News Article

Home / Archive by category "News Article"
The Crisis of Menu Price Fatigue in the Casual Dining Sector

The Crisis of Menu Price Fatigue in the Casual Dining Sector

Subscribe & Listen: Amazon Music | Apple Podcast | Deezer | iHeart Radio | Spotify | YouTube Published on February 8, 2026 The casual dining industry throughout the United States is currently contending with a significant economic hurdle, which industry analysts have denominated as “menu price fatigue.” This pervasive consumer weariness is the direct consequence…

Loading

Continue reading
The New Year Standard: “High January” Supersedes “Dry January” in 2026

The New Year Standard: “High January” Supersedes “Dry January” in 2026

Listen to the Podcast Short at: Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Published on February 1, 2026 The cultural context of post-holiday detoxification has undergone a fundamental transformation. For the first time in over a decade, “Dry January”—a month characterized by complete abstinence and a reliance on non-alcoholic substitutes—has been officially supplanted by “High January.”…

Loading

Continue reading
The Digital Shift: How AI is Revolutionizing the Restaurant Industry

The Digital Shift: How AI is Revolutionizing the Restaurant Industry

  Listen to the Podcast Short at: Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Published on January 25, 2026 The conceptual boundary separating science fiction from operational reality is rapidly dissolving within the restaurant sector, where the once-futuristic notion of artificial intelligence (AI) has become an indispensable, contemporary technological pillar. This extensive “digital shift” represents not…

Loading

Continue reading
The “Lipstick Effect” Hits the Menu: Consumers Trade Fine Dining for Affordable Indulgence

The “Lipstick Effect” Hits the Menu: Consumers Trade Fine Dining for Affordable Indulgence

Listen to the Podcast Short at: Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Published on January 18, 2026 Persistent global economic uncertainties, characterized by pervasive inflation and consequently tighter household budgets, are catalyzing a profound and measurable transformation in consumer dining behavior. We have identified this strategic shift as the “Cocktail and Appetizer Effect”—a contemporary parallel…

Loading

Continue reading
Hotels & Restaurants Pivot to ‘Sensory Maximalism’ and ‘Eatertainment’ to Win Back Guests

Hotels & Restaurants Pivot to ‘Sensory Maximalism’ and ‘Eatertainment’ to Win Back Guests

Listen to the Podcast Short at: Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Published on January 11, 2026 Brad Peters, Founder & CEO of HRBUniversal & The Plate & Pour Collective Equity Partner Program The landscape of modern hospitality is undergoing a revolutionary transformation. The intense battle for the contemporary traveler’s time and wallet has forced…

Loading

Continue reading
“SC Justice Act” or Act 42 / H. 3430 – Effective January 1, 2026 in South Carolina

“SC Justice Act” or Act 42 / H. 3430 – Effective January 1, 2026 in South Carolina

Effective January 1, 2026, a new law (known as the “SC Justice Act” or Act 42 / H. 3430) went into effect in South Carolina. While it technically keeps the headline requirement for $1 million in liquor liability insurance, it offers businesses specific ways to lower that coverage requirement significantly—potentially down to $300,000—which is intended…

Loading

Continue reading
Hospitality Industry Sounds Alarm: Inflation and High Rates Crush Main Street

Hospitality Industry Sounds Alarm: Inflation and High Rates Crush Main Street

Listen to the Podcast Short at: Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Published on January 4, 2026 Brad Peters, Founder & CEO of HRBUniversal & The Plate & Pour Collective Equity Partner Program The hospitality industry, an essential pillar of local economies and the very epitome of “Main Street” commerce, is currently confronting a severe…

Loading

Continue reading

Why “Key Holders” Are Killing the Industry. The New Year’s disasters prove the point.

Published on January 2, 2026 Brad Peters, Founder & CEO of HRBUniversal & The Plate & Pour Collective Equity Partner Program The continued viability of independent and national dining and drinking establishments is gravely imperiled. After forty years in the hospitality sector, my assessment is that the industry is in a precipitous decline, evidenced by the…

Loading

Continue reading
Smaller Portions and Family-Style Takeout to Boost Sales and Reduce Costs

Smaller Portions and Family-Style Takeout to Boost Sales and Reduce Costs

Listen to the Podcast Short at: Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Published on December 28, 2025 Brad Peters, Founder & CEO of HRBUniversal & The Plate & Pour Collective Equity Partner Program The 2026 outlook for the food service industry is characterized by two essential and complementary strategic shifts, both engineered to enhance profitability,…

Loading

Continue reading
The Essential Mandate for Food Defense in the Food Service Industry: A Proactive Imperative

The Essential Mandate for Food Defense in the Food Service Industry: A Proactive Imperative

Listen to the Podcast Short at: Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube Published on December 21, 2025 Brad Peters, Founder, Director, CEO of HRBUniversal & The Plate & Pour Collective Equity Partner Program The contemporary threat landscape has elevated the urgency for rigorous food defense measures from a suggested best practice to an essential mandate….

Loading

Continue reading