Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News - February 2013

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estaurant News R February 2013 Vol. 19 No. 1

N A T I O N A L

More than

token

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Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

By Leslie Wu, Editorial Director

C O V E R A G E

R E G I O N A L

F O C U S

including Boneta, The Diamond, and Seamonstr Sushi, as well as a new pub venture called Portside, which opened mid-January. There’s the media personality who has the speaker circuit and two reality shows under his belt.

And there’s the social entrepreneur who took over a butcher shop in Gastown that was going to be turned into condos and started community-based Save On Meats in 2010. Have a chat with this self-described chameleon and you may see any and all of these aspects during the course of your conversation.

In the six years since he’s been operating in East Vancouver, however, none of the conversations that Brand has started about social enterprise match the furor that erupted over an innocuous piece of plastic: a token program that he started in late 2012.

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efining Mark Brand is a tricky thing to do. A bartenderturned-operator-turnedsocial entrepreneur, 35-year old Brand challenges an easy label, almost as much as he generates controversy; a fact that still baffles him.

“It’s amazing that now I’ve become the centre of a political conversation about gentrification, food security, what the city should be doing, what the province should be doing, how the police treat the homeless…and I make sandwiches,” he marvels. “It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, but I’m happy to engage it. You poke a bear, it’s going to have something to say about it.”

There are many facets to Brand, and each one has an opinion.

There’s the savvy selfmade businessman who opened and operates local restaurants

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REVVING UP YOUR HOTEL RESTAURANT

The social entrepreneur Brand Ask Brand about the tokens and he’ll fish one out of his pocket from a set he always carries with him. “The common perception is that what I do is charity work or giving things away but it’s not,” he says. “I don’t do charity. What I do is training, rehabilitation and then provision.”

The idea is simple: customers can purchase a $2.25 token that can then be distributed to the disadvantaged throughout Vancouver, who can then exchange it for a sandwich at Save On Meats.

Brand, who originally hoped that 50 of the 1,000 tokens he printed would be redeemed a week, now sees 700 of them weekly. A similar project is being started by chef Rod Bowers in Toronto this spring. The program is geared towards making healthy food accessible to all. “They’re not lining up for a soup kitchen, or being given leftover food,” says Brand.

Newsmaker of the Year: Mark Brand

IL GIARDINO CLOSES AFTER 40 YEARS

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Food trucks are heading down new paths. Here’s the route from concept to longevity to drive your foodservice offerings home.

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In need of food innovation Where the Conference Board says Canadian food industry is lacking OTTAWA—According to the Conference Board of Canada, the country’s receding global presence in the food and drink market is due to a lack of innovation in the industry.

The board cites a lack of investment in new research and ideas as a factor in Canada’s share of food and drink exports, dropping from 4.3 per cent in 2000 to 3.2 per cent in 2010. In 2011, Canada’s percentage share rose slightly to 3.9, but remained below previous levels, and was significantly lower than the United States share of 12.2 per cent and China’s share of 6.3 per cent (both of these countries increased their share from previous years.)

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The board recommend several actions to encourage innovation in the food industry including: collecting customer data to cater products to customer demand; altering the Food and Drugs Act to reduce barriers in food innovation, while still adhering to food safety; and government funding for incentives on healthier and more environmentally sustainable food innovation.

“When it comes to innovation, the Canadian food industry is content to compete for a bronze medal,” said Daniel Munro, principal research associate for the board’s report, Competing for the Bronze: Innovation Performance in the Canadian Food Industry.

Silver Star’s mile-high bowling, bistro and bar

Fostering new ideas:

Artisan Incubator TORONTO—Ace Bakery is celebrating 20 years of artisan baking by inaugurating 20 new chefs into their artisan showcase. Ace Bakery will select food artisans from across the country to come to Toronto and show off their craft.

Ace has enlisted top Canadian chefs and culinary experts as a part of the selection process, according to their website. Dubbed “Tastemakers,” Anita Stewart, Pete Luckett, Anne Desjardins, Lynn Crawford, Lora Kirk, Connie DeSousa, John Jackson, Robert McCullough and Michele Genest will work with the artisans directly, as well as co-hosting the event.

The Artisan Incubator will run from June 20 to 22, giving exposure and expertise to the up and coming chefs.

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Duncan Miller, owner of Pinheads, Canada’s first ski-in ski-out 10 pin bowling alley.

By Colleen Isherwood, senior contributing editor SILVER STAR, BC—It’s a cosmic bowling alley, bistro and bar, with retro decor and the latest electronics when it comes to ordering food or scoring your game. There’s a bistro with comfort food like meatball sandwiches and gourmet hot dogs. There’s a bar with signature martinis and a selection of the finest Okanagan wines. And it’s all located at Silver Star Resort, elevation 5,280 feet or a mile high, 20 minutes from Vernon, BC. Duncan Miller, an Australian reality television star who comes to Silver Star with his wife and four sons for seven weeks every Australian summer, is the owner of Pinheads Bowling and Final Run Bistro & Bar. He bought the long, narrow 8,000 square-foot commercial space at the bottom of Silver Star’s Firelight Lodge a few years ago, but the recession meant it was hard to attract tenants.

Miller and his wife came up with the idea of 10-pin bowling. Located in “kid’s alley” near the skating pond and tube rides, it would provide an alternative to skiing and entertainment at night, especially since winter days at Silver Star are short and the lifts close at 4 p.m. They added in the bistro and bar idea, and opened their doors in December.

“We’re busiest in the evening after the lifts close. And probably 49 out of 50 people who walk by on the way to the pond and Tubetown say, ‘Oh, look at the bowling alley,”’ Miller told PRN. Miller has hired some local talent to run the operation. Heather and Mark Angel, owners of two Out of Bounds coffee restaurants, are involved in the management. Ricardo Scebba and Sue Miller (no relation to Duncan), owners of Ricardo’s

Mediterranean Kitchen, 20 minutes south of Vernon, provide wine and food expertise.

Bistro entree items include The Big Lebowski gourmet hot dog at $9, and Chef Ricardo’s handrolled award-winning meatballs on flatbread for $9 to $14.

Signature drinks include Nut Warmers, made from Amaretto, Frangelico and coffee. “The best seller is called Up Your Alley, which is very appropriate,” said Miller. “It’s made with Bailey’s, Kahlua and chillied espresso.” Prices range from $3.25 for beer to $12 for a martini.

Hester Creek and Haywire Crush Pad wines are available by the glass, and there are 25 other Okanagan wines on offer.

Pinheads has four bowling alleys, three reserved and a fourth open for walk-in traffic. “It’s 10-pin because that’s what the Aussies want to play,” Miller said. Australians provide a significant contingent among Silver Star guests and staff.

Scores are displayed on 70-inch plasma screens. The latest in scoring technology automatically puts side bumper pads in place when it is the children’s turn to bowl. And in addition to scores, the screen displays the speed at which the balls travel down the alley.

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Editorial Director Leslie Wu ext. 227 lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com Senior Contributing Editor Colleen Isherwood ext. 231 cisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com Assistant Editor Elaine Anselmi ext. 226 eanselmi@canadianrestaurantnews.com Online Editor Veronica Zaretski ext. 238 vzaretski@canadianrestaurantnews.com National Sales Manager Dave Bell ext. 230 dbell@canadianrestaurantnews.com Senior Account Managers Debbie McGilvray ext. 233 dmcgilvray@canadianrestaurantnews.com Joe Couto ext. 229 jcouto@canadianrestaurantnews.com Production Ext. 0 pweber@canadianrestaurantnews.com Circulation Manager Don Trimm ext. 228 dtrimm@canadianrestaurantnews.com Controller Tammy Turgeon ext. 237 tammy@canadianrestaurantnews.com How to reach us: Tel (905) 206-0150

Bully for you

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estaurateurs, meet Brad Newman.

He’s about to make your life more difficult.

As if the restaurant industry doesn’t have enough to deal with in terms of meeting the expectations of an increasingly demanding customer, along comes Newman with a new low: a “reviewer card” for online amateur reviewers of restaurants and hotels.

“I’m going to review them anyway, so why not let them know in advance? It’s not hurting anyone,” said Newman to the Los Angeles Times. He explained that the idea came about when he received what he felt was shoddy service in France, threatened to post on TripAdvisor and was then comped his meal.

“It’s not a threat,” Newman told the

Times. “It’s the way to get the service you deserve.” He plans to peddle his cards for $100 to those he deems worthy through an Internet screening process based on the number of reviews applicants have under their belts.

Let’s overlook the fact that the idea of revealing themselves is anathema to most legitimate reviewers. Let’s disregard the idea that the card is a new tool for bullies to use to menace front of house staff. Let’s even set aside the notion for a moment that such a card would be met with, at the very least, polite disdain from any number of restaurateurs, chefs, hoteliers and servers.

When it comes down to it, the worst thing about this card is that it removes the ability of the restaurant to correct its mis-

Bits Government supports Manitoba food processors Publisher Steven Isherwood ext. 236 sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com

Volume 19 Number 1 Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News is published 6 times per year by Ishcom Publications Ltd. which also publishes: Ontario Restaurant News, Atlantic Restaurant News, Canadian Lodging News, Canadian Chains Directory 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201 Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 Tel: (905) 206-0150 Fax: (905) 206-9972 In Canada 1 800 201-8596 Subscriptions: Canada & USA: $24.95/ year or $39.95/two years Single copy: $5.00 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation department, 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40010152 ISSN 1702-3483 GST number R102533890

BRANDON, MB—Two projects aimed at bolstering Manitoba’s food manufacturing industry were announced by Agriculture Minister, Gerry Ritz, and Member of Parliament, Merv Tweed in a Jan. 16 release.

The initial investment of $300,000 towards the Manitoba Food Processors Association (MFPA) will go towards launching new business and supporting entrepreneurs in their business development. The MFPA will receive a second investment of $141,666 for studying the feasibility, concept and efficiency of a centre dedicated to enhancing the food processing industry.

The investments are a part of the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program – a five-year, $163 million initiative for the Canadian agricultural sector.

A meal with a view in downtown Winnipeg WINNIPEG—The new revolving restaurant at Fort Garry Place, in Winnipeg, has been closed for almost four years, but that won’t be the case for long. Noel Bernier of Hermanos Steakhouse and Corrientes Pizzeria is looking to complete negotiations to reopen the space as Prairie 360, according to CBC News.

