The National Restaurant Association has announced it is urging its members to contact their congressmen to co-sponsor the Building Star Energy Efficiency Rebate Act. The Senate bill includes rebates and tax incentives allowing operators to conduct energy-efficient retrofits and upgrade the energy performance of commercial buildings.The NRA raised the issue at its 24th annual Public…

As we mentioned last month, the top 500 chain brands eked out current-dollar growth of a mere 0.8% 2009, according to Technomic Inc.’s annual ranking and analysis of the largest 500 chain concepts, the Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. The full report, which includes a wealth of data on the sales and unit growth of individual…

The big deflation in prices for metals, plastics, lumber and other commodities seen in 2009 is long gone. Purchasing magazine’s index tracking transaction prices for 109 industrial commodities rose 8% in the first quarter this year. And the magazine is forecasting an overall 17% rise for ’10, followed by another 6% increase next year. While 304…

Six individuals and organizations have been honored with NSF Int’l.’s 2010 Food Safety Leadership Awards. The winners: Innovation in Training: California Strawberry Commission Food Safety Team, for developing commodity-specific, food-safety guidelines, an industry-wide risk assessment for the state’s production chain, and “Food Safety Practices for Strawberry Harvest Workers.” Innovation in Equipment Design: FoodSafe Team, Intralox,…

The Middleby Corp. has been named 2009 Supplier of the Year by Yum! Brands. It marks the first time Yum! has selected an equipment manufacturer for the honor. "We are honored and humbled by this top recognition from Yum! Brands," said Selim A. Bassoul, Middleby’s chairman and CEO. "Yum! is a very innovative company, a…

Wendy’s/Arby’s Group has created an independent purchasing cooperative for its fast-food chains to source foodservice equipment, smallwares and other products and services not covered by its existing co-ops. The Strategic Sourcing Group Co-op LLC will leverage the purchasing power of the company’s 10,000 units. SSG was put together by Wendy’s/Arby’s Group and the existing co-ops…

Dunkin’ Donuts is going south—expansion-wise, anyway. The Canton, Mass., chain has signed agreements with three franchisees to develop 17 new restaurant franchises in south Florida and Jacksonville over the next several years. The chain will also be opening more stores in Georgia, where it has inked a multiunit store-development agreement with veteran, nine-unit franchisee Tom…

Standex Int’l. has acquired Tri-Star Manufacturing Co., the Santa Ana, Calif., maker of ranges, fryers, griddles, convection ovens, salamanders, charbroilers and hot plates. The acquisition boosts Standex Food Service Equipment Group’s strategic goal of offering a broader cooking line and entering the freestanding range market, according to Standex Pres. and CEO Roger Fix. "The Tri-Star…

On Aug. 31, ITW announced it was consolidating leadership and making organizational changes to the ITW Food Equipment Group. In an appointment effective immediately, Chris O’Herlihy takes the reins as president-Food Equipment Group Worldwide, which includes responsibility for all Food Equipment Group operations globally.   "We are consolidating leadership responsibility for the Food Equipment Group…

Sit back and tally your impulse-driven pizza sales with pizza oven and merchandising equipment from Tomlinson. Start with the Deluxe 16″ Pizza & Snack Oven, a unit that bakes all types of frozen pizza up to 16″ in diameter. Add to that the Fusion Pizza & Snack Merchandiser, designed with three raised racks to keep…