“Glorious” fall weather helped drive a 2% gain in restaurant traffic in the third quarter in the United Kingdom, versus the year-earlier third quarter, but traffic was flat or negative in nearly all the other markets tracked by The NPD Group’s global foodservice practice during the quarter ended September.Traffic was negative in Italy, Spain and…

Roger Bowne Skillman, a friendly and familiar face in the E&S industry, died Jan. 11 of a heart attack. He was 57. Skillman went straight into foodservice management after graduating from Florida International University. Most recently, he was regional account executive-Southeast for Burlodge USA. He is survived by his mother and sister. Services were held…

Diversified Foodservice Supply has acquired Mill Hardware & Food Service, a Willoughby, Ohio-based distributor of foodservice parts, supplies and accessories to foodservice chains and their franchisees. Mill Hardware will continue to operate as a leading brand in the combined company and joins other DFSI-owned brands, including AllPoints Foodservice Parts and Supplies, Franklin Machine Products and…

Foodservice traffic and sales in the United Kingdom were stronger than anticipated during the fourth quarter of 2013, according to research and analysis from Horizons FS Ltd., a London-based foodservice research firm. And with the general economy improving, Horizons expects the first two quarters of 2014 “to build on the growth of Q4.,” according to…

Two major paper distributors are merging. Unisource Worldwide and xpedx will join forces and create a new publicly traded company. The definitive agreement was signed by xpedx parent International Paper and by UWW Holdings, the holding company of Unisource and owned indirectly by an affiliate of Bain Capital and by Georgia-Pacific. Norcross, Ga.-based Unisource is…

Parts Town LLC has strengthened its position as one of the leading national distributors of OEM restaurant repair and maintenance parts for the foodservice industry. Growth equity investor Summit Partners has made a majority investment in the Addision, Ill., company, and Parts Town founder Bill Reedy, CEO Steve Snower and their management team will remain…

After four decades under Ed Baker as president, Nieco has a new name at the top. Korey Kohl has moved up from his post as v.p./g.m., and has been named president of the Windsor, Calif., company. He’s assumed day-to-day responsibilities from Baker, and is directing and managing all business operations. “Korey’s expertise and ability to…

The Wendy’s Co. is feeling bullish on 2014. Not only does it plan to boost same-store sales, the Dublin, Ohio, chain says it will accelerate its Image Activation remodeling program and complete its refranchising initiative. In a presentation to investors, Wendy’s CEO Emil Brolick says the company will double the number of remodeled restaurants in…

Winter is a very good time for a Midwest chain to think about Florida. Wisconsin-based Culver’s Restaurants, which has nearly 500 fast-casual independently owned and operated units in 21 states, already has three stores in Naples, Fort Myers and Port Charlotte, Fla., as well as others under construction in Sarasota and Estero. Now it’s beefing…

Private-equity firm Apollo Global Management wants to buy CEC Entertainment, parent of the Chuck E. Cheese’s brand, in a deal worth about $1.3 billion, including debt assumption. CEC owns and franchises 577 Chuck. E. Cheese units in 47 states and 10 other countries and territories; it owns 522 of those locations in the U.S. and…