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“It has been a huge hit for us. The brave don’t hesitate to give it a try but others are often urged by others who have tried it and loved it,” says Mike Meehan, co-owner (with Chris Dodge) of Fat Guy’s Burger Bar in Tulsa, Okla. “I would say that 90% of the people who [...]

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 [...]

Well, well. McDonald’s will begin selling bagged ground coffee under the McCafé brand at the majority its 1,400 restaurants in Canada beginning g Nov. 8. This comes just weeks after BurgerBusiness.com’s exclusive report that McDonald’s had trademarked its name for ground/whole-bean coffee. Our inquiry to McDonald’s was dismissed with, “We register a lot of trademarks. [...]

Just last week, BurgerBusiness.com reported that “Sources say a new Whopper topped with Wisconsin white Cheddar cheese is coming soon to Burger King’s menu.” Welcome to soon. In line with Burger King’s new strategy of sending out new menu items in waves, like fashion collections, the new Wisconsin White Cheddar Whopper—which also is available in [...]

Hardee’s this week added a new Ribeye Steak, Egg & Cheese Biscuit to its morning menu. The item combines thinly sliced rib-eye steak, a folded egg and Swiss cheese on one of the chain’s signature Made from Scratch buttermilk biscuits. It’s $2.99 alone or $4.69 in a combo with Hash Rounds and beverage. Sister chain [...]

It’s all about market share, says McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson, and the chain plans to improve share by emphasizing the “entry level” Dollar Menu, Daily Double and Bacon McDouble burgers while encouraging trade-up to premium-price items such as its new pair of CBO (Cheddar Bacon Onion) Angus and chicken sandwiches. Thompson promised that the CBO [...]

Burger King Worldwide announced a coffee deal for its Latin America/Caribbean (LAC) division, naming Nestlé Professional the preferred supplier for a new specialty-coffee menu coming to those markets. The deal covers not only Nestlé’s soluble—i.e. instant—coffee but also the company’s coffee equipment. Burger King restaurants in LAC markets will use Nestlé Professional’s Nescafé Milano platform, [...]

Memphis-based burger chain Back Yard Burgers filed a pre-negotiated Chapter 11 reorganization plan on Oct. 17, 2012, with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The Southeast regional QSR characterized the filing as the final phase of a plan to restructure debt, reduce operating expenses, and “position Back Yard Burgers to grow its [...]

The latest survey of McDonald’s franchisees conducted by Janney Capital Markets analyst Mark Kalinowski offers some insight into how remodeling investments and marketing programs such as discounting are viewed by some operators. Their unease about the cash-flow impact of “re-imaging” contrasts with the standard corporate view that such investments are vital to keep brands relevant [...]

Seeking to remake its floundering Mimi’s Café chain, parent Bob Evans Farms is testing a new prototype that is simultaneously French and American, upscale and budget-friendly. And there are burgers. The chain’s Valencia, Calif., location is the first of three Mimi’s to receive a brand makeover (ostentatiously dubbed by the company the “French Revolution“) that [...]

[Wisconsin? Well, maybe later. BK has brought back the California Whopper but just in 4 West Coast states. Read details here. It's trying out the King Deals discount program in San Diego. Read here.] Burger King is heading north for the winter. The chain that created the Carolina BBQ Whopper and Texas BBQ Whopper for [...]

The Wendy’s Company announced that in March 2013 a new version of its logo will be introduced on packaging, advertising, crew uniforms, restaurant signage, menuboards and websites. The iconic Wendy character (modeled on founder Dave Thomas’s daughter) remains but with an updated look. This is part of a larger brand transformation being directed by Craig [...]

Officially, May is National Burger Month, but only because someone we can’t name has so designated it declared so by White Castle in 1992. October, however, has made itself an equally important month for burgers because it’s a great way to celebrate Oktoberfest. Not surprisingly, most of the month’s burger creations are riffs (with varying [...]

Esquire magazine announced its list of the Best New Restaurants of 2012 and there’s refreshing news: Seven, or nearly half, of critic John Mariani’s picks include a burger on their menus. That’s in contrast to Bon Appetit’s list earlier this year that included not a single burger-loving restaurant. Let’s praise the best of the best [...]

Coffee is a $2 billion-plus business for McDonald’s in the U.S., but the chain is signaling an interest in following Dunkin’ Donuts, Tim Hortons and others into the coffee-retailing business. On Sept. 18, 2012, a U.S. trademark registration was filed for the McDonald’s name specifically covering ground and whole-bean coffee. Asked for comment on the [...]