The landmark building, previously known as the Royal Crown, was opened in the 1980’s, and features a view of the city from its downtown core. “The star in this restaurant is the magnificent view of our city,” Bernier told the CBC. The new restaurant will feature locally grown food that celebrates the ingredients and traditions found in Manitoba.

Higher hospitality and culinary education in a Winnipeg tower WINNIPEG—The Union Bank Tower, across from city hall on Main Street, now houses the Paterson Globalfoods Intiative, a Hospitality and Culinary Arts program of Red River College, according to Winnipeg Free Press. The initiative includes six floors of student residence, and Jane’s restaurant.

The restaurant will seat 105 customers, and the food will be served and cooked by students. “All the daily specials are created by the students,” said dean Keith Muller.

“You can converse with students; we’ll even give you a recipe if you ask for it.”

The official opening for the institute is Feb. 21, but about 300 students are already practicing in kitchens spread over several floors.

A variety of separate programs are offered to students: culinary arts, hotel and restaurant management, tourism, baking and pastry arts.

Saskatoon Airport calls for foodservice proposals SASKATOON—The Saskatoon Airport Authority has put a call out for new food and beverage operators at John G. Diefenbaker International Airport. Restaurateurs have until Feb. 21 to submit proposals to operate within the airport and serve travellers in the air terminal building.

The airport is offering four spaces that total just under 4,000 square feet, and will share two seating areas, according to the official request for proposals. The call for new food and beverage operators comes after the appointment of the authority’s first new president and CEO in 27 years, Stephen Maybury, according to Saskatoon

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take (if there was one), to make the customer feel valued, or to go above and beyond to save the dining experience, which many operators do daily.

By flashing a card and making a very real threat, the diner shuts down the conversation, and any act of graciousness on the part of the operator is then reduced to “the service they deserved.”

And unfortunately, when demands are made with threats, too often the service will be exactly what that kind of diner deserves, to the detriment of all involved.

Leslie Wu Editorial Director

BI t es

Airport Authority officials.

One goal of the new concession service is to be representative of Saskatoon’s “sense of place,” according to the request. As well as creating a local theme, the foodservice provision is aimed at enhancing the airport’s customer service and business environment.

Tides change for a waterfront restaurant VANCOUVER—An old bar closes, and a new bar takes its place on Vancouver’s waterfront. The popular Monk McQueens restaurant on False Creek has closed down after 26 years of business, and will soon be replaced by the Vancouver Irish pub establishment Mahony & Sons.

Bob Lindsay, owner of Monk McQueens will lease the building property to the family-owned company, who have plans for a multi-million dollar renovation.

“It was time to do a major renovation, or find a younger person to take over,” said Lindsay. “The Mahony boys stepped forward, recognizing the iconic significance of this site.” Mahony & Sons proprietor Chris Mahony said that both the interior and exterior will change completely with Irish designers from the Irish Pub Company overhauling the look with imported Irish furniture, tiling, and light fixtures to give the new space a traditional and authentic Irish pub look. Other details include traditional millwork, a Gaelic theme, and a Victorian theme.

At 8,800 square feet, with about 250 seats indoors, and 250-300 seats on the patio overlooking the waterfront, the new Mahony & Sons can receive large crowds.

Food prices average from $15 to

$20, and include standard Irish pub grub that is also found in the other two Mahony & Sons locations. “We’re looking at high quality food with lower costs, and great friendly, Irish hospitality,” said Mahony.

Dishes include braised short rib sliders with crispy onions and potato chops as well as calamari, and breaded chicken tenders with citrus plum and honey mustard dipping sauce for appetizers. Traditional main courses include a slow simmered lamb and vegetable Irish stew in Guinness demi-glace with mashed potatoes, fish and chips with Alaskan cod in a light crisp Guinness batter, and smoked salmon with fresh ricotta cheese sauce, fontina cheese, crispy fried capers, red onion and dill.

“We’re spending multi-millions on upgrades,” Mahony said.

“We want the pub to continue to be a Vancouver landmark, that tourists will want to visit.”

Pizza Pizza releases app for placing orders TORONTO—Pizza Pizza announced the launch of a mobile ordering app for the iPad in a release.

The app will allow customers to place pizza orders and includes features such as the “Pizza Builder,” a visual tool that will let customers virtually create and customize a pizza, and “Spin-toWin,” a game offering the opportunity to win free menu options with orders. The app was developed by Plastic Mobile, and is part of a number of technological developments at Pizza Pizza, including a recently redesigned website.

“Our mobile and web-based business is growing rapidly,” said CEO Paul Goddard.

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“I don’t care what Internet journalists think, and I don’t care what right wing activists think; it doesn’t bother me. My skin has gone from being very thin to leather to mahogany in a very short period of time.”

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“They’re not digging through the garbage trying to figure something out, or hoping that someone is generous enough on a one in a million chance to give them a Tim Horton’s gift card, etc.,” says Brand. “This is a common, everyday thing that you would have in your pocket.”

The uproar was instantaneous. Social activists and academics accused Brand of fostering the idea that the homeless couldn’t be trusted with money. He counters with the argument that this way, the money is going towards the purpose for which it’s intended.

“A lot of the time charity becomes a coffee conversation or a cocktail conversation where it becomes ‘Oh, I saw this guy and took him into the grocery store and bought him milk and bread’ and they feel really great about it. What they don’t know about that interaction is that the guy then went to the corner store and traded it for money to buy narcotics, which happens 9 times out of 10.

You feel amazing and that’s the con,” says Brand.

“I think that we need to be more educated about this and what’s actually happening. If someone is not able to actually get that drug, they may make a different decision.”

This is not an opinion that makes him popular and a quick search of his name online can produce some vitriolic attacks, none of which Brand takes personally. “I don’t care what Internet journalists think, and I don’t care what right wing activists think; it doesn’t bother me,” says Brand.

“My skin has gone from being very thin to leather to mahogany in a very short period of time.”

The businessman Brand Talk to any social entrepreneur for any length of time and they’ll probably tell you that their business acumen is first and foremost behind their decisions. For Brand, however, that skill is a hard won lesson in economics that began with his first restaurant.

Brand’s roots came from bartending and his transition to restaurateur came about when his restaurant Boneta started having financial difficulties. “I sat in a booth in a corner every day for eight to 10 months, and had to learn the financial aspects of the business by going through crumpled up receipts to figure out exactly what we had done,” says Brand. “When I entered the restaurant business, I had no idea what the op-

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erational standpoint really looked like, so I had to learn because we almost had to close.”

Alexis Tardiff, Brand’s current chief financial officer was, at the time, a server at Salt Lick steakhouse. With nothing more than a basic evening accounting course, she and Brand puzzled through the financial plan, and they have worked together every day since then. “I believe that you can teach anything and learn literally anything as long as there’s application and necessity,” says Brand.

“I am a businessman first and foremost and I always have been, but that doesn’t mean I always will be,” says Brand. “I blur those lines for the exact same reason I talk about community and provision. I’m a businessman that is community minded and about helping others. I don’t think that there needs to be a strict definition.”

Brand started a restaurant career in the recession and expanded rapidly from 2008 to 2009, a growth that he attributes more to ignorance than anything else. “I didn’t know any better and I didn’t have anything to base it off of,” he says. “I didn’t go to school to learn how to open a restaurant, I went to restaurants to learn how to open a restaurant. I watched a bunch of restaurants in their final throes, I watched a bunch of people open them and skyrocket, and I learned from osmosis rather than learning from a book.”

Today, his business model still puzzles largescale bankers who review his early numbers.

“They’ll say, ‘conventionally, this makes absolutely no sense. I would have never invested in it.’ And I say, ‘good, because nobody ever did, so don’t worry about it,’” he laughs. “I’m self made. I did all of this with credit cards, a tiny bit of love money, and partners.”

In building his company, Brand is very much its public face, and he makes very little distinction between himself and the company. “I’m the CEO of a company that is probably going to put $11 million in the bank this year, although I’ll probably spend $12.5 million, but that is a decision I’ve made personally,” he says. “I know what we do is good. I don’t second guess it.”

The television personality Brand There’s no escaping the fact that Mark Brand Inc. is very much a brand, complete with a publicist, a reality show that ran on Oprah Winfrey’s network and appearances on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and CBC’s The Big Decision.

For someone who is so attuned to media perception (Brand was recently in Toronto for a flurry of media spots) Brand had to be pushed onto social media by his publicist, and still refers to postings on Twitter as “doing a tweet thing”.

When the token program started out, he didn’t even issue a press release.

Although he’s been pushed into the spotlight for his social entrepreneurship, he says he doesn’t seek it out. “If people are interested in talking to me about this, I’ll always have the conversation, and trust me, it’s not to see my face in print again.

I’m sick of that as much as everyone else is,” he laughs. “There are people who have been doing much better work than me for decades longer in the exact same vein who are social entrepreneurs and my respect for them is immense.”

Brand feels that any media attention he receives comes back to the common cause. “If I get in the public eye, attention comes to all of it.

Most of the people are like, ‘I don’t want to do it anyways. I don’t want people writing awful things about me on the Internet’,” he says.

“I came in fast and furious into a neighbourhood that’s been struggling for a very long time.

There’s a lot of controversy around it, and I didn’t close my mouth,” he says. “I’ve been very verbose around it every single day since and I don’t see any downfall in it whatsoever, although my publicist may say differently.”

The artist Brand There is one label that Brand actively recoils from, however, and it’s not any of the names he’s been called online. A recent spate of interviews left him with the tag of celebrity chef, which Brand emphatically rejects.

“I’m not a chef. I’m a cook, and can cook at any of my places on the line, and have the skill set, but I take those words very, very seriously,” he says. “I didn’t have to spend 1,000 hours under a maniac, I did not go to culinary school, and I do not have my Red Seal. My level of respect for the kitchen outweighs every other facet of the restaurant business. I adore the people in the kitchen who will put in those 90 to 100 hours a week and put in the commitment to one day get the title of chef.”

In terms of artistic outlets, however, Brand retains his chameleon-like mindset. He enjoys designing streetwear through his clothing line and retail store, Sharks and Hammers, and en-

joys dabbling in street culture. His independent art gallery Catalog “doesn’t make money, doesn’t attract high end clientele, but instead showcases young artists trying to make a name for themselves and living six to a room,” he says.

The political Brand For Brand, the personal and political arguments around social enterprise centre on the community, a sense that was instilled in him right from his childhood in Atlantic Canada amongst a community of neighbours. “Doors were always open, everybody cooked for everybody, and it’s that place that taught me about looking after your fellow man for real,” he says. “Somewhere along the way, I think we all lose sight of the importance of us to be part of our community and we’re guilted into larger scale charitable donations and that clears our conscience until Christmas the following year.”

