βurgerβusiness

The menu differentiation between Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and its fast-casual spin off Red Robin’s Burger Works continues to blur. Added today as the latest item for Red Robin’s menu is a Red’s Tavern Double burger with two beef patties topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and “Red’s Secret Tavern Sauce” on a toasted sesame [...]

◙ Judging by the positive feedback following her first appearance, many diners will be more excited to see actress Morgan Smith Goodwin (below) return this week to Wendy’s advertising than they are to hear about the side dishes she’s promoting. Wendy’s, as noted before, is pursuing a Geico-like strategy of having multiple ad campaigns, each [...]

You can disagree, if you wish, with Midwest Living magazine’s list of the 25 best burgers in the region. The glory of the business is that there are enough great burger joints to let everyone have a different list. But you can’t fault the editors’ efforts. They looked hard. These 25 were culled from 130 [...]

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 [...]

Wendy’s announced today that it will sell Quebec-favorite “poutine” at its 368 restaurants in Canada, but the most interesting additions to the chain’s marketing strategy have been its belated embrace of social media and its side track into merchandise sales. Poutine—traditionally brown gravy and cheese curds over french fries—joins the new Signature Sides collection rather [...]

Nothing builds an intimate bond like a shared secret. For years, In-N-Out Burger benefited from a “secret menu” that only aficionados knew about. Wink and ask for a “2-by-4” and you got two burger patties with four slices of cheese. A request for your burger “Animal Style” got you mustard, pickles and grilled onions. Now [...]

Having already scored well with the Chicken Tender Wrappers it added in December 2010, Hardee’s this week begins wrapping up breakfast as well. The chain’s new Breakfast Wraps are offered in two varieties: a Bacon Egg ‘N’ Cheddar Wrap (at left) with egg, two bacon strips and Cheddar cheese sauce; and a Sausage Egg ‘N’ [...]

Wendy’s announced the addition of two new limited-time sides—macaroni & cheese and baked sweet potatoes—confirming earlier expectations. Chili Cheese Fries also arrive as a new permanent side option. Each of the three is priced at $2.49. The mac & cheese is cavatappi pasta combined with a sauce made with Vermont Cheddar and American cheeses, milk [...]

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 [...]

McDonald’s results for Q1, ended March 31, embody what’s good and bad about operating in 119 countries. CFO Peter Bensen said its multinational power allows it to be “leveraging our size and strength in ways others cannot match.” Being global also means that the chain knew Chicken McBites would sell in the U.S. because the [...]

Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard isn’t one of the big boys, but neither is it a corner burger joint. Publicly traded and based in Golden, Colo., the “better burger” chain has 43 locations, most of them in Colorado. This week Good Times President-CEO Boyd Hoback, with the chain since 1992, announced a “financial advisory [...]

We were warming up to the “new Wendy,” the sassy redhead in the backseat with the winning smile in Wendy’s “Now that’s better” commercial that broke April 4. Now the chain throws us a curveball and brings back the other Wendy, the original Wendy, in spots breaking this week. Late founder Dave Thomas’s daughter Wendy [...]

If it sometimes seems that McDonald’s has grown so large that it owns the sun, the moon and the stars, well, it’s so. Last month, McDonald’s Corp. filed separate federal trademark applications for the moon/stars and sun depictions that, back to back, form the logo for its 24-hour operations. The chain is beginning to incorporate [...]

McDonald’s efforts to defend the quality of the food it serves and the suppliers who provide it have the chain embroiled in controversy again. This time the debate rages in Australia over what McDonald’s claims was an independent documentary about it but that critics claim was simply an hour-long advertorial. The program, “McDonald’s Gets Grilled,” [...]

Ever the contrarian, CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder thumbed his nose at most burger-chain trends as he vowed to keep Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s selling indulgent burgers to “young, hungry guys.” Specialty coffees like McCafé offers or frappés like Burger King has added? Nah. Puzder said he’s not interested in the “more-variety approach.” Also not [...]