Former McDonald's Corp. executive Steve Easterbrook has returned to the chain as executive v.p. and global chief brand officer. Easterbrook will have global responsibility for marketing, menu development and consumer and... »

Leadership change at Burger King is being fueled by its equity firm parent’s acquisition activity. Burger King Worldwide CEO Bernardo Hees is leaving the company to become CEO at H.J. Heinz Co., which parent company 3G Capital... »

The fast-casual Mexican segment continues to show some of the restaurant industry’s healthiest growth. Qdoba Mexican Grill is keeping up that momentum with plans to add 70 to 85 North American outlets this year. In March, the... »

Markus Glueck has assumed the management reins at Rational USA. He succeeds Björn Rowland, who will continue to be based at the firm’s Schaumburg, Ill., office as area v.p.-North America.  The German-born Glueck has worked... »

If you just saw the top line numbers for retail sales and the Producer Price Index, reported by the Bureau of the Census on April 12, you may have thought sales and wholesale prices fell in March. In fact, foodservice and... »

The Association for Healthcare Foodservice has elected new officers to serve on its 2014 board of directors. President-Elect: Lisette Coston, Exec. Director-Support Services, Saint Francis Health System, Tulsa,... »

In a management transition announced last week, Manitowoc Co. Chairman/CEO Glen Tellock has taken the reins at the company’s Foodservice segment. He will lead it on an interim basis while the company searches for a successor for... »

El Pollo Loco has hired Jeff Little as v.p.-development and Richard Pineda as v.p.-supply chain management. Little, formerly national director of Yum! Brands construction and most recently national director-Taco Bell development,... »

While restaurant traffic involving adults rose 1% in 2012, thanks mostly to a gain in breakfast occasions, visits by parties with children remained flat last year, according to The NPD Group. Visits by parties with kids have been... »

Moe’s Southwest Grill is rolling the dice on a multiunit development deal that will bring eight outlets to Las Vegas within the next five years. The units will be Moe’s first freestanding locations in Nevada; the franchise... »

Alto-Shaam Inc. has promoted Adam Dixon to v.p.-national accounts. Dixon, a 20-year industry veteran, had been the Menomonee Falls, Wis., company’s v.p.-sales for the southwestern U.S. In his new post, he’ll oversee strategic... »

Consumer sentiment fell sharply in the preliminary April reading by Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers, surprising many economists. Combined with the decline in overall retail sales, the decline had... »

Behind the latest round of forecasts from the 50 economic groups surveyed each month by Blue Chip Economic Indicators is a bit of good news for foodservice operators: Disposable personal income growth should begin to improve,... »

Are foodservice operators being asked to foot the bill for years of municipal neglect? That’s what Halifax, New Scotia, restaurateurs, and the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association are claiming. The CRFA is appealing... »

Hundreds of foodservice workers and supporters protested in New York City and other cities on April 4 outside restaurants to demand higher wages. Demonstrators, chanting “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Minimum wage has got to go,” voiced... »

A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress April 10 would reform the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires that large quantities of corn be diverted for use in the production of corn-based ethanol.Opponents of the standard argue... »

It wasn’t quite business as usual as the Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association celebrated its 80th anniversary during the group’s annual convention April 3-7 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort in Texas.... »

Better than expected fourth-quarter 2012 results and a distinct softening of foodservice operator sales in the first quarter of 2013 has prompted Foodservice Equipment Reports to revise its forecasts of the foodservice equipment... »

In an acquisition that reorders the shape of the E&S distribution field, TriMark USA, LLC has acquired Strategic Equipment and Supply Corp., headquartered in Coppell, Texas. The acquisition positions TriMark as the nation’s... »

We just returned from San Antonio, Texas, and FEDA’s 2013 Annual Convention. From the sight of FEDA and Wasserstrom Co. Pres. Brad Wasserstrom riding into the opening reception on a long-horn steer, to the savory taste of chicken... »

Okay, so the original deadline was April Fool’s Day and at least some of you were busy getting ready for FEDA’s Annual Convention. Well, like us, you’re back at work. So if you haven’t already submitted your paperwork and data... »

Same-store sales and traffic took a beating in February, according to the latest tracking data from The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index, released Mar. 29. The overall index fell 0.8 point to 99.9,... »

Restaurant chains’ sales rebounded in 2012, according to preliminary data from Technomic Inc.’s annual “Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report,” released March 21. Combined system-wide sales for the 500 concepts rose 4.9%. The year was... »

Market Forge has announced two key personnel appointments as part of a management restructuring. Fifteen-year company veteran Jeff Leckel has been promoted from operations manager to interim president and CEO, succeeding Dave... »

DoughPro has a new name, new logo and new look. The maker of pizza and presses, grills, ovens and accessories has changed its name to ProLuxe. “Our new name refl­ects our ongoing growth and expansion, and better identifies the... »