3+ week, 2+ day ago  (896+ words) Breakfast ingredients are pretty simple: Eggs, potatoes, cheese, bread and some sort of meat. But when Joshua Smith joined The Friendly Toast last October as VP of culinary operations, he made it his mission to hone in on every ingredient…...

22+ hour, 2+ min ago  (757+ words) Apparently, restaurant chains can just close locations and watch their results take off. At least, that's judging by commentary from a number of chains lately. Noodles & Company, for instance, cited closures in part for its recent same-store sales improvement. Jack…...

3+ week, 6+ day ago  (191+ words) In this week's Working Lunch, Joe Kefauver and Franklin Coley of Align Public Strategies speak with Michael Washburn and Chloe Kapanen with Washburn Consulting about proposed legislation on Extended Producer Responsibility. Will restaurants be asked to pick up the tap…...

1+ day, 16+ hour ago  (727+ words) Promotions tied to Kirby and Hello Kitty helped power Kura Sushi to better-than-expected sales growth to start the year. Same-store sales rose 8. 6% on 4. 3% higher traffic in Kura's fiscal second quarter, which ended Feb. 28. Prices were also 4. 5% higher. Executives for the…...

1+ day, 21+ hour ago  (199+ words) Most customers don't think their last restaurant visit was worth it. That, at least, is according to Lisa Miller, a consumer insights and innovation strategist and author of The Business of Joy. She joins this week's episode of the Restaurant…...

3+ mon, 3+ week ago  (638+ words) A big Carl's Jr. franchisee out of California that filed for bankruptcy late last week has blamed its financial problems on two issues: The state's fast-food wage and the brand's own problems. That, at least, is according to a court…...

1+ day, 16+ hour ago  (431+ words) Panera Bread is inviting its guests to "Stuff it." The fast-casual sandwich chain on Wednesday launched a new menu category that bridges the gap between the core sandwich and salad lineup. They call the new item Salad Stuffers, which debut…...

4+ week, 1+ day ago  (763+ words) Panera Bread is jumping into the discount wars with its first-ever dedicated value menu, launching Wednesday. The new Mix & Match menu is a twist on the existing (and ongoing) You Pick Two, in which guests can choose two half-portion options…...

4+ mon, 2+ week ago  (518+ words) Dutch Bros has built a menu that offers customers more than 40 flavors across coffee, energy drinks, teas and sodas with a wide range of mix-ins and toppings. And it's those customers themselves who have inspired many of those options. "Their…...

2+ day, 17+ hour ago  (531+ words) The Iran War has sent gas prices soaring over the past few weeks, from below $3 per gallon to $4. 14, according to the website Gas Buddy. Exactly how much they will continue to rise is uncertain. The U. S. Energy Information Administration has projected…...