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Machines will soon perform more service jobs than humans
Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementCan machines work as well as real human beings in delivering impeccable service? If so, will machines eventually replace human beings at work in the service industry? I had thought about those questions back in 2014 when I discussed the concept of the robotic butler ("Bolter") in hotels. But, at that time, I was unable to provide a definite answer. Today, I can finally assert with more confidence that a new era where machines serving people has arrived.
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Backlash over ‘Brad’s wife’ puts restaurant chain over…
Bob Kowalski MarketingThe Internet has fallen in love with Brad's wife. Well, maybe it's more like an infatuation. Either way, it has left Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in a tough spot. According to Internet reports, the restaurant chain fired Nanette Byrd from the Corydon, Indiana, location after 11 loyal and hard-working years. Her husband, Brad, later asked for an explanation on the company's Facebook page, with no response. Once comedian Amiri King posted about the situation on Twitter, memes and hashtags flourished — especially #JusticeForBradsWife.
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What National Nutrition Month means for the food industry
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageMarch is National Nutrition Month, and the theme for 2017 is "Put Your Best Fork Forward." No, it's not about dining etiquette, but instead refers to making smart food and diet choices. National Nutrition Month was first celebrated in 1980, and it was started by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to encourage people to make healthier meal choices. Their efforts have paid off since people are much more aware of their diet and health today than they were more than three decades ago.
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Restaurants struggle to remain relevant in fragmented food market
Katina Hernandez Food & BeverageLast year was a rough year for the restaurant business. In 2016, well-known restaurant chains Logan’s Roadhouse, Black-eyed Pea and Johnny Carino's were all forced to file for bankruptcy after experiencing lackluster sales. In fact, 2016 resulted in zero growth for most restaurants, but this downward growth trend is not new. With the economy in its eighth year of recovery, what is keeping Americans from dining out?
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EU looks at Ecolabel for supermarkets
Andrew Gaved Waste Management & EnvironmentalReaders will know that European supermarkets have made significant progress in recent years in converting their properties to lower-energy systems using lower-carbon refrigerants. Transcritical carbon dioxide systems have rapidly become the technology of choice for supermarket refrigeration managers wanting to reduce the global warming potential of their stores. Now, a European-funded initiative called SuperSmart is hoping to hasten the take-up of greener refrigeration methods by proposing an EU Ecolabel for food retail stores.
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Whole Foods is getting squeezed out of its own market
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageToday's trend may become tomorrow's necessity, and necessity breeds competition. This is the truth behind Whole Foods' struggling numbers. Whole Foods introduced the concept of organic food to the public, and in the process changed the way Americans eat today. In just 10 years (between 2005 and 2015), sales of organic food have seen a growth of 209 percent, according to the Organic Trade Association. The organic food industry reported $43.3 billion in sales in 2015.
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9 of America’s leading craft distilleries
Dave G. Houser Recreation & LeisureA couple of years ago, we devoted a feature to the craft brewery craze sweeping the country, and here we are again to report on the latest tippling trend: craft distilleries. From Seattle to St. Augustine, booze buffs can taste and purchase a variety of spirits, including bourbon, gin, vodka, rum, sour mash whiskey, tequila, brandy and various liqueurs — all lovingly created from scratch by some really bold and talented entrepreneurs. With that in mind, let's look in on a cross section of the country's leading craft distilleries.
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Will supermarkets become a new competitor for restaurants?
Linchi Kwok Food & BeverageThere are four levels of market competition: product-form, product-category, generic and budget competition. It is not until a business understands exactly at what level a product/service is battling against its competitors that effective marketing strategies can be developed.
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Spreading the word about clean cold
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingI have written before about the vital role the cooling industry in Europe believes it can play in developing countries where there is not yet an infrastructure for refrigerating food from "farm to plate." Now, the potential for reducing food wastage through refrigeration at various parts of the so-called cold chain has arguably been clear for a while, but it has taken a combination of factors to give the proponents of the technology the necessary momentum to get their ideas more widely accepted.
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‘Locavore’ is the new buzzword in the restaurant industry
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageAccording to chef experts who spoke to CNN, 2017 will see a significant shift in the food and beverage industry — a shift away from the celebrity culture to more of a community focus. And eating locally produced foods, known as "locavore," will be one of the biggest food trends this year.
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