Even though a quarter of the restaurants on this year’s Top 100 Independents list saw sales declines over the previous year, these resilient operators implemented some crafty pivots. They focused on private events and boosted operational efficiency, among other tricks of the trade. Read on to see how this segment collectively grossed nearly $2 billion in food and beverage sales in 2023.
Third-party restaurant delivery exploded during the pandemic and continues to grow. But how are services like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub performing on the ground? A secret shopper study by researcher Intouch Insight, conducted exclusively for Restaurant Business and sister publications CSP Daily News and Nation’s Restaurant News, reveals detailed data on consumers’ third-party delivery experience. Dive into the findings below.
The restaurant industry has witnessed a rash of restaurant bankruptcies in recent months, a marker of a difficult operating environment that began with Red Lobster’s Chapter 11 filing in May and has extended to include a number of smaller chains and franchisees, as well as several chains that appear poised to submit their own filings soon.
On April 1, California's fast-food chain restaurants will be overseen by a new council and will be required to pay workers at least $20 per hour—a 25% boost from the current minimum. The landmark change could have wide-reaching effects that go beyond the state's restaurants. Here, Restaurant Business takes an in-depth look at the new fast-food wage law and its potential impacts.