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IN THE NEWS

View the full article <a href="https://www.fastcasual.com/news/dickeys-launches-mobile-app/">here</a>.&nbsp;Dickey's has launched a mobile app, featuring online ordering for pick-up or delivery and a new loyalty rewards program.&nbsp;"We are living in an on-demand world where most guests will choose the location of their next meal primarily based on convenience,"Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, said in a company press release. "Our new app rewards our guests for their loyalty, fulfills the demand for convenience and most importantly, provides the authentic Texas-style barbecue they love."&nbsp;From their favorite everyday menu items to a full-sized catering, guests can now order Dickey's for all their cravings with the touch of a button. Guests have the choice of in-store or curbside pickup, and/or delivery when ordering through the app. Curbside pickup and delivery availability vary by location, Dickey said.&nbsp;The second phase of the Dickey's app, slated to go live in March, will include a review-based loyalty program which rewards Dickey's guests for feedback on their purchases.&nbsp;The Dickey's app is available in the Apple app store and will launch for Android in early summer 2018.&nbsp;

Fast Casual: Dickey's launches mobile app

View the full article <a href="https://hospitalitytech.com/dickeys-bbq-catering-platform-serves-saucy-results?eid=363021283&amp;bid=1985079">here</a>.&nbsp;Like all good things, it started with a used $500 Lay’s potato chip truck. The year was 1969, and Dickey’s BBQ, founded 28 years earlier, was growing under the guidance of Brothers Roland and T.D. Dickey, who’d taken the reins from their founder-father Travis Dickey two years prior. As Dickey’s BBQ began to expand beyond its first location in Dallas, the brothers saw the potential and power of bringing the food to the people — instead of the people to the food. But it was a move borne of necessity, at its core. “They thought outside of the four walls to save the store,” Michelle Matthews, vice president of direct sales, explains. “It was a great way to bring their BBQ to the people when they weren’t getting the foot traffic yet." Today, Dickey’s catering has grown from its humble potato-chip-truck origins into a robust business. The 600-store chain generated about 10% of its business from catering, a number that has jumped to 15% since partnering with the ezCater online ordering platform five years ago. The chain’s best performing stores see catering figures closer to 20%, Matthews adds. ezCater, available through desktop and mobile web as well as via an iOS app, shows customers each restaurant’s on-time ratings and reviews. It aims to take the guesswork out of group catering by displaying the businesses that cater in the user’s area and enables filtering by other criteria such as budget and type of food. For Dickey’s, the ezCater platform has been enormously effective in increasing brand awareness. “It has expanded our customer base,” Matthews says. “I can guarantee that someone eating Dickey’s at a catered event hasn't been to one of our stores before.” She describes the ezCater partnership as a “win-win.” She explains, “It’s a marketing investment with guaranteed ROI, which you can’t say about most marketing spend, like a billboard.” Currently, roughly 80% — about 415 — of Dickey’s stores participate on ezCater and the BBQ enterprise proactively tries to get stores on board. Despite the eye-catching numbers — Dickey’s has seen 400% year-over-year growth through third-party vendors such as ezCater and Grubhub — some franchisees are slow to sign up. “Not everyone is an early adopter,” Matthews explains. “Sometimes owners are apprehensive about the system until they try it.” Because ezCater doesn’t require a contract, it’s easy to trial without a commitment. Dickey’s sees strong ticket averages stemming from ezCater orders, which are split about 50-50 between business and residential events. The BBQ chain gains repeat customers as a result of catering through ezCater, Matthews says, as well as steady incremental sales. The nationwide platform is particularly helpful for professionals, such as pharmaceutical sales reps, who travel regularly and host events in various cities. Despite the popularity with on-the-go workers, ezCater users — often desk-bound office managers and administrative assistants — tend to favor the desktop site, though that’s changing as mobile-first Millennials enter the workforce. Matthews says it would be helpful to have an ezCater API at some point so that real-time sales data feeds directly into Dickey’s POS. “That type of integration would eliminate manual reporting,” she adds.

