Service Industry-Specific Education Program

86’Ed: A Food

that Will Take Mental Health Issues and Substance Use Off Your Menu

The food service industry is one of the most demanding industries in the world. Long hours, high stress, and low pay can take a toll on Food Service Staffs' mental wellness and lead to substance use. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), employees in the food service industry have some of the highest rates of substance use and mental health challenges in the United States. In 2019, 19.1% of food service workers reported using illicit drugs in the past month. Additionally, 14.3% of food service workers reported having a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year. In 2019, 22.7% of food service workers reported experiencing a mental health issue in the past year. Additionally, 6.6% of food service workers reported having a serious mental illness (SMI) in the past year.

There are several reasons why mental health and substance use disorder awareness is so important in the food service industry. First, substance abuse can lead to numerous costly business problems, including absenteeism, accidents, and injuries, as well as increased turnover of staff, added hiring and training costs. Second, substance use can also lead to mental health problems, such as depression which can lead to suicidal ideation and chronic anxiety that can cause physiological issues like heart problems and GI challenges. Third, substance use, and mental health issues caused in or by the work environment can have a negative impact on the business’s reputation due the impact on workers' personal lives, leading to problems with relationships, finances, and housing.

Thomas Kaltenecker, who is the Founder and Owner of Salt'n'Pepper Consulting LLC has created a program to bring not only awareness but foremost mental health training to the food service industry. The program, called "86’ed" after a commonly utilized way of Food Service Staff communicating to each other that a particular item from the menu is not available anymore, provides Food Service Owners, Mangers and Staff with the tools they need to understand and manage mental health and substance use challenges at work. The program is based on evidencebased therapy modalities and includes Food Service Industry specific training on topics such as emotion regulation, stress management, coping skills, selfcare and more.

How does Thomas know what the Food Service Industry needs? He is European trained and worked in the Food Service Industry for over 20 years, from Patisserie, to High-End Restaurants, to Hotel management and Culinary Education. He is more than qualified also as Therapist, he opened his Private Practice in 2019 has been a fully Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor since 2021 and has been working with clients with mental health and substance use disorders since 2016. He combined his knowledge of therapy with the needs of the Food Service Industry and created a program that can be tailored and implemented to any kind of Food Service Industry related business. Thomas has been shown to be effective with his clients in reducing substance use, improving their mental health and overall wellness. The program will do exactly that and reduce business costs, improve staff morale, improve safety and bring awareness and will be helpful and informative.

Sizzler Re-Introduces Itself to Vintage Customers

Sizzler is aiming to re-ignite fans’ appreciation of the steak-and-salad-bar concept with a new advertising campaign that plays off a commercial first aired 36 years ago, before its then-unknown star became a popular TV actress. The new spot opens with a dated clip of a young girl trying to keep up with the continuous replenishment of fried shrimp on her plate, a function of the chain’s mid-1980s offer of unlimited servings of the seafood. The camera pulls back to reveal that the grainy old video is playing on the smartphone of Jodie Sweetin, a star of “Fuller House,” the reboot of the popular 1980s sitcom “Full House.”

Santé! Celebrity Cruises has been honored for its outstanding wine program in Wine Spectator’s 2023 Restaurant Awards, which celebrate the world’s best restaurants for wine. Celebrity was recognized with 18 of the prestigious awards in this year’s edition, with some restaurants receiving awards for their 11th consecutive year. With this year’s awards, Celebrity’s legacy continues, celebrating a total of 118 awards.

•

•

•

For more information about “86’ed” chat with Thomas on September 11 at Shmoozefest, or visit the Salt'n'Pepper Consulting LLC website: www.saltnpepperconsultingllc.com. Nobody

PepsiCo and Walmart Aim to Support Regenerative Agriculture Across Over 2 Million Acres of Farmland

PepsiCo and Walmart announced a 7-year collaboration to pursue $120 million worth of investments focused on supporting U.S. and Canadian farmers in their pursuit to improve soil health and water quality. By establishing and scaling financial, agronomic and social programs, it aims to enable and accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices on more than two million acres of farmland and deliver approximately four million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions and removals by 2030 – roughly equivalent to the amount of electricity needed to power 778,300 homes for one year.

For almost 60 years, Pop-Tarts has been known for “Crazy Good” toaster pastries, establishing the brand as a fan-favorite breakfast staple. Now, with a new creative direction, the brand is extending into the world of snacking with the launch of “Agents of Crazy Good” characters.