When moving to Vancouver, Brand found that sense of community in East Vancouver. “I love it there. It’s the last great neighbourhood in Vancouver,” he says. “The sense of community and of love that’s there, the people I work with from all walks of life, they live there, and I live there. I walk my streets every single day.”

In searching for ways to engage both ends of the spectrum in a rapidly gentrifying Gastown, Brand feels strongly about his sense of civic duty.

“I think after the war, we were always helping our fellow man in the 20s, 30s and 40s. It was part and parcel of what we did. It just was,” he says. “There were promises that the government would house all of our destitute and feed all of our poor and rehabilitate and all you had to do is pay taxes, but it doesn’t work like that.”

Brand feels that the compromise is a multistep approach. “We have to pay taxes. I’m not going to pave my own streets or look after a telephone pole if it falls down, but I am going to look after my fellow man,” he says. “I’m trying to lead by example.”

The personal Brand In order for Brand to work successfully in his chosen areas, he has to alternate between all facets of his personal life. One day, he may be sitting with city councillors to discuss policy. The next, he may be talking to someone who’s just been rehabilitated and is going through a very heavy withdrawal. Both situations hold personal connections for Brand. “I’ve been an addict my whole life… most of the people in our business have, and a lot of the time, everyone’s in denial,” he says. “My team’s not in denial. We understand that we’ve all had alcohol problems, workoholic problems…all of those different things allow us to understand better than most an addict’s issues.”

To draw from those experiences, to learn by trying the impossible and making mistakes in the process cuts to the heart of Brand’s approaches to both business and social enterprise. “We’ve all made a lot of decisions about how we’re going to be and how we’re going to act. And because of my own actions, a lot of which I very much regret, I decided that I’m going to be a different person, and a better person,” he says. “People have said to me that I’m afraid to show weakness and I say, no, I’m showing strength. There’s a difference here. There’s nothing that you can say to me that’s going to upset me, because I’ve already told you about it.”

Ultimately, defining Mark Brand is akin to trying to hit an ever changing target. The juxtaposition of businessman and social entrepreneur, artist and “someone who watches the nickels”, Brand adapts constantly through both desire and the necessities of the life he’s chosen for himself.

He lives in horror of ever being boxed in or defined and feels that the potential for change is present in everyone, regardless of financial situation. “I think we are all capable as soon as we strip ourselves of those boundaries or fears, to be successful at something else,” he says. “It’s not like I’m great at everything, but in trying, you live a much fuller, richer life.”

On the

Road again

By Elaine Anselmi and Leslie Wu

P

erhaps the familiar melody of the ice cream truck driving up the road is just a memory of earlier years, and doesn’t hold the same trigger of excitement for school kids of this era.

With the number of mobile food options available, can you blame them?

There’s a new generation of movable food operations that offer up everything from traditional desserts,

The big idea After getting snowed in on a backpacking trip through the Himalayas, best friends Ryan Slater and Zac Berman waited in the town of Manang for yaks to clear the way out. The unforeseeable circumstance led the two to the highaltitude berry, seabuckthorn, that Slater says doesn’t taste the best, but is packed with nutrients and is blended into juices in the region for its strong nutritional value.

Gaining a respect for both the individual ingredients and final product of smoothies and juice blends, Slater says they made it a mission to try as many juice stands as possible as they continued through India and Nepal.

“India is filled with juice stands. Like a coffee bar, they’re a sort of gathering point for locals,” says Slater. “When we got back to Vancouver, a passion for juice and smoothies blossomed.” The two opened The Juice Truck for business in July of 2011. We spent four months in [Berman’s] mom’s kitchen, literally trying everything,” says Slater. “We tried every variety of apple, figured out the flavours, and now we have a black ‘holy

hot dogs and fries to a kimchi-topped taco with a side of udon noodle soup.

And chances are, if you look, you can probably find that hot dog topped with kimchi as well.

“We’re reaching culinary adolescence in the city, shedding our shyness in what we’re capable of doing and showing our multiculturalism,” says Suresh Doss, publisher of Spotlight Toronto and one of the driving forces

behind bringing food trucks to Canadian cities.

He points to trucks such as Gourmet Gringo, and Tide and Vine as examples of operators that have a business model that combines both staple items and the room to experiment.

Doss feels that operators are starting to see the real potential behind offering different items at food trucks, rather than sticking with tried and true

favourites, “We’re starting to see the second wave come through.”

Food trucks have been enlisted to cater events, to market pre-existing brick and mortar brands and to offer a creative outlet for chefs and foodies across the country.

They may have four wheels in place of a bricks and mortar foundation, but that doesn’t mean they’re rolling away anytime soon.

grail’ bible of every combo we made.”

The opportunity for experimentation is a strong draw for many entering into the food truck industry.

El Gastronomo Vagabundo, based in St. Catharines, ON is largely seen as an originator of gourmet food truck concepts, and came about in theory approximately three years ago, says co-owner Tamara Jensen. “My partner [Adam Hynam-Smith], who is a professional chef, was working in a restaurant at the time, playing around with different menu items.”

She says the idea of a gourmet taco truck appealed to them because it gave them the freedom to work with different types of fillings and different styles.

The idea was based on gourmet tacos that were easy to eat on the street, says Jensen. “We’ve added things here and there, but we’re still really known for our tacos,” she says.

Additional menu items have included seasonal salads, soups, Korean bbq wings and banh mi sandwiches.

“We switch things up quite often, so people will try something new and have a new favourite dish,” she says.

“But, there’s some people who just like their staples. They’ll come when they can get that.”

At the time of El Gastro’s inception, Jensen says there were no

gourmet food trucks in Canada, but trucks in New York and Los Angeles were starting to get recognition. “We looked into it and realized it would be a bit of a challenge since the rules didn’t really exist yet, but we thought why not give it a go and take a risk.”

Also seeing a gap in the market for fresh-to-order seafood – something some would think was in abundance in the Atlantic provinces – Ryan MacIsaac introduced Dartmouth and the Halifax Regional Municipality to The Battered Fish.

“We wanted to do gourmet seafood in a fast-casual environment,” says MacIsaac. “At first the plan was to do festivals and events, and tour Nova Scotia to get our name out and get people knowing our food.”

The truck’s business grew steadily, offering Digby clams, scallops and haddock as well as fries and its own line of pop, says MacIsaac. Since its first food truck, The Battered Fish has now expanded into four concepts, foodcourt installments, a hut on the Halifax Harbour and a standalone restaurant.

“Our slogan is ‘always fresh, always to order,’” he says, and this largely underlines the concept of the brand. “A lot of places cook everything in the morning and re-cook it when it’s ordered,” says MacIsaac.

“Ours gets dipped in batter when ordered, and then dipped in the fryer, and that concept hasn’t changed.”

Finding a unique spot in the market has proved a successful backer for food truck concepts. Calgary food truck, Perogy Boyz, was founded on the theory that “short of a Ukrainian wedding or church service, it’s hard to find a good perogy,” says owner, Curtis Berry. Perogy Boyz offers a traditional perogy, served with bacon and sour cream, as well as some twists such as a perogy poutine with cheese curds and bacon gravy, and nacho perogies with salsa and taco cheese.

While perogies remain the focus of the menu on Berry’s truck, he says it has undergone several changes including a new perogy supplier to bring down costs, and limiting the styles of perogies used, to cut down on wait times. “In the first year of operation, we served over 300,000 hand pinched perogies,” says Berry.

That year came with a lot of lessons on best practice, economics and efficiency.

Having a strong concept that appeals to a broad demographic is an important starting point for a food truck operator, but the ability to maintain that concept while learning and adapting is essential.

A different type of mobile marketing

Photo credits: Asphalt photos by Fran Gambín. Stoplight photo in top right: Davide Guglielmo. Road work sign: Mark Brannan. Success/failure: Sigurd Decroos.

With something as mobile as a food truck, traditional advertising methods of television or print may be too static, and your operating budget may be small.

Sometimes it’s a matter of going back to basics: word of mouth marketing.

Lynn Albert relies heavily on word of her Caraquet,

NB, truck spreading. That, and curious tourists looking for lobster poutine. When the season starts, she hits the local tourist hotspots and leaves menus out.

Adaptability to changing circumstances is key to Jensen, who uses Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, and the Eat St. and Toronto Street Food apps.

If you’re moving around a bigger market with more urban sprawl, it becomes a necessity to

inform potential customers of your location in an up-to-theminute fashion. These days, word of mouth has a new incarnation in social media, and a savvy food truck operator will take full advantage of an online presence.

Letting customers know the truck’s location in advance allows both sides to plan their day. “If we don’t use social media and let people know where were going to be, they pack a lunch and chances

are they’re going to eat that lunch,” says Berry. “We have to let them know where we’re going to be so they can plan on that.”

Parking and other factors, however, can lay a wrench in the best-laid plans. “It’s tricky because you’re not always guaranteed a parking spot in the place you tweet,” says Berry. “So if there’s no parking there, and people plan to eat there, you have to update and plan accordingly.”

What they’re made of Before food trucks were legal in Calgary, Curtis Berry headed down to California to purchase a $100,000 truck that would become the home of Perogy Boyz. While it was a risky gamble, Berry says it paid off, “It was the perfect truck for us in terms of what we needed to cook perogies, we just had to have our branding put on it.”

The process was pretty quick, says Berry, who purchased the truck in July and following inspections, branding and putting a menu in place, was open for business at a Calgary food truck festival in August.

The process is not always so expedient when starting from scratch, or if there is a significant amount of customization involved. As well, Barry notes that even after the acquisition of the truck he made a significant investment into upgrades to comply with codes.

Terry Sauve, owner of Kitchens on Wheels, says he has built the majority of food trucks parked along the streets of the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa, from his shop in Alexandria, ON. He says the process takes approximately two months from the day he gets the order, but this can fluctuate depending on the time of year and demand.

The cost of a food truck can also inflate drastically depending on the requirements of the operator. Sauve says modern trucks are actually more elaborate than some restaurant kitchens, with electronics and high-end equipment.

“The average truck before was around $30,000, now it can be anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000,” says Sauve. “These days, 75 per cent of trucks are in the $70,000 margin.”

One of Sauve’s first builds was the El Gastronomo Vagabundo truck.

