The Restaurant Revitalization Plan is moving toward a conclusion. Sonic Drive-In stores had some unique abilities to deal with the pandemic. McDonald’s and its franchisees might meet in a courtroom over technology charges. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

Advance U.S. retail sales show consumers continue to spend. Sales at food services and drinking places increased significantly in April. The consumer price index showed inflation is on the rise which affects consumer confidence. A survey of foodservice employees indicated many held negative feelings toward their employers. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

The Restaurant Revitalization program is off and running. Restaurants are reopening and labor remains scarce. Instead of following other operators who furloughed staff, Bloomin’ Brands chose to keep its staff and that approach is starting to pay dividends. Despite their labor challenges, restaurants accounted for 70% of all the new hires in April.  These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

The National Restaurant Association’s performance index showed a sharp increase in March but the organization urged caution in evaluating the results. Double-digit growth in personal income may have set an all-time record. Fast feeders now dominate the restaurant market. NAFEM members discuss supply chain issues. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

Operators prepare to apply for grants under the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Jobless claims fall yet restaurants struggle to find employees. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

Retail sales, including restaurants and bars, had marked improvement in March. Food prices increased, raising concerns regarding inflation, as restaurants reopen grocery store sales fall. Questions arise about Subway’s future. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

Some operators find more questions than answers regarding the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The National Restaurant Association reports more operators plan to invest in their businesses. Pizza Chain Lou Malnati’s is reportedly up for sale. Costco brings back its food courts while McDonald’s and Subway bail out Walmart. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

The National Restaurant Association’s February Restaurant Performance Index contrasts the past with the future. Several chains report increased sales. Many reports on the economy this week, both government and private, were very positive. Foodservice operators hired heavily in March. Saladworks plans to open 90 non-traditional locations. Technomic Inc. reported that the top 500 chains had total sales decline by 8.0% last year. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

Off-premises dining seems to be well established with a lot of consumers. Chipotle is introducing a new store design that features drive up service. Two major restaurant acquisitions were announced. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

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Restaurant relief inches forward. Famous Dave’s will test a fast-casual prototype. Consumers flock to McDonald’s for its new chicken sandwich.

The Restaurant Performance Index edged up a bit in January. Household income rose at a near record pace in January. One financial analyst thinks McDonald’s crispy chicken will be a major success. Texas Roadhouse is working on a fast-casual restaurant as well developing a burger chain. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

Some foodservice industry heavyweights back Foxtrot’s expansion. Bloomin’ Brands virtual chicken concept flies the coop en route to national expansion. A major Jack in the Box franchisee has declared bankruptcy. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

Off-premises dining became a staple for most consumers during the pandemic and it may remain that way long-term. Thanks to an executive order FEMA now pays 100% of costs for restaurants providing food to soup kitchens and food pantries. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

DoorDash acquires Chowbotics, maker of the salad-making robot. Virtual restaurants continue to add units at a fast pace. A bill before Congress promises to provide financial aid to restaurants. Restaurant employment declined by 19,400 in January. Restaurant chain Golden Chick chain introduced a new modular design. New York City’s restaurant week was so successful it will now go on for an entire month. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

Restaurant operators see some hope on the horizon. Taco Bell claims the top spot on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 list. A legal case has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court that may decide if business interruption insurance covers losses due to the pandemic. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

Support for ghost kitchens grows. McDonald’s and other chains say stimulus money is driving sales but will it last? Starbucks will help Washington state distribute vaccine. Friendly’s is sold out of bankruptcy to Amici Partners. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

Total U.S. retail sales fell in December, including, unfortunately, foodservice and drinking places. Darden’s pandemic era plan relies on curbside service. More than half of Chipotle’s sales come from digital means and the chain is making major changes to its business. Almost 60% of C-stores saw in store sales increase last year but the number of C-stores declined for the third consecutive year. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

The stimulus package is here – all 5,000 pages of it. Could Texas Roadhouse have 1,000 restaurants someday? Wendy’s and the Flynn Restaurant reach an agreement on the nearly 400 Wendy’s units previously owned by the now bankrupt NPC. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

Restaurant performance declined sharply in November. Industry leader Darden’s sales are being hammered by pandemic. Punch Bowl Social, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and Rubio’s Coastal Grill made news in bankruptcy court. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

November retail sales were discouraging. A restaurant sues its insurance company for non-payment of business interruption policy. Schlotzky’s focuses on off-premises business with two smaller store prototypes. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

Wendy’s disputes the Flynn Restaurant Groups’ move to buy NPC International. McDonald’s locks horns with some of its franchisees over the elimination of rebates and the cost of technology. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

Restaurants get creative to reassure customers and keep them safe. Gift Card sales at Christmas can significantly affect a restaurant chain’s annual financial performance. Ghost kitchens continue to expand. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

Restaurants showed a “modest gain” in October. A MSNBC story documents the problems restaurants have encountered with the pandemic. The National Retail Federation predicts fairly strong sales for this Christmas season. Two major studies report a decline in consumer confidence in November. The Charleys Philly Steaks chain signed a deal to put its restaurants in Walmart stores. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

Sales at foodservices and drinking place sales declined slightly in October. Luby’s has been approved for liquidation by its stockholders. Bankrupt NPC International has attracted attention from a variety of suiters, including the Flynn Restaurant Group and Wendy’s. Starbucks will give its employees a pay raise. These stories and more in This Week in Foodservice.

Restaurants need government assistance now. Papa John’s grows its business by adding new customers not selling more food to existing ones. A Stanford study that refers to restaurants as COVID-19 “superspreaders” is highly flawed, according to the National Restaurant Association. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

Some encouraging data emerges from the quarterly earnings reports of the three major foodservice distributors. Foodservice operators hired 192,000 employees in October. Wendy’s recorded its highest comparable store sales in 15 years and is turning to the drive thru to keep things moving. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

The restaurant performance edged up again in September. White Castle will expand its test of robotics. Bloomin’ Brands seems convinced it has a winner with its delivery only concept, Tender Shack. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

A stimulus package emerges that will hopefully assist a lot of restaurants. The Food Institute finds some surprising facts in Yelp data. The survival of restaurants may depend on their landlord. McDonald’s is one of the top 10 most valuable brands in the world. These stories and whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.