FOODSERVICE NEWS

Sodexo Earns S.C. Government Kudos for Sourcing Locally
Richland School District Two, through its school nutrition provider Sodexo, became the first school district in South Carolina to earn the Certified S.C. Grown – Nothing’s Finer designation from the state’s agricultural department for sourcing more than 25 percent of the produce and products served in schools from local vendors and for supporting healthy eating and local-farming education.
Sodexo, in partnership with the school district, developed a food service program that emphasizes local favorites such as collard greens, potatoes and peaches. Three executive chefs from Sodexo developed menu options to highlight local products including grits, cheese and fresh meat and poultry. The initiative to source local products also includes education on local agriculture, including field trips to farms, culinary school programs that promote lifelong skills in preparing healthy food, and cooking demonstrations.

Applebee's Wins 2009 State Restaurant Community Award
T.L. Cannon Companies, the franchisee for Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants in New York and Connecticut, was recently recognized for supporting local neighborhoods and communities. The group won the 2009 New York State Restaurant Association's award for its community-based outreach programs.
T.L. Cannon also won Applebee's "Neighbor of the Year" award, among approximately 50 other Applebee's franchisees nationwide. That award recognizes the Applebee's group that has demonstrated the greatest commitment to serving its communities throughout the year. Last year, T.L. Cannon supported nonprofit and community-based organizations with more than $1.6 million in donations and fundraising activities throughout upstate New York and Connecticut.
T.L. Cannon/Applebee's invites groups to choose among a variety of fundraising options that can be booked on its community site www.tlcneighborhood.com. One program, the Flapjack Fundraiser, helped schools, sports teams and youth service organizations raise more than $1.2 million last year. Applebee's provides the venue and food for the breakfasts; the organization sells tickets and provides event volunteers.

MRA Educational Foundation Offers Energy, Diversity Workforce Seminars
In November, the Mass. Restaurant Assn. Educational Foundation (MRAEF) is offering two seminars tailored to owners, managers and assistant managers.On Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. the MRAEF will present a seminar, “Reducing Energy Costs for Tomorrow,” at the National Grid Office at Reservoir Woods, 40 Sylvan Road, Waltham. This seminar is offered free to MRA members through a sponsorship by National Grid. Presenters include National Grid Program Manager Tom Coughlin, National Grid Senior Engineer Michael Pace, and Taranta Restaurant Chef/Owner Jose Duarte.
Also on Nov. 3 the MRAEF will offer, “Training for Exceptional Service for Today’s Diverse Workforce.” This seminar will be run by a panel of experts in the foodservice industry and will address issues that operators face with regards to recruiting, hiring, training and maintaining a staff who can offer customers exceptional service. The panel will include the following presenters: Christine San Juan -Bertucci’s Italian Restaurant senior director of training and operations support ; Michael Minichello -president of OMNI Career Search Restaurant Division; Elanor Arpino, director of operations at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse; Irene Cook - Vice President of Operations at Panera Bread; Mike White – CEO of OMNI Career Search (moderator for event); and Eli Feldman – Director of Operations at No. 9 Park, LLC.
This seminar will be held on Tues., Nov. 3 from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Café Escadrille, 26 Cambridge St., Burlington. Cost for the seminar is $55 for MRA members and $75 for non- MRA members. For more information on the MRAEF or to register for these seminars, call 508-303-9905 or 800-852-3042.

Food Service Latest Word…
Starbucks is protesting the appointment of one of its former executives who has joined Dunkin’ Donuts. Starbucks is claiming it has a no compete agreement with Paul Twohig who was hired recently by Dunkin’ Brands as brand operating officer. Twohig had been a senior vice president for Starbuck retail operations in the Southeast.

Uno’s Chicago Gille is partnering with Ocean Spray on many fall menu items.

Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina, a fast casual Mexican restaurant chain has expanded its lunch and dinner catering menus to now include breakfast.

C-STORE NEWS

Gulf Oil, NACS Leaders Outline Fuel, C-Store Issues At Major NECSA Event
The futures of the fuel and convenience store industries were highlighted by Cumberland Gulf Group CEO Joseph Petrowski and NACS President and CEO Hank Armour as they were the keynote speakers at the NECSA Executive Networking Luncheon and Annual Meeting, held Oct. 15 in Randolph, Mass.
Mr. Petrowski cited considerations that included external influences such as fuel, category sales, and regulatory and finance challenges, as well as internal preparation and collective action.
He also predicted that compressed natural gas will be the fastest growing fuel source in the near future, stating that has a “tremendous cost advantage” over petroleum and produces about one-quarter the carbon emissions as gasoline. New and newly accessible U.S. reserves of compressed natural gas also reduce supply concerns. Continuing on some of the themes Mr. Petrowski addressed in the morning session, Mr. Armour presented an “Industry Update” over lunch. Although store counts declined by one percent, Mr. Armour pointed out that industry sales were up 8.1 percent , and industry profits reached $1.8 billion. Still, credit card fees reached $0.8 billion, making credit card interchange fees once again the number one advocacy issue for NACS.
Other advocacy issues NACS is working on include FDA tobacco, health care insurance, LUST funding, cap & trade, commodity speculation, renewable fuels standards, menu labeling, card check (unionization) and hot gas (automatic temperature correction).

