Growing up in Nara, Japan, one food that was a constant in my home was tofu. It’s truly been a lifelong staple. When I was a baby, once I could eat solids, my mom commonly prepared two dishes for me — one was a mix of tofu, rice porridge, sweet potato, kabocha (squash), and nori … Read more
Chili’s efforts to win back American consumers are working. Same-store sales, a key metric for the restaurant industry, jumped 14.8% in its fiscal fourth quarter, a significant increase as many chains struggle to bring in diners. “Our marketing team has done a great job of getting back into what we call the zeitgeist or being … Read more
Wingstop is not seeing the same consumer pullback that fast food chains like McDonald’s and Starbucks have experienced this year. Part of that success is because its traditional offering, chicken wings, is popular with watching live sports. “If you’re thinking about someone who has to make a decision on where to trim spending, the likelihood … Read more
For years, I didn’t enjoy eating at fine dining establishments. The staff was always overly formal, the menu items were unfamiliar, and the restaurants were rarely transparent about how much it would all cost. Many diners share this sentiment, says Tara Lewis, a trend expert and vice president of consumer expansion at Yelp. “If you … Read more
Growing up in Nara, Japan, surrounded by tea fields, matcha has always been a part of my life. The full aroma and the deep bitter and sweet umami taste of this vivid green tea evokes so much nostalgia for me. When I was in high school, I started taking formal tea ceremony lessons. It was … Read more
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Bennington, population 15,000, is known for its fall foliage, lush Green Mountain backdrop, and laid-back Vermont vibe. There’s no major university here (Bennington College has over 700 undergraduates and calls its namesake town home) and the nearest interstate highway is 40 miles away. But none of that deterred Chipotle, long … Read more
Some states, municipalities and private-sector companies are pushing to make composting as commonplace as recycling. But it’s a long-haul effort. Composting has many benefits for the environment. It keeps food out of landfills, leading national food chains including Chipotle to expand its use at restaurants, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Composted materials improve soil health, … Read more
Miodrag Ignjatovic | E+ | Getty Images Americans firing up their grills for Fourth of July celebrations will likely pay more for some traditional barbecue staples this year. That’s largely due to inflationary pressures in the U.S. economy and supply shocks related to specific foods such as beef and lemons, according to agricultural economists. The … Read more
Costa Rica is home to one of the world’s Blue Zones, where people live longer and healthier lives than average. I’m from a small town in the region of Cartago, called Llano Grande, which is known for its rich agriculture. As a cookbook author and cooking teacher who was born and raised here, I have … Read more
A picture taken on February 21, 2024 show the logo of Swiss food giant Nestle on the company’s headquarters in Vevey, western Switzerland. Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Images The meteoric rise of weight loss drugs means consumers’ nutritional needs are “shifting” which provides new opportunities for food companies, Nestle CEO Mark Schneider told … Read more
