OpenTable has pulled information from over 10 million reviews from diners to compile their newest Diner’s Choice Awards for the Top 50 foodie restaurants. 14 of the top 50 positions were claimed by restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area. New York City only had 5, showing that the country’s most exciting cuisine is found in metro areas in all regions.
Krispy Kreme is gearing up to celebrate National Coffee Day by giving away free coffee. Guests can receive a free 12 oz cup of the House Blend with no purchase necessary on September 29th. The giveaway will also introduce the chain’s new Krispy Kreme Signature Coffee Blends that were recently released.
Free food giveaways please both newcomers and loyal customers, but understanding the benefits to the restaurant takes some investigation. Most chains, like Chik-fil-A, are banking on introducing new people to their brand through the giveaway. Giving away free food also helps introduce new menu items that are drastically different from the usual fare at a chain.
In a recent interview Howard Schlutz, CEO of Starbucks, talked about his frustration with the actions of politicians who can’t work together to solve the budget deficit. He revealed that Starbucks plans to create 70,000 new jobs in the next year. He also discussed the chains’ plans for expansion which will involve a larger presence in Germany.
Zagat’s newest release is the 2011 Annual Survey results for the Los Angeles and Southern California area. The 25th edition of the yearly survey included the votes of over 11,000 diners on 2,000 different restaurants in the area. Positive feedback grew towards the restaurant scene, with 35% higher positive ratings in Los Angeles alone.
The Seasons 52 location in Indiana will now be under the management of Barbara Rafalowski. She’s worked as a managing partner at a variety of large restaurants including Stonewood Grill and Tavern in Orlando, Florida. She has the experience needed to handle the seasonal menu changes at Seasons 52 after completing 6 menu changes in 3 years with a previous employer.
GrubHub is an online service that works to link hungry diners with the right restaurants. To meet this goal, the company has acquired both Allmenus and Campusfood through the purchase of Dotmenu. Funding for further growth comes from a new $50 million credit agreement recently closed by Lightspeed Ventures and partners.
On September 29th the Ker’s WingHouse Bar and Grill will celebrate the opening of their 20th chain location. The new restaurant will also be located in Florida with the rest of the company’s existing locations. The chain is owned and was founded by Crawford Ker, a former player for the Dallas Cowboys.
In a month another Dickey’s Barbecue Pit location will open, raising the company’s total restaurants again. The new restaurant will be owned by a father and son team who are building their business in Kyle, Texas. The location opens just before the chain’s 70th birthday celebration later this year.
Chicago’s historic neighborhood of Lincoln Park is home to the newest Johnny Rocket’s restaurant. Owned by Bill Gomez, who owns five other Johnny Rocket’s in the state, it is the first restaurant for the chain to be a part of the Windy City. The grand opening was celebrated with free food and door prizes.
Tavistock Restaurants has appointed Jim Mizes to be the President of their FREEBIRDS World Burritos brand. After time spent leading brands like Jamba Juice and Noah’s Bagels Mizes comes well prepared to grow FREEBIRD beyond its limited niche. He’ll be responsible for developing a rapid expansion program for the company.
U-Swirl International is working on a partnership with natural health company Ageless Care Alternatives. The partnership will bring a U-Swirl location to Philadelphia. Ageless Care Alternatives chose to partner with U-Swirl after a careful examination of different frozen yogurt chains.