Spring is here and many foodies are looking for spring dishes to go with one of the brightest seasons. Spring brings out many green recipes, such as pesto dishes. Since pesto is the perfect addition to almost any form of green or nut, it is a very versatile option for those who are looking to try a few different dishes out of one singular recipe. Roasted beet ravioli is a great option for those who are not so much into the greener options.

Key Takeaways:

• Green garlic is a seasonal item that is only ripe in spring, so utilizing it within recipes is a great springtime option.
• For a more unique dish, try using roasted beets in raviolis for a warmer option.
• Pesto is a favorite due to it’s versatility and how it has the ability to conform to almost any nut or green dish.

“The sight of spring’s first vegetables like delicate pea tendrils, crisp lettuces and greens like arugula, green garlic, asparagus and more can be used in a variety of fresh dishes that’ll make customer palates soar.”

Read more: http://blog.etundra.com/recipe/whats-season-spring-recipes/

McDonald’s typically turns over quite a bit of profit after each quarter ends according to their Wall Street averages, but recently there has been an even more substantial strike due to higher menu prices. The popular fast food chain has now added many more signature options that are higher in quality, making them higher in value as well. Incorporating these options into the menu have lead to a huge increase in sales across the globe.

Key Takeaways:

• McDonald’s has ended another Wall Street quarter with a rise in their profit margins.
• Now that there are higher-priced options, each visit is costing visitors more money.
• Customers are starting to take McDonald’s more seriously and engaging with the company in more meaningful ways.

“Ozan said in the call that McDonald’s customers used the menu to add on to their orders.”

Read more: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/finance/mcdonalds-new-value-menu-returns-surprising-results

Mobile delivery has been something most big chains in the food industry have been taking advantage of. In fact, up to 75% of individuals in a recent study claimed that they think restaurants should have a mobile delivery option. There are some ways that restaurants can increase their sales with their mobile deliveries such as providing consumers with options of ground coffee or freshly roasted beans if they’re purchasing from a local cafe in their area.

Key Takeaways:

• On many college campuses, vending machines can provide students with slices of pizza.
• Cafes could really up their sales by offering both freshly ground beans and freshly roasted beans.
• Up to 75% of consumers claim that restaurants should have mobile-based delivery.

“A company called Miso Robotics makes a product called Flippy, an automated hamburger maker. If it proves successful, it’s possible to imagine a quick-serve hamburger operation putting them in a fleet of self-driving vehicles that could be dispatched to your home to deliver you a burger that’s been prepared on the drive over.”

Read more: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/marc-halperin/3-creative-ways-restaurants-can-their-mobile-delivery-game

Recently, Commerce Signals launched a tracking service specifically for first-party data. This move was in direct response to the clear need for transparency among consumers and partners in the hospitality industry. This new tracking service will insure the management of consumer privacy across the data supply chain. According to Russell Schrader, the company’s Chief Privacy Officer, it is time for change around all of the processes involving data security, including accumulation, selling, sharing, and regulation. Commerce Signals new service will allow data owners to have a new awareness and sense of control around consumer data.

Key Takeaways:

• Commercial signals provide business owners with the ability to transport data in a secure fashion from port to port.
• These signals do not hold third-party seller or advertising information, but rather, any permission or agreement contracts.
• This new software allows you to track the use of transmitted data, and control it for future use.

“Recent events regarding uses of consumer data clearly demonstrate the need for transparency to anchor consumer trust, brand identity, and data partnerships.”

Read more: http://www.restaurantnews.com/commerce-signals-launches-tracking-service-for-first-party-data-041918/

Proper staff training is one of the most imperative roles in being a manager that ensures a smoothly-running business in the restaurant industry. A good way to do this is by not just providing employees with knowledge and information, but allowing them to actually have hands-on experience revolving around the reading material. This will allow them to absorb the information on a much stronger level by relating it to their own personal experiences as a result.

Key Takeaways:

• A great manager provides crystal clear expectations and a verbal roadmap for how you can meet them.
• Such a manager will take hirees skill development as seriously as he, or she, takes the development of the company’s brand.
• When training new hires, a good manager should be able to sum up what the new employees can expect to gain from the training.

“Always make sure you can provide clear rationale for the training.”

Read more: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/mike-ganino-crafting-culture/4-ways-build-better-restaurant-culture-through-training

Location settings on your phone not only allow you to get from place to place easier through GPS, but now they have the potential to let you know which customers saw your advertisement before frequenting your establishment. GPS systems that are built into modern-day smartphones have the ability to track if users have recently passed an out-of-home (OOH) advertisement, letting you know if that is what lead them to choose to visit your place of business.

Key Takeaways:

• New technology allows restaurants to measure when their ads have been on customers’ phones.
• Street level and traffic level ads combined with phone ads results in customers returning to restaurants at a high rate.
• Humor and creativity plays a big part in each ads effectiveness to customer and customer returns.

“Location-based mobile data gives quick-service restaurant franchisees a powerful purchase intent signal. With this, we can verify that a customer whose mobile device was recently exposed to an ad subsequently walked into your restaurant. And this sophisticated mobile location data is giving quick-service franchises a legitimate way to measure a quick-service restaurant ad campaign’s success.”

Read more: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/outside-insights/why-out-home-advertising-plus-mobile-ads-winning-combination

A new study has recently emerged that polled approximately 11,500 respondents in order to see which chains were their favorite quick-service restaurants. The two facilities that took the cake were In-N-Out and Culver’s. Five Guys came in with a strong third. Unfortunately, McDonalds landed at the very bottom of the list, with only 29% saying that they would prefer dining there. Jack In The Box came in second to last, and Carl’s Jr. and Wendy’s landed right around the middle.

Key Takeaways:

• McDonald’s ended up coming in last place, which is quite surprising considering their high popularity levels.
• Wendy’s ranked right in the middle, partnered up with Carl’s Jr. This definitely indicates that their chains could use improvement.
• If you’re looking for a nice burger at a QSR, In-N-Out Burger ranked as the ultimate foodie favorite.

“Nearly 11,500 consumers were polled for the study, which also reveals consumers’ QSR dining habits, brand preferences and in-restaurant technology use.”

Read more: http://www.restaurantnews.com/new-study-from-market-force-information-reveals-americas-favorite-quick-service-restaurants-041918/

Choosing the combinations of your own dishes, like what you would do at Subway, is popular – but not everyone thinks it’s the right fit for their restaurant. For some chefs, the international nature of their dishes makes this impractical – or the variety of options that would have to be available. Even so, these chefs still add flexibility into their menus, because they believe that a middle line will end up giving the customer the best of both worlds.

Key Takeaways:

• In the 2000s many fast food venues were in a big hurry to install their own version of menu-customization, first put on the scene at Chipotle’s.
• Today the tide is turning and many venues are shying away from the customization route in favor of producing signature dishes instead.
• It’s still normal, however, for customers to request meal tweaks to accommodate dietary needs and palate preferences.

“I’m a huge believer in the non-customization route because I know that a lot of time goes into each dish, and I have to imagine that someone is going to make a dish better for me than if I make it on my own.”

Read more: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/restaurant-operations/why-menu-customization-isnt-one-size-fits-all-strategy