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. 

Financing

When Wendy’s and McDonald’s went chain shopping

Restaurant Rewind: The burger giants once swelled their portfolios to include everything from pasta concepts to burrito chains. Here's why they ultimately pared back down to burgers.

Marketing

Chick-fil-A’s cow campaign was no BS

Restaurant Rewind gets the inside scoop from one of the bovines that made it happen.

Reality Check: There is a model out there of how to stop a store-by-store unionization effort. Starbucks' defender in chief should take a hard look.

Restaurant Rewind: Carl Icahn's battle with McDonald's brings to mind these all-time classic bouts between investors and restaurant companies.

Plus, Restaurant Rewind looks at past efforts by full-service operators to enter the drive-thru business.

Restaurant Rewind: Now a faint echo of what it was, Big Boy once provided the same opportunity to add new customer draws.

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