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5 must-know restaurant news stories: May 28, 2014

Nation's Restaurant News editors select the top industry stories of the day

Mike Nahkunst, early Chili’s employee and industry executive, dies (Dallas Morning News) 
Mike Nahkunst, an early Chili’s Grill & Bar employee and later industry executive, died Friday at age 63. Nahkunst spent 17 years with Chili’s and parent Brinker International Inc. After leaving Brinker, Nahkunst became chief operating officer at The Cheesecake Factory. He later served as chief operating officer of BJ’s Restaurants. In 2011, he became CEO of Kona Grill, based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Nahkunst and his wife, Susan, later returned to Austin when he co-founded Austin Restaurant Partners.
 
—Ron Ruggless

Chili's is entering grocery aisles (Advertising Age)
Despite its late arrival to the packaged-foods game, the company thinks it can offer something no other brand can.

—Marcella Veneziale

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt goes to China (PR Newswire)
Self-serve frozen-yogurt chain Orange Leaf has announced a master franchise agreement to open 100 units in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau over the next several years. The first two units are planned for Shanghai and are expected to open this year. The Oklahoma City-based chain currently has more than 300 locations in the United States and Australia.

—Mark Brandau

New priciest-ever Starbucks drink made with 60 shots (USA Today)
Behold the Sexagintuple Vanilla Bean Mocha Frappuccino, the priciest Starbucks drink ever. It was created by a customer identified only as “Andrew,” and includes 60 shots of espresso. Starbucks warns that the excessive drink is not safe, and “not something we’d encourage people to do."

—Lisa Jennings

The recipe collection you've been waiting for (Fast Company)
The New York Times is working on indexing all of its recipes. The site is still being beta tested, but Fast Company already likes it.

—Bret Thorn

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