Golden Chick

Beets Take Two

Red, yellow, orange—beets are as colorful as autumn’s leaves. Chefs are using these sweet, nutritious root vegetables to brighten up appetizers, salads, entrees and sides.

The sandwich generation

Today’s diners see sandwiches as a healthier, fresher more affordable choice—especially in the quickservice segment.

The popularity of pizza sees no signs of waning. In fact, pizza fans took a larger slice from the pie in 2011, as sales rose 2.2 percent to $33.6 million, according to data from Mintel. And an even healthier gain of 2.9 percent is projected for 2012.

Mushroom season inspires big sales opportunities. The Little River Inn in Mendocino, Calif., is promoting its 6th Annual Mushroom & Beer Dinner as a “culinary adventure” centering on the mushrooms that sprout in the wilds of northern California at this time of year. Each course of the Nov. 8 dinner is paired with a barrel-aged beer from the Russian River Brewing Co.

More than half of the restaurant industry’s $491 billion in sales come from the Top 500 chains. And these giants grew at a modestly stronger rate, both in terms of sales and store counts, than the industry overall. Restaurant Business focused on the leading 250 performers to identify trends for our first-ever special report delivering lessons from Technomic’s annual Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. This special package includes lessons for all operators from the largest chains by segment, menu category and more.

It’s often found in gas stations and convenience stores

Foodservice suppliers provide a look at products designed to make an operator’s job easier.

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