QSR, Restaurant and Food Service Trends from the United States

February 10, 2010

Two restaurant fryers receive NRA Kitchen Innovations Award

The National Restaurant Association today announced the recipients of its prestigious 2010 Kitchen Innovations™ (KI) Award, which recognizes the most groundbreaking equipment on the global foodservice market as selected by an independent panel of exper...

February 09, 2010

McDonald’s January Sales Rise 2.6%, Topping Estimates

McDonald’s Corp. said global sales rose 2.6 percent in January, topping some analysts’ estimates, as demand in Asia and the U.K. countered a decline in the U.S.Sales at U.S. stores open at least 13 months fell 0.7 percent and climbed 4.3 percent in Eu...

February 09, 2010

Caen las ventas comparables de McDonald’s en enero

La mayor cadena mundial de hamburguesas, McDonald's Corp, reportó un incremento de 2.6% en las ventas de enero en restaurantes abiertos por al menos 13 meses, debido a que los despachos internacionales opacaron un desempeño lento en Estados Unidos. La...

February 08, 2010

McDonald’s officials visit PVMI to talk about new potato varieties for French Fries.

McDonald’s officials are meeting with the Potato Variety Management Institute (PVMI) to talk about potential new varieties of potatoes for French Fries. Jeanne Debons, executive director of the Potato Variety Management Institute (PVMI), is meeting M...

February 08, 2010

Amid Slipping Sales, Burger King Is Now Courting Women

Burger King has been talking for years about how it's targeting 'The superfan', young males who consume prodigious amounts of fast food. But more recently Burger King's description of its target has become a lot more expansive. "The superfan is me...

February 04, 2010

United States Restaurant Counts slip 0.3%

In a year when the restaurant industry experienced its steepest traffic declines in three decades, the total restaurant unit count was relatively flat, dipping slightly by -0.3 percent or less 1,652 restaurant units nationwide, compared to a year ago,...

January 27, 2010

Nutrition Menu Labeling May Lead to Lower-Calorie Restaurant Meal Choices for Children

A study published in Pediatrics shows that when nutritional information is available on fast-food restaurant menus, parents are more apt to pick lower-calorie foods for their kids. Often spurred on by legislation, many U.S. restaurant chains are now po...

January 26, 2010

Technomic lowers 2010 restaurant industry forecast

Citing continued concern over job losses, underemployment and continued consumer frugality in dining away from home, Technomic revised its 2010 U.S. foodservice industry sales forecast downward. Foodservice consulting firm Technomic now expects the ind...

McDonald's corporate social responsibility report

January 26, 2010

McDonald's publishes Corporate Social Responsibility Report

McDonald’s Corporation today issued a report outlining its latest global best practices in the areas of sustainable supply chain, nutrition and well-being, environmental responsibility, employment experience, community and corporate governance and ethi...

January 22, 2010

McDonald's tops sales, profit expectations

While the restaurant industry remains in the dumps courtesy of an eroded economy, McDonald's Corp. keeps chugging along, and Friday posted better-than-expected sales and profit for the fourth quarter.The Oak Brook-based company has managed to play up v...

January 19, 2010

$465 million excise tax on syrup for soft drinks proposed by Governor Paterson of New York State

New York Governor David Paterson on Tuesday proposed a budget of nearly $136 billion for fiscal 2011, a 0.5 percent increase from the current year, that will partly close a $7.4 billion deficit by raising taxes on cigarettes and other items.Paterson sa...

January 17, 2010

Early sales reports show restaurant chains still struggling

Early fourth-quarter sales reports suggest unemployment and anemic consumer spending have continued to hamper sales growth for restaurant chains. With two investor conferences on the calendar last week, a number of restaurant companies released prel...

January 13, 2010

New Jersey readies menu labeling law

New Jersey lawmakers passed Wednesday a measure requiring restaurant chains with 20 or more outlets around the country to post calorie counts on menus and menu boards in their locations throughout the state.The state Assembly passed the bill by a margi...

January 13, 2010

Nueva York ordena reducir un 25% la sal de los alimentos

El alcalde de Nueva York, Michael Bloomberg, sigue con su cruzada por la vida sana. Primero, prohibió fumar en bares y restaurantes de la ciudad. Después, obligó a retirar las grasas trans y a especificar las calorías en los menús. Y ahora lanza una ca...

January 11, 2010

New York City Health Department Announces Targets for Voluntary Salt Reduction in Packaged & Restaurant Foods

The National Salt Reduction Initiative, a New York City-led partnership of cities, states and national health organizations, today unveiled its proposed targets to guide a voluntary reduction of salt levels in packaged and restaurant foods.Americans co...

December 31, 2009

Simplot, McDonald's Japan Recognize Top Five Washington Potato Growers

The JR Simplot Co. and McDonald's Japan have joined in recognizing the top five growers who supply high-quality raw product for the production of McDonald's french fries and hash browns for the Japanese market."The selection of these five growers ...

December 27, 2009

What's hot in 2010;NRA research among Chefs

Keeping up with food and beverage trends is crucial to develop the right menu mix. That’s why restaurateurs turn to the National Restaurant Association to help them stay abreast of the hottest menu trends.The Association each year surveys professional ...

December 22, 2009

Impact of Menu Labeling: People Eat Less When They Know More

The restaurant industry has lobbied hard against mandatory menu labeling in restaurants, highlighting the importance of a new study from the Rudd Center measuring the impact of menu-labeling regulations. The researchers found that calorie labels result...