Restaurant Inc - Winter 2020

EDUCATE VOL

08,

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COLLABORATE

ISSUE

01

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WINTER

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EMPOWER

2020

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$5.99

A Food Frenzy to Capture This Generation’s Dollars

MAKE

YOUR

MARK THE

NEW Chef Brian Funk

YORK STRIP

Often called “the ultimate griller’s steak," the New York Strip has intense flavor, with bold, beefy notes.

A great bite, flavor, and solid chew is why people love the New York Strip.

The rich marbling inherent in this steak creates the robust flavor and a delicious eating experience.

Legacy 72™ Angus New York Strips deliver consistent quality and craftsmanship from a single source plant that will give your restaurant a step above the rest.

Contact your Reinhart Sales Consultant or visit rfsdelivers.com/legacy72 to learn more.

[ADVERTORIAL]

New York Strip with Bacon Bleu Cheese Sauce BACON BLEU CHEESE SAUCE INGREDIENTS 32 oz Heavy Whipping Cream 7 oz

Green Onion

6 oz

Blue Cheese Crumbles

8 oz

Silver Smoked Single Bacon Shingle

INSTRUCTIONS Cook bacon. Reserve. Add heavy cream in pan, bring to boil and reduce heat. Add the blue cheese and stir.

Rough chop the bacon and add to pan. Green onions are used at the end as a garnish to really make this pop!!!

NEW YORK STRIP INSTRUCTIONS Grill strip steak to temperature & cover with sauce and fresh green onions.

Chef Brian started as a dishwasher at a private golf course at the age of 14. He was a journeyman, reading and learning as much as he could to perfect his skills. He held a variety of positions including Executive Chef at Brett Farve’s Steakhouse in Green Bay, Wisconsin (a high volume restaurant that seats 850 people). He's been sharing his expertise with Reinhart customers for over 2 years as a Divisional Chef and has a true understanding of what it takes to succeed.

©2020 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C • Eagle Ridge® Brand is a trademark licensed by Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C.

QUICK BITES FOR YOUR BRAIN

Before we feast upon this issue, here’s a little something to whet your appetite: from our favorite new books to dining and drinking trends getting the most buzz.

– compiled by Audarshia Townsend

We’re obsessing over this …

24-karat gold wings. Yes. You did not misread that. There are actual gold flakes cooked into the barbecue bourbon sauce of the house-smoked jumbo wings at Chicago’s Play Kitchen & Cocktails. Executive Chef Melva Jarvis says they were an immediate hit when the sports-focused, late-night establishment opened last summer. And while the tasty wings come with a hefty price tag (customers get six for $45), they are especially popular with younger revelers who pair them with the signature cocktail, Stardust (which is made with actual glitter and vodka).

PHOTO BY: GERARDO RIOS

Drink bourbon like a Master Distiller If you’re a whiskey connoisseur or fancy yourself as at least a lover of this great spirit, you’re certain to be pleased with this latest offering from Larceny Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. With Larceny Barrel Proof, just released in January, you’ll get to taste the whiskey as Heaven Hill’s Master Distiller does: straight out of the barrel. It’s the first-ever release of this wheated bourbon, and it’s bottled at barrel proof and non-chill filtered. Going forward, you can expect it to be released three times a year, so if you miss out this winter, you’ll have more chances in May and September.

TASTY (SOUND) BITES How are millennial-era chefs influencing today’s culinary culture?

Kith and Kin chef/ restaurateur Kwame Onwuachi (also best-seller author of Notes from a Young Black Chef)

I don’t like to use terms, but the New Age chefs just have a different perspective because they have a different view on life. They’ve come in during the era of technology, so they have a lot of information at their fingertips. They also know their self worth, which is tough to deal with, even for me as a restaurateur. But, it’s something that is going to make the industry better in totality. A lot of them are making sure that they’re taken care of, whether it’s health care, mental health and things like that.

LISTEN UP

The Restaurant Inc. podcast has stacked up quite a few sessions in its first year, and in case you’ve been missing out, here’s a friendly reminder. Most are conducted by Reinhart Foodservice Executive Corporate Chef Jeff Merry – and yours truly – and you can tune in to them on iTunes and SoundCloud. We are chatting with all sorts of experts, from other Reinhart chefs to industry leaders. Tune in. You won’t be disappointed.

Now available on iTunes and SoundCloud!

READ

THIS

Everything you ever wanted to know about taking your pickling skills to the next level is in this book by master gardener William Woys Weaver. The Roughwood Book of Pickling: Homestyle Recipes for Chutneys, Pickles, Relishes, Salsas and Vinegar (Rizzoli, 2019) is from this highly regarded food historian and four-time winner of the prestigious IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Awards. What we especially love about this book is that it features seasonal produce—so it’s useful yearround—plus global recipes from India, Japan, Latin America, Lebanon and Europe.

WINTER 2020 | 3

LETTER FROM REINHART

Straight from a

MILLENNIAL This issue of Restaurant Inc. is all about the millennial: people born between the years 1981 and 1996. That means anyone between the ages of 23 and 38 years old is classified as this generation. We’re looking at adults that are just fresh out of college, forging a new path, and other adults that may be mid-weight into their career, with three kids and a white picket fence. It’s a broad category, but we’re able to put together a few tips to get them in your restaurant.

Millennials seek dining experiences at all price points. They are a wide and unique demographic, but some key traits they all have in common is quality, consistency and experience. They’ll eat at a hole-in-the-wall burger joint if it means that this is the best burger they’ll ever eat. But that also means it has to BE the best burger they’ve ever eaten, or pretty dang close to it.

Our advice is to look at your menu, your environment and social media presence through fresh eyes. The key to success is to stay relevant through this ever-changing world, and that means revamping your menu, engaging online and freshening up your cocktail menu.

As a millennial myself, some of my best memories are around the table at a restaurant, surrounded by family and friends. Food is more than just food, it’s a way for us to connect across the generational gap. And how privileged are we in the foodservice industry to be a small part of that?

Morgan Gilmore GRAPHIC DESIGNER REINHART FOODSERVICE

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Cronert MANAGING EDITOR Audarshia Townsend ART DIRECTION Jenn Bushman DESIGNERS Drew Frigo, Lauren Jonson, Morgan Gilmore PHOTOGRAPHER Dan Coha FOOD STYLIST Susan Barrientos-Hevey Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. welcomes letters and comments. Mail should be directed to: Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C., Attn: Marketing, 6250 N. River Road, Suite 9000, Rosemont, IL 60018 or rfsmarketing@ rfsdelivers.com

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TRACS Mobile syncs up with your existing TRACS Direct account. Must be a Reinhart Customer to utilize TRACS Direct and TRACS Mobile.

Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc. Š2019 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C.

CREATIVE CONTRIBUTORS

JENN BUSHMAN Jenn is a Creative Services Manager at Reinhart Foodservice heading up brand and creative leadership and is based in Chicago, IL. She possesses a combination of conceptual and strategic strength and technical proficiency. Jenn always knew she wanted to pursue a creative career. Though she spends most of her days on the computer, she is passionate about finding ways to work with her hands. Art has always been her first love and she continues to oil paint in her free time.

DREW FRIGO A well-rounded creative professional, Drew brings bold ideas to the table as the Senior Graphic Designer at Reinhart Foodservice. Thinking through drawing, he has very few limits or rules when he draws, which attributes to his knack for generating fresh ideas. With that said, his photographic eye, technical savviness, and being surrounded by a great team help bring these ideas to life. Orange juice, family, fat biking, creating art, and music are huge motivators.

MORGAN GILMORE Morgan is a Graphic Designer at Reinhart Foodservice. With her creative brain, strong visual layout and simplistic illustration, her work has a distinct look that you’ll see throughout the magazine. In her spare time, Morgan is doodling on her iPad, reading books or riding her bike.

LAUREN JONSON Lauren is an avid baker who does graphic design, in that order. She has a passion for creativity, and typically says yes to any challenge – in and out of the kitchen. Designing for over 12 years, she has developed multiple magazine concepts and marketing campaigns all while perfecting her grandmother’s bourbon pecan pie. Lauren’s life is a flavorful collaboration of art and raising her two beautiful children.

DAN COHA Dan Coha is a mainstay in Chicago food photography. He has worked with many advertising and promotional agencies, and packaging and design firms, as well as direct corporate clients over the years.

His studio is located in Chicago’s River West neighborhood.

COHAPHOTO.COM

SUSAN BARRIENTOS-HEVEY Susan is a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef who began her career in New York’s Mercer Kitchen, and followed Jean Georges to Minneapolis’s Chambers Kitchen. Always aspiring to make food beautiful, Susan's career in the food styling world has allowed her to work on many brand names. She has contributed to projects for General Mills, Target, Bush’s Beans, Walmart, and continues with Reinhart's Restaurant Inc and The Dish.

SUSANBARRIENTOSFOOD.COM

6 | RESTAURANT INC

CONTRIBUTORS | WRITERS

AUDARSHIA TOWNSEND A Chicago-based author, seasoned food and cocktail culture writer and regular contributor to Chicago’s top-rated WGNTV’s “WGN Morning News,” Audarshia Townsend is Restaurant Inc.’s managing editor. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune Magazine, Essence, Los Angeles Times, Playboy.com, World’s 50 Best Bars and Anthony Bourdain’s Exploring Parts Unknown. She’s also discussed food and drink trends on several local television and radio shows, was a featured expert on The Travel Channel, and served as a judge three years in a row for the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants. She enjoys discovering new dining and drinking trends in her hometown and beyond.

MINDY S. KOLOF The more complex the subject matter, the better Mindy likes to break it down and communicate it with passion. Twenty+ years of experience translates to writing about every type of culinary trend, cutting-edge product and visionary foodservice leader. As principal of her own boutique public relations firm, she’s crafted numerous top-notch communications programs.

Her favorite mashup: the intersection of health, wellness and culinary. Mindy graduated from University of Illinois, Champaign, with a bachelor’s in Journalism.

ARI BENDERSKY Ari Bendersky is a lifestyle journalist specializing in food, wine, spirits and travel. The former founding editor of Eater Chicago, Ari has been writing for 20+ years and his work has appeared in the New York Times, WSJ magazine, Associated Press, Men's Journal, Wine Enthusiast, Departures, RollingStone.com, Crain's Chicago Business, Liquor.com and many more publications. A lover of discovering new food and cultures, Ari travels whenever possible, recently visiting Italy, Finland, Argentina, Portugal and Mexico.

He lives in Chicago with his husband and their super cute scruffy dog, Eddie (the girl!).

M. JANE JOHNSON Johnson is never happier than when tracking down a great story that will inspire, inform and ring true to restaurant-industry readers. Her career is so last century—well, at least that’s when it started, and it continues to be a source of endless delight, especially since the research (eating in restaurants and talking to brilliantly cool people) is deliciously satisfying. Off the clock, Johnson actually loves to cook though she spends an inordinate amount of time trying to find Chinese cumin lamb on Chicago-area menus. She counts a well-made gin and tonic among her best and most steadfast friends.

VICTOR OZOLS Victor Ozols is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and editorial consultant specializing in food, spirits, travel, and design. His work has appeared in Serious Eats, BlackBook, Esquire, and Modern Luxury Interiors, among other publications. When he’s not scouring New York for the best barbecue and craft beers, he’s busy at home with his wife and two sons.

BRIANA RUPEL Briana Rupel is a freelance writer and bartender, with more than 15 years of well-rounded experience in the food and beverage industry. She has created craft cocktails for a Four Diamond hotel and designed and led an interactive cocktail seminar. When off the clock, she prefers a hoppy local tap at her neighborhood dive. Bri currently resides in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where she continuously finds creative inspiration in the lush woods and rocky beaches bordering Lake Superior.

JEFFREY WARD Jeffrey Ward is a public relations and marketing executive who has worked with many of Chicago’s and the country’s most recognizable chefs and restaurateurs. A leader in the culinary and hospitality industry for more than 15 years, his career path was galvanized through his role of director of marketing and communications for the fine-dining division of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Most recently he worked as senior strategist for the culinary and hospitality division at Agency H5 and a partner at SHOUT Marketing & Media Relations before launching his own namesake communications agency in 2019. His specialties include concept openings and promotional launches as well as long-term management campaigns designed to keep culinary brands in the public eye and marketplace.

WINTER 2020 | 7

CONTENTS

Vol. 08, Issue 01 | WINTER 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

02–03 Quick Bites 04 Letter from Reinhart 06–07 Contributors

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS 12 Why an Issue Dedicated to Millennials?

14 ONE QUICK QUESTION: What do millennials respond to in the dining experience?

16 Ultimate Insiders 20 Millennial Motivation 22 Catering to Young, Hip Parents 25 TECH TALK: Kitchen Gadgets 29 Immigration Nation 34 Communal Cuisine 36 2020 VISION: What matters most to millennials 40 Devour These Bites of Advice 42 Millennials on a Mission

PRODUCT REVIEWS 45 Smoothie Operators 46 The Kombucha Boom

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48 Now Trending in Tableware 50 All the Taste

FROM THE KITCHEN 53 Millennial Recipes 70 Defending America’s Favorite Target: Millennial Diners 72 A Fine Time to Fine Dine 74 Millennial Food Trends: Mid-Trend Review 76 Under the Influence

BEHIND THE BAR

BREAKING BREAD 104 Serving Social Impact 106 THE X FACTOR: An online school for butchers? Kari Underly’s got the chops.

108 Making a Difference

HEALTHY LIVING 110 The Healthtender is Here 112 Swap Beer for Barbells 115 Pioneers of Healthy Dining

80 Embrace the BASIC

119 Ad Index

82 GENERATION WINE

120 LAST BITES: Cashing In Insta-dollars for the app-friendly generation

84 POUR IT ON! Guilty Pleasure Foods 86 Successfully Serving Sober Guests 90 Flight of the Cocktail 92 Bartender Book Review 94 Maintenance during the Mellow Months 98 Beer Here 100 America’s ‘Wine Girl,’ Victoria James, holds nothing back in upcoming memoir on her industry experiences

WINTER 2020 | 9

[ADVERTORIAL] 10 | RESTAURANT INC

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Why an Issue Dedicated to Millennials?

by Ari Bendersky

Millennials get a rap.

Whether that’s a good rap or a bad rap is almost irrelevant. Currently ranging in age between 23 and 38, millennials make up nearly 25 percent of the entire U.S. population, 30 percent of voting-age adults and nearly two-fifths of all those who work, according to the Brookings Institute. At about 73 million strong, 44 percent of millennials comprise minorities—the most diverse adult population in American history.

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What does this mean for the hospitality industry? It’s a whole bunch of hard-working adults and even more people who want to invest their dollars in experiences by going out to eat and drink. But this diverse group also loves their “chill” time and spends a lot to order in, using food delivery apps and platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats and GrubHub. They book reservations through OpenTable, Resy, Tock and more.

They are a powerful group with $1.4 trillion in spending power.

They crave experiences and are adventurous when it comes to dining out.

“Millennials are continually looking for authentic experiences in the food they eat and how and where they eat it,” says Lara Price, marketing and merchandising supervisor for Reinhart Foodservice. “They consider themselves ‘foodies,’ though they hate that label, and would travel across town for the most authentic tacos, if they saw a glowing review.”

And this population is a force to be reckoned with, especially in the workplace. They have opinions and question things, but want to be in the mix when it comes to planning and decision making, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And that goes for where they decide to spend their money on food.

The bottom line? We know millennials are important to the restaurant industry—and want to make sure you do, too. n

WINTER 2020 | 13

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

?

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One Quick Question What do millennials respond to in the dining experience?

by Min Casey

As restaurant goers, millennials are the next wave to watch, so we set out to learn how operators make familiar and long-established brands relevant to new audiences and evolving demands.

Not surprisingly, the fundamentals of hospitality are timeless and remain firmly in place. But that’s not to say this emerging demographic will be happy with the same old thing. They’re values driven, demanding, discerning and are drawn to dining experiences rather than just meals. Our question for industry leaders: What do millennials respond to in the dining experience?

Joe Decker, chef/partner at Wildfire Restaurants: “Because Wildfire is over 20 years old, many in their 20s and 30s grew up on the concept. Today, ready to make dining decisions as adults, we hope they feel a sense of nostalgia and connection associated with [the] concept. Millennials want convenience, their meals quicker, easier and fresher.

