Popular Hawaiian-style concept opens a virtual kitchen in Texas to provide additional, convenient options for guests Dallas, TX  (RestaurantNews.com)  Mo’ Bettahs is growing — literally and virtually. On April 24, the growing Hawaiian-style food brand will open its second digital kitchen, giving residents even more opportunities to taste its vibrant, authentic flavors. The first Mo’ Bettahs’ digital kitchen opened in downtown Kansas City in March. Located at 921 West Commerce Street in Dallas, the new digital kitchen will be a convenient spot for takeout and delivery opti ..read more

Tina Girouard, Carol Gooden and Gordon Matta-Clark in front of Food in 1971. Photo: Dick Landry/© 2024 Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York For New York’s anniversary, we are celebrating the history of the city’s restaurants with a series of posts throughout the month. Read all of our “Who Ate Where” stories here. Who Ate Where In 1971, Carol Goodden, age 31, was living in a loft on East 4th Street with her artist boyfriend, Gordon Matta-Clark. His work was never restricted to something you could hang on a wall: slice holes in old buildings, or ..read more

Photo: New York Magazine For New York’s anniversary, we are celebrating the history of the city’s restaurants with a series of posts throughout the month. Read all of our “Who Ate Where” stories here. Has any reasonably affluent New Yorker ever not imagined life as the silent partner in a good restaurant? You can always get a table, maybe you make some money (maybe), you don’t have to deal with the day-to-day or the long-term labor issues, and you can entertain friends by saying “Let’s meet at my place.” In real life, of course, it’s probably a money loser and definitely a heada ..read more

Taco Bell and Portland based hot sauce company, Secret Aardvark, unite to present Secret Aardvark Nacho Fries, kicking off the fan-favorite’s return to menus for their longest run ever, starting April 25 TLDR: Fan-favorite Nacho Fries return for their longest run on national menus ever! To kick off the fun, Taco Bell is partnering with Portland-based hot sauce company, Secret Aardvark, to unveil Secret Aardvark Nacho Fries, available for a limited-time starting April 25, for $4.99* Taco Bell and Secret Aardvark created an all-new zesty Serrabanero Ranch Sauce, crafted from green tomatoes, r ..read more

Clay Hansen The authentic Hawaiian-style food brand adds Clay Hansen to its C-Suite Lehi, UT  (RestaurantNews.com)  It’s mo’ growth ahead for Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food. In preparation for unprecedented expansion, the popular Hawaiian BBQ concept has added to its C-suite and named Clay Hansen its Chief Financial Officer. Hansen joins Mo’ Bettahs with experience in finance, IT, marketing and strategy — both in and outside of the F&B industry. He worked at Cafe Rio for 10 years, where he built out the FP&A team and oversaw its growth from 38 to 140-plus locations. Most rec ..read more

Scenes from Flamingo East. Photo: Courtesy Flamingo East For New York’s anniversary, we are celebrating the history of the city’s restaurants with a series of posts throughout the month. Read all of our “Who Ate Where” stories here. In January 1999, I was 23 and living in a sixth-floor walk-up on Pitt Street (then the most aptly named street in lower Manhattan). To pay the rent, I waited tables four nights a week at Flamingo East on Second Avenue and East 13th Street. The restaurant had made a splash when it opened a decade earlier (and even was name-dropped in American Psycho ..read more

Francine L. Shaw By Francine L. Shaw, food safety specialist, co-host of Don’t Eat Poop! A Food Safety Podcast, founder of Savvy Food Safety, and author of “Who Watches the Kitchen?” Does your restaurant have a strong food safety culture, where your employees prioritize food safety and demonstrate their commitment through their actions and values? Turns out, there are numerous (and significant) benefits to building (and maintaining) a strong food safety culture.   For instance, this effort can help you: Reduce foodborne illness risks. Every food business must prioritize food safety ..read more

Illustration: Maanvi Kapur For more than 30 years, Kathleen Hanna has performed as the front woman of Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, and the Julie Ruin, a career she documents in her upcoming memoir, Rebel Girl: My Life As a Feminist Punk, which comes out May 14. Before going on a national book tour — which kicks off with an event at Kings Theater in Brooklyn — she caught up on a little R&R at a vacation house with her family, contemplated the essence of root beer, tried a chain restaurant she’d always avoided, and made it home in time to catch the NCAA women’s basketball finals. Friday, Apri ..read more

The fondue franchise is breaking into Arkansas, reviving its Nashville presence, growing in Florida, Washington and New York, and offering a new franchisee incentive to lower the barrier to entry for passionate prospective owners. Tampa, FL  (RestaurantNews.com)  With 92 units and six more in development, Melting Pot, the national fondue franchise, has started 2024 strong. The team has seen growing interest from well-aligned prospective franchisees, including new deals signed in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bentonville, Arkansas. It’s making moves in the Reno, Nevada, and Fresno, Cali ..read more

Jerry’s 103 in 1991. Chase Booth, a bartender, is wearing khakis and a blue Oxford, the uniform at the restaurant. Photo: Mo Gaffney For New York’s anniversary, we are celebrating the history of the city’s restaurants with a series of posts throughout the month. Read all of our “Who Ate Where” stories here. In the extremely niche hothouse atmosphere of my late 20s in Manhattan, the nostalgic abstraction commonly known as “The Nineties” actually began on February 3 when the Roxy, a cavernous nightclub on West 18th Street (see also roller disco; hip-hop venue), opened its doors to ..read more