Food & Beverage

There are plenty of stand-out statistics when it comes to food and beverage trends in consumers’ habits and market conditions. 2023 restaurant trends are no different. Guests are looking for authentic experiences, and whether that’s in the environment or the food, restaurants should find the best ways to deliver. Andre Natera, Host, Chef’s PSA […]

Restaurants pushed for a seat at the table for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner with Thanksgiving promotions, convenience, and lower prices for families. As grocery store prices rise and convenience becomes more valuable to consumers, restaurants across the country are seeing an opportunity to put on their own Thanksgiving promotions for Thanksgiving dinner. Businesses like Bob […]

As we near the end of the year, restaurants and those in the food and beverage industry are taking stock of what trends have proved successful this year, and which have not. Barbara Castiglia of Modern Restaurant Management gives her take on what trends are here to stay, and what innovation we can expect as […]

The third quarter was a good quarter for chain restaurants. However, more sales do not necessarily translate into more customers. Lisa Miller, President, Lisa W. Miller & Associates, gives her take on why consumers and restaurant operators alike are seeing such dramatic changes in sales and traffic volume:   “So restaurant sales are up, […]

Franchising is perceived as a difficult commitment to make, and often entails a range of investment hurdles. For many this is enough frustration to turn investors away, but what if there was light at the end of the tunnel? Thomas Nieto, CEO of Main Squeeze Juice Co, highlights some major drawcards to franchising, and […]

You may have noticed your local bagel shop doesn’t open as early or stay open as late as it used to. No longer can you pop into the corner store and treat yourself to a late-night snack. But you aren’t alone in your observation. Hundreds of thousands of restaurants across the U.S. are shifting or […]

It’s no secret that restaurants need repeat customers for continued success. Retention is a vital aspect of the restaurant industry, especially since the pandemic. Loyalty Reward Programs are more than just a sound strategy; they can help boost a restaurant’s profits by 95% through repeat business.   So, what can a great loyalty program due […]

Changing the future of restaurant staffing is a new digital ordering tool. According to QSR, a disappointing restaurant experience during the pandemic prompted Which Wich CEO Jeff Sinelli to introduce Yellow Lab technology, an in-store digital ordering service that allows guests to order from a kiosk rather than at the counter. YellowLab’s remote ordering kiosks […]

What do consumers want these days? Healthy food and beverage options. While the restaurant industry faces numerous challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, an emerging trend in restaurant franchises is offering healthy menu options.  One such franchise, The Main Squeeze Juice Co., inspires to make healthy easier with a nutritionist-designed, superfood-inspired menu, […]

It may come as a surprise to some, but entrepreneurship is experiencing growth after the pandemic as many people have decided that they want to work for themselves. A great way to become your own boss is to start a franchise. However, the rate of women who own franchises is falling behind their male […]

Sam’s Thoughts: Hi there. I’m Sam Oches, Editor in Chief of Nation’s Restaurant News. Restaurants have been battered by inflation in the past year. You’re especially seeing this in the increase in cost of goods. They have had to pass this along to the customer by increasing their prices. A lot of the restaurants in […]

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are driving innovations in robotics to meet needs across multiple sectors in virtually every industry. Segway, known for its scooters, also develops robotic technology aimed at simplifying the process for transporting people and objects, according to Tony Ho, vice president of robotics and business development at Segway Robotics.  And in […]

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts are known for taking care of their bodies while pushing themselves to continuously strive to improve their performance. To support this lifestyle, individuals need to take care of themselves in and out of the gym and sports arena. From proper nutrition and sleep to taking care of sore muscles and injuries, […]

Self-checkout solutions are gaining validation for their mass deployment across retail, QSR and hospitality verticals. As industries change and adapt, so too SCO processes, technology, and offerings. Beyond Technology reached out to Craig Bevan, VP Sales Commercial Director for Acrelec Group, for his perspective on the self-checkout & self-service kiosk landscape. “To the purist, a […]

From new technologies and changing food trends to supply chains and innovative concepts, the restaurant industry is everchanging. Host Andre Natera shares kitchens, plates and stories with food and beverage superstars, preparing a new dish and offering valuable insights from the front lines of the culinary industry.   The pandemic threw a lot of curveballs at the […]

Over the past year and a half, companies have had to make a lot of changes and quickly. For B2B brands, this is no different, as brands have had to pivot overnight to meet their customers’ demands. Giving insights on this episode of the podcast is Christian Yungbluth, Director of Global Marketing at Hatco […]

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every corner of the foodservice industry, and this was especially true for drive-thru and QSR operations that had yet to digitize their drive-thru operations. With in-person dining off-limits for the better part of a year in many parts of the world, brands quickly shifted to prioritizing their drive-thrus. This spurred acceleration […]

From new technologies and changing food trends to supply chains and innovative concepts, the restaurant industry is everchanging. Host Andre Natera shares kitchens, plates and stories with food and beverage superstars, preparing a new dish and offering valuable insights from the front lines of the culinary industry.   Workforce management has always been a challenge in hospitality. […]

The pandemic accelerated many aspects of the restaurant industry, including the ways in which consumers interact with QSR’s. Bringing in the Global Head of Technology for Xenial, host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Chris Siefken about the changing nature of QSR’s and the technology that is here to address them. Restaurant technology is, and always has […]

The restaurant industry has historically been slow to shift and adopt new technology. Ben Simmons, Co-founder and COO of Table Needs recalled a meeting in 2012 when a restaurant owner was considering building a website. Websites were pretty mainstream, but it shows an example of generalization. Today, as reported by Restaurant Dive, 77% of […]

Groupon has it wrong. Or at least partially. Taking a deep dive into customer data and analytics, Zach Goldstein, CEO & Founder of Thanx, a loyalty, CRM, and guest engagement platform shares his insight on what it means to build customer loyalty with The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia. Our understanding of what loyalty […]

Barbara Castiglia interviews Maribeth Dela Cruz, President of Jollibee North America, to discuss Jollibee and its presence in North America. Jollibee is on the fastest growing Asian restaurant companies in the world. Cruz has been with the Jollibee company for thirty years and has worked her way from shift manger to her current role as […]

The co-CEO and co-founder of Biggby Coffee, Mike McFall, talked with host Barbara Castiglia of the podcast “The Main Course,” about the rise of his coffee chain. Founded in Lansing, Michigan over 27 years ago, today Biggby Coffee is one of the most popular coffee chains in the Midwest region. McFall said decades ago […]

David Novak was the first of his family to graduate from college. He studied journalism at the University of Missouri and started working in advertising. After a few turns in his career, Novak found joy in working in the restaurant industry. He eventually co-founded Yum! Brands and acted successfully as CEO for many years. […]

Healthy Pour is a consultancy whose mission is to improve the mental health and well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations within the hospitality and adjacent sectors through education, coaching, intervention development, and research. Laura Louise Green, Founder of Healthy Pour, joined Barbara Castiglia to talk about this critical concern in the restaurant and hospitality […]

In the latest episode of the podcast “There’s More to IT,” host Jason Claybrook brings on his wife Niki, and diverges from technology to discuss maintaining healthy-eating habits, as more and more people return to work traveling as pandemic restrictions ease. As a holistic nutrition consultant based in Texas, Claybrook consults clients that have […]

Jessica Valenzuela conceptualized the GoGoGuest system while using the free wifi at cafes around Europe. What started as a wifi marketing solution has evolved into a more significant consumer connection. The company’s capabilities connect the consumer to the restaurant amenities and leverage their information back to the restaurant. Today, GoGoGuest services over 300 customers across […]