The Food Institute Report articles from May 2008

The Food Institute Report archives from May 2008

Entrepreneurial thinking pays off for Kraft.
May 5, 2008... Although high commodity costs and increased spending on R & D domestically negatively affected Kraft Foods' first quarter earnings, the company's profits overseas were much brighter, with European profits rising 48% and developing markets up...

Stimulus checks may benefit grocers.
May 5, 2008... Federal tax rebates will give the overall retail industry, excluding autos and gasoline, a boost in the next two quarters, according to TNS RETAIL FORWARD. Households will spend an estimated $42 billion, of the $105.7 billion tax rebate,...

Supermarkets stay successful despite market challenges.
May 5, 2008... Supermarkets remained successful in the second half of 2007 despite a lagging economy and rising food prices, reported Supermarket News (Apr. 21). In fact, "the last two years have been very good for supermarkets, and that should continue going...

Rice prices affecting restaurants and businesses.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Rice costs are negatively affecting restaurants and businesses, and some warehouse stores are limiting large purchases, reported Omaha World-Herald (Apr. 25). Due to demand and a poor crop yield, prices of the worldwide staple, consumed by...

Merger activity within confectionery category.(Acquisitions)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... MARS, INC. reached a merger agreement with WM. WRIGLEY JR. COMPANY in a transaction valued at approximately $23 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Chicago-based Wrigley, with global sales of $5.4 billion, will become a separate,...

America's sweet tooth develops a taste for breakfast.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Savory breakfast items are experiencing increased competition with the sweeter side of things, mainly doughnuts, pastries, and muffins. Easy-to-eat, as well as a good balance to the acidity of coffee, sweet snacks are rising in popularity in...

Campbell shedding Australian snack business, streamlining initiatives.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... The Campbell Soup Company is exiting the snack food business in Australia and closing a plant in Canada as part of a series of initiatives designed to improve the Camden, NJ-based company's operational efficiency and enhance its long-term...

JDH capital will begin building a 35,000-sq. ft. Food Lion prototype grocery store in Palencia, FL.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... JDH CAPITAL will begin building a 35,000-sq. ft. FOOD LION prototype grocery store in Palencia, FL, with a groundbreaking scheduled for May... Jacksonville Business Journal (Apr. 18)

Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... LEE LEE ORIENTAL SUPERMARKET will open in late April in Peoria, AZ... AZCentral.com (Apr. 17)

Stater Bros. Markets.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... STATER BROS. MARKETS opened its newest and most modern full-service supermarket in Cathedral City, CA. In addition, the company completed remodels at four of the company's existing Coachella Valley Supermarkets

Krispy Kreme.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... A KRISPY KREME closed since August 2006 will reopen May 13 in Mesa, AZ... AZCentral.com (Apr. 21)

Zero's Mr. Submarine, Inc.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... ZERO'S MR. SUBMARINE, INC. and its franchisees opened a location in Los Angeles

Acme Markets.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... ACME MARKETS will open an environmentally friendly supermarket in Glen Mills, PA... Supermarket News (Apr. 24)

Goodburger opened in Philadelphia on May 3.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... GOODBURGER opened in Philadelphia on May 3, and 10 ARTS will open in the RITZ-CARLTON for dinner on May 20... The Philadelphia Inquirer (Apr. 24)

Paul's Philadelphia Eatery.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... PAUL'S PHILADELPHIA EATERY opened in Columbia, SC... TheState.com (Apr. 18)

Quick Chek.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... QUICK CHEK opened a newly renovated store in Middletown, NJ. The store has an expanded coffee bar and soup center and a larger take-out fresh food case... CSP Daily News (Apr. 25)

Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... PINKBERRY FROZEN YOGURT opened its 50th store in Newport Beach, CA

Thai Ginger.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... THAI GINGER opened in St. Paul, MN. It is the fourth Thai restaurant to open or reopen in the area in as many months... TwinCities.com (Apr. 23)

Tim Hortons.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... TIM HORTONS opened a third location in downtown Buffalo...The Buffalo News (Apr. 26)

Food 4 Less.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... FOOD 4 LESS opened a 58,020-sq. ft. store in Chicago's Austin neighborhood

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Restaurant opened its fourth Columbia, SC-area location, and Asian chain Miyo's Gourmet Group.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE AND RESTAURANT opened its fourth Columbia, SC-area location, and Asian chain MIYO'S GOURMET GROUP will open its sixth Columbia, SC-area restaurant by this winter... TheState.com (Apr. 25)