Dickey's BBQ Catering Platform Delivers Saucy Results

View the full article <a href="http://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/news_home/Business/2018/01/New_app_goes_to_the_pits.aspx?ID={6E9F36B8-5A27-435F-9B7B-F8F661FEEB57}">here</a>.&nbsp;DALLAS – A new mobile app puts the smoky goodness of Dickey’s Barbecue Pits at its customers fingertips. The chain announced the new app on Jan. 25 and will allow customers to order products for delivery or to-go.&nbsp; Convenience is the main driver behind the technology launch, which will include a loyalty component that will begin in March, according to Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants Inc. “We are living in an on-demand world where most guests will choose the location of their next meal primarily based on convenience," she said. Customers using the app can order single menu items up to catering orders for large groups for either pickup at their local restaurant or for delivery. The forthcoming loyalty program is a feedback-based rewards system according to the company. "Our new app rewards our guests for their loyalty, fulfills the demand for convenience and most importantly, provides the authentic Texas-style barbecue they love,” Dickey said. Dickey’s is billed as the largest barbecue restaurant chain in the US with more than 550 locations in 44 states.

Meat + Poultry: New App Goes to the Pits

View the full segments <a href="http://www.pahomepage.com/community/pa-live/pa-live-dickeys-bbq-segment-1-january-18-2018/925709500">here</a> and <a href="http://www.pahomepage.com/community/pa-live/pa-live-dickeys-bbq-segment-2-january-18-2018/925709816">here</a>.&nbsp;

PA Live: Dickey's Tailgate Party Pack

View the full segment <a href="http://cwlasvegas.com/entertainment/cw-shows-videos/dickeys-barbecue-pit-features-tailgate-party-pack">here</a>.&nbsp;

CW Las Vegas: Dickey's Barbecue Pit features Tailgate Party Pack

View the full segments <a href="http://www.fox5vegas.com/video?autoStart=true&amp;topVideoCatNo=default&amp;clipId=14056319">here</a> and <a href="http://www.fox5vegas.com/video?autoStart=true&amp;topVideoCatNo=default&amp;clipId=14056301">here</a>.&nbsp;

