Food Service Monthly by Silver Communications

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Volume 15, No. 1 n January 2016

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2016 FSM Foodservice Leaders of the Year Fabio & Maria

trabocchi

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insidefsm Volume 15, No. 1

January 2016

news and information

columns

FSM News…………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Association News RAM…………………………………………………………………………… 4 Association News RAMW………………………………………………………………………… 4 Association News OCHMRA……………………………………………………………………… 9 FSM Leaders Fabio and Maria Trabocchi………………………………………………… 10 Association News VRLTA……………………………………………………………………… 12 Ad Index…………………………………………………………………………………………… 20

Sauce on the Side by Michael Birchenall…………………………… 2 Working in America by Becki L. Young………………………………… 5 Foodservice Law Matters by Andrew Klline………………………… 6 Bob Brown Says by Bob Brown………………………………………… 7 Inside a Restaurateur’s World by Michael Sternberg…………… 8 The Latest Dish by Linda Roth……………………………………… 14 Whining ’n Dining by Randi Rom …………………………………… 16 Balti-MORE by Dara Bunjon………………………………………… 17 Food Smarts by Juliet Bodinetz……………………………………… 18 Modern Business Solutions by Henry Pertman………………… 19

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Volume 15, No. 1 n January 2016

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Fabio & Maria

trabocchi Gruppo Ft restaurants

on the cover Fabio and Maria Trabocchi at Fiola Mare in Georgetown photo: Michael Birchenall

Foodservice Monthly is the only publication to be awarded the RAM Allied Member of the Year award and the RAMW Joan Hisaoka Associate Member of the Year award, the highest honor for a non-restaurant member.

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SAUCE ON THE SIDE Michael Birchenall

Happy New Year and All That Jazz!

et’s take a moment to reflect on 2015. For me, it’s about Foodservice Monthly. We were inducted into the Maryland Hospitality Hall of Fame by the Restaurant Association of Maryland … now, that was a big surprise. We have our goals … like we all do. A 20 percent increase in advertising pages will do nicely and we’re working hard at making that happen. We place our readers and advertisers number one on our ‘to do’ list. How can we help you? What our advertisers need is pretty basic … they want a chance to pitch you their products or services. To do that successfully, they need to have the right message, the best products and service, and a great place to tell people how to find them. That’s when we step in. FSM has to give them the showcase to properly display their good information about themselves and we have to have a publication that our readers want to read. That means something they will hold on to and refer to during the month. FSM is about the people who make up the foodservice professionals of the Mid-Atlantic. We can be trusted. We have integrity. At the beginning it’s all words about what we can do … now we have a track record as we

begin year 15 at a time when print publications are suffering. We have been weak on the Internet and social media side … but we will redouble our effort to make ourselves more relevant in that cloud world and get rid of some of the overcast skies. I was looking back at some of the emails I have received over the year … and a couple jumped out at me right away. A chef in Northern Virginia wrote, “I truly enjoy your take on things and your informative, professional publication. I am usually out of the loop and out of touch working in … western, not-quite-Northern Virginia, and your monthly helps me keep tabs on the local culinary world.” This message came in a request to change the chef’s address, “My staff and I (when I have a half minute to myself) really enjoy receiving and reading Foodservice Monthly … and would not like to miss an issue. The articles are informative, entertaining and the magazine is just an overall good resource guide.” It doesn’t get any better than that … and I didn’t know either chef. We just have to keep working harder to keep our mission right in front of us to guide our efforts. You may have noticed a few additions to our contributing columnists this year … remember we only use local writers who can

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relate to our readers and region. I get requests weekly from writers pitching a generic column that will work in Portland, Omaha or Atlanta. Some of the topics are the same but our writers capture the place and world where we work. We added a more personal profile writer, Genevieve LeFranc, who finds the heart of the industry inside the leaders who make a difference. Michael Sternberg adds a dimension found in a restaurateur who has had “skin in the game.” Celeste McCall rejoined us in 2015 and you will see her take on restaurants that make cheese in their establishments in the

February issue. Becki Young is back … and the respected immigration lawyer has given us real insight into what motivates the immigrant workers that drive many restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic. Andrew Kline tells me he is having fun crafting his legal column … and the information is invaluable. Joining us in 2016 is Brian Thim from Rita St. Clair in Baltimore ready to pen his “A Taste of Design” quarterly beginning in March. We are excited. We’re still having fun. Happy New Year to all and may all your goals be exceeded.

lookingback DC Coast closed January 1. It’s the first place I met the owners Gus DiMillo, David Wizenberg and chef Jeff Tunks. DC Coast opened in 1998 and became a favorite of my wife and mine immediately. It had that old school restaurant feel, great food and a place where a great cocktail made with superb ingredients ruled the day. DC Coast was not a pop up and it had a stunning mermaid to greet you at the door. One of my favorite items on the menu was the Chinese Style Smoked Lobster. The classic Simone Rathle is never afraid to take a PR chance. She invited several food writers over to Jeff’s home and opened his kitchen to a lesson in preparing DC Coast classics. It might have been 2003. That’s me with Jeff as I jump in to master the smoked lobster. I never made it at home … not when DC Coast could do it for me. Now I guess I better find my notes. Goodbye DC Coast.

Volume 15, No. 1 n January 2016

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Michael Birchenall Lisa Silber Electronic Ink Contributing Writers Contact

Editor and Publisher michael@foodservicemonthly.com Sales Manager lisa@foodservicemonthly.com Design and Production fsm@eink.net Juliet Bodinetz, Bob Brown, Dara Bunjon, Andrew Kline, Genevieve LeFranc, Celeste McCall, Henry Pertman, Randi Rom, Linda Roth, Michael Sternberg, Jay Treadwell, Becki Young phone: 703-471-7339 email: info@foodservicemonthly.com fax: 866-961-4980 web: www.foodservicemonthly.com

Foodservice Monthly is published by Silver Communications, Corp. The FSM mission is to provide the Mid-Atlantic foodservice professional with news and information in an informed, imaginative and insightful newsmagazine. Foodservice Monthly assumes no responsibility for material submitted to us. All information contained in this publication is believed to be accurate. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part or transmitted in any form without prior permission from the publisher of Foodservice Monthly.

2 | JANUARY 2016

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FSM NEWS

Yes, the ACA Is Still Here … Are You Ready to File Your Reports?

he National Restaurant Association (NRA) and your local state restaurant associations in Delaware (DRA), Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), Maryland (RAM) and Virginia (VRLTA) have great information to guide you through the maze of compliance, documentation and reporting. The summary that follows is not all encompassing but it will get you started … the day of reckoning is here. Most of the information below was provided by the NRA. It is up to you to find what is pertinent to your situation and to act. The Treasury Department and IRS released regulations in February and March to explain the ACA’s employer mandate and employerreporting requirements. Employers should consult these rules as they take steps to comply with the law. The regulations are available as a link from Restaurant.org/Healthcare or in the Federal Register, “Shared Responsibility for Employers Regarding Health Care Coverage” (Feb. 12, 2014), and “Information Reporting of Minimum Essential Coverage” and “Information Reporting by Applicable large Employers” (March 10, 2014).

