Restaurant Inc. Winter 2018

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CURE ALL Yolks Get a Special Treatment

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LETTER FROM REINHART

It’s a New Year, and here at Restaurant Inc we’re taking a “new attitude” to heart. As the new Managing Editor of this award-winning, ever-evolving quarterly publication, I aim to take it to the next level.

Restaurant Inc. has been around since mid-2013, and along the way, we’ve spotlighted some of the nation’s top operators, uncovered some fascinating trends, and indulged in the tastiest food and drinks this country has to offer. Because we’re in the business of food, in every issue, we’ve also explored innovative new ways restaurants can improve their operations, manage food costs and more.

It’s safe to say we’re restaurant obsessed around these parts, and we don’t take our position for granted. We’re here to make sure you get what you need from us, be it a new take on a classic recipe for short rib roast or the latest information on new technology in online delivery services.

And speaking of food delivery services, our winter issue covers all the bases. Whether you’re looking to set up a delivery service for the first time or need advice on how to properly handle negative online customer reviews, Restaurant Inc features a wealth of information.

Also in this issue: From “10 Things Food Inspectors Look For In Your Kitchen” to the pros and cons of “green” cleaning, we take on the Back of the House.

Get ready for an overhaul on our website as well. We’re planning some great new features and content that will further our agenda of strengthening the restaurant industry. We look forward to you joining us there, too!

As always, we thank you for your support throughout the years. If you have any feedback on the magazine, stories to share or ideas for features, email us at magazine@rfsdelivers.com or comment on our social media channels.

Here’s to a great New Year!

– Audarshia Townsend | Managing Editor

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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS/WRITERS AUDARSHIA TOWNSEND A Chicago-based author, seasoned food & cocktail culture writer and regular contributor to Chicago’s top-rated WGNTV’s “WGN Morning News,” Audarshia Townsend is Restaurant Inc’s new Managing Editor. She enjoys discovering new dining and drinking trends in her hometown and beyond.

ARI BENDERSKY A Chicago-based lifestyle journalist specializing in food, wine, music and travel and the author of "1000 Food & Art Styling Ideas” Ari, the former founding editor of Eater Chicago, 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, Restaurant Inc, Huffington Post and many more publications.

NICOLE L’HUILLIER FENTON Owner of Skillet Creative, Nicole has extensive experience in food marketing and journalism. As a former awardwinning broadcast journalist, she has turned her love of storytelling into a design and marketing firm that supports specialty food producers nationwide as well as regional and local food markets.

She lives in Vermont, one of the leading food-forward states and home to an unprecedented number of craft breweries.

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, cuttingedge 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.

MARY DAGGETT A veteran creative professional with experience working in television, as a vice president at an advertising and PR firm and operating her own freelance business, Mary has specialized in event marketing, video production, PR and advertising campaigns. Her foodservice clients have included Reinhart, Kraft, the Wisconsin Dairy Industry, Manitowoc Ice Machines and Ambrosia Chocolate. She has won NAMA "Best of Show" and numerous other accolades.

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JENN BUSHMAN Jenn is a seasoned Creative Services Manager, Art Director, and Graphic Designer based in Chicago, IL. She possesses a combination of conceptual and strategic strength with 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 practice oil painting, printmaking and drawing.

JENNBUSHMAN.COM

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

CREATIVE CONTRIBUTORS

DREW FRIGO A well rounded creative professional, Drew brings bold ideas to the table. 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 the Junior Graphic Designer on the Marketing Team at Reinhart Foodservice Chicago. Having just joined the team back in July of this year, she is excited to dive in and get to know the ins and outs of the foodservice industry.

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.

SUZFOODSTYLE.COM

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 Contributors 08 Quick Bites 10 A VIEW FROM THE TOP: Industry Professionals’ Predictions for 2018 14 The Moveable Feast 17 AN OPEN INVITATION …

Redefining Today’s Restaurant Design 21 SLEEK. SUSTAINABLE. SMART. Kitchen Concepts for 2018 23 Future Casting 2018 26 STOCK TIPS: Art Of Inventory 28 The Taxman Cometh 32 It's A Family Affair: Working in the Restaurant Biz 34 Damage Control: How to Manage Negative Online Reviews for Delivery Service

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Cronert MANAGING EDITOR

36 Meals on Wheels: What’s the Right Vehicle for Delivery?

Audarshia Townsend

38 Food Fight: Delish on Demand

ART DIRECTION & LEAD DESIGNER

66 3 Food Stylists Reveal Secrets of Making Dishes Instagram Ready

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 magazine@rfsdelivers.com

68 6 New Cocktail Trends 70 Tending to Your Bar

©2018 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The trademarks depicted herein are trademarks (registered or otherwise) of their respective owners.

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TO C c ont in u e d 72 Gourmet Food Chef Picks

104 Uh Oh! It’s the Food Inspector!

75 To Deliver or Not to Deliver

106 Finders Keepers: Holding on to High Performers

77 Catering to the Take-Out Menu 78 Keep Your Delivery Customers Happy 80 PACK IT UP: Packaging Can Make or Break a Delivery Experience 82 Efficiently Delivering Orders Beyond Pizza 84 Restaurants Rate Top Online Delivery Platforms 87 A Well-Oiled Machine

112 A Hire Calling 114 7 Ways to Reconnect with Your Kitchen Staff 118 Top Ten Safety Tips For The Restaurant Employee 121 Make Food Safety Part of Your New Year Review 122 Future Events for Foodies

89 Whistle While you Work

123 Advertiser Index

91 Restaurant 360 Section 98 Kitchen Spring Housekeeping 99 Green Up Your Cleaning 100 Waste Not: From Farm to Fork and Back to Farm

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110 Solutions for Effective Training & Scheduling

124 Spring Sneak Peek 126 All About Fennel 128 Cure All: Suddenly Cured Egg Yolks Are Everywhere

©2017 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The trademarks depicted herein are trademarks (registered or otherwise) of their respective owners.

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QB Quick Bites for Your Brain

Before we feast upon this issue, here’s something to whet your appetite: From hot new books and social media feeds to dining and drinking establishments getting the most buzz.

Compiled by Audarshia Townsend

Something Extravagant $24 CUP OF COFFEE AT ELEVEN MADISON PARK

$100 BURGER AT ROISTER

– NYC

– CHICAGO

The restaurant’s coffee director spends about 10 minutes preparing one cup of coffee, using rare, highend beans and fancy machines.

Of course, there’s a luxury burger on the menu at this Fulton Market District destination. Roister is owned by Grant Achatz—the three-starred Michelin chef/owner of Alinea—and its burger is topped with two four-ounce A-5 Wagyu patties, sharp cheddar, cremini mushrooms marinated in sherry vinegar, minced shallots and a housemade sauce.

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Interested in recommending a book, app or social media account?

Email us magazine@rfsdelivers.com with your suggestion.

NEWEST PLAYERS IN THE FOOD HALL SCENE

CHINA LIVE Located in San Francisco’s historic Chinatown, this sprawling, two-level venue showcases traditional and modern Chinese eateries and cocktail lounges.

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GRANDVIEW PUBLIC MARKET Florida’s first-ever food hall destination is chef driven and located in West Palm Beach’s Warehouse District.

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WELLS ST. MARKET This highly anticipated collective in Chicago’s downtown Loop neighborhood features casual concepts by Food Network star Jeff Mauro, a James Beard award winner, Michelin star recipients and others.

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For Your Nightstand

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A VIEW FROM THE TOP Industry Professionals’ Predictions for 2018

by Mary Daggett At the start of each year, Restaurant Inc checks in with eminent industry professionals across the nation to find out which food and beverage trends, global influences, technologies, issues and hot buttons they predict will affect our industry going forward. Here’s what we learned.

Christopher Gross

Christopher’s & Crush Lounge, Phoenix Chef Christopher Gross has been an influential arbiter of good taste and the creator of fine French bistro fare for decades in Phoenix. He garnered the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest, and was the first Arizona chef to win the Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence.

He was recently presented the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Scottsdale Culinary Hall of Fame. He has cooked with Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, yet most days, he can be found happily toiling away in his kitchen.

Restaurant Inc: What foods have caught your interest lately?

Chef Gross: I am interested in what is happening with local farmers. I’ve sampled some fantastic heirloom tomatoes and vegetables recently. Foraged morels, ramps and wild asparagus have vast appeal to me. My father grew up in rural Missouri, and talked of hunting, fishing and foraging as a way of life. Ancient grains continue to emerge as mainstream ingredients in the U. S. One of my favorites is freekeh. It’s a type of green durum wheat, and its seeds are roasted and sun-dried right in the fields.

I am not as adventurous as some of my peers. When I travel with other chefs, I am always reluctant to try things that are exceedingly crunchy, slimy or that squirt something unknown into my mouth when I bite into them. I would not surprise my customers with such things.

Restaurant Inc: As Wine Spectator will attest, Christopher’s has long been acclaimed for its excellent wine list. Have you discovered new varieties or emerging wine regions that have impressed?

Chef Gross: Yes. On a recent Kermit Lynch Wine Tour, I tasted some really marvelous Corsican wines – both red and white. Value is always a consideration. Very few diners will purchase the most expensive bottles or the least expensive.

Restaurant Inc: What operational and business issues will be impactful?

Chef Gross: Labor laws and immigration issues. It’s critical for any operation to be able to find qualified help. Robotics, drones, autonomous delivery vehicles – all of these are becoming viable solutions for operators — a direct result of labor issues.

Restaurant Inc: Any discoveries that have made your life easier?

Chef Gross: In mid-2018, my partner, Jamie Hormel, and I will premiere an exclusive 26-seat, all-kitchen restaurant in the Wrigley Mansion. We are using induction cooktops here. I find they are fast, effective, safe and they keep the kitchen cooler. I also am using cooking cabinets for slow cooking.

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Daniel Bonanno

A Pig in a Fur Coat, Madison, Wisconsin

The headline on the website for A Pig in a Fur Coat reads “Om nom nom nom,” and people have been enthusiastically eating up what Chef Daniel Bonanno puts on their plates. The concept is just five years old, yet Madison Magazine selected Chef Bonanno as “2017 Chef of the Year.”

Restaurant Inc: Looking forward, what foods or global cuisine do you predict will have true impact on the industry in 2018?

Chef Bonanna: I predict major impact centered around Latin food. I have tasted some moles lately that are just excellent. There are so many interesting varieties of chili peppers and new corn species. Tomatillos are taking hold, too.

Restaurant Inc: What keeps you awake at night?

Chef Bonanno: That’s easy. It would have to be staffing. I want everybody to earn a comfortable living wage. It’s so difficult to manage because margins are already so small. An operator can only raise his prices so much without losing business.

Restaurant Inc: What local products do you favor?

Chef Bonanno: I have gotten to know several local farmers really well, and I trust that I will get consistency from them. There are a lot of younger farmers around here who are truly passionate about what they are doing. I can procure the best tomatoes, artichokes, beans, peas, favas and eggplant.

We use a lot of vegetables here all year. I am seeing hoop houses crop up to extend the Wisconsin growing season, and some farmers are using root cellars for winter storage. Last spring, I was still getting beets and carrots from the previous fall harvest, and they were outstanding.

continued

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Neal Fraser Redbird, Los Angeles

Chef Neal Fraser and Amy Knoll Fraser are coowners of Redbird and several other L.A. restaurants. Chef Fraser is a Culinary Institute of America grad, and has cooked at Spago, Pinot Bistro, Rox and Boxer. He beat Chef Cat Cora on The Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” and Bobby Flay on “Beat Bobby Flay.” Redbird is included on the coveted Los Angeles Times Gold List.

Restaurant Inc: What’s new and exciting in your West Coast world?

Chef Fraser: We’re moving into urban farming with our vegetable garden in the back of Redbird. We’re growing okra, basil, tomatoes, artichokes and honey nut squash, which has a sweet nutty flavor. We’ve recently added a 275-gallon aquarium to house our organically raised trout. Our customers are intrigued.

We do a lot of in-house pickling and fermentation, including lemons, kimchi, ramps and green beans. The end product has a wonderful, tangy flavor. We tend not to preach to our customers, so I doubt if many are aware of the probiotic factor. We also make our own sausage from rabbit, lamb and pork.

I am using more organ meats such as sweetbreads, tripe, beef heart and calf liver. Once people get past the thought of the horrible liver our mothers used to make us eat, they really enjoy these products, even at center of the plate.

Restaurant Inc: Any new discoveries to share with our readers?

Chef Fraser: I’ve recently found a new and unique brandy from Armenia, and we’re using the Silk Road Cocktail Collection. Both are outstanding. We use our own pickled ramps as cocktail garnish, and even have a drink called “Pickled Ramp Gimlet.”

I am also very enthusiastic about the Winston CVAP steam ovens, which use controlled vapor technology.

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David Menis

V.P. Marketing, Chopt Salad Company, New York This 16-year-old main dish salad concept opened its first store in NYC’s hip and happening Union Square.

It has since set the industry standard. Today, there are 22 locations in and around New York City, eight in Washington, D.C., four in Maryland, four in Virginia and five in North Carolina. All locations offer catering.

Restaurant Inc: What’s new at Chopt?

David Menis: We pride ourselves on our dressings.

We’ve recently begun using non-dairy emulsifiers, which allow us to deliver rich, full-bodied dressings in a healthier fashion. We’re also now using aquafaba (chickpea water) to add creaminess to our Spanishinspired Spicy Pimento Caesar. Another innovation is the use of apple pectin in our Local Apple Vinaigrette, inspired by Southern cooking.

Restaurant Inc: Your menu is peppered with global influences. How do you explore global trends?

David Menis: We are absolutely passionate about bringing the flavors of the world to our guests. We travel the globe, and have found the best-quality fish sauce in Vietnam, the most amazing Portuguese olive oil and the hottest chile in Thailand.

Restaurant Inc: What are the critical factors in keeping your guests satisfied?

David Menis: For us, it starts with our ingredients. Our steak is grass-fed, our chicken is humanely raised and antibiotic-free, our shrimp is wild-caught by American fishermen. For today’s customers, value goes beyond food. Time is the new currency, so brands must continue to focus on convenience.

And all of this must come with a price point that is approachable for the market.

Stephen Zagor

Dean of Culinary Business and Industry Studies, Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), New York City Steve Zagor has 16-years tenure at ICE, which enrolls 20,000 students per year in its five programs (Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Culinary Management, Hospitality Management and Recreational Cooking).

Restaurant Inc: You are helping to shape future industry professionals. What factors are important for them to realize?

Steve Zagor: Graduating from a culinary school is just the tip of the iceberg. I encourage them to continue learning throughout life. Never grow complacent. Confidence comes from acquiring knowledge and skills and developing a broad perspective.

I stress the fact that in the business world, you are only as good as your reputation. Protect your good name. Always be honest, ethical and fair; develop a good moral compass. Show up for work or outside meetings on time. Arriving late makes a terrible impression. Practice working hard, but keep in mind the importance of maintaining balance in your life.

Restaurant Inc: What are current trends from your broad perspective?

Steve Zagor: Americans are staying home lots more, which is why we are seeing the growth in take-out and home delivery. As a reaction to the craziness in the world, people are more conservative and looking for stability.

There is growing momentum to raise the minimum wage, which would result in price increases for most operations. I predict growth in robotics and vending to lower labor costs.

Baby Boomers are focused on health and want the foods they eat to contribute to lower fat, lower salt and lower cholesterol. Millennials are interested in sustainability, locally produced ingredients and food that tells a story. n

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The Moveable

Feast

by Mindy Kolof

Hold the fries, sauce the sandwiches and load the truck: how to cater to your masses

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s every restaurant operator knows, timing is everything. Keeping fried foods crispy, hot foods steaming and ice cream at just the right frostiness takes skill in the traditional setting … but packing it up and taking it on the road requires a ramped-up attention to detail and a well-planned choice of offerings. We conferred with two award-winning catering companies who shared their secrets to delivering customer satisfaction and burnishing their brand, one sterno at a time. Their top tips include:

Fried is challenging but not impossible.

“We flash fry about 30 minutes before we leave for delivery,” says Jennifer CafferataScriven, Sales and Operations Manager at Blue Plate Catering, “and transport in hot caves that hold the heat but don't trap moisture.” Catering by Michaels Director of Operations Jeff Ware, a 16-year industry veteran, takes a different tack, delivering those items cold with instructions to reheat onsite and give the foods a chance to crisp up again.

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Keep composed.

Optimal for catering are dishes that are composed, says Cafferata-Scriven, such as lasagna, a champion at holding both heat and flavor and for arriving unruffled by its travels. Pack pans appealingly full, but not bursting at the sides.

Don’t side the sauces.

At Blue Plate, thicker sauces are slathered atop their wide array of sandwiches. Cream cheese-based wraps, hummus, herbed goat cheese or pimento cheddar cheese spreads, dried cherry jams, or a super robust aioli are all used to keep the insides deliciously moist. The same tactic works to maintain beef’s juiciness, as it will continue to cook over a sterno … think sweet and sour sauce for cocktail meatballs.

Fish? Handle with care.

Keep fish from drying out by covering with a starch like quinoa or farro, or a tomatobased sauce. Avoid thin fishes like tilapia in favor of heartier ones such as cod.

Build a separate, catering-specific menu.

Just pulling bestsellers from the regular menu is not recommended. A really profitable catering program may consist of variations of in-house menu favorites but should primarily contain items specially chosen for their ability to present beautifully upon arrival and hold heat without drying out. So while mozzarella sticks fly off the menu daily at Michael’s restaurant, the catering menu has nary a mention of the savory snacks, because they don’t travel or reheat well. Instead, says Ware, they created items just for the catering menu, such as their now-famous chicken piccata with parsley garlic fettucine. “Consider that your competition includes chain restaurants with wellknown catering divisions and or warehouse stores, and differentiate yourself with signature items,” he advises.

Temperature control is key.

Best practices include using generous amounts of plastic wrap around the pans to hold in the heat, transporting hot items in metal caves, packing plenty of dry ice for frozen products, and investing in refrigerated trucks or vans. Keep your delivery window at the forefront throughout your entire prep, packing and transportation process.

Consider your delivery truck a traveling billboard for your brand.

Your vans can deliver a strong brand message along with your noteworthy food. “A blank vehicle is a huge missed opportunity,” maintains Ware, “and every piece of packaging should likewise be branded.” Agrees Cafferata-Scriven: “Our vans provide so much extra exposure, they’re in and out of the city all day long.” In the same spirit, train your drivers to be brand ambassadors. Arm them with marketing collateral to accompany the meals, and ensure they’re extensively coached and fluent in menu knowledge, customer service and your brand values. Implement a shadowing program a la Blue Plate in which they ride along with other drivers, and then are supervised by a senior driver before a solo run.

Stay small.

The small bites trend is still trending strong in the catering world. Blue Plate’s best sellers encompass everything from mini waffle sandwiches to wrap pinwheels to sweet bites, and Michael’s sells hundreds of thousands of mini sandwiches every year.

Plan ahead.

If you’re primed and eager to start the catering arm of your operation, Ware recommends you ask: Do I have a thoughtful, well-designed mix of items? Is my staff trained specifically to understand catering needs and be able to comfortably handle issues on the fly? Do I have the right equipment to safely prepare and transport food?

Do I have a complete marketing strategy in place, including photography, advertising, collateral and packaging materials? If you can answer all in the affirmative, you’re ready to take your show on the road! n

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AN OPEN INVITATION …

HOW GLASS WALLS, NO WALLS AND EXPOSED KITCHENS ARE REDEFINING TODAY’S RESTAURANT DESIGN

by Mindy Kolof

The past decade has been all about breaking down traditional boundaries … between farmer and diner, front of house and back of house, customer and chef.

The most visible manifestation has been the evolution of the open kitchen, a red hot concept that is elevating the dining experience everywhere from bustling walk-up smoothie bars to quietly elegant bistros. What’s behind, or more accurately, right upfront about this trend? The key words are connection, transparency, appreciation for craft and customization, as you’ll see in the conversation below with some of the industry’s most imaginative designers and thought leaders. Explore and discover how you can embrace the movement and open the doors to the legion of customers who savor every detail of their meal, down to the final flip of the spatula.

OUR EXPERTS: AMY MORRIS

co-founder and co-creative director, The MP Shift, a ‘notoriously chic’ NY-based design studio that specializes in turning clients' ideas into lasting brands.

DOUGLAS DEBOER

CEO, Rebel Design, an award-winning restaurant and hospitality design firm established in 1985, known for successfully integrating bold, contemporary design, regardless of budget, locale or client challenge.

STEVEN STARR

self-professed ‘total foodie’ and leader of starrdesign, a firm headquartered in NC that takes pride in connecting people and brands through inspired environments.

JOE CARBONARA

Editorial Director, restaurant development + design (RD&D), a leading national resource for restaurant professionals charged with building new locations and remodeling existing units.

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WHAT INSPIRED THIS TREND?

Morris: Restaurants have evolved into a third space over the past 10 years: a place where you connect with the community. An open kitchen feels more welcome and evokes a connection to home — where your friends gather. Additionally, the chef is more aware of looking beyond the kitchen to create the right experience. Having a view on the room creates a deeper understanding.

DeBoer: The perceived value of an open display kitchen is the staff's interaction with the customer, and the customer's feeling that the restaurant has nothing to hide in the preparation of dishes. Customers can satisfy their curiosity about the inner workings of a professional kitchen, while being reassured of hygiene conditions. Above all it is a question of taste and appreciation. Not only does the customer have more appreciation for the dishes being prepared for them, the chefs perform better when they see the diners enjoying their dishes.

Starr: In the beginning, it was all about the magic of food prep and celebrating the chef.

Seen more in fine dining at that point, it was a precursor to the popularity of celebrity chefs like Emeril, Giadia, Boulud, and places like Nobu and Le Cirq. That was followed by a shift to ‘eatertainment,’ a focus on food theatre and the emergence of hyper-themed restaurants such as Rainforest Café and Hard Rock Cafe, with expo kitchens to emphasize the idea of cooks as entertainers … not about the craft but more about the energy and dynamics of the kitchen. It was also seen in the tableside guacamole preparation at Mexican restaurants.

Today, this trend extends well beyond the chef-driven realm to polished casual and fast casual dining, and the message has become more about transparency, and the freshness, authenticity and integrity of the food being produced. The stakes have changed along with the message, and the point of entry at fast casual now is an expo kitchen or people feel as if you’re concealing something. So what do you do now to make it better than real or fresh?

The message now is ‘made to order,’ which is clearly seen in an open kitchen.

Carbonara: First, transparency - customers love the action and the drama that goes with the kitchen. The desire to know more about the lineage of the food has transitioned into food prep as well. Second, customization, or the Chipotle effect, which has gone way beyond fast casual, as customers in all settings want to see their meal made for them. Third, the experience. This is the Food Network generation, and everyone wants a seat by the kitchen so they can watch the meal unfold before their eyes. It’s been a gradual build, and there’s no end in sight; we’re seeing this move into healthcare facilities with restaurants on the property as well as on patient menus.

WHAT ARE THE PARTICULAR CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT OPERATORS SHOULD BE AWARE OF IN OPTING FOR THIS KIND OF DESIGN? 18 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

DeBoer: The two most important design-related challenges are the transmission of noise and aromas. In small venues particularly, these two issues can have a profound effect. Some restaurant operators like the "buzz" of an open kitchen as it make a place feel alive. On the other hand, it can make intimate conversation difficult and drown out background music often used to set the mood in a restaurant.

Starr: To do it well you have to commit to a highly trained labor force and be incredibly rigorous about process and procedure and protocol in all areas because you’re in the public eye and being watched constantly.

Carbonara: Everyone starts out with great intentions but realizes there are some things the customer doesn’t want to see. Understand what belongs under the customer’s watchful eye and what doesn’t – butchering whole animals, ice process, dishwashing, cutting chicken parts. There’s a big difference between cooking to order and preparing to order; you’re primarily bringing the meal assembly and finishing out into the open. Also, consider the impact on storage needs and labor costs – can you prep during shoulder periods when there’s not a huge line of customers but you’re still out in the open?

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN INCORPORATING THIS CONCEPT INTO YOUR DESIGNS?

Morris: When working on the floorplans for a brand, we always look to create an additional connection … a traditional standing coffee bar, or a private counter for four that is hidden at the end. One of our most recent examples is Verde, a new fast-casual concept by chef Gonzalo Gout, in Flatiron, NYC, where culinary techniques are applied to fresh and local ingredients. The kitchen is half open – all the prep is done in a back kitchen that is divided by a glass fridge wall from the front kitchen, where the mise en place and final plating are visible to the public. Verde features a counter service for lunch, and an easy-going downtown atmosphere for a dinner service at night, meant to bring a less corporate dining experience but still offer refined dishes. Warm pink, blue and green tones are mixed together with high-end materials like marbles, oak and copper to reflect the high quality of the salads in a casual setting. We also inserted details that highlight imperfection such as the reuse of marble in the floorboards.