“We told [Sauve] what equipment we wanted,” says Jensen. “He outfitted it in

case we wanted to add equipment in the future.”

Jensen says they make use of their space in their facility by stationing off the truck for larger events and having one person at each station making specific items. As well, she says there is always one person who deals specifically with cash handling and not food.

Being the first on the Canadian food truck scene, Jensen says the trucks Sauve is working on now are much more involved than El Gastro’s first order.

Since acquiring The Battered Fish truck, MacIsaac says he has gone through numerous modifications to accommodate the demands of business, and the way they cook products to order. An upgraded fryer was on the bill last year for The Battered Fish and a touch screen point of sale system was installed for efficiency. “There’s still things that we improve every year with the food truck but it’s like night and day from where we started,” says MacIsaac.

The industry itself is a somewhat unrecognizable creature to those manufacturing the trucks. Norm Kerfoot, owner of Apollo Carts, has been building food trucks and carts for 17 years, and says the industry has “really grown in leaps and bounds as far as volume goes.”

He says his B.C.-based operation built approximately six trailers and two trucks in the first year of the Vancouver food truck craze. Last year, he built 25 trucks, 18 trailers and approximately 20 food carts.

One of Kerfoot’s customizations was a 1984 delivery vehicle that became The Juice Truck. “It had 450,000 kms on it and had travelled across Canada throughout its life,” says The Juice Truck’s co-owner, Ryan Slater. He says his truck requirements were a lot less than most. “We pretty much have a large inverter powering two juicers, blenders and fridges.”

Finding success To operate a successful food truck, you’ve got to get real. Know your limitations, know what works and what doesn’t, and be prepared to make the necessary changes to adapt to a better way of business.

“Don’t be afraid of change and don’t stay stuck in a rut,” says Berry. “If one thing isn’t working try another.” His perogy operation has gone through several changes in its just over one-year run. In order to keep costs down, he switched perogy suppliers, from a hand-pinched maker, to a family run business that he says is as close to handmade as possible and uses all local ingredients. The difference: this business uses a machine to finish the perogies which allows for faster processing and brings the cost down for him and his customers.

Berry read up on comments and complaints from customers on sites, such as Yelp, that said his truck was overpriced at more than a dollar for each perogy. “We’re down to $8 for eight perogies and there’s more filling and less dough,” he says. “You’ve got to respond to all criticism, good or bad, and don’t let it get away from you.”

Refrigerator and freezer storage space, as well as dry goods storage is one of the main differences between a mobile kitchen and restaurant facility, says Kerfoot. As a result, many operators make use of storage spaces and commissaries that allow for freezer space.

“A lot of [operators] will get refrigerated trailers to store product if they’re doing a big event and store it somewhere on site,” says Kerfoot. “On a daily basis, you’re probably in most cases able to carry enough product for your day of service.”

For the Canuck Pizza Truck, having enough pizza dough on board to serve the masses means hours of preparation outside of the truck and extensive freezer space to keep it in.

Just finding an appropriate fridge for the truck, not to mention a generator, hot water heater and everything else proved a challenge, says owner Ted Lafleur. The task was particularly unique in that the business operates off a converted 1946 GMC two-tonne dump truck. Lafleur’s six-figure investment is equipped with a wood-burning oven and subsequent smokestack.

He says he sourced the majority of the equipment, as well as the materials that are unique to the 1946 model, online.

It was an imperative goal of the builder to fit as much as possible into the small space allotted on the truck.

“It was a really big job,” says Lafleur.

“We knew what we were getting into, but it was big, I don’t know that we’d do it again.”

“You’re always somewhat limited by the space you have inside these trucks,” says Kerfoot. “We often have people thinking it’s bigger than it is and wanting more equipment than you can fit, but sometimes there are substitutes or compromises that allow you to get what you want.”

As well as finding a better-suited supplier, Berry limited the variety of perogies cooked from four or five, to two. “We’ve simplified the perogies and added different toppings, instead of a variety of perogies on the grill,” he says.

The change allows for faster cooking times, and all around better service for customers.

Customers are “simply going to go to a restaurant if you can’t get it out in five minutes,” says Berry. “More than five to eight minutes and people get anxious.”

Lafleur encountered long wait-times as a problem on his pizza truck. “Last year, rolling [the dough] out by hand was taking a lot longer and people were waiting 10 or 20 minutes,” he says.

While Lafleur prepped and froze the dough ahead of time, proofing and then rolling out the dough was a lengthy process, particularly at a large event. This year, he is adding a sheeter to the process – a large press that takes the place of rolling out a dough ball into pizza crust. “It takes more like two seconds, rather than a minute and a half to roll it out,” says Lafleur.

Even with a new expedited process, Lafleur says there are some events that just won’t benefit his operation when prep time and costs

are put into consideration. “We’re just learning now what is worth going out to and what isn’t,” he says.

For El Gastro, Jensen says they learned that family festivals and events focused around children aren’t their best market. “You have to go to a lot of events and see what works for you,” she says. “There’s a lot of trial and error, and a steep learning curve.”

One thing that has to be factored in is that sales on the truck account for all income.

“That $9 for a couple of tacos has to cover everything, including gas, licensing and all,” says Jensen. This may not be the case for every vendor at an event, a point El Gastro’s co-owner and chef, Adam Hynam-Smith says not all operators realize.

“When it comes to food trucks operating at festivals, or taking part where restaurants are involved, they have to be aware that they are paying the same sort of fees that the restaurants are,” he says. “The big thing is, the restaurant has its [storefront] still in operation, so they can send a secondary crew out while still making income from the restaurant.”

Whereas a food truck operator at a festival has to recognize that while paying fees to be a part of that festival, the only money coming in

Top: Perogy Boyz.

Middle: Canuck Pizza.

Bottom: La Homard Mobile.

Want to learn more about food trucks?

Visit us online to learn more about dealing with city hall, packaging, and other handy tips. Check us out at canrestaurantnews.com

is from that event alone. “You might slave away that entire weekend and you’ve kicked away a really good revenue,” he says. “So trucks have got to be aware, and pick and choose those festivals, if you’re going to do them.”

Operating The Battered Fish as both a food truck and standalone location, MacIsaac says, in the end, both outlets are tasked with the same challenge of offering goods worth paying for. “People work hard for their money and are looking for a quality product, whether in a food truck or a high-end restaurant,” he says. “We didn’t spare any expense on anything from our packaging, to every ingredient.

If people think they can just cheap out, it’s really going to hurt your business.”

Keeping competitive means going above and beyond and giving customers enough incentive to return. A lot more goes on than is seen through your window, but when what you sell is how you survive, it all begins with a great first bite.

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Upgrading is amazingly simple and affordable. ZeeVee’s HD modulators use your existing coax cabling to distribute HD shows and videos to any number of HDTVs for one low price. You’ll enjoy improved channel lineup, customer traffic, and food and drinks sales.

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SETUP IS EASY: • Hook up a satellite receiver or cable box to a HDbridge Rack Chassis • Connect a digital player or PC to a ZvBox for in-house content • Combine RF outputs into one coax cable – splitters throughout your facility will tap the coax for each TV

Visit us March 3 – 5 at the CRFA Show Booth 1817 www.BestBuy.ca/BBFB Email us at forbusiness@BestBuyCanada.ca or call us at 1.877.423.3429 to discuss your A/V needs today.

www.can-restaurantnews.com

10 |

Profiting From hotel and restaurant partnerships

S

teve Halliday, managing director of Vancouver’s recently opened 156-room Rosewood Hotel Georgia, knows what a successful hotel restaurant looks like.

The hotel rents space to onsite Hawksworth, a farm- to-table contemporary restaurant run by chef/owner David Hawksworth. Despite only being open since May 2011, it was named Restaurant of the Year last October by Jacob Richler in Maclean’s magazine.

Halliday says that Hawksworth is mentioned by guests as a bonus to staying at the hotel almost as much as the hotel’s Bentley car and driver. “It’s seamless to the customer because they can charge their dinner at Hawksworth to their guestroom,” he says.

Delta Land Development, which was behind the reopening of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, was responsible for bringing David Hawksworth on board. Halliday says that Delta sought out a great local chef so that he would have a personal stake in the success of the restaurant. “When you buy a chef’s name from Paris or New York, it’s not the same. That may work in Vegas or New York but not in Vancouver,” says Halliday.

At the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, about 40 per cent of revenue comes from food and beverage (including room service, a lobby bar called 1927, a seasonal patio called Reflections and banquet facilities but not Hawksworth).

Prohibition, a music lounge/club, will open in

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Hotels.

By Marni Andrews

a year and will skew that ratio further.

“That percentage is high for a hotel of our size.

The average room to F&B ratio is more like 80/20.

We have a lot of liquor-selling seats. You don’t tend to find that outside of cities like New York or Vegas or somewhere in Asia,” says Halliday.

Leasing out

Traditionally, hotel restaurants did not make money, but as long as the rooms division made enough to cover the losses, it was considered an acceptable arrangement, says Gabor Forgacs, associate professor at the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in Toronto.

In recent years, financial pressures have placed hotel management under heightened scrutiny and now each revenue stream must be profitable.

“The main advantage for leasing out a restaurant instead of operating it is in the elimination of a headache – [that] of an operational challenge and of a loss-producing unit,” says Forgacs. “As a business, rooms are a lot simpler to sell.

One can sell a room Three hundred hotel properties across the country use the We Proudly Serve Starbucks program or the Serving the Best, Seattle’s online and let guests Best coffee program. check themselves in.

Provide a room attendant to clean the room and that seems just fine for budget or even midmarket operations.”

In the opinion of vice-president of fsStrategy, Jeff Dover, hotels are very good now at yielding their rooms but they don’t

do food and beverage well. “Depending on whether a hotel has meeting space for catering revenue or not, F&B is typically only a 20 to 30 per cent contribution,” estimates Dover.

The major advantage of a hotel partnering with a restaurateur is that hoteliers are not in the restaurant business, says Andrew Higgs, senior associate with HVS, which offer hotel consulting and evaluation. The returns they potentially get from F&B compared to rooms are minimal but they have the majority of the operating headache.

It’s seen as a necessary evil because the consumer expects a restaurant within the hotel, says Higgs.

A good restaurateur, on the other hand, is in tune with local markets, resourceful and quick to adapt with menu changes to current food trends.

One of the big shifts in dining is to more transparent eating, nose to tail. This shift also marks a higher profit on the restaurant side because they’re using more of an animal.