Wildfire offers online ordering, so they don’t have to pick up the phone. We also have several delivery options. Our Wildfire Craft Beer Co. was considered with the millennial in mind. Smallbatch beers produced by a hyper-local boutique brew house is right in line with the craft beer trend driven by this younger demographic. Wildfire has also teamed up with Peapod to produce a variety of meal kits. All ingredients are pre-chopped, pre-measured and delivered straight to your door. It doesn’t get more convenient that that!”

Scott Conant, chef/owner of SC Restaurants: “Tastes change and evolve, but the demand for hospitality that is

genuine and soulful is always constant.

From the moment we greet them at the door to the moment we say goodbye for the evening, our focus is always on creating the most memorable guest experience ever. Today’s customers are just as interested in the overall experience and vibe of the room as opposed to only the food or the service.”

Paul Bartolotta, chef/owner/co-founder of The Bartolotta Restaurants: “Prioritizing the guest experience is how we keep our brands top of mind and how we have remained a frontrunner. I think all guests are looking for an exceptional experience whether at our casual, catering or fine-dining concepts. We create a cohesive, holistic connection between environment, food and beverage offerings, and hospitality that resonates as genuine. That’s important for all guests, especially millennials.” n

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BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Mitchell’s Ocean Club in Columbus, Ohio

Ultimate Insiders

by Lena Katz

Operators can amplify reach with in-niche, social media influencers

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Smart, in-house marketers and forward-thinking agencies are looking beyond pay-per-post “collabs” with lifestyle influencers. Instead, they’re implementing symbiotic partnerships for events, promotions and contentcapturing purposes.

As a general strategy, and as an expert in this area, I recommend operators team up with likeminded culinary personalities and businesses.

Potential partners should have relevant expertise, complementary products and similar customers.

And both parties should contribute something to the project.

A simple, yet delicious example with a hyper-local focus is the collaboration between Kansas City, Mo., businesses André's Confiserie Suisse and Betty Rae’s Ice Cream shop. They create limited edition specialty flavors, sell them at Betty Rae’s and promote to both companies’ social media outlets.

participating restaurant got to choose their favorite blend. Mitchell’s Ocean was one of 15 locations, including 14 Ocean Prime restaurants, to get its own one-of-a-kind bourbon barrel. This was a great way to engage and educate the bar staff—and give them special enthusiasm to sell the product to customers.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Fla., has an influencer on staff: Executive butcher Walter Apfelbaum currently runs the butcher program for all the hotel’s food and beverage entities. In 2014, he discovered a flair for Instagram, which his employer encouraged.

“A chef here made me get an iPhone, and I just started taking pictures of meat while cutting it,” says Apfelbaum. “If it caught my eye, I’d post the pictures.”

Modesty aside, Apfelbaum has more than 76,000 followers drooling over his meaty Instagram feed.

His employer plans media and trade events around him. And other influencers follow him as well.

“A few of them, everywhere I go, they’ll come see me,” he says. “A guy from London flew over just to have dinner with me.”

“Betty Rae’s has a true passion for what they do,” says Nancy Bollier, owner and director of marketing for André's. “They’re aligned with our belief that you should only produce things of exceptional quality and taste.”

For an operator, this is a dream partnership—and it evolved because a brand recognized a talented individual and gave him a place to shine. n

Another strategy that predates the “influencer” craze is to partner with popular beverage brands that already sell well in your venue. They typically boast robust marketing programs and brand ambassadors with strong followings.

Mitchell’s Ocean Club in Columbus, Ohio, for example, participates in a special partnership between Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and Woodford Reserve. A representative from the legendary bourbon brand led bourbon-blending workshops for restaurant associates, and each

WINTER 2020 | 17

CATERING TOGEN Z

Attracting the next generation of diners with on-trend cuisine.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY CULINARY SECRETS®

Encompassing everyone from toddlers to college undergraduates, Generation Z is diverse, technologically savvy and primed to spend money on food away from home. In fact, Gen Z diners made 14.6 billion restaurant visits in 2018 and represent 25% of total foodservice traffic.1 Gen Z consumers pay attention to what they’re eating, where it comes from and how it fits into their digitally connected world.

GEN Z BY THE NUMBERS

GENERATION Z

INCLUDES ANYONE BORN BETWEEN

$44 BILLION IN SPENDING POWER2

BY 2020 NEARLY 40 PERCENT OF THE % U.S. POPULATION GENERATION Z3

40 0

1 2 3 4

[ADVERTORIAL]

5

WILL BE

NPD, “Gen Zs Are Getting Older and Making Their Mark on Restaurants and Eating Trends,” February 21, 2019.

Jia Wertz, “How To Win Over Generation Z, Who Hold $44 Billion Of Buying Power,” Forbes, October 28, 2018.

Lauryn Chamberlain, “Gen-Z Will Account for 40 Percent of All Consumers By 2020,” GeoMarketing.com, May 8, 2018.

Datassential, Gen Z: Generations of Change, April 2018.

Technomic, College & University Consumer Trend Report, 2019.

KE Y T RE ND

GLOBAL CUISINE

FEATURED MENU APPLICATION: KOREAN BULGOGI Legacy 72™ by Eagle Ridge® Skirt Steak marinated overnight in bulgogi sauce, served on a crusty French roll with pickled cucumber and carrot, scallions and bibimbap sauce-infused Culinary Secrets® Mayonnaise.

KEY TREND

67%

of Gen Z prefer authentic ethnic items while 33% prefer Americanized ethnic foods.4

As international cuisines become more mainstream, dishes from far-away locations are finding a home in QSRs, fast casual outlets and C&U dining halls. Gen Z is the most ethnically diverse generation yet, combining an affinity for authentic cuisine with a desire to try new flavors and even Americanized versions of global fare.

HEALTH & WELLNESS Especially among the college-age set, Gen Z diners are looking to balance indulgence and cravings with healthy eating. They’re interested in menus that feature “feel good” options that are plant-based, gluten-free or prepared without common food allergens.

Clean label dishes appeal to these savvy consumers.

FEATURED MENU APPLICATION:

HEARTY CHICKEN SOUP WITH ANCIENT GRAINS

A hearty homemade chicken broth featuring Culinary Secrets Distinctions No MSG Added, Gluten-Free Chicken Base (25124) poured over juicy shredded chicken, a mixture of ancient grains, and roasted carrot. Finished with plump garbanzo beans and sliced green onion. ®

CHOOSE CULINARY SECRETS BASES ®

FOR DISHES THAT GEN Z CUSTOMERS WILL LOVE.

25%

college students follow dietary restrictions, up from 20% in 2017.5

• Consistent, easy-to-use product for making soups and stocks with made-from-scratch flavor • Versatility across menu applications, including vegetables, potatoes, marinades, glazes and cooking liquids for rice and ancient grains • Fully seasoned and available in a wide range of flavors—a complete solutions offering • Develop menu items that meet nutritional demands, such as low sodium or gluten-free • Save time, money and labor while improving consistency in finished dishes—simply add to boiling water to create stock in just minutes

Culinary Secrets® bases:

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BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Millennial MotivationÂ

The last decade hasn’t been the easiest time to run a professional kitchen.

Between increasing food costs, regulatory wage hikes, shrinking pools of talent and even phone apps sucking up dining room business, restaurants must take a hard look at every detail to maximize time, effort and ROI.

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E d u c at i o n , f l e x i b l e m a n a g e m e nt e a s e t h e c h a l l e n g e s o f G e n e r at i o n Y

by Jeffrey Ward

Now kitchen staffs are turning over to larger percentages of millennial workers, with all the preconceived notions that go along with them. How the industry adapts to a generation—often characterized as entitled and opinionated—affects team morale and prepares a muchneeded workforce for the realities of the line.

“The main considerations I look for when hiring is one, does the candidate have any kitchen wherewithal at all, and two, how well might they get along with other personnel?” says Rodney Stanton, executive chef of ALK Steak Bar at Chicago’s Hotel Julian. “Whether they are millennials or not, I still have to find employees that are self-motivated and that can motivate each other.”

Though the golden age of television celebrity chefs seems to have faded into the background somewhat, the perception of the rock star lifestyle of glittering culinary events and cookbook signings still draws in young people. According to Miles Mitchell, chief academic

officer of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, it is the responsibility of the cooking schools to provide a realistic portrayal of what life in the kitchen is like.

“Our faculty are all former working professionals from the industry and represent all sectors of hospitality and culinary arts, including hotels, restaurants and foodservice companies,” he says. “Because of their backgrounds, our faculty [are] able to share personal experience about what it’s like to work in a professional kitchen, including hours, work demands and expectations.”

Still, it’s no easy task once cast into the heat of the fire. Stanton is constantly gauging expectations and adjusting his management style to fit this new generation.

“The fragile, sheltered nature of some of the kids coming through the kitchen has forced a change in the industry, which is a good thing,” Stanton observes.

“You can’t run a kitchen with a blanket management style anymore; it’s very individualized. Some people will respond to more demanding direction, while others need that arm around them.”

In a climate where line cooks might suddenly decide to leave their position to switch gears and drive for Uber, for example, understanding the motivations of millennials is key.

“Millennials are not unlike many people entering professional careers,” Mitchell says. “Yes, they may want to progress at a fast pace, but their future is heavily dependent on their work ethic, drive and ability to work in a team environment.”

And, of course, team environment always starts with guidance from the top.

“I love young chefs. They're hungry, they're eager and they want to try new stuff out,” adds Stanton. “The benefit and responsibility for me as a chef and teacher is helping them find self-confidence and explaining that not every idea is gonna stick, but they shouldn’t be scared.” n

WINTER 2020 | 21

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Catering to Young, Hip Parents Create an atmosphere—and menu—that appeals to families wanting more than chicken fingers and cheese pizza.

by Ari Bendersky

Having kids tends to mean joyful times for young parents. As the kids get older, parents still want to feel like they can enjoy a nice meal out. So, what can you do as a restaurateur to make everyone feel welcome?

“When kids are made to feel welcome and part of the evening, the parents want to come back.”

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“Start with educating your staff.

They need to be as welcoming to parents with children as if they would if they’re on a date without the kids,” says Janelle Reynolds, executive chef/partner at Rosedale Kitchen and Bar in Austin, Texas. “When kids are made to feel welcome and part of the evening, the parents want to come back.”

Rosedale has a large outdoor area with a variety of games, which plays well at the start of the meal. Staff can offer to quickly take kids’ orders so they can run off to play, while parents relax with the menu. It features more than fried food for the kids, which was important for Reynolds, a parent herself.

“It’s been so disappointing that the only options are chicken fingers, cheese pizza, burgers or a sad vegetable medley no one wants to eat,” Reynolds says.

“We have a menu that has something that’s not only good for the kids, but the grown-ups would eat, too.” That includes flatbread with grilled chicken, bacon and arugula or a quinoa bowl with sweet potato, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.

To keep kids occupied while waiting for dinner to arrive, Washington, D.C.’s Kingbird restaurant, inside the iconic Watergate Hotel, offers the Scandal Scavenger Hunt. Set between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., a hotel staffer takes kids to find specific things in the infamous “scandal suite,” that led to President Nixon resigning. Kids who answer at least four questions right get a free sundae.

“Parents want to have experiences with their children and a lot of places forget that,” says Peggy Williams-Smith, senior vice president of Milwaukee-based SafeHouse. “Ours is a fully immersive, spy-themed concept. Our servers are agents, they talk in code and bring you fully into the world of espionage.”

Chicago’s Tortello also makes dining intriguing for families. It boasts a full pasta-making area where kids can see how their food is made before enjoying something off the “bambini” menu.

“We wanted Tortello to be the modern, American version of that Italian restaurant where everyone has an amazing meal and experience,” says owners Dario Monni and Jill Gray, “whether you've got a babysitter that night or not.” n

WINTER 2020 | 23

TOP REASON TO HAVE INTROS® APPETIZERS ON YOUR MENU! • Full lineup of products is versatile across the menu and has broad appeal.

• Convenient, simple prep and low piece cost items can help generate high profits.

• Consistent flavor and high-quality ingredients increase customer loyalty.

• Fried appetizers are popular, so customers will love and demand them.

Contact your Reinhart Sales Consultant for more information.

Marketed by Independent Marketing Alliance, Houston, TX 77043 © 2018 Independent Marketing Alliance.

Intros® is a registered trademark of Independent Marketing Alliance.

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Tech Talk: Kitchen Gadgets A selection of tools millennial hospitality workers can’t live without

by Ari Bendersky

WINTER 2020 | 25

Who doesn’t love a good toy? Whether in your personal or professional life, a solid gadget can quickly become indispensable. That’s especially true for folks in the restaurant business.

Whether that’s a simple wooden spoon you cherish in the kitchen or a way to map out the dining room at the host stand, we rely on things to get us through each service. We talked to millennial restaurant workers in the front and back of house to hear what they can’t live without.

“The one I use on a regular basis that makes life easier is Slack. We use it for our internal communications and can create all sorts of various channels. It makes it much easier to communicate with everyone from bar setup and where equipment goes all the way to addressing HR questions.”

Andrew Volk, owner Portland Hunt + Alpine Club and Little Giant; Portland, Ore.

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“Our key kitchen ‘gadgets’ we rely on are Zojirushi rice [cookers], a dehydrator and a Vitamix. For us, it’s all about striking a delicate balance between durability, functionality and precision while facing serious space constraints. Ultimately, we develop recipes and dishes through a distinctly California lens that use thoughtful quality, sustainable and mostly locally sourced ingredients, so we don’t often find a use for too much high tech as we want our produce to speak for itself.”

Camilla Marcus, chef/founder of west~bourne; New York

“The Spinzall, a small culinary version of a centrifuge. It was put out by the guys who own Booker and Dax (in New York).

You can use it to clarify juices. We use it on complex syrups, like blueberry, that have pectin to remove the chunkiness of the syrup so the cocktail has a smoother mouthfeel.”

Brock Schulte, bar director, The Monarch, Kansas City, Mo.

“My favorite kitchen gadget is mortar and pestle. Call me old school, but it’s always one of the first purchases I make when I come into a new kitchen. Using it in place of a knife can completely change the flavor of the ingredient. It can be used for spices, but also aromatics, bread, citrus and loads of items. The classic granite or marble version is what I’m most familiar with.”

Liz Johnson, chef, The Catbird Seat, Nashville n

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BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Immigration Nation

by Ari Bendersky

Operators feel the squeeze as ICE cracks down on undocumented immigrant workers.

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During summer 2019, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, a.k.a. ICE, announced it would plan targeted sweeps to round up undocumented immigrants across the country.

This included the restaurant industry, where immigrants have played a vital role for decades. For example, in July, more than 2,000 migrant workers were targeted in raids, according to the New York Times. And in September, ICE agents detained five workers at a Chicago pizzeria near the Indiana border, Eater reported. The restaurant industry already faces a hiring crisis and targeted raids bring on more challenges, say industry experts.

“There used to be more [immigrant] applicants,” says Okan Yazici, director of fine dining overseeing both Zahav and Abe Fisher restaurants in Philadelphia. He also immigrated from Turkey in 2008.

“I know a lot of people in the industry, and everyone is complaining [that] it’s impossible to find cooks, prep cooks and support staff.”

The tightening job market, including an overall decline in immigrants, both undocumented and working legally, has other consequences in the workplace. It can limit the diversity of cultures, which can open up different types of dialogues.

“You get different ideas, talents and attributes, and it’s important in the restaurant industry,” says Andrew Volk, owner of Little Giant and Hunt + Alpine Club in Portland, Maine. “As an industry that takes on skilled and unskilled workers, you bring in a swath of people.”

That, however, is changing. According to the Migration Policy Institute, in 2017, foreign-born workers comprised 23 percent of the service industry compared with just 17 percent of U.S.-born workers. And the New York Times reported in October 2019 that total immigration to the United States declined by 70 percent to only 200,000. This is the lowest number in more than a decade.

At New York Italian restaurant Leopard at des Artistes, owner Gianfranco Sorrentino historically has brought chefs over from Italy to help train younger cooks the proper techniques. Now, he says, because of visa restrictions, he cannot.

“We can’t keep people or bring people to train our employees about these jobs,” Sorrentino says. “Now these kinds of jobs aren’t seen as important [to our government] to bring them in. I understand the competition that you don’t want to take jobs away from Americans. I’ve been here since 1984 and I’ve never worked with a dishwasher or porter who was from America.”

With the loss of immigrants, it’s getting harder—and costlier—to hire quality staff who will stick around.

