economy

Growing Power, Sysco Launch Local Cooperative Farming Project

By Restaurant Business Staff on Aug. 29, 2011

JACKSON, Wis. (August 29, 2011)—A 34-acre tract of land in Jackson, WI, will give Southeastern Wisconsin food lovers a chance to enjoy locally grown...

Restaurant Performance Index Reaches 11-Month Low

By Restaurant Business Staff on Aug. 31, 2011

WASHINGTON D.C. (August 31, 2011)—The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) fell below 100 in July, as the nation’s debt...

Financing

Appetizers heat up the menu

By Patricia Cobe on Sep. 01, 2011

Call them starters, small plates, bar food or even tapas—appetizers are seeing a lot of action. And it’s not all that surprising. Today’s thriftier restaurant customer wants to explore exciting flavors and ingredients without spending a fortune.

The Week in Ideas, September 9, 2011

By Restaurant Business Staff on Sep. 09, 2011

The industry was feeling charitable this week, with two big ideas to give back to charities. Yum! looked longingly at food stamps. And a Richmond, Virginia, restaurant rises again.

The week in ideas, September 16, 2011

By Sam Smith on Sep. 16, 2011

Our cup runneth over with ideas this week. Darden made the most of a big announcement. Smith & Wollensky came up with an awesome promotion. Plus, some advice masquerading as ideas. Enjoy.

Independents Trying To Lure Customers Away From Chains

By Restaurant Business Staff on Sep. 26, 2011

CHICAGO (September 26, 2011- PRNewswire)—Battling with low operator and consumer confidence, rising food costs and a lack of corporate support, independent...

Consumer Trends

U.S. moms make similar restaurant decisions

Sep. 26, 2011

A recent study by Technomic and C3 Brand Marketing finds that regardless of ethnicity, moms are the most likely members of their families to make decisions on restaurant patronage.

Leadership

Herman Cain to kick off RLC 2012

By Peter Romeo on Oct. 12, 2011

Presidential candidate Herman Cain will address his former colleagues in the restaurant business with a kick-off presentation at the 2012 Restaurant Leadership Conference, the annual top-to-top event of Restaurant Business and Monkeydish.com.

Consumer Trends

Gen Y Is Becoming Gen Wine

Oct. 18, 2011

Generation Y—a.k.a.the Millennials— is discovering that wine is their beverage of choice for many occasions. Long seen as an accompaniment to dinner, young drinkers are increasingly sipping wine at everyday activities—from baseball games to concerts and beach outings—motivating brands to re-evaluate how they market their products.

Restaurant Patrons Drinking More Tap Water

By Restaurant Business Staff on Oct. 26, 2011

CHICAGO (October 26, 2011)—Tap water is one of the fastest growing beverages ordered at U.S. restaurants, whereas revenue-generating beverages have been...

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