Reps Are Moderately Bullish On 2017

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Reps surveyed for the MAFSI market report forecast 4.4% growth for 2017.

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Beverage Blender Gallery

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BAR MAID BLE-310Bar Maid’s BLE-310 is a powerful 3-hp blender designed for making smoothies, beverages, soups and salsas. For “hands-off” operation, it features variable speed/timer controls and auto stop that can be easily programmed and repeated. A pulse and unique “Infinity” feature varies the speed low to high, moving the contents for smoother consistency. This…

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Our Friend Ira

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How do you write an obit for one of your very best friends? After a lovely, standing-room-only memorial service for Ira Kaplan on Sunday, Nov. 20, Ken Gill, Kimberley Rimza, her daughter Nicole and I went to dinner in Boston’s North End. Jan and Beth were already headed home. After a while, Ken, who considers…

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Twenty-Five Earn UID Scholarships

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FEDA's Education Foundation has awarded 25 scholarships to the 2017 University of Innovative Distribution which will be held March 5-8, 2017 at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis. The program, aimed at dealer middle-management professionals, is considered by FEDA as its “second convention.” Scholarship recipients are: Brenda Lynch–Best Restaurant Equipment and Design Chris Monico and Randy…

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Election Brings Uncertainty And Opportunity To The Foodservice Industry

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The surprise election of Donald Trump as U.S. president has not ended the uncertainty caused by the campaign, according to a number of commentators. But it also creates an opportunity that the foodservice industry may be spared some regulations viewed as onerous. A number of restaurant chain executives had cited the turmoil of the election…

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Chain Slowdown Undercuts Public E&S Companies Revenues

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A slowdown in sales to both restaurant and retail chains, combined with divestitures, undermined revenue growth for publicly reporting foodservice equipment and supplies companies in the third quarter of 2016.

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Gap Between Menu And Grocery Store Prices Widens

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Wholesale food prices at all three stages of demand fell again in October, according to Producer Price Index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, released Nov. 16. Prices at the final demand stage have fallen three of the past four months. They were off 0.8% in October after rising 0.5% in September. The overall…

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Consumer Confidence Rebounds In Early November While Gas Prices Fall

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The University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers Consumer Sentiment Index jumped back to 91.6 during early November, reversing a drop in the final October reading of 87.2 from 91.2 in September.

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Top Canadian Dealers Russell And Hendrix Combine Forces

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Canada’s two largest foodservice equipment dealers, Hendrix Hotel & Restaurant Equipment and Supplies and Russell Food Equipment, have united into one company: Russell Hendrix Foodservice Equipment. The merger comes about after Blue Point Capital Partners acquired a controlling interest in Brockville, Ontario-based Hendrix. “The complementary geographic exposure, product diversification and sales structure is game changing…

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McDonald’s Sees Future In Tableside Service

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McDonald’s is trying on the fast-casual model. The chain announced last week that it is expanding its digital ordering stations and table service to all of its 14,000 American restaurants. “Typically, the majority of our crew is behind the counter, and that counter literally has been a barrier between our crew and the customer,” says…

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