Quaker Steak & Lube’s challenge: significantly reduce the footprint, drop $1 million from overall build costs—and keep the restaurant revenues the same.

Member-supplier meetings and relationship building were key components of Supply & Equipment Foodservice Alliance’s 25th Annual Partnership Conference in Maui, Hawaii. April 11-15. The buying group’s conference was highlighted by SEFA’s annual awards banquet, which saw 31 members and suppliers honored for their excellence in the industry and in SEFA in 2010.Member of the Year…

Mike Carpenter, a former NAFEM president and a name and face recognized by hundreds in the foodservice equipment and supplies business, passed away suddenly April 23 in Utah. He was 58. Carpenter had been chief marketing officer for Cooper-Atkins Corp. for the past two years. His long resume in the E&S industry spans posts at…

With blazing cook times and a consistent bake, conveyor ovens have made the starting lineup in many kitchens. Now they’re faster and more energy-efficient than ever.

On April 28, The Vollrath Co. announced it had acquired Traex Co. from Libbey Glass, a subsidiary of Libbey Inc. In its first-quarter earnings report, Toledo, Ohio-based Libbey said that it expects to receive net proceeds of more than $13 million from the sale. Both companies are headquartered in Wisconsin: Vollrath is based in Sheboygan;…

Average list-price increases for equipment and supplies remained moderate over the past nine months, according to new data from AutoQuotes Inc., even though materials prices have soared during the period. The average price increase was a moderate 2.2% for all 358,262 products from 411 manufacturers in the company’s database. The analysis covers the period July…

Three appointments have been announced at Ali Group/North America companies. Richard Babboni has been appointed president of Victory Refrigeration. He succeeds Peter MacFarland. Babboni was general manager for Ali Group’s COF Refrigeration division in Lucca, Italy, for four years in the 1990s. He was most recently working on the foodservice industry’s operations side as president…

Kirby Restaurant and Chemical Supply is now under second-generation management. Founder Tom Bell has retired after 40 years and passed on the company to his son, Mike, who joined him at the Longview, Texas, dealership two years after its founding in 1970. Tom can now be found in Maui, Hawaii, while Mike carries on as…

Stephen McGarry, who took the reins as president of the Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association in late March, will retire as president of Paramount Restaurant Supply Corp., Warren, R.I., June 1 and will step down from his FEDA post on the same date. Until then, McGarry will continue as an active member of the FEDA executive…