Sheetz, Inc. opened its 17th North Carolina outlet in Davidson County.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... SHEETZ, INC. opened its 17th North Carolina outlet in Davidson County. KWIK TRIP INC. is planning on opening a site in Charles City, IA, by summer 2009... CSP Daily News (Apr. 29)

Cold Stone Creamery, Nate's Seafood, and Olive Garden will open in Allen, TX.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... COLD STONE CREAMERY, NATE'S SEAFOOD, and OLIVE GARDEN will open in Allen, TX...The Dallas Morning News (Apr. 25)

Harmons.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... HARMONS opened a 70,000-sq. ft. grocery store that features an expanded fresh foods section, ready-to-eat meals and a culinary education center...The Salt Lake Tribune (Apr. 29)

$1.25 Mart.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... A 15,000-sq. ft. $1.25 MART opened in Fresno, CA... The Fresno Bee (Apr. 27)

California Pizza Kitchen.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN opened its second location in South Korea and its third location in Japan

A new 26,368-sq. ft. Borders store in Tukwila, WA will feature a Seattle's Best Coffee cafe.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... A new 26,368-sq. ft. BORDERS store in Tukwila, WA will feature a SEATTLE'S BEST COFFEE cafe that serves a full line of premium coffee and non-coffee beverages as well as pastries and sandwiches

Toscana 52 opened in Bensalem, PA, and MAIA, a bi-level Euro-style restaurant, cafe, coffee bar, and market.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... TOSCANA 52 opened in Bensalem, PA, and MAIA, a bi-level Euro-style restaurant, cafe, coffee bar, and market, will open May 6 in Villanova, PA... The Philadelphia Inquirer (May 1)

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS, INC. will open its fifth Georgia outlet in Cumming on May 12.

Biotechnology to the rescue.
May 5, 2008... The grim, stark reality of skyrocketing food prices and global grain shortages is evidently making genetically engineered crops more socially acceptable. Up until now, grain growers, marketers and processors all thought twice--or more than...

Latest financial reports (000 omitted).(Statistical table)(Financial report)
May 5, 2008... LATEST FINANCIAL REPORTS (000 OMITTED) Current % Change Year Year Ago ALTRIA GROUP, INC. (NEW YORK, NY) Qtr. To Mar. 31:...

Alimentation Couche-Tarde Inc., Laval, Quebec, Canada signed, through its Mac's Convenience Stores LLC, subsidiary, an agreement to acquire 83 stores in the St. Louis, MO area and central Illinois area from Spirit Energy, L.L.C. which does business as Convenient Food Mart.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARDE INC., Laval, Quebec, Canada signed, through its MAC'S CONVENIENCE STORES LLC, subsidiary, an agreement to acquire 83 stores in the St. Louis, MO area and central Illinois area from SPIRIT ENERGY, L.L.C. which does...

First Data Corp., an electronic commerce and payment processing provider based in Denver, reached an agreement to acquire Atlanta-based INCOMM.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
May 5, 2008... FIRST DATA CORP., an electronic commerce and payment processing provider based in Denver, reached an agreement to acquire Atlanta-based INCOMM, a distributor of gift cards, prepaid wireless products, reloadable debit cards, and bill payment...

Greencore Group Plc, Ireland, acquired Home Made Brand Foods Inc., a Newburyport, MA-based manufacturer in the chilled food market.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... GREENCORE GROUP PLC, Ireland, acquired HOME MADE BRAND FOODS INC., a Newburyport, MA-based manufacturer in the chilled food market. This acquisition marks the entry by Greencore, a European food and malt producer, into the growing chilled...

Houchens Industries, Bowling Green, KY, signed a letter of intent to buy Jasper, IN-based Buehler Foods Inc., operator of 22 grocery stores in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... HOUCHENS INDUSTRIES, Bowling Green, KY, signed a letter of intent to buy Jasper, IN-based BUEHLER FOODS INC., operator of 22 grocery stores in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. Employee-owned Houchens, a diversified company, has more than 200...

Icicle Seafoods, Inc., Seattle, WA, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Smoki Foods.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
May 5, 2008... ICICLE SEAFOODS, INC., Seattle, WA, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire SMOKI FOODS, a Seattle-based processor of fresh and frozen seafood, and its subsidiaries, AMERICAN GOLD SEAFOODS, the only U.S. owned and operated salmon farming...

Kraft Foods Inc., Northfield, IL, signed agreements to sell the Artiach biscuits business in Spain to Panrico and the Balaton chocolate trademark in Hungary to Nestle.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... KRAFT FOODS INC., Northfield, IL, signed agreements to sell the ARTIACH biscuits business in Spain to PANRICO and the BALATON chocolate trademark in Hungary to NESTLE. These actions follow last year's decision by the European Commission to...