What reports will employers be required to file? To help enforce the employer and individual mandates, and to administer subsidies, the ACA sets massive new reporting requirements for many businesses. Employers must file their first information returns with the IRS and statements with employees in early 2016, based on data tracked in 2015. The paperwork requirements are part of the new Sections 6056 and 6055 of the federal tax code. • section 6056 requires businesses that employ 50 or more FTE employees to certify whether they offered minimum essential coverage to full-time employees. • section 6055 requirements apply to any entity that offers a health plan, such as self-insured foodservicemonthly

employers and health insurers. These reports will tell the IRS who was enrolled in coverage and for what months. Alex Cooper, director of membership and marketing for RAM, shared the form numbers and deadlines for filing: Form 1095C, due to employees by 1/31/16, provides documentation to the employee about their company health plan to file with their tax returns. This form is required only for employees that were fulltime employees for any month in 2015. Secondly, Form 1094-C is used to report to the IRS summary information for each employee, and is also used to transmit the 1095-C forms to the IRS. These forms are due to the IRS by 2/29/16.

What are the penalties? Large businesses will face two types of penalties under the ACA’s employer mandate. • For failing to offer coverage. Penalty A applies when a large employer fails to offer minimum essential coverage to “substantially all” of its full-time employees. Penalty A can run up to $2,000 per year per full-time employee, minus the first 30 full-time employees. The penalty kicks in if any full-time employee gets a federal tax subsidy to buy a health plan through a government-run exchange. • For offering coverage that’s unaffordable or inadequate. Penalty B applies when the minimum essential coverage a large employer offers is not affordable or fails to meet minimum-value standards. Penalty B is $3,000 a year for any fulltime employee who receives a federal tax subsidy to buy a health plan through a federal or state exchange because their employer’s plan is not affordable or adequate.

Who’s covered by the employer mandate? The employer mandate will require

certain employers to offer health care coverage to full-time employees and their dependents or face possible penalties. The mandate will eventually apply to businesses with 50 or more full-time-equivalent (FTE) employees, but in 2015 transition relief is available to qualified employers with 50 to 99 FTE employees. • penalties start in 2015 for employers with 100 or more FTE employees who fail to offer coverage to “substantially all” full-time employees and their dependents. (“Substantially all” means the employer offers coverage to at least 70 percent of full-time employees in 2015. This ramps up to 95 percent of fulltime employees in 2016.) • penalties start in 2016 for employers with 50 to 99 FTE employees. • more information on how to calculate whether your business is covered by the employer mandate is available at Restaurant.org/ Healthcare. Keep in mind that you may need to combine employees for businesses under “common control” and that you’ll need to know both the number of full-time employees and hours of service for part-time employees to come up the “full-time-equivalent” figure. Seasonal workers are included in the large employer calculation, whether full- or parttime. Some employers may qualify for a “seasonal worker exception” in cases where seasonal workers push the business over the FTE threshold for four calendar months or less.

To whom must coverage be offered? To avoid penalties, applicable large employers must offer health care coverage to full-time employees and their dependents starting in 2015. The ACA defines full-time as an average of at least 30 hours of service in any given month. For administrative simplicity, 130 hours of service in a calendar month will be considered the monthly

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equivalent of 30 hours of service a week. Dependents are children who have not yet reached the age of 26. Dependents do not include spouses. • new employees are considered to be full-time if on their start date they are reasonably expected to average 30 hours of service a week or 130 hours of service per calendar month. Whether an employer’s determination of the employee’s full- or part-time status is reasonable is based on the “facts and circumstances.” Factors to be considered include, but are not limited to, whether the employee is replacing an employee who was or was not a full-time employee, the extent to which employees in the same or comparable positions are or are not full-time employees, and whether the job was advertised, or otherwise communicated to the new hire or otherwise documented (for example, through a contract or job description), as requiring hours of service that would average 30 (or more) hours of service per week or less than 30 hours of service per week. • assessing the status of variablehour and seasonal employees. While many restaurant employees clearly work either full- or part-time hours, the distinction may be less clear for variable-hour and seasonal employees, whose hours and schedules fluctuate. To help large employers know who is eligible for health care coverage offers under the ACA starting in 2015, and to avoid monthly determinations of employee status, Treasury/IRS regulations give large employers an alternative option for assessing the full- or part-time status of variablehour or seasonal employees. This optional method — called the “look-back measurement method” — is complex but may be useful for restaurant operators. JANUARY 2016 | 3

ASSOCIATION NEWS RAM Marshall Weston

ASSOCIATION NEWS RAMW Michael Birchenall

Taste of Maryland: Your Chance to Fight Back Educated Eats Bolsters Its Commitment to RAMW Members and Community

nough is enough. From minimum wage increases to required sick leave, Dram shop liability to encroachment on our industry’s scheduling practices, there is legislation out there that threatens to undermine the growth of our industry. Yet the most effective way to influence our legislators to do right thing remains the same: show up, meet them in-person, and tell them in your own words how their legislation affects your business. It’s time to fight back. Join us at the Loews Annapolis Hotel on January 18 for the Restaurant Association of Maryland’s (RAM) Taste of Maryland Legislative Reception. In its 26th year, the Taste event is a critical junction point between the legislators who write our laws and the restaurateurs and hospitality professionals who have to bear their impact.

Here’s What We’re Up Against Some lawmakers want to require up to seven days of paid sick leave per year. Other lawmakers want to require you to release employee schedules 21 days in advance, which would cripple your ability to accurately staff your operation. And then there’s the threat of DRAM Shop, which is legislation that would transfer liquor liability to the restaurant owner, increasing liquor liability insurance by as much as 300 percent. The Taste of Maryland is the event that Maryland state legislators look forward to every year. They expect to see you — the Maryland restaurateur or foodservice professional. This is your chance to meet your legislator and paint a vivid picture for them of how their legislation impacts your unique business. 4 | JANUARY 2016

If that wasn’t enough of a reason to attend, you’ll also get to attend seminars on hot-button issues, presented by speakers that were hand-picked by RAM for their expertise. And of course, you’ll also enjoy a cocktail style reception with innovative food samples from 32 RAM member restaurants. The 26th Annual Taste of Maryland will take place Monday, January 18 at the Loews Annapolis Hotel, 5:00 - 7:30 p.m. Learn more and get your tickets at marylandrestaurants.com/taste.

