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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.

Operations

This week’s 5 head-spinning restaurant moments: Quiet progress

 By Peter Romeo on Aug. 03, 2018

Starbucks has vowed to cut unit-level administrative tasks in half, while Del Frisco’s is reducing its dependence on beef. And those aren’t the only ways restaurant operators are subtly improving their lot.

Operations

This week’s 5 head-spinning restaurant moments: 1 more inch

 By Peter Romeo on Jul. 27, 2018

A cattle rustling by one of Chick-fil-A's competitors was just one instance of operators pushing the traditional boundaries of the restaurant business this week.

Leadership

They said what?: When restaurant execs go rogue

By Peter Romeo on Jul. 20, 2018

John Schnatter is the latest in a long string of restaurant founders and executives to say something their brands deeply regretted. Here’s a look at some of the better-known instances from the past.

Leadership

Who would Restaurant Business draft as restaurant all-stars

By Peter Romeo and Sara Rush Wirth on Jul. 17, 2018

Trout? Harper? Judge? Step aside, MLB. Here are the real standouts to watch this summer, as determined by some critical fans.

Operations

This week’s 4 head-spinning moments: Progress?

By Peter Romeo on Jul. 13, 2018

Some of the sweeping changes affecting restaurants brought smaller but noteworthy quick alterations in recent days. Here's a chance to catch up on Chick-fil-A's new venture, what's happening in delivery, and an important new twist on straw bans.

Operations

Grasping at straws

By Peter Romeo on Jul. 03, 2018

The industry’s breakup with plastic straws has happened at a breathtaking pace.

Operations

Are conditions improving for restaurants? Yes.

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 26, 2018

However, not all operations are sharing in the positives, says RB’s Reality Check.

Financing

There's hope ahead for chains

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 25, 2018

The future for the restaurant industry isn't all doom and gloom.

Consumer Trends

Why legalized weed could be a boon to the restaurant business

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 18, 2018

It looks like Canadian restaurateurs will reap the benefits first, but U.S. operators need to catch up, big time.

Marketing

This week’s 5 head-spinning moments: Reviewed and rated

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 15, 2018

What’s more likely to turn heads, the next chapter in Burgerville’s union dealings, or the fourth bun-related restaurant closure of the week? Check out these and the industry’s other jaw-dropping developments of recent days.

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