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Reality Check

Peter Romeo

The blog from award-winning journalist, RB Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo. Peter taps into his decades of experience covering the restaurant business at a variety of publications to discuss any number of issues related to the operations and general direction of restaurants.

Operations

Does California just hate restaurants?

 By Peter Romeo on Sep. 20, 2023

Reality Check: The industry's largest state market is about to hit the business, a significant part of its economy, with all sorts of changes and new burdens. What gives?

Emerging Brands

When a 'Help Wanted' sign turns into a 'For Sale' notice

By Peter Romeo on Sep. 18, 2023

Reality Check: Five weeks of management hell was enough for this industry vet of 47 years.

Emerging Brands

3 business legends reveal their restaurant plans

By Peter Romeo on Sep. 08, 2023

Reality Check: Starbucks’ Howard Schultz, Tesla’s Elon Musk, and serial tech disruptor Marc Lore are betting they can change the restaurant industry with new ventures. Here’s a look at what they’re envisioning.

Workforce

Immigration could ease restaurants' labor woes. So why isn't it?

By Peter Romeo on Sep. 06, 2023

Reality Check: Proposals have been floated to get asylum seekers into jobs more quickly. But fears are winning out.

Workforce

This time ROC has a valid point

By Peter Romeo on Aug. 10, 2023

Reality Check: The much-hated labor group deserves credit for what it did this week. Wow, I actually did type that.

Operations

Beyond the lawsuits are clear signs of virtual concepts having crested

By Peter Romeo on Aug. 09, 2023

Reality Check: But there's an asterisk. The delivery-only brands have found their happy place in family dining.

Workforce

How I won the Nobel Peace Prize and ended bad relations between unions and restaurants

By Peter Romeo on Jul. 26, 2023

Reality Check: Okay, there may be a tad of exaggeration there. But what do you expect when un-truths are flying through the business like Frisbees at one of my gigantic outdoor concerts?

Food

What might be the next Cronut, McRib or Pumpkin Spice Latte? We have some thoughts.

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.

Operations

3 great restaurant mysteries Agatha Christie couldn't solve

By Peter Romeo on Jul. 13, 2023

Reality Check: Missing coalitions, mystery associations and fair food are head-scratchers that have us vexed. And we've read all of Sherlock Holmes.

Marketing

Forget Threads. Casual restaurants are going retro in their latest marketing

By Peter Romeo on Jul. 12, 2023

Reality Check: 3-for-$10 (or thereabouts) and buy one/take one home deals are back in vogue.

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