Even as the economy continues to produce dour news, restaurant executives are starting to seek the silver lining, using the downturn to best position their brands for the inevitable return to more prosperous times.In February, reports that...

Ten years ago Michael Haith became majority shareholder in Maui Wowi Hawaiian, founded in 1983 as an operation selling fresh-fruit smoothies from carts at fairs and street festivals. Today, the Greenwood Village, Colo.-based chain...

Lest anyone think that the chicken war is over—or at least not as vicious as the burger and coffee wars—new TV campaigns by KFC and El Pollo Loco are a reminder that quick-service chicken chains can sink their claws into a good fight just as well...

Smaller restaurant chains seem to have found the formula for competing successfully against larger, national rivals, who continue to struggle to differentiate themselves from one another, according to two recent brand studies.The highest customer...

Foodservice franchising is losing some of its sizzle, according to recent research that shows fewer new franchisors are entering the restaurant industry.After nearly half a century of being a favored business model for those desiring self...

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