“You are probably not going to see those trends picked up by a typical 365-day hotel restaurant that’s also empty six nights a week. It’s the hotels that have partnered with chefs or full-time restaurateurs who can really embrace those new concepts,” says Higgs.

There can, however, be drawbacks to outsourcing a food and beverage program. The biggest disadvantage of having someone else running the restaurant operation is that if it is not done well, the hotel can suffer by implication, says Dover.

“Guests don’t see the difference between the restaurant and the hotel. If the focus of the restaurant is not the same as that of the hotel, it might be negative for the hotel. You want a market focus that matches your hotel. And you have to be able to handle breakfast, room service and catering and deal with the hotel’s F&B standards,” he says.

“Generally a hotel/restaurant partnership is done with a lease agreement of base rent with possibly some profit sharing. With or without profit sharing, there is the guarantee of a monthly stipend from the lease and that monthly income is valuable,” says Dover. “Restaurants within the hotel are more common with full service properties while suburban markets and limited service properties can do well with a branded restaurant because it can draw customers in what is often a competitive market.”

Ultimately, though, Higgs emphasizes that flexibility is required for the decision to outsource or not since every market and every hotel is different.

Work with a feeder market A limited service property without a restaurant can gain a competitive advantage by bringing in a branded restaurant. The operating controls that are in place are much better when working with a chain, says Dover.

For co-branding to be successful, both brands must bring something to the table: the hotel gets more guests because of the restaurant, while the restaurant benefits from the captive hotel market. They must have a similar brand presence and similar customer focus.

This situation was the case at the Blue Mountain resort in Collingwood, ON. In November 2005, The Westin Trillium House Blue Mountain opened in conjunction with Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill, Blue Mountain, a 60-seat restaurant with 10,000 sq. ft. meeting space.

O&B paid rent to Intrawest Commercial (now Skyline Hotels), which managed several restaurant and retail spaces within the resort village.

O&B also pays fees to the condo corporation that owns the hotel (similar to common area maintenance fees) and marketing fees to the Blue Mountain Village Association, says Andrea Sire, general manager of Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill. A percentage of sales from in-room dining and from the banquet operation is paid to the hotel directly.

“Partnerships [like this] allow operators to fo-

PAC I F I C / P R A I R I E R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

cus on their core business,” explains Sire. “Often in hotels the F&B is a cost or loss centre. With this sort of relationship, the hotel is guaranteed profit via fees/commissions paid by the F&B operator.”

Stacy Manning, director of sales and marketing for the 224-room Westin Trillium House Blue Mountain, says Westin chose O&B as their restaurant partner because O&B worked with Westin to incorporate certain Westin brand standards. As well, Toronto, where O&B is headquartered and has a number of popular restaurants, serves as a feeder market for both the hotel and the restaurant.

“The Blue Mountain O&B location has more destination diners, so they pulled items from some of their other locations such as Jump and Canoe because people are often eating there several times in a row and want more selection. They’ve tweaked the destination for the consumer who’s here,” she says.

The O&B name also serves as an attractive draw for Toronto-based group conference traffic.

“It’s a huge sell. They know it, they live it, some of them already dine there twice a week,” explains Manning. “It’s a very positive relationship.”

The hybrid approach: hotel as restaurant franchisee At the 391-room Four Points by Sheraton in Niagara Falls, director of operations Anthony Lucisano is confident that the approach his property has taken—franchisee or licensee of four wellknown foodservice outlets on the premises—was the solution that gives everyone what they want.

There is a Starbucks, IHOP, East Side Mario’s and a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse located inside the hotel to provide “control and one-stop shopping” for the diverse range of clientele who visit, says Lucisano.

The hotel has no kitchen but room service is available from IHOP for breakfast, East Side Mario’s for lunch or dinner and from Ruth’s Chris.

Starbucks coffee beans are also provided in every room with the coffee maker.

“We chose franchises that were recognized and popular. It’s the trust and credibility,” he says. “If customers have a favourite dish, they know they’ll get it every time. We save by not having a hotel kitchen, but we pay royalties through the franchises. It’s not about savings as much as it is giving our customer what they want.”

Lucisano does not see any negatives with franchises. In fact he says they are actually an amenity for the hotel. To maintain control over communications between the different concepts and the hotel, there is a weekly meeting with the different restaurants’ general managers. Changes in hours of operation, a monthly special or something exciting going on at one of the food concepts is passed along to the hotel who may communicate it to the customer at check-in, through an inroom directory or email confirmation, or even via reader boards or an easel in the lobby.

Kim Cunningham, director of foodservice, Starbucks Coffee Canada, says that after 20 years or so of focusing on the lodging channel, there are now about 300 hotel properties across the country that use their We Proudly Serve Starbucks program or the Serving the Best, Seattle’s Best coffee program.

About 10 properties have a retail location within their hotel. For example, The Delta Bow Valley in Calgary has a Starbucks banquet program, a restaurant program, and a retail store. The Hyatt Vancouver offers Starbucks’ Torrefazione Italia program in-room, and for their banquets, restaurants and the retail store in the lobby.

“One of the things that has given us leadership in the channel is that we consult on solutions from stem to stern. We have a team of coffee experts for quality assurance audits,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be all one roast profile; it’s about offering the guest choice so F&B doesn’t have to think about coffee at all.”

F E B R U A RY 2 013

Keeping it in the family CEO and president of SIR Corp. Peter Fowler has run a number of restaurants within hotels in his career and has also been approached to build restaurants within hotels.

None of SIR Corp.’s restaurants are located within hotels. “The challenge with operating restaurants within hotels is that hoteliers are looking for a restaurant offering that works for all dayparts across a broad spectrum of guests,” says Fowler. “However, the same restaurant atmosphere that works for lunch, dinner and late-night tends not to work for breakfast offerings. And breakfast is the least profitable daypart,” he says.

Furthermore, because the guest base is so broad, hoteliers often request that key parts of the concept be altered, such as turning lights up for older guests who can’t see, turning down the music for business meetings, and/or accommodating families within a lively bar space, he says. All of

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www.can-restaurantnews.com these aspects are often in conflict with providing a compelling restaurant experience that attracts guests from outside the hotel.

“Successful restaurants in hotels in larger cities such as New York and Toronto [succeed] because they have not tried to satisfy all of the guest base across all the dayparts. Restaurant concepts can be a help to hotels by driving excellent food and a great experience so long as they are not hamstrung by satisfying a broad range of guests,” says Fowler.

Metropolitan Hotels operates Diva at the Met in Vancouver and Senses at the SoHo Metropolitan in Toronto. Metropolitan’s chief operating officer Nancy Munzar Kelly explains that Metropolitan’s restaurants have always been operated in house since they opened their first property in Toronto with Lai Wah Heen and Hemisphere’s Bar and Bistro almost 19 years ago. She says that Metropolitan’s restaurant clientele are both trav-

Case Study: Ricky’s All Day Grill & Best Western Seven Oaks, Regina

ellers and locals.

“Having first class restaurants that are not only a part of the hotel but have a place in the community is important. This community recognition and support takes our restaurants beyond being a ‘hotel restaurant’ to becoming a noteworthy part of the cities and neighbourhoods in which they are located in Toronto and Vancouver,” she says.

“As an independent Canadian hotel chain, we’ve worked hard to set ourselves apart from other hotels. One way that we have done this is through our food and beverage. For us, the advantage of not outsourcing is twofold: it allows us to be local and relevant in the community as well as allows us to have creative freedom.”

One aspect of that creative freedom is a trend that Andrew Higgs is seeing in Europe and increasingly in North America: the pop-up restaurant.

“Because hotels are so vast and capital put into them is so intensive, a lot of planning goes into their design and the space can’t be shifted overnight. Pop-up restaurants offer that versatility. Opus in Vancouver did one and it was wildly successful. By using a space not otherwise being used to drive revenue and by continuing to adapt that space to something new, people are drawn in to check it out,” says Higgs.

The SoHo Metropolitan in Toronto did a series of pop-up dining experiences last fall that were very successful, says Munzar Kelly. During the Toronto International Film Festival in September, Senses Bakery staged a 20-seat dim sum pop-up featuring Lai Wah Heen’s master chef making dim sum on site and in the open. During November, Senses played host to the GwaiLo pop-up that featured a local chef, Nick Liu.

Liquid gold and mini-meals A few key trends further driving hotel/restaurant profitability is the emergence of beverages as

Who: Stacy Hansson, vice-president operations, Ricky’s All Day Grill, says the success of the Best Western Regina location really launched their hotel partnership program. They have 65 restaurants across the country, 10 of which are partnered with hotels.

When: “Ricky’s All Day Grill is 52 years old.

Hotel partnership program is officially six years old though there was one partnership done 10 years ago with Best Western in Saskatoon.”

Approach: “Conversion if there’s an existing independent restaurant. Otherwise if they are building and want to build a restaurant shell, we go in there new.”

On Hotel Brands: “Best Western is a brand we work really well with. We also have two Econo Lodges that do well. Have a Ramada Inn, and independent resort in Banff, a Super 8 and we will soon have two Holiday Inns. One group has a Holiday Inn and is building a Pacific Inn on the property in Vernon, BC.” “Sales have tripled or quadrupled in all locations except one, where we doubled sales because it was already an outside chain concept.”

Day Parts: “Breakfast is a requirement for a hotel. Continental breakfasts cost hotels quite a bit to execute depending on how lavish they are so they get away from having to do that. Or they may offer guests a voucher to use in the restaurant. Guests don’t tend to stick around for lunch but we have strong lunches from locals and businesses. And then those people say ‘When my relatives are in town they can stay here.’ It’s nice to have a dinner so people feel they don’t have to leave.”

Communication: “We work with the restaurant manager and provide them with training and support. Sometimes the hotel owners want to take a step back and not be involved with day to day. We give them a turnkey. For the first six months, we’re in contact every week or two with

the restaurant manager. We go in and help them run it for a few weeks if necessary.”

Operations: “The hotel owns the Ricky’s as a franchise but charges rent to themselves so it’s a revenue stream. Occasionally a hotel owner has a family member who can run the restaurant. If not we bring in a manager.”

“We run the franchise as a business within a business. Since they’re already franchisees with a hotel, there may be certain rules we have to accommodate such as kids eat free with the Holiday Inn. We work it out in an agreement.”

Marketing: “We have a lounge in Fort Saskatchewan and an 80-seat RJ’s Lounge which is almost like a bar. They have UFC nights so we created a huge marketing package they use for UFC nights that we wouldn’t do anywhere else.

