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…
After a brief lull in increases for food at the wholesale level, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Restaurant Association show prices rose again in April. Overall wholesale prices rose 0.5% after falling 0.1% in March, according to the NRA. The BLS said prices for “finished foods” rose 0.3% on a…
While we’ve been busy reporting first-quarter E&S numbers and the like, the two leading foodservice research organizations have released several new research reports. Technomic Inc. has released the full version of its annual Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. The top 500 chain concepts increased U.S. systemwide sales 1.8% in 2010, a marked improvement over the…
We’ve just come from the National Restaurant Association’s annual show, which ran Saturday, May 21 through Tuesday, May 24 in Chicago. Most manufacturers and dealers we spoke with during the show reported their sales and the market as a whole continue to recover, though moderately. Most also thought the quantity and quality of attendees at…