Lantmannen Unibake, a European frozen bakery products supplier based in Denmark, acquired Florida-based Eurobake, a maker of European-inspired bread products for customers such as Disney, Arby's and Denny's.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... LANTMANNEN UNIBAKE, a European frozen bakery products supplier based in Denmark, acquired Florida-based EUROBAKE, a maker of European-inspired bread products for customers such as DISNEY, ARBY'S and DENNY'S. Euro-Bake has $25 million in...

Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center, Inc., South Burlington, VT, agreed to acquire Pyramid Breweries Inc.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
May 5, 2008... MAGIC HAT BREWING COMPANY & PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, INC., South Burlington, VT, agreed to acquire PYRAMID BREWERIES INC., Seattle, through an agreed all-cash tender offer and subsequent merger.

Max & Erma's Restaurants, Inc., Columbus, OH, signed a definitive agreement with G&R Acquisition, Inc., an entity formed by Gary Reinert, St. of Pittsburgh, PA.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
May 5, 2008... MAX & ERMA'S RESTAURANTS, INC., Columbus, OH, signed a definitive agreement with G&R ACQUISITION, INC., an entity formed by Gary Reinert, St. of Pittsburgh, PA. Under the terms of the agreement, G&R will acquire all of the outstanding shares of...

Monterey Gourmet Foods, Salinas, CA, purchased the remaining 20% of Sonoma Foods, for $50,000 and earn-out clause, effective Mar. 31.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
May 5, 2008... MONTEREY GOURMET FOODS, Salinas, CA, purchased the remaining 20% of SONOMA FOODS, for $50,000 and earn-out clause, effective Mar. 31. Monterey Gourmet Foods has national distribution of its products, which are sold under the brands Monterey...

Nathan's Famous, Inc., Westbury, NY, sold NF Roasters Corp. to Roasters Asia Pacific (Cayman) Limited.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
May 5, 2008... NATHAN'S FAMOUS, INC., Westbury, NY, sold NF ROASTERS CORP. to ROASTERS ASIA PACIFIC (CAYMAN) LIMITED, its Master Developer of franchised KENNY ROGERS ROASTERS restaurants in Malaysia and certain other foreign territories, for approximately $4...

Pepsico, Purchase, NY, acquired V Water.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
May 5, 2008... PEPSICO, Purchase, NY, acquired V WATER, a leading vitamin water brand in the UK.

Symrise finalized the acquisition of Christian Hansen's flavor division.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
May 5, 2008... SYMRISE finalized the acquisition of CHRISTIAN HANSEN'S flavor division. For prior details, see FOOD INSTITUTE REPORT Mar. 17, page 6.

Alfesca completed the acquisition of D&F SRL from its founder managers.(MERGER RELATED NEWS)
May 5, 2008... ALFESCA completed the acquisition of D&F SRL from its founder managers. D&F is a supplier and distributor to Italy's retail grocery and foodservice markets and currently operates as one of Alfesca's key distributors in Italy... FLEXNEWS (Apr....

Barry Callebaut, acquired a 60% stake in KLK Cocoa in Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad.(MERGER RELATED NEWS)
May 5, 2008... BARRY CALLEBAUT, acquired a 60% stake in KLK COCOA in Malaysia from KUALA LUMPUR KEPONG BERHAD. KLK Cocoa will change its name to BARRY CALLEBAUT MALAYSIA SDN BHD.

Cosan, Brazil's largest sugar and ethanol producer, signed a contract to buy Exxonmobil Corp.'s distribution and service stations in Brazil.(MERGER RELATED NEWS)
May 5, 2008... COSAN, Brazil's largest sugar and ethanol producer, signed a contract to buy EXXONMOBIL CORP.'S distribution and service stations in Brazil, a deal worth $826 million...The Associated Press (Apr. 24)

China Yingxia International, Inc. acquired Guangzhou Chichi Network Supermarket Chain Co., Ltd. and Guangzhou Chichi Network Technology Development Co., Ltd.(MERGER RELATED NEWS)
May 5, 2008... CHINA YINGXIA INTERNATIONAL, INC. acquired GUANGZHOU CHICHI NETWORK SUPERMARKET CHAIN CO., LTD. and GUANGZHOU CHICHI NETWORK TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD., together known as the CHICHI WANG companies.

Ihop Corp.'s.(MERGER RELATED NEWS)
May 5, 2008... IHOP CORP.'S plan to sell and leaseback 191 company-owned restaurants was "challenged" by weak credit-market conditions. IHOP is continuing to negotiate with several parties and said it will decide if the deal terms are appropriate during the...

