Ruby Tuesday’s was hit hard by the recession, leading some to believe the company would not survive. Well, they made it. The company announced that after stocks reached an all-time low in March 2009, shares have increased by 72% so far in 2010 and are closing in on prerecession levels. The company said consolidating current operations and exploring more profitable restaurant opportunities such as Seafood, Mexican, and Barbecue concepts will continue to be a point of emphasis moving forward.
Debbie Stroud started her career at McDonald’s after speaking to a recruiter at a college job fair more than twenty years ago. Today she is the Vice President of Quality, Service and Cleanliness for Atlanta region McDonald’s. During a recent speech to students, faculty, and community members, Stroud showed a video of the riots in Los Angeles in 1992 and how the McDonald’s in the area were safe from damage. Stroud pointed to McDonald’s diverse hiring practices as a main reason for the restaurants safety, saying that the stores had previously been willing to give former gang members looking to change their life jobs. Stroud said McDonald’s is just as committed to diversity today as they were nearly twenty years ago and the video shows that diverse hiring practices can offer more than just government compliance.
A Brazilian court has ordered McDonald’s to pay a former franchise manager $17,500 after he gained more than 65 pounds during his 12 years working for the restaurant. The 32-year-old man said he felt forced to sample the food each day to ensure the quality because the company had unannounced shoppers stop in to rate the quality of the food. The man said the constant sampling and free meals led to his weight gain. The company noted that they do have healthy options available.
Niche restaurant stocks have been trading at higher rates recently. With Wall Street seeing high returns from companies such as Chipotle and BJ’s Restaurants, investors are betting on restaurants to provide sizeable returns. Positive indicators in the restaurant industry during recent months have led investors to believe a full recovery for the industry is around the corner.
Food trucks are no longer just for low-cost startup restaurateurs. A growing number of chains are now delving into the emerging low overhead, high return market. Industry experts expect major chain restaurants to enter the field by the end of next year. The National Restaurant Association has even taken notice, as for the first time it has set aside space specifically for exhibitors dedicated to mobile food vendors at its national convention.
The Pacific Northwest is expected to have a wet and messy winter once again. The expected conditions are nothing new for many mobile cart vendors who traditionally see a falloff in sales during the colder months. This year, many vendors are adding awnings and offering other forms of shelter in an effort to encourage customers to brave the weather.
The Illinois division of Sysco Corp is the likely culprit of food distributed to Subway linked to a salmonella outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that contaminated produce was the likely cause of the outbreak. Sysco is the common link between the Subway illnesses. Sysco has said that all of the produce it delivered on those shipments was prepackaged and not Sysco produce, making it unlikely that the produce was contaminated while in the company’s possession.
The restaurant industry is adding jobs at a rapid pace. In September, the industry created 34,000 of the new 64,000 private sector jobs around the country. Many of the new employees are recent college graduates looking to make a career in the industry. With fewer opportunities available for college graduates, many are making the decision to enter into restaurant management programs at restaurants around the country.
For just $100,000, you can dress just like Lady Gaga. The Old Homestead Steakhouse has recreated the raw meat dress the eccentric singer wore to the VMA’s. The dress is made from more than 110 pounds of raw meat. In case you do not want to wear the real thing, more reasonable versions of the outfit are expected to be one of the most popular costumes for adults this Halloween.
Saladworks has announced the addition of two new soups to their already long soup list. The company is adding Creamy Roasted Corn Tomato with Smoked Cheddar and Hearty Chicken Pot Pie soup to the menu. The new soups bring the total number of permanent soups on the menu to 15. Each of the additions has less than 140 calories per serving.
