There’s more going on at Nathan’s Famous than the Fourth of July hot-dog-eating championship. The chain opened 67 new franchised units during the fiscal year ending in March, including stores in Canada, China, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Kuwait. Another 43 outlets opened under a branded program for operators to add a limited Nathan’s menu…

The burger chain, which prides itself on being an all-American concept, continues to put down roots in Latin America. Brazil’s more than 200 million people will get a taste of Johnny Rockets, which has inked a franchise agreement with a former McDonald’s franchisee to open 30 restaurants in the area. The Aliso Viejo, Calif., chain…

The National Association of College and University Food Services has renamed its Distinguished Lifetime Member Award to honor longtime member and volunteer David Prentkowski, director of foodservice at the University of Notre Dame. The award, now known as the David R. Prentkowski Distinguished Lifetime Member Award, will be presented by NACUFS at this week’s national…

Waste-heat recovery is a great beginning.

The foodservice industry is bemoaning the Supreme Court’s June 28 ruling upholding the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Financial implications are of topmost concern. Industry leaders fear that employee requirements on the healthcare law “threaten the economic health of the restaurant industry,” according to a statement released by the National Restaurant Association. The main concern: Employers…

Nonfarm payrolls in the U.S. continued to grow in June, with a net 80,000 new jobs added, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the number fell short of modest expectations of a 90,000 increase. For the third month in a row, the number was well short of the 180,000-200,000 monthly new jobs needed…

Is Energy Star forgetting the original goals?

Restaurant industry jobs grew twice as fast as general employment in the 12 months ending June, according to an analysis by the National Restaurant Association released July 6.  Eating and drinking place employment grew by 2.7% for the 12 months ending June 2012, nearly double the 1.3% increase in U.S. employment for the same period,…

Last issue, we wrote about concerns from Technomic Inc. Consulting Economist Arjun Chakravarti that declines in equities and other asset-based wealth could lead to cutbacks in spending by more well-off Americans and have a negative impact on foodservice spending. The top quartile of households by income typically generates close to half the spending at restaurants.…

Investment firm Centerbridge Partners and its Wok Parent acquisition arm has successfully completed its tender offer for the outstanding shares of P.F. Chang’s. The company now owns more than 83% of the Scottsdale, Ariz., chain, which will become an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Wok Parent. P.F. Chang’s owns and operates more than 200 upscale…