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.

Marketing

How the last cookie craze crumbled

By Peter Romeo on May 16, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: The rapid expansion of cookie chains is proof that the business can be cyclical. Here’s what happened in the prior boom.

Leadership

Remembering Ruth's Chris founder Ruth Fertel

By Peter Romeo on May 09, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: She could barely afford to open her first restaurant. Now the empire she founded through smarts and a refusal to be stopped is selling for $715 million. Here’s her story.

Operations

At 110 and counting, this NYC dining landmark is still going strong

By Peter Romeo on May 02, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: Don Draper and Jackie Onassis were among the legions of fans who kept the Grand Central Oyster Bar in vogue.

Operations

McDonald's franchise strife deserves barely a Grimace compared with Quiznos' past

By Peter Romeo on Apr. 25, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: A fight over supply prices set what's still the low point in franchisor-franchisee relations. It could be a Harvard Business study of what a brand owner should never do.

Emerging Brands

Remembering the restaurant boom that fooled investors 20 years ago

By Peter Romeo on Apr. 11, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: Meal assembly concepts were going to be big. But their implosion was what made the loudest noise.

Operations

How the restaurant napkin came to be

By Peter Romeo on Apr. 04, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: There's more to the origin of that standard amenity than guest and operator may have ever imagined.

Food

Remembering the great product bombs of the past

By Peter Romeo on Mar. 28, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: With Starbucks promising yet another breakthrough menu introduction, the time is right to see how past promised game-changers actually fared.

Operations

What's so special about In-N-Out?

By Peter Romeo on Mar. 21, 2023

Restaurant Rewind: The uninitiated will be asking themselves that very question when the brand hits the East Coast. Here’s a look at the quirks that have helped make the chain a cult favorite.

Leadership