Idea Articles

The annual—slightly off-kilter—gathering of marketing, human resources and operations leaders known as Summer Brand Camp just finished up in Dallas. Put on by People Report and Black Box Intelligence, the conference stuck closely to its summer camp theme: attendees earned merit badges, there was a raucous talent show and our camp councilors taught us a lot to take home. Here are some of the lessons:

Ideas are systematically fed to attendees of the NRA show through seminars, demos, exhibits, and the constant networking, among other ways. But RB’s editorial team spotted a few beyond those usual channels. Here are some innovations that you may find thought-provoking:

The Cheesecake Factory, with its Small Plates & Snacks menu section, is in the vanguard of the small plates trend. Its more than two dozen items represent an array of global cuisines and eating styles, everything from Vietnamese Tacos to Parmesan Polenta Fries to Mini Corn Dogs.

At the height of the recession, restaurateurs resorted to head-turning deals to drive traffic. Now that the economy is more or less in recovery, are consumers still seeking deep discounts, or are they more interested in a unique experience, an innovative menu or some other differentiating factor? All of the above, according to operators and industry experts who gathered for the 2013 NRA Show last week in Chicago. But first let’s hear what they have to say about that supposed recovery.

Whatever you do, do it well,” said Walt Disney, and for anybody who has visited a Disney property it’s obvious one of the things they do—and do well—is customer service. The Disney Institute, which was created to provide business solutions and insights to other industries, has been working with restaurants, recently showing up in New Orleans to help restaurants get ready for the onslaught of Super Bowl customers.