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On February 17, 2009, federal law requires that all full-power television broadcast stations stop broadcasting in analog format and broadcast only in digital format. Congress mandated the conversion to all-digital television broadcasting, also known as the digital television (DTV) transition, because all-digital broadcasting will free up frequencies for public safety communications (such as police, fire, and emergency rescue). For more information about the DTV transition, visit www.dtv.gov, which also provides links to several other informative websites, or contact the FCC’s Consumer Center by e-mailing "mailto:dtvinfo@fcc.gov"; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) or writing to: Federal Communications Commission; Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau; Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division 445 12th Street, SW Washington, DC 20554.
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The Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation and the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association Scholarship Fund benefited from the Foodies and Founders event sponsored by GDRA (GDRA) and Sysco. The gala event was held at the Belo Mansion (2101 Ross Avenue and Olive Street) on May 16. The 2007-2008 GDRA Founder's Club members were honored at the event. Founder's Club members include Sysco, Admiral Linen, Ben E. Keith Co., Brothers Produce, Direct Energy, Dr. Pepper, Hardie's Fruit & Vegetable, Heartland Payment Systems, Medical City Heart, Pepsi, Reliant Energy, Schepps Dairy and US Foodservice.
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Since 1987, MicroFridge® has provided the 3 in 1 combination refrigerator, freezer, and microwave for small spaces as needed in Hotels and Motels, Colleges and Universities. MicroFridge® combination appliances are energy efficient and cost-effective. MicroFridge® products feature patented Safe Plug™ technology that enables one-plug-to-the-wall operation and reduces electrical draw. MicroFridge® also offers Maytag and Whirlpool commercial laundry equipment and program options as well as Maytag, Amana and Magic Chef domestic appliances. For more information products 800-994-0165., the only Grand Hyatt in the United States located at an airport and one of the most upscale hotels at any airport in the world, announced a novel concept in hospitality and culinary arts education nationwide: the Epicurean Studio. This interactive culinary learning experience, complete with a functional film-recording studio and set, is located in the middle of the hotel’s fully operational main kitchen. Grand Hyatt DFW is the only upscale hotel offering this level of culinary experience anywhere in the United States, says the company. “The Epicurean Studio was created to provide a unique, behind-the-scenes look at a true culinary operation,” said Michael Stephens, general manager of the Grand Hyatt DFW. “With ‘hands-on’ training, preparation of a globally-inspired menu filmed live in our culinary studio, and the opportunity to tour some of the areas’ finest wineries and vineyards where you will blend and bottle your own wine, you can’t find anything like the Epicurean Studio experience anywhere else.” The Epicurean Studio will be offered monthly. Complete details are available at www.grandhyattdfw.com.
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The Imperial Sugar Company, Sugar Land, board of directors affirmed its intention to rebuild the parts of its Port Wentworth, Ga. refinery that were damaged in a debilitating incident on Feb. 7, 2008. The board’s affirmation authorizes management to retain design and engineering services to expedite the rebuilding process and continue to work with Imperial Sugar Company insurers to accomplish that goal. Sheptor also noted the company expects the full restoration of packaging capabilities to be completed in the next 12 to 18 months. When fully operational, the Port Wentworth facility is the nation’s second largest sugar refinery, equivalent to nine percent of the total U.S. market. Imperial Sugar Company is one of the largest processors and marketers of refined sugar in the United States to food manufacturers, retail grocers and foodservice distributors. The Company markets products nationally under the Imperial, Dixie Crystals and Holly brands. For more information visit www.imperialsugar.com.
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There are two styles of Shortening Shuttles available for the foodservice industry, depending on needs and budgets. The Simplicity series is the safest and easiest to use with no lifting required and works with any fryer and any style grease dumpster. The Economy series is also easy to use and safer than buckets plus it's economical says the company. Both the Economy and Simplicity series Shortening Shuttles® are made using a thick gauge Aluminum (0.101") with double walled seams. All information is available at www.shortening-shuttle.com
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iSi North America, a leading innovator of specialty culinary tools, has added the Thermo XPress Whip to their line of high-quality food whippers. Powered by the industry standard iSi chargers, the Thermo XPress Whip produces a higher whipping volume than traditional methods and guarantees perfect functioning when used together, says the company. iSi Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of cream and food whippers, soda siphons and their respective chargers, was founded in Vienna in 1811. The company established its US subsidiary in 1977 that later became incorporated as iSi North America. Its mission is to continue to capitalize on the rich iSi culinary heritage, offering products that enable professional results. Based in Fairfield, NJ, iSi North America can be visited online at www.isinorthamerica.com.
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The Super Mega I is a fully automated, fresh milk, espresso/cappuccino service center from Astra. This unit will prepare 8 different espresso beverages, using fresh milk, at the touch of a button. The enclosed refrigeration system holds the milk at a constant temperature, all the way to the frother. The Super Mega I is self-cleaning and self-pasteurizing, ensuring the delivery of a safe, tasty beverage with each brewing cycle. The Astra Super Mega I is a trouble-free, automated espresso machine that can be installed in remote areas. Designed and engineered for today's market, ASTRA Super Mega I is computer-controlled espresso machine with extensive software capabilities including: Self-Clean, Programmable product quality and quantity, management capabilities, and self-testing. For all details visit www.astramfr.com or all 877.340.1800.
