The restaurant industry is expanding at a strong pace again, but there's a difference to the growth and the strategies driving it. Chains are creating opportunities by peering further into the future and anticipating the trends in consumer preferences, restaurant recruitment, financing, politics and restaurant operations. They're hungering for ideas, innovation and insight.
The state of the industry, through Technomic and GE Capital’s eyes, is improving. Sloooowly.
When it comes to landing business from the 38.1 million families in the United States, kids may be a restaurant's best allies, according to an education session presented at the Restaurant Leadership Conference. Co-moderators Ian Davidson of C3 Brand Marketing and Kevin Higar of Technomic used the breakout session to provide practical advice on capturing some of the $1.12 trillion kid-influenced spending that goes on in the U.S.
Product recalls can be devastating to the restaurant industry, yet traceability along the foodservice supply chain is complicated and outdated. “Foodservice is where retail was 40 years ago,” said Syndee Stiles, vice president of operations support for McLane Foodservice, at Restaurant Leadership Conference session on traceability.