The Food Institute Report articles from January 2006

The Food Institute Report archives from January 2006

New and fading consumer trends in 2006.
January 9, 2006... Creative consumption, a trend in which ordinary people view themselves as actively engaged in the marketplace, is a trend affecting all consumer-related segments this year, according to THE HARTMAN GROUP'S HartBeat. Overall, people are no...

Look for another 2.0%-3.0% hike in food prices this year.
January 9, 2006... Based on data through the first eleven months of 2005 from the Bureau of Census, USDA forecast of a 2.0% to 3.0% inflation rate in food-at-home for the year will come in on the low side. As noted in the Dec. 19 FOOD INSTITUTE REPORT, the...

Performance food group reviews 2006 forecast.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... In the coming year, Performance Food Group expects to accomplish steady growth, strong earnings, investments in new capacity, standardization of operational systems and strengthening of infrastructure that are positioning the company favorably...

New center to research produce distribution and packaging.
January 9, 2006... THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA joined with several large retailers, including PUBLIX and WAL-MART to create the Center for Food Distribution and Retailing. As sales of fresh produce become increasingly vital to the extremely competitive supermarket...

Awareness of functional foods and their benefits on the rise.
January 9, 2006... The majority of consumers do believe that food and nutrition play "a great role" in maintaining or improving overall health, though genetics are also believed to a big contributing factor, with 91% of respondents citing family health history in...

Custom product makers targeting smaller restaurant chains.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Food manufacturers who produce custom-made menu items are targeting smaller, growth-oriented restaurant chains. The main attraction is the possibility of greater dividends when small chains become larger ones, reported Restaurant Business,...

Optimistic outlook projected for restaurant industry.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... The NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION'S Restaurant Performance Index stood at 101.5 in November, unchanged from its October level, signaling continued optimism. Also, November represented the 31st consecutive month above 100--a level which...

For teens, health drives food consumption.
January 9, 2006... Teenagers' views on health have great influences on their food consumption, according to Teens Eating Healthy: Oxymoron or Trend? a survey of 532 U.S. teens conducted by BUZZBACK MARKET RESEARCH. The survey found that for 61% of teenagers,...

Mergers & acquisitions.(Sun Capital Partners, Inc. and EG Capital Group, LLC aquired Kraft Foods Inc.)(Fox and Hound Restaurant Group aquired Fox Acquisition Co.)(Mcarthus Dairy aquired Winn-Dixie Stores Inc.)
January 9, 2006... A new company, owned by affiliates of two private-equity firms--SUN CAPITAL PARTNERS, INC. and New York-based EG CAPITAL GROUP, LLC--has agreed to purchase some Canadian grocery assets from KRAFT CANADA INC., a Toronto-based unit of KRAFT FOODS...

Wendy's International Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... WENDY'S INTERNATIONAL INC. plans to start testing breakfast items at Wendy's units this spring. It will also bring back its super-value menu, a lineup of popular items sold for 99 cents, which it moved away from earlier in 2005. Wendy's will...

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... PILGRIM'S PRIDE CORPORATION'S Franconia, PA, plant will cease ground-turkey and cooked-turkey cold-cut production effective Mar. 3. It will and focus on the company's profitable refrigerated salads. The company will limit turkey operations to...

Perdue Farms Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... PERDUE FARMS INC., Salisbury, MD, is introducing new flavors to its rotisserie chicken line, including a spicier Italian flavor called Tuscan and a new line called Perdue La Cocina, aimed at Hispanic shoppers. Perdue La Cocina features a citrus...

Publix Super Markets.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS, Lakeland, FL, plans to open three mores stores in greater Nashville, TN this year, despite the fact that the company recently closed its first supermarket in the Nashville area since entering the market about three years...

Americas' Food Basket.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Chapter 7 bankruptcy)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... AMERICAS' FOOD BASKET, a Boston grocery chain, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The shops, located in Dorchester and Hyde Park, closed due to slow sales and mounting debt... The Boston Globe (Jan. 4)

Starbucks.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... STARBUCKS touts a first. Drivethrus comprised more than half of Starbucks' new company-operated stores in the 2005 fiscal year, which ended Oct. 2. Drivethrus will make up about half of the new stores the company opens domestically over they...