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Bauscher USA, Inc. announced the addition of TAFELSTERN ? professional porcelain to its portfolio. TAFELSTERN, formerly Hutschenreuther Hotel, was formally launched at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show held in May. TAFELSTERN’s range is composed of over twenty collections of brilliant white and cream-coloured hard porcelain. In the upscale hospitality industry, the forms and concepts of TAFELSTERN are synonymous with high-quality and perfectly designed porcelain “Made in Germany”. The emphasis of TAFELSTERN lies on the guests’ emotional experience of sophisticated table culture. BAUSCHER and TAFELSTERN products are produced entirely in Germany by BHS tabletop AG world market leader in hotel china. BHS tabletop is a global leader producing over 100,000 pieces of hotel porcelain every day. Markets served by Bauscher USA, Inc. include fine dining, casinos, hotel banqueting, private clubs, restaurants, healthcare and institutional feeding.
Drive incremental cookie sales with Otis Spunkmeyer® Warm Wishes packaging. Consumers will pay more for cookies wrapped in convenient take-home gift packaging-every case of cookie packaging translates to 600 additional cookies sold in your location. They can be used for holiday gift-giving, special events, office parties, birthdays, thank-yous, and more. For more information visit www.spunkmeyer.com.
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Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) 76th Semi Annual Hospitality Training conference, to be held August 9-12 at Gaylord National in Washington DC, is the premier gathering of hospitality training and human resource professionals. It features the latest training practices, innovations and solutions through a mix of general and keynote speaker sessions, interactive educational breakouts and CHART’s unique member-sharing workshops along with great networking opportunities. The Commitment to People Award and the Spirit of CHART Award will be presented at this conference during an evening dinner Gala. Further details (including the agenda) and to register go to: "http://chart.org/conferences/current_conference/" or call 800.463.5918.
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Westin Galleria Dallas, part of Starwood Hotel and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., and Chef Scott and Gina Gottlich, founders of Bijoux announced plans to develop a new and innovative restaurant concept at the hotel. The yet-to-be-named restaurant is slated to open in 2008.
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The Tasting Room at Uptown Park in Houston, has opened its new “Reserve Room,” a luxurious space dedicated to providing wine, food and service to Houston’s wine and food lovers. The 1,000 square foot room comfortably seats up to 60. “Many of our customers have told us they are looking for the next level of wine service, in a posh, private setting,” said Jerry Lasco, founder and co-owner of the Tasting Room and MAX’s Wine Dive. “Staffed at all times with a dedicated sommelier, the Reserve Room will provide patrons with the most attentive and unique wine bar experience in Houston – it will truly be a VIP experience.” The Reserve Room features an exclusive, limited list of “cellar selection” wines from around the world, all served in the finest Riedel crystal stemware. Originally opened in 2004, the new Reserve Room is located at The Tasting Room at Uptown Park, 1101-18 Uptown Park Boulevard.
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Hotel Happenings: The Village at Allen will feature a 220-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Allen, and 35,000 sq. ft. conference center. The 10-story, full service hotel will have unique design elements including atriums and water features. The hotel is scheduled to open in March 2009. The hotel will be owned and managed by John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts.
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The new Hilton Garden Inn, in Pearland will open in early fall 2008. This 137 room hotel will feature over 6,000 of divisible function/meeting space for conferences, meetings, weddings and other special events. The address is 12101 Shadow Creek Parkway.
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The Grand Hyatt San Antonio, located at 600 E. Market St., is now open. A new Marriott Hotel is being constructed at Colorado Boulevard and Brinker Road in Denton. The hotel will open sometime later this year.
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The Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa in Fort Worth after a $46 million renovation, will open in June with 430 guest rooms and suites.
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EYE Lighting announces EYE Shatterproof Metal Halide, a series of metal halide lamps designed with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating on the exterior to prevent shattering of the outer bulb jacket glass if accidentally broken. These EYE Lighting PTFE coated lamps meet U.S. FDA Food Code 6-202.11 requirements, making them a choice for food processing, food warehouse, grocery, industrial, restaurant, retail, sports and other facilities where a reduced potential for glass shard related injuries or contamination is critical. For more info call 1.888.665.2677 or visit www.eyelighting.com.
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A new restaurant at the base of the Austin 360 tower at Third & Neches streets in Austin, is in the works. Seating 35 diners, the upscale restaurant will serve meals every day of the week. The restaurant is slated to open it the second week of July.
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Spicy Pickle fast-casual restaurants announced that one of its two Austin franchisees, with a five restaurant development package, has opened his second Spicy Pickle(TM) restaurant in Cedar Park, Texas. The new restaurant is located at 1335 E. Whitestone Blvd., Unit 110. It is located in a shopping center known as 1890 Ranch Shopping Center.
