Panera expands delivery program to breakfast | Burger King debuts web portal for Black Friday | Chili's expands apprenticeship program to military veterans
Panera Bread will offer breakfast delivery from 381 restaurants by the end of the year, in markets including Washington, D.C., Dallas and Chicago, the company said. Digital channels now account for about one-third of Panera's total sales and breakfast delivery is expected to drive further growth.
Burger King's new Whopper Shopper site is a Black Friday promotion that features the banners of other brands to fund the cost of consumer's Whopper sandwiches. Through the pay-per-click campaign, every time a consumer clicks on an ad and purchases something, the brand pays Burger King and that money is used to fund sandwich vouchers.
Chili's Grill & Bar has opened its apprenticeship program to men and women transitioning from the military into civilian life. The program, created with a federal grant and partnerships with groups including the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, pays participants a salary while they train for supervisory jobs.
McDonald's has added Dasani bottled water as a Happy Meal beverage option and removed artificial ingredients from the Yoplait Go-Gurt that comes with the meal, the company said Thursday. The latest moves toward healthier kids' fare follows bigger changes launched earlier this year.
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Defining a brand that resonates with consumers and inspires customer loyalty is crucial in the competitive restaurant environment, writes Franchise Growth Solutions founder Gary Occhiogrosso. Consistency across advertising campaigns and marketing platforms is the key to building a strong brand.
Maintaining good relationships with vendors, staff and customers is just as important as cooking great food, chef Eric LeVine writes. "Your vendors can help you in so many ways: with quality products, seasonal lists, new items hitting the market and even a new approach," he writes.
Chick-fil-A's national delivery rollout in partnership with DoorDash proved popular with SmartBrief's food-and-beverage readers this week, as did a story about the Labor Department's tip-credit ruling. Kellogg made news with two stories and Procter & Gamble's reorganization plan topped the Top 10 list.
Bread made with rice flour was common in the American South during colonial times, and renewed interest in the Carolina Gold variety of rice has sparked a resurgence of rice bread. Bakers in North and South Carolina are creating loaves made with rice, such as the sourdough boule made with broken rice grains at La Farm Bakery in Cary, N.C.
China's spicy chili crisp condiment is a popular topper among chefs, who drizzle it on everything from noodle dishes to desserts. California's Wursthall added a dessert of ice cream drizzled with the Lao Gan Ma brand sauce for fall and also uses the condiment for a cucumber salad.
Restaurateurs, be prepared Nov. 22, because a number of consumers will supplement their traditional holiday meals with restaurant-prepared foods. Read more.
