New England’s restaurateurs face proposals for new taxes by cash-strapped municipalities that could hurt their bottom line and low consumer confidence levels that could hurt the top line. But they are meeting the challenges with a combination of...

While veteran foodservice operators in the Mid-Atlantic states acknowledge that they are in a recession of almost unparalleled size and scope, many are taking forward-looking actions that they hope will help them emerge from the economic turmoil...

Restaurateurs in the Southeast say streamlining operations to control costs, implementing innovative marketing strategies to spur sales and ramping up the service quotient to keep customers coming back are the keys to success during the current...

JANUARYHOWARD SCHULTZ replaced JIM DONALD as president and chief executive of Seattle-based Starbucks Corp.NEAL YANOFSKY resigned as president of Richmond Heights, Mo.-based Panera Bread Co.MIKE SHUMSKY was named...

The movement to WEB-ACCESSED, CENTRALLY HOSTED BACK-OFFICE SOFTWARE AND SERVICES—including those for purchasing, inventory, production, human resources management and scheduling—gained momentum. Some operators cited as the reasons for...

GOLD & SILVER PLATECHARLIE TROTTER, the pioneering chef-owner of the fine-dining Charlie Trotter’s restaurant in Chicago, was presented with the 2008 Gold Plate award at a gala event held in Chicago in May. The award is given annually...

The past year was a political wonk’s idea of heaven as the 2008 NATIONAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS seemed to stretch on forever. Once the mud had settled, however, the world soon found that President-elect Barack Obama and the Democratic...

JOE AMENDOLA, ambassador of The Culinary Institute of America and founder of Fessel International, died Jan. 23, at the age of 87. ROCKY AOKI, the founder of the Benihana chain, died July 10 at the age of 69. NEAL T. BAKER, who...

DOMINO’S PIZZA returned its long-lost legacy of quick delivery to its brand message with the January rollout of the “You Got 30 Minutes” campaign. Domino’s, remember, differentiated itself from larger competitors in the mid-1980s with a guarantee...