News w/e 16 March

PayPal launches new technology for small businesses to accept payments through smartphones

PayPal has released a new mobile payments technology that will allow small businesses to process credit and debit card payments through smartphones, in a direct move against its main American competitor, Square.

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What's the fastest growing beverage in American restaurants? Tap water.

Faced with a list of possible beverages at restaurants, more diners these days are choosing water. That's not sparkling water, flavored water or even bottled water: It's just plain water. Over the past five years, tap water has been one of the fastest growing beverages in American restaurants, representing 10% of the 50 billion beverage servings ordered, according to NPD Group, a market research company. Restaurant traffic is down 1%, but total beverage servings -- excluding water -- are down 6%, NPD reported.  

L.A. Times drops restaurant stars. Others to follow?

The central tension of restaurant star-rating systems tends to be between critic and reader: The former prefers to write informed, nuanced reviews to help discriminating diners better understand the complexities of the restaurant experience they’re considering. The latter just wants his/her dang stars — the classic, bottom-line summation that reduces an entire banquet of opinion into a digestible, bite-size nugget  

Wooden Sunglasses Crafted Out Of Irish Whiskey Barrels, Alcohol Not Included

A unique collaboration between wooden eyewear manufacturer Shwood, Boston boutique Bodega and Bushmills Irish Whiskey has resulted in limited edition sunglasses made from genuine Irish whiskey barrels that come packaged in a custom wooden whiskey crate and a crowbar

Raise a Glass to the Free Market in Wine

The worldwide wine business is a good case study in free trade, given that there are many producers and few restrictions on commerce. In recent years, the cost of wine has reflected this generally free global market in two ways — one good and the other bad, as George M. Taber argues in this op-ed piece. Taber is the author of four books on wine. His latest is titled, A Toast to Bargain Wines: How innovators, iconoclasts, and winemaking revolutionaries are changing the way the world drinks

Snacks, not sit-down: Restaurants try to snag 'grazing' diners

Nearly half of diners now say they’re snacking twice a day, compared with the quarter who said the same in 2010, according to research group Technomic. More than 6 in 10 customers said that the snacks they bought were impulse purchases.

Chateau Beijing: Chinese buying up Bordeaux estates

You could hardly do better than Chateau du Grand Moueys if you were looking for a metaphor to demonstrate Chinese interests in European wines, luxury goods and travel. ... About 15 Chinese individuals or businesses have purchased wine-growing properties in Bordeaux and Chinese investors also want to develop luxury tourism in Bordeaux, which they think will be the next fad as Chinese wealth pours into Europe.

Franchises growing sales by millions after visiting one regional burger chain

Most businessmen study the leaders of their industry to gather tips on growth strategies. But many national quick-service chains are seeking advice from a regional burger chain populating rural towns in East Tennessee. And the advice they’re getting seems to be working. Pal’s Sudden Service has become something of a legend in the quick-serve arena, and for the last decade has shared its strategies with nonprofit organizations and businesses—including other quick serves—through its Pal’s Business Excellence Institute. 

Top 7 US Celebrity-Owned Restaurants

For some celebrities, getting the best table in the restaurant isn't enough. They'd rather own it. 

Chipotle Is Using This Unconventional Marketing Strategy To Take The US By Storm

Fresh and healthy plus unconventional publicity builds fantastic returns

The jury is still out on Westfield Sydney CBD centre's attempts to offer shoppers an upmarket food experience 

Speculation whirred about the difficulties of establishing fine dining in a mall- with Matt Moran's pull out of a fine dining establishment-  about whether Australians would accept anything more from a shopping centre than food courts and $8 laksas.

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