The 2012

It’s been a busy few months for Wendy’s. After selling Arby’s and announcing its move back to its original Dublin, Ohio, headquarters, the burger chain is testing a new prototype Wendy’s restaurant in nearby Columbus. The sleek, modern design is one of four building styles Wendy’s will test in a multiyear strategy to refresh and…

You have just two weeks left to nominate a fellow foodservice professional for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s 2012 awards. "This is a tremendous opportunity not only for companies to recognize their own leaders and industry partners, but also to bolster relationships between operators and suppliers and their clients," says NRAEF Executive Director Lynette…

The Society for Foodservice Management will convene in Philadelphia Oct. 3-5 for its 2011 National Conference. “Pursuing Excellence in On-Site Hospitality” will center on helping the association’s members discover and implement ideas to meet the challenges of the new paradigm. The program includes a keynote address by Dunkin’ Brands chairman Jon Luther, and separate sessions…

Henny Penny Corp. is making its television debut with a feature appearance on “Bar Rescue,” a reality show that gives failing operations a last chance at success. Henny Penny’s commercial pressure fryer is being featured on the Sept. 11 episode as a tool for increasing restaurant profitability. The 10-episode series on Spike TV transforms outmoded…

After a quarter century helming the public health efforts at NSF Int’l., Nancy Culotta, the group’s v.p. for Food Safety Product Certification and Consumer Products, has announced her retirement. Culotta played a key role in globally expanding NSF’s public health services to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.  She spearheaded several new and innovative initiatives, including…

The recovery of the foodservice equipment and supplies market continued through the second quarter, according to the latest data from the Business Barometer maintained by the Manufacturer’s Agents Association for the Foodservice Industry. Overall rep sales for like lines rose 5.7% in the quarter versus the year-prior quarter, the group reported. Sales of all four…

The Great Foodservice Recession is catching up with foodservice operators in the U.S., though nearly all the pain is among independents, according the latest ReCount unit census data from The NPD Group. The total number of units in the U.S. fell by 9,450 to 574,050, or 2%, during the year that ended March 31, NPD said.…

Continuing stagnant economies in much of Europe and the U.S. are holding down restaurant visits, according to the latest traffic and sales data from The NPD Group. But China, Germany and France saw significant real gains in the first quarter this year, the Port Washington, N.Y., research firm reported. China continued to see a foodservice…

Combined revenues for the Top 100 foodservice equipment and supplies manufacturers rose 3.9% in 2010, according to Foodservice Equipment Reports‘ exclusive analysis of the largest E&S manufacturers. The annual ranking, based on North American revenues, is part of the magazine’s 2012 E&S Market Forecast package. From the largest company in the list, Manitowoc Foodservice at…