Restaurant Rewind

`Those who don’t know their history are destined to relive it', to riff on the words of a famed philosopher. For anyone in the restaurant business, that oft-quoted saying may be more of a heartening promise than a dire admonition. The industry’s past is packed with tales of scoundrels and heroes, big thinkers and pinheads, colossal successes and dismal failures, breakthrough moves and self-inflicted destruction. Few soap operas pack as much color and drama. Yet those yellowed snapshots provide insights relevant to the challenges of today. Join Peter Romeo, a 41-year veteran of the business with a penchant for restaurant history, as he explores those pivotal moments from the past.

Marketing

Remembering 3 MLB superstars who ran the base paths into the restaurant business

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 20, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: Mickey Mantle, Boog Powell and Stan Musial proved time and again they could sock a baseball. Turns out they weren't too bad at filling dining rooms, either.

Financing

What happened the last time restaurants were this smitten with IPOs

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 13, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: The heyday of initial stock offerings were the 1990s, seen by some as casual dining's coming out party. Here's what we can learn from those days.

Marketing

There’s nothing sweet about the mobile ice cream wars

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 06, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: The Soprano crew has nothing over the combatants in the turf wars over who’ll sell kids their summertime treats.

Food

For a real New York City dining experience, look inside the bun

By Peter Romeo on May 30, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: Forget egg creams and bagels. The consummate Big Apple specialty is the hot dog. Here's why.

Marketing

How the last cookie craze crumbled

By Peter Romeo on May 16, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: The rapid expansion of cookie chains is proof that the business can be cyclical. Here’s what happened in the prior boom.

Leadership

Remembering Ruth's Chris founder Ruth Fertel

By Peter Romeo on May 09, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: She could barely afford to open her first restaurant. Now the empire she founded through smarts and a refusal to be stopped is selling for $715 million. Here’s her story.

Operations

At 110 and counting, this NYC dining landmark is still going strong

By Peter Romeo on May 02, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: Don Draper and Jackie Onassis were among the legions of fans who kept the Grand Central Oyster Bar in vogue.

Operations

McDonald's franchise strife deserves barely a Grimace compared with Quiznos' past

By Peter Romeo on Apr. 25, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: A fight over supply prices set what's still the low point in franchisor-franchisee relations. It could be a Harvard Business study of what a brand owner should never do.

Emerging Brands