McDonald's will add a Thai menu to its fast-food branches in the U.S. as part of Thailand's "Kitchen of the World" campaign, reported Restaurants & Institutions.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... MCDONALD'S will add a Thai menu to its fast-food branches in the U.S. as part of Thailand's "Kitchen of the World" campaign, reported Restaurants & Institutions. The EXPORT PROMOTION DEPARTMENT negotiated the deal with McDonald's management and...

Whole Foods Market Inc., Austin, plans to build an 80,000-sq. ft. flagship store in Dallas, TX, scheduled to open in early 2007.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... WHOLE FOODS MARKET INC., Austin, plans to build an 80,000-sq. ft. flagship store in Dallas, TX, scheduled to open in early 2007. Several other upscale grocery stores have been drawn to Dallas-Fort Worth, including H.E. BUTT GROCERY CO.'S...

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., Winston-Salem, NC, said one of its franchisees operating in the New England market, New England Dough LLC, will wind down its operations, in the latest part of the doughnut retailer's restructuring.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS INC., Winston-Salem, NC, said one of its franchisees operating in the New England market, NEW ENGLAND DOUGH LLC, will wind down its operations, in the latest part of the doughnut retailer's restructuring. New England...

Great Circle Family Foods and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts have reached an agreement to resolve issues related to the notice of termination of franchise agreements sent by Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation on Jan. 5.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... GREAT CIRCLE FAMILY FOODS and KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS have reached an agreement to resolve issues related to the notice of termination of franchise agreements sent by KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUT CORPORATION on Jan. 5. All franchise agreements are...

Skylarhaley.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... SKYLARHALEY, Pleasanton, CA, will be rolling out Bongo Donuts, the world's only microwavable donut, in February. This introduction marks the company's entrance into the $3.6 billion donut market and $30 billion dollar U.S. frozen food market.

Sara Lee Corp.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... SARA LEE CORP. is preparing to launch a new line of breakfast breads made with special whole grains that taste like refined and starchy white bread. The move builds on Sara Lee's release this summer of bread that appears white but contains 30%...

Premium Standard Farms Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Pork processor PREMIUM STANDARD FARMS INC. will boost capacity at its pork processing plant in Milan, MO, by 35%, with capital expenses for the project totaling about $23 million. The project will enable the facility to process 10,000 pigs per...

New seasons.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Homegrown is the buzzword at six NEW SEASONS markets in and around Portland, OR reports The New York Times On The Web. The company's definition of homegrown is food grown, caught or processed in the northwest, including Northern California. Of...

Quiznos Sub.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... QUIZNOS SUB will introduce nationally three varieties of Toasted Gourmet Bread Bowls, served with soup or chili, or stuffed with rings of toasted cheese and chunks of roast chicken or beef... USA Today

Soya Foods.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Tofettes)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... SOYA FOODS has been marketing Tofettes, a tofu with a consistency, texture, and flavor designed to appeal to the American palette. Tofettes come in flavors such as teriyaki, barbecue and Jamaican jerked and next on the company's plate is tofu...

Smart & Final Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... SMART & FINAL INC. has opened three new California stores in Modesto, Torrance and Gilroy. These new stores bring the total number of stores operated by the company to 249. During 2005, the company opened 15 new stores and relocated two stores....

Simply Asia.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Heat and Serve Quick Noodles )(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... The SIMPLY ASIA line has been expanded with Heat & Serve Quick Noodles in four flavors: Honey Teriyaki, Pad Thai, Szechwan Garlic Chow Mein and Sweet & Sour Chow Mein. Each package includes precooked Asian wheat noodles, a sauce, vegetables and...

Crispers, the Lakeland, FL-based sandwich, soup and salad chain, is slated to open as many as 14 this year, up from 10 new stores last year.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... CRISPERS, the Lakeland, FL-based sandwich, soup and salad chain, is slated to open as many as 14 this year, up from 10 new stores last year. New locations will include Plant City, Tampa and Orlando. Also, the restaurant chain is developing a...

Stellar Restaurant Group Inc., founder of THE WRAP sandwich shops in 1997, changed its name and concept to Boloco, a quick-service restaurant with a focus on burritos.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... STELLAR RESTAURANT GROUP INC., founder of THE WRAP sandwich shops in 1997, changed its name and concept to BOLOCO, a quick-service restaurant with a focus on burritos. Boston-based Stellar Restaurant Group plans to open two to three stores in...

