We've all got our favorite burger place. For some, it's a national chain they can find on just about any street corner. For others, it's a regional quick-serve or fast-casual restaurant that is big enough to have a decent brand - but is only found in a handful of select locations.

Then, there's the mom-and-pop, single-location restaurant that may (or may not) be a dive, or a hole-in-the-wall, but you just can't get enough of it, and so you keep going back for more - no matter where it’s located.

But, is one of these really better than the other two? Let’s take a quick look.

New menu items can be fun and exciting for both restaurants and customers. Many people don’t often realize where these new menu items come from though. Do they get picked at random? Does the restaurant CEO decide what they want on the menu? Is there a survey that customers complete?

Let’s take a look at who (and what) guides the decisions regarding new menu items at your favorite restaurants.

Have you ever wondered why two locations of the same restaurant brand can have different menus? The changes may be subtle – like, a few smaller items might not be available in all locations. It could also be more noticeable, too – a larger menu item such as a pizza is available in one location – but not in another.

The truth is, there are a few reasons why you might not find your favorite menu items at all locations. We’ll dig into three of the main ones in this blog post.

Don't you just love it when your favorite restaurant has a special? If you're lucky, you'll find something you really like on special, or at least something you don't totally hate. After all, it is your favorite restaurant, so as long as you're eating there AND saving a few dollars, why not go for it, right?

But what makes a special so special? There are quite a few reasons why a restaurant will have a menu item promotion or some other sort of deal.

Today we'll dig into four of the major ones.