Obviously, the casual dining world has its ups and downs. Right now we are in a down period, with some major players struggling the last few years. There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel, as reflected in Applebee’s recent performance—nothing stellar, but a slight uptick. But there really is no […]

The team behind Hola Arepa has switched gears and opened a South-Asian restaurant in the up-and-becoming trendy Northeast Minneapolis. Hai Hai is in a fairly underdeveloped area at 21st and University, which would normally give rise to lower rents and a need to be a destination. And judging by the long lines to get in, […]

I am always intrigued by “polished fast-casual” concepts— restaurants with counter service but a little more personal service and also higher price points that can attract customers with the ability to generate higher check averages. Sweet Chow is an example of one of these great, new, polished fast-casual concepts. It has a great location in […]