Seaboard Foods announced the beginning of the sales and marketing of pork products from the new state-of-the-art St. Joseph, MO, pork processing plant, which is owned and operated by Triumph Foods.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... SEABOARD FOODS announced the beginning of the sales and marketing of pork products from the new state-of-the-art St. Joseph, MO, pork processing plant, which is owned and operated by TRIUMPH FOODS. In 2004, Seaboard Foods, a subsidiary of...

Unilever's Bertolli.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... UNILEVER'S BERTOLLI will be offering consumers more restaurant- inspired meals in January as it expands it frozen dinners with: Chicken alla Vodka & Farfalle, Spicy Shrimp Fra Diavolo & Penne, Meatballs Pomodoro & Penne and Chicken Florentine &...

Michelina's Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... MICHELINA'S INC. (formerly LUIGINO'S) is closing its century-old Duluth, MN, plant and moving production to expanded operations in Lakeville, MN. The company, owned by Jeno Paulucci, is also up for sale... TwinCities.com (Jan. 6)

Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... TYSON FRESH MEATS, INC. introduced a new line of fresh, thin-sliced beef products. Premium Thin Sliced or "Rebanado Delgado" beef is now being offered by Tyson to provide convenience for the growing number of consumers, food retailers and...

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... With the completion of a $100 million expansion of DREYER'S GRAND ICE CREAM HOLDINGS, INC'S Bakersfield, CA ice cream manufacturing facility, it will close its City of Commerce, CA, manufacturing plant at the end of Apr., 2006, and shift...

Latest financial reports.
January 9, 2006... LATEST FINANCIAL REPORTS (in $000) Current % Change Year Year Ago CAL-MAINE FOODS, INC. (JACKSON, MS) 13 Wks. To Nov. 26: Sales $138,288 52.4%...

Furmano Foods.(FI MEMBER PROFILE)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
January 9, 2006... Nestled in the fertile Susquehanna River Valley of Central Pennsylvania, Furmano Foods is a fourth generation family owned and operated tomato and vegetable canning company in business since 1921. Furmano services retail, foodservice and...

Old Fashioned Kitchen, Inc.(FI MEMBER PROFILE)(Company Profile)
January 9, 2006... Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Lakewood, NJ, Old Fashioned Kitchen is the world's leading producer of frozen blintzes, potato pancakes and crepes, and is home to the GOLDEN brand of Kosher products. Old Fashioned Kitchen products are...

Supervalu Inc.(FI MEMBER PROFILE)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
January 9, 2006... SUPERVALU INC., a Fortune 500 company, is one of the largest companies in the U.S. grocery channel. With annual revenues of approximately $20 billion, Eden Prairie, MN-based SUPERVALU holds leading market share positions with its more than...

7-Eleven rolling out new items, trims fat and calories.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... The next generation of 7-Eleven Inc.'s fresh-food program is being introduced nationally. Pick Smart, a selection of sandwiches, grilled items and packaged baked goods with lower fat and calorie content will introduced to consumers. ...

GE crop field trials not adequately regulated, says report.(WASHINGTON)(genetically engineered)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Field trials of genetically engineered crops were not adequately regulated, raising the risk of unintended environmental consequences, according to a report by USDA's Office of Inspector General. This could lead to calls for tighter regulations...

FDA issues addendum to trans fat labeling compliance date guidance.(WASHINGTON)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... FDA issued an addendum to its guidance document regarding how and when to request an extension of the Jan. 1, 2006 compliance date for trans fat labeling. The addendum states that, because of the volume of extension requests received by...

FDA approves barley health claim.(WASHINGTON)(Food and Drug Administration)
January 9, 2006... An interim final rule amending the regulation that authorizes health claims on the relationship between beta-glucan soluble fiber (from specific sources) and reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) to include whole grain barley and...

FDA denies lutein health claim.(WASHINGTON)(Food and Drug Administration)
January 9, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently denied a petition seeking authorization of a qualified health claim characterizing the relationship between the consumption of a proprietary mix of lutein esters and a reduced risk of age-related...

FDA issues warning letter.(WASHINGTON)(Food and Drug Administration)(Midwest Seafood, Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... FDA's Cincinnati District Office issued a warning letter to MIDWEST SEAFOOD, INC., Springboro, OH following an inspection on Oct. 11 and 12, 2005. The inspector found serious violations of the Seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point...

