Sheila Palinkas has joined LEER INC. USA as national sales manager. Prior to joining Leer, Palinkas was director of specialty markets at W.A. Brown. Also, Leer has named Patrick McNeely as customer service manager. The New Lisbon, Wis., company manufactures walk-in coolers and freezers under the Leer and Carroll Cooler brands.

ICE-O-MATIC has appointed Terry Hoelle its director of sales. She will focus on leading U.S. sales efforts in distribution and channel development. Hoelle joins the Denver-based company after nine years with Structural Concepts, where she served as sales director and helped build its foodservice division. She currently serves on NAFEM’s board of directors.

Debbie Hanson has been promoted to group v.p.-sales and marketing of STAR HOLDINGS INT’L./MIDDLEBY. Hanson most recently held the title of v.p.-sales and marketing for Pitco and MagiKitch’n, based in Concord, N.H. She will manage sales and marketing activities for Star commercial equipment brands, including Bloomfield, Holman, Lang, Toastmaster and Wells. Before joining Middleby in…

Michael Tinsley is the new CEO at GRINDMASTER-CECILWARE CORP. Tinsley most recently served as CEO of Permian Holdings, but spent much of his early career in the foodservice equipment industry, including executive posts at American Metal Ware and H&K Int’l. During that time, he was a member of the NAFEM board. Grindmaster-Cecilware is headquartered in…

Two new faces at HATCO CORP.: Steve Everett Jr. will join the Milwaukee-based manufacturer as business development manager, overseeing product line strategies and new product development. Everett is a veteran of Manitowoc Foodservice brands including Frymaster, Lincoln, Merco and most recently, Merrychef. Mark Pumphret will join Hatco in December as dealer sales manager to work…

Salad and sandwich chain Tossed has inked a deal to develop new outlets throughout Boston. The chain opened its first unit there in 2007. In addition to its original New York store, Tossed counts units in Houston and Morrisville, N.C. Tossed also has signed franchise development agreements in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and will…

The cupcake craze sweeps the South. Beautiful Brands Int’l. has inked its first multiunit deal for its Smallcakes Cupcakery: 25 stores will open in North and South Carolina. Currently, the chain has 10 outlets, including some co-branded with FreshBerry Yogurt stores. BBI expects to open tri-branded Smallcakes/FreshBerry/Rex’s Chicken stores in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina,…

Continuing its goal of becoming the primary quick-service chain in convenience stores, Quiznos plans to open restaurants in 53 Tampa, Fla.-area Hess Corp. gas stations. The Denver chain unveiled its strategy last year, and began a pilot program in nine Hess locations earlier this year. All 53 units will open by December. Quiznos has locations…

Pizza Hut is getting bigger, literally, in India. India Retailing reports all recent and future Pizza Hut locations will cover up to 3,000 sq. ft., some 50% larger than previous 2,000-sq.-ft. stores. Delhi-based Devyani Int’l. India operates 170 outlets across the country. Its twofold expansion focuses on home delivery outlets, where it hopes to add 300…

In the United Kingdom, doughnuts may well be gaining on scones. According to the five-year plans of Krispy Kreme U.K., the chain will double its presence in Britain over the next five years. The company, a franchise of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, plans to open 10 stores each year, doubling its current 47 stores…