McDonald's

Dan Coudreaunt, executive chef and director of culinary innovation at McDonald’s, and Wylie Dufresne, chef-owner of molecular-gastronomy temple WD-50, know a thing or two about innovation. At a packed NRA session they set about dispelling a few myths.

Restaurant Business sat down with Peter Backman, managing director with Horizons, a London-based foodservice consultancy, to compare restaurant trends in the U.S. and the U.K.

Four years ago, a Mama Fu’s restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, developed a better kids’ menu than the slightly exotic fare the Pan-Asian concept restaurant chain offered at the time. The new Dragon Tails (chicken tenders with macaroni and cheese) and Ninja Noodles (teriyaki chicken with noodles) were a smash hit, and soon became a staple at all 13 Mama Fu’s units. “That was one of the bigger franchisee ideas that helped our brand,” says Randy Murphy, president of Texas-based Mama Fu’s. “It really helped us become more of a family-friendly restaurant.”