DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Despite a difficult quarter, McDonald’s looks resilient in the face of various pressures, analysts say — something the company shares with U.S. consumers overall. “The spotlight is always on McDonald’s because it’s so big” and something of a “bellwether,” she said. That spurred former President Donald Trump to sling fries this month at a Philadelphia-area McDonald’s in a photo op. Like many major brands, McDonald’s raked in big profits as the economy reopened from the pandemic. “The thing that McDonald’s had struggled with, and why I think we’re seeing kind of an inflection point, is a value proposition,” Senatore said.

Persons: McDonald’s, Mickey D’s, Chris Kempczinski, Kempczinski, Gordon Haskett, ” Kempczinski, Ravi Dhar, ”, Sara Senatore, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Mickey D’s ’, Senatore, they’d, —, Eric Thayer, ” Senatore, Sam Oches, Oches, ‘, “, Jim Salera, Stephens, Jack Kleinhenz, hasn’t, “ They’re, ” Oches Organizations: U.S, Yale University’s Center, Bank of America, Bloomberg, Getty, Coca, Walmart, Target, Walgreens, JetBlue, Democratic, National Retail, JPMorgan Locations: U.S, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Amazon

☆ 'Swicy' items take over restaurant menus as Gen Z seeks heat
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Nearly 10% of restaurant menus have "sweet and spicy" items, up 1.8% over the last 12 months, according to market research firm Datassential. Common menu items have paired fruity flavors and chili powder, or used sauces like hot honey and gochujang, a red chili paste that's a popular Korean condiment. Courtesy: StarbucksAlthough the menu items were largely only available for a limited time, culinary experts think that the swicy trend has staying power. Buzzy, trendy menu items are more important now to restaurants, which are leaning on both discounts and innovation to attract diners and reverse declining sales. Limited-time menu items are particularly attractive to Gen Z customers, a key demographic because they account for roughly a fifth of Americans.

Persons: Randy Shropshire, trendologist Kara Nielsen, Nielsen, Jeffrey Saad, Hadar Cohen Aviram, McCormick, Cohen Aviram, Gen Zwicy Organizations: Coca, Getty, Food Institute, Box Intelligence, Sweet, Food Network, Istock, Nielsen, McCormick Locations: Chico, Thermal , California, U.S, San Francisco, Korean, Cholula

☆ How birria took over restaurant menus across the country
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Birria burrito surrounded by birria tacos, birria munchwrap, birria loaded fries and birria consommé at Little Miner Taco in North Bethesda, Maryland. Birria tacos use the slow-cooked meat as a filling and usually include a consommé on the side to dip the taco. Over the past four years, birria has seen its presence on restaurant menus grow 412%, largely thanks to midscale and casual-dining chains, according to market research firm Datassential. More recently, birria took off in New York City, with restaurants and food trucks serving up tacos and consommé across the five boroughs. Finding opportunityQdoba's Brisket Birria, seen here in the chain's quesadillas.

Persons: birria tacos, birria, Laura Chase de Formigny, chiles, El, Del, Taco Bell, Scott Suchman, Steven Alvarez, Alvarez, Don Guadalupe Zárate, Birrieria Gonzalez, TikTok, Qdoba's Brisket, Katy Velazquez, Qdoba, Velazquez, Lamb, Liz Hafalia Organizations: Little Miner, Washington Post, Getty, John's University, Butterfly Equity, San Francisco Chronicle, Hearst Newspapers Locations: Little, North Bethesda , Maryland, Mexican, U.S, Del Taco, Jalisco, Washington ,, St, Europe, Americas, Tijuana, Mexico, Los Angeles, California, New York City, Oakland , California

☆ Hungry at 3 am? You’re out of luck now
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Not even all of 24 Hour Fitness’ gyms — the promise is right in its name — are 24 hours. The city that never sleeps, New York, has lost 13% of its 24-hour restaurants. Around half of IHOP’s 1,800 locations are back to being open 24 hours on Friday and Saturday, at the very least. Ed Endicott/Alamy Stock Photo/FilePete’s was open 24 hours, seven days a week from the 1990s until the pandemic hit in 2020. Despite the signage, Mi Tierra is no longer open 24 hours in San Antonio, Texas.

Persons: hasn’t, Waffle, ”, Alex Barakos, Ed Endicott, Pete’s, Barakos, “, Hudson Riehle, Edward Hopper’s, Harold, Kumar Go, Stephen Zagor, Pete Cortez, Michael Silver Geo, “ There’s, ” Cortez, ’ ” Cortez Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walmart, Hollywood, Alamy, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “, National Restaurant Association, Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, Columbia Business School, of Locations: New York, Covid, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, White, ”, New York City, San Antonio, Mi, San Antonio , Texas, Tierra, tuxedos

☆ IHOP rolls out biscuits menu nationwide for the first time as the chain fights slowing sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

For the first time ever, IHOP is making its biscuits menu available nationwide. Starting Monday, IHOP's sales — and Dine Brands' stock — could get a boost from its biscuits menu. The breakfast biscuit sandwich, with a choice of a side, will be available until Sept. 26 for $7 to appeal to budget-minded consumers. In line with that trend, IHOP crafted its biscuits menu to be versatile. More than a fifth of IHOP's sales come from to-go orders.

