Foodservice Industry

Industry Roundup

Reusable / Refillable / Storage Containers

Aldi to expand Refill Coalition trial to more stores; a pre-filled vessel is added to dispensers on the shop floor for consumers to use with a paper bag or refillable container, and Chep collects, cleans the vessels before they're refilled, redistributed
Grocer (UK) (02/16)

In survey of 4,000 consumers in the UK and US, 78% fail to choose products with reusable and refillable packaging, despite 80% believing we must all play a part in reducing plastics; survey highlights need to design for human behavior
PA Consulting Group (02/16)

Coffee Shops & Juice Bars

Starbucks announces rollout of new inclusive cafe layout that aims to create more accessible spaces for both employees and customers with visual and audible impairment, wheelchair users, more; rollout part of company’s updated commitment to inclusivity
Nation's Restaurant News (02/16)

Quick Service Restaurants (QSR)

Arcos Dorados signs an agreement with Argentine energy company Petroquímica Comodoro Rivadavia to supply its McDonald's restaurants in Argentina with electricity from renewable sources
CE Noticias Financieras (Latin America) (02/16)

Executive Perspective: McDonald's gets 20% of operations in Mexico from digital contact, after the pandemic put pause to the digitization plans that had started in 2019, says Francisco Boloña, CEO of Arcos Dorados Mexico
CE Noticias Financieras (Latin America) (02/16)

Casual Dining Restaurants

Executive Perspective: BJ's Restaurants experiences a consumer slowdown in Q4, particularly with lower-income consumers coming in less frequently, says CFO Tom Houdek
Nation's Restaurant News (02/16)

Texas Roadhouse reports Q4 year-over-year comp sales growth of 9.9% at company-owned restaurants and 8.9% at domestic franchise restaurants, driven by 5.1% traffic growth and 4.8% growth in average check
Nation's Restaurant News (02/16)

Bakery / Baked Goods

Cargill announces launch of Genuine Zero, a chocolate without added sugar, aimed at the industrial confectionery, bakery and ice cream segment; the chocolate is lactose-free, has 40% cocoa in its composition and is sweetened with Eversweet
Cargill Inc. (02/16)

Coffee

JDE Peet’s to manufacture, distribute and sell Costa Coffee branded aluminum coffee capsules in Great Britain beginning in September
Globe Newswire (02/16)

Fruit / Vegetable Juices

Britvic applies to register the terms ‘Mango Sunshine’ and ‘Beet Balance’ with the intellectual property office, sparking speculation that the company is readying a duo of new drink innovations in the UK
The Grocer (02/16)

Savory Snacks

Packaging Design Wrap-Up: Markable water bottle helps reduce beverage waste; concept design for Pringles packaging allows for easier sharing; travel-ready Pedigree dog food packaging concept offers greater convenience
Industry Intelligence Inc. (02/16)

Confectionery & Sweet Snacks

Nestle announces launch of its product range for Easter in the UK and Ireland; new and returning products include Quality Street Golden Collection Incredible Egg, Rowntree’s Randoms Incredible Egg, and KitKat Chunky Half and Half Giant Egg
Nestle SA (02/16)

Foodservice Channel

Delaware North announces several new menu items for the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium
Delaware North Companies Inc. (02/16)

US Foods to acquire IWC Food Service--a broadline distributor located in Cookeville, Tennessee--for an undisclosed sum; IWC has more than US$200M in annual revenue and serves more than 2,700 independent restaurants
Vending Times (02/16)

On-Demand Local Delivery

Tech vs. Trees: Paper's recyclability could improve by fivefold thanks to new research, DoorDash partners with Minted to deliver Valentine's Day cards, British Airways' automated reporting system aims to save 900,000 sheets of paper annually
Industry Intelligence Inc. (02/16)

Single-Use

Commentary: California's ban on single-use plastic bags has made pollution worse; legislative efforts to close loophole created by thicker plastic bags have been introduced, but lawmakers need to consider alternatives such as incentives, private solutions
CE Think Tank Newswire (02/16)

Food & Beverage Distributors

1664 Blanc launches in the UK with exclusive experiences for London Fashion Week
Carlsberg A/S (02/19)

Q4 decline in volume for both its wholesale and retail segments at SpartanNash results in a net sales growth drop of 2.8% to US$2.25B, company says
Supermarket News (02/16)

Sodexo promotes David Woodbury to head new US commercial team
Vending Times (02/16)

Restaurants

Long John Silver's announces limited-time returns of its US$6 Shrimp Baskets and US$10 Shrimp Sea-Shares meals, both available in three varieties for the Lenten season
PR Newswire (02/16)

 Stock