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| On the Front Burner |  |
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- Quickserves rank among the top job creators
Food services companies created nearly a third of the 96,000 new U.S. jobs in August, led by quickservice chains from established brands including Wendy's and Starbucks to new specialty players such as Chicago-based Protein Bar and Nando’s Peri-Peri. Chains are beefing up staff at existing stores as well as creating jobs at new units, in a push to boost service. "They’ve all been through the period where they cut too much labor," said consultant Malcolm Knapp. "The quality suffered, the experience suffered." Bloomberg
(10/3), USA TODAY
(10/3)      
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- Is McDonald's brewing up a retail coffee brand?
McDonald's filed for U.S. trademark registration last month to protect the brand's name on ground and whole-bean coffee, spurring speculation that the chain may launch a branded coffee for retail sale. Coffee accounted for at least $2.1 billion of the chain's sales last year, and a 2011 study showed stronger loyalty to the brand's brew than Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, both of which sell their beans and ground coffee by the pound. BurgerBusiness.com
(10/2)
- Q-and-A: Buffalo Wild Wings CEO Sally Smith
 Buffalo Wild Wings has grown from about 30 units to more than 840 since Sally Smith joined the chain as finance chief 18 years ago. Her leadership skills including clear communication and the ability to delegate have grown increasingly important as the chain has expanded, says now-CEO Smith. Restaurant Management online
(10/2)
- Who's buying most of the limited-service meals?
The typical customer at quickservice and fast-casual chains is a white male aged 25 to 34, who most often opts to dine in with his spouse or significant other, according to Technomic. This new research beefs up the reasoning behind many chains' marketing and advertising efforts that aim to court the "young hungry guy." Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model)
(10/3)
- Why eateries may need to tweak their sustainability stories
 The motivations driving consumers' spending behavior are changing along with the economic recovery, especially when it comes to considerations of sustainability, writes toxicologist, chef, and registered dietitian Suzy Badaracco. "Value and worth reappear during a recovery because consumers are getting back to work and their income is again rising." QSRWeb.com
(10/3)
- Subway's Jared works hard to maintain staying power
Jared Fogle rose to fame as a college junior when he trimmed down on a steady diet of Subway, inadvertently launching a career that keeps the now-34-year-old struggling to maintain his trim figure while dining on the road 200 days a year. "I’ve been able to keep the weight off, which gives me staying power and credibility. I’m recognizable for being an everyday guy." Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model)
(10/3)
- Hydroponic gardens bring restaurateurs major savings, fresh taste
Playa in West Hollywood, Calif., became the latest restaurant to add a hydroponic garden to its rooftop, where it grows more than 1,000 herbs, lettuce and pepper plants. Co-owner John Rivera Sedlar said the garden not only produces higher quality ingredients, it has saved him an estimated 65% to 85% on produce purchasing costs. "Produce is very expensive, plus I wasn’t able to find certain Latin ingredients that I needed," he said. Restaurant Management online
(9/25)
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- How the bacon shortage will affect the foodservice industry
The national media have predicted a severe pork shortage due to rising corn prices -- but this is only part of what will happen, writes foodservice industry expert Ed Zimmerman. In the short-term, Zimmerman explains, the higher cost of raising animals for slaughter will make meat producers more reluctant to buy them, driving down prices. In the mid-term, fewer animals in the market will drive prices back up, causing an actual "bacon shortage," and in the long-term (12-18 months) farmers will raise more meat livestock, evening out prices. QSRWeb.com
(10/2)
 | Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them."
--John Updike,
American author
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