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The FBEE (Food and Beverage Equipment Executives of Chicago), a group founded in 1940 recently recognized the efforts of longtime member (and past president of the group) Ed Jancauskas with the groups Lifetime Achievement Award. Ed worked for Coca-Cola for many years and is credited (along with Bob Schwartz of Vienna Beef) with creating the first “value meal” when the two companies decided to work together to enable their customers to offer combo meals which included a Vienna Beef Hot Dog and a Coke. Presenting the award to Ed is Bob Schwartz of Vienna Beef and Dick Klaskin, of Empire Cooler Service. You can learn more about the group on their website, www.fbee.org.

At a time when store brands have grown to become a $230 billion industry in the U.S., PLMA has announced a fitting theme for its 2023 Private Label Trade Show: “The Store Brands Phenomenon.” The show will be held November 12-14 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago. Avli Restaurant Group announces its latest expansion with the acquisition of Morgan’s on Fulton LLC, the premier Fulton Market loft and rooftop event business and its new partnership with MF Partners JV to further develop the restored and renovated historic building at 950-954 W Fulton Market with new indoor/outdoor dining, carryout, catering, and upgraded lower level. Chicago-based international real estate and hospitality investment leader Oxford Capital Group, and local partner Detroit-based Hunter Pasteur, in collaboration with Detroit-based Chickpea Hospitality, announces Hamilton’s, a ground floor restaurant for The Godfrey Hotel Detroit, which will open shortly after the hotel’s projected opening in summer 2023. Congratulations to husband and & wife team Melanie & Stefano Casati of Casati’s Modern Italian located at 444 W. Fullerton in Chicago, on celebrating their fifth year. Casati’s Modern Italian is known as a neighborhood gem by local diners. DuPage County has been ranked the healthiest county in Illinois according to the 2023 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. The county rankings, developed annually by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, are based on quality-of-life factors such as longevity and overall health status. Guzman y Gomez , one of the world’s fastest-growing authentic Mexican fast-food restaurants, recently opened its third US location in Crystal Lake, Illinois located at 5459 Northwest Highway, following a successful opening in Schaumburg. Guzman y Gomez Founder and CEO Steven Marks always knew he wanted to bring the brand ‘home’ to the US. King Karaoke opens at 2002 S. Wentworth, Floor 2 in Chicago, a craft cocktail bar combined with an elevated karaoke lounge experience.

King Karaoke offers craft cocktails, delicious Asian-inspired pub-style fare, and notably,12 incredible private karaoke rooms, perfect for group outings, team building or gathering with friends. Saltwater Coastal Grill just opened will offer the best bounty of the sea in a cheerful nautical space bringing coastal-style cuisine from around the world to Rosemont. Located at Rosemont’s Parkway Bank Park Entertainment District, the restaurant will feature a fusion of global-inspired, land and seaside fare including a dynamic Raw and Omakase Bar. The Chicago Scots 37th Annual Scottish Festival & Highland Games will be held at Hamilton Lakes, 1 Pierce Place in Itasca, IL, on June 16 -17,2023. This treasured two-day summer-kickoff celebration will once again bring back all the crowd favorites along with Grade 1, largest and most prestigious pipe band (bagpipes and drums) championship in N.A. Windy City Hot Dog Fest will be happening June 3-4 in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood. Some of Chicagoland’s favorite hot dog stands will compete for who has the best frankfurter! Windy City Hot Dog Fest is in partnership with the Six Corners Chamber of Commerce. Windy City Smokeout, the nation’s premier outdoor country music and BBQ festival, returns to Chicago’s United Center (1901 W. Madison Street) on July 13-16, 2023. The two-time winner of the Academy of Country Music Awards “Festival of the Year,” the Windy City Smokeout will celebrate its 10th anniversary with some of country music’s biggest names and up-and-coming talents.

Let All About Personnel become the Employer of Record (EOR) for you. What does that mean? We handle all the back office tasks such as payroll, benefits, taxes, and work comp. Whether it’s the production floor only or your entire company we will create the right program that your looking for.

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Having AAP as the Employer of Record saves time and money as we take over the process of tax filings, work comp, safety, and all reporting to government agencies. We are your one stop shop to back office management.

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AAP provides full compliance with labor and employment laws. We ensure that all operating procedures adhere to regulations and are streamlined to run smoothly. We ensure that we meet the demands of any audits that are needed and required by running weekly internal audits on compliance, and hiring a third-party company to ensure that we have met government, client, and internal standards.

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No More Soggy Paper Straws

Rocpaperstraws.com is new on the scene and making a superior paper drinking straw that actually holds strong and lasts long. Nobody likes a soggy straw!

Most paper straws currently on the market break down before you can get to the bottom of your first drink, but not Roc Paper Straws! These super sippers can last for hours and look good doing it. Manufactured in Rochester, NY, using the highest quality materials, these eco-friendly straws are the best on the market for bars, restaurants, weddings and private events.

Owned and operated by a mother/daughter team with 20 successful years of running a neighborhood bar, they know the importance of providing their clients with a quality product, along with cutting back on their carbon footprint.

Traditional plastic straws, along with those “compostable PLA” straws can still harm wildlife, litter our landfills, and shorelines. Roc Paper Straws will break down and not stick around, helping to save the planet...one straw at a time. For more info, visit: rocpaperstraws.com.

