Year: 2014

Many more locally grown fruits and veggies are heading to the school lunch tables across Oregon. Oregon has been chosen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as one of eight states to take part in a pilot program to bring more locally grown produce into schools. …

Snacking has become so ubiquitously part of the U.S. dining culture that the trend has begun to blur the lines between retail and foodservice. As a result, retail and foodservice purveyors are catering to the trend with an increased number and variety of "snackable" items, according to What America Eats: Paradigms Shaping Food Choices, a new report by market research publisher Packaged Facts. …

The U.S. restaurant industry, which is still struggling to recapture visits lost during the recession, may be able to fill the visit gap by enticing families with kids back in, according to The NPD Group, a leading global information company. Families with kids, which represent 32 percent of U.S. households and $83.7 billion of total restaurant sales, made 1 billion fewer visits to U.S. restaurants over the past six years, finds a NPD foodservice market research report. …

As the restaurant industry struggles to entice more consumer visits, consumer attitudes and behaviors are shifting. Heading into the New Year, Bonnie Riggs, restaurant industry analyst at The NPD Group, a leading global information company, advises foodservice operators and manufacturers to put a strong effort into understanding what their consumers are looking for when they dine out. According to NPD’s ongoing foodservice market research, restaurant industry traffic will remain flat through December, and the forecast for 2015 — buoyed by improved consumer confidence and positive economic indicators — will increase by one percent. …

February is Potato Lover’s Month. That means there are 28 days to feature infinitely versatile Idaho® Potatoes on your menu. The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) suggests delighting customers with a daily Idaho® Potato special. For operators who don’t have 28 potato recipes, the Idaho Potato Commission offers this handy solution: at foodservice.idahopotato.com/recipes, they will find over 400 chef-driven recipes featuring America’s favorite tuber. …