QSR, Restaurant and Food Service Trends

Remember the attention last month over McDonald's using the covers of Seminole County elementary school report cards to pitch Happy Meals to kids? The company defended the practice, saying it was simply giving rewards to students who got good grades by...

Westchester County’s ban on the use of cooking oils that contain trans-fat is now in effect for restaurants, school cafeterias and other licensed food service establishments. Starting January 15, 2007, Health Department inspectors will check for trans...

Following the lead of New York City and Brookline, health regulators in Boston last night took the first step toward banning artery-clogging trans fat from French fries, doughnuts, and other food sold in restaurants and corner stores. The Boston Publ...

Shares of McDonald's Corp fell as much as 8 percent on Friday, as a survey of franchisees showed December same-store sales grew at the lowest level in the six-year history of the poll. The survey of 31 domestic franchisees, representing 195 restauran...

With the possible sale of Wendy's International dragging into the new year, questions are being raised about the direction of the Dublin-based burger chain. Some industry analysts have been hammering Wendy's on a number of fronts, pointing to "lac...

After years of playing into the mass-affluence trend by trying to get their consumers to trade up to pricier, fancier fare, McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King are all deploying the 99¢ price point as a key marketing tactic going into a year when middl...

Shares of the nation's burger chains fell Friday as disappointing sales results at Wendy's International Inc. made some on Wall Street question whether fast food stocks could be impacted by a consumer spending slowdown. Before the market opened, Wendy'...

With Americans working and partying later than ever, quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are responding to the midnight munchies with extended hours, and in some cases, throwing away the "closed"sign altogether.Taco Bell, Wendy's and Burger King...

A Lehman Brothers analyst said Monday Wendy's International Inc., the nation's No. 3 hamburger chain, is struggling to turn its business around, despite a consumer environment that should help fast food restaurants garner more customers. Analyst Jeffr...

From low-flow water faucets to converting French fry oil to fuel, McDonald's Corp is testing ways to reduce the impact its 31,000-plus restaurants have on the world's resources. The hamburger chain, whose iconic brand and presence in 118 countries has ...

Despite concerns over its broad sweep, a city panel on Tuesday moved ahead with a plan to ban fast-food restaurants in South Los Angeles. The proposal from Councilwoman Jan Perry was approved by the council's Planning and Land Use Committee even thou...

In its 2008 Industry Forecast, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Wednesday pointed to the snack industry to post the highest sales increase in 2008 with an expected 3.2 percent real sales increase in the upcoming year. The quick-service segmen...

After a year of disappointing results in its U.S. division, Yum Brands Inc. is looking to copy one of its biggest rivals in the fast food industry in a bid to turn its troubled business around. At a meeting with investors and analysts Wednesday, Yum ...

McDonald's Corp., the world's largest restaurant company, said November sales rose 8.2 percent, exceeding analysts' estimates, as customers bought coffee in the U.S. and chicken sandwiches in Europe and Asia. The stock jumped 1.4 percent to a record. ...

McDonalds prints coupons on report cards that reward young children for getting good grades. As childhood obesity rates soar, the controversy is growing about this potentially harmful partnership between fast food companies and public schools.

Yum Brands Inc, owner of the Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC fast-food chains, said on Thursday it aims to own fewer than 10 percent of its U.S. restaurants by the end of 2010, down from about 20 percent currently. In a statement, the company also said it...

McDonald's told franchisees this week that it will pay up to 40% of the costs to remodel restaurants to accommodate the machines needed to make lattes, mocha drinks and other specialty beverages. McDonald’s USA President Don Thompson said last month sa...

Say what you want about their French fries, McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food chain, is one appetizing investment. So far this year, McDonald's has been the second best performing stock on the Dow Jones industrial average. Shares are up 32 pe...