Starr: We used it in Zoe’s Kitchen, a successful chain of healthy Mediterranean quick-serve restaurants featuring meals freshly made in-house, daily. Our newest project, Bellagreen (literally meaning ‘beautiful world’) in Houston, is a fast-casual concept featuring an open kitchen, chef-inspired environment that’s inexpensive and convenient. Sustainability is a core value, and the menu is created around people with dietary restrictions, but with no compromise on flavor or taste. There’s high-protein ‘hempanadas’, honey fried goat cheese arugula salad and quinoa mac and cheese. The entire hot prep line is on display, and customers see the natural ingredients, the people cooking their food, and how everything is made to order.

DeBoer: Open or display kitchens have popped up across the world in venues from street food to fine dining. We’ve been designing and building open-style kitchens of one form or another since the late ‘90s.

DeBoer: Yes, the only issues for open kitchens include structural limitations, hooding/ extraction requirements and building code limitations for some structures.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADAPT THIS DESIGN TO AN EXISTING SPACE?

Starr: Yes, but certain factors must be considered. To meet food health department regulations, a kitchen must be well lit, much brighter than the dining area, and easily cleanable. It can be a bit tricky to make it look good and still comply with regulations. The least expensive strategy would involve fiberglass reinforced plastic on the walls, but this certainly does not communicate healthy and sustainable! Put a lot of thought into how to present the cooking process. A retrofit might make it difficult to bring everything out front, but if you feature specific hero products, and one or two elements of the process, it’s more possible to achieve. For instance, maybe you have a salad tossing station, but all the ingredients are assembled and prepared in back. Consider what Danny Meyer did in Gramercy Tavern – the kitchen is hidden except for the grill, and only the small plate specialty items are cooked on it. Or the Original ChopShop in Phoenix, Ariz., where the veggies are out in full display on white marble islands and counters, but the hardcore cooking is done in back. The customer still feels like everything is made to order, because they see their juice and protein shake made that way. n

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A family owned company honoring an Italian tradition for over Years!

50

Supplier of Meatballs, Pasta & Eggplant Products

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL REINHART SALES CONSULTANT

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Sleek. Sustainable. Smart.

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Kitchen Concepts for 2018: How does your kitchen stack up?

by Mindy Kolof

E

xtreme multitasking is a way of life for the independent restaurateur, and today’s advanced kitchen boasts products more than equal to the task … packing numerous functions into expo-worthy packages that save space, time and resources. No longer relegated to the back of the house, kitchen equipment manufacturing is a swiftly growing industry, increasingly attracting visionary designers and engineers with a passion for invention. As the senior vice president of innovation at leading foodservice equipment provider Welbilt, Richard Caron exemplifies the futuristic thinking grounded in operator value that distinguishes the company’s portfolio of award-winning brands.

As Caron asserts, true innovation is about so much more than simply designing a better fryer or oven (although Welbilt has plenty of those), it's about changing the experience at the intersection of established disciplines. “The kitchen of the future will seamlessly integrate food, people and equipment, along with technology, to propel real growth for operators,” says Caron. Given those parameters, the future may have already arrived in many respects. Caron highlighted some of the industry’s hottest new concepts and offered an intriguing peek at what’s waiting in the wings:

Accelerated cooking ovens A real high achiever in the kitchen, these ovens can toast a sandwich in 50 seconds … also bake, broil, roast and poach fish, all at 10-15 times the speed with gourmet quality. Ventless, and combining microwave and convection cooking methods, they’re compact enough to place anywhere.

Combi ovens Launched about 10 to 15 years ago to replace conventional ovens, a combi oven is a real workhorse for multiple cooking platforms.

The combination of convection, steam and smoking is ideal for bulk cooking, across all day parts. “These ovens will continue to evolve and do even more, extending into proofing and copying as well,” predicts Caron. Shown here: Convotherm 4 easyTouch®, seamlessly shifting cooking modes with a push of a button from smoking to baking or steaming. A barbecue grill rack with cross pattern and a ‘crisp and tasty’ function can also be added for extra capabilities.

Another benefit for operators is the fully automatic cleaning system, eliminating the need for employees to touch any cleaning chemicals.

Preservation in refrigeration Also in the pipeline is use of ozone to kill microbes and sanitize water, nano technology that keeps vegetables in a fresher state for longer periods, and multifunctional appliances that can self-sanitize at end of day.

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Deep fat frying

Blended Beverage Systems

The challenges posed from a health perspective prompted a great deal of research and redesign to improve the product. The focus on oil quality has led to enhanced filtering technology in fryers, with automatic sensors and real-time alerts. There’s much more to come, promises Caron, including work on smart, cloud-based operating systems and a rotary fryer with automatic feeder and built-in filtration.

Dispense, blend and serve beverages, smoothies, frappes and milk shakes in the same container to save space and ensure speed of service. “This is actually three appliances in one – an under-counter refrigerator, ice machine and blending station,” says Caron.

Nitro Coffee Holding An often overlooked category, but ripe with innovation as operators seek to create the right environment to promote the shelf life and quality of food over time, according to Caron, in minutes. Currently, most systems just control temperature, but air velocity, relative humidity and radiant heat loss are important variables that are being factored into new equipment in order to significantly extend the hold time. RFID technology will play a key role in managing and tracking inventory, quality control and food safety. For example, when moving trays from a large holding cabinet in back after bulk cooking to a smaller one to bring front of house, the RFID sensors will monitor the movement seamlessly and keep track of the remaining holding time.

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The cold brew coffee with nitrogen infusion has exploded in popularity in the last year, fueled by java lovers who crave the higher caffeine content and creamy sensory profile. Using dispensing and carbonating techniques from the beer industry, the nitro brew offers a unique drinking experience, a true ‘theatre of the pour,’ which resonates with Millenials. “Even the rate at which caffeine is absorbed into the brain is more intense,” says Caron.

Shown here: Multiplex N2-Fusion system, which incorporates in-line nitrogeneration to allow for still and nitro coffee to be dispensed from the same source through different taps; a refrigerated base that keeps the product below 41 degrees F for a coolly, consistent pour, and a waterfall effect as it dispenses that intrigues customers and drives higher ticket purchases. “You can go beyond coffee with this system, and infuse everything from teas and juices to cocktails,” says Caron. n

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Future Casting 2018

by Mindy Kolof

What’s the next big thing? We’ve tapped the minds of our experts and, on the next few pages, we’ll take a look at trends, ideas and gadgets that are set to make waves this year.

Menu. Technology. Chrome.

Trends and ideas that could impact your business Douglas DeBoer CEO, Rebel Design+Group • “ENCOURAGING GUEST ENGAGEMENT: Bars and restaurants are now being designed with 'Instagram-able' moments in mind. Customers want to share their “ringside” experience while dining, and the desire to be in the center of the action is having a definite influence on restaurant design.

• INGREDIENT-DRIVEN MENU DESIGN: While traditional restaurateurs still shy away from culinary trends, it is undeniable that healthy, gluten-free, vegan and dairy alternative advocates are driving the changes in the kinds of foods today’s society is consuming.

• CONNECTING TO THE WORLD: Today, customers all but expect to find free WiFi in restaurant and other venues across the globe. Many venues are taking it further by also offering USB connections and other changing options for the connected mobile generation. While the apploving crowd can typically be found in these areas, some restaurants are also incorporating “device-free” zones for those that want to be less connected.

• ARRIVAL OF ROBOTS: Changes in minimum wage requirements are resulting in rising labor and operation costs, and several restaurant brands (primarily fast food & QSR concepts) are experimenting with the use of kiosks, automation of services and robot-mechanical cooks behind the line. As technology continues to innovate and become refined, it is likely robots will have a profound effect on the future of the restaurant business.”

Amy Morris Co-founder and co-creative director, The MP Shift design studio “Chrome, the ‘60s and ‘70s are making a big comeback in fashion and interiors, and with it, many of the chrome chairs and accents from that time. We also see linoleum making a comeback - a smart material for high traffic areas, now available in many great colors and patterns.”

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Joe Carbonara Editorial Director, restaurant development + design • “Building around one piece of equipment like a wood hearth oven or grill. Using the kitchen to set expectations that the customer is about to experience – breaking down produce, working on a wood- fired oven to add warmth to design, live fuel or charcoal grill for drama.

• Continue to celebrate ingredients – we now expect to see the far-totable bounty and look for how it’s used to create a memorable plate of food.

• It’s an Instagram world, and even the biggest chains, menu items and restaurants are designing plates, colors and lighting with that in mind. Restaurants continue to embrace the concept, offering free desserts for posting on Instagram, etc.

• Accent on beverage programs, adding a unique experience for diners. For instance, the tableside cocktail cart at Chicago’s Swift and Sons, where they muddle, shake and pour the drinks right at the table.”

Richard Caron Senior Vice President of Innovation, Welbilt, Inc. “The connected kitchen: built with a smart cloud-based operating system that allows for collection of all data and information to control kitchen end to end. In this type of system there would be back-of-the-house optimization, drive-through optimization, front-ofthe-house optimization, kitchen management and control, in-store analytics, inventory management and equipment connectivity.” n

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Buttermilk Pancake Mixes Culinary Secrets products are simply the very best gourmet-quality foods available in foodservice today. Made from the finest ingredients, products from the Culinary Secrets brand provide that “made from scratch” flavor today’s busy chef counts on. Our Buttermilk Pancake Mixes are no different. Culinary Secrets... for chefs who know the difference.

PANCAKES

Western Style Buttermilk Pancake Mix

are the

Fluffy, tender pancakes with the mild sweet dairy flavor of buttermilk.

#1 BREAKFAST starch

ON THE MENU Source: MenuMonitor® | 2015-2016

Sweet Buttermilk Pancake Mix

54%

Thick, cake like pancakes with sweet cream buttermilk flavor and the sweet aroma of vanilla.

OF CONSUMERS enjoy eating

BREAKFAST FOODS at

Eastern Style Buttermilk Pancake Mix

NONTRADITIONAL TIMES

Fluffy, tender buttermilk pancakes with vanilla and corn notes.

Source: MenuMonitor® | 2017 Breakfast Consumer Trends

RFS #

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Product Description

Pack Size

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744-5635

Culinary Secrets™ Sweet Buttermilk Pancake Mix

6/5 lb.

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6/5 lb.

28964

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6/5 lb.

For more information on Culinary Secrets Pancakes, visit RFSdelivers.com or contact your local Reinhart Sales Consultant today!

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STOCK TIPS

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO THE ART OF INVENTORY

by Mindy Kolof

Taking stock may sound elementary, even tedious, but is arguably the linchpin of every restaurant’s success. Do it right and you’ll not run out of necessities at the eleventh hour or end up with duplicate perishables good only for compost fodder.

You’ll also experience welcome boosts to your bottom line in terms of savings in food spend, predictable recipe costing and fewer losses from theft as well as enhanced food safety.

We’ll get you started with expert advice and straightforward practices that you may not have thought about since basic training days, but hold the key to advancing your operation.

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Certified Executive Chef Scott Smith, who serves as department chair for Johnson & Wales University's food service management program, uses this time-honored visualization (see next page) to help divide all purchased products into categories. “It’s an easy way to see how to balance perishability and cost,” he says, “and can be reconfigured by individual operators to categorize those products they most need to track.” If you serve alcohol in your restaurant, place it in the grid as well as a low perishability/high cost item.

THE GREAT DIVIDE High

High

CLASS A Cost Per Serving

Low

Perishability

Fresh Meats Fresh Fish Fresh Shellfish

CLASS C Fresh Poultry Fresh Produce Dairy Products

CLASS B Frozen Meats & Seafood Canned Meats & Seafood Frozen Fruits & Veggies Preserved Specialty Items

CLASS D Frozen & Canned Fruits & Veggies Spices & Seasonings Condiments Staples (Flour, Sugar)

Low SOURCE: PLANNING AND CONTROL FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE OPERATIONS, JACK D. NINEMEIER

How to begin taking inventory? While a number of excellent programs for the tech savvy are readily available, if you prefer to keep it simple, a sharp eye and a working knowledge of Microsoft® Excel can yield the results you need.

The first step is to establish a par stock level, says foodservice expert Ron Santibanez, specialist in restaurant start-ups and turnarounds. This all-important measure is defined as the established level of food you need in the restaurant at all times, and helps you determine the frequency of inventorying required. “This prevents over-ordering but ensures you have enough to carry you through to the next delivery.” He emphasizes that using the par level method ties purchases directly to sales, not storage capacity or levels based on maximum usage plus a safety factor. “With knowledge of your par levels, anyone on your staff can handle the food order properly,” says Santibanez.

Keeping older products upfront is also key to preventing overstocking and food waste. “Training employees in charge of stocking to rotate the food correctly and generally follow the first in-first out concept will result in significant savings," according to Santibanez. Additionally, keep in mind the short

shelf life of leafy greens, especially spinach, and don’t order more than three days quantity at a time, he cautions. “When you put a bundle of spinach in a refrigeration unit and don’t fully cover it, the blowing air will dry it out; this happens frequently. Use the 72-hour rule for anything prepared with fresh vegetables as well, such as guacamole or pico de gallo."

Smith recommends using a daily inventory sheet to check all in-storage items for quantities on hand. The sheet consists of a list of all items held in storage areas, their unit of purchase, and their par values. Note what’s on hand, what is a special order, and the order amount.

Finally, if this sounds like a lot of work, it needn’t be, and the results are well worth it. “Approach inventory taking with the same intensity and attention given to counting each day’s sales receipts,” advises Santibanez. “The process of counting everything on hand should not take more than two hours, depending on the size of the restaurant. There are no shortcuts for accuracy in inventory. But the more you take inventory, the quicker it goes, the easier it is for the chef and kitchen staff to find items, and the more accurate and cost-controlled your purchasing becomes.” You can count on it. n

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F B O OU D S & I B EN V E R SA G S E

The Taxman Cometh

by Mindy Kolof

28 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

Let’s face it.

Tax season can be stressful.

How can we alleviate the tension that comes with this dreaded season? While the do-it-yourself approach may seem cost effective today, in the end, it’s usually not. Having a professional handling the job will actually save money and time while reducing pressures as tax day looms.

Just as we rely on our chef to understand and be ahead of the curve in food trends and innovation, we need our financial adviser to be an expert when it comes to industry-best practices for tax compliance (obeying tax laws) and tax planning (reducing overall tax burden).

Marshall Varano, CPA, a partner at CohnReznick LLP in San Diego, California, who leads the firm’s restaurant practice, said many operators initially resist using a CPA but ultimately find that an expert’s knowledge leads to substantial savings. Restaurant-specific deductions, state and federal credits, and proper documentation for the foodservice industry are complicated. “Often in that first meeting with an operator we uncover missed opportunities for savings and deductions that work to the benefit of the restaurant,” said Varano. “Operators are actually likely to come out of that first meeting better off than when they went in, and that takes into account the CPA fees.” In fact, Varano said he has often seen the amount of savings add up to several years of accounting fees.

Marshall Varano CPA & Partner, CohnReznick LLP San Diego, California

In addition, a knowledgeable accountant can troubleshoot problems to avoid unwanted attention from the IRS. “Things like combining personal and business activities or taking loans out from your business should be avoided. This is where you want to consult and rely on your CPA for how to handle special circumstances,” said Varano. Other areas that may ignite concern from the IRS include large and/ or recurring losses, excessive expenses classified as miscellaneous, and low W-2 wages when compared to sales (which might indicate a misclassification of employees versus independent contractors), to name a few.

[This article is intended for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, legal, tax, or accounting advise.]

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The Taxman Cometh

It’s Time to Get Organized

Sean Dawson

“Overall stress reduction starts with feeling in control,” explained D. Matthew Patrick, CPA, managing partner at Patrick Accounting and Tax Services in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee. Although a restaurant’s priority is of course serving delicious food, a very close second should be having a sound set of financial statements.

Patrick too encourages operators to work with accounting firms that specialize in restaurants. Once a specialist is hired, communication should be monthly.

“Every owner should have access to complete financial understanding at any given time of the year,” urged Patrick. Bottom line: Don’t wait until the end of the year to think about taxes. Taxes are a year-long concern.

CPA & Shareholder, Mize Restaurant Group Overland Park, Kansas

What to Look For in Your CPA Once the decision is made to consult a professional, the task of choosing a CPA needn’t be daunting. Sean Dawson, CPA and shareholder of accounting services for Mize Restaurant Group in Overland Park, Kansas, suggests finding a CPA whose clients are similar to you. Dawson recommends asking other operators for referrals. When interviewing prospective accountants, ask them to name other restaurants they support.

“A CPA with extensive restaurant experience can benchmark your successes and help improve your business,” said Dawson.

Your CPA’s connections can become critical when an owner is looking for additional capital. Dawson said his team can often help with financing due to solid relationships with bankers in the industry.

“Also, accessibility is key. When selecting a CPA, don’t hesitate to ask, ‘Hey, will I be able to call you whenever I have a question?’”

Knowing when to call the CPA is important. While any concern should be met with an open line of communication, there are specific situations that warrant a special call. Let your CPA know of any plans to remodel or refresh, open a new store, make minor or major expansions, add new equipment or delivery trucks, or hire new part-time or full-time people. “Be proactive. In the end, it always saves money,” Dawson added.

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D. Matthew Patrick CPA & Managing Partner, Patrick Accounting & Tax Services Memphis & Nashville, Tennessee

“Also, keep an eye on excessive expenses for travel, entertainment, meals and home office deductions,” warned Patrick. “While these all can be legitimate expenses, they need to be documented properly.”

Finally, contrary to popular belief, personality matters, even with accountants. “A firm doesn’t have to be local to be effective. Choose one with the right expertise and personality for your business,” advised Patrick.

“In the end, a good CPA can help you sleep better at night,” said Varano. And, a good night’s sleep is the best defense against tax season. n

Patrick named five simple practices that can help operators gain control and stay organized:

Pay all business expenses from your business accounts

Don’t use cash to pay expenses

Keep books up to date

Keep track of receipts

Don’t comingle businesses with other businesses

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It’s a

Family Affair

Siblings Share Success Stories of Working in the Restaurant Biz

By Audarshia Townsend

F

or Jordan Piazza, the only thing that brings him as much pleasure as following in his father’s footsteps is working alongside his brother every day. “Sometimes it can be hard working together because we must make tough business decisions, and we don’t always see eye to eye,” admits Jordan. “The beauty of it is that at the end of the day you remember that we are family, and family is more important than business.

(Working together) has actually been quite delightful.”

Almost every town in the States can lay claim to one of those sentimental, old-school commercials that everyone knows line by line. For Baton Rouge, La., it’s the one featuring Phil’s Oyster Bar, the famed seafood restaurant that opened in 1950.

Its commercial debuted in 1995, featuring then owner Gus Piazza. The best part comes at the end when Piazza looks directly into the camera with a twinkle in his eye and a slightly crooked smile, declaring: “Oh, yeah. I can shuck an oyster!”

That part was so memorable for sons Anthony and Jordan Piazza— who now own the iconic eatery in its third location—that they decided to include it in the updated commercial, which started running last fall. In it, they showcase a modernized version of Phil’s Oyster Bar that features them and Anthony’s 10-year-old son, Gus Piazza III, and befittingly, the vintage clip of their father at the end.

It’s something they mutually agreed upon to honor their late father’s legacy as a successful restaurateur and community leader. For Jordan Piazza, the only thing that brings him as much pleasure as following in his father’s footsteps is working alongside his brother every day.

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Jordan acts as managing partner and runs day-to-day operations, while Anthony oversees marketing aspects of the business. They have other siblings, three sisters (including Jordan’s twin, Caroline), who pitch in every now and then at the restaurant, but Jordan and Anthony are the sole proprietors.

The brothers believe the best parts of their father’s work ethic is in them. “The way that I am not like my father, Anthony is, and vice versa, so it is kind of like our father is still alive,” explains Jordan. ”I do the day-to-day operations, while my brother has love for being a people person. (The restaurant) only works with both of us (involved).”

Their working relationship has been so harmonious that it helped them win “Best New Restaurant 2017” honors by the Baton Rougebased 225 Magazine. “Winning best new restaurant really validated us that we have great food, and it was all in honor of my dad,” says Jordan.

Ask any of the Melman children—R.J., Jerrod or Molly—and they’ll tell you that the restaurant business is in their DNA. That’s because

“We work as a unit.

Argue in private and agree in public is a big part of what we’re trying to do and a big key to why we’re all on the same page.”

– Jerrod Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises

TOP LEFT GROUP: Anthony and Jordan Piazza work together in carrying on their father’s legacy at Phil’s Oyster Bar. RIGHT GROUP: The Melman siblings,R.J., Molly, and Jerrod Melman, have found it’s good to argue and be brutally honest with each other. It’s contributed to them all being successful.

their father, Rich Melman, who co-founded the Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) in 1971, has won every prestigious culinary award and will talk about the industry nonstop.

“He has a one-track mind, and he’s always thinking about the restaurants,” says Molly Melman, who acts as a partner and divisional training manager at LEYE, which owns more than 100 restaurants nationwide. Right out of college, Molly attempted to escape her fate by moving to New York to teach kindergarteners.

But after her brothers opened in 2008 the trendy HUB 51/SUB 51, their first concept of many more to come, she felt homesick. “I felt sad that I was missing out on that important time of their lives,” Molly recalls.

“I wanted to be there for them.”

She soon moved back, working at the restaurant as a hostess, eventually getting promoted to manager, yet she took on the 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. shift for four years. She says she didn’t mind because she didn’t want special treatment because she was the bosses’ little sister.

“I had to earn their respect,” she says. “I didn’t just walk in and get the title of a manager without earning my time there. I think that was

important for (my brothers) to see that I wasn’t just trying to catch up to them immediately.”

Regardless, the Melman siblings are a tight-knit trio inside and outside of the office, says Jerrod Melman. They’re also brutally honest with one another, which has made them all extremely successful.

“We realized early on that it’s good to argue, but there’s a time and a place for it,” says Jerrod, who serves as an executive partner at LEYE. “We want the ability to argue with each other and disagree, but also have enough respect that when we make decisions we think as a team. We work as a unit. Argue in private and agree in public is a big part of what we’re trying to do and a big key to why we’re all on the same page.”

Another key to sibling success, adds R.J. Melman, is genuinely caring about each other. “I truly love my brother and sister,” continues R.J., who is the president at LEYE—and eldest sibling. “I hang out with them all the time. They are my life outside of the business. We are together more often than apart. If we didn’t like each other, it simply wouldn’t work.”

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DAMAGE CONTROL Audarshia Townsend

How to manage negative online reviews for delivery service

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Absolutely no one is perfect. And in the world of restaurant food delivery, errors will happen often.

Sometimes, no matter how minor the mistake, some customers—who suffer from what’s called itchy Twitter, Yelp, etc. fingers syndrome—will strike out, putting your business in a negative light.

How you react to the online criticism is what truly matters. What you don’t want is the reputation of an angry owner/manager who lashes out every time a customer writes a complaint on social media. Whether there’s validity in the negative post or not, the last thing you want is to be highlighted as a cautionary tale in an Eater article.

Doug Roth is a former thirdgeneration restaurateur who is now principal at the Chicago-based Playground Hospitality. He believes “there is a little bit of margin for error (with food delivery),” however, operators should personally reach out to that dissatisfied customer to apologize.

If the complaint is about the food, and not the service, he continues, invite them in for a complimentary meal. “I would send them a certificate and invite them to dine in the restaurant, so they can see how well we can do that item,” suggests Roth, who develops culinary-focused concepts for restaurant groups and hotels throughout the country.

Bill Nevruz also believes that it’s important to reach out directly to customers. As the managing partner of Seasides, a delivery-only restaurant based in Chicago, he knows that his entire concept is based on keeping customers happy, and he strives for perfection.

The service delivers fried chicken, steamed lobsters and ribs, and his culinary team tested the items until the delivery service was flawless. He admits, however, that they will be subjected to the occasional online complaint.

“We like to contact people directly and help reconcile issues with them directly,” he says. “We have a pretty good track record. My team reaches out to anyone who has a bad experience. We first try to understand what the experience was so we can make it right for them.”

“Typically, we will respond within a 24-Hour Period, we want to make sure the customer knows that they’re being heard.”

