Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen

Operations

This week’s 5 head-spinning moments: Crisis signs

Is the industry going a little crazy, or is it just a garden-variety midlife crisis? Here's the evidence to consider.

Marketing

Who has the best music in casual dining?

Music can help make or break a restaurant experience, so with help from Technomic, we found the top 10 casual-dining playlists.

Chain restaurants are discovering that nostalgia sells.

Chains use funky cocktail rims to excite guests and add flavor.

Technomic looks at consumers’ assessments of more than 60 attributes in order to determine the winners of its annual Chain Restaurant Consumers’ Choice Awards.

In addition to measuring chains’ operational attributes, Technomic also rated their connections to consumers through a series of questions designed to gauge loyalty and perception of a brand.

Chains ranking highest in their competitive set deliver more than just good food. They’re winning in all aspects of the dining experience, from service to convenience.

Just starting to get their own spending power, Gen Z is now in operators’ sights. Because of their limited budgets, this generation frequents QSRs the most.

Millennials are the most reliant on foodservice of all generations, finds Technomic. They also drive off-premise dining, including takeout and delivery.

Most of America’s favorite casual-dining concepts for 2017 are upscale or boast a specialized cuisine—only one is a traditional varied-menu concept.

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