Heard at the show

I'm not sure how to file these tidbits that came to light during the first two days of the show, so consider this a folder marked Miscellaneous:

Joe Micatrotto has signed on as a franchisee of the Raising Cane’s chicken-finger chain. Micatrotto, a longtime industry veteran, was CEO of the Buca di Beppo casual-dining operation until regulators raised questions about his connection to a Buca training villa in Italy.

The National Restaurant Association is eyeing two new membership benefits: A $50,000 life-insurance policy that members could offer free to their employees; and a prescription drug plan, currently being tested in Louisiana.

The Association is also working with the Ted Turner Foundation to promote the principle of sustainability within the restaurant industry. No details were offered at the group’s board meeting, but director Niki Leondakis noted that it looks as if a program to make the industry more protective of the environment will be adopted, sometime after June.