- Spencer Most Marketing Coordinator at Epic Burger

At Via Emilia 9, a quaint Miami Beach eatery specializing in Northern Italian fare, proprietor Valentina Imbrenda has fielded some creative complaints when dealing with delivery customers.

“We’ve had customers complain that they didn’t get their food because they fell asleep,” Imbrenda recalls.

The important factor, she says, is that her restaurant resolves the situation before the customer takes it to social media.

“If someone wants to make a complaint, I’d hope they would call the restaurant and let us know rather than resorting to social media,” she continues. “Not to avoid the bad review, but because if we’re told right away, we could verify from our end what went wrong, and we could remake the dish for the customer so they won’t be disappointed.”

But once a negative review is posted, she believes it is important to immediately spring into action. “Everyone can make a mistake. I apologize and try to let them understand that it wasn’t on purpose. It was a mistake. I will send them a complimentary item of what they ordered.”

As the marketing coordinator at Epic Burger, Spencer Most handles social media outreach, social media content and engagement. That means that he’s constantly monitoring what people are saying about Epic Burger, which boasts eight locations in Chicago and its suburbs.

The burger chain only started delivery service last spring, and Most keeps a watchful eye especially on reviews concerning this side of the business. If there is a negative post on social media, his team immediately contacts the poster.

“Typically, we will respond within a 24-hour period,” says Most. “We want to make sure the customer knows that they’re being heard. We don’t want to wait much longer than that. We tend to like to get the general manager of that location involved as well for a more personal feeling.”

With all the national burger chains infiltrating Chicago, Epic Burger’s local edge gives it an advantage, says Most. “Because we’re local to Chicago, our brand needs that nitty gritty feel to it. We ask the time, date, situation, etc. so we can work on changing whatever that issue was.”

But it’s engagement, he adds, that helps retain customers. “As long as you keep the customer involved and let them know what is going on with it, they tend to have a better outlook. They just want their voices to be heard. It takes a lot of time for someone to write a complaint, and we certainly don’t want them to feel like their time has been wasted.” n

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 35

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MEALS ON WHEELS What’s the Right Vehicle for Delivery Mary Dagget

36 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

O

ur industry is constantly evolving at a dizzying pace. Just when you catch your breath, there is a new trend to explore, or competitors throw you a new curveball. Take delivery, for instance. It would be a whole lot easier for most operators to nix adding a delivery option. However, would it make good business sense to do so? Let’s face it – Americans want a great meal, and they want convenience. Not only do they expect you to prepare a quality meal, but it’s looking more and more like they expect you to bring it to their doorstep.

The pizza industry has been delivering its pies for decades. This segment long ago figured out how to accomplish the seemingly impossible – delivery of a quality meal – free, fast and hot. Most pizzerias offer home delivery, and it’s usually in their own fleet of vehicles driven by their own employees. Now that home delivery is catching on in many other industry segments, some operators are indeed using their own dedicated vehicles and their own employees.

Another delivery option gaining momentum is third-party delivery services. Companies that specialize in delivering meals from restaurants to their customers’ homes are cropping up across the U.S. There are pros and cons to each method of delivery. Here are some benefits of each and possible pitfalls:

operator self delivery

PROS

CONS

•

Operator retains control of order process and condition of food until it reaches the customer.

•

Can utilize website by adding “delivery” tab with menus, order form and payment options; can cross-reference with social media sites and apps.

•

Delivery vehicles serve double-duty as traveling billboards for restaurants.

Third

•

Substantial investment in vehicles, equipment, staff, maintenance.

•

Added liability/insurance coverage.

party

delivery

PROS

CONS

•

Allows addition of delivery capability with minimum expenditure.

•

Operator relinquishes control of the delivery process and condition of food upon delivery.

• •

One less thing to worry about.

•

Some delivery services elevate menu prices in addition to delivery fee.

•

Added chance of error and things getting lost in translation.

•

Delivery employees may not be properly trained to handle food.

Less stress on existing staff.

Delivery fees, service charges/tips are added to the check total. Customers pay with cash, credit card, Paypal, etc. Apple iPhone and Android smartphone apps are also available, and GPS allows customers to track the location of their order.

Here is a listing of some of the third-party delivery services operating in the U. S. If you are considering partnering with an outside delivery service, check out these websites to learn more:

Grubhub – www.grubhub.com Door Dash – www.doordash.com Eat24 – www.eat24.com Seamless – www.seamless.com Caviar – www.trycaviar.com Postmates – www.postmates.com UberEats – www.ubereats.com Amazon – www.amazon.com/restaurants

As part of your due diligence, try using several of these services yourself in your own home to gauge whether they measure up to your expectations and would add to your operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. n WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 37

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Homemade Panko-crusted goat cheese is the secret to this ideal to-go dish … a thicker breading that holds up well, without quickly losing crunch or heat.

Recipe on Pg 53

38 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

DELISH ON DEMAND It’s no secret that Millennials and their Gen Z successors are shaking up our industry in more ways than one. These generations have a fundamental inability to sit still. Add in endless access to technology, and the equation sums up to an obsession with personal and professional productivity. Every moment of their day has a yield.

Consumers’ lives revolve around efficiency, and that obsession translates into mealtime, too. In lieu of grabbing a bite with friends at a local joint, today’s restaurant-goers literally “grab and go,” using apps like Uber Eats, Grub Hub and more to order food from their phone, instantly upon finding the perfect foodie photo on their Instagram feed.

For instance, gone are the days when a commute to and from work provided rest and reflection. In this new digital age, people use their time on the train to send more emails, or they bike in lieu of drive to fit a workout into their jam-packed schedule, or they hop online from the bus to order groceries – because who has time to shop around at the store?

In this issue’s Food Fight, we take a deep dive into some innovative yet accessible take-out tactics, equipping you with tips and trends to stay afloat as our industry floods with consumers who are obsessed with making every moment count. Try your spin on these gratifying recipes, and who knows – you may have orders pouring in through your online portal in no time!

Photography by Dan Coha Photography Food Styling by Susan Barrientos-Hevey

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 39

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Granola Fruit Cups These small, hand-held granola cups are filled with tangy Greek yogurt and topped with healthy chopped fruit. Ideal for breakfast, brunch, or takeaway lunches.

RECIPE ON P. 62

SALAD FIXED IN A JAR

CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

2 oz

Markon Kale Color Crunch w/Brussel Sprout

Napa & Red Cabbage Radicchio Carrot Fresh

1/4 ea

Mango Fresh

1 oz

Raisin Select Bulk

1 1/2 oz

Tomato Diced Fresh

1/2 oz

Onion Red Jumbo

1 1/2 oz

Walnut Halves And Pieces Raw

1 1/2 oz

Dressing Honey Mustard Dijon Fat Free

®

Use a jar for on-site catering; plastic to go cup for take-out 40 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

In a clear take-out cup (6-8 ounce) all items to be layered sequentially, 1 being the bottom.

1. Kale blend 2. Thinly sliced mango 3. Thinly sliced roasted red onion 4. Raisins 5. Tomato - diced 6. Chopped walnuts The dressing can be drizzled in and the salad shaken to be eaten.

A great 3 compartment container will keep your food separate and help extend shelf-life.

CURRIED CHICKEN SPREAD

CHEF JEFF MERRY | REINHART BOSTON INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

4 oz

Chicken Pulled White Fully Cooked Bulk

Frozen, Thawed, Chopped

In a bowl combine chicken, mayonnaise, curry, lemon juice and chopped walnuts. Toss and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

1/8 oz

Mayonnaise Extra Heavy Duty Creamy

1/2 tsp

Curry Powder

1/2 ea

Lemon Choice 140 Size Fresh, Juice of

1/8 oz

Walnut Halves and Pieces Raw,

Chopped, optional

1/4 ea

Baguette French Demi Partial Baked 4

oz Frozen, Sliced, Grilled

Optional: Add almonds or raisins or both. Serve with grilled baguette or assorted crackers.

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 41

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POWER BOXES

HIGH-PROTEIN SNACKS ARE A TOP DRAW FOR CONSUMERS

JUST 1/3 OF AWAY FROM HOME FOOD IS EATEN AT THAT VENUE 42 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

31% OF CONSUMERS EAT MORE SNACKS TODAY VS LAST YEAR

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A POWERHOUSE GRAB ‘N GO ON THE MENU ... THIS IS THE ONE THAT ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO MIX AND MATCH FOR THE RIGHT OFFERING! PROTEIN

CARBS

FRUIT

VEGGIES

o Chicken

o WG Pasta

o Grapes

o Cherry Tomatoes

o Turkey

o Mini Bagel

o Apples

o Cucumbers

o Beef

o Crackers

o Oranges

o Celery

o Tuna

o Oatmeal

o Berries

o Carrots

o Eggs

o Popcorn

o Banana

o Salad Mix

o Cheese

o Granola

o Peaches

o Broccoli

o Yogurt

o Cereal

o Pears

o Bell Peppers

o Chick Peas

o Quinoa

o Mango

o Cauliflower

o Edamame

o Rice

o Pineapple

o Mushrooms

o Black Beans

o Pita Bread

o Melon

o Nuts

o Tortilla Chips

o Dates o Raisins

4 Compartment Container #F1516

3 Compartment w/Side Well #F1462

2 Compartment Container #AV818

Lid for all Options #AV820

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 43

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HOT TO TOT,

with a fresh new perspective on the classic bites.

44 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

VISUAL APPEAL These great to go containers highlight your food in the best way!

BOTTOM #K4266 LID #K4268 CUTLERY KIT #81416

BREAKFAST TOTS

CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

5 oz

Tater Tots

1 ea

Eggs

Add the oil to a medium hot sauté pan and cook the green and red peppers until al dente - about 4 minutes.

1 1/2 oz

Bacon, Cooked, Diced

1/2 oz

Salsa Pico De Gallo Refrigerated

1 oz

Sour Cream Tub Bulk Refrigerated

1 oz

Cheese Monterey Jack Shredded Feather

1/4 oz

Pepper Bell Red, Diced

1/4 oz

Pepper Bell Green, Diced

1 Tbsp

Oil Olive 10% Blended

Meanwhile deep fry the tater tots until golden brown.

Place the tater tots on a hot plate and top with the shredded jack cheese and melt. Place in a to-go container and top the tots off with the peppers and bacon. Cook the egg sunny side up and place on top. Package the sour cream and pico de gallo separately.

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 45

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ESQUITES Box up the flavors of the world and grab this trendy take on Mexican elotes.

RECIPE ON PAGE 62

THREE TIMING QUESO

CHEF KEVIN NASH | REINHART EASTERN PA INGREDIENTS 3 oz

Chorizo Sausage, Raw

3 oz

Beef Ground, 80/20

6 ea

Tortilla Corn Blue 6" forFrying

3 oz

Monterey Jack Cheese

4 oz

Nacho Cheese Sauce

1/4 ea

Avocado Hass Avocado, Sliced

2 oz

Salsa Medium with Green Chilies

TT

Sour Cream

PREPARATION Cut the tortillas into 6 chips and deep fry. Cook the ground beef and chorizo together. Slice the jack cheese thin.

Place the hot meat in the bottom of the oval take-out container. Layer the jack cheese over and add the warmed nacho cheese.

Place the sliced avocado, salsa, and sour cream on top.

Place chips in a paper bag and put lid over queso.

46 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

SHORT RIB TACOS

CHEF BRIAN FUNK | REINHART SHAWANO INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

4 1/2 oz

Beef Chuck Short Rib, 1.5-3 Lb Boneless

1. Heat short ribs to temperature.

All Natural Fully Cooked Frozen

2. Grill tortillas, place shredded queso on and melt.

2 oz

Cilantro

2 1/2 oz

Queso Blanco, American White Melt Loaf

3 oz

Pico De Gallo Salsa

3 ea

Tortilla Flour White 6" Pressed

3. Place 1 1/2 oz of short ribs.

4. Top with pico, and garnish with cilantro.

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 47

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PASTA CARBONARA • P. 63

COUNTRY STYLE RIGATONI • P. 62

ProPak® Container 7" Square 24 oz Black Deep Base # 15172 Lid# 15186

BRICKFIRE® TIRAMISU PENNE PASTA WITH LOBSTER & ASIAGO CREAM (IMAGE ON BOTTOM RIGHT) CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

5 oz

Pasta Penne Plus

2-1/2 oz

Lobster Meat Claw/Knuckle Cooked

2 oz

Tomato Grape

Cook Penne to manufacturer's suggestion, reserve. Mince the fresh aromatics. Cut the tomatoes in half and combine with the aromatics.

2 oz

Cheese Asiago Shredded Bag

1/4 oz

Garlic, Chopped

1/4 tsp

Thyme

3 oz

Heavy Cream

1/4 tsp

Basil

1/4 oz

Coarse Salt, Kosher

1/4 tsp

Black Pepper, Coarse

48 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

Place in large sauté pan with the garlic 1/2 the heavy cream.

Heat on low for 5 minutes, then add the lobster and the remaining heavy cream.

Season with salt and pepper and add the cooked penne and the asiago cheese. Keep on low heat for 4-5 minutes until all the components are married and the tomatoes soften. Give one final toss in pan a transfer into to-go container.

LOBSTER ROLL FOR CATERING CHEF JEFF MERRY | REINHART BOSTON INGREDIENTS 4 oz

HIDDEN BAY® Lobster Meat Blend

1 ea

Italian Hoagie Bun 6"

1 1/2 Tbsp Celery, Small Dice 1 1/2 oz

Mayonnaise Heavy Duty

1/8 oz

Green Scallion Onion, Sliced Thin

1/2 tsp

Old Bay Seasoning

1/8 tsp

Coarse Salt, Kosher

1/8 oz

Butter, Solid Unsalted

ProPak® Container Aluminum 9" Round 44 oz Deep # 80676

PREPARATION Spread the butter on the hoagie bun and toast. Set in a small to-go box.

In a 2 oz to-go ramekin mix the mayonnaise, salt and old bay seasoning.

Separately package the sliced green onion and diced celery.

Serve the cold lobster meat in a to-go bowl large enough to mix everything together in.

Build your own lobster roll and enjoy.

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SLOW ROASTED BRISKET SANDWICH CHEF JEFF MERRY | REINHART BOSTON INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1 ea

Ciabatta Roll

4 oz

Beef Brisket Whole Slice Smoked Fully

Place heated brisket on toasted ciabatta roll. Drizzle meat with barbecue sauce.

Cooked Heat In Bag Frozen,

Heated per instruction

2 oz

Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Sauce

2 oz

Markon® Kale Color Crunch

1 1/2 oz

Pepper Jack Cheese Slice

3 oz

Macaroni & Cheese

50 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

Combine Kale Color Crunch with coleslaw dressing, toss and top barbecue brisket.

Top with Pepper Jack cheese, melt and serve with a side of mac & cheese.

BLUEBERRY TURKEY Toasted or right out of the cooler, this versatile sandwich features a standup carrier - strong, vibrant wheat berry bread.

RECIPE ON P. 63

Container #T9368 Lid #T9372

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 51

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Fried food travels best in a vented container to prevent food from getting soggy.

Try our ProPak ® Foam Hinged Containers for all your to-go needs! # T1730 ProPak® Sandwich Container #T1734

GOCHUJANG BONELESS WINGS

SAMBAL WINGS

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

8 oz

Boneless Wings

8 ea

Chicken Wings

1 oz

Paste, Pepper Hot Gochujang Korean, Dry

1 Tbsp

Sambal Oelek Sauce

1/2 oz

Radish Watermelon

1 oz

Lime Juice

2 Tbsp

Vinegar White Wine

1/4 oz

Honey Extra Light Amber

CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE

1/8 Tbsp Salt, Coarse 1 tsp

Sugar

PREPARATION

CHEF DAVID QUICK | REINHART KNOXVILLE

PREPARATION Fry wings for a minimum of 8 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165° F.

Thin slice the watermelon radish on a mandoline or slicer. Mix with the vinegar, sugar and water and refrigerate. Deep fry the pork wings to get a crisp outside. Cover in the gochujang paste. Serve with quick pickled radishes.

In mixing bowl add the lime juice, sambal olek and honey and stir together. When wings are , pull out and toss in, and coat.

SALT AND VINEGAR WINGS • P. 63

SRIRACHA WINGS • P. 63

52 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

BEET & PEAR SALAD WITH WARM GOAT CHEESE CHEF BRIAN FUNK | REINHART SHAWANO INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

2 oz

Spring Mix Greens Baby

Melt both sugars in a pan and fold in walnuts.

2 oz

Goat Cheese Plain Log

2 oz

Beet, Diced

Lay the walnuts on a sheet tray and allow them to cool.

Break the walnuts into small pieces.

2 oz

Pear D'anjou

2 oz

Panko Bread Crumb

2 ea

Egg 2 oz

2 oz

Sugar Beet Granulated Extra Fine

2 oz

Sugar Brown Beet Light

2 oz

Walnut Halves & Pieces

3 oz

Mustard Dijon Whole Grain

1/2 oz

Vinegar Balsamic

1/2 oz

Honey Extra Light Amber

Mix vinegar together with Dijon mustard, honey, and a few drops of water.

Roll goat cheese in egg and breadcrumbs, then flash fry at 350°F until golden.

Toss mixed greens with goat cheese, beets, sliced pears, and walnuts. Drizzle the salad with the dressing.

COBBLESTREET MARKET® WHITE CHICKEN CHILI Super, seasonal, sensational…this is not your everyday chili.

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BREAKFAST BAGUETTE CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1 ea

Baguette French Partial Baked 10.5 oz

4 oz

Boneless Ham, Hardwood Smoked

2 oz

Bacon

1/2 oz

Pepper Black Coarse Grind 12 Mesh

Coat the bacon with the black pepper and bake at 375°F until cooked and crisp. In a medium hot non-stick pan add the butter. Once melted add the eggs and fry over medium heat and season with half of the kosher salt.

3 ea

Egg

1 oz

Pepper Red Whole Roasted

1/4 oz

Arugula Wild Fresh

1 1/2 Tbsp

Oil Olive Extra Virgin in Tin

1/2 Tbsp

Salt Coarse Kosher Box

1/4 oz

Mustard Dijon Grained With Wine

1/8 oz

Butter Solid Unsalted

1/8 oz

Parmesan Cheese, Shaved

54 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

Toss the arugula with the parmesan cheese, salt and olive oil and set to the side. Meanwhile cut the baguette in half lengthwise and toast. Add Dijon mustard to the baguette.

Add the sliced roasted red pepper, egg, ham, bacon, and arugula mixture. Wrap the breakfast baguette up with butcher's paper going up 3/4 of the way and tie with butcher's twine.

CALI MASHUP BREAKFAST SKILLET CHEF JEFF MERRY | REINHART BOSTON INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

8 oz

Potato Hashbrown, Shredded

2 tsp

Oil Vegetable

1 lb

Liquid Eggs

1 oz

Onion Red Whole Fresh, Diced

Over medium heat, sauté shreddded potatoes in vegetable oil. Continue to cook, stirring as needed. Add diced onions and black beans, continue to cook. Once done push to one side of the skillet. Add eggs and scramble.

8 ea

Pepper Jack Cheese Slices, Diced

3 oz

Guacamole Western Style Frozen

1/8 oz

Chives Fresh, Diced

2 oz

Bean Black Fancy Unseasoned, Drained

Once eggs are almost set combine with potatoes, beans and onions. Add cheese and chives and season with salt and pepper. Toss until cheese, has melted. Top with Western guacamole and salsa.

1 oz

Salsa Thick Chunky Mild

Makes two servings.

6 Takeaways for Takeout & Delivery Success Brought to you by About 60% of consumers frequently order food for takeout or delivery.1 With those types of orders only expected to grow, it’s important to make sure your menu and operations are ready. Some tips:

1. Select the best products for your to-go menu 4. Dedicate staff and order-filling resources Make sure you choose menu items and ingredients that you know travel well. For instance, lean toward battered appetizers instead of breaded for longer hold time and crispness upon arrival.

2. Package foods correctly for transit Make sure the to-go experience is as good as dinein by selecting the right containers. Use vented containers to keep hot foods from getting soggy and clear lids to prevent order mix-ups.

3. Consider a third-party delivery service like Grubhub or UberEats Use an outside service to expand your delivery reach and potential sales, and eliminate strain on your own labor force.

1

Datassential 2016

Designate a dedicated pickup area and devote one or two staff members to help your program run more efficiently, especially during rush times.

5. Promote inexpensively to captive audiences Spread the word quickly and affordably by promoting your to-go program on your website and social media pages. Also, use front-of-house point-of-sale materials to plant the seed with dine-in customers.

6. Don’t forget to upsell Delivery checks are typically 63% higher than dine-in checks,1 a direct result of suggestive selling. Capitalize on increased check averages by recommending burger toppers, premium sides and appetizers to your captive audience.

Mole Mac & Cheeseburger: a great choice for dine-in or to-go.

BATTERED MAC & CHEESE WEDGES – 17694

Take out the hassle. Deliver new profits.

Create profitable menu items and add-on sales for your to-go program with easy-toprepare Intros® appetizers. Explore our innovative apps like mac & cheese wedges or our classics like cheese sticks, onion rings, stuffed jalapeños and vegetables to entice customers and grow check averages.

Contact your local Reinhart Sales Consultant today for special offers and ideas that drive profits. ©2017 Independent Marketing Alliance. Intros® brand is a trademark of the Independent Marketing Alliance.

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CHORIZO & VEGETABLE STRATA CHEF JEFF MERRY | REINHART BOSTON

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1-1/2 lbs Pork Chorizo, Cooked and crumbled

Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish (or divide into individual serving pans) with vegetable spray. Place cubed bread, shredded cheese, chorizo, green peppers and mushrooms on bottom. In a mixing bowl, combine milk, egg, dry mustard and Northwood steak seasoning.

8 oz

Mushroom Sliced, Sautéed & patted dry

4 oz

Pepper Bell Green, Diced & blanched

12 ea

Bread White Split Top Slices, Cubed

1 lb

Cheese Blend White Cheddar &

2 lb

Milk Whole

1 lb

Egg

Scatter butter pieces on top of egg custard. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours. Place in a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 1 hour.

1/8 oz

Mustard Dry Powdered

Serve in plastic hinged containers.

2 tsp

Seasoning Steak Northwood Salt

4 ea

Butter Chip Continental, Salted Sweet

Cream Gold Foil Wrap

Monterey Jack 50/50 Fancy Shredded Refrigerated

58 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

QUICHE LORRAINE CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1 ea

Pastry Puff 10X15 1/8" Frozen

10 oz

Cherrywood Bacon

2 oz

Onion Green Scallion, Chopped

8 oz

Cheese Swiss Shredded Feather

6 ea

Egg, Beaten

8 oz

Cream Heavy Whipping

1 Tbsp

Salt Coarse Kosher Box

1/8 tsp

Pepper White Ground

On a floured surface roll out the puff pastry until 1/8" thick. Fit it into a 9" pan and poke holes on the bottom with a fork. Bake in a 400°F oven for 5-7 minutes. Remove and and turn the oven down to 350°F. Meanwhile dice the bacon and cook over medium heat. Drain the fat and place the bacon on the bottom of the crust. Add the green onions. Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, 1 tsp of the kosher salt, white pepper, and 60% of the Swiss cheese and carefully fill the shell. Top the quiche with the remaining cheese and bake for an additional 40 minutes.

Let cool then slice.

Serve with Fennel-Brussels Sprouts Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette, see page 63 for recipe.

QUICHE REHEATS FLAWLESSLY, AND PAIRED WITH A GREAT SHAVED FENNEL SALAD IS A GREAT TO-GO OFFERING!

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 59

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B E V E R A G E ProPak® Container 9" Square Middle Depth Forum # 5140 Lid #15202

GRILLED SWORDFISH WITH LEMON PESTO BUTTER CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

6 oz

Swordfish Steak, 8 Ounce Boneless Skin

1 Tbsp

Basil Pesto Sauce

Soften butter to room temperature. In a bowl whisk together the butter, pesto and lemon juice. Place in a to-go soufflé cup. Season the swordfish liberally with salt and pepper.

Grill on each side for approximately 3 minutes. In a hot saute pan add the oil. Saute the spinach until it just starts to wilt and place in a to-go container. Place the swordfish on top and top with the diced red onion and capers. Once served place the butter on top of the swordfish 2 minutes prior to eating and let the pesto butter melt.

