Mix Magazine: Fiscal Fitness

MIX F O O D F L AV O R S I D E A S S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

S p e c i a l Iss u e

Fiscal Fitness

See inside.

IT’S ALL ON ME. The success of everything—me, my employees and my restaurant—hinges on my ability to bring customers through the door.

That’s why my flavor is so important. MINOR’S® gives me the inspiration I need to create unforgettable flavor that’s mine—and that brings people in time and time again.

Make MINOR’S yours by calling 1-800-243-8822 or visiting nestleprofessional.com NESTLÉ ® and MINOR’S ® are owned by Société des Produits, Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.

This Issue

Where There’s Challenge, There’s Opportunity—

We’re Here to Help!

It’s always darkest before the dawn. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

There’s a million other clichés that you’ve heard about tough times, and there’s no denying we’re in them.

But where there’s challenge, there’s also opportunity. For one thing, nearly 50% of all meals are still eaten outside the home, a fact of life that creates plenty of opportunity for the foodservice industry.

Data from the NPD Group reveals that the average diner ate about five meals a week outside of the home in 2008, whether takeout or dine-in, just as they did in 2007. According to NPD’s Harry Balzer, “We may postpone a car purchase or a new coat, but we won’t postpone eating.”  Consumers at all income levels are responding to both coupons and promotions, spurring both creativity and better relationships with customers, which translates into better loyalty long past the recovery.

 The big news is little. Little meals, small plates, mini portions; not only are these lighter meals more healthy, but they also carry a lower price point.  Comfort foods are more popular than ever—the kind of foods like macaroni and cheese, burgers, bread pudding, shortribs, soups, and other accessible fare that is often less expensive.

Check Out What’s Inside | M enu Inspirations

All Around the Menu pg. 4

| S tirrings

Take Back the Coffee pg. 7

 Growing consumer interest in both wellness-oriented and “green” dining options will make for both a healthier consumer and a healthier planet in the long run.

| C onsumer Connections

Taking advantage of opportunities is a lot of what this Special Business-Performance issue of MIX is all about—not just about coping, but finding ways to take advantage of all the opportunities that are still out there. So turn the page and get started now!

pg. 8

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Go to at www.NestleProfessional.com/mix now.

Catering to the Recessionary Mindset | O perational Insights

Small Upgrades, Big Impact pg. 10

| In The Kitchen

UCSD Gets a Culinary Upgrade pg. 12

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| P roduct Spotlight

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As your partner in growth, we are committed to providing great products and valuable solutions that will help you grow your business. We're also committed to staying in touch with you, our operator customers, and to sharing your insights on your business successes and challenges—and how we can better serve your needs. Our new online format will help us do that.

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Great Products from STOUFFER’S,® MINOR’S® and More

pg. 14

| R ecipes

Appetizers, Small Plates, and Little Desserts pg. 16

| T he Back Page

Web Based Resources Karla Bendel Director, Corporate Marketing NESTLÉ PROFESSIONAL,™ North America Please contact your NESTLÉ PROFESSIONAL Sales Representative or call 1-800-288-8682 for more information.

Visit us online at www.NestleProfessional.com.

pg. 18

On the cover: Mini Kobe, Crab and Lobster Trio with MINOR’S® bases.

Menu Inspirations

All Around the Menu Appetizers, side dishes, desserts, meal alternatives—these “perimeter” items represent a potent source of sales Challenging times call for the creative use of tools. And one of the most important tools in any operator’s arsenal is the menu—use it to help combat the slow economy and enhance your business performance.

It’s no secret that sales in many foodservice venues have reached a plateau. Consumers are eating away from home less frequently, and ordering less or trading down on individual items when they do. According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurant industry sales are forecast to grow just 2.5% in 2009 (a decline of 1.0%, when adjusted for inflation), as consumers cope with the weakest economy in decades.

Although the situation will likely get better, the big question right now is “when.”

TIME Magazine named “Recession Dining” the number-one food trend for the times, and even those whose economic circumstances have not changed seek to curb unnecessary spending. Conspicuous consumption is out; budget-conscious is in.

All of a sudden, it seems gauche to order a $75 Wagyu steak, smart to part with $10

Sweet Potato Fries with MINOR’S® Bourbon Ready-To-Use Sauce, CHEF-MATE® Golden Cheese Sauce, and TRIO® Southern Country Gravy

or $12 for a great hamburger or a cheffy version of mac-and-cheese. Foodservice establishments all over the country are proposing value-bundled meals, dinner-fortwo specials and other recession-oriented promotions—and consumers are biting.

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For more information on value-oriented menu options, go to NestleProfessional.com/mix

What’s On First Although appetizers may be the course consumers are most likely to skip when they’re trying to save money, “apps” have got a price-point advantage that could lure customers in for lighter options or entice

Seared Scallop with Roasted Red Pepper Cake with STOUFFER’S® Beurre Blanc Sauce and MINOR’S® Herb de Provence Flavor Concentrate

4 MIX SPRING 2009

diners to share a starter—if you position them correctly.

