C & M Gastronomy Group’s latest creative concept, Fig Jam Kitchen & Bar, is slated to open in mid-February, the restaurant, which occupies the former Baroni Italian space, is the work of restaurateurs Costanzo Astarita and Mario Maccarrone. Fig Jam Kitchen & Bar is their third venture.

“Over the years, we’ve really had a chance to see the Atlanta culinary scene evolve,” said Astarita. “Today, Atlantans are looking for innovative options and are increasingly curious about new foods and fusion recipes. We’re always excited to bring new ideas to the market, filling a void and enhancing dining experiences.”

Astarita and Maccarrone may best be known for successful Buckhead restaurant Ciao Bella and Midtown restaurants Baraonda, Publik Draft House and Bazzaar Lounge.

Fig Jam Kitchen & Bar’s open kitchen juxtaposes intimate and industrial atmospheres. The restaurant includes an 80-seat main dining area and a .40-seat private dining room.  In the center of the restaurant, guests will find a salami cellar, a glass enclosure that features cured meats and cheeses displayed butcher-shop style.

The cuisine features charred octopus,  salmon bresaola, short rib sliders, mussels in a coconut lemon grass curry broth, duck confit and Mediterranean seafood stew.

The Buckhead Business Association (BBA) has named Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, located in Phipps Plaza, as Buckhead Business of the Year. The award was presented at the Buckhead Business Association’s recent Annual Luncheon.

Davio’s was among five finalists chosen by the BBA, each of which were honored for filling a niche in the market, showcasing excellent customer service and demonstrating a commitment to the community.

“We are truly honored to be awarded the Buckhead Business of the Year by the Buckhead Business Association,” said Claude Guillaume, General Manager of Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse. “Davio’s is still new in the neighborhood, but we are committed to continuing our efforts to give back to the community and provide excellent service to all of our loyal customers and patrons.”

Davio’s has contributed to the Buckhead community in various ways since opening 18 months ago, including involvement in various non-profit functions and contributions to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Share Our Strength, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Atlanta Fire Foundation.

In addition to Atlanta, Davio’s has locations in Boston, Philadelphia andFoxborough. The menu includes a selection of fine meats, pasta, classic specialties, fresh seafood and fresh seasonal salads, as well as an extensive wine list.

Fog Cutter Capital Group Inc’s franchise development subsidiary has acquired Buffalo’s Café. The 26-unit casual dining chain has locations in Georgia, Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Indiana, as well as five restaurants in Kuwait and one in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Buffalo’s Café is a 100% franchise organization similar to Fog Cutter’s other restaurant subsidiary, Fatburger North America Inc.

“We are delighted to add Buffalo’s Café to the Fog Cutter franchise business,” said Fog Cutter’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wiederhorn. “We plan to market Buffalo’s franchises to our existing franchisee base both domestically and internationally.”

Fog Cutter Capital Group Inc. has invested in a diverse range of equity, corporate debt and real estate since its founding in 1997. Prior to focusing on the restaurant industry in 2003, the Company operated businesses in manufacturing, retail, real estate development, technology and mortgage banking.

Buffalo’s Franchise Concepts, Inc., based in Atlanta, was formed in 1985 and is the franchisor for both casual dining restaurants (Buffalo’s Cafe) and quick service outlets (Buffalo’s Express Cafe). The restaurants specialize in fresh Buffalo-style chicken wings and tenders, in addition to a full menu offering including salads, wraps, burgers, ribs and other classic American specialty food items.

Roswell restaurateurs Hicham Azhari and Fikret Kovac plan to open Little Alley Steak, their newest dining destination in historic Roswell, in late February. Little Alley Steak will be an all-American butcher-inspired neighborhood steakhouse. Executive Chef Bob McDonough will oversee the kitchen.

Azhari and Kovac also own two other Roswell eateries, INC. Street Food and Salt Factory Pub, which have been featured on the Food Network show, “Meat and Potatoes,” and in Southern Living magazine.

The menu includes housemade pots, meats and cheeses, a selection of fine and butcher’s cut meats and boutique oysters and shellfish cocktails, as well as regional favorites. All of the restaurant’s steaks will be hand-selected and cut by Chicago butcher Meats by Linz.

