Visits to restaurants in the United States have remained essentially flat for the first three quarters of 2011, NPD Group reported Dec. 6, though small increases in check averages have boosted overall spending slightly each quarter. The Port Washington, N.Y.-based consumer research firm, which tracks traffic, check averages and a host of other data through…

Unfortunately, the one-month moderation in October of increasing wholesale food prices—and overall producer prices—didn’t hold. Wholesale food prices at the “finished” stage jumped another 1% in November, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index. And prices at the “intermediate” and “crude” stages also rose, 1.9% and 0.5% respectively, after falling…

According to Technomic Inc.’s annual study,  the “Power Distributor Report: The Top 15,” while the foodservice industry as a whole barely managed to grow in `10, the top 35 foodservice distributors combined sales rose 5% last year. The study does not include or cover E&S distributors, nor does it include cash and carry distributors and…

The holidays are still ahead, but after the gifts are put away and the decorations come down, tax season arrives. Many companies will save money through the benefits of the faster depreciation schedule and write-offs for foodservice equipment under the 2010 Small Business Jobs Act and Tax Relief programs, both concluding at the end of…

Executives from some of the country’s largest chains met at a

A new year means a clean start. In the Golden State, Jan. 1 will find health inspectors starting to enforce one of the country’s most comprehensive food safety laws. That’s the official start date for the California Food Handler Card law, which mandates food handlers who work in a restaurant ( or retail food establishment)…

Australia-basedMiddleby Corp., is joining forces with

Time is getting short to register for Foodservice Equipment Reports‘ sixth biennial Multiunit Foodservice Equipment Symposium. The meeting is set for Jan. 28-30 at the Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas. The packed agenda includes high-end technical seminars and presentations, covering energy- and water-saving technologies, international development trends, certification issues and standards outside the U.S.,…

The

Bennigan’s Franchising Co. has inked a master franchise agreement with the Al Aroud Group of companies to open 10 new