The National Restaurant Association hosted more than 650 operators from 42 states at its Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. They came armed with a full agenda of issues, including healthcare, labor, wages and taxes. Lawmakers who spoke to the group also covered immigration reform, patent abuse, data security, menu labeling, food…

Ali Group has named Robert Gehl as Group Commercial Director for Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (APAC), effective immediately. The April 28 announcement was made by Luciano Berti, Ali Group Chairman/CEO, to whom Gehl will directly report. Gehl will work closely with the Ali Group brands to support the development of commercial…

KFC is spiffing up its stores and image in the U.S. with a $100 million investment this year in its kitchens and remodeling programs as well as another $85 million in 2016-17, according to top Yum! Brands executives. The financial package also includes $20 million a year in advertising. In an April 22 call with…

Smashburger, the “better burger” chain, soon will have a footprint in eight countries. The Denver chain has announced its initial foray into the U.K., with 35 restaurants expected to open under a new franchise partner agreement with the MSG Group. No timetable for the rollout was announced. “The United Kingdom is hungry for better burgers…

The energy-efficiency experts at fishnick have a few tips to impart before the kickoff of the NRA Show next month. On Tuesday, May 12, the Food Service Technology Center’s David Zabrowski, Richard Young and Mark Finck will host “What You Need to Know Before NRA,” a quick webinar highlighting the latest equipment trends and innovations…

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Wholesale food prices declined for the fifth consecutive month in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and averaging by the National Restaurant Association, leaving the Producer Price Index for food 0.5% lower than in March a year ago. It’s the first time the index has run negative for a 12-month period since…

Consumer sentiment rose in the preliminary April reading, according to the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers, exceeding analysts’ expectations. The UM Sentiment Index reached 95.9 mid-month, up from a final March reading of 93. The indexes for current conditions and consumer expectations also rose more than analysts had expected. Consumer sentiment has been running…

The Canadian foodservice market has been outperforming many other developed foodservice markets around the globe. Two major groups forecasting the market, the national foodservice association Restaurants Canada and U.S.-based Technomic Inc., see another year of decent growth in 2015. Technomic’s recently released 2015 forecast has nominal growth for the industry up slightly to 4.1% from…