In Banff, they have an outdoor skating rink across the street. We invite parents to sit outside and watch their kids by offering a special menu with hot chocolate and appetizers.”

Employees: “The two partners in the Regina Best Western made significant changes and they needed foodservice. That Ricky’s was number one in Canada three times last year. They created a four-person company by bringing in the Ricky’s GM Tammy Wright and the Red Seal chef, who now each have one-quarter of a booming business and are incredibly dedicated.”

Tammy Wright, general manager/proprietor of Ricky’s All Day Grill in Regina, says “I have been in the hotel industry for over 20 years.

Having a franchise allows guests to feel comfortable with the food quality, consistency and atmosphere. At our hotel, all food and beverage aspects belong to Ricky’s so there is no confusion as to responsibilities. The operations team conducts area meetings four times a year. This is where your voice and opinions are heard. They work alongside you to give you what the customer wants.”

a driver as well as the rise of all-hours mini meals preferred by many younger urban professionals.

Higgs has noticed the beverage side of hotels really picking up in urban centres on the West coast.

“There is a lot of potential profit in beverage revenue,” he says. “People are looking for designoriented spaces, often in newer hotel bars, to go after work or after hours. I didn’t expect to see this happening. Also the way that people are eating now is not traditional. No longer is it a dinner at 6 p.m. They may have a snack at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. and a few cocktails later. Hotels are capitalizing on that.”

“Some hotel brands have recognized the changes in eating habits of their target segment, especially lifestyle hotels targeting young professionals 25 to 45,” agrees Forgacs. “This generation eats differently. They eat at odd hours, they may want a grab and go item or may want to work while they eat. However, they don’t want junk food. They want nutritious, well-presented and creative food and they don’t mind paying for it.

It’s not a pizza at midnight. It’s teriyaki glazed salmon with salad wrapped in an organic fajita at 2 a.m. with a no-whip, tall mocha made with soya milk and an extra shot of espresso.”

An article in the Wall Street Journal from April 2012 confirmed that there is an army of sophisticated mobile workers, especially in urban locations, who are abandoning crowded coffee houses and embracing the free WiFi that many downtown hotels are offering in order to create desirable buzz in their lobbies.

Once there, many are racking up substantial F&B tabs of high quality food. They say the convenience and the overall ambience is worth the cost.

Put simply, lobby guests are another revenue stream. It’s one more thing to add to the already complex decision making process for hotel/restaurant partnerships.

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BeverageNews A MONTHLY REPORT ON THE BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

Vinexpo sees growth in Canadian wine Vinexpo chairman Xavier de Eizaguirre.

TORONTO—“There’s a very dynamic restaurant scene here in Canada,” said Vinexpo chairman Xavier de Eizaguirre to PRN. “Due to new, trendy young chefs who are putting out new cuisine, we’re seeing wines with more personality from boutique type wineries gain in popularity with the Canadian restaurant market.”

Vinexpo was in town in January to present its annual study: Current Trends in the International Wine and Spirits Market and Outlook to 2016.

According to the report, domestic wine consumption in Canada is growing, with an increase in wines sold for more than $10 overall.

Wine consumption in Canada has increased by 14.55 per cent and

reached 43.21 million nine-litre cases (the equivalent of 518.52 million bottles) between 2007 and 2011. Vinexpo expects that this growth will continue, with an annual projected increase of three per cent between 2012 and 2016, making Canada the fifth fastest growing wine market worldwide.

According to the report, this growth is three times faster than at world level.

Everything’s coming up rosé, as these wines increased in Canada by 38.24 per cent between 2007 and 2011, and the study forecasts even greater growth of 45.41 per cent between 2012 and 2016. Canadians still lag 9.2 per cent on the world scale when it comes to still, light wines consumed in 2011.

In terms of price point, wines sold

at retail prices higher than $10 US per bottle accounted for 69.5 per cent of all still wines purchased in Canada.

The report sees this consumption going up 30.45 per cent between 2011 and 2016. Although de Eizaguirre said that Canadian producers are paving the way for Canadian wine worldwide, especially in icewines that are familiar to world consumers, almost three out of four bottles of wine drunk by Canadians are imported (72.36 per cent in 2011.) This consumption grew by 16.09 per cent between 2007 and 2011. Domestic wines grew by 10.71 per cent in the same period.

Consumption of imported wines are predicted to grow by 16.75 per cent in five years, and Canadian wines will increase by 7.72 per cent in the same period.

What wine producing countries are finding favour with Canadian palates?

Italy supplanted France as the leading supplier of wine to the Canadian market, with 6.28 million cases of Italian wines imported into Canada in 2011 versus 5.72 million cases of French wines in the same year.

Canadian taste buds also chose France, Australia (although imports to Canada decreased by 2.57 per cent between 2007 and 2011), American, Chilean and Spanish wines.

Canadians still love vodka, with 4.76 million 9-litre cases consumed in 2011, a growth that’s predicted to continue. A similar trend with rum, bourbon and tequila has also occurred.

On the decline are liqueurs, Canadian-made and imported whisky and gin.

Canada’s Made With Love competition adds new facet Bartenders and mixologists across Canada went head to head and drink to drink to win a chance to showcase their skills on an all expense paid trip.

Made With Love is on the final leg of its fourth year and has included stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City and Halifax.

“The whole premise is sort of bringing together like minded people who have the same passion for the culture, for the cocktails and for creativity,” said Jessica Vachon, who does PR and marketing for Made With Love. The competition illustrates where cocktail culture is going, Vachon said, as well as gathering people in the industry to share and discuss their own ideas.

Each provincial competition has two stages. The first level is a qualifier round in which participants are given a specific challenge or theme to create a drink around, said Vachon. Previous themes have included a “market theme”, where participants were given a time limit and budget and had to collect ingredients to make their drink. In the last qualifier round, which was in Toronto, Vachon said the theme was “neighbourhoods of the city.” Participants were given a specific neighbourhood and had one week prior to the competition to come up with their own incarnation of that community within a cocktail.

“It was really neat to see what

[different peoples’] interpretations of that same neighbourhood was,” said Vachon. “Some people had the same sort of elements, some were totally different.”

A panel of judges who select 14 people to move on to the final competition decides the first round of Made With Love. Of the 14 competitors in the finals, two winners are selected: one peoples’ choice, and one judges’ choice.

“There’s typically four judges, and their decision is based on originality, presentation and taste,” said Vachon. With an entrance tickets, guests are given 14 tasting tickets – each taster has approximately a half ounce of alcohol – and one dog tag.

After tasting each cocktail, guests give the dog tag to their favourite bartender, to decide the peoples’ choice.

Beginning with the 2013 competitions, Made With Love will add a new facet: a national competition in which the winners of all cities will compete in Montreal for the Canadian grande finale, said Vachon.

The finalists from this competition will win trips from the various alcohol industry sponsors of the event, “the trips are all over the world, to see how the spirits are made,” said Vachon.

“Made With Love gives [mixologists] a platform to express and celebrate what they’re doing,” she said.

“They get to showcase their craft and come up with new creative ideas.”

Pioneer Italian restaurant closes doors after 40 years

Umberto Menghi, chef and owner of Il Giardino

VANCOUVER—A pioneer of Vancouver’s Italian restaurant scene has announced its closure after 40 years of service. After opening the doors to his first restaurant on April 13, 1973, chef and owner, Umberto Menghi, will close the doors to Il Giardino on the same date, in 2013.

“It’s like leaving a friend for me,” said Menghi. He has sold the property to a condominium developer, but Menghi’s other restaurants, including two in Whistler, BC and three in the United States, will remain open.

“Taxes went up, costs went up and we were all getting tired,” said 65-year old Menghi. There are three people on staff at Il Giardino who have been with him from the beginning. “The sale came at the right time,” he says. “You have to say goodbye when there’s still a lot of passion and energy.”

Menghi’s first restaurant at the location was Umberto’s, which opened in 1973, followed a year later by La Cantina – a seafood focused restaurant next door. Both 45 to 50 seat restaurants were immediately overwhelmed with business, he said.

On New Year’s Eve of 1975, Menghi opened the first incarnation of Il Giardino, which later took over the La Cantina location in the mid-1990’s.

When Menghi immigrated to Canada from Tuscany in 1967, the Italian cuisine in Vancouver at the time was not what he was familiar with back home. “It was not as sophisticated,” said Menghi, who proceeded to open three Italian restau-

rants, all next door to one another.

Il Giardino – which comes from the Italian word for “the garden” – was the third to open and offered something new to the market, said Menghi. “There was a simplicity to the taste. A lightness and freshness.”

Il Giardino’s food and décor is Tuscan-inspired, modeled after the house Menghi grew up in and named after a large patio garden , a feature of the space.

The restaurant has a large menu with offerings of fresh pasta, seafood and wild foul and game meats. The menu is representative of Menghi’s formal training in Rome, Paris and London. “I was trained to understand what food of Italy was,” said Menghi. “I didn’t have to reinvent anything. I just did what I learned.”

Menghi recalled how his mother used to go and shop for every meal.

“She’d cook in the morning for lunch, clean the house, then she went back again to purchase food for the

evening,” he said.

This dedication to fresh meals and ingredients carried into Menghi’s restaurants, as well as a passion for local sourcing. He took full advantage of the seafood offerings in Vancouver. Even in the wintertime, Menghi said he would come straight from the boats with baskets of sardines.

The menu at Il Giardino changed throughout the years, with increasing awareness of healthy eating, but remained true to its mandate of fresh ingredients and as local as possible.

Menghi said the restaurant was a second home to him, and to much of his clientele as well. “It became a part of their social life, and very homey to them,” he said.

Il Giardino is booked up nearly every night until its closure, said Menghi. “It’s nice to see [the clientele] didn’t just come and use the place, but that they’re also sad and just wanted to be here before it’s gone.”

BC Foodservice Expo: 2013 VANCOUVER—This year’s BC Foodservice Expo at the Vancouver Convention Centre showed off new products and trends, and crowned some of the provinces best and most promising chefs.

William Tse won top prize in two culinary competitions, first beating out seven other chefs from across the province for the title of BC Top Chef of the Year. Tse will go on to represent the province at the Canadian Culinary Federation National Convention in June. Tse also earned the title of BC Chinese Chef of the Year, competing against nine of his peers over two days in front of a panel of judges.

