Burgers & Cupcakes lets guests indulge in more ways than one

May 21, 2007

NEW YORK Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant and Sports Bar here in 2005 after a 17-year run, the longtime New York operator began to look around for a new restaurant idea he could hit out of the park. —When Bill Liederman sold the...

Fine Dining Legend Award Recipient: Wolfgang Puck

May 21, 2007

Robin Leach, the former host of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” calls Wolfgang Puck “the most famous chef in the world.”Besides winning an Emmy for a cooking show, Puck’s celebrity credits include a cameo on “The Simpsons,” an appearance in ...

Giovanni’s on the Hill

May 21, 2007

From his perch on the top rung of the St. Louis dining scene, Giovanni Gabriele takes a moment to remember his climb and when his dream of opening a restaurant in America became reality. “It was April 16, 1973,” says Gabriele, the 66...

Big investor again pushes Wendy’s CEO, seeks sale

May 21, 2007

DUBLIN OHIO Wendy’s International Inc. is facing pressure from its largest institutional shareholder to sell the No. 3 burger chain to the highest bidder and perhaps to seek a new chief executive, according to media reports. — ...

More casual-dining entrées break past $20 price barrier amid upscale push

May 21, 2007

For years casual-dining restaurateurs have carefully avoided the $20 price tag for entrées, letting menu items’ costs inch toward—but rarely pass—that unofficial ceiling.But now operators nationwide are pushing prices past the Andrew Jackson mark...

N.Y. chef Boulud signs deal to take DB Bistro to Miami

May 21, 2007

NEW YORK Daniel Boulud has signed an agreement with MDM Development Group of Miami to open a location of his DB Bistro concept in that city. —Award-winning chef-entrepreneur The...

Beverage Digests

May 21, 2007

George Washington’s restored distillery opens at Mount VernonMOUNT VERNON VA. —George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, once home to the nation’s first president, opened in early April a whiskey distillery first built...

Making Lemonade

May 21, 2007

Success in the restaurant industry revolves largely around anticipating the unexpected. For many operators, handling the larger-than-normal lunch rush, the party of 16 that walks in the door at 7 p.m. and the employee who doesn’t show up for a...

Kahala-Cold Stone purchases Blimpie franchising arm

May 18, 2007

SCOTTSDALE Ariz. Kahala-Cold Stone, the newly formed company created from the merger of multiconcept operator Kahala Corp. and ice cream chain Cold Stone Creamery, has acquired the assets of New York-based Blimpie Associates and Metropolitan...

Joe's Crab Shack taps new CEO

May 18, 2007

HOUSTON Joe's Crab Shack today named Ray Blanchette chief executive of the 120-unit casual-dining seafood chain. Blanchette is the first CEO under the new Joe's ownership. JCS Holdings Inc. of Houston bought the chain from Landry's...