Restaurant Rewind

`Those who don’t know their history are destined to relive it', to riff on the words of a famed philosopher. For anyone in the restaurant business, that oft-quoted saying may be more of a heartening promise than a dire admonition. The industry’s past is packed with tales of scoundrels and heroes, big thinkers and pinheads, colossal successes and dismal failures, breakthrough moves and self-inflicted destruction. Few soap operas pack as much color and drama. Yet those yellowed snapshots provide insights relevant to the challenges of today. Join Peter Romeo, a 41-year veteran of the business with a penchant for restaurant history, as he explores those pivotal moments from the past. 

Leadership

Remembering a social crusader named Bill Darden

Restaurant Rewind: In the era of Jim Crow, the namesake of Darden Restaurants refused to segregate dining rooms, even in the Deep South of 1935. Here's how the industry pioneer made a difference.

Financing

How the once-mighty are falling in casual dining

Restaurant Rewind: Dominance within the full-service sector has shifted appreciably during the last 20 years. Here’s a look at how the balance of power has shifted, humbling two powerhouses in particular.

Restaurant Rewind: Here's how bad things can get when a visiting VIP employee doesn't have a firm grasp on what they've gotten into.

Restaurant Rewind: Credit-card transactions are an integral part of the restaurant industry today. Yet that development is a relatively recent one. Join us we look at how the co-dependence came to be.

Restaurant Rewind: Chances are the weight-loss schemes currently in vogue won't come close to having the influence one fad had 25 years ago.

Restaurant Rewind: Without them, we might not have the McDonald's, In-N-Out and Marriott that we do today.

Reality Check: Watch out for the extremely naughty in M&A activity. In fact, make a list and check it at least twice.

Restaurant Rewind: The home of the Golden Arches has looked at ventures ranging from a piano lounge to a Disneyland-like theme park. Why is it still a single-brand operation, CosMc's aside?

Restaurant Rewind: Some of the most successful chains in the restaurant business have forgone huge increases in business by refusing to make a particular change. Here’s a sampling of the brands that have held firm.

Restaurant Rewind: Like any industry, the business has its own jargon. In this week's episode, we look at the origin of terms that are likely to be heard in kitchens today.

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