INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Denny’s appoints COO as it focuses on turnaround

Aaron Howard will play a critical role in Project Grand Slam, which aims to improve restaurant experiences, speed of service, traffic and execution.

Dive Brief:
Denny’s appointed Aaron Howard as chief operating officer, effective Tuesday, the company said in a press release.
Howard has decades of experience in restaurant leadership and has worked at brands like CKE Restaurants, Cracker Barrel and RGS, parent company of O’Charley’s and 99 Restaurants.
Howard joins as Denny’s deploys a turnaround plan focused on new food innovation, value, catering, third-party growth, facilities modernization and improving traffic and restaurant execution, the company said.

Dive Insight:
Howard succeeds Christopher Bode, who was promoted to CEO in April, the same time Denny’s rolled out its turnaround strategy Project Grand Slam.

The chain has focused on improving operations following its $620 million sale to a group of private companies consisting of TriArtisan Capital, Yadav Enterprises and Treville Capital Group. Prior to going private, Denny’s suffered several consecutive quarters of same-store sales declines and closed dozens of restaurants.

Project Grand Slam aims to improve speed of service, discipline and accountability in areas that can strengthen profitability for franchisees and the brand, per the press release.

Howard will oversee operations across Denny’s franchise system, the company said. He has an operator’s mindset, Bode said in a statement, and an understanding of how team support and accountability is needed to drive performance.

“As we continue to strengthen value, relevance, profitable traffic and restaurant-level profitability, Aaron’s leadership will be critical to how we raise execution across the franchise system,” Bode said.

Howard most recently served as vice president at CKE Restaurants, but spent a bulk of his career in various leadership roles at Cracker Barrel for over 13 years and worked as a multi-unit leader at Wendy’s for over 15 years, per his LinkedIn profile.

“What attracted me to this role is the opportunity to get close to the restaurants, work with operators and teams, and help improve the execution guests feel every day,” Howard said in a statement. “Strong restaurants are built through consistency, discipline, and care. That is the work I am here to help drive.”

Source https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/dennys-hires-aaron-howard-chief-operating-officer/824627/

 

Wonder acquires Mighty Quinn’s BBQ

The eight-unit fast casual joins Wonder’s roster of 30 restaurant brands.

Food hall/delivery concept Wonder has added another restaurant to its portfolio of 30 brands.

The company acquired Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, an eight-unit fast casual based in New York City. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Some of Mighty Quinn’s management team will remain with the company, while co-founder and co-CEO Micha Magid will act as a consultant during the transition.

“It has been quite a ride,” Magid wrote in a LinkedIn post Thursday. “Now, as part of Wonder, the ride is about to speed up and we can’t wait.”

It is the second time Wonder has acquired a restaurant outright. In February, it bought the single-unit Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, another NYC concept. Wonder’s other brands were either created in-house or licensed from their owners.

The acquisitions are part of Wonder’s strategy of buying small, local brands and scaling them across its growing network of high-tech food halls. It gives the company some recognizable names to offer alongside homegrown brands like Limesalt and Burger Baby.

In Mighty Quinn’s, Wonder gets a well-known New York brand. Founded in 2012 by James Beard-winning pitmaster Hugh Mangum, caterer Christo Gourmos, and Magid, a Wall Street analyst, the restaurant got an early boost from a positive New York Times review and has grown steadily from there, expanding into franchising and a line of packaged meats for grocery stores.

Today the chain has five locations in New York and one each in New Jersey, Florida, and Maryland. Wonder will continue to operate these locations as usual.

As it has grown, Mighty Quinn’s has adopted a hub-and-spoke model to supply its locations, smoking meat at a central location and delivering it to restaurants. That is similar to Wonder’s operating model, which relies on commissaries to prepare food that is then shipped to stores and finished by staff.

Growing a barbecue chain has historically been difficult. The cooking process is complex and time-consuming, and regional differences can keep chains from getting too large.

Wonder has taken on such challenges before. In fact, it already has a barbecue concept, Tejas Barbecue. And in March, it began testing an Indian concept called Dabba, a cuisine that is notoriously hard to scale.

“As Wonder integrates Mighty Quinn’s into its existing operations, the company’s culinary team, led by trained chefs, will focus on making the signature dishes fans love more widely available across the Wonder platform,” a Wonder spokesperson said in a statement.

New York-based Wonder was founded in 2018 by Marc Lore, an entrepreneur who founded successful ecommerce companies Diapers.com and Jet.com. Since 2021, Wonder has raised more than $2 billion in capital, with another $600 million in the works, which it has used to make several major acquisitions and quickly open new locations.

Wonder also owns Blue Apron, Grubhub, and Spyce kitchen robotics. It has about 130 locations in 10 East Coast states and Washington, D.C.

Source https://www.nrn.com/emerging-chains/wonder-acquires-mighty-quinn-s-bbq

 

Papa Murphy’s to Close Up to 50 Restaurants

The chain has closed over 500 restaurants in the past nine years.

Papa Murphy’s is headed for more closures.

Parent company MTY Food Group told investors during the company’s Q2 earnings call that it expects to shutter 68 underperforming corporately owned restaurants over the next nine months. Of those, between 45 and 50 stores will be Papa Murphy’s locations.

Most of the shutdowns will occur in the third quarter, with the first scheduled to begin this week. The 68 closures represent about 1 percent of MTY’s systemwide restaurant base.

The move comes after MTY attempted to revive a collection of stores it took back from Papa Murphy’s franchisees about two years ago.

“After nearly two years of efforts and some successful turnarounds in those markets, we came to the conclusion that these markets are probably not appropriate for Papa Murphy’s at this time, and we chose to close a lot of these stores in these locations,” MTY CEO Eric Lefebvre told analysts.

The take-and-bake chain is one of several pizza concepts struggling to gain traction in the U.S. Pizza Hut—which will be sold to LongRange Capital—and Papa Johns are both shuttering hundreds of restaurants. In the fast-casual category, Blaze Pizza switched CEOs, Pieology declared bankruptcy, MOD Pizza was sold to stave off bankruptcy, and Pie Five, which once had 100 stores, is now under 20.

Papa Murphy’s has seen a decline in U.S. store count for nine straight years. It shuttered 523 domestic restaurants between the end of 2016 and 2025.

Here’s how the brand’s U.S. unit count has changed. The figures below are end-of-year totals.

2016: 1,537

2017: 1,479

2018: 1,397

2019: 1,330

2020: 1,289

2021: 1,239

2022: 1,168

2023: 1,127

2024: 1,044

2025: 1,014

MTY’s overall closures announcement follows a comprehensive review of the company-operated portfolio. The locations collectively lost more than $10 million over the past 12 months, prompting management to take what Lefebvre described as a decisive step to improve the long-term health and profitability of the business.

The closures will cost between $10 million and $12 million through lease termination and related expenses. Even so, MTY believes the plan will improve future profitability by eliminating stores whose financial outlook no longer justified additional investment. The restaurants slated for closure were posting average sales declines of roughly 8 to 9 percent, significantly worse than the broader system.

“This was a store-by-store process where we evaluated the performance outlook and economic profile of each location,” Lefebvre said. “Where we saw a path to improvement, we chose to continue investing efforts into making our existing assets as productive as they can be. Where the fundamentals no longer supported that path, we made the decision to close the store.”

During the second quarter, MTY’s U.S. same-store sales declined 2.2 percent. Excluding Papa Murphy’s, comps in the U.S. were relatively flat. Lefebvre said the U.S. pizza market is intensely promotional and has become harder to navigate.

“We see that brand suffering a little bit more than the others,” Lefebvre said. “We run different promotions and we see that there’s very little loyalty in that market and the consumer will go where the pizza is the cheapest at any given time.”

Despite the near-term reduction in units, MTY continues to project strong franchise development across the remainder of 2026. The company opened six net restaurants during the second quarter and expects development to accelerate in the back half of the year, led by brands including Cold Stone Creamery and Wetzel’s Pretzels. Excluding the planned corporate closures, management said the company would have expected positive net unit growth for the year.

“We continue to operate the business with discipline and focus on the factors we can control,” Lefebvre said. “That includes driving strong cash generation, supporting our franchise network, advancing our new store pipeline, and taking action where we see opportunities to improve the quality and profitability of the business.”

Source https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/papa-murphys-to-close-up-to-50-restaurants/

 

Wingstop Was the Fastest-Growing Restaurant in America Last Year

The brand is targeting 10,000 units long-term.

In a preview of August’s upcoming QSR 50, it was not Starbucks (as was the case in recent years), Chipotle, 7 Brew, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, Dutch Bros, or any other buzzing restaurant brand clocking in as the fastest-growing in the U.S.—it was Wingstop, by nearly 100 locations.

Despite a 2025 that didn’t lack for challenges, the brand lifted by 382 stores domestically to reach 2,586 restaurants, 2,529 of which were franchised.

The Top 5 (year-over-year net domestic growth, year-end 2025)

Wingstop: 382
Chipotle: 294
7 Brew: 281
Jersey Mike’s: 238
Dunkin’: 231
When Wingstop declared after its IPO in Q2 2015, there 785 systemwide units divided between 714 domestic and 52 international.

Wingstop ended fiscal 2025 with 3,056 total units (470 of them international). Systemwide sales over this close-to-a-decade span have climbed to $5.3 billion.

The brand went from 2,000 to 3,000 restaurants in just more than two years and, when it opened its 3,000th in fall 2025, had debuted roughly 800 in 24 months to reach 47 U.S. states and 15 countries. More than 70 brand partners expanded their Wingstop footprint in one quarter that year.

Stretching to 2014—the calendar before Wingstop went public—average-unit volumes were a shade over $1 million at $1.073 million through 693 stores. That’s hiked to $2 million domestically.

And the wide goal for the 1994-founded brand, which is about 98 percent franchised, is to hit 10,000 stores and become a Top 10 global chain. In the U.S., it’s currently No. 15 by systemwide sales ($5.34 billion), looking up at Raising Cane’s ($5.487 billion), Popeyes ($5.698 billion), Panera ($5.894 billion), Panda Express ($6.472 billion), Subway ($9.2 billion), Domino’s ($9.953 billion), Burger King ($11.074 billion), Chipotle ($11.679 billion), Wendys ($11.898 billion), Dunkin’ ($13.106 billion), Taco Bell ($17.247 billion), Chick-fil-A ($23.918 billion), Starbucks ($30.250 billion), and McDonald’s ($55.061 billion).

Here is a look at how this all stacked up in 2024. Wingstop that year was the fourth-fastest growing brand at net 278 units (to note, QSR did not include Krispy Krunchy Chicken in the latest edition of the QSR 50; by that change, Wingstop would have been third). Starbucks was well ahead of the field at 589 net growth but retracted in the U.S. by 75 restaurants this past year as it continues to retrench.

