QSR, Restaurant and Food Service Trends

May 07, 2009

The Future of Fried Foods

Deep Fried Foods - such as French Fries - form a key part of the menu in most restaurants. However, as consumers become more health conscious, they may be looking for healthier menu options.

May 01, 2009

Mexico City restaurants grapple with H1N1 restrictions

Amid the developing swine flu [now to be called H1N1 Influenza A] outbreak, U.S. restaurant companies with locations in Mexico City are making the best of a government-mandated shutdown of dine-in service.While some operators continue to seek increment...

April 29, 2009

Burger king profit up in 3Q, outlook cut

Burger King Holdings Inc. lowered its full-year profit guidance, citing the weak economy and the possible affect of the swine flu outbreak that started in Mexico, despite a third-quarter profit increase of 14.6 percent. Burger King said Wednesday tha...

April 22, 2009

McDonald's keeps gaining

It's not a big surprise that McDonald's first-quarter earnings beat Street estimates on Apr. 22. The fast-food chain is expected to thrive in a recessionary economy where diners are looking to cut costs. But surprisingly, the gains aren't necessarily c...

April 22, 2009

Yum warns of challenges ahead as 1Q profit falls

Yum! Brands Inc. reported a 14-percent drop in first-quarter profit on negative effects of a stronger U.S. dollar and slowed domestic sales, especially at Pizza Hut and KFC.Yum, one of the world's largest restaurant companies, said Wednesday that more ...

April 17, 2009

McDonald's contratara 10.000 trabajadores en China

La cadena estadounidenses McDonald's contratará a 10.000 personas para sus sucursales de comida rápida en China y prevé también subir los salarios.

April 15, 2009

KFC expands in Malaysia

KFC Holdings (M) Bhd aims to create 1,200 jobs in Malaysia this year as it continues to expand its network of 442 outlets in the country to 482 by year-end, said managing director Jamaludin Md Ali. The company had opened six outlets year-to-date, with ...

April 14, 2009

Higher prices on the Menu at McDonald's?

A consulting firm that advises McDonald's franchisees is recommending steeper increases this year than it has in the past, according to documents from a presentation to restaurant owners in February. Price hikes have been a key driver of sales growth...

April 09, 2009

Cooking up a new career in the food industry

It’s all about food lately. Culinary shows like “Top Chef” and “Hell’s Kitchen” are all the rage. Tainted peanuts have us worried about what we eat and how to make it better. Books such as “The Omnivore's Dilemma” and “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics...

April 09, 2009

Restaurants may see diners spending more

According to new data from Atlanta-based RBC Capital Markets, fewer consumers plan to cut back on restaurant spending in the next three months and a larger number of consumers than in previous months actually plan to spend more at restaurants. In RBC...

Fork the recession promotion of the Colorado Restaurant Association

April 09, 2009

Fork the Recession, Feed the Recovery

The Colorado Restaurant Association has launched a statewide public awareness campaign to encourage dining in restaurants. A $170,000 promotion, with the slogan “Fork the Recession … Feed the Recovery,” started this month and runs through May, with TV...

April 07, 2009

Equipment Change at Burger King creates New Opportunities

For decades, Burger King has relied on the same conveyor oven technology to provide its signature flame-broiled flavor profile. But that technique, originally designed to cook the brand’s Whoppers, also limited the types of product offerings the chain ...

April 06, 2009

Texas Restaurant Association supports trans fat ban

Texas Sen. Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso and Rep. Carol Alvarado of Houston, both Democrats, are pressing for legislation that would phase in bans of trans fats in restaurant foods — a move they said would help fight obesity and reduce health insurance co...

April 06, 2009

Restaurants and catering companies bring in calories on menus

Eighteen major catering companies, including many high street brands, will introduce calorie information on their menus for the first time. The list of trailblazers, announced today by Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo and the Food Standards Agenc...

April 05, 2009

Want Salad With That? Make It Fries

Fast-food chains have recently deflected criticism of their menu offerings by adding healthy items like salads. But a paper soon to be released in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that the presence of healthy options on a menu can induce some ...

April 05, 2009

La crisis aumenta el consumo de comida rapida en chile... y asciende el sobrepeso

as noticias de que la crisis golpeaba al mundo en el último trimestre de 2008 no disminuyeron los ingresos de las grandes cadenas de comida rápida ni el apetito de sus clientes. Por el contrario, la gente siguió comiendo como antes e incluso más. Así l...

April 02, 2009

McDonald's empieza a reducir el uso de pesticidas

McDonald's Corp, el mayor comprador de la papa en los Estados Unidos, ha acordado adoptar los primeros pasos para reducir el uso de plaguicidas en las explotaciones de sus proveedores nacionales, dijo el martes un grupo de accionistas . Tras el acuer...

March 31, 2009

McDonald's to take steps to cut potato pesticides

McDonald's Corp, the largest purchaser of potatoes in the United States, has agreed to take preliminary steps to reduce pesticide use in its domestic potato supply, shareholder groups said on Tuesday. Following the agreement, the Bard College Endowme...