FOX 5 Las Vegas: Dickey's Barbecue Pit Tailgate Party Pack

View the full article <a href="https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2018/january-february/cybersecurity-hacking-corporate-dallas-fort-worth/">here</a>.&nbsp;All it took was one menacing message to create turmoil at Dallas-based Dickey’s Barbecue. CEO Laura Rea Dickey remembers it like it was yesterday. “It [said], ‘Congratulations, you have downloaded our physical CryptoLocker virus,” Dickey, then-chief information officer, remembers about the April 2015 incident. The message, displayed across an employee’s computer screen, set off an unexpected mini-crisis on what was otherwise a typical day at the headquarters of the barbecue-restaurant company. Normally, the headquarters is focused on developing new ways to meet its customers and leverage its slow-smoked barbecue and southern hospitality. “We’re barbecue, not brain surgery,” says Dickey. But the day quickly became complicated when a marketing department computer went black, displaying nothing else but the threat. The virus infiltrated the company’s marketing files, holding them for a ransom of $6,000. The company had 72 hours to meet the request or access to the files would be permanently denied. It was a first for Dickey, whose husband was running the company as CEO at the time. “It was a very bad day at the office, and a very bad dinner at home,” she says. Dickey’s had a choice to make: Lose the marketing assets that cost well over the $6,000 requested by the cyber thieves, or pay the ransom and look the other way. It was an easy decision to make, says Dickey: “We opted not to pay to have our data come back. From an educational understanding … to the business ethics of not being held hostage for something … it was marketing and creative assets we could recreate.” So the company spent thousands of dollars reshooting photos, redoing videos, and rebuilding what had been lost. And while the company lost money and time undoing the damage, the crisis created an opportunity for improvement that Dickey didn’t take lightly. With that day burned into her memory, the company has since implemented automated systems that create redundancy in its cybersecurity checks and scans. “It’s tough. No matter how secure you think you are … breaches happen.” Though Dickey’s experience was one for the books at the barbecue-restaurant company, cybersecurity crises have become increasingly common across industries. And though most companies have developed cybersecurity strategies in recent years and even begun prioritizing them, keeping systems and data secure continues to be a daunting task. As security gets more sophisticated, so do cyber criminals. And as technology makes its way into every piece of every business, more and more data is put at risk, leading to more breaches. U.S. data breaches through June 30, 2017 hit a half-year record high of 791, representing a 29 percent increase over the same period in 2016, according to numbers released in July by nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center and CyberScout, an identity and risk management services company. The Identity Theft Resource Center estimated in July that the total number of breaches for the year could reach 1,500, which would represent a 37 percent increase over the record year of 2016, when breaches totaled 1,093. On top of all this, cybersecurity operations often require manpower as well as the latest software, both of which can be costly. With the cost of a breach averaging $7.35 million, according a 2017 study conducted by the Ponemon Institute, the question becomes: How much cybersecurity is enough to prevent a breach? “One of the problems people have in the corporate sphere is, there are no clear metrics on how to invest in cybersecurity,” says Alvaro Cardenas, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Dallas, adding that cybersecurity is viewed as a “cost generator.” As a result, companies “tend to invest too little until something happens,” he says. There is no silver bullet to investing in cybersecurity, adds Fred Chang, executive director of the Darwin Deason Institute for Cyber Security at Southern Methodist University. But best practices serve as a foundation for cybersecurity strategies that could mitigate catastrophes. Part of the foundation includes developing a strategy and budget based on proactive, versus reactive, measures, implementing artificial intelligence and automation, hiring enough people to handle the tasks at hand, and making sure the team is qualified enough to respond to the complicated situations. “It’s really an economic perspective: What is my return on investment?” Chang says. “And it’s a hard one [to answer]. When you’re [dealing with different urgent priorities], you have to have wear different hats.” Sarah Hendrickson knows just what that’s like. She’s held information technology and security roles for companies including J.C. Penney, Dell Services, Children’s Health, and, most recently, Neiman Marcus, where she served as the company’s first-ever chief information security officer. “No two breaches are the same,” she says. “So the ways you react to them are unique. It’s tough. No matter how secure you think you are … breaches happen.” On the Front Lines First identify the “crown jewels” of the company. What is the most important information that company holds? Is it its secret sauce, widgets, confidential business dealings? Determine how the most valuable information could be monetized against the company. What would that look like? Develop a plan based around previously determined possibilities to mitigate risk. This could include creating a double authorization process to access specific files. Continuous patching is vital to protecting all assets. Make sure security is regularly updated. Be wary of third party networks. Vendors, partnerships, and sometimes even customers can create various touch points to company networks and data. Even if your defenses are top-notch, you could be infiltrated by an outside party. During her tenure at J.C. Penney, Hendrickson dealt with a 2007 hack that targeted Penney along with other companies like TJ Maxx and Heartland Payment Systems. At the time, she served as a scribe during the development of the strategy. “It’s really hard when … the U.S. government tells you that you have a problem when you didn’t know you had a problem,” she says, adding that, more often, bad actors attack aggressively and therefore are easy to spot. “In a breach situation, you have to be able to determine that no data was breached. In J.C. Penney’s situation … we couldn’t prove the data had been infiltrated, but we couldn’t prove that it hadn’t. So it was super frustrating.” Seven years later, Hendrickson had the chance to take the leading role. In November 2014, Neiman Marcus, having suffered a $1.6 million data breach that affected 350,000 customers, appointed Hendrickson as its first-ever chief information security officer. “Sometimes a company doesn’t have enough security as … they should,” she says. “Then when they have a breach, they have an intense focus on security. So I had resources and tools and money. When I initially joined, [the company] was very