Updated restaurant unit data from CHD Expert shows independent operators continue to overwhelmingly dominate the full-service category. Of the 443,000 full-service units tallied by CHD as of February 2015, 90% are defined as independent, defining operator organizations with fewer than 10 units as independents. (Independents sometimes are defined as operators having fewer than five units.)…

One of the realities of the Great Recession and its aftermath were years of negative traffic counts and sluggish sales for full-service restaurants and chains. Traffic counts tracked by The NPD Group were negative or at best flat every quarter compared with the year prior for nearly eight years. Same-store sales tracking from research firms…

As the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast in December, wholesale food prices overall are declining, although certain commodities, especially beef, remain at very high levels. Wholesale food prices declined for the fourth consecutive month in February, according to preliminary figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Restaurant Association released March 13.…

The National Restaurant Association will host its annual Public Affairs Conference April 14-15 at the Ronald Reagan Building and Int’l. Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Last year, more than 700 industry professionals attended. Topics slated for this year’s conference run the spectrum from nutrition, labor, taxes, healthcare, sustainability and the workforce. More information and registration…

Metro Vancouver restaurants are bracing for a July 1 deadline to divert and dispose of food waste that used to go to the landfill. The six-month grace period for new regulations that kicked off Jan. 1 means that come July 1, operators in the Canadian city will have to start paying extra if more than…

Don’t forget April 3. That’s the deadline to complete and return the survey forms emailed to past participants and other dealers for Foodservice Equipment Reports’ annual Top Dealers listing. The survey data on sales volumes and service offerings will be published in FER’s June issue. It’s the fifth year for this annual listing. The survey…

The Kitchen Innovations Class of 2015 has been unveiled. The class is comprised of 23 recipients of the National Restaurant Association’s KI Awards, which honor equipment and technologies that increase productivity for back-of-house operations and benefit restaurant operators through advancements in food safety, cook-time efficiency and energy conservation. The KI Award recipients reflect the trends…

Vera Jenkins, who was given the title “First Lady of Foodservice” through her long and varied career as a dietitian and manufacturers’ rep, passed away Feb. 21 at the age of 95. After receiving her degree in home economics, Jenkins was one of six students admitted into Duke University’s graduate program for dietetic studies. During…

Last month’s edition of The NAFEM Show in Anaheim, Calif., boasted a strong turnout with more than 20,000 foodservice professionals on the show floor during the Feb. 19-21 exhibition. The NAFEM Show’s attendance totaled 9,940; the biggest segment of attendees was dealers, who comprised 44% of the total. Operators made up 29% of those attending,…

There were no empty seats at FEDA’s presentations during The NAFEM Show in Anaheim, Calif. Nearly 450 dealer personnel attended “The SELL Process—Your Offense” at FEDA’s Box Lunch sales seminar. The program, led by speaker Don Buttrey, included techniques on how to prepare and execute highly effective customer interactions. Additionally, NAFEM President Mike Whiteley of…