“We have a hard time because the restaurant business pays some of the lowest wages in the economy,” says Erik Niel, chef/owner of Easy Bistro & Bar and Main Street Meats in Chattanooga, Tenn.

With lower available workers in general and less immigrants in the work force, restaurants have to pay higher wages, which affect overall costs to run the business.

“We’re doing things strategically not to price ourselves out of the market,” Niel adds. “Our costs go up, but you just can’t raise prices without losing covers. There’s this giant squeeze.” n

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BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

How to combat a loss of skilled immigrant workers Ask almost any operator about the biggest issues facing their businesses and many may point to a shortage of skilled workers. No matter if that’s having less access to line cooks, bussers, dishwashers or hosts, the restaurant industry has felt the squeeze of a tight labor market.

One reason could point to a decline in the number of immigrant workers, whether documented or undocumented, entering the hospitality industry. One operator says an increase in raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has pushed skilled, foreign-born workers into other industries.

What does this mean for you? How do you ensure you’re running your business as successfully as possible while also retaining your staff? Here’s what several high-profile operators had to say.

Increase Salaries and Offer Benefits “To keep the good people, we have to raise the pay rates. You have to pay the good ones better or they’ll go somewhere else. We have to make consumers understand that good food and service and hospitality cost money.” – Gianfranco Sorrentino, owner, The Leopard at des Artistes, New York “I’m not smarter than other restaurant owners, but when they find the talent, fair pay has to happen. It’s important to provide healthcare and also guide them so they’re doing things right, like paying taxes on time. Give them direction if they need counseling or go to the gym, finding ways to help them build a life here.” – Okan Yazici, director of fine dining, CookNSolo restaurants, Philadelphia Reassure Your Staff “Have open conversations with your staff about the choices you make and why you make them. Be proactive with the things that impact their lives every day. Think about what you would do if ICE knocked on your door and what you would say and tell your staff to do. That conversation assures them we have their back and that they work in an environment [in which] they’re excited to show up and work every day.” – Andrew Volk, owner, Portland Hunt + Alpine Club and Little Giant, Portland, Maine Only Hire Documented Workers “All of our employees have to have work permits. Ask if they have official work permits and if they’re qualified. They know something will be asked, and that puts people on edge. But you need talented laborers, but like everyone else, they have to pay taxes and use public services.” – Okan Yazici, director of fine dining, CookNSolo restaurants, Philadelphia n

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BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Communal Cuisine Is opening a stall inside a food hall a good business decision?

by Ari Bendersky

You may have noticed food halls popping up around the country. Multiple food halls have opened in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Tampa, Detroit in the last few years.

In 2019, Time Out Market alone opened in Miami, Chicago, Boston and New York.

And other concepts continue to come online everywhere. So why do so many food halls keep opening?

Food halls exist in a different spectrum than food courts, in that these spaces have carefully curated selections of restaurants and chefs, which rarely (if never) include a chain restaurant or fast food location, and also can have a liquor license. Real-estate developers get an attractive option for new

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construction and mixed-use redevelopment projects, and vendors who want to open a first or new concept can enter with lower risk.

“In food halls, we’re talking about starting a business for between $25,000 to $35,000 in second-tier markets and $50,000 to $55,000 in costlier climates,” explains chef and restaurateur Akhtar Nawab, who, along with Michael Wetherbee, owns Hospitality HQ, a food hall management company. “That’s as reasonable as it gets to open a revenue generating business.”

Add in shorter-term license agreements and it becomes even more attractive. Many times, the management company may provide the operational infrastructure that allows a chef or restaurateur almost a plugand-play situation.

“We’re talking about vendors no longer having to worry about securing trash and linen service, hood cleaning … any of the back-end administrative duties,” says Nawab, who operates the Inner Rail Food Hall, which opened in Omaha, Neb., in October 2019.

Food halls add a sense of community where hundreds or thousands of people can dine in a communal setting with a variety of culinary options. Those folks can experiment with cuisine they may not otherwise venture out for—food these vendors can introduce to a new market. “[Food halls] allow new concepts to gain exposure and a customer base,” says Luck Sarabhayavanija, founding partner of Ani Ramen House, a group of craft ramen and Japanese izakaya restaurants in New Jersey, with a concept in the District

Kitchen food hall in Jersey City. “For the individual vendor, your rent is lower and you can focus on your product, which allows you to pass the cost savings on to the customers.”

All in all, it seems like food halls are a great launching pad for new concepts and offer a community a new place to gather. n

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BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

2020 Vision What matters most to millennials Mindy Kolof

They made food photography a generational passion, started a culture war by enjoying creamy avocado on a piece of bread and transformed ancient grains into a food of the 21st century. What will drive millennials this year? We tapped into the latest research for a look at our collective future.

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WHAT'S DRIVING MILLENNIALS? Convenient delivery and takeout

Integrity of ingredients Mobile ordering Instant cash back rewards Experiential dining Better-for-you options Fun, flavor, function Customization Plant power

The keys to the future are firmly in the grip of millennial parents, average age 30, busy juggling careers, kids and leisure time. Their worldview doesn’t shine any less vividly than at age 20, but some toning adjustments are needed.

CONVENIENCE IS KING.

The time crunch for millennials with children will accelerate the trajectory of delivery, takeout and on-the-go options.

“The pace is so hectic for millennials that sitting down for a meal with other people at the table is disappearing,” says Sophie Egan, director of health and sustainability leadership and editorial director for the Strategic Initiatives Group at Culinary Institute of America. “Busy families are looking for someone else to do the cooking at dinner and are turning to restaurants to fill their needs with delivery and takeout options.”

“Mobile ordering will be key as millennial guests age up,” says Jason Dorsey, the “Gen Y Guy” researcher into the millennial mindset as cofounder of The Center for Generational Kinetics. “It’s become completely normalized within this generation.”

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BUS

Convenience also tips the balance when eating out, continues Dorsey. “Parking and transportation are big topics of conversation with millennials as they start to move out of the urban core to raise families. They’ll come back to dine if restaurants make it easy for them by offering reservations, ample parking or access to public transportation.”

QUALITY IS AS IMPORTANT AS CONVENIENCE. “There is no tradeoff here, as millennials expect temperature, quality and integrity of ingredients of the delivered meal to be equivalent to one served onsite, and they’re willing to pay a premium for it,” says Egan.

OFFER “BETTER FOR YOU” OPTIONS, BUT PROMOTE FUN AND FLAVOR.

“Millennials spend more money on food they deem to be healthier, especially for their children, and this holds true regardless of income,” says Dorsey. “But diversity of food and flavor are just as important.”

“Diners are less likely to order food touted as ‘healthy’ because of a deeply ingrained feeling that it won’t taste good,” adds Egan.

“Emphasize functionality, fun and flavor.”

INCENT WITH INSTANT GRATIFICATION.

“Instant cash back program versus loyalty programs are going to be huge in the restaurant space,” predicts Dorsey. “It’s one of the best ways to encourage millennials to choose a specific restaurant and keep returning to it.” (see article, p. 120)

REFRAME SUSTAINABILITY.

“It’s not enough to just say your food is responsibly sourced,” says Dorsey. “There has to be a real transparency, either through certifications or connecting with local organizations that have sustainability as a mission.”

$

USE “SENSORY LITERACY” TO ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE. $

$ $

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“Millennials are willing to pay more than other generations for a great food experience,” says Egan. “Go beyond the visuals of Instagram and appeal to all the senses to dramatically enhance their enjoyment of a meal.” n

great taste, naturally Introducing NEW Farmland® All-Natural* Uncured† Ham. Totally natural and totally flavored.

Farmland All-Natural* Uncured† Ham, produced under our strict adherence to sustainable practices, is perfectly suited for today’s evolving tastes and health conscious consumers. Made with premium cuts of ham for outstanding texture and consistent flavor, and seasoned with sea salt for a cleaner label, this boneless ham represents a versatile option for discerning operators.

Available in Applewood Smoked Boneless Uncured† Ham and Boneless Honey Uncured† Ham. For more information, contact your Smithfield Culinary representative, visit SmithfieldCulinary.com, or call 888.327.6526.

*Minimally processed. No artificial ingredients. † No Nitrites or Nitrates added except for those naturally occurring in Sea Salt and Cultured Celery Juice.

©2019 Smithfield

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Devour These Bites of

A labor and employment practice attorney offers valuable tips on tipping guidelines and more.

Scott Cruz

A

s a restaurant operator, understanding the various employment laws is important to the viability of your restaurant.

Failing to comply with these laws can result in hefty fines and potential lawsuits from employees. Below are the three most common and problematic employment issues for restaurateurs.

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TIP CREDIT

The Fair Labor Standards Act recently was amended to prohibit employers from requiring employees to share their tips with the employer, including any managers or supervisors, whether or not the employer takes a tip credit. This is significant because it means an employer can now violate the FLSA through an improper tip pooling arrangement, even if it is paying employees the full minimum wage.

F

Advice

1 . $2

For employers who take a tip credit, nothing changes.

Employers cannot retain any tips paid to employees, except as part of a valid tip pooling arrangement, which may not include management or supervisory employees, or other employees who do not customarily and regularly receive tips. For employers who do not take a tip credit, they must now ensure that managers and supervisory employees are excluded from any tip pooling arrangement.

MINIMUM WAGE AND OVERTIME Employers of tipped employees must pay a cash wage of at least $2.13 per hour if they claim a tip credit against minimum-wage obligations. While a restaurant can pay $2.13 an hour for the server’s first 40 hours worked per week, overtime cannot be calculated at one-and-a-half times $2.13.

PT

EXEM

40

HOUR

SA

FL

13

0

RS

In calculating the overtime rate for the tipped employee, the restaurant must multiply the minimum wage (currently at $7.25/hour, but states and municipalities may have a higher rate) by 1.5, subtract the federal tip credit ($5.12 per hour), multiply that figure by the number of overtime hours worked, and then add that sum to the 40-hour total.

EMPLOYEE MISCLASSIFICATION ISSUES

$5

Exempt employees (i.e. employees paid a salary and perform certain qualifying duties) are not entitled to overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek. Generally, a restaurant’s general manager (and possibly other management-level employees) will qualify as exempt.

.12

Almost all other restaurant employees, however, should be treated as non-exempt and receive overtime pay when working more than 40 hours in a workweek (or daily overtime if required by state or local law). Nevertheless, restaurants sometimes incorrectly classify non-exempt employees as exempt, thereby creating significant potential liability. To avoid this pitfall, restaurants should audit their current employee classifications to ensure compliance with applicable wage and hour laws.

Attorney Scott Cruz is a member of the Labor and Employment Practice Group of Clark Hill PLC. [These are his opinions and not those of Restaurant Inc. or Reinhart Foodservice and its subsidiaries.] n

TIP

CR

ED

IT WINTER 2020 | 41

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Mindy Kolof

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The future’s in the best of hands, led by the Chipotle generation’s “food with integrity” ethos. Everybody wants to rule the world, but Lisa Curtis and Dan Kurzrock may just do that before they’re 35.

Curtis’ overseas stint as a young Peace Corps volunteer inspired her to found Kuli Kuli, centered on West Africa’s remarkable moringa plant. Boasting a nutritional profile superior to kale and anti-inflammatory benefits rivaling those of turmeric, moringa seemed like a natural fit for health-obsessed Americans. Curtis aimed to use the plant’s superpowers to help women in West Africa earn a sustainable livelihood, and produced and packaged moringa powders, bars and wellness shots. Six years later, Kuli Kuli is a multi-milliondollar enterprise with moringa products in more than 10,000 U.S. stores.

“I quickly learned that people aren’t looking for products that will save the world, but for products that will make them healthier or are delicious, ideally both.”

Millennials, however, may be seeking more. “We want to eat healthy food with a story that we can feel good about—and also share on our Instagram!” she says.

At the same time Curtis was orchestrating the rise of superfood moringa, Kurzrock was turning pounds of leftover grain from his craft brewing hobby into a superflour.

“Our original intent was to have a brewery that was also a bakery, but we realized that commercial breweries were also challenged with how to better use unspent grain,” says Kurzrock. “So, we began connecting the dots to address this in a much better way.”

He and ReGrained co-founder Jordan Schwartz worked with the USDA on a patented process to harvest “spent” grain from breweries and mill it into SuperGrain+, a nutrientdense flour used to make energy bars now sold at more than 1,000 stores across the country.

What Curtis learned along the way provides a window into the millennial worldview, simultaneously aspirational and pragmatic. She has a much keener sense of how to market the products to consumers, most of whom aren’t driven by her genuine motivation to help African women.

They also entered a strategic partnership with Griffith Foods, enabling ReGrained to scale up production significantly and create new markets for the ingredient. This entrepreneur whose mission “to better align the food we eat with the planet we love” is just getting started. n

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

SMOOTHIE OPERATORS Millennials spend much of their days in motion, but they’re not powered by the fast food of yesterday. For young professionals, mealtimes call for delicious, healthy choices that charge them up without weighing them down as they zoom between obligations.

Victor Ozols Enter the smoothie, a once humble mix of blended produce that’s being elevated to a culinary art form by an exciting new wave of chefs. We spoke with two restaurant industry insiders at the forefront of the trend.

“Sometimes you just want to have a bit more energy to get to the next meal,” says Michael Madden, CEO of Chicago-based Left Coast Food + Juice, which has three locations. “You want to go to that spin class later, so you’re not going to fill up on a hot dog and cheese fries. A smoothie is perfect for those times.”

Working with award-winning chef James Kahan, Left Coast spent months developing recipes designed to make the healthiest ingredients taste great.

“There are a lot of subtle sub-recipes behind what we do to make things taste better,” Madden explains. “Take kale, for example.

Nobody likes kale. Cows barely like kale. It’s really tough. So we soak ours in a citrus bath before we do anything with it.”

The end result is the Kale Mary, a popular choice that tames the roughage with blueberry, avocado, orange juice, maca powder, agave and apple cider vinegar. It shares the menu with a half-dozen smoothies, ranging from Mornin’ Buzz (espresso, cacao,

peanut butter, maca powder, banana) to Pina Cocada (coconut butter, pineapple, coconut milk, banana, citrus, sea salt).

Nir Caspi, co-owner of Café Landwer, an Israeli chain of gourmet cafés, has seen plenty of enthusiasm for his gourmet smoothies in the company’s new Boston location.

“Our smoothies are vegan, of course, and we see that here in Boston [that] veganism and vegetarianism [are] growing,” Caspi says. “The reaction has been amazing.”

The café offers two unique smoothies that draw on the eclectic flavors of the Mediterranean, the Spirulina Smoothie and the Mediterranean Energy Shake.

“Spirulina is a superfood, and we make those smoothies with mango, banana and almond milk,” he explains. “The Mediterranean Energy Shake has tahini, banana, date and soymilk.”

Both benefit from the addition of a vegan honey made from dates called silan.

“When we want to make it a bit sweeter, but want to keep it vegan, we use date honey,” Caspi says. “It’s very popular in Israel.”

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

THE

KOMBUCHA

Jeffrey Ward

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According to Mintel, one of the world’s leading data collection agencies, kombucha is consumed by more than 51 percent of U.S. adults, including the prized millennial bracket. With such an upswing in popularity, chefs are increasingly working the slightly effervescent, sweetened fermented tea into their repertoires.

Part of that interest can be attributed to the purported health benefits of the beverage. “I love kombucha,” says Reinhart Foodservice chef Yvette Marie Hirang of the Kansas City, Mo., region.

into simple, yet refreshing offerings like kombucha shaved ice that’s frozen with a small amount of wine, shaved, then topped with flowers and bitters.

“It has antioxidants and probiotics that help the digestive system. Since kombucha’s pH level is close to distilled vinegar, it can be substituted in recipes that call for acidity, while adding extra nutritional benefits.” Hirang often uses it in pork dishes and sauces.

Other chefs find their inspiration in the processes that are applied in the kitchen. Food & Wine “Best New Chef” Kevin Fink, of Austin’s Emmer & Rye, uses kombucha when boiling nopales, which are naturally mucilaginous.

William Pauley, owner of Confluence Kombucha in St. Louis, Mo., has been brewing kombucha for a decade. What started as a desire to make the funky, pungent, sweet-and-sour taste profile more appealing has resulted in a myriad of flavors available at his tap room.

