April 2018 - Total Food Service

NEWS

TABLETOP EVENTS

Forbes Launches FortyOne Madison Metro NYC Foodservice Agenda With April Event

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he New York Tabletop Show® has emerged as the nation’s ultimate tabletop showcase. For the restaurateur, hospitality operator and the equipment dealer and supply professional the MidtownManhattan event is a must-see to experience what’s new and fresh in tabletop.

This year’s event scheduled for this month will be the first to be headed up by FortyOne Madison’s new director, Sr. Vice president Kristi Forbes. She takes over Laurie Burns’ position after a nine-year tenure. An abundance of new products will be on display starting April 10th through the 13th for more than 120 of the world’s most renowned brands in tabletop in FortyOne Madison Madison’s 95+ permanent showrooms.

But this isn’t Forbes’ first foray into the tabletop business, who ascended the executive management ranks at AmericasMart Atlanta over the past 25 years. “I first started in gifts and then the last 10 years I was doing housewares and tabletop and so I’ve visited FortyOne Madison many times before,” she admits.

“I’ve never missed a Tabletop show and came here primarily for inspiration. FortyOne Madison is the epicenter of tabletop and what AmericasMart did was prep me for this job

The convenient Midtown Manhattan location makes 41 Madison the ideal setting for the busy foodservice professional to plan their tabletop strategy

from a perspective of relationships.”

Thanks to a variety of connections under Forbes’ belt, from the brands within the showrooms to the tabletop trade press this new position was a natural fit for Forbes who looks to build upon what the facility has already achieved and continue its notoriety as a global leader in tabletop. She wants to continue the previous set strategy of targeting the right brands and branding the building in general. In addition to leading a leasing team responsible for tabletop, gift, housewares and gourmet categories of showrooms, Forbes was also instrumental in creating and organizing numerous image-building and traffic-driving

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special events for her customer base. With thorough knowledge of the industry, Forbes has already seen a tremendous growth in foodservice and hospitality at FortyOne Madison. “Many of the brands have showrooms here that have established dedicated hospitality programs,” she explained. With two Tabletop shows a year, everyone in the business focuses on NYC to attend, including many restaurant owners, hotels and more, Forbes added.

For the Metro New York foodservice tabletop buyer, FortyOne Madison has evolved into a 52week resource. “Since many of the showrooms are open daily for appointments with restaurants, chefs,

Kristi Forbes, FortyOne Madison

hospitality professionals and the dealers and designers that support them now come in throughout the year to directly meet with these tabletop brands,” she mentioned.

In general, the tabletop niche has become quite popular thanks to the involvement of social media and the entertainment factor that many are now becoming interested in. Thanks to things like cooking shows, food networks, bloggers and social media influencers, more and more consumers are taking an interest in tabletop, which in turn means continued interested in retailers.

“People want to know about these

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41Mad TOTAL FOOD 031618 3_Layout 1 3/16/18 11:09 AM Page 1

THE NEW YORK TABLETOP SHOW APRIL 10 – 13, 2 018 ®

Plating is just the beginning...

95 Open Showrooms See New Product Launches Meet Industry Executives

Forty One Madison welcomes food and beverage professionals during market and throughout the year.

Visit us daily, please call ahead for appointments.

BARWARE | CUTLERY | DINNERWARE | FLATWARE | SERVEWARE

41 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010 • 212.686.1203 • A Rudin Building

For Future Show Dates and Information visit 41madison.com

ALESSI ANCHOR HOCKING ARC CARDINAL AROROC ARTLAND AURATIC BAUSCHER-HEPP BIA CORDON BLEU BORMIOLI ROCCO USA BUFFALO BUFFET EURO CANVAS HOME CAPDECO CHEF & SOMMELIER CHRISTOFLE COUZON DAUM DEGRENNE PARIS DESHOULIÈRES DEVINE CORP. DURALEX ERCUIS SILVER FIESTA PORZELLANMANUFAKTUR FÜRSTENBERG HALL CHINA HAVILAND HERING-BERLIN HOMER LAUGHLIN CHINA J.L. COQUET JAUNE DE CHROME JAY HOSPITALITY COLLECTION JOHN JENKINS & SONS LTD. JULIA WATTS LLC KILNER KIYASA GROUP KOSTA BODA L’OBJET LEHMANN GLASS LENOX LIBBEY FOODSERVICE LSA INTERNATIONAL LUIGI BORMIOLI FOOD SERVICE LUZERNE MEDARD DE NOBALT MEPRA MICHAEL WAINWRIGHT USA MOGOGO MOSER NIKKO NORITAKE ONEIDA ONEIDA STRATA ORREFORS PADERNO PASABAHCE USA INC. PICKARD CHINA PINTO PARIS RAK PORCELAIN RAYNAUD PORCELAIN REED & BARTON FOODSERVICE REVOL RICHARD GINORI 1735 RIEDEL CRYSTAL ROSENTHAL ROYAL DOULTON ROYAL LIMOGES SAMBONET SANT’ANDREA SCHÖNWALD SPIEGELAU STÖLZLE SYRACUSE TAFELSTERN VARGA ART CRYSTAL VIETRI, INC. VILLEROY & BOCH VISTA ALEGRE WATERFORD WEDGWOOD WILLIAM YEOWARD CRYSTAL WMF HOTEL WORLD TABLEWARE YAMAZAKI TABLEWARE INC.

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 3

NEWS

HOTELS

Burke Set to Debut Pair Of Garden City Hotel Venues

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avid Burke, the celebrity chef behind acclaimed New York restaurants and stints on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” is teaming up with the Garden City Hotel, where he is opening two new ventures.

Honored by the James Beard Foundation three times, Burke is launching two new restaurants, slated to open in May. The acclaimed chef will convert Polo Steakhouse into Red Salt Room by David Burke,

and its Polo Lounge into King Bar by David Burke. These venues will be nestled into “restyled spaces” within the lobby level of the iconic hotel.

Burke is partnering with the hotel as it celebrates its 145th anniversary, and its AAA Four Diamond rating, which it earned in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The hotel has invested more than $40 million in renovations since 2012.

In addition, the hotel is working with Burke to revamp its food

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and beverage offerings, including its catering and events operations and room service. Burke is also relaunching the hotel’s popular Patio Bar, providing culinary guidance on its tapas and craft beverages.

King Bar’s offerings comprises a “new American” cuisine, including shareable plates. The Red Salt room will feature seasonal and regional dishes.

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Chef David Burke

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 5

NEWS

SPECIAL EVENTS

Harlem EatUp! To Celebrate The Food, Culture And Art Of A Vibrant Community

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arlem EatUp! is back, and tickets are now on sale for the fourth annual festival! Co-founders Marcus Samuelsson and Herb Karlitz are pleased to announce a full slate of events on May 17-20, with tickets ranging from free and pay-as-you-go to ticketed “Dine In” dinners.

“Harlem EatUp! combines the spirit of a block party and a family reunion where everyone is invited,” says cofounder Marcus Samuelsson.” “We created Harlem EatUp! to celebrate what makes this the most vibrant neighborhood in New York City, from food and drink to music and culture,” says co-founder Herb Karlitz.

This year’s Dine In Harlem dinner series will again showcase local and guest chef culinary mash-ups at some of Harlem’s most beloved restaurants, featuring menus paired with wines from Bordeaux. Harlem EatUp! will also include the annual Harlem EatUp! Luminary Award Dinner honoring Dapper Dan & Bevy Smith. New to the HarlemEatUp! line-up is a free, early-morning yoga session, Mantras, Mimosas & Bellinis, presented by Caviacchioli 1928 and featuring Harlem’s own Land Yoga and DJ Taela. Guests can meditate to a funky beat and enjoy delicious Prosecco cocktails.

The festival will also showcase The Harlem Stroll, a two-day outdoor event at Morningside Park, one of the neighborhood’s most celebrated parks, consisting of the Ultimate Grand Tasting (ticketed), and the Harlem Marketplace (free admission).

Harlem is one of the most vibrant, culturally diverse and delicious communities in the country,” says Andrew Zimmern.

Harlem restaurants and culinary stars will welcome their peers from New York City and across the country for a delicious, dynamic and memorable week.

“Harlem is one of the most vibrant, culturally diverse and delicious communities in the country,” says Andrew Zimmern. “I can’t wait to cook alongside some of the neighborhood’s pioneers and most iconic culinary voices, including the inimitable Melba Wilson, and eat my way around the globe without leaving the island of Manhattan.”

This year’s Harlem EatUp! line-up includes: Yvette Leeper-Bueno (VINATERlA); Carlos Swepson (BLVD Bistro); Karl Franz Williams (Solomon & Kuff Rum Hall); Melba Wilson (Melba’s); Leticia “Skai” Young & Chef Raymond Zamanta Mohan (LoLo’s Seafood Shack); as well as Janine Booth & Jeff McInnis (Root & Bone); Laila Ali (cookbook author); Daniel Boulud (Restaurant Daniel); Josh Capon (Mercer Street Hospitality); Floyd Cardoz (Top Chef Masters winner, Bombay Bread Bar); Maneet Chauhan (CHOPPED judge); Dapper Dan (Dapper Dan’s Boutique); Leah Cohen (Pig

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& Khao); Jose Garces (Ortzi); Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat, Chicago); Bevy Smith (SiriusXM Radio Andy); Jacques Torres (Jacques Torres Chocolates); Jernard Wells (The Chef of Love); Jarobi White (chef and founding member, A Tribe Called Quest); Andrew Zimmern (TV personality and author); and more.

Among the many restaurants to be featured this year include: BLVD Bistro, Chaiwali, Clay, Ginny’s Supper Club, Harlem Shake, Harlem Tavern, Lady Lexis Sweets, LoLo’s Seafood Shack, Melba’s, Settepani, SpaHa Soul, Tastings Social presents Mountain Bird, The Edge Harlem, and more. Participating local vendors from the Harlem Park to Park Local Vendors Program and Harlem Business Alliance include Aromas Boutique Bakery, Clean Plate Co., Essie Spice, Limation Beverages, Mama’s One Sauce, The Egg Roll Queen, The Little Hot Dog Wagon as well as Uptown Grand Central (NHEMA) and East Harlem Community Alliance members AFineLyne, Sprinkle Splash, Uptown Roasters and more.

As part of its mission and dedication to Harlem, net proceeds from the fes-

Main Office 282 Railroad Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers Leslie & Fred Klashman Advertising Director Michael Scinto Art Director Mark Sahm Contributing Writers Warren Bobrow Faith Hope Consolo Morgan Tucker Fred Sampson Staff Writers Deborah Hirsch

Phone: 203.661.9090 Fax: 203.661.9325 Email: tfs@totalfood.com Web: www.totalfood.com

Cover Photo by Ben Hider Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 is published monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2018 by IDA Publishing Inc. Contents in full or part may not be reproduced without permission. Not responsible for advertisers claims or statements.

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tival will be donated to Harlem Park to Park, Citymeals on Wheels and Historic Harlem Parks, and will be disbursed by the Harlem EatUp! Foundation, whose mission is to strengthen the community by supporting the people, cultures and non-profit organizations that empower Harlem. Harlem EatUp! is a celebration of Harlem’s rich and rapidly expanding culinary, culture and art communities.

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 7

NEWS

FOOD DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS

What’s Driving The Organic Market?

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he concept of organic has been around since the early 20th century, but the organic market has exploded in growth since the 1990s. In the early 2000s, it was growing at an astounding 17-20 percent annually; now it has steadied a bit to a still-impressive 1011 percent growth rate. To compare, the conventional food market has grown by 2-4 percent each year.

While the most commonly thought of organic products include fruits and vegetables, the USDA defines organic production as “cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.”

That broad definition means there’s a lot more to organic than produce!

The organic market has expanded substantially to include grains, meat, dairy, and even processed foods, in addition to produce. It has also spilled over to the foodservice industry where it is common to see “organic” on a menu. And, it’s not just limited to food items; nonfood products including alcohol, textiles and personal care products can also be organic. It’s clear there’s great opportunity to be had in taking advantage of the demand for organic products.

Let’s dive deeper into those trends and look at the driving forces behind this growth.

Food and Health In decades past, consumers were thrilled with technological advances that allowed foods to last longer, travel further, or taste better and were satisfied so long as foods passed regular FDA regulations. In recent years that has not been the case. People have

those trends are not organic-specific.

Take produce. Believe it or not, vegetables are cool right now. Who hasn’t seen Brussels sprouts making a comeback on a restaurant menu? There’s also been an increase in vegetables as a substitute for other ingredients, including vegetables as pasta – think squash noodles - or vegetables as pizza crusts and other unorthodox uses. Dried vegetables and fruits are even replacing bags of chips (e.g. kale chips), a thought that would have made many laugh in disbelief just a few years ago. However, since companies producing organic items focus on healthy foods, those organic items see a boost in sales, even from customers who are not committed to buying organic continuously.

become increasingly concerned about the chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics used to grow or raise and process our food. That concern is no longer taboo or relegated to a fringe community.

Those concerns are further reaching than ingredients alone. Where products labeled as natural can satisfy some consumers, the FDA and USDA do not monitor those claims as they do “organic.” Organic product claims are heavily regulated, with specific rules about what chemicals organic products can and cannot contain. This gives organic an edge over natural products for consumers who are concerned about not just ingredients, but exposure to “unnatural” chemicals or

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additives.

You may notice that nothing about the USDA’s description indicates additional nutrients. To be clear, the research does not indicate that organic produce has more nutritious value than the non-organic counterparts.

It’s less about how much vitamins and minerals you are getting and more about what you are not getting. Many consumers with autoimmune diseases or allergies prefer eating organically to avoid the hormones and specific chemicals that aggravate their health condition and this is one reason behind the push to “label” items on restaurant menus as organic.

That said, organic products benefit from healthier food trends, even if

Animal Welfare and Environmental Sustainability It’s not just their own health that consumers are thinking about. People who are unhappy with the treatment of animals but are not ready to turn to veganism eat organic meat and dairy as an alternative. Regulations regarding organic status extends to how animals are raised. They cannot be given synthetic hormones or antibiotics, and must be fed organic feed. After all, if you don’t want to eat GMOs, do you want your food to eat GMOs either?

Animals must also be provided with safe, clean, living conditions with access to the outdoors.

Consumers concerned about the environment also find organic products to be beneficial to their cause.

Organic products utilize a sustainable means of production, which is

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 9

EYE

METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

Singer Equipment Company Celebrates 100th Anniversary

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he Porchlight in Manhattan’s new Hudson Yards district hosted last month’s kickoff to a very special year of celebration for Singer Food Equipment. The Elverson, PA Company is currently the sixth largest foodservice equipment dealer in the United States, and the lead-

ing foodservice equipment dealer in the mid-Atlantic market. Singer also builds commercial kitchens nationwide for chain restaurants, higher education, healthcare and hospitality clients.

“What a great opportunity to say thanks to our customers and team members that have made this pos-

(L to R) M. Tucker’s Premal Colaco, Fred Bonaccorso and Silena Mejia with Kristine Martin of Steelite (2nd R)

(L to R) Singer Vice President Michael Greenwald and VP of Finance Seth Feldman toasted with Alto Shaam’s Todd Griffith

(L to R) Sestra Systems’ Lev Volftsun, Chad Hard and Kim AuBuchon were welcomed by M. Tucker’s Marc Fuchs (2nd-R)

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sible,” noted the company’s president Fred Singer. Founded in 1918, Singer is known for its broad inventory, high level of service and excellence in completing new kitchen installation projects. Singer maintains a multi-million-dollar inventory of equipment as well as tabletop, kitchen, disposable and janitorial

supplies - over 12,000 items available for immediate delivery.

Guests representing all segments of the industry from kitchen equipment manufacturing and their local reps as well as a number of customers toasted the firm on its 100th Birthday.

(L to R) BSE’S Jeff Hessel, Eugene Beniaminson of M. Tucker, Champion’s Will Means and Singer president Fred Singer

(L to R) PBAC’s David Aitkenhead and Ken Harris of Scotsman

(L to R) Vollrath’s Jill Van Menxel with Lynne Schultz and Liz Hannon of Tri-State Marketing

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 11

SEDERHOLT ON RESTAURANT FINANCE

What Are The Banks Really Looking For?

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ast month we explored the world of SBA guarantees and how this program works with banks to provide commercial loans to small businesses. But what if you are “bankable”? Can you go it alone with your bank?

One of the most consistent threads that runs through the world of restaurant financing is that in the vast majority of cases, banks have very little interest in financing independent operators in our industry. In most cases it is because restaurants are highly volatile, risky and most do not have adequate financial statements or collateral to get them through the process. The other key consideration for most banks is that they do not want to provide loans of less than $250,000 because it is just not profitable for them to do smaller loans.

Someone recently asked me, if they were bankable, were there simple guidelines for what a banker is looking for in a qualified applicant? The simple answer is yes. Uniformly, almost every banker I have spoken with talks about the “Five C’s of Credit”. These are a basic set of criteria that they use when evaluating a company for a loan – they are: 1. Capital – Lenders want to see that you have skin in the game. How much hard capital have you put into the business? They don’t care about sweat equity – they want to see the cash.

Most lenders want to see between 10 – 40% of the total capital in the business

David Sederholt is the Chief Operating Officer of Strategic Funding, a

Uniformly, almost every banker I have spoken with talks about the “Five C’s of Credit”. These are a basic set of criteria that they use when evaluating a company for a loan. coming from the owners. They want to see that there are hard and soft assets from machinery, equipment, real estate and will even consider proprietary IT technology. They want to share the risk with you and your investment insures you will suffer too if the business fails.

2. Collateral – these lenders are “risk averse”. They want to know that if for some reason your business fails to pay back the loan that they can attach assets and liquidate them to offset the debt. This is one of the reasons that they want to see meaningful assets in your company before lending to you.

Not all loans require collateral, but if you want favorable terms you should expect it. In the case of SBA Guarantees, you will be required to pledge not only the business assets, but all owners holding 20% or more of the business must pledge their personal assets as well. Homes, cars, cash, jewelry – everything. If you can’t pay back the loan, you could lose everything.

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3. Capacity – This is a measure of your ability to repay the loan. A lender must have a realistic expectation that the borrower does indeed have the capability to repay. Lenders rely on numerous metrics and factors in determining your “capacity”. First among these is your personal credit score.

Even though this would be a business loan, the main driver of an SMBs success is the owner. If you don’t pay your creditors for personal debt, it is a reasonable conclusion that you won’t pay your business debt. To get to the next step with a bank you will need a strong FICO of over 700 with no liens or judgments. This is very rare among newer or struggling entrepreneurs. The bank will also look to your current vendors for your payment history. A prime factor is the Debt Coverage Ratio demonstrating you generate more income than necessary to pay off your debt.

Most lenders look for 1.25x or higher which relates to the big driver, which is cash flow of the business. They will look at average daily balances, number of NSFs and general liquidity. If

leader in small business financing since 2006. Before this, David spent 30 years in the restaurant business and has owned and operated more than a dozen restaurants. As a direct lender, the company offers a variety of financing options and has provided over $1.25 Billion to approximately 20,000 businesses across the United States and Australia.

you have cash then they know you can pay back the loan.

