Latest news of restaurant business

Going paper-free and using smart tech to keep track of inventory, food waste, and energy usage is one way to become more sustainable, and it could also help your bottom line

As the restaurant industry becomes more digitized, one very simple example of how operators have almost universally become greener is by using less paper. With QR code ordering and digital receipts, many restaurants are using way less thermal paper than they used to. When the team at Von Elrod’s Beer Hall & Kitchen in Nashville was looking for an easy way to reduce their environmental impact, they immediately thought of ditching thermal paper, which — unlike regular paper — does not easily decompose and can release chemicals like BPAs into the atmosphere. ..

Comfort foods have been popular for ages for good reason. But now, “Southern Comfort” trends are sweeping menus, and it’s easy to see why: Bold flavors such as barbecue pair perfectly with indulgent classics such as mac and cheese, and popular bowl meal formats lend themselves well to Southern-inspired ingredients. Additionally, since many of these trends incorporate items chefs already have on hand, it’s easy to add them to the menu. Here are four trends taking over Southern cuisine right now, why they should be on every menu, and how to do it.

Datassential’s 2022 Report Pro finds that sandwiches are the No. 1 dish on Southern menus, with 91.1% menu penetration. And with recent years bringing on the so-called “chicken sandwich wars,” there’s still big opportunity for operators. Starting with the basics, juicy chicken is a perfect springboard for innovation. For instance, options such as a Smoky ‘n Spicy Ranch Chicken Sandwich feature bold flavors such as zesty umeboshi (pickled plum), smoky, spicy ghost pepper and crisp, tender chicken served on a brioche roll served with a sweet and sour slaw and perfectly fit this trend...

Plant-based foods and alternative proteins have seen incredible growth over the last few years. In the U.S., the plant-based food market has been growing at a 16% CAGR (2018–2021) — more than twice the growth of foodservice (6% CAGR) and more than four times the growth of coffee (3% CAGR).

With many consumers looking for healthier alternatives and to replace meat in their diets (a recent report indicates that 40% of consumers are purchasing dairy alternatives or plant-based proteins, and plant-based offerings in restaurants were estimated to save 700,000 animals in 2021), we expect to continue to see these levels of growth over the mid-term. As of 2021, the total addressable market in the U.S. for plant-based food was reaching the $7 billion mark...

Most restaurateurs expect their labor situations to worsen under President Biden’s directive that most private-sector workers be vaccinated against COVID-19, though 58% of operators haven’t yet finalized their mandate strategies, according to a new survey.

The canvass by Black Box Intelligence found that 59% of operators expect staff members to quit rather than comply with the mandate, which will apply to the workforces of any company with at least 100 employees. Affected workers have the choice of getting vaccinated or providing proof every week that they’ve tested negative for COVID-19...

Sophisticated replacements for gin, whiskey and other liquors give bartenders new tools.

Admittedly, the past year and a half has been an unusual time for tracking trends. However, one clear pattern has been emerging for quite a while now: The growing movement to low- and no-alcohol drinks. Perhaps driven by changing drinking habits, or a growing focus on health, or young people’s hesitation to overdrink because of potential social media exposure, or even because of movements like ‘Dry January’ or ‘Sober for October,’ beverage producers are quickly waking up to the market potential. According to the IWSR, a firm that analyzes world beverage trends, the low- and no-alcohol market is continuing to expand, with consumption expected to grow 31% by 2024...

Conshohocken, PA (RestaurantNews.com) Zuppler, a global software and services company focused on empowering solutions for the food services industry, today announced the general availability of its AI-powered marketing services as part of the Menu Anywhere online ordering platform. As well, the company is pleased to announce automated abandon cart notification and order experience enhancements to its online ordering platform.

Smart Upsell is an AI-based tool that generates real-time recommendations based on what customers have added to their online cart. It also allows restaurants to upsell specific items, which can be especially useful for the introduction of new menu items to customers...

From McDonald’s to the NRA to Burger King, see which companies had people changing positions last month!

August saw several top-level executives both leave and begin new positions in the restaurant world. In perhaps the biggest news of the month, the National Restaurant Association said on the last day of the month that it would lose its CEO. Elsewhere, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Pokeworks and Pizza Hut all named new CEOs...

As COVID-19 delta variant cases continue to surge, local governments are making tough decisions on putting restrictions back in place to quell the rising tide, including vaccination mandates.

Currently, New York City, San Francisco, New Orleans, and most recently ‑- Honolulu, and Berkeley, Calif. have passed variations on proof of vaccination mandates for indoor dining, gyms, concerts, sporting events and more. Right now, only New Orleans and San Francisco’s proof of vaccination (or negative COVID test) mandates have gone into effect, but the others are soon to follow this month (Honolulu and New York City on Sept. 13) or next month (Berkeley on Oct. 15)...

A group of employees from at least 18 Starbucks cafes in Buffalo, N.Y., have taken steps to form a union affiliated with Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of labor’s largest representatives of restaurant workers.

The group calls itself the Organizing Committee of Starbucks Workers United and indicated it represents at least 49 Starbucks employees in the city. Representatives have stated in media interviews that the group has the support of a majority of employees in at least five of the 20 Starbucks units in the area. Under federal regulations, a vote on unionizing can be scheduled for a workplace if at least 30% of employees indicate they’d welcome the representation...