The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is considering whether to regulate restaurants that use wood-fire cooking techniques. Although charbroiler emissions contribute only a tiny portion to the Valley’s bad air, the district is looking into requiring restaurants to install equipment to clean up smoke emissions and filter particles.The air district, which must reduce…

After six years of the federal minimum wage holding steady at $7.25 an hour, 14 states and several cities are moving forward in 2016 with increases to their minimum wage. Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia saw wage increases take effect January 1.…

A pronounced softening in current same-store sales and traffic helped push the

Visits to restaurants grew 1% in 2015, and finally regained the traffic lost during the long foodservice recession, according to data from The NPD Group’s CREST consumer data. And the Rosemont, Ill-based research firm predicts another 1% gain in 2016. “It has been a long slow recovery but the foodservice industry has recovered nearly all…

Gasoline prices sank below the $2 a gallon average over the New Year’s weekend and the outlook for 2016, according to AAA, is for another year of relatively low fuel prices. The drop in energy prices has been a significant factor in improved sales and traffic for foodservice operators throughout 2015. The average annual price…

Wholesale food prices rose slightly, up 0.3% at the final demand level in November, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index. The gain, which comes on the heels of two consecutive month during which prices at the final demand stage fell 0.8%, was driven by an 11.8% jump…

Wholesale food prices rose slightly, up 0.3% at the final demand level in November, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index. The gain, which comes on the heels of two consecutive month during which prices at the final demand stage fell 0.8%, was driven by an 11.8% jump…

Newk’s Eatery, the 85-unit fast-casual chain, is testing a new design prototype to underscore its upscale culinary ambitions with a fresh, trendy look. The “Generation Two” design builds on Newk’s signature components, including open-view kitchens and condiment tables, with new colors and upgraded finishes using materials such as subway tile, pendant lighting, floor detail, and…

Local sourcing, chef-driven fast-casual concepts, and environmental sustainability remain among the top menu trends, according to the NRA’s annual What’s Hot culinary forecast. The NRA surveyed nearly 1,600 professional chefs all members of the American Culinary Federation, to find which foods, beverages and culinary themes will be hot on restaurant menus in 2016. According to the survey,…

The Middleby Corp. has acquired privately held Lynx Grills, a Downey, Calif., maker of luxury grills and custom outdoor kitchen products for the consumer market. Lynx Grills, founded in 1996, had been owned by Century Park Capital Partners since 2006. Its product line include the SmartGrill, a voice-activated, WiFi-enabled grill that can be programmed from…