Restaurants targeted by ID theft lawsuits

Feb 12, 2007

An amendment to a federal law intended to prevent identity theft by requiring retailers to mask credit card numbers and expiration dates on sales receipts has spurred a rash of lawsuits against several prominent restaurant companies.In-N-Out...

Dinnerhouse chains slow to reach out to Hispanic diners, industry experts say

Feb 12, 2007

By now most restaurant operators are aware of the significant clout of the nation’s Hispanic population. They know that the demographic has swelled in numbers in recent years and is projected to continue to do so. They also have likely heard that...

Ethics reform takes bite out of lobbyists’ restaurant spending

Feb 12, 2007

WASHINGTON —There’s no free lunch in Washington anymore. Congress’ recent decision to adopt tough ethics reforms that include prohibiting lobbyists from wining and dining federal law-makers...

Rise of high-end bakery-cafes in L.A. shows bread is back on the West Coast

Feb 12, 2007

LOS ANGELES Breadbar here. —Anyone looking for confirmation of bread’s comeback after the low-carb craze only has to look as far as The high-end bakery-cafe, whose European-style artisanal...

Why Aramark entered the online services biz

Feb 12, 2007

Technology supporting online ordering is gaining traction among restaurant chains, but for a different take on the use of such systems, consider the SeamlessWeb Professional Solutions division of Aramark Corp.The Philadelphia-based foodservices...

Lapsed patents force IHOP to interrupt franchising, update contracts, revise UFOC

Feb 12, 2007

GLENDALE, Calif. IHOP Corp. may have to correct some franchise agreements granted after October 2000 because patents on certain of the franchisor’s trademarks have expired, the company disclosed Friday. The chain has also stopped offering...

Yum! changes corporate-governance provisions

Feb 09, 2007

LOUISVILLE Ky. Taco Bell parent Yum! Brands Inc. said it will scrap its so-called poison-pill defense against a takeover, a move described by the company as an enhancement of its corporate-government policies. ...

Johnny Rockets to be acquired

Feb 09, 2007

WASHINGTON The advertising mogul and Washington celebrity who owns the Redskins football team and Six Flags amusement parks is buying the Johnny Rockets retro-themed diner chain through his RedZone Capital private-equity firm. Aprice was...

Panera's 4th-Q profit up 17%

Feb 09, 2007

ST. LOUIS Panera Bread Co. reported a 17-percent jump in fourth-quarter profit from a year earlier on a 34.4-percent surge in revenues. The company, which operates or franchises about 1,027 namesake bakery-cafes, earned $18.9 million, or...

Arby’s discloses deals for 51 stores

Feb 09, 2007

ATLANTA Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc., the 3,500-unit subsidiary of Triarc Cos. Inc., said Friday that it had signed development agreements during the fourth quarter of 2006 to open 51 Arby’s restaurants throughout North America. A total of 168...