4. Conditions – This looks at the reason for the loan. What will the money be used for and does the bank feel you will be successful in reaching your goals. The bankers will look at everything from the economic conditions in general to those in your local area. The industry you are in is a strong indicator of success. The “SIC code” of your business provides risk assessments for your business and it can work with you or against you. Most importantly, the bank wants to understand the purpose of the loan and if the proceeds will help you grow the business as opposed to adding to your debt load. You will need to provide explanation and back up for the amount you need, why you needed it, details on what you are spending it for and the benefits you expect to gain from the loan.

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 13

MIXOLOGY

WITH WARREN BOBROW

Spring Cleaning For Your Bar and Drink Menu

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f there is one season that says fresh and refreshing morefrom my catbird seat, hereoverlooking the entire year of ingredients and flavors..., and that would be spring. During SXSW (South by Southwest), I had the unique opportunity to see what is being supped and sipped in other parts of the country- in a uniquely spring approach. So, the season that I want to call attention to is spring and the flavors of spring should be making their way into your guest’s glass at the cocktail bar. If you are still serving mint Juleps from last July, may I gently suggest that you brighten up the bar menu, seasonally that is!

The first thing that I would recommend would be to replace your machine-made coupe glasses if you are using an off the rack approach to this uniquely pleasurable glass that can be the hit on your bar. Visit an estate sale or a yard sale at a more than expensive home and buy some fine glassware, if they are available for use in your bar. Glassware such as these shouldn’t be too expensive- so, please don’t sweat the details- if you break one, there is a plethora of glassware out there. Part of the charm of being a working mixologist is to introduce new and old glassware to the audience-our guests- the

reason why we are in business is to educate and deepen relationships behind the stick and to make the experience of drinking in our cocktail bars, fun!

Great or even pretty good ice. I’ve been judging a fair number of spirits

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events as of late, and I’ve discovered (but not so recently) that the ice is an essential element of craft cocktails. When I judge your cocktails, please make sure you are bringing your own, hand-cut ice. This is pretty basic information, right? Even most home type stores sell silicone ice cube trays. But you know what? I still get served cocktails at judging events that are made with unimpressive cheater ice, well intended in the overall context, but an outright failure to the judge of their effort. If you are making cocktails at your bar with cheater ice, shaking cocktails with cheater ice, serving any mixed drinks on cheater ice- stop right now.

You are cheating your guest, hence the word cheater. These quarter cube, rapidly melting-ice slices are not meant to educate your guest. They are not meant to do much of anything that has anything to do with flavor and certainly are not a quality product, they add nothing to the experience of high quality cocktails. I hate to sound preachy about this, but it’s really important to use the best ingredients possible for your guests. It’s spring, get with your ice program.

If you are in the NY area and you don’t want to make your own specialty ice- and you can afford to buy ice- do it! Hundred Weight

Warren Bobrow is the creator of the popular blog The Cocktail Whisperer and the author of nearly half a dozen books, including Apothecary Cocktails, Whiskey Cocktails, Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails, and his most recent book Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails, & Tonics.

is one such company in Long Island City, Queens- that produces the finest ice that money can buy.

I also suggest making friends with your local ice-house or if you are in a hotel- your pastry department may cut their own ice- those handcut tailings are quite lovely in a craft cocktail. And they look even better showing off some fancy Mezcal in a hand-cut crystal glass that you got at an Estate Sale.

The Kimchi Martini... Back to Austin, Texas and SXSW where the cocktail worlds cultural cuisine collides with the freshest Southern ingredients in a global sense of fun. I

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 15

NEWS EXHAUST AND HOOD CLEANING SERVICE Hoodz Offers Metro New York Operators Unique Kitchen Exhaust and Hood Cleaning Service

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unning a restaurant is already stressful and making sure everything is spic and span is essential to running a successful restaurant. Not only can a dirty kitchen get an operator in trouble with health inspectors, but customers might also get a peak and never want to visit the restaurant again!

To help Metro NYC operators ease

the pain, penalties and expense of constantly doing deep cleanings, HOODZ of Nassau County will do the dirty work for them. Franchise owner Rich Rothaar makes sure his crew provides NYC operators the peace of mind knowing that their kitchens are more than clean on the surface.

With a background in professional cleaning, he noticed a void for quality service providers to the restaurant

industry and knew he needed to do something about it.

“I was the first franchise in New York nine years ago, so I kind of pioneered the brand,” Rothaar admits.

“I felt the frustration that restaurant owners and operators were having with this type of service and thought there should be liable and accountable providers. The fact that these owners were paying for the service

and weren’t confident in the results, or that they weren’t up to par with the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) national standard bothered me.”

Rothaar’s HOODZ business is all about customer service, offering a wide variety of services to the restaurant and foodservice niche. Be-

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Cooking’s A Dirty Job

We Clean It Up Dirty kitchens are where we thrive. We specialize in commercial kitchen cleaning, preventive maintenance, code compliance & fire prevention solutions.

We care about our customers and the service we provide. Scheduling is easy! Put your hood cleaning on autopilot and stay up to code with scheduled cleans according to your cooking frequency.

HOODZ of Nassau County services the NYC and LI Area. ®

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HOODZ.NYC

Professional clean. Every time.

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 17

Hoodz, from page 16 yond the priority of state of industry hood cleaning, the company offers commercial oven cleaning services, concrete restoration and cleaning services, grease trap and dumpster area cleaning services, exhaust fan hinge kit installation services, grease containment systems and services, fan access panel installation services, and kitchen floor and equipment cleaning service. Any restaurant in the NYC area can really benefit from Rothaar’s services and his professional, skilled and knowledgeable team.

“We really value the customer relationship,” he says about his local franchise. “We’re small enough to really care about each individual, yet large enough to handle the big projects and keep on schedule to do the job right.” With corporate behind him every step of the way, Rothaar is able to provide clients exceptional service.

As the national HOODZ brand has flourished, they’ve been even more

supportive of their local HOODZ franchisees by offering new training and more at their state-of-the-art training center in Ann Arbor, MI. “They offer ongoing training and support for our technicians that are out there in the field, and they get continuing education even weekly.

There’s always technical updates that are being shared with our team, and we have the support of nationwide systems so there’s really nothing we can’t handle.” But if there is a system that his team has never seen before, the franchise still offers a supportive network to lean back on for the owners and technicians.

As a local business, Rothaar’s crew services Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn, besides Nassau County, helping food operators maintain their systems so they don’t have to do costly maintenance when something breaks down on a busy weekend. “We often find things wrong before the

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customer does,” he mentions. “We’ll let them know they need to get it serviced before the entire unit goes out, costing them more money later on.”

Many new clients often wonder if they’ll clean the entire hood unit and not just what the eye can see, and Rothaar assures them that his HOODZ franchise is unlike other cleaning providers. HOODZ goes above and beyond to access and clean every part, even those that are harder to reach.

“We never just skate over parts and really go out of our way to clean the entire system,” he confesses, which is one reason why so many NYC-based operators use his services. “We use specialized equipment for a thorough cleaning and we make sure to access the entire system, from the hood to the fan and everything in between.”

Rothaar’s HOODZ will always remind restaurants when their next cleaning should be, keeping them updated on scheduled maintenance

at all times, which is great for busy places who don’t always keep up with it themselves. “People have a big concern about following up and provide scheduled maintenance confidence.”

Rich Rothaar is the Owner of HOODZ of Nassau County. HOODZ International is a recognized leader in the commercial kitchen exhaust system cleaning and preventive maintenance industry. HOODZ is well regarded for delivering quality kitchen cleaning, code compliance, and fire prevention solutions to restaurants, institutions, and other food service industries. HOODZ’s highly trained professionals adhere to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard-96, which is devoted exclusively to the ventilation control and fire protection of commercial cooking operations.

For more information, visit HOODZ. NYC or contact 516-442-2262.

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 21

MEET THE NEWSMAKER

Robby Younes COO, Crystal Springs Resort, NJ

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or or the past 10 years Robby Younes’ passion and expertise have been vital to establishing Crystal Springs as New Jersey’s leading year-round resort.

He first joined the team as the Director of Food & Beverage, he served as the resort’s Vice President after a career working in renowned boutique hotels before recently getting promoted to the Chief Operating Officer. Past experience includes working at notable hotel names like the Waldorf Astoria, as well as Starwood and Hilton properties. But it’s his work with Crystal Springs that deserves the spotlight.

The Younes strategy has always been to focus on foodservice as the centerpiece of a hotel property’s signature.

His uncompromising approach to menus has become his hallmark. “At Crystal Springs, it began on the very first day with the quality of the burger that we were going to serve our golfers,” Younes said. “I opted for a better burger at a higher price point and they

omy have been my go-to from the very beginning.

They understand that I want to combine our passion and commitment to the highest quality ingredients with the latest technology so that we can be consistent whether we are serving an a The Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort la carte lunch or a all thought I was crazy. That burger wedding reception topped with fresh Jersey tomato and of 300. Economy helped us design Vidalia onion became a signature.” what we call our smart kitchen by takYounes also understands the imporing the time to listen to our needs and tance of the right kitchen design and then to bring in the power and flexibilequipment to be able to consistently ity of combi ovens to accomplish that execute the high-quality menus that goal throughout our foodservice ophis customers have come to expect. eration. It’s great to know that with the Very early in his tenure at Crystal Konzelman’s you have 24/7 access to Springs, he was able to secure the virespond to what can be a wide diversion and flexibility he needed from an sity of needs in our kitchens,” Younes equipment and supply dealer. added.

“The Konzelman brothers at EconDuring his tenure, Younes has un-

The prestigious Crystal Springs wine cellar, center of the resort’s invigorated wine program, which has continued to amass an impressive collection of prized and rare wines under the guidance of Robby Younes.

22 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

An Octopus dish from Restaurant Latour by Sarah Anne Ward

Robby Younes, COO, Crystal Springs Resort

dertaken several impressive initiatives that provided substantial revenue growth and recognition for the resort, including the creation of the highly regarded New Jersey Wine & Food Festival. He’s also renovated the resort’s hotels, recruited top culinary talent, created innovative partnerships with farmers and producers to increase their sustainability efforts and will soon open the four-star Restaurant Latour, which is touted as the resort’s culinary pièce de résistance.

Younes’ achievements in the hospitality industry are by far impressive, but the 39-year-old hospitality executive and industry expert would have never thought he’d have a career like this. “I didn’t know that I was going to be in the business when I was younger,” he recounts. “But things take place in your life where you go back and say, “Wait a second…those things happened for a reason.”

Growing up in Lebanon, Younes experienced many hardships as a child, but it was those challenges that helped shape the hard working and resilient executive that he is today. The son of an army officer, Younes was also interested in food, enjoying the times he’d spend with his grandmother on her farm, helping her cook. It was

continued on page 102

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 23

NEWS

INDUSTRY AWARDS

National Restaurant Association Announces The 2018 Kitchen Innovations Award Recipients

T

he National Restaurant Association recently announced the recipients of the 2018 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Awards, honoring progressive equipment that increases efficiencies and productivity for backof-the-house operations and benefits restaurant operators. Each recipient and their product will be showcased in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Showroom at the 2018 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, HotelMotel Show®, to be held May 19-22 in Chicago at McCormick Place.

“The KI Award recipients are innovators in back-of-house operations and work tirelessly to improve the challenges faced by restaurant operators,” says Dickie Brennan, Convention Chair for NRA Show 2018 and owner/ managing partner of Dickie Brennan & Company, whose restaurant group includes Tableau, Palace Café, Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, and Bourbon House. “For fourteen years, the industry has admired KI Award recipients and their contribution to making our foodservice industry even better.”

The 2018 KI Award recipients reflect the trends and topics most important to foodservice operators today. The 22 selected innovations address operator concerns from labor, energy and water efficiency to food safety, sanitation, cross-functionality and space-saving.

New software and new materials con-

This prestigious foodservice industry award recognizes innovative new equipment that deliver advances in temperature control, food safety and more tinue to make new solutions possible.

The 2018 Kitchen Innovations Award recipients are: Air Oasis - Bi-Polar Ice BPi200 Unlike ice sanitizing technologies that use UV light or other sources that create ozone, which can be hazardous to health, the patent-pending BPi200 uses a small electrical housing and carbon-fiber brushes to release airborne positive hydrogen and negative oxygen ions throughout the ice machine without creating ozone. The compact unit greatly reduces mold, yeast, bacteria, viruses and other pathogens, enhancing sanitation and extending service cycles.

Alto-Shaam, Inc., in conjunction with Appliance Innovation - Vector™ F Series Multi-Cook Oven - Last year the electric H Series introduced multiple cooking chambers independently controlled for temperature, fan speed and time, allowing simultaneous

24 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

cooking of dissimilar menu items as well as patented Structured Air Technology™ high-velocity, focused heat for faster cooking. The new F Series builds on that with larger chambers to accept full size sheet or hotel pans AND a new, patent-pending innovation that adds the flexibility to combine two cooking chambers into one for larger items without disrupting the structured airflow design.

Antunes - GST-1H FlatbreadToaster - The new Flatbread-Toaster brings innovative capabilities to the flatbread-pita-tortilla category with wide-mouth loading and dual platens located inside dual conveyor belts to heat a variety of products consistently—up to 200°F—providing quicker throughput. For example, it heats uncooked flour tortillas to 160°F in seconds. The integrated landing zone is heated, too.

Astra Shunsuke - Peeling Machine - Fresh from Japan, this new machine

automates labor-intensive fruit and vegetable peeling. Programmable for apples, kiwis, oranges, potatoes and more—nine different fruits and vegetables in all (and suitable for similarly sized items)—the unit allows different thicknesses of peeling. Comes in two sizes for smaller and larger operations.

Bizerba North America - GSP H & HD Illuminated Safety Slicers, Manual, Semi-Automatic and FullyAutomatic Operation - This slicer line, introduced to foodservice a little over a year ago, caught the judges’ eyes with its big emphasis on safety.

These illuminated slicers use colorcoded lights to indicate the machine’s status—solid green is safe mode, with blade removed, etc., for safe cleaning.

Flashing red is for pre-run, and solid red indicates blade is spinning and ready to slice.

Evo, Inc. - MultiZoneTM Plancha Evo takes cooking-zone temperature control to the next level: Unlike anything else in the griddle or plancha category, the MultiZone™ features three independent cooking zones, each separated with IsoBar™ technology. IsoBar™ is a recirculating fluid thermal barrier that effectively mitigates temperature carryover between zones for precise and variable tem-

continued on page 26

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 25

KI Awards, from page 24 perature control across a continuous cooking surface.

FLAT® Tech Inc. - FLAT® Equalizers - Wobbly tables plague the industry. Unlike other solutions, Equalizers replace a table’s existing screw-in feet with an adjusting, hydraulic compression and spring system; they also feature an ingenious locking mechanism (with patents pending) to create a rock-solid stance without any springiness. A rounded design allows for non-snag movement across floors and carpets. Easy to set and reset, too, for quickly aligning tables.

Garland, A Welbilt Brand - Instinct™ Induction Countertop Line - Instinct is the first multi-sensor induction countertop line to incorporate cook and hold functions under one unit, measuring temperatures across the entire surface for increased accuracy. Duel-zone Instinct can adjust frequency on each cook zone to match pan requirements, adjusting for elements like ferrous content and pan quality; boosting performance and mitigating against temperature overshoots. A plug and play system with universal voltages.

Genius Pan, LLC - Genius Pan How much time do operators spend freshening customer-visible prep lines and salad bars? The Genius Pan uses an ingenious, patented threaded system that allows the bottom of the pan to adjust up or down in the well, keeping everything looking fresh, topped off and inviting, cutting waste and saving labor.

Hoshizaki America - KMEdge Ice Machine Series - Finally, an inventive redesign of the icemaker evaporator. The KMEdge utilizes a one-piece, dual-sided stainless-steel evaporator that envelops the oval-shaped copper heating/cooling tubing, optimizing surface contact area for optimizing energy efficiency. The result is harder,

clearer ice, higher ice production in fewer cycles, longer product life and greater reliability.

Markov - Level RF Oven - Say hello to the next wave—radio frequency cooking. Building on autonomous-vehicles technologies, the ventless Level RF Oven “learns” to recognize food items and direct RF energy to cook them to prescribed standards for internal temperature, surface doneness, etc. And there’s more: The Level can identify multiple dissimilar foods and cook each, simultaneously, to its own standards, to finish at the same time.

Marra Forni - Electric Brick Oven with Open Mouth - This powerful electric brick oven, while not the only Italian brick oven on the market, creates a new category for itself with cooking temps up to 1000°F with an open mouth. Efficiency and heat retention come from Sorrento refractory brick walls AND deck that retain the heat, a low dome and balanced heat from all directions. Cooks a pizza in 45 seconds—up to 200 per hour.

Marra Forni - Rotator Deck Brick Oven with Double Mouth Opening This first pass-through, rotating-deck oven uses two forced-air burners totaling just 84KBtu/hour to produce pizzas from both directions in under 90 seconds. Controls regulate heat, rotation speed from 0 to 180 secs, even separate temperatures for each side if so desired. An air screen keeps the heat in.

Multiplex®, A Welbilt Brand FreshBlender™ - What’s better than the boom in smoothies, shakes and frappes? A self-serve system that lets customers create their own in less than two minutes. In just a 20” x 39” footprint, the FreshBlender™ integrates refrigeration, ice making, blending, dispensing and digital controls for hundreds of self-served drinks per day. Realistic payback in well under a

26 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

year.

Omni-Rinse - Integrated Rinsing System - This innovative warmwater rinse station for barware tins, jiggers and tools incorporates rinsing as a step within the drink-making process, saving time and eliminating the chronic problem of backlogged, unrinsed tools. The rinse process is hands-free and uses no electricity. The station mounts to a speed rack, wall or under bar.

Prince Castle - Modular Holding Bin - True modularity is easier said than done, but Prince Castle has done it with its Modular Holding Bins. This holding innovation features a master base, allowing the system to expand horizontally and vertically, distributing power and communications to set and maintain desired serving temperatures. Stack, add, subtract and move them to suit. Build exactly the configurations needed. Amazing versatility.

Sealed Air Corporation - Cryovac® FlexPrep™ EZ Dispensing - How much time and effort do staff members spend on BOH condiment systems? Conventional methods, from pails to paperboard containers, involve a lot of handling and wasted/ lost yield. Sealed Air’s new system uses prefilled Cryovac pouches with frangible seals specially fitted to load into the operation’s dispensing equipment.

Just pull the trigger. Less handling, better sanitation and better yield speed the payback.

Soda Gun Jetter LLC - Soda Gun Jetter - Tired of dealing with sticky, unsanitary syrup residue and bar flies in and around the soda guns? Soda Gun Jetter is an automated system that includes a programmable control box, holsters and dedicated tubing to flush soda gun nozzles and drip cups during off hours with pressurized water.

