Detroit's Restaurant Revival Is Real, But the Prime-Cost Math Still Bites
Grey Ghost and its sibling concepts are drawing crowds in Detroit, yet the operators behind them face the same food-and-labor squeeze crushing independents everywhere.
Contributor
Callum Forrester
Callum Forrester writes for Restaurant Industry Press. 9 articles published.
What Red Lobster's Bankruptcy Exit Tells Operators About Casual Dining Prime Cost
Red Lobster emerged from Chapter 11 in late 2024 with a leaner unit count. The math behind its collapse offers a clear prime-cost lesson for full-service operators.
What a 20-Course Tasting Menu Actually Costs to Run, and Why Most Operators Should Think Twice
Dallas's Punk Noir is betting on an immersive 20-course format. The labor math behind that model is worth understanding before anyone copies it.
Houston TX Hot Chicken's U.K. Deal Tests Whether American Fast-Casual Prime Costs Survive a Transatlantic Jump
PizzaExpress will open 50 Houston TX Hot Chicken units in Britain over three years. The harder question is whether the brand's cost structure travels with it.
What the Latest QSR Menu Launches Tell Us About Ingredient Commitment and Food Cost Risk
McDonald's, Starbucks, Taco Bell, and others are rolling out new limited-time items. For operators, the real story is what that pipeline means for food cost discipline.
Fusion Menu Items Look Creative on Instagram, but the Prime-Cost Math Is Usually Ugly
Persian short ribs and Italian-Korean pasta are showing up on menus across the country. Here is what operators rarely calculate before they print the new menu.
Credit Card Swipe Fees Are Now a Prime-Cost Problem Operators Can No Longer Ignore
As chains like Starbucks and Wingstop face margin pressure, interchange fees averaging 2–3% of every card transaction are cutting deeper into already thin restaurant profits.
When a Chief Restaurant Officer Leaves a 32,000-Unit System, Operators Feel It at the Unit Level
Dan Lynn's exit from Inspire Brands highlights a structural question franchisors rarely discuss openly: how much field-level continuity depends on one executive's relationships.
Before You Import a European Menu Trend, Run the Prime-Cost Math First
Trending items from European QSR markets look attractive, but operators should stress-test food cost and prep complexity before committing to a menu build.