The Hot competition hosted nearly 30 up-and-coming chefs to a 90 minute challenge to prepare a four course meal. The winner, Sandy Chen, received a set of Mercer professional chef knives.

-With files from Alva Lo.

Above: from left: CRFA Chair Donna Dooher, BC Chinese Chef of the Year medalists: Romeo Oloresisimo, William Tse and Tyler Leeson.

Below: Junior chef competition winners from left: Darren Rodgers–bronze, Katelyn Boutlier–silver, Sandy Chen– gold. Photos by Barb Jusiak, CRFA.

One of Chef William Tse’s winning dishes.

Photo by Alva Lo.

Food and drink expo combined VANCOUVER—Three major food, beverage and hospitality organizations are joining forces to bring a one-stop exhibition to B.C. in the fall.

The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA), the British Columbia Hotel Association (BCHA) and the Alliance of Beverage Licencees (ABLE) will host “Connect” from Oct. 27 to 28 at the

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Vancouver Convention Centre.

Connect will offer showings of the latest products and services from hospitality industry suppliers, as well as educational seminars, workshops and networking events, according to a Jan. 28 CRFA release.

“This is a very exciting opportunity to bring B.C.’s food, lodging and drink purveyors together for what

will be the largest hospitality tradeshow in the history of the province,” said Ron Orr, chair of the Alliance of Beverage Licensees.

B.C.’s hospitality industry is one of the province’s largest employers, consisting of more than 200,000 positions and the industry accounts for $14 billion annually, according to the CRFA.

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Middleby acquires Viking GREENWOOD, MS—Middleby Corporation has acquired Viking Range Corporation. “We are looking forward to launching a new product line in 2013 and excited about the great R&D and innovation Middleby brings to the Viking brand,” said Fred Carl Jr., founder, president and CEO of Viking Range in a release.

Viking manufactures appliances for the foodservice industry. It began manufacturing major residential appliances

in 1987, such as the Viking range.

Middleby produces commercial cooking, food processing and packaging equipment for the foodservice industry. Chairman and CEO of The Middleby Corporation, Selim A. Bassoul said, “we hope to aggressively grow and expand the Viking brand and add to their product offerings for the residential market.” Viking Range will continue to be located in its current Greenwood, MS location.

Alliance enters into dealings exclusively with Cargill

CFIA opens centres for expertise in food inspection

REGINA—Cargill, an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial, and industrial products and services, is now the exclusive agent for Alliance Grain Traders Inc.’s U.S. subsidiary, United Pulse Trading Inc., according to a release.

The five-year agreement will see Cargill as United Pulse Trading’s agent for the sales and marketing of protein ingredient products for the animal feed sector. “Our agreement with Cargill is the first step towards realizing the opportunities that our new pulse ingredient platform provides,” said executive chairman of the Alliance Grain Traders’ board, Murad Al-Katib. “We expect that this new platform will assist in making AGT one of the preferred suppliers of ingredients critical for food companies, retail and food service sale.”

OTTAWA—The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced on Jan. 7 that 16 information centres are being created across Canada to advise inspectors and industry on key areas of regulation.

The centres, to be implemented over the next few years in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and PEI, will focus on specific areas within the CFIA’s scope, according to the release. Each centre will have a specific area of focus, such as red meat slaughter, processed meat and poultry, or labelling and claims.

“These Centres of Expertise will pool expertise and make it available through a single window, making the CFIA more efficient and giving industry, CFIA inspectors and Canadians better, more consistent service,” said agriculture minister Gerry Ritz.

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PEOPLE

The new year has seen some changes at Russell Food Equipment’s Toronto and Vancouver offices.

Ken Locke, who had been general manager of the Toronto office for 22 years, was initially said to be retiring, but has taken on a management position in Russell’s Vancouver office.

Patrick Yarush, who has been with Russell for 18 years, moved into the Toronto general manager position. Yarush started with Russell as a service technician, part of what was then a no more than three person department. He rose through the ranks to become supervisor and service manager.

Now the department has eight staff including five technicians, two inside parts and service coordinators and the service manager.

“Russell saw that I did a good job building the service department, and they gave me the general manger role to see if I could do something there,” Yarush told PRN. His two goals are to add to the outside sales force and build the contract department, increasing Russell’s presence in the area.

Contract work, where Russell designs and builds restaurant kitchens, accounts for a fair share of the company’s Toronto-area business, Yarush said.

Jay Jones is the new executive bartender and brand ambassador of The Donnelly Group, which

owns and operates public houses, cocktail taverns and nightclubs throughout Vancouver. Along with acting as the ambassador of bar culture for the company, Jones will be training bartenders and managing the company’s cocktail programs with bar and beverage director Trevor Kallies.

Jones, who started on Jan. 16, first joined The Donnelly Group in 2007 and then left to consult and co-open Pourhouse restaurant. He was also enRoute magazine’s 2012 Canadian Bartender of the Year and is a founding director of the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association.

Jones will be focusing his initial efforts on the beverage program and bar team at Yaletown's Killjoy Barbers and Gastown’s Clough Club.

winemaker of Eau Vivre Winery, in Cawston, BC. After five-years’ experience in the B.C. winemaking industry, Buchanan will take charge of the production of Eau Vivre’s full range of wine selections.

Buchanan has completed Sommelier, Wine and Spirit Education Trust and vineyard management training. He is also a graduate of the professional oenology certificate program at Washington State University, and the winemaking program at Okanagan College.

Having worked at various B.C. wineries including Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars in the Okanagan Valley and Paradise Ranch/Bench 1775 Winery in Penticton, Buchanan is familiar with the product and the task at hand.

Eau Vivre, a family-run boutique winery, was established in 2007 and has collected various awards for its products including the 2012 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines for its 2009 Pinot Noir.

“I enjoy the challenge of constantly looking for ways to innovate and evolve the various winemaking processes,” said Buchanan. “Eau Vivre is a relatively new winery that is producing great awardwinning wines and I am looking forward to helping them build on the momentum they have already built.”

Dr. Roger Beachy has been named the first executive director for the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS). Operating out of the University of Saskatchewan, GIFS is a collaboration between the university, the province and the PotashCorp designed to address the demand for safe and reliable food. Beachy brings a strong background in agricultural research to the job, with his prior experiences Derek Lenko is a new sales representative at as the first director of the National Institute of Food the Oppenheimer Group’s Calgary office. The and Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Agrifull-service produce distributor is growing its sales culture’s chief scientist. team to increase its customer service in Canada and the United States. Lenko was previously the Amanda Burns has been named chief financial transportation supervisor in Calgary, and before officer of Sun-Rype Products Ltd. following the that, he was the operations coordinator and sales departure of Don VanderZwaag in August of 2012. and transportation coordinator. He has been with Burns started in July as financing and accounting the Oppenheimer Group since 2007. manager, and acted as the interim CFO since September of 2012.

Anthony Buchanan has been named the new Prior to joining Sun-Rype, Burns had 10 years

of experience in financial reporting, treasury, audit and risk management. Based in Kelowna, BC, SunRype is a fruit-based juice and snack manufacturer and marketer.

Former CEO of McDonald’s, Fred L. Turner, passed away on Jan. 7 from complications from pneumonia at 80 years old. Turner partnered with Ray Kroc in 1956 to build McDonald’s operations system and menu development, and spearheaded the Hamburger University initiative, according to the company. Turner was appointed president and administrative officer in 1968, and was named McDonald’s president and CEO in 1974, with the number of McDonald’s restaurants tripling worldwide during his tenure as CEO. He served the company for over fifty years.

Karl Gerrand will be the new managing director, Canada for Bunge North America, according to a release from the company in mid-January. Previous Canadian manager Richard Watson, who has been at the helm since 2008, will retire as of March 31.

Gerrand’s previous experience includes eight years at Viterra, Inc., most recently as chief operating officer of global processing operations. He was also co-founder and president of Can-Oat Milling, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.

St. Louis-based Bunge North America, the North American operating arm of Bunge Limited, is a food and feed ingredient company, supplying raw and processed agricultural commodities and specialized food ingredients to the livestock, poultry, food processor, foodservice and bakery industries. According to the release, Bunge Limited, based in White Plains, NY, operates in over 40 countries and has approximately 35,000 employees. The agribusiness and food company buys, sells, stores and transports oilseeds and grains worldwide, as well as processing oilseed and sugarcane, and milling wheat, corn and rice to make ingredients used by food companies.

Top: Left: Patrick Yarush. Middle: Ken Locke.

Right: Jay Jones. Bottom: Left: Derek Lenko.

Right: Anthony Buchanan.

COMING EVENTS Feb. 4: CAFP, Toronto Branch Top Management Night. International Centre, Mississauga, ON. For information go to: www.cafp. com/toronto.

Feb. 5-6: CDN Tourism Marketing , Summit, Hilton Toronto, Toronto, ON. For information go to: www.cdntourismmarketing.ca.

Feb. 7-9: NAFEM Annual General Meeting.

Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL. For information go to: www.nafem.org/education-certification/annualmeeting.aspx.

Feb. 23-24: Franchise Show. Toronto Con-

gress Centre, Toronto, ON. For information go to: www.cfa.ca/thefranchiseshow.

Feb. 23-26: CDN Society of Club Managers. National Conference, Delta City Centre Hotel, Ottawa, ON. For information go to: www.cscm.org.

Feb. 26: CAFP BC Leadership Night 2013.

Hilton Vancouver Metrotown, Vancouver, B.C. For information go to: www.cafp.com.

Mar. 4: FCPC Foodservice Interchange Conference. Mississauga Convention Centre, Mississauga, ON. For information go to: www.

fcpc.ca/events/upcoming-events/FSI13.

Mar. 3-5: CRFA Show, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON. For information go to: www. crfa.ca/tradeshows/crfashow.

Mar. 3-6: COEX. Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, Las Vegas, NV. For information go to: www.ifmaworld.com.

Mar. 19-21: International Pizza Expo. Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. For information go to: www.pizzaexpo.com Mar. 27-30: Anuga FoodTec: The International Trade Show for Food and Beverage Pro-

cessing and Packaging, Cologne, Germany. For information go to: www.anugafoodtec.com.

Apr. 3: National Food, Tabletop & Supplies Show, BMO Center, Calgary, AB. For information go to: gfscanada.com/en/helping-yousucceed/foodshows Apr. 30 – May 2: SIAL Canada, the International Food & Beverage Tradeshow, SET CANADA, the National Food Equipment and Technology Tradeshow, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON. For information go to: www. sialcanada.com

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things to keep soup sales soaring.

