Wholesale food prices fell again in February, the third consecutive month prices have moved lower. This trend, in turn, apparently slowed the pace of menu-price increases in February from those seen in recent months.Average wholesale food prices fell 0.3% in February, compared to January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Restaurant…

Prices for nearly all metals used widely in foodservice equipment and supplies have begun to move higher, after a brief decline in prices late last year. Stainless steel prices are moving higher after bottoming out in December and January. The MEPS Int’l. North American All Products Stainless Steel Index rose to 171.9 in February, a…

Yes, the 50 major economic forecasting groups polled monthly by Blue Chip Economic Indicators still predict a painfully slow recovery from The Great Recession. But their long-range consensus forecasts, reported in the March newsletter, for growth of real gross domestic product for the years ’14 through’17 improved slightly from their forecasts last October. GDP growth…

The American Disabilities Act standards from 1991 officially expired March 15 and were supplanted by the updated

The Palmetto State is getting serious about food safety.  South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control is updating the state’s food-safety regulations for the first time in 17 years. The new rules are likely to require some restaurants to upgrade equipment. They will certainly impact public health directly, by requiring cold holding temperatures be…

Food trucks—where they go and where they park—continue to be an issue in California. A state lawmaker, stating concerns about childhood obesity, has introduced a bill to significantly limit where food trucks and lunch wagons can operate. AB1678 would ban these mobile foodservice units from operating within 1,500 feet of schools, a distance even greater…

It will be chips and salsa in St. Petersburg when

A majority of restaurateurs across all industry segments plan to invest in “green” technology this year, according to the National Restaurant Association. The association’s 2012 Restaurant Industry Forecast reports that more operators will invest in “eco-friendly” equipment and fixtures to help attract the 41% of consumers who say they’re likely to make their restaurant choices…

The

The Cornyn Fasano Group and Foodservice Consultants Studio have joined forces in a strategic partnership. Their alliance enables the consultants to offer management advisory and design solutions and broaden the scope of services available to the firms’ clients. Foodservice Consultants Studio specializes in K-12, higher education, corrections, military, and business and industry. Amy Hegarty, Doug…