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Wingstop’s expansion of 382 followed lifts of 278 and 205 in 2024 and 2023, respectively. It has ballooned its domestic franchised count from 1,678 to 2,529 over that span. The company-run figure tallied by seven in 2025 to reach 57 and is up from 43 at the start of 2023.

One of the more impressive facts of this chart is Wingstop’s 384 openings in 2025 coincided with just four stores ceasing operations. Wingstop hasn’t terminated a franchise unit in at least three years and has ceased five total (none in 2024 and one in 2023). Over that time, it’s reacquired 12 from franchisees as well.

So, all counted, Wingstop from 2023–2025 opened 868 franchised restaurants and shuttered five.

The largest franchised Wingstop market year-end 2025 was California, which saw its footprint pop from 376 to 457 since 2023. Wingstop’s homebase of Texas follows at 428, a rise from 405.

With company-run units, one closed last year—the first in three years—and three opened. The brand sold seven to franchisees in 2024 and one in 2023. It didn’t refranchise any restaurants in 2025.

This coming year could prove robust, too. Wingstop has 378 new franchise openings on the docket for 2026 alongside a couple of company openings (gross development).

It claims 56 franchise agreements signed without an outlet opened.

That expansion in 2026 will be led by 42 openings in Florida. California follows at 39, Texas at 22, and New York at 20.

Florida, which has scaled from 126 units to 171 over the past three years, is lining up as a major target for Wingstop. It has the most franchise agreements signed today at 16. California touts 10.

So far in 2026, Wingstop opened a net of 97 restaurants globally in Q1 at a more than 17 percent rate, year-over-year. It had 67 domestic franchised openings (compared to 96 in Q1 2025) and zero closures to reach 2,596 stateside locations.

The international side opened 33 restaurants and closed three to exit at 500. Overall, Wingstop entered Q2 with 3,153 global venues, up from 2,689 a year ago.

Wingstop in Q1 guided global unit growth of 15–16 percent for the full year. The brand said it has more than 2,200 restaurant commitments under development agreements.

Delving into store-level performance, average annual net sales in 2025 for stores that operated the full year, franchised and corporate (a pool of 2,171), was $2.020 million. AUVs have grown nearly $500,000 over the last few years, although it’s leveled of late.

And the brand’s $2 million performance comes on a roughly $580,000 upfront investment to build a Wingstop. Most operators, on average, the company said previously, are reaching paybacks of less than two years.

Forty-three percent of franchised stores exceeded the $2.02 million number (901). Sixty-two percent of corporate restaurants (34) did the same.

Median annual net sales in 2025 for all Wingstops operating for the measured period was $1.904 million. The store with the highest annual net sales achieved $5.042 million. The lowest, $584,584.

Average annual net sales for 2,116 franchises were $2.007 million. Median annual net sales for those restaurants were $1.891 million.

For corporate stores, annual net sales averaged $2.496 million and median annual net sales $2.411 million. The highest-performing company-run restaurant took in $4.038 million. The lowest, $1.127 million.

Wingstop’s has a long-view goal of hitting $3 million AUVs. Last year’s overall result was down a bit from $2.1 million in 2024.

Shopping center Wingstops typically occupy 1,200–2,000 square feet of leased retail space. The brand targets in-line sites in urban or suburban commercial areas.

As noted earlier, Wingstop’s 2025 was rocky at times. Same-store sales turned negative for the first time in 22 years (drop of 3.3 percent for the year and 5.8 percent in Q4).

That red comp continued into 2026, with same-store sales sliding 8.7 percent. Following a prior-year result of 0.5 percent, Wingstop’s two-year stack came opened the year at negative 8.2 percent. AUVs were $2 million.

The brand’s results, however, remain a reaction to challenged market conditions as well as its own track record. Q1 2024’s same-store sales surged 21.6 percent on AUVs of $1.9 million. So, Wingstop is still up 13.4 percent across three years. And going back further, Wingstop’s Q1 2024 lapped a 20.1 percent gain in Q1 2023 when AUVs were $1.7 million.

Management said 2026 started with weather-related closures (more than 700 units temporarily shutting down) and lower-income diners pulling back—a group that mixes 25 percent of Wingstop’s guest base. The chain also credited rising gas prices for tepid traffic.

If not for these external points, Wingstop told investors, Q1 would have “broadly been in line” with expectations.

The chain expects low single-digit same-store sales growth for the full year and is eyeing the second half of the year for a return to growth.

Wingstop will report Q2 performance on July 29.

While the brand weathers macroeconomic hurdles and embraces more growth, it’s focusing on three brand-specific strategies. One is improving operations through its Wingstop Smart Kitchen, the rollout of a new loyalty program, Club Wingstop, and growing reach to new customers. More on those initiatives here.

Source https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/wingstop-was-the-fastest-growing-restaurant-in-america-last-year/

 

Freddy’s plans to reach 600 restaurants in 2026

The chain expects to open 60 units this year and will refocus on in-line and endcap real estate to create more flexibility for its franchisees.

Dive Brief:
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers expects to open 60 units this year as it closes in on a total restaurant count of 600 s, the company said in a Tuesday press release.
The chain is expanding beyond its traditional standalone model to refocus on endcap and in-line restaurants, which offer more flexibility and lower initial investment costs for franchisees.
Freddy’s is prioritizing growth in the Northeast, Rust Belt, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Northern California and Florida as part of its multi-year development strategy.

Dive Insight:
Existing franchisees are helping fuel Freddy’s growth, and about one-third are expanding into new territories, the press release said.

“A strong franchise system is built on operators who see long-term opportunity within the brand,” Andrew Thengvall, chief development officer of Freddy’s, said in a statement. “As Freddy’s continues to grow, we remain focused on supporting our franchisees, through new restaurant prototypes, greater real estate flexibility, and development strategies that help position the brand for sustainable growth.”

Expanding its real estate focus allows franchisees to develop an in-line restaurant for about $854,834 compared to over $1.5 million for a standalone restaurant, creating “new pathways for growth in priority markets,” the chain said.

Freddy’s has steadily grown its unit count in the last few years, beginning 2023 with 456 units and growing to 580 by the end of 2025, according to its franchise disclosure document. Its average unit volume is nearly $1.9 million for standalone drive-thru franchised restaurants. End-cap units with drive-thrus have AUVs of about $1.8 million for franchisees while in-line units have AUVs of about $1.4 million.

To support its ongoing expansion, Freddy’s also hired Rafik Farouk as vice president of business development and Jackie Lobdell as vice president of franchise sales in April. Freddy’s was also acquired by Rhône, a global private equity firm, in September after being owned by Thompson Street Capital Partners since 2021.

Source https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/freddys-opens-60-units-2026-surpassing-600/824586/

 

Jersey Mike’s IPO reflects growing investor appetite for restaurants

Investors are anticipating strong valuations from the sandwich chain, especially after Black Rock Coffee’s successful 2025 debut.

Jersey Mike’s plan to go public reflects more than just the sub sandwich chain’s rapid growth — it’s a signal that IPO activity is coming back to life.

The last time the IPO market was hot for restaurant chains was in 2021 when sales and profits were on the rise coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. That year, Portillo’s, Sweetgreen, Dutch Bros, Krispy Kreme and First Watch went public.

Fast forward to the present, and industry experts are tracing renewed investor confidence in restaurants to Black Rock Coffee’s IPO last year, which raised nearly $300 million.

“The successful IPO of Black Rock Coffee last September demonstrated robust investor hunger for growth-oriented restaurant chains,” said Jerrold Bregman, a partner of the California-based BG Law. “It is probably no coincidence that Jersey Mike’s — backed by the deep pockets of Blackstone — has also recently thrown its hat into the IPO ring.”

Inspire Brands, which owns rival sandwich chain Arby’s and Dunkin’, also signaled interest in going public earlier this year.

“[Jersey Mike’s and Inspire Brands] are quality companies. They have great models. They have great experience,” said Mark Davis, CEO of Black Rock Coffee. “I think there’s a value proposition there that works really, really well and there’s a history of return that works.”

After joining the public markets, Black Rock Coffee maintained its same-stores sales momentum and unit growth, and Davis expects to open at least 36 restaurants this year. Jersey Mike’s seems poised for a similar path — the brand has posted steady year-over-year growth in sales, average unit volumes and unit count.

“A good restaurant IPO is one that has a good and effective roll out experience and strategy,” said Michael Halloran, lead corporate and securities partner at Halloran Farkas + Kittila. “Expansion followed by fairly immediate new store profitability leads to a higher multiple.”

Investor interest in restaurants regains steam
Restaurant IPOs come in “spurts,” Halloran said, usually on and off every two to three years. Fast casual chains appear to be favored by investors, meaning Jersey Mike’s could be highly desired.

“IPO candidates have two important choices for liquidity: a buyout by a private equity fund or another restaurant chain or an IPO,” Halloran said. “When the prices achieved through an IPO exceed what private equity and industry buyers are willing to pay, the IPO alternative is taken.”

Investor appetite for IPOs is growing not just for restaurants, but across multiple industries, especially with excitement over SpaceX’s public offering, experts said.

“It’s a great time now because the capital markets are active,” Bregman said. “There’s money that is on the sidelines and available.”

Restaurants typically have steady cash flow but also accrue a lot of debt, which can be rolled off by raising money through an IPO, Halloran said. Other companies, like SpaceX, typically rely on big contracts and business can be more unsteady compared to restaurants, he added.

Companies also are waiting longer before they go public. Decades ago, companies would wait as little as five years, but now they are waiting over nine years to go public, Halloran said. The time delay can help create stronger, more established companies that can handle a move to the public markets that typically comes with additional pressures over performance metrics.

“The market is more rigid now about expectations and delivery of expectations,” Davis said. “If you’re going to be a public company, I think you’ve got to deliver and you have to be able to do it for a long time.”

Pros of going public
Sometimes an IPO doesn’t lead to a company going public, as a private equity firm could come in after looking at financials and offer a higher price than what would be gained during an IPO, Halloran said. Fogo de Chão, for example, shared its intentions of going public in 2021, but was later acquired by Bain Capital in 2023, which kept Fogo private.

Even after an IPO, companies have the ability to file a secondary offering of equity and possibly debt or convertible debt to raise money for expansion with good germs on that money, Halloran said.

“The public market gives you ready access to file an S-3 and raise more money for expansion,” Halloran said, who added that this isn’t just liquidity for present investors but also an ability to offer stock options for employees, which could boost worker retention.

