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…

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…