Features

Getting Serious About Signage

by Katie Lee April 1, 2021

— By Dan Smith — Investing in the right commercial-grade digital signage is as strategic as a brand’s messaging. Would you like fries with that? Increasingly, thanks to digital signage, the answer is yes. At quick-service, fast-casual and other national restaurants, digital signage and menu boards are gaining adoption and believed to contribute to increased sales. So it’s important that restaurants adopt technology that protects and augments those gains. There’s plenty of opportunity out there. According to the QSR Drive-Thru Performance Study, about 20% of brands deployed digital menu …

April 1, 2021

construction and design Cover Story From The Magazine remodels restaurants

Driving Force

by Katie Lee March 25, 2021

Just in time for its 50th anniversary, Schlotzsky’s rolls out two new prototypes with plans to build on lessons learned during COVID-19. — By Katie Lee — At Schlotzsky’s, the drive-thru has always been a driving force of its business. Eighty-five percent of its 339 locations already had a drive-thru — often with double lanes — and this positioned the sandwich chain well when COVID-19 changed the world in early 2020. Schlotzsky’s already understood customers’ evolving needs — and the pandemic accelerated that evolution. Several years prior to the …

March 25, 2021

Industry Voices restaurants

What the American Rescue Plan Means for Restaurants

by Katie Lee March 24, 2021

— By Michael Krueger — On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law The American Rescue Plan Act. The Act has $1.9 trillion in relief funds, including $28.6 billion set aside for the restaurant industry in the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The Fund lists the qualifications, priorities, method of calculating the amount the restaurant could receive, and the permitted use of funds. Qualifications The Fund is only for restaurants. The definition of “restaurants” means a restaurant, food stand, food truck, food cart, caterer, saloon, inn, tavern, bar, lounge, brewpub, …

March 24, 2021

construction and design Industry Voices parking lots security/loss prevention

Protective Priority

by Katie Lee March 22, 2021

— By Matt Calo, P.E. and Huston Dawson, P.E. — Safety should be top priority as businesses turn to outdoor space due to ongoing indoor restrictions. As spring arrives and states across the country continue to revise their restrictions on indoor gatherings, most urban centers have raised the occupancy allowance to 50% capacity for indoor dining and retail operations. The improving weather means that many establishments will expand the use of available outdoor space to enhance income potential and save their businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced commercial establishments …

March 22, 2021

green building/LEED Industry Content lighting Vendor Spotlight vendors

EDSS: Signature Vendor Spotlight

by Katie Lee March 22, 2021

— Interview with David Ely, President/CEO, EDSS — R&R: Where are you based and how long has the company been in business? David Ely: Energy Design Service Systems (EDSS) is a woman-owned company formed in 2007. The corporate headquarters is located in Detroit with satellite offices in Boston; Boca Raton, Florida; San Francisco; and Austin, Texas. R&R: What trades/services do you offer retailers and restaurants? Ely: Energy Design Service Systems (EDSS) is not just your average lighting company (offering lighting design, supply, install, controls, lamp ordering portal and work …

March 22, 2021

facilities management Industry Content Vendor Spotlight vendors

CLM Midwest: Signature Vendor Spotlight

by Katie Lee March 22, 2021

— Interview with Rose Lollino, Vice President, CLM Midwest — R&R: Where are you based and how long has the company been in business? Rose Lollino: CLM Midwest’s corporate office is located in River Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago located 5 minutes from O’Hare Airport. We have been in the retail maintenance industry since 2002 and have been expanding into new territories consistently year over year. R&R: How long have you been with the company? Lollino: As the vice president, I have worn many hats since the inception …

March 22, 2021

Industry Voices restaurants vendors

Outdoor Dining is Here to Stay

by Katie Lee March 12, 2021

— By Leslie Chapus — Outdoor dining became a staple during the pandemic — and guests have grown to love and expect it, no matter the weather. The good news is, investment in all-weather outdoor dining pays for itself. After a full year of pandemic living, customer demand for safe dining environments has taken full root in the American psyche. As restaurants evolve to these changing demands, industry experts from Food & Wine Magazine to worldwide management consultants McKinsey & Company are advising restaurant owners to embrace outdoor dining …

March 12, 2021

Industry Content Vendor Spotlight vendors waste management/recycling

Waste Harmonics: Signature Vendor Spotlight

by Katie Lee March 11, 2021

— Interview with Michael Hess — R&R: Where are you based? Michael Hess: Waste Harmonics is based in Victor, New York. R&R: How long have you been with the company? Hess: I acquired Waste Harmonics from Capital Environment in 2001 and my team and I have grown the business from a solely Northeastern U.S. focus to serving customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. R&R: What trades/services do you offer retailers and restaurants? Hess: We are a managed waste service provider. We act as a single point of contact, helping …

March 11, 2021

exterior services/landscaping Industry Content Vendor Spotlight vendors

DENTCO: Signature Vendor Spotlight

by Katie Lee March 4, 2021

— Interview with Teresa Phelps — R&R: Where are you based and how long has the company been in business? Teresa Phelps: DENTCO is based in Dewitt, Michigan, and has been in business for 44 years. R&R: How long have you been with DENTCO? Phelps: I’ve been with DENTCO for almost 17 years. R&R: What trades/services do you offer retailers and restaurants? Phelps: Exterior Services Management (ESM). DENTCO specializes in assisting multi-unit companies, including retailers and restaurants, with consolidating the exterior services at their portfolio of locations. We provide …

March 4, 2021

facilities management Industry Content Vendor Spotlight

Stratus: Signature Vendor Spotlight

by Katie Lee February 25, 2021

— Interview with Josh Wilder — R&R: Where are you based and how long has the company been in business? Josh Wilder: Stratus is headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, with an HQ2 in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and offices in New Jersey, Florida and South Carolina. Our 2019 merger combined MC Group and ICON’s shared and unique services into a single brand: Stratus. With our combined legacy, our signage roots date all the way back to 1931. R&R: How long have you been with the company? Wilder: I’ve been with the …

February 25, 2021

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