January / 2025 / ferrarofoods.com
Hearts & Huddles
Welcome to the January Edition of Fresco by Ferraro!
The new year is here, and with it comes exciting opportunities to elevate your menu and delight your guests. This month, we’re gearing up for two of the biggest occasions of the season: Valentine’s Day and The Big Game. Inside, you’ll find tips, products, and inspiration to help your restaurant create unforgettable moments for couples, friends, and football fans alike.
From heart-shaped pastas and romantic menu ideas to crowd-pleasing wings, appetizers, and game-day packages, this issue has everything you need to cater to lovebirds and sports enthusiasts in style.
Plus, don’t miss our spotlight article on what’s ahead for the food service industry in 2025. We’re exploring trends, innovations, and opportunities to keep you ahead of the curve as we kick off a new year filled with possibilities.
Here’s to a prosperous 2025 and a season filled with flavor, success, and celebration!
Buon apetito, amici,
The Ferraro Family
January 2025
LOVE, FOOTBALL & FOOD
Wow diners with romantic Valentine’s Day specials, then gear up for the Big Game with game-day favorites.
Page 4
RECIPE: TOMATO BEURRE BLANC
A rich sauce great for topping our heart shaped lobster ravioli.
Page 5
RECIPE: MEATBALL SLIDERS
This recipe is sure to be a game day hit.
Page 5
JANUARY INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:
Looking forward at what is to come in 2025 in the foodservice industry.
Page 6
FEATURED ITEMS
A few of our favorite seasonal products.
Page 9
FOOTBALL & FOOD LVE
Winning February with Romantic Menus and Game Day Feasts!
Love is in the air, and so is the aroma of Valentine’s Day specials! With couples heading out to celebrate, it’s the perfect opportunity to craft a menu that wows. A prix fixe menu featuring a complimentary amuse-bouche, appetizer, entrée, and dessert can streamline service, maximize table turnover, and offer perceived value to your guests. It’s a win-win that keeps the romance alive and your dining room buzzing.
Limited-time menu additions are another great way to stand out. Valentine’s Day on a Friday gives you a chance to extend specials throughout the weekend. Add a touch of romance to your offerings with indulgent options like oysters, lobster, scallops, chocolate, and even a signature coffee. Heart-shaped foods are a crowd-pleaser, too! Consider heart-shaped pizzas as a shareable appetizer or serve heart-shaped lobster-stuffed ravioli with a tomato beurre blanc sauce. Don’t forget a sweet ending—a warm heart-shaped chocolate chip cookie or a chocolate-strawberry pizza for two is sure to be a hit.
Tomato Beurre Blanc
Yield: 1
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Tomato Sauce
1lb Butter
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Fresh black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Cut Butter into small cubes. Place sauce in a small pot and heat on low heat. Once the sauce is warm add the lemon juice and begin to whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time. Once all the butter is added in, taste to adjust seasoning. It can be kept warm in a double boiler.
Love isn’t the only thing on the menu in February. The Big Game is here to kick things up a notch! Wings are a game-day staple, but don’t stop there. Finger foods like mozzarella sticks, jalapeño poppers, fried mushrooms, onion rings, and sliders are MVPs for the big day. Spicy meatball sliders? Yes, please!
Bundle these items into easy-to-order packages to make your offerings irresistible. And when it comes to wings, variety is key: breaded, nonbreaded, boneless, or nuggets. Pair them with an array of sauces—think buffalo, barbecue, Asianinspired, or garlic Parmesan—for a touchdownworthy menu.
This year, the Super Bowl lands in New Orleans, so let the vibrant city inspire your theme. Use Mardi Gras colors—purple, red, and bright green—for your décor and menu flair. A little festive touch can set your specials apart and make your restaurant the go-to destination for the game.
Whether it’s lovebirds or football fans, February is all about bringing people together over great food. Make your menu unforgettable and keep your customers coming back for more!
Spicy Meatball Slider
Yield: 6 Sliders Prep Time: 20 Min Total Time: 25 min
INGREDIENTS
( 6) 1.5oz Vitale Beef & Pork Meatballs
Ferraro #4010004
(24) Slices Pepperoni
Il Buon Sapore
Ferraro #4600813
½ Cup Shredded Mozzarella
Ferraro #0110260
½ Cup Marinara Sauce
6 slider Buns
1 Tsp Red Chili Flakes
DIRECTIONS
Heat meatballs in the oven at #350’F for about 20 minutes till they are hot. Place pepperoni on slider buns then top with meatball. Spoon sauce on the meatball and sprinkle with mozzarella and chili flakes. The place in oven to melt cheese. Add the top bun and you’re ready to go. A great side is a parmesan garlic and EVOO french fry.
January
As we look ahead to 2025, the foodservice industry is thriving and evolving, driven by strong consumer demand, technological advancements, and a renewed focus on customer experience. Restaurants and bars are experiencing unprecedented growth, creating opportunities for operators to innovate and capture more market share.
Restaurants as Economic Powerhouses
The numbers tell a compelling story: restaurants and bars generated a staggering $953 billion in sales in the first 10 months of 2024, outperforming grocery and liquor stores, which brought in $824 billion. Restaurants now account for 54% of consumers’ food spending, a 5% increase compared to the same period in 2023, while grocery and liquor stores saw a modest 2.2% growth. These figures highlight not only the resilience of the restaurant industry but also the growing consumer preference for dining out and on-the-go options. The United States pizza restaurant market was projected to reach $50.1 billion in revenue in 2024 from more than 74,000 pizzeria businesses, according to IBISWorld’s “Pizza Restaurants in the US – Market Research Report”
This trend underscores the importance of staying competitive by offering exceptional service, unique menus, and
a seamless dining experience. Whether it's through elevated casual dining, fine dining, or quick-service options, restaurants are well-positioned to capitalize on this momentum.