The menu at Copeland’s of New Orleans, an upscale-casual Cajun/Creole-themed restaurant that’s now being readied for franchising, features both Appetizer and Small Tasting Plates sections, designed to get customers ordering and sharing from the start. Signatures include an extra-large portion of Jazzy Wings; Seafood au Gratin served as a spread with toasted garlic bread; and heartier $6 to $9 tasting plates of such specialties as Breaded Ribeye, Savory Cheesecake, Pecan Crusted Catfish, and Shrimp & Grits. Customers can start a meal with a $6.99 portion of Crabmeat Ravioli before moving on to a full-price steak, veal or seafood entrée, or can sample their way through appetizers and tasting plates.

Foods like flatbreads or bruschetta, meatand-cheese plates, dips or fondue, mussels or calamari, or such “piecemeal” finger foods as shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, or deviled eggs are easy to menu as either an appetizer or a lighter alternative to an entrée, shared or solo. Options like Southwestern Style

How To . . .

Make Mini Calzones

Stuffed Vegetable Sampler made with CHEF-MATE® QUE BUENO® Nacho, Mild Nacho, and Jalapeño Cheese Sauces

Pizza with CHEF-MATE® QUE BUENO® Nacho Cheese Sauce, Baked Goat Cheese Gratin, and Full Flavor Mini Burgers also work as lunch or dinner entrées, minimizing their impact on the kitchen.

topped with brown gravy and fresh cheese curds, can be varied almost endlessly with a variety of toppings, from bacon or TRIO® Southern Country Gravy Mix to wild mushrooms.)

On the Side

Another great side item that can also serve as a standalone is corn on the cob, rubbed with a “flavorizer” like MINOR’S® Ancho or Herb de Provence Flavor Concentrate. An ear of corn can command $4 to $5 or more as anything from a meal accompaniment to a small plate.

Ever since the days of premium steakhouses, operators have been experimenting with à la carte side dishes, which offer a great opportunity for customers to enhance their meal. The real beauty part of side dishes, though, is that they also work as vegetarian options, appetizers and small plates.

An item like poutine—frozen potato skins or french fries topped with rich cheesy broccoli—can be enjoyed not only as a signature side dish, but also as a snack or bar specialty, shareable appetizer, or hearty vegetarian entrée. (The poutine concept, which started in Quebec as french fries

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Calzones are a favorite handheld “pizza” that can be varied in size and fillings—from traditional Italian to more inventive—to serve as a lunch item or appetizer, solo or shared.

Continues on next page.

4 STEP 1 In a large bowl, mix STOUFFER’S® Spinach Artichoke Dip with potato-cheese mixture; season to taste with salt and pepper.

STEP 2 Working on a flour-dusted surface, spread filling on one half of a prepared dough circle and fold dough over the filling. Do not overfill.

STEP 3 Firmly pinch and press edges of dough together to seal, avoiding tears and air bubbles.

STEP 4 Transfer filled calzones to parchment-lined baking sheets and brush with egg wash before baking.

For the recipe, see pg. 17.

Duck Two Ways with MINOR’S® Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Flavored Aioli Served on Scones made with LIBBY’S® PUMPKIN

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Mini Calzones made with STOUFFER’S® Spinach Artichoke and STOUFFER’S® Alfredo Sauce and Marinara Sauce

Register for MIX online at NestleProfessional.com/mix by 11/30/09 and receive 100 bonus points, plus you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win 100,000 bonus points.

Subject to full details and sweepstakes rules at NestleProfessional.com/mix.

Menu Inspirations

All Around the Menu con’t Protect Your Check Average with Add-Ons This is where savvy menu-writing comes in.

Using your menu to promote add-ons such as appetizers and small plates, side dishes and desserts to protect or even increase your check average is not only savvy business, it also helps offer value to the customer.

Your patrons would balk at price increases or pricey luxury foods, but they’ll still welcome the opportunity to expand the dining experience with a fun appetizer, to construct a meal with a series of small plates, or to share an indulgent dessert.

Sandwich Triplets featuring TRIO® Brown, Turkey, and Country Gravies

And in the End Dessert has never been more important than it is now, when customers need to be persuaded to ante up for every single course.

The good news is that in a Technomic survey of 1,500 consumers, 85% said they eat dessert once a month or more, with zero respondents indicating that they “never” eat dessert. And more than half of consumers (57%) say they indulge in dessert “very frequently” or “often” (at least once a week).

The key is to make it fun, enticing, shareable, customizable and/or irresistible.

Over at Copeland’s, their claim to fame is the ever-popular $5.99 cheesecake—with a twist.

Patrons choose between three different kinds (original, chocolate, and layered) and have the option of adding a topping for an additional $2.

The selection runs the gamut from traditional strawberry and caramel to more exotic Dulce de Leche and Bananas Foster.

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Chocolate Chip Cookies Dipped in Ganache made with NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels dipped in Assorted NESTLÉ® Dessert Toppings

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The menu at Bertucci’s includes the top-selling Dessert Trilogy, a $9.75 shareable that includes the pizza chain’s three most popular desserts: Tiramisu, cannoli, and the Italian-style chocolate pudding known as budino.

®

Bites of NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Cookie Dough Pieces topped with a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of ice cream and hot fudge

Another worthy strategy for boosting dessert sales is to go portable. Not only are individual items like brownies, cookies and cupcakes trendy and easy-to-share, they also do double-duty as items for snacks and takeout. An item like Chocolate Ganache Dipped NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Cookies is a “why not?” all the way, from a small taste of rich indulgence to a specialty that can carry an easy price point for either dine-in or carry-out. Wendy’s® Twisted Frosty made with NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Cookie Dough is a great example of how this strategy works, adding a special touch to any menu favorite.

