restaurants

Today it was announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) a $4.5 million grant to launch a new training program for young adults who have been in the justice system and served time. This is the largest grant ever received by the NRAEF. The program is called Hospitality Opportunities for People...

McDonald's, the biggest food service company leads a $228 billion U.S. fast-food industry that faces slackening growth. After increasing 2.4 percent last year, revenue gains will slow to 1.5 percent this year and 1.6 percent in 2018, data from researcher IBISWorld show. McDonald’s shares have gained 5 percent this year, about the same as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Restaurants...

We love reading about how franchising can power growth for privately held companies. Any way you slice it, it's hard to imagine how the Achatz Handmade Pie Co. could establish 150 locations across the United States in the next five years without turning to franchising. Indeed, after 21 years the much-loved brand based in Michigan's Chesterfield Township has sold its...

Like many national chain restaurants, Buffalo's Cafe has a tagline: Buffalo’s Cafe – Where Everyone Is Family ™. Paul Dalrymple is one Buffalo's Cafe franchisee that took his tagline to heart. Before he said his "I do" Dalrymple and his future father-in-law had been partners in a Buffalo's Cafe franchise. Dalrymple now has three sons, and the family partnership now...

For Affordable Homes of South Texas (AHSTI) director Bobby Calvillo, whose job it is to help his organization build enough homes to meet the needs of low-income South Texan families, creating the means for having a constant positive cash flow was a top priority. So in 2012, Calvillo convinced the AHSTI board to build a Blimpie restaurant in Weslaco, Texas. In...

News has arrived of another point of sale (POS) security infiltration; one similar to those which compromised Target, Neiman Marcus, UPS, Michaels Stores, Walmart and SuperValu. We found details of the malware attack in a recent post on the personal finance website PFHub.com, "Malware Installed on Jimmy John’s POS System: Data Breach," which states that Jimmy John's fell victim to...

Franchising is booming. FRANdata says demand for franchise units is expected to increase more than 12 percent in 2014, the highest rate of increase in five years. Furthermore, the lending shortfall for franchises (that is, the difference between projected loan demand and loan supply) is expected to be one-half that of last year's figure. And yet, how frequently do you...

As foodie-ism invades American culture, news has arrived of a new trend — that fast-casual diners are looking for restaurants that excel at one thing, rather than offering dozens of mediocre dishes. In a recent post, "Huge, Terrible Menus are hurting McDonalds and Olive Garden," Huffingtonpost.com writes, "The days of a restaurant menu that reads more like a chapter book...

Time is money, so it makes sense that franchisors who value time by creating more of it are more likely to award more new franchises. That's the viewpoint shared by Joel Libava, a/k/a The Franchise King. "It has long been thought that organization is the key to success," writes Libava in a recent post on his website. "Business moves faster...

Nothing succeeds like success, so it's natural that persons interested in franchise opportunities strongly consider those companies at the top of their game. In a recent blog post, "The 12 Best Fast-Food Franchises To Own," Forbes.com lists the top twelve performers with the most sales per individual restaurant. Given the strong presence Sintel Systems has in the retail, restaurant and...

The phenomenon and randomness of the Yelp user review continues to rattle small businesses, and restaurants in particular. Restaurants account for the largest slice of the Yelp pie (with shopping a distant second and nightlife an even-more-distant third), and estimates are that more than 40% of restaurant patrons review their experiences on Yelp.  Clearly, this is a topic that needs...

They say there's a time and place for everything. And with retail customer surveys, that time and place is at the point of sale. Gartner, the information technology research company, says retailers who survey customers at the point of sale receive 40% more accurate feedback than if the data is gathered one day later. A point-of-sale survey is typically any...

In a recent post, "'Dexter' Malware Infects South African Restaurants, Costs Banks Millions," the tech news site ArsTechnica.com is reporting that hundreds of thousands of people have probably been affected by the fraud. The malware uploaded contents of the POS terminal's memory, including customers' payment cards' Track 1 and Track 2 data, to servers controlled by the criminals. Dexter gets...

For customers, no hard-to-enter numbers; for merchants, location data analytics, served up daily. Business owners who attract customers with free wifi are about to benefit from a new offering from a new partnership between internet titans Facebook and Cisco. As the only full-service POS provider — from software development to franchise incubator to ongoing support — part of Sintel's commitment...

Recently, a new technology has been unveiled that will enable customers at fast food restaurants to pay through an electronic tag on their car windshield much like the IPass. The magazine Business Solutions, recently published an article in their September issue titled, “Solutions Provider Lands RFID/Payment Processing Project”.  One of the major benefits of this technology is that it will...

