FoodAndBeveragePeople Media Group, LLC
News Kernels
Briefing You on This Week's NewsMarch 3, 2012
Greetings!

Welcome to the first News Kernels weekly recap of March, 2012.   Of note this week is three burger businesses poising for growth, a couple of manufacturing acquisitions, details on the Sara Lee spinoff and more.  
 
Sara Lee Spinoff
The trading details of the planned spinoff of Sara Lee's coffee and tea business was released this week.  The company released details on how the spinoff would be executed, where the new company headquarters would be and when the spinoff would occur. 
 
Tyson Considering Options for Meat Plant
With massive improvements underway at the company's Dakota City, Nebraska beef plant the company announces that they are considering closing the Denison, Iowa plant. 
 
Anheuser-Busch Sales Convention
Don't let the headline fool you.  This story is about sales convention attendees taking time out from their business meetings to pack emergency kits for the American Red Cross.  The contents of the kits was paid for by a $25,000 gift to the tireless organization by the Anheuser-Busch Foundation. 
 
Icicle Seafoods to Buy Snopac 
Snopac operates a seafood processing plant in Dillingham, Alaska and a seafood processing vessel - the M/V Snopac Innovator, which together enable the Company to process more than 1 million pounds of round weight per day.  Snopac has a significant presence in the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery and also participates in herring and pink salmon fisheries with the Innovator.

 

Pete Lescoe founded Food Should Taste Good in 2006 and now employs over 50 people.  While General Mills plans to keep Lescoe on the payroll, plans are not yet finalized for the remaining staff members at the snack company.

 

UFood and Euro Cafe Partner in D.C. 
Here's the strategy in brief -- upscale food trucks in the nation's capital and the key franchisees are military veterans. 
 
Bottom Dollar Food to Open 8 NJ Stores 
The expansion will create more than 300 jobs and more than double the number of Bottom Dollar Food stores in the Garden State, with the first two stores opening March 2.

 

Newcomer BurgerFi has Steve Ells-Like Goals 
Read about the trio that expects to build a sustainable, fast-casual concept focusing on gourmet, all-natural Angus beef burgers in a hip, urban setting.  The organization said more than 100 signed deals were secured in their first year of franchising and acknowledged they are continuing to attract high-level, business savvy investors looking to open single or multiple units around the country.

 

Andy's Burger & Shakes' New Brand 
As the company prepares to build out its footprint, they move to the brand Hwy55 to avoid conflicts with another Andy.
 
Burger21 Announces Expansion Goals 
Current efforts are focused on Florida but the company would consider other markets.   
 
Jamba Juice Management Realignment 
The company changes the role of two key executives putting one in charge of their brand and the other innovation.
 
Domino's Pizza Welcomes New CIO 
Kevin Vasconi will join Dominos' leadership team as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer

 

Kona Grill Promotes Christi Hing 
Hing will serve as Chief Financial Officer for the 23 restaurant chain.

 

Landry to Run Key Pacific NW Markets for SWS 
Southern Wine & Spirits named John Landry  Vice President, General Manager for Coastal Pacific's operations in Alaska, Oregon and Washington.

 

Flowers Foods Announces Key IT Promotions 
Dave Hubbard has been named Vice President and Chief Information Officer; Ginette Hall, Vice President of IT Decision Support and Distribution Systems; and Laquan Brunner, Vice President of IT Operational Technology.

 

 
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