With prices for supermarket foods continuing to fall and those for restaurant meals continuing to rise, many economically humbled consumers are cutting back on dining out and rediscovering the joy of grocery shopping.The U.S. Labor Department’s...

From mom-and-pop shops and venerable independents to new outposts of proven chains, in the last year restaurants have been dropping like flies.But while it might seem that closure after closure is an indication that the entire industry is about to...

As the recession lingers, the types of deals prompting consumers to eat out at restaurants are changing, according to new data from The NPD Group.Once content to nab a fast-food double cheeseburger for a dollar, a daily special at a discount or a...

When times get tough, Americans get snacking.Amid the country’s worst economic crisis in decades, consumers are finding comfort in eating between, or perhaps in lieu of, main meals—and it’s a trend that may continue well beyond the recession as...

Operators may be consumed right now with putting butts in their dining room seats, but they should be figuring out how to get their food into the hands of consumers sitting at home, according to The NPD Group.The number of restaurant meals eaten...

With the prolonged recession starting to feel like an interminable road trip, operators hoping for the beginning of an upswing likely are beginning to wonder, “Are we there yet?”The answer, according to new data from market research firm The NPD...

Deals and discounts may get cash-strapped consumers through a restaurant’s door, but excellent customer service is what will keep them coming back—even after the economy improves and menu prices increase, say officials at The NPD Group.According...

Though operators have been trying to tap the lucrative mom market for years, most don’t really know what today’s moms want or how best to communicate with them, according to The NPD Group.The crux of the problem is that mothers vary widely in...

Despite the global economic melt-down, there are still opportunities to grow business abroad. But to tap those opportunities, operators need to find just the right value proposition, according to new data from The NPD Group.While deals and...