As restaurant chains continue their never-ending battle to send marketing messages more effectively to targeted consumers and make it easier for them to buy products, online “widgets” are emerging as the next weapon of choice. Pizza Hut...
Frank J. Capaldo is chairman of the newly formed Coalition of Franchise Associations in Washington, D.C. Believed to be the first organization of its kind, the CFA brings together some of the restaurant industry’s oldest and...
Calling a company and reaching a human operator-receptionist these days is about as rare as hitting the Mega-Million. The strange thing is, the companies that are the most likely to let an automated phone operator handle their customer services...
Try figuring out what the following phrases mean: “Pho kusahn thar ohde,” “Geh churba tinheer,” “Doned beeyan id eeyot” and “Fud fors mahrt peah pal.”Did you figure it out? There’s no prize for being right, by the way.Here are some clues that...
Restaurant chains have courted late-night diners for many years, but a slew of new marketing initiatives during the last few weeks show how increasingly eager they are to tap into that daypart to boost sales.Burger King extended its hours to 2 a.m...
When Aftan Romanczak buys shrimp from overseas for the Steak-Out dinner delivery chain, the executive has the product shipped to its longtime beef supplier, which is capable of moving the shrimp to his 70 branches. Such ...
Few growing restaurant chains ever hit a home run with every location. Even grade-A sites on paper can turn into dogs once in the ground for a host of reasons. That’s when having Steve Pettise’s phone number comes in handy. Pettise, founder and...
High real estate costs have conspired with record-high prices for gas and commodities to slow expansion for many restaurant companies, but operators are finding development bargains by converting defunct restaurant spaces into their own concepts...
ATLANTA Focus Brands Inc., the franchisor of several quick-service brands, said that it is experimenting with table service in 35 branches of its 400-unit Schlotzsky’s sandwich chain. About 20 company restaurants and 15 franchised stores...
DALLAS The same consumer who last week filed a class-action lawsuit against Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar for allegedly misrepresenting the nutritional content of its health-oriented menu choices has filed a similar suit against Brinker...