supportive, very proactive.” But cybersecurity wasn’t the only grave concern for Neiman Marcus. It was also struggling financially, losing $147.2 million in fiscal 2014. The company began digging itself out, reporting $14.9 million in profit during fiscal 2015, but sank even deeper in fiscal 2016, losing $406.1 million. Around that time, Ignaz Gorischek, vice president of store development, and Wanda Gierhart, chief marketing officer, exited the company, and the retailer slashed 600 jobs. It also had filed for an initial public offering, with rumors swirling that the retailer was seeking a buyer as well. On or about Dec. 26, 2015, the upscale retailer was hit by hackers again. The cybercriminals stole customers’ full payment card numbers and expiration dates, as well as customers’ names, contact information, email addresses, and purchase history, according to documents filed with the California Attorney General. Neiman’s sent notifications to affected customers, which the retailer identified as InCircle loyalty members or online shoppers. It also offered affected customers one year of MyIDCare, a theft protection service offered through ID Experts. Hendrickson would not comment on why she left the retailer. But in June 2017, she, too, departed Neiman’s. She was replaced in November by Shamoun Siddiqui, former vice president and CISO at Nationstar Mortgage. Hendrickson, who now works as an independent security consultant, says the effectiveness of a cybersecurity operation can be boiled down to one thing: “It all comes down to the capabilities of [the] response team,” she says. “If they have people in-house … that understand all the parts and pieces … that’s great. More often than not, they don’t have that.” The lack of cybersecurity talent is a growing problem that the nation is keeping tabs on, says Chang, who spoke and gave written testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee in September. “The size of the cyber skills gap globally will grow to about 1.8 million in 2022,” he wrote in his testimony. “This is 20 percent higher than an estimate made two years earlier.” Chang says that he’s seen estimates that more than 200,000 job openings are available in the cybersecurity industry. “It’s a big problem,” he says, adding that data breaches will continue to rise as long as the talent to prevent them is not available. Dickey’s, for example, was infected by ransomware that was spread to its network via an outside flash drive brought in by a well-meaning employee. It’s a common occurrence, and one Hendrickson says she focused a lot on throughout her corporate tenure: “You can put up all the firewalls and build all the servers. But if you can call someone else or send someone an email that looks legit … that’s something money can’t change.” Dickey echoes the sentiment. “You can budget and forecast for software licenses and what your upgrades will be, [but] it’s the education piece a lot of people overlook,” she says. “Instead of a sophisticated way of someone breaking into your car, it’s like leaving your keys in it.” For Pamela Arora, CIO at Children’s Health, mitigating human error is key. “It sounds so basic, but every [company’s] weakest link is the individual,” she says. “When it comes to how bad actors try to get into the environment … it’s not only emails, it’s phone calls and social engineering.” This includes cybercriminals gaining the trust of an employee by disguising themselves as a company executive, vendor, or someone else who may need pertinent business information. While Children’s has plenty of automated security tools in place, it also has a strategy for the human element. “We regularly phish our employees,” Arora says. “So if employees click on attachments [they shouldn’t], they’re redirected to an educational page.” Her team also rewards employees for alerting the company to possible scams they come across. Sometimes, this helps the IT team eliminate the same scan from thousands of other employees’ boxes before they’ve ever even seen it. Children’s had its own scares with low-tech cybersecurity issues. In November 2009, an employee lost a BlackBerry device at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and someone stole a laptop computer in April 2013. Combined, the two lost devices contained the electronic health records of about 6,262 individuals, according the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Children’s was fined $3.2 million in February 2017 for the incidents. But these two cases were quickly improved upon, Arora says. First, the company implemented physical safeguards to prevent theft. And the BlackBerry problem solved itself as technology advanced. All of Children’s mobile devices are now encrypted, Arora says. “It sounds so basic, but every [company’s] weakest link is the individual.” Safeguarding itself from cybercrime goes well beyond the four walls of Children’s. The healthcare system also monitors its connections with vendors, private physicians, and patients—all of whom may be connecting to hospital portals via infected devices. Children’s also works with other healthcare providers in the region, transferring intel when it has information about cyber threats. “Bad actors collaborate quite well,” Arora says. “We as organizations … to protect patient data … need to work our neighborhood watch across our community. We can learn from each other and make it a safer place.” Keeping abreast of the latest cyber threats and solutions—whether that’s through a network or via research—can help companies set or sharpen their cybersecurity strategies, Cardenas of UTD says. A good place to start is the National Council of Information Sharing and Analysis Centers, which contains information from 24 sector-based organizations that share information on the latest cyber threats facing their respective industry. There’s also the Cybersecurity Framework, a result of President Barack Obama’s 2013 executive order to improve cybersecurity infrastructure. The framework, available online, gathers global standards and practices to help organizations with their cybersecurity strategies. The good news is that C-level executives, in general, are increasingly more open to discussing and investing in cybersecurity initiatives, says SMU’s Chang. “We do find that the budgets are not bad,” Chang says, adding that execs are willing to pay extra to keep their company names from being tarnished as the latest victim of a hack. “The C-suite is saying, ‘This cyber thing is a factor. Here’s a respectable budget.’” But it’s important that executives keep in mind exactly how that budget is being spent. A reactive plan will look much different, both in terms of strategy and budget, than a proactive plan, Chang says. But one is clearly superior to the other. Think like a hacker, Chang says, and that will guide investment. “If I’m going to spend a million on my cyber defense budget … then next year I’m going to spend 2 million … I’ve doubled [my] spend,” Chang says. “The question to ask is, ‘Have I doubled my security? Do I have the metrics to determine that’s the case?’ Or if you double your spending, can you triple your security? It takes some pretty clear thinking on how to spend the dollars.”