Structural Concepts Corporation

- Foodscaping Wells - Creating attractive, unique buffet-style displays for a variety of foods and circumstances is always a challenge. Foodscaping Wells offer an imaginative modular system based on a refrigerated cabinet featuring a food well housing with multiple height-adjustable display platforms.

The adjustability lets staff set food serving vessels at various heights for an eye-catching, inviting display.

Structural Concepts Corporation - Reveal Frameless Glass Food Displays - Argon gas-insulated double glass panes have been used in other products to provide a thermal barrier and reduce condensation. Reveal Frameless Glass Food Displays now bring those advantages to foodservice in attractive merchandising cases with completely frameless vertical glass for a clean, uninterrupted view.

Vitamix - Aerating Container - With emulsions, foams, whipped creams, meringues and other aerations becoming ever more popular, getting by with various chargers, whisks and mixers just isn’t enough. The Aerating Container’s specially shaped disc blade offers the solution, letting kitchen staff and bartenders fine-tune the texture of mousse, infusions and emulsions without pureeing.

Vulcan - SonicSafe™ Ultrasonic Scale Prevention for Steamers - Limescale is early death to generator-style steamers. Filters and treatments work but require maintenance. Vulcan applies the same Ultrasonic technology to commercial steamers proven to combat scale build-up in large industrial boilers. Ultrasonic technology breaks up limescale particulates suspended in water, continuously preventing scale from adhering to heating elements and generator walls.

An independent panel of industry

continued on page 107

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 27

NEWS

LABOR COMPLIANCE SOLUTIONS

How Multi-Unit Restaurants Can Maintain Compliance With Labor Rules

T

he complicated landscape of regulatory compliance has always been a challenge for restaurant owners and operators. But with the dramatic increase in complexity over the last five years, multi-unit restaurant operators need to make sure that they’re following the rules now more than ever.

From new local, state and national labor laws and food safety regulations to teenage employment mandates, it is increasingly vital that above store leaders aren’t merely confident that their stores are in compliance — they need to be sure.

The United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division collected nearly $43 million in back wages for more than 43,000 employees during Fiscal Year 2017, up 7% from $39.8 million the previous year.

Non-compliance with any one or more of the full range of labor laws can result in significant damage to restaurant operations, including expensive violation penalties, damaged reputations, and, in the most extreme cases, lawsuits. And those risks only compound the more locations a brand owns.

So, how can above store leaders be sure that their locations are compliant? They can start by assessing the gaps in their business with these five questions.

Non-compliance with any one or more of the full range of labor laws can result in significant damage to restaurant operations, including expensive violation penalties, damaged reputations, and, in the most extreme cases, lawsuits.

1. Are Managers Alerted When They’re at Risk for Non-Compliance?

Due to the evolving nature of compliance regulations and the number of tasks a restaurant manager has to complete every single shift, it can be easy to miss details and commit violations. Unless a manager is consulting a school calendar when they make schedules, they could be violating minor labor laws.

What You Need Give your managers a system that generates real-time alerts warning them about missed employee meals or breaks or scheduling youth for shifts that are out of compliance. With this functionality, your owners, operators and payroll teams will spend less time correcting innocent errors or dealing with noncompliance penalties.

2. Are You Tracking Staff Certifications for Food Handling and Alcohol

28 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Service?

Look, it’s easy for a manager to get caught up in the day-to-day of their job. Before you know it your best bartender is no longer certified. A sticky note reminder or a spreadsheet to log staff certifications doesn’t really get the job done. It might seem like an easy fix, but it can fall off a manager’s plate all too easily.

We configure our smartphones with alerts and alarms for all kinds of things. Why not certifications? Receiving reminders for certification renewals shouldn’t be a manual process to manage. It should be simple to set up and intelligent enough to prevent managers from scheduling people whose certifications are expired.

What You Need To stay in compliance with food and alcohol service certifications, you need to track your staff members’ certification across all of your establish-

ments. And to ensure that their certifications are always up-to-date and that you don’t lapse in compliance, you need a system that automatically sends managers 30-, 60-, and 90-day notices when those certifications are up for renewal.

3. Do Your Restaurants Document and Archive “Paper Trails?”

If you answered “no,” you’re at risk of being unable to prove that your managers are following the letter of the law related to scheduling staff members. Clear documentation of shift transactions will become a key compliance point for cities and states with predictive scheduling legislation where proof of a shift transaction is required. As those laws pick up steam in localities nationwide, it’s an issue that should be on the radar of multi-store operators across the country.

What You Need Owners would be wise to have easy access to an archive of documentation showing proof of manager approvals for employee shift transactions.

Scheduling software that features continuous electronic documentation can help operators achieve compliance and peace of mind. Solutions that archive time-stamped shift transactions, as well as both voluntary and involuntary schedule modifications, will also help multi-unit leaders maintain compliance.

4. Can Managers Build Schedules Around State and Regional Labor Rules?

Labor regulations aren’t the same in every area, which makes it hard to find a one-size-fits-all solution for multistore businesses that operate in multiple states. Operators need a solution that can handle predictive scheduling for their stores in Seattle while also managing the Fair Work Week regulations in New York.

What You Need With software that allows abovestore leaders to configure labor rules by store, owners and managers can track everything from minor rules and school calendars to meals and breaks.

These features make it much easier to ensure that all of your stores are scheduling employees according to location-specific labor regulations.

5. Do Owners Have Above Store Visibility?

As a restaurant owner, you want to be able to have a line of sight into your stores’ operations. You want to know that food safety audits in your

stores are being completed diligently and that your operation is running smoothly across the board.

What You Need A solution that supports task management, documentation of line

checks and temperature monitoring, above store visibility and transparency through shift communications. Intelligent systems that allow above-store leaders to create line checks and share them with their stores will help cultivate a culture of food safety accountability in your business. Furthermore, owners can maintain consistency within their locations.

Today’s restaurants face an increasingly complex and challenging compliance obligation. But restaurant owners and operators can make it much easier for their managers and themselves with modern technologies that automate the most critical, but difficult to follow, compliance regulations.

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 29

Q&A

EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW

Jilly Stephens Chief Executive Officer, City Harvest

S

ince becoming Executive Director in 2006, Jilly Stephens has overseen City Harvest’s efforts to meet the rising demand for hunger relief while putting in place long-term initiatives to address the health and nutrition needs of low-income communities in New York City. Jilly joined City Harvest as Senior Director of Program Development in 2004, where she played an important role in developing the organization’s expanded community services that evolved into City Harvest’s Healthy Neighborhoods initiative.

Prior to joining City Harvest, Jilly served as the Vice President of Program Operations at ORBIS International, an $80+ million nonprofit organization dedicated to the elimination of avoidable blindness through hands-on surgical training and education.

Last month at the International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of New York, Stephens was presented the Beacon Award for her hard work with City Harvest by Kathleen Wood, moderator of The Foodservice Council for Women.

Total Food Service sat down with Jilly Stephens to discuss her beginnings with City Harvest, the nonprofits past and present initiatives, and their next steps in battling hunger in New York City.

What was the vision behind City Harvest?

We’re celebrating our 35th anniversary this year. We were surrounded by New Yorkers who saw really good food going to waste and at the same time they were very aware of so many New Yorkers in need. That really is how we began.

Our first executive director had been working at a soup kitchen on the Upper East Side. She enjoyed the potato skin appetizer and took the opportunity of asking the chef what he did with the flesh of the potatoes. He told her that they were just thrown out. So she asked if she could come back and collect them and really that’s how we started.

It is hard to fathom that a simple potato skin could serve as a launching pad for a program that has gone on to touch so many.

Our model for rescuing food is essentially the same today as it was back then just on a much larger scale and produce is still a big part of what we rescue and deliver.

Let’s talk about how that vision has changed in all these years.

How simple potatoes turned into something so magnificent that has touched so many people.

I think it’s important to note that we’re still doing what we did back

continued on page 32 30 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Jilly Stephens at a City Harvest Mobile Market in South Bronx, NY. Photo by Ben Hider

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 31

Q&A Jilly Stephens, from page 30

then - always focusing on solving hunger and food problems and bringing those two things together to feed our neighbors. I would say the difference today is it’s on a much larger scale. 35 years ago volunteers were using their cars to get food where it needed to be.

Today our fleet of trucks will rescue 60 million pounds of food this year and distribute it to a network of 500 kitchens and food pantries. We are also proud of each of those drivers of our 22 trucks that are trained and committed to service safety.

So we want to make sure that every time the food we rescue is safe.

The core of our program is getting that great food into the hands of hungry New Yorkers. At the same time we have programs that really go deep into some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city and help

The core of our program is getting that great food into the hands of hungry New Yorkers. At the same time we have programs that really go deep into some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city and helping people make sure they have access to good quality affordable nutritious food.” to make sure that the hungry have access to good quality affordable nutritious food. Our goal is to provide a balanced nutritious healthy diet with a focus on lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

32 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Can you talk about your background before you came to City Harvest?

Before City Harvest I ran the program for a big international medical

charity. And I worked in the field in developing countries for that organization for many years and then was transferred to the headquarters in New York City. And while I was there I became a donor to City Harvest.

You know having worked in developing countries for 10 years it was really mind blowing to arrive in NYC and find that there could be so many hungry people here. It just didn’t sit well with me. I realized that there are a lot of people - millions who really struggle to make ends meet.

And that’s what brought me to City Harvest.

I fell in love with City Harvest and got to know the then executive director and was fortunate enough by staying in touch to be offered a

continued on page 34

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 33

Q&A Jilly Stephens, from page 32

position here.

Can you talk about the size and scope of hunger in NYC? I would say that hunger in New York City is consistently high. We saw the numbers spike around the time of the great recession, as did visits to soup kitchens and food pantries. In the year between 2008 and 2009 hunger shot up by 15 percent in just one year. And although we’ve never seen such a sharp increase since, we haven’t seen a decline in visits to soup kitchens and food pantries either. People are often surprised to hear that while there’s a large and visible homeless population in the city, that there is an even larger population of hungry New Yorkers.

Many of the hungry have homes and jobs and a good education. It’s just a tough city and very expensive to get by. After paying rent, utilities, and any medical bills, it becomes a challenge to put food on the table.

heart of our founding and continue to be so today. Many chefs and restaurants continue to regularly donate to us.

There are so many other City Harvest programs that chefs and restaurant owners get involved with that help us feed New Yorkers from all walks of life.

We can then see many ways that

What do the statistics say about the size and scope of hunger in New York City?

We know that almost 1.3 million of our neighbors just in the five boroughs are struggling. One in five children don’t always know where their next meal is coming from. That means they may no longer be eligible for food stamps or SNAP benefits because they earn too much household income, but they’re still the ones who are struggling to put food on the table. They may not be categorized as food insecure by the government’s categorization but they’re still struggling.

What role do chefs and restaurants play at City Harvest?

Chefs are really important to us and have been since those very first potatoes. Restaurants were at the

34 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

the restaurants are involved today from a restaurant like LeBernadin, which does provide a steady supply of food to us. They have a dedicated City Harvest refrigerator that has asparagus, which is fantastic.

Restaurants like Landmarc, from Marc Murphy who is one of our board members, donate a prepared meal once a month. An instance of

this is when they’ll cook lasagna for 600 people. That’s food we can pick up and easily move through our system.

We pick up from them every day and distribute to agencies across the city that has two distribution partners. We work very closely with

continued on page 36

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 35

Q&A Jilly Stephens, from page 34

City Harvest’s Executive Director Jilly Stephens welcomes guests to the Skip Lunch Fight Hunger kick off event. (Photo by Ben Hider)

distributors like Baldor who make great food available. So at every step along the way from the farmer growing the food to perhaps the radishes that have grown too big for them to bring to market, we can take that food all the way through the system. Restaurants can get in touch with any number of people at City Harvest just a call to help them get that restaurant to the right person and they can donate any excess food that they might have. I gave the example of Marc Murphy’s restaurant that is donating a prepared meal

once a month. There are several restaurants that do that. We’re looking for a minimum of 50 portions for prepared meals once a month. And there are ways for restaurants to get involved through special events.

How can a restaurant get involved with City Harvest and what are some of the benefits to the restaurant?

We have a series of very popular tasting events. The great thing about something like that is not only are they helping us feed their

36 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

hungry neighbors but also they’re in front of their potential dining patrons. Many restaurants will volunteer with us. They particularly enjoy bringing for example their kitchen team or their wait staff as a team to volunteer together. They view that as a good team building effort while giving back to the communities that they feel strongly about.

We have reached out to make the concept of hospitality philanthropy easy. We can only do our work because of the help of so many New Yorkers who want to donate their

time or money. It’s our job to make that a good experience for them and to make it easy for them to very clearly see why their help is so important. So we take that very seriously and we work closely with our donors and our volunteers to make sure that it’s a good experience.

New York has a number of charities that a restaurant can work with.

Where does City Harvest fit in?

New York City is chock full of great

continued on page 38

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 37

Q&A Jilly Stephens, from page 36

charities. I’ve just come from meeting with leaders of many charities in the city all doing fantastic work to help meet the needs of those who are struggling whether it’s for food or housing or legal assistance on immigration. Our work is to get food on people’s tables and you know I think at City Harvest we are uniquely positioned to partner with restaurants. I mentioned before that the chefs really want to feed people whether they can afford to come into the restaurant or not. I think that’s an approach to the work that resonates particularly with the restaurants and the chefs throughout the city. We know that because they come back time and time again to help us figure out how we can do more to help feed people. I think that’s sort of a unique point for City Harvest. We were born out of the restaurant industry and we still rely on them today as much as we did some 35 years ago.

What’s your agenda and vision for the next 35 years?

Many charities set a goal of closing because they have accomplished their mission. Unfortunately, hunger is New York City will always be a reality. We will do what we do with our trucks being on the road every day of the week, every week of the year delivering food. We will con-

You have a big gala coming up later this month.

On April 24th City Harvest is hosting its 35th anniversary gala. It will be held at Cipriani, which is where that event happens each year. We will be recognizing people and organizations. Bill Mills is the North America CEO for Citigroup, and he and his wife Wendy have been longstanding supporters since they moved back from Europe. He had been posted there until 2011. Chef Jose Andres will also be honored for his humanitarian efforts particularly feeding people in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and City Harvest was also involved in that effort.

We will also honor Chrissy Teigen who is a member of the Food Council and has worked tirelessly to help put a national spotlight on hunger relief work.

38 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

tinue to do that as long as it’s necessary. I hope that we can continue to significantly decrease the amount of hungry people in New York City.

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FIORITO ON INSURANCE

Establishing A Corporate Culture That Combats Sexual Harassment

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oday’s business environment is hyper-focused on sexual harassment. In Hollywood, business, media, government, and many other sectors, women and men are publicly sharing their stories of being victimized at work by co-workers, supervisors, and those in positions of power. However, more sexual harassment claims are filed in the restaurant industry than in any other in the country, almost 90% of women and 70% of men have reportedly experienced some form of sexual harassment, according to a recent report.* Routine harassment of service workers is unfortunately becoming an event more prevalent by managers, coworkers, and customers, often failing to catch headlines as some of the more high-profile stories have been.

When it comes to sexual harassment efforts, most employers are focused on defense, compliance and claims prevention. While these are all critically important, corporate America should also be looking at the issue offensively, striving to create a culture in the workplace that fosters respect for all employees.

Creating the right corporate culture will do more than just avert a sexual harassment crisis – it’ll set the right tone for the entire organization. But, it doesn’t come easy.

Consider the following steps to building a healthy corporate culture that combats harassment:

Step 1: Train everyone. The number one reason employees don’t do what they’re supposed to do is because they don’t know what they’re supposed to do. Sounds obvious, but unfortunately, it’s not. Training needs to move beyond just telling employees what not to do, and should instead present clear expectations, provide resources to help employees understand accountability and how their actions do, or don’t fit within the company’s culture.

Employees should also be told that reporting harassment won’t result in retaliation, such as a negative employment action. Studies show that the most effective training is in person, interactive and tailored for the specific workplace and job functions.

Step 2: Put methods in place. Where policies and procedures are lacking is where the greatest risk for sexual harassment lies. Having a policy around romance in the workplace clearly outlines expectations of managers and employees when it comes to personal relationships. Policies like these are important because sexual harassment issues can arise out of a previously consensual relationship, or when one has direct control over another’s employment. Having well thought-out policies that treat all employees – Csuite, managers, wait-staff etc. the same – is critical.

Step 3: Assign leadership to back it.

Companies can put policies and procedures in place and train managers and employees to work together, but if the leadership of the company doesn’t

40 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

exhibit those behaviors then they won’t be successful. Leadership must model good boundaries. Leading by example, managers that show respect for one another and those across the workforce will breed an open, honest corporate culture. Engaging in training, feedback, coaching and mentorship from the top down, all create an environment of engagement that can foster healthy discussions when tougher issues arise – like sexual harassment in the workplace.

Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President with HUB International Northeast, a leading global insurance brokerage, where he specializes in providing

Step 4: Set up a reporting structure.

Because many victims won’t report sexual harassment in the workplace, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) suggests making it easier for employees by: 1. Designating multiple mangers to take harassment complaints. This increases the odds that victims will have someone they’re comfortable with and 2.

Accountability also includes a reward system. If leadership holds managers accountable and recognizes and rewards responsiveness to anti-harassment efforts by managers, that speaks volumes.

Step 5: Have the right coverage. An employer can do everything right – establish a positive corporate culture, execute effective training, institute policies and procedures, engage leadership and create a large reporting structure – and they could still face a claim.

It has never been more important for employers to secure the

insurance services to the restaurant industry. As a 25-year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Bob has worked with a wide array of restaurant and food service businesses, ranging from fast-food chains to upscale, “white tablecloth” dining establishments.

Robert can be reached at 212-338-2324 or by email at robert.fiorito@ hubinternational.com.

right employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) before they need it.

While these efforts may seem obvious, the reality is that the training employees in common courtesies and fostering a corporate culture that is respectful toward everyone is critical.

Remembering the right and wrong way to talk to people, appropriate parameters for both verbal and non-verbal communications creates a corporate culture that is safe for everyone. * https://goo.gl/NyceDs

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 41

NEWS

RESTAURANT TRENDS

The Power Of The Pop-Up Restaurant Trend

O

ne thing New York City has always been known for is it’s never ending dining options. From street vendors to fast casuals and even full service restaurants, New Yorkers are never at a loss for food choices. Yet, over the last couple of years a new trend has expanded the diner’s selection even wider, and not just in NYC, but all across the country! And despite their brief residencies; it looks like pop-up restaurant trend is here to stay!

From block buster hits to your favorite breakfast cereal, pop- up restaurants and their themes are intriguing consumers and operators alike. Millennials and Generation Z are flocking to pop- ups, insuring they don’t miss out on anything Instagram worthy. If it is new and trending, young people today have to have it and Restauranteurs are excited to give them what they want.