Seminar Schedule Work Smarter: Let the Maryland Office of Tourism Development Work For You Presenter: Heather Ersts | Maryland Department of Commerce The Maryland Office of Tourism Development offers a multitude of opportunities for restaurants to promote themselves, while generating interest in tourism across the state. This seminar will introduce you to free resources available to you as a business owner. To Accommodate or Not to Accommodate Presenter: Albert B. Randall and Sarah Lemmert | Franklin & Prokopik Attorneys at Law The last year has seen a number of landmark court cases and new state and federal regulations expanding how, when and why employers need to provide reasonable accommodations to their employees. These changes have particularly impacted religious, gender identity/ transgender and pregnancy accommodations. Learn about these new changes and developments in the law and how they impact every aspect of your workplace. Updating Your Employee Handbook Presenter: Michael Lentz | Franklin & Prokopik Attorneys at Law

n December, FSM published an interview with Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) President and CEO Kathy Hollinger on the “State of the Washington Restaurant Industry: Flourishing, Vibrant, Growing.” We revisit that conversation, specifically to review the outline for the revitalization and restructuring of Educated Eats within RAMW. Educated Eats is the non-profit 501(c)(3) provider for RAMW of the Frans Hagen scholarships to students pursuing an education in the culinary field. Hollinger says, “Educated Eats is committed to promoting the restaurant and foodservice industry as a career of unlimited opportunity.” Educated Eats scholarships are designed to assist individuals who demonstrate an interest and commitment to the restaurant industry. Scholarships are provided to both high school students and individuals presently working in the restaurant industry, who are interested in pursuing education towards a food service and culinary profession. To bolster the support of RAMW for Educated Eats, Hollinger shared with FSM the new slate of officers and board members that are currently operating as a committee until they can be voted in officially

Labor and Employment laws, rules and regulations are constantly changing and in response, Employers need to be continually updating their Employee Handbooks to mirror the current legal landscape. Take this opportunity to find out what provisions in your Employee Handbook need updating and what provisions and policies could be putting you in hot water without you even knowing.

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at the RAMW Annual meeting in March.

RAMW/EDUCATED EATS HEADQUARTERS 1625 K St NW, Ste 210 Washington DC 20006 202.331.5990 | info@ramw.org

EDUCATED EATS LEADERSHIP (voted on officially in March)

Chairman of the Board Greg Casten ProFish Ltd., Tony and Joe’s, Nick’s Riverside

Officers Secretary, Richard Bell-Irving Treasurer, TBD

Directors Scott Attman Acme Paper and Supply Co. Sonya Ali Ben’s Chili Bowl/Ben’s Next Door Russell Lacey Electric Advisors John Rorapaugh Profish, LTD. Daniel Traster Educator Dan Kelly VSAG

WEBSITES ramw.org therammys.org educatedeats.org 2016 Md. General Assembly Legislative Preview Presenter: Melvin Thompson | Senior VP of Government Affairs & Public Policy, RAM A riveting informational session that outlines the major legislation state lawmakers will be considering during the 2016 legislative session. Learn which issues will have the largest impact on Maryland’s hospitality industry and what you can do to lobby on behalf of our industry. foodservicemonthly

WORKING IN AMERICA Becki L. Young

Don’t Ever Forget Where You Came From

ranco Landini’s father imparted these wise words to him many years ago, and he has never forgotten them. Born during WWII in the Tuscan port town of Santo Stefano, Landini was given a poor prognosis of survival by the doctor who delivered him. His father was a member of the Italian resistance movement, and times for the family were tough. Seventy-some years later, Landini has defied all medical odds and has a fascinating and adventurous life story to share. At 14 he began working as an Assistant Butler in the Italian villa of a wealthy American woman. He attended hotel school in Siracusa and after graduating at the top of his class he went to work in St. Tropez. By 16 he was the youngest crewmember of an Italian ocean liner called the Leonardo Da Vinci. He developed his language skills, learning French, English, German and Spanish in addition to his native Italian. At 20 he was drafted into the Italian Navy. After he completed his military service, he returned to the merchant marine; a few years later he was hired as the Maitre D’ at a restaurant on the Italian Riviera. It was there he met a young American woman and the rest, as they say, is history. They married in 1971, and a year later she sponsored him for a green card and they immigrated to the US. Landini’s first job in the US was waiting tables at Portofino in Crystal City. The next year, he was hired as the opening chef at Il Porto in Old Town. Following that was a stint as garde manger at King’s Landing (now Union Pub), also in Alexandria, and then chef at a local dinner theater serving 1000 meals per night. After that experience, Landini foodservicemonthly

promised himself he would never work for anyone other than himself. He searched The Washington Post classifieds and found a restaurant for sale on the corner of Columbia Pike and Walter Reed Drive in Arlington. He persuaded the bank to give him a loan with no collateral and soon the phenomenally successful Italianissimo Restaurant was born. The US bicentennial in 1976 was a big year for Landini — in addition to opening a second restaurant, Pelicano, with a group of investors on King Street, he was sworn in as a US citizen in a massive ceremony with 3,000 other new Americans at Mt. Vernon. The ceremony was presided over by Vice President Mondale and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In 1979, Landini sold his shares in Pelicano and opened a steakhouse in the current Landini Brothers space on King Street. He sponsored his brother Piero to come to the United States and the two brothers ran the business together for more than three decades until Piero’s retirement a few years ago. Next was a restaurant on Wisconsin Avenue called Roberto’s that operated in the early 80’s, and the short lived La Lampara on King Street. After a brief (two year) foray into the freshwater eel export business, Landini returned to the restaurant world with Landini Ballston and the massive Caracalla in the Renaissance hotel in downtown DC. In 2007 Landini’s son Noe, a former Ritz Carlton area manager, joined the family business. In 2010 the private cigar bar CXIII REX opened on the top level of the Landini Brothers restaurant. Today, Landini — along with Noe — own and operate Landini Brothers, Fish Market and Pop’s

Old Fashioned Ice Cream in Old Town Alexandria, and the brand new Bar Deco in downtown D.C. A commercial bakery in Del Ray is soon to follow, and we anxiously await its arrival! Becki L. Young, co-founder of Hammond Young Immigration, is a business

immigration attorney with 20 years of experience in the field. She has represented more than 100 of the world’s most prominent hotels and restaurants, and facilitated the sponsorship of foreign professionals, trainees, interns and individuals of “extraordinary ability.” Ms. Young is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She can be reached at 301-917-6900 or byoung@hyimmigration.com.

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JANUARY 2016 | 5

FOODSERVICE LAW MATTERS Andrew Kline

You Want to Get Into Business. How Do You Get Out?

e have met with hundreds of people over the years who wish to open hospitality establishments. In their exuberance for their new concept or location, few of them consider the possibility

of failure and how they might minimize their exposure if their venture is not successful. It is our job, as counsel, to temper that enthusiasm and plan for worst case scenarios. In any business dependent on a viable

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location, the lease is the most important asset but also represents the greatest potential liability. Accordingly, it is critical that attention is paid in negotiating the lease to ensure flexibility in case of a business failure. Perhaps the most important lease provision when considering an exit strategy is the typical restriction against assignment of the lease. If the landlord requires the right to approve of an assignment of the lease, as most do, that approval should be limited. A typical general limitation requires that the landlord “not unreasonably withhold consent” to an assignment. Often times, however, sophisticated landlords desire a more precise standard for when they can withhold consent to an assignment. They may insist upon such things as a minimum net worth for the proposed transferee of the lease or a minimum experience level in the business. All of these issues should be reviewed carefully with your counsel so that it is reasonably possible for you to find an operator to whom the lease could be assigned in the event you wish or need to close or sell the business. The personal guaranty is another lease provision which must be considered carefully when evaluating an exit strategy. If you commit to an unlimited personal guaranty, then your exposure for a failed business potentially totals all of the remaining rent due under the lease plus attorney’s fees, late fees and interest. A limited guaranty, on the other hand, provides you some certainty as to your potential liability and will provide some flexibility if you should have to close the business, as your total potential lease