1/2 Tbsp Butter Solid, Unsalted Wisconsin 1/4 tsp

Juice Lemon 100%

1/8 oz

Caper Nonpareille

1 tsp

Onion Red Jumbo

1 oz

Spinach Baby Fresh

1 Tbsp

Oil Olive 10% Blended

SHORTRIB WITH ROASTED CAULIFLOWER CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

5 oz

Beef Chuck Short Rib 1.5-3 Lb Boneless

All Natural Fully Cooked Frozen

1/4 ea

Cauliflower Fresh, Sliced into two steaks

2 Tbsp

Seasoning Cajun

4 oz

Oil Olive

Heat the demi glace with 1/2 cup of red wine and add the rosemary and half the salt. Meanwhile marinate the cauliflower steaks in 2 Tbsp of the oil and the Cajun seasoning and remaining salt. In a hot sauté pan add the rest of the blended oil. Sear the cauliflower steaks on both sides until caramelized, then cook in a 350°F oven for an additional 5 minutes. Place the demi glace on the side to pour over the heated short rib portion.

1/2 Tbsp Base Demi Glace Concentrate 1/8 oz

Rosemary Fresh, Finely chopped

2 Tbsp

Salt Coarse Kosher Box, Divided

ProPak® Container Aluminum 7" Round 1.75" Deep # 29958 Lid - #57352

SHORTRIB WITH ROASTED CAULIFLOWER This dynamic duo arrives ready to heat, serve and amaze … repeat as often as possible.

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GRANOLA FRUIT CUPS RECIPE PROVIDED BY MARKON

®

ESQUITES

CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ C

old-fashioned rolled oats

2 Tbsp

maple syrup

5 ea

Corn Cob, 3" Mini

Pinch of salt

4 Tbsp

Mayonnaise Heavy Duty

6 Tbsp

Greek yogurt

3 Tbsp

Butter Solid Unsalted

2 Tbsp

honey

5 Tbsp

Cheese Queso Fresco Whole

¼C

cherries, chopped

3 Tbsp

Chili Powder Dark

¼C

kiwifruit, chopped

1/2 ea

Persian Lime, Cut into 4 wedges

¼C

Markon First Crop Granny Smith Apple, chopped

4 Tbsp

Salt Coarse Kosher

¼C

papaya, chopped

Edible flowers for garnish

PREPARATION Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine oats, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl.

Press mixture into greased muffin tins to form six cups (pressing firmly with fingers). Freeze for 20 minutes, then place in preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp and browned. Cool.

Blend yogurt and honey, then fill granola cups with equal portions of this mixture. Top with chopped fruit and edible flowers; serve.

FOR TO-GO APPLICATIONS: Wrap rolled oat cups in foil to keep dry. Pack yogurt and fruits in individual/resealable containers.

FOR BUFFET APPLICATIONS: Display all the components in different serving dishes and allow guests to choose fillings for granola cups.

POWER BISTRO BOX

CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE INGREDIENTS 5 oz

Chicken Breast, boneless and skinless

1 ea

Egg, Hard boiled

1/8 oz

Almond Sliced Blanched Raw

2 oz

Markon® Kale Color Crunch

1/2 Tbsp Cheese Blue Crumble 1/8 oz

Bacon Pieces Cook And Serve Frozen

1/4 oz

Pea Sugar Snap

1 oz

Dressing Vinaigrette Raspberry Fat Free

1 Tbsp

Salt Coarse Kosher

2 Tbsp

Sugar Beet Granulated Extra Fine

PREPARATION Cook the bacon and grill the chicken breast. Cut the chicken breast into bite-size chunks Add the salt and sugar to 1 quart of simmering water. Place the sugar snap peas into the water and simmer for about a minute or until very green and then place in an ice bath. Toast the almonds in a dry pan. Cut the egg into quarters.

Place all ingredients into a to-go box. Serve the raspberry vinaigrette on the side.

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PREPARATION Boil a quart of water with the salt. Cook the corn until tender. With a serrated knife, cut the corn off of the cobs. Place the cut corn into a large bowl. Mix in the butter until it is melted. Add in the mayonnaise, and half of the chili powder and mix well. Serve in a small cup and top with the queso fresco, remaining chili powder and garnish with lime wedge.

COUNTRY STYLE RIGATONI

CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE INGREDIENTS 5 oz

Pasta Rigatoni

1/2 Tbsp Garlic, Chopped 2 oz

Sausage Italian Mild

1/2 oz

Kale Green, Chopped

1/8 tsp

Fennel Seed Whole

1/4 oz

Bean Great Northern In Brine

1/8 oz

Onion Yellow Jumbo

1 tsp

Base Chicken Gourmet Paste

1 Tbsp

Butter Solid Unsalted

1/8 tsp

Pepper Red Crushed

1/2 tsp

Paste Tomato

PREPARATION Boil the rigatoni in salted water (salty like the sea) until al dente, then set aside. In a medium hot sauté pan add the sausage and cook. Stir and break up the sausage so that it is in crumbles. Once cooked remove the sausage with a slotted spoon but leave the fat in the pan. Dice the onion and mince the garlic and cook in the pan with the kale. Once translucent add in the tomato paste and cook for an additional minute. Add in the sausage.

Mix the chicken base with 1/4 cup of water. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and add the beans. Add the butter and stir until the mixture emulsifies and reduces. Add 2 Tbsp of pasta water and the pasta and cook for 2 minutes and serve. Once put into a to-go container, be sure the lid is vented so that condensation doesn't occur.

PASTA CARBONARA

SALT & VINEGAR WINGS

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

4 oz

Tortellini Cheese, cooked al dente

12 oz

1 ea

Bacon, Cherrywood, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 Tbsp Dressing Ranch Dry Mix

1 ea

Egg, beaten

1/4 Tbsp Salt Sea

2 oz

Caesar Blend Cheese, Parmesan Asiago

3 Tbsp

Vinegar Cider Apple

& Romano, shaved

8 oz

Flour All-Purpose

1/4 ea

Parsley, washed and chopped

1/4 tsp

Pepper, Black, Coarse

CHEF JEFF MERRY | REINHART BOSTON

PREPARATION Cook tortellini reserve 2 ounces of pasta water. In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp. Add tortellini, pasta water and toss. Add egg, cheese, pepper and continue to cook. Keep tossing. Once sauce has become creamy add parsley and serve.

BLUEBERRY TURKEY

CHEF BRIAN FUNK | REINHART SHAWANO INGREDIENTS

CHEF PAUL YOUNG | REINHART CORPORATE

Chicken Wing Bone In Skin On

PREPARATION Season the flour liberally with salt and pepper. Toss the wings in the seasoned flour and deep fry until cooked through or they have reached an internal temperature of 165°F or more. Combine the ranch mix and vinegar in a bowl. Toss the wings in the mixture and top with sea salt

SRIRACHA WINGS

CHEF JEFF MERRY | REINHART BOSTON INGREDIENTS

5 oz

Turkey Breast Boneless Skin On Raw

8 oz

Chicken Wing Skin On Naked Fully Cooked

Roast Cook In Bag Frozen

2 oz

Honey Extra Light Amber

2 ea

Bread Wheat Berry Baked 3/4"

1 oz

Sauce Chili Sriracha

1 oz

Arugula Wild Fresh

1 tsp

Sauce Soy

1 oz

Brussel Sprout Fresh

1/2 ea

Lime, Juice of

2 oz

Tomato Heirloom

3 Tbsp

Butter, Unsalted, Sweet Cream

1-1/2 oz

Cheese Goat Plain Log Refrigerated PREPARATION

BLUEBERRY AIOLI 4 oz

Blueberry Whole

4 oz

Mayonnaise Extra

Heavy Duty Creamy

Cook wings in 350°F fryer for about 5 minutes. While wings are cooking over medium heat, melt butter in a sauce pan. Add honey, sriracha, soy and lime juice. Stir well, remove from heat. Place cooked wings in bowl add sauce and toss.

PREPARATION Thaw and cook turkey in oven, according to manufacturer's recommendations.

Toast bread. With a spatula spread blueberry aioli on both sides of the bread.

Build on one side with arugula, tomato, turkey, and crumbled goat cheese. Top with other piece of bread.

Wrap and fold deli paper around sandwich.

FENNEL-BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD WITH CITRUS VINAIGRETTE RECIPE PROVIDED BY MARKON ® INGREDIENTS 2

fennel bulbs, shaved (reserve fronds)

1 lb

Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Brussels Sprouts, shaved

½C

citrus vinaigrette

Edible flowers as garnish, if desired

PREPARATION Toss shaved fennel and sprouts with citrus vinaigrette.

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 63

TO-GO PACKAGING OFFERS

SOLUTIONS TO MAKE THE RIGHT

CUSTOMER IMPRESSION While there are many practical, Today’s restaurant customers functional factors to consider when demand a great dining experience, buying to-go packaging, the most whether it’s on-premises or to go. important, overarching consideration That’s why it’s critical that foodsershould be the restaurant’s brand. vice operators ensure the quality Packaging provides an opportunity and integrity of their food when employees to send a mesor third-party sage to customdelivery opers that reflects erators such the restaurant’s is the #1 CONCERN as UberEATS unique value Among Consumers and Operators are deliverproposition.

When It Comes to Delivery ing it.

Essentially, the packaging For example, if to-go meals are promotes the restaurant’s décor, showing up to the customer in a product quality, product integrity, leaky container, or if the customer food safety and sustainability or orders three similar meals, but they “green” message. are all slightly different due to Reinhart Sales Consultants have the food allergies knowledge and expertise to help and the restaurateurs source and develop containers are packaging that fits the image that not labeled the restaurant wants to convey while in any way, the giving their customers customer will the dining experience not have a they want. good experience.

That could put To find the restaurant out more in danger of about how to losing that cuselevate your tomer or, even restaurant with the worse, cause right packaging that customer to program, contact write a bad review your Reinhart about the restaurant on Sales Consultant.

OpenTable or Yelp!

[

]

QUALITY

PACKAGING PLAYS A LARGE ROLE IN THE CONDITION OF FOOD WHEN IT ARRIVES TO ITS FINAL DESTINATION When Asked What In Particular Caused An Unsatisfactory Delivery Experience,

20

*Statistics provided by Technomic, A Winsight Company

%

Of Consumers Said PACKAGING Was Not To Their Standards

DID YOU KNOW?

64

%

OF CONSUMERS THINK MENU ITEMS SHOULD BE IDENTICALLY PRICED FOR DELIVERY AND NONDELIVERY ITEMS

DISPOSABLE GLOVES

SIMPLIFY

GLOVE DECISION MAKING In the food business, it’s critically important that everyone–from company executives to line workers– understands and embraces the central role that employee hygiene and safe food handling must play. And that’s because the risks are not trivial.

The majority (68%) of foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S. are related to restaurants or delis1, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified poor personal hygiene among food workers as one of the top-five foodborne illness risk factors. This is why the FDA’s Food Code identifies hands as a vehicle of contamination as one of five key control measures and includes specific recommendations on both proper handwashing

procedures and the correct use of single-use gloves or other suitable utensils when handling ready-to-eat foods.2 Fortunately, the ProPak® Disposable Gloves line from Reinhart makes it easy to supply the right single-use

ProPak brand products are a multi-faceted line of foodservice quality disposable items that satisfy the needs of your operation. The ProPak line includes gloves, take-out, paper and storage products. You can count on ProPak brand disposable products to provide the dependability your customers count on and the food safety they deserve.

gloves for every task. The line features a variety of gloves in six materials: nitrile, latex, synthetic stretch vinyl, heat-cast poly and embossed poly.

The ProPak Disposable Gloves Brochure features a one-page grid that simplifies selecting the right glove material and features to suit specific applications. Foodservice operators armed with this information will be prepared to make better decisions to fit their budgets and needs.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks – United States 1998-2008.

Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ foodsafety/pdfs/reported-outbreak-settings-508c.pdf

1

To request a copy of the ProPak Disposable Gloves Brochure and a personalized glove consultation, contact your Reinhart Sales Consultant.

U.S. Public Health Service. (2013).

Food Code (NTIS Issue Number 201401). Rockville, MD: Food and Drug Administration [Link to http://www.fda. gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/ UCM374510.pdf]

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Food Stylists Reveal Secrets of Making Dishes Instagram Ready

by Audarshia Townsend

You excitedly get out your phone, snap some shots of each entrée in the kitchen and dining room and post them on Instagram.

But wait. You’ve got more than 10,000 followers and only 20 people “like” each photo. What went wrong? You might want to rethink those photos, say food stylists, whose job it is to make dishes look as appetizing in the images as they are in real life.

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Your chef

shopped for several hours at the farmers’ market, and victoriously returns to the restaurant with the most magnificent tomatoes, blueberries and asparagus you’ve ever seen. What’s he going to do with all that great produce?

He creates some specials for the week, and you cannot wait to promote them on social media. You excitedly get out your phone, snap shots of each entrée in the kitchen and dining room, and post them on Instagram. But wait. You’ve got more than 10,000 followers and only 20 people “like” each photo.

What went wrong? You might want to rethink those photos, say food stylists, whose job it is to make dishes look as appetizing in the images as they are in real life.

“Putting a terrible picture of your food up on social media has the opposite effect of doing nothing,” cautions Mary Valentin, a seasoned food stylist who serves as an adjunct instructor at Chicago’s Kendall College and works with the likes of Food Network, Godiva and the National Pork Board.

“Food is such a sensitive issue,” she continues. “Beautiful food makes you hungry and makes you desire it.

Terrible food photography can look like medical specimens, especially meat products. I think it’s important for people to learn a few things before they power ahead and post photos on social media.”

Investing in better photos doesn’t mean spending a lot of money, she emphasizes, offering a few key tips certain to make an impact in social media images: • Seek out cheap apps for $2.99 and up that can assist you with editing photographs.

• Shoot food images in soft, natural lighting always. Harsh lighting, including direct sunlight, does not translate well.

• During the hiring process, inquire about skills that have nothing to do with the position.

Some candidates may have dabbled in photography at school or as a hobby.

Culinary consultant Denise Vivaldo, who also authored “The Food Stylist’s Handbook,” travels the country leading seminars on how to improve professional food photos. A large percentage of the participants works in the restaurant business, and many have benefited from her advice.

The 30-year veteran from Los Angeles divulges some of her bestkept secrets:

the stylists

Culinary consultant Denise Vivaldo, who also authored “The Food Stylist’s Handbook,” travels the country leading seminars on how to improve professional food photos.

• You need to leave room for the food to breathe. If there is too much food on the plate, it looks crazy for the camera.

• During an evening photoshoot, linen or beautiful wooden tabletops will immediately make the food look better. Avoid busy, patterned tablecloths.

• Make sure your camera is in focus. Get close to that plate, so the camera picks up details.

• Create social media buzz with short videos of bartenders whipping up specialty cocktails.

Connie Pikulas’ biggest issue of food photos on social media is that everyone is doing the same thing.

“When you go look at someone’s feed, you don’t want to see the same shot over and over again,” says the 16-year food stylist veteran. Her advice encourages variety:

“I think it’s important for people to learn a few things before they power ahead and post photos on social media.” – Mary Valentin

• Hands (in images) are always good, especially when they are reaching in and interacting with the food.

• It’s always good to have drinks in the background. That makes the image look warmer and more approachable. n

16-year food stylist veteran Connie Pikulas

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NEW COCKTAIL TRENDS

CERTAIN TO TAKE OFF IN 2018 Audarshia Townsend

There’s one thing you can say for certain about cocktail culture: It never gets old.

Coast to coast, talented bartenders constantly seek inventive new ways to punch up classics as well as improve techniques for efficiency’s sake.

In 2018, get ready for an influx of new trends, a few of which have been utilized at some of the country’s top specialty cocktail bars. The Monarch, for example, has been wowing guests since debuting last summer in Kansas City, Mo.

At the helm of this ultra-glam watering hole is bar manager Brock Schulte, who’s credited as a major influence on the city’s cocktail culture scene. He’s garnered all sorts of accolades, from making it to the finals in the Diageo World Class Competition (2015) to winning the Paris of the Plains national bartending competition (2016).

For Schulte, whose expansive menu at The Monarch spans the globe, classic cocktails serve as a guide and inspiration for new elixirs. He’s a fan of the new crop of aged rums on the market, particularly when they’re applied in non-traditional fashion. He’s especially fond of the Barbados-based Foursquare rum.

“PEOPLE ARE FINALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT DRINKING PLAYS INTO A MEAL OR A NIGHT OUT INSTEAD OF A MEANS TO AN END. THIS IS A MORE MATURE, EDUCATED WAY TO APPROACHING ALCOHOL.” - DANIEL SABO, BEVERAGE DIRECTOR THE HOTEL FIGUEROA (LOS ANGELES)

68 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

“It’s a whiskey drinker’s rum,” Schulte explains. “It’s barrel aged. It’s rich. It is dark. It’s a little bit higher proof. It’s easier to mix in a Manhattan or El Presidente-style cocktails.” He also features Foursquare in a few tiki-style cocktails on draft, including his version of the classic Planter’s Punch.

That’s already, of course, a potent drink with three different rums, but Schulte says adding the barrel-aged Foursquare gives it depth, thus modernizing it. The Monarch’s Planter’s Punch also contains offbeat ingredients, including house-made tepache (a fermented beverage made from the peel and rind of pineapples), banana mango-chile de arbol and Crane Brewing Seasonal Gose for “a bit of acidity,” explains Schulte.

As a dedicated coffee drinker, Schulte frequents Kansas City’s trendiest coffeehouses. Naturally, he’s onboard with the nitro (i.e., nitrogen infused) cold brew coffee movement that is all the rage with Millennials. “I feel personally that cold brew is the most popular buzzword surrounding coffee,” he says, adding that the trend inspired him to make his own creations—with booze. “I don’t like super acidic coffee and cold brews are typically less tannic and less acidic. They tend to have a fruitier mouthfeel and flavor. When you put it on nitro it is smooth and creamy and really, really good.”

The Monarch features several nitrogen-infused cocktails, which Schulte, which Schulte also describes as “rich and smooth and creamy.”

“The nitrogen bubbles are much like the texture of a Guinness, compared to a Miller High Life,” he describes. His favorite cold brew cocktail contains vanilla-infused Buffalo Trace bourbon, cold brew and a bitter cream float.

Additional trends to watch in 2018: Cocktails on draft “I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of them because any bar that understands their value and able to execute them well knows that you can get out so many drinks to so many people so much faster. And, as a bar manager, you can maintain that consistency and make sure that each of those drinks is perfect. Those new to the concept should do flat, stirred drinks before getting into anything that needs carbonation or agitation before serving. I highly recommend the Negroni, Manhattan, Boulevardier and Old Fashioned.”

Batching spirits “When we’re pumping through and working at such a high volume, it helps speed service while still maintaining that quality that I expect.

It’s mainly for efficiency and getting the drinks out, but it also saves space so you don’t have all these individual spirits sitting in your well.”

– Ken Pritz, beverage director at River Roast (Chicago)

– Daniel Sabo

non-alcoloholic beverages Low Alcohol By Volume (A.B.V.) Cocktails “One of the things bartenders have struggled with concerning low A.B.V. cocktails is that people feel like they’re not getting their money’s worth. There’s this idea that there must be a higher-proof spirit as the base because customers want to ‘feel it.’ People are finally understanding that drinking plays into a meal or a night out instead of a means to an end. This is a more mature, educated way to approaching alcohol.”

“We are a family restaurant and we wanted to offer something the entire family could participate in. We launched flavored limeades, a traditional Brazilian non-alcoholic drink, in mango, strawberry and passion fruit. We add purees of strawberries, mangoes and passion fruits. They’re freshly made and non-carbonated.”

– Rodrigo Davila, director of wine and spirits for Texas de Brazil n

– Daniel Sabo WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 69

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Tending to Your Bar

by Ari Bendersky

When it comes to managing your bar, are you covered?

When we think of what goes into managing a restaurant, oftentimes the kitchen comes to mind first.

After all, when people plan a night out to eat, food is naturally their main motivator. However, a good beverage program is as important to the overall experience and no matter how thoughtful or extensive yours is, if you don't stay on top of it, you can easily fall behind.

"One key thing is to be in the know with your product mixes so you're not over or under ordering," said David Toby, bar director for four Jack Allen's Kitchen locations and Salt Traders Coastal Cooking in Austin, Texas. "I never want to be out of any menu item, but I also don't want to sit on product I'm not using."

If you're setting up a new restaurant or bar, be a little less aggressive in your first rounds of ordering until you know what you're clientele will go through, Toby added.

"You can start modestly and not go over the top," he said. "Don't order more than you will go through that week. That's the rule of thumb. You may be able to take advantage of a bulk buy, but weigh out if that makes sense for you. If it's [sitting there] more than a month, it doesn't make sense."

Keeping track of your inventory and staying on top of ordering each week will ensure you always have what you need, but not too much.

You can try to eyeball your stock, but that could get you into trouble.

Run reports on what you sell each week using your POS system or set up guides in Excel or Google Sheets using appropriate formulas to easily track sales.

Space restrictions are another reason to not over order. Unless you have

a 10,000-square-foot restaurant with ample storage, you can quickly run out of places to put your stock and, in turn, have more than you need.

"The space dictates the quantity of what you have and the variety," said Aaron Blakely, bar manager at Yves and Smith & Mills restaurants in New York. "If I only have room for 45 bottles, I can have three vodka, three gin, etc. But at Yves, we can have 10 of everything because we have space for 120 bottles."

Blakely said paying attention to what's moving versus what's sitting, will help with future ordering.

"If anything is staying on your inventory from the first of the month to the first of the next you have to take stock of whether you need that," he added.

At Chicago's Blackbird, bar manager Derek Mercer takes a "less is more" approach to his bar program. Some restaurants have an extensive cocktail list, but he feels those should be reserved for actual cocktail bars.

"For restaurants, I don't think you need you need more than five to eight cocktails; I don't know why you'd need 14 cocktails on a menu," Mercer said. "It also matters what people are asking for. If you don't sell a lot of beer, it doesn't make sense to have 13 beers on your menu. Sometimes people are confused by too many choices."

And make sure your bar program matches your food offerings. You want to ensure there is consistency and cohesion between the food and wine.

"Have an innovative beverage program that's unique to your concept and clientele, but you have

to design your beverage program that's in line with the concept of food," Toby added. "You don’t want a premium menu where you have an $85 branzino and wine that's not over $10."

Like a kitchen, bars use perishable, seasonal products like citrus or herbs and produce for drinks. Don't let things go bad and use tape on house-made syrups and other similar products to denote dates when they were made.

"We practice 'first in/first out' in our coolers, storage and walk-ins," Toby said. "You have to rotate that dated product forward and everything is used day-fresh. You don't have to rotate liquor, but you have to rotate beer and wine."

Bartenders can make life easier for themselves by having a tight, workable bar where they can easily interact with customers and increase sales. Something that helps with that is having cheater boxes set up at the bar stations. Cheater boxes will have smaller bottles filled with frequently used ingredients in popular cocktails.

"I don't always want to look for a full bottle when I only need a little bit for a drink," Blakely said. "You don't have to move anywhere from your station and it helps get drinks out quickly."

Last, whether it's your own place or you're managing the bar side of the business, take ownership.

"The best piece of advice someone gave me is to run it as if it was my business or my bar," Mercer said.

"Don't just spend whatever you want. I want to help make money."

Isn't that what every business owner ultimately wants? n

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 71

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CHEF PICKS Wish you had a chef’s mind? Well, we can get you a sneak peek into two very creative chefs and their culinary expertise using products from Reinhart Direct, Gourmet and Specialy Imports. Reinhart Direct partners with Gourmet Foodservice, providing the highest quality, origin-specific products available, from Alaska, Hawaii, Australia, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, and other regions of the world. Reinhart Direct is a virtual one-stop shopping experience for all of our customers’ high-end culinary needs.

Chef JEFF MERRY

Chef Paul young

BOSTON DIVISION

Corporate

Currently serves as the Corporate Executive Chef for Reinhart’s Boston Division. He works with customers in the New England area, sharing his keen sense of what it takes to bring a restaurant into enhanced profitability. Jeff is a 30-year veteran of the foodservice industry and has served as executive chef at three hotels in in the greater Boston area.

nduja stuffed medjool dates with bauleed herb goat cheese 4 ea 2 oz 4 oz 1 oz 4 oz 1 oz 2 oz

method:

Medjool Dates, halved Nduja Goat cheese Fresh chopped parsley, oregano and thyme Fresh arugula Lemon Vinaigrette Caramelized Walnuts Stuff the halved dates with the nduja into each one. Top the stuffed dates with goat cheese and top with herbs and broil in the salamander for 1-2 minutes on high heat to brulee the cheese. Dress the arugula and top with the walnuts, surround by the stuffed dates.