Stirrings

Take Back the Coffee!

If ever it was time to offer an alternative to $4 lattes, it’s now, in the midst of what’s proving to be one of the most challenging economies in two generations.

Pistachio Macaroons made with NESCAFÉ® and Chocolate Ganache Served with a Side of Coffee and COFFEE-MATE® Creamer

Expensive coffee is one of those luxuries many consumers are cutting out of their budgets, and even the affluent are finding it hard to justify.

After all, who wants to be seen with anything luxury—a bag from a snooty store, a flashy car, an overpriced cup of takeout coffee—when so many people are having trouble?

Especially when there are such great alternatives. Remember, those two generations (the Baby Boomers, and Generation X/Y) have gotten used to premium coffee, and now’s not the time to take quality out of the equation—just unnecessary cost.

Fortunately, NESCAFÉ® makes one good cup of coffee every time. From traditional brewed 100% Colombian and European Roast coffees to barista-style specialty coffee beverages that are delivered in operator friendly formats: soluble and liquid coffee concentrate.

Serving NESCAFÉ means you can offer your customers both quality and savings.

It also represents the potential for higher returns—both financially and in terms of customer satisfaction. Data from Restaurant & Institution magazine’s 2008 Beverage Census indicates nonalcoholic beverage sales grew 34% industrywide last year, despite the economic downtown, and still represent a solid growth opportunity.

McDonald’s has proven that there’s money to be made from offering a quality roast alternative to those bell-ringer specialty brands, helping to create opportunity for other operators.

Jennifer loves her frothy French Vanilla cappuccino, while Doug takes his European

Here are some ways to offer a more premium coffee experience, depending upon how ambitious your coffee program is:  Consider offering a flavored or

 Customers are fiercely loyal to their

specialty coffee in addition to regular

artificial sweetener of choice; be sure to

and decaf. Options range from familiar

offer “the pink stuff,” as well as the blue

flavor favorites like Hazelnut and Mocha

and the yellow

to such premium offerings as NESCAFÉ ® European Roast. Many operators who do well with coffee offer four to five selections, including several different roasts and both a regular and specialof-the-day flavor  Give customers the opportunity to add their own custom flavors with non-dairy COFFEE-MATE ® Creamer in individual portion cups or convenient pump bottles. The array of options keeps growing, and now includes Cinnamon

 Make sure coffee is prepared properly and served fresh; nothing is worse than stale, scorched, or overly strong or weak coffee. If you don’t have the facilities or volume to justify brewing, NESCAFÉ ® Taster’s Choice ® offers high-quality stick packs for consumers always in need of a fresh cup  If you sell coffee to go, invest in heat-safe cups and tight covers, and consider putting your own proud logo

Vanilla, Amaretto and Irish Crème

on the cup, so potential

 Upgrade presentation with such little

the coffee comes from

customers will see where

touches as attractive cups or mugs, optional whipped cream, NESCAFÉ ® RISTRETTO Cappuccino Topping, raw sugar; or slip a biscotti, other small cookie or a mint on the saucer

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Roast decaf with two sugar substitutes and a portion cup of French Vanilla COFFEE-MATE® Creamer. The important thing to remember is that, for the consumer, coffee is a highly personalized affair.

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NESCAFÉ® Taster’s Choice® Stick Packs Decaffeinated and Original

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Consumer Connections

Catering to the Recessionary Mindset High expectations coupled with lowered discretionary income are a recipe for some of the biggest challenges yet—and perhaps a few opportunities

Talk about a rock and a hard place: After years of being handed all the variety, quality and customization they could ever want from the foodservice industry, consumers are more sophisticated and demanding than they’ve ever been. On the other hand, they’re feeling the pinch of the current economy right in their discretionary wallets.

And that puts a lot of pressure on operators to hold the line on quality even while they’re upping the ante on value—if not actually lowering prices.

Retail spending is particularly telling.

According to recent Nielsen Company data, same-store sales are declining at high-end department and specialty stores, while value-oriented and “stock-up-and-save” venues like Wal-Mart, Family Dollar and BJ’s are still enjoying gains. In a clear case of consumers choosing “need-to-have” over “nice-to-have,” even affluent consumers (those in the $70K-plus family income bracket) are practicing defensive spending, proactively moving toward more value-oriented experiences.

BELGIAN CHEF® Whole Grain WAFFLE STIXTM Brand Waffles

When it comes to restaurants, consumers also feel tugged in two directions.

According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2009 Restaurant Industry Forecast, nearly all consumers report that they are more worried about the economy than they were the year before. Yet 45% of adults say restaurants are still an essential part of their lifestyle.

The news gets better. Mintel’s Budget Shopper report reveals that more consumers spend their “extra money” (47%) on dining out than on any other discretionary activity, including paying down debt (37%). And according to NPD, the average American still eats five meals a week outside of the home, either takeout or dining out.

Spaghetti and Meatballs with STOUFFER’S® Marinara Sauce

8 MIX SPRING 2009

Bourbon Beef Short Ribs with MINOR’S® Bourbon Style Ready-To-Use Sauce

62% of Americans report having less money to spend than they had two years ago.

