April 20, 2012

QSR News Market Reports Food Quiz QSR Discussion Subscription Information

	Yum's Profit Jumps 73%, Helped by Taco Bell Sales
	Subway Eco-Restaurant to Pay for Itself in 2.5 Years
	Saudi Arabia’s Fast Food Boom is Finger Lickin’ Awful
	10 strange fast food items abroad
	Did Ronald McDonald miss fast food giant's Olympics cut?
	Taxing fast food won’t persuade people to eat lentils and mung beans
	Fast-food salt content varies by country: study
	Restaurant Brands Get Behind Autism Awareness
	TCBY's Big Fat Greek Success
	Fast-Food Franchisees Bulking Up
	Chain restaurants battle to get a place at the table in NJ
	Wingstop 1Q sales up, signs agreements to open 58 new stores

Welcome New Quick Service and Fast Casual Members!
	Johnson Smith, Potsdam, NY Joined on: Apr 18, 2012 Occupation: Cook

	Oddallys Massas, Allentown, PA Joined on: Apr 17, 2012 Occupation: Host / Hostess

	Tul Poo, Joined on: Apr 17, 2012 Occupation: Owner / Operator

	Sarah Selmon, Wichita, KS Joined on: Apr 16, 2012 Occupation: Writer/ Editor

	Neil Mccosker, Beverly Hills, CA Joined on: Apr 14, 2012 Occupation: Owner / Operator

	Krishna Mrakovcic, Durango, CO Joined on: Apr 13, 2012 Occupation: Owner / Operator

	Erica Pugh, Chicago, IL Joined on: Apr 12, 2012 Occupation: Other

View updated pricing and information each week on the website for the following food-commodity markets:

Dairy Commentary	View Detail
Increased milk supplies across the country continue to push cheese production. Many plants are operating at or near capacity to handle the extra offered supplies. Some milk is being offered to cheese plants at a discount to move the supply. Cheese inventories are building, although export sales have helped to move some excess product. February monthly average prices for barrels and blocks were around 29 cents lower than last year’s price. Cheese prices had traded in a narrow band for the previous two weeks. The CME Group cash butter price continued to ease during the week and closed the trading week at $1.4250. Churning schedules across the country were very active late last week, over the recent holiday weekend, and into this week, but now have slowed somewhat. Class II cream demand has declined considerably compared to weeks prior to the holiday. Most cream handlers were anticipating the decline, but were also hopeful that Class II ice cream needs might absorb a good portion of this cream volume. Milk production continues to build in the East and Central regions of the nation. California and the Pacific Northwest saw steady to slightly higher milk supplies. Arizona and Florida are the only states to have declining milk production, having recently reached their seasonal peak. Fluid milk sales are mostly steady and continue to underperform compared to year ago Class I sales. Processing capacity is being stretched nationwide in order to handle the increases in the milk supply.
Pork Commentary	View Detail
Prices for retail cuts were mostly flat through the week as neither side of the trade wanted to budge. With a slightly low harvest this week, many sellers anticipated higher markets, but sluggish retail movement did not force buyers to procure extra loads, thus the steady trading levels. Bone-in hams experienced mostly moderate offerings coupled with light to moderate demand, while price levels remained fairly steady as buyers were uncertain. At the same time boneless ham continues to be burdensome in an already full pipeline as prices responded lower. Seedless bellies had no trades, though a weaker undertone was the talk throughout the week, while supplies build. Surplus fat trim cleared the market early in the session, which allowed prices to firm slightly as demand improved. Along with this, lean trim was just the opposite as moderate to heavy offerings suppressed price levels as buyers bought at a steady pace. Boneless picnics supply was more than adequate to meet demand as prices inched higher as export interest looms on the horizon.
Beef Commentary	View Detail
Boxed beef cutout values were weak on Choice and firm on Select with moderate demand and moderate to heavy offerings. While the impact of the LFTB situation is most pronounced in GB and trimmings, industry fears of suppressed demand across the entire beef complex appear to be legitimate. This was most apparent with Choice middle meats where the softened demand and ample supplies remaining in the pipeline pushed these item prices lower. This in turn created an inverted CH/SE cutout spread at a time when historically it begins to widen by contrast. End cuts trended steady to firm on the session after reaching price levels that created renewed interest on the part of some retailers. Forward sale activity was relatively quiet with the exception of CH and SE briskets trading heavily at prices below spot levels. Beef trimmings continue to trend lower on moderate to heavy offerings. Price ranges also remain very wide as a reminder that the logistical problems created by the LFTB situation weigh more heavily on some companies than others. Fed cattle grinds were firm on the session, however blended grinds trended steady to weak. The GB market remains very unsettled, although the undertone appears somewhat stronger compared to last week.
Poultry Commentary	View Detail
Preliminary majority prices are trending 2 cents lower in the East, but unchanged in the West and Midwest. Whole bird prices are steady to weak in the East, but steady elsewhere. Offerings of all sizes are light to moderate and at times slow to clear. Demand into retail and food service channels is light to moderate entering the weekend. Floor stocks are in a full range. Market activity is slow to moderate. In the parts structure, movement is light to moderate. Prices are firm for tenders and most dark meat cuts and holding steady for the remaining items. Supplies of tenders, drums, thighs, and leg quarters are light, and all other parts are moderate to heavy. Market activity for parts is light to moderate. In production areas, live supplies are moderate. Weights are desirable to heavy.
Produce Commentary	View Detail
Strawberries: Demand exceeds supply situation as heavy rain fall in all the strawberry growing regions continues to hinder the California crop! Delays are inevitable as crews were unable to get into the fields for harvest yesterday limiting supplies and additional rain fall is in the forecast to finish up the week of 4-08-12. We will continue to assess the situation and update as more information becomes available, although rain is in the forecast winds are expected and will hopefully dry out fields so the crews can clean things up and get ready for harvest, but in the mean time be sure to contact your shippers as most if not all shippers will be pro-rating and being flexible with loading days and times is critical. Please make sure you are providing 3 or more days advance notice to your assigned grower/shipper partner on all orders. Supplies are limited so plan on the possibility of loading numerous days during the upcoming week. Offshore Melons: The offshore melon season is drawing to a close and the transition to the Imperial Valley should occur mid May. Retail promotions continue to drive this strong market as Cantaloupes maintain prices in the mid teens and Honeydews in the low teens. Honduras and Guatemala received rain during the past week as volumes should begin to seasonally decrease by the week of April 16th. So long as weather in Central America cooperates we should see fruit arrivals in Florida through at least the second week of May and possibly the third week. Honeydew volumes are peaking on the larger sizes (5s) as we have seen varying prices between 5 counts and 8 count. Small sizes are available but limited. We anticipate supply on new dew arrivals will begin to decrease by next week. Quality and brix are very good. Tomatoes: Florida – Rounds in Immokalee should finish by April, and quality can become a concern if there have been rains in the area, most shippers move into Palmetto/Ruskin at the end of April, beginning of May and usually it is a seamless transition. It is possible this year with weather being as good as it has been that fields are ready to harvest ahead of schedule and may finish ahead of schedule. Most shippers are finished by the 1st week of June, but a few do go until the end. Quality will stay good unless there is rain a couple of times a week, with this heat, if there is any rain there will probably be disease issues. Grape markets continue to be weak, Florida is moving into their spring crop and production will be heavy for the next few weeks, demand has dropped off and Mexico still has good supplies. Nogales shippers are lowering their markets to compete with Florida, volume will start to lighten up each week. Watermelon: Market is stable from the previous week, volume out of Guatemala and Honduras have been light due to rain. Offshore prices have been ranging $0.28 to $0.30 per pound, but this season is drawing to close. Mexico should be firing on all cylinders but can't get out of the gate with low volumes crossing, prices out of McAllen range $0.24 on seeded and up to $0.28 on seedless. Volume should pick up by the end of next week out of Mexico driving prices down. Brix and quality good in both growing regions. Product available in Florida with offshore and McAllen with Texas Mexico. The National Diesel Average has been recorded at $4.15 this week,. NPC continues to monitor, track and control diesel fuel averages by state as well as reported truckload freight rates on a weekly basis. Produce Market commentary brought to you by NPC Inc.

