Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Charles Watson admits that his brand isn’t always at the leading edge when it comes to technology innovation. It is, however, a “darn good chaser,” he said — and that was a big reason why Tropical Smoothie closed 2020 up 11.3% in sales, according to NRN’s Top 500 report, published in partnership with Datassential.
Watson spoke with NRN editor in chief Sam Oches about how Tropical Smoothie leveraged innovation and its relationships with its franchisees to defy the odds in the pandemic.
The last time I talked to Michelle Bythewood, president of Houston-based Salata Salad Kitchen, we were attending a technology conference in Austin, Texas. That...
As consumers emerge into the vaccine era, A&W is seeing the 96 convenience store units, of 900 restaurants, begin to perform well compared to...
This week on the Extra Serving podcast, an award-winning production of Nation’s Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Sam Oches and Leigh Anne Zinsmeister...