Jeronimo Martins.(MERGER RELATED NEWS)
May 5, 2008... JERONIMO MARTINS received clearance from the Portuguese antitrust authority to acquire Tengelmann's 75 Portuguese Plus discount stores... Interactive Investor

Congress to take steps toward reducing duty collection shortfalls.(WASHINGTON)
May 5, 2008... Since 2001, the U.S. CUSTOMS AND BOARDER PROTECTION (CBP) has not been able to collect over $600 million in antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duties. The DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE has enforced these duties in order to remedy unfair foreign...

FDA globalization act hearing held.(WASHINGTON)
May 5, 2008... On Apr. 25, the HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH held the first of two hearings on the Discussion Draft of the FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION Globalization Act of 2008, according to FOOD INSTITUTE counsel OLSSON FRANK WEEDA TERMAN...

Rep. Dingell circulates food safety legislation.(WASHINGTON)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, circulated a discussion draft of major food safety legislation, the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008. In a memorandum accompanying the draft bill,...

USDA finds weakness in STARS II.(WASHINGTON)
May 5, 2008... The FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE (FNS) uses the STORE TRACKING AND REDEMPTION SYSTEM II (STARS II) to store information on retailers that redeem benefits as part of the FOOD STAMP PROGRAM (FSP). STARS II also supports the benefit redemption...

Cuba--U.S. trade relations remain strong.(WASHINGTON)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Currently the U.S. supplies Cuba with 30% of its food and agricultural import requirements. The countries have mutually benefited from trade relations, according to a USDA Food & Agriculture report. Beginning in 2000, as a result of the Trade...

FDA issues warning letters.(WASHINGTON)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Durham, NC-based SIMPLY FRESH INCORPORATED was issued a warning letter on Apr. 9, 2008 by FDA after investigations of the company's seafood processing facility on Mar. 11-12, 2008. The investigation found serious violations of the seafood...

Food product recalls reported.(WASHINGTON)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Silk Soymilk Chocolate Flavor is being recalled by WHITE WAVE FOODS, Mount Crawford, VA. The product was distributed nationwide. The firm initiated recall began on Apr. 23, 2008, and is ongoing. Reason For Recall: "The product may contain...

Produce.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... Wild blueberries and sweet cherries top the list of increased imports, with 300% and 196% gains, respectively. Majority of imports are down from 2007 levels, of which Mandarins and plums dropped the most. Watermelons and cantaloupes are close...

Canned vegetables.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... ASPARAGUS--Foodservice prices of 6/10 canned asparagus are between $37.25-$37.35, f.o.b. Midwest. Processor prices of private label 6/10 canned asparagus are between $38.15$38.45, and private label prices of 24/300 cases are between...

Tomato products.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... SAUCE--Foodservice 6/10 canned tomato sauce is selling between $11.05-$11.35, f.o.b. Mid-Atlantic. PASTE--Foodservice 6/10 canned tomato paste is selling between $21.80-$22.50, f.o.b. Mid-Atlantic. Hot break 31% NTSS (Brix) paste in 55...

Frozen vegetables.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... BROCCOLI--Foodservice packs of broccoli spears are priced between 75 to 90 cents per pound, while retail packs of broccoli spears are between $14.80 and $15.00, both f.o.b. West Coast. BRUSSELS SPROUTS--Frozen brussel sprouts in 12/16-oz....

Canned fruits.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... PEACHES--Imports of canned peaches to the U.S. as of Mar. 1 totaled 24.4 million pounds, a decrease of 33% from 2007. Imports from countries such as Greece, Thailand, and Spain all decreased from last year. Imports from China increased...

Processed fish.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... FLOUNDER--NMFS decreased the Georges Bank yellowtail flounder trip limit to 5,000-lbs. for northeast multispecies days-at-sea vessels fishing in the U.S./Canada Management Area. This action is authorized by the regulations implementing...

Dried vegetables.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... DRIED BEANS--Trading in the Dry Edible Bean market was very slow. Demand light to moderate. Supplies are limited with very light grower selling. With limited supplies remaining, few spot bids are being offered. All prices are reported on very...

Dried fruits & nuts.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... PEANUTS--Peanut stocks reported in commercial storage on Mar. 31, 2008 totaled 2.32 billion pounds of equivalent farmer stock, compared with 2.93 billion pounds a year ago. This total includes 1.51 billion pounds of actual farmer stock. ...

Frozen fruits.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... STRAWBERRIES--Imports of frozen strawberries for the first two months of 2008 increased 8% from the same period last year. Imports from Mexico posted the highest gain with just over 20 million pounds imported as of Mar. 1 compared to only 12...