A successful IPO could help Inspire’s owner, Roark Capital Group, pay down some $3 billion in debt that Inspire used to acquire Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbin’s in 2020 for $11.3 billion, Bregman said.

“The positioning of the IPO, which could unleash some $2 billion in fresh capital, stands as a resounding testament to the success of that transformative 2020 acquisition,” Bregman said. “Lightening that debt burden will free up cash flow on a going-forward basis, positioning the company for continued expansion, bold new ventures and sustained growth.”

Risks of going public
While going public can provide much needed capital, it also comes with risks, especially since finances become completely transparent. Activist investors have taken aim at different restaurant chains in recent quarters, including Cracker Barrel and Wendy’s.

But experts say there is plenty that a company can do to minimize attention from activists.

The best protection for management is to run the business well and be transparent about its decisions, experts said. Strong finances, particularly year-over-year returns on ROI and revenue increases, is one of the best defenses, Halloran said.

“You have to have a model that works for the public markets,” Davis said. “It’s really important to do what you say you’re going to do. I would say that is probably the number one rule. … I think where you get into trouble is where you chase trends or you try to be something you’re not to manipulate the stock price for lack of a better term.”

Management also should take into consideration different opinions and advice from minority shareholders.

Source https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/impact-jersey-mikes-inspire-brands-initial-public-offerings-restaurant/824001/

 

Dairy Queen hires Shake Shack vet to modernize tech

Phil Crawford joins the fast food and frozen treat chain just months after it expanded a drive-thru AI test.

Name: Phil Crawford

New title: Executive vice president and chief technology officer, International Dairy Queen

Previous title: Global head of food, beverage and hospitality, Adyen

Phil Crawford will oversee IT and retail technology for Dairy Queen corporate and its 7,800 restaurants worldwide, according to a Tuesday press release. He succeeds Kevin Baartman, who is retiring.

Crawford has over 20 years of experience in IT and technology and has worked at restaurant brands including Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Shake Shack and Yard House, as well as retailer Godiva Chocolatier.

In his most recent position leading food and hospitality verticals at payments platform Adyen, Crawford partnered with various teams to help unlock new revenue streams and provide scalable solutions for better decision-making, according to his LinkedIn profile. At CKE Restaurants, he worked on development and management of global tech strategies for its QSR brands Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s.

“I am excited to lead the next chapter of the company’s technology strategy that builds a truly unified, scalable commerce ecosystem,” Crawford said in a statement. “Our goal will be to deepen consumer engagement and deliver exceptional experiences – whether our fans are ordering at drive thru, via delivery, in restaurant or through our digital platforms.”

Crawford wrote in a LinkedIn post that he aims to bring “fresh, tech-forward energy” to the company to make sure that operators have the tools they need to remain profitable.

Modern technology could also attract new franchisees into DQ’s system, especially as the chain is working to add more food-focused Grill & Chill locations. It began offering a $150,000 lump sum incentive in May and an additional $200,000 per store if development within 18 months of the first Grill & Chill opening.

DQ is already expanding a drive-thru voice AI test with Presto and began offering the tech to select franchisees earlier this year. The test at company-owned units led to positive results.

Source https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/international-dairy-queen-hires-phil-crawford-chief-technology-officer/824612/

 

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FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

TriMark Names Noonan CEO

James Noonan was named chief executive officer for TriMark USA, a Massachusetts-based foodservice equipment and supplies dealer. Noonan replaces Terry O’Brien, who retired “in order to focus on his health and larger life goals,” per a company-issued release announcing the transition.

O’Brien will act as an advisor to Jim Clough, TriMark’s chairman of the board, to ensure a smooth transition.

Prior to his appointment to CEO, Noonan served as TriMark’s chief financial officer. Prior to joining TriMark, he served as CFO of Hollingsworth & Vose and Suffolk Construction. TriMark has launched a search to find Noonan’s replacement as CFO, the release added.

Noonan becomes TriMark’s third CEO in four years. O’Brien joined TriMark as CEO in October 2024 when Clough was named chairman of the board. O’Brien succeeded Tom Wienclaw, who became CEO in August of 2023.

Brand Snapshot: TriMark USA

Company type: Foodservice equipment and supplies dealer
Annual sales: $2.22 billion in 2025, per FE&S 2026 Distribution Giants Study
Number of salespeople: 738

Source https://fesmag.com/topics/the-latest-news/23752-trimark-names-noonan-ceo

 

Immersion Systems Appoints Maxwell-McKenney

Maxwell-McKenney is based in the Greater Philadelphia area and was founded in 1929.

Maxwell-McKenney is now representing Immersion Systems throughout Philadelphia.

Immersion Systems’ ImmersaFlex platform performs multiple food preparation processes in a compact system, including rapid code-compliant protein thawing, fruit and vegetable washing, seafood thawing and de-glazing, fresh-cut potato washing, rice washing and other specialty food preparation applications.

“We’re excited to represent a company that is redefining how commercial kitchens prepare food,” says Matthew McKenney, vice president/principal at Maxwell-McKenney, in a press release. “ImmersaFlex is much more than a rapid thawing system. It gives operators a smarter way to prepare food by improving food safety, reducing labor, minimizing product waste, freeing valuable refrigeration space and providing the operational flexibility today’s kitchens demand.”

John Cantrell, founder and president of Immersion Systems, also co-founded Power Soak Systems.

Source https://www.fermag.com/articles/immersion-systems-appoints-maxwell-mckenney/

 

Rigney Joins Hoshizaki’s Consultant Team

Hoshizaki America hired Matt Rigney to serve as manager of consultants and design – Eastern U.S.

Prior to joining Hoshizaki America, Rigney worked as a national sales manager – East for Structural Concepts.

In his new role, Rigney will support Hoshizaki America’s Strategic Segments team and help strengthen relationships within the consultant and design community across the Eastern United States.

In addition to his new role, Rigney serves on both the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management (SHFM) Foundation Board and the Industry Advisory Board.

Brand Snapshot: Hoshizaki America

Company type: Manufacturer of ice and refrigeration products for the foodservice industry
Headquarters: Peachtree City, Ga.
Company history: Founded 1947 in Nagoya, Japan by Mr. Shigetoshi Sakamoto

Source https://fesmag.com/topics/the-latest-news/23756-rigney-joins-hoshizaki-s-consultant-team

 

EPI, Paragon Marketing Merge

EPI also recently announced mergers with Burlis-Lawson Group and Hanna-Young & Associates.

EPI, a manufacturers’ rep firm based in Grapevine, Texas, has merged with Paragon Marketing. The deal deepens EPI’s presence across Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and southern Illinois.

The merged organization will integrate Paragon’s field expertise and relationships with EPI’s operational infrastructure and support systems, with the transaction effective Aug. 1. Paragon’s leadership team will stay on as part of the new EPI Mid Central team.

EPI also recently announced mergers with Burlis-Lawson Group and Hanna-Young & Associates.

As part of the merger with Hanna-Young, EPI announced ITW FEG has given it exclusive representation in the Chicagoland market.

Source https://www.fermag.com/articles/epi-paragon-marketing-merge/

 

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TABLETOP & FRONT OF HOUSE

Millennial Minimalist Restaurant Decor Is Dead — Enter the ‘Nostalgic Tavern’

White walls and succulents, begone — the people yearn for lived-in furniture, dark wood, and Grandma’s tchotchkes

“Once 2010s minimalism is gone, what’s the next main aesthetic?” This question was asked in a Reddit thread a year ago, and lately, its application to the world of restaurant decor has been growing in my mind.

Until very recently, the visual shorthand for a Very Cool Place to eat was easy to spot: a pastel color palette — heavy on the pale millennial pink, of course — with minimalist, Nordic midcentury modern furniture; Jean Cocteau-esque line art; ceramics in an array of dusty shades; and a sense that interiors were graphic-designed rather than lived in, inoffensively photogenic and social-media-ready. Call it the Wayfair-ification of design interiors. When they weren’t pink, walls were off-white and unembellished; everything was smooth and beige. There was the Butcher’s Daughter, which opened its first NYC location in 2012, as well as Dimes, Sqirl, and over time, many, many locations of Sweetgreen. We may have reached peak millennial aesthetic with Carthage Must Be Destroyed, the Bushwick brunch spot that opened in 2016 with a fleet of pale pink dishware (it shuttered in 2023) and the pink-on-pink dining room at London’s Sketch, which felt designed specifically for optimal Instagrammage.

But at some point, we reached oversaturation. Instead of fresh, the decor style started feeling copy-paste. Hell, even Sketch is no longer pink. Lately, some of the most coveted reservations are for new restaurants whose decor leans away from the monstera-plant-millennial-minimalism of yore for a more robust, tchotchke-heavy eclecticism — an ambiance that hearkens back to a time of worn wood booths, Kit-Cat Klocks, and the glow of an overhead Tiffany-style lamp on your beef dip, in lieu of dining in what has started to feel like sterile, prefab designs with oatmeal-colored walls.

Why? Chalk it down to the great vibe shift.

As Allison P. Davis wrote for the Cut in her 2022 article “A Vibe Shift Is Coming,” the aesthetics of a post-2020, post-Tr*mp, post-lockdown world already felt different from the slick-bunned, girl boss millennialism that had reigned for over a decade. The cafe space at the Wing, frequented by Alison Roman in 2017, now sat empty. Suddenly, everything felt, well, not fractured — as we slide out of a recognizable trajectory, our surroundings become more curious, more kaleidoscopic. As trend forecaster Sean Monahan explains in the piece, “Everyone [came] out of [COVID] hibernation being like, What are people wearing? What are people reading? What are people doing?.” Restaurant decor, like fashion and entertainment, is also changing courses. We were once soothed by beige walls, figurative line art, and table succulents, but now, a deeper nostalgia is coming to the surface: one for folksy, worn-in spaces.

To understand what this means for the current state of restaurant decor, one need only observe the dining rooms of some of the buzziest recent openings. Consider the Feathers Tavern, the newest darling of the Hudson Valley which “offers a menu rooted in early American and traditional country cookery” with heaping spoonfuls of storybook, Tasha Tudor ambiance; or Los Angeles speakeasy Kissa Corazón, with its mismatched table lamps, overstuffed brown leather chairs, and grandfather clock.

In Nashville, Tennessee, Ophelia’s Pizza Bar, which opened in 2023, is practically wallpapered with tchotchkes and framed pictures; April Bloomfield (of Spotted Pig and Breslin fame) just opened a bar called the Victorian in Austin, Texas, with paisley fabric chairs and antique chests; while in Portland, Maine, recently opened Luncheonette delivers cheery strokes of Kelly green paint, vintage-looking honeycomb floor tiles, and the sensation that, at any moment, a Madame Alexander doll will be plating your celery root remoulade.

