Despite the unprecedented challenges the restaurant industry faced in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic—including an estimated $255 billion sales loss1—franchising activity didn’t come to a complete halt.
Franchise Frenzy: The Boom in Fast-Casual Segment Franchise Opportunities
Topics: Quick Service Restaurant, Casual Dining Restaurant, Delivery, OREO, Cookies, Foodservice Industry, Menu, Menu Strategy, Food & Beverage, Sales & Profitability, Drive-Thru, Limited Time Offers (LTOs)
Time-Tested: Which Pandemic Practices Could Become Permanent?
Over the past year and a half, operators have addressed emerging pandemic-related consumer preference, safety and other needs by introducing innovative menu and operational changes—and a number have shown some staying power.
Topics: Technology, Promotions, Marketing & Communications, Mobile, Independents, Family Restaurant, Takeout, Business & Industry, Quick Service Restaurant, Casual Dining Restaurant, Ice Cream/Yogurt Shop, Delivery, Meal Kits, Donuts/Pancakes/Waffles, Cookies/Bars/Snacks, Ice Cream Desserts, Cakes/Cupcakes, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack, Holidays, Chocolate, CHIPS AHOY!, OREO, Family, Cookies, Dessert Ingredients, Grab-and-Go, Labor, Convenience, Foodservice Industry, Menu, Creative Inspiration, Customer Experience, Consumer, Flavors & Ingredients, Menu Strategy, Food & Beverage, Sales & Profitability, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Curbside Pickup, Fast-Casual Restaurant, Off-Premises, Consumer Behavior, Value, Limited Time Offers (LTOs), Nostalgia, Digital/Online Ordering, Touchless, On-Premises, Foodservice, Sweet, Fresh
Taking the Cake: Trending Flavors That Will Boost Dessert Sales
As foodservice operators continue to expand their dining capacity and hours, the competition for customers could get fierce. An enticing dessert menu that features intriguing flavors could be the ideal sweet solution to attract hungry patrons.
Topics: Noncommercial, Family Restaurant, Global, Pies/Tarts, Commercial, Quick Service Restaurant, Casual Dining Restaurant, Fine Dining, Custards/Cheesecakes, Cookies/Bars/Snacks, Beverages, Shakes/Frozen Beverages, Cakes/Cupcakes, Dessert, Snack, Better-for-You, Gum & Candy, Chocolate, Single-Serve, CHIPS AHOY!, OREO, SOUR PATCH KIDS, Cocktails, Cookies, Dessert Ingredients, Brownies, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Fast-Casual Restaurant, Branded Ingredients, Flavor Profiles, Consumer Behavior, Indulgence, Prepackaged, Nostalgia, Functional, Foodservice, Healthful, Savory, Sweet
All in Good Time: What Makes for a Winning LTO in 2021?
Operators have increasingly turned to limited time offers in recent years to entice customers and spur sales. In fact, Technomic research indicates that LTO launches among the biggest 500 chain restaurant and retail operations grew 64% from 2014 to 2019.1
Topics: Merchandising, Promotions, Independents, Family Restaurant, Takeout, Quick Service Restaurant, Casual Dining Restaurant, Delivery, National, Custards/Cheesecakes, Cookies/Bars/Snacks, Ice Cream Desserts, Main Dishes, Dessert, Chocolate, CHIPS AHOY!, OREO, Cookies, Dessert Ingredients, Grab-and-Go, Convenience, Foodservice Industry, Menu, Creative Inspiration, Customer Experience, Consumer, Flavors & Ingredients, Menu Strategy, Food & Beverage, Packaging, Sales & Profitability, Drive-Thru, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Curbside Pickup, Fast-Casual Restaurant, Branded Ingredients, Flavor Profiles, Consumer Behavior, Indulgence, Limited Time Offers (LTOs), Dips/Spreads/Sauces, Sandwiches/Burgers, Prepackaged, Nostalgia
“Salty sells” is a fact foodservice operators have savored all along. But now consumers want to have their salt and eat it too–and that can be a challenge, given the rise of the better-for-you snacking trend that demands a balance between nutritious and delicious. A salty-tasting profile that also offers nutritional value seems like a recipe for a higher check average, and manufacturers have been busy combining the two to help drive sales–an important factor for continued growth, according to the Packaged Facts report Salty Snacks in the U.S., 4th Edition.
Topics: Millennials, Appetizers/Snacks, Snack, Better-for-You, Gum & Candy, Cookies, Flavors & Ingredients