Focus On: Full-Service Restaurants

Mina 49ers Loading Rotisserie

There’s a new energy around the full-service dining sector, and it’s driven by a willingness to adapt to swift sea changes.  “Typically we were seeing about 5%-10% of our sales as carryout pre-pandemic,” says Bob Bafundo, COO of Wings and Rings. “Since COVID, we’ve seen weeks and months where we’ve more than doubled, sometimes even…

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Presto Chango: Inside Fiore’s Transformation

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When the restaurant formerly known as Francesca’s Fiore reopened as Fiore Pizzeria & Bakery, the businesses under one roof tripled.  Instead of a full-service Italian trattoria, the new Francesca’s sister brand in Forest Park, Ill., features a one-page, handwritten menu of pizza and small bites—plus a display commissary in a skylit space behind a glass…

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5 Questions with Tabassum Zalotrawala 

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FER talked with Chipotle’s chief development officer about technology, food and her love of design. Here’s the Q&A: What inspired you to pursue a foodservice design career? I’ve always been drawn to creating great spaces for people to enjoy. I started my career in the Middle East designing ultra-high-end projects, including the Grand Mosque and…

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