But my personal favorite newcomer that embodies the shift toward the nostalgic tavern aesthetic is Pitt’s in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Behold its straws, contained in the neck of this ceramic cow; feast your eyes on its carrot-print wallpaper. Black-and-white check print parades across its windows like ants on a summer picnic blanket, or the frame of your mother’s Mary Engelbreit needlepoint. It looks the way a Mary Oliver poem feels: warm, accumulated over time, and often graced with geese.

I asked Evan Collins, architectural designer and co-founder of the Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute, why he thinks this nostalgic tavern aesthetic is so popular right now. “In [politically turbulent] times like these, [there’s a] shift back into escapism and retro-revival,” he says, “There’s an intense desire to inject some whimsy, quirkiness, and retro-influenced kitsch into design after a decade of [what feels like a] very tasteful, inoffensive, though suffocatingly homogenous zeitgeist.” Present in this revived visual identity, he points out, is a bygone version of Americana that was friendlier, more unified, and less trend-centered, now resuscitated to flood your millennial senses with visuals that feel like a facsimile memory from your own childhood home or comfort restaurant.

According to Pitt’s interior designer Sydney Moss, this nostalgic bent was intentional. As she tells me, “When people go out to eat, they are investing their time into an experience. Finding quirky objects and colorful wallpaper was the natural path forward in turning Pitt’s into a place people would remember.” She adds, “I have a lot to say on the subject of the move away from blob minimalism, a lot of which [has] to do with fast paced trends and AI slop leading us into a monoculture devoid of individual aesthetics.”

Alienated by the “suffocatingly homogenous” white-walls era, the people cry for a more personal perspective. As Rafael Tonon reported for Eater in 2022, even the menu equivalent of millennial minimalism, itself heavily influenced by Nordic minimalism, has also been in decline, with a shift away from single-word dishes and back to “full descriptors, with long, double-barreled lists of details about provenance, sauces, cooking methods, and sides.”

But like the killer(s) in the Scream franchise, this doesn’t mean millennial minimalism will simply relent, since it’s become a common-denominator aesthetic that’s low-risk. (One recent example: Little Ruby’s new Williamsburg location, where pastel millennial blob art abounds.)

You can’t go home again. But you can dress your restaurant in a convincingly eclectic array of thrift-store gems, and for now, that’s close enough.

Source https://www.eater.com/dining-out/915123/millennial-minimalism-maximalist-cozy-dining-decor-trends

 

Restaurants have never known more about their guests. So why are they losing them?

The following is a guest post by Ryan Volberg, CEO and founder of Guestologie, a guest intelligence platform built for multi-location restaurant operators. Opinions are the author’s own.

The answer to repeat customer visits isn’t more loyalty tiers or programs, but deploying guest data to enhance experiences and remember preferences, writes Guestologie’s Ryan Volberg.

The numbers are striking, even for an industry that has grown accustomed to bad news about loyalty.

According to new data from Toast and Resy, just 7% of restaurant guests — the regulars or “multi-visit diners” — account for as much as half of all order volume. Half. Concentrated in a group most operators couldn’t identify by name if they tried.

That same report found that 83% of regulars make reservations, compared to 48% of non-regulars. They tip better, they come back more often, and what they value most, above points programs and personalized offers, is something operators already know how to do: remembering their name.

And yet a Tillster survey shows that 45% of U.S. diners switched their favorite restaurant in the last year, up from one-third the year before, even as the industry has poured investment into loyalty programs designed to prevent exactly that.

We’ve never had more loyalty systems, yet somehow, we’ve never had less loyalty.

The knowing-doing gap
There is no shortage of data in modern restaurant operations. Point-of-sale systems, reservation platforms, and delivery aggregators each generate a continuous stream of behavioral information. The issue is that almost none of it is usable in the moments that matter most.

Loyalty is not created in a dashboard or by an email. It’s created in the dining room. It’s the precarious moment when a high-value guest either feels recognized or doesn’t. It’s when a guest teetering on the edge of churning either gets pulled back or doesn’t. And in most restaurants, there is no technology working during this time. There’s no guest recognition at the door, and no alert to the host or server that the person walking in is among the 7% who generate half the revenue.

Guest data is typically captured after the visit, but the opportunity to act on happens during the visit. And by the time operators see it, the guest is already gone.

Recognition is the new loyalty
Ask regulars what keeps them coming back, and the answer is consistent: not rewards or discounts, but staff remembering their names and orders. The Toast and Resy report found that nearly half of all guests cite this as the single most important factor in feeling valued. Yet only 30% say they receive that level of recognition. That gap sits at the center of what is a colossal retention problem.

Other data puts a sharper point on why that matters. DoorDash’s 2026 Industry Trends report found that 65% of consumers say a restaurant remembering their preferences, such as dietary needs and favorite dishes, would directly impact how often they choose that restaurant. Another 63% say a specific recommendation or follow-up from staff prompted them to return. It’s about being seen. It’s the sense that somebody cares that you are there.

SevenRooms data shows that repeat diners spend 27% more than first-time visitors. Recognition isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a revenue lever, and right now, most operators have no ability to pull that lever during the visit itself.

As loyalty program dissatisfaction has nearly doubled year over year from 15% to 28%, according to Tillster, it’s becoming clear that points and tiers aren’t filling the gap. It is unquestionably true that restaurant operators care about their best guests, but the question is whether the systems they have in place can identify those guests in real time, at the moment of arrival, with enough guidance or context for a host or server to actually do something about it.

For most operators, the answer is no. It’s not because the data isn’t there, but because the system to turn that data into a frontline action doesn’t exist.

The operators beginning to close that gap aren’t necessarily spending more on technology, but they’re deploying it differently. The shift looks like this: reservation and POS data connected into a single guest profile, updated continuously, and surfaced to the host stand before a guest sits down. It looks like a server knowing, before taking an order, that the person at table six visits twice a month, prefers a window seat, but is starting to come less often. The visit itself becomes the intervention point, rather than a follow-up email sent three days later to someone who has already moved on.

None of that requires a guest to download an app, opt into a program, or do anything at all. It requires the restaurant to do the work on the back end so that the previously unseen is now seen and the guest’s experience is effortless. That’s the systems gap most operators haven’t closed yet, and it’s where the retention problem actually lives.

The operational shift
Restaurants are in the relationship business. But the moments when those relationships are most at risk, such as when a high-value guest feels unseen, are the moments that operators discover they have no system working to save it.

Two-thirds of diners are more likely to return to restaurants that remember their preferences, and nearly half of all guests say being remembered is what makes them feel most valued. Only 30% say they consistently feel that way. That gap is where the best guests quietly decide to go somewhere else.

The opportunity now is to close that gap while the guests are still in the room.

Source https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/opinion-ryan-volberg-restaurant-loyalty-dine-in-experience/824459/

 

Restaurant design trends we’re expecting in 2026

Discover the top restaurant design trends for 2026. Boost social appeal, efficiency, and revenue with small, smart updates your guests will love.

If you can’t remember the last time you refreshed your restaurant design, this is for you.

Today’s diners aren’t just booking tables—they’re booking moments, experiences, and memorable spaces. They scroll, search, and choose where to eat based on what looks good online and what feels good in person.

The good news? You don’t need a huge renovation budget to keep up. A few smart, tactical moves can make your space the one everyone talks about, online and off.

Give guests something to post about
Social appeal isn’t optional anymore. Your restaurant is your guest’s next Instagram story or TikTok post. In fact, a quarter of Americans (25%) say a restaurant’s Instagram or TikTok appeal is extremely important, with 58% calling it important overall, according to a recent OpenTable study.*

Small, clever design choices can help you turn your guests into your best marketing—without building a fancy influencer wall. (You’ve seen them: those neon signs or branded backdrops created solely for selfies.)

Try this:

Add a few statement pieces, like a bold mural or plant wall, that give guests a reason to keep talking about your restaurant long after they leave.
Choose lighting that sets the mood and makes food look Instagram-ready.
Incorporate your brand subtly by embossing your logo on plate rims, glass bases, or napkin bands so it appears in photos naturally.
These tweaks not only boost your restaurant’s visibility on social media, they can help increase bookings and brand awareness at minimal cost.

Make it pretty and practical
Having a beautiful space is only half the battle. Your restaurant design should also improve efficiency, service speed, and guest satisfaction. Wider pathways, more spacious seating, and varied table heights make it easier for staff to move and for guests to feel comfortable.

Not sure where to start? Counter and bar seating are having a moment, with reservations for these spaces up 26% and 23% year over year.*

Try this:

Add more bar and counter seating to accommodate walk-ins and solo diners.
Use OpenTable to track turn times and adjust your layout for maximum efficiency.
Highlight your restaurant’s accessibility on your OpenTable profile so guests know your space works for them.
The right flow makes service faster, keeps guests happy, and helps maximize revenue.

Local charm is winning
Generic decor is easy to spot. In 2026, cozy, local character is going to matter a lot. Nearly half (48%) of Americans say it tops their list as the most appealing interior style, according to OpenTable research.* You don’t need a complete redesign, though. Tap into your neighborhood and tell the story of your local area.

Try this:

Replace stock prints with art from local creators.
Use materials like wood, clay, or fabric that reflect your area.
Add small, narrative details—like menu boards, murals, or decor that highlight your restaurant’s unique history.
Local charm can make guests feel connected to your space and encourage repeat visits and word-of-mouth marketing.

Diners want unique vibes
More than half of consumers (54%) say they’ll pay more for a one-of-a-kind dining experience.* That means design isn’t just decoration—it’s a revenue-driver.

Try this:

Add small, signature touches that no one else has.
Host one-of-a-kind chef collaborations, pop-up dinners, or seasonal experiences that make your space feel fresh.
Mix textures, lighting, and seating styles to make every corner feel intentional.
Uniqueness doesn’t just earn attention, it builds loyalty and encourages guests to bring their friends.

Design with flexibility
Private dining is no longer just for large restaurants with extra rooms. It’s becoming a key part of how operators diversify revenue streams—and think about design and layout. With a +11% increase in group dining (6+ people) YoY,** and 36% of Americans saying they’d like to see more private and group dining options in 2026,* savvy restaurants are rethinking how to design every square foot to be more flexible and profitable. It’s about creating flexible, intimate areas that work for every occasion—from birthdays to business dinners.

Try this:

Use modular furniture or partitions to easily transform sections of your dining room into semi-private spaces.
Add dimmer lighting, curtains, or sound-absorbing materials to create intimacy for private parties.
Design your layout and flow so staff can serve large tables efficiently without disrupting the rest of the dining room.
Designing for flexibility not only helps capture growing group demand but also maximizes your floor plan’s earning potential.

