Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/55305
SPECIALTY FOOD THE NEWS UPDATE FOR SPECIALTY FOOD PROFESSIONALS NEWS NEW LOGO AND LOCATION FOR TASTE UNLIMITED With its move to a new, updated space for its original store and café in Virginia Beach, Va., Taste Unlimited has launched a new logo, emblazoning "Taste" in capi- tal letters. The new location features 70 seats and a raised communal table, and offers gelato, beer and wine by the glass, fountain drinks, coffee and tea, gluten-free retail items and a refill station for Taste Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food Sam Mogannam, owner of San Francisco's Bi-Rite Market, has written a shopping guide and cookbook that explores the connec- tions between store, shopper, producer and environment. Written with Dabney Gough, whose work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and Fine Cooking magazine, Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food explores the store- to-table model, offering a guide to identify- ing high-quality ingredients and deciphering labels and terms. The book was published by Ten Speed Press. PLAZA FOOD HALL EXPANDS The Food Hall at New York City's Plaza Hotel is planning to add 17 food-themed shops by April 2012, including La Maison du Chocolat, Tartinery, Sant Ambroeus Desserts, Lady M Cake Boutique, Luke's Lobster and Susi of Gari. The expansion will require a $3 million extensive renova- tion and reconfiguration that will grow the Plaza's concourse retail space from 18,600 to 22,000 square feet. Since 2010 most of the nonfood stores in the concourse have been closed or relocated, leaving room for the new food shops. Seattle Chocolates Celebrates 20 Years Entering its 20th year in business, Seattle Chocolates has opened a new retail show- room and seconds store. The gallery space created within the 65,000-square-foot choco- late factory has bare concrete floors and gleaming white tables that display more than 20 truffle varieties, 20 chocolate bars and brightly colored gift boxes. Complementing ® BY ROBYN PFORR RYAN A look at industry happenings, store and restaurant openings, legislative and regulatory updates and more the chocolate's stylish packaging are artworks created from the wrap designs and even cou- ture dresses made in bar patterns. NEW SOUTH DAKOTA SPECIALTY STORE Olive Destination opened in mid-Novem- ber in Sioux Falls, S.D., selling a variety of high-end extra-virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars, along with spices and LEGISLATIVE REGULATORY NEWS ments. In early December 2011 it received comments from NASFT and many others about the effect of user fees on small and very small businesses and about how those two sizes of business should be defined. NASFT recommended that FDA follow the Small Business Administration's approach, with very small businesses at 50 employees or fewer and small businesses at 500 employees or fewer. FDA extended until December 20 the comment period for public input about preventive controls, such as a written preventive controls plan to avoid and monitor for hazards. & New Organics Standards Board Members…The Secretary of Agriculture has appointed several new members to industry councils and boards, whose roles are to advise the Secretary about the marketing of food products. In December he named new members to the National Organic Standards Board. They include a handler, producer, environmental- ist, consumer/public service specialist and a scientist. USDA is making an effort to broaden the expertise and backgrounds of appointees and to change from the previous practice of selecting industry officials and Washington-based experts. Card Data: Court Okays Customers' Lawsuit Against Retailer…A Maine federal court has decided that customers may pursue their claims of negligence and breach of implied contract against a retailer for the unauthorized use of their credit and debit card information by hackers who had breached the store's electronic payment processing system. On the implied contract claim, both the trial court and the appellate court said that a jury could find that an implied contract existed under which the retailer promised not to use the data for other people's purchases, not to sell the data, and to take reasonable measures to protect the information. The case is at a preliminary stage and there has been no final decision. Marsha Echols, NASFT's legal advisor in Washington, D.C., is available to counsel members. Reach her at 202.625.1451 or echols@marshaechols.com. 16 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com NASFT Comments on Food Safety Act…FDA staff is drafting proposed rules to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act. The agency intends to publish the drafts in January 2012 for com-