Earlier this week, McDonald’s went public with a pledge “to begin purchasing verified sustainable beef in 2016” shich begs the question “What is sustainable beef?” As it turns out, McDonald’s doesn’t have a definition either. Do “sustainability” efforts by McDonald’s and others pay off for the companies and their investors?

Depending on their positions on the matter, residents of Colorado and Washington have either been dreading or highly anticipating (sorry, the puns are impossible to avoid) the debut of the nation’s first legal recreational marijuana stores. Should grocers build “Munchies” sections and end-cap displays, or should they choose to remain less conspicuous in catering to stoned customers?

Restaurants are invading the supermarket. Every day it seems as though a new restaurant product is either being placed on store shelves or announcing a deal that will lead to that. What are the plusses and minuses for each party when restaurant-branded items are sold in grocery stores?

Burger King has just introduced a second fry option. Customers now have a choice of BK’s traditional fries or its new Satisfries, a new crinkle cut menu item with 40 percent less fat and 30 percent fewer calories. Will Burger King’s new Satisfries be a game changer in the fast food business?

A recent move by Sushi Yasuda, a high-end Japanese restaurant in New York, to ban tipping has prompted another round of discussion about whether tipping should be eliminated at restaurants and elsewhere. Should tipping in restaurants and other establishments be eliminated?

The better burger trend is not a new concept. But Smashburger has even loftier goals, believing it can do for burgers what Starbucks did for coffee. What would Smashburger have to do to become the Starbucks of the burger world?

Patrons of Chipotle restaurants know that when they order a dish made with beef, chicken or pork, the meat will come from animals that have never been given antibiotics or added hormones. But there is only so much of those to go around. Can Chipotle afford to alter its responsibly raised beef, chicken and pork policies?

City Grocery in Oxford, MS and American Grocery in Greenville, SC are two restaurants that source top quality ingredients for their fine dining offerings. Their names imply that if raw materials don’t actually come directly from a retail grocer, they could. Is the connotation of “grocery” an inducement to fine dining?

For food service retailers, high levels of employee turnover, the franchise model’s ability to provide a consistent experience across all outlets, and changing customer behavior are obstacles to long-term loyalty and financial growth. What steps can fast food retailers take to be seen as “customer centric” by their current customers?

Five cameras have been installed at a Domino’s in Salt Lake City to enable online viewers across the world to see the making of its pizza, start to finish. Is Domino’s Live an example of the type of transparency that will be increasingly expected by consumers?

It works for jail time and for car insurance, but at least one restaurant is also providing a break for good behavior from kids. Should restaurants or retailers provide discounts/rewards to families with well-behaved children?

Whether Burger King is doing a Starbucks or McDonald’s me-too doesn’t matter nearly as much as how well the fast food chain executes against its newly announced plan to double the number of premium coffee drinks it sells to 10. What will it take for Burger King’s coffee program to succeed?

With the economy showing some recovery, consumers are purchasing fewer prepared meals from supermarkets, according to a study from Technomic. What steps should grocers be taking to increase the appeal of their prepared foods offerings?

Like an empty hotel room or airline seat, a restaurant table without guests is lost revenue. The New York Times recently reported that some restaurants are now introducing variable pricing models to capitalize on changes in demand by day and by hour. What are the pros and cons of variable pricing for restaurants?

A new report by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) is projecting an increase in sales for the fourth straight year, reaching an all-time high of $660 billion. With that growth will come major investments in technology. Where do you see the greatest opportunity for technology to improve the dining experience for consumers?

Taking on quick-service restaurants, Publix is testing a deli online ordering/pick up system. The free service debuted in August at its Lakeland, FL store and was expanded in October to 50 additional stores. Is there a bigger opportunity for grocers to compete with QSRs?

As part of a four-year-long branding makeover, Domino’s is introducing a more upscale “Pizza Theater” store concept as well as a simplified logo. Is upscale, experiential and interactive bound to become ever more common in fast food?