Restaurant gift cards are getting more popular as holiday presents

Jan 10, 2020
As gift giving has shifted toward experiences and not physical items, restaurant gift cards are getting more popular. And restaurants are catching on.
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Packaged food giants turn to acquisitions, startups, and research to stay relevant

Feb 8, 2019
As food giant Conagra reportedly plans layoffs at newly-acquired Pinnacle Foods, a look at what’s keeping the food business fresh.
Pre-packaged bananas are shown for sale at a Fresh & Easy grocery as Tesco PLC, the UK's biggest retailer, officially enters the U.S. market, opening its first six stores in southern California on November 8, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. Tesco is importing its own system of grocery store operations, making heavy use of pre-packaged produce, in contrast to U.S.-based grocery chains, to reduce overhead and refrigeration costs. The Fresh & Easy markets, which are significantly smaller than typical U.S. supermarkets,  will use its own truck fleet for single deliveries from a centralized distribution center. The chain will operate from a relatively small $10,000 per square foot, producing more than a projected $200,000 a week, twice that per square foot of typical U.S. food stores .
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Did someone say avocado bar?

Dec 25, 2018
A conversation with the co-founders of Avocaderia, the world’s first avocado bar.
New York City's Avocaderia is the "world's first avocado bar."
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Would you like some earplugs with that appetizer?

Some noisy restaurants ring in at a decibel level that over a long period of time can cause hearing loss.
Popular restaurant design elements like hard, minimal surfaces, open kitchens and attached bars are responsible for restaurants' climbing decibel levels.
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For Campbell's, green bean casserole is an iconic money-maker that also ties it to the past

Nov 19, 2018
Americans' changing eating habits have had an effect on the Thanksgiving staple.
 Americans' changing eating habits have had an effect on the Thanksgiving staple.
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High price of vanilla sends a chill through the ice cream industry

Jul 12, 2018
Vanilla bean prices have been running between the equivalent of $1,000 and $1,200 per pound, nearly five times what it was a few years ago. And that’s rippling through the ice cream industry. One key reason for the increased cost is last year’s cyclone in leading vanilla producer Madagascar, which created a huge crop shortage. Larger […]
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Becoming a food and wine "superhero"

Nov 27, 2017
"I'm in a place where I can make a difference."
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For public good, not for profit.

Restaurateur Jen Agg on creating ambiance, treating staff like family and sexism in the kitchen

Sep 12, 2017
In a new book, Canadian restaurateur Jen Agg recounts growing up in the restaurant industry and why she thinks it can still get better.
Jen Agg.
Jenna Wakani

As customers buy more organic food, a call for more industry oversight

Sep 11, 2017
The market for organic food passed the $40 billion mark in the U.S. last year. As bigger companies get into the organics game, and more imported organic food lands in the U.S., more questions arise for USDA certifiers.
In 2016, organic food sales broke past the $40 billion mark for the first time. Above, a customer shops for milk at a Safeway's "Lifestyle" store in Livermore, California.
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Amazon-Whole Foods alliance could strain the organic supply chain

Aug 25, 2017
Online retail giant Amazon is on track to close its acquisition of the natural and organics grocer Whole Foods. Whole Foods has been losing sales in recent years as competitors ramp up their organic offerings at lower prices. Now Amazon says its working to “make high-quality natural and organic food affordable for everyone.” Analysts expect […]