Starbucks debuts new food items

Starbucks Corp.’s new food menu rolled out on Tuesday with a new line of baked goods, a new smoothie and a salad designed to appeal to health-conscious customers.

Sonny's names new agency of record

Sonny’s Franchise Co., parent of the 129-unit Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q chain, has named Engauge its new agency of record and said that the two will first collaborate on a promotion to run in or around September.

Taco Bell ousts McD as NBA sponsor

Taco Bell has signed a four-year advertising deal to become the official quick-service restaurant of the National Basketball Association, replacing longtime sponsor McDonald’s Corp.

Hardee’s to consumers: Name our holes

What do you call a deep-fried biscuit rolled in cinnamon sugar and dipped in icing?

Burger King tests new customizable website

Burger King is testing a new website that lets Internet users have it their way by allowing them to tone down the king and enhance the food.

Restaurant Industry Outlook Softened in May as Restaurant Performance Index Posted First Decline in Five Months

(Washington, D.C.) The outlook for the restaurant industry was dampened somewhat in May, as the National Restaurant Association's comprehensive index of restaurant activity registered its first decline in five months. The Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) - a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry - stood at 98.3 in May, down 0.3 percent from April and its 19th consecutive month below 100.

National Restaurant Association Releases Industry Employment Outlook for Summer of 2009

(Washington, D.C.) The National Restaurant Association today released its employment projections for the summer of 2009. Nationally, eating and drinking places are projected to add 381,800 jobs during the 2009 summer season, a 4.1 percent increase over their March 2009 employment level. The positive growth in summer employment is one indicator of the likely beginning of economic recovery for the restaurant industry. America's nearly one million restaurants remain one of the largest employers in the nation with its 13 million employees - a number projected to grow by 2 million positions in the next decade.

Industry leaders to discuss new research, implications for produce opportunities in foodservice at July conference

(Newark. Del.) Foodservice and produce leaders from across the supply chain will want to make certain they are in the room July 25 when industry principals convene to discuss the implications of new research about produce's role in growing the foodservice industry's business at Produce Marketing Association's (PMA) 2009 Foodservice Conference & Exposition, being held July 24-26 in Monterey, Calif.

National Restaurant Association Backs Bipartisan Senate Agreement To Empower Consumers Nationwide with More Nutrition Information

(Washington, D.C.) - The National Restaurant Association today released the following statement from President and CEO Dawn Sweeney about a bipartisan Senate agreement on a national nutrition information standard:

National Restaurant Association Announces Support for Credit Card Fair Fee Act

(Washington, D.C.) - The National Restaurant Association today announced support for the bipartisan Credit Card Fair Fee Act of 2009 introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). The bill would allow restaurants and other businesses to negotiate as a group to set a fair interchange fee with credit card companies and banks. An interchange fee is collectively set by Visa&#174 and MasterCard's&#174 member banks and is a percentage of each transaction, sometimes accompanied by a flat fee that banks collect from retailers every time a credit or debit card is used to pay for a purchase, adding up to billions of dollars each year.