Tim Hackbardt’s Post

Remember Chi-Chi’s the Mexican Restaurant?. Well, its making a come back more than 20 years after filing bankruptcy as the son of the former owner and founder of Kona Grill and Rojo Mexican Grill will be opening restaurants with the Chi-Chi’s brand. https://lnkd.in/gEeZDV8b #bankruptcy #retail #landlords #chapter11 #chapter7 #reorganization #creditorsrights #debtorcreditorsrights #landlordtenants #ceosanddirectors #ceosandofficers #officersanddirectors

To achieve the sales of a single Chick-Fil-A restaurant, you would need to own: • 4.2x Wendy's • 4.5x Popeyes • 6.3x Domino's • 2.9x Chipotles • 5.1x Taco Bells • 2.2x McDonald's • 5.5x Burger Kings A few notes on these stats and the below chart: 1. The chart only includes businesses with over 500 locations Otherwise fan favorites like Shake Shack, In-N-Out Burger, and Portillo's would be on it. However I did notably forget to include Whataburger. They have 900+ locations with an average of ~$3.8M. I apologize to any Texan reading this 😢 . 2. The revenue represents averages of the freestanding versions of each restaurant. The blended average may differ. The info came directly from FDDs for the large majority of these brands. 3. Chick-Fil-A is obviously impressive, but Raising Cane's also deserves a ton of praise. They are relatively speaking, a newcomer to the scene. The McDonald's and Chick-Fil-A's of the world were founded in the 1950s and 1960s. Canes was started in the 90s! Many legacy brands have a multi-decade head start on them. Overall, one thing is for sure....America loves their fried chicken!!

An interesting value proposition - do you think we'll get on board? I attended a webinar this morning, which showed some survey results from the UK indicating the top three reasons someone chooses to dine out where they do are: 1. Familiarity, they've eaten there before 2. Convenience, it's close to where they are at the time 3. Value, it's a good bang for their buck Further down the list are things like quality of ingredients (No. 5), friendly service (No. 8), or locally sourced ingredients (way down at No. 16). Although this doesn't reflect an American consumer population, I'd venture to guess the rankings would be similar. In this era of heightened consciousness about food waste + price sensitivity, what do you think about reduced portion sizes in restaurant settings? (webinar presented at the Food Navigator Digital Summit for Climate Smart Food)

Let's taco bout it. An Indiana judge may have ignited a fiery debate among food enthusiasts by declaring tacos and burritos 'Mexican-style sandwiches.' But this ruling goes beyond just toppings and tortillas, highlighting the tension between cultural identity and trying to categorize something unfamiliar into existing frameworks. That's quite the open-face sandwich. Fort Wayne...that's where the new sandwich designation applies for a zoning permit at a small mall of all things. I'm not bringing up the issue of hot dogs. Of course, if the legal precedent spreads its influence across the state and country, many restaurant owners may end up having to change their menus and how they think about food. Et tu, Greek gyros, Indian naan wraps, or Vietnamese banh mi? In the scheme of things, the ruling probably won't generate social and political furor on the scale of say, the 2020 Presidential election. But passion for separating tacos from sandwiches can rival the fierceness of some long-standing cultural debates. Tacos and burritos are more than sandwiches in creatively folded starch holders. And they're certainly more than egg salad and PB&J between slices of bread (crust removed, please). Applying that logic will certainly make reorganizing menu categories more challenging for restaurant owners, and we haven't even gotten to plant-based and faux lab meats yet. From a cultural standpoint, the 'taco is a sandwich' ruling risks trivializing the unique heritage of Mexican cuisine by squeezing it into a familiar Western category. In other words, it overlooks the cultural context that gave rise to the taco, diminishing its significance beyond just a handheld food. In a world where people are increasingly stuck in their echo chambers, we seem to be minimizing our cultural differences rather than celebrating them. Should we be so grilled cheesygoing? A taco will always be a taco whatever we call it. Here's hoping that all of us (ok, perhaps that may be overly ambitious) understand a hamburger as a sandwich, and a taco isn't, zoning permit aside. Call it a taco sandwich at your own risk https://lnkd.in/gxwimdgs #food #taco #burrito #culture #heritage #indiana #restaurant #diversity

Can a late-night operation work for your pizzeria? Dive into "How pizzerias can find success with late-night operations" https://hubs.ly/Q02--gKw0

Finally, meaningful conversation about smaller portions in restaurant meals. Restaurant and take-out meals have become the portion size benchmark for many, and many are too big! https://lnkd.in/ecRpABBy

If pressed to name the top restaurant chains in America, your mind might zoom straight to fast food joints: McDonald's’s, Chick-fil-A Restaurants, Burger King. And while fast food does dominate the list of the country’s top 10 most profitable restaurants, just outside those rankings sit a couple full-service sit-down restaurants whose annual sales sit comfortably in the billions. One is Olive Garden, with 908 restaurants and earnings totaling $5.1 billion in 2023. The other, perhaps unexpectedly, is Texas Roadhouse, the 19th biggest restaurant chain in America with $4.8 billion in sales last year.  https://lnkd.in/gGxB4aST

As a restaurateur, you’re likely a big fan of summer. It allows you to open up your patio and welcome more guests than you can at any other time of the year. It’s wise, however, to never simply assume that the summer will bring you more customers. If you’re looking to grow patronage at your restaurant, this summer, you may want to spice up your eatery’s menu. Check out the latest Unity Payments blog for three easy steps! https://lnkd.in/eZtF6qAm #restaurants #summer #eatery #food #drink #menu #patio #patioseason #customers #grill #cocktails #salads #payments #paymentterminals #blog

It’s the weekend. Treat yourself and SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DONUT SHOP, BAKERY, CAFE, RESTAURANT. Local businesses are part of what makes your city or town special. If you don’t support them you’ll miss them when they’re gone. 🎥: carlsdonutslv on TikTok #foodservice #foodserviceindustry #bakingindustry #restaurantindustry #restaurants #foodservicedistributor #supportlocal #supportlocalrestaurants

Scaling New Heights in the Pizza Game! 🍕 @Jim Metevier, the new CEO of Mountain Mike's Pizza, LLC, is determined to carve out a unique niche in the bustling pizza industry. Mountain Mike's distinguishes itself with fresh, in-house ingredients and a community-focused dining experience that harks back to classic pizza parlors. See how Mountain Mike’s is planning to top the pizza industry? https://lnkd.in/erFcvcY7 What makes a pizza chain stand out for you? Let us know in the comments! 🍕 #BusinessLeadership #BusinessStrategy #FoodBusiness #FoodNews