We're putting the finishing touches on the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators Conference to be held at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, Fla., from Oct. 3-5. In this issue, we offer you a preview of one of our keynote speakers, Peter Francese, a demographics and consumer markets expert. Knowing that our readers crave information on the American consumer, we enlisted Peter not only to share his insights at MUFSO but also to pen columns that will appear in the Marketing sections of the next three issues. Also back to share his observations is Panera Bread’s executive chairman Ron Shaich who, in the second installation of his The Contrarian column, discusses the danger of allowing food trends to co-opt brand identity. Ron also will be lending his expertise at MUFSO, where he will moderate a panel of CEOs discussing "New Strategies for Success." We feature a story looking at how casual-dining chains are fending off advances by supermarkets. In keeping with the stepped-up pace of the fall season, several commodity prices are rocketing skyward. Columnist John Barone weighs in on, among others, escalating dairy prices and what restaurateurs can expect going forward. This issue also is heavy on food-safety-related stories. We discuss ways restaurateurs kept their customers calm and their operations safe during the recent egg recall. We also look at New York City’s new letter grading system, while delving into the many ways chefs accommodate customers with nut and other food allergies in Food & Beverage.
