IHOP opened its first store in the Philippines in March and will expand its pancake empire throughout the Asia Pacific region under a franchise agreement with InterDine Corp. IHOP parent DineEquity says 20 units will open in the Philippines over the next five years; others should follow in Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. The…

The numbers for NAFEM ’13 are in, and they back up what observers noted at last month’s busy show: Attendance at the E&S industry’s biggest show was up nearly 3% over NAFEM ’11. Overall, more than 19,000 industry members participated in the Orlando, Fla., show, including 10,156 attendees. Forty-four percent of attendees were dealers, 26%…

Bon Chef has appointed Jeremy Mottola as its new v.p. of U.S. sales. Prior to his promotion, Mottola was growing market share for the Lafayette, N.J., company as v.p.-eastern regional and international sales. In his new post, he will oversee all sales of Bon Chef’s line of flatware, servingware, buffet equipment and custom millwork products…

El Pollo Loco has appointed Richard Pineda as v.p.-supply chain management and Jeff Little as v.p.-development. Pineda will manage the entire supply chain for the Costa Mesa, Calif., company, including logistics and distribution, and all non-food spend categories, including supplies, uniforms and natural gas. He had been v.p.-purchasing and supply chain for Sizzler USA and…

The future of corporate dining technology gets a closer look next month at the Society for Foodservice Management’s Critical Issues Conference. The one-day meeting, April 26 at TimesCenter in New York, brings together SFM members with leaders of onsite foodservice operations for sessions on creating social media strategies, workplace solutions for customer engagement and managing…

Bargreen Ellingson is expanding its presence in the 49th state by opening a full-service operation, including a showroom and warehouse in Anchorage. The new facility also will serve Canada’s British Columbia territory. Alaska is the eighth state to host a Bargreen Ellingson operation; when it opens next month, it will be the Tacoma, Wash., dealer’s…

Schlotzsky’s has signed its largest franchise agreement in more than 40 years; the partnership calls for 170 Schlotzsky’s locations throughout California, including Los Angeles, Riverside, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties. Each of the new restaurants will feature a new, contemporary design; an upgraded table-service model; and dessert counters as part of Schlotzsky’s co-branding deal with…

More than 1,200 exhibitors from Germany and abroad will be in Hamburg, Germany, this weekend for

The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association has announced the recipients of the 2013 Silver Plate Awards, which recognize individual excellence in eight segments of foodservice operations. From among these recipients, one will be honored as the Gold Plate Award winner at the 59th Annual

SoCalGas’ Food Service Equipment Center is hosting a fry-off next week. Registrants for the hands-on seminar can learn how to save money and produce higher-quality fried food with Energy Star high-efficiency fryers. The fryer challenge is slated for March 12, 9 a.m.-noon. A similar program will held the next day at NorCalGas in San Ramon.…