Most like it hot Slow heat is better than fast high heat for bringing soup to temperature.

“Focus on holding temperatures is the key. Too often operators crank up the heat on their serving table to deliver ‘hot’ soup and end up destroying the delicate nature of the ingredients,” says Davis.

Cornacchia recommends heating soups in a double boiler and heating only enough for a meal period. “Do not heat soup at 9 a.m. for the entire day,” he warns.

Martin also recommends that operators heat up a little soup at a time. “You can always go back and heat more,” he says.

For Dollars

Tips on maximizing your soup profits

Stirring the pot

By Leslie Wu

To prevent an unappealing skin from forming, or crusting around the corners, Davidson recommends that soup goes into a crock right away once it’s prepared, and that it’s constantly stirred. “I go in every five or 10 minutes to give it a stir during a three to four hour service, which prevents a skin and keeps the flavor of the soup,” she says.

Holding steady Keep in mind how delicate some ingredients can be when holding soups for service. “I only put eight soups in steamers for service, and only keep them there for rush time, then I cool them immediately and heat

C

amille Davidson and her staff at the Stone Soup Café in Pictou, NS, play a bit of a guessing game whenever customers come through the door. “People come in and we try to guess in the kitchen what they’re going to order. And we’re often surprised…sometimes, we’ll see big trucker guys that we expect to order something hearty and they’ll order a light and delicate soup,” she says.

To a certain extent, predicting the customer’s expectation, and staying one step ahead of it, can be a guessing game when it comes to soup.

As in all types of foodservice, soup customers want and expect innovation. Soup, however, has a polarizing effect on patrons caught between nostalgia and the new.

“It’s a split. There is a large audience that doesn’t want their soups changed and an emerging audience that is looking for new experiences in soup, ” says Scott Davis, chief concept officer at Panera Bread. “Soup is a very personal thing for folks. Consumers tend to notice changes in their favorites and react louder than any other food category we track.”

Craving comfort “People want memories from their childhood, whether it’s a steaming bowl of split pea, cream of mushroom or beef barley,” says Steve Martin, owner/operator of Surrey, BC-based Serious Soups, which supplies about 80 restaurants throughout Vancouver.

“I think soup fits into one of the big food trends in North America: gourmet comfort food.”

Part of this throwback to simple comfort is also driven by a customer shift towards questioning ingredients in food. “Guests are looking for soups that are fresh, contain lo-

cal ingredients and do not have a lot of additives and preservatives,” says Pat Cornacchia, culinary director of Williams Fresh Café.

Soup sales also benefit from the customer’s perception of a health halo. “I’ve noticed that people think soup is a healthy choice, and that it’s a bit of going back to the real food movement, so we try to use local ingredients as much as possible,” says Davidson.

The changing language of soup At the same time that local ingredients are becoming a focus, customers are look-

Suppliers are seeing an international influx of ingredients flooding the soup market. Davis sees the flavours of Indian, Thai and Eastern European cuisines coming to the forefront. Gilbert St-Yves, marketing and communications director for Quebec-based supplier Aliments ED Foods, sees Asian cuisines such as Thai, Chinese and Japanese as popular among his customers.

“Asian-style soups have increased their presence on limited-service menus, particularly Vietnamese pho soups,” says Cynthia Mitchell, North America Foodservice,

“Focus on holding temperatures is the key.

Too often operators crank up the heat on their serving table to deliver ‘hot’ soup and end up destroying the delicate nature of the ingredients.” —Scott Davis, chief concept officer at Panera Bread.

ing beyond Canada’s shores for flavours and influences. With pho, congee, curries and ramen washing over the restaurant scene, customers are getting used to the notion of soup only meals, and taking soup beyond its traditional lunch or dinner daypart.

“On the whole, demand for soups has risen in the past 10 years,” says Marla Mitchell, product manager of soups and tomato products for HJ Heinz Company of Canada. “Varieties that were never available before are available now and it’s commonplace to have ethnic-inspired options on menus of many different types of restaurants, from white tablecloth with full service to family casual dining and even QSR.”

Campbell Soup Company. “Patrons are looking for unique and ethnic flavours on menus – and soup is the perfect way for them to experiment.”

On the operator side, a similar shift in flavor is occurring. Customers love curries and Thai ingredients, says Ravi Kanagarajah, owner/operator of the three family run locations of Ravi Soups in Toronto.

“We use a lot of ginger throughout the day. South East Asian soups have kaffir lime, ginger, and lemongrass – customers like the healthiness,” he says.

Davis also sees the flavours of Indian, Thai and Eastern European cuisines coming to the forefront at Panera.

Sometimes, these flavours can enter the menu as a twist on a traditional favourite, says Davidson. “With my customers, the more exotic I get, the better it sells,” she says.

“A turkey rice soup is a good seller, but a Moroccan turkey soup with cumin, bulgur, orange juice, and apricots sells out right away.

People like something different, but using ingredients that they’re familiar with.”

Davidson also uses Chinese five spice, rice noodles and snow peas instead of regular peas to liven up chicken noodle soup, or makes curried cream of cauliflower.

The fusing of ingredients across cultures doesn’t necessarily imply combining eastern and western cuisines. Martin supplies a high volume bistro in Squamish where he adapts his African yam and peanut soup to a more Moroccan flavor profile.

It isn’t just the flavour profiles that are affected. Martin also sees the international influence of Asian, Indian, Thai and Indonesian cuisine impact the way soup stock is being produced.

“In terms of Indian, Vietnamese pho or Chinese restaurants, these places are making their own stock due to the volume that they’re using throughout the day rather than buying them wholesale,” he says.

Serving soup Although soup by itself may not generate a high average check price, its fast turnover and relative low maintenance during service may warm the hearts of operators.

When putting soup on the menu, however, there are things to consider when preparing or storing soup over a service period.

Whether you’re a counter quick service operation where the customer can see the soup or a full service kitchen where soup is stored in the back of house, here are some

to order,” says Kanagarajah.

“When you keep soup on the steamer all day long, it will spoil the consistency and taste, and also discolour. Spices don’t do well sitting at that temperature for that long, and vegetables won’t be al dente, but instead will be mushy,” he says.

The ideal thing in restaurant service for soup is to heat to order, says Martin. “Once soup has gotten hot enough to serve, that liquid is slowly cooking everything in there – vegetables disintegrate and thicken the soup, changing its texture. With any type of noodle, once heat is constantly applied, it starts to fall apart,” he says.

“That’s why when restaurants need to keep a soup hot for long periods of time, they pick a smoother soup that won’t change texture when held, like a bisque,” he says.

St-Yves also recommends keeping any pastas or barley in a recipe apart and incorporating it at the last minute, which will give the soup a less watery taste.

As a menu item, soup has long since earned its place on the page.

When it comes to eating habits, however, operators are seeing soups in a whole new light, as soups are moving out from the sidelines.

Although soups have been making the move from an appetizer to a main course at lunch and dinner, Cornacchia is seeing soup transitioning into other meal occasions as well.

“In general, people’s dining habits are changing as a result of economics and health,” he says.

Presented properly, soup even has the potential to enter the ever popular snacking daypart. “Soup is a great snack food and as snacking becomes a more popular way of eating (five meals a day versus three), we foresee that soup will increase in popularity,” says Cornacchia.

As changing demographics bring items such as congee to the forefront, consumers are also seeing soups as a breakfast concept.

“People are addicted to an extra large coffee and an egg sandwich for breakfast,” says Kanagarajah. “But over the last five years, at any time of day, you can find a place to have a bowl of soup.”

Kanagarajah’s customers have been asking for a Sri Lankan breakfast soup staple that has

In terms of taste, it’s important for a chef to keep checking how the soup is developing.

“Continually taste it every hour to see if it’s changing on you,” advises Martin. “Broth soups can start evaporating more than one that’s smoother or has more dairy, and some can get thicker and thicker. If it’s been sitting there for four hours, you may have to thin

Soups of the world: 1. Congee: a thick rice based porridge popular in Asia. Common flavours: Congee can be served plain, or with small pieces of meat, preserved duck eggs or fresh eggs, which can be garnishes or beaten into the soup for texture, and toppings such as green onions.

2. Pho: A Vietnamese noodle soup. Common flavours: pho can be served with sliced meat or vegetables and garnished with lime, Thai basil and bean sprouts. Shown here: Pho by chef Mai Pham from Campbell’s Foodservice.

3. Tomato soups: Mediterranean inspired soups make use of the region’s strengths. “The signature notes of olive oil, aromatic herbs and the best tomatoes in the world are simply unmistakable,” write Nick Sandler and Johnny Acton in their book Soup. Shown here: Roasted garlic and tomato soup from Heinz.

4. Oxtail soup: Oxtail is used around the world, including in Indonesia, where it is used to make sop buntut. Common flavours: Shown here, sop buntut can contain fried or barbecued oxtail with tomatoes and shallots.

5. A cauldron of soupy rice (arroz caldoso) is cooked throughout Spain and Cuba. Shown here is Miguel Torres’ version with crab. Common flavours: This brothy dish can contain white wine and garlic.

6. Thailand’s soups have a wide variety of flavour profiles, but often include galangal, coriander and lemongrass. Shown here: Thai broth from Luda.

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Something on the side Part of what helps propel soup into the main course category is the appearance of more substantial sides, such as a larger piece of artisanal bread. “A baguette is fresh, crusty, and seems more wholesome,” says Davidson, who notes that her customers still like to dip things in soup.

Garnishes can add visual appeal to a soup as well. “Gone are the days when a package of crackers or croutons is served as a garnish – chefs are infusing their own creativity and are creating signature dishes,” says Marla Mitchell, who has seen chefs use rolled and crisply cooked bacon and chive sprigs on potato soup.

A garnished soup can not only add to the customer’s sense of taste, but also their perception of freshness. “Fresh toppings or add ins take a good soup and make it feel ‘of the moment’ and unique. Something as simple as a lemon wedge or dollop of creme fraiche are easy examples,” says Davis.

This extra flourish, which can be done tableside, can translate to higher profit margins for operators, says Cynthia Mitchell. “Garnishing is a simple way to emphasize authenticity, freshness and regional appeal. Also, patrons perceive garnished soups as higher value and are willing to pay more for them,” she says.

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more sweetness than spice, with lots of grain.

He’s not selling it yet, but plans to add it to the menu by the middle of next year.

it slightly.”

Table manners

Taste test

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