One feature of FER‘s annual E&S market forecast, unveiled August 9 at the magazine’s President’s Preview E&S Market Forecast meeting, is detailed data on manufacturer list pricing trends from AutoQuotes Inc. The data this year shows equipment and supplies manufacturers were more aggressive with price increases in the year ended June 30, 2016 than in…

The 310-unit Wetzel’s Pretzels snack chain was acquired September 8 by Dallas-based private-equity firm CenterOak Partners. The chain’s previous owners Leichtman Capital Partners exited after holding a majority stake for nine years. Details of the transaction were not disclosed. Wetzel’s CEO, Bill Phelps, will remain in his current role; co-founder Rick Wetzel, who focuses his day-to-day…

Specifi LLC, the Chicago-based software design program for the foodservice industry, has named Suzanne Supplee to its advisory board. Supplee recently completed a short-term assignment for Specifi, organizing the North American sales organization and designing the company’s sales and marketing strategy. She currently runs her own consulting organization. “Suzanne brings a wealth of knowledge and…

Antunes, the family-owned and -operated maker of countertop cooking and water filtration products, has appointed Dan Hartlein as President. Glenn Bullock will remain as CEO. Hartlein joins Antunes after 14 years as executive v.p. of Twin City Fan Cos., a Minneapolis manufacturer of air-moving equipment for industrial and commercial applications, and COO of the Clarage…

Ricca Design Studios, the international culinary design and consulting firm, has engaged Martin Cowley as Executive Director, Design + Technical Support. Cowley’s career in the foodservice industry spans more than 40 years, and includes 27 years at Disneyland Parks and Resorts as the Senior Manager of Design and Construction. He brings his strategic project planning…

As the winds blow westerly, so do laws and regulations often move westward from California. Nearly 800 pieces of legislation are sitting on Governor Jerry Brown’s desk, awaiting his signature or veto. Among them are five bills closely watched by the California Restaurant Association; they focus on the employer-employee relationship, including one on parental leave…

We’re midway through National Food Safety Month, and the NRA’s campaign continues focusing on protecting against some of the leading causes of foodborne illness—Norovirus and Hepatitis A. “Food safety and security is the top priority for America’s one million restaurants,” said Sherman Brown, senior v.p. of the NRA’s ServSafe food safety and handling program. Under…

Months after adopting legislation to encourage healthier lifestyles for residents—in part by restricting QSRs to just three areas—Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce council is being taken to court by Restaurants Canada on the grounds that it didn’t have the authority to have passed the new rules. The Toronto-based association calls the new regulations arbitrary and says they will…

Although same-store sales and customer traffic levels remain somewhat uneven, operators’ forward-looking plans to buy equipment and remodel stores pushed the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index to a modest increase in July. The RPI stood at 100.6 in July, up 0.3 point from June. “The primary driver of the modest RPI gain in July…

Busy summer, busy deal-making or forgetfulness keeping you from returning the 2016 FEDA Profit Survey? Well, FEDA wants to hear from as many as possible of its dealer members and has extended the deadline. Profit Survey Questionnaires will now be accepted until Tuesday, September 13. The information provided in the Profit Survey is only available…