Smokin J’s BBQ in Poway was one of the recipients of a $5,000 grant from the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund . . . . The California Restaurant Foundation awarded 18 San Diego County food businesses money to help recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, upgrade equipment and retain employees The California Restaurant Foundation awarded 18 San… read more
Global Foodservice News
Taco John’s Wants to Fill Market Gaps as Soon as Possible
The quick-service taco restaurant is aiming for 600 units in the next 5-to-10 years and moved its operating functions to better support new market growth . . . . Taco John’s has been in the news plenty as of late, but there’s much more going on at the Cheyenne, Wyoming-based chain than its Taco Tuesday… read more
Taco Bell’s latest collab? Crocs
Taco Bell’s Fire! Tier loyalty members will have early access to the Taco Bell x Crocs Mellow Slide collaboration . . . . Taco Bell announced today it has teamed up with Crocs to launch a Mellow Slide limited-edition collaboration. The Crocs Mellow Slides are inspired by Taco Bell’s signature colors – black and purple… read more
Nextbite acquired by SBE Hospitality Group CEO Sam Nazarian
SBE’s virtual restaurant platform C3 was formerly a competitor of Nextbite and will now be its sister company just days after Ordermark was sold off to UrbanPiper SBE Hospitality Group and virtual brand platform C3’s founder and CEO Sam Nazarian has solely acquired Nextbite, just days after Nation’s Restaurant News reported that Nextbite’s order management… read more
Why Marketing Your Restaurant is Not Expensive
Restaurant marketing has evolved multiple times over the last two decades. The old model of restaurant marketing was to invest a lot of money in magazines, radio, or television ads. Many bought billboards and bus stop benches. Needless to say, this was very expensive and there was no way to track ROI (return on investment)…. read more
Red Robin/s Revamp Takes a Bite out of Wait Time
Just 2% of guests now report waiting more than 15 minutes for a table, an 8-point improvement from a year ago . . . . If you visited a Red Robin last year, there was a decent chance you’d have to wait to get a table. About 1 in 10 guests reported waiting more than… read more
New president of Barilla’s Americas region
Barilla names new president for region Americas, Barilla Group Melissa Tendick has been named president of Barilla’s Americas region, effective June. She will succeed Jean-Pierre Comte, who is stepping down from his role after serving 13 years at the company. Ms. Tendick, currently vice president of marketing for Barilla’s Americas region, brings over 20 years… read more
Nestle Names New Head of Operations
Stephanie Pullings Hart has been named deputy head of operations at Nestle SA, effective July 1. She will succeed Magdi Batato, who is set to retire after a 30-plus-year career at Nestle. Ms. Pullings Hart is currently senior vice president of operations at Warby Parker, where she is responsible for manufacturing, supply chain, and customer… read more
Wicked Kitchen Acquires Plant-Based Seafood Company
Plant-based company Wicked Kitchen has acquired Current Foods, an alternative protein company that manufactures plant-based seafood for food service and fine dining locations in the US and Europe. “Current Foods is a perfect match for Wicked as a global-impact brand with the same mission and complementary products,” said Pete Speranza, chief executive officer of Wicked… read more
Adventure and Novelty Identified as 2023 Flavor Trends
Kerry’s 2023 flavor insights report reveals the latest foodservice flavor trends consumers are seeking, including new combinations of traditional tastes, indulgence, and younger consumers seeking unconventional mashups of food and beverages they grew up with in combination with emerging flavors from other regions. Consumers are also wanting to indulge at a cost-effective price point. “Ensuring… read more