The Great Foodservice Recession is catching up with foodservice operators in the U.S., though nearly all the pain is among independents, according the latest ReCount unit census data from The NPD Group. The total number of units in the U.S. fell by 9,450 to 574,050, or 2%, during the year that ended March 31, NPD said.…

Continuing stagnant economies in much of Europe and the U.S. are holding down restaurant visits, according to the latest traffic and sales data from The NPD Group. But China, Germany and France saw significant real gains in the first quarter this year, the Port Washington, N.Y., research firm reported. China continued to see a foodservice…

Combined revenues for the Top 100 foodservice equipment and supplies manufacturers rose 3.9% in 2010, according to Foodservice Equipment Reports‘ exclusive analysis of the largest E&S manufacturers. The annual ranking, based on North American revenues, is part of the magazine’s 2012 E&S Market Forecast package. From the largest company in the list, Manitowoc Foodservice at…

A pilot program is giving some Phoenix-area restaurants more responsibility for their own food safety and cutting back on the number of full inspections of those eateries. The voluntary program unofficially went into effect in February but Maricopa County officials say it is just now getting into full swing. It’s designed to encourage a cooperative…

Restaurant-grading systems have been in place in Los Angeles County for a decade and in New York City for the past year. Pittsburgh’s foray into using a similar letter-grading system for health inspections, however, is on hold. It’s a collision of state regulations versus county food code. The Allegheny County Health Department has tabled the proposal,…

The National Restaurant Association hit a milestone in its effort to be the restaurant industry’s leader in training and certification solutions. On July 8, it held its one millionth training class and exam administration—a ServSafe Manager course in Nashville, Ind. The nation’s nearly one million restaurants and 13 million employees have benefited from the association’s…

If you’ve been on a steady news diet lately, you might want to push away from the table and see how much better you’ll feel. News being news, the emphasis is generally on the negative, and there are good arguments to be made for that. But the relentless rehash can make you want to throw…

The Legacy Cos., the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., manufacturer, exporter and importer of foodservice equipment, retail appliances and kitchen utensils, has acquired Blakeslee, the Chicago-based commercial warewashing and preparation equipment manufacturer. Blakeslee was founded in 1880. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Since their founding, Blakeslee has become a leader in the commercial dishwashing and…

The general economy is weak, consumers are tentative and foodservice operators continue to worry about their prospects, but there is no question operators are buying more equipment and supplies, said Foodservice Equipment Reports Publisher Robin Ashton at the magazine’s annual E&S Market Forecast President’s Preview meeting held in Evanston, Ill., on July 27. “The hard…

Check your plane tickets and update your hotel reservations: The