Hearings were continued into this week on the federal court proceedings in the government’s antitrust challenge to the proposed merger of rivals Sysco Corp. and US Foods.The Federal Trade Commission, which sued to block the deal in February, and the two companies will return to court after Memorial Day to present closing arguments on whether…

Unified Brands has added Shawn McElyea as Product Line Director-Warewashing. He will focus on revenue growth for Unified’s Power Soak and warewashing product family through new product development and support of the sales network. McElyea has previous product line management and market research experience in the foodservice industry. Conyers, Ga.-based Unified Brands, along with its…

Ray Peden has been elevated to the office of President-Franke Coffee Systems North America. When he takes office June 1, Peden will be responsible for accelerating sales and growth of the Franke Coffee Systems business in the U.S. and Canada. He will be based at headquarters in Smyrna, Tenn., and will continue reporting to Yvo Locher,…

Canadian restaurant operators are very upbeat. For the second quarter in a row, they reported a strong up-to-down differential of same-store sales. And, in the first quarter 2015 Restaurant Outlook Survey released April 22, operators indicated the highest expectations for sales gains during the next six months since Restaurants Canada began the survey in the…

Two reports from The NPD Group paint a picture of the global and U.S. foodservice markets finally showing some positive traffic trends. NPD’s CREST foodservice consumer research tracked overall visit gains in five of the 11 country markets the research firm follows, a development it termed “a slight turnaround.” And in the U.S. market, traffic…

The number of total restaurant units in the U.S. is finally back to pre-recession levels, according to CHD Expert, the Chicago-based foodservice database and analytic firm. According to CHD Expert’s “2009-2014 Commercial Trends Data Report,” net restaurant units grew by 2% in 2014, a net gain of 14,648, up from a 1.2% net gain in…

It isn’t just the cheese that stands alone. The pizza industry says it deserves an exemption to the menu-labeling regulations issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the Affordable Care Act. And the pizza chains, supported by a few other industry groups, now have a bill on Capitol Hill. The Common Sense Nutrition…

The food-truck business is not big in Toronto, but it could be a matter of measurement. Last week, the city council voted 43-1 to reduce the distance that food trucks must stay away from restaurants, from 50 m. (about 55 yd.) to 30 m. (about 33 yd.). The city says the change will open up…

The Association for Healthcare Foodservice will honor six operator members with awards on June 5 during its 2015 Annual Conference in Salt Lake City. Deedra Hoffart, Director-Nutrition at Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisville, Colo., is the recipient of AHF’s 2015 Partnership in Leadership Award, which honors her strong commitment to eliminating food-prep outsourcing. AHF’s Exemplary…

Cicely Simpson, who has served as v.p.-government affairs for Dunkin’ Brands Group for the past seven years, has joined the National Restaurant Association as Executive V.P.-Government Affairs & Policy. At the NRA, Simpson will lead a team advocating for restaurants nationwide as well as the association’s communications and research teams, shaping effective messaging and providing…