Restaurant News Roundup: August 2018

From the plastic straws, to baby Harland Sanders, August was filled with plenty of restaurant industry news. It was hard to narrow it down to just a few but we think you’ll enjoy our choices. Below is a recap of restaurant news that hit the wire in August.

Delivery Represents 3% of all Restaurant Orders

It’s no surprise that delivery has taken over the restaurant industry. But what does that mean for operators? Delivery is driving operators to rethink on-premise dining as a whole. According to the latest research from the NPD Group, delivery visits are up 10 percent and sales are up 20 percent since 2012 with digital orders accounting for 52 percent of all delivery. “As delivery grows, it offers [operators] an opportunity to imagine how to set [themselves] apart from competition,” said David Portalatin, NPD vice president industry advisor-food. Read how restaurants like Saladworks and Schlotzsky’s are implementing delivery as a revenue stream.

What It’s Like to Carry around a Reusable Straw

Movement for restaurants to drop plastic straws is building and many early adaptors are ditching the nondegradable drinking utensil. In New York City, over 130 independent restaurants have signed a pledge to provide customers with paper, wood or metal sippers in lieu of the plastic version. Big chain operators like Starbucks and McDonalds pledge to ditch straws through a phase out process. As the momentum builds, operators may fear how diners would adjust to the change. Check out this story and see what millennials think about using a reusable straw.

The Lowdown: Banning Kids From Restaurants

A restaurant in Germany has banned children under the age of 14 from eating there after 5pm, saying there is a good reason for the ban. According to Rudolf Markl, owner of Oma’s Kuche, children were knocking over wine glasses and making a mess of his restaurant while parents were unphased. Markl isn’t the first operators to ban children from restaurants. An Australian restaurant, Flynn’s, banned children under the age of seven after an altercation with a family. Shortly after announcing the ban, the restaurant reported its highest weekend profit ever. However, many parents do not see children bans as the answer and are taking to Yelp to write diners-beware reviews. What do you think of this ban? Is it childish for restaurants to implement this policy or are they tacking a stand for their business?

KFC Wants You to Name your Child after Colonel Sanders

KFC is trying to bring Harland Sanders back by announcing it will award $11,000 towards a college education to the first baby born on Sept. 9 who is given the name Harland. The chicken-chain wants to honor their founder, Colonel Harland Sanders, by moving his name up the Social Security Administration list – which Harland ranked No. 3,257 on the most common baby names in 2016. Check out how you can submit your baby’s name to win the college tuition prize.

What Top Restaurants are Doing to Win the Labor War

Rising labor costs is making finding new employees more difficult than ever, causing restaurant chains to step-up recruiting. Many operators are trying to offer more career opportunities for staff but are finding it hard to innovate and attract top talent, let alone retain workers. Some operators focus on reducing food costs and becoming more efficient in order to retain and recruit talent. According to Chris Wunder, senior director of recruitment at Leap Hospitality, a Liberty, Missouri-based restaurant management consulting firm, some eateries have tried to pay managers more, give them more responsibility and work longer hours, which can save operating costs in the long run. Read how Texas Roadhouse, Nick’s Pizza & Pub and The Cheesecake Factory are tackling labor issues. < Subscribe to the blog for more interesting restaurant content!

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About the Author

Chrisea Chosta is QSR’s Product Marketing Manager. Chrisea graduated from Western Kentucky University and works to launch new product initiatives and develops product resources. In her spare time, you can find her spending time with family, her chocolate and black labs, and aimlessly walking down every aisle of Target.