The Resilience of the Pizza Industry
The pizza industry has long been a cornerstone of the foodservice world, and its resilience lies in its ability to evolve while staying true to its roots. As noted in the 2025 Pizza Industry Trends Report from Pizza Today, pizzerias are thriving by staying ahead of consumer demands while leveraging fresh, creative ingredients and innovative concepts.
Some of the most exciting trends for 2025 include:
• Hot Honey Everything
• Microgreens
• Pickles
• Green Chilies
• Alternative Sausages
• Berries
By embracing these trends, pizzerias can not only elevate their offerings but also appeal to increasingly adventurous and discerning customers.
Dessertified Snacks
A standout trend for 2025, highlighted in the Technomic 2025 Global Restaurant Trends Forecast and the 2025 Pizza Industry Trends Report, is the rise of dessertified snacks.
Operators are getting creative with offerings such as:
• Loaded fries topped with ice cream
• Dumplings filled with chocolate sauce
• Dessert pizzas with Nutella, berries, and mascarpone
• Cannoli-inspired calzones filled with sweet ricotta
Pizza operators, in particular, are capitalizing on this trend by revisiting their dessert menus and integrating sweet flavors into unconventional items. According to Pizza Today, dessert-focused menu items are a growing revenue source, with 62% of customers saying they’re more likely to order dessert when unique options are available
Technology-Driven Efficiency
Technology continues to reshape the way restaurants operate. From AIpowered inventory management to advanced POS systems, operators are leveraging tech solutions to streamline their businesses, reduce costs, and enhance the customer experience.
Mobile ordering, payment apps, and self-serve kiosks are no longer optional but expected, offering convenience that meets the needs of a fast-paced, tech-savvy consumer base.
Elevated Customer Experiences
As consumers spend more on dining out, they’re seeking more than just good food—they want memorable experiences. Restaurateurs are responding by focusing on ambiance, service, and unique menu offerings. From immersive dining environments to personalized service touches, creating an emotional connection with guests has become key to driving repeat business.
The restaurant industry is not just recovering—it’s thriving, outpacing other food sectors in growth and innovation. Whether you’re running a fine-dining establishment, a casual eatery, or a bustling pizzeria, focusing on quality, creativity, and the customer experience will position your business for success in 2025.
At Ferraro Foods, we’re proud to support operators with the products, tools, and expertise they need to thrive in this dynamic landscape. Here’s to a year filled with innovation, opportunity, and growth!
SWEET BABY RAY'S PEACH WING SAUCE
SWEET MEETS HEAT IN EVERY BITE. BRING BOLD FLAVOR TO YOUR MENU!
SWEET BABY RAY'S SPICY PEACH WING SAUCE
Another delicious sweet/heat mashup, this time bringing together the aroma and flavor of ripe, juicy peaches with the savory sting of red chili peppers, beautifully balanced to delight the senses. Sweet Baby Ray's Spicy Peach Wing Sauce and Glaze is a natural on wings and an inspiration across the menu - offering flavor appeal to liven up shrimp, fish, flatbreads, and sandwiches alike.
Ferraro# 4707246 | 4/64 oz
MENU INSPIRATION:
• Grilled chicken breast with spicy peach glaze
• Spicy peach wings
• Strawberry And Goat Cheese Salad with Spicy Peach Glazed Salmon
HEART SHAPED RAVIOLI
FALL IN LOVE WITH THESE HEART SHAPED
RAVIOLI - PERFECT FOR VALENTINE'S DAY
HEART SHAPED CHEESE RAVIOLI
Filled with a mixture of creamy whole milk ricotta cheese, romano cheese and parsley.
Available out of NJ, MD, NC, FL
Ferraro# 4100483 | 2/5 lb
SAUCE PAIRINGS:
• Classic marinara
• Creamy Alfredo sauce
• Brown butter sauce with crispy sage and parmesan.
HEART SHAPED LOBSTER RAVIOLI
Filled with a mixture of creamy whole milk ricotta, cooked lobster meat and a special mix of spices.
Available out of NJ, NYE, MD, NC, FL
Ferraro# 4100484 | 2/5 lb
SAUCE PAIRINGS:
• Tomato beurre blanc sauce
• Creamy vodka sauce
• Lemon butter sauce with fresh parsley.
BARILLA HEART SHAPED PASTA
CELEBRATE THE LOVE OF PASTA WITH THIS HEART SHAPED RIGATONI.
BARILLA LOVE - HEART SHAPED PASTA
From mac and cheese to Italian classics, simple to sophisticated, Barilla Love adds a signature touch to all manner of menu items. But it’s only here for a limited time, and in limited quantity.
Ferraro# 4100487 | 2/5 lb
PRODUCT FEATURES:
• Enhanced Sauce Retention
Each heart-shaped rigatoni is crafted with ridges that lovingly cradle your favorite sauces.
• Perfect Al Dente Texture
Consistently delivers the Barilla perfection you trust, bite after heartfelt bite.
• Signature Barilla Quality
Relish in the unmatched quality and taste that comes with every Barilla product.
How can online ordering help your business?
• Spend less time ordering.
• Conveniently check pricing.
• Easily discover new products.
• Save time paying invoices.
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