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liability will be fixed. A “good guy guaranty,” which we have written about in this space previously, allows you the ability to simply hand the keys back to the landlord without further responsibility for the rent and other charges due under the lease. The provision often not considered in managing an exit strategy is the continuous operation clause. These provisions are frequently found in leases for premises in shopping centers or mixed use developments where landlords have special concerns about empty storefronts or operations that operate only sporadically. These provisions require that you keep the business open and sometimes entitle the landlord to double rent in the event you close the business during the lease term. For example, the lease might require that you remain open for lunch, even if there is little business, so that the landlord’s shopping center or office building will appear vibrant, and other tenants and visitors will have a place to eat. Before agreeing to such a provision, however, you should attempt to have any liability for continuous operation cease in the event you permanently close the business. Otherwise, you might find that you have potential liability for as much as twice the remaining rent due under the lease. No one goes into business to fail. Even the most successful entrepreneurs, however, sometimes face business failure because of a poor location, concept or even an overall down economy. Planning for possible failure by considering overall lease liability is important insurance against economic ruin when opening a new business. foodservicemonthly

BOB BROWN SAYS Bob Brown

Faithful Regulars … The Spirit, Soul and Bedrock of Business

restaurant is a community of faithful friends and advocates who come together to be entertained and connected. Knowing how to partner with them is the key to surviving and thriving.

Pay the Rent At Paolo’s, I cringed at the sight of Muffy and Buffy. Every Friday, these co-eds camped out at one of my two-tops, splitting the cheapest entrée and ordering a glass of house white. Michael, my mentor, pointed out, “Bob, they have a $20 check and come in every week. That’s a $1,000 a year! You can make a sacrifice for two faithful followers.”

Can’t you find one jar?’ Rhonda pleaded. This year they’ve ordered a case. Discarding every preconception they had about food and wine, their spirit of fun and desire to learn is contagious.

local asparagus. I’ve also selected Arneis from Italy’s Piedmont region. Please enjoy a complimentary taste.” The Weinsteins and others helped sharpen my approach — how to act on preferences and dazzle guests with unexpected delights.

Act as Focus Groups “For 59 years, Gus, our pastry chef, came in at 3 a.m. to make a New York style cheesecake,” recalls former GM Al Chadsey of Blackie’s House of Beef in DC. “When we reopened we wanted to wow guests with a new approach to desserts. Who better to give feedback than a group of regulars? We had the gang try a chocolate soufflé, which didn’t make the cut. They voted for the raspberry

Bob, they have a $20 check and come in every week. That’s $1,000 a year! You can make a sacrifice for two faithful followers. Help through Tough Times “Last fall, Wolfgang, a regular, asked, ‘What’s happening? You’re slow!’ We said we didn’t know if we’d make it. “‘Don’t say you’re closing. How will I live without Duroc pork chops with the cider glaze and rosemary thyme potatoes?’ Wolfgang bemoaned. Two supporters jumped in, ‘Where do you make money? We want to help.’ Our bartender, John, fired back, ‘A couple of glasses of Terrai Grenache would be a good start.’ Things have picked up, thanks to our passionate fans.”

Make for a Fun Cast of Characters “’The sistas,’ crack us up. Recently, Rhonda argued with Rosanne, saying she hated Burgundies and would pass on our tasting. Both loved the Volnay and bought a case. They are also strawberry jam addicts. The first year they were distraught, ‘Out of strawberry jam? foodservicemonthly

Bob Brown, president of Bob Brown Service Solutions, www.bobbrownss.com, pioneered Marriott’s Service Excellence Program and works internationally with prestigious hotels such as Burj Al Arab in Dubai. He has appeared on the Food Network, is author of bestselling The Little Brown Book of Restaurant Success. Contact Bob for local workshops and executive retreats at 571246-2944. ©2014

version. Buddy said it had more eye appeal. Margaret loved the luscious texture and intense flavor. It was a hit, with servers selling a soufflé, along with cappuccinos and Gran Marniers, to one of every three tables.”

Fine Tune Personalized Service I had a cadre of call parties at Paolo’s, such as Dr. and Mrs. Ben Weinstein of Bethesda. When they walked up to Lloyd our host, I raced to the kitchen. “The Weinsteins are here!” I alerted Chef Adam, who placed two grouper filets, artfully garnished with fresh herbs, on separate plates. Then I bolted to the wine rack to select special white. After helping with their chairs, I opened: “Dr. and Mrs. Weinstein welcome home!” On cue, my sidekick busser Jess presented the plates: “Chef Adam chose lovely filets of black grouper, which he prepared simply—as you like— poached with white wine, fresh dill, and a hint of garlic along with

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JANUARY 2016 | 7

RESTAURATEUR’S WORLD Michael Sternberg

Yes, There Are ‘Secrets of Restaurant Success’

while back, a former colleague who is contemplating taking the ownership plunge, asked me for my “secrets of restaurant success.” Other than being Australian, and stealing one of the best event directors in my company, he’s been a good guy. Thus, I was willing to write down my thoughts

for him which served the triple purpose of helping a friend, providing the material for this article and giving me themes for future articles. Once again, I’m inflicting my thoughts on all of you. 1. If you don’t have a passion for great food and great hospitality, find another career.

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2. Warm, hospitable service will carry a restaurant with OK food. Great food can’t rescue surly service. 3. No restaurant ever went broke because of rent. It went broke paying rent in the wrong location. 4. Consistency is everything. Restaurants that are consistently a B+ are more successful than those that are sometimes an A and sometimes a B. 5. The customer isn’t always right, but what difference does that make? 6. Making payroll comes before anything else. You can ask a lot from your team except for working without pay. 7. You cannot fix a bad attitude. You also cannot fix an employee with a drug or alcohol problem. Don’t put up with either. Remember that if you are going to work this hard, carrying someone on your back won’t make it any easier. 8. Expect the worst. Hope for the best — but plan for the worst. 9. When you train team members to do a task, you’ll have to demonstrate that task over and over. If you teach how to solve problems and take action, eventually you’ll create a great work culture and sustainable growth. 10. A restaurant team gets better through incremental improvements. If you try to improve in huge leaps, you’ll fail every time. Work at being a little bit better every day, and by the end of the month, you’ll see considerable improvement. 11. Your managers cannot create better results without information. Owners who don’t share P&L information and then blame managers for missing financial targets are idiots. 12. What can be measured or tracked can be improved. If its not tracked, it won’t get better. 13. Never be afraid to hire people who are smarter or more talented than you. They can only make you look smarter and