“For some people it strikes a different chord, so I started using flowers to mask that,” explains Pauley, who also developed GastroLAB, a café adjacent to his brewery. One of his flagship flavors is hibiscus jasmine with juniper; another is pineapple turmeric. The brews have often made their way

“We use that as a base to get a really beautiful and rich sauce that has no fat to it all,” he explains. Another signature use is brining mackerel in a yaupon kombucha, turning out something very similar to a Spanish conserva.

“I’m glad that millennials are [conscientious] about health and lifestyle, and it shows in their purchasing habits,” says Hirang. “Kombucha’s appeal to millennials is its ethnic origin, its health benefits and the fact that you are drinking caffeine that’s good for you.”

51% OF U.S. ADULTS DRINK KOMBUCHA.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Now Trending in Tableware A look at the latest in dishes, glassware & beyond from two leading producers VIctor Ozols As restaurants set their sights on the millennial market, menus aren’t the only thing getting a makeover. The look of the table itself is being transformed, as glassware, dishes, flatware, and serve ware are all being upgraded in form and function. Here, we highlight a handful of new products that represent the latest thinking.

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DINNERWARE To add to the uniqueness of the dining experience, restaurants are embracing oneof-a-kind collections like the Vesuvius range from Steelite, available in three reactive glazes. Although the sizes of the stackable platters, bowls and plates are uniform, no two designs are exactly alike.

FLATWARE For sit-down meals, new flatware designs that catch the eye and feel good in the hand are in, like Libbey’s recently released Master’s Gauge collection. But the buzz in the takeout and casual dining space is on new materials.

Designed to replace disposable plastic utensils, the company’s lightweight Aspire EcoWare 18/0 stainless-steel flatware can either be recycled or reused.

BUFFET & SERVE WARE It’s all about grab-and-go dining for many young professionals, so restaurants are improving their buffet stations in both appearance and ease of use. Available in wood and metal finishes, the D.W. Haber Fusion for Buffet System from Steelite is customizable for different needs, with risers, juicers, and baskets in a variety of sizes. 

GLASSWARE Gin glasses are growing. Gone are the straightsided tumblers that let the rich bouquet of botanicals escape unappreciated. Today’s gin joints use oversized bowls that concentrate the aromas. With a capacity of 21 ½ ounces, Steelite’s MCC Vintage Gin Cocktail (pictured) is massive, with plenty of room for a cocktail, ice, garnish and your nose.

Most other cocktail glasses are shrinking.

Libbey has a sleek new line inspired by Art Deco and the Roaring Twenties called The Gats (short for Gatsby) that features a speakeasy-ready 9 ½ ounce rocks glass.

“Capacities are getting smaller, particularly on the premium end,” says Jerry Moore, Libbey’s senior category manager, beverageware.

“This is a profit opportunity, as it puts a more affordable price point on the menu.”

PLASTICWARE Glass breaks. Plastic bounces. Yet until recently, operators with outdoor seating either had to risk dangerous cleanup scenarios with real glass or lower the taste level with basic plastic tumblers—or worse, disposable cups. No more. Outdoor beer gardens can keep the sips Instagram-friendly with plastic beer cups made in the proper shapes for different beer styles.

Libbey’s Infinium premium plasticware collection features goblets, pilsner glasses, schooners and mugs—along with pitchers, cocktail glasses and wine glasses. “The idea is that the guest can enjoy glassware outside that matches what they’re using inside,” Moore explains.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Creating meat-free menu items to reach a new generation of diners.

Victor Ozols

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Plant-based meat alternatives are no mere flash in the pan. What began as a trend has blossomed into a culinary movement driven not only by vegetarians, but also by diners who simply want to reduce the amount of meat in their diet. Today’s most innovative chefs are responding with recipes that replicate much of the flavor, texture and fill-your-belly satisfaction of animal proteins using only plants as ingredients.

“We just go for it with vegetables,” says Kate Jacoby, who, along with her husband, Richard Landau, owns Vedge and V Street in Philadelphia and Fancy Radish in Washington, D.C. According to Jacoby, the secret to successful vegan cooking is giving produce the same care and attention chefs typically lavish on meat.

“It’s not the meat itself that makes people want to eat it, it’s what chefs do to it,” she continues. “If you served a piece of raw chicken it would make people sick, and you wouldn’t want to just boil it—it takes steps to get people to respond to it.”

The multi-step recipe for Vedge’s eggplant braciole, for example, produces a vegan main that’s every bit as robust as its beef-based counterpart.

“Instead of using meat, we take very thin slices of eggplant, poach them in olive oil to make them pliable and tender, then wrap them around a filling of roasted cauliflower and smoked eggplant,” Jacoby explains. “We roast that in the oven and cover it with a vibrant, Sicilian-style salsa verde.”

The same creativity is evident in V Street’s Wizkid Philly, a mix of grilled seitan, mushroom and onion on a Sarcone’s roll topped with a rutabaga ‘wiz.’

Mark Ford, executive chef of Anoosh Bistro in Lexington, Ky., uses green jackfruit, beets and other produce as substitutes for meat in a variety of dishes.

“We use lentils in our vegetable Bolognese, which have an earthy, meaty flavor, and we marinate portobello mushrooms and grill them to get a nice char,” he says. “We also roast cauliflower until it caramelizes, because we want to create the same Maillard reaction that you get from searing meats.”

Ford explained that even if a restaurant isn’t exclusively vegan or vegetarian, focusing on a few elevated plant-based dishes can tip the balance for some diners.

“It’s usually the picky person in the group that gets to choose the restaurant,” he says with a laugh. “We’re giving them a lot of options.” 

“We use lentils in our vegetable Bolognese, which have an earthy, meaty flavor” - Mark Ford Executive Chef, Anoosh Bistro, Lexington, Ky

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FROM THE KITCHEN

It’s The Food They Want We’ve firmly established the buying power of millennials. Representing 25 percent of the nation’s population, their dining habits cannot be overlooked.

Make it work in your favor with menu items certain to capture their attention. From flavorful, heart-healthy dishes to globally inspired offerings, these recipes from Reinhart chefs and our partners will fit the bill. They’re all Insta-Worthy, too!

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FROM THE KITCHEN

GINGER MISO HONEY TUNA POKE BOWL Chef Lee Sepaniac | Gourmet Foodservice Group Servings: 1 INGREDIENTS

4 oz 1 oz 2 oz 1 tbsp 1 tbsp 2 oz 4 oz 4 oz 1 oz 1 oz

tuna, poke cubes dressing, ginger miso and honey bamboo rice black garlic soy sauce black garlic molasses edamame, peeled Goma Wakame seaweed salad watermelon radish, halved and slice ¼ in taro root, sliced thin on mandoline wasabi microgreens

INSTRUCTIONS

Slice taro thin on mandolin and fry at 300 F for three minutes to five minutes, drain well and season with salt.

First, mix tuna with soy and dressing allow it to marinate while preparing the bowl.

Start with the rice in the front of the bowl; this will be topped with tuna at the end. Arrange watermelon radish on the side, fanned to use as a conduit for the poke. Place seaweed salad next to radish and top with edamame.

Top rice with poke, then drizzle with black garlic molasses and top with microgreens. Serve taro chips on side or near watermelon radish if size of bowl permits.

YUZU TOGARASHI PORK RAMEN Chef Lee Sepaniac | Gourmet Foodservice Group Servings: 2 INGREDIENTS

5 oz 24 oz 1 oz 1 ea 2 oz 6 oz 6 oz 2 oz 2 oz 2 oz 1 oz 1 oz ½ sheet

ready-to-eat noodles or ramen pork broth fresh scallions, sliced thin medium egg, poached low-sodium soy sauce yuzu shichimi togarashi pork loin, whole snow peas wood ear mushrooms, reconstituted & sliced thin carrot, channeled and sliced thin micro shiso micro chives Nori sheet

INSTRUCTIONS

For broth, reconstitute 1 ¼ pound pouch with five gallons of water; simmer, cool and reserve. For egg, cold poach and shock in ice water, drain and reserve for service in soy sauce.

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For pork, rub and marinate in togarashi overnight; roast whole at 300 F until 155 F internal temperature. For mushrooms, soak overnight in water in refrigerator, then steep for four hours, cool and julienne. Blanch and shock snow peas and carrots. Place noodles in bowl and top with scallions, then pour boiling tonkotsu broth over it. Place sliced pork on first, then vegetables and mushrooms; finish with poached egg, microgreens and nori sheet on the bias.

Simple Ingredients Elevate Asian Fare In this series of recipes, Gourmet Foodservice Group culinary specialist Lee Sepaniac takes on regional Asian fare, paying attention to pronounced flavor profiles. Of note, he plays up black garlic soy sauce, fermented black garlic, yuzu and Thai basil.

“People are looking for what’s beyond ramen. What other kind of epic soup preparations are out there? This is definitely next.” –Chef Lee Sepaniac

BLACK GARLIC BEEF PHO Chef Lee Sepaniac | Gourmet Foodservice Group Servings: 4 INGREDIENTS

24 oz 1 ea 3 oz 1 tbsp 2 oz 1 oz 1 oz 1 oz 1 oz 1 oz ¼ fresh 2 ea

beef pho* noodles beef tenderloin black garlic seasoning bean sprouts, fresh fresh scallions, sliced thin hoisin sauce Sriracha microgreens, cilantro microgreens, Thai basil jalapeno, sliced lime wedge

INSTRUCTIONS

For broth, reconstitute 1 ¼ pound pouch with five gallons of water; simmer, cool and reserve.

For beef, clean and season with black garlic powder and marinate for at least two hours.

Precook noodles, shock in ice water and reserve for service.

Sub-recipe for pho*: Place precooked noodles in bowl topped with scallions and top with boiling broth. Place sliced beef in the broth to cook. Serve with all other garnishes on the side.

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FROM THE KITCHEN

NORTH AFRICAN BEEF WRAP Chef Michael Boisseree | Reinhart Sales Consultant/Division Chef, Omaha, Neb. Servings: 4 INGREDIENTS

12 oz

10

grilled chermoula-marinated* flank steak Roasted tomatoes** Cucumber salad*** Baby spinach, for garnish Harissa mayonnaise**** tortillas

SUB-RECIPE FOR CHERMOULA MARINADE* 2 cups cilantro, chopped 1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped garlic cloves 6 2 tsp ground cumin ground coriander 2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp 1 tbsp lemon zest, grated

Juice from one lemon ½ cup olive oil Mix ingredients well. Store until use.

SUB-RECIPE FOR ROASTED TOMATOES** 10 small tomatoes cut vertically into sixths Place skin side down onto parchment-lined pan. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 425 F for 20 minutes until edges turn dark.

SUB-RECIPE FOR CUCUMBER SALAD*** Peel 12 cucumbers and cut into batonnets. Thinly slice one red onion. Mix with two cups of shredded carrots. Toss with two cups of yogurt dressing.

SUB-RECIPE FOR HARISSA MAYONNAISE**** 1 cup

harissa

2 cups mayonnaise Blend well and chill until use.

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut flank steak into 4 oz portions and marinate overnight in chermoula marinade. When ready to use, grill steak over medium-high heat for two minutes, then flip and grill other side until medium rare. Rest for five minutes. Slice.

While steak is resting, grill tortillas on broiler or flat top grill for 30 seconds to 45 seconds each side. Assemble Âź ounce fresh spinach and three roasted tomato wedges. Shingle sliced beef over tomatoes. Drizzle with harissa mayonnaise. Top with cucumber salad.

Fold tortilla and roll like a burrito, leaving one end open for presentation. Or roll completely like a burrito and slice in half on a bias. Serve with hummus and vegetables.

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© 2019 J.R. Simplot Company

FROM THE KITCHEN

Quirky New Twists To Classics It’s always refreshing to watch chefs have fun with their food, and Lou Rice is having a ball. The executive chef for Reinhart’s Springfield, Mo., division puts an unconventional spin on favorites that will have guests’ mouths watering. His recipe for Indian-style fried cauliflower, for example, combines red-hot Gen Z and millennial food trends: authentic ethnic flavors in a vegetable-based recipe. Cauliflower is currently riding a wave of popularity among diners looking to cut down on meat protein.

“Gen Zers are looking for new ways to add life to traditional favorites. They are eating a lot more vegetarian, ethnic and socially conscientious dishes.” –Chef Lou Rice

SHITAKE/PORTOBELLA Wontons Chef Lou Rice | Reinhart division chef, Springfield, Mo. Servings: 4-6 INGREDIENTS

2 cups 1 cup 1 garlic ½ cup 1 tbsp ½ tsp ¼ cup

24 2 tbsp

2 tbsp

shitake mushrooms, rough chopped portabella mushrooms, rough chopped clove, minced fresh cabbage, chopped fine soy sauce sesame oil green onion, minced Salt and pepper, to taste wonton wrappers vegetable oil, for frying Shredded green cabbage vegetable oil for browning

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the first amount of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add in mushrooms and cabbage and cook until soft. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute.

Add soy sauce, sesame oil and green onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow filling to cool. Fill a small bowl with water. Place about one tablespoon of mushroom filling in the center of each wonton wrapper. Dip your finger in the bowl of water and moisten two sides of the wrapper, fold over into a triangle and pinch along the edge to form a seal.

Repeat with the remaining wrappers. Heat second amount of oil in pan.

Fry pot stickers until they are golden brown on both sides. Serve with dipping sauce* on a bed of shredded cabbage.

SUB-RECIPE FOR DIPPING SAUCE*

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¼ cup

soy sauce

2 tbsp

mirin

½ tsp

ground ginger

1 tbsp

green onion, minced

½ tsp

garlic, minced

2 tsp

sesame seeds

Combine sauce ingredients in a sealable container and shake until well mixed. Set aside for later service.

INDIAN-STYLE FRIED CAULIFLOWER Chef Lou Rice | Reinhart division chef, Springfield, Mo. Servings: 4 INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp ½ tsp ½ red 1 head 1 cup ½ cup

yogurt, plain coriander seed, ground cumin, ground ginger, ground powdered curry powder turmeric dry mustard pepper flakes cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets cashews green onion, thinly sliced Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 F. Stir yogurt with all of the spices in a large bowl. Add cauliflower and cashews and toss to coat cauliflower evenly. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast cauliflower and cashews until they’re brown and crisp-tender. This should take about 15 minutes.

To serve, top with green onion and serve with naan bread and raita* on the side. Find the sub-recipe for raita at rfsdelivers.com/recipes.

LEMONY CHICKEN QUINOA AND BEAN SALAD Chef Lou Rice | Reinhart division chef, Springfield, Mo. Servings: 4 INGREDIENTS

1 cup 8 oz 1 cup ½ cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup ¼ cup 1 tsp 6 oz

cooked quinoa cooked chicken, diced cherry tomatoes, halved roasted red bell peppers, diced drained chickpeas, rinsed edamame, cooked Markon Lemony arugula mix green onion, sliced lemon zest, fresh feta cheese, crumbled

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine cooked quinoa with tomatoes, chickpeas, edamame, chicken, zest, onion, arugula and feta. Toss with dressing*.

SUB-RECIPE FOR DRESSING*: ¼ cup 1/8 cup 1/8 cup 1 tsp 1 tsp ¼ tsp 1 garlic

olive oil rice vinegar lemon juice lemon zest, fresh salt black pepper clove, minced

Make dressing by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl.

WINTER 2020 | 59

FROM THE KITCHEN

PORK BELLY BAHN XEO Servings: 4-6 INGREDIENTS

GNOCCHI POUTINE

Find this recipe online at: RFSDELIVERS.COM/RECIPES

2 cups 2 tsp 2 cups 1 cup 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tbsp 8 oz ½ cup

rice flour ground turmeric coconut milk water kosher salt granulated salt freeze-dried chives, chopped bean sprouts fresh cilantro, chopped

SUB-RECIPE FOR VIETNAMESE CARAMELIZED PORK BELLY (4 servings) 1 ½ lbs skinless pork belly jumbo yellow onion 1 ea 2 ea whole garlic, peeled and minced ½ cup granulated sugar ¼c Thai fish sauce ¼ tsp black pepper 1 cup water 8 oz green leafy lettuce INSTRUCTIONS

For batter: Mix rice flour, sugar, salt, sugar, chives and turmeric in a large bowl. Beat in coconut milk to make a thick batter.

Slowly beat in water until batter is the consistency of a thin crepe batter. Refrigerated and let sit overnight.