Food product recalls reported.(WASHINGTON)(Golden Taste, Inc. recalls Golden Taste Tuna Deluxe )(China Noodle Manufacturing Inc. recalls Chinese Mein )(Bontel Usa Corp. recalls Celli )
January 9, 2006... FDA's Dec. 28 Enforcement Report included the following food product recalls. Home Style Salad Selection Golden Taste brand Tuna Deluxe, Net wt. 3.5 oz. and 7.5 oz. manufactured by GOLDEN TASTE, INC., Spring Valley, NH. The firm-initiated...

You should know....(news)
January 9, 2006... ... . After years of defending famous food names like Parma ham, the EU may offer similar protection to non-European exporters of products like Idaho potatoes and Colombian coffee to comply with a world trade ruling. In proposed changes...

Price trends of canned vegetables: 2004-2005.(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRICE TRENDS OF CANNED VEGETABLES: 2004-2005 2004 Dollars Per Case: Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June Whole Kernel Corn-MW 24/303 7.50- 7.75- 7.75- 7.75- 7.75- ...

Price trends of canned tomatoes & tomato products: 2004-2005.(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRICE TRENDS OF CANNED TOMATOES & TOMATO PRODUCTS: 2004-2005 2004 Dollars Per Case: Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June Tomato Sauce 24/300 8.25- 8.25- 8.25- 8.50- ...

Price trends of frozen vegetables: 2004-2005 (Part one).(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRICE TRENDS OF FROZEN VEGETABLES: 2004-2005 (Part One) 2004 Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June Broccoli: Spears, 24/10-oz. 9.55- 9.55- 9.55- 9.55- 9.55- 9.55- ...

Price trends of frozen vegetables: 2004-2005 (Part two).(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRICE TRENDS OF FROZEN VEGETABLES: 2004-2005 (Part Two) 2004 Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June Peas: 12/16-oz. Poly 6.95- 6.95- 6.95- 6.95-...

Price trends of canned fruits: 2004-2005.(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRICE TRENDS OF CANNED FRUITS: 2004-2005 2004 Dollars Per Case: Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June Cling Peaches 24/303 Choice 14.75- 14.75- 14.50- 14.50- 14.50-...

Price trends of canned fish and shellfish: 2004-2005.(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRICE TRENDS OF CANNED FISH AND SHELLFISH: 2004-2005 2004 Dollars Per Case Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. SALMON Salmon, Pink Talls 18.00- 21.00- 21.00- 21.00- 24/14-3/4-oz....

Price trends of frozen fish and shellfish: 2004-2005.(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRICE TRENDS OF FROZEN FISH AND SHELLFISH: 2004-2005 2004 Dollars Per Pound Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June CATFISH (Farm Raised, South) Whole Dressed ...

Price trends of dried fruits: 2004-2005.(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRICE TRENDS OF DRIED FRUITS: 2004-2005 2004 Dollars Per Pound Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June APRICOTS Imported ex-whse New York Turkish Number 4's 1.40 1.40 1.35...

Price trends of nuts and nutmeats: 2004-2005.(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRICE TRENDS OF NUTS AND NUTMEATS: 2004-2005 2004 Dollars Per Pound: Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June ALMONDS Nonpareil Supreme 2.30 2.30 N/A N/A N/A 2.45 ...

Price trends of frozen fruits: 2004-2005.(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRICE TRENDS OF FROZEN FRUITS: 2004-2005 2004 Dollars Per Pound: Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June Strawberries: 6/6.5-lb. Sl., f.o.b. 0.66- 0.65- 0.65- 0.65- N/A N/A...

Price trends of juices and frozen & bulk concentrates: 2004-2005.(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRICE TRENDS OF JUICES AND FROZEN & BULK CONCENTRATES: 2004-2005 2004 Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. CANNED/BOTTLED JUICE Cranberry Juice Cktl, 18.50-...

Butter.
January 9, 2006... BUTTER MARKET, JAN. 6 (Source: CME) Cents Per Pound: 1/6/2006 12/23/2005 Chge. Grade AA 1.4000 1.3350 +.0650

Cheese.
January 9, 2006... CHEDDAR CHEESE MARKET JAN. 6 Cents Per Pound: 1/6/2006 Chge. Fr. Last Wk. Barrels 1.3400 N/A Blocks (40-lbs.) 1.3675 N/A

Eggs.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... EGG PRICES TO RETAILERS JAN. 6 (Source: USDA) Wk. Ending Wk. Ending Cents per dozen: 6-Jan 23-Dec Chge. Extra Large-NY 83-87 94-98 -9 Large-NY 81-85 ...

