Food & Beverage News

The Women’s Foodservice Forum has named Therese Gearhart as CEO and president, the organization said Friday. Gearhart (left) succeeds Hattie Hill, who in May announced her retirement as CEO and president of the Dallas-based organization. Denny Marie Post, the immediate past chair of the group and former head of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc., had assumed…

McLane Foodservice, part of the McLane Company, announced that Susan Adzick had been promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer. In July of this year, Adzick will transition to president of McLane Foodservice, according to a company news release. Adzick has been with McLane since 2000 and most recently served as senior vice president…

On the heels of announcing a new CEO, Paris Baguette USA Inc. has named Pete Bell chief marketing officer. Earlier this month, Darren Tipton was promoted to CEO of American operations, replacing former CEO Jack Moran, who had been promoted to global CEO. Bell will oversee all company marketing efforts for the bakery-café as it…

Dividend Restaurant Group—the owner of Macaroni Grill and Sullivan’s Steakhouse—could add another brand to its ranks before the end of 2020’s first quarter. If the deal comes to pass, the new acquisition would become the largest brand in the group’s portfolio. “This is a meaningful brand, it will be the largest part of our portfolio if we get it…

Hmm, maybe this is why they’re looking for new drivers. A Waukesha County, Wis., sheriff’s officer pulled over the Oscar Mayer Wienemobile on Sunday for violating the state’s Move Over law. The rule requires drivers to either change lanes or slow down while passing a stopped vehicle with its emergency lights on. Technically, it wasn’t THE Oscar Meyer Wienermobile, as the company has a fleet of…

Starbucks had a good 2019 and so did its CEO. Kevin Johnson’s pay package totaled $19.2 million in the Seattle-based coffee giant’s 2019 fiscal year, according to federal securities filings. That’s up 36% over the prior year. The higher pay follows a strong year for Starbucks, which regained momentum in both the U.S. and China. Global same-store sales rose 5%, including…

FoodFirst Global Restaurants, the parent company of Brio Tuscan Grille and Bravo Cucina Italiana, has named Steve Layt as the company’s new chief executive officer. The change is effective immediately, as former CEO and FoodFirst founder Brad Blum has stepped down from his role as chairman and chief executive, the Columbus, Ohio-based company said in a statement released Tuesday morning. The company said Blum will remain an owner-partner as the company…

New York-based ghost kitchen operator Zuul Kitchens on Monday said it has acquired the online restaurant ordering system Ontray. Terms were not disclosed for the deal, but Zuul CEO Corey Manicone said acquisition of the Philadelphia-based startup and its strategic assets will allow the growing ghost kitchen concept to expand its services to restaurant partners to help them drive revenue.  “We have acquired key technical assets and…

American Blue Ribbon Holdings shuttered 33 locations and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, the company announced. The filing does not involve or affect the operations of O’Charley’s or 99 Restaurants, which are not part of ABRH (a company separate from American Blue Ribbon). Fidelity Newport Holdings owns ABRH, which owns American Blue Ribbon Holdings. American Blue Ribbon…

Over the past few years, Bar Louie primarily drove sales and profit through new-unit expansion. But a problem emerged along the way. It funded growth partially through new debt, yet also with cash flow from operations. And, eventually,  didn’t have enough cash on hand to fix underperforming units when they started to drag the system. The result, it said Monday,…