Food & Beverage News

Yum! Brands announced that it’s pledging $100 million in the next five years to fight inequality. The global mission, referred to as the Unlocking Opportunity initiative, will combat discrimination across KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill by focusing on equity and inclusion, education, and entrepreneurship. As part of these efforts, Yum!…

The image of a black woman will be removed from the brand’s pancake mixes, syrups and other products, the company said. A new name will be announced following the first phase of packaging changes, which will begin appearing throughout the fourth quarter. The 130-year-old Aunt Jemima brand and imagery originally were based on the minstrel…

Affiliates of Fortress Investment Group LLC and its operating partner, Golden Child Holdings, have acquired Krystal Restaurants LLC. Krystal filed for bankruptcy in January and was put up for sale as part of the reorganization process. Fortress emerged as the successful bidder of the business. Thomas Stager was named president of Krystal, effective immediately. He replaces…

Smith & Wollensky parent Danu Partners is on the hunt for potential acquisitions as the steakhouse brand gradually rebuilds its business after the coronavirus shutdown, said recently appointed president Oliver Munday. Munday was named president of the eight-unit Smith & Wollensky chain in March, replacing Michael Feighery, who had been with the company for 35…

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…

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…

Darden announced that dine-in traffic at flagship brands Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse has led to an improvement of more than 10 percentage points in same-store sales. As of Sunday, 49 percent of dining rooms were open in a limited capacity. The company expects more than 65 percent to be open by the end of…

Major restaurant chain customer transactions have continued improving as more dining rooms reopen. Transactions were down 18% year-over-year in the week ended May 31, up 3% from the previous week, according to data from NPD. Transactions at major full-service chains were down 37% year-over-year, a 15% improvement from the prior week. Quick-service restaurant chain transactions declined…