Something Big is Eating Your Old Favorite Restaurant Chains
It's not the best of times to be running a casual dining or fast food chain. Their sales are sputtering because another restaurant category is eating their lunch.
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Wendy's First-Quarter Profit Tumbles 83%
Wendy's first-quarter net income falls 83 percent from a year ago, as the fast-food icon seeks to transform its image.
Panera Tries a New Pay-What-You-Want Experiment -- with Chili
Order a bowl of turkey chili at a St. Louis-area Panera Bread cafe and it'll cost you a penny. Or $5. Or $100. In other words, whatever you decide.
Burger Giants Follow Panera and Subway Toward Upscale Fare
McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King have been rolling out new sandwiches that will pit them against Subway, Panera, and even the gourmet burger joints.
Soft Sales at Red Lobster Sink Darden's Earnings
Consumers' increasing preference for fast-food outlets such as Chipotle and Panera take a toll on Darden's third-quarter earnings.
Popular Restaurants Have Secret Menu Items
Secret menus. McDonald’s has one. So do Burger King, Subway and most other fast-food chains. These are items that, for various reasons, are not on the regular menu, but can be had if you know what to ask for.
With Panera and Chipotle Earnings, 'Fast Casual' Is Hot
Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill are the leaders in this new trend of 'fast casual'. That's the position between fast food and more formal restaurants with waiter service. Itâs also the sweet spot in price. Both companies are out with solid quarterly earnings.
5 Things that Will Move the Market This Week
Among the things sure to help shape the week ahead on Wall Street, Visa will tell us whether we've been choosing plastic over paper; Disney will tell us how much magic it has in its financials; and Panera and Chipotle will serve up their quarterly results.
McDonald's November Sales Figure Rises
McDonald's said Monday that a key sales figure rose in November, as U.S. customers snapped up the world's biggest hamburger chain's breakfast offerings and limited-time Cheddar Bacon Onion sandwiches. The increase follows a decline in October.
Has McDonald's Menu Gotten Too Expensive?
McDonald's in October suffered its first monthly decline in comparable-store sales since 2003 -- and October is usually a good month for the burger giant. So what did Ronald do wrong? Too much focus on premium menu items, too little on what its customers really want: Low cost eats.
Wendy's Updates Logo as Part of Revamp
Wendy's pigtails are getting a tweak. The Dublin, Ohio-based fast food company is updating its logo in a move intended to signal its ongoing transformation into a higher-end hamburger chain.
Can Restaurant Sales Predict Who Will Win the Presidential Election?
A recent Los Angeles Times article surveyed the eating habits -- and political affiliations -- of American restaurant goers, which made us wonder: If a restaurant chain's sales are booming, are the politics it's associated with gaining favor too?
P.F. Chang's to Go Private: Buyout Bid Adds a 30% Tip to Stock
Shares of P.F. Chang's soared nearly 30% Tuesday after the restaurant chain agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Centerbridge Partners in a $1.1 billion deal. Here's what it all means for the rest of the dynamic casual dining industry.
3 Restaurant Stocks That Are on Fire
Panera Bread and Buffalo Wild Wings posted better-than-expected quarterly profits this week, and Chipotle Mexican Grill came through with a blowout quarter last week.
Sad to See Friendly's Fail, But It Was Inevitable
This ice cream lover is sure she's not alone in harboring affection for Friendly's, which started out as a Depression-era ice cream shop. But when its parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday, she certainly wasn't surprised.
Five Restaurant Stocks Worth Sampling Now
Legendary investor Peter Lynch espoused the philosophy "Buy what you know." Well, who doesn't know restaurants? We know where the crowds are, and we know what we like to eat. Here are five chains that managed to grow during the market lull, positioning themselves perfectly for the future.
Peter Lynch's Investing Advice to His Daughter Works for the Rest of Life, Too
When you're the daughter of investment guru Peter Lynch, it's kind of hard not to pick up great financial advice from dear old dad, even when he's not going out of his way to give it to you. That was the case for Annie Lukowski, one of three daughters of the famed Fidelity Investments Magellan fund manager.
Trapped Outside Paradise at Denver International Airport
How hard can it be to get a really good chicken walnut sandwich at Denver International Airport? Depending on when you land, a lot harder than you'd guess. And it's not just Denver: The problem of airport restaurants that are closed when passengers are still arriving is irritatingly widespread.
