only risk. Shaw, who by then had spent 17 years with three separate...
RICHMOND Va. In the battered casual-dining segment, the Olive Garden alone saw a year-to-year increase in customer wait times in 2008, according to a Wachovia Capital Markets study of 15 casual-dining brands. The wait time at the Darden...
If there’s one word that is seldom immediately associated with beer, that word is “share.” Bottles of wine are by their very nature shared, since to do otherwise would seem both selfish and seriously intoxicating, but ask someone to share a bottle...
DENTON Texas —When times get tough, franchisees need options, communication and education, according to officials at Pizza Inn, a 325-unit chain based here. The pizza-buffet concept, which...
AUSTIN Texas Mama Fu’s Asian House chain executives were interested in a vote of another kind: the kind consumers cast with their wallets. —While much of the nation was glued to TVs and websites the evening of Nov. 4 watching...
As the nation’s faltering economy leaves diners clutching their wallets tightly, white-tablecloth operators are slashing prices by offering deals they hope will lure diners into their restaurants.An increasing number of upscale restaurants are...
HEATHROW Fla. Ruth’s Hospitality Group Inc. said Tuesday it has named Sam Tancredi senior vice president and chief operating officer of Mitchell’s Fish Market, the company’s upscale seafood brand, effective immediately. Tancredi most...
