Bertucci's

Michael Mina relinquishes CEO duties to an unexpected choice

The celebrated chef wants to spend more time in the kitchen, cooking up new concepts. So he brought in a professional chain manager.

Bertucci's

Tuscan-style Italian fare and brick-oven specialties in a relaxed setting

The company has a potential buyer in a deal valued at $20 million.

Move over carrots and broccoli. A variety of “new” vegetables is showing up on restaurant plates. And it’s not happening in fine dining alone. Many chain and casual concepts are incorporating items like kale, beets and Brussels sprouts on their menus—inspired by chef-driven dishes at more upscale spots.

More than half of the restaurant industry’s $491 billion in sales come from the Top 500 chains. And these giants grew at a modestly stronger rate, both in terms of sales and store counts, than the industry overall. Restaurant Business focused on the leading 250 performers to identify trends for our first-ever special report delivering lessons from Technomic’s annual Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. This special package includes lessons for all operators from the largest chains by segment, menu category and more.

The Italian chain is known for its pizzas and brick-oven specialties

Communal tables and shareable small plates may have spawned the social dining trend, but today’s customers want more. Gen Y—aka the Millennials—are leading the charge. And they spend a lot more of their disposable income on dining out than other generations.

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