Top News Stories - July 2008
Here is some of the top restaurant industry news for the month of July 2008:
California Bans Trans Fat
California became the first state in the nation to ban trans fat from all restaurant foods. Places that fail to comply by the Jan. 1, 2011 deadline will face fines ranging from $25 to $1000. The trans fat ban prohibits restaurants from using margarines, shortenings or hydrogenated vegetable oils. A one year exemption has been given to the makers of doughnuts and churros to find a trans fat free alternative.
Au Bon Pain Ambitious Expansion Plan
Boston-based bakery/café chain, Au Bon Pain, will add 100 units in a two year expansion plan into India. To meet India’s cultural traditions and dietary restrictions, Au Bon Pain will offer a line of vegetarian sandwiches and other vegetarian focused items. The chain has signed a master franchise agreement with Spencer’s Retail Limited, the retail division of RPG Enterprises, a $3 billion corporation who operates 20 Indian companies. The news of the expansion is a big stepping stone for the bakery/café chain. In March, the company received recapitalization by LNK Partners and was recently named one of “America’s Healthiest Restaurants” by Health magazine. Currently, Au Bon Pain has over 200 units with expected openings in Kuwait and Dubai in August.
Cheesecake Factory 30th Anniversary
July 30, 2008 marked the 30th Anniversary of The Cheesecake Factory. Three decades ago, David Overton opened a small 78-seat restaurant in Beverly Hills with the goal of showcasing his mother’s cheesecakes. Today the company has over 140 restaurants across in the US achieving sales of more than $10.4 million per unit. In celebrating the company’s milestone, a special limited edition cheesecake, the 30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake Cheesecake was introduced. $0.25 from each slice sold was donated to the national hunger-relief organization, America’s Second Harvest – The Nation’s Food Bank Network. In addition, the restaurant featured each of the 30-plus cheesecake varieties for only $1.50 (limit one per guest) as a way to remember the price per slice 30 years ago.
The Cheesecake Factory recently launched its newest concept, RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen, an upscale casual restaurant featuring Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian and Indian food.
Toronto Finally Approves New Street Food Vendors
The long anticipated approval by the city of Toronto has the go ahead light for new street food vendors beginning April 2009. Toronto lags behind major cities around the world which offer ethnic foods other than the standard hot dog and sausage carts. Obstacles and stiff government regulations has prevented the project from beginning sooner. A controversial issue on health and sanitation issues has become a main concern for the city. Other food industry experts argue other parts of the world have offered gourmet street foods for years.
The pilot project titled a la Cart calls for 13 carts located at high traffic areas of the city. Criteria to obtain one of the 13 carts will be based on the quality of the business plan, experience in the business, credit history, diversity and quality of food, nutritional content and focus on local food sources. Prices to lease the carts are set at $26,100 for a non-refrigerated unit and $32,300 for a refrigerated one. However, this does not include the street permit fees which are expected to range from $2,300 to as much as $10,400 annually.
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