– Datassential, New Economy, New Rules (2008)

Given the current socio-political atmosphere, in which the message is “we’re all in this together,” conspicuous consumption is definitely on the wane. If the early part of the new millennium was an ode to excess (McMansions, Hummers and $29 Kobe beef hot dogs), the new era is one of recessionary chic. Cash or coupons instead of credit, casual restaurants instead of whitetablecloth, sliders instead of steak: They’re all part of the new economy.

The downside, of course, is that consumers may trade down to a meal cooked at home. For the foodservice industry, then, opportunities do still exist in areas that home-meal preparation can’t always address, particularly in the areas of convenience, value, health and wellness, and that certain something that might be termed one-of-a-kind.

WEB

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Sign of the Times

Household Income

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$25,000

$100,000

Eating out less

70%

51%

Visiting less expensive restaurants

54%

51%

Using coupons/discounts more

50%

49%

Ordering more value items

65%

44%

 KFC’s ads challenge consumers to “create a family meal for less than $10 at the supermarket”—then offer its own chicken as an alternative

 Manhattanites are making a social event of nightly wine auctions at the upscale David Burke & Donatella, bidding for specialty wines rather than paying the $200-600 “list price”

 Indiana University has instituted a convenient intranet-based ordering system, where customers can order and pay for a meal online, then pick it up already packaged to go

 Ruth’s Chris ® Steak Houses has been sending out $25 coupons for a smaller portioned $29 Steak and Stuffed Lobster Special, under the slogan “Lower Your Spending without Lowering Your Standards”

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 T.G.I. Friday’s ® new frozen skillet meals mean that customers still have access to the brand when they’re eating at home

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Operator Success Story

Catering Makes the Business Catering has been a goldmine for Tinucci’s, a small, family-owned company with two deli/ restaurants in the St. Paul suburbs of Newport and Woodbury, Minnesota. “My dad started catering way back from his Country Squire station wagon, and now we have eight vans,” laughs general manager Greg Tinucci, who now runs the 50-year-old business along with his brothers, third-generation owners. “Catering is definitely where our business is.”

In fact, catering accounts for approximately half of the company’s sales, with carryout capturing another 30% and the restaurants accounting for the remaining 20%.

Last year was the best year yet—in part thanks to the Republican National Convention, during which time Tinucci’s provided 15,150 box lunches for police, and 360 guard-troop meals twice a day for five days.

Tinucci’s menu lends itself to catering—the restaurants specialize in chicken dinners (fried, rotisserie and baked) and bar-b-que ribs and chicken. The company is locally famous for its Thursday – Saturday night buffets and its Sunday brunch in the dining room, and its catering selection also runs heavily to buffet packages like the Italian Fiesta.

Tinucci’s is a longtime fan of NESTLÉ PROFESSIONAL™ products that help with busy production, including STOUFFER’S® bases and TRIO® gravies (a boon for the Thanksgiving takeout business the company offered for the first time this year), and such MINOR’S® products as Roasted Red Pepper and Roasted Garlic Flavor Concentrates, which are used to flavor sauces and sandwich spreads.

A new specialty is catering for funerals. “The older ladies who used to make the food for after the service aren’t able to do it anymore, and people nowadays are too busy with work and family,” explains Tinucci. “That means there’s a lot of opportunity.”

The company started with a discrete ad in the obituary section four years ago, and now works directly with several churches. A dedicated section of the website features information and a choice of four special menus, priced at $7.95 per person.

But Tinucci’s also caters more joyous events, like the annual picnic for Andersen Windows and a number of events for local giant 3M. “You can never tell what’s going to happen, what with the economy, but we’re well-positioned,” says Tinucci. “We offer quality and value, and people are always going to appreciate that.” www.tinuccis.com

Operational Insights

Small Upgrades, Big Impact Let’s face it, borrowing a bunch of money to make improvements probably isn’t in the cards right now. But standing pat in this kind of economy is probably the last thing you want to do.

It’s not the time to let go of quality, eliminate so many staff members that you fail to keep your customers happy, or damage your brand in any way. Patrons may be feeling the pinch of the economy, but they still have high-end expectations for service, ambience and quality—their dollars are discerning indeed.

Fortunately, there are lots of little steps you can be taking to fine-tune operations and improve the guests’ experience.

Stay on Top of Performance Keep close tabs on indices such as average check, customer counts, and sales mix so you can identify and address problem spots immediately, rather than waiting until the end of the month or quarter. Lane Cardwell, a blogger for Restaurants and Institutions, compares declining customer-traffic reports to the Check Engine light on your car’s dashboard: Stop and find out what’s going on immediately. Then figure out how to fix it.

Don’t Give Up on Marketing Marketing and advertising are often the first to go when the budget gets cut. Rather than doing away with this outreach altogether, identify your most valuable customers (or prospects, such as residents of a new neighborhood office building) and find a way to reach out to them. A mailer with a coupon, announcement of a special dinner or new service, or even just a reminder that you value their business—anything. In fact,

Spanish Omelet Drizzled with MINOR’S® Blackberry Balsamic RTU Sauce

according to recent data from Technomic, a dollars-off coupon would be the most likely vehicle to entice consumers to order food more frequently from a restaurant.

Let Your Customers “Float” You Borrow a strategy from other industries and pre-sell your products at a discount.