Inspired by American butcher shops and charcuteries, Little Alley Steak’s design utilizes natural colors to evoke a classic feel. Rustic wooden tables and the bar top made from the building’s original wood floors provide an intimate seating for guests, while additional seating is available at the bar and on the outdoor patio alongside bustling Canton Street in Historic Roswell’s shopping district.

JCT. Bar recently hosted a fundraiser with Betty and Billy Hulse, the makers of Cobbie’s Sauce, to benefit the Shepherd Center. JCT. Bar sold orders of pork sliders with Cobbie’s Sauce, with the proceeds going to the private non-profit hospital that specializes in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord and brain injuries.

The Hulses have a personal connection with the Shepherd Center. In 2009, Billy Hulse sustained a spinal cord injury and received exceptional care and treatment from the dedicated team at the Shepherd Center. A portion of every Cobbie’s Sauce sale goes to the hospital, and the Hulses are donating the money from the JCT. Bar fundraiser to the Spinal Cord Injury Research Lab.

“This gift will be put to good work in our spinal cord injury research lab,” says Bonnie Hardage, director of major gifts at Shepherd Center Foundation. “We have the best minds working to solve the problems caused by paralysis. We couldn’t do this good work without support from the community.”

Cobbie’s Sauce is an all natural, gluten free sauce that was originally created by Mary Cobb “Cobbie” Hulse, Billy Hulse’s mother, more than 60 years ago.  This recipe has been used on chicken, pork, beef, fish and shrimp ever since.

JCT. Bar is located above JCT. Kitchen at 1198 Howell Mill Road, Ste 18.

The Atlanta City Council recently voted in favor of the Department of Aviation’s recommendations for contracts for 126 food and beverage locations and 24 retail locations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal.

“Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the economic engine not only for the City of Atlanta and the metropolitan region, but also for the state of Georgia,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “These new concessions contracts will generate $51 million in annual revenues, an increase of more than $23 million, and ensure that the 90 million travelers who pass through Hartsfield-Jackson each year have world-class food, beverage and retail options. With the opening of the new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International terminal this spring, Atlanta’s position as the global capital of the Southeast will be secure for decades to come.”

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the single largest employer in the state with 58,000 direct employees. It generates an annual economic impact in the metropolitan Atlanta area of $32.6 billion. The annual rent from the new concessions program at Hartsfield-Jackson is projected to generate about $2 million per month in additional revenue to the airport.

The recommendations include a large number of new food and retail locations that will be located throughout the airport and the new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal, scheduled to open in spring 2012.  For example, among the large food and beverage packages, 10 of the 17 recommended subtenants are new. Included in the list of  new restaurants are: The Varsity, Shane’s Rib Shack, Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint and The Pecan.

“This has been the most transparent and open procurement process I have been a part of in my more than 30 years in the aviation industry,” said Louis Miller, Aviation General Manager. “We are pleased that our new concessions program has been approved, and we can move forward in providing our customers with an exciting array of new dining and retail options in the coming months. The food and beverage program will create a sense of place for our customers and will offer a variety of new and local restaurateurs and companies to the airport.”

The Requests for Proposals (RFP) for concessions at Hartsfield-Jackson was one of the largest airport procurements in North America. The City of Atlanta issued RFPs for five large food and beverage packages in multiple locations; four small food and beverage packages in two to three locations, and two retail packages in multiple locations. The city imposed limits on the total number of packages that any one proponent could win within each RFP category (small and large) of food and beverage and retail concessions in order to encourage competition and maximum participation.

Driven by positive same-store sales and an increasingly optimistic outlook among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) rose to its highest level in five months in November.

The RPI – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 100.6 in November, up 0.6 percent from October. In addition, November represented the second time in the last three months that the RPI stood above 100, which signifies expansion in the index of key industry indicators.

“The November increase in the Restaurant Performance Index was fueled by broad-based gains in both the current situation and forward-looking indicators,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the Association. “Restaurant operators reported their strongest net positive same-store sales results in more than four years, while customer traffic levels also grew in November.”

