Krispy Kreme has developed a new line of Halloween themed products just in time for the fall holiday. Three of their most popular spooky doughnuts will return, along with the new pumpkin flavored coffee. The donuts include a pumpkin spice cake, the Jack-O-Lantern and the chocolate iced donuts covered with icing spider webs or black and orange sprinkles.
Noodles & Company is bringing its unique menu of noodle dishes, salads and sandwiches to the Deerfield community. The restaurant will open on October 18 and is located in the Deerbrook Mall area. This brings yet another location to the region around Chicago. The menu combines flavors from American, Asian and Mediterranean cultures.
Drew Gooden, a forward for the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, has become the newest franchisee with Wingstop. His first agreement with the company secured him the rights to open four restaurants around Orlando, Florida. He’s been a part of the NBA for nearly a decade and is continuing to grow his own brand.
Boundless Brands has opened another combination location of Scooter’s Coffeehouse and Yoji Frozen Yogurt. The location opened in Omaha, Nebraska. There are two other co-branded stores in the state, and over 35 locations for Scooter’s Coffeehouse around Omaha. The Scooter’s brand is growing rapidly across the Midwest.
Elicott City’s Crab Shanty has changed its name and identity after over 30 years of business. The new Shanty Grille will feature an improved and updated interior and a broadened menu. Old classics like crab cakes will remain, but high-end small plates and appetizers are being added. The restaurant hopes to please both new and old customers with the changes.
Legal Sea Foods has released a new ad campaign that has environmentalists up in arms. On the heels of their Blacklist Fish Dinner, the television and radio ads mimic public service announcements about preserving the habitats for seafood. Instead of encouraging conservation, the ads encourage customers to eat the seafood instead of worrying about it.
Towns across the country are offering attractive tax breaks to bring some of Darden Restaurants‘ biggest brands to them. Restaurants like Olive Garden or LongHorn Steakhouse are causing towns like Decatur, Alabama and Bristol, Virginia to offer $300,000 or more in tax incentives. This is helping Darden pursue a continuing expansion plan.
The Coca-Cola Freestyle offers over 100 unique beverage options in a compact fountain machine. It has been testing in limited markets for a few months and customers are wowed by it. The touch screen allows customers to view a hundred different flavor options including natural fruit juice and rare European soda options.
Despite the effect that the failing economy has had on the restaurant industry for the past three years, the bakery cafe section has been finding higher growth and profits. The segment produces about $5 billion each year in sales and has about 3,600 units in the country. Bakery cafes are a new segment that largely emerged in the past five years.
As Burger King builds new restaurants, like the one in Ionia, they’re integrating technology in better ways. The Ionia location offers LCD screens in place of normal menus, allowing for quick changes and high quality displays of food images. It also offers Wi-Fi and the new Coca-Cola Freestyle machine.