DCEO: Guardians of the Network

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/human-resources/how-hire-and-train-top-talent">here</a>.&nbsp;Of course, quick-service brands have to think about more than just a restaurant’s individual team members. That’s why Dickey’s Barbecue Pit created its Barbecue University program to ensure that all franchisees are properly trained in tricks of the trade. Chris Kelley, dean of Barbecue University, says the four-week training program offers A-to-Z instruction for new owner-operators. It covers everything from the financial books to a beginner’s guide on brisket. The program aims to prepare franchisees to play a hands-on role in the business, rather than managing remotely over email. “It’s hard work, but it’s not hard work. We’re not putting rockets on the moon or curing cancer,” he says. “But you’re on your feet and engaged all day. You’ve got to deal with people each and every day.” And dealing with people, both customers and employees, is the toughest part of running a restaurant, Kelley says. That’s why the training program focuses on how to lead a team, communicate effectively, and handle unhappy customers. Kelley’s corporate team produces daily training videos for store employees, who learn about new menu items, company updates, or general refreshers before each shift begins. He says the training has grown more important as owners struggle to retain staff. Right now, workers know they are in demand and that they have leverage. “Believe you me, I deal with it on a daily basis on my team,” Kelley says. “It is, ‘What have you done for me lately? When do you give me a raise? I’ve been working for you for three days now; when do I get my raise?’” Dickey’s reinforces among staff members that working in the restaurants can be more than a job; similar to Pork &amp; Mindy’s, the company is focused on developing career paths for employees. “If they’re not happy, we’re not happy,” Kelley says. “Their success is our success. We realize that.”

QSR: How to Hire and Train Top Talent

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickey-s-adds-3-southern-classics-menu">here</a>.&nbsp;Dickey’s Barbecue Pit brings guests more Texas favorites with three new options including a Grilled Cheese, classic Texas Toast, and savory Cornbread Muffins for folks of all ages. Dickey’s guests will now have the option to either purchase a Grilled Cheese in a Kids Meal with a savory side and a Lil’ Yellow Cup or as an à la carte menu item for adults. Dickey’s Grilled Cheese is made with slices of cheddar cheese melted between two pieces of buttery Texas Toast. Guests of all ages can now upgrade their meals with a slice of Texas Toast or a savory Cornbread Muffin instead of Dickey’s classic buttery roll. “Grilled Cheese, Texas Toast and Cornbread are all southern staples folks love and we are proud to now offer that to our guests at all Dickey’s locations nationwide,” says Renee Roozen, President of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “Dickey’s is a family-owned, family-run business and we pride ourselves on serving our guests delicious food that they can share with their family. By incorporating these new items, we are able to better serve all of our guests.” Guests can try these new options by ordering online for delivery or pickup or by going into their local Dickey’s Barbecue Pit location.