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To cook crepes: Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add remaining one teaspoon of oil. Stir crepe batter and pour ½ cup into hot skillet, swirling to coat the bottom. Lay three ounces to four ounces of caramelized pork belly on bottom half of the crepe. Top with a small handful of bean sprouts and two tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Cook until batter looks set and edges start to brown, about one minute. Fold crepe over and slide onto an oven-safe plate. Place crepe in preheated oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter and filling. Cut in half and serve with lettuce leaves.

THIS IS COMFORT FOOD REDEFINED David Cunningham, Reinhart divisional chef for Valdosta, Ga., loves bold, hearty dishes that are classic by nature, yet have been updated for a new generation. Here, you’ll find his recipes for Pork Belly Bahn Xeo (“More exotic and authentic handheld dishes are finding their place in today’s market”), Gnocchi Poutine (“Classical European-style cuisines are making their way back into food trends”) and Farro-Way Shrimp (“Ancient grains and plant-forward menu items are definitely on the rise”).

“Millennials are driving a healthier lifestyle and plant-based menu design.”

–Chef David Cunningham

FARRO-WAY SHRIMP

Find this recipe online at: RFSDELIVERS.COM/RECIPES

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FROM THE KITCHEN

MAKING ‘BASIC’ SO MUCH BETTER Brian Funk, Reinhart divisional chef for Shawano-Marquette, Wis., loves updating comfort food. Here, he showcases three original recipes that are approachable and easy to re-create. His Edible White Russian “was created as a memory of getting up and watching Saturday morning cartoons with the biggest bowl of cereal.” His Nashville Hot Chicken with Sweet Potato Pancakes “opens it up to both dinner and breakfast.”

And the Blueberry Pork Burger “sets itself apart from the day-to-day burger.”

“Show value by using common ingredients in a different way.“ –Chef Brian Funk

BLUEBERRY PORK BURGER Chef Brian Funk | Reinhart Division Chef, Shawano-Marquette Servings: 1 INGREDIENTS

5 oz ¼ oz ¾ oz 1 ea

frozen pulled pork (heat and serve) wild arugula sharp white cheddar brioche bun

SUB-RECIPE FOR CANDIED BACON (Servings: 4) 16 oz cherrywood smoked bacon 3 oz light brown sugar 1/3 oz cayenne red ground pepper 1/8 oz black pepper 1/8 red pepper, crushed SUB-RECIPE FOR BLUEBERRY JAM (Servings: 1) 16 oz frozen blueberries fresh ginger root ½ oz ½ oz lime juice 4 oz extra-fine beet sugar INSTRUCTIONS

Blueberry jam: Bring everything to a boil and reduce until thick. That will take approximately 20 minutes to 25 minutes.

Candied Bacon: Preheat oven to 350 F, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper (You can sub aluminum foil if you don’t have parchment paper around). Sprinkle bacon with about half of the brown sugar. Sprinkle on the red pepper flakes, cayenne and cracked black pepper. Sprinkle the rest of the brown sugar on the top and then give it a good pat all over. Think of it as a rub that’s going to coat the bacon in candy-like goodness. You don’t really have to worry about coating the reverse side because as the bacon cooks, the sugary coating will run under it and coat the other side of the bacon, too.

Bake for 20 minutes to 30 minutes until it reaches your desired crispiness.

Assemble all ingredients on a brioche bun, starting the base with freshly heated pulled pork.

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EDIBLE WHITE RUSSIAN Chef Brian Funk | Reinhart Division Chef, Shawano-Marquette Servings: INGREDIENTS

7 oz

Rice Krispies

9 oz

Kahlúa

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix ingredients and spread on sheet tray. Set oven at lowest temperature and dehydrate for two hours to three hours.

Check on them and stir often.

INGREDIENTS

8 oz

half-and-half

3 oz

vodka

1 tsp

sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

In a shaker, add ice cubes, half-and-half, sugar and vodka.

Shake until sugar dissolves. Strain into a Mason jar or other type of glass. Put cereal in a bowl and add milk. This is key: Allow it to sit for a minute so that the cereal will have time to infuse milk. If you don’t, you will only taste vodka. The longer it sits, the more it will taste like a White Russian cocktail.

NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN with SWEET POTATO PANCAKES Chef Brian Funk | Reinhart Division Chef, Shawano-Marquette Servings: 1 INGREDIENTS

6 oz

chicken breast, boneless and skinless

3 oz

all-purpose flour

¼ oz

cayenne red pepper

1/8

ground smoked paprika

4 oz

whole egg liquid

3 oz

one percent buttermilk

2 oz

crinkle cut dill pickle, sliced

1 oz

honey Sriracha sauce

SUB-RECIPE FOR SWEET POTATO PANCAKES (Servings: 1) 4 oz

buttermilk sweet pancake mix

3 oz

sweet potatoes in yam syrup

1/3 oz

salted caramel seasoning

3/8 oz

extra-light amber honey

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix flour with seasonings. Mix egg and buttermilk. Flour chicken, then buttermilk and eggs. Repeat the process and then deep fry for five minutes to eight minutes. Make sweet potato pancakes and stack on plate. Place chicken on top of pancakes and drizzle with honey Sriracha and garnish with pickles.

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FROM THE KITCHEN

BROWNED BUTTER LOBSTER DOUGHNUT WITH CRUMBLED BACON Find this recipe online at: RFSDELIVERS.COM/RECIPES

ANCHO MEZCAL OYSTER SHOOTER Servings: 1 INGREDIENTS

1 oz

mezcal of choice

1 oz

Ancho Reyes chile liqueur

1 part

fresh lime juice

½ part

simple syrup

Lime salt, for rim

1

oyster on the half shell, thawed

INSTRUCTIONS

Moisten rim of a tall shot glass, and dip half the rim in lime salt. Combine mezcal, Ancho Reyes, lime juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain mixture into prepared shot glass, place oyster on the half shell atop the shot glass, and serve immediately.

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EMBRACE THE NOVELTY FOOD CRAZE You’ll find unique dishes on social media, and many restaurants have become known for serving outsidethe-box concepts. For example, the popular doughnut burger, which has been updated yet again by Beaver Street Fisheries with cake doughnuts and buttery lobster meat. Lobster is used again in the Butter Lobster Pecan Gelato, yet here they chose to keep the base of the gelato sweet and traditional, then added the savory component as a topping.

“We’re embracing the novelty food craze amongst millennials and Gen Z diners with fun, seafood-forward recipes.” –Beaver Street Fisheries

BAGEL AND LOX NACHOS Find this recipe online at: RFSDELIVERS.COM/RECIPES

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FROM THE KITCHEN

CHICKEN HOTCAKE TACOS Find this recipe online at: RFSDELIVERS.COM/RECIPES

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CHICKEN HOTCAKE TACOS Chef Tomi Reichard | Columbus, Ohio Servings: 3 INGREDIENTS 3 ea pancakes*

2 ½ tbsp onion salt

3 ea

chicken tenders

2 tbsp

chili powder

3 oz

strawberry salsa**

2 tbsp

black pepper

¾ oz

chili aioli***

1 tbsp

celery salt

1 tbsp

dried sage

1 tbsp

garlic powder

1 tbsp

ground allspice

1 tbsp

dried oregano

1 tbsp

dried basil

1 ½ oz Ohio maple syrup ¼ tsp

pepper

INSTRUCTIONS Ladle out three pancakes; add a pinch of pepper. Bread and fry three chicken tenders until golden brown or three minutes to four minutes. Flip pancakes to brown on other side. Gently place one chicken tender in each pancake. Top each with 1 oz strawberry salsa and ¼ chili aioli. Serve on side maple syrup.

Sub-recipe for pancake batter (8 servings)*: 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour 3 ½ tsp baking powder 1 tbsp

sugar

1 ¼ cup milk 1 ea

egg

¼ cup

butter, melted

1 tsp

salt

½ tsp

black pepper

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and black pepper. Make a well in the center, then add egg, melted butter and milk. Mix well, then store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Place all ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Cover in container, label/date, then store in a dry place.

Sub-recipe for strawberry salsa (4 servings)**: 1 ½ cup strawberries, diced ¼ cup

mint, freshly chopped

2 tbsp

red onion, minced

½ tsp

lemon zest

1 tbsp

honey

2 tsp

mustard

¼ tsp

red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp salt Combine ingredients in medium bowl and mix thoroughly.

Cover in container, label/date, then store in the refrigerator.

Sub-recipe for chili garlic aioli***

Sub-recipe for house breading for chicken tenders (8 servings):*

8 cups mayonnaise

4 cups rice flour

1 cup

Asian garlic chili sauce

½ tsp

lime juice

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup

potato starch

5 tbsp

brown sugar

5 tbsp

kosher salt

5 tbsp

paprika

In a four-quart cambro, mix ingredients until well incorporated.

Cover in container, label/date, then store in the refrigerator.

“While millennials care about the environment and local food, they also care about a good bargain. It’s not that they’re cheap, but they do expect something different—and at a reasonable price. This item definitely fits all their categories and has that farm-to-table, comfort-style food that is right up their alley.” –Chef Reichard

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FROM THE KITCHEN

PAN-SEARED COD LOIN WITH CHILLED RICE NOODLES AND VEGGIE SALAD Graham Schave | Chef, High Liner Foods Find this recipe online at: RFSDELIVERS.COM/RECIPES

BUCKWHEAT BREAKFAST POWER BOWL Daria Parish | Reinhart Sales Consultant, La Crosse, Wis. Servings: 1 INGREDIENTS

¼ cup

buckwheat, steeped in boiling water 1:2 ratio, cooled, tossed in cinnamon

2 tbsp

chopped pecans, toasted

½ cup

plain nonfat yogurt

½

stone fruit and berries

Honey or maple syrup to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, start with yogurt on the bottom, top with buckwheat cinnamon mix, place diced fruit in center, top with nuts, and drizzle with honey or maple syrup.

POWER FOR THE PEOPLE This offering consists of clean, whole foods, which can easily be executed as a plated dish or to-go item. Buckwheat is not actually a wheat as it is not grass; it’s in the same family as rhubarb and considered a complex carb, which is gluten free, thus providing much-needed energy to individuals with celiac or gluten intolerance.”

–Chef Daria Parish, Reinhart, La Crosse, Wis. 68 | RESTAURANT INC

Great produce begins with

Good Roots

©2020 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C • Good Roots™ Brand is a trademark licensed by Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C.

FROM THE KITCHEN

Defending America’s Favorite Target: Millennial Diners David Salvi

I get it. Us millennials with social media, paper straws, misuse of the word “literally,” craft beer, hipster ‘dos and dress, and historic ability to accumulate debt are that infamous horsepill of a generation sandwiched between Generation X and Gen Z. Yet I find myself on a bit of a crusade when I examine something specific about millennials: culinary impact. So, here it goes. I stand defiantly with a plume in hand and foolhardy task in heart: Defend the indefensible millennial generation and define our true culinary ethos.

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So… What is the millennial generation’s true culinary ethos? We want more out of our dining experience, one that reflects our collective values: quality of food ingredients, cultural diversity, aesthetically pleasing and authentic delivery. We are a sophisticated culinary population imploring an industry to be even better. That’s it. Summed up. Article over.

Wait, let me explain.

QUALITY: Quality of ingredients and tastes reigns supreme. We aren’t dining in social media-viral droves without a picture worth a thousand taste buds.

Caroline Schutz, 30, an industry veteran with Consumers Packing Co., says, “I pick a restaurant if it is known for good food. I definitely think the quality of ingredients and taste are most important.”

Simple enough stuff.

If the plate ain’t sizzling with stylish flavors while fetching a pose for Instagram, please don’t expect a repeat customer.

CULTURE: “I want to go to a place that speaks to the culture of a city,” says Adam Amin, 32, a play-by-play broadcaster for ESPN. He travels coast to coast several times a month, often receiving dining recommendations from college coaches, players and locals.

We love to immerse ourselves in wherever we are. Food, as the anchor to social situations, brings people to distant cultures with flavors, smells, style, customs and language.

AESTHETICS: “I definitely think [millennials] care about what the restaurant looks like,” Schutz explains. “From the lights on the ceiling to copper bullets in the bar, neon lights, cheeky things on the wall that change out, tire swings in the bar, or a tiki-style bar with drinks with a sparkler.”

Like our pictures, we need interesting, different, like-worthy and rustic. Don’t ever forget rustic.

(Also, are you in the right neighborhood? Part of the scene? Bonus points.)

AUTHENTICITY: Authentically delivering on your experience is the glue that holds it together. From food integrity to representing your cuisine to service experience, millennials have this superhuman knack for noticing a veneer of honesty.

Important to Schutz is an educated and trained waitstaff. It means they care about the customer’s dining experience, not eyeing the shift clock.

Going as far as “when you get up to go to the bathroom, and they fold your napkin,” Schutz explains. Those little touches go for miles in the hearts of millennials.

So here I stand, still defending our desire for good, healthy food, a wonderful atmosphere to eat said food, cultural appreciation, and honest service.

How dare we ask for these things. 

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FROM THE KITCHEN

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A Fine Time to Fine Dine Younger diners want authenticity, not shortcuts when it comes to upscale fare.

Jeffrey Ward

Fine dining can be a difficult sell in today’s restaurant climate, compounded by older clientele and a millennial segment whose attention span is too often delegated by Instagram. But for classic cuisine to capture a younger audience’s recognition, chefs do not need to bend their traditional attire to trends. Staying true to technique and service is still the time-honored standard that never goes out of fashion at these elegant levels.

“Many times, I ask millennials why they choose my restaurant,” says J. Joho, chef/proprietor of Everest in Chicago. The answers he gets are surprising.

“They tell me they think it’s great food, great atmosphere, yes,” he continues, “but they really like coming to my restaurant because they can have a conversation at the table. That’s what I hear most.”

Everest, one of the top French restaurants in the country for more than three decades, has always presented creative cuisine, avoiding heavy-handed ingredient usage.

In many respects, it is inherently built to appeal to today’s generation that look to lighter cuisine when dining out.

“I do what I do,” says Joho. “Lots of people still think French food has to use excessive amounts of cream and butter. This is not how I cook at all.

“We look for the most flavor using the best seasonal produce possible. It’s the simplicity and sophistication we have always done here.” Dishes like sole petite grenobloise and crispy Napoleon of apples and caramel sauce are healthier and flavorful, yet still as celebratory as they can be.

Chef Markus Glocker takes a similar approach at Augustine in New York’s Financial District, where millennial diners—who might not be familiar with the classics—are as welcomed as any other guest to enjoy his Viennainspired, French cuisine.

changed the presentation of our dishes,” he explains.

“More than ever, ambiance in a restaurant is the key to success, responding to the cycles where old becomes new.”

Dishes such as Dorade Royale and dry-aged côte de boeuf are steeped in tradition and care, but it’s important to Glocker to present a seamless experience that youthful palates may enjoy without reservation.

“Technique is a very important factor, so that the guest is not challenged by the food,” Glocker explains. “Preparation stays in the kitchen, so that all the guest has to do is enjoy the flavor.

Augustine is reflecting this concept, where guests enjoy their evening, letting the technique speak for itself, no explanations needed.”

Ultimately, hospitality and service are what make a finedining experience memorable, and making guests feel comfortable in what could be an intimidating dining room is always key to winning the younger demographic.

“Millennials don’t want to wear a suit or tie,” says Joho. “If you wear a collared shirt and dress shoes to Everest, you are fine. Millennials don’t dress the same as those in their 50s and 60s, but then again, that’s not anything new.”

“Trends come and go,” he continues, “but class always stays.” 

“I have maintained my style of flavors and have only really

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FROM THE KITCHEN

Millennial Food Trends: Mid-Trend Review One of our ‘Generation Net’ writers makes his case—or not—for some of the buzziest items on the market David Salvi No time is better than the “Millennial Issue” of Restaurant Inc. for an opportunity to review trends mid-fad and dish out some highly subjective verdicts.

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KOMBUCHA A variety of flavors, hints of spices from around the globe, healthy antioxidant properties, and just enough fermentation to think it’s naughty to drink. An appealing magic potion for the health-conscientious millennial types. And this popular tea is digging its tasty mitts into other generations.

FARM-RAISED VS. WILD CAUGHT I want it to go away simply to avoid being with a diner who asks servers: “Is the fish locally sourced or flown in? Or, is it farm raised or caught in the wild?” Eat. The. Fish.

Or Don’t. Next thing you know that diner is going to ask for a “23 & Me” test to judge the fish’s ancestry.

