Rising prices didn't hurt Q2 restaurant traffic, studies show

Diner spending at restaurants jumped 32% during the period as operators hiked their menu prices to cover labor costs and other inflationary pressures, according to The NPD Group.

By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 10, 2021

What the US hospitality industry can learn from Australia

Restaurants Down Under can teach American operators a thing or two about how the segment might fare in the coming months, writes Peter Dougherty, general manager of hospitality at Lightspeed.

By Peter Dougherty • Aug. 10, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Menu development

Restaurants big and small are experimenting with their menus to align with the preferences of on-the-go diners and mitigate the impact of rising food costs, supply chain disruption and shrinking consumer discretionary funds. 

By Restaurant Dive staff

OpenTable allows restaurants to share vaccine requirements

Diners can view these rules on a restaurant's profile page under Safety Precautions, which also shows measures such as contactless payment options and whether waitstaff wear masks.

By Julie Littman • Aug. 9, 2021

30% of diners would leave a restaurant if asked for proof of vaccination, report shows

Comparatively, 68% of diners say they would comply with mask requirements to eat inside a restaurant, according to Datassential research.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Aug. 5, 2021

OpenTable diners can now send restaurants direct messages

Customers can use the reservation platform's Direct Messaging feature to make requests, ask questions and modify or cancel their reservation. 

By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 4, 2021

How can restaurants drive long-term resiliency in the new normal?

The brands that maintain safety measures and digitally enabled experiences will be favored by customers and garner deeper loyalty, writes Vince Crimaldi, VP of consumer products and retail at Capgemini North America.

By Vince Crimaldi • Aug. 3, 2021

Only 24% of US consumers support vaccine requirement to dine indoors, report finds

Comparatively, 60% believe vaccinations should be required to travel on an airplane, according to Gartner research. 

By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 2, 2021

Report: Foot traffic exceeding 2019 levels at some casual chains

Customers are gravitating toward higher-priced and more festive concepts to celebrate a return to normalcy, data from Placer.ai suggests.

By Alicia Kelso • July 22, 2021

Dickey's to debut a brick-and-mortar store for its virtual wings brand

Wing Boss will open a restaurant in the Dallas market following strong results just four months after its launch as a delivery-only brand.

By Alicia Kelso • July 14, 2021

Increasing focus on complete proteins creates opportunity

Plant-based proteins are an increasingly important part of everyday diets, as 28% of consumers ate more protein from plant sources in 2020 than they did in 2019.

July 12, 2021

Success means embracing the past year, whether restaurants like it or not

COVID-19 dealt the industry a major blow, but also taught operators valuable lessons that could influence operations for years to come, writes Maribeth Dela Cruz, president of Jollibee Foods North America.

By Maribeth Dela Cruz • July 6, 2021

Report: 47% of diners use at least one loyalty program

The share of consumers using restaurant rewards increased 12% between Jan. 22 and April 22, research from Paytronix and PYMNTS finds.

By Alicia Kelso • June 30, 2021

The future of bar & restaurant entertainment is better TV

Studies show that ambiance plays a key role in customer satisfaction, and can be the motivator for staying longer or coming back again.

June 28, 2021

Social e-commerce platform Snackpass raises $70M

The company will use the cash infusion to expand to major restaurant markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas.

By Alicia Kelso • June 24, 2021

Popeyes launches its first loyalty program

The move comes as Popeyes' digital sales make up about 14% of total sales in the U.S. and have contributed to the chain's continued double-digit same-store sales growth throughout the COVID-19 crisis.  

By Alicia Kelso • June 17, 2021

Dutch Bros IPO prices above forecast for $3.8B valuation

The coffee chain will go public on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday and raised the price of its shares to $23 each, an increase from its previously announced pricing of $18 to $20 per share.

By Alicia Kelso • Updated Sept. 15, 2021

Yelp records its highest seated diners total ever in May

The number of diners seated via the platform, which surpassed pre-pandemic highs, was up by 48% in May 2021 compared to May 2019.

By Alicia Kelso • June 15, 2021

Burger King trolls Chick-fil-A with LGBTQ donations during Pride

The latest escalation of the chicken sandwich wars is a not-so-subtle dig at a company with a history of donating to anti-LGBTQ charities.

By Chris Kelly • June 9, 2021

Report: Chick-fil-A triples Popeyes' share of chicken sandwich delivery spend

Almost two years after the chicken sandwich wars began, Edison Trends data shows Chick-fil-A captured 41% of money spent, followed by McDonald's and then Popeyes.

By Emma Liem Beckett • June 4, 2021

Chicago and other cities support outdoor dining expansions even as pandemic wanes

Expanded outdoor dining has been "a critical lifeline" for restaurants. As some cities aim to extend the changes or make them permanent, Chicago is awarding $2.3 million in grants for those and other community outdoor spaces. 

By Jason Plautz • June 2, 2021

Report: Most diners still want restaurant workers to mask up

Sixty-five percent of consumers say safety gear worn by restaurant workers is "absolutely required" for them to feel comfortable eating out, Datassential finds.

By Alicia Kelso • June 1, 2021

Yelp adds LGBTQ-owned business search filter

Searches for LGBTQ-owned businesses on the platform jumped by more than 150% in April versus one year ago.

By Alicia Kelso • May 24, 2021

Report: Diner demand is up at full-service restaurants, but guest sentiment is down

Sit-down operators may be busier than ever since the start of the pandemic, but guest sentiment declined during Q1 because of frustration with service and ambiance, according to Black Box Intelligence data.

By Julie Littman • May 24, 2021

Chuck E. Cheese debuts mobile app and rewards program

The eatertainment chain is angling to lure customers with an omnichannel approach that provides incentives for in-store, online and mobile orders. 

By Alicia Kelso • May 20, 2021

Study: 92% of diners plan to maintain digital ordering habits post-vaccine

PYMTNTS/Paytronix research also found that 57% of vaccinated diners use loyalty programs compared to 42% of unvaccinated diners, which could be because immunized diners spend more on food orders, per the report. 

By Alicia Kelso • May 7, 2021