Check out the Top 5 stories in food and beverage for October 2015:
Chipotle Reaches Awkward Age: Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., long the restaurant industry’s biggest renegade, is settling into middle age. For more than two decades, the burrito chain has ridden its carefully honed message of freshly and ethically prepared food to growing success, pioneering the concept of fast-casual dining and winning the plaudits of foodies and investors alike. http://www.wsj.com/articles/chipotle-reaches-awkward-age-1445291890
Restaurant sales grow faster than grocery, studies show: More people are working, inflation-adjusted income is creeping up, gas prices are low and consumers are opting to spend more of their disposable income on experiences, all trends that are fueling faster growth at restaurants than grocery stores. The J.P. Morgan Chase Institute’s 25 million customers spent 18% of their gasoline savings on restaurants, compared to just 10% on groceries, according to a study released by the bank last week. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/from-wal-mart-to-whole-foods-people-are-choosing-eating-out-over-eating-in-2015-10-15
NRA challenges wage order for N.Y. quick service chains: The NRA is requesting the New York state Industrial Board of Appeals “set aside” the acting labor commissioner’s September decision to raise the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $15 an hour by 2021, saying it was “arbitrary, capricious and contrary to law.” http://www.newsday.com/business/national-restaurant-association-opposes-ny-15-hourly-fast-food-wage-1.11013117
Average spending per consumer for this year’s holiday season will be $805.65, according to the National Retail Federation’s Holiday Consumer Spending Survey. Nearly 40% of respondents will start holiday shopping before Halloween, and 46% of consumers plan to purchase holiday goods online, reported MarketWatch. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nrf-holiday-survey-expects-spending-to-reach-80565-46-shopping-online-2015-10-20?dist=beforebell
All-day breakfast campaign gives McDonald’s brand a boost: McDonald’s launch of all-day breakfast and the high-profile ad campaign leading up to it boosted the chain’s brand perception to its highest level in two years, according to YouGov BrandIndex. Forty-six percent of frequent breakfast eaters surveyed said they would consider McDonald’s for their next quick-service meal, up from 39% in August. http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/mcdonald-s-perception-scores-lifted-day-breakfast/300898/
