Franchise Freeway

Cleared for Launch

dev37 — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:22:54 +0000

Challenges and opportunities abound for brands created by women.

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Flatbread Grill owners Gonca, Fusun, and Arzu Esendemir (pictured left to right) faced their share of challenges when launching their own fast-casual concept.

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Flatbread Grill

Starting any business can be a difficult prospect, but in an industry where men have historically outnumbered women, the roadblocks to doing so can be even more challenging when you’re female.

For many female foodservice entrepreneurs, being taken seriously as a business owner is often the biggest challenge, says Arzu Esendemir, CEO and cofounder of Mediterranean fast casual Flatbread Grill in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.

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The New Face of R&D

dev37 — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:29:05 +0000

Brands look to fans, social media to develop new products and flavors.

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Baskin-Robbins fans voted online to bring back the brand’s retired Pistachio Almond Fudge flavor.

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Baskin-Robbins

There’s no way around the truth that social media is now a critical tool for limited-service restaurant brands.

It plays an influential role in marketing and building brand identity, and allows concepts to reach out to and interact with fans and followers to build deeper relationships.

But using social media is about more than just advertising products and promotions on Facebook and Twitter.

Today, many brands in the industry are taking it a step further, using social media and crowdsourcing to help create new products and flavors.

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Buying into Booze

dev37 — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:34:58 +0000

Does the future of fast casual lie in alcohol?

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Freebirds has each found success in offering alcoholic beverages on the menu.

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Freebirds World Burrito

Fast-casual restaurants were once able to claim premium food, modern décor, and all-around upscale service as hallmarks of their category. But with more quick-service chains retooling in those areas to compete for post-recession consumers, fast casuals have been left to search for new ways to differentiate their brands.

For many, that search has turned up something typically better suited to fine- and casual-dining joints: booze.

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Can Square Change POS Forever?

dev37 — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:22:09 +0000

Tech mogul Jack Dorsey thinks so, and he’s making a push for quick serves.

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Square cofounder Jack Dorsey is helping quick serves like Little Muenster streamline their POS system.

Image Credit:

Sonya Chudgar

Jack Dorsey, who cofounded Twitter and Square, was raised by parents in the quick-service industry. His father owned a pizza restaurant, and his mother ran a coffee shop.

It’s little surprise, then, that Dorsey’s latest initiative with Square is to broaden its use within quick serves.

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Coffee is King

dev37 — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:20:52 +0000

Burger King ups its coffee game to compete with other players in the industry.

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Burger King introduced 10 new specialty beverages, including roast and iced coffees and lattes.

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burger king

Forget quick-serve mainstays like burgers and fries. These days, limited-service brands are looking to coffee to beef up business, and Burger King is the latest chain to get in on the action.

Burger King’s customers can now enjoy 10 new specialty drinks, including iced coffees in a variety of flavors, roast coffees with a 100 percent Latin American Arabica custom blend, and lattes in multiple flavors.

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No Business Like Show Business

dev37 — Sat, 18 May 2013 00:20:29 +0000

With dining becoming the new theater, can you sell tickets to your show?

Image Credit:

thinkStock.com

A couple of years ago, I embarked on a journey into the world of pop-up restaurants. After almost a decade of consulting, I decided it was time to take on a project that was a pure representation of my passions: food, wine, and creating unique hospitality experiences. Not to be held up by things like good sense, I decided to take a shot and started planning the event that would eventually change my life.

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The Great Migration

dev37 — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:20:24 +0000

Fine-dining veterans are taking their talents to the fast-casual space.

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The Shula’s brand, founded by legendary NFL coach Don Shula, is banking on its new fast-casual concept Shula Burger for future growth.

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Shula Burger

On Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s 17th Street, tucked in the shadow of giants Chipotle and Panera Bread, an upstart burger joint dreams of someday entering the same upper ranks of the fast-casual world that those two brands helped create. Though the restaurant carries a familiar name, its vibe is decidedly fresh.

Welcome to Shula Burger.

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One to Watch: Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina

dev37 — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:21:04 +0000

Former McAlister’s Deli exec gives the fresh-Mex concept a new lease on life and opportunities for growth.

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Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina

Prior to purchasing Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina from its founder in 2011, CEO Phil Friedman spent 11 years expanding McAlister’s Deli from 27 to 300 units.

These days, he and Salsarita’s president and COO Larry Reinstein are looking to grow the fresh-Mex concept. And grow it has, with a double-digit percentage growth in average unit volume that Friedman attributes to menu refinements he’s pushed forward since taking over the chain.

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The Corner of Innovation

dev37 — Sun, 12 May 2013 00:19:40 +0000

Corner Bakery Café’s new menu items push fast-casual boundaries.

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Corner Bakery's Garden Gate Scrambler

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Corner Bakery

In a push to distinguish itself from growing competition in the fast-casual bakery-café space, Corner Bakery Café is doubling down on menu innovation.

The 22-year-old, Dallas-based chain recently leveraged its high-quality kitchen equipment and capabilities, as well as more than 40 fresh fruits and vegetables delivered daily to its stores, to launch a handful of seasonal offerings.

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Slimmer Items, Hefty Sales

dev37 — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:20:23 +0000

Study shows lower-calorie menu items drive traffic, sales.

Image Credit:

thinkStock.com

The lower the calorie counts in restaurant menu items, the better for business, according to recent research by public policy research organization Hudson Institute.

The report analyzed 21 of the nation’s largest restaurant chains, including quick-service brands like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King. It found that restaurants with more low-calorie servings had better sales growth, larger increases in customer traffic, and stronger gains in total food and beverage servings than chains that offered fewer low-calorie options.

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