Marketing for Smaller Restaurants

Community member AzNewGuy writes...

I was hoping to do some research on the marketing strategies of the smaller, non chain restaurants out there. I have no service to spam, so dont worry for avoiding a minefield of lame links and product placement.

I see sites like restaurant dot com and groupon who put your name as a company out there, but charge and an arm and a leg, preaching that it costs you nothing upfront, but costs you between 60-90% of your first sale to people.

Would the concept of having...

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How to handle employee time off requests during busy season

Community member Krishna writes...

I own a pizza shop with about 10 employees. Our busy season is during the summer and I'm looking for some tips on how to handle vacation requests for hourly employees.

The strategy in the past has basically been that they write it on the calendar and I make sure their shifts are covered (mostly by my husband and myself) when I make the schedule every month. Which basically means we haven't seen the light of day from about June thru Sept in the last 4 years).

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Prep Table Keeps Freezing Veggies

Community member Parky's writes...

We have a Bev Air SP72-30M Sandwich Prep Table. The vegetables continue to freeze in spite of us turning down the temp. We often have to double pan the items to insulate them to keep them from freezing. It takes up a lot of our pans and we continue to experiece a lot of product waste. Any suggestions?...

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I am still planted and harvested mostly by hand

A native of Europe, I’m over 3,000 years old and still planted and harvested mostly by hand. A hardy perennial herb, I’m a member of the mustard family, spreading like a weed and growing 2 feet tall. My young leaves can be eaten in salad, but I’m most respected for my thick white root, which is nearly cylindrical and somewhat enlarged at the crown. My name refers to my large size, coarseness and strength. I’m mild and unassuming until you break my skin; with age, I darken and lose my power. Pungent, with a hot, biting taste, I bring tears to the eyes, and clarity to the sinuses. The Delphic oracle told Apollo: “The radish is worth its weight in lead, the beet its weight in silver, [and I, my] weight in gold.” One of the five bitter herbs Jews were told to eat at Passover Seder, I was used medicinally for ages before becoming a condiment. A stimulant, aperient, rubefacient, diuretic, and antiseptic, I’m most delightful along with meats and seafood. I’m low in sodium, high in fiber, and fat free. I wore the H.J. Heinz Co. label in 1870, six years before their world-famous tomato ketchup. I’m also required on Dagwood Bumstead’s sandwiches in the Blondie comics. If you still don’t know me, visit Illinois where they produce 60% of my world’s supply.

What am I?

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