News on QSR, Restaurant and Food Service Trends

A study by the British-based World Action on Salt and Health, or WASH, compared the salt content of 260 food products under global brands such as KFC, McDonald's, Kellogg, Nestlé, Burger King and Subway. Not a single product surveyed had the same sal...

McDonald's proved Thursday it's not immune from the world's economic problems, as the fast-food giant disclosed June sales (McDonald's Q2 results) that were below Wall Street's expectations, prompting a selloff in its stock.McDonald's shares fell $2.73...

In Taiwan, the Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yeh Ching-chuan said a sweeping examination of cooking oil used by 1,580 restaurants and samples from oil producers and importers shows no traces of the toxic heavy metal arsenic.He assured consumers ...

U.S fast food company McDonald's Corp (MCD) will move its European headquarters from London to Geneva later this year due to concerns over taxes in the U.K., the Sunday Telegraph reported. The report said McDonald's, which opened its first restaurant ...

At first glance, the menu at La Papa may fail to impress some jaded NYC diners. After all, it’s “just” a place that sells topped baked potatoes. But to dismiss La Papa so quickly would be doing both the restaurant, and yourself, a disservice. Modeled ...

How's this for a global marketing strategy? Each month target a different international market with an ad that offends some segment of the population, then, after earning a lot of media attention, apologize and pull the ad.   That's the pattern of off...

The search for New Zealand’s top chip shop kicks off this month, with registrations opening for shops wanting to take part in the ‘That’s Life! Best Chip Shop Competition 2009’. This year, competing shops can gain extra points in the Competition if at ...

Chain restaurant operators throughout California said they are prepared to comply this week with the first phase of a state menu-labeling mandate, but many noted that preparation did not immediately include posting calories on menus and menu boards. Be...

Newly released research from a trio of sources points to slowed restaurant industry sales trends and weakened consumer confidence in the early summer months, snapping a string of recent positive news that had sparked operator optimism.The National Rest...

In New York City, it was a straightforward suggestion that left a lingering aftertaste in many people’s mouths: The city’s Department of Health and Hygiene exhorted restaurants and food manufacturers and the marketers serving them to reduce sodium cont...

Idaho Fry Co. co-owner Blake Lingle said Tuesday that he and his business partner met with officials at the Idaho Potato Commission and came to an agreement on a new name for the business. Plans for a naming contest were scrapped in favor of resolving...

Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. (NYSE: WEN) today announced an agreement with Saudi Arabia-based Al Jammaz Group to build 135 dual-branded Wendy's(R) and Arby's(R) restaurants in nine countries in the Middle East and North Africa over the next decade. This...

Restaurants could see their margins squeezed as inflationary pressures return to the commodity markets, especially as the chains find it harder to wean customers off a steady diet of meal deals. Analysts expect higher ingredient and energy costs for re...

It is still an uphill climb for Benguet’s potato growers (Phillipines) who hope to clinch a niché in the lucrative French fries industry. The province produces most of the country’s supply of potatoes. It is there where the best varieties are grown. An...

La mayor cadena de comida rápida a nivel global, McDonald's, reportó un crecimiento de 5.1% en sus ventas de mayo (en los locales abiertos hace al menos 13 meses), empujado por la fuerte demanda en Europa y la región Asia Pacífico. Sin embargo, el cre...

Maybe the owners of the Idaho Fry Co. should have done a little more research before picking a name for their startup restaurant in Boise.On the other hand, their alleged violation of the Idaho potato trademark hasn't exactly hurt business.Traffic pick...

A negotiated bipartisan agreement by three U.S. lawmakers that combines key elements of two existing Senate menu-labeling bills is drawing wide praise from inside and outside the industry. Sens. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Tom Carper, D-Del., and Lisa Murkowsk...

McDonald's Corporation announced today that global comparable sales rose 5.1% in May. Comparable sales increases by segment were as follows: U.S. increased 2.8% Europe increased 7.6% Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa increased 6.4% "May's st...