Milan was buzzing with foodservice professionals who flocked to the five-day Host 2013 last month. The biennial show, held at the fieramilano pavilions October 18-22, is a must-see for an overview of excellent foodservice equipment design and technology.The Host show featured 1,700 exhibitors from 48 countries, encompassing 12 halls. Attendance was up 7% over 2011,…

Jan. 13-16: Horecava 2014-Amsterdam RAI Exhibition Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Contact: Amsterdam RAI, horecava@rai.nl; horecava.nl Jan. 22-25: ANFAS Hotel Equipment Exhibition-Antalya Expo Center, Antalya, Turkey. Contact: ANFAS, info@anfas.com.tr; anfashotelequipment.com Jan. 23-25: Food Hospitality World-MMRDA Grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Contact: Pallavi Tyagi, The Indian Express Ltd., Express Hospitality, pallavi@fieramilano.in; fhwexpo.com Jan. 25-27: MUFES 2014:…

McDonald’s Corp. is putting down corporate roots in the eastern region of China. The Oak Brook, Ill., company has located its Anhui headquarters in Baohe district, Hefei. Currently, McDonald’s has 27 units in Anhui. During the next five years, the chain plans to open more than 120 new restaurants in the province, with a goal…

Frymaster 1814 Fryers (gas and electric) offer a trio of savings: oil, energy, and space. The 1814 gas fryers have a Thermo-Tube heat transfer system which uses 6-in. vs. 4-in. tubes to provide superior heat-to-oil transfer and use more than 50% less energy than standard large-capacity fryers. The 1814 electric fryers have flat-bar, low-watt-density, ribbon-type,…

Dexter-Russell has acquired the Chef Revival apparel brand from San Jamar. The deal, effective Nov. 1, includes the complete Chef Revival product line of chef apparel, aprons, crew uniforms, towels, hats and hair nets. The acquisition complements Dexter-Russell’s full line of knives and cutlery. Both companies are part of The Affinity Group, based in Southbridge,…

The Denny’s Grand Slam breakfast is now being served in Chile, which has become the 11th country to welcome a Denny’s restaurant. The Santiago store is the nearly 1,700-unit chain’s first foray into South America. Local partner The Musiet Group has signed an exclusive development agreement to open 10 locations in Chile over the next…

Weeks after announcing its acquisition of Celfrost Innovations Pvt. Ltd., a Gurgaon, India-based firm with $20 million in annual sales of commercial refrigerators, ice machines, freezers and walk-ins, Middleby Corp. has appointed Partha Biswas as group president of Middleby India. Biswas will have full responsibilities in the country, overseeing multiple operations, including sales and service…

Dan Cathy has been promoted to chair and CEO of Chick-fil-A, succeeding his father, who remains as chair emeritus. S. Truett Cathy, 92, who founded the Atlanta-based quick-service chain in 1946, will turn his attention more fully to entrepreneurial efforts, including a new restaurant concept called Truett’s Luau, which is scheduled to open in Fayetteville,…

Pizza Hut UK is spending £60 million on refurbishing its restaurants in a bid to return to profitability. More than 80 outlets will undergo refurbishment in 2014. Private equity group Rutland Partners acquired the restaurant business of Pizza Hut UK in November 2012 from U.S.-based Yum! Brands and is looking to return the 330-strong chain…

Buffets Inc. is marking its 30th anniversary with a name change. The Greer, S.C., company—parent to Country Buffet, Fire Mountain, HomeTown Buffet, Old Country Buffet, Ryan’s and Tahoe Joe’s Famous Steakhouse—has changed its corporate name to Ovation Brands. Ovation CEO Anthony Wedo said the new corporate moniker allows the company to properly showcase a greater…