Retail & FoodService

Hyatt Hotels Corporation H -0.11% announced today a global initiative to increase procurement of responsibly sourced seafood at Hyatt hotels, starting with an initial goal of responsibly sourcing more than 50 percent of their inventory by 2018. …

Steep discount promotions, décor upgrades and a few new menu options aren't enough for restaurant chains confronting growing demand for unprocessed, higher-quality food. Consumers' demand for fresher food and a unique brand experience continues to grow rapidly. New restaurant brands are popping up everywhere waving the fresh-food flag, but as this movement invigorates the masses it could also be destroying restaurant brands that fail to adapt to new demands. …

By teaming again with Marriner Marketing Communications, the USA Rice Federation has completely redesigned and relaunched its foodservice website: www.MenuRice.com. Based on site analytics and foodservice digital insights, the look and feel of MenuRice.com was modernized, relevant U.S.-grown rice information is highlighted in an easier-to-see format, and functionality has been improved in response to new digital trends. …

Consumption behaviors in the U.S. have become less household-oriented and more individualized than previous generations, and now over 50 percent of eating and beverage occasions happen when consumers are alone, reports The NPD Group, a leading global information company. Also contributing to consumers dining alone is that 27 percent of all households now consist of just one person — the highest level in U.S. history, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. …

Chef Tenney Flynn, of New Orleans restaurant GW Fins, is advocating for the sustainability of seafood from the Gulf of Mexico by partnering with Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) to form a council composed of influential chefs in the region. …