Consumers have a brand new bag—a brown bag, that is.Americans say they are “brown bagging” their weekday lunches more frequently because of financial concerns. But a new study from market research firm The NPD Group reveals other motivations as...

If restaurant operators were to sing about their troubles, perhaps they might start with a modified rendition of a classic Pete Seeger tune—“Where have all the young people gone?”According to new data from market research firm The NPD Group, young...

As restaurateurs expand the number of better-for-you menu options available to patrons, they also need to do a better job marketing those efforts to the growing ranks of health-conscious consumers, according to new data from The NPD Group.In a...

Operators looking to penetrate the fast-growing Chinese market will have to get up early in the morning to do it. Unlike any other country in the world, the morning meal drives the foodservice market in China, according to a new study conducted by...

It’s a tough time to be running a pizza restaurant, but it shouldn’t be that way, according to market research firm The NPD Group.While traffic at quick-service pizza chains has been sluggish for some time, the category remains top of mind for...

If there’s one item every restaurant should put on the menu during these challenging economic times, it is the classic American hamburger, say those who have watched the power of the patty grow even as consumers rein in restaurant spending.Though...

Americans have been in love with French fries since fast feeders first made them popular in the 1950s. But while many nutrition-minded observers have called into question the healthfulness of French fries over the years, little has dulled...

Although the “greening” of the restaurant industry began decades ago as a grassroots effort by a handful of independent operators, today it is a mainstream movement, embraced by a growing number of operators of all sizes and in all segments. Many...

While relentless economic pressures are forcing more consumers to eat their evening meals at home, even after the economy picks back up the dinner hour may still be a lonely time at restaurants.Dinner traffic has been weak since 2003 and was down...

Like grains of simmering rice, the popularity of Asian food in the United States has expanded dramatically in recent years. Ironically, however, independent Asian restaurants have not been the beneficiaries, officials of The NPD Group say. Instead...