The National Restaurant Association last week unveiled the recipients of its 2011 Kitchen Innovations Award, which honors groundbreaking kitchen equipment in the foodservice market. An independent panel of judges, including internationally recognized food facilities consultants, multiunit executives and design experts, selected award recipients. The awards recognize innovations that provide new solutions to restaurant and foodservice…

Rumors abound, but other than a report that Chipotle Mexican Grill has registered the name ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, almost nothing is known about the Denver chain’s previously announced fast-casual Asian concept debut. Chipotle said last fall that founder Steve Ells and a small team were developing an…

Hello, Russia. There’s nothing like a chilly day in February for the warm debut of that country’s first Chili’s Grill & Bar. The new Chili’s outlet, opened last month in Moscow’s city center, Novy Arbat, is the first of 25 restaurants slated for development in the Russian Federation by June 2017.  It was developed by…

Opening its doors only six days a week hasn’t depressed sales at Chick-fil-A. The Atlanta-based chain boasts a record 11%-plus increase in its 2010 overall sales performance and a same-store sales increase of nearly 6%. The concept entered the Chicago market this year with three stores, adding to its total of 80 new-unit openings in…

Major metro areas are to going to see a few more Checkers Drive-In Restaurants. The Tampa, Fla., double-drive through chain has signed agreements with four franchisees to develop a dozen new restaurants in Baltimore, Detroit, New York and Philadelphia. It’s all part of a strategic growth plan to expand the brand’s presence in existing markets,…

Safe food-handling training and protection can only go so far in keeping a germ-free kitchen. According to a nine-state study in the February issue of  The Journal of Food Protection, one out of eight restaurant workers has come to work at least twice in the past year while suffering from diarrhea or vomiting. That’s 12%…

Under the umbrella of its “Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability” environmental initiative, the National Restaurant Association has teamed up with an Atlanta-based nonprofit program and a Chicago culinary school in separate efforts to lower restaurant waste and expand sustainability efforts. The collaboration with Zero Waste Zone emphasizes identifying best practices, creating resources and measuring the impact…

Grills and heat lamps will still find work, even in the face of a Minnesota proposal dubbed the "Cheeseburger Bill," which would prohibit lawsuits against food makers and sellers by people who gain weight. The Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act was approved late last month by a Minnesota House committee. The bill, which deals…

The National Sanitation Foundation Int’l. has opened a testing laboratory in Shanghai which includes foodservice equipment testing and on-site training in various areas, including food safety. Officially known as the NSF Shanghai Testing Technology Co., the facility complements NSF’s existing certification services in China, to provide companies sourcing from Asia independent, third-party testing and certification.…

Material, construction, durability, application and menu are just a few things to consider when choosing the trays best suited to serve your protected population.