On the Front Burner

• U.S. airports boost healthy menu offerings
  Newark Liberty International Airport's restaurants including Mediterranean Bistro, Hamachi Sushi and Qdoba Mexican Grill offer travelers the healthiest airport dining options in the country, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The top 10 list also ranks Chicago O'Hare International as the most improved. ABC News (11/25)      

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• Will McDonald's new U.S. president change marketing?
  Jeff Stratton's next step in his 40-year McDonald's career comes when he takes over as the chain's new U.S. president on Dec. 1. While his first actions to boost flagging sales may come in the area of operations, it's likely the chain's long-time advertising and marketing relationships will come under the microscope as well, industry watchers say. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (11/26)      

• McDonald's to spend $29.5 million on Baltic expansion: McDonald's and franchisee Premier Capital Ltd. plan to open restaurants in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the next two years. The three Baltic countries have the fastest-growing economies in the European Union. Bloomberg Businessweek (11/22)      

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• Which beverage trend would you most like to try in your restaurant in 2013?
  

Craft beer

Cocktails on tap

Farm-to-glass cocktails with local ingredients

Fresh-pressed juices

Other

• Q-and-A: The life of a sommelier
  Eleven Madison Park sommelier Dustin Wilson, one of four featured in a new documentary, sees his calling as a lifestyle rather than merely a job. In this wide-ranging interview, he charts the path that took him from San Francisco to Colorado to New York, talks about the importance of sommelier certification and describes life in the world of wine. "Everyone I hang out with is a wine person. Most of my time off is doing wine related things like going to tastings and visiting wine regions." Eater (11/21)      

• Can you do better with mobile marketing?
  Most restaurants have at least a minor mobile presence these days, as consumers increasingly turn to their smartphones when searching for a place to dine, but many may not be making the most of mobile marketing, writes Advanced Telecom Services president Bob Bentz. He shares tips, including a list of five mobile marketing plan must-haves. PizzaMarketplace.com (11/26)      

• Coca-Cola revamps corporate website
  Coca-Cola has added its internal magazine, Coca-Cola Journey, to its website, with feature articles on corporate news and social causes. The revamped website also includes Brands tabs, so users can easily access social media conversations about any of the company's 26 brands. ClickZ (11/23)      

• Can quickserves take a bite out of brunch?
  Some quickservice and fast-casual chains including Florida-based Salsa Fiesta aim to boost sales by capitalizing on the growing popularity of brunch. Some industry watchers say launching a brunch menu makes sense as chains aim to add another daypart, but some caution that brunch -- typically a weekend meal that inspires guests to linger -- may not be a good fit for quickservice venues. QSR Magazine (11/2012)      

• Pumpkin flavors the season
  Pumpkin is more popular than usual this autumn, with restaurants offering at least 79 pumpkin-flavored foods, up from 37 in 2011. Foods with pumpkin and pumpkin pie flavors include Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream from Ben & Jerry's, a Yoplait Light pumpkin pie yogurt, and a pumpkin spice flavor of Jet-Puffed marshmallows. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (11/22)      

Top five news stories selected by Restaurant SmartBrief readers in the past week.

Restaurant chains change it up with new concepts (Forbes)

Should Hostess blame yogurt, not unions? (Time.com)

Denny's disappointed about franchisee's Obamacare fee proposal (The Huffington Post)

Brinker's survival strategy focused on cost cutting (The Dallas Morning News (free content))

	Veggies, grains top Technomic's 2013 trend list (FastCasual.com)
Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Featured Content

• French Laundry names new chef de cuisine
  San Francisco Chronicle/Inside Scoop SF blog (11/23)      

The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere." --Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American author and aviator

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