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Chipotle Mexican Grill will open in France and is also testing a new Asian concept. The first international Chipotle, opened in London last May, has done so well that the chain is planning to open a Paris outlet later this year. Analysts estimate the Denver-based chain could have more than 100 outlets in Europe by…

Nine industry professionals have been selected to receive the Int’l. Foodservice Manufacturers Association’s 2011 Silver Plate Awards. The annual awards honor winners for industry achievements, commitment to innovation and contributions to their segments and the foodservice industry as a whole. The ’11 Silver Plate winners: • Independents: Buzz Beler, owner, The Prime Rib, Washington, D.C.…

Canada’s provincial governments are making running a business a bit more difficult for operators. In Vancouver, B.C., the general minimum wage has been boosted 28% over the next 14 months. The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association says the three scheduled wage increases will cost the restaurant industry an estimated $295 million in additional payroll costs.…

Here’s a new one: Legislation to ban legislation. Last year’s San Francisco ban on toys in Happy Meals (and other children-directed fare) has prompted politicians in at least two states to propose legislation prohibiting cities and counties in their states from doing likewise and banning toys with meals. The Arizona House of Representatives recently passed…

A first of its kind state law took effect last October in Massachusetts. It requires restaurants to post notices on their menus, asking customers to tell their server if anyone in their party has a food allergy. The law also requires hanging a poster in staff areas detailing food allergy information. Phase two of the…

Legislation that would inhibit foodservice equipment dealers and others from practicing, or in some cases bidding on, interior design work continues to land in state legislatures. Much of the momentum is due to a 30-year legislative lobbying effort by the American Society of Interior Designers to require all interior designers be licensed for the “public’s…

We don’t often report data on eating- and drinking-place sales, which come monthly from the U.S. Census Bureau, in part because they can be a bit unreliable according to people more knowledgeable than we are about operator trends. But we couldn’t let this issue end without noting that such sales exceeded $40 billion for the…