An ice cream scoop is not only good for scooping out ice cream but it can be used to scoop the batter into the cups when making cupcakes or for making cookies, keeping the size uniformed. Big Shoulders Coffee was born out of a love for learning about people, food and culture.

PB2 Foods, a pioneer in powdered nut butters and plant-based foods, has debuted two innovative new products at Kroger stores nationwide: PB2 Performance Plant Protein Bars in Chocolate Peanut Butter and Chocolate Almond flavors. With 13-15g of protein per serving and powered by PB2’s delicious peanut and almond powders, PB2 Performance Plant Protein Bars provide a healthy combination of natural, betterfor-you ingredients that deliver on taste. The protein bars are made with 100% gluten-free, vegan, kosher, and non-GMO ingredients. Availability on Amazon and other retail channels will begin in September.

Founder Tim Coonan began as a chef working at some of the most prestigious restaurants in New York, France, Italy and Chicago. What began as a hobby roasting beans in his garage evolved into more than 10 years of award-winning coffee at six locations throughout Chicago. Black pepper mellows with cooking. That’s one reason why the pepper shaker on the table is so important. Black, white and green peppercorns are the same berry but they taste very different from one another. Datassential, the leading food and beverage intelligence platform, has released its 2023 Midyear Trend Report, revealing that barbecued chicken wings are the fastest-growing item on menus today, rising a staggering 373% from a year ago. Founded in 1941, Kleinfeld is the world’s most famous and largest luxury bridal retailer, carrying an unparalleled selection of American and European designer wedding dresses. The 35,000 square foot flagship salon is located in the heart of Chelsea, New York City, and is host to TLC’s hit show, Say Yes to the Dress. Indiana produces more than 20% of the United States’ popcorn supply. In a typical year, almost half of all cropland in Indiana is planted in corn. The 44th Annual Valparaiso Popcorn Festival will be held in downtown, Valparaiso, Indiana on Sept. 9, 2023. Jerry Seinfeld returns to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in 2024 with six performances of an all-new show. Having consistently played to sold- out crowds on the iconic stage since 2003, Seinfeld has easily cemented himself as the longest-running superstar headliner in the iconic resort’s history. Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation. Powered by a dedicated volunteer workforce, this network delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. Most people tend to focus on one type of exercise or activity and think they’re doing enough. Research has shown that it’s important to get all four types of exercise: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Each one has different benefits. The 2023 Kia EV6 straight A’s on Cars.com’s 2023 Car Seat Fit Report Card, highlighting vehicles that received top scores from the outlet’s certified child passenger safety technicians. The EV6 is one of only seven vehicles that received all A’s from Cars.com’s safety technicians. Thousand Trails Campgrounds and Encore RV Resorts announce 49 properties earn the 2023 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award. Encore RV resorts and Thousand Trails campgrounds are part of a network of more than 220 RV resorts and campgrounds across North America comprising nearly 90,000 sites. United becomes the first U.S. airline to add braille to aircraft interiors, helping millions of travelers with visual disabilities more easily navigate the cabin independently. According to the Department of Transportation, about 27 million people with disabilities traveled by air in 2019.

