‎Restaurants & Institutions:
The world’s largest restaurant company, Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald’s Corp., reported that its same-store sales rose 5.2% in Europe in 2009, double what its U.S. units could muster. Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! Brands said that it opened 500 stores in China last year alone. Denver-based Chipotle announced that it will open its first overseas location in London this year, and several high-profile chefs—including Daniel Boulud, Mario Batali and Wolfgang Puck—are planning their initial outposts outside the United States.
Couple all that news with a recent report from Port Washington, N.Y.-based market researcher NPD Group that customer traffic at U.S. restaurants declined 3% in 2009 while the total number of U.S. restaurants dipped by 0.3%, and it makes sense to conclude that when it comes to expansion plans, the place to be is anywhere but here.
Continue reading this post.