NATIONAL REPORT The first companies to report May same-store sales results did not have positive news to share Wednesday, as Outback Steakhouse parent OSI Restaurant Partners posted declines at four of its casual-dining concepts, the Applebee's...

NASHVILLE Tenn. O’Charley’s Inc. said it has hired development veteran Mike Ellis as its new chief development officer. Ellis comes from BP Products North America where he served as vice president of asset management. At BP he was...

LOS ANGELES uWink Inc., the entertainment-restaurant startup, said it strengthened its management team with the promotion of John Kaufman to chief restaurant and development officer and the appointment of John Blake as director of restaurant...

ATLANTA The 1,878-unit Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits chain has completed the introduction of trans-fat-free biscuits and reduced-trans-fat French fries in its domestic restaurants. Franchisor AFC Enterprises Inc. said the chain is also...

OAKVILLE Ontario Tim Hortons Inc., the Canadian coffee-and-doughnuts chain, said it might shutter underperforming locations in southern New England if traffic and sales there do not improve. In a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and...

COLUMBUS Ohio Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, operator of 30 restaurants under nine brand names nationwide, announced today that it has opened a new Italian concept called Marcella's Ristorante, Pizzeria and Wine Bar. The prototype here has 120...

PHILADELPHIA Foodservice contractor Aramark Corp. has been named official caterer of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Under the terms of the contract, Aramark will provide foodservices for athletes, media housing, the...