Family meals serve up new opportunities for chains

As restaurants struggle to grow sales during the novel coronavirus pandemic, many have transformed their catering menus into family meals to appeal to more people staying at home.

By Julie Littman • May 19, 2020

Golden Corral revamps dining room formats as Garden Fresh goes under

Social distancing mandates that close self-service food and drink stations are hitting buffet chains hard, but some are adapting with new services.

By Emma Liem Beckett • May 19, 2020

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

Postmates adds curbside pickup feature

The delivery platform's newest feature for merchants enables both customers and drivers to collect orders without entering restaurants.

By Alicia Kelso • May 18, 2020

Chick-fil-A will launch a meal kit nationwide next week

Two years after its initial meal kit test in Atlanta, the chain expects more than half of its system to offer the $14.99 heat-and-eat chicken parmesan meal.

By Emma Liem Beckett • May 1, 2020

5 practices restaurants can use to keep customers safe

Operators should maintain social distancing standards, retool their menus and communicate with their guests about what is being done to minimize exposure when dining room closures lift.

By Julie Littman • April 30, 2020

NRA calls for PPP reform, estimates 8M restaurant job losses

National Restaurant Association is pushing Congress to create a $240 billion restaurant relief and recovery fund, and to change the PPP's loan period, forgiveness restrictions and repayment terms.

By Lauren Manning • April 21, 2020

ChowNow, Instagram launch commission-free online food ordering

Online ordering platform ChowNow partnered with the social media platform to enable restaurants to add "Order Food" buttons to their profiles and Stories.  

By Alicia Kelso • April 16, 2020

Panera, Subway sell groceries to fight coronavirus sales slump

Legacy chains are taking cues from independent restaurant strategies to open up new revenue streams, offering pantry items from cheese to frozen soup. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • April 8, 2020

Brands recalibrate to community-building during quarantine

Social distancing mandates upended in-person activations, leading brands like Chipotle to get creative with cultivating connections online. But can they sustain momentum once the pandemic subsides?

By Natalie Black (Koltun) • April 7, 2020

H-E-B adds restaurant meals to prepared foods sections

The grocer has teamed up with local restaurateurs in San Antonio and Houston to support their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

By Jessica Dumont • April 6, 2020

Shake Shack moves into meal kits as sales sharply decline

The burger chain partnered with Goldbelly, a gourmet food delivery service, to launch a cook-at-home burger kit nationwide. They cost $49 for an eight-pack.   

By Alicia Kelso • April 6, 2020

3% of restaurants have already closed permanently, NRA survey finds

Another 11% of the 4,000 operators the National Restaurant Association surveyed predict that they will permanently close within 30 days. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • March 27, 2020

How investment in mobile order for pickup is the game changer restaurants need today

A new Rakuten Ready study analyzes restaurant profitability across Drive-Thru, In-Person and Order for Pickup channels.

March 25, 2020

National Restaurant Association Show is canceled

The industry's largest trade show will not be rescheduled — a move that could have devastating consequences for foodservice vendors that plan their marketing budgets around the event.

By Emma Liem Beckett • March 24, 2020

Grocers step up to hire restaurant workers sidelined by coronavirus

The two industries are forming creative partnerships as grocers' hiring needs accelerate and restaurants close down their dining rooms.

By Sam Silverstein • March 24, 2020

Breakfast wars boost QSR traffic 4% in first week of March

Despite the novel coronavirus outbreak, QSR breakfast traffic was up 4% during the week ending March 8, marking the highest gain for the segment in four weeks, according to data from The NPD Group. 

By Alicia Kelso • March 16, 2020

Taco Bell fires latest shot in breakfast wars with new burrito menu

The QSR has rapidly launched several items this year, with these burritos becoming a permanent addition complementing LTOs like its Triplelupa and Nacho Fries. 

By Julie Littman • March 12, 2020

Philz Coffee adds mobile-order-only location

The San Francisco-based coffee chain opened the 1,000-square-foot pilot location in the bustling Salesforce Transit Center, which gives it access to a flow of 45 million travelers each year.  

By Alicia Kelso • March 12, 2020

Wingstop pays fans to be walking billboards

The fast-food joint is transferring its OOH budget to loyal fans, giving Instagrammers who wear the special branded merchandise $10 via Venmo.

By Dianna Christie • March 10, 2020

2020 is the year of the breakfast wars

Chains like Wendy's, McDonald's, Dunkin', Starbucks and Panera have expanded menu offerings for breakfast to capture growing demand for the daypart.

By Julie Littman • March 9, 2020

7-Eleven opens more meal-focused test stores

Following a successful kickoff in Dallas, the chain's Evolution Store concept has opened in Washington, D.C., and will expand to San Diego and other locations in the coming months.

By Jessica Dumont • Feb. 27, 2020

Taco Bell CEO says chain will 'definitely' add plant-based protein

Mark King told Nation's Restaurant News he's met with Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods and the restaurant could launch new products by year's end.

By Lauren Manning • Feb. 25, 2020

Wingstop bolsters digital growth with pickup lockers, ghost kitchen

CEO Charlie Morrison said on an earnings call that Wingstop's digital mix topped 40% in January and its off-premise business drives about 80% of sales. 

By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 20, 2020

NextGen Cup Challenge, driven by McDonald's and Starbucks, rolls out reusable cup pilot in California

The programs — set to debut at independent coffee shops around San Francisco and Palo Alto — could pave the way for major chains to make the switch as they seek to meet environmental goals. 

By E.A. Crunden • Feb. 20, 2020

Sweetgreen taps celeb chef David Chang to promote new sustainable salad

The Momofuku founder stars in a humorous video series alongside fish puppets to discuss the new environmentally friendly kelp offering.

By Dianna Christie • Feb. 18, 2020