Cracker Barrel traffic took a big hit last quarter

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Same-store restaurant sales for Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores slipped by 0.5% for the first quarter ended Oct. 27 despite a 6.8% hike in menu prices, signaling a traffic decline of more than 7% for the family-dining powerhouse. The slide came despite the launch during the quarter of Cracker Barrel’s first customer loyalty program. Coupled… read more

Global Foodservice News – December 1, 2023

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The Subway sale is not a done deal. And it may not be done for Months The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has apparently opened an investigation into Roark Capital’s acquisition of the sandwich giant, the publication Politico reported on Tuesday, citing multiple sources. The agency is apparently concerned about the level of dominance Roark would… read more

Danone the first corporation to join Global Methane Hub to reduce Emissions

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Danone SA is the first corporation to join the Global Methane Hub’s Enteric Fermentation R&D Accelerator, a research project to create practical solutions for dairy farmers to reduce methane emissions. The globally coordinated research effort on enteric methane is coordinated by GMH and supported by an alliance of philanthropic organizations and governments. It’s already raised… read more

Inspire Brands Reorganizes around three key Segments

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Inspire Brands announced Thursday an organizational realignment that will focus the business around three key segments—brands, commercial and company restaurants, and growth. As part of the first pillar, Scott Murphy—who previously served as head of beverage & snacking and Dunkin’s president—is now chief brand officer. The industry veteran is tasked with overseeing all of Inspire’s… read more

QDOBA Refinanced with $305MM

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QDOBA Restaurant Corporation (“QDOBA”), the leading fast-casual Mexican restaurant franchisor and portfolio company of Butterfly Equity (“Butterfly”), announced the closing of its inaugural $305 million whole business securitization through Qdoba Funding LLC. The transaction optimizes QDOBA’s capital structure for ongoing growth and provides meaningful interest expense savings. Proceeds from the transaction will be used primarily… read more

How Remy Robotics is combining humans and robots in its new cafe

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At this point in time, robot-run restaurants are nothing new: from flipping burgers to frying tortilla chips and preparing French fries, robotic arm assembly lines have been making headlines and taking up space on conference show floors for years now. But Remy Robotics — a Spanish foodservice robotics company — claims to take a new… read more

How Customized Paper Goods Programs can Meet Operator Goals

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Since the pandemic, carryout, delivery, and off-premises food consumption has expanded among many verticals and not just fast casual and quick-service restaurants food, Attman says. “We’ve seen a growth in the use of paper goods in all verticals, including educational institutions, country clubs, hotels, sports and entertainment venues, and even full-service and fine-dining segments.” When… read more

Parts Town Doubles Down on Distribution Centers

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Parts Town—a distributor of OEM foodservice equipment parts, residential appliance parts, HVAC parts, consumer electronic parts and more—sees big things ahead. Late next year, the company expects to open a 420,000-square-foot distribution center in Glendale, Ariz. It will be the second distribution center for Parts Town, whose flagship center is in Addison, Ill. As is… read more

NAKS acquires Stainless Specialties

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North American Kitchen Solutions—a manufacturer of ventilation systems and custom-fabricated workspaces—has announced its acquisition of the custom stainless fabricator Stainless Specialties Inc. Founded in 1993, SSI produces NSF-listed stainless countertops, tabletops, worktables, sinks, and other work surfaces for restaurants and foodservice facilities. The addition of SSI expands NAKS’ operating footprint to include three production facilities…. read more

How Restaurants Performed in Q4

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Q4 restaurant sales and traffic trends revealed a “positive trajectory” for the industry, according to GuestXM by Black Box Intelligence’s Nov. 27 report. The firm says performance rebounded in October, offering some relief that September’s results were more inconsistent than a sign of a downturn for the industry. Overall, October saw same-store sales growth of… read more