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Currently serves as the Corporate Executive Chef. He works with customers across Illinois and Wisconsin to ensure their success by providing them with new and trending culinary ideas, conducting menu reviews and re-hauls, executing Corporate cuttings and more. Starting as a Sales Consultant, Chef Paul has been with Reinhart since 2012 getting first-hand knowledge of how sales within foodservice works and ultimately becoming a critical consultant for many Reinhart customers.

blini with smoked salmon, lemon balsamic pearls creme fraiche & chervil 4 ea 2 oz 2 oz .25 oz 2 ea 1 tsp

method:

Small blini Creme Fraiche Smoked Salmon, sliced thin and arranged in a small rosette Lemon Balsamic Pearls Chervil sprig Fresh basil oil First pipe the creme fraich on each blini in the center and arrange salmon rosettes on top. Top each blini with the lemon balsamic pearls, chervil leaves and finish with the fresh basil oil.

YUZU PRODUCTS

blue cheese powder

#KC966, KC968, KE256, KC014, KL020, KL018, KB454

product: applications:

This product can be used as a dipping sauce, for pastry work and is a wonderful glaze for poultry and fish. Also use this to flavor sauces, vinaigrettes or a garnish for a cheese plate.

chef notes:

Yuzu marmalade is an amazing product right out of the jar but also has countless uses in both kitchen and pastry applications anywhere you would us an orange marmalade to add that unique yuzu flavor.

The Yuzu flavor has become popular as of late for its exclusive citrus and pine flavors. All of the WA Imports’ products are imported from Japan, and produced from 100% unpasteurized yuzu fruits. The other items in the line each have their own uniquely different citrus flavors. Authentic Japanese yuzu products have a fairly low yearly production and this exclusive nature helps to increase its popularity.

product:

applications:

Use as a seasoning to flavor popcorn, fries or chips. Use to finish sauces, compound butters or foams. Use to coat fruits or use directly as a plate component

chef notes:

Powders and foams have also been a recent hot trend in the molecular gastronomy world sometimes used directly on the plate as a component. This blue cheese powder is being produced from a unique blue cheese creamery, Rogue creamery, so the flavor is intense and the possibilities for applications of this item are endless because of its versatility.

product:

Shoyu soy sauce

nduja salami

balsamic pearls

#KL610

#KL420, KL422, KL010, KL012, KL008

applications:

Sushi, sashami with a soy sauce “tasting”. Use to enhance umami in sauces and vinaigrettes. Use to create “clear” ponzu sauce.

chef notes:

WA Imports Soy is a uniquely authentic product imported product from Japan. With so many different styles and flavor profiles, it gives sushi and sashimi a whole new dimension and for any other preparations where you would use soy sauce for finishing to create umami. My favorite is the fermented garlic soy!

product:

#KL334

applications:

Component of a charcuterie board to spread on crustini or toasts.

Use this as a stuffing for fish or chicken. Use this as a garnish to a puree soup such as white bean or roasted squash.

chef notes:

Nduja is making its way on to all kinds of menus, not only as a unique component on charcuterie boards but as an ingredient for many tapas or small plates which continue to gain popularity at wine bars and casual restaurants. The deep flavor profile of the calabrian pepper is what makes this product so unique and sought after.

product:

#KL814, KL816, KL818, KL812

applications:

In place of fish caviar on blini with creme fraiche and chervil. As a garnish for a fresh berries and ice cream with balsamic reduction. As a garnish for raw oysters. As a garnish for a composed salad. Honeycomb glazed pheasant breast with pomegranate balsamic spheres.

chef notes:

Balsamic pearls and the entire world of edible spheres has been the most widely utilized preparation in the molecular cuisine trend over the last few years and this product us ready to go right out of the jar! Molecular cuisine preparations are the most scientific, unique and cutting edge trend in upscale restaurants worldwide.

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 73

What’s New with Markon?

Fresh New Products to Inspire You RSS Brussels Sprouts Halves are fully trimmed and ready to use right out of the bag. These tiny green cabbages have an earthy, slightly grassy flavor with crisp texture and consistent plate presentation. Truly versatile, they can be used in gratins, pasta, pot pies, salads, soups, stews, and stir-fries. RFS Item Code: P1936 RSS Cauli Creations are an easy start to creating fresh, craveable dishes like cauliflower rice, fried cakes, patties, and tots. This washed and finely cut (rice-size) cauliflower makes preparation fast, easy, and mess-free. Ideal as a substitute for complex carbs in many recipes.

RFS Item Code: 11260 RSS Organic Lemony Arugula is a blend of peppery arugula and lemony sorrel—use it as a stand-alone salad or incorporate it into a wide range of recipes. Its distinct flavor profile shines in green salads, pasta recipes, pesto, polenta, pizza, soups, and stuffing.

RFS Item Code: V5508 RSS Aromatic Herbs & Tender Greens is a proprietary blend developed by Markon’s member chefs. This vibrant mix contrasts the bold flavors and nutritional value of baby red chard, green oak, frisée, and wild arugula with the delicate herbaceousness of parsley, baby dill, and cilantro, creating a perfect balance of taste and texture.

RFS Item Code: V5542 Fresh produce is the cornerstone of any good menu. Markon First Crop® (MFC), Ready-Set-Serve® (RSS), and Markon Essentials® (ESS) fruit and vegetable products give you the versatility to create colorful, flavor-packed recipes.

Be inspired at markon.com.

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To Deliver or Not to Deliver: That’s No Longer the Question

by Mindy Kolof As pressures from the market continue to increase, the question really no longer is whether delivery service should be an option for your business.

Instead, operators are better served by asking themselves, “How?” Is it really possible, necessary and lucrative to integrate a full-service delivery system into an already busy restaurant process?

After all, a standalone service must include personnel, training, packaging, branding, customer service and strong commitments to timeliness and quality control. This, of course, is where technology comes in, and the option of implementing a thirdparty delivery service becomes not only attractive but perhaps integral to success.

After 30 years of offering uncompromised excellence in delivery, no one understands the complexity of the issue better than Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria in Chicago. “Because delivery adds a whole new set of issues in terms of liability, insurance alone stops many restaurants from offering the service.” said Kerri Phillips, digital marketing manager for Lou Malnati’s. “My advice to operators is don’t reinvent yourself. If you don’t already have delivery in place, I recommend 100 percent the use of a third-party option,” she said.

And, Ms. Phillips takes her own advice to heart. Even for a restaurant that has built its reputation on fast, friendly delivery, the benefits of third-party online delivery could not be ignored. Lou Malnati’s signed on last year with Grubhub to generate new business for their downtown market. Plans to roll this out in the suburban markets are in the works. Ms. Phillips said analysis proves that online services generate new customers. “At Lou Malnati’s, our drivers are critical to our success, and we are unwilling to part with them. Still, the market is going in the direction of online ordering, and if you aren’t on the list, you will lose customers,” she added. Because Grubhub allowed Lou Malnati’s to maintain their own drivers, it was a perfect addition to their business model.

Other restaurants reluctant to add delivery are finding ways to embrace the change. Barry Sorkin, owner/ operator of Smoque BBQ in Chicago, avoided delivery mostly because of his belief that “food tastes best in the restaurant.” Also, using a third-party service added a financial commitment and relinquishment of control that challenged his business ideals. He says he resisted as long as he could. “Whether I like it or not, customers are demanding delivery,” he said. “I had to listen.”

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Similar to Lou Malnati’s, Sorkin has compartmentalized the way his restaurant offers delivery. For catering, Smoque uses an in-house, full-service delivery model that includes the option of staffing events. Equipped with a staff of approximately 10 dependable drivers whom he can call upon when needed, Sorkin avoids the financial burden of benching drivers at the restaurant. Catering orders are placed well in advance, allowing for planning, proper packaging and control.

This past year, however, Sorkin signed on with Caviar for his regular menu delivery option. Sorkin said the challenge to include delivery was significant for his highvolume, fast-paced kitchen. He was adamant that he could not let delivery impact the in-house customer experience.

“Creating a system like we have for catering would mean a complete re-engineering of our business,” said Sorkin.

“The third-party option is flexible and allows us to weave in delivery without impacting those who come in to eat,” he added. When and if his team becomes overwhelmed in the kitchen, Sorkin uses Caviar’s option of shutting down delivery completely or adding to the delivery customer’s wait time, if that option is accepted by the customer.

Elsewhere in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ethan Huynh, owner and chef of Ava Street Cafe, opened his restaurant last September knowing that delivery would soon be a necessity. “Our location is in the city and with traffic, we knew the convenience of delivery would be important,” he said. Two months ago, Huynh became the first restaurant in his area to sign on with UberEATS. The experience has been sound, with third-party delivery accounting for close to 20 percent of his orders. Adding a new process within his first year of business was a challenge, but Hunyh said he worked the system himself to determine how to best introduce it to staff. This made it easy for him answer questions and troubleshoot, and he highly recommends that hands-on management approach to others.

One last piece of advice from the delivery specialists at Lou Malnati’s: “Whatever process you use, make sure to order it yourself and go through the experience. These services are a reflection of you. Make sure you like what you see,” said Ms. Phillips. n

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Catering TO THE TAKE-OUT CUSTOMER

by Mary Daggett

Are you considering adding a take-out option to your operation?

You’re not alone, that’s for sure. Of course, it’s one thing to prepare a great meal in the kitchen, and serve it at the proper temperature to your customers in the dining room. Take that same meal, package it for take-out, and it becomes a more challenging proposition. Yet, scores of casual chains and independents have successfully jumped on the takeout bandwagon as this craze gains momentum. Operators are discovering that offering take-out can increase business without significantly increasing the standard cost of operation.

Many also report a reduction in food waste.

Successful catering for takeout involves careful planning, a savvy staff and excellent packaging. When building a take-out menu, include bestsellers and specialties if possible because these are your customer faves. Add a mix of items for lifestyle preferences and dietary requirements. Eliminate items that are not portable or that will deteriorate in transit. You would not want to lose a steady customer because their takeout order became soggy, fell apart, lost flavor or leaked through the packaging onto their leather car seats? Conduct trial runs from your kitchen to the farthest delivery point to satisfy your concerns. You cannot hope to accomplish everything with your

catering offerings that you can with food served in-house. It is far better to offer fewer items that can be executed really well than to present a complicated catering menu that will cause more headaches for the kitchen.

A simple, well-thought-out menu will make order fulfillment easier and make it easier for customers to make a choice. Some menu points to consider for inclusion: Customer favorites, signature dishes and menu items you want to promote. To highlight these when engineering your menu design, surround them with a box and shading so that they are easily noticed.

Menu options in a variety of price ranges to accommodate every budget.

Several healthful selections to appeal to those intent on leading a healthy lifestyle.

Vegan, vegetarian and glutenfree options.

At least one selection each of the big three protein favorites – beef, chicken and pork. A seafood option may also have great appeal.

Special sauces, dressings, condiments and dips packaged separately in sturdy covered cups.

Reheating instructions where applicable.

NOTE: Be sure to ask if food allergies are present to avoid an emergency situation and possible liability.

For easy customer reference, divide your online and printed catering menu into categories, such as apps, salads, entrees, sides and dessert.

You may want to include beverages to increase check averages and provide convenience for customers.

Often, people order take-out because they are too tired to cook, are pressed for time or they do not have the ingredients on hand to make a homemade meal.

Increasingly, there are lots of other occasions when people want to enjoy their favorite restaurant fare off-premise: office lunch meetings, tailgate parties, birthday parties and other celebrations, baby and wedding showers, family gettogethers, neighborhood block parties, and so on. For these occasions, it makes good business sense to include several menu items that can be prepared in large batches for group catering (deviled eggs, pans of lasagna, fancy and hearty sandwich platters, slider and tater tots baskets, specialty pizzas, pastas with several sauce options, mini fish or meat tacos, main dish chopped salads, cupcakes, eclairs, cookies, etc.)

Bear in mind that those intent on ordering take-out will find it somewhere. If you are not currently offering it, consider whether you can afford to pass up this opportunity to free up tables in your dining room and increase sales with food for pickup.

(Delivery is another option gaining momentum with operators across the country. See articles in this issue for more details.) n

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KEEP YOUR

DELIVERY CUSTOMERS HAPPY ARI BENDERSKY

WHEN A DELIVERY GOES WRONG,

HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT? We’ve all been there: A customer places a delivery order from your restaurant. You quote them 45 to 60 minutes. They wait.

And wait. Then they call for an update and you tell them it’s out for delivery and should be there any minute. It eventually shows up more than an hour after they called and you just know you’re going to get a call. The customer is angry. Their burger is cold.

The fries are soggy. You forgot to send the sauce for the chicken fingers and their kid is throwing a hissy fit.

No matter how hard we try to make every meal perfect and hope the diner’s delivery experience matches the quality you’ll show them if they came in to dine, mistakes happen. Delivery is an ever-evolving machine. Only, until recently, restaurants would handle the entire process — from ordering to packaging the food to sending out the order with their own delivery person.

Now restaurants can partner with any number of online ordering and delivery services like Grubhub, Caviar, UberEats, DoorDash, Amazon Restaurants and more. Some of those places handle the ordering and customer service; others work with restaurants to set up their online menus and the restaurants handle any complaints that may come in. It’s a fine balance, but at the end of the day, you want to ensure your customers are happy and order from you again or come back in.

“Service is really what it’s all about and taking care of our guests,” said Dave Quillen, managing partner, Joe’s Seafood,

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Prime Steak & Stone Crab with locations in Chicago, Las Vegas and Washington D.C. “We have to closely monitor that since we’re not at that person’s door. And the quickly growing aspect of our business is delivery and we’re constantly looking at new materials, timing and ways to become more efficient.”

In Chicago, Joe’s, which is part of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, works with Grubhub, DoorDash, Caviar, Postmates and UberEats. In D.C., it employs UberEats, Caviar and Grubhub. Because they have a variety of third-party delivery services acting as a go-between for them and their customers, Joe’s team constantly monitors reviews on social media platforms including Yelp and TripAdvisor so they can respond quickly to any complaints and remedy them. They also have a secret shopper-type of program they have set up to employ people who follow a set of criteria and provide feedback on ordering and delivery experiences. One thing Joe’s does have control over is how an order looks before it goes out the door, using its three-check system.

“When the order is placed, it gets produced in the kitchen and then placed in a see-through wire basket,” Quillen said. “Our coordinator, usually a chef, checks every item and makes sure it’s there and then checks if off. Then a carryout team member does the exact same thing in the carryout room. The last check is when [the driver] arrives, our team takes out everything from the bag and makes sure it’s all there.”

Now if something goes wrong, Joe’s will do whatever it needs to ensure that customer is happy, whether that’s hand-delivering missing items or, in a severe case, offering a gift card for a future visit or purchase. However, not all restaurants want to handle customer service. In addition to managing ordering and delivery, Grubhub also works with restaurants to handle their customer service interactions — and will monitor restaurants to watch for any common irregularities.

“If we see an example where a burger restaurant consistently forgets to not put pickles on when customers request no pickles, we’ll go back and work with them,” said Stan Chia, Grubhub’s chief operating officer. “We want to make sure if something isn’t clear in our technology or if something is missing on the restaurant side. We work to understand the root of the problem and work with the party to solve it.”

Because Grubhub partners with more than 55,000 restaurants across 1,200 cities, the company has access to vast amounts of data, much of which comes via customer feedback in reviews, ratings and surveys. The company crunches that data, watches trends and raises concerns to restaurants so they can ultimately offer the best service and help their business stand out.

“Having relentless focus on the customer is what will differentiate anyone in terms of the experience,” Chia said.

That way, you can try to stay ahead of any issues — and when they do arise, you’ll be better prepared to handle them. n

YOU WANT TO ENSURE YOUR CUSTOMERS AND ORDER FROM YOU AGAIN.

ARE HAPPY

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Pack it

UP Packaging can make or break a delivery experience.

By Ari Bendersky

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art of having a good delivery service is having the proper packaging. For a customer who has excitedly waited upwards of an hour for their food, there’s nothing worse than for it to show up soggy, cold, smashed or deconstructed when it wasn’t meant to arrive that way.

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That’s why, no matter if you’re delivering burgers, pizza, salad or a fully composed chicken or steak entrée with sides, you need to research what methods work best for your menu items. And that also means not every dish you serve in the restaurant is appropriate for your take-out menu either.

“We start by working with restaurant operators to see how their menu on Grubhub should look like,” said Stan Chia, Grubhub’s chief operating officer. “Let’s not put on something that won’t travel well. Maybe a taco comes deconstructed.”

Grubhub does a lot of testing on its end to ensure the gear their delivery drivers use makes sense when transporting items from the various restaurants — and does so to continue to drive improvement.

Chia said it’s important for restaurants to think about a few things before committing to a delivery partner. First, do you have a partner that will help you fine-tune your menu to weed out items that might not travel well? Second, do you have the right containers for certain food items so they’ll travel well from a temperature perspective? And third, is the food stable so it doesn’t slide around, which for things like pizza is crucial so that cheese doesn’t slide off, leaving a saucy mess in the box?

At Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, which has locations in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas, they use a sticker labeling system to show customers not only what is in each container, but also any reheating instructions, making it easier for customers, who often offer positive feedback on the packaging. The restaurant also packs

dish components individually and uses special carryout bags that specifically fit their to-go packaging.

“We were fortunate that our supply vendor was willing to work with us,” said Dave Quillen, Joe’s managing partner. “We went to great lengths to find the right size and right functional container. It’s an ongoing process; we’re looking at packaging that’s a little less expensive, but still as functional.”

When Charles Bililies opened his first location of Souvla, a fast-casual Greek restaurant serving rotisserie-roasted natural meats served in warm pitas and salads, in early 2014 in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood, he envisioned it as more dine-in and take-away business. But then services like Caviar, UberEats, Postmates and DoorDash emerged and his business model quickly changed.

Today, he works with Caviar and delivery comprises about 25 percent of Souvla’s business across its three locations. To manage, Bililies created packaging that would work across delivery and to-go

orders, printing the packages with on-brand copy and checkboxes to differentiate what meat was selected, whether it was a wrap or salad and any add-ons like extra hot sauce.

“We were very thoughtful and selective on what type of packaging we were using since it would reflect the brand,” Bililies said. “There was a tremendous amount of trial and error and we went through a lot of samples to find the right balance and to streamline the packaging so we were not ordering 20 different types of packaging. Instead, we’re being versatile with four to five types of to-go packaging.”

Bililies stressed that streamlining the packaging has helped him save money as delivery quickly encompassed a quarter of his overall business. His recommendation to other restaurant owners with

significant delivery business is to do larger print runs of custom boxes, but only if it makes sense and you have a place you can warehouse the goods.

“The fewer things you need to purchase from a packaging standpoint, the easier it is from an operational standpoint,” he said.

But, the one delivery conundrum that prevails? How to keep French fries from getting soggy.

“I don’t think anyone has been able to solve for the delivery challenge with fries,” Bililies admitted, with a laugh. “What’s been interesting, with respect to fries, I think people are just very understanding that fries will never be as good as they are in the restaurant.”

Maybe every restaurant needs to add a label that instructs customers to set their oven 15 minutes before the delivery arrives to crisp up the fries. At least until someone invents that breakthrough French fry package. Now that would be a serious game changer.

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AUDARSHIA TOWNSEND

Orders beyond pizza

EFFICIENTLY DELIVERING

When “Denny’s On Demand” launched last spring, placing it in direct competition with the estimated hundreds of thousands of restaurants offering delivery service, it didn’t come as a surprise to everyone. It emerged at a time when the restaurant industry was overall sluggish, and every idea to increase transaction averages should be considered, say experts.

“So many of the fast-casual and casual restaurants are having issues with their numbers and comparable comps within the last year,” says Doug Roth, a former thirdgeneration restaurateur who consults restaurant groups and hotels nationwide with his company, Playground Hospitality.

“Everyone is looking for ways to increase the top line.

Delivery and carryout are two ways to do so.”

Denny’s has gone high tech in its effort, teaming up with digital ordering provider Olo, making it convenient for customers to place orders from their smartphones or tablets.

What’s extraordinary is that the service is available 24 hours a day and everything on the menu may be ordered.

“Whether it’s a Grand Slam for dinner, a Fit Slam for breakfast, all-new pancakes at 3 a.m., one of our delicious burgers, or all of the above, the options are endless and now truly the world is your diner,” says John Dillon, chief marketing officer for Denny’s, in a press release.

While most user reviews of Denny’s service have been tech related, several detail excessive delivery wait times and complaints of the quality of the food. Roth says when issues like this surface, restaurants must re-evaluate their programs.

“Hopefully you’re astute enough to understand what travels and what doesn’t,” says Roth. “Shame on you if you’re in a position where you are continuing to deal with the items that

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don’t carry well. You have to do your homework before you even set out to do these things. That’s an amateur way of doing business if you say, ‘Let’s do our menu,’ without testing it.”

He adds that an especially busy delivery program puts additional pressure on the kitchen. “We used to get slammed on a Saturday night with both those orders,” he recalls. “What happens is that your dining room and delivery business are both sacrificed. There had better be a good way of how to produce those items so there isn’t a conflict both from a labor standpoint and also food quality consistency standpoint.”

For Bill Nevruz, a managing partner at delivery-only restaurant concept Seasides, the kitchen in which his team works is what makes his project a success.

Seasides shares a spacious kitchen with Oyster Bah in Chicago’s Lincoln Park and Shaw’s Crab House in Schaumburg, Ill. “There are limited seats in the two-level (Oyster Bah) and this was a way to reach more customers without physically expanding,” Nevruz explains.

Seasides only delivers fried chicken, ribs and steamed lobster, and he is confident that his kitchen perfects every order.

He admits, however, that there was much trial and error before the recipes for the fried chicken and steamed lobster were ready. “The ribs are the easiest. They stay hot. You just pack them up and they’re good to go,” he says.

“The fried chicken’s challenge was keeping it crispy,” he continues. “Our chef did an amazing job in developing a process that takes three days with the brining process and the special batter and how we fry it. It really, truly stays crispy until (customers) get it. I can attest that the chicken is crispy until the next day out of your refrigerator.”

Delivering whole steamed lobsters was even more challenging, Nevruz admits.

“Lobsters don’t do well when you cook them, pack them away and then eat them 30 minutes later.

They continue to cook with the steam and they become tough. It’s not very appetizing.”

To solve this issue, his culinary team worked overtime to create a lobster recipe that wouldn’t overcook or dry out. Their solution: a lobster finished with a parmesan topping that acts as an insulator when it goes into the oven. “It keeps the lobster meat, which is very low in fat itself, from drying out. It keeps it warm and juicy until you eat it at home,” he says.

Valentina Imbrenda, of Italian-focused Via Emilia 9 on Miami Beach, doesn’t shy away from delivering every item on her menu because she has confidence in her kitchen.

“ “

-

ound Hospitality Doug Roth, Playgr

“We know how far the food can go where it will be okay,” she says. “If the driver is going to be late, and the food is cold, we will redo it to make sure it is right.” n

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RESTAURANTS RATE TOP ONLINE DELIVERY PLATFORMS

BY AUDARSHIA TOWNSEND

The ease of online ordering is tempting more people to eat in, a new study suggests, making the playing field for home food delivery platforms crowded. The investment firm, Cowen, Inc., forecasts a massive 79% surge in the total U.S. food home delivery market over the next five years, which means services like Grubhub, UberEats and Postmates are guaranteed to benefit. While some operators eagerly wait for the next big service promising major tech-y bells and whistles, others choose to stay with platforms that have provided much success.

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"All in, we forecast delivery to grow from $43 billion in 2017 to $76 billion in 2022, 12 percent annually over the next five years," Cowen chief analyst Andrew Charles said in an interview with CNBC. Look for the market to get even more crowded as demand surges, with more options than ever from which to choose.

For instance, Spencer Most, marketing coordinator at Epic Burger, had already established a working relationship with UberEats before he came aboard the Chicago-based chain. When the company launched its delivery business in 2016, for him it was a no-brainer.

“If there is ever an issue, I can shoot them an email and I know that I will get a response right away,” says Most. “It helps out with some of the marketing initiatives as well. Once we joined the UberEats roster, they provided fliers that we included in to-go bags to increase the message that we are now available on UberEats.”

Most finds it helpful that UberEats handles all the customer-service issues internally. “That way, I am not getting bombarded with emails about ‘where’s my driver,’ ‘my food was late,’ that sort of thing.”

For Valentina Imbrenda, however, it’s important to embrace as many online delivery platforms as possible. In addition to offering inhouse delivery, she’s signed on to Yelp’s Eat24 as well as DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates and UberEats.

The proprietor of Via Emilia 9 on Miami Beach, Imbrenda says she subscribes to multiple programs because she doesn’t want to miss out on business coming from customers taking advantage of discounts on various platforms.

simple and everything can be tracked down from the driver to the customer's info.”

