The European foodservice market is also beginning to recover, including capital spending for equipment and supplies, according to manufacturers and others we spoke with at Internorga last week. The big foodservice trade show held annually in Hamburg, Germany, was staged March 18-23 this year.The aisles indeed were crowded. The Hamburg Messe (convention center and trade…

With strong recent price run-ups in steel and other materials commonly used in foodservice equipment and supplies, it appears E&S manufacturers are becoming somewhat more aggressive about trying to raise their own prices. (For an overview of the recent commodity-price trends, see our story from the last

Food prices at the wholesale level leaped 4% in February, the largest monthly increase in 36 years, according to the National Restaurant Association. It was the eight consecutive month of rising wholesales food prices. So-called “finished foods,” a narrower measure, were 3.9% higher, per the latest Producer Price Index data released by the Bureau of…

We don’t often report data on eating- and drinking-place sales, which come monthly from the U.S. Census Bureau, in part because they can be a bit unreliable according to people more knowledgeable than we are about operator trends. But we couldn’t let this issue end without noting that such sales exceeded $40 billion for the…

Legislation that would inhibit foodservice equipment dealers and others from practicing, or in some cases bidding on, interior design work continues to land in state legislatures. Much of the momentum is due to a 30-year legislative lobbying effort by the American Society of Interior Designers to require all interior designers be licensed for the “public’s…

A first of its kind state law took effect last October in Massachusetts. It requires restaurants to post notices on their menus, asking customers to tell their server if anyone in their party has a food allergy. The law also requires hanging a poster in staff areas detailing food allergy information. Phase two of the…

Here’s a new one: Legislation to ban legislation. Last year’s San Francisco ban on toys in Happy Meals (and other children-directed fare) has prompted politicians in at least two states to propose legislation prohibiting cities and counties in their states from doing likewise and banning toys with meals. The Arizona House of Representatives recently passed…

Canada’s provincial governments are making running a business a bit more difficult for operators. In Vancouver, B.C., the general minimum wage has been boosted 28% over the next 14 months. The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association says the three scheduled wage increases will cost the restaurant industry an estimated $295 million in additional payroll costs.…

The hits keep coming. The 2011 Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association Show in Toronto March 6-8 has been declared a “resounding success” by its sponsors. The CRFA reports that the show’s 13,000 visitors visited 1,200 exhibit booths and attended 31 educational and 38 chef demos. Beyond the numbers, there were awards. Four exhibitors—Ecolab, Garland/Manitowoc, Libbey Foodservice…

The shipping origin label might look a bit different if you’re a dealer for Electrolux Professional in the southeastern United States or an operator on the receiving end of a shipment. The company’s new regional distribution center in Fairburn, Ga., will be operational next month. The manufacturer says the location optimizes service for customers in…