The restaurant industry is concerned that the federal Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed changes to the overtime rule will derail opportunities for hourly employees seeking managerial careers and significantly ratchet up compliance costs. Louisiana restaurateur Octavio Mantilla testified on behalf of the National Restaurant Association (NRA) at a U.S. Senate Small Business Committee hearing last […]
Category: Northeast
The Shelby Report of the Northeast covers grocery retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Follow the latest store openings, remodels, leadership changes and market news from the region.
Posted in, Northeast
Retailer SNAP Comment Deadline Is May 18, And More…
C-Store News In Brief… The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) is urging retailers to register their concerns about the proposed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) changes via the NACS webpage before the May 18 deadline. According to NACS, the proposed regulations could negatively impact convenience stores. The proposed changes would rewrite the requirements retailers […]
Posted in, Northeast
Wendy’s Data Breach Was Widespread, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… Wendy’s told its investors last week that a comprehensive investigation into “unusual credit card activity” at its North American restaurants is nearing completion. Wendy’s told investors that malware, installed through the use of compromised third-party vendor credentials, affected one particular POS system at 300 of approximately 5,500 franchised North America Wendy’s […]
Posted in, Northeast
N.Y. City Council Passes Bag Fee Collection, And More…
New Channels News In Brief…. The New York City Council voted to collect a fee on each carryout bag, paper or plastic, with some exceptions. The council settled on a 5-cent minimum fee after an earlier version of the bill called for 10 cents. Stores can collect and keep the fees and can even charge […]
Posted in, Northeast
Dean Foods To Buy Friendly’s Ice Cream Retail Business
Dean Foods of Dallas, Texas, will acquire the manufacturing and retail ice cream business of Friendly’s Ice Cream from an affiliate of Friendly’s Restaurants for $155 million. Friendly’s Ice Cream, with $166 million in net sales in 2015, produces packaged ice cream and other frozen dessert products, including single-serve sundae cups, novelty items, cakes and […]
Posted in, Northeast
C-Stores Increase Social Media Presence On College Campuses
According to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and a Y-Pulse study, convenience retail operations on college and university campuses have more than doubled their use of social media in the last five years to better connect with their customers. A recent Y-Pulse study shows that 75 percent of campus foodservice professionals now use […]
Posted in, Northeast
FDA, NRA Issue Safety Tips After Listeria Outbreak
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Restaurant Association are advising restaurateurs to check out their frozen vegetables to see if they have any products linked to a recent multistate Listeria outbreak. The frozen food linked to the outbreak, identified as organic white sweet cut corn and organic petite green peas, is part […]
Posted in, Northeast
Weis Markets Surpasses Goal Of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Weis Markets has surpassed its goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20 percent by the year 2020. The company achieved this milestone five years earlier than anticipated, reaching a 22.1 percent reduction in GHG emissions in 2015. “We are very encouraged by the steady, measurable progress we are making and are excited to […]
Posted in, Northeast
Krispy Kreme To Be Sold, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… JAB Holding Co. has agreed to acquire Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for $1.35 billion. JAB has investments in Keurig Green Mountain, Peets Coffee & Tea, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group and Espresso Group as well as a minority stake in Reckitt Benckiser. Krispy Kreme will retain its name and will be operated from […]
Posted in, Northeast
New England Food Show Runs Three Days In Boston
An eclectic array of exhibitors—from manufacturers to operators and purveyors of equipment and services—were part of The New England Food Show, a three-day event at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. The convention brought together the New England restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry and showcased products from the agriculture and forestry, meat, poultry and seafood, […]
Posted in, Northeast
C&S Ups Channel Presence With Davidson Specialty Foods Buy
C&S Wholesale Grocers of Keene, New Hampshire, plans to acquire Davidson Specialty Foods of Newington, Connecticut, increasing its supply of specialty and ethnic foods. The sale is expected to close in June. Davidson provides direct store delivery (DSD) services for more than 6,000 specialty, kosher and ethnic products to independent and chain retailers across New […]
Posted in, Northeast
Gregg’s Restaurants Opens 100-Seat Tavern In Warwick, Rhode Island
Gregg’s Restaurants & Pubs, with four locations in Warwick, Providence, East Providence and North Kingstown, Rhode Island, has opened Warwick Tavern, located adjacent to Gregg’s Restaurant at 1359 Post Road. The Tavern is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to midnight. The 2,400-s.f., ground-up restaurant was completely designed, constructed and outfitted by Rhode Island companies and […]
Posted in, Northeast
Magnum Launches First U.S. Storefront In New York, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… Magnum Ice Cream, the only ice cream bar made with Belgian chocolate, recently opened its doors in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City, at 134 Prince Street, marking the first storefront in the U.S. featuring the brand’s customizable ice cream bar. The Magnum New York storefront features a “dipping […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Northeast
Albertsons Receives EPA Safer Choice Partner Of The Year Award
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named Albertsons winner of its Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award for the company’s commitment to increasing awareness of the EPA’s Safer Choice Program for sustainable products. The Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award recognizes businesses and organizations that advance the goal of chemical safety through […]
Posted in, Northeast
Nestlé Announces Support For Lower Sodium Targets, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Last week Nestlé announced further sodium reduction efforts and reaffirmed its commitment to help consumers reduce their dietary intake. Nestlé is committed to helping people consume no more than 2,000 milligrams of sodium per day, a target that is lower than the current U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommendation of 2,300 milligrams […]
Posted in, Northeast
First Six Months Of Vermont GMO Law Will Be Educational
Nearly 100 retailers and food trade members attended a jam-packed talk by Assistant Vermont Attorney General Todd Daloz, who said that although the new GMO law takes effect July 1, the first six months, until Dec. 31, will be a time of educating retailers and food producers of the impact of the law. Daloz said […]
Posted in, Northeast
Fairway Group Files Prepackaged Chapter 11 Reorganization
Fairway Group Holdings Corp., parent company of Fairway Markets, a New York City food retailer, has reached an agreement with its lenders on the terms of a reorganization that will eliminate approximately $140 million of debt and provide financing to restructure the company’s balance sheet. The group filed a Joint Prepackaged Chapter 11 Plan of […]
Posted in, Northeast
Final FDA Menu Labeling Rule Raises NACS & FMI Concerns
Late last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its final guidance on menu-labeling regulations, with a final date of May 2017 for compliance. After reviewing the final document, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) determined that the May 2017 compliance date is about the only language the FDA updated from its draft guidance. […]
Posted in, Northeast
Boston Licensing Board To Allow For BYOB
The City of Boston’s Licensing Board unanimously voted last week to amend its rules and regulations and allow BYOB (Bring Your Own Beverage) in Boston. “I see this as an opportunity to bring increased economic activity to neighborhoods across Boston, and I thank the Licensing Board for taking up this measure that has great potential […]
Posted in, Amazon Fresh, Northeast, Whole Foods
Specialty Food Sales Hit Record High In 2015
The specialty food industry is now a $120.5 billion industry, largely fueled by the growth of small businesses. According to the Specialty Food Association (SFA), specialty food sales at retail grew to $94 billion in 2015, a 19.7 percent jump since 2013, driven by product innovation and wider availability of specialty foods through mass-market outlets. […]