Juices & concentrates.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... ORANGE JUICE--Costa Rica's top two citrus companies are planning major expansions of their orange groves and juice production to seize the opportunity presented by Florida's shrinking orange production. "Florida's comparative decline in the...

Butter.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... BUTTER BUTTER MARKET, APRIL 30 (Source: Chicago Mercantile Exchange) Cents Per Pound: 4/30/2008 4/23/2008 Chge. Grade AA 1.43 1.40 .0075

Cheese.(MARKETS)
May 5, 2008... CHEESE CHEDDAR CHEESE MARKET APRIL 30 Cents Per Pound: 4/30/2008 Chge. Fr. Last Wk. Barrels 1.9300 0.0300 Blocks (40-lbs.) 1.9600 0.0050

Eggs.(MARKETS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... EGGS EGG PRICES TO RETAILERS May 1 (Source: USDA) Wk. Ending Wk. Ending Cents per dozen: 1-May 24-Apr Chge. Extra Large-NY 108-112 116-120 8 Large-NY ...

Chicken.(MARKETS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... CHICKEN PRELIMINARY BROILER PRICES FOR DELIVERY THE WEEK OF APRIL 27 Cents Per Pound: This Week Last Week Chicago N/A 72-75 Cleveland Too Few Too Few Detroit Too Few Too...

Futures prices.(MARKETS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... FUTURES PRICES (Source: Wall Street Journal) Cash May July As of May 1, 2008: Price Futures Futures Corn, bu. $5.67 $6.00 $6.12 Soybeans, bu. ...

Commodity prices.(MARKETS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... COMMODITY PRICES (Source: Wall Street Journal) Week Week % Chge. Ended Ended Last 1-May 24-Apr ...

Consumer shopping habits are changing.(Report)
May 12, 2008... Increased fuel and food costs are impacting how consumers shop, cook and dine, according to the FOOD MARKETING INSTITUTE'S U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2008 * report. In 2008, families ate their main meal at restaurants only 1.2 times per week,...

Supermarket industry sales up in 2007 despite challenging climate.(Statistical table)
May 12, 2008... Supermarket industry sales rose 4.6% in 2007, marking the third consecutive year that the food industry recorded sales gain increases, but this time in a market with high food inflation, according to the FOOD MARKETING INSTITUTE'S Food...

Foodservice operators look to cut costs and increase traffic.(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... While many restaurant operators have been faced with increasing menu prices in the wake of higher food costs at a level not seen in 17 years, some are taking steps to reduce their own costs instead, as well seeking to increase their "share of...

Convenience foods appeal to a hurried population.(Report)
May 12, 2008... While the overall consumption of frozen items at a convenience store accounts for only 0.75% in terms of sales, the space allotted for frozen items is slowly growing, reports Convenience Store News (Apr. 14). Pizza is around 70% of all frozen...

Companies respond to changing beverage market.(Report)
May 12, 2008... Consumers will never stop drinking liquids, but numerous sentiments and preferences are impacting beverage manufacturer's bottom lines. To please consumers concerned about health, environmental concerns, and value, and keep profits up,...

Publix Super Markets.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 12, 2008... PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS will open a 45,000-sq. ft. location in Gardendale, AL... Birmingham Business Journal (May 2).

Kroger Co. will open a 125,000-sq. ft. Marketplace store in Frisco, TX.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 12, 2008... KROGER CO. will open a 125,000-sq. ft. MARKETPLACE store in Frisco, TX in early summer 2009... The Dallas Morning News (May 2).

Nepalese restaurant Himalayan opened in Minneapolis, MN and Vitale's Little Venetian will open in June in Minneapolis, MN.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 12, 2008... Nepalese restaurant HIMALAYAN opened in Minneapolis, MN and VITALE'S LITTLE VENETIAN will open in June in Minneapolis, MN... TwinCities.com... (May 3).

Taco Del Mar.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 12, 2008... TACO DEL MAR will open its first Florida restaurant in Tampa Bay... Tampa Bay Business Journal (May 2).

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 12, 2008... RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS, INC. will open its 16th Virginia restaurant in Manassas on May 19.

John Phillip's Restaurant & Bar will open May 12 and Servatii's Pastry Shop will open Aug. 1.(NEW STORE NEWS)
May 12, 2008... JOHN PHILLIP'S RESTAURANT & BAR will open May 12 and SERVATII'S PASTRY SHOP will open Aug. 1 in Crestview Hills, KY... The Cincinnati Enquirer (May 7).