Chicken.(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... PRELIMINARY BROILER PRICES FOR DELIVERY THE WEEK OF JAN. 6 Cents Per Pound: This Week Last Week Chicago 52-55 N/A Cleveland Too Few Too Few Detroit Too Few Too Few Los...

Futures prices.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... FUTURES PRICES (Source: Wall Street Journal) Cash Jan. 06 Mar. 06 As of Jan. 5, 2006 Price Futures Futures Corn, bu. $1.96 2.16 (Mar.) 2.25 (May)...

Commodity prices.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
January 9, 2006... COMMODITY PRICES (Source: Wall Street Journal) Week Week % Chge. Ended Ended Last Jan 5 Dec. 23...

Wholesale food inflation under 2% in '05.
January 16, 2006... While the index for finished consumer foods at the wholesale level rose 0.8% in December, following a 0.2% advance in November, for the entire year the wholesale inflation rate wound up increasing only 1.9%. That.s the smallest increase since...

Snack trends 2006.
January 16, 2006... The words snack and meal may become synonymous this year as consumers increasingly garner new occasions for snacking, according to Future Food Trends report by TECHNOMIC. Leading occasions for partaking in a snack, treat and/or refreshment...

Caribou Coffee enters licensing agreements.(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... Caribou Coffee Company, Inc. entered into two long-term licensing agreements, one with KEMPS and another with GENERAL MILLS. Under the licensing agreement with Kemps, the ice cream maker will be able to use Caribou Coffee marks and coffee in...

Supervalu opens its first sunflower market and launches privates label.(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... SUPERVALU is growing its presence in the organic market and announced the opening of its first SUNFLOWER MARKET store, a value-priced natural and organic food retail outlet. The 12,000-sq.ft. Indianapolis-based store serves as the pro-to-type...

Fast-food chains turn to breakfast to boost sales.
January 16, 2006... Fast-food restaurants with flat sales the last three years are focusing their attention to the promising quick service break-fast market. This market is currently growing at nearly three times the overall market growth. Sales for the segment...

Retailers battling big competition.
January 16, 2006... The metamorphosis of the retail food industry continues as retail grocery chains battle intense competition from alternative formats such as supercenters, warehouse clubs, dollar stores, drugstores and convenience stores. These alternative...

Grocery stores finish 2005 with a 4.3% sales gain.
January 16, 2006... The nations grocery stores rang up $467.2 billion in sales in 2005 according to the latest data from the Bureau of Census--4.3% more than the prior year. That's the largest year over year gain in at least the past 13 years for which comparable...

Foodservice & drinking places saw sales increase 7.1% in '05.
January 16, 2006... U.S. consumers continue to eat away from home more regularly based on the first look at 2005 foodservice and drinking place sales from the Census Bureau that put sales at $407.2 billion or a significant 7.1% more than a year earlier. During...

Double-digit growth continues for clubs and supercenters.
January 16, 2006... During nine of the first eleven months of 2005, sales increases at the nations supercenters and warehouse clubs were in the double digits. During November, the latest month for which data is available, sales advanced 12.4% to $25.3 billion....

Casey's General Stores, Inc., Ankemy, IA, has completed the definitive asset purchase agreement to acquire 51 stores from GAS 'N SHOP INC. of Lincoln, NE.(MERGERS & ACQUISITION)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... CASEY'S GENERAL STORES, INC., Ankemy, IA, has completed the definitive asset purchase agreement to acquire 51 stores from GAS 'N SHOP INC. of Lincoln, NE. The purchase price was approximately $29.2 million for the Gas 'N Shop assets. The...

Storecast Holdings Inc., a leading provider of merchandising services to major food and drug retailers and manufacturers, has acquired the Archway Merchandising Services business from AHL Services Inc., Arlington, VA.(MERGERS & ACQUISITION)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... STORECAST HOLDINGS INC., a leading provider of merchandising services to major food and drug retailers and manufacturers, has acquired the ARCHWAY MERCHANDISING SERVICES business from AHL SERVICES INC., Arlington, VA. Archway Merchandising...

SYSCO Food Services Of Jamestown LLC, a subsidiary of Houston-based SYSCO Corp., has acquired the paper, packaging and cleaning supplies business of HY-Grade Distributors, Tonawanda, NY.(MERGERS & ACQUISITION)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... SYSCO FOOD SERVICES OF JAMESTOWN LLC, a subsidiary of Houston-based SYSCO CORP., has acquired the paper, packaging and cleaning supplies business of HY-GRADE DISTRIBUTORS, Tonawanda, NY. SYSCO Corp. is a $30.3 billion corporation providing food...

