A case for produce management

by John Krebs — President, Axis Purchasing

Produce is hard to benchmark what you should be paying on a regular basis because there is no regularity to the product category.

Latest SpenDifference study to forecast 2015 restaurant menu prices

October 10, 2014

Participants will be entered in a drawing to win a $100 Amazon gift card and will receive a complimentary copy of the findings.

Reducing food waste can improve the bottom line and the environment

by Brenda Rick Smith — Editor, Networld Media Group

A study commissioned by the Food Waste Reduction Alliance found that approximately 80 billion pounds of food are discarded into US landfills every year, with…

Survey launched to track restaurant menu prices

September 26, 2014

Restaurant supply chain co-op SpenDifference has launched the latest survey in its menu price tracking study program. U.S. chain restaurant leaders are invited…

NRA to participate in US Food Waste Challenge webinar

September 23, 2014

The webinar, sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture, will offer information on reducing food waste through food donation.

How to survive the protein craze

Cutting costs by creating limited time offers or new menu items that scale down the serving of animal protein could be interesting to test with consumers.

A lesson for educational foodservice operators

by John Krebs — President, Axis Purchasing

How educational foodservice operators can gain a more transparent view of their costs and control of all purchasing cost factors.

RMD Technologies teams with Verizon for new 'smart' temperature monitoring technology

August 14, 2014

RMD Technologies, LCC recently launched the D-Mometer and TAM Network, a "machine-to-machine" (M2M) solution that provides businesses and consumers real-time…

Fiesta Restaurant Group consolidates food distribution to single provider

August 6, 2014

Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc., parent company to the Pollo Tropical, Taco Cabana and Cabana Grill restaurant brands, will consolidate all of its food…

Breakfast takes a bite out of Panera comps in Q2

The quarter represented the first time in six quarters the company registered a year-over-year increase in transactions.

Focus Brands selects purchasing group to manage supply chain

July 25, 2014

Focus Brands Inc. has selected restaurant supply chain buying group SpenDifference to manage purchasing for its more than 3,000 domestic locations across six…

Chipotle cites increased throughput as a driver behind same-store sales lift

by Brenda Rick Smith — Editor, Networld Media Group

Same-store sales drive strong second quarter results.

Tyson’s tender offer for Hillshire set at $63 per share

July 17, 2014

Tyson Foods has commenced a cash tender offer for all outstanding shares of common stock of The Hillshire Brands Company at a price of $63.00 per share. The…

How corn affects food prices

by John Krebs — President, Axis Purchasing

Corn prices were up 13 percent in the first six weeks of 2014 which will adversely affect the price of many of the foods you stock in your restaurant.

Report: 93% of restaurant chains plan to raise menu prices

June 30, 2014

This year's unexpected food cost increases will likely to force chain restaurants to raise menu prices even as competition gets tighter. A new report from…

Starbucks' retail prices go up Tuesday; packaged coffee hike set for July

June 23, 2014

Starbucks recently announced plans to hike prices on roast and ground packaged coffee sold in grocery stores and select beverages sold in company-owned retail…

Tyson submits bid to buy Hillshire for $8.55B

June 9, 2014

Tyson Foods Inc. today announced it has submitted a unilaterally binding offer to acquire all outstanding shares of The Hillshire Brands Company for a price of…

If you build it, they will come and you will profit

by John Krebs — President, Axis Purchasing

Many operators also neglect to examine the pricing of kitchen supplies, which is the number one area for savings.

How to maximize your supply chain strategy

by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

In addition to cost, choose a distributor based on their food safety record and customer service metrics, as well as their sanitation practices.

(Updated) Tyson Foods expresses interest in purchasing Hillshire Brands

May 29, 2014

The Hillshire Brands Company issued the following statement in response to the unsolicited proposal by Tyson Foods on Thursday to acquire Hillshire Brands for…