Food Service News In Brief… Fred DeLuca, who co-founded a small sandwich shop that grew to become Subway, died Sept. 14 at age 67. DeLuca had become a leader in the franchise business and was an active member of the International Franchise Association… The Massachusetts Restaurant Association is sponsoring a free safety and sanitation webinar […]
Tag: restaurants
Posted in, Northeast
Food Service And Lodging Numbers Continue To Rise
Two noted food service and lodging analysts recently had good numbers to report to guests and members of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association (RIHA), with the most promising numbers for the Rhode Island lodging market. Hudson Riehle, SVP of research and knowledge for the National Restaurant Association, and Rachel Roginsky were guest speakers at the […]
Posted in, Northeast
NYC Health Board OKs Warning On Menu Items With High Salt, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… The New York City Board of Health has voted to require chain restaurants to put salt-shaker symbols on menus to denote dishes with more than the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams of sodium. New York City is the first U.S. city to implement such a requirement. The warning will […]
Posted in, Northeast
Mass. AG To Decide If Employee Scheduling Bill Goes To Ballot
A ballot initiative petition—“Fair Scheduling Initiative”—has been filed in Massachusetts that would require any fast food restaurant or retail store making changes, cancellations, additions or reductions to the schedule of an employee within 14 days of a scheduled shift to pay no less than one additional hour and no more than four additional hours in […]
Posted in, Northeast
Chipotle Suit Contests GMO Claim, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… A California law firm has filed a lawsuit charging Chipotle Mexican Grill with misleading claims by saying its menu is free of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Chipotle plans to contest the federal class-action suit brought by Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP of San Francisco. In other Chipotle news, through […]
Posted in, Northeast
National Restaurant Productivity Breaks Three-Month Slump
Driven by stronger same-store sales and customer traffic levels, the National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) posted a solid gain in July, the first increase in three months. The RPI stood at 102.7 in July, up 0.7 percent from June. In addition, July represented the 29th consecutive month in which the RPI stood above […]
Posted in, Northeast
NLRB Staffing Agency Decision Could Impact Restaurants
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a decision in the Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) case, holding that BFI is considered a “joint employer” with a temporary staffing agency that supplied employees to BFI. According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), the decision has broad implications for multiple industries, including restaurants. The NLRB, through a 3-2 vote, […]
Posted in, Northeast
Chipotle Planning Massive Hiring Event On Sept. 9
Chipotle Mexican Grill announced its first-ever National Career Day, taking place on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the goal of hiring 4,000 new employees. The hiring event is expected to expand Chipotle’s 59,000-member workforce by nearly 7 percent. “The economy has been thawing, more restaurants are opening and there are fewer job applicants than there were […]
Posted in, Northeast
Target To Test New Food Service Offers
Beginning in October, Target will roll out the Freshii fast-casual concept in nine stores; Pizza Hut will open restaurants in three stores; and D’Amico & Sons will open up its concept in two Minneapolis stores. Nearly 1,700 out of Target’s nearly 1,800 stores have cafes. In the test markets, the cafes will be replaced with […]
Posted in, Northeast
New Improvements Made To Dining Spots At LaGuardia Airport, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… Following several waves of upgrades, improved amenities and new store openings, the redevelopment of Terminal B’s Food & Shops at LaGuardia Airport is nearing completion. MarketPlace Development embarked on the redevelopment upgrade last year to refresh and revitalize the Food & Shops program, while the Port Authority of New York […]
Posted in, Northeast
National Restaurant Performance Dips For Second Straight Month
The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) declined in June for the second consecutive month. The RPI—a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry—stood at 102.0 in June, down 0.4 percent from May and its lowest level in nine months. Despite the decline, June represented the 28th […]
Posted in, Northeast
‘Something’s Brewing In Worcester’ Delayed Until Fall, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… The Massachusetts Restaurant Association has postponed its “Something’s Brewing In Worcester” event due to the extension of Worcester Restaurant Week. The event will be rescheduled to a later date in the fall… Herris Gourmet is supplying Kosher-certified food products to the Hudson News retailer in Terminal E of Logan International […]
Posted in, Northeast
College Study Suggests $15 Minimum Wage Could Hike Restaurant Prices
Boosting employee wages to $15 an hour at limited-service restaurants could lead to an estimated 4.3 percent increase in prices at those restaurants, according to a recent Purdue School of Hospitality and Tourism Management study. The study also says that increasing wages to $22 per hour would result in a 25 percent increase in menu prices. […]
Posted in, Northeast
Study Finds 3 Percent Drop In Independent Restaurant Count, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… A 3 percent drop in independent restaurant unit counts compared to year ago brought the total U.S. restaurant count down by 1 percent to 630,511 units, according to a census of U.S. commercial restaurant locations compiled in the spring and fall each year by The NPD Group, a national research […]
Posted in, Northeast
Boston’s UFood Grill Announces VetFran Membership
UFood Grill of Boston, a franchisor of fast-casual restaurants offering a healthy options menu, has partnered with VetFran, a program that helps U.S. military veterans locate franchise opportunities and provides a path toward business ownership with training, mentoring and financial assistance. UFood Grill will offer veterans a 50 percent discount on its current franchise fee, reducing […]
Posted in, Northeast
Trade Groups Unhappy With New York Wage Board Decision
The wage board appointed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to set a new minimum wage for the state’s fast food restaurants voted July 22 to recommend a $15 minimum wage for quick-service chains that have at least 30 locations nationally. The wage board’s recommendations kick off a 15-day comment period, after which the report […]
Posted in, Northeast
Groups Unite To Benefit No Kid Hungry Event In Worcester, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… To benefit the No Kid Hungry campaign, Worcester, Massachusetts, chefs and Wormtown Brewery are working with the Massachusetts Restaurant Association for a night of food and networking. The event, “Something’s Brewing In Worcester,” will be held Aug. 10 at the Hanover Theater in Worcester Center from 7-10 p.m…. The Union […]
Posted in, Northeast
US Foods Names Satriano President And CEO
US Foods has appointed Pietro Satriano its new president and CEO, effective July 13. Satriano previously held the role of chief merchandising officer. John Lederer, the company’s current president and CEO, will continue as an advisor to US Foods and its board of directors. “Pietro is a proven leader whose business experience and strategic vision […]
Posted in, Northeast
New York Operators Tell Governor To Include Restaurant Input On Wage Board
More than 100 New York restaurant operators recently sent a letter to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo imploring him to keep New York open for business. The letter was written in response to the governor’s decision to unilaterally instate a self-appointed wage board targeting fast food restaurants without any representation from the restaurant industry. In […]
Posted in, Northeast
Brinker International Acquires 103 Franchised Chili’s Restaurants, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… Brinker International has acquired Pepper Dining Holding Corp., a franchisee of 103 Chili’s Grill & Bar restaurants primarily located in the Northeast and Southeast for $106.5 million. Overall, Brinker owns, operates or franchises 1,629 restaurants under Chili’s Grill & Bar (1,580 restaurants) and Maggiano’s Little Italy (49 restaurants)… Rhode Island […]