Most important, UberEats makes it uber-convenient for her to get paid. The company sends her a weekly email with a neatly compiled history of the entire week’s orders, so she can double check. She is paid every Wednesday. Other companies send daily or monthly emails, which is more difficult for her to manage.

“Those can get lost sometimes,” she laments.

“Smaller companies like DoorDash try to advertise themselves by offering discounts,” explains Imbrenda. “We don’t want to miss out on those opportunities.”

Bill Nevruz’s delivery-only Seasides concept relies solely on online platforms, and he uses Grubhub, DoorDash and UberEats.

“We’ve been happy with all three of them,” says Nevruz, whose Chicago eatery cranks out fried chicken, steamed lobster and ribs.

“If we didn’t like any of them, we wouldn’t use them.” n But, by far, her favorite platform is UberEats, with Eat24 a close second. “We feel it's the perfect way of delivering food as it's neat,

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Guests appreciate simple, authentic ingredients.

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Pure Leaf® uses high-quality, single-origin tea leaves that are gently rolled and blended with real fruit and flower pieces for a premium taste and experience. Whether iced or hot, Pure Leaf® delivers exceptional teas with exceptional flavor.

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A Well-Oiled Machine

By Mary Daggett

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uring peak times, does your kitchen remind you of an old Keystone Cops movie, with all of the actors scurrying here and there and bumping into each other?

Busy Chef Offers Sage Advice

It doesn’t have to be that way. With a well-planned kitchen layout, organization and efficiency, any operation will function more smoothly. A well-trained staff and advance preparation can make all the difference, too.

“When you open your first restaurant, it is a learning process,” Chef Garcia said. “Your first priority must be the food you serve. Streamlining kitchen functionality comes a few months later. As time goes by, the areas that need

Adolpho Garcia is executive chef and proprietor of La Boca Argentinian Steakhouse, High Hat Café and Ancora Pizzeria & Salumeria in New Orleans.

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“Be proactive. Fix problems so they do not crop up again.

A workplace should have a friendly, happy atmosphere. When this happens, the turnover rate drops dramatically.”

–Jim Ferschinger

improvement will become apparent. If you find that you have a difficult balancing act, changes must be made. The layout should allow for effective mise en place. Food should flow seamlessly from the prep area to the line to the dining room.

“You might find that a menu item takes more labor and time than it is worth. Try to keep labor-intensive prep to a minimum to prevent bottlenecks. Look for ways to cut labor without sacrificing quality. For example, we used to make homemade sausage at LaBoca, but we also make it at Ancora, our pizzeria.

Now we make it at one location and share it with the other.

Sometimes, it makes sense to bring in food items from other sources – an excellent bakery, for example. Sometimes, a device or piece of equipment can add to your efficiency, and pay for itself in labor savings.

“If your kitchen is small and cramped, with pots and equipment stashed in every corner, it is difficult to remain organized. Hang lightweight shelving from the ceiling or place metal shelves with racks and hooks atop work tables to hold pots and utensils at arm’s length. Pot racks are also an option for easy overhead access of the things you use all the time.

Always keep efficiency top-of-mind. Time is money.”

Veteran Manager Says “Take One for the Team” Jim Ferschinger is an industry veteran with over 45 years of management and management consultant experience at Milwaukee area restaurants and country clubs. He provides excellent advice to streamline kitchen operations through staff training and advance preparation.

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“Effective training of the kitchen staff together as a team is invaluable,” Ferschinger said. “The key is to ensure that each player understands their position, can execute their job flawlessly and is willing to step up to the plate and help out the other players if the need arises.

“Ideally, a kitchen team grows together as time goes by. Each player acquires more confidence in what they do, becomes more and more efficient and less likely to make a costly mistake that could impact your business. The kitchen line gets to the point where they know what needs to be done and where to pitch in when necessary. A kitchen team that is not cohesive is constantly playing catchup, while guests in the dining room are wondering where their meal is.

“Each chef, cook or assistant on the line must be assigned to a particular job and know what is expected of them. An effectively run kitchen operates from a checklist, similar to the checklist that an airline pilot follows prior to takeoff. Each team member is aware of their responsibilities. Eventually, everything becomes automatic, like a well-oiled machine.

“There are a lot of variables in a kitchen setting, and lots of things can go wrong. That’s when people just naturally get upset and tempers flare. Be proactive. Fix problems so they do not crop up again. A workplace should have a friendly, happy atmosphere. When this happens, the turnover rate drops dramatically.”

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Work The Moral of the Story is Morale

By Mary Daggett

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he foodservice kitchen environment can get pretty heated, and we’re not talking about heat generated by ovens and ranges.

Especially during peak times when the pressure is on, tempers can flare and sometimes get the better of even the most eventempered professionals.

The British motto, “Keep Calm and Carry On,” hits the mark during combustible moments back of the house. When someone displays behavior that is out-of-line, it accomplishes nothing positive. The fact is that we are all human, we are not perfect and we all lose our tempers and misbehave from time to time. When we are guilty of this, the important thing is to make amends, apologize and take steps to ensure that the behavior is not repeated. Yes, good manners do still matter.

With the incredible staff turnover in the industry, it is critical to consider the morale in the kitchen. No one enjoys showing up for work with a pit in their stomach, dreading a hostile atmosphere.

Restaurant Inc has compiled several strategies to consider that just might have your staff whistling while they work. Studies have shown that a happy, contented staff reduces turnover, increases productivity and actually adds to an operation’s bottom line.

Put Me in Coach – I’m Ready to Play There is a reason why so many companies use the sports team analogy when encouraging their staff to work together cohesively.

In sports, each player knows their position, has learned the plays and they all contribute to the success of the game. In your kitchen, make certain that everyone has the adequate training, knows what is expected of them and develops a winning attitude through your excellent coaching. Create a training manual with job descriptions for easy employee reference. Let new hires know that you are available to them to answer questions and provide guidance. Foster team spirit.

Show your team that you have their back. It’s a win/win proposition.

Foster an Atmosphere of Balance Medical professionals agree that stress can be a killer. It can also sabotage efforts to achieve good working relationships and a staff’s sense of well-being. Balance has to start at the top. If restaurant owners, head chefs and managers are stressed, they are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and other physical ills, and to lose their cool. Neal Fraser, executive chef/co-owner of Redbird

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and several other operations in Los Angeles, is a highly respected and successful entrepreneur. When Restaurant Inc interviewed this culinary superstar who beat Cat Cora on The Food Network’s “Iron Chef,” he had just returned from a long bike ride. He stressed the fact that the only way he can operate so successfully is through work/life balance. He spends quality time with his wife and children, socializes with friends and enjoys puttering in his kitchen garden.

It’s a smart move to examine your own workload and that of your employees. If anyone is being pushed too hard, make sure they have the opportunity to recharge their batteries to prevent burnout.

It’s a smart move to examine your own workload and that of your employees. If anyone is being pushed too hard, make sure they have the opportunity to recharge their batteries to prevent burnout.

Reward, Recognize and Respect Have you ever noticed how dogs respond to praise and a pat on the head? They get all excited, wagging their tails and making satisfying noises. You’d swear you can see them smiling. People respond to positive feedback with similar excitement, body language and smiles.

Here are several easy-to-implement proverbial pats on the head: • Institute an “Employee of the Month” program to reward performance excellence. Frame their picture for all to see and give them a bonus – which could mean event or movie tickets, dinner for two, or even an extra day off. Highlight this employee achievement with mention on your website and through Facebook and Twitter.

• Recognize those staffers who go that extra mile or do the right thing when they think no one is looking. A great way to do this is to praise them in a setting that includes their kitchen peers. They will feel extra proud of themselves, and other employees will be motivated to act in kind.

• Offer the opportunity for career development and advancement within the operation.

Sometimes, it is necessary to call employees on the carpet for poor performance. Show them respect and allow them to save face by pointing out shortcomings privately. Do this at the end of their shift rather than at the start. Give people another chance to redeem themselves. They might turn into valued contributors to your success.

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Get Social A great morale booster is to foster friendship and enjoyment among the staff. When employees have a sense of camaraderie and enjoy each other’s company, they will naturally look forward to coming to work. Chances are good that they will also want to pull together in harmony for the success of the operation. Here are some ideas: • Sponsor an employee sports team. Some options include volleyball, bicycling club, bowling, softball, darts, dragon boat competitions or any number of runs and races that occur each year.

• Host an all-employee special event once a year — A holiday party, 4th of July ice cream social, harvest hayride, family day at an amusement park, etc.

• Sponsor a worthwhile charity or cause that everyone can get their arms around. Encourage your staff to volunteer. One example is Race for the Cure, in which pledges of support for breast cancer research and a cure are made. On a designated day, everyone either walks or runs together on a well-organized route. People naturally feel good about themselves when they contribute to society. As you and your team run together for this incredibly worthwhile cause, you will also build camaraderie and forge a team.

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RESTAURANT 360

SOLUTIONS TO DRIVE YOUR BOTTOM LINE

Running a successful restaurant takes a lot of focus and attention.

No detail to small, no decision without impact on your bottomline. But you don’t have to go it alone, so be sure to reach out to your Reinhart Sales consultant let us help you update your menu, improve your operations, and market your business to attract new customers.

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THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF MENU ENGINEERING

BY DEREK EXLINE We’ve all heard about the seven deadly sins of life. Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, wrath, and pride. Did you know that these sins also apply to your menu? If you avoid the seven sins, you can have a powerful menu that drives profit and tips. Each sin is a unique situation for the menu and can cost your restaurant thousands of dollars in missed profit.

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LUST like cheese and bacon, after the main order.

“I HAVE TO HAVE CREPES ON THE MENU. GIVE ME THE CHEAPEST ONE SO I CAN MAKE THE MOST MONEY ON IT.”

Let’s move on to the second half of this sin.

It’s not worth it to have something on the menu if you’re going to sacrifice quality. Dining out has become an experience for most consumers and this means they want a quality meal.

They’re also willing to pay for that quality meal. You no longer have to sacrifice quality to have something on the menu. If you do, you’re really sacrificing your profits and the potential for a return customer and fan of your restaurant.

“AND I NEED TO HAVE 10 VERSIONS OF IT ON THE MENU TO CATCH EVERYONE’S TASTE PREFERENCE SO EVERYONE COMES IN TO THE RESTAURANT.”

GLUTTONY “THIS HAS TO BE ON THE MENU WITH THE FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS SO THAT MY CUSTOMERS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT’S ON THEIR PLATE! AND I NEED TO HAVE 10 VERSIONS OF IT ON THE MENU TO CATCH EVERYONE’S TASTE PREFERENCE SO EVERYONE COMES IN TO THE RESTAURANT.” This is really two sins in one, so let’s look at both of them individually.

FIRST, “THIS HAS TO BE ON THE MENU WITH THE FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS SO THAT MY CUSTOMERS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT’S ON THEIR PLATE.” This sin is more of a waste of your time and eats up valuable real estate on the menu. Think about it this way, when was the last time you read the ingredients label on anything at the grocery store?

Most diners are looking for an experience and are willing to pay for it, so give them a compelling reason to order the more expensive dishes on your menu. Consider the following menu description: “1/4 LB BEEF PATTY WITH LETTUCE, TOMATO, ONIONS, KETCHUP, MUSTARD, AND PICKLES ON A BUN. SERVED WITH A SIDE OF FRIES OR CHIPS.” This description lists everything on the burger, but there’s no sizzle, no compelling reason to buy this potentially high-profit dish. Let’s try a different description: “OUR HANDMADE PATTY SEARED TO PERFECTION TOPPED WITH THE PERFECT FIXINGS AND PLATED WITH SOME OF OUR HOUSECUT CRISP FRENCH FRIES OR CHIPS.” Same word count as the first description, but a little more flavor added in. It focuses more on what the customer will experience when the plate is set in front of them. You’re also setting the diner up to taste more from that burger-and-fries combo than they would if they saw all of the ingredients and tried to taste all of them. This description also allows you to add in your upsells,

When you go into a new place, how often have you seen the menu list out a hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger, bacon cheeseburger, double hamburger, double cheeseburger, and on and on. This eats up valuable real estate on the menu and can lead to confusion and apathy. Confusion and apathy can increase your table times and drive down your total sales each night.

Condensing these options down frees up space for new menu ideas and makes an easier-to-read menu for diners. A condensed menu can make it easier on your wait staff, especially when it comes to recommendations. Plus, condensing and combining some menu options allows for easier upsells when a customer decides to modify the dish.

GREED “I WANT TO LEAVE THE DOLLAR SIGN NEXT TO EACH PRICE. CUSTOMERS NEED TO CLEARLY SEE THE PRICE ON THE MENU.” This is a tricky sin. It has to deal with pricing and money. More specifically, it has to deal with not drawing attention to pricing on the menu and breaking some pretty long-held traditions.

The dollar sign is unnecessary. It can remind the customer that they’re spending money. Leaving the dollar off of your menu allows the customer to decide what they want from your menu based off of taste, flavor profile, and description. This is your chance to showcase your best cooking for the diner and win their loyalty over with the food more than the price.

Besides, most people are looking for an experience when they dine out. Eating at a restaurant is about the ambiance, the food, the fun with friends and family. Focus less on the dollar sign and more on the atmosphere.

SLOTH “IT’S TOO MUCH WORK TO REALLY LAYOUT AND PRICE THE NEW MENU. LET’S GET SOMETHING ON THE TABLE AND WORRY ABOUT IT LATER.” It can take quite a bit of work to get a new menu on the table.

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You need to look into what can set you apart from your competition, figure out the pricing on each of the dishes, and plan the layout of the menu.

of the price changes as well as new items on the menu.

Taking some time to roll out the new menu can ease the pain that customers feel when they see the new prices.

At some point, this feels like too much work for your new menu. It becomes enticing to skip some of these steps, to not worry so much about pricing or layout. To just get the menu done and off to the designer.

A rollout of the menu can also help increase the tips your servers earn. If the server knows what’s on the new menu and what to suggest, they can direct the customer to plan out their meal and increase the average ticket at each table.

This can also help reduce table turn times and generate more profit for the restaurant. As you get closer to the new menu being finished, consider instituting a rollout plan at your restaurant.

Skipping past this work could lose you potential profits.

Proper pricing on a menu can add 2% to 3% to the bottom line. Imagine what laying out the menu, having unique menu offerings and a well-priced menu could do for your restaurant.

ENVY “EVERYBODY IN MY AREA HAS A CUBAN SANDWICH, I NEED TO HAVE ONE ON THE MENU.” Having some similar items from your competitors menu can be good, especially when it comes to appetizers like wings or mozzarella sticks. There are just some staples to a menu that you’ll need to have. But you don’t need to copy everything from your competitor’s menus. Have some flair and individuality for your menu and your restaurant.

Having some unique items on your menu can allow you to set yourself apart from the competition and create your own atmosphere. Having unique items on the menu also gives your customers a stronger reason to visit your restaurant.

Don’t be envious of your competitor. Be different from their menu and give the community some new selections.

WRATH “PROFITS ARE DROPPING AND WE NEED A NEW MENU ON THE TABLE NOW. JUST UPDATE THE PRICES AND THROW IT ON THE TABLES.” Getting a new menu out on to the table to address declining profits is a good move, but do it too hastily and it can hurt more than helps your restaurant. Take a step back and plan out a rollout of your new menu. Make sure the staff is aware

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PRIDE “I HAVE TO HAVE THAT PIZZA BURGER ON THE MENU FOR JACK. HE ALWAYS COMES IN FOR ONE ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY.” Hey, that’s great that Jack always comes in for a guaranteed sale. But that pizza burger staying on the menu is taking up valuable real estate that could go to the special you ran last month that sold out every week. I’m not saying you should stop serving the pizza burger to Jack. You’ll still have the ingredients there to make it, I’m saying take it off the menu and score twice over. Jack feels like a VIP when you make something not on the menu for him and you capture more sales when all of your other customers find that special has made it to the regular menu.

Removing something from the menu that a couple of regulars order can be a great way to engage new and regular customers. When you make that item special for the regular, they feel like a bigger VIP. When that previous special is made that newer diners enjoyed, you invite them to return to your restaurant. Don’t be afraid to review what your menu offers and take some slow movers off.

These are just seven menu sins that many restaurants are guilty of committing. Reviewing your menu and removing even a few of these sins can help increase your profits. When it’s time to update your menu, work with your Reinhart Sales Consultant for extra help in engineering your new menu. n

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THE 4 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO WHEN ADDING ONLINE ORDERING FOR YOUR RESTAURANT HOW TO ENSURE ADDING TAKE-OUT AND DELIVERY SERVICE GROWS BUSINESS AND MAKES GUESTS HAPPY

By UPSERVE

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f you had to choose one word to describe our lives right now, odds are good it would be “convenience.” On demand TV programming, information instantly available on our smartphones, payment at the touch of a button and more.

With so many of your customers leading time-critical lives and craving high quality food on their schedules, it’s vital to consider if adding online ordering is right for your restaurant.

And, if so, how will you tackle online ordering so it grows your bottom line and satisfies your guests?

ANALYZE IF ONLINE ORDERING IS RIGHT FOR YOU Consider your business model. Online food ordering for take-out or delivery service is not just for fast food (or fast casual) anymore!

If your current customers have inquired about take-out and delivery options or if you’re receiving requests from potential customers, there could be enough demand to make the addition of online ordering pay off for you.

Discuss the potential for online ordering with your staff as additional orders will add to the workload of kitchen and front-of-house staff. An integrated restaurant POS system will help cut down on the amount of extra time staff has to spend on take-out or delivery orders, but you may need to add kitchen staff or even a dedicated online order staff member to handle a significant increase in orders.

Not only should you consult your staff, but you should examine your menu and evaluate if your food will package and keep well for customers to enjoy offsite. Size up the to-go containers you currently use. Packaging that works well for diners bringing home leftovers may not be ideal for packing entire meals and keeping them at the appropriate temperature.

Adding online ordering will also require savvy marketing tactics to leverage your existing clientele and attract new customers for your take-out and delivery services.

All these things, of course, come at a cost. Additional staff hours, supplies, the potential for additional insurance, technology tools to smoothly facilitate orders can all add up.

But incorporating online ordering can also pay off – online and mobile ordering accounted for nearly 1.9 billion food service visits, growing 18 percent in 2016, according to the NPD Group.

MARKET SMART When it comes to online ordering, you can’t just add the functionality and trust that customers will find it on their own.

You should absolutely continue to utilize your current successful marketing strategies and tactics for in-house dining, but you will also need to come up with separate messaging to promote your new take-out and delivery options.

In your every touchpoint with current customers – menu inserts, window displays, receipts and more – share the news about your online ordering program. Talk up the convenience, the quality of the food and the impeccable service (and make sure you can back up those claims). Offer discounts and promotions to entice customers to try online ordering options.

GO SOCIAL Use gorgeous, shareable photos of your food, utilize contests, work with local influencers and connect your social media audience to your online ordering system at every available opportunity.

BE SMART ABOUT YOUR TECHNOLOGY There are seemingly endless options for third-party online ordering, each with their own backend technology solutions, customized menu requirements, integration issues and payment terms.

When you integrate your online ordering system with your restaurant POS software, you can save time and money. When your customers click “checkout” on a system like Breadcrumb POS , the orders drop directly into your POS system, so your staff can avoid having to transcribe from a third-party system.

An integrated system also requires only one menu – the one you choose and you can avoid skyrocketing commissions.

A wise investment in your online ordering system means any customer can place an order in the way that’s most convenient for them — by phone, laptop or from a mobile device anywhere.

Learn more about how Breadcrumb POS by Upserve can take your online ordering to the next level. Submit your information here: resources.upserve.com/reinhart. n

If, after carefully considering the pros and cons, you determine online ordering is right for your restaurant – here’s how to do it right.

Upserve is the magic ingredient that helps restaurateurs thrive, putting everything they need in one place. In a single platform, Upserve offers the market-leading cloud point of sale for restaurants, Breadcrumb POS by Upserve; actionable analytics through Upserve HQ; transparent processing with Upserve Payments; mobile restaurant management with Upserve Live, and seamless integration with leading third-party restaurant apps via the Upserve Marketplace. For more information, please visit resources.upserve.com/reinhart.

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Kitchen Spring Housekeeping Every operation should have a daily, weekly and monthly cleaning schedule to keep up with the grease, grime and bacteria that accumulate in every busy kitchen. This regular maintenance protects against foodborne illness, makes the work environment more pleasant for your staff and helps to ensure that your operation is ready should the food inspector drop in.

With spring on the horizon, plan ahead to get a jump on the huge task of comprehensive spring cleaning. You might want to consider a professional commercial cleaning service that specializes in restaurant kitchens. Whether you hire it done or enlist your staff to do the job, set your standards high. Your reputation depends upon it. Here’s a checklist to augment your own list so that nothing slips through the cracks.

Grease is the Word Grease buildup is a true kitchen menace. This slippery devil can cause a kitchen fire; employee slips and falls; and attracts bugs, rodents and bacteria. In addition to your regular maintenance, spring cleaning should include eliminating grease from behind and underneath all equipment and surfaces. Thoroughly degrease exhaust fans. The equipment will operate more efficiently, last longer and you may prevent a fire hazard.

Suck it Up A vacuum cleaner is indispensable for capturing dust and cobwebs from ceilings, baseboards, light fixtures, heating and cooling vents, door jams and hard-to-reach corners. Cobwebs take flight in the breeze, and you want to prevent them from getting into your food.

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Every Nook and Cranny • Ice machines can be the culprit for foodborne illness. Follow manufacturer’s cleaning and sanitizing instructions to the letter.

• Coolers and freezers should be emptied and thoroughly cleaned and sanitized several times a year in addition to regular maintenance. Remember exterior, tops, gaskets and fans.

• Spring Housekeeping • Clean and sanitize all kitchen surfaces that are not included on the regular schedule,

including ceilings, walls, tops and sides of equipment, storage shelves, pot racks, light fixtures, etc.

• Clean and sanitize those hidden appliance and equipment parts not readily accessible.

• Clean and sanitize interior and exterior of all waste receptacles, including the outside

dumpsters. Do not neglect to sweep and hose down the area under and around dumpsters, even if the only ones who use this area are your employees and the sanitation crew. This is an area that can attract nasty pests. (Provide a receptacle for employees who smoke out back, and insist that it be used and emptied frequently.)

• Disinfect floor drains.

• Thoroughly clean kitchen office surfaces, including the computer keyboard and screen.

• Clean and disinfect areas in employee restrooms that aren’t included in the regular schedule.

Remember to praise and reward employees who help with this gargantuan but necessary job. They will be more enthusiastic next time if they know that their toil is appreciated. n

GREEN UP YOUR CLEANING Harsh chemicals. Paper and plastic products that clog landfills. Bleach that ends up in the waterway. These are things many restaurateurs don’t consider when buying their cleaning products and dry goods. Many of us don’t think about the larger impact restaurants have on the environment. But by making even small changes in the products you use, it can have a lasting effect.

“I try to lessen the impact on the environment as much as possible,” said Alex Harrell, chef/owner of Angeline in New Orleans. “It’s a feel-good thing and it’s not something we use as a marketing tool. It’s just what we believe in. It follows in line with the whole philosophy of what Angeline is in being a better part of the community.

It would feel hypocritical if I was supporting all of these small farms that are sustainable and natural and I was then dumping four gallons of bleach into the water system each week.”

Harrell said he looks for soaps and degreasers that have less harsh corrosive chemicals, products that are more plant-derived and that don’t have as many phosphates, inorganic chemicals often found in detergents and soaps that can end up in the water system and cause larger problems. Harrell also started using plant-based products that are more compostable and recyclable, like to-go cups and silverware. And, as in many kitchens, his staff goes through many little tasting spoons each shift.

They started using eco-friendly teaspoons to lessen the impact on waste.

If you want to make your restaurant greener, you can look to some organizations, including the Green Restaurant Association, Green Seal, Greenguard and the Chlorine Free Products Association, which help identify and certify which products meet certain environmental standards. The Green Restaurant Association works directly with restaurants across the United States to help find better cleaning products, which can involve a process until you find what’s right for you.

Switching to more environmentally clean products can be easy if you just make the commitment.

“Get your facts first,” said Michael Oshman, CEO and founder of the Boston-based Green Restaurant Association, which was founded in 1990. “Then get some samples and prices and make sure they’re worth your time. Do all your due diligence you would with any product and wait until you find one you like at a good price point. If you get a sample that doesn’t work, don’t give up. If your distributor isn’t carrying it, there’s another company that serves your area that specializes in green chemicals. Do a little shopping.”

