We power over 160,000 restaurants. So you can imagine the data that sits in our platform. This data creates value for operators, allowing them to benchmark prices and identify opportunities for improvement.
High energy prices are kryptonite for the housing market. Affordability, especially for those first-time home buyers, is now an elusive dream until oil prices come down and interest rates come down.
While bacon and eggs only made their way to the breakfast table in the 1920s, the processed meat has been part of the American diet since pigs first arrived on the continent in the 1500s. These days the average American eats around 18 pounds of bacon annually.
Not that long ago, restaurant chains like Cava, Chipotle and Sweetgreen had lines streaming out of their doors at lunchtime. But last year, traffic and sales at many of them softened considerably, and their stock prices plunged. Still, don't look for this restaurant segment to slash menu prices any time soon. It's simply not part of its DNA, some restaurant analysts say.
Franchisees have had to put prices up. We've worked really hard not to do that, but we've had some significant incremental cost flow through the employment changes that came through. A lot of brands have really pulled back - they've either put their prices up massively or they've pulled back on their service. I think we've got the balance right in terms of how we've approached it.
The study, highlighted by the Denver Business Journal, tracked a range of operating expenses, including labor and food costs, and found Denver's overall per-unit burden has now edged past New York's. The Feb. 27 piece points to menu price inflation and wage-driven cost spikes as the main forces behind the crossover.
Mix and Match lets diners choose among 13 items - four sandwiches, three salads and three soups - to include in a combo. Each half sandwich, half salad or cup of soup is $4.99, but you have to choose at least two. The total comes to $9.98.
When you work in the operating world, you are in the weeds of your business. For example, at SoFi I knew all the nuances of different types of student loan forbearance programs and at Brex I knew the minutiae of the Mastercard transaction chargeback rules. This contrasts with my experience as a private equity investor where I look at purchasing a business ranging from a chain of laundromats to Ancestry.com within the same month.
Many of us take the simple, everyday task of grocery shopping for granted. You walk through the doors, grab a cart, throw in the things you need, pay the (ever-increasing) bill, and then go on your way. In theory, it should be simple. But actually, grocery shopping can be challenging, especially when the things you need aren't on the shelves.
The rising cost of food has been tough to deal with everywhere, and it's particularly hard to accept how much Dunkin's prices have increased. It's not that the coffee chain should be exempt from the forces that have driven up fast food prices over the last five years, but Dunkin' has always been a value refuge from Starbucks and other competitors that like to pass themselves off as a little bit fancier.
Building strong relationships with your suppliers can lead to better pricing and exclusive deals. Negotiate contracts and explore bulk purchasing options to reduce costs. Utilizing seasonal ingredients not only enhances the freshness of your dishes but also reduces costs. Seasonal produce is often cheaper and more readily available.
The brands that excel are those that recognize the importance of engaging with their audience long before the show floor opens and continuing that engagement well after it closes. Today's decision-makers-operators, distributors, chefs, and F&B directors-are selective about their time and budget. They arrive at trade shows with clear agendas and short attention spans, making it crucial for exhibitors to establish a presence prior to the event.
New data from Bristol-based hospitality recruitment platform Limber shows that average shift hours posted by hospitality businesses in 2025 are down 30% compared with 2022, underlining the depth of pressure facing operators across the industry. According to Limber, average monthly shift hours per business have fallen from 112 hours in 2022 to just 79 hours in 2025, as venues attempt to control costs by running leaner rotas and reducing reliance on flexible labour.
For many, going out to a restaurant is a treat, so the last thing anyone wants is bad food. That really puts a downer on the whole experience. That's why we turned to Reddit to see what restaurant workers would never order. After all, they spend most days in the kitchen or serving customers, so they see and hear things behind the scenes that most of us don't.
My house used to have Thai Tuesday. We'd order takeout from our favorite local spot, happily trading time at the stove and a sink full of dishes for curries and noodles that arrived hot and delicious. At a little more than $10 a plate, it felt like a splurge but a manageable one. An easy-to-rationalize indulgence on a random weeknight when everyone was tired and hungry, and no one wanted to talk about quinoa.
From umami-rich seasoning blends that transform basic proteins to plant-based alternatives that finally match their animal counterparts in taste and texture, this year's picks solve real operational challenges while exceeding guest expectations. Key categories making our watch list include functional beverages with proven health benefits, ready-to-use sauces that eliminate prep time without sacrificing quality,
When you dine out instead of making your own meal, there's a trade-off: What you gain in convenience, you lose in terms of knowledge and control. Customers rarely know exactly how their orders are made, and more restaurants rely on frozen food than you might guess - even for "premium" items like steak. We've rounded up four popular chain eateries that have been rumored to use frozen steaks.
A sharp increase in grocery bills arrived soon after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. As supply chains all around the world were suddenly disrupted, the cost of pantry and fridge staples noticeably increased. But once the pandemic was over, prices kept climbing, resulting in a sharp and rapid inflation, the likes of which we haven't seen in half a century.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess what people usually order at Pizza Hut. Nonetheless, this pizza chain offers items beyond standard pizza with offerings ranging from cheesy breads to melts and wings - we even ranked some of the most popular Pizza Hut menu items. Apparently, pizza lovers want something other than cheese-covered bread to go with their pies, and wings seem to be quite popular as Pizza Hut currently offers an impressive range of boneless or traditional wings with a slew of flavor options.