Foodservice

High costs for everything from ingredients and fuel to packaging have been taking their toll on major U.S. restaurant chains like Wendy’s, Jack in the Box and Papa John’s. Compounding the problem is the fact that chains are hesitant to raise menu-item prices to help offset losses, citing concerns about potentially losing business to chains with less-expensive fare.Second-quarter costs for ...

It’s a great time to be a burger. “Beef continues to be the leading center-of-plate protein in the United States,” says Jane Gibson, director of foodservice marketing, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Denver. And while 16% of the beef served in foodservice is steaks, 12% roasts, and 9% franks, ribs, deli meats, and other beef items, according to the “2007 ...

Trans fat is the not-so-silent killer (still) in a wide range of foods, raising people’s low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol, with excessive consumption possibly leading to a host of negative health conditions, such as coronary heart disease. Most trans fats consumed today are created by partially hydrogenating plant oils to make them more stable. Saturated fatty acids are also ...

It’s Sunday morning before churches have let out, and at Panera Bread just outside Decatur, IL, the line at the counter is already several patrons deep. A dearth of available tables confirms what a full parking lot suggested, that this Panera unit is doing a lively business in a busy commercial area full of breakfast options. While lunch, system-wide, is ...

The menu at David Burke’s Primehouse includes such staples as filet mignon, rib-eye, sirloin, and New York strip. But when asked to name a beef dish that gets his mouth watering, Burke says: “I like what the Koreans do with short ribs. They cut them thin and grill them off. So you’re eating a short rib that’s cooked in two, ...