DESSERT SUPPLIES

Fox Valley Farms

DESSERTS

Chad’s Cheesecake Page 16

Chicago Sweet Connection Page 47

Eli’s Cheesecakes

Fox Valley Farms

DESSERTS-WHOLESALE

630-231-3005

708-932-8982

773-283-4430

773-736-7417

630-231-3005

Lezza Spumoni & Desserts Page 07 708-547-5969

DIRECT MAIL PROGRAMS

Food Industry News

DISHWASHING & CHEMICALS

847-699-3300

C-Soap/CSI 888-908-5600

DISINFECTING SERVICES

Sexton Group Floor Care Page 41 847-827-1188

Kleen Teem Group 888-717-0360

DISPOSABLE PACKAGING

Wan Xing Lin Inc Page 12 773-648-0766

DRAM SHOP INSURANCE

Viti Insurance

DRAPERIES-CLEANING

Sexton Group Floor Care Page 41

DUCT CLEANING Enviromatic Corp of America Page 32

EGGS

Egg & Dairy Company

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOKS Employco USA Page 21

EMPLOYMENT ATTORNEYS

Rob Bernstein - Laner Muchin

EMPLOYMENT LAW Laner Muchin

ENERGY BROKER Century Energy Solutions Page 26

847-432-1000

Chef’s Quality Meats 708-333-0880

Olympia Food Industries 847-349-9358

Performance Foodservice: Chicago 630-896-1991

Performance Foodservice: Milwaukee 800-775-9030

T Castro Produce Co 773-869-9400

Tec Foods Inc 773-638-5310

Wilkens Foodservice 708-235-0788

FOOD MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT

DC Norris North Ameica

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

Create Inc Chicago Page 24

231-632-4462

773-664-4024

SELF-SERVICE ORDERING KIOSKS

Alpha POS Services Inc

SEWER (MAINT) -RODDING & JETTING

Tierra Environmental Page 46

SHAKE MIX

Fox Valley Farms

SHIPPING-REFRIGERATED & FROZEN

Perishable Distribution Solutions

SHORTENING

Columbus Vegetable Oils Page 15

SIGNAGE-INDOOR & OUTDOOR

American Graphics & Sign Page 16

SLICERS - AUTOMATED

CES Nationwide

SLICERS-SALES & SERVICE

Berkel Midwest

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Create Inc Chicago Page 24

SOFT DRINKS

PepsiCo Foodservice

SOFT SERVE-ICE CREAM/EQUIP & SUPPLIES

Kool Technologies Page 44

SOFT SERVICE MIX

Fox Valley Farms

SOFTWARE PROGRAMS - CUSTOM

IT Impact Inc Page 23

SOUP BASES

Tec Foods Inc

SOUPS

Bistro Soups (Div of Vienna Beef)

Vienna Beef

SOUS - VIDE COOKING EQUIPMENT

DC Norris North America Page 08

SPECIALTY FOODS DISTRIBUTOR

Specialty Food Show

SPICES

La Criolla Page 42

Tec Foods Inc

SPIRITS

R Jelinek Midwes

STAFFING-SERVICES

630-690-9232

888-551-1998

630-231-3005

888-491-1641

773-265-6500

888-774-6270

773-533-3333

800-921-9151

773-664-4024

773-893-2319

630-483-2256

630-231-3005

312-809-5456

773-638-5310

773-278-7800

773-278-7800

231-632-4462

212-482-6440

312-243-8882

773-638-5310

708-691-3895

All About Personnel Page 13 630-336-6238

Atlas Employment Services Page 07 847-671-1557

STEAM CLEANING

Olympia Maintenance 708-344-0344

SUPERMARKET EQUIPMENT

CES Nationwide 773-533-3333

SUPERMARKET EQUIPMENT REPAIR

Up ‘N Adam Service and Supply Inc

SUPERMARKET- EQUIPMENT/ NEW & USED

Berkel Midwest

TABLES - DINING ROOM

877-876-2326

800-921-9151 i2i Design Page 02 847-890-9684

Takeout Becomes America’s Preferred Mode of Dining

The majority of Americans would rather order takeout or delivery than sit down and eat at a restaurant. That’s according to a recent survey of 1,000 people by US Foods, which found that 57% of them preferred to get their food to go, while 43% favor on-premise dining. The average person gets delivery 4.5 times per month and dines out 3 times per month, according to US Foods. The study theorized that people became enamored with takeout during the pandemic and are continuing those habits today. Of course, a good amount of people still prefer going out to eat, and their reasons for that are worth noting. Three-fourths said it’s because they don’t feel like cooking. But many highlighted a factor that has nothing to do with food: 63% said it’s the atmosphere of a restaurant that causes them to dine out rather than at home. And 48% said they like to go out to socialize.

– Source: Restaurant Business

“Always carry a large Flagon of Whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake.”

– W. C. Fields

Chef Profile

Mary Gorski

Lake Lawn Resort 2400 Geneva St. Delavan, WI 53115

Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut

Current Position: Banquet Chef

First Foodservice Job: Concessions at park district pool.

Favorite Food: I love tacos with any kind of protein and fresh ingredients. Must have a squeeze of lime and cilantro!

Memorable Customers: My most memorable customers are those who take my suggestions at an action station for flavor combinations.

Worst Part of Job: Doing dishes when the dishwasher doesn’t show after working a 12-hour shift.

Most Humorous Kitchen Mishap: Making a plant based pasta for one hundred and then realizing it just disappeared into the water.

Favorite Food to prepare: My favorite recipe to prepare is Italian gravy. It’s a slow process, made with love, but it’s totally worth it.