2021 Recruitment Trends in the Restaurant Industry

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Few industries were hit harder than restaurants by the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, the restaurant sector lost over five million jobs during the early days of the crisis, as businesses across the country boarded up shop and temporarily or permanently closed operations. Over the past three months, starting in February, there have been employment increases… read more

Blaze Pizza Lays Groundwork for Ambitious Growth Strategy

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Last summer, Blaze Pizza’s buzzword was agility. At that point, the 340-unit cult favorite was only a few months removed from a global pandemic that rocked the entire world. Its 80 percent dine-in business plummeted to zero overnight. Franchisee security, family bundle deals, and digital innovation were among the countless pivots. The journey was tough,… read more

9 restaurant Companies are Tackling Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the C-suite

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When George Floyd was murdered at the hands of police one year ago, the nation had enough, and protests led by the Black Lives Matter movement broke out across the country. Goals of these protests included protecting Black men and women from police violence and achieving equity in the world. The social-justice movement quickly expanded… read more

Yum Brands Inc. to Acquire Tech Firm Dragontail Systems for $72.6 Million

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Yum Brands Inc. has agreed to acquire technology company Dragontail Systems Limited for 93.5 million Australian dollars (around $72.6 million), with plans to scale Dragontail’s artificial intelligence kitchen order management and delivery technology globally, the two companies said Wednesday. Dragontail, based in Perth, Australia, said its technology integrates the process of getting food to customers… read more

Potbelly Sandwich Shop has Hired Larry Strain as Chief Development Officer

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Strain has 20 years of experience in retail development. He is a founding partner of RDE, LLC, a consulting firm providing store development advice to multi-unit restaurants around the country. He has also held real estate and store development positions with McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Brands, and Starbucks. “I am thrilled to join the Potbelly family and… read more

Association, AICPA Partner on RRF Budget Tracking Tool

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The National Restaurant Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants created a Restaurant Revitalization Fund Expense Tracker to help grantees more easily document their use of funds in specific categories. The budget tool is essential for restaurants, bars, breweries, caterers, distilleries, bakeries, food trucks and other entities who will need to closely track their RRF eligible… read more

Restaurants Line up for Federal Aid

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Stories outlining business best practices from consumer packaged goods brands proved especially popular with SmartBrief’s food and beverage readers this week. A feature on Clorox’s hybrid work model topped the list. The company redesigned its California headquarters to better facilitate social distancing and updated employee roles that call for a mix of in-office and remote… read more

Chef Troy Guard’s Plan to Disrupt the Mexican Casual Category

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Chef Troy Guard enjoys the process of building new concepts from the ground up. What started with a single fine-dining restaurant, TAG, in Denver in 2009 has blossomed into an umbrella group of eight distinct concepts, ranging from fast-casual to high-end and everything in between. But for as much as Guard relishes starting from scratch,… read more

5 ways Eggs Up Grill CEO Tackling Labor Shortages

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Just as Americans are congregating again and enjoying time with friends and family at their favorite restaurants, the restaurant industry is in the middle of another major roadblock — the labor crisis. Continued concerns about safety, pay and opportunity, as well as the enhanced federal unemployment payments, create real challenges for everyone in the industry…. read more