Not all products you find are the best, but may be the best available. Harrell said a citrus-based degreaser he uses to clean the floors after every shift isn’t as effective as one with more harsh chemicals, but it’s the best one available in his market. He also said cost can play a role in making the switch, but he can justify the spending when he knows his dining room won’t give off a chemical smell, tarnishing the overall dining experience.

“If you’re committed to being green and reducing your overall impact, those products are out there,” Harrell said.

“You have to search them out. It takes a little time, but that’s time on the front end. Once you develop where your supply comes from, then it’s being mindful about ordering when you need it. It can be easy to switch.” n

“IT’S A FEEL-GOOD THING AND IT’S NOT SOMETHING WE USE AS A MARKETING TOOL. IT’S JUST WHAT WE BELIEVE IN.” - Alex Harrell, Owner of Angeline New Orleans, La.

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By Mindy Kolof

You may be all too familiar with the sobering statistics: in America, up to 40% of the food grown, processed and transported is wasted.

One in six families in the U.S. are struggling to put food on their tables each night.

Increasingly, restaurateurs are realizing the important role they can play in alleviating the problem, and are leading the charge for change.

As Anthony Bourdain said in the recently released documentary Wasted: “Chefs have been at the cutting edge of efforts to contend responsibly with the problem of food waste. They know the cost in dollars, poundage, and just sheer waste of stuff that they know to be good."

The seeds have been planted and efforts are in full bloom around the country as restaurants turn their focus on sustaining both their business and the planet. Laura Abshire, Director of Sustainability for the National Restaurant Association (NRA), points to signs of progress in their most recent research.

“In 2017, 14 percent of restaurants’ food waste was recycled and another 22 percent was donated,” she says. “We also learned that nearly half of restaurant operators say they are tracking food waste, and three in four do so on a daily basis.”

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Still, these numbers would be higher if not for the barriers mentioned by many operators — transportation constraints, insufficient storage space, lack of infrastructure for composting, and liability concerns for donated food. Abshire says these concerns can be addressed by implementing an ever-growing list of best practices recommended by the NRA and others dedicated to meeting the USDA’s ambitious goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030. At the core is a three-pronged strategy that includes: • Reducing food lost within our operations, so it never becomes waste • Recovering safe and nutritious food and sending it to those in need • Recycling unavoidable food waste to more productive uses such as animal feed or compost Abshire urges restaurant operators to take the first steps and “educate themselves on laws regarding donation, local regulations and seek out community partners who can help with transporting waste, such as food banks, composting organizations and local farmers.”

REDUCE

FEED PEOPLE IN NEED

FEED LIVESTOCK INDUSTRIAL USES

COMPOST & 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY

DISPOSAL

It all starts, she says, with the Food Waste Recovery Hierarchy pyramid, created by the EPA to help organizations prioritize actions to prevent and divert wasted food, and select those most beneficial to the environment, society and the economy. You’ll see the tenets below, starting at the top of the pyramid, along with resources to help transform your mountains of waste into nourishment for the hungry, cost effective fuel or fodder for flourishing livestock … and a very meaningful message to share with your customers who care not just about what’s on their plate, but the food they leave behind.

source reduction Approximately 4 to 10 percent of food purchased by restaurants becomes preconsumer waste due to a variety of causes, including overproduction, trim waste, mishandling and extensive menu choices requiring more ingredients on hand.

Tools to gather data on the volumes and types of food that are tossed out during food preparation can run the gamut from sophisticated software solutions and phone apps to basic pen and paper audits. It’s not the medium that matters, however, but the message. “The very act of measurement drives change,” asserts Andrew Shakman, CEO of LeanPath, the food industry’s first fully automated food waste tracking system.

“Our research indicates monitoring data on the food you purchase, use and end up throwing away, will ultimately decrease waste and reduce your food costs by up to six percent a year.”

feed hungry people “Restaurant owners can feel comfortable about donating food to food banks, soup kitchens and shelters because they are protected from liability via the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act,” assures Abshire.

“Although that’s one of operators’ primary concerns, it’s important to emphasize that no restaurant has ever been sued as a result of a donation. In addition, you’ll be eligible for tax benefits for your donations.”

Start by contacting one of these national organizations, or identify a local one in your community: • Food Donation Connection. Coordinates donations of more than 40 million pounds of surplus perishable food annually by redirecting food from 17,000 restaurants, universities, airports, distribution centers and others to charities serving people in need.

• Feeding America. The nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization is made up of 200 member food banks engaged in the fight to end hunger in our country.

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composting

Using food scraps for animal feed enables local and regional farmers to reap the benefits of lower feed costs, and for restaurants to save money on hauling and garbage disposal costs. An environmentally sound solution as well, it has been estimated that feeding food waste to pigs saves 20 times more carbon than the next-best recycling method. To get started, contact the county agricultural extension office, state veterinarian, or county health department to find out about specific state regulations and find contact information for farmers.

Create a nutrient-rich-soil amendment. The last line of defense from food waste before going to landfill is to redirect organic materials for composting or other soil treatments. According to the FWRA, composting is a good solution for inconsistent or mixed streams.

industrial uses

Last resort for disposal. For more information, check out:

Waste oils (FOGs - fats, oils and grease) can be used for fuel conversion and food scraps for digestion to recover energy. According to NRA’s Conserve program, rates and services can be negotiated with your local FOG haulers/ biodiesel production companies; and some companies will provide storage containers and clean grease traps as part of your contract.

Start with this toolkit1 to learn how to maintain, filter and recycle your cooking oil: http://conserve.restaurant.org/ Best-Practices/FOG

Start here to find a composter near your restaurant: Find a Composter.com

landfill/incineration • Further with Food, an online platform to find and share resources about proven solutions and innovative new approaches to reduce the volume of surplus food generated, feed hungry people, and divert food and scraps to the highest beneficial use.

• ReFED takes a data-driven approach to move the food system from acting on instinct to insights to solve our national food waste problem. Look for an upcoming Restaurant Action Guide, in partnership with FWRA, in 2018.

• NRA Conserve Program, a robust portfolio of resources on sustainability from the NRA.

1. Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, “Good Food Good Laws” Toolkit, Sept. 2017

leave no waste behind…burgers, brews and a best practices sustainability program For Seth Gross, the food waste epiphany came early, in his first year of opening the phenomenally successful 140-seat Bull City Burger and Brewery in Durham, N.C. Looking at the overflowing trash corral in the back that he shared with neighboring restaurants, he thought ‘there has to be a better solution.’ Indeed there was. From the moment employees come onboard at Bull City, the training begins on sorting trash and diverting to waste streams that better serve the environment than landfills.

Blue recycling bins for cans and plastics, second bin for purely paper compost (napkins, paper sheets, etc.) and a stunning 99 percent of food waste is recycled, including composting through a local organization called Fast Forward. Grain left over from the restaurant’s craft brewing process feeds locally farmed pigs and chickens.

Even the waste cans in the washrooms is sorted twice daily. The only trash that makes it to the dumpster – vinyl gloves, plastic wrap – fits in a small black can (straws were recently eliminated to further cut down on trash).

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“It’s a real paradigm shift,” he reveals, “but we’ve created a culture that accepts and embraces it. We get employees in the habit on day one, starting with ‘wash your hands, dry with paper, throw out in the paper can only.’ By the third day, it’s already a habit.”

His advice to other restaurateurs is to start simply. “Make sustainability and recycling the path of least resistance by figuring out easy ways to be diligent. Color code cans at the minimum – at the beginning we included pictures to illustrate how to recycle properly. Then find a partner on a local farm or in the community who will work with you to pick up your recycling several times weekly.”

Success is measured by leaving the smallest energy footprint possible, and monthly, 150 gallons of fryer oil becomes bio-diesel to fuel vehicles and 2,200 tons of food waste goes to feed pigs on a local farm. Most gratifyingly, there’s the sparsely populated dumpster area. Says Gross: “Even as more businesses open around us, the dumpster never comes even close to overflowing. For me, that is the most compelling proof that our program works.”

at Founding Farmers, minimizing waste is a founding principle As the owner of multiple 3 Star Certified Green restaurants in the D.C. area, Dan Simons has already checked off an enviable number of green practices at his renowned Founding Farmers locations. Food waste is composted, grease is recycled into biofuel, only the most energy efficient equipment is used and there’s nary a sighting of bottled water anywhere. His nineyear-old sustainability program continues to evolve as Simons constantly seeks ways to decrease food waste, from keeping an eagle eye on portion size to relentlessly stoking his new biodigester, affectionately nicknamed ‘the pig.’ In the spirit of recycling, we’re turning his insights into key takeaways for operators looking to waste less and communicate more with their eco-conscious diners.

Analyze your plate, before and after serving. Like an anthropologist studying the remains of an ancient civilization, Simons stands in the dish room and carefully examines what diners are not eating. “If they leave it consistently on the plate, it’s not necessary to include, like a side pickle that no one eats.” This also underlies his philosophy of not including inedible or rarely eaten garnishes. “Think of the resources it requires to buy, prepare and garnish each plate with a generous sprig of parsley, only to be thrown away at the end … and then imagine the savings if thousands of these sprigs never made it to the plate in the first place.”

Total transparency by the bucket. Clear buckets by the prep stations allow chefs and cooks to see exactly what’s being wasted. “Then you can consider your purchasing patterns e.g., is buying the whole broccoli stalk worth it, or should you switch to florets and save the composting costs?”

Cutting waste is on everyone’s plate. “Train staff to recognize the individual impact of their actions on your restaurant’s waste management effort. Everyone is accountable, including the chef, who should feel as responsible for what’s on the plate as what goes into the waste stream. Front-of-house staff serve as the megaphone for the restaurant’s vision, and have a crucial role to play in telling the behind-the-scenes story to guests.”

Trash talk is a good thing. “We share our sustainability story in a number of different ways: through staff, on our website, on storytelling walls in the restaurant, and via outside media so that guests learn about the integrity of our brand. Our servers are trained to assess diners’ interest in the message, and inevitably they develop a real passion for telling it. Recently we eliminated all plastic straws and use paper ones only. While that may seem like a small issue, it helps to start a dialogue with our guests about our overall mission and how this is one more way to contribute.”

Affordability = resourcefulness. “I believe we need to keep focusing on sustainability regardless of the cost, but it’s equally vital to be profitable and sustain your operation. So try to find a way, either by taking costs out somewhere else (we manage our own distillery for that reason) or by bartering for equipment or services that you need, such as partnering with a local farm to underwrite the cost for a composter in exchange for your compostable food waste.” n

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It’s the Food Inspector!

How to Pass Inspection with Flying Colors

by Mary Daggett

Some things are inherently cringeworthy in the foodservice industry: a tray of glassware smashing on the floor; activation of the smoke detector alarm; a loud argument between inebriated customers at the bar. Are you cringing yet? How about the announcement

that the food inspector has just shown up for a surprise inspection?

That’s tantamount to the zombie apocalypse – unless your operation has been proactive and is prepared.

There is a lot of confusion surrounding restaurant inspections. It seems

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that the responsibilities and practices vary from state to state. Reinhart Inc asked Susan Quam, executive vice president of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, to make sense of it all and provide guidance on how operators can pass food inspections with flying colors. “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has made a concerted effort to standardize the inspection process to better achieve consistency across the nation,” Quam said. She added that groups such as the Conference for Food Protection, which is the biggest consortium of food industry, regulatory, academia, consumer and professional organizations, whose representatives provide input in the development and/or modification of Food Safety Guidance. Such guidance is incorporated into food safety laws and regulations at all levels of government to help ensure the overall safety of food for everyone.

“In Wisconsin, all food safety inspections fall under the jurisdiction of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP),” Quam said.

“In Florida, there are three difference agencies

that handle the process.

In general, states use the FDA Food Code, but some use the 2013 version, while others still use the 2009.” In other words, food safety standardization is a work in progress.

Jim Kaplanek is the section chief of the division of food and recreational safety for DATCP. Kaplanek has in the past been responsible for conducting food inspections in the field. Restaurant Inc asked him for his take on what inspectors see as the critical control points for food safety in a foodservice setting. “Our approach is to assess the entire flow of food as it travels through the establishment, from the moment it is received until it is served to the customer. We use a dynamic, risk-based process that will help to eliminate foodborne illness and at the same time, educate operators as well.

Here in Wisconsin, our department employs 60 state inspectors, plus 60 local agents who actually live in and around the communities in which they operate. They have their fingers on the pulse of the areas they are assigned, so it’s easier for them to act as a resource.”

Kaplanek stresses that “Our approach is ‘Education first, regulation second’.” However, if an operation is deemed to present a danger to consumers’ health, it is a serious matter. In cases of non-compliance, an electronic inspection report is sent to DATCP, with a corrective action date indicated. A follow-up inspection is scheduled to verify that areas of concern have been corrected. Continual noncompliance could result in restaurant closure.

Some of the risk factors that could generate a red flag during inspections include: • Food procured from safe sources.

• Temperature control – in food storage, preparation and holding.

• Employee hygiene and health.

• Safeguards to prevent cross-contamination.

• Cleaning and sanitizing of all food contact surfaces.

• Cleanliness of equipment and the entire ceiling-to-floor kitchen environment.

• Utilization of gloves by everyone who handles food.

• Date marking of refrigerated ready-to-eat foods.

• Raw animal foods cooked to required temperatures.

• Cooked foods reheated to required temperatures.

Every operator should maintain and review HACCP guidelines with their staff and contact their state restaurant association to establish standardized procedures to ensure proper food safety. Be proactive to protect your business and the health of your customers. n

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Finders Keepers: Holding on to High Performers

by Tim Kirkland, CEO Renegade Hospitality Group

It's no secret that our industry has been undergoing many changes over the past several years. Market factors are ever changing, guest expectations and tastes are evolving, how we connect with customers is a continually moving target, and with each change it has become more difficult to make a buck. Among this constant flurry of change, however, one challenge in particular frustrates the vast majority of restaurant operators with whom I come in contact more than all others put together … finding and keeping good people for their teams. We are in the midst of a labor crisis.

It’s true. The priorities, engagement level, and sometimes even quality of employment candidates has changed significantly over the past decade. How potential team members perceive things like job value, work ethic and company loyalty is significantly different than in years and generations past. There are a lot more restaurants in the marketplace and therefore many more jobs, options and competition for potential team members. They can easily perceive that restaurant jobs are a dime a dozen … and they’d be right. There are very few restaurant jobs that, if lost, could not be replaced for a team member within 24 hours. In these highly competitive times, everybody is always hiring.

So the question is, if some candidates place very little inherent value in the restaurant job itself, how can we create enough value around the position so that they want to keep it? In reality, there is not a labor crisis; there is a retention crisis. If you never lost anyone, you wouldn’t have to spend all of your time recruiting, interviewing, hiring and training (and recruiting, interviewing, hiring and training … and recruiting, interviewing, hiring and training, etc.).

How can we make sure our best people stick around?

While compensation undoubtedly plays a very important role in recruiting, many managers tend to overestimate its value on retaining high performers. In fact, there are many more effective ways they can be holding on to top talent … the most powerful of which is “manager quality.” That’s right. Retention starts with you and the kind of leader you are. To motivate and maintain key performers on your team, you have to look no further than the behaviors you exhibit. ... continued

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Most research indicates that the traits that most influence high performers’ satisfaction with their managers are: • placing a high priority on the personal development of team members • reward and recognition • being a career champion • behaving with passion and integrity • creating an environment of meticulous team accountability (particularly for low performers) Your high performers are your most valuable business resource. Some studies indicate that one high performer can contribute up to 400% more than a low performing team member. These are the team members that bring the most value to your business, your team and your customers. It pays to keep them happy and engaged for as long as possible, and it should be one of your primary daily focuses. Here are some ways to make sure your superstars stick around: 1. Make sure they know how much they’re appreciated.

One of the main reasons high performers leave is that they don’t feel recognized or valued. Make sure your high performers know how much you value them and their contributions. Speak very specifically about how their good work positively impacts the team and the restaurant.

This means more than the occasional “atta-boy/girl.” It means being very specific about what they’re doing right and why it matters. For example, “The way you handled that customer complaint really impressed me! You not only found a solution that made them happy, you actually did it in a way that enhanced their whole experience and made them even bigger fans of ours … and that’s really hard to do. Thank you!” If you can say these things in front of other team members, all the better.

2. Make Rewards Count. While annual bonuses or awards are nice, don’t wait until the end of the year to reward performance. Rewards don’t need to be big, expensive, or even monetary … but they should be immediate, appropriate and personal. A personal note can have a much larger impact than a plaque or certificate. Getting out of work a little early on a day when your team member may have a lot on their personal plate is appreciated and remembered. If you’re not sure what your key performers value most, ask them … then use that personal knowledge when offering motivational rewards.

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It pays to keep them happy and engaged for as long as possible, and it should be one of your primary daily focuses.

3. Make Sure They Keep Growing. High performers like to feel like they’re continually learning, growing and expanding their knowledge and skills. A big reason these team members excel is that they’re smart and curious … and they can become bored and lose interest when these traits go unsatisfied. Too often that boredom leads to the exit door. To prevent this, provide them with interesting ways to do more. Need ideas on how to cut costs or waste? Offer this as an assignment to these folks. Need someone to represent your business at a neighborhood meeting or local non-profit organization? Send in these key players. At the very least, have ways for them to keep growing through training. Offer multi-tiered certifications on their own job or allow them to train and certify on someone else’s.

4. Communicate Clear Advancement Pathways. Clearly communicating to your high performers that they’ll have opportunities to move up in your organization and what those opportunities look like is crucial to holding on to them. If they don’t clearly see a future with your company, are unsure how to advance, or think they’ll have to wait too long to do so, they’ll look for those opportunities outside of your organization. Sit down with them and chart a very specific career plan with welldefined milestones, observable behaviors, training and assessments along the way.

People commit to the people and culture in an organization … and when they leave, they quit bosses, not businesses.

5. Conduct ‘Stay’ Interviews. Instead of assuming that a high performer is happy in his or her work and intends to stay forever, make sure you’re doing the things that will assure that. Take the time to sit down with your key contributors (maybe over lunch or coffee), and specifically ask. Say things like “You are absolutely critical to our team’s success. What can we do to make sure you stick around for the next two years?” Use any information they give you to influence and inform how you lead them (and other high performers). Even if you don’t come up with specific, actionable ideas, the very fact that you asked this question will communicate to your key players that you care about them, are interested in their employment experience, and want them to stay.

6. Model Appropriate Behavior. Most people don’t commit to a brand or organization, and they certainly don’t quit them. People commit to the people and culture in an organization … and when they leave, they quit bosses, not businesses. Team members are most happy and engaged when they’re able to become an integral part of their work team, when they feel like a part of a community, and are immersed in its culture.

Communicate very clearly your company’s values, then display them meticulously every moment of every day.

Curating and maintaining top talent may be the single most effective thing you can do to grow your business and dramatically increase profits.

In addition to the obvious fact that having a team filled with engaged, motivated high performers will create an environment where sales are high, quality is omnipresent, and customers are happy, you literally cannot afford to lose focus on this crucial skill.

When you lose even one high performer, you lose a lot more than a name on the schedule. If you’re not good at keeping quality talent on your team, it can cost you much more — up to and including your business. n

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MARY DAGGETT Training and scheduling are two of the most critical duties on a foodservice manager’s job description. Yet, often these functions are not given the attention they deserve – or that employees deserve.

Take training new servers, for instance. Often, restaurants provide the very first job for kids who are still in school. They haven’t developed the moxie and maturity to fake it till they make it. They have no frame of reference to even know what questions to ask their supervisor. Inadequate training leads to 110 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2018

frustration, heavy turnover and customer dissatisfaction. When you really think about it, servers are the ambassadors of your business. Give them the tools to represent you well.

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and state restaurant associations have training materials to assist you in developing a winning training program. There are also companies that specialize in developing server training programs. Here are a few of them.

SERVER

TRAINING PROGRAMS:

SCHEDULING

SYSTEMS The scheduling of servers can be fraught with pitfalls, such as employee burnout from too many shifts or grumbling from those who feel they haven’t gotten enough hours. Scheduling by old methods takes a lot of time on the part of the manager or scheduling supervisor. Software systems are available to make scheduling a breeze. Here are just a few of the many available.

The Service that Sells brand was founded by seasoned restaurant owners who had built their successful restaurants using top-notch service and targeted sales strategies. The company provides online training solutions and learning programs to operations across the nation to improve service, increase sales and strengthen teamwork.

To learn more, visit servicethatsells.com.

Jim Sullivan is a well-known keynote speaker and allaround industry expert. He has been a restaurant operator and owner. Today, he is a consultant, best-selling author and the designer of many restaurant training programs.

Platforms are listed on the website Sullivision.com and they include workshops, consultation, books, DVDs, audios, ebooks, webinars, mobile apps, podcasts and Vcasts.

Restaurant Wings offers affordable online training to build a culture of caring, memorable customer service. Focus is on upselling that grows profits. Website: restaurantwings.com.

Upserve’s Service Performance Platform takes the temperature of your front-of-the-house team to indicate where further training is needed. It tracks sales per cover, breaks sales down by menu category, flags problems that require attention and helps you recognize your service stars. Website: upserve.com.

TimeForge offers employee scheduling software and online labor management systems designed for the foodservice industry. This automated tool builds employee schedules in minutes; records employee time-off requests and staff availability; provides rapid communication between manager and staff; and monitors daily labor costs at one or more stores. Website: timeforge.com.

This software efficiently creates, publishes and edits schedules. It improves communications with the workforce, manages employee requests in one place, forecasts predicted sales and scheduling needs. Free mobile apps are available for iPhone and Android. It’s easy to learn and built for restaurants who want to save time and reduce labor costs. Website: 7shifts.com.

This scheduling software easily and affordably creates, edits and assigns shifts from your computer or mobile device. Employee alerts automatically notify your staff when a shift is published and when changes are made. Website: tsheets.com.

Streamlined software is easy to learn and allows creation of work schedules in 15 minutes. Managers can edit schedules and fill shifts in seconds from any device or app with the online schedule maker.

Website: zipschedules.com. n

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A HIRE CALLING In this competitive job market, how can you find the best staff for your restaurant?

by Ari Bendersky

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In late 2016, Kim Carstens started noticing some unsettling things happening in the kitchen of her Des Moines, Iowa, restaurant, Marlene's at Sevastopol Station. Food costs weren't in line with sales. Food came out of the kitchen with inconsistencies.

Staff didn't prepare enough food for weekend dinner service. Then, on New Year's Eve that year, the kitchen completely broke down, sending out dishes toward the end of the night that had no business being served to diners. Ultimately, the restaurant received a lot of negative commentary on social media.

"That was the incident that set the ball in motion to bring in someone to run the kitchen," Carstens said. "I needed a strong manager who could take control and get the back of house back on track."

That started a process where Carstens ended up hiring an entirely new kitchen staff. Although it initially caused her much stress, this business decision has allowed the restaurant to survive. She hired Chicago chef Jacob Demars, who worked in the kitchens at Michelin-starred restaurants Spiaggia and Elizabeth, and is helping turn things around.

While this may be an extreme case, finding the right people to staff your restaurant, both back and front of house, has gotten increasingly challenging. Nearly 10 years ago, when the economy fell off, getting quality restaurants workers seemed as easy as placing an ad in a local newspaper or on Craigslist. Now, with a stronger economy and more restaurants opening at a seemingly breakneck pace around the country, the hiring process has changed.

"I'll list an ad on Workable, scour contacts on LinkedIn, use my own contacts and social media and put it

all out there," said Martha Madison, a recruiter with One Haus, a boutique recruiting firm with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin and elsewhere. "Within a day or two, I'll get responses from a lot of different areas and start sifting through. We strive for quality and not quantity."

Madison has plenty of experience hiring restaurant staff. She and her husband, A.J. Gilbert, owned a number of restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles including the popular, now shuttered, Luna Park.

She knows what to look for and what questions to ask potential restaurant workers — whether a host, bartender, general manager or executive chef.

"You ask questions to find out what someone thinks is hard," Madison said. "I'll ask about the hardest night they've ever worked. That shows me what is challenging for them. It could be a personality conflict with a guest or a hard day where they worked a double, which shows high volume isn't for them. I ask how they think their coworkers or staff would describe them because that gives me insight into their self-awareness. I ask about weaknesses; if they say there's nothing wrong, I can tell they're a mess."

That's where checking references plays an important role. Any worker worth their weight in salt will happily list a few references on their resume or application. If not, you have reason for concern.

