Technomic: Do more for consumers who want to spend less

Nov 02, 2009

DALLAS —The way to today’s consumers’ hearts is through their wallets, and recognizing and responding to changes in consumer spending habits is vital to success, a representative from research firm...

Ivar’s comes clean over sunken-billboard promo

Nov 02, 2009

SEATTLE —Sinking the hopes of anyone who wanted to believe that billboards recently pulled from Elliott Bay could have been remnants of a decades-old submarine advertising scheme by eccentric...

‘Food sleuth’ Corriher investigates the science of flavor

Nov 02, 2009

DALLAS —According to culinary sleuth Shirley O. Corriher, restaurateurs can reduce sodium in menu items without compromising taste both by using less salt and through techniques that intensify flavor...

Stay in business with smart, tough strategies

Nov 02, 2009

There’s a story that motivational speakers like to tell: Two hikers are on a backcountry trail. They stop to rest. Hearing a rustling in the bushes, they crane for a better view and see two bear cubs playing near a stream. They watch the cubs for...

Famous Dave’s swings to 3Q profit

Oct 30, 2009

MINNETONKA Minn. Famous Dave’s of America Inc. swung to a third-quarter profit from a loss in the same quarter a year ago on better cost controls and lower impairment charges, the company reported. It saw revenue dip, however, as systemwide same...

Starbucks taps Holmes to head HR

Oct 29, 2009

SEATTLE Starbucks Coffee Co. said Thursday it named former Microsoft executive Kalen Holmes executive vice president of the global coffeehouse chain’s “partner resources,” or human resources. Holmes previously served as HR general manager for the...

7-patty Whopper promo strikes chord

Oct 29, 2009

TOKYO Responding to strong demand, Burger King in Japan has extended its Windows 7 Whopper cross promotion with Microsoft Corp. from seven days to 16, a Microsoft representative said. Miami-based Burger King, which fields just 15...

California law aims to cut through ‘sustainable’ chatter, set standards

Oct 28, 2009

SACRMENTO Calif. A new law in California aims to bring meaning to the phrase “sustainable” when describing seafood, a move that restaurant operators say might help them navigate the complex flood of eco-claims about fish and shellfish.Signed by...

NPD: Industry sales not expected to rebound

Oct 27, 2009

CHICAGO Hurt by rising unemployment rates and a drop in food prices at supermarkets, which can encourage consumers to eat at home, restaurant industry sales and traffic fell in every segment this summer, according to a new report from The NPD...

Pretzelmaker debuts pumpkin spice pretzel

Oct 27, 2009

ATLANTA The 360-unit Pretzelmaker chain is offering a pumpkin spice pretzel for the fall, parent company NexCen Brands Inc. said Monday. The new pretzel is topped with a crunchy pumpkin spice blend and drizzled with caramel sauce, which can also...