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more talented. 14. The employee who says, “I’d work harder if I made more money” is lying. 15. The people that want to be in the restaurant business to be creative don’t understand the restaurant business. Restaurant success is 90 percent consistency and 10 percent creativity. It took me a long time to understand that. 16. Make sure your restaurant vision is clearly articulated before you start on your adventure. Write it down so then you can explain that vision and why it will succeed to your team. 17. There is really only one reason why a restaurant goes broke; it runs out of money. If running a strong, profitable business is not on your list of priorities, your restaurant will only last as long as your finances or your investors’ finances will allow you to last. That’s the old joke about how you make a small fortune. Start with a large one and open a restaurant. 18. I’ll leave the last word to my former boss, the legendary Arnie Morton since he always had the last word. When asked to speak on restaurant success at a major foodservice conference, Arnie strode to the podium, said “Location, location, location. Are there any questions?” I’d love to hear your secrets. Share them with me by posting them on the Facebook page for Sternberg Hospitality. Maybe you’ll give me something to write about next month. Michael Sternberg is an awardwinning expert in a wide array of foodservice venues including restaurants, hotels, stadiums, arenas and airports with operations ranging from full-service to grab & go. He is CEO of Sternberg Hospitality, a full-service restaurant and hospitality consultancy, and a principal in Mokja Ventures, an investment fund for creative, scalable restaurant concepts. He can be reached at: michael@ sternberghospitality.com or 703-298-2706. foodservicemonthly

ASSOCIATION NEWS OCHMRA

Bryan Voltaggio Shows Off Maryland Upbringing at OCHMRA Spring Trade Expo

ryan Voltaggio, executive chef and owner of six restaurants including VOLT, Lunchbox, Family Meal, RANGE, and AGGIO in Maryland, Washington, DC and Virginia, will headline the Culinary Corner stage at the Ocean City Spring Trade Expo on Sunday, March 6 at 12 p.m. The native Maryland chef (a finalist on Top Chef Season 6) has become one of the most recognized and influential chefs in contemporary American cooking. Recently it was announced that Bryan and his brother Michael will collaborate on a steakhouse concept under construction at MGM Casino joining Jose Andres and Marcus Samuelsson as celebrity restaurant anchors. The Voltaggios’ restaurant

will focus as well on regional Maryland specialties along with the beef. Before his celebrity chef status, Bryan was the executive chef at Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington. Voltaggio has consistenly delivered culinary innovation to the Chesapeake region, which he loves for its rich culinary history and access to high-quality ingredients. “I grew up here, so I feel like I have a responsibility to this region,” he says. “With each restaurant I open, I hope to reach new audiences and show them that good food and the bounty of what the region has to offer very much go hand in hand.” As a father and chef, Voltaggio is a passionate philanthropist and supports Share Our Strength

(SOS) in its fight against childhood hunger. He has raised over half a million dollars to support innovative school breakfast programs, meals for achievement, and the national No Kid Hungry campaign. Even with the recognition that has come with television, cookbook publishing, and restaurant expansion, Voltaggio’s goals for the future remain true to the reason he began cooking as a teenager in the first place. “I love to make people happy,” he says. “I’m measuring success by looking at the opportunities to provide more for my community.” Voltaggio lives with his wife Jennifer and their three children Thacher, Piper and Ever Maeve in Frederick, Md., his hometown.

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JANUARY 2016 | 9

Fabio and Maria Trabocchi Gruppo FT Restaurants

oodservice Monthly (FSM) enters its 15th year honoring Fabio and Maria Trabocchi, Gruppo FT Restaurants as its 2016 Foodservice Leaders of the Year. First, let’s share a little history about the award. In 2007, the late Marcia Harris, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland was honored as our first Foodservice Leader of the Year. In establishing the criteria, Foodservice Monthly wanted the award to honor a person (or persons) currently and actively engaged in the industry. They were to be in the in the high achievement mode with more to come. This is not a lifetime achievement award, although these fast-track leaders have great accomplishments that create long lists when measuring success. Our use of the word leader came from a 1980s series of ads that United Technology Corporation (UTC) ran using succinct messages of corporate and personal keys to success. One in particular moved me and I framed it and used it as a motivational reminder as I managed food and beverage departments in my hotel operations days. The full-page ad headline declared, “Let’s Get Rid of Management.” It began, “People don’t want to be managed. They want to be led. Whoever heard of a world manager? World leader, yes.” Down the page the point was reiterated, “They lead, they don’t manage.” The message ended with, “You can lead your horse to water, but you can’t manage it to drink. If you want to manage somebody, manage yourself.” As the vision of the annual recognition of a Foodservice Leader of the Year became clear, I could only think of the message so boldly revealed in the motivational message. Fabio and Maria Trabocchi are leaders. I knew that the moment I met Fabio in the not yet open dining room of Maestro in The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. The hotel’s public relations representative Ellen Gale made the introduction and we sat down for a conversation. Without a word being

10 | JANUARY 2016

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said I could feel the intensity in the air. Fabio Trabocchi was 26 in 2001 and was designing the kitchen of Maestro for The Ritz-Carlton, a kitchen where he would be the executive chef. I would describe him as fearless and fully committed … and there was no doubt in my mind he would be successful and I hadn’t then tasted one Fabio dish.

The message ended with, “You can lead your horse to water, but you can’t manage it to drink. If you want to manage somebody, manage yourself.” I had the pleasure of dining at Maestro many times … always a pleasure and always food cooked with such rapture and flavor. Indeed the open kitchen was like an orchestra with Fabio as the maestro as no dish left the kitchen without his final approval. I enjoyed the fact that I was enjoying the best food in Metropolitan Washington before Washingtonians found their passports to cross over into Northern Virginia. The one person I did see in the early days was Patrick O’Connell of the Inn at Little Washington. After Fabio had prepared his first dinner at the James Beard House, I stopped in Maestro and asked him how it had gone. He asked me if I knew what the first thing he did when he got into the Beard kitchen. I didn’t, but I should have known. He and his culinary team cleaned the kitchen to get it clean enough for him to cook in. foodservicemonthly

I met Maria at the hotel as well, where she had a corporate guest relations position looking after the hotel’s key guests. She had the same sense of grace and style that she is famous for in their three Washington restaurants Fiola, Fiola Mare and Casa Luca. She stepped away from the hospitality world while at The Ritz-Carlton to take care of their two children Aliche and Luca. In 2005, Fabio Trabocchi was named the Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington and in 2006 the James Beard award for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic came his way. The Gruppo FT restaurants have won numerous local, national and international awards. After Maestro closed, the Trabocchis moved to New York where Fabio opened Fiamma which earned three stars from Frank Bruni of the New York Times. I even enjoyed Fabio’s food at his short-lived stay (three months) at the Four Seasons where without even introducing his menu had received praise for changes guests could already taste. Then it was back to Washington for the Trabocchi duo to open their first restaurant … Fiola in the space that used to be the home for Bice, which happens to be where Maria and Fabio first met. Now the stakes were raised, as they were fully in charge … leadership is now pushed to the forefront on many levels. As Fabio was occupied with the menu, kitchen rebuild and concept Maria stepped to the front to lead the build out of the design elements of the restaurant. Fiola was not Maestro … but it was Fabio and Maria … and a resounding success. Casa Luca (named for his son) and Fiola Mare have followed. One is a family memoir with a more casual feel and food that is only prepared like Fabio can do it — precisely spot on with complementary bold flavors and the best ingredients. Fiola Mare in the Washington Harbour is the showcase special event restaurant on the Potomac — perfect for special occasions, bringing guests from out of town to impress and certainly to enjoy the best seafood in DC. Or you can do as I do … grab a seat at the bar, have a pasta dish and a foodservicemonthly

glass of wine. Perfect. As I was shooting the cover photo, I spoke to the Trabocchis about the breaking news of a fourth restaurant … Sfoglina is located in Van Ness. The lease is signed and the casual Italian restaurant featuring handmade pastas is about to be born at 4445 Connecticut Ave. NW. The plan is to serve lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch in the 2,800 sq.ft. space. Fabio told me that the restaurant is in the planning stages now and a fall 2016 opening is planned depending on the usual permitting issues in DC. Maria and Fabio have met and exceeded the vision FSM set out to recognize for our readers. Congratulations to Fabio and Maria on their hard work, talent and leadership skills.