Applying a new restaurant concept can be daunting for a business owner. New themes and menu items can completely revive a restaurant, or bury it in the ground. For this reason, pop-ups have become a great way for operators and chefs to test out their new ideas and get an honest reaction from their patrons. It also allows them to try out different locations for their business. If a pop- up isn’t thriving in one area of the town or city, it can be relocated for potential improvement.

Pop-ups are a great way for all types of restaurants to accumulate data pertaining to performance, food and location, and utilize that information to make their business the best it can be.

Now, it isn’t just the Full Service Restaurants getting in on the pop- up game. According to the National Restaurant Association, “Most pop-ups have served edgier gourmet cuisine, suggesting that the model works well for this segment. At the same time, more quick-service restaurants are jumping on board, and many industry analysts believe the format can work well for any concept.” The strategies used in pop-up dining aren’t completely unfamiliar to Quick Serve Restaurants. The necessity for speed and efficiency allows QSRs to thrive in the pop-up community.

As a QSR goes from concept to concept and location to location, creating new pop-ups, there are many attributes to consider. Equipment is one of the most vital elements to opening a pop-up restaurant. Imagine you are an up and coming quick serve operator, set to begin your first pop-up venture, a restaurant that serves fried fare, only to discover the location you have chosen has no ventilation system set in place. This is where selecting the right equipment will be imperative!

The AutoFry Ventless Fryers are an ideal addition for the pop-up operator. Easy to operate, and consistent

42 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

quality are just a couple of factors that make the AutoFry the top choice for fryer needs. Beyond that, the AutoFry is one of the most reliable fryers on the market. The machine’s limited, moving operational parts make the AutoFry dependable and repairs limited. Plus, when it comes to safety, the AutoFry shines with its ANSUL fire

suppression system that will keep any kitchen staff at ease.

In an ever changing world of trends it can be difficult to know the ones that are here to stay. It would appear though, pop-up stores aren’t going anywhere and AutoFry is more than ready to go along for the ride!

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 43

ASK ANDREW

FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE

PRESENTED BY

Nightlife Mayor Hired In NYC

I

t was announced that the newThe NYC Hospitality Alliance has ly established, NYC Office of been appointed by the City to serve Nightlife, hired Ariel Palitz as on the Office of Nightlife’s 12 memits Director, a position collober Advisory Board where we look quially known as the Nightlife Mayforward to working with Palitz and or. Palitz owned Sutra Lounge in the all stakeholders to foster a diverse East Village and was a member of and vibrant nightlife industry that Community Board 3 in Manhattan. works for businesses, patrons and The NYC Hospitality Alliance and our predecessor organization, the NY Nightlife Association, advocated for an Office of Nightlife for 20 years. We’re thrilled that the Office has been established and now hired a Director to begin its work. Under Ariel’s leadership, the office will serve as the intermediary between city agencies, law enforcement, residents and the nightlife industry; assist nightlife businesses with permitting and licensing matters; and promote an economically Ariel Palitz, Director, NYC Office of Nightlife and culturally vibrant nightlife industry.

44 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

residents.

Andrew Rigie, Executive Director, NYC Hospitality Alliance: “We commend Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Menin for tapping Ariel Palitz to run the Office of Nightlife.

Ariel’s passion for New York culture, combined with her hands on experience running nightlife venues, and participation in community affairs make her uniquely qualified to step into the vital role of Director of the Office of Nightlife.”

“Ariel Palitz is an excellent choice to be the first Director of the Office of Nightlife. She has all the right experience and qualifications for a successful tenure and we look forward to working with her,” commented Robert Bookman, Counsel, NYC Hospitality Alliance: The NYC Hospitality Alliance commends Council Member Espinal for sponsoring legislation to create the Office, we thank Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Menin for

Andrew Rigie is the Executive Director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, a trade association formed in 2012 to foster the growth and vitality of the industry that has made New York City the Hospitality Capital of the World.

their embrace, and former Speaker Mark-Viverito and the Council for their support! We are proud that our advocacy has helped to deliver another big win for our members.

We believe that if we want to remain the City that Never Sleeps, then city government must support our nighttime economy. The Office of Nightlife has the opportunity to do just that.

And a BIG THANK YOU to The Alliance team and members who have been advocating on behalf of the nightlife industry for years!

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 45

SCOOP Stark Makes Manhattan Return

INSIDER NEWS

FROM METRO NYC’S FOODSERVICE SCENE

it, and I will always cook with respect to authenticity,” she says. “But like other Mexican chefs are doing, they’re bringing it forward and using different ingredients and different presentations and more of a Mexican approach rather than the American Mexican food that’s been served in the United States for so long.”

Chef Ivy Stark

Scoop notes one of New York City’s longtime Mexican food chefs is back in town, this time taking over the kitchen of nearly six-year-old West Village Mexican restaurant El Toro Blanco. Chef Ivy Stark made her name at Dos Caminos, helping turn the crowdpleasing Manhattan Mexican restaurant into the mini-chain it is today, and she’ll now bring that and more experience to lighten the El Toro Blanco menu with Baja-style Mexican fare. Owners John McDonald and Josh Capon who also own Lure, Bowery Meat Company, Sessanta and Burger & Barrel together recruited Stark back to NYC from Chicago for her 20-plus years of cooking Mexican food across the country. Gone from the menu are the tamales and tingas, replaced by slightly lighter food influenced by the Baja region of Mexico, known for its fresh seafood served both cooked and raw in tacos, tostadas, and more. Tuna, kingfish, and mahi mahi make appearances, as well as a lot of vegetables. Stark is best known for her years heading up the Dos Caminos kitchens - she’s also cooked at Rosa Mexicano and she says she’s excited to get back into a smaller restaurant. “It’s nice to be able to be in a small venue and really put a personal touch on it and my view of what creative Mexican food can be, just like Alex Stupak [at Empellon] has his view and Enrique Olvera [at Cosme and Alta] has his view.” Stark’s job announcement came with a curious quote: “Mexican food has been stuck in a rut, but with chefs like Enrique Olvera it’s ready to move forward,” Stark said. When asked to clarify, Stark, who is not Mexican, talked about chefs in the U.S. who are cooking more in Mexican traditions now than American. “I love the food, I respect 46 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Frank Pepe’s of Fairfield Launches ‘Good Neighbor Day’ Program Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana of Fairfield, kicked off its “Good Neighbor Day” program on March 26. The nationally renowned pizzeria invited guests to enjoy delicious coal-fired pizza pies for a day of giving back to a deserving community partner. The Fairfield restaurant donated 10 percent of all lunch and dinner sales made from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. to Operation Hope. Built on a family tradition of hard work and customer loyalty, Pepe’s has long been inspired to help support their neighbors. Knowing its success comes from the community’s love of Pepe’s world famous pizza, the restaurant is thrilled to help the neighbors who have made Pepe’s such a great place. While eating for a special cause on “Good Neighbor Day,” guests were welcome to enjoy a variety of classic creations from Pepe’s such as the fresh White Clam Pizza and Frank Pepe’s Original Tomato Pie.

Connecticut Casino Set To Debut Brew Pub Scoop notes anyone who’s ever stepped foot inside a casino knows it can be hard to find a good beer there. While researching a story on the subject a few years ago, Scoop found that Las Vegas casinos had inspired beer selections in the higher-end restaurants, and a sports-bar baseline everywhere else. Spend time playing blackjack or slots at most casinos and the first thing you’ll be offered is a Bud Light. Foxwoods is taking a step to change that, partnering with an in-state brewery to open a brewpub next to the Fox Theatre, a venue that hosts concerts and comedians. Set to open this summer, Stony Creek’s second brewing operation follows the flagship in Branford, CT. Stony Creek is a brewery known for bold IPAs like Big Cranky, an aggressive West Coast double, and Snow Hole, a winter seasonal. The brewery’s lineup also features Dock Time, an amber lager, as well as seasonals like a Belgian summer ale, a Baltic porter, and a wheat wine. The casino brewpub will offer two distinct experiences; a ground floor beer garden will look into the brew house (Stony Creek will actually be making beer there), giving guests a view of the production process. The upper level will, feature a cocktail bar with a “Southern California feel,” with a stage for live entertainment and “pool house” space with canvas privacy screens, integrated bar counter, and a large HD video screen. Foxwoods expects the brewery to open sometime this summer.

NY Entrepreneur Sets Sites On Pizza Dough Consistency Scoop questions New York City quality pizza west of the Hudson? Fuhgeddaboudit! Not so fast, according to a New Jersey company that recently unveiled a water-filtration system that promises to improve any out-of-town restaurant’s food quality by making its local water taste as good as NYC tap water. It will do so by matching the molecular makeup of Big Apple water. So a bagel store in Baltimore can make a bialy as good as a Bensonhurst bakery it said. And a slice of pepperoni pizza in Peoria will be as good as in Park

Pizza from Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

continued on page 48

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 47

Scoop, from page 46 Slope. Paul Errigo, chief executive of New York WaterMaker, introduced his $2890 a year filtration system at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. The Belleville, NJ Company has been testing its filtration system for months and has convinced the owner of a popular Staten Island pizza restaurant that it works. Mike Burke, whose Denino’s Pizzeria & Tavern has been among the most popular pizzerias in the area for decades, trucked Gotham water to a second spot in Brick, NJ, after finding the local water didn’t cut it. But after using the filtration system, he can’t tell the difference in quality between his two restaurants and said he will use the new filtration system at each location.

Top Nosh Scoop says the team of Acme Smoked Fish and Zucker’s Bagels made a Guinness world record for the largest bagel and lox sandwich. They stuffed 40 pounds of cream cheese and 30 pounds of smoked salmon into a 213-pound bagel at Acme’s Greenpoint smokehouse.

48 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

The world’s largest bagel

New York Upscale Restaurant Goes Fast Casual Scoop sees that New York’s Rouge Tomate Chelsea is jumping on the fast casual bandwagon, launching Rouge Tomate Cafe, a fast casual menu available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The

original Upper East Side establishment opened in 2008, as a Michelin-starred restaurant serving balanced and nutrient-dense food. In 2016, however, a new location allowed the concept to grow more intimate and casual, but the focus on health and sustainability remained. The location earned a Michelin-star months after opening, in November 2017.Taking that a step further, the brand has hired Chef Matt Aita to help create fast casual fare in addition to its fine-dining style dinner service.

Aita got his start at Daniel and Jean-Georges before serving as executive chef at Le Philosophe in 2013. In 2014, he joined Chefs Club as executive chef, overseeing the nightly execution of dishes from some of the world’s best chefs in the restaurant’s New York City location. Rouge Tomate Chelsea founder Emmanuel Verstraeten, Aita and General Manager Cristian Molina have created Rouge Tomate Cafe to offer burgers and salads, available for dine-in or takeaway, in a fast casual, counterservice format.

continued on page 50

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 49

Scoop, from page 48

Buffalo Food Fest Comes To Brooklyn Scoop asks “Buffalo fans, won’t you come out tonight?”

Brooklynites got a belly-full of the cuisine and culture of New York’s second largest city at the “Buffalo City Fair,” at the Bell House last month.

The six-hour wild wing-ding distills a weekend trip to the city nearest Niagra Falls into a delicious afternoon, for those who are home-sick for Buffalo, or those who want to explore a new town, said the event’s director.

“This is a good snapshot of that weekend,” said Varghese Chacko, who lives in Park Slope. “Our plan is to give both people who live in New York or who are from Buffalo a sense of that food and culture.”

First on the menu was Buffalo’s most famous food - buffalo wings! The saucy, spicy chicken wings are a familiar sight to down-state New Yorkers, but some of the other dishes may be new, including “garbage plates” — a multi-option tray often including a cheeseburger, french fries, pasta

Spicy samples from Buffalo Food Fest

salad, beans, and coleslaw — “beef on weck” — a roast beef on a roll, and loganberry drinks — a soda made with a hybrid raspberry and blackberry flavors, which the Fair served spiked with booze.

Heading up the production of the Buffalonian buffet is chef John Marren, who owns the restaurant Buffalo’s Famous in Kensington. The 10-year transplant from that city says that he is no purist

— his hometown’s food can be served anywhere, as long as the chef has a strong appreciation for its origin.

“It doesn’t need to be made in Buffalo, but it needs to be made in the same tradition as Buffalo,” said Marren. “Some purists won’t look at a barbecue pizza as pizza, but I don’t look at it that hardcore. I feel you just have to have a healthy respect for how it’s made,” Marren added.

Marren says he is thrilled at being able to relive some nostalgia and give people the experience of eating the food he grew up with.“I was most excited to have a lot of authenticity under one roof that’s what we aimed for and made sure it was authentic,” he said. “In the last decade, everyone agreed that Buffalo has a top 10 food culture — if you’re a foodie this is an opportunity to check out a reputable food culture.

I think it’s just a great way to get a sense of the food and entertainment and really, the people of Buffalo,” said Chacko. “Buffalo has passionate residents, and the mixture of food and comedy and entertainment and attendees brought a great mix of Buffalo flavor to new people.”

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 51

EYE

METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

The Annual Partridge Club’s St. Patrick’s Day Party 2018

T

he Partridge Club’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration took center stage at the Union League Club in Manhattan last month. It was truly a glorious day as Partridge Club members celebrated the wearing of the green last month.

The annual event marked the debut of the Club’s newly installed president: Chris Pace. The pension and benefits executive began his rein with a warm welcome to members and guests.

Once again, Ross Gnesin stepped in to admirably fill the enormous shoes of the legendary Dennis Sweeney who for years has hit the club’s funny bone with his special brand of blarney.

The event and the encouraging weather marked the quickly approaching Spring season.

Under the tutelage of past Partridge president Marc Fuchs who passed the torch to Pace, the club continues to grow its commitment to support the education of the industry’s next generation. The club has now attracted new scholarship funding from “Friends of Partridge” corporate sponsors.

Partridge’s St. Patty’s Day event gave many foodservice executives the opportunity to toast the holiday with many segments of the industry.

Among the notables were Monster’s Jay Bigman, PBAC’s Larry Cantamassa and veteran consultant Kent Bain toasted March Madness. Bakery guru Peter Fernandez of Fresh and Tasty and Debragga’s Doug Rodda were on hand. The gathering was thrilled to see the return of Patrick Murray of JP McHale. Chefs de Cuisine president

Herman Reiner was also on hand.

A large contingent of club management enjoyed the festivities including: Jim Cirillo of the Women’s National Republican Club, Indian Harbor Yacht Club’s Eric Ruehlmann, Scott Heaney of Deepdale and Winged Foot’s Colin Burns. There were also many contract feeders who celebrated including Unidine’s Jimmy Waymire.

The Partridge Club’s scholarship initiatives are led by Marc Sarrazin of DeBragga and Spitler.

The event raised Partridge grants, which go to such noted institutions as The Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales, Cornell University, The University of Massachusetts and Paul Smith College.

The 50/50 proved to be great medicine for a hobbled Barbara Boden of JP Morgan who took the top prize.

The Partridge Club was formed in 1935 at the Victoria Hotel in New York City. The membership was made up of leading purveyors to the ho-

tel, club and restaurant trade. The St. Patty’s luncheon brought the mission of the Partridge Foundation to raise scholarship funds for institutions of higher learning providing training for students pursuing a career in the Hospitality Industry.

(L to R) Connecticut managers Brian Dwyer of Shorehaven Club and Aspetuck’s Valley’s Carolyn Kepcher

(L to R) M. Tucker’s Eric Santagata, school foodservice executive Anthony Trentacosta and daughter Caroline and M. Tucker’s Dave Piacenti

(L-R) The healthcare industry was well represented with local AHL execs Mimi Wang (2nd L) and Steven Chen flanked

by PBAC’S Steve Bauer and Keith Fitzgerald

The Gnesin family always bring levity to the festivities

(L to R) Condon O’Meara’s Dan Condon welcomed the Harmonie Club’s Davina Weinstein and Chris Carey

(L to R) Former Partridge president Marc Fuchs with Citigroup’s Ben Mandaro and Charles Stock of JP Morgan

The club’s newly installed president Chris Pace (R) and longtime Partridge treasurer Maureen Cole of Minners Design

(L to R) Rozzo Fish’s Lou Rozzo, Connecticut Club Manager TJ Digne and Union League Club Executive Chef Russell Rosenberg

52 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 53

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

WITH FRED SAMPSON

An Overview Of 50 Metro Areas

I

’m cognizant of the fact that the majority of readers of this informative publication are mainly in the tri-state area and, for the most part, are concerned only with issues affecting said tri-state area. However, current events prove that due to information being available 24/7, what’s happening in our industry in the Far West or Deep South on Monday is news on Tuesday in the Northeast.

My reason for this preface is to qualify this nationwide information piece

by Henry Grabar, (Slate’s Moneybox): “Why Chains Dominate the Sun Belt but Not the Pizza Belt,” according to five years of Yelp data. It deals with 50 metro areas. Again, space and time do not allow me to present it in its entirety; yet I feel it is worth your attention.

In early February, “Yelp released a five-year trove of data about local businesses in the United States. One of the company’s big conclusions? Americans prefer independent restaurants (even, in fact, especially independent fast food) to their chain counterparts.

“In all 50 metro areas the company examined, the average Yelp rating for independents and chains has been diverging. Nationally, mom ’n’ pop eateries were always preferred by a small margin, but since 2012, the gap in Yelp’s 142 million ratings between them and chains has nearly doubled.

For fast-food restaurants, the average rating gap stands at almost a full star now.”

The following findings seem to run

Fred G. Sampson is the retired President Emeritus of the New York State Restaurant Association. He began working with NYSRA in 1961.

Within the next four years the NYSRA more than tripled its membership and expanded from one regional chapter to eight. Sampson played roles in representing restaurants on issues including paid sick leave, minimum wage, liquor laws, a statewide alcohol training program and insurance plans. Comments may be sent to fredgsampson@juno.com

counter to most of the surveys and industry sources. “Yelp chalks this up to America’s changing tastes, which would be quite a shift. It’s not crazy to think a new trend in consumer preferences might be underway. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has restaurant spending up 18 percent between 2012 and 2016; the Census Bureau says we’re now spending more in restaurants and bars than at the grocery store. There’s social media pressure to find new and interesting ways to represent your life, and maybe going to Applebee’s just doesn’t cut it.

“It’s also possible that consumers are more likely to rate chains badly when an individual franchise fails to live up to brand expectations than to rate them well when the Bloomin’ Onion® is as crispy as promised. Poorly rated indies might also be more likely to go out of business than poorly rated chains.

“Yelp has also been able to deduce

54 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

what percent of local restaurants are chains in various U.S. cities. (Since the data looks at fast food, fast casual, and casual dining, largely excluding ‘fine dining,’ this data shouldn’t favor wealthier places.) This information serves as a measure of place-based authenticity—the extent to which local food culture hews to a national standard or reflects local tastes and traditions.