QSR: Dickey’s Adds 3 Southern Classics to Menu

View the full article <a href="http://napavalleyregister.com/business/biz-buzz-dickey-s-barbecue-pit-to-open-in-napa/article_0cdc6a1e-0cb5-5bfc-91d4-24728cbbe928.html">here</a>.&nbsp;Dickey's Barbecue Pit continues their expansion in California with a new location in Napa slated to open in 2018. The new location will be owned by California locals, Rene and Gwen Bassett. The location for the new restaurant was not announced.&nbsp; As a retired military veteran, Rene and wife, Gwen, decided they wanted to open their own restaurant and after researching franchising concepts found a home in Dickey's, according to a news release. "Dickey's is a well-established brand nationwide and we are excited to become a part of the family," said Rene Bassett.&nbsp;

Napa Valley Register: Biz Buzz: Dickey's Barbecue Pit to open in Napa

View the full article <a href="http://www.parkcitiespeople.com/community/save-an-officer-invest-in-a-vest/">here</a>.&nbsp;Dallas locals are stepping up to back the badge.A reception was held in the home of Bill and Minnie Jean Caruth for Barbecue, Boots, and Badges, an organization which raises funds for leading-edge technology designed vests to protect the lives of law enforcement officers around the country who brave the dangers of criminal justice each and every day. Needs for life-saving resources and equipment are left unfilled, according to a news release sent out about the organization. Every year officers are killed in the line of duty because they do not have the level of protection necessary for the ever-increasing risks they face. Officers need a more mobile and durable option for their safety. Barbecue, Boots, and Badges conduct fundraising initiatives across the country to support police and fire. Along with traditional fundraising Barbecue, Boots, and Badges is also sponsored by Dickey's Barbecue Pit and Frito Lay. The two companies have created a shared initiative to give back to the community by donating a portion of all Frito Lay products sold in Dickey's Barbecue Pits nationwide to the charity. Invest in a Vest is an opportunity to give back to those who give their all. Barbecue, Boots, and Badges are committed to providing lifesaving equipment and support to law enforcement with this program. A full 100 percent of donations raised for this program will be used for the sole purpose of outfitting the men and women of law enforcement with the protection they need. For every $750 raised, the life of a police officer can be saved. Participation in this program allows us the ability to ensure police officers are given the support they need with the equipment they deserve.

