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consumers

Financing

Lower-income consumers pull back at Olive Garden

 By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 21, 2024

Guests earning less than $75,000 are visiting the casual-dining chain much less than last year, parent Darden Restaurants said Thursday.

Operations

Early birds are perking up traffic at Olive Garden

 By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 19, 2024

More customers are visiting the Italian casual-dining chain in the late afternoon and early evening, which has helped lift transactions, according to data from Placer.ai.

Technology

7 tech takeaways from the National Restaurant Association's annual forecast

By Joe Guszkowski on Feb. 06, 2024

Restaurants will add more technology in 2024, even as some consumers say they’ve had enough, according to the State of the Restaurant Industry report.

Consumer Trends

Why Reddit couldn't stop talking about Taco Bell last year

By Joe Guszkowski on Feb. 05, 2024

The chain made headlines with a slew of new menu items, but it was something else that drove discussion online.

Food

The Trader Joe's effect: How the grocery chain is a gateway to global flavors for restaurant customers

By Patricia Cobe on Jan. 12, 2024

With its accessible and affordable array of international products, Trader Joe’s opens consumers’ palates to unfamiliar cuisines. But it can work both ways, say operators—restaurants also provide taste experiences that benefit retail sales.

Food

These are the big menu trends to watch in 2024

By Patricia Cobe on Jan. 03, 2024

After scouring dozens of end-of-year industry reports, we gathered the predictions that rose to the top. Here’s what the forecasters say will most impact menus and operations in the year ahead.

Consumer Trends

The holiday season is looking particularly merry for restaurants this year

By Peter Romeo on Dec. 06, 2023

Projections call for heavy purchases of both on-premise and to-go meals, while consumers are already spending more on gift cards.

Consumer Trends

Cost-conscious consumers trade down from restaurants to c-stores

By Chuck Ulie on Nov. 30, 2023

As menu prices rise at fast-food restaurants, customers are looking to convenience stores for meal deals.

Consumer Trends

Here’s why some Thanksgiving turkeys are getting tanked

By Peter Romeo on Nov. 21, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: Deep-frying a whole bird is no longer a novelty. But the alternative prep method was largely unknown until recent decades. Here's how the process evolved from crazy notion to viable option.

Consumer Trends

How consumers and restaurants are changing Thanksgiving this year

By Patricia Cobe on Nov. 17, 2023

Menu prices are up. Restaurant traffic is down. And grocery inflation is easing. How will Turkey Day 2023 shape up?

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