McDonald’s Canada Redesigns Restaurants
McDonald’s Canada is undertaking its biggest store-by-store brand transformation in the company’s history. New interior and exterior designs provide the familiarity that customers expect from McDonald's, with a contemporary and more welcoming ambiance. Interiors are inviting and comfortable, featuring bold, new color palettes, with splashes of McDonald’s traditional brand colors. Design features include prominent fireplaces, flat-screen televisions, stone and tile accents, as well as wood tones and colorful wall graphics. Dining rooms are divided into separate eating areas for larger groups, on-the-go customers, families, or for individuals who want to stay and enjoy new amenities such as free Wi-Fi. A prominent new exterior feature is a red ‘blade,’ a central element, which provides an eye-catching home for the corporate logo. The overall design philosophy is to allow flexibility through materials and color so that restaurants can adapt to their local community and demographics, while maintaining brand consistency.
Wendy’s Unveils Innovative Restaurant Designs In Columbus, OH
Customers will experience an ultra modern new Wendy's when they visit the two Wendys remodeled restaurants in Columbus, Ohio.
“Columbus is our hometown and we want our customers to be the first to experience one of the four new building designs being tested across the country,” said David Karam, President of North America. “These restaurants are very different from what our customers are used to, and we will learn a lot in the coming months from their comments.” The exterior features a contemporary design with large windows and natural materials. The interior showcases open, bright dining areas, with multiple seating options. The new restaurants were designed by Tesser, a San Francicso-based retail design firm.
Au Bon Pain Launches Cafe Remodel Program
In conjunction with the acceleration of its national expansion strategy, Au Bon Pain, a leader in the fast casual restaurant category, has launched a major cafe remodeling program. Under this initiative, the company has already remodeled a majority of its cafes in the greater New York City area, which is one of the company’s largest markets.
The vibrant cafe remodels include a new sandwich suite and fresh tossed salad station, and layouts have been redesigned to speed service, particularly at the sandwich bar, where a more efficient ordering process utilizing iPads is being tested at several locations. The changes to the cafe have been complemented by menu enhancements, including new distinctive, delicious bakery items such as cupcakes; enhanced beverage offerings; and new soup and sandwich value combos.
First ‘THE MELT’ Restaurant Opens In San Francisco
THE MELT, a new take on the fast casual restaurant business, has opened its first location in San Francisco's Financial District. Utilizing farm fresh local products, all-natural ingredients and innovative technology, THE MELT is the first fast casual restaurant chain focused solely around the classic grilled cheese and soup combination.
As the latest venture of Flip Video founder Jonathan Kaplan, THE MELT uses location-based mobile technology allowing guests to remotely order “combos,” soups, Melts or other items from their computers and mobile phones. Customers can place orders while on the go and pick them up at any MELT location, hot and ready, anytime. After ordering, they will receive a QR code that can be scanned at any restaurant location; this enables customers to skip the line and pick up their freshly-made order within minutes.
Starbucks Launches Create Jobs USA
Starbucks Coffee Co. is accepting donations for the Create Jobs for USA Fund in every U.S. company-operated store. Donations to the Fund, which has been seeded with a $5 million contribution from the Starbucks Foundation, will help create jobs in underserved communities throughout the U.S. “By making a donation to the Create Jobs for USA Fund, Starbucks customers can take meaningful action to help create and sustain American jobs,” said Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz. Donors who contribute $5 or more will receive a red, white, and blue wristband with the message “Indivisible.”
Wilde & Greene Restaurant + Natural Market Launches At Westfield Old Orchard, IL
Wilde & Greene Restaurant + Natural Market is launching at Westfield Old Orchard in Skokie, IL. The space features an open marketplace with food and beverage stations where fresh and all-natural ingredients are prepared in front of guests, as well as a natural grocery market that offers the best in organic, gluten-free and sustainably-sourced products.
The 29,000 sq. ft. market and restaurant (restaurant: 17,000 sq. ft.; market: 6,000 sq. ft.; rooftop patio and ground level: 6,000 sq. ft.) will employ a staff of 300 and serve an expected 3,000 meals each day. Staff will be able to advise customers on product selection from the 5,000 available SKU’s and discuss the benefits of organic and sustainable foods.
Deborah Mattes, General Manager of Westfield Old Orchard, said, “This is the first U.S. shopping center-based natural food market and dining complex. This combination of dining and shopping creates a new way for customers to enjoy Westfield Old Orchard.”
Wendy’s Tour Promotes Dave’s Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger
Wendy’s® is giving its cheeseburgers a complete “taste-lift” by totally reinventing it - beef patty, bun and toppings -- and aptly naming it Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy™ Cheeseburger, an homage to Wendy's founder, Dave Thomas. The new made-to-order cheeseburger starts with fresh, North American beef, and the patty is thicker so it will be juicier. It features crisp, hand-leafed lettuce; red-ripe tomatoes; two slices of melted American cheese; sweet, mild red onion rings; and crinkle-cut dill pickles. The launch of Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger is being supported by an extensive nationwide, integrated marketing communications campaign.
Created by Kaplan Thaler Group, the campaign features images and clips from the 1984 Wendy's iconic “Where's the Beef?®” commercials, starring the late Clara Peller. Included in the campaign, an electronic billboard in New York’s Times Square that will cycle through a four-screen “Where’s the Beef?’/Here’s the Beef!” A 26-city mobile "Tour of America" will distribute more than 37,000 free Hot 'N Juicy cheeseburgers to Americans.
Back to Top
To See previous issues of Creative Restaurant Marketing click here
To See Previous Issues of Online Weekly in Creative's Archives, click here.
To See other Creative Online Newsletters click here
