CHICAGO—Anthony Bourdain, best known for his Emmy Award-winning series “No Reservations” and new programs “The Taste” (ABC) and “Parts Unknown” (CNN), will play a prominent role at the 2013 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB). He will deliver a special feature presentation, sign his latest books, and host the third annual Restaurants Rock industry celebration, the official after-party of the NRA Show and IWSB. NRA Show 2013 will be held May 18 to 21 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.As the celebrity host of Restaurants Rock, Bourdain will judge the action-packed IWSB Star...

TROY, OHIO—Hobart announced that its new Energy Star qualified Advansys LXeR high-temperature undercounter warewasher is the recipient of a Kitchen Innovations 2013 award presented by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. The KI Awards recognize and celebrate cutting-edge equipment and supplies that specifically improve the back of the house and benefit foodservice operators.“We designed the Advansys LXeR from the ground up to support best-in-class wash performance with significant energy- and water-saving capabilities,” said Sarah Puls, business unit manager, Hobart Warewash. “The LXeR features Energy Recovery, which not only saves energy but also significantly reduces the amount of...

WETHERSFIELD, CONN.—Waste to Water LLC, manufacturer of the Made in USA Bio-EZ family of food decomposition machines, announced the addition of two new sales representative organizations to their rapidly growing international sales team. Waste to Water now has sale agents deployed in 22 states and four countries. Acosta Cornerstone is now responsible for sales in the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Kv41 LLC is managing sales in the states of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.Bio-EZ is a USA manufactured machine that decomposes up to 2,000 pounds...

LAS VEGAS—To promote healthy living among its employees and the communities in which it operates and beyond, MGM Resorts International has introduced a healthy eating mobile application that is free of cost and available to the public. The app, “Healthy Eating. Healthy You,” has already reached a major milestone of 7,500 downloads since being launched in September 2012 and is consistently growing at an average rate of 50 downloads per day.“The healthy eating initiative and app is part of our commitment to being a leading corporate responsible organization and to expand our healthy living initiative beyond MGM Resorts to...

MENOMONEE FALLS, WIS.—After introducing the new 4.10 ESi CT Express Combitherm in May of 2012, Alto-Shaam has re-launched this product with the additional features of an integrated catalytic converter, toasting/finishing element and smoking abilities. The new features were debuted at the 2013 NAFEM Show in Orlando.With the integration of a 4.10 CCi catalytic converter that “scrubs” the airstream of normal grease-laden byproducts, the CT Express now has the versatility to be placed in areas without a hood.Going beyond the usual Combitherm technology, the CT Express can be used as a finishing oven; quickly and efficiently toasting sandwiches, breads and...

SAN LUIS OBISPO—ClearWater Tech has named Skip Mallios the new regional sales manager for the Eastern division. Mallios is a 30-year industry veteran who will be working with ClearWater distributors east of the Mississippi River on direct sales of EcoTex O3 ozone systems to commercial laundry accounts. Based in Columbia, S.C., Mallios began his career in the laundry business as a chemical sales territory manager for EcoLab. The majority of his time was spent with Texchine Inc., where he worked in several sales positions during two separate stints. He also was a regional sales manager for Cissell Dryer Corp., one...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Anyone attending The NAFEM Show from February 7 to 9 with the goal of greening up their kitchen would have found hundreds of ways to do so thanks to the innovations brought to the trade show floor by the more than 500 exhibitors in attendance. The North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers event, held every two years, attracted approximately 20,000 foodservice professionals to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.Companies touted advancements in cooking, ventilation, water filtration, water recycling, water heating, cooking oil management, ice making, warewashing, food waste management, refrigeration, balers, and even vegetable, herb...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Education will be a key factor in forwarding the message of sustainability to restaurateurs, other business operators and lawmakers, Scott DeFife, the National Restaurant Association’s executive vice president of policy and government affairs said at the U.S. Composting Council’s annual conference in Orlando, Fla.DeFife, who spoke at the conference’s plenary panel January 29, said the NRA is invested in educating the industry on the importance of sustainability as well as making the business case that underscores its profitability environmentally and economically.“With the help and support of some key leaders in the industry, we created the Conserve Sustainability Education...

TRAVELERS REST, S.C.—T&S Brass and Bronze Works, a worldwide manufacturer and supplier of plumbing and foodservice equipment, has acquired Chicago-based food waste elimination company EnviroPure Systems, Inc., a leading-edge developer of alternative environmentally-friendly technologies for organic food waste disposal. The deal underscores T&S’s commitment to helping foodservice professionals find more sustainable and cost-effective solutions.EnviroPure’s unique processing techniques for dealing with organic food waste can save customers more than 50 percent in traditional operating costs while minimizing negative environmental impact.According to the Environmental Protection Agency, food remnants are, by weight, the single-largest waste stream component of the waste stream in...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Green Seal, the nation’s oldest nonprofit environmental certification organization, announces the publication of GS-51, a new standard designed specifically to address the life cycle impacts of laundry care products for institutional and industrial settings.Traditional laundry products are significant contributors to water pollution, and both manufacturers and users risk exposure to harmful chemicals through inhalation and skin contact when using many of these products. In addition to minimizing or eliminating the use of many hazardous ingredients often found in these products, GS-51 provides an important benchmark in terms of product concentration. The standard establishes minimum requirements for concentrated (2X)...