Johnny Rockets has struck a deal to open 100 restaurants in China over the next decade, the chain’s largest development deal to date. The agreement—a joint venture between AUM Hospitality, Johnny Rockets’ franchisee in Malaysia and Parkson Retail Group Ltd., a Malaysian department store operator with about 60 stores in China—marks a major overseas expansion…

The full-service operator is shifting from rocking chairs to rocking expectations. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has plans to unveil a new prototype “fusion” unit later this year and is developing a fast-casual concept that likely will debut before July 2016. No details have been released, but officials with the Lebanon, Tenn.-based chain say a…

After a year of strong monthly jobs growth, non-farm payrolls grew by just 126,000 in March, leading many economists and other observers to express concern about the strength of the current recovery in the U.S. Of course, in the perverse way equities markets move, the stock market rose and bond yields fell, as traders took…

A recently released study from the U.S.-based research firm Transparency Market Research estimates the global market for foodservice equipment and supplies was US$35 billion in 2013. The firm forecasts that increasing demand for E&S in Asia and other developing markets will drive a cumulative average annual growth rate of 4.5% between now and 2020, pushing…

The 50 economic forecasting groups polled monthly by Blue Chip Economic Indicators remain upbeat, in spite of two months of cuts in the consensus forecasts for 2015 in the March and early April surveys; the latter was released last week. The forecasters expect little slowdown in 2016 and then only slight declines over the next…

The ongoing discussion over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed ban on certain refrigerants and how the rule would hurt small businesses, manufacturers and restaurants has spurred resistance not only in the affected industries but also on the House subcommittee reviewing the proposal. The agency has proposed to prohibit several substances commonly used in commercial…

The April 1 announcement by California Governor Jerry Brown was no April Fool’s joke. Two weeks ago, he ordered mandatory water-use reductions for the first time in the state’s history, saying the state’s four-year drought had reached near-crisis proportions after a winter of record-low snowfalls. California has about one year of water stored.  The executive…

It’s been a very busy couple of weeks for me. I attended the first half of FEDA’s annual convention in Phoenix in late March, then headed to Shanghai, China, where I once again helped with the show’s Foodservice in the 21st Century Forum program. I just got back home on Saturday. Meanwhile, Chris Palmer has…

Tough winter weather dragged down restaurant sales and traffic in February, but both indicators tracking capital spending rose strongly in the latest Restaurant Performance Index from the National Restaurant Association. The overall RPI slipped only 0.1 point to 102.6, the 24th consecutive month the index has been in expansion territory. For all components of the…

Foodservice Equipment Reports’ annual President’s Preview E&S Market Forecast meeting will be held July 28 at the Westin O’Hare in Rosemont, Ill. This day-long overview of trends and data, including FER‘s annual hard-number forecasts of E&S market growth, costs $995 for attendees registering before July 3 and $1,095 afterwards. The Westin O’Hare offers attendees wishing…