Breakfast offerings have boosted sales and traffic in the quick service and fast casual segments as competition rises in this sought-after morning day part; and the trend doesn’t stop there. Brunch is becoming as popular as dinner in casual and fine dining hot spots on weekends, with gourmet spins on favorite breakfast dishes and unique
Five Tips for Your Fall Limited Time Offers
Fall can be a fantastic traffic builder – just add a little fall flavor for a quick revenue boost. With the change in seasons, consumers are also ready for a change in menus and ready to try something new. Providing eager customers with a glimpse into an autumn inspired menu is a quick and easy
Flatbreads Aren’t Just Fancy Anymore
Menu Trends: Flatbreads Last month I attend the Technomic Trends & Directions Conference at the Rosemont Convention Center in Chicago, IL, and I was really interested in the sessions about some new menu trends they see on the horizon – and one of them was flatbreads. This seemed odd to me since flatbreads have been
High Noon For Farmers Markets and Local Cuisine
Hot enough for you out there? Well combine the heat we are currently facing with all of the rain and mild weather we have recently had and what do you get? Farmers markets all over that are bursting at the seams with fresh and local products. The trick to capitalizing on these items is not
Bring Your Own…Food?
We’ve all heard of BYOB. But just in case, BYOB stands for Bring Your Own Bottle (or beer or booze, depending on when and where you learned this amazing concept).BYOB restaurants are often sought after by consumers because of their naturally lower ticket, due to avoiding an item that can instantly rack up the dollars
Cookies are the New Cupcake
Menu Trends: Cookies Last week I tried a new program restaurant, Argent Restaurant & Raw Bar, for dinner with some colleagues, and after dinner our server brought out their famous milk & cookies as a treat. This got my little brain spinning because I realized it’s not just Argent where I’ve seen milk & cookies
Menu Trend: This Is A Summer For Cider
I vividly remember the first time I tried alcoholic cider. I was living in Galway, Ireland, in 2005 and one of my new-found Irish friends had suggested we try Bulmer’s (in the states this brand is called Magner’s – not sure why). From the first sip I was hooked. Then I came back to the
Bacon: Trend or Tradition?
When I was asked if bacon was a trend that is fading my first reaction was, “could bacon ever fade into the background of all things delicious?” I realized that bacon is a tradition. For as long as I can remember, the scent of freshly cooked bacon when I walk into school or work was
Going Gluten-Free
I have at least 5 friends or family members who have a gluten-free preference. And that’s just a preference! I have probably 2-3 more friends, or friends of friends, who can’t eat gluten because of allergies. So it’s no surprise that gluten-free foods are popping up everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I had a younger
Consider Lent Dishes to Drive in Diners
Ash Wednesday marked the first day of Lent, which for most Christians (me included!) means no meat on Fridays until Easter. Let’s be honest, not my favorite time of year since I’m a carnivore of the highest degree and it falls right smack dab in the middle of my birthday. But I digress. Lent means
