| Industry
News Restaurant industry sales are expected
to reach a record $604 billion and post positive growth
in 2011 after a three-year period of negative real sales growth, according to
the National Restaurant Association's (NRA) 2011 Restaurant Industry Forecast.
NRA projects an industry sales increase of 3.6% over 2010 sales, which equals
1.1% in real (inflation-adjusted) terms. Quickservice restaurants are projected
to post sales of $167.7 billion this year, a gain of 3.3% over 2010. Sales at
fullservice restaurants are projected to reach $194.6 billion in 2011, an increase
of 3.1% in current dollars over 2010. Full
Story 
New!
The Feb. 2 edition of New Products Hits and Misses with Phil Lempert
profiles Loney's Sauce Mix Pomodoro and Saffron Road Halal Cuisine Chicken
Tikka Masala. Five new products are evaluated weekly. Click
here to view. 
Darden
Restaurants might consider franchising in airports and on campuses, according
to executives at their annual investor-analyst conference. Darden will open 85
to 90 restaurants next fiscal year, up from 70 to 75 this year, reported Orlando
Sentinel. Full
Story (Free Registration Required) Corazonas
Foods formed a partnership with CoroWise, a brand of plant sterols manufactured
by Cargill. Corazonas, which makes snacks infused with cholesterol-lowering plant
sterols, will now manufacture tortilla chips, potato chips, and  Oatmeal
Squares exclusively with CoroWise's products. Full
Story Domino's Pizza (No. 1), 7-Eleven (No. 2),
McDonald's (No. 4) and Papa Murphy's International (No. 5) were named on
Forbes' Top 20 Franchises to Start list. Edible Arrangements (No.
9) and Jimmy John's (No. 10) were also named. Full
Story New Product News: Dr Pepper will
test Dr Pepper Ten, with 10 calories, in Kansas City, Des Moines, Austin, Denver,
Colorado Springs and San Antonio, reported Kansas City Star. Full
Story ... Wild Card Roasters, LLC introduced the Astral Blend &
Decaf Astral Blend under the Weaver's Coffee & Tea brand. Full
Story International
News  Maple
Leaf Foods Inc. plans to close its prepared meats facility in
Surrey, British Columbia on Sept. 30. Production will be consolidated at Maple
Leaf's prepared meats facilities in Saskatoon, Manitoba and Ontario where there
is available capacity, after completing some upgrades. Full
Story
A Nestle S.A. subsidiary acquired UK-based
CM&D Pharma Ltd., which is testing a chewing gum to help kidney-disease
sufferers called Fostrap that will likely be released this year in the U.S., reported
The Wall Street Journal. Full
Story (WSJ Subscription Required) Health
News Peanut
allergies may be less common than previously believed,
but incidence of the condition is increasing over time, according to a study based
on allergy diagnoses in England published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology, reported Reuters. Full
Story Washington
News The
San Diego City Council voted seven to one to repeal an ordinance that
would have required retailers to conduct an economic impact study before receiving
a construction permit, leaving a possible avenue for the entrance of Walmart stores,
reported The San Diego Union-Tribune. Full
Story (Free Registration Required) 
Riverview
LLP will purchase bankrupt dairies Veblen East and Veblen West from AgStar
Financial Services and rename them Marshall Dairy. The company will produce nearly
28 million gallons of milk annually, reported TwinCities.com. Full
Story (Free Registration Required) Market
News Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc. is bringing its
North and South American operations under one division,
Driscoll's of the Americas. South American, Chile and Argentina operations are
to be transitioned in 2011, reported The Packer Online. Full
Story (Subscription Required) 
An
early start to the Mexican sweet onion deal meant a glut of product at
the beginning of February, but as Peruvian supplies wind down, volume should return
to normal, importers claimed, reported The Packer Online. Full
Story (Subscription Required) | 
