The Commercial Food Equipment Service Association kicks off its 50th anniversary year with its Spring 2013 Conference, Feb. 4-6, in conjunction with NAFEM ‘13. The conference will be held at the Peabody Orlando hotel in Florida. CFESA is urging its members to register online now and learn more about a program lineup which includes keynote…

Three food truck operators and a public-interest law firm filed a lawsuit against Chicago on Nov. 14 in an effort to force city officials to loosen restrictions on mobile food trucks. The suit targets the requirement that food trucks stay 200 ft. away from brick-and-mortar restaurants and that trucks install GPS devices so City Hall…

Food trucks, and where they roam, are still under debate north of the border. The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association has announced its support of food trucks in Montreal, provided they follow the same rules and regulations as other restaurants. The association is encouraging a pilot project similar to those already underway in Vancouver, Calgary,…

Get out your pencils. It’s time for the 2012 Economic Census. Every five years, the U.S. government conducts this survey mapping the American business landscape. The data collected can help business owners compare their business and community to others; assist them in identifying new business markets; and prove useful in business plans and loan applications.…

Eight of the 10 states that tie annual wage increases to inflation have announced minimum wage increases this year. Arizona, Missouri and Vermont will increase their minimum wages on Jan. 1. In Arizona, wages will climb to $7.80 per hour from $7.65. Missourians will see an increase to $7.35 from $7.25. In Vermont, the Labor Department…

I was going to write another bit on our evolving forecast—we reported on the third-quarter public company numbers last week in FER Fortnightly if you missed it (click here)—and John Muldowney and I have had several back-and-forths since. But you know what? We’ll get to that next week (not that it’s bad.). It’s Thanksgiving week,…

The Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association has put together a full lineup of speakers and programs for its 80th annual convention next year. FEDA members will convene April 3-7, 2013 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas, under the banner of “Vision and Courage to Create Your Own…

Ali Group North America has opened a new, state-of-the-art training center. The building, part of Ali’s headquarters complex in Winston-Salem, N.C., houses separate warewashing and cooking training facilities. The official two-day grand opening on October 3 drew U.S. and Canadian foodservice consultants for a FCSI training event hosted by Champion Industries. Ali Group customers, dealers…

During its recent fall conference in Rosemont, Ill., Allied Buying Corp. recognized nine manufacturers with Supplier of the Year awards. The multiple criteria employed by the Lombard, Ill., buying group were tied to quality in the areas of people (sales managers, reps, customer service); products and service level; accuracy (order entry, billing); warranty, service, return…

Globe Food Equipment Co. has appointed Kevin Woods, CFSP, as v.p.-sales and marketing. Woods joins the Dayton, Ohio, company from Unified Brands, where he was central region sales director. In his four-year tenure there he also served as product line director and education segment director. Woods started his career with Hobart, where he held various…