In This Section:
ASTM To Offer Lifecycle-Costing Webinar Next Week
Checkers Finds New Franchisees, New Locales
Burgerville Hits The Road
Einstein Spreads Wings
Russia To Get First Chili's
This issue's Economic Report Sponsor: Internorga 2010
Regulatory ReportSponsor: Manitowoc Ice Inc.
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ASTM To Offer Lifecycle-Costing Webinar Next Week
If you specify or purchase foodservice equipment—which means just about anybody receiving FER Fortnightly—mark your schedules for this coming Thurs., Sept. 17, 2 p.m. Eastern.
That's when ASTM Int'l. will host a 90-min. Webinar explaining how to get the most out of its F2687 Standard Practice for Life Cycle Cost Analysis of Commercial Food Service Equipment
Just in time for 2010 budget planning, the Webinar will show you how to go beyond initial purchase price and make accurate projections about competing equipment models' lifecycle operating costs.
The program will show you how to use two free calculating tools developed by ASTM with input from a broad range of foodservice-industry segments. The session will be presented by speakers David Zabrowski, Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s Food Service Technology Center, and Jeff Cook, of Burger King.
To participate click here and complete the registration process. And for further information, you can contact Christine DeJong, staff manager of Technical Committee F26 on Food Service Equipment, at phone 610/832-9736 or email at cdejong@astm.org.
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Checkers Finds New Franchisees, New Locales
Checkers Drive-In Restaurants is close to a record pace for openings—mostly due to its success in franchising non-traditional locations. An airport, a state university and four turnpike rest areas account for a third of the 18 new Checkers opened during the second quarter. In the first six months of 2009, 23 new restaurants have opened in eight states through nine new franchisees and 10 existing franchisees. One new location was opened by the double drive-through corporation. It's the busiest pace for new-store openings in the first half of the year since '00.
Although non-traditional locations are becoming more important, the traditional double drive-through design continues to be a major driver of the business. "Of the 18 locations opened in the second quarter, 10 are the traditional design, which really defines the Checkers brand," said Michael Arrowsmith, sr. v.p. of development.
On the other hand, he added, non-traditional designs including c-stores, food courts in airports and travel plazas as well as conversions of other QSR brands reflect the current economy and new options now available to the nearly 25-year-old chain. Based in Tampa, Fla., the company counts more than 840 units in 29 states under its umbrella; it also owns Rally's.
Burgerville Hits The Road
Often, Americans' mobile eating habits are being catered to by food carts and kiosks in urban settings and office parks. But Burgerville, the 39-unit Portland, Ore., chain, is taking its menu on the road with a mobile restaurant.
The Burgerville Nomad, staffed by three cooks, is producing meals in a kitchen equipped with a prep table, refrigeration unit, grill, fryer, and shake machine. The equipment, powered by an on-board generator, is turning out an abbreviated Burgerville menu of burgers, hot dogs, fries and seasonal shakes. While Nomad can serve 500 meals a day, the chain is prepping it for peak business with an accompanying supply van carrying an inventory of food and supplies that will serve up to 2,000 meals daily. The chain said it plans to utilize Nomad as a temporary kitchen during restaurant remodels or extended maintenance periods in its Oregon and Washington State units.
Einstein Spreads Wings
The portability of the bagel in highly trafficked college, military, transportation and medical venues is boosting the growth of Einstein Bros. Bagels. The chain has opened 12 new licensed stores through the first two quarters of 2009 and will continue its rapid growth through licensing during the remainder of this year and into next. Current plans call for more than 20 additional licensed-store openings in the coming months.
New openings in the second quarter included, chronologically, the University of Texas-El Paso, the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, and the National Security Agency offices at Fort Meade in Maryland.
By the end of 2009, the company plans to have more than 180 licensed Einstein Bros. locations across the country, along with more than 500 corporate and franchised stores.
Einstein Noah Restaurant Group has approximately 600 restaurants in 36 states and the District of Columbia, operating primarily under the Einstein Bros Bagels and Noah's New York Bagels brands; franchise locations are primarily under the Manhattan Bagel brand.
Russia To Get First Chili's
Brinker Int'l. will raise its franchise flag in its 30th country next year. The Dallas company has signed a development agreement with Trio's Group Int'l. to build 25 Chili's Grill & Bar restaurants in Russia over the next eight years. The first store will open in Moscow in November 2010.
Trio's Group is a privately held, Swiss-based company headed by three partners focused on developing and operating Chili's in the Russian Federation. Brinker owns, operates or franchises 203 international locations in 29 countries and two territories outside the United States. It plans to have 500 foreign outlets by '14.
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