Persons: IHOP, Kieran Donahue, Donahue, Wendy's, Datassential Organizations: Dine, Dine Brands, CNBC, Southern Locations: Datassential, U.S

☆ Restaurants expect strong sales this summer. Consumers aren't so sure
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Warmer weather usually boosts restaurant sales, but diners may hold back for the second straight summer as inflation weighs on consumers' minds — and wallets. In addition to higher restaurant bills, diners were also paying more at the gas pump and in grocery stores. Restaurant sales snapped back in August, which Black Box Intelligence attributed to higher consumer confidence levels as gas prices fell. Nearly half of operators surveyed by Datassential anticipate higher sales or improved traffic this summer season. Summer typically ushers in a wave of seasonal restaurant jobs to meet higher demand, particularly in the Northeast and tourist destinations.

☆ Question: How are some bars boosting profits? Answer: Trivia nights
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

In February, she begged friends to come to Talea's first trivia night, fearing only a few players would show up. NYC Trivia League, which hosts trivia at over 100 venues across New York City, recently surpassed its weekly event count from early 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Brooklyn Brewery has been hosting trivia nights with the NYC Trivia League since 2019. Bumpy road to recoveryWith so many new venues hosting trivia nights, Kostyo cautioned bars may "cannibalize each other" as more businesses try to plant their flag in the trivia space. On a trivia night, we are easily doubling our sales from the previous night.

☆ McDonald's is opening 1,900 restaurants in 2023. Here's what it costs to open a McDonald's restaurant
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Hayley Peterson | Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

McDonald's franchise fee is $45,000. But McDonald's restaurants posted average domestic sales of $4 million in 2021, according to the chain's franchise disclosure report for 2022. Initial investment costs for running a McDonald's range from $1.4 million and $2.5 million — including the franchise fee. The rent for most new McDonald's restaurants ranges from 10% of total gross sales to $15.75% for new restaurants that have opened since January 1, 2020. But by mid-December 2022, McDonald's had grown to 13,666 US restaurants, according to preliminary store count data obtained from market research firm Datassential.

☆ Sweetgreen is among the 12 chains Taco Bell owner, Yum Brands, could buy as the company's CFO tells investors it's hunting for an acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

A Yum Brands exec said the company was "scanning categories" that don't compete with its brands. Analyst Mark Kalinowski identified 12 chains Yum Brands could target, including Sweetgreen. Habit was Yum Brands' latest acquisition — it purchased the fast-casual chain in March 2020 in a deal valued at $375 million. Zoe's Kitchen could be a buy target for Yum Brands, a veteran analyst wrote in a research note last week. "It has a market cap bigger than I would have expected, so it'd be an expensive purchase for Yum Brands."

☆ Inflation forces mom and pop restaurants and chains like McDonald's to lean on their strengths
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In response to that drop-off, both chains and independents are working to address the cost factor without alienating diners. Aaron Allen, founder and CEO of restaurant consultancy Aaron Allen & Associates, compared restaurant chains to oil tankers and independents to speedboats. Kate Bruce, owner of The Buttery Bar in Brooklyn, said she's been facing higher costs for everything from labor to cooking oil to energy. Portillo's restaurant chain CEO Michael Osanloo said independents do have greater flexibility when it comes to changing prices. Consumers care more about prices when they're visiting a chain restaurant, according to findings from a survey of roughly 2,400 U.S. consumers conducted by PYMNTS.

☆ Restaurant operating hours are still shorter compared to 2019, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

States with Democratic governors saw steeper reductions to restaurants' hours than those led by Republicans, according to the report. Every state except Alaska saw a decrease in restaurants' average weekly operating hours. Eateries have trimmed their weekly operating hours by 7.5%, or 6.4 hours, compared with pre-pandemic schedules, according to a new report from Datassential . Denny's weekly hours have fallen by nearly a third, while Texas Roadhouse , IHOP and Subway have all seen their averages shrink by double digits. Those chains' significant drops in operating hours are likely due to the reduction of diners and other eateries that are open for 24 hours.

☆ Here's what it costs to open a McDonald's restaurant
▼ + stars: | 2016-08-04 | by ( Hayley Peterson | Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

McDonald's restaurants posted average domestic sales of $4 million in 2021, according to the chain's franchise disclosure report for 2022. Initial investment costs for running a McDonald's range from $1.4 million and $2.5 million — including a $45,000 franchise fee. Total costs to launch a franchised Chick-fil-A restaurant range from $219,055 to $2,912,697, according to the chain's 2022 franchise disclosure report. Chick-fil-A restaurants, which are only open six days a week, average more than $8 million in sales annually among non-mall locations. But by mid-December 2022, McDonald's had grown to 13,666 US restaurants, according to preliminary store count data obtained from market research firm Datassential.

Search resuls for: "Datassential"

12 mentions found