Restaurants mix it up with martinis

Des Moines Business Record

Martinis are among the most classic, and simplest, of cocktails – gin and dry vermouth topped off with an olive – and a long-time American favorite. Now, a rebirth of the martini has provided bartenders with a wealth of possibilities to create drinks that sometimes don’t even qualify as martinis.

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ZAGAT Survey - What the Pros Want in 2006

zagat.com

Resolved: There'll be more space between tables, diners will keep those BlackBerries out of sight and Anthony Bourdain will get his fill of baby cuttlefish. Or at least that's how things would be if certain industry insiders got their wish in 2006. We asked chefs, sommeliers, nightlife gurus and other mavens what they'd like to see more of – and less of – in the New Year.

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Consumers get a taste of restaurant food safety online

WorldNow and WOI

DES MOINES, Iowa With a click of a mouse, consumers can get the dish on their favorite restaurant. And so far, a lot of people have been sampling what a new state Web site has to offer.

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Self-service coming to fast food

The Dallas Morning News

The cashier at your favorite fast-food restaurant may be replaced soon by an order-taking kiosk. But don't worry. It's been programmed to ask, "Do you want fries with that?"

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Gift certificates keep on giving for area restaurants

Boston Business Journal

Forty thousand dollars can buy a lot of steak and potatoes. But that's exactly what one company did last year when it purchased $40,000 worth of gift certificates from Grill 23 & Bar.

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Prime Movers - A survey of culinary trends just around the bend

QSR Online

Despite popular perception, quick-service restaurants have rarely been slaves to fashion. Though they have, over time, adapted to significant changes in the American palate and to the culture’s growing emphasis on convenience, value, and health, they’ve never zealously latched onto every fleeting food fad that whistles down the pike.

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17,000+ Restaurants Participated in Dine for America

Restaurants across the country banded together October 5 for "Dine for America" day, a national fundraising effort to support the America Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Find out more about the event here.

NRA Releases State-by-State Restaurant Industry Sales, Jobs Forecast

Press Release

The U.S. restaurant industry will have a strong year in 2006, the 15th consecutive year of real growth for the industry, according to the National Restaurant Association's 2006 Restaurant Industry Forecast. Though the growth will be strongest in the West and the South, the restaurant industry in all 50 states and the District of Columbia will continue to expand over the coming year. With expected national sales of $511 billion, a total economic impact of $1.3 trillion, and 12.5 million employees in 2006, the nation's 925,000 restaurants are the cornerstone of the economy. On the state level, Nevada is expected to lead the nation in sales growth next year, while Arizona will post the largest growth in jobs by 2016.

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Pepsi passes Coke in market value

Bloomberg News

PepsiCo, the world's second-largest soft-drink maker, surpassed Coca-Cola in market value for the first time after beating its competitor in sales growth and diversifying beyond soda.

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Independent restaurant owners band together

The City Paper

Facing mounting competition from corporate chains, a group of independent restaurant owners in Nashville have banded together in a new association backed by a national organization. The Nashville Originals will be sharing resources to jointly market and advertise independent eateries and boost their buying power among suppliers, said Rick Bolsom, the group’s president.

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