Additionally, restaurant operators’ outlook for both sales growth and the overall economy rose to their highest levels in seven months, according to Riehle.

The RPI consists of two components — the Current Situation Index (measuring current trends) and the Expectations Index (measuring restaurant operators’ six-month outlook) — and tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry.

The Current Situation Index stood at 100.2 in November – up 0.8 percent from October’s level of 99.5. November marked the second time in the last three months that the Current Situation Index stood above 100, which signifies expansion in the current situation indicators.

The Expectations Index stood at 100.9 in November – up 0.4 percent from October and the third consecutive monthly gain. November also marked the third consecutive month that the Expectations Index stoodabove 100, which represents a positive outlook among restaurant operators for business conditions in the months ahead.

Restaurant operators’ outlook for capital spending remains positive. Forty-seven percent o frestaurant operators plan to make a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling in the next six months, essentially unchanged from the levels reported in the previous two months.

Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina recently announced that franchise contracts have been secured for 10 upcoming locations, with multiple other locations on the horizon.

Currently Barberitos has 25 restaurants in five states, with 10 more restaurants that will be located in Tennessee, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Florida. Barberitos’ recent growth spurt will push them to the 35-stores mark in 2012 for the Athens, Ga.-based franchise.

Despite the tough economy, Barberitos saw a 15.8% increase in system wide sales in 2011 over the previous year. Same store sales are up by 10.17% from 2010. As sales increase, requests for franchise consideration seem to increase also.

“We are truly excited about what is going on inside Barberitos right now. The number and quality of potential business partners that inquire about our system is amazing,” said CEO and Founder Downing Barber. “We are having a good run through this tough economy.”

Metz Culinary Management has acquired commercial food service operator S&S Food Administrators of Macon, Ga. The acquisition includes 15 accounts in the healthcare industry and gives Metz a presence in the Southeastern United States.

“This is a perfect opportunity for Metz to continue to grow on the east coast,” said Jeffrey C. Metz, President and CEO of Metz Culinary Management. “S&S has a great reputation in the Southeast and brings an expertise that makes us stronger. The Metz Culinary Management team will complement that with resources and industry knowledge that benefit both existing and future client partners. It’s a great fit for everyone involved.”

With 60 years of service experience, S&S holds accounts in Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. S&S executives, led by Grant Bennett, Vice President of Operations, and all employees on the acquired accounts will join Metz’s team to create a seamless transition. The companies adhere to similar philosophies of hospitality, quality and family-driven values, and both have seen steady growth throughout their existence.

Metz will look to grow its healthcare industry presence in the Southeast and expand its services into new sectors such as independent schools and higher education, where the company has extensive experience in the Mid-Atlantic region. The move also gives Metz leverage in continuing to build business relationships in Florida and other states along the east coast.

Halperns’ Purveyors of Steak and Seafood, a family owned business with locations throughout the Southeast U.S., has become the first Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Chain of Custody certified seafood distributor in Atlanta, Ga. Halperns’ will supply its customers with MSC certified fresh and frozen seafood  products, starting with Alaska salmon, haddock and cod, that will assure chefs and consumers that the seafood can be traced all the way back to an MSC certified sustainable fishery.

“Halperns’ participation in the MSC program will help build awareness that everyone can make a difference in protecting seafood supplies for future generations,” explained Kerry Coughlin, MSC Regional Director, Americas.

The MSC Chain of Custody certification is a comprehensive traceability program that traces seafood from the point of sale back to an MSC certified fishery. It ensures that MSC-labeled products are sourced from a fishery that is MSC certified, and it protects buyers and the fishery from fraudulent labeling and risks from fisheries carrying products from illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing. As a result, the sustainability of the seafood product is ensured, the MSC-certified fishery of origin receives well-deserved recognition, and incentive is created for other fisheries to commit to environmentally responsible fishing practices.

To obtain MSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certification, wholesalers and distributors must pass an
independent, third party audit that is conducted by an accredited certification body, and it must undergo annual surveillance audits to demonstrate it continues to meet the standard.  The CoC standard focuses on having an internal traceability system and reliable operational systems in place to ensure that MSC-certified seafood is kept separate from noncertified seafood.