Why restaurant design trends matter
The right restaurant design strategy does more than look good—it drives business results:

Attracts guests and increases covers by making your space inviting and memorable
Speeds up turn times through thoughtful layout and flow
Enhances social visibility with share-worthy aesthetics
Encourages repeat visits and loyalty
Restaurant design trends for 2026 go beyond décor—they’re about crafting experiences that connect with guests and empower your staff. Whether it’s optimizing lighting for mood and efficiency, choosing materials that balance comfort and durability, or using flexible layouts to handle fluctuating demand, design choices directly impact performance.

*Consumer Research Methodology: An online survey was conducted by WALR among 1527 US respondents, with quotas weighted for major cities. Fieldwork took place between September 3-9, 2025. Data has been collected adhering to MRS (Market Research Society) and ESOMAR guidelines to ensure ethical and accurate data collection.

**OpenTable Data: OpenTable looked at the number of seated diners per time slot, Experiences, party size, type of seating and cuisines from online reservations for all active restaurants on the OpenTable platform in the US from January 1 – August 31, 2025 and compared it to the corresponding time period in 2024 (January 3 – September 1, 2024). Cuisines are determined by restaurants. Volume of OpenTable’s “Notify Me” features in the US was also analyzed during these time periods.

Source https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/resources/restaurant-design-trends/

 

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FOOD & BEVERAGE NEWS

PepsiCo Says Economic Concerns Weighed on Customers in North America During Recent Quarter

The food and beverage giant reported stronger than expected revenue despite weaker demand.

NEW YORK (AP) — PepsiCo reported stronger than expected revenue in the second quarter despite weaker demand in North America, where it said consumers tightened their budgets due to economic concerns.

The food and beverage giant said Thursday that its net revenue rose 6.4% to $24.2 billion for the April-June period. That was better than the $23.9 billion Wall Street expected, according to analysts polled by FactSet.

In February, ahead of the Super Bowl, PepsiCo slashed U.S. prices on Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos and Tostitos chips by up to 15%, responding to consumers’ increasing exasperation after years of price hikes. That boosted snack demand in North America in the first quarter.

But in the second quarter, as gas prices spiked due to the Iran war, PepsiCo’s snack sales volumes were flat in North America, while its beverage volumes fell 4%.

Americans’ attitudes toward the economy have improved slightly as gas prices declined, but their outlook remains mostly negative. And hostilities in Iran have begun to escalate again, driving gasoline prices higher over the past two days.

Sales were stronger overseas, and its overall snack volumes rose 3% while beverage volumes rose 2%. World Cup -themed products, including limited-edition Lay’s flavors like Portuguese Chorizo and Onion, boosted sales, the company said.

PepsiCo, based in Purchase, New York, said it will continue to invest in making its products more affordable. The company is also trying to meet consumer demand for healthier products. In March it introduced Gatorade Lower Sugar, which has no artificial flavors or colors.

Net income more than doubled in the second quarter to $2.98 billion. Adjusted for one-time items, the company earned $2.18 per share. That fell short of analysts’ forecast of $2.19.

PepsiCo shares fell less than 1% in premarket trading Thursday.

Source https://www.foodmanufacturing.com/consumer-trends/news/22970247/pepsico-says-economic-concerns-weighed-on-customers-in-north-america-during-recent-quarter

 

Michigan Cyclospora Outbreak Grows to More Than 1,000 Cases

The parasite is typically spread by fruits or vegetables exposed to contaminated irrigation water.

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 1,000 people in Michigan have been diagnosed with a parasitic infection that can cause weeks of watery diarrhea, making it the largest such outbreak in state history and one of the nation’s largest in years.

No deaths have been reported and the source of the cyclospora infections hasn’t been identified. Meanwhile, investigations into similar illnesses have been going on in 28 other states, including in Ohio, where people just across the Michigan border are also becoming sick.

Michigan officials first announced the outbreak last week, when they were aware of more than 170 cases — all in the southeastern corner of the state — since June 22. Michigan usually identifies only about 50 cases each year.

On Wednesday, the state reported the number had grown to 992, including about 40 hospitalizations. Just across the state line, Lucas County, Ohio, reported 306 cases as of Wednesday. Northwest Ohio has seen more than 500 cases.

Cyclospora surges can be tricky to investigate, and food poisoning sources can be hard to establish. But “there is clearly a linked outbreak happening right now,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive, told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Here’s what to know about the current situation:

What is cyclospora?
Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is not usually life threatening and is typically treated with antibiotics. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer.

The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigation water.

It’s less common than a number of other kinds of foodborne illnesses, including salmonella and E. coli. For years, few U.S. cyclospora outbreaks were reported each year. But the number started rising about a decade ago, with a particularly notable spike in 2018 and 2019. Experts attribute the increases to climate change and better detection.

How does this outbreak compare to previous ones in the US?
Comprehensive data on cyclospora outbreaks is lacking. But available information shows only a small number of documented outbreaks in the last 20 years have surpassed 1,000 cases. That short list includes a 1997 outbreak tied to Guatemalan raspberries that sickened more than 1,000 in the U.S. and Canada, and a 2019 outbreak linked to Mexican basil that sickened more than 2,400.

There are several reasons it’s challenging to know the exact toll, said Melanie Firestone, a University of Minnesota foodborne illness researcher. Some tests used to check for types of food poisoning are not geared to detect cyclospora, “so there is a lot of underreporting when it comes to this,” she said.

Other challenges: Technicians aren’t able to grow the parasite in labs, making it hard to draw evidence from contaminated produce. And it can be hard to figure out what food sick people had in common, because sometimes it’s a single ingredient that might be common in multiple recipes — like basil or cilantro.

Also, it’s possible that food distributors may channel contaminated foods to both grocery stores and restaurants, making it hard to discern where tainted food came from. Investigations can take months and sometimes never find a clear source.

What’s the current situation?
Cases seem to be surging in and around southeastern Michigan. But it’s not considered a national health emergency.

There’s no evidence that the parasite has evolved to become more infectious, said Dianna Blau, the CDC’s acting parasitic diseases branch chief.

Thousands of cyclospora illnesses are reported in the U.S. each year and it’s not yet clear how unusual this year will be, she added. That said, the case total so far is four times higher than at the same point last year, according to current CDC national data, which lags dramatically from what’s being reported by the states.

Michigan appears to be suffering the worst of it, but the state’s aggressiveness in investigating and reporting cases may be “part of the reason why this looks like a Michigan problem,” Bagdasarian said.

How can you protect yourself from cyclospora?
People who have diarrhea that hasn’t gone away on its own within a few days should see a health provider and discuss the possibility of cyclospora, officials say.

The best way to prevent infection with a parasite is to avoid food or water that may have been contaminated.

Fresh produce should be thoroughly washed before being eaten. But be aware that cyclospora can really stick to some foods, so washing may not eliminate the risk of infection.

As Michigan officials investigate the potential source, they recommend consumers purchase whole heads of lettuce rather than prewashed, bagged lettuce or salad mixes, and to remove the outer two to three leaves before washing the remaining leaves under running water.

They also say to cook vegetables when possible.

Source https://www.foodmanufacturing.com/safety/news/22970245/michigan-cyclospora-outbreak-grows-to-more-than-1000-cases

 

Premier Protein maker taps salty snack leader as CEO

Bellring Brands named Michael Axelrod to lead the company as it looks to maintain its top spot amid increased protein shake competition.

Dive Brief:
Premier Protein maker Bellring Brands has appointed snack industry veteran Michael Axelrod as CEO to help reinvigorate brands and fend off increased protein shake competition.
Axelrod will become president and CEO of Bellring effective July 29. He succeeds Darcy Davenport, who is retiring but will stay with the company in an advisory capacity.
Axelrod was most recently CEO of Snak King, a private label salty snacks manufacturer. His career also includes stints at Del Real Foods, Passport Food Group, TreeHouse Foods and Kraft Foods.

Dive Insight:
Axelrod joins the Premier Protein maker as the company looks to stand out against growing competition. Bellring is a stalwart in the protein shake industry, but competition is mounting as consumers seek out more protein-rich foods.

In May, the company said it had gained at least 40 new competitors in 18 months. In response, Bellring has leaned heavily on promotions and new innovations, announcing it would debut a protein-enhanced soda to fill what it called a white space in the market. It also plans on launching a 42-gram protein shake.

Premier Protein is the No. 1 ready-to-drink protein brand, according to the company. Axelrod said in a statement that Bellring’s category expertise and retailer relationships position the company for long-term growth.

“Consumer demand for protein remains exceptionally strong,” Axelrod said in a statement. “I look forward to partnering with the Board and the team to capitalize on the significant opportunities ahead, further strengthen our market position and deliver long-term value for stakeholders.”

In its most recent earnings report, Bellring Brands reported net sales of roughly $599 million, a 2% year-over-year increase. Gross profit, however, declined by $67 million from the prior year due to inflation and a pullback in consumer spending.

Source https://www.fooddive.com/news/bellring-brands-premier-protein-ceo-michael-axelrod/825037/

 

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HVAC & PLUMBING

ASHRAE Turns Focus to Existing Buildings

Rallying in Texas, Society energetically launches new theme: ‘Retrofitting for Resilience.’

ATLANTA (July 6, 2026) – ASHRAE concluded its 2026 Annual Conference, held June 27–July 1 in Austin TX, bringing together more than 2,200 registered HVACR and building science professionals from around the world for five days of technical learning, collaboration and leadership.

The conference featured discussions on today’s most pressing industry challenges, including data center cooling, cybersecurity, dehumidification system design, indoor environmental quality, commissioning and other emerging topics shaping the built environment.

More than 100 technical sessions were presented across eight conference tracks, giving attendees opportunities to exchange ideas, explore new technologies and gain practical insights. Among the most popular in-person sessions were:

A Completely Waterless Two-Phase Cooling Architecture for Megawatt-Scale AI Data Centers;
Designing HVAC Systems for Data Centers;
Agentic AI Framework for Building Energy Simulation and Operation;
A2L Refrigerants in Data Centers: Issues, Strategies, and Future Trends;
Fluid Quality Monitoring and Maintenance in Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling: Differentiating TCS and FWS Requirements
Registration remains open for on-demand virtual access to conference content, including technical session quizzes and Professional Development Hour (PDH) certificates.

The conference also marked the beginning of a new Society year as Sarah E. Maston, P.E., BCxP, LEED AP, assumed the role of 2026–27 ASHRAE President. During her inaugural address, Maston introduced her presidential theme, “Changing the Game: Retrofitting for Resilience,” challenging the industry to work together to improve the performance, efficiency and resilience of existing buildings.

