The term "fast-casual" seems loosely defined as fast food steps up its game and full service restaurants become more casual to adapt to changing times. Now, some of the elements that define fine dining are showing up in more casual formats. Lines = blurred.
Any restaurant opening from Union Square Hospitality Group is one to watch. Operations at Martina, which its chef calls "fine-casual," are a look at current industry trends set to go big.
Hungry people will be loyal to the delivery app that gets them their food fastest, period. UberEats touts algorithms, analytics, and a little bit of the human touch in its work with restaurants.
It'll take more than just a new logo to compete in the crowded healthy-food-fast market. The Tender Greens refresh looks great, but its new restaurant practices, menu items, and technology will make or break the growing business.
The Priceline Group has been looking at adding flights to its largest site, Booking.com, for years, but has hesitated for fear of detracting from its core hotels product. But in this case, taking a "stronger together" approach and leveraging the group's other in-house brands could ultimately pay off.
While investors and observers are rightfully focused on how TripAdvisor's transition to a hotel booking site will work out, the company has some meaningful hedges in the form of vacation rentals, tours and activities, and restaurants. Collecting monthly and annual fees is a very material part of the overall business and will likely become even more so.
Two headlines here: TripAdvisor CEO remains adamantly committed to Instant Booking -- and he isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He's still excited about his gig.