AVOCADOS Avocado toast. Avocado butter. Avocado oil.

Avocado powder. Avocado-flavored [insert bland carbohydrate]. I believe we have exhausted the use of this superfood and super foodie fruit. What more can we come up with? Maybe use the pit as the core of a baseball.

QUINOA This little seed is packed with nutrients, easy to make and a delicious base for a variety of dishes (and its uses are expanded by the day).

And we don’t feel the least bit guilt eating it.

GOURMET DOUGHNUTS The creativity, the flavor, the fun! Why would you want this trend to go away? Is it completely ridiculous? Absolutely. They are unhealthy, stacked with sugar that’ll rot your teeth and are completely insane.

VERDICT: Until they find something incredibly wrong with it, I’m not sure what’s ridiculous about it. Keep ‘em coming.

VERDICT: When it goes too far? Yes. When you’re generally curious? OK, that’s fine.

VERDICT: As ridiculous as ridiculous can be. Five dollars for a small avocado? Not to mention: It’s not even that good until you slather it with salt and oil.

VERDICT: Ridiculous? Nah. We just found an ingredient that deserves to be on Mount Olympus.

VERDICT: Of course, a bit ridiculous, but they are here to stay forever. Sweets will never go away, doughnuts very much included. Give me Voodoo Donuts, please— and all the secret shops across America. 

WINTER 2020 | 75

FROM THE KITCHEN

Under the Influence Today’s most innovative chefs are finding inspiration around the world and right at home Victor Ozols America’s appetite for international cuisine is legendary, with globally inspired restaurants providing a taste of far-off lands to generations of diners hungry for a culinary journey. While that’s still true today, the rules are looser, giving chefs the freedom to take recipes from around the world and make them their own.

At Crown Republic Gastropub in Cincinnati, cofounder and executive chef Anthony Sitek draws from Spain, Greece, Morocco, Italy and beyond for his rustic New American menu.

“I put the menu together by going over what people want that’s different, but familiar,” Sitek says. “We make everything from scratch using the freshest ingredients.”

He cites the Yemeni mussels as a familiar dish with an important twist.

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“Instead of using a traditional coconut curry, we’re doing a Moroccan curry, which is sweeter and not as spicy,” he says. “It’s a totally different take on curry, and people repeatedly tell us it’s the best mussel dish in the city.”

Crown Republic’s pappardelle, meanwhile, injects an Old-World classic with southern flavor.

“We make our own country ham in-house that we use in the Bolognese,” Sitek explains. “Putting Kentucky ham into Bolognese sounds unusual, but it adds a saltiness and smokiness that you’re not going to get anywhere else.”

Todd Mitgang, executive chef at TacoVision in New York, entices a new generation of diners with an innovative menu that combines Mexico City street food with NYC attitude. In keeping with the times, fully a third of the menu is vegan, including

a popular vegan chorizo taco that uses chopped mushrooms and chorizo spices in place of pork.

“It has a little heat, a little smoke, it’s heavily spiced and it tastes like chorizo,” Mitgang says.

“It’s not just a delicious vegan taco, it’s a delicious taco.”

Nir Caspi, CEO and cofounder of Café Landwer, brings a taste of modern Israel to Cambridge, Mass.

The restaurant’s top seller by far is its shakshuka.

“It’s a Mediterranean dish with poached egg in tomato sauce, and we have a variety, including shakshuka Mediterranean with eggplant and feta cheese and shakshuka with crispy halloumi cheese,” he says. “We even have vegan shakshuka, which uses a unique vegan meatball that we make from a mix of carrots, beets, onion and a vegetable protein called TVP.” 

“The menu’s the Mediterranean food that I used to eat when I was a kid in Israel,” Caspi explains.

“It’s a melting pot of all the people who came to Israel 70 years ago from all around the world, and we want to bring that experience to the United States.”

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BLACK GARLIC BEEF PHO Find this recipe on page 55.

Reinhart Direct & Gourmet Foodservice provides the highest quality, origin-specific products available, from Alaska, Hawaii, Australia, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, and other regions of the world. Imported specialties include cheese, chocolates, seafood, meats & game, fruit purees, oils & vinegars, sausages, and more.

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BEHIND THE BAR

Embrace the

BASIC Simple, nostalgic flavors give millennials a ‘feeling of connection.’

Lena Katz

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The White Claw craze isn’t a fluke. Neither does it indicate that millennial flavor preferences are so different than previous generations. People like semisweet, sparkly cheap drinks for certain occasions, just like

Smashed Burger

Frito Pie

The antithesis of “gourmet burger” patty theory, smashed burgers are salt-seasoned and smashed flat, fried till they’re crispy crusted and served on a soft bun. Spythemed restaurant SafeHouse Milwaukee offers its classic smash with two patties, for more meaty intensity.

Game days in the Southwest demand this cheesy-meaty-crunchy tradition.

While some restaurants go upscale with house-made corn chips and fancy cheese, many diners prefer the classic preparation: actual Fritos, no-frills chili, shredded cheddar, served in the bag or on a paper tray.

they like hot dogs in a sporty or picnic setting.

It’s related to a plea that appeared during a recent Facebook scroll.

“Restaurants, stop ruining dishes with truffle oil!”

While the millennial-gen poster gave no further context, food industry professionals can easily understand: Diners don’t like gourmet/craft/bespoke “cuisine” all the time. Sometimes they crave old-school classics, made from easily accessible ingredients, without upscale pretentions.

“Our lives are in hyper-speed, trends are born and die on the same day, and we’re always being exposed to something new,” says recipe developer, author and restaurant entrepreneur Allison Robicelli, whose writings and recipes often spotlight nostalgic or junk foods like pudding cake, ranch dressing and the McRib. “We’re used to being a bit overwhelmed at all times,” Robicelli continues. “So, when you’re eating at a restaurant, it’s important to feel some sort of familiarity and connection through an easy-torecognize menu item.”

This may seem counter-intuitive, now that “every city is a food city” and whatnot.

But it isn’t: Restaurants from Memphis to the Northeast are finding success with basic items—as they always have. These old-school flavors appeal to millennial customers and other generations, too.

Fried Bologna Biscuit Some might ask, “Why use anything but bacon on a breakfast sandwich?”

To which restaurateurs in the South respond, “Have you ever tried fried bologna?” Even in sandwich form, the cafeteria meat staple is salty satisfaction, but paired with gooey cheese and an egg on a buttermilk biscuit, it’s irresistible.

Sunrise Memphis has all kinds of handheld breakfasts, but its housesmoked bologna biscuit wins regional polls—and all the weekend regulars.

Further east, Frankie’s Dawg House in Baton Rouge, La., nails the old-school version of Frito pie. Tellingly, this “gourmet hot dog” fave also doesn’t gussy up the tater tots.

Foodservice pros, this is your cue: Get basic! Offer a grilled American cheese sandwich. Serve Frito pie in the bag.

And above all: Don’t put truffle oil on your tater tots. 

“Our lives are in hyperspeed, trends are born and die on the same day, and we’re always being exposed

Potato Chips and Blue Cheese It’s always a challenge to do potato chips on a diner menu, since French fries are so expected. They need to be special, but not so overwrought that the basic crunchy appeal is masked (nachos, we’re looking at you). Cameron Mitchell’s Cap City Fine Diner and Bar locations in Columbus, Ohio, achieve this by drizzling Maytag blue cheese alfredo over a pile of chips.

“Cameron happens to love chips and dips, so we wanted to bring that onto the menu as something unique and shareable,” says corporate chef Ian Rough.

to something new...

So, when you’re eating at a restaurant, it’s important to feel some sort of familiarity and connection through an easy-to-recognize menu item.”

- Allison Robicelli Author & Restaurant Entrepreneur

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BEHIND THE BAR

GENERATION WINE Millennial drinking trends are shifting to the grape.

Jeffrey Ward It’s true—Generation Y is drinking more wine than ever. But there are some factors to consider when marketing millennial-friendly bottles on your list.

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“We find that our younger audience is adventurous in the wine department,” says Kellie Holmes, general manager of Basic Kitchen in Charleston, S.C. “They aren’t necessarily tied to one varietal or region and are open to trying the sustainable, funky, small production wines that inspire us daily.”

Not only are millennials breaking away from tradition in the styles they drink, but also in how they drink it.

“The first thing to ask is what beverages are most un-wine like,” says Arthur Hon, beverage manager at Momofuku Ko in New York.

“Natural wines almost drink like beer and cider. It sounds very idealistic, very non-traditional, very local and very environmentally friendly.”

Canned wines are also trending upward. “There are a lot of super cool and quite legit canned wines right now,” he continues. “It’s almost like thinking about wine in a different way. Millennials aren’t drinking anything that reminds them of their parents.”

Budget is another factor to consider when targeting this demographic. “It really varies, depending on the occasion and who they are dining with,” explains Holmes, “however, we are seeing

that the younger crowd tends to find the value in this price point.”

Exposing guests to new wine experiences can be as easy as creating tasting events at the restaurant, but operators must tailor these activations to the millennial audience.

“At Basic Kitchen, we choose to highlight our wine selections by partnering with local distributors or specific producers and hosting laid-back wine dinners,” says Holmes. “They aren’t your traditional, coursed-out, fancy affairs. Our chef creates a few dishes to pair with the wines, but we like to keep it super casual to show guests that wine doesn’t have to be exclusive or intimidating.”

So how should wine directors and sommeliers manage the millennial market?

“I’m starting to force myself to think differently and to learn, communicate and engage in a different way,” says Hon. “Time will move forward; this will become the next generation of heavy wine drinkers. It’s about adapting, as opposed to changing them. It’s about moving with the times, as opposed to staying stagnant.” 

“Millennials aren’t drinking anything that reminds them of their parents.”

- Arthur Hon Beverage Manager at Momofuku Ko, NY

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BEHIND THE BAR

Pour it On! Guilty Pleasure Foods Ari Bendersky There’s a reason we don big, chunky sweaters in winter: so we can eat all the guilty pleasure foods we love without worrying how we look! We tapped two beverage experts— Brock Schulte, bar director of The Monarch Bar in Kansas City, Mo., and Heather Perkins, general manager and beverage manager at DiAnoia’s Eatery in Pittsburgh—to offer pairing tips for these often-hearty dishes.

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BROCK SCHULTE

HEATHER PERKINS

Bar Director of The Monarch Bar

General Manager & Beverage Manager at DiAnoia’s Eatery

Gooey lobster mac n’ cheese with gruyere and cheddar cheese I like a big, buttery Napa chardonnay. There’s just enough acid in the wine to help, but it doesn’t interfere with the mouthfeel, but boosts it. It’s a no-brainer to hit it with more butter.

I’d choose natural pink bubbles, like 100 percent pinot noir. Old world, French or Italian that’s crisp, with a bit of strawberry and a bone-dry finish with acid that will clean away so you can finish that whole bowl.

Chicken enchiladas with mole Lambrusco by Cleto Chiarli. It’s super dry and very high acid content. High acid with mole is always really great. And then finish with ice cream.

A mezcal margarita to meet that smoky flavor in the mole. You can double down on a drink that’s tart, smoky and sour. Something with a little flavor that can hold up over the food.

Chicken and waffles doused with maple syrup and butter Dry Spanish cider. I like the effervescence in Spanish ciders with green apple notes. They drink like wine, but finish like beer. The effervescence will always cut the heaviness.

Franciacorta, the champagne of Italy. Classic method made from chardonnay or pinot noir. It’s some of the finest thin, elegant yeasty bubbles with bright acid that pairs great with crispy fatty chicken skin. I always do bubbles and fried chicken.

Deep fried egg rolls filled with cabbage, pork and shrimp A gin Gibson with a pickled onion adds a touch of savoriness to fried egg rolls. The way they’re cooked and their texture go well with a nice 50/50 style martini or a Gibson.

I think tiki cocktail. I’m a sucker for a Jungle Bird, which is a classic with rum, Campari, lime, pineapple and a bit of simple syrup. Chinese food is a fun one because there’s so much flavor and can withstand something that’s bitter like this.

A cakey pistachio old-fashioned doughnut I’m probably going to drink Champagne. I like really mineral-driven champagnes. It’s all about tiny bubbles and dryness. This doughnut will have a crust of frosting and it doesn’t need more sweetness. Anything with salt, like pistachios, pairs well with Champagne.

Bitter is my favorite flavor and I’m an amaro lover. Having something that’s going to be able to wash it down, but with a nutty and bitter finish. I was thinking Sibilla, an amaro from the Varnelli Group. It has this tacky, earthy maple syrup and honey, nutty flavor to it, which finishes slightly bitter. Getting into amaro with things like a cake and a little neutral, your beverage can take the forefront. 

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BEHIND THE BAR

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Successfully Serving Sober Guests Keeping barstools occupied when an entire generation is drinking less Briana Rupel More millennials are questioning—often publicly via social media— their relationship with alcohol. A 2018 study by consumer behavior agency Streetbees, in fact, showed one in two millennials of drinking age had lessened their drinking since 2017. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to sell your establishment. It may be time to roll with the times.

“The industry hasn’t thought about nondrinkers or people on the far end of the sobriety spectrum; (they’ve always been) just people beyond their reach,” says Chris Marshall, founder of Sans Bar, the first-ever sober bar concept in Austin, Texas. “That’s something that’s going to need to change.”

“As a consumer, I can say ‘I’m here, I’m just like everyone else.’ In fact, I have a more visually appealing drink than most people,” says Marshall. “Of course, I’ll pay $8 to $10 for that.”

It is essential to view your guests not partaking in alcohol as real consumers with real purchasing power, he says.

That doesn’t mean bartenders need to spend hours in the back of the house prepping syrups and dehydrating garnishes to be sober inclusive. There are plenty of products available now that can simply be subbed out for liquor.

“The conclusion was always ‘well, if they’re not drinking, they’re not gonna want to pay,’ and that’s not the truth,” stresses Marshall, who is sober himself.

“I love the idea of an elevated drink with the exotic, you know, picked-from-theAndes rare flower,” explains Marshall, “but people also need to just be able to pick something up and drink it.”

What they are willing to pay for are EANABs, an acronym coined by Stanford University, that stands for Equally Attractive Non-Alcoholic Beverages.

That means replacing the tonic and lime standby with a beautiful NA cocktail, using quality ingredients they are happy to pay for—and post on social media for their followers.

Taking EANABs seriously should attract a loyal following of sober guests to your establishment. “It offers people the opportunity to still be social in the traditional bar scene and have an elevated experience,” says Marshall. 

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Flavors that tantalize.

National Brand Quality at Better Prices.

Contact your Reinhart Sales Consultant for more information.

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Why Pay More?

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Culinary SecretsŽ is a registered trademark of Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. Š2019 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C.

BEHIND THE BAR

of the Cocktail Adding curated, miniature portions of drinks to your menu adds a creative way to boost your bottom line.

Ari Bendersky

For years, beer and wine flights have proven to be great ways to introduce your patrons to more of your beverage offerings.

People get to try a variety of products and will likely order more full-size glasses when they find one they like. This now translates to cocktails, especially with the rise of cocktails on tap and more bars pre-batching cocktails in order to keep up with the crush of busy service times

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Having a flight—a few smaller pours, usually around two ounces, of various drinks—can help introduce clientele to new spirits, different flavors and fun experiences. You can use it as a tool to help educate guests, like Amanda Swanson, the bar manager of Fine & Rare in New York.

“I oftentimes find patrons who claim gin as their spirit of choice, but don’t fully appreciate or understand how drastically different gins can be,” Swanson says. “This is especially in contrast with other spirits due to the unlimited possibilities the botanicals represent.”

Swanson offers the $25 Gin & Tonic 3 Ways: Botanist served with dehydrated chamomile flowers, lemon peel and fresh lavender; Hendrick’s with cucumber and rose petals; and Old Raj by Cadenhead, a Scottish dry-style gin served with dried lemon, orange peel, cinnamon sticks and safflower.

“If you’re stuck between a couple of drinks, you can be experimental,” Williams says. “You’re not going into a cocktail bar hoping you’ll like the $12 cocktail you’re about to buy. With the flight, people find one they like and they’ll order a full one.”

Back in New York, Honeybee’s offers three classics— Boulevardier, Vieux Carre and Old Pal—on tap that can be ordered in a $22 three-pour flight. General manager and bar director Sean McClure says this helps introduce people to what he calls forgotten classics. He suggests other bars add something similar to entice guests to order more and they don’t have to add tapped cocktails either.

