consumers

By Peter Romeo on Jul. 20, 2023

Reality Check: The RB staff put down its forks long enough to speculate on what could be the next big thing menu-wise. Here are our bets, longshot and otherwise.

Consumer Trends

Inflation drives surge in happy hour traffic

By Joe Guszkowski on Jul. 18, 2023

Early evening restaurant visits are up across the board as customers look to socialize while saving some money, according to new data from InMarket.

Consumer Trends

Takeout becomes America's preferred dining mode

By Joe Guszkowski on Jul. 12, 2023

More than half of people say they’d rather get their food to go than eat it at a restaurant, according to a new survey from US Foods. And they’re doing it a lot more often.

Operations

Buffalo Wild Wings to drop controversial takeout fee

By Joe Guszkowski on Jul. 11, 2023

The 99-cent fee, described as a test, has been the target of customer complaints and even a lawsuit.

Consumer Trends

How remote work has changed the restaurant business

By Joe Guszkowski on Jun. 08, 2023

Big city downtowns may never be the same. But smaller communities are booming, creating new opportunities for operators.

Financing

Cracker Barrel says it's not alone in seeing a 'meaningful' traffic drop-off

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 06, 2023

The chain told financial analysts that economic uncertainty is dampening traffic across the full-service sector, and it isn't certain when the downturn will end.

Consumer Trends