Park Cities People: Save an officer: Invest in a Vest

View the full article <a href="https://www.fastcasual.com/articles/dickeys-freshii-leaders-predict-2018-restaurant-trends/">here</a>.&nbsp;An increased focus on delivery, the elevation of vegetarian and vegan concepts, embracing automation and finding ways to operate in smaller areas are just a few predictions from several executives leading fast casual brands. Read below for more details. Jenelle Brown, VP of operations and training, Uncle Maddio's&nbsp;&nbsp;Predictions: As the demands of the consumer continue to support off-premise you will continue to see operators make adjustments in current models as well as the ideation phase of new design. I would also predict brands will focus on value-engineering their build-out to maximize space and minimize square feet as most fast casual concepts are competing for the same real estate.&nbsp; Technology will continue to play an amplified role in driving sales and traffic.This will be at the forefront of loyalty programs and social media strategies as they remain a primary sales tactic and will allow for consistent communication to guest databases, segmentation and benchmark the ROI of campaigns. Integration into POS systems with arching technology, such as third-party delivery, mobile apps, digital gift cards and reward redemption.&nbsp; While everyone looks to keep their COGS in line or below industry standards while simplifying operations and the guest experience menu trends will shift. Cross utilizing skus , extending the promotion of LTOs and celebrating current menu items will become more prevalent. For example, Uncle Maddio's Pizza recently launched calzones. This is a great way to celebrate our house-made dough and fresh ingredients in an exciting way.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sam Ballas, president/CEO, East Coast Wings + Grill Comfort FoodPredictions: Our focus group studies and research offered an opportunity into comfort food offerings, leading us to create comfort food iron skillets such as Buffalo Chicken Mac + Cheese, Kick'n Joe (our version of the sloppy Joe) and Iron Shepard (our version of the Shepherd's Pie) Our brand's evolution dubbed ECWG 2.0 has transitioned our look to a more industrial and rustic décor, as well as transition our menu. The offerings will continue with high-quality ingredients and feature award-winning wings; however, the new menu extends to craft beers, flat breads, burgers and comfort foods&nbsp;Rosalie Guillem, CEO and co-founder, Le Macaron French Pastries.Predictions: We saw food and social media coming together to create one of the hottest trends known as "Instagramable food," and we knew this was a trend we could be a part of — our products are beautiful and delicious. We are always looking for new ways to make our cafés and products stand out to create a more elevated and memorable customer experience. John Leon, CEO, LeonPredictions: My guess is continued rise of veganism/vegetarianism.&nbsp; John Pepper, CEO, BolocoPredictions: I believe digital payment and mobile ordering will accelerate. It makes no sense to see people continue to line up at Starbucks to place an order when it takes mere seconds on the phone. That will spill over to the rest of us too, as long as our apps are built well.&nbsp; I believe that how consumers define "value" will continue to evolve… taste and price will always reign supreme, but especially as Gen Z are entering and now graduating from college, things like social justice and impact on environment and communities will show up more prevalently in how people choose where they spend their money. I think a lot of high-growth, heavily-funded concepts will meet stronger headwinds in 2018, even if the fundamentals of those concepts are well accepted and even lionized by the public. The required investor returns matched with nose-bleed high valuations will cause further management turn over and decisions to be made that possibly undermine the long-term viability of those businesses.&nbsp; Stuart Fitzgerald, CFO, Freshii Great Britain&nbsp;Predictions: There is so much happening in the sector right now but the biggest change may be how data is being used to enhance the guest experience. Everything from personalized marketing campaigns to back-of-house operations is now data driven. In Freshii UK we have automated our accounting and business intelligence systems to improve the speed and quality of our decision making. Our EPOS, time and attendance, procurement and accounting systems connect through one portal. This portal will give our teams the data they need to run our stores efficiently and effectively. Sammy Aldeeb, CEO andfounder, Urban Bricks PizzaPredictions: After years targeting millennials through marketing and advertising, brands will now start to take it a step further and completely rearrange design to appeal to this generation. Colors and interior design will be chosen to appeal to millennials, and restaurant designs will be made to easily accommodate mobile ordering and pick-up. Fast casual restaurants will begin to incorporate full bars and craft beer in order to get younger customers into their stores. Bryon Stephens, president, Marco's PizzaPredictions: Workforce engagement and development: Data-driven decision-making: As one of its top company goals, increasing employee engagement is a continuous agenda item not only among the workforce but at each leadership table.&nbsp; Progress is measured and reported every period, and with the culture of accountability firmly entrenched, failure to improve engagement at Marco's is not an option.&nbsp; Some of the programs that help include Marco's apprenticeship program which provides current employees, active duty military, veterans and their families an opportunity for ownership complete with all the support they need to be successful. Laura Rea Dickey, CEO, Dickey's BarbecuePredictions: I see delivery as a growing focus with staying power beyond a trend in the industry. We are launching our consumer app with direct delivery and curbside pick-up. We are revamping our loyalty program that will be largely app-based. We are also focusing on "true engagement" with our guests. Meaning to complement our expanded, open kitchens, we're adding Barbecue School in select locations. In Barbecue School, guests can sign up for barbecue classes lead by a pit master in the restaurant and learn real barbecue techniques and how to make custom sauces and rubs.&nbsp; I think guests will look more for authentic, experience-based reasons, like that, to return to restaurant dining rooms in the evenings and weekends. Barbecue School is how we hope to meet that anticipated expectation.&nbsp;&nbsp; Last, I think we'll see smaller, more focused menus and footprints across the industry due to rising costs and fierce competition; we are seeing requests for counter-based, no-seating restaurants from potential owners. This is definitely something we may test in 2018. Scott Drummond, co-founder, EatsaPredictions: I think we will see the industry track the evolution and innovation cycle of the internet. For example, in the same way that the internet now presents customized information based on what you are doing, restaurants will soon do the same. Imagine restaurants with the ability to customize menus and present items that anticipate your needs, tastes and desires without you even noticing?&nbsp; Another innovation we may soon see will mirror the connectivity and group-sharing of social media. I believe we will see restaurant environments very soon where we can see, connect, share and maybe even sample food in real time that others are enjoying elsewhere. Eatsa tested the waters with innovation moving in this direction, and I feel confident that what people experienced was just the very early first steps in this direction! Steve Novick, CEO, FarmstandPredictions: With rents increasing and businesses rates more than doubling in some areas of London, we see a rise of kitchen-only restaurants and the number of independent brick-and-mortar shops decreasing.&nbsp; Bill DiPaola, COO, Dat DogPredictions: As far as things on the horizon for us and what we are gearing up for, we see the future as a more nuanced, personalized guest experience in restaurants that includes direct, in-store customer feedback that alters the environment as they dine.&nbsp;&nbsp; This includes the simple things like music and television programming, but one that also includes lighting, decor, artwork and even color scheme.&nbsp; All done through social networking and direct input from the guest. Customization is king and is not only limited to your meal.&nbsp;

