Reality Check

Peter Romeo

The blog from award-winning journalist, RB Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo. Peter taps into his decades of experience covering the restaurant business at a variety of publications to discuss any number of issues related to the operations and general direction of restaurants.

Premium

Consumer Trends

Casual dining roars back, but will the upswing continue?

By Peter Romeo on May 13, 2021

The segment's strong April is attributed to both short-term and long-term factors, with plenty of uncertainty sprinkled in.

Premium

Financing

5 ways The Cheesecake Factory is bucking the trends

By Peter Romeo on Apr. 29, 2021

The polished casual brand and its Italian sister, North Italia, are solidly part of casual dining’s rebound. But that doesn’t mean they’re running with the pack.

Premium

Leadership

5 things to envy about Golden Corral

By Peter Romeo on Apr. 15, 2021

A buffet extending through several time zones isn’t the only distinguishing feature of the brand. Here are some attributes that may be unfamiliar even to hardcore fans.

Premium

Workforce

Why restaurants should care about Amazon’s union vote

By Peter Romeo on Apr. 09, 2021

An effort to organize a warehouse in Alabama was unsuccessful. And that could mean bad news is brewing for the foodservice business.

Marketing

Why restaurants should care about vaccine passports

By Peter Romeo on Apr. 01, 2021

The proofs of inoculation could be used to ensure guests are safe and know it. But the concept has sparked considerable controversy.

Leadership

Even in death, Kent Taylor remains a mystery

By Peter Romeo on Mar. 19, 2021

Kent Taylor, the founder and longtime CEO of Texas Roadhouse whose death was announced Thursday evening, was never one for explanations, never mind following convention.

Operations