NPD: Customers seek value during economic downturns

Mar 31, 2008

Changing consumer behavior will make this economic slowdown like none the restaurant industry has seen before, according to a new report from The NPD Group.Even as restaurants feel the pinch of slowed spending by skittish consumers, other trends...

Kahala aims to make an impact with sustainability plan

Mar 31, 2008

SCOTTSDALE ARIZ. Kahala Corp., parent company and franchisor of such quick-service brands as Blimpie International, Coldstone Creamery, Ranch*1 and Samurai Sam’s, said it is in the development stage of a three-year plan to incorporate more...

Feds investigate health risks posed by diacetyl

Mar 31, 2008

A potential health hazard unknown to the foodservice industry until just a few months ago is drawing the attention of federal and state authorities who are trying to determine whether kitchen workers exposed to an artificial butter flavoring used...

Pizza Fusion’s Gordon: Green investments are good business

Mar 31, 2008

For Michael Gordon, saving the earth one pizza at a time is not just his company’s motto— it’s how he lives his life every day.Gordon, who co-founded Pizza Fusion, a four-unit, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based full-service pizza chain, along with his...

AAFES adopts efforts to cut energy usage

Mar 31, 2008

DALLAS —In an effort to cut energy costs and protect the environment, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, the Department of Defense’s oldest and largest operator of food-service and retail stores...

Buffalo Wild Wings names new chairman

Mar 31, 2008

MINNEAPOLIS Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. has named director James M. Damian chairman of its board, the company said Monday. He succeeds interim chairman Warren E. Mack. Damian, who has been a Buffalo Wild Wings director since 2006, is the...

Wendy's inks deals for 60 units in Mexico

Mar 31, 2008

DUBLIN Ohio Wendy’s International Inc. said Monday that it has signed development agreements with two new franchisees to open more than 60 Wendy’s locations in Monterrey and Mexico City, Mexico, within seven years. The operator or...

Ponderosa, Bonanza promo targets QSR customers

Mar 31, 2008

PLANO Texas Ponderosa and Bonanza steakhouses are aiming their most recent value promotion at fast-food customers. Beginning today, 38 domestic Bonanzas and 233 domestic Ponderosas are offering a lunch buffet for $5 and a dinner buffet for ...

Landing local brands at airports a laborious task for concessionaires

Mar 31, 2008

Even as outposts of locally known restaurants continue to open at a brisk pace in airports nationwide, concessionaires say luring independent operators into such branding deals is no easy task.While airport locations can lead to new revenue...