Pizza Inn, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZI) recently hosted its 2011 National Franchise Convention in Tunica, Miss., where franchisees and team members were honored for their contributions to the company.

Chefs across the United States are challenged to rise to a new recipe competition showcasing the popular street food trend sweeping the foodservice industry. For a chance to win a hot cash prize in the 2011 TABASCO® Brand Hottest Chef Contest®, contestants must submit their entries by July 18, 2011 online at TABASCOfoodservice.com or by mail.

According to HomeTownLife.com, “Forget the pepperoni and cheese. The polar bears will take their pies topped with fish and peanut butter.”

According to KSDK.com, “A popular St. Louis-based pizzeria is adding a new location to Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis.

According to The State Hornet, “Sacramento State students sent 14 solidarity pizzas to CSU Fullerton Wednesday night to support students with their sit-in protest of fee hikes and budget cuts.”

According to the Jacksonville Business Journal, “California Pizza Kitchen Inc. is thanking its customers with thank you cards that could include a lot more than just a thank you.”

According to Nation’s Restaurant News, “Three pizzeria chains with roots in the South — The Original Italian Pie, Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza and Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers — have plans to accelerate growth around the country.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, “Yum Brands Inc. posted a 9.5% rise in first-quarter earnings as stellar growth in China helped offset a falloff in sales at Taco Bell due to negative publicity over the chain’s food ingredients.”

When it comes to pizza, Americans favorite national chain appears to be Pizza Hut, according to a survey released on Friday.

According to NBCChicago.com, “A Baci Pizzeria owner beat up by five men early Sunday claims he recognized the suspects now under arrest. He found them on his son’s Facebook page.”

According to KPHO.com, “A Glendale pizza maker will undergo a certification process Wednesday to join an elite group of pizza makers who adhere to strict guidelines dating back 300 years.”

An innovative new social media engagement platform launched by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is using the power of social media to raise the funds needed to feed tens of thousands of hungry children around the world.

According to JacksonSun.com, “Sparky’s Pizzeria will donate 10 percent of all sales today to a scholarship fund honoring the memory of Morgan Kelley.”

Induction cooktop units provide foodservice operators with an easy, clean, safe (no open flames), economical and energy efficient way to cook and maintain food temperatures, especially on buffet lines.

Villa Enterprises Management Ltd., Inc. (and its affiliates, Villa Enterprises), the global multi-concept restaurant franchisor, announced today the grand opening of its new Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen Sunrise, Fla., location.

As the thermometer slowly rises and the days continue to get longer, Magnets.com, a leading producer of custom refrigerator magnets – http://www.magnets.com -, just launched a contest to give one lucky winner a big head start on spring shopping with a $150 Target gift card.

Foodservice operators can now sign up online for the DOLE Straight From The Source newsletter to receive it in their email inbox.

According to NYDailyNews.com, “A reputed mob associate stabbed a prominent Brooklyn pizzeria owner Friday after a wild argument in a grocery store spilled out onto the street, sources said.”

According to Courier-Journal.com, “Papa John’s has its own cheesy tribute to the upcoming wedding of England’s Prince William and Kate Middleton, in the form of a pizza portrait.”

According to LATimes.com, “Brad Otton, a former USC quarterback and Rose Bowl star, realized that the long hours and nomadic lifestyle of college football coaching no longer appealed to him.”

According to BusinessWeek.com, “Papa John’s said Friday that its President and co-CEO, J. Jude Thompson, is resigning.”

According to HanfordSentinel.com, “A pizza festival in Lemoore highlights a busy weekend of activities in Kings County.”

According to Columbus Business First, “Donatos Pizzeria LLC has tapped a packaged foods veteran to oversee its ready-made and private-label pizza division.”

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, “If you remember leg warmers, big hair and OP shorts, then you’ll definitely remember Shakey’s Pizza Parlors. And just like those other 1980s classics, the restaurant is making a return to Utah.”

According to the Montreal Gazzette, “Another corporate entity has waded into the rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins.”

Pizza Inn, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZI), an international pizza chain recognized for serving a variety of fresh, popular traditional and specialty pizzas, is now open in Durham, North Carolina at 3906 N. Duke Street.

According to NorthCanton.Patch.com, “Ermanno’s Legendary Pizza owner Alan Frank still dreams of becoming a member of the U.S. Pizza Team. But until that day comes, he’ll continue doing well in all the pizza competitions he enters.”

According to CBSPittsburgh.com, “Double-M Pizza in Charleroi was robbed late Saturday night and owner, Mark Miller, has a plan to fight back. He says his employees will begin carrying weapons. He has even placed a sign in front of his shop saying, ‘We Now Carry.’”