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JANUARY 2016 | 11

ASSOCIATION NEWS VRLTA Eric D. Terry

Gearing Up for Active Legislative Session

ust a few months ago, in November 2015, we rebranded our Association to ensure we accurately represented our member base—both within our membership and to our legislators. We also had legislative successes in 2015; which saw VRLTA defend efforts to repeal Virginia’s post-Labor Day School Start laws and defeat a budget proposal to increase health inspection fees by 712 percent. We were also able to stop job-killing minimum wage increase measures at a state and local level, play a significant role in Virginia ABC legislation and successfully halt meals tax initiatives in two localities. As we move into 2016, and the upcoming General Assembly Session, our members and the industry can expect more big things from VRLTA. At the time of writing this update, the upcoming Session is presenting significant hurdles for Virginia’s restaurant and lodging industries to clear, many of which we have seen in the past. As we do every year, we are preparing to fight the post-Labor Day school start battle and defend our industry against anti-business tax and regulatory initiatives. During that same timeframe, we will also be working to defeat a proposed local meals tax in Fairfax County. We are making a larger push this year for increased tourism funding for our state. Virginia is extremely lucky to have a strong and internationally recognized

tourism brand — Virginia is for Lovers. Despite the acclaim and recognition that the brand has, our tourism marketing partners have one of the smallest marketing budgets in the United States, exceeded by states such as Michigan and Illinois. There are even localities with more marketing dollars than our state, such as South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach. Travel and tourism is one of this state’s highest tax revenue generators, and we intend to increase the marketing dollars available to the state with the goal of protecting the additional $4 million the Governor has included in the state’s biennial budget. Good news this year is that we have not seen any new restaurant tax bills introduced, like the proposed inspection fee increase in 2015. Virginia ABC is heavily focused on modernization programs to make processing and ordering liquor online easier. We continue to monitor bill proposals for any liquor prices. As we continue to prepare for what we anticipate to be an exciting and impactful Legislative Session, we would like to invite you to our Annual Tourism Day on the Hill on January 27 and 28. Join us on January 27 for an evening reception and on January 28 for breakfast and legislative office visits at the General Assembly Building. For more information about VRLTA’s legislative priorities and upcoming events, visit www.VRLTA. org.

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THE LATEST DISH Linda Roth

Sakerum … Sake and Rum Taste Like Sushi and Latin Food Stephanos Andreou plans to open Sakerum, an Asian-Latin restaurant and sushi bar (hence the sake and rum combo name) on 14th & W across from Kapnos. The design for the 110-seat, two-level restaurant calls for a retractable roof. With a chef who has a strong background in sushi and Latin foods, Sakerum will offer dinner and late night dining. A February 2016 opening is planned. Stephanos also owns Barcode at 17th & L Streets NW. Fabio and Maria Trabocchi signed a lease to open Sfoglina, a casual Italian restaurant featuring handmade pastas, in the new

building development near BreadFurst at 4445 Connecticut Ave. NW. The plan is to serve lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch in the 2800 sq.ft. restaurant. A fall 2016 opening is planned. This will be the Trabocchi’s fourth DC restaurant. Tracy Stannard and John Fielding of Broad Branch Market in Chevy Chase, DC plan to open Soapstone Market, an urban grocery and fast casual restaurant offering grab and go items, baked goods, and deli counters. They will service beer and wine as well in the Park Van Ness building at 4465 Connecticut Ave. NW. A summer

opening is planned. John Fielding will also join Paul Pelt, formerly of Tabard Inn, to open Chao Ku, a casual Chinese restaurant in Shaw in Q1 2016.

Chef & GM Update Vicki Reh is now Chef and Wine Director at Via Umbria at 1525 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Georgetown. She shares chef duties with Jodi Seiner. It’s a market and café with private dining space and a soon to open art gallery. Owners are Susan and Bill Menard … Mark Slater, formerly of Bastille and Citronelle, runs the wine program at Pennsylvania 6 at 1350 Eye St NW where Tuscana West used to be. Philadelphia-based Public House Investments owns & operates City Tap House at 9th & I Streets NW as well as Pennsylvania 6 … Jeremy Waybright, formerly of Boss Shepherd’s is now chef de cuisine at Range at the Chevy Chase Pavilion … That may be because 14 | JANUARY 2016

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Mattie McGhee, former chef de cuisine at Range, is now at The Watergate Hotel … Megan Coyle, formerly of Hank’s Oyster Bar, is general manager of Twisted Horn in Petworth … Thomas Harvey, formerly of Palena, is the new executive chef at The Partisan in Penn Quarter.

C-C-Changes Owner Andy Shallal is making major changes to Eatonville at 14th & V Streets NW. It closes on January 17 and re-opens in February with a new name: Mule Bone — and a new chef. Andy has configured a contest for his new chef competition. He has enlisted the aid of hometown favorite and star of ABC’s “The Chew,” Carla Hall, to help him judge the finalists. Where did Mule Bone come from? It’s the name of a play written by folklorist Zora Neale Hurston, who’s from Eatonville, THE LATEST DISH Continued on page 6 foodservicemonthly

THE LATEST DISH cont. from page 14

Quick Hits

and Langston Hughes, who was the inspiration for Busboys and Poets. It will be a southern food joint … Kimpton’s Morrison House hotel in Alexandria is renovating the property, and along with it The Grille restaurant, which closes on January 18. The new restaurant will be an entirely new concept with new staff. Targeted re-opening is Q2 2016 … Justin Abad, co-owner of Cashion’s Eat Place in Adams Morgan with chef John Manolatos, is now focusing on its QSR sister spot next door, Pop’s SeaBar. That may be their expansion concept. Training to take over Cashion’s dining room is Dustin Beruta.

