3 Fast Casuals that are Boosting their Ordering Technology

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Consumers are getting, well, demanding in the on-demand economy. And restaurants are leveraging the latest technology to make ordering a seamless experience—so seamless, it can be done while playing a video game or having a conversation. Dallas-based fast-casual Wingstop announced Wednesday an ordering extension with Twitch, a popular online gaming platform and community. “This new ordering extension… read more

KFC Testing Plant-Based Chicken in Canada

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KFC, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., is launching a second one-day test of plant-based chicken. New meatless popcorn chicken and fried chicken sandwiches will be available at a Mississauga, Ont., location on Nov. 27. KFC tested Beyond Meat nuggets and boneless wings at an Atlanta store in August, becoming the first major U.S. fast-food… read more

Actually, More Restaurants Are Opening than Closing

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Despite what is often described as a booming economy, the news in the independent restaurant world across the country has been a bit grim in recent weeks. In cities like Seattle, Pasadena, Calif., and even Birmingham, Ala., restaurateurs are raising the alarm, saying rising costs are taking a toll on the restaurant communities, resulting in… read more

Here’s where the jobs are

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The government reported Friday that payrolls increased by 128,000, easily besting the 75,000 estimate economists polled by Dow Jones had forecast. The leisure and hospitality industry was by far the strongest during the month of October, adding more than 60,000 jobs for the month. Hiring in the manufacturing sector was soft, but economists blamed the… read more

MOD Pizza to Open First Location in Canada

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MOD Super Fast Pizza Holdings announced on plans to expand its purpose-led fast casual brand into Canada. The development agreement for Canada was signed with V.I. Pizza Inc., led by Jim Hayden, Jeff Jefford, and Ken Whitaker, who have deep food industry experience and operate several successful brands across Vancouver Island. Their agreement includes development… read more

Yum! Brands Promotes Chawla to President of Pizza Hut International

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Vipul Chawla has been promoted to president of Pizza Hut International, effective Dec. 3. He will succeed Milind Pant, who will step down at the end of November to pursue opportunities outside of the company. Mr. Chawla has been with Pizza Hut for seven years, most recently as managing director of Pizza Hut Asia-Pacific. Earlier,… read more

Matthew Slaine Named CEO of Newly Formed Quality Restaurant Group

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Quality Restaurant Group, a quick-service firm formed last year after buying more than 200 Pizza Hut locations, has acquired 27 Arby’s restaurants under newly tapped CEO Matthew Slaine. The Raleigh, N.C.-based operator closed the Arby’s deal with Bentley-Miller Group this week for an undisclosed price. The Arby’s restaurants are in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming and… read more

TGI Fridays Launches $5 Cheeseburger Tuesdays

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Preempting that epic American holiday, National Cheeseburger Day, TGI Fridays has announced the launch of its own National Cheeseburger Day, and continuing on every Tuesday after that. With the firm belief that Americans are hungry for a break, the restaurant brand is celebrating the iconic American meal with an offer that includes TGI Fridays signature… read more

New Chain Items Include a Massive Quad-Patty Chicken Sandwich

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McDonald’s and Jack in the Box have joined the Great Chicken Sandwich War with the introduction of limited-time chicken meals that include a massive “quad” patty chicken sandwich. San Diego-based Jack in the Box debuted its first-ever quad chicken sandwich this week. The Really Big Chicken Sandwich combo, with four stacked breaded chicken patties, comes with… read more

Johnson’s Tenure

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Starbucks, the world’s second-largest restaurant company by market capitalization, has been refocusing on its priority markets of the U.S. and China in a push to underpin more vigorous growth. Earnings in the company’s most recent quarter were a step in that direction, with Starbucks posting its fastest global sales growth in three years. These aren’t… read more