The to-do menu at Bob Evans Restaurants is on overdrive. The company is speeding up its Bob Evans’ store-remodeling program, known as “Farm Fresh Refresh” and will complete re-dos of all 565 units by the first half of 2014. That’s a year ahead of schedule. Forty-five stores were revamped during the recent fiscal ’13 second-quarter…

Atlanta-based Arby’s Restaurant Group has sold 42 company-owned locations and development rights in Seattle and Portland, Ore. The buyer, operator Tony Lutfi, will remodel at least 17 restaurants and has committed to building five new Arby’s locations over the next several years. The deal expands Lutfi’s franchise holdings to 120 restaurants; he also owns and…

TCBY has set its sights on the Houston area as a key market for growing its brand of frozen yogurt. The chain looks to grow there by 15 to 20 stores in the next three to five years. TCBY already has eight traditional stores in the market; two new self-serve stores are set to open…

The time has come again to recognize commercial and noncommercial operators who drive innovation and excellence in the restaurant industry. The National Restaurant Association is accepting nominations for its 2013 Operator Innovations Awards, which celebrate “operators who are transforming the industry with extraordinary creativity and commitment to innovation and excellence in execution.” Self-nominations are welcomed.…

The Commercial Food Equipment Service Association kicks off its 50th anniversary year with its Spring 2013 Conference, Feb. 4-6, in conjunction with NAFEM ‘13. The conference will be held at the Peabody Orlando hotel in Florida. CFESA is urging its members to register online now and learn more about a program lineup which includes keynote…

Three food truck operators and a public-interest law firm filed a lawsuit against Chicago on Nov. 14 in an effort to force city officials to loosen restrictions on mobile food trucks. The suit targets the requirement that food trucks stay 200 ft. away from brick-and-mortar restaurants and that trucks install GPS devices so City Hall…

Food trucks, and where they roam, are still under debate north of the border. The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association has announced its support of food trucks in Montreal, provided they follow the same rules and regulations as other restaurants. The association is encouraging a pilot project similar to those already underway in Vancouver, Calgary,…

Get out your pencils. It’s time for the 2012 Economic Census. Every five years, the U.S. government conducts this survey mapping the American business landscape. The data collected can help business owners compare their business and community to others; assist them in identifying new business markets; and prove useful in business plans and loan applications.…

Eight of the 10 states that tie annual wage increases to inflation have announced minimum wage increases this year. Arizona, Missouri and Vermont will increase their minimum wages on Jan. 1. In Arizona, wages will climb to $7.80 per hour from $7.65. Missourians will see an increase to $7.35 from $7.25. In Vermont, the Labor Department…

I was going to write another bit on our evolving forecast—we reported on the third-quarter public company numbers last week in FER Fortnightly if you missed it (click here)—and John Muldowney and I have had several back-and-forths since. But you know what? We’ll get to that next week (not that it’s bad.). It’s Thanksgiving week,…