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In anticipation of having to explain Arby’s sales performance to Wall Street next month, Wendy’s/Arby’s Group President-CEO Roland Smith announced a leadership change for the troubled chain. When Q4 and full-year 2009 sales are reported next month, Smith at least has evidence the company is trying to make something happen. So Arby’s President-CEO Tom Garrett [...]

[2011 Update: The Prime Chophouse returns! Read it here.] How does a chain bounce back from an 11.2% drop in same-store sales fueled by an 11.9% decrease in guest counts? That’s what Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (and Wall Street) asked itself after those negatives were the brand’s reality through the 40-week period ended Oct. 4, [...]

CKE Restaurants this week recycles some menu ideas, reduces some prices and also launches something wholly new. Carl’s Jr. launched the Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger (left), a new menu item that the chain proclaims has “all the comfort and deliciousness of the grilled cheese sandwich mom used to make.” First girlie salads, now a reference [...]

Ruby’s Diner certainly isn’t lacking burger choices on its menu, but there’s always room for more. Especially Kobe burgers. That’s why the chain on Feb. 2 adds a new menu of five “Ruby’s Ultimate Kobe Burgers” at its 33 Southern California locations. Each of the new burgers is 100% American Kobe beef served on a grilled [...]

Well, that didn’t take long, did it? About 10 months after McDonald’s first introduced the Mac Snack Wrap in Canada and less than one month after being rolled out across the U.S., the burger-in-a-tortilla has its first impersonator. The only real surprise is who is doing the mimicry. The Papa Burger Wrap introduced this week by A&W All-American Food [...]

McDonald’s reported some impressive sales gains for 2009, but did so with little help from U.S. restaurants in the 4th quarter. Globally, same-store sales were up 10% for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2009, but rose only +0.1% in the U.S. (up 1% in December). For full-year 2009, global comp sales rose 3.8% and were [...]

[June 3 Update: See new Chili's burgers here.] Chili’s Grill & Bar turns its advertising/marketing focus to its revamped Big Mouth Burgers and its Bottomless Express Lunch deal as it ends its “3 Courses, 2 People, $20″ promotion and introduces a totally rethought and ultimately slimmed down menu. It likely won’t be the last casual-dining [...]

The National Restaurant Association today released its 2010 Restaurant Industry Forecast, and it’s just about as upbeat as anything gets in this economy: The rowboat will be taking on less water and sinking less slowly than in the past several years. In data terms, that means NRA sees the foodservice industry hitting $580 billion in F&B [...]

That sound you heard yesterday was restaurant chains strapping on armor in anticipation of hand-to-hand combat for consumers dining dollars. That battle preparedness manifested itself as a remarkable flurry of executive changes, especially among those in top marketing spots, as brands reassess their strategies and their progress. Scorecard ready? Here’s who has moved and where: [...]

The increasingly popular answer to the question “What can you do next with burgers?” is to swap toast for the bun and create an old-fashioned patty melt. San Antonio-based Whataburger is the latest to join this trend, reviving its Patty Melt sandwich at its nearly 700 stores. Both the single- ($2.89)  and double-patty ($4.64) versions [...]

Back Yard Burgers today formally launches its redesigned Web site with the addition of a new burger to its menu and new tools intended to broaden its reach and deepen its communication with customers. The new limited-time menu offer is a Smoked Gouda burger with caramelized onions and aïoli, which is just the sort of Black Angus [...]

Happy Monday! There were a few interesting tidbits you may have missed last week: ► Researcher Ace Metrix released its list of the most-effective TV commercials of 2009, with effectiveness defined primarily as persuasiveness. The overall winner? Rubbermaid storage containers with interlocking lids. That says something about Americans’ desire to have their world put in [...]

Starting today, you can read BurgerBusiness.com for free at 11,500 U.S. McDonald’s locations as the chain shifts from paid to free Wi-Fi connections. It’s a bit of a gamble since the chain took in respectable change in the past from charging $2.95 from two hours’ connection. But with Starbucks giving holders of an active Starbucks [...]

[The Bacon & Blue was intro'd nationally on Feb. 22. See update here. It is a limited-time menu option, but we're hearing B&B will stick around awhile!] There’s more applewood-smoked bacon coming. Wendy’s/Arby’s Group President-CEO Roland Smith this morning told analysts at Cowen & Company’s 8th Annual Consumer Conference that the chain will introduce its Bacon [...]

McDonald’s Corp. displayed its management bench strength and its historic preference for internal promotions as it elevated three of its top executives. Don Thompson, 46, was named president and chief operating officer for the company, succeeding Ralph Alvarez, who last month announced his retirement. Thompson joined the company in 1990 as an engineer in the [...]