Offer $1,000 worth of meals to regulars for $750, paid upfront, for instance, or four coffee services for the price of three to catering clientele. Use the funds instead of a loan or taking money out of the bank for improvements and other projects, such as new carpet or signage.

Double Down on Takeout and Other Off-Premise Opportunities Consumers still want the convenience and experience of food that they don’t have to cook and clean up after, and takeout, self-service catering, and other off-premise businesses represent a savings in such areas as tips, beverages and other add-ons. Take advantage of this fact by focusing some of your energy on promoting and improving your off-premise business—and if you don’t currently have any, figure out how to offer it.

Invest in Some Kitchen Convenience Remember that ingredients aren’t the only cost involved in serving food—there’s also labor, not to mention issues of consistency, inventory and storage. Using a speed-scratch component such as a MINOR’S® Flavor Concentrate or a TRIO® sauce, or a fully prepared STOUFFER’S® or CHEF-MATE® entrée, addresses all those concerns. Freeing up staff and management on boilerplate items like sauces allows you to redirect time and energy to strategies like developing new specials or rendering better customer service, while convenience entrées, appetizers and sides allow for easy menu expansion.

Patrons may be feeling the pinch of the economy, but they still have high-end expectations for service, ambience and quality...

Look at All Your Expenses Go through your expenditures, line by line, and find ways to trim costs, no matter how small. Can you save on laundry by replacing top cloths with butcher paper, for instance?

Have servers ask customers if they’d like tartar sauce with their fish sandwich, instead of automatically adding the condiment cup to every order? Or by bundling phone and internet service to get a discount? A hundred dollars here and two hundred there can add up.

WEB

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Investigate Less Expensive Proteins Help lower food costs by experimenting with ingredients that carry lower product costs and high signature potential. Develop specials to test the waters first. Items like pasta, pizza, risotto and other rice-based dishes (such as jambalaya or Cuban chickenand-rice) are also wonderful vehicles for reducing center-of-plate costs.  Beef cuts including tri-tip, flatiron and skirt steaks, which take well to flavorful, tenderizing marinades, instead of sirloin and other premium steaks  Braising cuts such as pork shoulder or butt, short ribs, flanken, ground meat mixtures, and chicken legs and thighs, the basis for comfort foods like stews, pot pies, pot roast and so on  Cheese and eggs for fondue, rarebits, upscale grilled cheese sandwiches, frittatas and quiches, and value-oriented breakfast-at-dinner fare  Mussels, calamari, skate and other “underutilized” seafood species

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Register for MIX online at NestleProfessional.com/mix by 11/30/09 and receive 100 bonus points, plus you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win 100,000 bonus points.

Subject to full details and sweepstakes rules at NestleProfessional.com/mix.

STOUFFER’S® Creole Style Jambalaya

Use Bonus Points for Improvements With Foodservice Rewards®, operators can earn points automatically, across their entire pantry, when they purchase trusted products from the Nestlé Professional™ family of brands and other leading manufacturers in the Foodservice Rewards program—simply sign up and start redeeming free point codes found on the cases. Then cash in points for premiums that will improve your operation, like a new sound system component for the dining room, a propane heater for the patio or a drink mixer for the bar. For more information, go to FoodserviceRewards.com.

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In The Kitchen

UCSD Gets a Culinary Upgrade Julia Engstrom, Culinary Manager University of California, San Diego Foodservice at the University of California, San Diego may never be the same. With new Director Steve Casad and a new culinary focus, the Dining, Retail and Conference Services (DRCS) department is making a number of changes.

Culinary Manager Julia Engstrom is part of a new three-person culinary team that also includes UCSD’s first-ever Registered Dietitian, Becky McDivitt, and Executive Chef Vaughn Vargus. Projects address health and wellness, variety, culinary authenticity, and value.

UCSD students and employees already have a lot to choose from, including 10 studentdining facilities, two dozen retail outlets and four stores where food is available. Options range from comfort foods and vegan fare to Indian, Mediterranean and Mexican. There are also several chain outlets on campus, including Burger King®, Round Table Pizza and local favorite Rubio’s Baja Fresh Mexican Grill.® “We do have a lot of outlets, but when this is someone’s home for several months of the year, it can all get old after a while,” admits Engstrom.

DRCS is in the midst of an ambitious project to offer healthier menu choices. “We’ve looked at a number of different issues, but one of the challenges is that people have all kinds of definitions of what health and wellness are,” says Engstrom. “Now people seem to be most excited about treating their whole body well, rather than just concentrating on something like diet.”

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To that end, DRCS has teamed with the university as a way to promote the school’s LiveWell program, and is evaluating all its products and menu choices with that goal in mind. New branding materials and a nutrition website have also been created.

In addition to offering healthier items, the team is devoting energy to its large vegetarian and vegan contingent, and will be opening a vegetarian restaurant in a 2010 facilities remodel. “We want to give vegetarians something they can be really happy with, things like stuffed mushrooms, layered casseroles and gratins,” says Engstrom.

This quarter, students returned to new $1.95 meal deals that included not only the usual suspects (grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta dishes) but also a daily “pail deal” packaged in a distinctive Asian-style takeout box. “The containers are only 8 oz., but it’s ‘just enough,’ and we’re offering something hot and quick, like jambalaya or okra and garbanzo curry, that customers can grab instead of a soda and a bag of chips when they’re in a hurry.”