“The results are varied in all three of those categories. At the top of the chart is New York City, a bastion of independent retail currently under threat from cutthroat corporate landlords. Still, it retains its edge. Just 13 percent of casual dining spots in NYC are chains. Fast casual is less than 20 percent chain. And even fast food is just 34 percent chain. The localism capital of Portland, Maine, is right up there too.

“At the bottom of the list is Cincinnati, where 35 percent of casual din-

ing, 47 percent of fast-casual, and 77 of fast food consumption happens in franchises with more than five locations.”

The following deals with “Why fast food dominates the Sun Belt but not the Pizza Belt.”

“The first thing that stands out is that only a few cities have any real culture of independent fast food. All of those cities where fast food is more than 50 percent independent are geographically concentrated in the Northeast: New York City, Boston, Providence, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia—as well as smaller cities like Maine’s Portland, Connecticut’s Hartford, and New York’s Rochester and Buffalo.

“This phenomenon might also be due to what Serious Eats founder Ed Levine has christened the Pizza Belt, the line of Italian-American settle-

continued on page 108

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TRADE SHOW NEWS

Recap of Awards, Presentations, Cooking Demos and Celebrity Chef Appearances

F

rom March 4-6 thousands of chefs, industry leaders, owners and operators from the restaurant and foodservice industry networked and conducted business with 550 exhibiting companies during the 25th Annual

International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York. The robust trade show and conference offered a collection of the best new food, equipment and technology, awards presentations, education sessions, and cooking demonstrations with

celebrity chefs. The event is owned

by Urban Expositions and sponsored by the New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA).

“We worked diligently this past year to identify the best audience to bring to our event, and we are

Pro-Tek’s Ed Daniel (2nd L) led his team to the annual event.

Imperial Dade’s team included Howard Hirsch, Charlie D’Elia Sr. and Jeff Burdick.

This year’s Torch Award recipient was Restaurateur, Television Personality, and Author Geoffrey Zakarian, presented by NYSRA President, Melissa Autilio Fleischut.

58 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

thrilled to say our efforts paid off,” said Tom Loughran, Vice President for Clarion UX’s Foodservice Events.

“We saw a dramatic increase in the number of qualified attendees to the event. Our exhibitors were happy with the improvement in the buyers who walked the aisles and were pleased that many people came to buy new products, equipment and service for their restaurants and foodservice establishments.”

The trade show floor offered several new pavilions including Be Italian, the Healthy Pavilion and the Pubware & Equipment Pavilion.

These were in addition to the Food Trends Experience where 75 new companies provided samples of new foods that are inspiring new fresh

Pecinka Ferri’s Joe Ferri Sr. (L) and Joe Ferri Jr. (R) with Villeroy & Boch’s Jason Kellish (C).

(L-R) Kontos Foods’ Nick Zavolas with mother-daughter team Chef Natalia and Chef Anastasia.

menu ideas; Taste NY Food & Craft Beverage Showcase featured over 40 New York food and beverage companies who showcased locally grown products; and the Education Station, where attendees received timely information on industry trends from leading industry experts.

During the show, attendees voted across several categories in the Innovative New Product Showcase.

The Overall Winner for the best new product was JavaMelts Flavored Sweeteners, which turns an ordinary cup of coffee into something special and delicious.

The 1st Place Runner Up was [Actual] Iceberg, for their authentic iceberg ice from Newfoundland, off Canada’s east coast.

The 2nd Place Runner Up was Bake’nJoy for their Kitchen Cupboard™ Gourmet Brownie, Cookie and Muffin Line.

Best New Product in the Food Trends Experience was Hal’s New York for their New York Born, New York Made Seltzer Water.

Ten exhibitors were chosen by a panel of media judges to Pitch the Press, and present their new product or service to editors, buyers, restaurateurs and others. Best in Show for Pitch the Press was awarded to PostIt Brand for their Extreme Notes.

Center Stage included the presentation of the Torch Award to Geof-

frey Zakarian, chef, restaurateur, TV personality, and author. Zakarian is a judge on Food Network’s Chopped, and Iron Chef, co-host of Food Network’s Emmy-nominated daytime series, The Kitchen and the Chairman of the City Harvest Food Council, a food rescue organization dedicated to fighting hunger in New York City.

Other events on Center Stage included: Hip Sip: Battle of the Modern Bartender, which was awarded to James Menite, World Renowned Bartender from the Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel and the Rapid Fire Challenge: Meatball Madness which was won by George Giotsas, Owner of Little Mark’s Big BBQ. Paris Gourmet congratulated Stephen Sullivan, the executive pastry chef of Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, who competed in and won the 29th annual U.S. Pastry Competition. Sullivan showcased eight of his signature pastries and a plated dessert, plus a custom-made chocolate horse-racing showpiece for this year’s The Great Race theme.

Kathleen Wood, moderator of The Food-service Council for Women presented the Beacon Award to City Harvest’s CEO, Jilly Stephens for her hard work to deliver rescued food to 500 soup kitchens, food pantries and

continued on page 60

(L to R) The Lease Coach’s Dale Willerton and Mike Scinto of TFS

The NY Restaurant’s Meatball Madness Competition Finalists and Judges were (L-R) Gennaro Pecchia of Gennaro Eats (Judge), Chef/Co-Owner of The Meatball Shop Daniel Holzman (Judge), Chef/Owner Rafaela Gois Cabede Lopes of Mrs. Potato Restaurant (Finalist), Culinary Playgrounds’ Chef Holden Dahlerbruch (Finalist), TFS Co-Publisher Fred Klashman (Moderator), Chef/Owner of Little Mark’s Big BBQ George Giotsas (Finalist and Overall Winner), and Celebrity Chef/Greek Food Ambassador Maria Loi (Judge).

Waring Commercial’s Keith Sisco showed attendees the latest in immersion blenders and mixers.

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 59

IRFSNY, from page 59

The International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of NY and Kathleen Wood (L), Founder, of Kathleen Wood Partners hosted the Foodservice Council for Women (FSCW) annual panel discussion which included City Harvest’s CEO, Jilly Stephens, M.Tucker’s Morgan Tucker, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Morph Hospitality’s Maneet Chauhan, Unidine’s VP of Operations and SHFM President Victoria Vega, and Executive Chef Ivy Stark of Dos Caminos.

other community food programs in New York City - free of charge and focused on ensuring that high-need communities receive more fresh produce.

The presentation followed a lively conversation about the importance of women and leadership in the foodservice industry. At the close of the Show, City Harvest, was able to rescue 11 pallets of food from the exhibitors totaling approximately 11,000 lbs.

The New York State Restaurant Association sponsored the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York and presented “How the Power of a Positive Restaurant Culture Drives Business Success.” Melissa Fleischut, President & CEO of NYSRA moderated the session with panelists Sarah Saracino, Abigail Kirsch; Dominick Purnomo, dp An American Brasserie, Yono’s Restaurant; and Jason Wallace, Hospitality

M.Tucker’s Executive VP Marc Fuchs with M.Tucker President, Fred Bonaccorso with JZRM Reports’ Audrey Cruz.

Toast POS’s Marketing Manager Julia Beebe.

Pecinka-Ferri’s Corporate Chef Nicholas Mercogliano with newest team member, John Alfano.

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Concepts, LLC. The NYS Restaurant Association promotes the hospitality profession while serving and representing its members and their customers through advocacy, innovation and education.

The event offered 40+ education sessions, including the 9th Annual Farm to City Expo: Local Seafood Wave of the Future, sponsored by the NY Agriculture & Markets Department. In addition, the education program featured sessions on operational excellence, marketing & social media, hot trends and building a winning team, plus a half-day workshop from Darren Dennington of Service with Style Hospitality Group on How to be a Rockstar Restaurant.

More photos on page 62 + 64

Dart Container’s James Bucala helped show buyers with no-foam disposable strategies.

New York State Restaurant Association’s Director Ron Mathews welcomed industry professionals to this year’s show.

The Lloyd Pans team showed off their newest baking solutions.

The father and son duo of Joe Jr. and Joe Agliatio Sr. anchored the Electro Freeze booth.

Dynamic USA’s Lance Brown and Denis Anthony and their local rep Jimmy O’Neill of O’Neill Marketing.

FOH’s Northeast Sales Manager Michelle Luzzi with Matt Streng, FOH’s National Sales Manager.

Douglas Corwin, President of Crescent Duck Farm (R) worked with a variety of show buyers on new duck menu strategies.

May 19-22, 2018

McCormick Place, Chicago, IL

Booth #1960 IMMERSION BLENDERS SALAD SPINNERS DICER JUICER

www.dynamicmixersusa.com | 1-800-267-7794

PBAC Rep’s David Aikenhead demonstrated to buyers just how lightweight the new Metro Mightylite™ Pan Carriers can be!

SMX ‘ES’ SERIES IMMERSION BLENDERS OFFICIAL LAUNCH

Montague’s Joe Deckleman with Hall of Famer Neil London.

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 61

IRFSNY, from page 60

Total Food Service’s Co-Publisher Fred Klashman greeted Glissen Chemical President, Joseph Lehr.

(L-R) The father and son team of Bob and Jason Tillis of Imperial Dade.

Hoshizaki’s Jack Pacino with Automatic Ice Maker’s Jordan Singer and Lisa Arochio.

Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur Jordan Andino of Flip Sigi’s demonstrations brought a new energy of excitement to this year’s show.

Roger and Sons’ Joe Cirone (2nd R) and family greeted show guests.

(L-R) Tom Clements and Mike Stella of Clements-Stella-Gallaher Marketing with DMM’s Ro Doyle.

Davo Sales Tax founder David Joseph welcomed Larry Sashin.

Sea Breeze brought a vast array of beverage solutions to IRFSNY.

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Gotham City Hospitality’s Eric Weiss (L) welcomed many show guests.

Stratus Foods’ Regional Sales Manager, Beth Meyer and Marketing Manager, Tara Stafford.

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 63

IRFSNY, from page 62

(L to R) Day & Nite had a busy show with Michael Milaccio, Chris Matheson and Aaron Sher anchoring the booth

(L to R) The culinary management team of the Garden City Hotel shopped the show for their Long Island property

Equipex’s Vincent Palumbo (L) and Marsal’s Rich Ferrara (R) flank legendary pizza chef Santo Bruno of Roger and Sons

The Belgiosio team led by Michael Glosman and Anthony Gatto anchored the Wisconsin firm’s booth

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Yuter of Tri-State Marketing

(L to R) United Refrigeration’s Joe Pellachia and Paul Young with water maven Brian Madden of Pentair

(L to R) Restaurant City’s Joe Frodella and Bryan Mahoney of DMM

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(L to R) The I. Halper duo of Irwin Halper and Shaun Joseph

(L to R) New York restaurateur Michael Estrada, Charlie Landis of Eurodib and Robert Albans of Singer

(L to R) M.Tucker’s Morgan Tucker and Erica Grossi of Agnelli

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 65

NEWS

FIRE SAFETY

PRESENTED BY

Optimizing Your Commercial Kitchen’s Exhaust Duct Ventilation System

H

aving the proper ventilation in your restaurant’s commercial kitchen has a multitude of benefits.

This article lays out the basics of commercial kitchen exhaust ventilation in plain language. The two chief objectives are to prevent fires from breaking out and to serve better tasting food that smells great.

Additionally, the incentive is always there to keep your restaurant kitchen clean to avoid costly violations. Improper exhaust ventilation can not only result in safety violations and increased utility bills, but decreased employee productivity as well.

First and foremost, it goes without saying that: 1. Not all fire protection services companies specialize in, and have an extensive track record for designing, installing, testing, inspecting and maintaining kitchen exhaust ventilation systems; and, 2. The exhaust ventilation system designed for your specific commercial kitchen, needs to be a custom job with ample duct access points, crafted with American made sheet metal, with each twist and turn negotiated down to a fraction of a millimeter for the tightest fit possible.

Every restaurant has its own unique ventilation needs and challenges. In fact, no two commercial kitchens can be deemed to be the same. That’s because even a millimeter’s difference in a curve or turn could make all the

Improper exhaust ventilation can not only result in safety violations and increased utility bills, but decreased employee productivity as well. difference in the tightness of the duct design, and by extension, it’s effectiveness. Insuring a tight custom fit is critical which is why restaurateurs should inquire as to whether the fire protection services company they’re requesting a quote from has its own sheet metal fabrication facility. Hiring a Fire Protection Services Company that has its own plasma cutter is always preferable over one that is just a middle man. Companies such as New York City’s Master Fire Prevention will take your architectural drawings and plans, visit the space and take measurements before custom fabricating and welding your exhaust ventilation duct.

Again, even a millimeter can make all the difference in the world. Potentially flammable grease particles can ignite and cause a flash fire so that duct needs to be air tight.

The next consideration is to ensure that the proper ventilation apparatus is in place to push out the “bad air” and bring in “good air” (or what is referred to as “make up air”). Make Up Air is essentially clean, fresh, outside air and you need to bring a lot of it into your kitchen to replace the air from

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the kitchen being expelled via the exhaust system. Not having enough makeup air can lead to all manner of problems, not the least of which is poor air quality. Compliance factors come into play here as well due to the strict workplace standards required of commercial kitchen operators under OSHA. It is highly important that your exhaust system is not only properly ventilated, but kept clean. Having enough access points to keep the interior of your grease duct system clean therefore is yet another consideration.

It goes without say that keeping your ventilation system clean is the best way to prevent a hazard. Removing grease from kitchen cooking ventilation systems, by scraping and/ or chemical washing are important ways in which to accomplish this goal.

And not just clean, but down to bare metal clean. It is thereby important to make sure that ample access panels are available as they are essential to maintaining and cleaning a commercial kitchen exhaust system. Kitchen exhaust and hood cleaning and subsequent inspections are needed on an annual basis.

The savings of using an engineered hood, such as those manufactured by Captive Aire can be considerable. Engineered hoods require substantially less air flow in terms of CFMs (cubic feet per minute). This is important for two reasons. The first being of course that less energy is required to move air in and out through your exhaust ventilation system, thereby resulting in lower energy bills as less power is required to run the system. Another factor is that a smaller duct system means more room, and increased comfort in your commercial kitchen.

Another spectacular feature of this type of engineered duct system is the ability to lower the speed of the fan when there is a lower volume of cooking. This is accomplished by a thermostat heat sensor being located within the hood. The resulting impact on the bottom line for the commercial kitchen operator is significant. Multiply these cost savings over the years and put that money back into other areas of your restaurant’s operation.

Master Fire Prevention has been in the commercial cooking fire protection services industry for over 40 years.

Please visit Master Fire Prevention’s website at www.masterfireprevention. com, or go to their YouTube Channel (youtube.com/fireprotectionnyc), where we feature dozens of short informative videos on all manner of topics related to your commercial kitchen mechanical and design needs.

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 67

LEGAL INSIDER

WITH AMANDA FUGAZY FROM ELLENOFF, GROSSMAN & SCHOLE LLP

Restaurant Assistant Managers/Sous Chef Lawsuits Are On The Rise

A

s you probably recall, not so long ago, the big allegation in wage and hour class actions was that floor managers were really managers and were tainting the tip pool.

So, you took these folks out of the tip pool, started calling them Assistant Managers, began paying them a salary and beefed up their managerial duties. Now, a major source of litigation is Assistant Managers and Sous Chefs (who are often the “Assistant Managers” of the kitchen) alleging they are misclassified—are not really managers—and are entitled to overtime pay. In this no-win operating environment, restaurateurs would be well served to double check that their Assistant Managers and Sous Chefs actually pass the legal hurdles required to make them exempt managers under the law.

In order for an Assistant Manager to be classified as exempt from overtime, the employer must be able to prove that: (1) the Assistant Manager’s primary duty is managerial (exempt work); (2) he or she customarily and regularly directs the work of two or more other employees; and (3) he or she has the authority to hire or fire other employees or his or her suggestions and recommendations

In this no-win operating environment, restaurateurs would be well served to double check that their Assistant Managers and Sous Chefs actually pass the legal hurdles required to make them exempt managers under the law.

Amanda Fugazy is a partner at Ellenoff, Grossman & Schole in New York City. She is the head of the firm’s labor and employment group, and has a focus on the restaurant and hospitality industry. Fugazy offers

as to the hiring, firing, advancement, promotion or any other change of status of other employees is given particular weight.

As explained in the federal regulations, managerial duties include, but are not limited to “activities such as interviewing, selecting, and training of employees; setting and adjusting their rates of pay and hours of work; directing the work of employees; maintaining production or sales records for use in supervision or control; appraising employees’ productivity and efficiency for the purpose of recommending promotions or other changes in status; handling employee complaints and

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grievances; disciplining employees; planning the work; determining the techniques to be used; apportioning the work among the employees; determining the type of materials, supplies, machinery, equipment or tools to be used or merchandise to be bought, stocked and sold; controlling the flow and distribution of materials or merchandise and supplies; providing for the safety and security of the employees or the property; planning and controlling the budget; and monitoring or implementing legal compliance measures.”

How do courts determine whether exempt work is the primary duty of an Assistant Manager? Factors

a variety of services to the industry, including working with her clients to ensure that they are in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. She can be reached by phone at 212-370-1300, or by email at afugazy@egsllp.com

that come into play in determining whether exempt work is the primary duty of an Assistant Manager include, but are not limited to, the relative importance of the managerial duties; the amount of time the Assistant Manager spends perform-

continued on page 106

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 69

NEWS

SALES TAX

Why Does My Point Of Sale Report Two Different Sales Tax Amounts?

C

alculating sales tax seems quite simple on the surface. Set your POS to the correct tax rate and forget about it. But when you dive below the waves of day-to-day commerce, sales tax can get confusing. Since DAVO is the sales tax solution for POS, we are often the go-to resource for questions about sales tax. One we get asked quite often is “Why is my POS reporting two different amounts of sales tax collected for the same time period?” The answer is simple once you understand how most POS systems calculate sales tax. The POS reports sales tax two different ways depending on whether you are looking at the Transaction Report or Sales Tax Report.

First, let’s consider the Transaction Report which reports the total sales for a given period along with the Transactional Sales Tax. Transactional Sales Tax is the sales tax calculated and collected on each sale, rounded up or down to the nearest two decimal places. The Transactional Sales Tax on the Payments Report is the sum of sales tax collected on each transaction during a given period such as a day or month. The thing to keep in mind is that when you calculate percentages you create rounding errors and the POS systems rounds up or down to the nearest two decimal places. For example, if the tax rate is 7.75% and you sell an item for $10.00, the POS will multiply $10.00 X .0775 which will equal sev-

Sales Tax total.

Since DAVO is the sales tax solution for POS, we are often the goto resource for questions about sales tax. One we get asked quite often is “Why is my POS reporting two different amounts of sales tax collected for the same time period?” enty seven and one half cents ($.775) of sales tax. But because we are dealing in dollars and cents and two decimal places, the POS rounds the sales tax up to $.78 (seventy eight cents).

