Operations: Page 69
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Macaroni Grill eyes 2nd acquisition
The once-struggling company hopes to close on another purchase in Q1, one that could bring it halfway to its goal of becoming a $1 billion business, said CEO Nishant Machado.
By Julie Littman • Jan. 15, 2020 -
FAT Brands CEO: Chain plans to close an acquisition in Q1, with more in the works
With new funding, the company is poised to buy larger brands as part of its two-pronged strategy to grow organically and through acquisitions, Andy Wiederhorn told Restaurant Dive at the ICR Conference.
By Julie Littman • Jan. 14, 2020 -
Trendline
Back-of-house Technology
From voice AI at the drive-thru to robot-powered makelines, restaurants are investing in technology solutions to optimize kitchen operations and reduce employee turnover.
By Restaurant Dive staff -
Chili's leans into personalization with Presto partnership
The casual dining restaurant’s deal with the tabletop tech provider is aimed at better tracking ordering behaviors and is part of the company’s strategy to boost customization.
By Julie Littman • Jan. 13, 2020 -
Subway's C-suite carousel turns again
The chain eliminated its chief brand and innovation officer position and has a new chief legal officer, bringing the total number of executives leaving the company since December to five.
By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 10, 2020 -
Column
Shift Change: Black Bear Diner hires CEO, McDonald's adds chief digital engagement officer
This week's Shift Change also highlights executive news at Subway, Wingstop, Red Robin, Rave Restaurant Group, BBQ Holdings and Farmer Boys.
By Julie Littman • Jan. 10, 2020 -
Grubhub is still charging phone call fees, NYC restaurant claims
Expat claims that only three of the 54 phone Grubhub calls it received between Jan. 4 and April 20 resulted in orders, but the platform charged it $380 in commission fees. Grubhub is conducting an audit of the charges.
By Julie Littman • Updated April 24, 2020 -
Taco Bell to test $100K salary for general managers
The QSR will implement the new base pay at select company-owned locations later this year. It also added a minimum of 24 hours of paid sick leave for all employees.
By Julie Littman • Jan. 9, 2020 -
Only 34% of operators 'very confident' they can identify food safety concerns
Comparatively, in 2018, 50% of operators felt they could identify food safety risks before they became an issue, according to a study from Zenput and Technomic.
By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 9, 2020 -
Secret sauce: MUTTS Canine Cantina takes business off-leash with franchising expansion
The emerging bark park and cantina has turned to franchising as a growth strategy, and its unique construction approach could help operators develop more sites faster.
By Julie Littman • Jan. 8, 2020 -
Red Robin terminates COO without cause
Guy Constant exits the chain after serving for over a year and amid continued investor pressure to improve operations and shareholder value.
By Julie Littman • Jan. 8, 2020 -
48% of restaurants struggling with rising labor costs, study finds
Restaurants are increasingly turning to technology to alleviate labor woes, but adoption remains low, research from Zenput and Technomic shows.
By Lauren Manning • Jan. 7, 2020 -
Burger King launches Impossible sausage breakfast sandwich
The Impossible Croissan'wich will be available at participating restaurants in five regions and is part of Burger King's plant-based menu expansion plans.
By Christopher Doering • Jan. 7, 2020 -
Yum Brands acquires Habit Burger for $375M
The deal, which is expected to close by the end of Q2 2020, is Yum's first restaurant acquisition since it went public more than 20 years ago.
By Julie Littman • Jan. 6, 2020 -
Little Caesars partners with DoorDash for delivery
Diners can place delivery orders through the pizza chain's app and website, and DoorDash will provide last-mile delivery for "at least $5 less" than top competitors, Little Caesars claims.
By Julie Littman • Jan. 6, 2020 -
Waitr names new CEO
Waitr has tapped Carl Grimstad as CEO and member of the board effective immediately. This is the delivery firm's third CEO hire in less than two years.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Jan. 3, 2020 -
Chick-fil-A cuts 6 items in streamlined menu test
Locations in Arizona and Charlotte will cut Original Chick-n-Strips, Grilled Cool Wraps and more from their offerings to make way for new items, such as a spicy menu that will also be tested in Charlotte, North Carolina.
By Lauren Manning • Jan. 3, 2020 -
Applebee's enters the fast casual game
The casual dining chain opened its first Applebee’s Express in Alabama last month, joining IHOP, The Cheesecake Factory and Famous Dave's in testing to-go friendly concepts.
By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 3, 2020 -
Tim Hortons president stepping down
Alex Macedo, who has been president of Tim Hortons since December 2017, will leave his role in March.
By Julie Littman • Dec. 27, 2019 -
Survey: Restaurants need to add mobile ads, payments and apps to the menu
A robust mobile marketing strategy is crucial for restaurants to connect with customers and drive sales, AdTheorent finds.
By Robert Williams • Dec. 23, 2019 -
62% of Americans prefer dine-in to takeout, delivery
Though demand for dynamic eating experiences is growing, diners are most swayed by food quality and consistency when selecting a restaurant, Vixxo research finds.
By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 23, 2019 -
Chipotle accused of firing NYC employee who tried to unionize
The general counsel of the National Labor Relations board filed the complaint on Dec. 12, which also claims that the fast food chain promised promotions to employees who provided information about union organizing.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Dec. 20, 2019 -
Starbucks to pay NYC employees $176K over sick leave violations
The coffee chain also agreed to provide informational posters about its sick leave policy inside all city stores, provide plain language information on its policy and follow up with the city in six months.
By Julie Littman • Dec. 20, 2019 -
Chipotle tests pickup windows as part of digital push
The new design will be tested in six restaurants with various formats and include premium placement of built-in pickup areas.
By Julie Littman • Dec. 19, 2019 -
Coffee giants Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Peet's plan to merge and go public
As the coffee space grows at a rapid clip, the market has room for increased competition and JDE Peet's would be well positioned to take significant share.
By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 18, 2019 -
McDonald's to roll out mobile app payment technology starting in UK
The chain's partnership with Dutch tech company Adyen NV to process mobile app payments furthers the company's focus on technology worldwide.
By Julie Littman • Dec. 18, 2019