• S. Fla. sees fewer cash-only restaurants
  A handful of eateries in South Florida still don't take credit cards, but many former cash-only mom-and-pop establishments have changed their policies after realizing they were losing business. While the change may please customers, it can be a costly move due to swipe fees. "Year over year, credit card swipe fee costs are in the top three to five fastest growing expenses for our industry," said the National Restaurant Association's Liz Garner. The News-Press (Fort Myers, Fla.) (12/13)      

Increase your retail acumen The right tech can boost customer experience with personalization and data. Are you aware of what technology is being used to succeed in retail? Learn how to harness the power of emerging technology. Register Now. ADVERTISEMENT

Mongolian investors find Beef 'O' Brady's a fine fit A group of investors looking to open a U.S. restaurant concept in Mongolia decided Beef 'O' Brady's is a perfect fit for a population accustomed to a meat-heavy diet, the company said. The Tampa-based chain will open several locations in Mongolia, a sparsely populated country whose growing mining industry has brought more disposable income for dining out. Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.) (12/17)       McDonald's urges franchisees to stay open on Christmas McDonald's 2.5% increase in November same-store sales likely resulted in part from more stores staying open on Thanksgiving after management urged franchisees to operate on the holiday. In the same memo, the company also reminded operators of the money to be made by keeping their eateries open on Christmas. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (12/17)       Other News Which restaurant chains landed on the "Most Googled" list? PizzaMarketplace.com (12/14)       Huddle House teams with Texas c-store chain Convenience Store News (12/14)

• How are social, mobile changing the restaurant business?
  Consumers are tied to their mobile gadgets, and several digital, mobile and social trends are changing the way they interact with restaurants, according to a report from DigitalCoCo. In this video and infographic, founder Paul Barron details the top mobile and social consumer trends of 2012. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Food & Beverage (12/14)      

• Fast-casual chains find catering success
  Restaurants now make $19.3 billion in annual revenue from catering, compared to about $4 billion for retailers, according to Technomic, and fast-casual chains are seeing the biggest growth as companies look to offer high-quality food on a budget. "With the current economy, fast casual restaurants are the perfect option to meet both needs," said Capriotti's executive Jason Smylie. FastCasual.com (12/14)      

• Roaster tells D.C. chefs to get better at coffee
  Qualia Coffee owner Joel Finkelstein says quality Washington, D.C.-area restaurants and chefs who obsess over putting quality ingredients on every plate fall short when it comes to the coffee they serve. "It took a long time for beer to come around. I’m hoping coffee will be next, and people will start to appreciate that." The Washington Post (12/14)      

• Rise in U.S. breakfast sales concerns dietitians
  Breakfast food sales have jumped 20% in the past four years indicating that Americans are eating breakfast more often, but according to a new report by Mintel, the foods they are choosing -- breakfast meats and pastries -- worry many nutritionists. "It’s very hard to say whether it’s better to not eat breakfast or to eat bacon and doughnuts," said Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "This is not good news for Americans' diets and health." MarketWatch (12/14)      

• Culinary culture grows in Pasadena, Calif.
  An influx of new, innovative eateries and the influence of Le Cordon Bleu cooking school has made Pasadena, Calif., the next big foodie town to watch on the nation's culinary map. "I really believe there will be more and better restaurants here than there will be in downtown Los Angeles," said chef David Féau, executive chef at the Royce restaurant. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (12/16)      

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

Taco Bell to build on Doritos Locos craze with 2 new items (American City Business Journals)

The 10 food trends of 2012 that stuck (The Huffington Post)

McDonald's Dollar Menu helps drive higher sales (The Wall Street Journal)

Are these iconic chains all but gone? (Business Insider)

	OpenTable names America's "100 Best Restaurants" (The Huffington Post)
Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Featured Content

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action." --Frank Tibolt, American author

Click here to view more job listings.