Despite a challenging start to the year, traffic at quick-serve and fast-casual restaurant chains increased in 2013. Here are a few of the other most important headlines of 2013, according to QSR magazine:
After a rocky start, 2013 was a good year for restaurants. In the second half of the year, traffic in most restaurant categories picked up. Retail sales are up for three consecutive months, too, reflecting a stronger U.S. economy.
More restaurant chains looking to go public. A handful of restaurants had successful IPOs in 2013. Noodles & Co. raised $96.4 million with its initial public offering last year, while Chicago-based sandwich-maker Potbelly raised $108 million. Many more are considering IPOs in 2014.
Dollar menus going away. Dollar menus began to disappear in 2013, and were replaced by ‘value’ menus with items priced between $1 and $2. See what’s behind the trend in this article. For more headlines from 2013, check out this story.