5 must-know restaurant news stories: May 14, 2014

Starboard says Darden delaying requested meeting on Red Lobster (Reuters/Yahoo)
Activist investor Starboard Value L.P. accused Darden Restaurants Inc. of trying to disenfranchise shareholders by delaying holding a special meeting to vote on a proposal to halt plans to spin off or sell its struggling Red Lobster seafood chain. Starboard, which owns 5.5 percent of Orlando, Fla.-based Darden’s shares, has said it does not think the time is right for a sale, which it believes could destroy up to $800 million of shareholder value.

—Ron Ruggless

Panera uses new test bakery to develop menu items (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
The new unit near Yale University in New Haven, Conn., offers access to a large pool of young customers for testing out ideas and recipes.

—Marcella Veneziale

(Chicago Tribune)
Al’s Beef and Nancy’s Pizza, two restaurant chains owned by Chicago Franchise Systems Inc., have recruited Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka as their first official spokesperson. Group president Dave Howey said Ditka “truly embodies Chicago, where our brands were born.” Ditka, who coached the 1985 Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl victory, is a restaurateur in the Chicago area, as well as a recognizable personality meant to increase the awareness for Al’s Beef and Nancy’s Pizza as the chains pursue franchise growth in new markets. There 17 franchised Al’s Beef units and 30 franchised Nancy’s Pizza locations in Illinois, California, Nevada and Georgia.

—Mark Brandau

Picking the best restaurant in the world — and making a few enemies (Newsweek)
Can there ever be such a thing as the world’s best restaurant? In little more than a decade, the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards have become the closest thing there is to a culinary Oscars. But perhaps the biggest losers in France are the Michelin Guides, who have for more than a century been the arbiters of haute cuisine, with their star system and ratings done by a team of highly experienced anonymous inspectors. Newsweek takes a critical look at the critic landscape.
 
—Ron Ruggless

Alaska’s summer salmon harvest opens tomorrow (PRWeb)
Alaska salmon season starts in two days, starting with king and sockeye salmon returning to the Copper River. If everything goes as expected, the harvest will be 40 percent larger than last year.

—Bret Thorn