Now multiply this by 10 transactions a day at $10 per transaction equaling $100 in total sales. The amount of tax collected would be $.78 per transaction multiplied by 10 transactions in a day, totaling $7.80 (7.8%) in sales tax collected even though the tax rate is 7.75%. This $7.80 is the Transactional Sales Tax Total or the sum of the sales tax collected for each sale. And this is different from the $7.75 which should have been actually collected had there been just one sale for $100.00. Therefore, when viewing sales tax from the Payments Report of the POS at the end of the day, the total sales tax is shown as the Transactional Sales Tax Total or the sum of sales tax col-

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lected on each transaction including the rounding up and down to two decimal places. This amount can be slightly different than what should have been collected.

Now let’s look at the second way the POS calculates sales tax using the Sales Tax Report. When viewing the sales tax from the Sales Tax Report, the POS calculates the percentage of tax on total sales for a given period such as a day or month. Using our example above, if you have $100 in total sales for the day at a tax rate of 7.75%, the Sales Tax Report will calculate the sales tax as .0775 (7.75%) X $100 total sales or $7.75 of sales tax.

The Sales Tax Report shows sales tax as a percentage of total sales versus the Payments Report, which shows the total of sales tax collected on each transaction. You will notice a difference between the Transactional Sales Tax total and the Percentage

Here is an illustration: TRANSACTIONAL – rounding up or down $10 x 7.75% (.0775) = $10.78 x 10 transactions = $107.80 PERCENTAGE - % of total sales 10 transactions x $10 = $100 total sales x 7.75% (.0775) = $107.75 Difference between Transactional and Percentage = $0.05 When reporting sales tax, States are well aware of rounding errors and the difference between the Transactional and the Percentage Sales Tax Totals. The majority of States require merchants remit the Percentage of Total Sales based on the rate in their taxing jurisdiction. States realize there is generally a small amount of sales tax over collected by merchants due to rounding errors.

When the DAVO Sales Tax App is installed on your POS, it sets aside the Transactional Sales Tax Total daily and files the correct sales tax amount required by your State. DAVO does reconciliations when filing and refunds the difference between the Transactional Sales Tax collected and the Percentage Sales Tax paid to the merchant if applicable. For more information on using the DAVO Sales Tax application in your business, please contact us at 888-659-8432 or www.davosalestax.com

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 71

EYE

METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

Club Managers 24th Annual Show At Glen Island Harbour Club

O

nce again, the Spring/ Summer ‘18 season kicked off with the annual Metropolitan Club Managers Association at Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle.

The 24th Annual MCMA Vendor Show featured aisles of menu and operational ideas for local club management teams and their food and beverage staffs. The event also concludes every year with one of the truly legendary dining receptions as top chefs and their culinary teams prepare signature fare for their counterparts.

Running a private club is marked by a number of challenges. Healthcare and food regulations, trends, governance, financials and strategic planning are all necessary parts of successfully managing a club.

The MCMA Vendor show brought together 1,200 people from the private club industry for its annual oneday networking and education event.

The Vendor Show has raised over $3,000,000 since its start in 1994 to support educational programs for club managers and to assist managers to

Westchester’s Quaker Ridge culinary and management team toured the event

further the club management profession; provide financial assistance to individuals from the public sector, including minorities, interested in the club and hospitality fields and, create a greater public awareness of professional opportunities; promote the club management profession through academic programs offered by (community) colleges, culinary schools, and universities both in New York and other states, and to cooperate in the dissemination of professional information to allied associations, academic institutions, and other groups involved with the hospitality field.

Foodservice suppliers, including 120 vendors showing club specific products, exhibited their wares at the show. Attending were clubs from the Metro New York area, including Manhattan, Westchester, Long Island, the Capital region of upstate New York and lower Connecticut. A talk on trends in the club industry led off the day, with expert panelists who shared their observations and expertise on what’s hot, along with best management practices

(L to R) Jeff Morgan of the Club Managers Association of America and Randy Ruder, the long time visionary behind the local Beach Point Club in Mamaroneck

72 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

in strategic planning and board governance currently in use around the country. The event’s educational seminars always tackle a wide diversity of issues that face the local club manager community. Several of the seminars dealt with maximizing food and beverage profits.

The day provided an opportunity for top manager including Brandon Slaven food and beverage manager of the Princeton Club’s Sunny Atlantic Beach Club’s Howard Taub and Trump National Hudson Valley’s General manager Brian Freeswick to compare notes and prepare for the upcoming season.

At the dinner reception, Club Chefs of Westchester and Lower Connecticut took a night off from competing with each other to come together to showcase the truly amazing talents that they bring to their members every day.

The after show reception included seared salmon from Hudson National’s Jerry Bourkney and chef Anibal Romero of Siwanoy.

(L to R) Darren and Tommy Capobianco of HAFSCO and regional rep Tom Vajcovec of GMV Sales

(L to R) Chef Gerry Murphy’s new sauce dispensing unit was a big hit with club managers including Edgewood’s Country Club’s Todd Zorn

continued on page 74

Brae Burn chef Maxwell Shteyman headlined the evening’s culinary extravaganza

Hudson Nationals’ Jerry Bourkney was among an all-star lineup of club chefs who served their delicacies

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 73

Club Managers Show, from page 72 The Millbrook Club’s Joe Moore prepared spring wild mushrooms.

Basque French toast was the offering of Bedford Golf’s Beach Point’s PeterAssue prepared his signature hanger steak Frankie Ortiz Chef John Krail of Manursing Island Club peaked the interest of his peers with his special octopus.

It has been fascinating to watch the recruitment of top culinary talent by local area clubs. TFS spotted top club chefs including Chef Phil Curcio of Pine Hollow, Chef Daniel Bayless of Rolling Hills, Scarsdale’s Victor Zarate, David Neuroth of Bronxville Field Club, Morefar’s Andrew Howegogo, Jack Clarke of The Village Club of Sands Point and Wykagyl’s Chef Victor Honrath.

The Foundation has grown to host an annual fundraising Challenge Cup Golf Tournament, a great Vendor Show, high-level computer workshops, and annual President’s Symposium featuring speakers of national prominence.

(L to R) The Chefs Warehouse booth was anchored by Irene Pappas, Tim Hallama, Jacob Hamilton, Ryan Conniff, and Jennianne Black

Featherstone’s Joel Schonfeld brought a vast array of baked solutions

The father and daughter duo of Joe Bonauito and Maria Bonauito of BonJo brought creative coffee solutions to the show.

Connecticut’s Greenwich Country Club sent a full team to the New Rochelle event

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Main Street Meats’ Lee Seelig (R) and team had a number of club season ‘18 menu solutions

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 75

RESTAURANT BRANDING Startup 101: Five Essential Marketing Tools For Food Businesses

M

arketing your food startup is as important as having a great tasting product. Delicious food and exceptional services are no good when only you know about them. And now, getting the word out about your business has become easier than ever before!

Use these five essential marketing tools to get you started:

Djenaba Johnson-Jones is the founder and CEO of Hudson Kitchen, an incubator based in Northern New Jersey that supports startup and established food businesses through food busi-

1.

Create a Compelling Business Name: Your food business name is your customer’s first impression of your brand. It sets the stage and helps convey what your product may be about, what they may experience and how they may expect to feel after eating your products. Descriptive names describe the type of business that you are in.

Acronyms, abbreviated versions of descriptive names, are quick to say and easier to remember. Invented

names are simply made up words.

Whatever you choose, just be sure to make it memorable. For example, when artisanal banana pudding company owners, Lloyd and Trisha, first started dating, they called each other “Bao,” which means “to be full in the stomach and in the heart” in Mandarin. So when coming up with a name for their food business, they decided to combine it with the word bananas to create #Baonanas.

ness consulting services, networking events, and a Food Business Bootcamp. Hudson Kitchen’s 24/7 kitchen and storage facility is slated to open later this year. Comments may be sent to djenaba@thehudsonkitchen.com.

2.

Establish Your Brand Identity: Your brand identity is a visual representation of your company and consists of your logo, tagline, specific fonts, colors, design and

continued on page 78

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 77

Restaurant Branding, from page 76 other graphic elements. Be sure to think about your customer and your brand. The elements should be created with them in mind. So ask yourself: Does the design style appeal to your clientele? Is the style reflective of your brand? Do your images leave a positive lasting impression? When you can say yes to these questions, you have probably created a great and appropriate brand identity.

Also, think about where your logo

will be used — product packaging, staff t-shirts, business cards, food truck or cart, storefront, marketing materials in print and online, etc.

The design that you create needs to be applicable across each medium.

You want to strive for versatility.

Consider working with a design professional to bring your vision alive. Design professionals are trained to make words and visions come alive artistically and creatively.

A good designer can help you explore options quickly and finalize a creative design that will resonate with your customers. Here are a few tips for working with a designer: • Clearly articulate your goals and brand positioning • Reference logos, typefaces and color palettes from competitive brands • Pull together an inspiration board of words and images related to

your brand attributes and positioning.

• Provide examples of designs that you like AND don’t like.

If you decide to go the DIY route, develop your own brand identity by using templates from free sites like Canva or working with crowdsourced, graphic design marketplaces like Fiverr or 99designs. Be sure you do your research to not infringe upon existing trademarks. Others may inspire you, but your work must be an original creation.

3. Build a Simple Website: Create a simple website that reflects your brand identity and brand story, and includes your product images and descriptions. The website should also include product locations and a way to contact you. Website builders and ecommerce platforms like Squarespace and Wix offer businesses the opportunity to create beautiful websites using readymade templates that are as easy to use as posting on Facebook. Wix even offers use of their image library. If you are not tech savvy or would like to take your site to the next level, consider engaging a professional web designer.

4. Create a Social Media Strategy: Determine which social media platform is appropriate for your business.The most popular for food businesses are Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, because they offer excellent opportunities to post content with beautiful images. However, you don’t have to be everywhere. Choose the one or two platforms that are right for you and update them regularly. Consistent communication with your customers will help you establish a social community and build your base. Plan out how often you want to post on your social platforms. Start small. Aim for

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 79

Restaurant Branding, from page 78 two or three times a week to start, and build up from there as you continue to establish your business. Be sure to proofread your posts, be creative with your images and explore how you can promote your products while sharing your brand story. Ideally, your social handles should be uniform across all platforms (and your website) so that it will be easy for your customers to find you.

Family-owned food business Outer Limits Hot Sauce has mastered how to effectively promote their brand on social media. The all-natural condiment company is active on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. And they use the different platforms to provide their customers with information on how to use their product (including recipe ideas), announce locations to purchase and showcase their collaborations with other food businesses.

5. Develop Promotional Materials: Professional business cards and postcards are perfect for faceto-face interactions with potential customers. You can create both on the cheap with Vistaprint using the templates provided on the website.

And just in case you need a little help, they even offer design services with a quick turnaround. Stamps and stickers are a cost-effective way to brand anything from takeout containers to shopping bags. All you need is a high resolution version of your logo to create using sites like Etsy or Customized Stickers. Remember: Your design should be consistent with your overall brand identity. And don’t forget to include your contact information (website, phone number or email address) and your social media handles (when appropriate).

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NEWS

SPECIAL EVENTS

PRESENTED BY

SHFM Critical Issues Conference Set To Take Centerstage At NYU

M

etro New York and the nation’s leading Client Liaisons, Self-Operators, Contractors and Integrated Facility Managers are set to gather for the annual SHFM Critical Issues conference (CIC) this month in New York City.

SHFM - The Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management serves the needs and interest of executives in the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industries. SHFM hosts events across the country that enable industry professionals to come together to exchange ideas with in-

dustry professionals who share similar challenges and agendas.

This year’s Critical Issues conference is slated for NYU’s Kimmel Center on Wednesday, April 4th.

An all-star cast slate of presenters will explore this year’s conference theme: DESIGNING THE EVOLUTIONARY WORK SPACE EXPERIENCE. CIC moderator John Nackely will lead an engaging dialogue that will focus on an interactive discussion of the drivers changing the way we design work space and serve customers. Attendees will have the opportunity to discover the implications for design strategy and analyze how to innovate in a foodservice and hospitality environment.

Nackley brings unique qualifications to mod-

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This year’s Critical Issues conference is slated for NYU’s Kimmel Center on Wednesday, April 4th. An all-star cast slate of presenters will explore this year’s conference theme: DESIGNING THE EVOLUTIONARY WORK SPACE EXPERIENCE. erator post. He has been the President and CEO of InterMetro, a division of The Ali Group, for over 22 years. Under his leadership, Metro has become a global force in offering space optimization and productivity solutions, which gives Nackely a unique perspective on current trends in the foodservice industry. He cites changing menus, technology and automation as just a few of the drivers changing the

way we design and serve.

The former SHFM award winner will be joined in the panel by Michael Bonomo, Director of Global Workplace, CannonDesign; Deloitte Digital Managing Director Mike Church; Connie Dickson, Principal at Rippe Associates; and Christine Gurtler who serves as Design Director

continued on page 106

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 83

FAITHFUL FOOD

WITH FAITH HOPE CONSOLO

Manhattan Is An Island Of Irresistible Sweet Spots

I

t is a fact; fashion follows food!

Manhattan is a paradise of sweets, offering all types of decadent destinations under the sun.

The options are endless, making your sweet dreams come true.

Sugar Factory, the international sweetshop, is opening the world’s first Museum of Candy in the converted Chelsea church in the Limelight Club space at 656 Sixth Avenue which was once home to the city’s techno music scene. Visitors will find fifteen experiential rooms dedicated to candy of all different types, adorned with Instagram-friendly backdrops. The museum will include the world’s largest gummy bear, a unicorn made out of candy, and other decadent exhibits.

The cherry on top will be a restaurant with an outdoor café and a dessert marketplace.

Flour Shop 177 Lafayette Street; owner Amirah Kassem left a fashion industry job to open her made-toorder business out of her apartment five years ago. Known for her highconcept desserts for the fashion and entertainment set, this bright SoHo bakery is where glitter countertops meet exploding rainbow confections creating one of the most Instagrammable shops.

British cookie shop Ben’s Cookies

Faith Hope Consolo is the Chairman of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group.

Ms. Consolo is responsible for the most successful commercial division of New York City’s largest residential real estate brokerage firm. Email her at fconsolo@elliman.com

opened a new location near Penn Station at 345 Seventh Avenue. Founded by cookery writer and chocoholic Helge Rubenstein, she named it after her son Ben. Starting in England, they have expanded from the UK, to the Middle East, East Asia, the USA and beyond!

Supermoon Bakehouse 120 Rivington Street; notorious for its original location in San Francisco, this Lower East Side spot known as ‘NYC’s Most Exciting New Bakery’ is known for its retro iridescent packaging and inventive croissants. The galactic-themed bakery features over the top pastries making millennials clamoring for more.

growing international private clientele. The mille crêpe cakes are simply divine and the beautiful ambiance of the patisserie and cake shop makes it an oasis for ladies who lunch.

vocado, an avocado-chocolate hybrid treat plus exceptional French classics too.

Dominique Ansel Bakery 189 Spring Street (between Sullivan and Thompson) Pastry chef and owner Dominique Ansel’s eponymous bakery is worldrenowned for the Cronut, a croissantdonut hybrid and other Insta-famous treats. Ansel has made his mark on the dessert world with other creations like the Zero Gravity Cake and the Hue-

Ladurée Ladurée New York Madison at 864 Madison Avenue is a jewel-box of decadence, transporting me back to Paris.

Now NYC also has Ladurée New York SOHO at 398 West Broadway. Ladurée made the pastries for the film Marie Antoinette, directed by Sofia Coppola; its famous macarons can be seen in a scene between Marie Antoinette and Ambassador Mercy. All I can say is magnificent macarons!

Veniero’s Italian Bakery 342 E. 11th Street; said to be America’s oldest Italian bakery, in existence since 1894, this East Village pasticceria is a New York fixture with fabulous desserts and décor.

And my favorites…

Lady M Cake Boutique (Flagship Boutique) 41 East 78th St, (The Plaza Food Hall) 1 West 59th Street, (Rockefeller Center Boutique) 30 Rockefeller Plaza, (Bryant Park Boutique) 36 West 40th Street, (NoMad Boutique) 1178 Broadway, (World Trade Center Boutique) 101 Liberty Street, and ever expanding in the US and the world.

Creates the freshest and finest handmade cakes that are literal works of art. Lady M cakes has led to a loyal following with New York City and Los Angeles’s top restaurants and an ever-

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Two Little Red Hens 1652 Second Avenue; this Upper East Side American bakeshop is famous for its densely textured cheesecake and many other luscious treats like the Brooklyn Blackout Cupcake.

The Signature Mille Crêpes cake from Lady M

With a sugar rush like this, it’s no wonder that NYC is the “City that Never Sleeps.” Indulge in these places that are sure to hit the sweet spot! Happy Dining!

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 85

C-CAP TRADE TALK

WITH JOYCE APPELMAN

Daniel Boulud Names Kelvin Fernandez for 2018 C-CAP Ment’or Institut Paul Bocuse Scholarship

A

fter a heated competition at Café Boulud, Master Chef Daniel Boulud named Chef Kelvin Fernandez, recently the Executive Chef at Strand Bistro Restaurant at Marriott Vacation Club’s Pulse Hotel, the winner of the Daniel Boulud/C-CAP 2018 Full-Tuition Scholarship to attend the Intensive Culinary Program at the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France, as well as a two-week stage at a restaurant in Lyon, France.

Competitor Marc Heller, Banquet Chef at The Public Hotel, was awarded a one-week stage in the kitchens of Café Boulud and DANIEL. “This year’s theme was a celebration of French cuisine, specifically dishes inspired by Paul Bocuse’s chicken with tarragon vinegar. Both candidates demonstrated passion, talent, and creativity. While this signature chicken recipe saw two different interpretations during the competition, the two chefs did a great job capturing the essence and importance of the sauce. Kelvin won by a small margin as his preparation really stood out as the most satisfying and balanced dish, and we look forward to guiding him through his stage in Lyon,” says Chef Daniel Boulud.

The competitors presented their

Joyce Appelman, is the National Communications Director for CCAP, Careers through Culinary Arts Program in New York, NY. She has been instrumental in opening career opportunities for many young people in the foodservice industry. Email her at joyceappelman@gmail.com

Kelvin Fernandez serves his dish to the judges

dishes to the judging panel: Chef Daniel Boulud; Chef Aaron Bludorn, Executive Chef at Café Boulud; Recipient of the award in 2013, Sous Chef and C-CAP Alum Cesar Gutierrez of Daniel; Richard Grausman, CCAP Founder and Chairman Emeritus, and C-CAP President Karen Brosius.

The Daniel Boulud/Paul Bocuse Institut Scholarship was established 13 years ago when Daniel Boulud received a birthday grant of $100,000 from his business partner Joel Smilow. Chef Boulud continues to obtain funding for this scholarship from Ment’Or, a not-for-profit,

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devoted to inspiring culinary excellence in young professionals and preserving the traditions and quality of cuisine in America. The scholarship includes tuition, transportation, room and board, uniforms and cookbooks, a two-week stage at a restaurant in Lyon, France.

