News

Restaurant chains want diners to feel lucky on Friday the 13th

By Reyna Estrada on Oct. 12, 2023

Marketing Bites: Restaurant chains continue to get into the spooky spirit. White Castle debuts new merch. And chains celebrate other food-centric holidays.

Food

Dog Haus, Jimmy John's and Firehouse Subs innovate between the bread

By Patricia Cobe on Oct. 12, 2023

Taste Tracker: Lou Malnati’s and Portillo’s tag team a pizza; drive-thru steaks to go at Aussie Grill; Legal Sea Foods hosts an oyster fest; and Shake Shack tests sundaes.

Food

Chicken nuggets are everywhere but Taco Bell thinks it can do them better

By Lisa Jennings on Oct. 12, 2023

The chain is scheduled to begin a test of all-white-meat, whole-muscle chicken nuggets with two new sauces in Minneapolis on Thursday.

Marketing

Proposal to turn Calif. pot dispensaries into restaurants goes up in smoke

By Peter Romeo on Oct. 12, 2023

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure, citing concerns about employees' exposure to secondhand smoke.

Financing

Domino's sees better times ahead

By Jonathan Maze on Oct. 12, 2023

The pizza chain, which saw another decline in same-store sales, expects sales to improve later this year and into 2024. But profitability is already better.

Financing

Restaurant prices keep rising faster than inflation

By Jonathan Maze on Oct. 12, 2023

Food away-from-home prices continue rising faster than grocery prices, even as they are more muted from previous years’ increases.

Food

Noodles know no boundaries with Nick Graff leading R&D at Noodles & Company

By Patricia Cobe on Oct. 12, 2023

The executive chef and VP of culinary has accelerated innovation and taken the menu where it hasn’t ventured before.

Marketing

A ridiculous number of Americans have worked at a McDonald's

By Jonathan Maze on Oct. 12, 2023

The burger giant’s latest promotion, called the “1 in 8 Initiative,” highlights the percentage of Americans who’ve worked at one of the chain’s locations at some point in their lives.

Consumer Trends