Operators must weigh guest acceptance while making strategic decisions about integrating automation at many restaurant touch points, according to Software Advice’s 2024 Automated Customer Experience Survey. More than half (55 percent) of global consumers say automated food preparation is unacceptable for both quick service and table service restaurants, while nearly half (49 percent) say they’re likely to order food through an artificial intelligence tool, such as a chatbot or drive-thru. Some diners are more open to robot servers at quick service restaurants (30 percent) and table s ..read more

Numbers tell a story, and for QSRs the first-quarter numbers were tough, according to RMS. The story is that traffic was down 3.5 percent compared to Q1 2023, though sales were (barely) positive, at a 0.8 percent YOY increase. Average check is up YOY (+4.5 percent) as is Average Price, at +4.0 percent YOY. The rate of price increases has stabilized after nearly a year of declines, which could be attributed to minimum wage laws in California, among other factors. Speaking of California, the state ranks third in overall burger price in the US (including full and quick service). A few  ..read more

Learn how "The Keith Lee Effect" is helping restaurants. The food reviewer was profiled by CBS News.  ..read more

Ever-popular coffee is also proving to be an uber versatile ingredient for restaurants, bars and coffeehouses. More than half of North America’s 50 Best Bars have coffee cocktails on their signature menus, according to bar inventory resource, Backbar. According to a recent survey, one in four Americans like to drink espresso martinis, and in 2024, the cocktail trend remains strong, having experienced a 50 percent growth over the preceding 12 months. This interest in coffee mixology is not limited to bars and restaurants, it's also grinding in coffee houses across ..read more

Keeping health and wellness top of mind, consumers are increasingly choosing mocktails and other non-alcoholic drinks at restaurants and at home.  In fact, the market for non-alcoholic alternatives has seen consistent double-digit growth over the last five years and exceeded half a billion dollars in 2023, according to NielsenIQ. Celebrities such as Katy Perry, Blake Lively, Kylie Minogue and Bella Hadid are helping to boost the booze-free band wagon by launching non-alcoholic beverages.  There’s no longer a stigma for being sober-curious and mocktails are gaining popularity as sophi ..read more

Restaurant brands need to pay attention to evolving media consumptions in order to better engage with potential customers, according to results of a year-long study conducted by Digital Turbine in collaboration with Qrious Insight. While 91 percent of people use social media, the report finds that, among QSR brand consumers, nearly four in ten social users actually spend more time playing mobile games than they do on social media. The report concludes that if QSR brands had reached the Mobile Gaming-First segment as effectively as social audiences, they would have boosted reach ..read more

Restaurants are complex businesses with many moving parts. Yet all of these parts must work together in harmony for the customer to leave the restaurant feeling satisfied, with their only hunger being to return for another visit.  Unfortunately, the restaurant industry is notoriously known for being cliquish, and these cliques may not be as innocent and harmless as they may seem. In reality, they can cause significant damage to the business and its ability to provide guests with an incredible experience.   A “communication silo” is the name for what happens when groups, teams, o ..read more

Limited Time Offerings (LTOs) have been a staple of the restaurant industry, although their very nature is short-lived. For consumers, LTOs often bring to mind seasonal offerings that have become synonymous with specific times of the year. For restaurants, LTOs create new avenues to connect with customers and generate opportunities for chefs to expand offerings. Any quick-service restaurant endeavoring to increase consumer engagement and create a dynamic brand needs to consider making LTOs a significant part of their menu development. As a proud part of the leadership team at Craveworthy ..read more

This edition of Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's Research Roundup features news on restaurant etiquette, the cost of fine dining and green restaurants.  Restaurant Etiquette When it comes to going out to eat at a restaurant, there are unwritten rules customers and employees typically follow. A new YouGov survey asked 1,000 American adults about 40 restaurant behaviors: 20 by customers and 20 by restaurant management or staff. For customers: At least eight in 10 Americans think it’s unacceptable for diners to: refuse to pay for a dish they ate but didn’t li ..read more

Staff at one popular Mexican chain start preparations for the next year’s Cinco de Mayo celebration right after the previous one ends.  “Immediately after the event the team meets to gather feedback and create a recap,” Kurt Pahlitzsch, Vice President of Casual Dining at Doherty Enterprises, franchisee of Chevys, told Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine. “In December, the team begins to plan based on the feedback from that recap meeting and the new ideas that have emerged since then.” Cinco de Mayo events in the Linden and Clifton, New Jersey stores have grown over the years to in ..read more