For the longest time the big, bad restaurant chains were the favorite for Americans. This is changing now and Americans are now having a change of mind when it comes to where they eat. The mom and pop chains are coming up in the United States. The home-like touches that restaurant chains do not offer is exactly what draw the crowd and is causing the increase of sales for the small local chains. Along with dishes to cater to select diet types such as vegans.

Key Takeaways:

• American’s are rejecting the consistency of big chain restaurants and turning to Mom & Pop restaurants.
• It’s a turning point in the history of American restaurants according to the research firm Technomic.
• There really seems to be a dawning era of independent, where the small businesses are thriving.

“Americans are rejecting the consistency of national restaurant chains after decades of dominance in favor of the authenticity of locally owned eateries, with their daily specials and Mom’s watercolors decorating the walls.”

Read more: http://www.restaurantnews.com/mom-and-pop-joints-are-trouncing-americas-big-restaurant-chains/

Dave Thomas was a humble man who considered himself to simply be a hamburger cook. However, he was much more than that to many people. The Wendy’s founder also made sure that bringing awareness to the plight of foster children was on his to-do list. AS an adoptee himself, this mission was particularly close to his heart. He took the same care in developing his corporation that he did with his philanthropic missions — subtle but eager to be successful.

Key Takeaways:

• Dave Thomas and Wendy’s changed how fast food treated quality.
• Dave Thomas helped to erase the stigma surrounding adoption and making it more socially acceptable.
• Wendy’s Wonderful Kids is a new initiative that targets moving the children that have been in foster care the longest into permanent homes.

“Through a commitment to quality and Thomas’s ever-present guiding hand, Wendy’s had quickly caught up to the more established competitors.”

Read more: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/competition/immeasurable-legacy-dave-thomas

Nowadays most of the pizza delivery joints are using tracking devices for their customers who choose to order their pizza and food online for delivery. But one major brand has a tracking that simply exceeds the expectations of the rest. It is the Pizza Hut tracker that does things so much differently than the rest, and it is time that you learn how their tracker is sweeping the rug out from under the competion pizza joints.

Key Takeaways:

• Pizza Hut has remained innovative and its new delivery platform is a prime example.
• Tracking your order from start to finish is what sets Pizza Huts platform apart from others.
• Although this tracker is new when compared to Domino’s one released in 2008, it is more innovative and customer involved.

“Keeping it convenient and easy is what consumers tell us matters most.”

Read more: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/how-pizza-huts-tracker-differs-competition

What started in health food stores a few years back is now in mainstream markets across the country. Whole Foods dedicates shelves in its refrigerator cases for GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha and Synergy, the juice varieties of the tea. Coca-Cola Co. owns part of Honest Tea which has a line of Kombucha products, and Celestial Seasonings recently announced its plans to introduce a new line of flavored kombucha beverages that are fortified with functional ingredients, including B vitamins, vitamin C and spirulina. There are kombucha martinis and kombucha smoothies

Key Takeaways:

• Kombucha is extremely popular and is derived from fermented tea with sweetener.
• Consumers rave about Kombucha’s probiotic content as well as promise of well being.
• Popular teas for Kombucha are Indian green tea and Chinese green tea.

“The beverage has a reputation — still largely unsubstantiated by science — for improving digestion, boosting the immune system and generally energizing those who drink it.”

Read more: http://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/drink-trends/kombucha-brews-customer-appeal

One of the biggest trends at the moment are food trucks. Food trucks offer affordable, unique, and cultural foods that you don’t typically find just anywhere. Thanks to the social media platforms, it is easy to spread the word about these fantastic dining options that inspire cooks and foodies everywhere to expand their pallets. Even though the kitchen area in these trucks are not the largest, this does not prevent the meal to be packed full of flavors.

Key Takeaways:

• Simple and affordable dishes at food trucks continue to bring in the crowds.
• As a take-out only business, food trucks are one of the top to implement new innovations.
• Some food trucks that have found success are finding new venues to feed their customers.

“All told, 18% of consumers in general, and 26% of millennials, buy food or beverages from a food truck at least once a month, according to the Technomic 2016 Generational Consumer Trend Report.”

Read more: http://www.foodservicedirector.com/sponsored-content/featured-content/articles/bringing-food-trucks-kitchen

This is a hospitality article for restaurants that is discussing other ways to create profits and grow your clientele. It discusses ways to offer and execute a multitude of events for your restaurant that would otherwise be a slow period of business. It talks about offering your space as a venue for things such as weddings, birthday parties and other social events. It goes over the benefits of this practice like higher profits, expanding your customer base and avoiding those slow periods a restaurant usually experiences.

Key Takeaways:

• Corporate happy hours, bridal events and large birthday parties take place in restaurants like yours every day.
• Events offer a way to spin up another revenue line and bring folks in in a different way.
• Revenue from private events has the potential to be more profitable than a typical two-top or four-top, Miller said.

“Our guests are evolving to more of experience seekers, so you can sell your events in main dining or bar spaces.”

Read more: http://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/operations/developing-profitable-events-program