Foodservice Equipment and Supplies Johnson-Lancaster Buys IFE/SCRDG For the second time in less than a week, one of the top 100 foodservice equipment and supplies dealers in the country has been acquired. In this case, Florida-based Johnson-Lancaster and Associates has purchased California-based IFE Group/SCRDG. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Johnson-Lancaster… read more
Global Foodservice News
Papa Johns signs agreement with Bajco Group to open 50 US restaurants
The new agreement will see expansion of the brand in the Midwest, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Florida. Papa John’s International has unveiled plans to open 50 more US restaurants by 2028 through a new agreement with franchisee Nadeem Bajwa and his company, the Bajco Group. The move is part of a broader strategy to increase the… read more
Chipotle, Starbucks and more raise prices by as much as 7-8% in California
Restaurant chains and California franchisees are making the tough decision to increase prices and cut hours in light of the state’s new $20 minimum wage In light of California’s new $20 minimum wage bill for fast-food workers, which went into effect on April 1, restaurant chains and franchisees are already taking action, in some cases… read more
Walmart to Pay Millions in Settlement Over Grocery Prices
A class action lawsuit alleged that shoppers paid more than the lowest advertised price for some items. NEW YORK (AP) — If you purchased some weighted groceries or bagged fruit at Walmart in recent years, you may be eligible for a cash payment from a class action settlement with the retailer. The class action lawsuit,… read more
Job growth zoomed in March as payrolls jumped by 303,000 and unemployment dropped to 3.8%
Job creation in March easily topped expectations in a sign of continued acceleration for what has been a bustling and resilient labor market. Nonfarm payrolls increased 303,000 for the month, well above the Dow Jones estimate for a rise of 200,000 and higher than the downwardly revised 270,000 gain in February, the Labor Department’s Bureau… read more
Wine Club Announces Eco-Friendly Packaging
Firstleaf says lighter glass and packaging materials lowers the weight of its shipments. NAPA, Calif. — Firstleaf on Tuesday announces a partnership with Saxco, the premier provider of packaging solutions to the wine, beer, liquor and food industries. Through supply chain partners like Saxco, Firstleaf is able to reduce its environmental impact by using lighter… read more
Sabert Launches Compostable Pulp Trays
Providing foodservice operators with a sustainable alternative to traditional foam trays. SAYREVILLE, N.J. – Sabert Corporation, a leading global manufacturer of innovative food packaging solutions, on Tuesday announced the launch of its new line of pulp protein and produce trays. This certified commercially compostable packaging solution provides foodservice operators with a sustainable alternative to traditional… read more
New App to Assist Farmers in Forecasting
Predictive planning using simulated weather, cropping, market and farm conditions. COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Being able to see into the future would be a handy trick for anybody, but that ability could be indispensable in helping farmers navigate the ups and downs of Mother Nature and markets. Scientists with Texas A&M AgriLife Research in the… read more
How restaurant operators can protect themselves from tech outages
Both Panera and McDonald’s suffered major, systemwide IT system outages this month: Can these disruptive system failures be prevented? Earlier this month, McDonald’s experienced a systemwide tech outage in several of the company’s global markets, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan and Hong Kong. Although the company clarified that the IT outage was not a… read more
AI in the Lab and the Plant
Are your product development teams and plant ready for a little artificial intelligence? Are you? See the Editor’s Plate for a story on AI in the food & beverage industry written by ChatGPT 3.5. It’s pretty good but also pretty general. All of it findable somewhere on the internet … which is exactly where ChatGPT… read more