Dickey's, Freshii, Boloco Leaders Predict 2018 Fast Casual Trends

View the full segment <a href="http://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/video/category/spoken-word-good-day/3780688-dickeys-does-holidays/">here</a>.&nbsp;

Good Day Sacramento: Dickey's Does Holidays

View the full article <a href="http://annarborobserver.com/articles/texas_barbecue_at_dickey_s_full_article.html">here</a>.&nbsp;Dickey's Barbecue Pit is now serving traditional Texas barbecue in Washtenaw Commons. Will Kaufman and his wife, Rebecca, opened the franchise location in late October after another franchisee's agreement with Dickey's fell through.&nbsp; The food business is brand new territory for both of them, but Kaufman says "I always had a desire to open a restaurant. My original vision was more of a mom-and-pop greasy spoon, but the more I looked into it, the more research I did, I discovered how hard it was for an individual restaurant to open and be successful." Will says Rebecca, who was prepping the kitchen for opening when we talked to him, was behind him all the way when he decided to make the career change from IT professional.&nbsp; Will was born and raised in Ann Arbor, but his mother's family lives in Dallas. "Dickey's was one of mom's favorite places," he says. When he came across a Dickey's at an airport, "I saw a sign that gave a number [to call to learn] about franchises, so I gave them a call!" Permits had already been pulled for the previous franchisee, so Kaufman says the process was simple.&nbsp; What makes Texas-style barbecue different? "Texas barbecue is a dry rub--it's not an overly sauced barbecue," he explains. "We leave the sauce up to the guests. We definitely like the flavor of the meat to speak for itself." Dickey's offers variations of brisket, pulled pork, chicken, and turkey all smoked on site, plus ribs and a jalapeno cheddar sausage that Kaufman says goes back to the first Dickey's in 1941. The Kaufmans are drumming up business by offering 50 percent off to all first responders, plus free drink refills for life to anyone who buys a Dickey's "Big Yellow Cup." They hope to offer catering in time for the Super Bowl, and Kaufman says he has already signed a development contract for a second location, "hopefully downtown."

Ann Arbor Observer: Texas Barbecue at Dickey's

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickey-s-barbecue-pit-plans-napa-restaurant-2018">here</a>.&nbsp;Dickey’s Barbecue Pit continues their expansion in California with a new location in Napa slated to open in 2018. The new location will be owned by California locals, Rene and Gwen Bassett. New to the restaurant industry, the couple looks forward to embarking on their new venture with Dickey’s and bringing Texas-style barbecue to residents of their community. “At Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, we pride ourselves on serving each and every guest authentic, Texas-style barbecue,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “With new franchisees such as Rene and Gwen Bassett that truly love the brand, we can continue our growth and more importantly continue serving our guests delicious barbecue.” As a retired military veteran, Rene and wife, Gwen, decided they wanted to open their own restaurant and after researching franchising concepts found a home in Dickey’s. “The community here in Napa needs a delicious, affordable barbecue option and we look forward to giving them just that,” says Rene. “Dickey’s is a well-established brand nationwide and we are excited to become a part of the family.”

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