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Peter Romeo

Editor at Large

Articles by
Peter Romeo

Page 343

Fast-food chains opt for designer heat

In the stepped-up search for spicier options, several big players are trying ingredients that would warm a foodie’s heart—and stomach.

This week’s 5 head-spinning moments: New realities for restaurant employers

New rules for employee handbooks, a 21 percent price hike to cover higher wages and an employee-employer-guest discussion group are just some of the past week’s labor-related developments.

Fight for 15 sets April 15 as date for largest-ever demonstration

Fight for 15, the union-supported campaign for a $15-an-hour minimum wage, is planning another demonstration by quick-service restaurant workers on tax day, April 15, to push for higher wages and the unionization of the industry.

Language arts

In the minimum wage debate, restaurateurs are losing the war of words. It’s time to flip the script.

OpenTable users pick 100 hottest restaurants

Newness definitely figured into the choices. The compilation—the places aren’t ranked—includes 42 places that opened in 2014 and one that entered the business this year. California dominated with 22 restaurants.

Starbucks adds Evolution Fresh-branded smoothies

The new drinks will be offered in units within grocery stores and at 4,300 units in the Pacific Northwest.

This week’s 5 head-spinning moments from the RLC

The 2,000 attendees of the top-to-top networking and educational fest are smarter today than those who missed it. Here’s a chance to catch up.

Taco Bell jabs at “Routine Republic” of McDonald’s in new breakfast push

Taco Bell is shooting for some buzz about its new “biscuit taco” breakfast sandwich with a new YouTube video that portrays McDonald’s as an evil authoritarian empire with no tolerance for variety in what its dispirited citizens can eat for their morning meal.

Technology

Krispy Kreme’s ‘Hot Doughnuts Now’ feature goes digital

Krispy Kreme’s fans live for the “Hot Doughnuts Now” storefront neon sign that alerts passers-by that a new batch of doughnuts has just been baked and glazed. Now the chain is shifting the alert to cell phones via a new app.

Technology

First Watch adopts waitlist-management app

The new technology enables customers to compare the wait times at units in their area, put their name on the list, and then monitor the time at which they’ll be seated.

Attendees hear an alarm to protect the franchising model

A call to action was sounded from the main stage at the Restaurant Leadership Conference to protect restaurant franchising from a regulatory reinterpretation widely seen by the industry as a potentially lethal threat to that mode of development.

Financing

An industry health check and 3 surprising business drivers

There was a consensus that conditions are improving, but moderately. How much mustard might be added by trends like ‘DIY food’ or extreme spiciness?

  • Page 343