In February, Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti told analysts that he wants the company to be better at hiring workers that “want to be with us, stay with us, and develop for the long-term.” To attract employees of that caliber, the fast-casual bolstered multiple benefits in 2021, according to the chain’s annual sustainability and workplace report. This… read more
News
Skippers Has a New Owner and Growth Plan
The remnants of the Skippers Seafood & Chowder fast-food chain, a one-time favorite of the Pacific Northwest, have been acquired by the regional foodservice and c-store distributor Harbor Wholesale from Starway Restaurants LLC. The price and other terms of the deal were not revealed. Harbor President Richard Jensen said his company intends to “further develop… read more
MOD Pizza Submits Draft Plans for IPO
MOD Pizza Inc. on Monday joined the growing parade of restaurant companies to announce plans to go public. The Seattle-based chain announced it has confidentially submitted a draft registration to the Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering of its common stock. The number of shares and price have not yet been… read more
How Bartaco’s COVID Pivot Removed Labor Pressures
Today’s “normal” for restaurants and operators is complicated, to say the least. Labor shortages and supply chain issues have hindered restaurant comebacks throughout the country. According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there were roughly 1.6 million open jobs in leisure and hospitality in September, which represents 10 percent of all… read more
Applebee’s, IHOP Seek ‘Audacious’ Growth Goals
IHOP and Applebee’s have spent a significant period putting net growth on hold and removing underperforming, lower-volume restaurants. When Applebee’s president John Cywinski took over in March 2017, the brand had a little more than 2,000 restaurants systemwide. Four and a half years later, the chain cut a net of more than 300 units and… read more
Papa John’s Finds Strength in Third-Party Partnerships
Third-Party Delivery Sales Have Lifted Nearly 50 Percent in the Past 12 Months Two and a half years ago, Papa John’s made the call to solidify a third-party national relationship to DoorDash to bolster its delivery capabilities. It was a period in which the pizza concept’s same-store sales fell in the mid-single digits, year-over-year, as… read more
Record Growth as the Foodservice Industry Recovers
KCL, the industry leader in foodservice design technologies, announces 22 new manufacturing partners who now host their equipment content– PDFs, CAD blocks, Revit families, and supporting images, and documents– on KCL software. Designers, consultants, and dealers around the world appreciate the convenience of KCL’s best-in-class design tools. KCL software is used in 174 countries and… read more
Why Tropical Smoothie Cafe is Bucking the Ghost Kitchen Trend
When it comes to one of the industry’s hottest trends, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, which recently crossed 1,000 locations, isn’t joining the herd. Ghost kitchens? CEO Charles Watson says they are not a part of the chain’s sizable growth plans. For Watson, it comes down to the brand’s roots as a franchisee-led organization. Since operators haven’t… read more
Life After Breast Cancer: Reflections of a Two-Time Survivor
– by Heather Kaiser Heather Kaiser is a Certified Professional Resume Writer, living in the New York City metropolitan area. American Recruiters is proud to have her as part of our family. Heather has 24 years of experience writing for every skill level and industry. Her corporate experience also encompasses Human Resources and securities compliance… read more
GLOBAL FOODSERVICE NEWS SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 EDITION
The fast-casual is creating the Chipotle Creator Class, using TikTok to promote the program, with plans to “redefine the traditionally transactional relationship” between a brand and influencers . . . . Chipotle is Rethinking its Relationship with Digital Influencers Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has been an innovator in its use of TikTok for several years,… read more