2001 The Year in Review

Nation's Restaurant News, Dec 17, 2001 by Ron Ruggless

Nation's Restaurant News inducted 10 new restaurants into its Fine Dining Hall of Fame and honored Vincent Bommarito of Tony's in St. Louis as its Fine-Dining Legend. The new inductees were: Broussard's in New Orleans; Cafe Pacific in Dallas; Cafe 36 in La Grange, Ill.; The Cellar in Fullerton, Calif.; Dominici's in St. Louis; George's at the Cove in La Jolla, Calif.; March in New York; The Oakroom in Louisville, KY.; Oceana in New York; and Seger's in Atlanta.

The Bush administration lifted its 10-week-old ban on raw meat and animal products other than beef and lamb from 10 European nations that experienced cases of foot-and-mouth disease.

In the month's out-of-the-world news, Pizza Hut sent a specially prepared pizza into outer space by delivering it to Russian cosmonauts circling the earth in the International Space Station.

The board of NPC International Inc. in Pittsburgh, Kan., whose 835 Pizza Hut units in 27 states made it the chain's largest franchisee, approved a merger pact with a company formed by NPC chairman and chief executive O. Gene Bicknell.

McDonald's Corp. apologized for "confusion" about the presence of beef extract in its U.S. recipe for french fries after three vegetarians, two of them Hindus who don't eat meat for religious reasons, filed a class-action lawsuit against the chain for unspecified damages. The company also unveiled its first domestic McCafe in Chicago with the expectation that the gourmet coffee shop, which is successful in several countries abroad, would help boost sales. The company also realigned its senior management team.

More restaurants added computers and modem connections for guests' use, including Schlotzsky's Inc. of Austin, Texas, and a Burger King franchisee in New York.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan officially was named a partner in the stylish one sixtyblue restaurant in Chicago. Legal issues with the now-closed Michael Jordan's restaurant there had prevented him from publicizing his ownership.

The 64-unit Cooker Restaurant Corp. of Cincinnati filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The Roundtable for Women in Foodservice honored Patricia Harris, vice president of diversity initiatives at McDonald's Corp., as its 2001 Woman of the Year during the Pacesetter Awards at the NRA show in Chicago.

Burger King Corp. named Paul Novak to the new post of senior vice president and chief development officer for the United States. Starbucks Corp. of Seattle named David Chichester to the new post of senior vice president of finance. Shoney's Inc. of Nashville, Tenn., elected William M. Wilson chairman of the board.

Sizzler International Inc. of Culver City, Calif., appointed Kenneth Cole president and chief executive of its domestic Sizzler USA division.

Wendy's International gave chief executive Jack Schuessler the additional title of chairman, a post that had been vacant since the death of Gordon Teeter in 1999.

And another industry leader died. Jerome Brody, the New York restaurateur who helped launch Restaurant Associates, died in Miami after a long illness. He was 78.