Kitchen Brains has expanded into Singapore. Kitchen Brains Pte. Ltd. will be headed by River Zhang, who has been promoted to v.p. of business development-Asia Pacific. Rathna Kumar joins Zhang in Singapore as director of SaaS business development. “We have recognized explosive growth in the region since opening our customer support center in Shanghai in…

John Galardi, who got his start working with Taco Bell founder Glen Bell at his Taco Tia store and went on to found the Der Wienerschnitzel hot dog chain, died earlier this month at age 75. Galardi opened his first unit in 1961 and expanded it into a chain with more than 300 outlets in…

Come Oct. 1, the Society for Foodservice Management will have a new name and acronym: the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management. The new moniker and logo for SHFM, which the organization calls a “strategic brand enhancement,” will be unveiled at the group’s national conference, Sept. 30-Oct. 1 in Bonita Springs, Fla. Although the new…

Indianapolis-based Steak ‘n Shake is continuing to focus on westward expansion. The full-service and drive-through chain, already prepping for its first international opening in Dubai this year, will enter the California market. A flagship store in Santa Monica will spearhead what the chain announced two years ago as an anticipated 25 units. Steak `n Shake…

Fiesta Restaurant Group has hired Ed Carnevale as v.p.-construction services to support growth of its Taco Cabana and Pollo Tropical brands. Fiesta has 255 company-owned and operated restaurants and 44 franchised restaurants in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. Carnevale will report to Chief Development…

Baskin-Robbins plans to develop up to 50 locations across the Philippines during the next five years. The chain has signed a master licensing agreement with IceDream Inc. to develop Baskin-Robbins shops in urban areas; the initial focus is on the greater Manila area. The ice-cream chain currently has nearly 7,000 restaurants in nearly 50 countries…

Did you forget to fill out and return the 2012 Economic Census? If you haven’t responded to the mandatory survey, you can anticipate receiving a letter or phone call from the U.S. Census Bureau in the weeks ahead. You can head off that questioning and save the government a few cents by going online and…

Former McDonald’s Corp. executive Steve Easterbrook has returned to the chain as executive v.p. and global chief brand officer. Easterbrook will have global responsibility for marketing, menu development and consumer and business insights. He succeeds Kevin Newell, who recently assumed the new role of chief brand and strategy officer for McDonald’s USA, and will report…

Leadership change at Burger King is being fueled by its equity firm parent’s acquisition activity. Burger King Worldwide CEO Bernardo Hees is leaving the company to become CEO at H.J. Heinz Co., which parent company 3G Capital is in the process of acquiring. The chain’s CFO Daniel Schwartz will take over the chief executive role…

El Pollo Loco has hired Jeff Little as v.p.-development and Richard Pineda as v.p.-supply chain management. Little, formerly national director of Yum! Brands construction and most recently national director-Taco Bell development, will oversee real-estate site selection, construction project management and overall project design. Pineda will manage the 400-unit chain’s entire supply chain, including logistics and…