Together with C-CAP, Daniel Boulud has sent a number of talented young chefs to Lyon, who have returned to attain prominent positions in restaurants all over the United States, including DANIEL. Past scholarship winners include: • 2017 winner Brandon Bryan,

•

•

recently Sous Chef at The Carlyle Hotel.

2016 winner Giovanna Alvarez, currently Executive Sous Chef at Asiate in The Mandarin Oriental. She recently appeared on Food Network’s Chopped.

2015 winner Yvan Lemoine, currently Executive Chef at Union Fare in New York City.

He was the runner-up on the eighth season of the Food Network series Food Network Star, and is the author of Food

continued on page 108

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 87

LONG ISLAND RESTAURATEUR OF THE MONTH

PRESENTED BY

Michael Lessing Chief Operating Officer at Lessing’s Hospitality

Y

our family has been in the restaurant business since 1890. Tell me a little about your growth and how the firm grew from beyond Manhattan and into the catering business, for example?

The company was founded by Maxwell Lessing in 1890 and is operated to this day by 15 family members representing three generations of Lessing’s. Our highly diversified company feeds more than 40,000 guests a day at over 100 corporate, educational, country club, and manufacturing plant locations throughout the Northeast. Maxwell Lessing was an innovator. He responded to the explosion of the urban worker population in the 1890’s by opening the first convenient lunch counter. By the late 1920’s, Lessing’s was serving meals to New York’s workforce in as many as 20 locations in the financial district and the New York Stock Exchange.

What led you beyond Wall Street to Long Island and other places?

Eventually we started to bid on local pools on Long Island. Our first big break came in the late ‘70s when we bid on a state bid for all inland parks. We secured the contract and ran that contract from 1979-2000 which included the Bethpage golf facility.

In ’79 my uncle Jack saw the old post office in Babylon Village, fell in love with it and we converted it into the café. The Post Office Cafe still exists today and is one of our most successful restaurants.

Did you consider yourselves in the real estate business? The food business? The restaurant business?

It’s definitely a people business, from the employees, to the customers, up to the companies we service.

You wind up learning a lot about different businesses. Today, Lessing’s has four distinct divisions – food service, our first, our base, and still our largest; our restaurant, catering, and special event business, and we entered the franchise business with Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza.

There do not seem to be many companies as diverse as Lessing’s, why?

That comes from having several different families in the business.

Everyone has moved into different segments – two cousins in foodservice for many years, I came up through the catering side, and my brother Mark came up through the restaurant side and cousin Schmiddy on the foodservice side.

We recently had another cousin, Lawrence join us to work on the franchise group. That’s how we’ve gotten into different areas and survived 125 years!

You’ve got to be able to attract great people. What’s it like to work for Lessing’s? What’s your approach to recruiting and keeping good people?

Our priority is to promote from within. This allows our employees to grow and challenge themselves and reach new heights. Many have grown within the divisions they

88 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

MIchael Lessing

started in and others have seen opportunities in other divisions and jumped.

Do you have to be a Lessing to get to the top of the business?

Absolutely not. In the past we had presidents who weren’t Lessing’s. As a Lessing, I started as a dishwasher at the Fire House Restaurant in the early ‘80s. My son Michael started with us as an Assistant Manager.

As we were celebrating his graduation from Fairfield University, I said, what’s your plan? He said, “I like the family business.” We established a rule that you have to work elsewhere for two years. We want family members to choose the business, not fall into it.

Michael is the first of the 6th generation. He started at The Blue Smoke group in the Flatiron. He began as a server assist who worked up to trainer. Lawrence, my cousin, spent three years at Shake Shack,

fast casual, and then joined Lessing’s to head Blaze Pizza. They both made the jump to Lessing’s after Danny Meyer’s tutelage. They were bringing new things to the company. That’s how we work the family side of it.

What role does great food, creative food, play in your success? With the Food Network, there’s a much higher threshold for what’s considered creative and what causes people to return.

We’re always looking at ways to serve the best product, to lead the way. My brother Peter came up through the culinary side. He was able to help adapt our menus, stay on trend and set trends. We’ll send our team out on different field trips, to go to New York City to see what’s new and up and coming.

Many of our restaurants are American grill-style; we sell a lot of burgers. We wanted to improve our burger so we went around and looked at all the different ways the best players in the city prepare their burgers and we made some changes. We teamed up with Pat LaFrieda and made a custom blend and circulated that among our stores.

What brought you into the pizza business?

Eager to grow, we looked at Blaze Pizza, the fast-casual segment, to franchise, we knew it would be a great opportunity for us to grow quickly, opening three or four stores

continued on page 96

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 89

LIZ ON TABLETOP

TABLETOP SOLUTIONS

NYC Steakhouses Continue To Evolve

L

ast year we talked about how a great steak is as fashionable as ever.

This year, we have seen the evolution of beef being reclassified if you will by those who judge what is considered healthy. Beef in moderation is now considered to be healthy.

Once again in 2018, with the opening of a Bobby Vans in the city last year and Wolfgang Puck bringing his CUT steakhouse to NYC; high-end steakhouses continue to grow in the

Liz Weiss is the President and coowner of Armonk, NY based H. Weiss Co., a division of BHS Foodservice

Tri-State area. No matter how accomplished a home cook is, a great steak is still a challenge. The chances of having a commercial grade broiler or grill that can generate the intense heat necessary to replicate the steak at a high-end steakhouse makes it virtually impossible.

Our BHS/H. Weiss team works with customers from iconic Manhattan steakhouses to country clubs and caterers on designing a signature table top for their repositioning of beef on their menus.

90 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

It gave us some really interesting insight into the re-emergence of the steak on Metro New York’s menus.

We find in working with our H. Weiss/BHS customers that the 60’s look of a slab of beef on a white plate with dried up juices simply doesn’t cut it today. Traditional cuts like Prime Rib have vanished. There are a number of options today from attractive plates to wood boards and even stone. In many cases, we see the return of the waitstaff doing the slicing at the table and supplemented

Solutions. She is known nationally as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on tabletop design. The Michigan State graduate is also actively involved with WPO-Women’s Presidents Organization. Comments may be sent to eweiss@hweiss.net.

with a beautiful array of sauces that showcases your chef’s talent.

What has changed dramatically

continued on page 92

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 91

Weiss, from page 90 with that is how it is served. In many cases, beef is now served as a dish to be shared. With that comes a new approach to how it is served and that begins with the wide diversity of side dishes led by local vegetables served with that special cut of grass fed or local beef. We suggest a smaller 9“ share plate.

Choice of sauces where the chef can be inventive, now have nice ways of serving them. The H. Weiss tabletop team has been suggesting the use of copper or stainless steel pots with sauce presented at the table. We also like the look that can be created with double or triple ramekins and even a glass pitcher. It’s interesting; we are seeing more steaks shared than ever before.

Today’s sides include a healthier selection. We suggest a fresh new approach to serving sides this year.

We have our chef and restaurant cus-

We suggest a fresh new approach to serving sides this year. We have our chef and restaurant customers using matte finished bowls like Geode from Cardinal or Steelite which offers several matte colors including beige, gray and black. We also have our eye on some of the wonderful organic shaped small bowls from Libbey. tomers using matte finished bowls like Geode from Cardinal or Steelite - which offers several matte colors including beige, gray and black.

We also have our eye on some of the wonderful organic shaped small bowls from Libbey. Today’s sides are often served in tandem with the

standards like creamed spinach and fully dressed potato - which is still the star. How about this creative approach: use an oval bowl with the opened potato served with a tray of toppings - almost like a make your own sundae.

Good bold wines have always been

a part of the great steak experience.

Why not think about recreating the ceremony of decanting wines - even if it is just a single serving decanter.

At one of our NYC projects we also paid special attention to the salt and pepper mills. We were able to complete the look with a pewter finish.

We also suggest colorful lacquer, or a good quality clean acrylic mill - with a matching salt mill. Pink or gray salt is a great way to add some color and a special feel. Simple linen or muslin bags for crusty bread complete the table.

With this new approach to the health(ier) acceptance and serving of beef has come a new approach to the steak knife. Chunky knives have been replaced by a thinner more elegant look. We have been moving our customers to wood striped handle

continued on page 107

SEE US IN BOOTH 4254

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 93

Organic Market, from page 8 increasingly important to consumers.

Organic farming recreates the need for sustainable farm practices like crop rotation, which in turn promotes healthy soil at less risk for erosion.

Pesticides and other chemicals affect air quality, remain in the soil for long periods of time, and can run off into water sources. While pesticides are intended to protect crops, they inadvertently also provide disease resistance to plant-eating insects, bacteria, and fungi. This creates a cycle where increased or new pesticides will consistently be needed to address those crop-killers. Organic farming has also been shown to slow climate change.

Education and Connectivity While we can see many reasons that consumers care about organic products, those points alone are not enough to spur the kind of growth the industry has experienced. Access to this information is a critical compo-

nent to the trend.

The general population is becoming more aware of what goes into their bodies, and the information about what’s going into their bodies is more readily available via documentaries and the ease of research on the internet. “Super Size Me” made waves in the early 2000s, but many lesser known documentaries and educational films or series have become widely available. These films cover animal welfare, the food industry’s impact on the environment, and ingredients and chemicals in food products. They may not be on the big screen at a local theater near you, but they are making an impact on those who watch them.

People don’t even need to seek out information anymore. Their social media channels curate the information and give it to them directly.

As eating “clean” has become more popular, so have recipes on Pinter-

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94 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

est that detail how to make organic meals and snacks that taste better than their processed equivalent, infographics that tout the “dirty dozen” foods to always buy organic, tips for eating organically on a budget, and more. Before social media, a person may not have known if they had any acquaintances who ate organically, but Facebook and other social media channels enable friends, even ones you don’t know very well, to share their organic lifestyle publicly. This kind of social influence can strongly impact individuals and make them likelier to try something new.

Of course, much of the information coming from social acquaintance may just be surface information, but the internet has enabled consumers to research virtually any topic they want to learn more about. Blogs and websites on organic products are plentiful. Plus, shoppers don’t need to rely on their memory when grocery shopping. They have access to research anywhere they go, and the ability to look up ingredients.

Acceleration Via Accessibility The food industry itself made this happen. As organic products began gaining some traction in the past 15-20 years, traditional grocers began giving them some shelf space in their stores. Whole Foods Markets, a beacon for organic and healthy foods, has practically upended traditional grocers seeking the same amount of sales growth. As the public had more access to organic products outside of niche natural stores, they purchased more product, contributing to the trend, and stores allocated even more space for organic products. As the organic market grew, products became more innovative; there were less raw products and more convenience foods like fruit snacks, boxed mac ‘n cheese mix, premade dips, and the ilk.

It’s no secret consumers value convenience. Easier access to the prod-

ucts and the products becoming more consumer friendly themselves have also contributed to the continued growth of organic products, even among consumers who do not have a strong conviction to a specific cause.

In fact, over 82% of households buy some organic product, and organic foods account for more than 5% of retail food sales. It’s enough to grab the attention of large mainstay companies, who are also adapting to this trend by including organic products, albeit slowly. General Mills and CocaCola, among others, have both purchased organic businesses. Chipotle and Wendy’s are examples of largescale food chains who have incorporated organic ingredients or products on a large scale.

Organic products address environmental, animal welfare, and health concerns by encompassing hormones and antibiotics given to animals, GMOs and synthetic fertilizers used in crops, and sustainability practices for the environment. All of these issues have seen an increase in popularity recently, and the organic market benefits in each of these cases. What’s more, the market doesn’t show signs of slowing. Consumers of organic products are skewing young, and there’s an uptick when women become pregnant or a family has young children. Those demographics get larger each year, as is the opportunity for more companies to get on board and have a piece of the organic pie.

Joy Pouros works as the authority writer in the Training department at Culinary Software Services, where she writes on topics as diverse as human resource issues to increasing profits. Joy entered the industry working as a Nutritional Aide in the Chicagoland area before moving into writing and consulting. She now specializes in marketing and public relations and writes for a variety of industries.

SEE US IN BOOTH 1610

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 95

Michael Lessing, from page 88

a year in Metro NYC. As we were looking at that segment, we zeroed in on Blaze because we really liked the team and what they were doing, how food was so important to them.

Blaze’s chef, Chef Brad, is nicknamed the “Pizza Whisperer.” He’s taught us a lot. I never went to a virgin olive oil tasting before! We learned how we were going to make the pizza in New York the same as LA. At our first Blaze that opened, our dough was not the right consistency. Chef Brad flew out the next day, tested our water, and said it was too soft. We had to add something back to make it the right consistency. Teaming up with professionals like Chef Brad tells you how we’re trying to stay ahead of the curve.

We source locally; we give our chefs a lot of leeway in the development of menus. Chef Bill Muzio, who runs

our View restaurant, another young, super-ambitious chef, who’s always bringing new ideas to the table. Our Director of Purchasing, Steve Fredrich, sources weekly where our vegetables and fish are coming from – based on quality, price, location. We use national purveyors but we also use all local fish, local produce, because they’re the best, they’re part of our bid list. We have several different ones in the different regions.

So you have the best of both worlds – running a small business at the same time as having buying power. Can your chefs be as creative as they want to be as long they can create what customers want?

Where we have different menus, we look for best practice. We’ll tell our chefs, especially in our Main

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Street Restaurants, which all have the same menu, whoever has the best recipe is the winner. If someone comes up with a great recipe, like Chef Muzio did at View Restaurant with his thai calamari, one of the most popular items on the View menu, we share that recipe at all our restaurants.

How do you combine the financial and P&L viewpoint from the accounting side of the business with the creativity you bring to the table?

It’s definitely a balance. We’ve automated all our systems; it’s always in process and ever-changing. Obviously, we have to monitor food costs every day, it’s what makes or breaks our business. We have central accounting in Great River, where our headquarters are, so everything is

managed from corporate headquarters across the five states. Most decisions are made from corporate but we have area managers in contact with all the chefs. Any time anyone has an idea, we’re wide-open to it.

We’re a very flat organization. I can walk into any restaurant, I know the chef, I know the manager. It’s really just keeping an ear to the ground.

What’s the interaction with customers like?

We have a newsletter we send out every month to 35,000 people as to what’s going on across the company. We have a loyalty program, with 18,000 active users, so we’re able to reach out to them through direct emails. We can target right down to an individual restaurant that has its

continued on page 98

NEWS

ASSOCIATIONS

Strong Presence Needed At Long Island Hearing To Set Tone For Tip Credit Fight

M

aking a statement of intention and building momentum for your side is important at the beginning of any fight. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about the great college basketball games we have seen over the last month or the opening statements of trial. The side that starts on the front foot has a good chance of winning.

This brings us to the first hearing the Department of Labor will be holding on the possible elimination of the tip credit. Originally, these hearings were slated to begin in mid-March in Syracuse and Buffalo. However, due to a scheduling conflict, both of these hearings were shifted until the end of April, which makes Farmingdale, Long Island the home of the first hearing on April 20. It can’t be emphasized enough how important this first hearing will be in terms of building momentum and making it crystal clear to both the Department of Labor and Governor Cuomo that the tip credit is an economic tool that the restaurant industry needs to survive.

There are a lot of misconception supporters of eliminating the tip credit they would like you to believe.

For example, they like to often say that tipped workers are being paid a subminimum wage. That is a lie.

All restaurant workers are guaranteed to make the minimum wage.

The tip credit grants restaurants a

small break on labor costs ONLY if tipped employees are making up the difference between the credit and the minimum wage with their tips. If those workers are not making enough to bring them to the baseline level of minimum wage, the restaurant is mandated by the Department of Labor to make up that difference. This situation almost never occurs as bartenders, servers

and other tipped restaurant employees are the highest paid workers in every restaurant.

Simply put, if the tip credit were to be eliminated restaurants all over the state will be forced to make very difficult decisions. If this happens, labor costs would dramatically increase putting a startling amount of economic pressure on an industry that has consistently subsisted

on razor thin profit margins. Owners and operators would be forced to accept a new reality - less staff, scaled down menus, and substantially increasing prices would only be the beginning. Every customer and worker would have to get used to a different dining experience both in terms of service and cost.

All of this speaks to the importance of the hearing on April 20. The only way for us to win this battle is to show up, as an entire industry, and as one voice, express our concerns over this overreaching proposal.

Tipped restaurant employees are not asking for this change. But as an industry, talking to each other about how misguided this approach is, isn’t enough. We need to be as active as we have ever been. We need both owners and staff to turn up at these hearings with signs and testimony in numbers so great that we simply cannot be ignored.

So mark the date on your calendar. Round one of a spring-long fight takes place on April 20 in Farmingdale, Long Island at the Roosevelt Little Theater on the campus of SUNY Farmingdale. We really need you to be there. We won’t win this without you.

For more information on the Long Island hearing, all other tipped wage hearings and other news related to the ongoing fight to keep the tip credit intact visit SaveNYTips.org.

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 97

Michael Lessing, from page 96

own email list, to catering, where it could be the entire catering group or go out to the entire 35,000. We’re cautions as to how often we reach out because if you email blast too often you get knocked off, so we pay attention to that. We have a social media guru on staff as well as marketing interns each year.

What’s your approach to social media?

It’s a little bit of everything. We have chefs who will do videos, put them up on Instagram, Twitter or youtube, showing how to make calamari, or filet tuna. It seems people are getting into the videos as a much bigger part of social media now. Our managers send us pictures and we post them “live” to facebook and instagram that night. We keep our customers interested. Posting great pictures entices our guests to stop by, keeps us “fresh” and reminds them we are “here.”

The Blaze project is interesting.

When you think of pizza, you think of the Northeast as being very local, very ethnic. It’s a brave step to go into something like this.

We knew that, getting into this.

When you go out to LA, there are 14+ brands vying for the same 2,500 square feet of space all trying to be the leader. We latched on very quickly because of the management team they have in place. We got right into the franchising of this. We knew it was a risk taking on New York. But New York pizza hasn’t evolved at all so we’re different. You can have New York pizza or you can have Blaze.

Ours is thin crust, have it your way.

We have two stores open now, and we’re building a third. It’s been very well received so far.

What’s your approach to designing and building out kitchens?

Over the years we’ve developed

a great group of vendors -- architects, designers, builders but we’ve been the ones in the trenches so we know how kitchens really should be laid out. We do a hybrid, work from within. We actually are consulting on a couple of kitchen build-outs right now. We’ll work with our vendors and equipment suppliers. Bar Boy Products is our main equipment supplier, we’ve been working with them for 30 years. They also help us with design and development. They know what works and doesn’t work, we bring our chefs along and walk them through it. Edward DeFelice SR, Brian Jones and their team have a really good feel for our buisness.

That’s how how we do it.

Going forward, what do you see as your new opportunities?

We have a business development team, led by David Lessing, who joined us after 30 years on Wall Street. His whole focus is to be out there looking for opportunities for growth. Some of our growth is organic; we call it “coming over the bow.” We’ve done a good job making Lessing’s a household name out on Long Island and in New York. We have to cultivate leads and network with other professionals in our areas, which hopefully leads to acquisition opportunities in the future.

