Find out the latest in foodservice
| Insights from the Leader in Foodservice Intel | | TOP 500 RESTAURANTS | | | Texas Roadhouse among brands smelling success with candles
“Our fans have been requesting Texas Roadhouse merchandise for years,” said Jerry Morgan, Texas Roadhouse president and CEO, in a statement.
The Louisville, Ky.-based casual-dining turned its signature item into a limited-edition candle and began offering it last week along with other merchandise. Texas Roadhouse house joins companies that range from New York based Shake Shack Inc., with its burger and fries duo candles from Apotheke, and San Antonio, Texas-based Whataburger Inc., with spicy ketchup candles among items that have been offered in its Whatastore. |
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| CONSUMER TRENDS | | | Carolina Barbecue: The popular slow-cooked pork
Food historians and anthropologists will tell you that barbecue requires slow cooking with hot smoke, but the category continues to evolve, and chefs and backyard pitmasters in regions where barbecue isn’t a traditional food are developing their own approaches.
79% of consumers who have tried Carolina barbecue either like or love it, according to Datassential. Carolina barbecue is found on 1.4% of U.S. menus, a 21% increase over the past four years. Click through the gallery to learn more about this Flavor of the Week and see how one restaurant is using it on its menu. |
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| FAST CASUAL | | | Chipotle Mexican Grill to pay $7.75 million in child labor law violations to the state of New Jersey
This is the second case regarding child labor law violations and the second workplace settlement this year for the chain.
“We believe that in hiring workers beginning at age 16, we can provide younger employees with valuable experiences and an opportunity for advancement,” said Laurie Schalow, a spokesperson for Chipotle, in a statement. The settlement is a result of a 2020 audit done by the state of New Jersey into Chipotle that found more than 30,000 violations including instances of minors working past the 40-hour work week. |
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| FINANCE | | | National Restaurant Association asks for relief for Economic Injury Disaster Loan recipients
Survey shows less than 25% of operators can afford payments that are due soon.
The EIDL program was created in March 2020 to provide a boost to small businesses that do not have strong banking relationships, and therefore might have had difficulty getting a Paycheck Protection Program loan. The loans had a 3.75% interest rate and a 30-year maturity. There was an automatic 30-month deferral period for payments, but that window is closing and interest debt has been accruing. |
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