Authenticity, particularly in the area of ethnic offerings, is also getting a boost. “We are scrubbing tired old menu items in favor of things that are fresh and contemporary, including ethnic concepts and flavors like lemongrass and harissa,” says Engstrom.

UCSD uses a variety of Nestlé Professional™ products to help make its strategy happen, including MINOR’S® Bases and MINOR’S® Signature™ Flavors.

“We’ve added a new Mediterranean area featuring a vertical rotisserie, and we are using a kalamata spread in gyros and other roasted meats,” explains Engstrom. Traditional STOUFFER’S® entrées including lasagna and macaroni and cheese have also proven very popular.

TREND + FLAVOR WATCH: SURPRISING DESSERTS

Beets in ice cream, hot pepper in custard, Indian spices in hot chocolate. What’s going on here? Pastry chefs are dipping into the savory side of the kitchen to “borrow” ingredients that lend distinction to desserts, from rich, sippable after-dinner drinks to cakes, mousses, custards and pastries. Partly it’s a function of an ongoing need to innovate, but there’s also a lot going on with ethnic menus introducing rich desserts that appeal to mainstream diners. Desserts are also being used as a vehicle to cross-promote beverage programs, with specialties like Chocolate Stout Ice Cream Floats and sweet liqueur “caviar.”

The whole idea is to make flavor pop, with surprising ingredients like sea salt, chiles, herbs and spices, and unusual fruits and vegetables.  Hibiscus Beet Sorbet Humphrey Slocum Ice Cream, San Francisco, California  Kumquat Poppy Seed Ice Cream Humphrey Slocum Ice Cream, San Francisco, California  Pink Ice Cream, lemon-lime soda, and French vanilla, strawberry and peach syrups SUNY-Fredonia, Fredonia, New York  Ginger Stout Cake With walnut gelato, dark caramel The Greene House, Scottsdale, Arizona  Pumpkin Panna Cotta With caramel tea jelly, gianduja and nougatine square, sticky toffee pudding, sesame ice cream Amuse-Bouche, Toronto, Canada  Liquid Dessert Duo Garam masala hot chocolate, cinnamon rice horchata Vermilion, New York City, New York  House Made Fudge Farms Bacon Brownie With vanilla bean whipped cream Boucherie, New Orleans, Louisiana  Soft Bittersweet Chocolate With cajeta mousse, spicy peanuts, Breton cookie Rainbow Lodge, Houston, Texas

If you tell us

you’ve seen all of our stuff before,

you’re either bluffing or a very good spy.

New products.

New promotions.

New packaging.

All for very good reasons so you can get some nice new income.

But if you’re a spy, you already knew that.

Full of it. hotpockets.com/foodservice 1-800-288-8682

All trademarks are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.

Product Spotlight

STOUFFER’S® LEAN CUISINE ® Sesame Chicken Bring good-for-you Asian flair to your menu with these sesame-breaded chicken tenderloins in a tangy, ginger-accented plum sauce, served over whole wheat linguine and tossed with sesame oil, green beans and red peppers—balanced nutrition for health-conscious guests.

MINOR’S® Culinary Cream* Get culinary peace of mind with a cream and butter alternative that allows even the most delicate sauces to hold up longer, without fear of breaking, scorching or burning. Culinary Cream ensures consistency, even in large batches of soup and sauce items, freeing you to be more creative.

MINOR’S® Clam and Lobster Bases* Start with the finest ocean delicacies—tender clams and fresh North Atlantic lobster—to create rich, authentic-tasting seafood specialties like clam chowder, lobster bisque, pasta dishes and sauces, and such menu signatures as cioppino or lobster Newburg. They’re part of the complete line of MINOR’S highquality bases.

NESCAFÉ ® Classic Brew Your total solution for bold, rich-tasting coffee every time. The NESCAFÉ Classic Brew on-demand system offers self-service convenience and has an appealing, contemporary look, for both back- and front-of-the-house applications. The variable automatic brewing feature adjusts to different demand levels, meaning less waste and a better quality cup of coffee.

14 MIX SPRING 2009

MINOR’S® Flavor Concentrates* Stir a big burst of flavor into your menu with MINOR’S Flavor Concentrates, which provide distinctive, authentic and on-trend savory tastes—including Roasted Garlic, Chipotle, and Herb de Provence—to your signature dishes, without added labor or waste.

STOUFFER’S® Grilled Chicken Fettuccini with Vegetables This delicious entrée from STOUFFER’S pairs grilled chicken tenderloin pieces with fettuccini pasta in a rich, creamy Alfredo with broccoli, carrots, diced red peppers, and subtle hints of parmesan and garlic. Just heat and serve for a great new menu item or takeout specialty.

WONKA® NERDS® * WONKA NERDS candy pieces make for a fun, colorful and tasty addition to desserts, sundaes and other sweet specialties. Try them in a Rainbow Milkshake made with vanilla soft serve and topped with whipped cream; the brand name adds value and the ability to support premium pricing on a popular menu item.

COFFEE-MATE ® Amaretto Pump Bottle The delectably sweet almond flavor of Amaretto, one of COFFEE-MATE’s most popular flavors, is now available in COFFEE-MATE pump bottles! A convenient and cost-effective solution, brought to you by America’s #1 brand of coffee creamer, COFFEE-MATE pump bottles can help eliminate pilferage of single-serve creamer cups, reduce waste and minimize messiness around your coffee station. Adding the delicious flavor of Amaretto to your offering is another great way to help your customers create their perfect cup of coffee.

