Pieology ends year as fastest-growing chain, becomes first build-your-own pizza concept to crack ranks of largest brands
May 1, 2015
Fast-casual brands in Technomic Inc.'s Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report increased their collective annual sales by 12.8 percent to $30 billion in 2014, and that growth rate was nearly double the next-largest increase from any other restaurant segment.
Subway, fellow giant chains losing market share to focused competitors, fast-casual upstarts in annual Top 500 rankings
March 23, 2015
The 500 largest restaurant chains in the United States accelerated their cumulative sales growth in 2014 to a 4% increase, totaling an estimated $274.4 billion. But some of the biggest brands among them, namely Subway and McDonald's, lost ground to focused-menu competitors and emerging fast-casual chains and reported overall sales decreases for the year.
Technomic's Consumer4Sight Group provides an in-depth view
March 10, 2015
One surprising pattern: More than half of eating-out occasions are unplanned or decided on impulse. At 53 percent of all dining occasions, the frequency of "eating on the fly" accounts for more than twice as many routine occasions (25 percent); special occasions account for just 22 percent of dining occasions.
NPD finds that high beef prices push consumers to choose burgers over beef entrees
January 27, 2015
Against tough competition from other sandwiches and flat to declining restaurant traffic, burgers ordered at U.S. restaurants and foodservice outlets had a banner year in 2014, finds foodservice market research from The NPD Group, a leading global information company. There were 9 billion servings of burgers ordered at U.S. restaurants and foodservice outlets last year, an increase of 3 percent compared to prior year, according to NPD’s ongoing foodservice market research.
Same-store sales and customer traffic results were mixed; Restaurant operators remain unimpressed by the economy
November 12, 2014
As a result of softer customer traffic levels and a somewhat dampened outlook among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) registered a moderate decline in September.
80 percent of restaurant visits are at quick service restaurants
September 29, 2014
The gap between high- and low-income groups is the widest it has been in 100 years, and the share of U.S. consumers who identify with the middle class has never been lower.
Breakfast popularity is on the rise, with Mintel predicting sales to increase by 22.1% between now and 2017. As more people eat breakfast away from home, chefs and operators need a continuous flow of new menu ideas to attract discerning patrons.
The move toward portion control in restaurants has proven a challenge for many foodservice operators, as they struggle to reduce portions, while convincing consumers they are still getting value for their money.