It will take four years and at least $1 billion, but McDonald’s Corp. is revamping the look—and some of the foodservice equipment—in its 14,000 U.S. outlets.The chain previewed its planned changes to select media and investment analysts. A newly remodeled store in Tampa will set the tone for the rest of the nation. After updating…

Two senior-level appointments have been announced by Middleby Corp. James K. Pool has been named president of TurboChef, the Carrollton, Texas, oven manufacturer. He’ll oversee day-to-day sales and operations. Pool succeeds Paul Lehr, who has retired. Pool joined TurboChef in 1995, and has been the company’s principal engineer for the past decade. Karl Doyon has…

Tina Reese has been appointed v.p.-operations at Commercial Appliance Parts & Service. She’ll head up Commercial’s headquarters in Tampa, Fla., and will oversee various operational functions for the entire company, which has four branches in Florida and one in Atlanta. Reese has been with Commercial for two decades, and is one of the company’s former…

Thomas Murray Funka, Sr., the retired owner and president of The Zeroll Co., has died. He purchased the ice cream scoop manufacturer in 1968. He and his brother, Art, built the company, then known as Roll Dippers, into a major presence in the market; among their initiatives was creating a national network of sales reps.…

In 10 days, hundreds of foodservice directors and industry professionals will arrive in Phoenix for the 2011 Association for Healthcare Foodservice Annual Conference. “Destination by Design: Sharing Our Influence to Shape Our Future,” June 5-9, includes four days of seminars and speakers at the Arizona Biltmore. Seminar and workshop topics cover everything from sustainability to…

Hands-on equipment demos and educational sessions are among the selling points for attending the SoCal Equipment Expo, June 7-8, in Downey, Calif. Admission is free to the expo, sponsored by the Southern California Gas Co. at the Food Service Equipment Center. The expo focuses on energy efficient gas-fired and electric commercial cooking equipment. Both days…

A little pink in the pork is okay. The United State Department of Agriculture has lowered the recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork from 160°F to 145°F and added a three-minute rest time. The safe temperature for cuts of beef, veal, and lamb remains unchanged at 145°F, but the department is adding…

The Ohio State Senate is debating a bill already approved by the House which would allow concealed-carry permit holders to take guns into restaurants, bars and open-air arenas that serve alcohol as long as they do not drink. Business owners still could post signs banning guns from their establishments. According to Legal Community Against Violence,…

Chipotle Mexican Grill has created headaches and made headlines over its hiring practices and compliance with immigration laws. Roughly 500 undocumented workers have been fired as a result of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement audits of the chain’s hiring paperwork in Minnesota, Virginia and Washington, D.C. On May 13, U.S. immigration agents interviewed employees in…

The program that provides workers documentation in the form of visas for foodservice operations to fill jobs is now a point of controversy as well. The National Restaurant Association is blasting a proposed rewrite of rules governing the H-2B visa system, which it says could make it nearly impossible for restaurants to use the popular…