Sales of equipment and supplies rose 5% in the third quarter 2015 compared with the third quarter ’14, according to reps reporting for the Manufacturer’ Agents Association for the Foodservice Industry Business Barometer. The strong gain comes on the heels of a 5.1% increase in the second quarter and a 4.7% uptick in the first…

Seven of the 11 foodservice markets tracked by the NPD Group’s CREST consumer research experienced traffic gains in the second quarter 2015 vs. the same quarter year prior. “Optimism, though cautious, abounds throughout the global foodservice market,” said Bob O’Brien, Senior V.P.-Global Foodservice at NPD. Snacks and morning meals drove the gains in most markets,…

Food prices at the wholesale level fell 1.4% in October, as beef and egg prices recorded decreases, and prices of most other food commodities were flat, according to Producer Price Index data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The decline follows a 1.6% drop in September and was the ninth month in the last…

Low global demand for oil and the strong U.S. dollar continue to depress oil prices, and refineries are coming off of their seasonal maintenance programs. The results are some of the lowest gasoline prices Americans have seen since the Great Recession. The average prices of a gallon of regular gasoline fell to $2.078 on Sunday,…

Holidays or not, freight expenses remain a concern, and transportation classifications are under review for a variety of foodservice equipment and supplies categories. In September, the Commodity Classification Standards Board (CCSB) approved commodity class modifications for ovens, ice-cream makers/freezers and metal grease traps; the changes go into effect Dec. 19. In January, dishwashers are on…

Popularity has its complications, as In-N-Out Burger and KFC recently have discovered. The 300-unit In-N-Out has filed a lawsuit against delivery startup DoorDash for delivering its burgers. “We have asked DoorDash several times to stop using our trademarks and to stop selling our food,” the privately owned chain’s general counsel Arnie Wensinger told CNBC. He…

Jack Cobb, the former owner and long-time president and CEO of Henny Penny Corp., died November 20. He was 83. When he joined Henny Penny in 1959, Cobb was the Eaton, Ohio, manufacturer’s fourth employee. By 1970, he was vice president, and four years later, he became Henny Penny’s president when he and a business…

Curtis Restaurant Equipment, the family-owned dealer, has been sold to its employees. The Springfield, Ore., company, founded in 1963, sold 100% of its stock to employees in an ESOP transaction; Dan Curtis and Mike Curtis were majority shareholders. Under the deal, effective November 16, all 54 Curtis employees will participate in company ownership. The company,…

Ronald van Bakergem has been named the new President of Irinox USA. Van Bakergem, who has worked in the U.S. foodservice industry for about seven years, joins Irinox from Miami-based Infrico USA, where he was G.M. Infrico imports, distributes and sells commercial refrigeration equipment. He also served as North American sales director during his three-year…

Boelter Direct South has hired Rusty Skaggs, Owner of Bethlehem, Ga.-based Restaurant Outfitters. Skaggs has more than a decade of experience working in the foodservice industry with particular expertise in foodservice design, equipment purchasing and installation. Nick Adams, President of Boelter Direct South, stated, “We are honored to have someone with Rusty’s experience, talent and…