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The Clorox Company is now offering their new Green WorksTM cleaners. Green Works cleaners, part of the Commercial Solutions line, are made from ingredients taken from coconuts and lemon oils. They are biodegradable and are packaged in bottles that are recyclable. The Green Works line include natural cleaning products for use in restaurants, hotels and other foodservice establishments. For all details visit www.cloroxprofessional.com.
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Tampa Maid’s new Italian-style Breaded Calamari Rings are now available to the foodservice industry. Quick and easy to prepare, the new Calamari Rings allows operators to fulfill customers’ taste for quality calamari without all the labor and mess. For more information visit www.tampamaid.com.
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The Panini Grill series by Electrolux DITO now has a higher quality construction for better durability. The new Panini Grills are enhanced with a completely stainless steel chassis and front panel. Electrolux is available at www.electroluxusa.com/professional.
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Wascomat solid-mount, "Super" washer models provide superior results. ?Ideal for: ?- Hotels/Motels; - Hospitals/Nursing Homes; Restaurants and Catering; Schools and Colleges and other Institutional uses they 140 G-Force, high-extract, solid-mount, Wascomat commercial "Super" washer models save water, energy, labor and cut drying time for big gas savings and increase laundry productivity, says the company. ???The single phase electric service reduces installation costs and the large door offers easy loading and unloading. ? For more details visit www.wascomat.com?.
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Onity is rapidly expanding the North American sales team for their new CodePro electronic access system. Introduced late last year, CodePro is a PIN code-based locking solution, especially designed to meet the unique needs of the vacation ownership and property management sectors of the hospitality market. Onity, one of the world’s leading providers of electronic locking solutions, is part of UTC Fire & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. Onity most recently appointed Dan Artman as Southwest regional sales representative for CodePro. Dan is based in Phoenix, AZ, and will service clients in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, California and the mountain states. Onity (formerly TESA Entry Systems, Inc.), a leading global provider of electronic locking systems, offers innovative technological solutions and services for the Hospitality, Corporate, Education, Government and Marine markets. For information about Onity’s electronic hospitality solutions visit www.onity.com.
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la Madeleine Country French Café, has chosen DMX, Inc. as its exclusive music supplier. DMX, the leading provider of sensory branding for commercial environments, will enhance the dining experience by providing foreground music in the bakery and dining areas at la Madeleine's more than 60 North American locations. Recognized as an international leader of sensory services, DMX creates brand experiences for commercial environments. The company's services include music design, full motion video, audio messaging and environmental scents developed to provide brand texture for its customers and create integrated, multi-sensory environments that drive repeat business. DMX also provides music for cable television networks worldwide. DMX can be viewed at www.DMX.com.
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A rapidly growing trend in the restaurant industry is using consumer buying and dining data, provided by Buxton's Real Estate Solutions, to select sites for expansion. Buxton's newest restaurant clients using this cutting-edge, customer analytics method are Pei Wei Asian Diners, Granite City Food and Brewery, Mimis Cafe and Burrachos Fresh Mexican Grill. Buxton's Real Estate Solutions will provide these restaurants with detailed profiles of customers, identifying who they are, where they live, their purchasing behaviors and other lifestyle characteristics. This analysis is used as a tool for opening only the restaurants with the highest possible potential for success. Buxton has an excellent track record with restaurant clients, helping more than 100 restaurants with strategic growth plans. Clients that have incorporated Buxton into their real estate strategy include California Pizza Kitchen, Peter Piper Pizza, Islands Restaurants and Morton's. The company can be reached at www.buxtonco.com.
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Born out of Click Wine Group’s belief that Argentinean Malbec will be the next sought-after varietal for U.S. consumers, Malbec wine was created by Peter Click, CEO of Click Wine Group. True to the Click Wine Group philosophy, the new wine brings a fresh look to a fast-growing category with an elegant, upscale label and an excellent taste profile, stated Click. On the palate, HIGH NOTE displays the flavors of blackberries, plums, and black cherries with a touch of spice. Its rich, deep violet color; smooth velvety texture; soft tannins; and long, silky finish complete the taste experience. Click Wine Group is known throughout the industry as the company that pioneered no-nonsense marketing of top quality wines with clever, memorable names. The company’s portfolio includes Fat bastard (France), Root: 1 (Chile), Clean Slate (Germany), Flying Fish (U.S.), 2 up (Australia), and Mad Dogs & Englishmen (Spain). The Company can be reached at 206.443.1996.
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Pollo Campero, the world's largest Latin chicken restaurant chain, has opened a restaurant in the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Rowlett, Texas, its first ever in a Wal-Mart Supercenter. The new Pollo Campero restaurant is located at 2501 Lakeview Parkway in Rowlett. Pollo Campero's goal is to open 20 more restaurants inside Wal-Mart stores in the U.S. by the end of 2009. The COO of Campero USA is Roberto Denegri. The restaurant is a corporate store owned by Campero USA Corp., the U.S. division of Pollo Campero. A grand opening celebration for the new restaurant was held May 15.
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