There are about 600 mobile food trucks, vans and carts in Oregon’s Multnomah County. That’s nearly one for every 1,000 residents of the state’s biggest county. But the popularity of the foodservice streetscape sprawl is prompting new rules that have put the thriving, trendsetting world of Portland food carts on notice.During a city council debate…

Common sense has won out in dueling menu-labeling laws in California, where a Jan. 1 law required all chains with 20 or more locations to post calories on menus and menu boards. Los Angeles County joined most other counties in the state in saying they won’t be strictly enforcing the measure, passed two years ago,…

This week’s presidential signing of the Food & Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act capped a list of legislative victories for the National Restaurant Association. These included passage of lower, more transparent interchange fees; tax relief for small businesses; the launch of one national menu-labeling standard; and the defeat of union card-check legislation. NRA Chairman…

Who would have guessed that a 19th century novel would become the most common reference point for 21st century restaurant inspections and public-health notices? Allusions to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter have been common from operators and lawmakers discussing restaurant grading systems for New York restaurants and Los Angeles food trucks. And now, it again…

Nashville, Tenn.-based Logan’s Roadhouse has been purchased by private equity firm Kelso & Co. The change occurred after Logan’s parent company, LRI Holdings, filed for an initial public offering that sought to raise $200 million. Logan’s, which opened its first restaurant in 1991 in Lexington, Ky., operates188 company-owned and 26 franchised full-service restaurants in 23…

Famous Dave’s of America opened two barbeque restaurants in November, in Orange, Calif., and in Lahaina, Hawaii. The dual openings have boosted the company’s unit count tally to 183, including 53 corporate locations and 130 franchised units in 37 states. Famous Dave’s specializes in barbequed and grilled meats, salads, sandwiches and desserts.

Chili’s Grill & Bar is shedding new light on its food and guests thanks to the recent major installation of LED lights in its 827 corporate-owned restaurants. The project, which involved installing some 125,000 LED lamps in both interior and exterior areas, is expected to save about $87 per store/per week. Overall savings will tally…

Nearly 100 FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt Cafés will be opening in Florida, Portugal and Venezuela over the next few years thanks to a recently signed agreement between parent company Beautiful Brands Int’l. and developers Keiny and Erasmo Gudiño. The first two stores are slated to open the first quarter of this year in Caracas, Venezuela, and…

Frank D. Stella, founder, chairman, and CEO of Detroit-based F.D. Stella Products Co., passed away Oct. 3 at age 91. In addition to launching the E&S dealership that bore his name, Stella also served as chairman and CEO of Stella Int’l., a New York consulting, joint-venture and importing firm. Active in both industry and community…

An Italian manufacturer’s unique heated food processor won the top award at the 95th annual International Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Show in November at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Judges for the Editors’ Choice Awards program reviewed nearly 100 submissions of new, cutting-edge products within the categories of equipment and supplies, design,…