Sandwich stars
Sandwich creativity is at its peak these days, as chefs and menu developers treat a wide variety of breads as a blank canvas on which to practice their artistry. The examples here combine carriers, fillings and garnishes in inventive ways—these are not your ordinary lunchbox sandwiches.
Financing
Chipotle unwrapped
Everyone is clamoring to be the next Chipotle. So what are the secrets to success for this industry strongman? We pull back the foil for a closer look.
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.
Give entrepreneurs a trend and they'll try to exploit it. Present them with a groundswell like America's heightened interest in eating better, and you could incite a gold rush. Why, then, with weight loss emerging as a major and potentially permanent consumer anxiety, are there so few health-focused concepts in this year's newcomer roundup?