Foodservice Industry

Industry Roundup

Baked Goods

Grupo Bimbo-owned Bimbo Bakeries to pay US$131,216 in back pay, interest to 134 qualified female applicants as part of agreement with US Dept. of Labor to resolve alleged hiring discrimination at Bellevue, Nebraska, baking facility
US Official News (02/28)

Food producers in Europe fear the Ukraine crisis may result in rising prices of items such as bread, baked goods and beer that may be passed on to end consumers; Ukraine accounts for 12% of global wheat exports, 16% of corn and 18% of barley
FoodNavigator.com (02/25)

Coffee

Smucker's coffee brand Cafe Bustelo to award US$125,000 as part of Cafe Bustelo El Cafe del Futuro Scholarship, honoring Latino students; scholarship program enters its ninth year, with US$555,000 awarded to Latino students nationwide
PR Newswire (02/28)

Morrisons partners with Podback scheme, which turns used aluminum and plastic coffee pods into beverage cans, furniture; Morrisons customers will be able to pick up free collection bags, fill them at home, return them to drop-off points with free postage
Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC (02/25)

Confectionery & Sweet Snacks

Kellogg's teams up with Frankford Candy to create new Rice Krispies and Apple Jacks treats for Easter, including Rice Krispies Milk Chocolate Rabbit, Apple Jacks White Candy Rabbit, Rice Krispies Milk Chocolate Eggs
PR Newswire (02/28)

Ghirardelli launches first-ever Golden Square campaign, will award five winners exclusive tour of Ghirardelli chocolate manufacturing facility, which is not open to the public; campaign celebrates newly remodeled retail store at California headquarters
PR Web (02/28)

Fried & Cooked Chicken

US Burger King operator Carrols says it has reduced number of chicken nuggets in meals from 10 pieces to eight, while keeping price the same, to 'partially offset inflation,' CNN reports; company also plans to increase price of some menu items this year
International Business Times (02/25)

Fries & Hot Sides

Krystal announces offering of the following menu items for Lenten season: Shrimp Po’ Boy, Buffalo Ranch Shrimp Po’ Boy, Shrimp Po’ Boy Combo, Double Dozen Basket and Hush Puppies
QSR Magazine (02/25)

Fruits, Vegetables & Salads

University of Oxford study finds vegetarians, people who eat less meat have lower risk of certain cancers; vegetarians, vegans have 14% lower overall cancer risk than people who eat meat nearly every day, while people who eat only fish had 10% lower risk
Business Insider (02/28)

Red Lobster announces launch of new 10 Under US$10 weekday lunch menu, available Monday-Friday until 3 p.m.; items include Garlic Shrimp Scampi, Crispy Cod Sandwich, Popcorn Shrimp, Crispy Wild-Caught Flounder, Classic Caesar Salad with Seasoned Shrimp
Chew Boom (02/25)

Hot Sandwiches, Wraps & Burgers

Rubio's announces limited-time offering of three menu items featuring grilled wild red Argentine shrimp: Chipotle Honey Argentinian Shrimp Bowl, Chipotle Honey Argentinian Shrimp Burrito and Chipotle Honey Argentinian Shrimp Two Taco Plate
Nation's Restaurant News (02/25)

Culver's announces limited-time returns of North Atlantic Cod and Butterfly Jumbo Shrimp; North Atlantic Cod is available as part of the North Atlantic Cod Filet Sandwich and North Atlantic Cod Dinner
Chew Boom (02/25)

Ice Cream/Frozen Treats

McDonald’s China launches limited-edition McFlurry that features cilantro crumbs, lemon and cilantro sauce; divisiveness of flavor compounded by fact that some people find cilantro to taste like soap due to genetics
Independent, The (Online) (02/28)

South Africa-based retailer Woolworths introduces Chuckles malt-flavored ice cream in tubs and lids by Polyoak; the packaging features in-mold labeling by MCC Verstraete
Packaging Strategies (02/28)

Savory Snacks

MTN DEW, Ruffles launch MTN DEW Flavor Slam, giving fans opportunity to vote on weekly match-up of Southern dishes with DEW and Ruffles food pairings for chance to win 'fan cave' do-over
PR Newswire (02/28)

Coffee Shops & Juice Bars

UK Starbucks franchise 23.5 Degrees sees profits over £10M last year after investing in sales channels such as delivery, mobile ordering, curbside service; company opened 12 stores, including 10 drive-thrus and two in retail parks, bringing total to 85
MCA. (02/28)

Starbucks employees at Mesa, Arizona, location vote 25-3 to unionize, making it the first Starbucks outside the Buffalo, New York, area to do so; ballots must now be certified by NLRB’s regional director, which could take as long as a week, CNBC reports
Forbes (02/25)

Quick Service Restaurants (QSR)

Church's Chicken promotes Claudia Lezcano, former VP of Brand Strategy & Activation, to SVP of US Marketing; Lezcano will oversee US brand strategy, creative, media and product R&D divisions, will report directly to President and CEO Joe Christina
PRNewswire (02/28)

In-N-Out opens its second restaurant in Reno, Nevada, according to local journal; new location is company's fourth in Northern Nevada
QSR Web (02/28)

Foodservice Channel

US Foods Holding introduces US Foods VITALS program for acute care, senior living, other healthcare operators; program provides access to technology, operational expertise to improve operational efficiency, increase revenues, manage labor, staffing
Business Wire (02/28)

Foodservice Packaging

Foodservice packaging provider Fischer Paper Products to open a new production line for paper handle bags in Antioch, Illinois, in the coming weeks, says director of business development; company is celebrating its 50th year in business
Daily Herald (02/28)

Finland-based Huhtamaki reportedly temporarily closes its production plant in Ukraine due to Russia's military action in the country; plant manufactures beverage cups and disposable tableware
M-Brain Nordic News (02/28)

Single-Use

Survey reveals some traders in Rwanda still have single-use plastic bags in their stock despite a law banning the use of them; some dealers are smuggling single-use plastic bags from a neighboring country to avoid high costs of eco-friendly packaging
Rwanda Today (02/25)

Restaurants

Study of 20 US cities ranks Detroit second in steps required to open a restaurant at 77; barriers include 15 different fees totaling US$6,545, 'confusing' building permit process, city rejecting licenses for those who owe debt to it: Institute for Justice
Michigan Watchdog (02/28)

Executive Perspective: Chairman of Steak ‘n Shake's parent company says full service model 'did not work in the modern era'; eliminating table service and installing self-order kiosks has boosted annual sales per employee to US$118,000 from US$64,000
QSR Magazine (02/28)

Chipotle opens restaurant support center in Columbus, Ohio; 130,000-sq-ft space will house about 400 employees across finance, guest and employee relations, development, food safety, legal, people experience, technology, facilities and operations
Contify Retail News (02/28)

 Stock