Who's News in Catering for July 1, 2023

People on the Move

Proof of the Pudding proudly announces the hire of a new Chief Financial Officer: Patrick Renna. In his new role, Renna will oversee all financial operations for the company with a focus on strategy and growth.  Prior to accepting the CFO role with Proof of the Pudding, Renna – who has more than 25 years of industry experience – was President of BurgerFi, a fast casual chain based in Fort Lauderdale, FL.  Renna was named President after BurgerFi acquired Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, where he served as CFO. He spent the previous 5 years with Wahlburgers, a Boston based burger restaurant founded by Executive Chef Paul Wahlberg and celebrity brothers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg as President and CFO.  Prior to that, Renna served as CEO at Boloco, a fast casual globally inspired burrito chain, where he also served as CFO for four years. He also held CFO positions at Sebastian’s Café and Catering, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fidelity Investments, where he spent four years overseeing all financial and administrative policies and procedures for the company and Fresh Concepts, owners of Fresh City and Souper Salad, as well as FiRE+iCE. 

Association Updates

The American Rental Association (ARA) has announced that the 2023 Women in Rental and Young Professional Network (YPN) conferences will be hosted in Clearwater Beach, Florida, in October. The conferences will be held back-to-back at the brand-new JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa. The Women in Rental conference will take place Monday, October 23 through Tuesday, October 24. The Young Professional Network conference will be held Wednesday, October 25 through Thursday, October 26.  

 Products on the Market

Brunner-Anliker, the leading manufacturer of vegetable cutting machines, is excited to announce the appointment of Food Service Solutions, Inc. (FSS USA) as its exclusive distributor in the United States. Building upon their successful presence in Canada, Brunner-Anliker and FSS USA are expanding their reach to better serve the American market. With a wealth of experience in the food service industry, Brunner-Anliker has been at the forefront of delivering innovative and high-quality vegetable cutting machines for over four decades to customers in the USA. Their state-of-the-art machinery caters to a wide range of needs, from small-scale operations to large industrial facilities, ensuring optimal efficiency and highest possible precision in food preparation. Food Service Solutions has an extraordinary story with Brunner-Anliker in Canada and a proven track record of delivering excellent service to their customers. As a company of chef’s their goal is to improve the lives of chefs and operators by building smarter kitchens. Expanding their business into the United States, they bring deep understanding of our products and share the commitment to providing high-quality culinary solutions to the foodservice industry. 

Hot Off the Presses

Renowned Chef Fabrizio Facchini had the honor of organizing and cooking a magnificent dinner in support of Italian Cuisine as a candidate at UNESCO. The exclusive event occurred on Saturday, June 24th, at the prestigious Gotham Hall in New York City. Under the patronage of Italian Trade Agency President Matteo Zoppas and New York Director Antonino Laspina, Fabrizio Facchini orchestrated a culinary masterpiece for 190 distinguished guests and VIPs. The dinner was attended by some prominent names such as Italian Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, Italian Ambassador Mariangela Zeppia, Consul General Fabrizio Di Michele, Celebrity Chef Lidia Bastianich, Guido Barilla of Barilla Pasta, Olga Urbani of Urbani Truffles, and others. Fabrizio Facchini collaborated with his renowned Italian colleagues, including Chef Alessandro Borghese, TV Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur; Enrico Derflingher, Former Chef of the White House and Buckingham Palace, and President of Eurotoques; Gianni Tarabin, a two Michelin-starred chef; and Andrea Zanin, a renowned pastry chef. The Fancy Culinary Show, one of the world's largest culinary shows, opened the following day of this spectacular supper. Along with Universal Marketing, chef Fabrizio Facchini managed the Italian Trade Agency Lounge and the Italian pavilion with his 350 exhibitors. Chef Facchini organized the Opening Ceremony, cookery shows, and catering. Minister Francesco Lollobrigida spoke on UNESCO at the Opening Ceremony.