In spite of a small retreat in March, attributable mostly to harsh winter weather, consumer confidence for the first quarter of 2015 averaged 95.5, its strongest reading since 2004, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. The UM Consumer Sentiment Index was 93 in the final March reading, down slightly from 95.4 at…

Two major appointments have been made at Cini-Little Int’l., the foodservice consulting firm. Richard Eisenbarth, FCSI, has been named President and COO, succeeding Theodore Farrand, FCSI, who assumes a new post as Director of Management Advisory Services. Both promotions were announced late last month by Cini-Little Chairman Bill Eaton, FFCSI, who praised the skills of…

In a move that expands its portfolio of foodservice repair parts and accessories for chain restaurants and their associated franchisees, Franklin Machine Products has acquired Duraparts, the chain-focused distributor of foodservice parts and accessories. “Our customers will benefit through significant scale advantages in product expansion and purchasing synergies,” stated Frank Gannon, Owner of Greer, S.C.-based…

Two former NAFEM presidents, each boasting a career spanning more than 30 years in the E&S industry, were honored by the association with its top awards during The NAFEM Show in February. Keith Jaffee, CFSP, President of Chicago-based O2COOL, received NAFEM’s highest honor, the William W. Carpenter Award. The award is given to a foodservice…

While cautioning that it remains an “exploratory concept,” Yum! Brands will open its second Super Chix restaurant in Dallas later this month. The new outlet comes a year after the concept debuted in Arlington, Texas, with a simple menu of chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, hand-cut fries, salads and frozen custards. Super Chix’ modern, fast-casual design…

Chick-fil-A is making good on its vow of “urbanization” and will debut its first New York franchise this summer. The privately owned chain will open a 5,000-sq.-ft. store on Sixth Avenue, not far from the Empire State Building. The unit joins a small Chick-fil-A that has operated for years on the campus of New York…

The health-focused fast-casual chain Freshii will open three Chicago-area restaurants in the next three months, continuing a fast-paced expansion that could bring to 30 the number of local locations by the end of the year. There are 18 Freshii outlets in the Chicago area now. The 10-year-old Toronto-based chain hopes to open 120 stores this…

A 2008 ban on new QSRs in South Los Angeles not only failed to cut the obesity rate, according to a Rand Corp. report released in March, but the presence of new QSRs continued to grow. The problem could have originated with the very specificity of the zoning rule, which applied only to stand-alone restaurants…

A labor group that has been organizing worker protests for higher wages and better workplace conditions is calling for McDonald’s Corp. to be held accountable under federal rules for worker-safety violations at its franchised restaurants. Fast Food Forward, backed by the Service Employees Int’l. Union, last month filed a series of complaints to the Occupational…

While bike-riding McDonald’s customers in Denmark are enjoying a test run of “cycle-thru” lanes for patrons on two wheels, burger-loving cyclists in Utah now are banned from drive-thru lanes. On March 25, Governor Gary Herbert approved a bill that would overrule Salt Lake City’s local mandate that restaurants allow cyclists in drive-thru lanes. The state…