“We need to figure out how team ASHRAE, with its wealth of knowledge and educational offerings, can help create a game plan to make existing buildings more efficient, healthy and resilient,” said Maston. “This year we are going to focus on codes, technical guidance and building our team.”

As part of her vision for the year, Maston emphasized the role of interactive learning in preparing the next generation of building professionals. She announced the launch of ASHRAE HVAC Hero, an educational video game that places players in the role of a facility manager responding to maintenance challenges while improving building performance.

Players explore building systems, apply ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines and compete to reduce energy use and carbon emissions through informed decision-making. ‘ASHRAE HVAC Hero was made possible through the support of premier donor, Daikin, along with sponsors Vertiv and the ASHRAE Foundation.

Maston’s inaugural presentation, remarks and ‘ASHRAE HVAC Hero’ are available at ashrae.org/president.

Another conference milestone was the introduction of ASHRAE Vision 2035, a long-range framework designed to guide the Society’s volunteer leaders and Strategic Plans through 2035. The vision establishes a shared direction for advancing ASHRAE’s mission while addressing the evolving needs of the built environment.

Vision 2035 focuses on five strategic areas:

Personalized and Resilient Environments
Regenerative Development
Human-Centered and Equitable Design
Intelligent Building Lifecycle
Low Carbon and Circular Built Environments
The conference also celebrated the accomplishments of ASHRAE members during the Society’s annual Honors and Awards program. Outgoing President Bill McQuade, P.E., CDP, Fellow ASHRAE, LEED AP, delivered his final State of the Society address, reflecting on the progress made during his Society theme, “Healthy Buildings: Designing for Life.”

“Over the past 12 months, I have been proud to see ASHRAE embrace our Society theme, “Healthy Buildings: Designing for Life,” said McQuade. “The goal was to elevate Indoor Environmental Quality, or IEQ, to the same level of attention our industry already gives to energy efficiency, decarbonization, and refrigerant transition. There is real interest in working together to improve IEQ in both new and existing buildings, and many see ASHRAE as the organization best positioned to convene partners, coordinate efforts, accelerate guidance, and avoid duplication.”

The ASHRAE Learning Institute (ALI) complemented the conference with 10 professional development courses designed to help attendees expand their technical expertise. The most highly attended courses included:

Guideline 36: Best of Class HVAC Control Sequences;
Basic Concepts for Demystifying Dehumidification;
Understanding Design and Installation Requirements for A2L Refrigerant Systems.
All registered conference attendees, both in person and virtual, will continue to have access to the conference platform and recorded content for 12 months following the event.

The 2027 ASHRAE Winter Conference will take January 23 – 27, 2027, in Chicago, IL. The AHR Expo will be held January 25-27, 2027.

About ASHRAE

ASHRAE is an international society of more than 50,000 heating, refrigerating and air-conditioning professionals from over 132 nations dedicated to serving humanity and promoting a sustainable world.

Founded in 1894, ASHRAE is an industry leader in research, standards writing, publishing, certification and continuing education. ASHRAE and its members are dedicated to promoting a healthy and sustainable built environment for all, through strategic partnerships with organizations in the HVAC&R community and across related industries.

The Society is showcasing integrated building solutions and sustainability in action through the ASHRAE Global Headquarters building in metro-Atlanta, Georgia.

For more information and to stay up-to-date on ASHRAE, visit ashrae.org, connect on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and YouTube or download the ASHRAE 365 app to stay connected on the go.

Source https://www.hpac.com/industry-event-news/news/55389164/ashrae-turns-focus-to-existing-buildings

 

Winsupply Inc. Area Leader Team Grows Strategically

The Winsupply Family of Companies is growing its national Area Leader team with several new appointments responsible for coaching and recruiting entrepreneurs in wholesale distribution.

Winsupply Inc., one of the nation’s largest wholesale distributors, has grown its Area Leader team to 13 members to better support strategic growth across all Winsupply Local Companies. In the last year, Winsupply opened 11 new Local Companies and acquired four companies.

“Our team’s goal is to be more strategic in helping Local Company entrepreneurs grow market share and scale their business,” said Rob Ferguson, President, Winsupply Local Company Group. “These added resources will focus our strategy, provide flexibility, and continue to build the next generation of Local Company leaders.”

Terry Dickens, most recently President, Olathe Winwater, joins Winsupply’s Area Leader team to focus on high-growth opportunities alongside Area Leader Jesse Backman, who joined the team in February from the role of President, Greenville Noland.

A respected mentor throughout the organization, Dickens began his Winsupply career as a driver for KC Winwater in 1989. He spent 27 years leading Olathe Winwater.

“My purpose is to serve as an advisor, mentor, and role model to help others achieve what they think is impossible,” Dickens said. “I am driven to help others realize the Spirit of Opportunity® to build their own wholesale business.”

Luke Larkin, most recently President, South Atlanta Winsupply, takes over the Area Leader territory in Florida from Steve Lyon, who retired in June as an Area Leader.

Luke has been around Winsupply Local Companies since the age of 14 when he started sweeping floors at Elizabethtown Winlectric in Kentucky. He had stints at Bowling Green Winnelson and Fayetteville Winnelson, where he turned around the company. He left South Atlanta Winsupply with sales reaching $30 million.

“I want to help others become a true entrepreneur and find the same success that I have been awarded through hard work and the relentless pursuit of achieving my dreams,” Larkin said. “I want to live out the Spirit of Opportunity® by coaching, helping and building the current and future generations of Presidents and entrepreneurs.”

The core responsibilities of Area Leaders remain the same:

Recruit new Local Company Presidents into the organization.
Serve as a Business Advisor and Board Member for all Local Companies in their territory
Help each Local Company President reach their next level of success.
About Winsupply
Founded in 1956, Winsupply is a family of companies that includes more than 680 wholesalers across the United States; service companies for business support and sourcing; and Winsupply Inc.

In business to build entrepreneurs, Winsupply Inc. holds a majority equity stake in these independent, locally owned and operated wholesalers, known as Winsupply Local Companies.

Winsupply Inc.’s annual sales were $8.4 billion at the end of the fiscal year, January 31, 2026. The Winsupply Family of Companies employs over 9,500 employees nationwide.

Collectively, Winsupply Local Companies are among America’s leading distributors of construction materials, equipment, supplies, and solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, municipal and MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) applications.

Winsupply Local Companies serve contractors and installers across America in plumbing and heating; hydronics; pipes, valves and fittings; HVAC and refrigeration; electrical; fastening hardware; waterworks and utility; pumps; turf irrigation and landscape; and pipe, metal, specialty and fire system fabrication. Local Companies also sell direct to commercial and industrial facilities organizations.

The local owners of Winsupply Local Companies earn their own success through the The Spirit of Opportunity®: the chance to risk your own money, gain equity, and run your own wholesaling company to pursue the American Dream, with help from Winsupply.

Visit winsupply.com for our e-Commerce site; visit company.winsupply.com for company information. Follow Winsupply on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X.

Source https://hvacinsider.com/winsupply-inc-area-leader-team-grows-strategically/

 

Why Oversized HVAC Systems Undermine Electrification Goals

Heat pumps and other electrified systems perform best when capacity matches the building’s actual needs

As residential electrification continues to expand across the United States, heat pump retrofits are becoming more common in both new construction and existing homes. Equipment technology has evolved significantly in recent years, particularly with the growth of variable-capacity systems. At the same time, system sizing remains a foundational factor in achieving expected performance.
While oversizing has long been discussed within the industry, its effects may be more noticeable in electrification-focused projects where runtime behavior, part-load operation, and electrical demand play a larger role in overall system performance.

Why Oversizing Occurs in Retrofit Projects
In residential retrofit applications, equipment selection is often influenced by several practical considerations:
* Replacement of existing systems that may have been oversized
* Use of rule-of-thumb sizing methods
* Limited access to detailed building data
* Conservative equipment selection to reduce perceived risk.
These approaches are understandable in fast-paced project environments. However, accurate load matching can help improve performance consistency throughout the year.

Runtime Behavior and Seasonal Performance
Modern heat pumps are designed to operate efficiently over extended periods, particularly during part-load conditions that occur throughout much of the heating and cooling season.

When system capacity significantly exceeds building load, equipment may reach setpoint quickly and cycle off. Shorter runtime intervals can affect:
* Indoor temperature stability
* Moisture removal during cooling operation
* Overall seasonal efficiency.
Longer, steady runtime often supports more stable indoor conditions and improved energy performance. While exact impacts vary by application, load alignment is an important factor in achieving expected operating characteristics.

Variable Capacity Systems and Modulation Range
Variable-capacity (inverter-driven) systems are designed to adjust output to match changing conditions. These systems can operate across a range of capacities rather than at a single fixed output.
However, even variable-capacity equipment has minimum operating thresholds. If building load remains below the system’s minimum output for extended periods, cycling may still occur.
For this reason, reviewing both design load and expected part load performance can support more consistent operation throughout shoulder seasons and moderate weather conditions.

Electrical Considerations in Electrification Projects
In electrification-focused installations, equipment sizing also interacts with electrical system design. Larger-capacity systems may require:
* Higher circuit ampacity
* Larger breakers
* Increased peak demand during certain operating conditions.
Electrical system configurations vary by home and region. Aligning equipment capacity with building load can help support electrical feasibility and overall system efficiency.

Practical Steps to Support Proper Sizing
Contractors working in retrofit environments may consider the following practices to support performance-based design:
1. Perform Detailed Load Calculations
 Using Manual J or equivalent load modeling tools can help ensure equipment selection reflects actual building conditions.
2. Evaluate Duct System Performance
Duct leakage, restrictions, and airflow limitations can influence both comfort and efficiency outcomes.
3. Review Equipment Operating Range
Understanding both minimum and maximum system output provides insight into how the system will perform during varying seasonal conditions.
4. Commission and Verify Performance
Confirming airflow, refrigerant charge, and electrical measurements during startup supports alignment between design expectations and field performance.
5. Communicate System Operation Characteristics
Educating homeowners about runtime patterns and modulation behavior can help set appropriate expectations for system operation.

Supporting Long-Term Performance
Equipment efficiency ratings such as SEER2 and HSPF offer standardized performance benchmarks. Real-world efficiency, however, depends on a combination of factors, including sizing accuracy, installation quality, and commissioning practices.
Careful load matching supports:
* Stable indoor comfort
* Balanced electrical demand
* Consistent seasonal operation.
As electrification continues to evolve, attention to system sizing remains an important component of performance-focused HVAC design.
By integrating accurate calculations, thoughtful equipment selection, and thorough commissioning, contractors can help ensure that modern heat pump systems operate in alignment with their intended performance characteristics.

