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August 20, 2010 | |
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Distributor NewsY. Hata & Co., Ltd. is set to install one of Hawaii's largest roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) solar systems on its warehouse on Sand Island, Oahu. After installation the system is estimated to prevent approximately 23,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering Hawaii's air annually over the next 30 years, reported Renewable Energy World. Full Story Operator NewsFazoli's plans to add as many as seven new restaurants in the Kansas City metro area during the next few years. Meanwhile, Firehouse Subs wants to expand from two to 26 Kansas City-area locations during the next several years, reported Kansas City Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Pinkberry will open at least 11 locations in San Francisco, reported The San Francisco Chronicle. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Food courts are being revamped with flat-screen televisions, fireplaces and fountains in response to a shift in how diners and shoppers spend their money and what they expect in quality and atmosphere. Some brands have found that the new trends in food courts provide them an opportunity to recast their concepts, reported QSR Magazine. Full Story Menchie's signed a master franchise agreement in Japan that calls for the development of 100 units there over the next four years. Buffalo Wild Wings will also expand outside of the U.S. for the first time, with plans to open 50 stores in Canada, reported Nation's Restaurant News. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Starbucks assumed 100% ownership of Cafes Sereia do Brasil Participacoes S.A., which operates more than 20 stores throughout Brazil, reported Nation's Restaurant News. Full Story (Free Registration Required) OinkADoodleMoo Smoky BBQ's first franchisee plans to open locations in seven submarkets of Dayton, OH during the next year, reported Dayton Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers opened its 40th location in Round Rock, TX, reported QSR Magazine. Full Story
Retail NewsDollar Tree may expand to up to 7,000 stores across the country from its current 3,925, president and CEO Bob Sasser stated in a conference call, and plans to open 230 new stores before year-end. The company also intends to roll out food and frozen and refrigerated products to 146 stores for a total of 400 stores for the year after installing freezers and coolers in 117 stores during the company's fiscal second quarter, increasing frozen and refrigerated products availability to 1,677 stores. Morningstar.com
Industry NewsRizo Lopez Foods will open a 128,000-sq. ft. plant in Modesto, CA and expects to start production in early 2012. The company makes a variety of Hispanic cheeses, yogurts, creams and desserts, which it sells under its Don Francisco brand. It sells meat products manufactured by another company, also under the Don Francisco name. The products are sold in California, Nevada, Arizona, Illinois, Georgia, Texas and Florida, reported The Modesto Bee. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Latest sales & earnings from food-related companies (Updated daily - FI Membership Required) Health NewsA diet rich in green leafy vegetables may reduce the risk of developing diabetes, claims a study published in the British Medical Journal, reported BBC News. Full Story Washington NewsUtz Quality Foods Inc. and Frito-Lay Inc. sued each other over the "Grandma" trademark. Utz sued Frito-Lay last week, arguing that the trademark is weak since other companies also registered "Grandma" in connection with food. Utz's lawsuit conceded that Frito-Lay holds U.S. trademarks for "Grandma's" as it relates to cookies. On Aug. 16, Frito-Lay filed suit against Utz and a related company, Rice Investments, contending trademark infringement, reported The Dallas Morning News. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Market NewsSales of the 2009-2010 U.S. mushroom crop are 793 million-lbs., down 3% from the 2008-2009 season. Value of sales for the 2009-2010 mushroom crop is $925 million, down 4% from the previous season. The number of growers, at 312, is up 23 from last season. The average price is $1.17 per pound, unchanged from 2008-2009. Volume of sales reported by growers of Agaricus mushrooms for fresh market is 671 million-lbs., down 1% from the 2008-2009 season. Volume of sales of Agaricus mushrooms for processing is 107 million-lbs., down 13% from last season. USDA Mushroom Report Farmers in the U.S. are wary that global dynamics could shift wheat prices again before next year's harvest despite Russia's ban on grain exports causing rising prices. However, a quirk of crop insurance, which locks in grain prices for policies based on a window set after Russia announced the Aug. 5 ban on grain exports, could accelerate the trend of increased wheat planting, farm experts state, or prompt farmers in other parts of the country to reconsider planting the crop, reported The New York Times on the Web. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
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