Denver-based FoodserviceWarehouse.com, also known as FSW, has purchased the assets of Loubat Food Service Equipment Co. Loubat began serving restaurants in New Orleans more than 137 years ago and over the years has grown into a regional leader specializing in equipment, design and smallwares. FSW was founded in 2006 in Greenwood Village, Colo., as a…

It’s homecoming week at Zink Foodservice Group. On Dec. 1, Zink Marketing officially became the Manitowoc Foodservice representatives in Illinois and Wisconsin, and it welcomed back R&B Marketing to cover those states. The reunion means that R&B will no longer represent Alto-Shaam, Beverage Air, CMA, Carroll, Kairak, Lang, Leer, LTI and Southbend. Instead, they’ll represent…

Go figure. In spite of the partial shutdown of the federal government for half of October and the threat of a debt-ceiling default, consumers apparently thumbed their noses and went out to eat anyway. Strong gains in current same-store sales and traffic propelled the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index to 100.9, up from 100.2…

Sam Tell & Son has acquired the business assets of Paramount Restaurant Supply Corp. The acquisition, announced Nov. 18, was made by Warren Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of the dealer. Paramount, which has offices in Phoenix, New York and Warren, R.I., is a national supplier of foodservice equipment and supplies. The firm, helmed by COO…

When it comes to the outlook for the equipment and supplies market, the good news keeps piling up. But we also had a shock over the weekend, when we learned our good friend Lew Burns, who formerly ran Groen and then several divisions of Dover Corp., passed away suddenly. First the good news. I flew…

Metro was one of eleven companies honored by Quality Supply Chain Co-op, the independent purchasing cooperative for restaurants owned by The Wendy’s Co. and its franchisees, at the 2013 Wendy’s Convention in Las Vegas. The Wilkes-Barre, Pa., manufacturer was chosen from among the QSR’s more than 400 suppliers and distributors to receive the Golden Link…

National Equipment & Supply Association has announced the dates for its Spring Conference. NESA will meet March 13-15, 2014 at the Embassy Suites Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla.

Foodservice professionals celebrate ingenuity on the plate or in the kitchen. Take a moment to nominate an operator customer for the awards recognizing innovation and excellence in driving operational success. The National Restaurant Association’s third annual Operator Innovations Awards honor commercial and noncommercial operators who are transforming the industry with extraordinary creativity and commitment to…

Take note: The Food and Drug Administration has released its 2013 Food Code, which provides updated guidance for states and localities on regulating food safety and sanitation in restaurants and other retail businesses. While the new federal code is not law, more than 3,000 state and local entities rely on it to shape foodservice-related health…

Maybe I was wrong. A few weeks ago, in the middle of the government shutdown and debt-ceiling fight, I wrote that I thought the confrontation might cost the E&S market half a point of growth this year and as much as a point next year. But now, a few weeks past the crisis, I’m feeling…