Recently added articles from Chain Leader:
Out to lunch: fast-food operators fill more of their tables at lunch than at other dayparts.(TRAFFIC TRENDS)
Aug 01, 2008; Chapman, Mary Boltz ... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] You'll find more quick-service customers eating in the restaurant at lunch than at other meals. According to Quick-Track, a quarterly survey by San Clemente, Calif.-based research firm Sandelman & Associates, 36.8 percent of all fast-food users having lunch on ...
What do you think?(Editorial)
Aug 01, 2008; Chapman, Mary Boltz ... Every month I have to come up with some topic that I have an opinion on and figure out how to express it clearly in about 500 words. This page is always one of the last produced. I'm sure I'm not the only editor who procrastinates about it, because it isn't always easy. I had a reader tell ...
Big ideas.(feedback)(Editorial)
Aug 01, 2008 ... "Feedback is the breakfast of champions." --Ken Blanchard "I'm vulnerable to criticism. Any artist is, because you work alone in your studio and, until recently, critics were the only way you'd get any feedback." --British artist Howard Hodgkin ...
In your best interest: how a pre-prepared and well-worded purchase agreement can give you the upper hand.(ON THE MONEY)(Interview)
Aug 01, 2008; Farkas, David ... A purchase agreement isn't the sexiest part of a deal, but it remains vital, contends mergers and acquisitions specialist Mark Kaufman, whose Atlanta-based law firm, Sutherland, has worked on many restaurant acquisitions, including the sale of RTM Restaurant Group, Arby's largest ...
Sol food: Baja Sol broadens its menu to compete and grow in the crowded Mexican category.(UPSTARTS)(Company overview)
Aug 01, 2008; Norris, Maya ... Baja Sol Restaurants Group is well aware of how competitive the Mexicansegment is. But the Inver Grove Heights, Minn.-based company says its interpretation of Mexican fare will help the Baja Sol brand stand out and position it for nationwide expansion. President ...
Redefining Vinings: the tiny Atlanta neighborhood unofficially expands as developers and others hop on its trendy bandwagon.(ONE HOT MARKET)
Aug 01, 2008; Bertagnoli, Lisa ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ask Atlantans which neighborhood is the hottest in town and Vinings might well be the answer. The area, northwest of Atlanta's downtown, is filled with historic buildings, including Pace House, which served as headquarters for Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman ...
Sticking to its story: Erbert & Gerbert's new offbeat ad stays true to the brand's quirkiness while demonstrating the power of the Internet.(STORYBOARD)(Company overview)
Aug 01, 2008; Littman, Margaret ... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Since its founding 20 years ago, Erbert & Gerbert's Subs & Clubs has been about the storytelling almost as much as it has been about the sandwiches. The chain's menu items have names that tie in with stories the founder was told as a child, and staff is ...
Name dropping: saladworks brings in big-name chefs to sell more salads.(IDEA TO ROLLOUT)(Concept Saladworks, LLC)(Company overview)
Aug 01, 2008; Rogers, Monica ... David Burke, the celebrity chef who gave America pastrami salmon and a growing restaurant empire, is the latest celebrity chef to toss a salad into Saladworks' Signature Series. The lineup stars salads developed by renowned chefs for the Conshohocken, Pa.-based chain. In July ...
Double duty: a slack economy forces even more focus on the age-old process of cross-utilization.(MENU ENGINEERING)(stock-keeping units))
Aug 01, 2008; Farkas, David ... Good things happen when kitchens cross-utilize ingredients: SKUs (stock-keeping units) remain at a minimum and production is simplified. Today rising commodity costs and slumping sales have demanded an even greater focus on this age-old process. "We have put everything under the ...
More than skin deep: krystal's newest look boasts architectural improvements as well as cosmetic ones.(RESTAURATOUR)(Concept Krystal)
Aug 01, 2008; Bertagnoli, Lisa ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Concept Krystal Location Scottsboro, Ala. Opening Day March 1, 2008 Area 2,200 square feet Seats 50 Average Check $6.50 Unit Volume $1.6 million Expansion Plans 10 in 2008, 15 ...
Small but able: the Top 50 Chains Under 50 Units reinforce the value of their brands by focusing within the four walls.
Aug 01, 2008; Morris, Maya ... Casual-dining chains dominate Chain Leader's first annual ranking of Top 50 Chains Under 50 Units. From fine-dining to budget-priced concepts, the emerging chains on this list are using various strategies to grow and leverage their brands. Some are moving forward with expansion, while ...
Good to go: suppory mechanisms and new hires will help Cosi step up franchising.(FRANCHISE MANAGEMENT)
Aug 01, 2008; Bertagnoli, Lisa ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dourney, who franchises 13 Cosi restaurants in the Boston area, has raised menu prices by 4 percent over the last year. Raising prices is always a suspenseful proposition, but it's worked out well for Dourney. "I have seen no guest-count ...
Ready or not: a crisis can hit even the best food-safety system. Well-prepared chains can minimize the damage.(FOOD SAFETY)
Aug 01, 2008; Chapman, Mary Boltz ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Crisis management. "Why is it important? Because the potential impact is significant, it is dramatic, and it is instant," says Denny Lynch, who should know. The senior vice president of communications for Columbus, Ohio-based Wendy's has worked his share ...
Vendor exchange.(Directory)
Aug 01, 2008 ... For more information about any of Chain Leaders advertisers, please contact them directly at the numbers or addresses provided. FOOD & BEVERAGE Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute p. 21. Promotes the use of Alaska seafood in restaurants. Call (800) 806-2407 or visit ...
Forging ahead: despite steep commodity prices and a tough economic climate, La Madeleine invests in fresh menu development.(Toque Radio)
Aug 01, 2008; Rogers, Monica ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a new store prototype that streamlines traffic and takeout procedures and new management at the helm, La Madeleine is poised to make more headlines. The Dallas-based bakery-care chain is investing in a fresh crop of new products while contending with ...