True scratch cooking is complex and time consuming. Are commercial and noncommercial kitchens actually putting it into use? The levels of execution vary.

As you might have read in Nation’s Restaurant News, Arby’s has a new limited time offer: a venison sandwich. Maybe that makes your mouth start to water or maybe that’s not your cup of tea; either way, there are some best practices that can be gleaned from the launch of this sandwich.

The past few weeks have produced some landmark headlines — some alarming and others promising. While Burger King’s parent company reports a “sharp increase” in first-quarter sales since acquiring Tim Hortons and moving its headquarters to Canada, McDonald’s saw its year-over-year revenue drop by nearly a billion dollars — and the chain plans to close hundreds of stores in the coming months.

“In an age when consumers’ choices have never been broader, it’s critical to stand out among the sea of other brands and offerings,” begins a news article I read yesterday. No surprise, right? But it’s a reminder that the obvious isn’t always really obvious. And the article, in QSR magazine about foodservice chains’ efforts to reach a new generation of consumers, gives some interesting insight into what strategy these restaurants are using.