“You can batch out a certain amount for the night and have those behind the bar,” McClure says. “This gives another fun option on the menu.” 

“If the drinks beside each other don’t tell a story,” Swanson, who is considering an amaro flight for winter, says, “then the concept lacks substance.”

At Kefi, a Greek small-plate concept in Knoxville, Tenn., Chris Williams oversees a bar program that features 18 draft cocktails. Guests can choose three cocktails from any of the 18, ranging between two- and four-ounce pours for $21.

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BEHIND THE BAR

Bartender Book Review Two noteworthy cocktail guides to add to your bar cart Briana Rupel

Drinking Like Ladies: 75 Modern Cocktails from the World’s Leading Female Bartenders

By Kirsten Amann and Misty Kalkofen Quarry Books, 2018 Veteran bartenders Amann and Kalkofen know what “drinking like a girl” really means: “passing on drinks that cover up the flavors of alcohol, learning about strong cocktails from strong-minded women, and never being pigeonholed.”

Forget the neon-syrupy, so-called “girly drinks.” The balanced cocktails within—all originals created by bar-women around the globe—are absolutely first class.

The fun lies in the pairings with notable women of history. In one example, bartender Chandra Lam toasts to scientist Rosalind Elsie Franklin with her creation that’s “slightly bitter with a hint of salt to emulate how Rosalind must’ve felt, never receiving recognition for her work.”

Not only do the enriching historical accounts elevate this beyond yet another recipe book, its beautifully concise “essential mixology” guide will train the novice while simultaneously appealing to the most experienced. Drinking Like Ladies belongs on the shelf of any cocktail enthusiast—or history buff for that matter—regardless of gender.

Aperitif: A Spirited Guide to the Drinks, History, and Culture of the Aperitif

By Kate Hawkings Quadrille, 2018 The aperitif has a history dating back centuries to when alcohol was safer to drink than water and has become increasingly relevant, especially with lower-alcohol tipples trending. Luckily, even if you aren’t well versed in this digestive aid, everything you could ever want to know you will find under this cover. Seriously. Everything.

Hawkings’ thorough book is so well organized it will become your best reference guide. Even her sub-categories have categories. After laying down a meticulously researched foundation, Hawkings delves into classic recipes, which will have you longing to stir up your own “Mad Men” party.

The way she writes about a gin and tonic will make bubbles dance across your tongue without even taking a sip. Whether you geek out over historical anecdotes or the metaphysical beauty of glassware, Aperitif will tickle the cocktail nerd in us all.

“Hawkings’ thorough book is so well organized it will become your best reference guide” - Briana Rupel Restaurant Inc. Resident Bartender

BEHIND THE BAR

Maintenance during the Mellow Months Our Resident Bartender offers tips to service your bar during slowest season Briana Rupel

Photos by Ford Media Lab

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Your staff has toasted the end of another New Year’s Eve shift with the flat champagne left in the bottles from midnight. You’ve swept up the sticky confetti, and the last of the holiday office parties are rolling off your banquet department’s calendar.

Ahh, the sweet smell of slow season is here. By all means, use that holiday stash to treat yourself to a massage and take an extra day off. You’ve earned it! But while the masses are signing up for gym memberships, it’s imperative to regroup and take stock of your bar while you can, because high tide sneaks up on us faster than we think.

SET A STAFF MEETING It’s easy to let regular meetings slide during the crazy holiday season. One of the biggest keys to customer satisfaction is consistency, and without regularly coming together, pretty soon the cohesive unit of your team has dissolved and your signature cocktail is being made four different ways. Plus, it’s a great time to test new recipes you all have been working on, as well as brainstorm fun and effective new promotions.

DIG INTO THE DEEP CLEAN You already have solid opening and closing cleaning lists: the no-brainers like washing tools and mats, polishing glassware, sweeping and mopping, but now is a great time to see what needs to be tackled weekly. Do a group deep clean, taking note of the things that have been neglected.

Maybe the cooler hasn’t been wiped out in months, leaving behind a sticky mess. Add that to your weekly list to make it easier to manage. Do you have a regular cleaning schedule for your tap lines? If not, get that in the schedule, too. Regular maintenance makes cleaning a lot easier in the long run.

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TAKE STOCK OF SUPPLIES Grab a clipboard and spend time in each area of your jurisdiction, writing down everything that needs fixing. That one wheel on the mop bucket that’s been broken since Halloween? Time to replace. Down to three martini glasses because of a hungry dishwasher? Reorder a case. This is also a great time to create a glassware par sheet if you don’t already have one. Glasses break, it’s an ugly truth, but you always want to have backups on hand for that shotgun party or bar crawl.

PREP YOUR PATIO Does your establishment have a seasonal outdoor patio to get ready for when the nice weather comes around again?

You can get a majority of the setup completed if you start now. Repair or replace any furniture that needs it. Make sure the gas lines are working for your heaters. Wash cushion and pillow coverings and store them for opening day. Have your menu locked down, booze and dry goods ordered, tools and glassware set up, so you can roll into opening day stress free.

TAKE A TRIP Maintenance is not only necessary for the physical space in which we work, but for our mental state as well. Find a server who’s cross-trained to watch the bar for a day (or, if you are able to close down for a day, that’s great). Take your bar team to a distillery or brewery whose products you carry for a private tour and tasting. Not only is continuing education essential in cultivating a knowledgeable and helpful staff, good ol’ R&D coupled with team bonding outside of work boosts morale.

When the team is happy, your guests are happy. 

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HERE Bars are seeking out limited-edition brews for the social media-driven beer tourist Victor Ozols

Beer enthusiasts are nothing new, but the proliferation of social media has turned them into a force to be reckoned with. Community websites like Beer Advocate and Untappd not only educate consumers on different types of beers available, they tell them just where—and when—to find them. The result is a knowledgeable, motivated, and occasionally demanding body of customers just waiting to visit your bar, provided you have what they want.

An early user of Untappd, Christopher Riley, beverage director at Chicago-based Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap, personally uploads new beers to the menu, which are then delivered as push notifications to anyone interested.

“I’ve been a user of Untappd for years, so when we had the opportunity to bring them in I did it right away,” he explains. “I do all the updating whenever we put a new beer on, which is a great opportunity to reach those people looking for that special beer.”

Highly anticipated beers are often celebrated with a release party, particularly the now-iconic Black Friday release of Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout. “Goose Island will come in and we tap all of the Bourbon County variants and do a massive rollout,” Riley says.

At Russell House Tavern in Cambridge, Mass., bar manager Lex Russo keeps his offerings broad while sourcing exclusively from breweries located within 150 miles of the restaurant.

While he maintains a robust social media strategy, Russo says that an educated staff is what really sells new beers.

“We always let them taste new beers when they come in,” he explains, “because the more they know, the more they can offer guests something good they may not have had before.”

At Chicago’s WhirlyBall, which features a popular ball game involving bumper cars, VP of strategic planning Adam Elias knows that no modern bar is complete without an extensive craft beer program. Yet, in a twist on the standard beerrelease party, drinkers have an opportunity to compete against brewers for small prizes on their unique playing field.

“We partner with a different brewery every month in an event we call ‘Beat the Brewer,’” Elias explains. “You can come in, enjoy beers that are limited and unique, and also interact with the brewers as you play against them in WhirlyBall.” 

“We have a seasonally driven program here, and everything is local,” he stresses. “We try to find beers that are unique to the area and will resonate with our guests.”

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BEHIND THE BAR

America’s ‘Wine Girl,’ Victoria James, holds nothing back in upcoming memoir on her industry experiences Mindy Kolof Victoria James is a millennial superstar, accomplishing more by age 29 than most people twice her age: certified sommelier at 21 years old, named to Forbes and Zagat’s “30 Under 30” lists, Food & Wine’s 2018 “Sommelier of the Year,” currently beverage director and partner at New York’s Cote restaurant, nominated by James Beard Foundation for outstanding wine program and a gifted writer about to publish her second book in March.

You may think her meteoric rise to the top has insulated her from the daily indignities and

larger

abuses

of

power

uncovered in the restaurant industry when the #metoo movement was born. Unfortunately, you’d be wrong.

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It’s all spelled out in the title of her upcoming memoir, Wine Girl: The Obstacles, Humiliations, and Triumphs of America’s Youngest Sommelier (Ecco, March 2020). The “groping patrons, bosses who abused their role and status, and the toxic patriarchy of the restaurant world” are described in detail. But James’ powerful connection to hospitality’s mission of joy in service runs as a richly satisfying counterpoint throughout her story, ultimately inspiring her phenomenal success.

James is quick to credit the many mentors, both male and female, who guided her along the way. Chief among them is Cote owner Simon Kim, who in 2015 hired a then very inexperienced James to be wine director at his first restaurant, Piora.

“He was one of the first people who believed in me,” James says, “and he showed me how to successfully buy wine for a Michelin-starred restaurant.”

There were many women mentors who took her under their wings, offering her opportunities to travel, sponsoring her to become a “dame” with Les Dames d’Escoffier, and lending support as she relived some of her most disturbing memories when writing Wine Girl.

“They are all good people who encourage me to continue to be the same and never lose sight of why we’re in hospitality: to give back to the world around us,” says James.

“I try and live by Gandhi’s words: ‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’”

Her leadership at Cote reflects the strong commitment she’s made to the young women sommeliers working for her, setting an example for the industry with a zerotolerance harassment policy.

“If warranted, the team member is instantly removed from the situation so no further damage can occur and management can assess the situation,” she explains. “The goal is to protect our team members and remind those who dine with us that this is our workplace.”

She believes #metoo has not gone far enough, “not until there is equal representation of women and [people of color] in positions of power.” The launch of her passion project, Wine Empowered, is intended to help make that happen by equipping all women as well as people of color with a tuition-free wine education, opening the doors to professional growth.

“Now is the chance to make a difference and build a better, healthier industry,” she says.

“Find healthy mentors and no matter what your level, mentor those around you. You’re never too young to start mentoring other women.” 

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MILLENNIALS ARE CHANGING THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY. DO YOU KNOW HOW THEY IMPACT YOUR BUSINESS?

Managing Food Cost

Food cost isn’t a guessing game. There are proven strategies for lowering your costs and some of them might surprise you.

Managing Operations

More profit. Less stress. A better guest experience. Understanding it all starts with the day-to-day operations.

Marketing Your Business

Young customers are online. Are you?

Learn how to leverage social media to increase traffic and gain a stronger brand presence online.

CRUNCH THE NUMBERS. What would a 3% decrease in food cost mean to your bottom line?

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32% OF MILLENIALS check menus from their smartphone before visiting a restaurant Source: Upserve Restaurant Insider

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Serving

Social Impact Millennial values drive a purpose-obsessed foodservice boom Lena Katz

In her mid-20s, Rose McAdoo was working at a high-end wedding cake shop in New York, creating works of edible art that earned her a gold medal at the New York Cake Show. Last fall, she took her decorating skills through the intimidating gates of Rikers Island, where she taught a “storytelling through cake” workshop to female inmates.

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al i c o S tice Jus

Trai ning

ty i il b a n i Recotve a ry s Su G iv in g Back tg ofii Pra n r h S

It’s an ongoing series she’s created for prisons. It was entirely her idea, and she had to craft a proposal and pitch it as enthusiastically as another cake artist might pitch for a long-term brand sponsorship.

“I felt a conventional path wasn’t broad enough to encompass all my creative goals and interests,” she explains. “There’s a lot to get involved in, in the world, and food is such an accessible way to do that.”

McAdoo was first inspired to use food as a social justice conduit by an English-teaching and farming program for asylum seekers that Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm offers. Through working on that program, she realized that combining food with social justice was her wheelhouse and that she could create her perfect fit around her expertise and her interests.

Though not all millennials have found their exact purpose, many prioritize that discovery above a conventional path. Some work in foodservice, and those who are likeminded in other fields prefer to support food businesses that have a greater purpose.

A nationwide boom in restaurants and pop-up eateries with a social justice tie-in proves the appeal. In Lexington, Ky., DV8 Kitchen hires and provides a support system for people in substance abuse recovery. NOLA Vegan Café, in New Orleans, provides jobs and training to youth aging out of the foster system. Memphis-based food hall Global Café specializes in refugee cuisine concepts, and it’s operated by refugee entrepreneurs on a profit-sharing business model. And in Richmond, Va., restaurateurs Michele Jones and Jason Alley decided in 2018 to dedicate all proceeds from their joint venture Comfort to regional charities.

Not all of these ventures are fully owned or staffed by millennials, but the community support that enables them to thrive is a product of the much-discussed millennial “social justice” value system.

Besides social reform, the other area where foodservice pros often direct their purpose is sustainability and eco-friendly production. Just northwest of Kansas City, Mo., millennial former chef and certified nutritionist Natasha Bailey runs marketing for sheep dairy operation Green Dirt Farms. It supplies approximately 30 western Missouri restaurants and helps other farms update their facilities to be animal welfare-approved. Green Dirt Farms is also a Good Food Awards winner three years in a row.

“We teach other farmers practices that will keep them sustainable,” Bailey says. “Then we broaden our production by using their milk.”

“There’s a lot to get involved in, in the world, and food is such an accessible way to do that.”

– Rose McAdoo

She continues: “We believe that by building up the soil and putting nutrients back in, that when we produce our products, we’re putting good things out into the world. A lot of millennials [diners] look for that when they spend their money.” n

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X

BREAKING BREAD

THE

FACTOR

An online school for butchers?

Kari Underly’s got the chops.

Mindy S. Kolof

106 | RESTAURANT INC

Few positions in the food industry have been as immovably male-dominated as butchery. In 2020, that means time for a reboot. Third-generation butcher Kari Underly, born into the profession when women were rarely found with cleaver in hand, is determined to make it happen.

Underly has never been one to let others do the heavy lifting. Among this master butcher’s accomplishments: creating new, popular cuts of meat at the Beef Checkoff program, and earning a James Beard Foundation Award nomination for her comprehensive industry tome “The Art of Beef Cutting.”

In 2016, her devotion to butchery took a new turn as the local food movement swept the country, exposing a skills and gender gap she aimed to close in the most creative way possible by creating a web-based, meat-cutting school, the Range Meat Academy. With 90 people now pursuing their online certification as meat cutters and clerks, Underly’s on the hunt for an affordable venue where students can complete onsite testing for butcher certification.

Her three-year odyssey building the unique online platform encountered a few major challenges along the way, but the buoyantly optimistic Underly turned them into positives. Like many women, she lacked connections to outside capital, and decided to self-fund the academy.

“It’s risky,” she admits, “but I really believe in this and now I’m only in debt to myself.”

And while obtaining approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) as a trade school was an unforeseen and lengthy process, it’s brought unexpected benefits.

“I didn’t count on having to do that, but I’m grateful we did,” says Underly. “When people push back and ask ‘who made you the butcher

queen of the world?’—and some do—I can now say, ‘IBHE did.’ It also opened doors to other places where I can introduce the program, like high schools and rehab programs for prisoners.”

Currently, one-third of the Academy’s students are women, a number Underly hopes to grow and continually drive more females to the industry.

“The working hours for a butcher actually provide a quality of life not possible for kitchen workers,” she says. “There’s also a creative side to butchery that’s often overlooked.

“It’s like sculpting and you have to figure out what do with the layers. And unlike men, who generally focus on speed when cutting, women will be painting a bigger picture, already thinking how it can be prepared and served.”

Still, it’s not for the weak of heart or body.

Says Underly: “Butchery is hard work and will always be that way. Women have to be smart about using a cart to move the pieces around. It takes patience, practice and the courage to start your day with sharp knives in your hand and 400 pounds of meat to cut!”

What’s next for this passionate defender of the beef? Educating the next generation of meat pros is the top priority, and prophesying the next round of innovation in beef cuts. Her newest pick: a tender cut of meat located in the complexus muscle under the ribeye cap that she’s dubbed the ribeye petite tender. You read it here first! n

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BREAKING BREAD

Difference MAKING A

Kelli Byrd steps up to coordinate Reinhart’s ‘Season of Service’ events in Johnson City, Tenn.

Victor Ozols

108 | RESTAURANT INC

When it comes to supporting her community, words alone aren’t enough for Kelli Byrd. Born and raised in northeast Tennessee, the sales administrative assistant for Reinhart’s Johnson City facility knows that making a positive difference in people’s lives requires action. So shortly after being hired in 2018, she reached out to the employee engagement committee.

