Foodservice Equip & Supplies News

California Pizza Kitchen named Jim Hyatt its new chief executive officer, effective immediately. Hyatt most recently held the same role at Ruby Tuesday, where he was part of the nearly 600-unit casual dining brand’s transition to a privately held company under NRD Capital. The former CEO of Church’s Chicken and Così Inc. joined Ruby Tuesday…

Portland, Ore.-based Voodoo Doughnut named Chris Schultz as CEO. He is expected to focus on growing the quirky brand. Schultz was most recently the SVP of operations at MOD Pizza, a fast-casual chain that has recently seen rapid growth. Schultz also spent 13 years at Starbucks Coffee Company as an operational advisor to the senior…

Judith McKenna has been named president and chief executive officer of Walmart International at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., effective Feb. 1. She succeeds David Cheesewright in leading the company’s second-largest operating segment. Mr. Cheesewright has served in the role since 2014 and recently announced his intent to retire from a full-time position. Ms. McKenna is executive…

Emerson Agrees to Acquire Cooper-Atkins Emerson has agreed to acquire Cooper-Atkins, a leading manufacturer of temperature management and environmental measurement devices and wireless monitoring solutions for foodservice, healthcare and industrial markets. Cooper-Atkins is a longtime technology leader in foodservice markets with a comprehensive offering of temperature management and monitoring products for spot inspection and fixed…

Food industry stakeholders expressed disappointment and concern at the passage of an ordinance that requires large grocery stores to submit detailed reports regarding the use of antibiotics in livestock raised for meat and poultry products. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors recently passed Ordinance No. 170763 requiring grocers to report: the different purposes for which antibiotics…

Food Safety Net Services has opened an analytical laboratory in Atlanta for the food and consumables industry in the Southeast United States. The laboratory will conduct microbiological tests as well as allergen detection, wet chemistry and product evaluation for the food industry. The laboratory has a 50-seat theater for education classes and customer use. “We…

Mamoun’s, a Greenwich village icon that is embarking on ambitious national expansion plans, has announced that five new ranchised restaurants in Chicagoland are now part of that expansion, according to a news release on restaurantnews.com. There’s no word yet on locations or specific opening timeframes — representatives for the burgeoning chain have yet to respond to inquiries…

Sbarro, has made two significant international deals this year. One will bring 20 Sbarro restaurants to Argentina, and another calls for the opening of 15 locations of the brand’s fast casual concept  — Pizza Cucinova — in Japan, according to a company press release. Osaka-based development and commercial real estate company — Kadoya — will open the Japanese pizza locations,…

That’s the question facing Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. as the company searches for a new chief executive officer to replace Steve Ells, who said last month he will be stepping down. His successor will inherit a brand that’s been badly tarnished by a food-safety crisis, and will face intense pressure to mount a turnaround, which has…

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. announced the promotion of Dana Benfield to the role of senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Ms. Benfield will be responsible for overseeing Red Robin’s Brand Marketing and Guest Engagement teams, as well as leading the company’s Food & Beverage and Commercialization initiatives. Previously serving as Red Robin’s vice…