Accurately predicting commodity and ingredient prices in January for the year ahead is nearly impossible, but it is helpful to look at the factors that are expected to influence those markets. The three most obvious market movers are COVID-19 (still), war and weather, with the latter always a key factor on a regional if not… read more

The burger giant says it will reduce Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 47% by 2030 . . . . In 2021, the chain said it would develop and validate a science-based target for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by the end of 2023. Today, Wendy’s has officially set and validated… read more

JC Ford Co., a manufacturer of high-speed corn tortilla production equipment, has announced plans to invest $30 million to renovate two existing facilities and create 210 new jobs in Maury County, Tenn., over the next five years. JC Ford’s high-speed corn tortilla production equipment can turn out products in a range from 1,000 to 8,000… read more

Tyson Foods, Inc. plans to invest more than $20 million into the Newbern, Tenn., community with expansions to production capabilities, a wellness center, and construction of an independent roadway for production transportation The first phase of the project started in April 2021 with a 21,000-square-foot expansion to an existing barn facility, with a completed total… read more

Now a Major food allergen, sesame should be on restaurants’ radar Following the enactment of the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research (FASTER) Act in April 2021, the Food and Drug Administration added sesame to its list of major food allergens(Opens in a new window). Effective Jan. 1 of this year, packaged foods in… read more

Two in Five Customers are Tipping More in 2022 Inflation and economic uncertainty are influencing consumer spending behavior, but support for restaurants continues. Although the number of consumers who typically tip restaurant staff 20% or higher is trending down, 41% of consumers report tipping more this year than last year—and 70% expect to be extra… read more

Dutch Bros Coffee — which went public for the first time last fall — is optimistic about its development pipeline, despite external inflationary pressures that are affecting the entire restaurant industry. The Oregon-based coffee chain’s same-store sales declined 3.3% for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, but on the flip side of that, the… read more

Pizza Hut and its parent company Yum Brands are partnering with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) to launch a sustainability initiative aimed to help participating farmers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative will allow the DFA and dairy suppliers to engage in annual farm-level greenhouse gas and energy footprinting. The project will use the Farmers… read more