Global Foodservice News
Tyson Breaks Ground on Virginia Poultry Plant
Tyson Foods broke ground on a new poultry processing facility near Danville, Va., on Oct. 21. The company plans to invest $300 million in the project that will serve as a production plant for fully cooked Tyson branded chicken products. When the 325,000-square-foot facility is finished more than 376 jobs are expected to be created.…
Read MoreNRD Creates Experiential Brands Platform with Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
NRD Capital Management LLC has expanded the role of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop CEO Paul Damico to cover its newly created platform company, Experiential Brands, which is targeting acquisitions, the company said Tuesday. Atlanta-based NRD in August named industry veteran Damico to serve as CEO of the Irving, Texas-based Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, which has 150 units…
Read MoreBuffalo Wild Wings is Now Testing a Robot that Can Fry Chicken Wings
Miso Robotics — the robotic technology company behind the burger-flipping Flippy the Robot — announced Thursday a partnership with Inspire Brands’ Buffalo Wild Wings. Flippy Wings is a “robotic chicken wing frying solution” that is designed to help brands maximize chicken wing output even while short-staffed in the kitchen. “Technology is making a fundamental impact…
Read MoreCisco Getting into the Hologram Business
Cisco will announce on Tuesday that it’s getting into the hologram business. At its WebexOne customer conference, it’ll describe a new service called Webex Hologram, which enables virtual meetings in augmented reality—with the participants represented as photorealistic holograms instead of cartoon-like avatars. I got an early look at the new service and spoke to two…
Read MoreRBI’s Burger King Moves Away from Paper Coupons
Burger King is cutting coupons. Specifically, the fast-food chain has been reducing the frequency with which it uses paper coupons to get customers in the door. Apparently, company executives said, younger consumers don’t use them enough. Burger King wants to spend its money instead on offers that will actually get them in the door. “It’s…
Read MorePentair Acquires Beverage Equipment Firm Ken’s Beverage Inc. for $80m
Headquartered in Montgomery, Illinois, KBI has provided beverage equipment such as fountain dispensers, brewers, and water filters to commercial customers for over 35 years. The company also specializes in equipment services such as installation and preventive maintenance. KBI has over 30 branches and over 300 trained technicians across the US, with offices located in Michigan,…
Read MoreFamous Dave’s Parent Won’t Revive Newly Acquired Buffet Chains
BBQ Holdings bought a handful of buffet brands this week, but what it really wanted was steak. The parent of Famous Dave’s on Tuesday won a bankruptcy auction for Fresh Acquisitions which owns the five-unit Tahoe Joe’s steakhouse chain as well as the intellectual property for several defunct buffet chains, including Old Country Buffet, HomeTown…
Read MoreRestaurants Have Faced Supply Chain Shortages for More than a Year
US restaurants are in the midst of an ingredient shortage. Seventy-five percent of restaurants were forced to change menu items due to supply chain issues, according to a recent National Restaurant Association survey. The association polled 4,000 US restaurants between Sept. 7 and Sept. 15. David Nayfeld, the chef and owner of Che Fico in San Francisco,…
Read MoreFriendly’s Triggers Turnaround with Constant Innovation
Around this time last year, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed Friendly’s to the edge. After losing money and repeatedly borrowing under its credit facilities, the 86-year-old concept declared bankruptcy in November despite efforts to reduce cash burn and restore profitability. For $2 million, the roughly 130-unit chain was placed into the hands of Amici Partners Group,…
Read MoreHow Cinnabon is Expanding From the Food Court to the Front Porch
Focus Brands-owned Cinnabon doesn’t want to just be known as the snack you grab at the mall food court: they want you to pick up an order of cinnamon buns from your doorstep or down the street from a food truck. During the pandemic, Cinnabon has been working on spreading its wings, from introducing the…
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