The Daily Meal’s second annual ranking of America’s 50 Most Powerful People in Food was released this month. Colman Andrews, The Daily Meal editorial director, Saveur co-founder and James Beard Award winner, discussed his thoughts on the list and what the ranking means for the food industry.

What leadership characteristics and trends did you spot throughout this year’s list?

This isn’t necessarily new this year, but I do think that most of the figures on our list are people with a sense of mission, whether that mission is to feed the hungry, fight childhood obesity, grow crops more efficiently, expand the grocery repertoire, stimulate debate around food issues, or just cook good food. Increasingly, the American citizenry is realizing that food matters, not only because it nourishes us (we hope) and brings us pleasure but also because its production, distribution and consumption affect the world around us, helping to define both our environment and our culture.

Were there any surprises? What kind of feedback have you received this year?

“Surprise” manifested itself primarily in our realization that we had left some very key people off last year’s list. We’ve had some positive reactions to the list, along with a number of thoughtful comments (“It’s amazing to think how this list would be altered if junk food suddenly disappeared”), numerous suggestions for people who should have been listed and, of course, some criticisms — for instance, complaints that we didn’t include any farmers (though, in fact, we did include one, Will Allen, as well as the head of the United Farm Workers).

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McDonald’s reported another stellar quarter, with earnings that beat analysts’ estimate and a plan to open 1,300 units this year, including several in the U.K. Britain’s troubled economy is driving more consumers to lower-priced quickservice meals, and young adults welcome the news that the company expects to create thousands of jobs in 2012.

But there’s a downside to the chain’s growing global presence. The company warned that profit could wane in the coming months because of currency fluctuation, as the U.S. dollar strengthens and the euro continues to weaken amid Europe’s debt crisis. The announcement led to a 2.2% drop in the company’s share price, Bloomberg reported.

McDonald’s likely isn’t the only U.S. restaurant chain concerned about currency this year. Subway announced several months ago that it expects overseas units to outnumber domestic locations by 2020; Chipotle Mexican Grill has been on the move in Europe; and Wendy’s expects to invest proceeds from last year’s Arby’s sale in expanding the brand globally. In fact, most U.S. chains have mapped some sort of international strategy in recent years.

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This blog series is brought to you by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA), the leading trade association for the foodservice industry. This series will focus on ways to optimize across the entire supply channel and bring consumers back to foodservice.

Changes are in store for the foodservice industry this year, and foodservice leaders will be tasked with making the necessary changes to ensure their operations continue to run smoothly. Higher rates of staff turnover, an increased focus on customer service and the growing importance of technology will all be prominent in 2012. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Flexibility is key to retaining valued employees. With the slow improvement of the job market, many foodservice employees don’t feel the same pressure to hold onto their jobs that they did just a few years ago. With voluntary turnover expected to increase this year, managers should take precautions to hold onto their most valuable team members. “In 2012, HR efforts need to be focused on attracting and retraining top quality hires. There is a growing emphasis on schedule flexibility and professional growth opportunities in foodservice HR,” Nate DaPore writes on PizzaMarketPlace.com.

To encourage employees — both old and new — to stick around, let them know how much you value them and provide unique opportunities to let their individual talents shine. “I try to replace the motto that everyone is replaceable. I want people to feel that they’re part of our family and that they are not replaceable,” Nancy Batista-Caswell, owner of Ceia Kitchen + Bar in Massachusetts, told Restaurant Management. She uses different activities to keep her staff interested, such as a contest to see who can sell the most wine or the opportunity to teach an in-house wine class.

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When I was a reporter writing about tech companies during the dot-com boom more than a decade ago, I used to wonder about some of the names entrepreneurs gave their startups, until someone explained that nonsense words with seemingly random capital letters often are the result of a lengthy struggle to come up with a moniker that wouldn’t get the company into legal trouble by being too similar to a trademark.

What’s true in the tech world is true in the restaurant arena. A handful of recent lawsuits center on restaurateurs’ right to use the name they’ve given their eatery, including a case playing out in federal court this week in Miami. Restaurateurs with the same surname and a long history are fighting over the right to use “Chow.” Michael Chow, owner of upscale Chinese food chain MR CHOW, filed a $10 million lawsuit three years ago to prevent former employee Philippe Chow (no relation) from using the name for his growing chain of similarly upscale eateries, Philippe Chinese Cuisine by Philippe Chow.

Michael Chow said in his lawsuit that Philippe Chow took not only his name but also his recipes and borrowed liberally from his restaurants’ ambiance when he left the company to strike out on his own seven years ago, The Miami Herald reported.

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