Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo opens in 3 weeks

July 30, 2008

NORWALK, Conn. -- With three weeks to go before the opening of the 2008 Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, more than 300 multiunit operators have…

Pizzeria owner sues police over alleged taser prank

July 30, 2008

WLS (Chicago): Tinley Park, Ill., pizzeria owner Alexander Mendez is suing the Tinley Park police department after he was shot in the head with a taser gun.

Papa John's launches mobile Web ordering

July 30, 2008

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Papa John's has launched mobile Web ordering, a system that enables customers to set up an account or place an order from their mobile…

N.J. man on trial for selling another man's pizzeria

July 29, 2008

Asbury Park Press (N.J.): A New Jersey man is on trial for using a forged power-of-attorney document to sell a pizzeria business owned by someone else. David…

Little Caesars opens Hawaii store

July 29, 2008

AIEA, Hawaii  -- Little Caesar Enterprises Inc. has opened a location on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.   Thomas E. Metzger and his business partner Larry…

Technomic: Franchising key to sales growth

July 29, 2008

CHICAGO -- A new report from foodservice consultants Technomic found that many top restaurant chains grew their 2007 sales through signing more franchisees…

Papa Romano's, Mr. Pita open co-branded unit

July 29, 2008

COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A new co-branded Papa Romano's and Mr. Pita restaurant — the chains' first — has opened in downtown Detroit. The 1,800 square-foot…

Man gets 90 years in pizzeria slaying

July 28, 2008

Hartford (Conn.) Courant: A gunman convicted in a Christmas Eve 2005 shooting at a crowded pizzeria in Hartford has been sentenced to a total of 90 years in…

Pizza Inn signs Oman franchising deal

July 28, 2008

THE COLONY, Texas -- Pizza Inn Inc. has signed a multiunit development agreement to open up to 12 new units in the country of Oman over the next 10 years as…

Franchise deals to spur Donatos expansion

Pizza chain back on track after acquisition, sale.

Cop posing as pizza driver fatally shoots alleged robber

July 27, 2008

WZTV (Nashville, Tenn.): An undercover officer fatally shot a Nashville teenager who was approaching him with a gun, which was later found to be an air pistol.

Commodities update – Week of July 28, 2008

July 27, 2008

CHICAGO -- Block cheese prices on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange jumped higher last week, averaging slightly above $2.05 per pound for the trading week ended…

Pizza truck latest contestant in lunch rivalry

July 24, 2008

The Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.): Lost Brothers Pizza, which operates out of a truck in Newark, N.J., has roused the ire of other lunch vendors in the area. The…

Lab testing confirms Villages Pizza a healthy meal choice

July 24, 2008

VICTORIA, British Columbia -- When Villages Pizza owner John Papaloukas saw pizza appearing in media reports of food that wouldn't be allowed in B.C. schools…

Jet's Pizza franchisee to open S. Fla. stores

July 24, 2008

Naples Daily News: Michigan resident Tom Jakubczak couldn't find his favorite pizza on a visit to Florida two years ago, so he decided to do something about…

Grimaldi's reopens after tax shutdown

July 23, 2008

Newsday (via Slice): Legendary Brooklyn pizzeria Grimaldi's reopened July 23, hours after being shut down by the state over unpaid taxes. The pizzeria, located…

Research firm releases customer-service survey results

July 23, 2008

FINDLAY, Ohio -- Papa Murphy's Take 'n' Bake Pizza, CiCi's Pizza and Papa John's topped the 2008 second quarter rankings of the quarterly customer-service…

Minimum wage hike kicks in

July 23, 2008

CNN: The second of three increases to the national minimum wage took effect July 24, increasing the minimum by 70 cents to $6.55 per hour. The third and final…

Chuck E. Cheese comps up nearly 6 percent

July 22, 2008

IRVING, Texas -- Comparable-store sales at CEC Restaurants Inc., parent company of Chuck E. Cheese, increased 5.7 percent for the second quarter ended June 29…

Experts to offer pizza certifications

July 22, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli, one of the longest running pizza schools in Italy, is offering a 5-day course leading to a certification in…