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January 18, 2013 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF Share | Sign up | Archive | Advertise On the Front Burner  McDonald's codes bags, cups with nutrition info McDonald's is rolling out redesigned bags and cups with QR codes that customers can scan to access nutritional information about the food and drinks inside. The company will debut the new packaging in the U.S. this week and release it in global markets in 18 languages throughout the year. QSRWeb.com (1/17)       Restaurant News  CFO: Chipotle may raise menu prices in 2013 Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill may raise prices later this year to offset higher commodity costs, CFO Jack Hartung said at the ICR XChange investor conference on Thursday. The chain is also planning a major multi-media ad campaign set to launch in March. Chicago Tribune (tiered subscription model)/Reuters (1/17)       Other News Hooters debuts new prototype in Texas American City Business Journals/Atlanta (1/17)       Happy Hour  Fast-casual chains boast more booze Nation's Restaurant News (free registration) (1/17)       Cocktail sales slow in December PizzaMarketplace.com (1/15)       American malt whiskey bests Scottish versions in expert taste test The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (1/15)       Leading Voices  Can your eatery handle higher premiums? A raft of foodborne illnesses and natural disasters drove up claims on restaurants' property and casualty insurance policies in 2012, which in turn will fuel a significant rise in premiums for many operators this year. Mitigating risk upfront is always best, but there are other ways to cope with higher costs, including credits and discounts for specially-trained employees, experts say. QSR Magazine (1/2013)       For Wendy's, breakfast is not the most important meal of the day Wendy's will keep breakfast on the menu at about 400 locations, but it has scrapped the morning meal at many restaurants and has no plans to expand it to new stores any time soon, CEO Emil Brolick said. The company took a $14.6 million charge to write off equipment at stores with lackluster breakfast sales. BurgerBusiness.com (1/18)       First couple cuts a swath across D.C. dining scene People heading to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration and looking to get a taste of the first family's dining preferences have plenty of options. The Obamas frequent many local restaurants, with favorites ranging from burger joints to five-star eateries. The Washington Post (1/16)       ChowNow finds backers for online ordering platform A group of venture capital firms has invested $3 million in ChowNow, which last year launched a Facebook and mobile ordering system that's now in use at hundreds of U.S. restaurants including 30 Ground Round locations. TechCrunch (1/16)       Culinary Spotlight  Quickserves upgrade menus to woo guests Taco Bell's premium Cantina Bell menu is one of the latest examples of how quickserves have been working to bring back business as fast-casual concepts raise the bar, a trend that began with McDonald's launch of the Angus Third Pounder burgers in 2009, industry watchers say. "Quickserves are looking at what fast casual delivers that consumers find so appealing," said NPD Group analyst Bonnie Riggs. Entrepreneur online (1/17)       Movers & Shakers  Boneheads taps former Rubio's chief for CEO post American City Business Journals/Atlanta (1/17)       Food for Thought  If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep." --Dale Carnegie, American author and motivational speaker       Click here to view more job listings. Restaurant SmartBrief Partners SmartBrief delivers need-to-know news in over 100 targeted email newsletters to over 3 million readers. All our industry briefings are FREE and open to everyone—sign up today! Accounting Advertising Automotive Aviation & Aerospace Biotechnology Business Chemicals Construction & Real Estate Consumer Packaged Goods Distribution Education Energy Finance Food Service Health Care Insurance Legal Manufacturing Media & Entertainment Nonprofit Retail Technology Telecommunications Travel & Hospitality   Subscriber Tools SIGNUP   SEND FEEDBACK   E-MAIL THIS BRIEF Today's Brief - Permalink | Print friendly format | Web version | Privacy policy Advertise Publisher, Food & Beverage:  Chris Warne (917) 605-0413 Download Media Kit Job Board:  Jackie Basso (202) 407-7871   SmartBrief Community: Most Clicked Facebook Twitter Publish your Press Release Blog Who's Hiring LinkedIn Get this RSS Feed Search Archive Grab this Widget About Download a SmartBrief Mobile app today     Recent Restaurant SmartBrief Issues: Thursday, January 17, 2013 Wednesday, January 16, 2013 Tuesday, January 15, 2013 Monday, January 14, 2013 Friday, January 11, 2013     Lead Editor:  Patricia Smith       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004     © 1999-2013 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information