January 15, 2001

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Mexican Moves
Rick Bayless—of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo fame—believes the dining scene still is "a generation away from Mexican being [widely] accepted as fine dining." However, he says it is at least moving in that direction. With tacos and tortillas well-established as menu staples, consumers are showing their readiness for more authentic, more varied and more upscale Mexican fare. As the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess hotel determined, the best way to understand Mexican food is to go south of the border and taste.

SPECIAL REPORT

Breaking Away
Like its food, a restaurant chain's décor must evolve with the times to keep the dining experience fresh and interesting. Huddle House, Sizzler, Burger King and others have found that rethinking design can provide and opportunity to reevaluate the overall concept and market positioning. Pizza Hut, for example, renewed its focus on in-store dining after years of stressing takeout and delivery business.

BUSINESS

Amphibious Assault
Fish consumption has been rising and seafood-theme restaurant development is riding that vave. Tapping the popularity of fresh and healthy foods and regional cuisines, the seafood chains such as Rockfish Seafood Grill, Blue Marlin and Naked Fish are giving steakhouses a run for consumers' money.

OPERATIONS

Cool Duds
Restyled uniforms energize operations and give staffers choices.

'Mad-Cow' Frenzy Exposes Frailty of Diner Confidence
Oak Brook, Ill., is more than 4,100 miles from Paris, but the hysteria over food safety gripping France and much of the rest of Europe was felt sharply at McDonald's Corp.'s headquarters outside Chicago.

EDITORIAL

Viewpoint
Active Endeavors