Taco Bell meets gourmet

Taco Bell will soon be introducing more upscale, gourmet foods to its menu. Items like black beans, cilantro rice, and corn salsa (items already found at Chipotle) will be debuting in the coming months.

Read more on this menu development here.

Flex-casual restaurants accommodate different kinds of guests

New attention is being given to flex-casual restaurants, a term coind by Randy Murphy, president and CEO of Mama Fu’s Asian House.

What’s the difference between a flex-casual restaurant and a fast-casual restaurant?

 

Read more on the flex-casual restaurant trends.

What’s the next trend in restaurant menus this year?

As we embark on a new year, restaurant operators seek out the next hottest thing in foodservice trends. Recently, in keeping with the new year’s resolution theme (i.e. eating healthy, losing weight etc.), restaurants are rolling out low-calorie menus.

 

Read more on Restaurant low-calorie menus

Patricia Liu Brings Culinary Art & Technology to Synergy Team

Patricia Liu will bring her background and expertise in Computer Science and the culinary arts to the Synergy Restaurant Consultants’ team.

Patricia Liu, a multi-talented renaissance woman, was recently added to Synergy Restaurant Consultants’impressive team of professionals.

With extensive…read more here.

LYFE Kitchen’s Green Restaurant Design

LYFE Kitchen recently debuted this October, showcasing gourmet healthy food and the Synergy Team has been proud to be a part of its
development. But it doesn’t stop at just green, healthful food – one of the main goals at LYFE Kitchen is to promote green living, which can be showcased by its restaurant design.

Restaurant Holiday Menus are in Full Swing

Restaurant chains around the globe are showcasing their seasonal menus this time of year to help get you in the spirit and into their stores.

Take a look at some of these popular chains specialty menu items offered only during this time of year:

• Starbucks’ Eggnog Latte: Espresso with steamed eggnog and milk, topped with ground nutmeg.

Read more on seasonal restaurant menus

Moms and Millennials are the best target markets for Quick Serves

Quick service restaurants seem to appeal to a variety of target markets but there are two specific demographic groups that seem the most valuable to these types of foodservice establishments: mom and Millennials.

What or who are the “Millennials?”..read more on quick serve trends.

How good is your tea and coffee menu?

It is one of the last things that the customer tastes so it needs to be great. The statistics speak for themselves. According to a study conducted by Technomic, regular coffee and tea still account for more reported outside of home consumption (i.e. foodservice settings), even despite steady price increases since 2008 (with the exception of frozen/ice blended coffee drinks).

Read more on menu development trends.

Quality restaurant guest service

In Southern California there seems to be a Mexican restaurant on every block. Big and small, chains and singular, high end and hole in the wall, they all work hard to survive and thrive.

Certainly, one begins to feel that they are all pretty much identical right down to décor and menu. So, how does one make a restaurant stand out in such a mass crowd?

Read more on restaurant guest service.

How can your restaurant reduce your carbon footprint?

Did you know how you serve beverages can reduce your carbon footprint? Today and in recent years, there has been a lot of talk regarding local foods and ingredients. There’s a great deal of consumers now that feel that purchasing local is a great way to support the community as well as the idea of being green (product is shipped from a short distance, for example) and sustainable…

Read more on implementing local foods on your menu.