NYC Mayor de Blasio to move forward with select restaurant shutdowns without state approval

Despite a lack of approval from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would halt indoor and outdoor dining in these areas starting Wednesday unless the state offers a different plan.  

By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Oct. 6, 2020

55% of small businesses worry about staying open amid capacity restrictions, study says

While Florida and Indiana have allowed restaurants to fully reopen, most municipalities are capping dining rooms, which concerns operators, according to a Verizon survey.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 2, 2020

P.F. Chang's extends temporary layoffs for up to 5,800 workers

The chain filed WARN notices to inform workers if their hours were cut by over 50% for 6 months or more. Restaurant Dive found notices in 20 states, and the majority of the filings noted up to 75 impacted employees per store. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Oct. 2, 2020

'The new better': Why restaurants can't go back to the way business was before the pandemic

Expectations of businesses have greatly evolved over the past six months, and if restaurants want to lure diners back, they need to prioritize both customer innovation and the employee experience, writes Ben Rogers of Qualtrics. 

By Ben Rogers • Oct. 1, 2020

Ruby Tuesday stopped paying retiree pensions, Business Insider reports

Despite trying new delivery tactics and hiring a CEO in 2018 to help with a turnaround strategy, the latest allegations only further highlight the chain's struggles to grow sales.

By Julie Littman • Sept. 30, 2020

Inspire Brands invests in POS integration platform ItsaCheckmate

The tech will help Arby's parent company streamline operations across its systems, the majority of which manually adds food orders from multiple channels to its POS platform.  

By Emma Liem Beckett • Sept. 30, 2020

McDonald's expands youth skills training program

The company's youth initiative efforts come as the restaurant chain aims to improve workplace culture.

By Sheryl Estrada • Sept. 29, 2020

NYC makes outdoor dining program permanent

The city's Open Restaurants program, which includes over 10,000 participating eateries, will provide guidelines on heaters and how to offer this channel during the coming colder months. 

By Julie Littman • Sept. 28, 2020

Domino's promotes CTO, restructures tech unit as CIO retires

Kelly Garcia will replace EVP and CIO Kevin Vasconi, who is retiring Oct. 2, the company announced Monday.

By Roberto Torres • Sept. 23, 2020

DC launches $4M grant program to help restaurants winterize their outdoor dining spaces

Funds will be dispersed starting Oct. 1 and can be put toward expenses including tents, heaters, propane, furniture, advertising and operational costs.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Sept. 23, 2020

Resy, AmEx will bring a fine dining 'drive-thru' experience to Los Angeles

Diners can enter the Hollywood Palladium via car Oct. 15 and Oct. 16, where they will be assigned a designated waiter who will guide them from "restaurant" to "restaurant" to serve guests a 10-course meal through their car windows.

By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 23, 2020

How chains are automating the curbside experience

Customers calling in for their food upon arrival have created logistical headaches for many chains new to curbside, and they are turning to geofencing and integrated alert systems to create a better experience.

By Julie Littman • Sept. 23, 2020

87% of New York City hospitality owners couldn't pay full August rent, report says

While there was a slight uptick in landlords renegotiating leases between June and August, 60% of landlords have not waived rent in relation to COVID-19, according to a NYC Hospitality Alliance survey. 

By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 22, 2020

Sizzler USA is the latest casual chain to declare bankruptcy

The family dining restaurant plans to complete the process within 120 days, which it says will not impact its franchisees. 

By Julie Littman • Sept. 22, 2020

Dunkin' CFO: Company's westward expansion 'key' to future development

Dunkin's decision to remain open as competitors closed and to open new branches in the South and West have positioned it well for the future, its CFO said Tuesday.

By Jane Thier • Sept. 18, 2020

Denny's supplier diversity a 'pillar' in its DEI efforts

"We're proud of the strides we've taken over the past 25 years to reshape our entire corporate culture and business operations, but we know that we're not done with this work," a Denny's exec said.

By Sheryl Estrada • Sept. 18, 2020

McDonald's joint employer victory could be marred by potential conflict of interest

An NLRB board member participated in a ruling, despite ties to McDonald's, that said the fast food chain would not be liable for violations committed by franchisees.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Sept. 17, 2020

Taco Bell announces 'womxn-focused' employee resource group

Some employers have prioritized employee resource groups as a way to support diversity and inclusion work in recent months.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 17, 2020

Starbucks will bring curbside to 2K US restaurants in coming months

Curbside is expected to be particularly helpful at drive-thru locations to prevent customers from driving away if lines are too long, CFO Pat Grismer said during a JPMorgan conference. 

By Julie Littman • Sept. 17, 2020

Dave & Buster's lays off over 1,300 employees across 7 states

The WARN notices follow an 87% decline in same-store sales for Q2 and CEO Brian Jenkins' previous statements of moving forward with a leaner labor model.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Sept. 16, 2020

Reopening lessons the US can learn from Europe

Restaurants and governments need to formulate recovery strategies based on new consumer preferences, traffic patterns and revenue channels, says Chelsea van Hooven, global industry advisor at Choco.

By Chelsea van Hooven • Sept. 14, 2020

McDonald's selects TerraCycle's Loop for reusable cup pilot across UK locations

The new partnership is the latest sign of major brands taking greater interest in circular solutions. It also marks an expansion beyond grocery for the ambitious reuse platform.

By Karine Vann • Sept. 11, 2020

California Restaurant Association says the state's small business support isn't enough

CRA President and CEO Jot Condie criticized the bills signed into law last week, saying they failed to target aid directly for restaurants in the state.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Sept. 14, 2020

Papa John's signs largest North America franchisee deal in over 20 years

The deal with HB Restaurant Group will lead to 49 new stores in Philadelphia and New Jersey between 2021 and 2028, and represents the pizza chain's shift into growth mode.

By Julie Littman • Sept. 11, 2020

NYC to allow 25% indoor dining capacity as bar compliance improves

While compliance currently sits at 99.2%, the city will provide 400 inspectors to ensure restaurants continue following safety protocols. 

By Julie Littman • Sept. 10, 2020