A new uniform, statewide food-safety inspection law goes into effect Jan. 22 in Pennsylvania. Act 106 clarifies and strengthens oversight of food-safety inspections for all restaurants and retail food stores. Under the old law, each of the state’s 167 local jurisdictions performed its own safety inspections, using its own procedures and reporting mechanisms, of an…

The flood of newly elected officials to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives makes it a fresh start for many issues and bills under debate, and enhances the importance of the 2011 National Restaurant Association Public Affairs Conference, April 13-14 in Washington, D.C. The restaurant industry’s largest and most important grassroots event provides foodservice professionals…

Even before Chicago decides whether to legalize mobile food trucks with cooking on board, downtown businesses are struggling with guerilla marketers and food trucks that set up shop in no-parking zones and sell pre-packaged goods. The president of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association told the Chicago Sun-Times that the Magnificent Mile has been overrun…

Foodservice employees have been left holding the laundry bag in New York. In an order issued by New York State’s Wage Board concerning the minimum wage and how large a role tips should play in paying staff, the board relieved operators from paying for laundering uniforms if they are wash-and-wear style. But laundry was just…

The National Restaurant Association will release its annual forecast of the restaurant industry Jan. 24. Further details were not available as we went to press. For further information, visit the association’s website at

Forecasts for the U.S. economy improved substantially in early January, according to the latest consensus forecasts from Blue Chip Economic Indicators. The forecast for growth of real gross domestic product in 2011 rose an unusual half point during the past month, jumping to 3.1% on an annualized basis. If it really happens, it will be…

The U.S. was not alone in continuing to see traffic declines in the third quarter last year, reports The NPD Group. While the U.S. saw a slight traffic decline of 0.7%, other major economies continued to struggle, especially in Europe. Traffic fell another 2.4% in the United Kingdom and 2.6% in Spain. Both markets have,…

After falling dramatically for nearly two years, state tax revenues rose for the third straight quarter in the third quarter 2010, according to preliminary data from the Rockefeller Institute of Government. Total state tax revenues rose 3.9% in the third quarter versus the third quarter ’09, following gains of 2.5% in the first quarter and…

In our annual forecast articles in the January issue of Foodservice Equipment Reports, we look not just at how the equipment and supplies market will fare this year (a very moderate increase), but also at the state of the customers. If you haven’t seen your print copy yet, the articles are up on the website…