NACS Show Convention Gets Underway Oct. 20 In Las Vegas
President Bill Clinton has been announced as a Closing General Session speaker for the NACS Show, set for Oct. 20 to 23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. Another highlight of the show is that three major convenience store CEOs will lead a NACS Show Panel. Chet Cadieux, chairman, president and CEO of QuikTrip Corp. (Tulsa, Okla.), and Dean Durling, president and CEO of Quick Chek Corp. (Whitehouse Station, N.J.), have been announced as panelists for the Oct. 22 NACS Show General Session, “A Tale of Two Retailers.” The day’s General Session presentations also will include the Ideas 2 Go video presentation, a fast-paced video tour of some of the most interesting, creative and potentially profitable ideas in the convenience and petroleum retailing industry.
Sixty-six educational sessions are being offered at the NACS Show. Log onto workshops and sessions at the website (www.nacshow.com) for further detail. More than 21,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibiting companies are expected to attend the show.
Also, the Petroleum Convenience Alliance For Technology Standards will meet on
Thursday, Oct. 22 at 4:00 p.m. at the PCATS Lounge at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Anheuser-Busch & Pepsi Co Agree To Selected Joint Purchasing In U.S.
Anheuser-Busch and PepsiCo have agreed to jointly purchase certain indirect goods and services in the United States and used primarily for their U.S. operations, such as information technology hardware; office supplies; travel and facilities services; transportation; and maintenance, repair and operating supplies.
The agreement allows both companies to purchase goods and services more efficiently at competitive prices - effectively managing costs that can be reinvested back into areas that will grow their businesses. A team consisting of procurement experts for each company will focus on common areas of spending and negotiate purchases on behalf of both companies.

C-Store Latest Word…
Over the objections of the New York Assn. of Convenience Stores (NYACS). the New York City Council last week approved an outright ban on sale of flavored tobacco products. Since it exempts tobacco, menthol, mint or wintergreen" flavoring, it will have little impact on cigarettes.  Assuming NYC Mayor Bloomberg signs it, the law will take effect in mid-February. NYACS speculates it could effectively kill the OTP category in the Big Apple.

Frosty Acres Brand, a national marketing and food purchasing cooperative, announced Top Choice Poultry as its newest member. Top Choice customer base includes convenience stores, grocery stores, institutional accounts and restaurant areas spanning Florida and Georgia.

PepsiCo has named Jaya Kumar as president of Quaker Foods and Snacks.

Coca Cola plans to introduce 90-calories cans in 2010.

Pepsi Bottling Ventures announces it has signed a letter of intent to purchase Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. of Conway-Myrtle Beach Inc.

Crown Imports plans to launch new Corona and Corona Light 24-ounce cans aimed at the single serve segment of the beer business.

NEW CHANNELS

Conn. A.G. Looks Into Smart Choices Fool Label Program
Conn. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced an investigation into what he called a potentially misleading national food label program that deems mayonnaise, sugar-laden cereals and other nutritionally suspect foods "Smart Choices." A Smart Choices symbol now prominently appears on select food and beverage labels nationwide and claims to help guide consumer food choices.
"These so-called Smart Choices seem nutritionally suspect -- and the label potentially misleading," Mr. Blumenthal said. "The Smart Choices label adorns sugar-laden cereals appealing to children, but not many healthier breakfast choices. Our investigation asks what objective scientific standards, research or factual evidence justify labeling such products as 'smart.”
Mr. Blumenthal has requested information from Smart Choices Program, Inc., the organizations which administer the program (NSF International and American Society for Nutrition), and major food manufacturers whose products bear the Smart Choices label, including Kellogg Company, PepsiCo, Inc. and General Mills, Inc.
Mr. Blumenthal's investigation seeks details about the consumer research and selection criteria driving the Smart Choices program; the process and fees involved in administering the program; and any payments or developmental role that major food manufacturers might have provided for the program.

Oakhurst Dairy Launches New Hybrid Truck & Other Environmental Friendly Steps
Oakhurst Dairy recently announced three new projects in support of a healthier environment. The family owned dairy purchased a fuel saving hybrid delivery truck, introduced a program to equip 25 of its large semi-trucks with side panel “skirts” and installed solar panels on a second Oakhurst facility in Waterville, Maine.
The dairy’s new hybrid delivery truck will be the first of its kinds for the dairy industry in the U.S. The vehicle, which will be used to deliver Oakhurst products to locations within 70 miles of the company’s Portland, Maine headquarters, will use between 30 and 50 percent less fuel- approximately nine gallons per day. This hybrid truck will reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 52, 000 pounds annually.
Oakhurst will fit 25 of its large semi-trailer trucks with side panel skirts to significantly increase aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. Locally made in Maine of recyclable materials, the goal of installing the skirts will result in a fuel savings of six to eight percent.
The recently installed new solar photovoltaic energy system at Oakhurst’s Waterville Maine distribution center is made of 216 Evergreen solar panels totaling nearly 3,250 square feet, making it one of the largest solar installations in Maine.

Walmart.com Launches Health and Beauty Products Online For Home Delivery
Walmart.com has launched a wide assortment of personal care products online, including health and beauty items, diapers and over-the-counter medication, now available for home delivery at www.walmart.com/health.
National brands such as Neutrogena, Pampers, L'Oreal, Colgate, Pantene and Gillette have been added to Walmart.com's online program. Shipping charges are 97 cents per item.

New Channels Latest Word…
Walmart announced last week that more than 4,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies nationwide will address the national shortage of Tamiflu by converting the capsule to liquid form. The liquid form is commonly taken by children, the elderly and those with difficulty swallowing the capsule form Due to limited inventories and commercial supplies of Tamiflu oral suspension, the FDA approved the directions pharmacists use to compound the liquid medication from Tamiflu capsules. Tamiflu is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat and prevent influenza.

Retail sales from September, excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants, increased .5 percent from August but fell 1.5 percent from a year ago, according to the National Retail Federation.

Kimberly Clark Professional has received green seal certification for fragrance and dye free foam skin cleanser.