Idea Articles

This week: Paying big money to eat dirt. Christmas comes to the Rockaways thanks to a California restaurant owner. A thief-proof cash register. And San Francisco restaurants aren’t serving dirt, but they are treating their guests and employees like it.

Some bad ideas from the Carolinas. The Associated Press wants to deliver news in a unique way to your diners. And a New York burger joint has a good idea for dealing with vandals.

Quickservice chains are cashing in on coffee. McCafe espresso-based beverages account for a substantial portion of McDonald’s revenues. The chain also sells packaged coffee in Canadian stores and may offer bags of McCafe Premium Roast in the U.S. For its part, Wendy’s upgraded its coffee program last year with the Redhead Roasters line and Burger King has partnered with Seattle’s Best Coffee.

As much as QSRs want to compete with fast-casuals—introducing higher-quality menu items and other experience-oriented amenities—many established players in the fast-casual sector want to emulate QSRs in one critical area: stay-in-your-car convenience. But can a segment established around the idea of cooked-to-order food, customizable menu options and an enhanced experience within the four walls deliver the kind of speed that consumers have come to expect from a drive-thru? And can they do it without compromising the all-important brand proposition of fast-casual?

Tip pooling might be a bad idea. Begging for business might be a good one. Keeping your mouth shut can also be a good idea. Telling cops they can’t eat at your restaurant is never a good one. But none of that matters because the apocalypse is today. Hope you have your promotion lined up.