Not Your Average Joe’s in Reston Town Center may be the first new restaurant to open in 2016, on January 4 … Bullfrog Bagels will open is second location in Eastern Market area on 317 7th St. SE, seating 30 on two levels. The original is on H Street NE … Jrink owners Shizo Okusa and Jennifer Ngai will open their second Jrink at 2201 14th St NW in The Jefferson. The original is in Foggy Bottom… Ten Penh lives again. PassionFood Hospitality will open their Asian themed restaurant at the Silverline Center in Tysons Corner in 2016 … Ivan Iricanin will open another Ambar at 1547 7th Street NW. The original is on 523 8th St. SE on Barracks Row. He also owns and operates an Ambar in Belgrade, Serbia, which is home for this Balkan restaurant concept … Atlanta-based Eric Shin will open Seoulspice, a Korean QSR concept, at 145 N St NE in Two Constitution Square in January … Smashburger opens in Rockville, its 11th location in the DC metro area in late January … Tim Ma’s new restaurant at 1924 8th Street NW, Kyirisan, is slated to open in February … Little Sesame Hummus Shop is a new venture from DGS Delicatessen co-owner Nick Wiseman and Israeli chef Ronen Tenne. It’s scheduled to open in January on the lower level of the DGS deli, in the restaurant’s former private dining space.

Rose’s Luxury owner Aaron Silverman plans to open Pineapple and Pearls, located next door to Rose’s Luxury on Barracks Row on Capitol Hill … The fine dining restaurant with a prix-fixed menu will take reservations. It will seat 30 and be open for dinner only. The cafe will open before the restaurant does, serving pastries, sandwiches and coffee for daytime takeout. MGM National Harbor Casino has enlisted an impressive list of renowned chefs to open restaurants there. Jose Andres plans to open Fish by Jose Andres, a seafood restaurant offering sushi, tempura and cocktail bars. Marcus Samuelsson plans to open Marcus, featuring his signature whole fried chicken as well as Swedish and Ethiopian dishes, a salute to his heritage(s). The brothers Voltaggio (Bryan of Volt, Range, Aggio, and Family Meal and Michael of ink and ink.sack in LA) will team up for the first time to open a steakhouse. Opening dates are targeted for Q3 & Q4 of 2016 ANXO Cidery & Pintxos Bar plans to open in Q1 2016 in Truxton Circle’s 300 Florida Ave NW, featuring cider made on-premise with the help of Kyle Sherrer of Millstone Cellars. Their beverage director will be Tim Prendergast, formerly of Boundary Road. foodservicemonthly

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Just Opened Nazca Mochica Restaurant, serving Peruvian cuisine at 1633 P St NW features Sol De Ica Pisco from Ica Peru. Dave & Buster’s opened in Springfield Town Center. Don’t forget that nominations for the 2016 RAMMY awards closes on January 10! Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth Associates, Inc. specializing in marketing, promotions and publicity in the hospitality industry. Contact Linda at 703-417-2700 or linda@lindarothpr.com or visit her website at www.lindarothpr.com The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On

JANUARY 2016 | 15

WHINING ’N DINING Randi Rom

Maryland Restaurant Weeks Are Ready to Warm the Winter Appetite menus for $15 or $20, and three-course dinner menus for $25 or $35 (not including tax, gratuity or alcohol). My pick’s gonna be the crispy pork belly, arugula salad and banana split at Langermann’s. BaltimoreRestaurantWeek.

Baltimore City Winter Restaurant Week, scheduled for January 22-31 is touted as the oldest and biggest restaurant week in the region. This year, over 100 restaurants will offer twocourse lunch and brunch

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com Langermanns.com Baltimore County Restaurant Week is set for January 15-30 with lunch, brunch and dinner options ranging from $15 to $35. I’m thinkin’ ‘bout The Milton Inn’s filet mignon with smoked tomato compound butter with Jack Tarr potatoes — or maybe the Cuban Mojo Spiced Chicken with mojo gastrique with chorizo and black bean rice, fried plantain, crema with agave and cumin. BaltimoreCountyRestaurantWeek.com TheMiltonInn.com Howard County Restaurant Week begins on January 18 and continues through February 1. I’ll be hanging on the patio overlooking the Patapsco at Baldwin’s Station in Sykesville. I’m pondering … the roasted butternut squash bisque with cinnamon and nutmeg, followed by the Chicken Scaloppini or — maybe the Walnut and Cranberry Crusted Salmon … hmmm. But DEF gonna do the flourless chocolate cake! HowardCountyRestaurantWeek.com BaldwinsStation.com Remember that some of the restarants will extend the dates, so check out their websites or Facebook pages.

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Mother’s Grille is opening a third location at 2430 Broad Ave in Timonium in a spot previously occupied by Applebee’s in the Broad Street Market Shopping Center. The new Mother’s North Grille will be similar to Mother’s Peninsula Grille in Arnold which is a little more family oriented than the original Federal Hill Mother’s. Keep an eye out for a 4th location somewhere in Howard County. The 195-seat space will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner — lot’s ‘o big burgers and sandwiches and a 65 seat/20 tap bar. MothersGrille.com

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A second Grano Pasta Bar (the first one is in Hampden) is set to open located at 1043 South Charles St in Federal Hill. I love their gluten free pasta. Yard House, a Californiabased restaurant chain that operates over 20 locations, is coming to the Harborplace — taking the spot where J. Paul’s Restaurant was in the Light Street Pavilion. Look for an extensive menu — sushi, steak, pasta, pork belly — and 100 brews on tap. No opening date yet. Cosima, a new Sicilian restaurant featuring fresh Mediterranean cuisine, is slated to open at 3000 Falls Road, Mill No.1 (adjacent to Baltimore’s Woodberry and Hampden neighborhoods) in early 2016. Chef Donna Crivello, of Donna’s Café, developed the menu with Southern Italian traditions in mind. “When the opportunity presented itself to create a brand new restaurant, I knew right away it would be representative of my Southern Italian heritage,” said Crivello. “I have been waiting for the right moment to bring this authentic dining experience to Baltimore. CosimaMill1.com Blacksauce Kitchen will open in the former home of Sterling’s Crab and Oyster House in Remington at 401 West 29th St. Chef Damian Mosley has a fan following among devotees of B-more’s farmers markets where he serves biscuit sandwiches. An opening date has not been announced.

Open for Biz Zoes Kitchen, a kabobs/pita sandwiches/hummus with gluten free options – kinda restaurant opened its third location at 6300 York Rd in Towson. ZoesKitchen.com

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Cosima Plans Early 2016 Opening in 19th Century Historic Mill No. 1 Cosima, a southern Italian/Sicilian focused restaurant is looking forward to an early 2016 opening in the renovated Mill No. 1 along the Jones Falls watershed. Chef Donna Crivello and her partner Alan Hirsch in the Donnas restaurants added a new partner in this culinary endeavor with Judith Golding. With so much history to the building, guests can look forward to seeing the incorporation of the original stone wall and the original foodservicemonthly

boiler in the two floored restaurant or enjoy sipping the southern Italian wines on the outdoor terrace overlooking the Jones Falls River in warmer weather.

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JANUARY 2016 | 17

FOOD SMARTS Juliet Bodinetz

Food Labeling Update … For Real

ast year, I wrote about lots of changes happening here in the United States in regards to regulation changes in food labelling. They are still pending.

