Foodservice Management

Starbucks Corp. is no longer selling alcohol.   The chain will stop selling beer and wine as it brings to an end to its "Evenings" program. The program, currently in operation in 439 company-owned stores in the United States, will end Jan. 10, although it may continue overseas. Also, Starbucks plans to integrate beer and wine into its new higher-end Roastery format.  

Amazon’s new service is helping Prime members to get dinner on the table faster.   By integrating Alexa into Amazon Restaurants, the retail giant now enables Prime members to voice-order their next meal through their Alexa-enabled devices, including the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot. Customers can place orders from any restaurant available on the service in more than 20 cities by saying, “Alexa, order from Amazon Restaurants.” Any meal they’ve ordered before will delivered to their door for free in an hour or less.

With some 2,975 team members in its 123 company-owned restaurants and support center, Fazoli’s, the nation’s largest fast-casual Italian restaurant chain, estimates 210 employees are directly impacted by the Department of Labor’s new overtime rules. CSA spoke with company president and CEO Carl Howard about the chain’s strategy regarding the regulations, which take effect on Dec. 1.

How do you think the new overtime rule will impact your workplace?

With some 2,975 team members in its 123 company-owned restaurants and support center, Fazoli’s, the nation’s largest fast-casual Italian restaurant chain, is addressing the Department of Labor’s new overtime rule head on. CSA spoke with Carl Howard, president and CEO of Fazoli’s, about the company’s strategy regarding the new regulations, scheduled to take effect December 1.   How do you think the new overtime rule will impact your workplace?

Come this winter, shoppers in frigid Minnesota will be able to escape to a tropical paradise without leaving the state.

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant will open a location at Mall of American, Bloomington, Minn., on Sept. 20. The 315-seat restaurant and bar will be Margaritaville’s first in the state of Minnesota.

Ice cream lovers in Lebanon will soon have a new confectionary option, as Cold Stone Creamery has announced plans to open multiple locations throughout the country over the next few years, beginning with the capital city of Beirut.    Kahala Brands, the parent company of Cold Stone Creamery, has granted MNM Investments Lebanon SAL, part of M1 Group, the master franchise rights to Lebanon under a 10-year master franchise agreement.  

One of the earliest adopters of the build-your-own pizza concept has notched North Louisiana in its expansion belt.   PizzaRev, the fast-casual pizza banner backed by Buffalo Wild Wings, announced that a franchise agreement has been signed to develop the chain throughout the northern part of Louisiana. Franchisees are lrestaurateurs Cassidy King and Mark Florsheim.  

Restaurants now dominate retail for 15% of all sales, a point ahead of grocery for the top area of expenditure. Now it’s time for the special conditions of retail leasing to dominate the minds of shopping centers owners and managers, according to CBRE experts.  

Quick-service restaurant chain Quiznos has promoted global chief marketing officer Susan Lintonsmith as its new CEO.   Joining Quiznos as chief marketing officer in 2012, Lintonsmith was instrumental in opening the China market and leading the opening of the Quiznos Grill premium sandwich concept. Previous roles in her more than 25-year career include serving as a consultant to Einstein Noah Restaurant Group and as chief marketing officer of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.  

Starbucks Corp. is growing its store portfolio on a couple of different fronts.   The company plans to open stores under a new banner, called Starbucks-Reserve only, that will have a decidedly upscale twist. The brand will sell premium, small lot reserve coffee in a store space that is about twice the size of a typical Starbucks, zachs.com reported, and feature more of a café atmosphere.