FDA’s New Rule on Sanitary Transportation Drives Home Importance of Technology
On April 5, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food rule. This is the sixth rule of seven...
The Minimum Wage is Rising… As Should Employee Accountability
In California, the “fight for $15” didn’t have to reach a ballot vote, as was initially expected. Just the prospect of the November ballot...
Donating Unsold Food: It’s All in the Process
Starbucks recently announced that it would donate 100% of unsold food that’s still safe to consume to help feed the hungry. With 7,600 Starbucks...
Norovirus Prevention Can Be Measured
Google “norovirus” and what appears is basically all you need to know—“winter vomiting bug.” But what should also appear is a “reoccurring nightmare...
First USDA-Certified Restaurant is Well-Timed Alternative
Like most good ideas, it started with a problem. Erica Welton, a former Costco food buyer, was frustrated by the lack of clean, quick options at...
Brand Auditing for QSRs
Anyone familiar with our software solution knows that we’re staunch advocates for executing at the store level. But sometimes you need to zoom out and...
Learning from Subway’s Sandwich Compliance Lawsuit
Welcome to the 21st century, where anyone with a cell phone can turn your marketing campaign on its head. It was an “awkward moment” in 2013 when...
McDonald’s ‘Create Your Taste’ Borrows from C-Stores’ Playbook
QuikTrip, Sheetz, Rutter’s, Wawa. All of these convenience store chains have cult-like food followings, and all of them have something important in...
Successful Marketing Programs are Living, Breathing, and Changing
Scott Gerber has been referred to as the “Simon Cowell” of young entrepreneurship. He gives folks a kick in the pants to get their ideas off the...
The Hidden Advantages for Multi-Unit Franchisees
I recently encountered an interesting comparison to being a multi-unit franchisee. For some people, it’s like having a tattoo—they find they can’t...
Raising the Bar on C-Store Restroom Cleanliness
As I sit on an airplane reflecting on restroom cleanliness, my friend has just stood up to use the facilities. (Inconveniently, he has a window seat.)...
Coca-Cola’s Big Strides with Smaller Packaging
If you’re familiar with the hit television show, “Mad Men,” you know it ends with a reference to Coca-Cola’s iconic “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke”...
Your Out-of-Stock Problem Runs Deeper Than an Empty Shelf
In your common retail “nightmare,” customers come into your store looking for a hot product, and you don’t have it. They walk out and you lose the...
5 Things to Check Before Closing a Restaurant
What should be on your checklist before leaving? Here are five important things to remember every night before closing: 1. Clean up. No really...CLEAN...
Auditing Hardware Inventory for Smarter Kitchen Operations
It it’s not broken, don’t fix it. That’s the conventional wisdom. But if it’s breaking down every other week during your most profitable daypart, then...
5 Things to Remember Before Opening Your Restaurant Today
Photo by Alex Ermolin When opening a restaurant, whether in the morning for breakfast or afternoon for lunch hour, it’s important to take the time to...
How CPG Rebate Verification Grows Your Brand
CPG (consumer packaged goods) rebate verification works a lot like the "gold star" system in grade school. When retailers are compliant and correctly...
Cage-free Eggs: It’s Time to Give a Cluck
The Humane Society: " What Your Egg Label Really Means" If you keep up with food industry news, you know that there has been an enormous push toward...
Green Box and the Future of Pizza & Recycling
It’s no surprise that the American economy is headed towards a green-friendly industrial model. This growing green economy has sparked creative ways...
5 Ways to Get More from Your Merchandising Audits
So, you’ve revamped the way your field reps conduct merchandising audits. Now you’re using mobile software to track compliance from product facings...
Fast-Food Giants Battle for Consumers’ Breakfast Bucks
Breakfast is no longer just the most important meal of the day—it’s the most talked about meal of the day! The expansion of fast-food breakfast menu...
Performing Regular Delivery Driver Audits Protects Employees and Customers
What is your corporate policy on delivery drivers? If you’re about to say, “We leave it up to the franchisees,” you may have a $32 million problem on...
Pizza Hut’s $5 Flavor Menu Raises Stakes in QSR Competition
For Pizza Hut, a new year has meant a new opportunity to redefine value for customers. This opportunity is evident in the new $5 Flavor Menu. “Our...
The ‘Healthy’ Fast Food Debate
If I went to a healthy fast food chain, could I order some jumbo shrimp? Not to be flippant, but it seems like an oxymoron. For too long, “healthy”...