2002 The Year in Review

Nation's Restaurant News, Dec 23, 2002 by Ron Ruggless

Culinary and bartender unions in Las Vegas agreed to new contracts with a number of large hotels and casinos, averting a threatened citywide strike.

Godfather's Pizza Inc. of Omaha, Neb., debuted Big Vinny's Sandwiches in a Godfather's unit.

Landry's Restaurants Inc. said its planned acquisition of 38 Chart House restaurants would give it more than 30 premier waterfront locations to add to its multiconcept inventory.

Brinker International was testing a fast-casual version of its Chili's Grill and Bar concept. The Chili's Too unit in the Dallas suburb of Coppell, Texas, employed a counter-order-table-delivery system found in many fast-casual operators.

Police in Palatine, Ill., charged two men in the 1993 execution-style slayings of seven people at a Brown's Chicken & Pasta unit. The two were arrested after DNA tests matched a suspect to saliva left on a partly eaten chicken dinner that had been preserved by police in a freezer as potential evidence.

New York City restaurants and chefs swept the James Beard Foundation Awards, with Lidia Bastianich, chef and owner of Felidia, being named outstanding chef, Gotham Bar and Grill tapped as outstanding restaurant, Craft being named best new restaurant and Jean-Francois Bruel, chef at DB Bistro Moderne, winning best rising-star chef.

Nation's Restaurant News unveiled its 2002 Hot Concepts! award winners: Brio Tuscan Grille of Columbus, Ohio; Fresh City of Newton, Mass.; Genghis Grill The Mongolian Feast of Dallas; Pallino Pastaria of Sammamish, Wash.; Stonewood Tavern & Grill of Ormond Beach, Fla.; and Yard House of Irvine, Calif. The "Hot Again" honor went to Whataburger Inc. of Corpus Christi, Texas.

In the executive suites Burger King Corp. of Miami appointed Paul Novak as executive vice president for franchisee operations and chief development officer for North America.

Pizza Inn Inc. of The Colony, Texas, promoted James Shoemake to vice president of franchise services and Barry Hill to vice president of training.

Tully's Coffee appointed Anthony Gioia president and chief executive.

Denny's Inc. named Margaret L. Jenkins senior vice president and chief marketing officer.

AFC Enterprises Inc. hired Doug Pendergrast as vice president of strategic planning.

El Pollo Loco Inc. named Joseph N. Stein chief financial officer.

Red Lobster promoted Phil Robinson to executive vice president of operations.

Ruby Restaurant Group of Newport Beach, Calif., hired Susan Wilkie as vice president of operations for the Ruby's Diner chain.

Among the deaths in this month was that of J. Michael Jenkins, who had stepped down from his duties as chief executive of Diedrich Coffee Inc. in Irvine, Calif., to pursue treatment for gastric cancer. He had overseen Boston Chicken's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Jenkins was 56.

NRN named Ralph Evans of the Evans Farm Inn as the 2002 Fine-Dining Legend and named its slate of 2002 Fine Dining Hall of Fame Award winners, who were as follows:

* Alan Wong's in Honolulu.

* Beverly's in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.