QSR, Restaurant and Food Service Trends

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

Doyle Niemann, a delegate in the Maryland General Assembly, agreed Thursday to withdraw his menu-labeling bill after it failed to draw much support from lawmakers. The Restaurant Association of Maryland, which actively opposed the measure, praised Niem...

Kentucky Fried Chicken today announced its own urban renewal program. The chicken chain has offered to fill up the potholes in five major U.S. cities to promote its “fresh” brand positioning. Giving back has become a trend for marketers, including Star...

Three words can sum up the increasing popularity of sweet potatoes in the foodservice industry: sweet potato fries.They’re stars on restaurant menus across the country, and some fine dining establishments are pursuing different fresh-cut angles and co...

Restaurateurs looking for signs of an economic recovery will not see it in a recent survey that found consumer spending down markedly across all income groups in early March.Even as government officials suggested that consumer spending might have stabi...

After suffering from cost inflation nearly all of last year, relief from sky-high commodity and energy costs is here, and restaurant bottom lines should stand to benefit from deflated prices by the second half of this year, said UBS Securities analyst ...

As if unemployment rates, home foreclosures and the deepening recession weren't enough, the beleaguered casual-dining industry has to fend off new, formidable competition: fast-food chains. As consumers increasingly trade down to fast food, several pla...

McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) posted a 1.4 percent rise in February sales at restaurants open at least 13 months, as strength in the United States helped offset the impact of the stronger dollar. Shares in the company -- one of the restaurant industry's to...