Source https://www.achrnews.com/articles/166420-why-oversized-hvac-systems-undermine-electrification-goals

 

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ENGINEERING, AUTOMATION, & IOT

Taco Bell revs up drive-thru AI deployment

Through a partnership with Omilia, which has brought voice AI to nearly 900 U.S. restaurants, the Mexican chain will continue to add the tech across its domestic system.

Dive Brief:
Taco Bell has expanded its partnership with artificial intelligence company Omilia to continue scaling its drive-thru voice AI across Taco Bell’s U.S. system, according to a press release.
The two companies originally partnered in 2023 and have since brought the technology to over 890 U.S. units across 38 states.
Parent company Yum has leaned heavily into technology across its brands, launching Byte, a proprietary software-as-a-service platform that includes artificial intelligence, last year.

Dive Insight:
Taco Bell’s rollout of various drive-thru technologies hasn’t been entirely smooth. In March 2025, Yum partnered with Nvidia to create a drive-thru voice AI that used Yum’s tools and Nvidia frameworks. It was then deployed to about 500 restaurants. But by August 2025, Yum had to slow down and rethink deployment after customers complained about the technology and others were able to troll the system by ordering massive amounts of items, like 18,000 cups of water.

Taco Bell wrote in an email to Restaurant Dive that its remains committed to expanding its voice AI across its system and that Taco Bell and Yum Brands work with a variety of technology providers, including Nvidia, to advance its broader digital and AI strategy.

Omilia said its system automates order taking and adapts to each restaurant’s menu and adjusts to real-time stock levels and current limited-time offers. It also adapts to filter out road noise, understand different accents and complex order modifications.

The platform uses proprietary small language models that provide “ultra-low latency, context-sensitive transcription specifically tuned for the acoustic challenges of the drive-thru lane,” according to the press release.

“The solution interprets and reasons on customer input, including slang, humor, mid-order changes, and complex customizations, and converses naturally, without latency, and without scripted menus or hallucinations,” the company said.

The press release claimed that Taco Bell restaurants that use this technology have had higher employee retention because team members can focus on hospitality instead of order taking.

“Omilia’s platform has proven itself at scale in select U.S. restaurants, and continuing this strategic partnership supports our long-term digital and tech strategy,” Dane Mathews, global chief digital and technology officer at Taco Bell, said in a statement.

Other chains have been looking into and are actively deploying voice AI. McDonald’s said it would explore automated order taking as part of its Next strategy. It tried voice AI at the drive-thru through a partnership with IBM, but ended that test in 2024. Other chains, including Wendy’s, Dairy Queen and Zaxbys, have deployed AI at the drive-thru as well.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional information from Taco Bell.

Source https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/taco-bell-omilia-drive-thru-ai-deployment/824564/

 

Why Your Best Guests Are Invisible

Something is shifting beneath the surface of the restaurant industry, and the numbers are starting to show it.

Nearly half (45 percent) of U.S. diners switched their favorite restaurant last year, up sharply from 33 percent the year prior. That data point should be setting off alarms for restaurant operators.

Instead, most are doubling down on the tools that created the problem in the first place—loyalty apps, point systems, and discount-driven programs that were supposed to help retain their best guests, but increasingly aren’t.

The loyalty app era is ending, and the reason is simpler than most operators want to admit: they’ve lost sight of who their guests actually are.

Drowning in Data, Starving for Insight
Modern restaurants are sitting on more guest data than any previous generation of operators. Point-of-sale systems, reservation platforms, delivery aggregators, and online ordering each generate a stream of behavioral information about who’s visiting, what they’re ordering, and how often they’re coming back. The problem is the fragmentation of this data and its ability to move beyond a dashboard insight into an operational advantage .

In a recent DoorDash report, nearly one-third of restaurant operators said it’s hard to connect guest data across channels. One-in-five still can’t identify the same customer across on- and off-premise interactions. The data exists, but the problem is that it never arrives in one place, at the right time, in a form anyone can act on.

The consequence is that arguably the most important moment in the guest relationship—the visit itself—is effectively invisible to most operators. There’s no technology working during it. No guest recognition. The guest came and went, and the operator never even knew who walked through the door.

Loyalty Programs Are Solving the Wrong Problem

The restaurant industry has spent the better part of a decade building loyalty programs designed for a different era. Tools such as points, tiers, and app downloads were built to reward frequency, not to build guest relationships. New research calls it “The Great Disconnect”: a massive gap between what operators want (1:1 personalization) and the operational reality (mass emails).

In fact, Restaurant Loyalty Specialists found that roughly 75 percent of brands still rely primarily on batch-and-blast communications sent to everyone, regardless of behavior or preference. Fewer than 15 percent are executing automated offers based on what a guest actually likes.

And zero percent of respondents had a system in place to recognize loyalty members in-store before payment. Zero. That means every loyalty member who walks through the door is, from the restaurant’s perspective, a stranger.

It’s reasonable to assume guests notice, and the numbers suggest they do: loyalty program dissatisfaction nearly doubled year-over-year in 2026, from 15 percent to 28 percent. The churn that follows is enormous. Consumers sign up, never meaningfully engage, and quietly drift away.

There’s also a subtler damage being done. Discount-driven loyalty structures train guests to expect promotional pricing. Once someone has accessed a brand at a reduced rate, paying full price feels like a loss. Operators are actively training their most frequent visitors to devalue what they’re being served.

The Aggregator Problem
Even more troubling, the platforms that sit between a restaurant and its guests now know more about those guests than the restaurant does.

Third-party delivery and reservation platforms have built rich behavioral profiles of restaurant customers, such as visit frequency, ordering patterns, and price sensitivity. The restaurant that served the food has a transaction record, but the platform has a relationship. In many respects, restaurants now appear more like renters of the guest relationship than owners, and the consequences of this can be dire.

For example, there are parallels to the airline industry in the late 1990s, when online travel agencies arrived. Carriers lacked the loyalty infrastructure that was strong enough to defend the direct relationship they’d spent decades building. It took airlines years to claw that relationship back, and some never fully did. Restaurants are in that moment right now. The window to act is open, but it won’t stay open indefinitely.

Rethinking the Tech Stack
The operators gaining ground aren’t necessarily spending more on loyalty technology. They’re rethinking what the technology should actually do. The question is shifting from ‘how do we reward guests for past visits’ to ‘how do we recognize who’s here right now, and what do we do about it.’ That means investing in infrastructure that connects data across channels, surfaces personalized “moments that matter” during service, and knows who the best guests are, what they need, and how to make them feel it while they’re still in the room.

If traditional loyalty programs were working, the closure rate among table-service restaurants wouldn’t look the way it does. The data is there and the guests are there, but what’s missing is the intelligence layer that makes both visible at the moment it actually matters.

The loyalty app era isn’t the answer. Knowing your guest is.

Ryan Volberg
Linkedin Website
Ryan Volberg is CEO and Founder of the guest intelligence platform Guestologie.

Source https://modernrestaurantmanagement.com/why-your-best-guests-are-invisible/

 

Wonder partners Zipline to launch drone meal deliveries in Texas

The service will not need special packaging and can be adopted by restaurants without “costly infrastructure” changes.

onder has joined forces with autonomous delivery company Zipline to roll out on-demand drone food deliveries in Texas, the US.

The service is scheduled to begin in January 2027.

The move comes ahead of Wonder’s planned Texas expansion next year.

The company said it is building the infrastructure needed to support long-term growth in the state and create a drone delivery network that can scale.

That preparation includes new storefronts, kitchen fit-outs, logistics systems and ordering technology.

Dallas will be the first city where the service starts. Wonder said most of its Texas locations are expected to offer drone delivery by the end of 2027.

Wonder North America CEO Tony Hoggett said: “Partnering with Zipline allows us to push the boundaries of what’s possible, combining our innovative food technology platform with world-class drone technology to reach customers in Texas through faster, more convenient delivery and serve them in entirely new ways.”

Zipline’s electric drones are designed to collect orders autonomously and fly them directly to customers’ homes.

It has completed more than 2.5 million autonomous deliveries worldwide across healthcare, food and retail.

At Wonder locations, Zipline’s system will handle on-demand fulfilment through automated flights, pick-ups and deliveries integrated with Wonder’s kitchen and ordering operations.

Wonder said the service will not need special packaging and can be adopted by restaurants without “costly infrastructure” changes.

The company will also use the Zipline Dropbox, a pick-up system that supports both indoor and outdoor loading and can be installed without construction.

Orders are placed in a keypad-secured drawer, after which Zipline handles the delivery process autonomously, with no need for customers to wait or interact with the drones.

Zipline head of national partnerships Chris Kenney said: “Every restaurant has menu items they hesitate to put in a delivery bag. Zipline changes that. By taking traffic out of the equation, Wonder can now offer customers their menu with confidence that every meal will arrive exactly as their chefs intended.”

Source https://www.verdictfoodservice.com/news/wonder-partners-zipline-to-launch-drone-meal-deliveries-in-texas/?cf-view

 

How Boxed Water and 2 other manufacturers solved end-of-line palletizing without buying a robot

Boxed Water Is Better recently opened its Holland, Michigan, facility to a room of food, beverage and CPG manufacturers for a panel on automated palletizing. Attendees came from across West Michigan and the Midwest, representing companies ranging from fruit storage and canning operations to chemical manufacturers and co-packers.

They came with the same questions most manufacturers are quietly wrestling with: Is automation actually within reach for a company our size? What does it cost in practice? And what happens when something breaks?

They got answers live on the floor, from operators who’ve been running robotic palletizing systems for months under Formic, a robotics-as-a-service provider that deploys automation for a flat monthly rate with no upfront equipment purchase.

The day moved through a tour of Boxed Water’s production floor and a customer panel featuring Rick Kulas, the Operations Manager at Boxed Water and two other manufacturers running the same kind of system: a VP of Sales and Operations at a residential coatings manufacturer and a plant manager at an industrial chemicals supplier. Each runs a robotic palletizer in a different kind of facility, with a different product mix and a different set of constraints.

Together, they gave the room a look at what automated palletizing looks like once it’s actually running.

Boxed Water’s automation journey: From three-shift grind to “it just runs”
Boxed Water has been in its current Holland facility since July 2023. When Kulas joined the company in 2022, the operation was running three shifts, seven days a week, with heavy manual palletizing across multiple lines. A half-liter case of their product weighs about 28 pounds. At peak, lines run two to five cases per minute.

“People get tired after eight hours,” Kulas said. “Ten hours is even worse. And even though we rotate through the positions, nobody wants to do it. It’s heavy and then people quit and then you don’t have anybody there for production.”

