On July 5, Texas-based Sysco Corp. completed its US$3.1 billion acquisition of the London-based foodservice distributor, Brakes Group. Combined, the companies’ annualized sales are pegged at US$55 billion.Brakes Group CEO Ken McMeikan will continue serving in his position.Sysco expected the acquisition to be finalized sometime in July after receiving the go-ahead from the European Commission, which on June 9 unconditionally…

Eathos, a Dubai-based regional restaurant operator, has acquired the four-unit UAE sushi chain, SushiArt. It is the first acquisition for Eathos, which franchises Kababji Grill, Tortilla Mexican Grill and Rita’s Ice stores. SushiArt co-founder Cedric Cerf will manage the transition period, while Eathos takes over the operational management and plans the concept’s expansion in the…

With the turmoil of the June 23 referendum in the United Kingdom to pull out of the European Union playing out worldwide, FER Worldwide asked Peter Backman, principal at London-based foodservice research firm Horizons FS Ltd., for his views on the potential impact on foodservice in the UK. The key word is “uncertainty.” Horizons issued…

Anticipating that the economic fundamentals that drive foodservice sales will remain positive, Technomic Inc., the Chicago-based foodservice research firm, forecasts that total industry sales in the U.S. will grow 4.9% in current dollars and 2.3% after menu price inflation of 2.7% is factored out in 2017. The firm released its revised forecast for 2016 and…

Made in Italy, Alfa Pro’s Achille wood-fired oven uses a multi-flame system to grill, roast, stew, braise and bake menu items. Forninox, a stainless interior chamber which heats up faster than refractory materials, reduces fuel consumption by 70%. Easy to set up, this model has a 3-pizza capacity and bakes 45 pizzas per hour.

The right glass for every use in all price segments? Mindful of the fast-paced hotel and gastronomy industries, where efficiency is what matters most, Villeroy & Boch has launched an four collections of drinking glasses that cover every requirement and use. Restaurateurs will find the right glasses for every occasion and every requirement. The price…

Mobile cooking is made easy with MobiChef, the plug-and-play, highly efficient and totally autonomous mobile cooking station from Halton. Unleashed from any ventilation ductwork, the high-powered unit features built-in exhaust and a six-step filtration process that captures and cleans effluent of smoke, odors and particulates. Chefs can take the show into the middle of traditional…

It was another big, big year for Hotelex/FineFood Shanghai Expo. The annual show, held March 29-April 1 at Shanghai New Int’l. Expo Centre, marked its 25th year with record attendance. More than 120,000 visitors journeyed to Shanghai from 116 countries and regions, as did close to 2,800 exhibitors—up from 101,500 visitors and 2,082 exhibitors in…

A second global foodservice exhibition also marked an anniversary with record attendance. The biennial Alimentaria Barcelona welcomed professionals from 157 countries (16 more than in 2014) to its 40th anniversary edition April 25-28 in Barcelona. Registration logs show more than 4,000 exhibitors from 78 countries and 140,000 visitors, nearly one-third from outside Spain. Half of…

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration professionals take note: AHR Expo-Mexico, the most important event in Latin America for those keeping up with technologies and trends in HVAC & R, is slated to take place September 20-22 in Monterrey, the industrial capital of Mexico. The show had last been held there in 2012. More than…