We’ll also do data mining through bidnet to keep aware of all the public RFPs, with a concentration now on the Northeast region.

We’re trying to keep our growth contiguous, where we can move down the coast a little. We’re looking for smart growth. We got involved in the franchise because we knew it could be sustained growth. We have a commitment with Blaze. We have the five boroughs, all of Connecticut, all of Long Island, Rockland, Westchester, so we have plenty of territory to build out.

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SEE US IN BOOTH 1851

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FortyOne Madison, from page 2 [tabletop] products and how to use them,” Forbes explains.

Forbes recognizes the importance of tabletop is more vital than ever, “due to the fact that foodservice operators are doing a lot of ‘mixing’ with their items to create tabletop signature,” Forbes observed.

“It’s kind of cool since a trip to our show gives you a chance to experiment with so many different types of products.”

FortyOne Madison also looks at its role as a resource to provide on-going tabletop education to the marketplaces it serves. So this month’s Spring showcase will kick off with a special seminar slated for Wednesday, April 11th. Industry professionals will gather at a Breakfast seminar: What Consumers Say About How the Tabletop Market Can Reinvent itself for the Future.

The FortyOne Madison team has simplified the process of accessing

all that the iconic Midtown mart has to offer the industry professional.

Forbes mentions they simply need to go to the website and pre-register, in addition of having proof of business in the industry to visit the various showrooms or attend either the April or October New York Tabletop Show. “We welcome hospitality,” she says. “We love that there is so much traffic and interest in our markets.

To register for the upcoming Forty One Madison Show, please visit their website at 41madison.com/41prereg. php

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Robby Younes, from page 22 here he was taught the concept of seasonality and the importance of using quality ingredients and products. He fondly remembers as a child how he’d arrange the dinner table for guests despite no one coming over, stating how he was destined for a life in hospitality even then.

But it wasn’t until he was traveling to the U.S. that he realized how much of a culinary interest he had. “I left Lebanon with $900 in my pocket,” he explains. “On my way to the U.S., I stopped in the UK and spent $260 on two ounces of Beluga caviar because I wanted to taste it. This left me with only $540 left to my name when I came to America.”

But his strict work ethic and grueling ambition quickly led him to raise the ranks in all of his positions. He got his real start at various Hilton properties on the East Coast, quickly climbing the ranks to become the youngest regional manager before he was 25 years old. “While my bosses and the GM were sleeping, I’d still be working, learning everything I could to advance my position,” he admits. “I was a workaholic. I’d leave at 2 AM only to return at 6 AM I made them tired.”

With Hilton changing their approach to the guest experience, Younes moved on to Starwood, where he focused on customer service. But it wasn’t until he met Crystal Springs Resort owner Gene Mulvihill that he felt he was finally at the right place to really shine. “All he had to do was take me to the wine cellar and show me what he was putting together and I was sold,” Younes admits. “I saw something in him that reminded me of my father and grandfather and felt that he was for real.”

Besides his profound culinary and hospitality interests, Younes was also an avid wine enthusiast, having spent practically two years of his younger days learning as much about wine as he possibly could, which made him a self-taught sommelier until he finally attained certification after some time

at Crystal Springs. It’s here that Younes immediately invigorated the resort’s wine program and their prestigious Wine Cellar, which has continued to amass an impressive collection of prized and rare wines under his guidance.

Beside the acclaimed wine program, Younes also helped push Crystal Springs into the future. It began with the vision for the construction of the 55,000-square-foot Red Trail Lodge at Mountain Creek that included a mul-

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tiple kitchen collaboration with the Konzelmans and Economy. The next phase was a renovation of their Minerals Resort & Spa and he is planning the renovation of the Grand Cascades Lodge and four-star Restaurant Latour.

So what’s left for Younes to conquer? “That’s an interesting question I ask myself every day,” he admits. “I want to duplicate my results on the water because I cannot find a quality water or beach resort. Sure, there’s the Hamptons with great houses and

yacht clubs, but there’s really no full resort experience on the water.” And with his already impressive achievements and resume, Younes’ dream of a water resort will no doubt come true thanks to his passion for fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and shared vision takes hospitality to new heights guided by dedication to guest satisfaction. With a true heart of a hotelier, Younes will continue to do great things in his new position with Crystal Springs and more!

David Burke, from page 4

Ari Nieminen is staying on as executive chef.

“This is a very special hotel, and I have exciting ideas to create a truly amazing culinary program there,” Burke said. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with [Executive Chef ] Ari Nieminen again. We previously worked together at The River Café and our chemistry will translate to a truly remarkable dining experience.”

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Burke’s 35-year career includes scoring a U.S. patent for his pink Himalayan salt dry-age technique for steaks. He opened Park Avenue Café with Smith & Wollensky CEO Alan Stillman in 1992 in Manhattan and four years later became vice president of culinary development for the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group. He went

David’s immediate energy and enthusiasm about The Garden City Hotel was evident from our very first discussion about a potential partnership,” said J. Grady Colin, the hotel’s general manager. on to open davidburke & donatella, and additional concepts that include david burke townhouse, David Burke at Bloomingdale’s, Fishtail by David Burke, and David Burke Kitchen in New York City; David Burke Fromagerie in New Jersey; David Burke’s Primehouse in Chicago; David Burke Las Vegas; and Da-

vid Burke Prime in Foxwoods, CT. In 2015, he became a consulting partner at ESquared Hospitality.

“David’s immediate energy and enthusiasm about The Garden City Hotel was evident from our very first discussion about a potential partnership,” said J. Grady Colin, the hotel’s general manager.

“After my first call he came out the very next morning and it wasn’t long before we were shaking hands on the plans for something very unique,” Colin added. “He is unquestionably the most inventive and passionate American chef in my opinion.”

“David and I worked together years ago at the famed River Café amongst some of the most talented and progressive American chefs of the time,” Executive Chef Ari Nieminen said.

“His unique take on cuisine and his intense commitment to creating new classics and reimagining American favorites has kept me inspired and following his work since our humble beginnings,” Nieminen added. “It’s a real treat to have David in our kitchens. I’m quite certain we will be setting the high bar mark for Long Island dining.”

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Sederholt, from page 12

5. Character – This is a difficult factor to evaluate, but the bank is basically trying to determine if you are of good character and can be trusted to perform. This can be very subjective and often determined by the bankers that you speak with in preparing your application. They want to know as much as possible about the person behind the business. Are you a novice or a seasoned professional in your field?

What is your background and did you have prior achievements they should know about? Do you have strong professional references from vendors, customers or credit providers? Do you have any blemishes that would influence the decision-making process like arrests, DWI or old tax problems?

While each bank, financial institution or alternative lender assesses applications differently there are numerous reasons why an application is

rejected. Below are a few key reasons: • Poor Credit Quality of the Owners and/or Business • Poorly Prepared or Inaccurate Financial Statements • Industry is a Poor Credit Risk • Geography / Region has Economic Challenges • Insufficient or Inconsistent Documentation • Negative Cash Flow / Insufficient Sales • Tax Liens and Judgments • Undisclosed Negative Information • Seasonality of Business / Sales Instability In conclusion, do your homework and be realistic in your evaluation of your creditworthiness and expectations with a bank. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at DSederholt@sfscapital.com

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Bobrow, from page 14 was out one night, and I overheard a rock-star-local mixologist talking about the modern interpretation of Korean flavors and the plethora of exotic and quite frankly, sensual ingredients that are making their way into the cocktail glass. One of my favorite Korean flavors has always been the salty, spicy and tangy concoction of fermented ingredients known as Kimchi. If there is anything that exemplifies the cultural explosion of Korean food in a modernist fashion, it is Kimchi, and it’s now spilling into the mainstream. Hot chilies bring up the background and the vinegar weaves in the entire fermenting concoction into a deeper amalgamation of savory to intense to spicy to that unexplainable, umami sensation across the palate.

I’m not quite sure what they were calling this combination of spicy flavors- because asking for a Kimchi Martini didn’t get a dull stare in Austin! I’m going to assume that this drink had gin, because it wouldn’t be a Martini made with any liquid other than gin. And if you are shaking your martinis, you fail, yet again.

I dislike trendy names, so this one doesn’t have one, even though it does have some gorgeous spring cucumbers and, in the mix of Kimchi, to balance the spicy and savory in this ‘martini’.

Amanda Fugazy, from page 68 Don’t Ever Dial 866 (makes two cocktails) Ingredients: • 4 oz. Botanical Gin- such as Hendricks’s or Aviation • 2 oz. Lillet • 2 oz. Spring Cucumbers or a Kirby Cuke cut into coins about ¼ inch thick • 1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice • 2 oz. Kimchi - I prefer homemade- but you can use store bought if desired • 1 oz. Simple Syrup • 1-2 leaves of cilantro • Lime Bitters Prep: 1. Muddle the Kimchi with the Simple Syrup and the Cucumber coins in a glass vessel 2. Add the lime juice, muddle some more 3. Add the cilantro and the Gin 4. Stir 5. Add ice 6. Stir again 7. Double Strain into a coupe glass 8. Garnish with a slice of Kimchi and dot with a cilantro leaf 9. Add a couple drops of the lime bitters- taste for bitterness- serve

ing exempt work; the Assistant Manager’s relative freedom from direct supervision; and the relationship between the Assistant Manager’s salary and the wages paid to other employees for the kind of nonexempt work sometimes performed by the Assistant Manager.

As for Sous Chefs, the general rule is that a chef’s “primary duty” is not management where the individual’s duties primarily entail cooking.

However, pertinent federal regulations and case law governing many locations recognize the concept of “concurrent duties”-- that is, an employee who is performing managerial duties (like directing, evaluating, assigning and supervising the work of others) at the same time they are cooking, can be considered exempt.

For example, a Sous Chef who supervises other employees while he cooks, exercises discretion on a daily basis, and is paid significantly more than hourly employees who work in the kitchen, should properly be considered exempt from overtime pay so long as that chef also has the authority to hire, discipline and fire.

It is of paramount importance that employers properly classify Assistant Managers depending on the actual authority entrusted to them and their earnings relative to nonexempt employees. Unfortunately, determining whether an Assistant

Manager is exempt from overtime is a highly fact-intensive inquiry that is to be made on a case-by-case basis in light of the totality of the circumstances. Employers should consider, among other things, what types of managerial duties the Assistant Manager is charged with, how frequently a manager is present when the Assistant Manager is performing his or her tasks, the frequency with which an Assistant Manager must consult with a manager or get approval from a manager in carrying out the “managerial” functions of his or her job, and whether the salary of the Assistant Manager is slightly more than, the same, or less than the compensation of the nonexempt employees performing some of the same functions as the Assistant Manager. Most importantly, if you want your Assistant Managers to be exempt, you must entrust them with the authority to hire and fire.

Employers that fail to ensure proper classification of their Assistant Managers increase the risk of costly litigation that could result in not only unpaid overtime, but also statutory penalties and attorney’s fees.

For these reasons, it is prudent for employers to take the time to ensure that Assistant Managers, as well as all exempt employees, are properly classified.

SHFM CIC attendees to take away recommendations, ideas and a new appreciation for the critical importance of designing an evolutionary work space experience to ensure the most effective project collaboration and execution.”

The event will conclude with the opportunity for industry professionals to network.

CIC’s “meet and greet” is designed to build relationships among operators

and suppliers. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails as you network—the perfect close to an insightful conference!

SHFM members oversee all facets of corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality, from cafes and retail operations to catering, vending and even fitness centers and child care services at major corporations In Metro New York throughout the US.

SHFM, from page 82 at Manhattan’s Jacobs | Doland | Beer, LLC. “Our goal is to help CIC attendees create strategies to simplify the way you configure space,” noted Nackely.

“We also hope to challenge the group with key questions including: how can you reinvent your services, refocus your core audience or redefine the purpose of your brand.”

The panel of Industry design consultants and technology specialists

will bring their additional expertise and informative examples. Attendees will be able to learn from the panels insight and project experience as they share work space perspectives on: key components and metrics of flexible design, emerging uses of technology, customer expectations and the enhanced customer experience, budgetary concerns and design requirements.

Nackely concluded: “We want

106 • April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Weiss, from page 92 knives from Cardinal or Steelite’s French knives.

Keep in mind that the better the knife- the better it makes the steak look.

It is a mistake to go cheap with steak knives because of the cost of continually having to replace them.

The sharper the knife, the easier it cuts and with that comes the perception of a better piece (more expensive) cut of beef..aka your signature.

We also work with our customers to balance the size of the knife with the proper selection of a fork. Big oversized European forks do not go with thinner elegant knives. We also suggest thinking about putting out an extra plate so that serving utensils have a place to go. There is no reason

for a spoon being used to serve a side or a sauce to have to be placed on a table cloth.

As you look at designing a beefcentric flatware strategy, think heavier not bigger. We suggest extruded patterns for many of our customers which sit nicely in the hand and look thinner side to side but they are nice and heavy.

A final thought, If you are going to the expense of buying signature cuts from a branded purveyor like Pat LaFrieda, DeBragga or New York Prime, then why not make sure that you let your dining patrons know that with a note on the menu? It will enable you to pass some of that added cost to a happy guest.

KI Awards, from page 26 experts comprised of internationally recognized food facilities consultants, multi-unit restaurant executives and design experts select the KI Award recipients. The 2018 Kitchen Innovations judges are: Dan Bendall (Principal, FoodStrategy, Inc.), David Chislett, FCSI (Executive Principal, Ricca Design Studios), Jeff Cook (Chief Engineer, Restaurant Solutions Group, McDonald’s Corporation), Richard Eisenbarth, FCSI (President / COO, Cini-Little International), Foster F. Frable, Jr., FCSI Associate AIA (President, Clevenger Frable LaVallee), Randy Homer (Program Manager, Food & Beverage Operations Asset Management, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts), Jim Krueger, Jr., CMCE, NRAMF (Chief, Air Force Food & Beverage Policy, Procedures, Business Development & Strategic Initiatives Air Force Services Activity (AFSVA) Food & Beverage Branch), Aaron Lamotte (Senior Director, Performance Interiors, Sodexo Performance Interiors), Steve Otto (Director, Capital Equipment Purchasing, Darden)

As one of the global restaurant and hospitality industry’s premier trade shows, the NRA Show attracts buyers from all over the world. To register, please visit Restaurant.org/Attend/ Registration. For more information about the KI program and this year’s award recipients, visit Restaurant.org/ Show/KI. Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is a leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises one million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of more than 14 million employees. The NRA represents the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. It operates the industry’s largest annual trade show (NRA Show May 19-22, 2018, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); and a unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF’s ProStart).

For more information, visit Restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.

April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 107

Sampson, from page 54 ment that adheres loosely to the I-95 corridor. Pizza is king in these parts, and that endogenous fast food culture has proved fairly resistant to franchise encroachment.

“When you start looking at casual dining—another industry category into which Yelp sorted local spots— you can see another group of cities with low chain ownership: the (relatively) old ones. Cities like San Francisco, New Orleans, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Madison, Wisconsin.

“Some of these places have older urban cores, which may be conducive to local ownership. Pedestrian traffic makes it easier for restaurants without brand-name iconography to pull in customers than it would be on a busy six-lane arterial. Small-time commercial landlords are more likely than Westfield to cut deals with local entrepreneurs.

“Others—Los Angeles, Miami—had

C-CAP, from page 86 their big growth spurts decades ago, and independently owned restaurants have taken root despite relatively carcentric design.

“The bottom of the list, meanwhile—the place where the chains dominate—is a who’s-who of the Sun Belt. These are metros where unmitigated sprawl is evolving in tandem with massive population growth: Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Nashville, Phoenix. Most of these cities have been experiencing double-digit population growth over the past couple decades. It stands to reason that a vibrant, locally run food culture could take time to catch up.

“Then again: These cities offer both cheap labor and cheap land, which should encourage restaurateurs to experiment. If it was once hard to discover—or even locate—a great new dumpling spot in a strip mall you drove past at 45 mph, well, there’s an app for that now.”

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Fest 365! The Officially Fun Food Holiday Cookbook and his second book in Spanish, Comidas USA. 2014 winner James Daversa, currently Sous Chef at Uchi Dallas.

2013 winner Cesar Gutierrez, currently Sous Chef at Daniel.

He started working at Daniel as an intern where we were able to observe firsthand how talented he was.

Sylva Senat, owner of Maison 208 in Philadelphia, and a Boulud Scholarship winner was recently nominated for a James Beard Award and Food & Wine Award, competed on Food Network’s Chopped and Bravo TV’s Top Chef, Season 14.

Swainson Brown, another Boulud Scholarship winner, is Executive Chef for the Pridwin Hotel in Shelter Island.

Franz Corrales, Executive Chef for Sodexo USA at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington, D.C., was the first Daniel Boulud/Paul Bocuse Institut Scholarship recipient.

Born in New York to Dominican parents, Kelvin Fernandez never dreamed he’d become a chef. In fact, he never showed an interest in food – despite the fact that his dad was a chef – until he enrolled in a cooking class at Long Island City High School in order to impress his high school sweetheart. That class ignited a passion for all things culinary.

Through C-CAP he earned a scholarship to attend The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. Now at age 32, Fernandez has made a name for himself as the youngest executive chef ever in NYC’s fine dining scene and was listed on the prestigious “30 under 30” list by

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Forbes Magazine for food and wine in 2015. He was also a runner-up on Food Network’s Chopped and won competitions on FYI Network’s Man vs. Child and Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay.

Through C-CAP, Fernandez earned a scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America and has graced notable kitchens, such as Water’s Edge, Aquavit, Gotham Bar and Grill, and Café des Artistes. Chef Kelvin moved to Latin cuisine when opening Blend on the Water in Long Island City and at La Marina, the 70,000 sq. foot operation in Washington Heights. Chef Kelvin recently helmed the kitchen at the Strand Bistro Restaurant at Marriott Vacation Club’s Pulse Hotel in NYC where he served American food with a Latin influence.

Marc has been affiliated with CCAP since 2006 when he attended Tottenville High School and participated in the C-CAP Cooking Competition for Scholarships. The judges recognized his talent and he was awarded a scholarship to attend the New England Culinary Institute (NECI).

Combining his talent for cooking and his passion for traveling, he made his way to Orvieto, Italy, where he learned rustic Italian techniques at Zeppelin Ristorante. Marc went on to intern at a hotel in Israel, where he lived and worked for over a year. From Israel, Marc landed a six-month opportunity to work at the decorated Depot Oyster Bar in Auckland, New Zealand, to learn the Kiwiana-style cuisine.

Since his return to New York, Marc has mentored and hired C-CAP students for summer internships at Bodega Negra at the Dream Downtown Hotel and The Standard Hotel; assisted at the C-CAP Annual Benefit and was a featured guest chef at a C-CAP Junior Benefit. Marc is currently Banquet Chef at Public Hotel in New York City.

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April 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 109

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