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tenacious plate
Our blog, tenacious plate serves up the latest insights, expertise and trends in the food industry, as well as our own proprietary research on cutting-edge topics.
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tfgTouchpoints is our proprietary market research platform to capture in-depth, cutting-edge insights into the food industry from consumer and trade perspectives, including a panel of over 4000 operators who regularly contribute insights for the foodservice industry.
Top Challenges & Strategies for Foodservice Operators
With the trifecta of rising inflation, supply chain issues and labor challenges, see how operators are combating these challenges, and what they expect the future to look like.
How Grocery Shoppers Are Navigating Cost-of-Living Increases
This report leverages consumer data to discover how consumers have been spending their money given historical cost-of-living increases.
How to Reach Noncommercial Operators with Content
This special report brings together survey results from a broad cross-section of noncommercial operators and looks at what they want to know, where they seek information, how they like to receive content and more.
stay ahead of the latest trends
IHOP adds 2 new Virtual Dining Concept brands, expands another
How Jack in the Box plans to get to 20% digital sales with a new hybrid tech stack
Highlights from the Nordic AgriFoodTech Ecosystem at the Big Meet Summit 2024
Cold Plasma Technology: The Future of Food Safety
Restaurants and bars add 28,300 jobs in March
Going Beyond the Regenerative Agriculture Hype
A new generation of upgraded kids’ menus plays to parents, but they’re getting Gen Alpha to hit the ‘like’ button
Smashburger appoints Starbucks veteran as CEO
The Friday Digest: Has Yum’s appetite for net-zero waned?
Chipotle announces a 50-for-1 stock split
How DEI goals have changed for restaurants since 2020
Chick-fil-A ready to debut its first mobile pickup restaurant
The 2023 FoodTech 500: Forward Fooding announces the full-ranked list!
Gut health: Why this consumer trend is here to stay
What Happened to Lab-Grown Meat?
Revamped loyalty program drives sales at Potbelly
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pros seek information across channels
PRINT vs ONLINE
Commercial and noncommercial operators seek information in print and online in equal measure. Podcasts and webinars are growing quickly. Two-thirds attended a webinar in 2019, compared with one-third in 2018.
plant-based options grow
61% of OPERATORS
61% of operators offer “meat-like” options that mimic the taste and texture of meat. Noncommercial operators, especially at colleges, hospitals and offices, are significantly more invested in plant-based menu items than commercial operators. Download tfgTouchpoints report.
Age matters
SOCIAL DIFFERENCES
Generational differences affect operators as well as consumers, who have distinct preferences for receiving information. Operators who use social media as a source of information: 55% under 40 and 35% over 40. Download tfgTouchpoints report.
inspiration pays off
TOP FIVE FACTORS
The top 5 factors that motivate foodservice operators to inquire about or purchase a food and beverage product seen in an advertisement are:
look of
the product
Inspires
them
Demonstrates
versatility
Introduces a
new product
Provides
recipe ideas
download the latest Touchpoints Report
1 US Census Bureau data via Quartz, “No one cooks anymore,” 6/14/2015