Continue to Site >>>

50 Great Ideas

The top industry ideas we've spotted in the last year

50 Great Ideas

29. Wearable incremental sales drivers

 Aug. 08, 2018

Desserts are on the menu at Xoco, Rick Bayless’ counter-service spot in Chicago, but customers don’t always think to order them when they order meals. Once they sit down, there’s no way to know they c...

50 Great Ideas

32. Upcycling compost

 Aug. 08, 2018

Chefs are repurposing compost into menu items and playing off the word in the item’s name. Compesto—a pesto made from vegetable trimmings that would end up in a compost bucket, such as carrot tops and...

50 Great Ideas

35. Explanation-free catering

Aug. 08, 2018

Many options on the events menu at The Gray, one of Kimpton Hotel’s Chicago properties, are inspired by the in-hotel restaurant, Boleo. That includes empanadas. To make it easier and more frictionless...

50 Great Ideas

38. Tattooed promotions

Aug. 08, 2018

When there is a new concept at the University of Connecticut, the dining team creates a temporary tattoo of the logo or name.

50 Great Ideas

41. Social tour for new sites

Aug. 08, 2018

When convenience retailer Lou Perrine’s Gas & Groceries purchased a new site, its marketing leader Anthony Perrine went live on Facebook to show fans a “before” look that will be balanced wit...

50 Great Ideas

44. Modern play place

Aug. 08, 2018

If they’re going to dine in, consumers want an experience that transcends the food. The parent company behind tech-focused CaliBurger has built a “virtual playground” for its units, allowing diners to...

50 Great Ideas

47. Packaged to travel

Aug. 08, 2018

As IHOP expanded more into off-premise, it ran into a problem with its signature combo meals not traveling well—so the chain created a proprietary packaging system. The result: a multitiered container...

50 Great Ideas

50. Compliance at your fingertips

Aug. 08, 2018

Matt Kritzer, a Jimmy John’s franchisee in Huntsville, Ala., has gone high-tech when it comes to safety compliance. His go-to tool: a wireless thermometer that reports every minute, allowing managers ...

50 Great Ideas

27. Charge it up

Aug. 08, 2018

Chicago’s Parlor Pizza wants to find ways to encourage its guests to stick around and order more food and drinks. One way it accomplishes that is by offering to charge guests’ phones. Specifically, th...

50 Great Ideas

30. Iconic expectations

Aug. 08, 2018

Today’s cocktail culture has ushered in a range of funky, nontraditional drinks on menus; imbibers don’t even always know what they are ordering. To set expectations and offer a point of reference, Wa...

  • Page 1