The looming fiscal cliff appears to have given restaurant operators a case of vertigo. The prospect of rapidly rising prices for key proteins may be adding to the swoon. For the first time in 14 months, the National Restaurant... »

The MAFSI Business Barometer unexpectedly improved in the third quarter, as overall sales for manufacturers’ reps climbed to 4.3% in the quarter versus sales in the same quarter last year. The number beat advances of 4% in the... »

There are a few days left to submit products, technologies and equipment for the National Restaurant Association’s Kitchen Innovations Awards. While next year’s NRA Show is still months away (May 18-21 at Chicago’s McCormick... »

Worked with a customer you think is doing something really special with his or her operation? The National Restaurant Association is accepting nominations for its 2013 Operator Innovations Awards, which celebrate “operators who... »

Seventeen dealers can boast about hardworking employees who have earned scholarships from the FEDA Education Foundation. The foundation recently awarded 33 scholarships to help cover some of the costs associated with attending... »

Burkett Restaurant Equipment recently received a top honor at the University of Toledo. At the school’s annual Entrepreneurial and Business Excellence Hall of Fame ceremony on Nov. 8, Burkett received the Business Excellence... »

We now have seen all the third-quarter equipment and supplies market data, as well as the October Restaurant Performance Index, the November consumer confidence measures, and the like. The pols are in full strutting posture as... »

Foodservice Equipment Reports has trimmed its forecasts of foodservice equipment and supplies sales growth for 2012 and ’13. A clear trend of slowing growth in 2012, as charted by publicly reporting E&S companies and the... »

The 2012 version of “Size & Shape of the Industry,” which details dollar sales for more than 350 categories of foodservice equipment, supplies, tabletop and furnishings, has been released by the North American Association of... »

American consumers have seemed oblivious to the potential negative impact on them of the  so-called “fiscal cliff,” the combination of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1, 2013, unless Congress... »

It’s back to the future for San Jamar. The maker of foodservice, janitorial and sanitation products, supplies and clothing is now carrying all of its brands and products under its original name: San Jamar. The company had been... »

The to-do menu at Bob Evans Restaurants is on overdrive. The company is speeding up its Bob Evans’ store-remodeling program, known as “Farm Fresh Refresh” and will complete re-dos of all 565 units by the first half of 2014.... »

Atlanta-based Arby’s Restaurant Group has sold 42 company-owned locations and development rights in Seattle and Portland, Ore. The buyer, operator Tony Lutfi, will remodel at least 17 restaurants and has committed to building... »

TCBY has set its sights on the Houston area as a key market for growing its brand of frozen yogurt. The chain looks to grow there by 15 to 20 stores in the next three to five years. TCBY already has eight traditional stores in... »

The time has come again to recognize commercial and noncommercial operators who drive innovation and excellence in the restaurant industry. The National Restaurant Association is accepting nominations for its 2013 Operator... »

Globe Food Equipment Co. has appointed Kevin Woods, CFSP, as v.p.-sales and marketing. Woods joins the Dayton, Ohio, company from Unified Brands, where he was central region sales director. In his four-year tenure there he also... »

The Commercial Food Equipment Service Association kicks off its 50th anniversary year with its Spring 2013 Conference, Feb. 4-6, in conjunction with NAFEM ‘13. The conference will be held at the Peabody Orlando hotel in Florida.... »

Three food truck operators and a public-interest law firm filed a lawsuit against Chicago on Nov. 14 in an effort to force city officials to loosen restrictions on mobile food trucks. The suit targets the requirement that food... »

Food trucks, and where they roam, are still under debate north of the border. The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association has announced its support of food trucks in Montreal, provided they follow the same rules and... »

Get out your pencils. It’s time for the 2012 Economic Census. Every five years, the U.S. government conducts this survey mapping the American business landscape. The data collected can help business owners compare their business... »

Eight of the 10 states that tie annual wage increases to inflation have announced minimum wage increases this year. Arizona, Missouri and Vermont will increase their minimum wages on Jan. 1. In Arizona, wages will climb to... »

Nearly everyone expects big jumps in food prices, especially for proteins, over the next year or so, thanks to the ongoing drought in the United States. October’s wholesale food-price data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’... »

The Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association has put together a full lineup of speakers and programs for its 80th annual convention next year. FEDA members will convene April 3-7, 2013 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill... »

During its recent fall conference in Rosemont, Ill., Allied Buying Corp. recognized nine manufacturers with Supplier of the Year awards. The multiple criteria employed by the Lombard, Ill., buying group were tied to quality in... »

Globe Food Equipment Co. has appointed Kevin Woods, CFSP, as v.p.-sales and marketing. Woods joins the Dayton, Ohio, company from Unified Brands, where he was central region sales director. In his four-year tenure there he also... »