Food & Beverage News

As retail and restaurant chains develop their reopening strategies, executives may use this opportunity to cull unprofitable locations. Almost two-thirds (65%) of retailer and restaurant chains plan to reopen all their locations, 25% plan to open a portion of their locations and 10% don’t plan to return to the brick and mortar channel at all, per…

With dining rooms back in operation at 873 of Chili’s Grill & Bar’s 1,622 restaurants, the casual chain is generating enough cash to meet all of its rent obligations and pay down debt, parent company Brinker International said. Sales for Chili’s units that have resumed dine-in service climbed on average to within 10.8% of their…

COVID-19 has triggered a role reversal for two chains under the Yum Brands portfolio: Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut’s U.S segment, which has struggled to find its footing the last few years, recorded in early May its highest delivery and carry-out average sales week in the past eight years, Yum Brands reported in…

Comprehensive Food Safety’s audits and inspections include one-on-one training of its clients’ foodservice handlers, department heads and staff, Cherkasky said. Changing a company’s food safety culture from top to bottom is one of Comprehensive Food Safety’s specialties, he said. The company offers its clients full-time consultant-auditors, industry leadership in both food safety and IPM, affordable…

St. Louis-based ASI LLC saw big changes in 2019 and the first part of 2020, enabling the company to provide its commissary, supplier and retail clients with even better food safety audit and other services, said Tyler Williams, vice president of operations. “The two main areas that we’ve had our largest strides in are our…

In light of all that has happened in our industry, in our communities, and in our businesses during this unprecedented time, I know it is sometimes hard to know what tomorrow brings. Having said that, I am confident that the passion, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit that has made this industry great for so many years…

Fast-casual Mexican chain Rubio’s Coastal Grill is permanently closing about 7% of its units, pulling out of Colorado and Florida because of the impacts of the coronavirus on its business, the company confirmed. The Carlsbad, Calif.-based brand, which has approximately 170 locations, will close six stores in Colorado and six in Florida. “Unfortunately, due to the…

Bloomin’ Brands Inc., parent to the Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Kitchen and other brands, has reopened dine-in capacity at about three-quarters of its U.S. restaurants and expects to have some indoor seating at “substantially all” of its domestic dining rooms by the end of June, the company said. The Tampa, Fla.-based casual-dining company, which also…

Earl Enterprises, the parent company of Buca di Beppo, Earl of Sandwich and Planet Hollywood, has confirmed the purchase of Bravo Cucina Italian and Brio Tuscan Grille respaurants in a deal that will bring back 4,000 employees left in “limbo” since FoodFirst filed for bankruptcy, Robert Earl, chairman of Earl Enterprises, said. Orlando-based Earl Enterprises said: “We…

Early investments in being “employee focused” has helped &Pizza weather the pandemic with about 90% of workers employed, 85% of the 50-unit chain’s restaurants open and “putting up a fair amount of profit,” said CEO Michael Lastoria on Friday. Tender Greens tapped its solid relationships with farmers and other foodservice businesses and had success offering…