Brief Overview June 2015: The United States Department of Agriculture .DA approved that chicken raised and slaughtered here in the U.S. could be exported frozen to China for processing and then be refrozen and sent back to the U.S. It makes economic sense for large processors but from a food safety aspect, it doesn’t make sense to add steps. All of the chicken we sell in the U.S. is raised and processed here in the US. So … if and when … this could happen seems unknown right now. But if it were to happen, we

consumers might not know. Around the same time that poultry was approved to be processed in China, the House voted to remove country-oforigin labels on beef, pork and chicken sold in the U.S. Country of Origin labels, known as COOL were designed to allow the consumer to know the country of origin for the animal as well as where slaughtered and processed. July 2015: The US House approved the passing of the H.R. 1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act by a vote of 275-150 to stop the mandatory requirement of GMO labeling. H.R. 1599 establishes a voluntary nation-wide marketing program that gives consumers access to consistent, reliable information while protecting advancements in

food production technology and innovation. As of December 2015, the H.R 1599 has not passed in Congress. It was not included as a rider in the year-end budget deal. New News: Recently the FDA approved the sale of GMO Salmon in the United States with labelling being voluntary. This translates as “not knowing” if it is GMO or not. Many supermarkets and restaurants are already stating that they won’t be selling the GMO salmon since there have been many protests from consumers who wish to know the source of what they are eating. Also in the news is the looming deadline requirement to provide written Nutritional Menu Labeling in chain restaurants and retail food establishments (with 20 or more locations) on menus and menu boards. In July 2015, the FDA extended this deadline to December

2016. This means that chain restaurants and retailers who have 20 or more stores will need to provide calorie counts to customers in writing via menus and menu boards. Also, other nutrient information, i.e. “calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, and protein — will have to be made available in writing on request.” Per the FDA, this includes “Meals from sit-down restaurants, foods purchased at drive-through windows, take-out food, such as pizza … made-to-order sandwiches, ordered from a menu or menu board at a grocery store or delicatessen, foods you serve yourself from a salad or hot food bar, muffins at a bakery or coffee shop, popcorn purchased at a movie theater or amusement park, a scoop of ice cream, milk FOOD SMARTS Continued on page 6

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MODERN BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Henry Pertman

Hospitality New Year’s Resolutions

appy New Year, everyone. The start of a new year is the perfect time to make some decisions about what you are going to resolve to accomplish in 2016. As in all things, goals will not be accomplished unless they are well-defined, realistic, measurable, and most importantly, implemented through a plan of action you are committed to seeing through. Here is a short, but important list of suggested resolutions for your hospitality business.

Embrace Technology in Every Way Possible Your customers and prospective customers use the Internet to determine where they will eat. They are also active on social media, and have a multitude of personal devices that they use for ordering everything, including food. Additionally, your restaurant utilizes a lot of technology to make it function properly. With all of these components being relevant, what are your resolutions? How about resolving to: • Invest in your website make it informative, easy to navigate, and aesthetically pleasing. Ensuring that your content is accurate and easy to find lets customers know

FOOD SMARTS cont. from page 18 shake or sundae from an ice cream store, hot dogs or frozen drinks prepared on site in a convenience or warehouse store, and certain alcoholic beverages. Foods not covered include: Certain foods purchased in grocery stores or other similar retail food establishments that are typically intended for more than one person to eat and require additional preparation before consuming, such as pounds of deli meats, cheeses, or large-size deli salads. I hope this helps you to foodservicemonthly

what they can expect when they visit your restaurant. And be sure your menus are mobilefriendly – many customers exclusively use their phones for such things. • Increase your social media presence to engage with your customers. Posting specials and happy hour deals on social media is free marketing and a great way to get the word out. • Invest in the technologies you are currently deploying in your restaurant. Use the latest POS version so that you can use tablets and pay at the table solutions and replace old printers in your kitchen with more efficient screens for your cooks. • Learn about, and then deploy, the cloud analytics reporting that will help you make more money, cut your food and labor costs, and oh, so much more.

Elevate the Quality of Your Service OK, so the technology is pulling more people in, and helping you make better decisions, now how about your guests? How do you improve the quality of your service so that they rave about the experience at your restaurant? How about resolving to: understand what is current in our food labeling situation. I hope you make your voice heard. FYI, the H.R.1599, the current version of the Safe and Accurate Labeling Food Act is requesting that the FDA - not local government - make regulations with regards to GMO’s. In 2013, President Obama did sign the H.R. 933 Act which is being called the “Monsanto Protection Act” — the older version of the current Safe and Accurate Labeling Food Act. It has expired since then. It was basically making it illegal for a federal judge to issue a court order halting the sale, use, or distribution of genetically engineered

• Elevate the treatment of your employees. Make sure they are respected, having fun at work, and that they are your biggest advocates. Nothing you do will improve customer service more. • Improve training for all new employees and implement continuing education and training opportunities for existing ones. • Loosen the purse strings and empower your employees to make decisions that affect customer service. Let them pick up a drink for a good customer or provide a gift card for someone’s birthday. If you do not trust them to do the right thing, maybe resolve to fix that problem, as well. • Seek feedback from staff, customers, Yelp, and everywhere you can. Take it to heart. Then act accordingly, and positively.

Give Back Finally, and certainly as importantly as the first two, resolve to give back to the community in which your restaurant resides. You do care, so show it. Resolve to: • Commit to a local charity or cause that you believe in and is important to your community. Contribute a portion of your sales for a day or a week to that institution or cause. There is nothing wrong with posting it seeds even if it is proven the seeds could be harmful. The law had also put limits on the USDA’s ability to regulate the use of genetically engineered (GE) seeds even if found to be harmful. The proposed law will prevent states and local government from overseeing GE crops at all. Bottom line: If the government is telling restaurant owners that they should provide calorie and nutritional information for the food they serve, in order for consumers to make informed decisions, why shouldn’t corporations be transparent in their labelling, including the country of origin,

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on social media, signs in your place, and signs at the benefitting organization. In fact, you should promote it so that your contributions are maximized. • Offer discounts at times like Christmas, New Year’s, etc. for anyone bringing in non-perishable food items as a donation to a local food bank. • Offer meals or special deals to local schools, community and volunteer groups. Promote it everywhere so it has the best chance of being successful. • Work with your employees to identify the groups that are important to them. • Work with your regular customers to identify those groups that are meaningful in their worlds. Take the time to define your resolutions so they are realistic and attainable, and have fun running your restaurant. You are in the best business in the world, right? Enjoy it, and Happy New Year. Henry Pertman is Director, Hospitality Consulting at CohnReznick. Located in the firm’s Baltimore, Md. office, Henry specializes in front- and back-of the-house management and training, business analytics, point-of-sale maximization, hospitality marketing, food and beverage controls, inventory management, customer service training, and kitchen flow. 410-783-4900, henry.pertman@cohnreznick.com.

country of processing and use of genetically engineered foods, as they successfully do in most other countries? That’s the question of the day. Juliet Bodinetz is executive director of Bilingual Hospitality Training Solutions and has over 25 years industry and training experience. Her team of instructors specialize in food safety, alcohol training and ServSafe training in English or Spanish and writing HACCP Plans in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. Metro Area. www.bilingualhospitality.com, juliet@bilingualhospitality. com or 443-838-7561. For Latest Food Safety Tips: Become a Fan on Facebook or Twitter: @BHTS JANUARY 2016 | 19

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