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Red Robin Gourmet Burgers is rethinking its full-service restaurant model top to bottom—from name to service style to menu—as it also expands its fast-casual concept, Red Robin Burger Works. Red Robin reported its Q3 results today, which include a 3.4% increase in total revenues and a 1.1% increase in same-store sales for company units. More [...]

Continuing its strategy of rebuilding its menu with waves of new items rather than with one LTO at a time, Burger King is readying Phase II of its new menu. Where the Phase I Summer Menu, introduced in June, was about beef, pork and BBQ flavors, the next wave—which should go national by or shortly [...]

[Update: the Memphis BBQ line was officially unveiled on Tuesday. Read the release here.] Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s are preparing to deal themselves into the game that Burger King started with its June introduction of a Summer BBQ Menu. But as is their style, the CKE-owned chains plan to trump BK’s items with a bigger, [...]

David Woolley joined Red Robin Gourmet Burgers as its executive chef in June 2006. He oversees culinary development for the Greenwood Village, Colo.-based chain that has more than 460 company-owned and franchised casual-dining restaurants.  Previously, Woolley directed the kitchens at The Fort restaurant in Morrison, Colo., and had been chef-owner of The Antero Grill in [...]

How do you convince diners to pay more for a higher-quality burger? The most persuasive menu term is also one of the least specific. Speaking at last week’s 2012 Protein Innovation Summit hosted by Meatingplace magazine, Technomic Executive Vice President Darren Tristano presented data on consumer attitudes to beef quality (not just burgers). According to [...]

Burger King Holdings announced positive sales everywhere but the U.S. and Canada despite the introductions of new burgers and new advertising. Burger King reported a Q4 profit of $29.4 million, compared with a $93.9 million loss a year ago. Revenue declined 0.7% to $580.6 million. Systemwide same-store sales were +1.2% thanks to significant gains in [...]

[Update on beef prices: Wendy's says it has had to up the price of its new W cheeseburger from $2.99 to $3.19.] Burger King sales may be improving but not enough to avoid being flame-broiled by higher beef prices, the chain’s largest franchisee reported this week. But management told analysts they are encouraged enough by [...]

Prepare for a parade of new indulgent burgers, flatbread sandwiches and wraps at the high end of the price spectrum. In the past week, top executives at both McDonald’s and Wendy’s have signaled their desire to develop new premium-price items to balance value-menu and mid-price foods added last year in the face of an economy [...]

Urban planner/architect Daniel Burnham’s mantra was “Make no small plans” and that philosophy ruled Wendy’s annual Investor Day event on Monday, an upbeat revival meeting for Wall Streeters that made Burnham’s plan for developing Chicago look timid. Wendy’s sees a path to its future, and its one that includes a new, secretive, code-named ad campaign [...]

“The headline is, ‘We’re staying on the move in 2012,’ ” McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner told analysts today in announcing Q4 and full-year 2011 sales results. But if that was the headline, the subhead was “So operators should stop squawking.” Skinner and other McDonald’s executives were addressing Wall Street analysts in their conference call, but [...]

Ah, chains can menu chicken if they must but they can’t stop trying to perfect better burgers, can they? Wendy’s can’t. GrubGrade reports that in Wichita, Kan., the chain is testing yet another premium burger line that it’s calling Black Label Hamburgers, a name reminiscent of top-shelf spirits. This is the same chain that shocked [...]

Blue cheese is back and Hardee’s has it. Those who still lament the passing of the Bacon & Blue, Wendy’s blue-cheese-topped LTO burger from February 2010, will welcome the arrival of new blue-cheese burgers: Hardee’s Steakhouse Thickburger line. Available in premium-size/price Six Dollar version or 1/3-lb. or ¼-lb. sizes, the burgers are topped not just [...]

Although the new Dave’s Hot ‘n Juicy Cheeseburgers won’t be in Wendy’s restaurants nationwide until Oct. 3, the chain this week began online marketing for the line, including unveiling a new TV commercial for what may be its most important menu introduction in years. Wendy’s began testing the new 40% thicker burgers in Las Vegas [...]

[So where's the Firecracker Asian menu? Patience. It's rolling out.] Ξ Wendy’s on Monday (Aug. 22) is expected to introduce a new line under the Firecracker Asian name, according to operators. All of the items include, yes, chicken, as well as won ton strips and teriyaki sauce/dressing.  At the value-price end there’s a Firecracker Asian [...]

Wendy’s said it, like other restaurant chains, will need additional selective price increases this year (after taking a late-March hike) due to food costs that are rising beyond expectations. Beef costs should be up 20% this year rather than the 10%-15% rise previously forecast. Overall food prices could be up 5%-6% and not the 2%-3% [...]