Italy’s Ali Group makes $3.3B cash bid for US rival Welbilt Italian foodservice equipment maker Ali Group has made a $3.3 billion cash offer for U.S. rival Welbilt, a source close to the matter said on Friday, surpassing an offer made for the company last month. The source added that Ali Group is offering $23… read more

Few industries were hit harder than restaurants by the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, the restaurant sector lost over five million jobs during the early days of the crisis, as businesses across the country boarded up shop and temporarily or permanently closed operations. Over the past three months, starting in February, there have been employment increases… read more

Last summer, Blaze Pizza’s buzzword was agility. At that point, the 340-unit cult favorite was only a few months removed from a global pandemic that rocked the entire world. Its 80 percent dine-in business plummeted to zero overnight. Franchisee security, family bundle deals, and digital innovation were among the countless pivots. The journey was tough,… read more

When George Floyd was murdered at the hands of police one year ago, the nation had enough, and protests led by the Black Lives Matter movement broke out across the country. Goals of these protests included protecting Black men and women from police violence and achieving equity in the world. The social-justice movement quickly expanded… read more

Yum Brands Inc. has agreed to acquire technology company Dragontail Systems Limited for 93.5 million Australian dollars (around $72.6 million), with plans to scale Dragontail’s artificial intelligence kitchen order management and delivery technology globally, the two companies said Wednesday. Dragontail, based in Perth, Australia, said its technology integrates the process of getting food to customers… read more

Strain has 20 years of experience in retail development. He is a founding partner of RDE, LLC, a consulting firm providing store development advice to multi-unit restaurants around the country. He has also held real estate and store development positions with McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Brands, and Starbucks. “I am thrilled to join the Potbelly family and… read more

The National Restaurant Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants created a Restaurant Revitalization Fund Expense Tracker to help grantees more easily document their use of funds in specific categories. The budget tool is essential for restaurants, bars, breweries, caterers, distilleries, bakeries, food trucks and other entities who will need to closely track their RRF eligible… read more

Stories outlining business best practices from consumer packaged goods brands proved especially popular with SmartBrief’s food and beverage readers this week. A feature on Clorox’s hybrid work model topped the list. The company redesigned its California headquarters to better facilitate social distancing and updated employee roles that call for a mix of in-office and remote… read more

Chef Troy Guard enjoys the process of building new concepts from the ground up. What started with a single fine-dining restaurant, TAG, in Denver in 2009 has blossomed into an umbrella group of eight distinct concepts, ranging from fast-casual to high-end and everything in between. But for as much as Guard relishes starting from scratch,… read more