*Shown as serving suggestion

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15

Recipes

Mini Crab, Kobe, and Lobster Trio Mini Crab Slider Yield: 5 ¾ lbs. Ser ves: 4 4 (2 oz.)

INGREDIENTS

WEIGHT

Mayonnaise MINOR’S® Crab Base

ME ASURE 1 cup

3 oz.

Ground cumin

2 tsp.

Ground white pepper

¹⁄8 tsp.

Red pepper sauce

1 Tbsp.

Crabmeat, lump, canned

4 lbs.

Bread crumbs, dried

8 oz.

Large eggs, beaten

4 ea.

Fresh cilantro, finely chopped Cornmeal

¼ cup 5 oz.

Vegetable oil

1½ cups

King’s Hawaiian® Honey Wheat Rolls

44 Rolls

PROCEDURE

1. In a bowl, blend mayonnaise, MINOR ’S ® Crab Base, cumin, white pepper and red pepper sauce.

2. Add crabmeat, bread crumbs, eggs and cilantro, mixing well.

3. Form into 44 (2 oz.) crab cakes, no more than ½" thick.

4. Press each crab cake into cornmeal, lightly coating both sides.

5. Sauté crab cakes in vegetable oil until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes on each side. Drain on absorbent paper.

6. Place crab cake on rolls and serve with Chipotle Aioli.

Mini Kobe Slider

Lobster Hoagie

Yield: 2½ lbs. Ser ves: 16 (2½ oz.)

Yield: 6 lbs. Ser ves: 24 (4 oz.)

INGREDIENTS

WEIGHT

Kobe beef, ground

1 lb.

MINOR’S® Beef Base

ME ASURE

INGREDIENTS

WEIGHT

MINOR’S® Lobster Base

1½ tsp.

Panko or fresh bread crumbs

½ cup

Lobster knuckle, claw and leg meat, thawed, rough chopped

King’s Hawaiian® Sweet Rolls, cut in half

16 Rolls

ME ASURE 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp.

2 lbs.

Mayonnaise

2 cups

PROCEDURE

King’s Hawaiian® Savory Butter Dinner Rolls

24 Rolls

1. In a bowl, combine beef, MINOR ’S ® Beef Base and panko. Mix until well blended.

2. Using a #30 ice cream scoop, portion beef mixture. Flatten scoops of beef to form miniature patties.

3. Grill burger to desired doneness. Place on pre-cut rolls. Serve warm with your choice of garnishes or condiments.

Baby arugula, garnish PROCEDURE

1. Mix the MINOR ’S ® Lobster Base, lobster meat and mayonnaise together and refrigerate for 2 hrs.

2. Serve on a toasted roll garnished with baby arugula.

Macaroons with Chocolate Java Ganache Yield: 1.6 lbs.

®

Ser ves: 50 (½ oz.)

INGREDIENTS

WEIGHT

ME ASURE

Heavy cream

8 oz.

1 cup

NESCAFÉ® 100% Columbian Freeze Dried Soluble Coffee NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet

¼ cup 16 oz.

Chocolate Morsels PROCEDURE

1. In a medium saucepan, heat cream and NESCAFÉ ® 100% Columbian Freeze Dried Soluble Coffee over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wire whisk, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil; remove from heat.

2. Add NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels and stir until smooth and melted. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Use this ganache to fill your favorite macaroon recipe; Pistachio Macaroons are shown.

16 MIX SPRING 2009

Individual Potato Calzones with Stouffer’s® Spinach Artichoke Dip and Alfredo Sauce Yield: 30 Ibs. Serves: 60 (8 oz.)

INGREDIENTS

WEIGHT

Potatoes, mashed, chilled

6 lbs.

STOUFFER’S® Spinach Artichoke Dip, thawed

5 lbs.

Mozzarella cheese, grated

2½ lbs.

Pizza dough, frozen, proofed

10 lbs.

Eggs, for egg wash

ME ASURE

6 whole

Black pepper, cracked

¼ cup

STOUFFER’S® Alfredo Sauce, prepared

80 oz.

PROCEDURE

1. Blend the mashed potatoes and STOUFFER’S ® Spinach Artichoke Dip together with the shredded cheese to make the filling.

2. Portion the proofed pizza dough into 60 equal portions, approx.

2½ oz. each.

3. Dust a clean flat surface with flour and stretch out the dough, using your fingers to make a small round pizza shell, approximately 5 to 6 inches in diameter.

4. Using a #12 ice cream scoop, portion 3½ oz. of filling into the center of each shell. Fold the far edge of the dough toward yourself, to the close edge, to create a calzone shape.

5. Crimp the edges of each calzone and paint with egg wash.

Sprinkle a pinch of cracked pepper over the calzones. Bake in a 400°F oven until the crust is crisp and golden brown. Plate and serve with 1.3 oz. STOUFFER’S ® Alfredo sauce.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Substitute STOUFFER’S ® Marinara Sauce for the Alfredo Sauce.

Black Forest Coffee

Chocolate Chip Cookies Dipped in Ganache

Yield: 8 oz.

