The foodservice equipment industry was well-represented during the Aug. 27 public hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal phasing out all refrigerants currently used in commercial refrigeration equipment by Jan. 1, 2016. Thirteen of the 33 speakers at the hearing were NAFEM members. While all NAFEM members have until Oct. 6 to leave a comment…

Tweets are the newest way to monitor foodborne illness and restaurants in need of health inspections in the city of Chicago. The Chicago Department of Public Health is using Twitter to monitor the city for restaurants that may be in need of health inspections. The department’s dedicated Twitter bot, twitter.com/foodbornechi, and an online complaint form,…

Knowledge is power, and the National Restaurant Association wants to make sure restaurant employees are armed with knowledge about the legislation and pending court rulings that could impact their livelihoods. The NRA has partnered with Job Creators Network to provide entrepreneurs and business owners with tools to educate their workforces about the public policy issues…

It took two votes, a month apart, for the owners of a proposed sushi restaurant in Tuscaloosa, Ala., to get the go-ahead from City Hall for the design of their new building. Back in August, the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission gave its nod for the design of Jinsei Sushi, an almost $1.5 million project…

NAFEM members have until Oct. 6 to leave a comment on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal phasing out all refrigerants currently used in commercial refrigeration equipment by Jan. 1, 2016. Under the requirements of the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program, the proposal suggests that hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants be phased out in compliance with…

National Food Safety Month begins this week, marking 20 years of promoting best practices for food safety. The 20th anniversary is being celebrated in September by featuring 20 top food-safety tips from the past two decades. NFSM was created in 1994 by the National Restaurant Association to heighten awareness about the importance of food-safety education.…

There was a lot of legislation debated and passed in the Golden State this summer. Late last month, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill allowing dogs to dine with owners if seated in a restaurant’s outdoor area. The law gives canine-averse restaurant owners discretion on allowing dogs to dine and requires restaurants have an…

NAFEM members have until Oct. 6 to leave a comment on the proposed rule, issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which seeks to phase out all refrigerants currently used in commercial refrigeration equipment by Jan. 1, 2016. The EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy Program requires the agency to identify and approve climate-friendly chemical alternatives…

The California State Assembly approved a law last week making it harder for franchisor companies, including foodservice chains, to terminate franchising agreements. Another version of the proposed law, SB 610, already had been approved by the State Senate last year. The bill now will return to the Senate for final approval. Business groups, including the…

Quick-service workers’ rights triumphed in court last week, when the National Labor Relations Board ruled that store employees can sue McDonald’s Corp., which it said is responsible for the labor violations of its franchisees. NLRB General Counsel Richard Griffin determined that McDonald’s should be considered a “joint employer,” along with the franchise owners who operate…