As the only full-service POS provider — from software development to franchise incubator to ongoing support — part of Sintel's commitment to our customers and industry is to share high-impact news. Whether you're a first-time franchise hopeful, a small business owner or an established chain, it's always smart to stay on top of legislative and other industry trends. Nation's Restaurant...

At Sintel, we encourage small shop owners to learn from, and begin thinking like, the big guys. Your company may not yet have a Chief Marketing Officers (CMO), but it's never too early to align your POS system with your marketing efforts. In a recent MediaPost News' Marketing Daily blog post titled "Why Your CMO Should Care About the Point...

As the only full-service POS provider, from software development to franchise incubator to ongoing support, part of Sintel's commitment to our customers and industry is to share buzz in the news about the casual chain restaurant landscape. Whether you're a first-time franchise hopeful, a small business owner or an established chain, it's always smart to stay on top of industry...

Last month Facebook launched Graph Search . By using information you have already given such as location data and different posts/photos that you have been tagged and compiling it all into a search engine. For retailers, Graph Search gives you the opportunity to locate the customers you do want and even the one’s you may not. Inc.com published an article...

In a previous blog we talked about the growing number of gluten-free takeout orders . Now the company MenuTrinfo , a nutritional analysis and allergen identification program for foodservice operators, recently added AllerChef to its menu analysis and training certification programs. MenuTrinfo.com describes the program: “AllerChef™ provides training for chefs on how to make gluten-free and allergen-friendly menu items in...

What is Farm-to-Table fare? Farm-to-Table is when food produced locally is then delivered to local consumers. Curiosity.com from the Discovery Channel interviewed several renowned chefs about the “farm-to-table food movement.” Tom Colicchio, Chef/Owner of Craft Restaurants and Colicchio and Sons and judge on Bravo’s Top Chef said this about farm-to-table: “It's really buying food from people who are producing food...

Have you seen a spike in the number of gluten-free takeout orders at restaurants? GrubHub reports “takeout orders containing gluten-free items grew by nearly 60 percent between April 2012 and May 2013.” While only 1 in 133 people has Celiac disease, which is triggered by hypersensitivity in the small intestine to gluten, about 28 percent of adults aged 18 and...

Finding family friendly dining in a big city, like Chicago, can seem like an impossible task. You want to find a place that both you and your children can enjoy. ChooseChicago.com recently wrote about some of the best restaurants for family friendly dining in the city. Some of the highlights are: Rainforest Cafe - If you have ever wanted to...

Last month the annual Aspen Food & Wine Classic took place. This festival brings together renowned chefs, accomplished winemakers and culinary legends. Nation's Restaurant News wrote about some of the top buzz from this year’s classic. Some highlights from the article are: Meat is still just as popular as it ever was. There is a growing trend in America to...

An article on Inc.com states “50 percent of people say they trust a company’s Facebook page more than its website”. Whether you believe this or not, there are certainly some major “Don’ts” that companies need to follow when it comes to managing their Facebook pages. Don’t be a beggar It’s annoying when your kids beg you for money, when your...

Chicagoans love their brunch. With summer finally here there is no greater time to roll out of bed on a Sunday morning and head to your favorite brunch spot. ChooseChicago.com came up with five Chicago brunch trends to keep an eye out for: Buffets - NoMI Kitchen Small Plates -Lula Cafe Bottomless Cocktails -Mercat a la Planxa Upscale Offerings -Table...

A new study, titled “Dining Out in America: The Impact of New Menu Items, Value and Nutrition,” conducted by market research firm Placed Insights and quoted in Nation's Restaurant News, concludes that new menu items and value are driving consumer traffic at quick-service and fast casual chains. The study recorded which characteristics of a restaurant were most important including taste, price, nutrition, convenience...

Growing businesses need their tech to grow with them. Entrepreneur.com recently sifted through the clutter to suggest 15 tech plays including computers, displays, tablets and accessories that could help a variety of businesses, including restaurants. Designed to protect your tech assets, the "power tools" specifically selected for restaurants, the Logitech Keyboard K310 ($40) and LifeProof nuud iPad case (starting at $100), were chosen because...

Citing the recent release of the annual Chain Restaurant Industry Review from GE Franchise Finance (GEFF), Nation's Restaurant News reports on how restaurants are adapting to economic challenges. It's good news, as restaurants are adapting well to "consumer preferences and economic challenges" — as well as "whatever's thrown at them," said Kimberly Savilonis, Senior Vice President for GEFF and an author of...