Yield: 6½ lbs. Serves: 13 (8 oz.)

INGREDIENTS

WEIGHT

NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet

28 oz.

ME ASURE

Chocolate Morsels NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® CHOCOLATIERTM

12 oz.

Ser ves: 1 (8 oz.)

INGREDIENTS

WEIGHT

NESTLÉ® Chocolate Specialty

7 oz.

ME ASURE

Beverage Concentrate, prepared, hot Cherry flavored drink syrup

½ oz.

Chocolate flavored drink syrup

½ oz.

Whipped cream

Dark Baking Bar 53% Cacao MINOR’S® Culinary Cream

2 cups

Sugar

3 Tbsp.

Heavy Cream

1 cup

Vanilla

1 tsp.

Paraffin wax, shaved

¼ cup

Assorted par baked NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Cookies

1 case

Assorted NESTLÉ® candy bar pieces for dipping: BUTTERFINGER®, CRUNCH®, 100 GRAND®, BABY RUTH®, CHUNKY®, as needed PROCEDURE

1. In a double boiler on low heat, melt morsels and baking chocolate, stirring frequently. When chocolate is completely melted with no lumps, add MINOR'S ® Culinary Cream and sugar. Stir until well blended. Slowly add heavy cream and vanilla while stirring continuously. Add paraffin wax, mixing until melted. Once mixture is combined, keep warm or chill for future use.

2. Dip each cookie into the cooled chocolate ganache. Then immediately dip the cookie into the crushed candy bar pieces of choice.

Dark chocolate, shaved Maraschino cherry

PROCEDURE 1. Add NESTLÉ ® Chocolate Specialty Beverage Concentrate, prepared, hot to an 8 oz. serving cup.

2. Add cherry syrup and chocolate syrup.

Mix well with a stir stick.

3. Garnish with whipped cream, shaved chocolate and a maraschino cherry.

All NESTLÉ PROFESSIONALTM recipes were developed in Nestlé Culinary Services Kitchens, with a special thanks to Greg Ische, Manager/Culinary Innovation of NESTLÉ PROFESSIONAL North America, and Wynne Nord, Senior Foodservice Specialist.

17

Talk ToUs

We’d like to hear from you. Please tell us what you think of MIX at NestleProfessional.com/TalkToUs

Check Out These Valuable Resources and Tools Online at NestleProfessional.com/mix In challenging times, it’s particularly important to have some experts to turn to.

We’ve compiled a shortlist of resources and perspectives on the economy, the menu, consumer trends and other urgent issues at NestleProfessional.com/mix. Here’s an overview of subjects and articles the resource page has to offer: Free News and Trend Updates, Direct to Your Mailbox  National Restaurant Association SmartBrief (industry news)

 Restaurant News Resource (news and job listings, suppliers and other resources)

 Culinary Institute of American SmartBrief (food and culinary news)

 The Food Channel (food and trends; e-newsletter)

News and Trends for the Onsite Foodservice Industry

 Foodservice Dashboard (industry news, market analysis, chain profiles and more)

 Food Management Magazine  Non-Comm Niche (e-newsletter from Restaurants and Institutions)

Trend Information  Free on-demand podcast from Mintel

Don’t Forget To Register for MIX Online MIX Magazine is moving online.

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Other News Sources

 The Foodservice Research Institute, Menu Trends for 2009  Technomic Center-of-Plate Trends*

Websites  Going green may help you stay in the black. An NRA resource for foodservice operators.  Small business advice. SCORE: Counselors to Small Business.

Articles and Features  The Shopper of Tomorrow: Trading Down. Perspective from the Wharton School of Business.  Thinking about using LinkedIn? Maximizing the value of this businessoriented networking tool.  Buzz and word-of-mouth. Two of the most effective (and least expensive) marketing techniques.  Restaurant Menu Strategy for Economic Survival. Use your menu to counteract the economy.  Defining the “new normal”. Advice for thriving in the recession.

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Go online to NestleProfessional.com/mix to find links to these resources and other tools to help you succeed.

Have Questions? Contact your NESTLÉ PROFESSIONAL Sales Representative or call 1-800-288-8682. Visit us online: www.NestleProfessional.com.

We always value your input. Please email us at MIX@us.NestleProfessional.com with your comments, questions and suggestions.

Unless otherwise noted all trademarks are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé, S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.

Natur ally Inspired.

INTRODUCING MINOR’S ALL NATUR AL BASES. Wholesome, fresh taste made with pure ingredients. Ž

It’s what more and more customers are searching for. And it’s the reason we created our new line of bases.

Grown from the desire to help you add nutritional options and noticeably superior flavor to your menu, our

new beef, chicken and vegetable bases are carefully crafted with the finest ingredients for a fresh, natural taste.

H;NOL;F CHAL?>C?HNM .I ;>>?> -3' .I JL?M?LP;NCP?M IL BS>LIA?H;N?> ICFM A NL;HM ;H> M;NOL;N?> @;N J?L M?LPCHA F?MM MI>COG Learn how all natural bases can make your menu flourish by calling 1-800-243-8822.

Visit nestleprofessional.com to find recipes like the Italian Vegetable Soup shown above. *25% less sodium than traditional base NESTLÉ PROFESSIONALTM and MINOR’S Ž are trademarks owned by SociÊtÊ des Produits, NestlÊ S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.

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