Monthly Archives: September 2014

Burger Fi – Better Burgers Made by Scratch

Fast-casual chain touts scratch-made items to stand out in competitive segment The “better-burger” segment is crowded lately, with Smashburger, Shake Shack and others expanding apace, but the four-year-old BurgerFi chain has held its own with healthy sales growth. The company tripled its systemwide sales for the year ended Dec. 31, to an estimated $42.8 million, according to NRN research. More importantly, estimated sales per unit also showed robust growth of 25.6 percent, to $1.9 million. The North Palm Beach, Fla.-based chain, whose name stands for “The Burgerfication of the Nation,” has equally ambitious expansion plans. BurgerFi Intl. LLC plans to…

Black Bear Diner

patrice

Lodge-themed concept elevates family-dining experience with casual-dining touches. At Black Bear Diner, it’s all about value — and bears. Bob and Laurie Manley, along with partner Bruce Dean, founded Black Bear Diner in Mt. Shasta, Calif., as a restaurant offering American comfort foods in a bear-infested, mountain lodge-themed setting that defies simple categorization. Black Bear offers food and service more befitting of casual dining, despite its diner name. Guests feel they’re getting a great value, said Doug Branigan, Black Bear’s vice president of franchise development and operations. “We’re polished family dining, in the upper tier of family dining,” he said.…

Buffalo Wild Wings invests in taco concept

patrice

Casual-dining operator acquires majority stake in Dallas-based Rusty Taco Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. has made a majority investment in nine-unit Rusty Taco Inc. of Dallas as it continues to buy into emerging brands, the company said Monday. Terms of the Minneapolis-based casual-dining operator’s investment in the fast-casual concept were not disclosed. The deal follows Buffalo Wild Wings’ minority investment in March 2013 in PizzaRev, a Los Angeles-based fast-casual pizza chain that at the time had three units. Buffalo Wild Wings has 1,030 casual-dining restaurants in the United States and Canada. “Rusty Taco’s fresh approach to tacos truly sets this…

Dunkin’ Donuts introduces almond milk

patrice

Dunkin’ Donuts has introduced almond milk as a premium nondairy option at most of its more than 7,500 restaurants in the United States. Vanilla Almond Breeze Almondmilk is now available at about 75 percent of domestic locations. Parent company Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. has suggested a 50-cent surcharge for adding almond milk instead of dairy to hot or iced coffee, although pricing is at the discretion of franchisees. Dunkin’ Brands president for global marketing and innovation John Costello said in a press release that almond milk was being introduced in response to consumer demand. “Over the past couple of years,…

Web Based Restaurant Training

patrice

Restaurateurs know proactive training translates to bottom line performance, and things like great service, high standards, and expert menu knowledge don't come easily. Precious time required for training can be obliterated by the chaos that defines the restaurant business. Successful restaurants depend on teamwork: they huddle up for daily pre-shift meetings, hold each other accountable, and look to their veteran players in every position to make great service happen.Yet, when it comes to training, too many owners and managers attempt to go it alone, committed to the notion that one person, should write, produce, deliver, and measure a company training…

Food Investing Continues

patrice

Just grabbed these from Tabeau Public as a point of reference> Interesting how VC's have decided now is a good time to do what they could have been doing for quite some time. I guess, better late than never? I just hope they enlist some real industry experts that have real perspective to ensure sector investing isn't a bubble and crashes because too much money is flowing to the wrong entrepreneurs and/or the wrong deals. VC's generally don't get (a) consumer or (b) foodservice. Read more: http://fohboh.com/profiles/blogs/food-investing-continues#ixzz3CdsXZBjT

Should You Take a Job With a Startup or Big Company

patrice

Startups invoke images of employees playing foosball during brainstorming meetings, riding through hallways on scooters, and drinking endless PBRs from the kitchen fridge. Whether it’s the truth or not, startup culture has a certain appeal to plenty of job seekers. But when it comes to job security, a run of the mill corporation will most likely offer better benefits and more structure. There are certainly a number of perks that come with taking a job at a startup, especially if it takes off. If you get in at the ground floor you will be able to rise up the ranks…