That was the breaking point. Boxed Water now runs three robotic systems: a cobot that moves across multiple lines, a compact industrial robot anchored to their highest-volume line and a third system at their Salt Lake City facility. Together, they’ve hit 98% uptime. Kulas no longer brings in seasonal temp labor for palletizing. He counts each robot as a headcount in his staffing plan.

What surprised him most wasn’t the labor savings. It was the consistency.

“The cobot puts the case exactly where it needs to be. It’s not leaning. We don’t have to worry about how it stretch-wraps or how it goes up in our racks,” he said. Before, a double-wall case that bows slightly would produce unstable pallet stacks. The robot doesn’t care about the bow; it just places.

When Boxed Water adds a new SKU or changes a case size, the system gets a new pallet pattern programmed, runs a quick test and gets back to production. Kulas described the setup the way you’d describe a reliable piece of infrastructure: “It’s like having an air compressor that just runs and you don’t worry about it.”

On the floor: What attendees saw
After the presentation, the group moved to the production floor. For many attendees, it was the first time seeing a robotic palletizer running live product on an active line. They saw both the cobot and the compact industrial in operation, watched how operators interacted with the systems and asked Kulas questions directly.

A few things visibly landed: how little operator time the robots actually require, how quickly the cobot can be repositioned and how the system handles minor variation in case dimensions without manual adjustment.

The panel: What it actually takes
Back in the meeting room, the panel moved through the questions that manufacturers in the room were most interested in.

What was your operation like before automation and what pushed you over the edge?

One panelist described a fully manual process from box erection through palletizing. A single pallet of finished product took one person two to three hours to build, with each unit weighing about 30 pounds. As distribution volume grew, the company was throwing four or five temporary workers at the problem and still barely keeping pace.

Working with their automation provider’s sales team, they identified end-of-line palletizing as the highest-impact, most automatable step. The provider also helped integrate an erector and sealer upstream. That three-hour pallet build is now a 20-minute process.

The other panelist’s answer was simpler: ergonomics. “It’s a very elegant solution and it works,” he said.

1. What held you back from doing it sooner?
For one panelist, it was the assumption that automation was only for large companies.

For Kulas, it was capital. “We’re a small company. The capital outlay was a big thing for us. Explaining it as a set rate, or how many hours we run versus financing 130 grand for a robot and figuring out how long it takes to pay that back, when I don’t have technical support in house, was the issue,” he said. A flat monthly model is what made the math simple enough to say yes.

The third panelist pointed to a tradeshow as a turning point. Seeing the technology live and realizing the service model meant they wouldn’t be on their own if something went wrong was enough.

2. How long until you saw a return?
“Two weeks,” said one panelist. Kulas called his ROI instantaneous: the first pallet the cobot built was already better than anything being built by hand.

The third panelist said the same, as freed-up labor moved to higher-value tasks immediately.

3. What surprised you?
Kulas’s biggest surprise was how smoothly it went compared to every other automation project he’d worked on. “You get promised the world and you get half a cup full of nothing,” he said. “This wasn’t the case.”

For another panelist, it was durability. Their team has put the robot through some rough moments: “It just keeps on going.”

One panelist’s team named their robot. They have also asked, seriously, whether it can be programmed to give a high five. (It cannot… yet.)

Kulas’s two cobots are named after employees who left the company. “To remember them by,” he explained.

What manufacturers took away
The room included plant managers, operations leads and maintenance coordinators from companies across West Michigan: canning operations, a fresh apple packing and sales company, a chemical manufacturer, a home goods co-packer and more. Many were early in thinking about automation. A few had tried to buy equipment outright and run into the familiar problems: stranded assets, knowledge gaps when technical staff left, slow support.

The robotics-as-a-service model addresses those problems directly: no capital required, no in-house robotics expertise needed, maintenance and spare parts included and contracted uptime, with financial penalties if the provider misses the mark. Contracts can start as short as three months.

What the panel added was proof. Three manufacturers, three different products, three different facility configurations, all saying roughly the same thing: it’s running, it’s reliable and the only complaints they have are about the things they didn’t automate sooner.

Source https://www.fooddive.com/spons/how-boxed-water-and-2-other-manufacturers-solved-end-of-line-palletizing-wi/824303/

 

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JAN/SAN AND DISPOSABLES

Kimberly-Clark investment helps Ohio secure 2026 Silver Shovel Award

The U.S. state earned national recognition for economic development, supported by the company’s US$800 million investment and nearly 500 planned jobs

The U.S. state of Ohio has been awarded the 2026 Silver Shovel Award, a national recognition for excellence in economic development, driven in part by Kimberly-Clark’s US$800 million investment in a new manufacturing facility in Trumbull County.

Presented annually by Area Development magazine, the Silver Shovel Awards recognize U.S. states that successfully attract high-impact projects generating substantial capital investment and job creation. Ohio received the distinction in the category for states with populations between 8 million and 12 million, with Kimberly-Clark’s planned creation of 491 jobs highlighted as one of the project’s key achievements.

“This recognition is another sign that the Mahoning Valley’s momentum is real,” said Guy Coviello, president and CEO of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber. “From being named the No. 2 hottest housing market in the nation to ranking No. 23 nationally for economic development, we’re proving that working together and a common goal can position our region to attract major investments.”

The Kimberly-Clark project is the result of several years of collaboration among local, regional and state organizations. The initiative began when Sarah Boyarko, then chief operating officer of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and now vice president of economic development at Lake to River Economic Development, introduced the former BDM Steel property to Kimberly-Clark’s site selection team.

The project advanced under the leadership of Shea MacMillan, the chamber’s former vice president of economic development, with support from Anthony Trevena and his team at the Western Reserve Port Authority. Lake to River Economic Development, a regional affiliate of JobsOhio, also played a significant role in securing the investment.

“This recognition is a testament to what can happen when strong partnerships, strategic site redevelopment and a shared vision come together,” Trevena said. “The transformation of the former BDM Steel site into a world-class Kimberly-Clark facility reflects years of coordinated effort and investment in our infrastructure.

“We are proud to have helped position the Mahoning Valley to compete for and win projects of this scale, and this award underscores that our region is not only ready for major industry, but leading the way.”

Local governments also contributed to making the project possible. Trumbull County commissioners, the city of Warren, Warren Township, Howland Township and the Trumbull County Planning Commission worked alongside economic development agencies to provide tax incentives and other measures that supported Kimberly-Clark’s decision to invest in the region.

“Kimberly-Clark’s investment in Trumbull County ranks among the most significant in our region’s history,” said Dani Robbins, CEO of Lake to River. “Sarah Boyarko and her team led the site selection for this project, engaged JobsOhio and other economic and workforce development partners and advocated for the incentives that strengthened the case for locating here, and we’ve stayed at the table since, connecting the company to local suppliers and community partners as it puts down roots here.

“Recognition like this validates the kind of collaboration that keeps landing major projects in the Lake to River region.”

Source https://tissueonlinenorthamerica.com/kimberly-clark-investment-helps-ohio-secure-2026-silver-shovel-award/

 

Summer Summit Supports Leaders in Facility Management

Healthy Green Schools & Colleges (HGSC), a program part of the Healthy Schools Campaign, announces its 2026 Virtual Summer Summit. This virtual series on sustainable facility management invites K-12 and higher education facility professionals to share leadership insights, explore executive skills, and learn strategies that drive growth.

The four sessions, taking place throughout July, will address facility leadership challenges and opportunities. Overall, attendees will learn about collaborative cultures, essential management tools, growth advantages, and personal journey anecdotes. These discussions will connect custodial services professionals and assist the next generation of leaders in the commercial cleaning industry.

Presentations are guided by an expert panel that includes familiar faces covered in Facility Cleaning Decisions’ March cover story. Ada Baldwin, Director of Environmental Services at North Carolina State University, Aneta Mistak, Director of Operations at Township High School District 214, and Melissa Salinas, Custodial Director at Rice University, are honored to participate and lead conversations about creating lasting change in the facility field.

Learn more about the program and register for this free event here. https://www.healthygreenschools.org/2026/06/2026-hgsc-summer-summit/

Source https://www.cleanlink.com/news/article/Summer-Summit-Supports-Leaders-in-Facility-Management–32878

 

PortionPac Expands West Coast Support with Appointment of Pam Engel

PortionPac Chemical Corporation announced today that Pam Engel has joined the company as Regional Manager for the West Coast Region, where she will support customer success, distributor partnerships, and business growth throughout the western United States.

Engel brings more than 20 years of experience in janitorial, packaging, procurement, distribution, and sales leadership. Her career includes leadership positions where she managed regional operations, developed strategic partnerships, and helped customers improve operational performance.

As Regional Manager, Engel will work with distributors, rep agencies, facility managers, contract cleaning organizations, and institutional customers across the West Coast. Her responsibilities include supporting customer implementations, providing education and training, conducting facility assessments, strengthening customer relationships, and identifying opportunities to expand successful cleaning programs.

“Pam’s experience, industry knowledge, and commitment to customer success make her an outstanding addition to our team,” said Caryn Gilliam, Chief Strategy Officer for PortionPac Chemical Corporation. “Throughout her career, she has built strong partnerships and helped organizations achieve better results through education and practical solutions. We are excited to have her supporting our customers and partners throughout the West Coast.”

Across the region, Engel will serve as a key resource for customers and distribution partners, helping organizations maximize the value of their cleaning programs while supporting long-term operational success.
“I’m excited to join PortionPac and work alongside customers who are focused on creating consistent, sustainable cleaning programs,” said Engel. “I look forward to building strong relationships and helping organizations achieve their goals through education, support, and standardized processes.”

About PortionPac Chemical Corporation
Since 1964, PortionPac Chemical Corporation has helped organizations create more consistent, sustainable cleaning programs through standardization, education, and system-based implementation. PortionPac works with facility managers, service providers, distributors, and institutional organizations to simplify training, improve operational consistency, control costs, and support long-term program success.

Built around the belief that cleaning should be safer, simpler, and more consistent, PortionPac’s approach combines pre-measured products, color-coded systems, standardized processes, and hands-on education to help organizations build sustainable cleaning programs across multiple facilities and diverse workforces. By reducing waste, minimizing product misuse, simplifying inventory management, and creating repeatable cleaning processes, PortionPac helps customers achieve reliable results, improve budget control, and reduce the complexity of program implementation and ongoing management for both frontline teams and facility leaders.

For more information, visit www.portionpaccorp.com.

Source https://www.issa.com/industry-news/portionpac-expands-west-coast-support-with-appointment-of-pam-engel/

 

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