50 Great Ideas 2020

50 Great Ideas 2020

Digital pitch to potential partners

Focus Brands, parent of McAlister’s Deli, Jamba and others, launched a webinar series to educate developers and prospective franchisees on its post-pandemic growth plans.

50 Great Ideas 2020

Virtual prom

Jack in the Box and Chipotle hosted virtual prom events on Zoom and Instagram, respectively, for high school seniors missing out on the springtime rite of passage.

Some Moe’s Southwest Grill franchisees organized Neighborhood Taco Kit Nights, taking orders for an entire neighborhood and then setting up a station for people to pick up their orders.

Korean-inspired bar Miki’s Park in Chicago sold kits of all the materials needed to play Titanic, a drinking game in which participants pour soju into a shot glass floating in a glass of beer.

DineAmic Hospitality’s Bar Siena in Chicago sold pizza-making kits for couples to make together, post on social media and challenge other couples to top their creations.

For a $25 donation to help keep the restaurant afloat, Romano’s Macaroni Grill locations etched fans’ names on a heart stone placed at the hostess stand. A special ceremony will be held for all contributors later in the year.

Every Thursday, Cowboy Chicken posted favorite recipes for dishes that were taken off the menu, such as tacos and campfire veggies. Home cooks sheltering in place could make each of the dishes in less than an hour with pantry staples.

Most state reopening guidelines issued in May typically required restaurants to use disposable menus or permanent bills of fare that could be readily sanitized.

Chains such as Dunkin’ and Taco Bell created Zoom-friendly backgrounds to remind consumers of their brands, even when dining rooms are closed.

When the coronavirus took over the U.S. in mid-March, it was like nothing restaurants had experienced before.

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