The National Restaurant Association gave awards to four restaurant owners as part of their Faces of Diversity campaign for 2011. Owners are rewarded for embracing diversity within their business. The Ethiopian owners of Mesob, Amporn Vasquez at Pizza by Elizabeths and McDonald’s franchisee Richard Castro were among those honored.
Mesob is an authentic Ethiopian restaurant in New Jersey that is run by the sisters Berekti and Akberet Mengistu. They were honored with a Faces of Diversity of award by giving back to the community after finding a new life away from the terrors of the Red Terror campaign. Both sisters volunteer for local charities, including fund raising events and the local soup kitchen.
Richard Castro owns 20 McDonald’s locations in the El Paso area of Texas. Richard provides scholarships funded by his successful business for Hispanic students attending college. He used his determination to rise above a poor childhood with few role models. More than 14,000 students have received a total of $20 million from Castro for education.
Tom Wilscam, the business expert who helped launch chains like Einstein Bagel Company, says that start up restaurants often fail due to ten common mistakes. These mistakes include a lack of planning, owners and managers with no prior experience, and hiring staff without personally checking their references. His business helps new restaurant owners succeed in this difficult industry.
The fresh and healthy focus on Saladworks has brought it this far, but the company is planning to update their menu and style even further. The new store design, codenamed “3G”, began implementation in new stores built after 2008. The design focuses on ease of use, making getting and out faster for customers. New graphics and flooring completed the package.
Chili’s Grill & Bar has added a promotion for the upcoming tax day. On April 18th taxpayers can come in and enjoy a free appetizer or dessert by printing a coupon or accessing it on your smart phone. The only item on the menu exempt from this deal is the Triple Dipper appetizer tray.
While the amount of traffic reaching nation restaurants is picking up again after the slump, total check amounts are dropping. American families are eating out again, but they’re ordering less. Water has become the most common beverage choice because few dining chains charge for it. Despite a slight 1.7% rise in check totals during 2010, costs shot up far more to compensate.
Huddle House‘s 400 location chain now has a new CEO. The Board of Directors named Ken Keymer to the position temporarily in September 2010, and was recently awarded the position full time. Huddle House has weathered the economic downturn well due to its wide range of menu choices and 24 hour operation.
Shane’s Rib Shack may have just 66 restaurants, but they’ve entered 12 states and are pushing their new expansion campaign into Alabama. The first location in the states opens this Friday, April 15th in Birmingham. BBQ is very popular in the city and the company and franchisees felt that the restaurant would be a good fit for the state.
Arby’s is opening their second Air Force base location at Ft. Stewart. Unlike opening a civilian chain, opening a location on armed forces property requires Army & Air Force Exchange Service cooperation. The AAFES chose Arby’s as their new chain restaurant offering for military installations after a long and deliberate search for the best fit.