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- More Americans give thanks over restaurant meals
Some 30 million Americans celebrated Thanksgiving at restaurant tables or over takeout meals last year, according to the National Restaurant Association. The trend is growing as consumers' lives get busier, restaurant consultant Bob Welcher said. For many eateries, opening on Thanksgiving pays off more in goodwill than profits. "It’s not a lucrative part of our business, just a way to be more of a part of what customers are doing," said Stan Riley, owner of Holy Smoke Barbecue. The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)
(11/13)      
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- Healthier consumers snack more often, study finds
People who eat the healthiest diets snack twice as often as those who consume less-healthy diets and eat 36% more snack meals annually, according to NPD Group. "We are no longer as averse to snacking as we used to be -- instead, snacking may be viewed as one way to improve healthy eating habits," said analyst Darren Seifer. QSRWeb.com
(11/12)
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How does your restaurant do Thanksgiving?
 | We offer our regular menu on Thanksgiving |
| We offer our regular menu, plus some Thanksgiving specials |
| We offer only a special Thanksgiving menu |
| We are closed on Thanksgiving |
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NYC eateries rally to raise Red Cross funds: Chef Angelo Sosa donated an entire night's proceeds to the American Red Cross last week. The $10,000-plus donation from the Añejo Tequileria in New York City's Hell's Kitchen went toward helping neighbors in need after Hurricane Sandy. Around the city, eateries and groups are organizing similar fundraisers. The Wall Street Journal
(11/11)
- NoshList aims to take the frustration out of wait times
Busy restaurants including San Francisco's Umami have turned to mobile applications such as NoshList to boost efficiency and make wait times less frustrating for patrons. The apps calculate the average wait time based on party size and track each party's actual wait time, freeing up guests to run errands and helping restaurants turn tables more efficiently, industry experts say. The Oakland Tribune (Calif.)
(11/12)
- When it's OK to drop "bad" customers
Foodservice industry veteran Ed Zimmerman learned years ago to set fear aside and drop toxic, unprofitable customers. It's a lesson pizza chains need to learn now, he said, by letting go of their fears about raising prices and instead focusing on creating a better product likely to draw a more profitable crowd. QSRWeb.com
(11/12)
- How 1 restaurant chain starts from scratch
Providing affordable fare that's made fresh from scratch using local ingredients is a challenge for chains with multiple units, but Joe's American Bar and Grill in Boston figured out how to make it work at its 12 eateries. "Our parent company helps keep costs down by bulk buying. That includes making commitments in advance to growers to ensure we always have fresh ingredients available," said concept chef Sean McDonald. FastCasual.com
(11/13)
- L.A. City Council votes to promote 'Meatless Monday'
The Los Angeles City Council has approved a measure that makes every Monday "Meatless Monday" in the city, aimed at encouraging omnivorous residents to pass up meat once a week in favor of a "more varied, plant-based diet." L.A. is the largest city to pass the voluntary resolution, but Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Raleigh–Durham, N.C. have passed similar resolutions. Time.com/Healthland blog
(11/12)
 | The one permanent emotion of the inferior man is fear -- fear of the unknown, the complex, the inexplicable. What he wants above everything else is safety."
--H.L. Mencken,
American journalist and essayist
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Quickservice restaurants and chains that were up and running quickly after Hurricane Sandy hit were most likely to rebound quickly from the storm, experts said last week. Suppliers including Sysco have gotten better at stocking store shelves in advance and restocking foodservice companies afterward, thanks to a large and growing cache of data gleaned from past natural disasters. 
