Delivery and takeout have become as important as the table turns for casual-dining chains since the pandemic began. And while Chili’s and Applebee’s have snatched a lot of headlines with their off-premise efforts, Cracker Barrel has been as active as anyone in developing its to-go business. Takeout and delivery accounted for 20% of the chain’s… read more
Papa Johns on Tuesday said that it has a deal with Kitchen Express LTD to open 60 locations in Kenya and Uganda in the coming years. The first four of these locations are set to open in 2022, starting in Nairobi. Kitchen Express is a subsidiary of AAH Limited, the majority shareholder of Hass Petroleum… read more
In April, Famous Dave’s parent BBQ Holdings revealed an ambitious co-brand strategy for Granite City Food and Brewery. The chain’s kitchens are built to hold $6 million in AUV, instead of the pre-COVID level of $3.9 million. BBQ Holdings knew what it needed to increase volume—a concept that layers in the morning daypart. That path… read more
President Joe Biden signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law Monday that ends the employee retention tax credit retroactive to after September 30. The ERTC provides a tax credit equal to 50 percent of qualified wages paid, up to $10,000 per employee, after March 12, 2020, and before January 1, 2021. The National Restaurant… read more
Red Robin CEO Paul Murphy believes the casual-dining chain is well-positioned to take advantage of consumers’ shift to digital and off-premises, and the rest of 2021 could prove him right. Before the calendar year ends, the burger chain plans to launch two mobile apps through iOS and Android, unveil a new website experience, and roll… read more
The agreement calls for more than 2,000 stores . . . . Subway Inks One of the Biggest Franchise Agreements in History Subway announced Tuesday that it signed a deal to open more than 2,000 stores across South Asia, a move the fast-food chain called one of the “largest master franchise agreements in quick-service restaurant… read more
McDonald’s Corp. will launch a small-scale test of the McPlant in eight select stores for a limited time starting Nov. 3. “The McPlant includes a plant-based patty co-developed with Beyond Meat that’s exclusive to McDonald’s and made from plant-based ingredients like peas, rice, and potatoes,” the company said. “The patty is served on a sesame… read more
KFCT New CEO for 2022 When KFC rings in the new year it will do so with a new leader. KFC’s parent, Yum! Brands Inc. announced on Sept. 22 that Sabir Sami has been promoted to the chief executive officer of the KFC Division, effective Jan. 1, 2022. Sami will succeed Tony Lowings, who will… read more
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
In the current day and age, how do we define what is or isn’t a restaurant? It is a straightforward question, yet difficult to answer. Industry professionals and consumers alike could debate this for days and never arrive at a consensus; a point proven by looking at definitions from several dictionaries. When I turn to… read more