"If someone doesn't have references, that's a huge red flag," said Franco Francese, owner of Mattone Restaurant and Bar in LaGrange Park, Ill. "If they can't produce references for anyone who is willing to talk on their behalf, we'll skip that person. And we avoid resumes that have many jobs over a short period of time."

Francese said his hiring process has changed over the last five or so years. He still uses Craigslist, but also places ads on Zip Recruiter, which doesn't always yield qualified people.

To attract local workers, he uses an old-school tactic: placing a sign in the restaurant's front window. Something new, however, is offering financial incentives to current staff to help find capable new workers.

"If they refer someone we hire and they stay for six months of longer, we'll offer our staff a $250 gift card," Francese said. "We've found two people through referrals and they've worked out very well. And the coworker is motivated to help talk through difficult situations and it incentivizes them to keep people on staff. It's been good for us."

While front-of-house staff should have enthusiasm, good personalities, strong service skills and quickly think on their feet, back-of-house staff need to understand ordering and how to work with vendors, how to control waste, properly prep for service and have precision when it comes to plating. That's what you look for in team members. What about what they want?

"Our best franchisees are those who focus on what the company can offer the employee," said Lance Vaught, vice president of operations for Cincinnati-based Penn Station East Coast Subs, a fast-casual operation with 310 stores across 15 states.

"That's been a game changer for us.

Instead of looking to fill spots, we're looking for real talent. We want to bring people up through the ranks."

Because if you can hire the right people from the start, you can build a satisfied, qualified team that will be with you for the long run. n

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7

Ways to Reconnect with Your Kitchen Staff When I was a line cook, I often noticed how much more comfortable the managers were with the front-of-the-house than the kitchen. Servers, hosts, and bartenders attended preshift meetings, won sales contests, had friendly conversations with managers near the POS before service picked up, and got most of the support once the rush was rolling.

The truth is, it felt like we were on our own most of the time. Conversations between managers and cooks rarely went beyond refires, scheduling, and paychecks. If a manager stood at the end of the line and timidly asked if we needed help, we always answered, “Nope,” and the manager usually walked away looking relieved as we tried to get out of the weeds.

If that sounds like your kitchen, your cooks probably don’t feel like part of the family. Without that feeling of inclusion, it’s a much easier decision to go work somewhere else where it isn’t “just another job.” No one wants to lose a good cook, and you won’t – at least not very often – when your cooks feel like they belong. Want to get the family feeling back? Turn that culture around in no time by reconnecting with your team.

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#

1

Speak to every cook, every shift

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Include the BOH in sales contests

I’ve heard parents say they sometimes have their favorites, but they would never tell their kids that. You might have favorites on your staff, too, but when you walk by Jimmy to catch up with Johnny and Joe on their weekend, he’s going to feel left out. Say hello to everyone, every shift. Have a conversation and catch up. Do you have to be friends? Nope, but you can and should show interest in everyone.

It’s no fun to cook all the food and watch servers get the rewards. If you run contests, pair every BOH team member (yes, including dishwashers) with a FOH team member.

If the numbers don’t match up, make teams. The cooks will be more motivated, and with everyone on board, the contests will perform better.

Matt Nelson is the author of The Renegade Cook and CEO of Modern Training & Development, Inc. For more insights on developing BOH teams, contact him at matt@ moderntd.com or on LinkedIn at /in/mattnelsoncolorado.

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Provide the same training to the BOH as the FOH

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Treat team members of different backgrounds equally

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Deliver performance reviews on time

I get to see a lot of training programs from a lot of restaurant companies, and the BOH training almost never matches up to what the FOH gets. It’s usually some combination of menu knowledge and food safety, a tour, and that’s about it. Ramp up BOH training (especially on culture), and watch their engagement soar.

Kitchens are made up of a lot of variety, to say the least. It’s tempting to give someone with different interests than you the cold shoulder. Just because you don’t relate to someone doesn’t mean you can’t connect with them. Got a language barrier? Look at it as an opportunity to learn. Make sure cooks who speak another language have opportunities to ask questions and share ideas.

Even if formal reviews seem like a burden to you, team members look forward to them. They crave feedback on their performance, and their raises are often tied to reviews. They’ll know when they’re due for a review, so stick to the schedule.

Everyone has worked in a restaurant where almost every shift runs smoothly, the rushes don’t seem so bad, and the blame game is nonexistent. When a restaurant staff feels like family, they stick together and can get through anything. Creating that vibe is up to you, and now you have a plan to make it happen. Fire it up!

#

6

Make everyone feel important

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Set clear expectations and support their growth

All kitchens have a hierarchy, whether it’s veteran and rookie, chef and sous, or line and dish.

Yet every role is important, and everyone is part of the family. Two easy ways to make everyone feel important are to ask for ideas on what the restaurant can do better and celebrate milestones with the whole team.

Imagine everyone joining you in the dish room to bring the dishwasher a cupcake on their first anniversary. Those simple moments of appreciation can go a long, long way.

Everyone likes to get better at their job. It’s a lot easier if they know exactly what they need to improve. When you clearly communicate standards, give timely feedback, and reinforce positive behaviors, people develop much faster. Successful restaurants grow their people’s skills and always have someone in the pipeline to take over the next leadership position.

Even better, your cooks will appreciate your investment in their development. n

If you’ve found great ways to connect with your kitchen teams, share them on: @bearenegadecook @cooksarepeopletoo /in/mattnelsoncolorado

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Top Ten

SAFETY TIPS FOR THE RESTAURANT EMPLOYEE*

60% of

restaurant kitchen injuries are linked to cooking oil

25,000 slip and fall accidents occur every day in the United States. A majority of these accidents are due to cooking oil.

25% of those slip and fall accidents occur at the kitchen sink, and another 23% near the fryer vat

The average number of workers’ compensation claims per restaurant per year?

4

The average cost of those accidents per restaurant per year?

$45,600

The estimated cost of these claims to the US restaurant industry?

$28.7 BILLION

SAFELY OPERATE EQUIPMENT Follow manufacturer instructions and use all protective gear or safety guidelines for machines with sharp or dangerous parts.

WASH HANDS FREQUENTLY Thoroughly wash hands with warm, soapy water before and after handling food, utensils, and equipment. Make sure hand-sinks are properly installed in all food preparation areas. This minimizes the transfer of harmful bacteria.

TAKE CARE TO AVOID FALLS Clean up spills immediately and remove any obstacles or wet spots on the floor. Consider enforcing slip-resistant shoes to minimize injuries from slipping on floors.

WEAR A PROPER UNIFORM In addition to slipresistant shoes, uniform standards may include hairnets, plastic gloves, and aprons. These prevent long hair, germs, and loose clothing from contaminating foods and getting caught in kitchen equipment.

MAINTAIN CLEAN PERSONAL HYGIENE AND BEHAVIORS Proper hygiene provides an extra safeguard against the transfer of harmful bacteria. Keep all smoking, eating, drinking, coughing, or sneezing away from food-preparation areas. Keep ill employees at home and away from the workplace. Plastic or latex gloves also reduce risks of crosscontamination.

BE WARY OF BURNS Burns from hot surfaces, water, oil, and food are common causes of injury in a kitchen environment. Take proper precautions and consider using pot holders and oven mitts to provide extra protection to anyone working around hot equipment or food.

USE CAUTION WITH SHARP EDGES Knives, machine parts, equipment, and broken glass can all have sharp edges.

Wearing cut-resistant gloves prove especially helpful when handling sharp objects.

MINIMIZE STRAINS AND SPRAINS Train employees in proper lifting techniques and ways to eliminate excessive reaching or repetitive motion injuries. Antifatigue mats are often helpful for employees who stand for long periods of time.

HANDLE HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS WITH CARE Read labels and be familiar with Material Safety Data Sheets for any chemicals on the premises, and utilize any protective gear available.

PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES Implement an action plan for accidents, natural disasters, fires, violent situations, and other emergencies that may occur on the premises.

Communicate the action plan to all employees. n

*According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance

WINTER 2018 RFSDELIVERS.COM 119

ServSafe Manager Online Training and Certification ®

The National Restaurant Association® has partnered with Reinhart Foodservice to provide the nationally recognized ServSafe® Manager Online Training and Certification program at a discounted price.

Pricing ServeSafe Manager Online Course (SSMCT7)

Retail Price

Reinhart Price

$125

$100

HOW TO GET STARTED 1. Go to ServeSafe.com 2. Login or create a new profile if this is your first time 3. Click on the Purchase tab 4. Click ServSafe Manager

ServeSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Online Exam (SSONLINEX)

$36

Total Course and Exam

$161

$36

$136

5. Scroll down to Manager Online Training and Certification Exams 6. Add ServeSafe course and exam items to your shopping cart (Note: ServeSafe courses and exams must be purchased separately) 7. In the shopping cart, enter REINHART in the coupon code field and click on Apply Coupon to receive the Reinhart Foodservice discount.

Questions? Contact the National Restaurant Association Service Center at 800.765.2122, ext. 6701 or Reinhart Nutrition Services at 888.711.4020 or nsdept@rfsdelivers.com

WORKS ANYTIME ANYWHERE

MEASURES QUALITY OF LEARNING

DELIVERS JUST-IN-TIME TRAINING

FOCUSES ON THE LEARNER

• Train between shifts or after hours

• Tracks learning, identifies gaps and gives feedback

• Keeps pace with new regulations

• Engaging and challenging

• Available in English and Spanish

• Provides a secure, reliable system for keeping records

• Enhances retention and performance

• Self-directed, self-paced and easy to follow

©2017 National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF). All rights reserved. ServSafe is a registered trademark of the NRAEF, used under license by National Restaurant Solutions, L.L.C. The logo appearing next to ServSafe is a trademark of the National Restaurant Association.

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Make Food Safety Part of Your New Year Review

By Meredith Hink, MS, RDN, CD

A

s we roll into a new calendar year, you may be setting aside time to review key aspects of your business like financials, sales, staffing, and inventory. As you make this year’s list, be sure to include food safety. Reviewing current licenses, staff training, and key concerns/citations from past food inspections can help set you on the right track to checking food safety off the list.

Most states require that one or more people at your establishment take food safety training from an approved provider. It is important to check with staff members that hold these licenses to ensure that their license has not expired or will not expire within the next year. If the former, look into what needs to be done to renew right away. If the latter, discuss when they will be renewing and follow-up to ensure they complete the training on time. Many Reinhart divisions currently offer food manager training through ServSafe® from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF).

Even if staff members do not need to be licensed or take the full food manager course, consider the last time your employees had any food safety training. Such trainings cannot be a “one and done” affair as regulations and staff change frequently. Consider setting up a schedule for the new year and posting it so staff are aware of upcoming trainings. Even a 5-10 minute in-service at the beginning or

end of an employee meeting once a month can serve as a refresher of food safety expectations. Reinhart offers many in-services related to food safety, available in the RFS Document Library in TRACS® Direct.

Finally, pull out your most recent food inspections. Although an inspector will require you to address major violations immediately, it is easy to overlook minor violations. These are just as important and should be reviewed both immediately after the inspection as well as part of your new year review. Do these violations relate to issues with equipment that needs to be fixed or replaced, or are they employee practices that need to be addressed as part of an inservice such as handwashing or employee illness policies? A kitchen self-inspection checklist is also available in the RFS Document Library in TRACS® Direct.

The beginning of this new year is the perfect time for you to review your food safety strategy for 2018. Don’t delay on this important aspect of your business! For more information about food safety training or resources contact nsdept@rfsdelivers.com. ©2017 National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF). All rights reserved. ServSafe is a registered trademark of the NRAEF, used under license

by National Restaurant Solutions, LLC. The logo appearing next to ServSafe is a trademark of the National Restaurant Association.

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dish the

COMING SOON ITALIAN DISH

Chef Talk Get inside our chefs’ brains and find out what inspired their dishes.

y d a e rto use Find out how you can start utilizing our products right away - without too much preparation or time in the kitchen.

ASK YOU REINHART SALES CONSULTANT FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE DISH rfsdelivers.com/THEDISH

A D V E R T I S E R

Prairie Creek® Short Ribs [pg IFC] rfsdelivers.com

Markon®

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ProPak® Disposable Gloves [pg 64 – 65] rfsdelivers.com

[pg 16] rfsdelivers.com

Rosina®

MenuDrive®

[pg 95] menudrive.com/reinhart

[pg 105] rfsdelivers.com ™

Culinary Secrets Pancake Mix

®

Brickfire Bakery Muffins [pg 116 – 117] rfsdelivers.com

San Pablo® Mexican Appetizers [pg 123] rfsdelivers.com

Intros® Asian Appetizers

[pg 20] rosina.com

The Dish Sneaks | Italian [pg 122] rfsdelivers.com/thedish

[pg 86] ufs.com/pureleaf

ProPak® Hinged Containers

ServSafe® Manager Online Training & Certification [pg 120] nsdept@rfsdelivers.com

Unilever Food Solutions

[pg 07] johnmorrell.com

[pg 25] rfsdelivers.com

Intros® Appetizers

I N D E X

Renegade Hospitality [IBC] renegadehospitality.com

Alaska Seafood [pg BC] alaskaseafood.org

S P R I N G S N E A K P E E K

SPRING PRODUCE FEATURING

MARKON OFFERS UNMATCHED QUALITY, STRINGENT FOOD SAFETY, EXPERT HANDLING AND RELIABILITY, AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS.

BOOTS IN THE FIELD

SUSTAINABILITY

PRODUCT TRENDS:

Markon inspectors are an invaluable part of what we do at Markon. Our full-time inspection staff literally walks our growers’ fields six days a week to ensure what you receive is what you expect. They check product quality, size and weight specifications, growing conditions, weather patterns, worker welfare, and overall sanitation. They visit cold rooms to inspect post-harvest storage temperatures, processing plants to review critical-control points, and shipping facilities to oversee loading.

They are your eyes and ears, or rather, Boots in the Field®.

In recent years, companies in every conceivable industry have been touting sustainable practices. “We care, we share, we act in the interests of the earth,” but in the produce industry these ideas are nothing new. In fact, environmental practices have been a key factor of survival for as long as farmers have been planting and harvesting crops. For if we collectively don't care for the nutrient-dense soil, the limited water resources, and our dedicated work force, this industry would not continue to produce the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables that we do, year in, year out.

The foodservice industry is one that must continually meet the needs of the most adventurous, most diverse group of customers in the history of dining out. At Markon, we understand the public’s need for healthy, delicious flavor combinations and the desire for a wide variety of cultural culinary experiences. With them in mind, we work hand-in-hand with our growpartners to develop specific salad blends, vegetable cuts and pack sizes, and shelf-life options that help operators and chefs worry less about prep or waste, and focus more easily on developing craveable dishes that create loyal diners and repeat visits.

MARKON APP Markon's mobile app gives you a comprehensive produce guide, as well as easy access to Markon's library of recipes. This handy educational guide lists flavor profiles, texture descriptions, pairing ideas, substitution suggestions, and nutritional information for anything and everything produce. Receive notifications of live video updates from Markon inspectors in the field as well as food safety-related alerts that keep you informed about the products you purchase. From the familiar (think apples, broccoli, or grapes) to the exotic (like atemoya, chayotes, and lotus root), Markon has you covered with the information you need to get cooking.

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At Markon, we made it a prerequisite from our inception in 1985, to partner only with those growers who walk the talk and live these practices for all of our benefit. This is because we believe stewardship of the land and profitability are not mutually exclusive, and that success does not have to compromise the needs of future generations.

Practices such as crop rotation, energy conservation, waste and water reduction, and recycling are standard operating procedures for Markon, our member companies, and our growerpartners. We are also taking action by converting to greener modes of delivery, reducing production and transportation emissions, decreasing shipping mileage through detailed delivery routes, increasing our organic and free-trade product lines, and contributing excess product to food banks and nonprofit organizations.

OPERATOR TRENDS: The culinary scene, from fast casual to fine dining, has never been more dynamic. Foodservice operators must meet the constantly evolving needs of today’s dining public. Healthy, organic, sustainable, gluten-free, vegan, paleo … the list of eating lifestyles continues to expand — meaning that offering something for everyone is often critical to a menu’s success. Markon is continually researching restaurant trends and ensuring that our products and practices are in line with what people want. In addition, we compile our data and share these important trends with our members’ sales force and their operator customers to aid overall diner satisfaction.

Download Markon’s App for Produce Inspiration Markon’s Product Catalog Culinary Inspiration &

A comprehensive catalog

Recipe Library

organized by category for all of

Find recipes and detailed

your favorite Markon Essentials,

flavor profiles that meet

Markon First Crop, and

your culinary objectives.

Ready-Set-Serve items.

Reports Access and read Markon’s current Fresh Crop, Specialty, In Season, and Trends reports.

General Produce Information Focused on answering all your produce questions and providing the ultimate inspiration for selling and using fresh produce.

Yield & Savings Calculator This handy tool makes Join Markon’s app community today and enrich your knowledge and connections.

calculating savings gained by using Ready-Set-Serve and Markon First Crop

Real-Time Industry Alerts Receive notifications of live video updates from Markon inspectors in the field as well as food-safety related alerts that keep you informed about the products you purchase.

products a breeze.

S P R I N G S N E A K P E E K

What is Fresh Fennel?

It looks like a fat green onion with long, thin celery stalks sticking out and fronds of baby dill on top. So just what is this strange looking, increasingly popular vegetable and why is it becoming the go-to ingredient for chefs that want to add complexity and bold flavor to their menus?

L

et’s get this out of the way first: fennel is not anise. These two plants may share a licorice-like taste profile and the names may often be used interchangeably, but fennel is in fact a completely different plant than anise (which is grown mainly for its intensely flavored seeds). Instead, fennel has a wide, bulbous, white base that grows in layers much like an onion. Tall, celerylike stalks grow out of the bottom with delicate, lacy fronds at the tips. All three sections of the vegetable can be used, making this a true root-to-stem ingredient.

HOW IS IT USED? Most often associated with Mediterranean cooking, fennel is well-known to chefs of Italian food where it has been used in antipasti platters, salads, soups, and as a roasted side dish for centuries. This celery-like winter vegetable is just about as versatile as an ingredient can get—it can be braised, stewed, deep fried, grilled, stir-fried, pureed, and served raw. Cooks also love its ability to mutate from a crisp/crunchy texture and subtly sweet-yet-savory flavor when raw, to a silky, fork-tender texture

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with mild, licoricey notes when baked or roasted. In addition, the fronds can serve as a fresh, feathery herb and even its pollen can be used as a spice—to add honey and curry-like notes. The same vegetable can be used in so many different ways to layer flavor and create balance with ideal partners such as cream, bacon, citrus, cheeses, sherry, apples, potatoes, garlic, and poultry.

Why Now: Current Fennel Trends Although fennel has been cultivated and eaten for centuries, it is back in strong demand now for several reasons, the first being it fits the root-to-stem, no-waste goals of many chefs and customers. By utilizing the entire vegetable, fennel has become a star with the sustainable eating crowd. Add to that, the fact that it tastes distinctly different than many other root vegetables that have less range (think potatoes, turnips, parsnips, or beets). And because the dining public is increasingly on the hunt for bold and different foods to challenge their palates, fennel has begun winning spots at the center of the plate in dishes as varied as eggs benedict to caramelized panna cotti.

HOW CHEFS ARE USING FENNEL • Fennel works extremely well in cold-weather salads. Try shaving the bulb thinly and tossing with orange and grapefruit rounds, sliced avocados, and cracked black pepper. Highlight this simple, yet intensely aromatic salad with the delicate beauty of fennel fronds and the bright accent of a Champagne vinaigrette.

• Shaved rounds of fennel and apple can be stacked between watercress leaves; top the stacks with apple cubes and fennel fronds tossed in a Dijon-based sauce.

• Elevate this root vegetable with a colorful, geometric presentation of braised fennel root topped with vibrant, raw watermelon radish slices and red raspberries. Pour honey-ginger beet soup around the edges and garnish with fronds.

• Fennel’s unique flavor is an ideal match for earthy Brussels sprouts; shave them both raw and toss with a creamy, buttermilkbased dressing. This hearty salad is great for cold months—bring color into the presentation with tiny edible flowers and freshly cracked pepper.

• Bake wedges of fennel with heavy cream and Parmesan cheese until soft and bubbly with a slight browning crust on top; serve this side with game meats or carved beef.

• Give a modern twist to onion rings by dipping slices of fennel in eggs and panko breadcrumbs; deep fry, drain, and garnish with finely chopped fronds.

• Simmer fennel with black mussels or clams, rich seafood broth, and Pernod; serve with crusty Parmesan bread to soak up the juices.

• Stuffing thick slabs of fennel under the skin of chickens and ducks subtly infuses herbaceous notes into the meat while it cooks; the long roasting time mellows the flavor and creates fork-tender texture that can be incorporated into gravies and sauces.

• Sophisticated flavors like basil, beet, and yes, fennel work surprisingly well in gelati and ice cream recipes. Simmer chopped fennel in a vanilla custard base, cool, sift, and freeze in a commercial ice cream machine. Garnish with candied strips of fennel and blood orange zest.

• Pairing fennel with lemon is a delicious way to infuse its licoricelike flavor in desserts. Bake candied fennel slices in dense almond or cornmeal cakes, then drizzle with honey and fennel pollen. n

More pairing choices: • Pomegranate seeds

• Winter squashes

• Salmon

• Pork loin

• Ancient grains

• Cauliflower

• Grapefruit

• Trout

• Artichokes

• Tomatoes

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S P R I N G S N E A K P E E K

Cure A lL SUDDENLY CURED EGG YOLKS ARE EVERYWHERE

Cast adrift in an egg white-centric world for the last several decades, the egg yolk has returned to the American plate, and it’s bolder and saucier than ever. The ancient technique of curing with salt, giving it ample time to harden into a cheese-like texture and then grating has become more than a passing fad. It’s poised to become the next major move for the always incredible egg. Tasty, without a doubt – we’re talking umami, sweet, rich and a hint of salty. Versatile too – a generous pile of shaved, cured egg yolks transforms and enriches meats salads, pastas, bowls, even cocktails. A global favorite, cured egg yolks feature in Japanese, Chinese, Korean & Spanish cuisine. And it turns out they’re also healthy. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, egg yolks actually improve the health benefits of salads by improving the absorption of carotenoids, which help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.

Sources: Epicurious, Bon Appetit, McCormick Flavour Trends Spotlight

Are you ready to take the cure?

How to turn quivering yolks into firm, grate-able orbs filled with flavor.

While it’s hard to believe the simple process of curing yields an almost magical result in the egg yolk, chalk it up to kitchen alchemy. The mixture of sugar and salt works to draw out the moisture in the yolks, and completely changes its flavor and texture. Variations include curing in soy sauce-mirin mixture or salted caramel.

A classic recipe from Cooks Science: • 1 pound kosher salt • 1 pound sugar Pulse salt and sugar in food processor until evenly mixed and slightly ground, about 14 pulses. Transfer 14 ounces salt mixture to 8-inch square baking pan and shake pan to create even layer.

Using whole, in-shell egg, make 12 evenly spaced ¼-inch-deep indentations in salt bed by pressing bottom of egg gently into salt mixture.

• 12 large eggs Working with 1 egg at a time, crack eggs, separate yolks from whites, and transfer yolks to indentations in salt bed. Carefully pour remaining salt mixture evenly over yolks. Wrap pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until yolks are firm and dry throughout, 6 to 7 days.

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Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees F/93 degrees C. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet.

Fill medium bowl with cool water. Remove yolks from salt mixture, brushing off excess, and rinse gently in water. Pat yolks dry with paper towels and transfer to wire rack. Transfer sheet to oven and bake until exteriors of yolks are dry to touch, 30 to 40 minutes. Can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Egg-stras Get the most of out of your cured yolks by: • Shaving them into a fine powder • Stir frying with proteins and vegetables • Baking them into sweet buns • Grating over pasta as a stellar stand-in for cheeses or bottarga (Italian fish roe) • Using whole on top of battered, fried foods • Soy-curing and sprinkling over rice and vegetable dishes • Crumbling over fresh salads, roasted vegetables, creamy soups • Infusing with vodka or gin as accompaniments for signature cocktails • Curing in salted caramel sauce and using over ice cream or in coffee To read more, go to RFSDelivers.com. n

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SUSTAINABILITY IS IN OUR GENES #AskforAlaska

We are Alaskans and, like you, we care about what goes into a great meal. That’s why we work so hard to protect the seas that give our grandparents, parents, and our children the lives that we love and the seafood you love. We fish for the greatest protein source in the world under the northern lights, in the pristine waters off the coast of America’s frontier.

You preserve our way of life, and our sustainable fisheries with every serving. alaskaseafood.org