Schools ban meal delivery citing disruption, safety concerns

Some Michigan schools instituted the ban due to safety risks in giving building access to strangers, as well as the potential for allergic reactions or food-borne illnesses from delivered meals. 

By Amelia Harper • April 16, 2019

Burger King plans to treat chickens better, and now they're going plant-based. Where's McDonald's?

Improving its animal welfare standards and introducing more vegetarian options could drive profits and protect against public backlash, says Kenny Torrella, VP of public engagement at Mercy for Animals.

By Kenny Torella • April 15, 2019

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

Panera's new tech could make breakfast rise and shine

Breakfast delivery has grown 250% at the chain, which is launching an Amazon Go-like tap and pay system, new portable morning foods and a revamped coffee program to better target diners on the go. 

By Julie Littman • April 15, 2019

McDonald's cage-free egg progress signals an industry sea change

The chain claims to be 33% cage-free on its way to reach 100% by 2025, and analysts predict the move will bring these egg costs down.

By Alicia Kelso • April 12, 2019

Restaurant website developer BentoBox gains over $16M in funding

The tech company has now garnered over $23 million in funding and plans to develop online ordering, POS and reservation features — reflecting restaurant demand for enhanced consumer-facing technology.

By Alicia Kelso • April 11, 2019

Restaurant brands bring recognition, familiarity and innovation to Big Food's menu

Restaurants like P.F. Chang's and California Pizza Kitchen have increasingly licensed items in grocery stores to help boost overall revenue, but food delivery could make these products less lucrative.  

By Christopher Doering • April 8, 2019

Why McDonald's is supersizing its tech spending

The QSR giant bought a technology company and invested in a mobile app developer in just a week, signaling an aggressive focus on its drive-thru sales and digital offerings.

By Julie Littman • April 5, 2019

Marijuana consumption expected to boost restaurant foot traffic, sales

A Technomic report indicated that 63% of cannabis consumers eat more food after use, presenting an opportunity for restaurants to grow revenue. 

By Alicia Kelso • April 4, 2019

Subway launches sandwich created with Tastemade data

The media brand's data-driven insights will help the chain offer locally relevant menu items for U.S. diners, such as the Green Goddess Tuna Melt. 

By Lauren Manning • April 4, 2019

Restaurant operators chase delivery, value menus to drive growth

A TD Bank survey found that 71% of franchisees feel pressure to expand and plan to turn to delivery, value meals, remodeling and mobile technology to boost performance.

By Alicia Kelso • April 3, 2019

Taco Bell launches vegetarian menu nationwide

Months after an April pilot at 200 Dallas stores, the chain will add a dedicated vegetarian menu to its revamped menu that will be released on Thursday.

By Kevin Whiteley • Updated Sept. 11, 2019

Burger King will roll out Impossible Whoppers nationwide

Burger King will be the largest chain to offer the product systemwide, a move that could spur rival burger brands to launch plant-based patties of their own. 

By Kevin Whiteley • Updated April 29, 2019

Fair-weather diners: How temperature influences consumer cravings

While extreme weather can hurt restaurant foot traffic, operators also should consider the impact it has on menu selection and customer mood.

By Julie Littman • March 29, 2019

Buffalo Wild Wings shames fans on Instagram for not watching March Madness

The full-service chain is increasing its brand awareness through a new campaign that targets Instagram users hesitant to watch the NCAA tournament. 

By Robert Williams • March 29, 2019

Study: 40% of US consumers would try CBD

Despite a very recent declassification from a scheduled narcotic and few FDA regulations, interest in the hemp-derived substance for food and restaurants is charging forward.

By Emma Liem Beckett , Jessi Devenyns • March 28, 2019

Outback to open fast casual spinoff in the US

The restaurant joins chains like The Cheesecake Factory and Cracker Barrel in branching beyond casual dining to test a new revenue model. 

By Julie Littman • March 28, 2019

Half of diners order delivery at least once a month

According to the Tillster Delivery Index, 50% of customers prefer to order directly from a restaurant website or app, compared to just 6% of fast casual and 3% of QSR customers who prefer to order from a third-party app. 

By Alicia Kelso • March 27, 2019

Can the Impossible Burger boost Red Robin's sluggish sales?

The burger chain joins a growing list of major franchises tapping trendy alternative proteins for their menus, and could drive rival casual brands to make similar investments.

By Lauren Manning • March 26, 2019

Bad hygiene at restaurants is a top frustration for diners, study says

More than half of diners would complain or demand a discount if they found a foreign object in their food, while another 49% would complain if it came out cold, according to a study from Big Domain. 

By Kevin Whiteley • March 26, 2019

Majority of QSR, fast casual diners would pay up to $5 in delivery fees

A report from Tillster revealed that one-third of customers would pay more for faster delivery and only 20% said they would be willing to wait beyond 40 minutes for their food. 

By Julie Littman • March 26, 2019

Study: 62% of diners blame both restaurants and delivery companies for bad service

Research also shows that nearly 72% of "co-blaming" occurs when food is delivered at the wrong temperature.

By Alicia Kelso • March 22, 2019

Millennial parents increased restaurant visits by 5% in 2018

An NPD report found that the demographic is turning to fast casual and QSR chains for convenient family meals — a growing trend that chains like Chick-fil-A are taking advantage of. 

By Kevin Whiteley • March 22, 2019

The blunt truth: Cannabis retail is here

It's a growth industry where the potential is high, but retailers, restaurants and consumers are on a steep learning curve. 

By Daphne Howland • March 21, 2019

Forecasting for the future: What restaurants need to calculate

Restaurants can no longer rely on just historical data to predict demand, and should carefully examine labor and inventory to grow efficiency, says Fourth CTO Christian Berthelsen.

By Christian Berthelsen • March 20, 2019

Denny's woos millennials with delivery, new marketing

The breakfast chain has experienced a spike in delivery sales during the breakfast and late-night hours, driven in large part by younger consumers. 

By Alicia Kelso • March 15, 2019