Month: February 2016

Fast food competitors are relying increasingly on "artisan" branding and more health conscious options in their attempt to court the finicky Millennial palate. Wendy's new advertising campaign focuses on its "fresh, never frozen" burgers, a shot at McDonald's frozen patties. …

Sysco Corporation announced that it has acquired North Star Seafood.  With approximately $128 million in annual sales, North Star distributes high-quality fresh and frozen seafood to a combination of local, wholesale, cruise, export and retail customers throughout Florida. Financial terms were not disclosed. …

The total U.S. restaurant count decreased slightly (-0.6 percent) from a year ago to 629,488 units, according to a count of U.S. commercial restaurant locations compiled in the spring and fall each year by The NPD Group, a leading global information company. A 2 percent decline in independent restaurant units was the sole contributor to the total restaurant decline, based on NPD’s Fall 2015 ReCount®, which includes restaurants open as of September 30, 2015. Chain restaurant units increased by 1 percent from a year ago from 289,726 to 292,943 units. …

As the Chinese New Year is upon us, many Americans celebrate the holiday by visiting or ordering in from one of the nations 26,000+ Chinese restaurants. And while 2016 is the year of the Fire Monkey, Chinese food and Asian food in general has been transformed from a small, specialized market into some of the most in-demand menu types in the United States. To celebrate the Chinese New Year, CHD Expert, the Chicago-based foodservice database and analytics firm, evaluated recent trends in the Asian restaurant landscape across the United States. …

Looking to put a healthy halo on its fast-food offerings, McDonald’s restaurants in Southern California are adding to its menu a kale-packed breakfast bowl and Chobani Greek yogurt. …