Liquor License Tips

By Francis Ostian, Esq., Law Office of Francis Ostian

Why a Conditional Approval Liquor License Helps Avoid Costly Mistakes on Your Next Restaurant Project

Getting a Chicago liquor license—even if you’re a pro—is a tricky process filled with potential landmines.

Let’s say, for example, you need to get:

• Funding

• A fair lease

• A great floor plan that dovetails with your concept, and you need to negotiate with your general contractor if you’re planning on a build-out.

The thing is, you could end up investing tens if not several hundred thousand dollars. But, what would happen if you invested all that money only to discover that the Liquor Commission denied your liquor license? To avoid that nightmare, implement this little-known action step: Apply for Conditional Approval of your liquor license application before spending capital on your build-out.

You see, in Chicago, you can apply for a restaurant or tavern liquor license on a conditional-approval basis. This means you can submit your liquor application and supporting documents (Floor plans, financial disclosures and alcohol training certificates, etc.) and get conditionally approved. But, if you’re conditionally approved, so long as your build-out conforms to your architectural plans—you’ll get your liquor license once you’ve passed inspections.

By the way, at the start, you should pay $250 to the city of Chicago to have a business compliance inspector go out to your site. You do this to discover if there’s a church, school, day care center or other restricted activity within 100 feet that prohibits issuance of a liquor license. If you pass this inspection, you’ll know from the start, there’s no restriction within 100 feet of your site. This gives you additional peace of mind to proceed. Bottom line: Getting conditionally approved is the way to go to avoid costly mistakes.

•

Author of “The 10 Essential Things You Need to Get Your Chicago Liquor License”.

– You can find their ad on page 17 of this issue.

located in Pilsen. “I hope everyone in their life has a moment like this when they feel loved and cared for like I do right now,” expressed Pinkney.

The event was also a display of the immense power of a unified Chicago culinary community. Representatives from across Chicago’s chef, food and beverage, entertainment, and business community all leaned in to ensure the success of the evening— including sponsors Axios, Audacy Radio, Outfront & Center, Mariano’s, Chef Tog and the Illinois Restaurant Association. Chef Sarah Stegner, co-founder of Chicago Chefs Cook and Co-Executive Chef of Prairie Grass Café reflected, “The event was a profound declaration of love, respect, and admiration for an exceptional woman who means so much to so many. It was also a moment of advancement for our Chicago community, one that comes together to take care of its own, advocates for its food, and forges partnerships that advance the well-being of its future generations.” Chef Jason Hammel (Executive Chef of Lula Café and founding member of Pilot Light) added, “ This event supported the idea that a birthday party can be a call for hope and action. That a celebration of the love we all have for one woman can also be a celebration of the love we have for each other, for our city, for its children, and for its land.”

The themes of food advocacy, wellness education, mentorship, and the future of food were demonstrated throughout the evening— topics that are at the very top of the respective missions of event beneficiaries Green City Market and Pilot Light. In a video to her Facebook followers, Pinkney commented, “ This was an incredible opportunity to use my name to raise money for these two charities. I determined that Pilot Light (would be a beneficiary) because it teaches children about the connection between food, community and wellness and Green City Market (because it placed) farmers at the center of our cooking.”

To that end, participating chefs (including Rick Bayless, Sarah Gruenberg, Zach Engel, Brian Jupiter, and Nikolaos Kapernaros) featured local products at their stations for guests to experience. Chef Devon Quinn of Eden restaurant in Avondale partnered with Green City Market’s Mick Klug Farms specifically to create his distinct vegan tamale offering. Chef Casey Doody (Director of Pastry for GT Prime, Swift & Sons and Le Select) displayed liege waffles with caramelized bananas and toasted pecan granola— an homage to Pinkney’s breakfast roots. “It was the kind of the party I have never been invited to and here it was happening for me,” said Pinkney.

The event also delivered a milestone for the Chicago Chefs Cook organization. “Including Ina’s birthday bash, this movement has collectively raised over $1M dollars since March of 2022,” confirmed by Eda Davidman, Jodi Fyfe, and Darren Gest of Chicago Chefs Cook. “It’s a testament to the leadership position that Chefs hold in this city and our community’s desire to assemble to lift each other up through dynamic moments like this one.”

Bookshelf

Y’All Eat Yet?

Author: Miranda Lambert with Holly Gleason

ISBN-13: 978-0063087781

From country music sensation Miranda Lambert, comes a gorgeous cookbook sharing a wide array of tasty favorite recipes , straight outta Texas and collected from all the fabulous women who helped make Miranda who she is today.

If you’re going to have a Bitchin Kitchen, you’re going to need a few things—plenty of room, plenty of good food for sharing, high spirits (in both senses) and all the friends and family you can fit. For Miranda Lambert, a good time means sharing a great meal with the women who helped raise her back in Texas—her mom and a colorful bunch of best friends who could raise the roof, come through in a pinch, celebrate cry, and really, really cook. Miranda Lambert invites readers into this special circle of sisterhood with collection of recipes and stories. Y’all Eat Yet? is full of recipes for meals that fill your belly, and your soul, food meant to be shared, meant to be eaten with your fingers off of paper plates, or on your fanciest antique China. Some were handed down to Miranda from her mom and grandma, some come from the circle of cherished friends who helped raise her, and all of them are meant to be easy to prepare and shared with those you love.