After working inside the fine-dining mecca once crowned the World’s Best Restaurant, a pair of Eleven Madison Park alums have decided to serve up more casual fare. This Tuesday, Andy Quinn and Cedric Nicaise will debut the Noortwyck, a New American restaurant tucked into New York’s West Village. Quinn, who previously served as a chef at EMP, has turned his… read more

Cracker Barrel is feeling sales pressure from multiple angles as it heads toward the back half of 2022. Topline figures in the brand’s fiscal third quarter were encouraging as February progressed, but higher-than-expected inflation and rises in COVID cases slowed recovery in March and April. Restaurant costs of goods sold were 27.8 percent versus 24.3… read more

But the sandwich chain has long wanted to add a burger to the menu without adding extra equipment or capital expense. “At Arby’s, we like to innovate around products that exist in the category but people are settling for billions instead of the best,” said CMO Patrick Schwing. “We saw an opportunity to create a… read more

The Miami-based Fresh Dining Concepts, which owns approximately 160 Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, and Jamba locations in 17 states and Washington, D.C., received a $44 million capital injection from Franchise Equity Partners, a relatively new private investment firm looking to provide finances to growing franchise businesses. True to the company’s philosophy, the multi-million-dollar investment is a minority stake and permanent in… read more

This isn’t a good week for customers who enjoy eating inside fast-food restaurants. Earlier this week, Taco Bell debuted its newest prototype, which it calls “Defy.” It is a two-story purple palace devoted almost entirely to the automobile. There is a kitchen on the second floor that delivers food to waiting cars below through a… read more

In the summer of 2020, it seemed as if the eatertainment industry was headed for disaster. With dining rooms closed and no one heading out to play games, brands like Dave & Buster’s were put in dire straits. The chain warned of laying off 1,300 workers across seven states and foreshadowed a potential bankruptcy. Flash forward… read more

In addition to double-digit sales growth, the eatermtainment chain set new marks for revenue, adjusted ebitda, and net income . . . Dave & Buster’s Comeback Reaches Record Level In the summer of 2020, it seemed as if the eatertainment industry was headed for disaster. With dining rooms closed and no one heading out to… read more

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, like others in the restaurant industry, is wading through an unprecedented macroeconomic environment. In response, the 142-unit sports bar is firing back with some unprecedented numbers of its own. The brand’s same-store sales rose 12.9 percent in the first quarter year-over-year, boosting it to a record-breaking $1.5 million in AUV. The top quartile… read more