Patricia Cobe

January and February may have been the winter of restaurant’s discontent, but the challenge of luring customers fostered some traffic-building ideas that could boost business at any time of year.

The must-haves for modern restaurant kitchens are about much more than just technology. Here’s a look at the innovations that are shaping kitchen equipment and design.

After testing two burgers as LTOs in two stores, Bruegger’s now is rolling them out systemwide (along with other grilled lunch sandwiches) over the first quarter of 2015.

And all eaten just three weeks ago. Here’s what a chef found in his annual dining blitz.

Foodservice manufacturers introduced an array of new equipment at last week’s NAFEM Show in Anaheim, much of it boasting digital controls and “smart” operating systems.

Some operators are looking to source lesser known but abundant seafood that often turns up in the by-catch. These “trash” fish may have names that could sound off-putting to consumers, such as lionfish, sheepshead or grunt, but innovative chefs are proving that their flavor and texture stand up to their upscale cousins—at a gentler price. And diners are biting.