Disparate mindsets of post-recession consumers will shape restaurant-industry recovery and growth, reports NPD.

Consumers are of two different mindsets when it comes to spending—those who cannot spend freely and those who can—and the dichotomy between these two mindsets will shape the restaurant industry now and into the future, according to new foodservice market research by The NPD Group, a leading market-research company.

The recently-released report, entitled “The Changing Consumer Mindset: What it Means to the Restaurant Industry,” shows the broad-reaching effects the recession had on consumer behavior and thinking and the difference between consumers who are more cautious and control their spending and those who are optimistic and feel economically stable.

Johnson & Wales University's Cuisinart Center for Culinary Excellence in Providence earns LEED gold certification.

Johnson & Wales University (JWU) has been awarded LEED® gold certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) for its Cuisinart Center for Culinary Excellence. One of the newest and most prominent facilities on the Harborside Campus of the university's expansive Providence, R.I., campus, the 82,000-square-feet Cuisinart Center for Culinary Excellence features a state-of-the-art environment specifically designed to accommodate the university's advanced culinary curriculum.

Culinary Legend Honored at 2011 Augie™ Awards

Paul Bocuse was honored as the Chef of the Century at The Culinary Institute of America's (CIA) fifth-annual Augie™ Awards at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square in New York City on March 30. In addition to Bocuse, four other foodservice and hospitality greats were honored at the event, which raised about $500,000 for scholarships to support the education of future culinary leaders.

"Paul Bocuse was the culinary equivalent of Elvis Presley—a source of great inspiration, the object of our adoration, and the model for our emulation," said CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan, CMC, in presenting Bocuse, 85, with the award. "Just as musicians around the world from the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen aspired to be like Elvis, legions of young chefs dreamed of being Paul Bocuse."

Premium and natural descriptors resonate with consumers of beef and pork menu items, finds Technomic.

Nearly two out of three consumers recently surveyed by Chicago-based trend-tracker Technomic say they think beef and pork products labeled or menued with premium descriptors such as “grass-fed,” “lean,” “organic” or “natural” will taste better than other beef and pork products that do not carry these same labels. Terms describing premium types and cuts of meat had a strong influence on perception of flavor and price thresholds, while terms describing natural farming and preparation were likely to influence consumers’ perception of healthfulness.

Leading fast-casual restaurant chains not only weathered the economic storm, they prospered, reports NPD.

Visits to the leading fast-casual restaurant chains grew 17% over the last three years while the rest of the industry experienced its steepest traffic declines in decades, and consumer demand for fast-casual offerings exceeded the unit growth of leading fast-casual chains, according to foodservice market research by Port Washington, N.Y.-based The NPD Group, a leading market-research company.