B&G Foods, Inc., Parsippany, NJ, has completed the purchase of the Grandma's Molasses brand from Mott's LLP.(MERGERS & ACQUISITION)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... B&G FOODS, INC., Parsippany, NJ, has completed the purchase of the GRANDMA'S MOLASSES brand from MOTT'S LLP, a CADBURY SCHWEPPES AMERICAS BEVERAGES company, for the previously announced price of $30 million in cash and certain assumed...

Bonnaroo Restaurant Group of Athens, GA, a Chili's Grill & Bar franchisee, has acquired six company-owned Chili's restaurants in South Carolina and Georgia and will open 14 more in the two states through a franchising and development agreement with Brinker International, Inc., Dallas.(MERGERS & ACQUISITION)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... BONNAROO RESTAURANT GROUP of Athens, GA, a Chili's Grill & Bar franchisee, has acquired six company-owned Chili's restaurants in South Carolina and Georgia and will open 14 more in the two states through a franchising and development agreement...

Investors Management Corp., a Raleigh, NC-based investment firm, has purchased 16% of Port City Java, Wilmington, NC-based cafe chain featuring coffee, fresh pastries, smoothies, panini sandwiches, soups, salads, and fresh juice.(MERGERS & ACQUISITION)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... INVESTORS MANAGEMENT CORP., a Raleigh, NC-based investment firm, has purchased 16% of PORT CITY JAVA, Wilmington, NC-based cafe chain featuring coffee, fresh pastries, smoothies, panini sandwiches, soups, salads, and fresh juice. Executives...

Pepsico, Inc., Purchase, NY, has completed the acquisition of Stacy's Pita Chip Co., supporting Frito-Lay's desire to participate more broadly in the $90 billion macrosnack category and complementing the company's growing portfolio of healthier snack options.(MERGERS & ACQUISITION)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... * PEPSICO, INC., Purchase, NY, has completed the acquisition of STACY'S PITA CHIP CO., supporting FRITO-LAY'S desire to participate more broadly in the $90 billion macrosnack category and complementing the company's growing portfolio of...

Stagnito Communications Inc. of Deerfield, IL, an Ascend Media Company, has purchased the Food Safety Summit from Eaton Hall Exhibitions, Florham Park, NJ.(MERGERS & ACQUISITION)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... * STAGNITO COMMUNICATIONS INC. of Deerfield, IL, an ASCEND MEDIA COMPANY, has purchased the FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT from EATON HALL EXHIBITIONS, Florham Park, NJ. The Food Safety Summit is North America's biggest and most established trade show and...

Outback Steakhouse Inc., Tampa, and Publix Super Markets Inc., Lakeland, are teaming up for an experimental in-store restaurant.(RETAILER ROUNDUP)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE INC., Tampa, and PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS INC., Lakeland, are teaming up for an experimental in-store restaurant. CARRABBA'S ITALIAN GRILL will open a 1,000-sq. ft. takeout restaurant inside a Sarasota Publix in the summer. The...

Winn-Dixie chief executive Peter Lynch predicts Winn-Dixie can emerge from bankruptcy in June, as he touted improvements he has made since arriving in Dec. 2004, ranging from cutting costs to better tailoring each store's goods to match neighborhood tastes.(Winn-Dixie Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... WINN-DIXIE chief executive Peter Lynch predicts Winn-Dixie can emerge from bankruptcy in June, as he touted improvements he has made since arriving in Dec. 2004, ranging from cutting costs to better tailoring each store's goods to match...

Whole Foods Market Inc.(rely on wind energy for all of its electricity needs)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... * WHOLE FOODS MARKET INC., Austin, TX, will rely on wind energy for all of its electricity needs, making it the largest corporate user of renewable energy in the U.S. The company began rolling out wind energy for all 173 stores in the U.S. and...

Costco Wholesale Club could anchor a project known as East River PLAZA in East Harlem, reported The New York Times on the Web.(RETAILER ROUNDUP)(Brief article)
January 16, 2006... * COSTCO WHOLESALE CLUB could anchor a project known as East River PLAZA in East Harlem, reported The New York Times on the Web. The location would be Costco's first warehouse store in Manhattan, a market the discount retailer has been trying...