Reuters.com The number of restaurant visits prompted by a deal or discount increased in 2013 after declining in 2012, according to a report by The NPD Group. 

According to the new report, restaurant traffic on a deal or discount increased by 2 percent in the year ending August 2013, a turnaround from the 1 percent decrease in deal-driven traffic a year ago. Restaurant visits based on "buy some, get some" or "two-for-one"-type offers had the highest gain, with a 14 percent increase over last year.

The results suggest restaurants can't afford to turn away from promotions as consumers continue to remain cautious about spending. “In my view the industry tried to move away from heavy discounting last year but found it was just not feasible with consumers still closely watching their spending,” Bonnie Riggs, NPD restaurant industry analyst, said in a statement. “It is deal related traffic that is keeping the industry from registering traffic losses.” Continue

Fastcasual.com - If you run a restaurant, you can rely on suppositions to guide your business. Then again, "My grandmother's sweet potato fries will keep 'em coming back" may be thin when it comes to creating long-term viability.

This was the thinking when pay-at-the-table provider Tabbedout released Periscope recently. Periscope is a set of marketing tools, based on the Austin, Texas-based company's mobile payment app, that let merchants monitor customer use of the app, review customer purchase history and collect and respond to guest reviews. The data comes via the establishment's POS system, which integrates the Tabbedout app. Continue

Rnr.com - Restaurant traffic will be a key concern in 2014 as consumers say they plan to eat out less often — but not necessarily because of budget constraints, as has been the case since the recession.

Instead, consumers say they will dine out less frequently next year because of concerns about health. Financial woes have dropped to second place as a concern likely to dampen restaurant visit frequency, according to an industry survey conducted by consulting firm AlixPartners. Continue

Floridatrend.com - Breads, desserts and all the pizza dough, exotic ice cream and chocolate truffles in between are playing bigger roles today in top Florida restaurants. These days, pastry chefs share menu credit with their savory partners and, in fact, contribute key breadstuffs to appetizers, gourmet breadbaskets and sandwiches as well as dessert. Continue

Fastcasual.com Innovative menu items are a must these days for any fast casual restaurant that wants to compete for customers who expect better-tasting food. Gone are the days where guests will be satisfied with a simple turkey sandwich with mayo. Instead, the trend in the industry is to feature gourmet-style options, said Shannon McClellan, key account manager for Kraft, who attended the recent Fast Casual Executive Summit and discussed menu innovation with FastCasual.com's editor Cherryh Butler. Continue

TMZ reports that a woman is suing Gloria Estefan’s Bongos Cuban Café, claiming she was disfigured there after “slipping and falling on a slippery substance.” Gerri Ann Yanks is suing the restaurant and Estefan Enterprises for more than $15,000. We contacted Estefan Enterprises, Inc. president Frank Amadeo, who told us, “The lawsuit is being handled by our outside counsel, and we are not permitted to comment on pending litigation. We always take these matters very seriously, so both our insurance company and attorneys are on the case.” Estefan, meanwhile, is on a European tour promoting her latest album The Standards and recently performed to a sold out crowd at London’s Royal Albert Hall. She is also renting out the 4,500 square foot guest house to her Star Island mansion for $30,000 a month, adds TMZ

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Indystar.com - When Thomas Howard sees an automatic gratuity on a restaurant bill, one thing is for certain: His server won’t be getting any more than that amount.

If restaurants tack on the charge to his bill, the Indianapolis resident said he doesn’t think servers should expect any more. But when it comes to leaving less, he thinks that’s not even allowed.

“I don’t think you can, can you?” Howard said. “You’ve got to go by whatever their policy is.”

He’s confused — and a little put off — by the whole “automatic gratuity” practice, and he’s not alone.

Even with automatic tipping, customers have always faced a decision over how much to leave a server. Now, thanks to an IRS ruling, restaurants are being thrown into the debate — and are faced with a decision of their own: Should tipping for large parties be left solely to the customer or should the restaurant tack it on to the bill?

The new IRS ruling that takes effect in January will treat automatic gratuities as service charges, rather than tips. The switch means servers will no longer be responsible for reporting those automatic tips as income. And it also means automatic gratuities will be considered a part of a server’s wages, making that money subject to payroll tax withholding and delaying receipt of those automatic tips until an employee’s next paycheck. Continue

NORWALK, CT. – Universal Expo Group announces the 2014 dates for The Florida Foodservice Expo. The dates are January 28 to 29, 2014 at the Broward County Convention Center. The Florida Foodservice Expo is one of four in a series of regional foodservice tradeshows designed to fill the voids left open, and neglected, in the marketplace by some of the long running events around the country. Other regional locations include: San Francisco, CA. Atlantic City, NJ, and Hartford, CT.

Restaurant and foodservice industry professionals will converge on Fort Lauderdale to meet the exhibitors showcasing the newest trends, products, equipment and solutions. Represented on our exhibit floors are anything you can see, smell, touch or taste in the foodservice industry… and more!

For more information on exhibiting contact Glenn Scott at 203-957-3700 x 102 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

WCBS12news.com _ Florida state health inspectors have just closed a local restaurant because of its dirty conditions. 

Pepe's Hideaway in Delray Beach has been shutdown by inspectors. Officials say the restaurant had 11 violations, including rodent droppings, live rodents, and black or green mold growing on the interior of an ice machine.     

Five other restaurants between Broward and Palm Beach County were also closed.