“I love being able to give back, and I love it when our employees tell me that helping out made them feel good.”

– Kelli Byrd, Reinhart Johnson City

“I went to our leadership and said I feel like we need to be doing more to give back to the community,” she says. “They said, oh do we have an opportunity for you.”

That opportunity was to become coordinator of Johnson City’s local “Season of Service” program, a companywide initiative that provides Reinhart employees an opportunity to give back through organized events twice a year. It was a perfect fit.

“Food scarcity and hunger is a big passion for me,” Byrd explains. “It’s something I studied in college and I care deeply about.

In northeast Tennessee about 13 percent of our population is food insecure, and that percentage is even higher when you consider more vulnerable populations like children, seniors and veterans.”

She soon found that she wasn’t alone in her desire to help. With the company’s long history of charitable works, her new office was already filled with eager volunteers ready to build upon their past efforts.

While “Season of Service” events vary, most conveniently fall right within Byrd’s area of interest.

“We’re a food company, so we try to focus our charitable efforts on alleviating hunger, and here in Johnson City that historically means helping at our local food bank in Kingsport,” she says. “It’s a one-day event, but for the six weeks leading up to the date we hold a canned food drive.”

Volunteers need to be flexible, as the work takes all forms.

“We walk in and ask, what do you need?”

Byrd says. “We’ve sorted produce. We’ve sorted canned goods. We’ve packed backpacks with nonperishable food for school children who are identified as being food scarce to take home and eat over the weekend.”

And while the work’s not easy, volunteers always enjoy taking part.

“I love to see our team coming together, and there’s an interesting cross section of people who volunteer,” she says.

“People who don’t get to interact with each other often spend three or four hours together packing food, and we always have a good time.”

For its most recent “Season of Service” event, the Johnson City division selected a charity whose work supports millions across the country.

“We’re doing something a little different and agreed to participate in American Cancer Society’s [‘Making Strides’] breast cancer walk because so many people are affected by it,” Byrd explains about the event that took place last October.

Whether she’s working with food pantries, walking for a cure, or helping out in some other way, Byrd always finds meaning in the company’s charitable efforts.

“I love being able to give back, and I love it when our employees tell me that helping out made them feel good,” she says. “It’s something that, from the beginning, told me that I worked for a good company.” n

WINTER 2020 | 109

HEALTHY LIVING

Addressing physical and mental wellness within the hospitality industry Briana Rupel

110 | RESTAURANT INC

A self-proclaimed jock with a B.S. and M.A. in kinesiology, the Maryland native found a full-time career as a bartender more exciting than the medical field, yet her background always shined through.

“I had become affectionately known as the nerdy person who would come around with their Tupperware full of food, going to the gym at two in the morning,” Ward recalls.

When her local industry chapter, the Baltimore Bartenders’ Guild, started a monthly education series, Ward’s first talk centered on healthy snacking at work and alternatives to post-shift drinking. Though she felt like an anomaly, a team from Lush Life who had hosted the Bar Institute, reached out with enthusiasm.

“They were like, ‘Hey, this is something you need to share with a larger group,” Ward says. “There [are] a lot of people who need to hear this.”

Our industry isn’t always conducive to the best habits. We’ll run through double shifts with aching arches, promising ourselves we’ll get better shoes next paycheck.

For the next two years, Ward toured the country, rotating through different health-related discussions geared toward bartenders. She soon began to see commonalities. Whether it was repetitive motion injuries leading to tendonitis, or lower back pain from poor posture, Ward’s professional understanding of how the body works gave greater insight as to why her peers were experiencing these injuries.

We’ll escape to the back and scarf down a handful of cold fries on our rush to the bathroom, ‘cause that’s the only break we’ll have time for on a Friday night.

Amie Ward—a.k.a. “The Healthtender”— gets it. Along with leading seminars at Tales of the Cocktail and the Toronto Cocktail Conference, Ward has made it her mission to provide those in the industry with the tools we need to mentally and physically thrive in this often-demanding career path.

“People were predominantly doing the same things,” she explained, “always using their dominant hand, picking up bottles in a way that was more stressful to their body. … and wearing generally crap shoes or not having inserts.

“I wasn’t able to see how to connect the two populations,” she continues, “and now it just makes complete sense. People weren’t realizing their [bodies were] actually working the same way as an athlete’s did, and they were absolutely not treating [them] as such either.”

Motivated by the overwhelmingly positive reception from the tours, Ward, also an ACE certified health coach, started her business in 2017 as The Healthtender, working with group and individual clients to curate the best programs for their needs, from stretching, taping, nutrition, mental health and more.

Ward has her sights on building a team that can reach more communities, including brand ambassadors, who have their own set of challenges from so much time on the road. Her Instagram followers participate eagerly in monthly brand-sponsored workout challenges that generally raise money and awareness for a specific cause.

“You gotta love yourself and invest in yourself,” Ward says. “This is our career, so let’s treat our bodies and our minds like we want to do it for the long haul.” n

WINTER 2020 | 111

HEALTHY LIVING

Swap Beer

for Barbells

Adopting a healthier lifestyle can boost performance at work Ari Bendersky

W

hile a party culture pervades the restaurant industry, many people have started to eschew that lifestyle to balance it with more wellness to their lives.

112 | RESTAURANT INC

In the last few years, there’s been a rise in a “sober curious” lifestyle, driven by the millennial generation, where people seek to drink little to no alcohol. This has become evident through the introduction of many low-alcohol drinks to zero-proof, spirit-free cocktails.

Many restaurants have started phasing out the idea of a “shift drink,” often due to an owner or chef getting sober and wanting to change the culture in his or her restaurant. It sets a different tone that many staffers start to follow.

“We don’t have a shift-drink culture here,” says Yasmin Roberti, the newly sober general manager of Philadelphia’s K’Far, an Israeli-inspired bakery that’s part of chef Michael Solomonov’s CookNSolo restaurant group.

Solomonov, now sober, very publicly spoke of his addiction to drugs and alcohol. “I see that arc when [younger people] first come into the restaurant, they can get swept up into that party culture. People realize at a certain point they’ll feel better if they’re working out instead of partying. [This business] is stressful and you need that release.”

CookNSolo offers some free sessions with local therapists if someone needs assistance overcoming alcohol or drugs, and it also encourages open dialogue around wellness and fitness, which is becoming more common.

“I talk about my consumption and how that’s changed,” says Andrew Volk, owner of Little Giant and Hunt + Alpine Club in Portland, Maine, who stopped drinking regularly in January 2019 and quickly lost 35 pounds.

“If you open up about what’s going on with you, it allows people to see they can make other choices. Not drinking or being more focused on wellness and exercise helps you when you are at work to be a better employee.”

Helping people move their careers forward by learning new skills has become a passion for Ryan Pfeiffer, executive chef at Chicago’s Blackbird restaurant.

He launched a program called After School Demos, a late-night culinary classroom for Blackbird employees and other local cooks. Instead of hitting the bars, Pfeiffer invites people to learn advanced techniques like breaking down a whole pig or how to make a French galantine.

“I hear more often than not, nowadays, that the new generation of cooks is not as dedicated as when ‘we’ were coming up in the kitchen,” Pfeiffer says.

“Perhaps in part to lifestyle choices like partying too much after work, lack of self-care, or due to the tremendous amount of stress and hours put into the restaurant.

“I wanted to change that thought by offering an off-the-clock space with the potential for knowledge and growth. It’s amazing how many people will show up just to learn something new, even after they worked the entire day and are more than likely exhausted.”

Normally we might suggest raising a glass to that idea, but instead, why not go for a run or do some yoga? n

WINTER 2020 | 113

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WINTER 2020 | 115

HEALTHY LIVING

A full decade before the Impossible Burger phenom changed the landscape, two visionary restaurateurs fearlessly went all in on menus packed with plants and protein and nary a trace of processed anything. Among the first to pave the way for the explosion of healthfocused restaurants to follow, Protein Bar & Kitchen and True Food Kitchen are still leading the pack.Â

116 | RESTAURANT INC

There wasn’t a “better for you” fast-casual category when Chicagobased Protein Bar opened, but the protein-centric shakes and bowls became instant hits. By the time Jeff Drake took over as CEO in 2017, competition had become fierce.

In a perfect example of rebranding without losing your core, Drake added a slew of healthy entrees designed to deliver on the original 15-grams-of-protein promise, riced cauliflower for the no-carbers and tacked “& Kitchen” to the name to signify the more complete food experience.

“We know that diners are seeking out and [are] willing to pay more for healthy options, but it’s not enough to just be ‘better for you.’ It has to be delicious and culinarily interesting too,” asserts Drake.

He kept rolling them out: sweet potato falafel, eggs perfectly poached sous vide, a healthy spin on buffalo wings, and in 2018, added one of the industry’s most buzzworthy ingredients, CBD oil, as a beverage boost. Offered as a special that spring, “it blew up,” recalls Drake, and now the carefully sourced CBD is available yearround.

True Food Kitchen (TFK) launched with a powerhouse of talent at the base, including integrative medicine founder Dr. Andrew Weil, whose anti-inflammatory food pyramid inspires the menu, an awardwinning chef and an uber-successful restaurateur.

Not surprisingly, the full-service restaurants were packed from the start with millennials, and growth is accelerating quicker than ever, with 29 locations and counting, according to brand chef Robert McCormick. Each is helmed by an executive chef and sous chefs, deftly crafting dishes like the “unbeetable” burger, a scratch-made affair of roasted beets, chickpeas, quinoa, oats and Kuzu root.

Everything, in fact, is made from scratch, cooked to optimize nutritional value, and deep fryers are non-existent. TFK continues to evolve, adding bowls, craft cocktails, even grass-fed steak, driven by their mission that food should always make you feel better.

McCormick advises on how you can take the first step towards a “better for you” vibe: “Eat a meal at your restaurant and if you feel like taking a nap afterwards, take a hard look at your pantry and your source for ingredients, and add a healthy vegetable to the menu.” n

WINTER 2020 | 117

It’s like food for your ears!

©2019 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C.

ADVERTISER INDEX

Legacy 72™ by Eagle Ridge®

[pg IFC-01]

TRACS® Mobile

[pg 05]

Good Roots™ Produce

[pg 69]

Reinhart Direct Ship

[pg 78-79] [pg 88-89]

Pillsbury™ Biscuits

[pg 10-11]

Culinary Secrets® Spices & Baking

Culinary Secrets® Catering to Gen Z

[pg 18-19]

Chairman’s Reserve® Prime Pork

[pg 97]

INTROS® Appetizers

[pg 24]

Restaurant 360

240 Group Social Media

[pg 28]

240 Group Websites

[pg 114]

Farmland® All-Natural Uncured Ham

[pg 39]

Restaurant Inc™ Podcast

[pg 118]

Bountiful Harvest® Sun Dried Fruit

[pg 44]

Mother Parkers® Cold Brew Coffee

[pg 119]

Just Bare® Chicken

[pg 52]

Legacy 72™ Angus Beef

[pg IBC]

Simplot® Harvest Fresh™ Avocados

[pg 57]

Alaska Seafood®

[pg BC]

COLD BREW COFFEE IS HOT

Brewing vessel (CE482)

13% 82% $0.40SERVINGS GROWTH SINCE LAST YEAR highest of all hot and cold coffee segments

of cold brew drinkers say its good to drink all year long

$1.00

PREMIUM PER CUP vs. hot and iced coffee

Reinhart’s cold brew solution provides:

CONSISTENCY

EASE OF EXECUTION

FLEXIBILITY

...all in an innovative format, so you can get the most out of the hottest trend in cold coffee.

For more information about crafting your Authentic Cold Brew, contact your REINHART Sales Consultant.

[pg 102-103]

Filter packs (NA830)

LAST BITES CASHING IN

Insta-dollars for the app-friendly generation Mindy Kolof

Immediate, instant cash via easy-to-use apps are music to the millennial ear. Two forward-looking companies are poised to transform how the restaurant industry rewards, engages and pays its tech-savvy employees.

DOSH

Dosh, a fast-growing, instant cash-back platform, is built on a bold, appealing concept described by CEO Ryan Wuerch as “democratizing advertising.”

For consumers, it means instant money when they dine at a restaurant on the Dosh platform, and for operators a triple win: re-engaging with lapsed customers, attracting new customers, and increasing transaction frequency and spend.

“Brands spend billions of dollars on advertising each year to create positive impressions, acquire customers and build loyalty,” explains Wuerch, “but frequently see no direct correlation with those goals. Dosh shifts the equation by moving those dollars directly to consumers and creates a powerful engagement tool for brands.”

Downloading Dosh enables customers to grab one of hundreds of offers in the marketplace and receive an instant reward. Restaurants are likewise easily onboarded and pay only when a transaction occurs: a fee between eight percent to 15 percent of the purchase, including cash back to the customer.

There’s no doubt Dosh is on a tear, as one of 2019’s top rated apps on Google and Apple, and recent integration with Venmo (a payment app favored by millennials and Generation Z). It may just prove to be 2020’s answer to the age-old dilemma of filling empty tables.

“Millennials want to be rewarded, but not used or monetized,” asserts Wuerch. “Dosh’s reward conveys the messages ‘this brand really likes me,’ and in a limitless world of dining options, gives them a reason to choose you.”

120 | RESTAURANT INC

Instant Financial

Instant Financial’s CEO Steve Barha is equally impassioned about the benefits of his same-day payment platform. Recognizing that most online financial transactions happened in real time, but restaurant payrolls were frozen in a two-week cycle, he set out to fix the problem with Instant.

The “plug and play” platform easily integrates into any existing payroll system, and since 2015 has helped thousands of restaurant employees receive their pay, plus tips at the end of each shift. The company is positioned for even more rapid growth in the future.

“Five years ago, no one was talking about this, and now it’s all they want to talk about,” marvels Barha.

Confirms David Alvarado, who previously worked at Instant and now manages finances at two thriving Tampa restaurants: “It’s the silver bullet for restaurant owners challenged to have cash on hand in a credit card transaction industry. I feel like I can’t operate a business without it.” n

New York Strip with Bacon Bleu Cheese Sauce BACON BLEU CHEESE SAUCE INGREDIENTS 32 oz Heavy Whipping Cream 7 oz

Green Onion

6 oz

Blue Cheese Crumbles

8 oz

Silver Smoked Single Bacon Shingle

1 oz

Arugula

1 ½ oz Red Onion 2 oz

Cherry Tomatoes

1 oz

Crumbled Goat Cheese

¼ oz

Large Candied Walnut Pieces, Crushed Up

½ oz

Sweet Vidalia Onion Dressing

INSTRUCTIONS Cook bacon. Reserve. Add heavy cream in pan, bring to boil and reduce heat. Add the blue cheese and stir.

Rough chop the bacon and add to pan. Green onions are used at the end as a garnish to really make this pop!!!

OUR LEGACY NEW YORK STRIP

INSTRUCTIONS Grill strip steak to temperature & cover with sauce and fresh green onions.

Legacy 72™ Angus Beef is produced and packaged in a single source facility in Dakota City, Nebraska. Our harvest and production facilities are strategically located in the heart of the Midwest to secure the best cattle available.

SUPPORTING SMALL FAMILY-OWNED PRODUCERS IS PARAMOUNT TO OUR BUSINESS, AS IS SUPPORTING AUTHENTIC AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. Chef Brian started as a dishwasher at a private golf course at the age of 14. He was a journeyman, reading and learning as much as he could to perfect his skills. He held a variety of positions including Executive Chef at Brett Farve’s Steakhouse in Green Bay, Wisconsin (a high volume restaurant that sits 850 people). He's been sharing his expertise with Reinhart customers for over 2 years as a Divisional Chef and has a true understanding of what it takes to succeed.

©2020 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C • Eagle Ridge® Brand is a trademark licensed by Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. ©2020 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C • Eagle Ridge® Brand is a trademark licensed by Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C.

WILDLY GOOD! Give your customers what they want — healthy, delicious and sustainable food that makes them feel good.

And there’s no end to what’s good about seafood from Alaska.

SUSTAINABLY HARVESTED

WILD-CAUGHT

SUPERIOR QUALITY

UNSURPASSED FLAVOR AND TEXTURE

RICH IN NUTRIENTS FOR GOOD MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH RESPONSIBLY MANAGED To learn more about this amazing seafood that supports a way of life for generations of families, visit alaskaseafood.org