The foodservice recession continues to impact operators—especially independents who lack the resources to compete with chains. A new report from the NPD Group said the number of U.S. restaurants fell 5,551 in net terms, or less than 1%, for the year ending Sept. 30, 2010. The Port Washington, N.Y.-based research firm also reported that restaurant…

McDonald’s Corp. is laying out big plans for China and Korea. In China, McDonald’s plans to raise capital spending by 40% above 2010 levels. The Oak Brook, Ill., company will build as many as 200 new stores across the country—more than in any previous year, and swap out the old red and yellow decor for…

Utility efficiency, plus plenty of flexibility, help 10 pieces of kitchen equipment take home honors in FCSI’s Innovations Showcase.

The National Restaurant Association’s 2010 Kitchen Innovations Awardees offer you 16 ways to save money, time or both.

Streamlining, decluttering, faster service and sustainability mark the new prototype propelling growth plans for Moe’s Southwest Grill.

Just as consumers are starting to return to foodservice, a steep run-up in energy prices, including for gasoline, threatens to undercut the momentum. Oil prices surpassed $100 a barrel late last week, before falling back on news that the Saudis would raise output. But concerns about the stability of oil-producing regimes in the Middle East,…

As if rising fuel and food costs weren’t enough for foodservice operators, the extreme winter weather has also taken a toll. Same-store sales and traffic fell sharply in the January Restaurant Performance Index maintained by the National Restaurant Association. The overall index fell 0.8 point to end at 100.2, still above the 100 tipping point…

Gasoline isn’t the only commodity critical to foodservice that has been inflating. Food prices rose again in January, as extreme weather affected fruits and vegetable prices. On the retail side, prices were also up at the menu level and in grocery stores. Overall wholesale food prices rose 0.8% in January, according to the National Restaurant…

Both major surveys of consumer confidence moved higher in February, reaching levels not seen for three years, as consumers began to feel a bit better about the economic and employment outlooks. Both the Consumer Sentiment Index fielded by the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers and The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index hit their…