The fast-casual Mexican segment continues to show some of the restaurant industry’s healthiest growth. Qdoba Mexican Grill is keeping up that momentum with plans to add 70 to 85 North American outlets this year. In March, the Denver-based chain opened its second Canadian location under a new multiunit franchise deal. The London, Ontario, unit joins…

Moe’s Southwest Grill is rolling the dice on a multiunit development deal that will bring eight outlets to Las Vegas within the next five years. The units will be Moe’s first freestanding locations in Nevada; the franchise currently has one restaurant inside McCarran International Airport. This year, plans call for 65 franchise locations to open…

Markus Glueck has assumed the management reins at Rational USA. He succeeds Björn Rowland, who will continue to be based at the firm’s Schaumburg, Ill., office as area v.p.-North America. The German-born Glueck has worked in the United States for the last 10 years, most recently as president/CEO of WMF Americas Group, the North Carolina…

Longtime MAFSI member Dean Barringer, founder of Denver-based Barringer Marketing, passed away April 8. He was 94. The Kansas native began his E&S sales career at Arnholtz Coffee in Wichita, Kan. In 1963, he started Barringer Sales, later known as Barringer Marketing Group and currently known as Barringer High Country Marketing. In the 1960s, he…

The Association for Healthcare Foodservice has elected new officers to serve on its 2014 board of directors. President-Elect: Lisette Coston, Exec. Director-Support Services, Saint Francis Health System, Tulsa, Okla. Treasurer-Elect: Julie Jones, Director-Nutrition Services, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Directors: Tony Almeida, Director-Food & Nutrition, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital,…

DoughPro has a new name, new logo and new look. The maker of pizza and presses, grills, ovens and accessories has changed its name to ProLuxe. “Our new name refl­ects our ongoing growth and expansion, and better identifies the quality and breadth of who we are and what we do,” said Steve Raio, president and…

The British press reports that KFC Corp. will open more than 40 new restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland this year, which would take the chain to nearly 900 restaurants in those countries by year’s end. The expansion plans, first reported by the Guardian newspaper, would create about 1,600 jobs. The Yum! Brands division…

Dairy Queen has opened a new store in Trinidad, making it the 20th country outside the U.S. and Canada with a DQ presence. Dairy Queen’s partner in Trinidad, Pelinja Holdings, is scheduled to open three new locations during the next couple of months. “The Dairy Queen system saw tremendous growth internationally last year with 215…

Bragging rights and recognition as drivers of industrywide advancement belong to the 15 foodservice operators selected by their peers as finalists for the 2013 Operator Innovations Awards. Three finalists in each of five categories: Food Safety, Health and Nutrition, Menu Development, Sustainability and Technology will be brought to Chicago for the 2013 National Restaurant Association…

In an acquisition that reorders the shape of the E&S distribution field, TriMark USA, LLC has acquired Strategic Equipment and Supply Corp., headquartered in Coppell, Texas. The acquisition positions TriMark as the nation’s largest foodservice equipment and supplies distributor. With the addition of this new division, the South Attleboro, Mass., company can report revenue of…