Welcome to Beyond the Plate.com Idea & Resource Center

More companies are finding innovative ways to produce items in a more sustainable fashion or to dispose of their empty food containers more responsibly. Here are two companies’ success stories.

Rosie O’Grady’s may sound like your typical Irish Pub, but its success lies in the fact that it has literally something for everyone to like.

In these tough times it seems takeout food is even more important to the average busy household. These multitaskers cannot waste time coming in to sit down at a restaurant, but they still love restaurant food (and not having to cook it themselves).

Catering has gone mainstream as a foodservice option for both businesses and consumers. Whether it’s lifestyle or economy driven, people today are getting comfortable with the casual, medium range delivery style and price point offered by catering.

“Real Barbeque Is Back!” That’s Swadley’s slogan, but the truth is that it never left—not at this authentic gem of a restaurant. The 80 year-old family business was started by Grandfather Swadley, who sold his own smoked meats in his general store.

Whether you call it takeout, carryout, or food to go, this category of the food business shows no signs of slowing down, regardless of the outlook for the economy. Here’s our take on the Top Ten trends in this growing category.

Welcome to our Beyond the Plate section that is all about disposables! This quarter we are alking about products that are environmentally safe, things to consider in your entertaining lifestyle, and the products that can make it all easier.

Today, more people order food to go from restaurants than stay to dine in. Surveys indicate that at least half of consumers say they want eco-friendly packaging for their takeout foods.

The foodservice industry push to get greener shows no signs of slowing down. As an operator, if you don’t have an action plan to respond the consumer’s increasing demand for greater eco-responsibility, your competitor surely does.

Where does great food come from? Ingredient restaurant says it in its name. Fresh ingredients and a fresh approach on how to serve them are fueling the growth of a soon-to-be 5-unit concept that debuted in 2007.