QSR, Restaurant and Food Service Trends from Northern America

December 19, 2012

The Little-Noticed Obamacare Provision That Could Make Fast Food Healthier.

One of the least-noticed elements of Obamacare is a federal rule requiring chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus starting in 2013.

December 11, 2012

McDonald's 'Dollar Menu' sparks November sales rebound

McDonald's took Wall Street by surprise Monday morning, with a November same-store sales report that beat expectations and showed particular strength in the U.S. business. The news follows a weak performance in October that had some investors speculat...

November 28, 2012

Technomic finds strong consumer support for nutritional disclosure at restaurants

In a recently completed survey of restaurant user attitudes, Technomic found that 65 percent favor nutritional labeling in restaurants, with the strongest demand for listing of calories and sodium content.

November 08, 2012

McDonald's Global Comparable Sales Decrease 1.8% in October

McDonald's Corporation today announced that global comparable sales decreased 1.8% in October. Performance by segment was as follows: U.S. down 2.2% Europe down 2.2% Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa down 2.4% "The McDonald's System remains f...

October 26, 2012

How McDonald’s Canada french fries are made

In the latest installment of its transparency campaign, McDonald's has released a video to try and convince skeptical Canadians that its famous french fries are indeed made out of real potatoes.

October 22, 2012

McDonald's highlights challenging conditions at Q3 earnings report

McDonald's Corporation Friday announced results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012. In constant currencies, the Company posted higher revenues and earnings per share compared with the prior year while operating income was flat.

October 21, 2012

McDonalds lanzó un vídeo para explicar cómo fabrican sus papas fritas

Un vídeo de la sede canadiense de la multinacional muestra como hacen la guarnición con la que acompañan sus hamburguesas. McDonalds ha lanzado nuevo vídeo para explicar como fabrican sus famosas patatas fritas. Dentro de la campaña que está llevando ...

October 18, 2012

New logo for Wendy's highlights transformation

The Wendy's QSR chain is going through a transformation and in a press release last week, the company is going to great length to stress all the changes that are going on. Wendy's also anounced a very visible change the brand will undergo, a new logo w...

October 08, 2012

Full Service Restaurant visit losses continue, finds NPD Group

Consumers pulled back from visits to midscale and casual dining restaurants in the April, May, and June quarter continuing a four-year streak of visit losses for the full service segment, according to The NPD Group, a leading market research company. ...

October 07, 2012

Nontraditional competitors threaten restaurant market share

Foodservice operators are busy looking over their shoulders to guard against other restaurateurs who are threatening to grab market share from them, but they may be turning a blind eye to another equally aggressive form of competition in the form of gr...

September 17, 2012

Why Soda Ban Will Work In Fight Against Obesity

On Thursday, New York City’s Board of Health voted near unanimously to cap the size of sugary drinks to no more that 16-ounces at movie theaters, restaurants, mobile food carts, and sports arenas. The ban, which will take effect from March 12 and won’...

September 13, 2012

McDonald's USA Adding Calorie Counts To Menu Boards

McDonald's USA President Jan Fields announced today that, starting next week, the company will list calorie information on restaurant and drive-thru menus nationwide to further inform and help customers and employees make nutrition-minded choices. In ...

August 21, 2012

QSR battleground shifts from 'Value' to 'Better for you'

McDonald's is touting its "under 400 calories"items, including the venerable Filet-O-Fish sandwich. Burger King has just added smoothies and salads to its menu. Wendy's is pitching a new mobile app that lets customers personalize meals based ...

August 14, 2012

Canadian research shows Healthy Happy Meals with toys steer kids from junk food

Children are far more likely to pick a healthier fast-food meal when promotional toys are offered only with those menu options and not with less nutritional fare like burgers, fries and a pop, according to a Canadian study.

August 14, 2012

Kettle Creations acquired by Bob Evans Farms

Bob Evans Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ: BOBE) today announced its subsidiary, BEF Foods, Inc. has acquired from Kettle Creations, LLC, the Kettle Creations® brand and a 100,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art food manufacturing plant located in Lima, Ohio.

August 14, 2012

Sliced apples sold to McDonald's, Burger King and grocery chains recalled for Listeria

Pre-sliced apples distributed by Missa Bay LLC, owned by Ready Pac Foods Inc. of Swedesboro, N.J.to fast-food and grocery chains across the United States are among packaged products being recalled due to possible contamination with Listeria bacteria.

June 25, 2012

Burger King returned to NYSE, gained 9.3% last week

Fast food company Burger King Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BKW) went public earlier last week, after going private in late 2010. Rather than going through the IPO route, the company was listed in the NYSE through a merger with an existing public stock, Justice...

May 30, 2012

Newly Discovered Colonel Sanders Autobiography & Recipe Book Launched Exclusively on Facebook®

Beginning today, fans of KFC's Facebook® Pages around the world can access exclusive content from the soon-to-be-released book, "Colonel Harland Sanders: The Autobiography of the Original Celebrity Chef."The original manuscript, written by th...