August 2020 - Total Food Service by Total Food Service

NEWS

LIQUOR LICENSING

NEW YORK GOVERNOR CUOMO SUSPENDS LIQUOR LICENSES OVER COVID VIOLATIONS

ew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced late last month that he has suspended the liquor licenses for 12 bars in New York City for allegedly “egregious” COVID-19 violations. The liquor license suspensions were declared at State Liquor Authority Board meetings after officials from New York’s multi-agency task force conducted more than 1,900 compliance checks. The compliance checks revealed 158 violations, according to the governor. The bars, all located in Queens, could face up to $10,000 in fines per violation. The violations in the 12 bars included a lack of social distancing, inadequate spreading out of tables, a lack of facial coverings among cus-

“We should be working to educate the businesses and correcting the behavior before issuing the penalty.” — Andrew Rigie tomers and employees, failure to sell food with alcohol as required and extending outdoor service beyond the city’s 11 p.m. curfew. The bars that had their licenses suspended included seven in Jackson Heights: Lima, RubiRosa, Mr Pancho’s Café, De La Mora Restaurant, El Patio Bar, El Paisa Café and Romanticos. The other five bars punished were CJ’s Bar and Lounge in Ozone Park, Blue Angel Lounge in Corona, The Grand in Astoria, Delicia’s Mexicanas in Corona and The Pomeroy in Astoria.

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In total, across the state, 45 businesses have had their liquor licenses suspended and investigators made 503 charges. Cuomo accused the bars and restaurants of ignoring public health guidance and “disrespecting” the “sacrifices” of New Yorkers earlier in the pandemic. “New Yorkers have worked hard to flatten the curve, but the bars and restaurants that ignore public health guidance are disrespecting their sacrifices which have saved lives while allowing us to sustain the reopening of our economy,” he said in

a statement. “Local governments must enforce the law, but the task force has stepped up its efforts and with these additional suspensions we are sending a clear message that the State will not hesitate to take action against businesses that put New Yorkers’ health and safety at risk,” he added. The New York governor threatened earlier in July that “egregious” violators of the state’s public health orders could be immediately closed and forced to give up their liquor licenses. Cuomo also mandated all bars and restaurants needed to serve food to those who order alcohol. Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York Hospitality Alliance, noted that more than 9,000 restaurants are participating in the Open Restaurants Initiative. He said 132 violations represents a tiny percentage of those businesses. “We should be working to educate the businesses and correcting the behavior before issuing the penalty,” Rigie said. New York was the first state hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak in March and April, but the state has since seen the number of new cases identified daily decline to a seven-day average of 717 COVID-19 cases. In total, New York has confirmed 412,878 cases and 25,126 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Cuomo has also instituted a travel advisory requiring travelers from states with outbreaks to quarantine for 14 days after entering New York. Currently, 36 states are listed on the advisory.

August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 3

NEWS

HOTEL DINING

BROOKLYN CHEF CARMELLINI SET TO DEBUT NEW DETROIT OUTPOST “Now more than ever we’re seeing the importance of food in fostering connections and refuge from people’s daily lives.” — Andrew Carmellini

hinola Hotel officially began its phased reopening last month, welcoming guests with enhanced sanitation and safety protocols. This month, the hotel’s beloved restaurant venues from James Beard award-winning Chef Andrew Carmellini of NoHo Hospitality Group will be reopening, bringing back some of the magic that has made Shinola Hotel such a destination for both visitors and the Detroit community alike. “We’re eager and excited to welcome back our beloved guests,” said Sergio Maclean of Mac&Lo. “Our hotel is centered around community and we are committed to creating a safe space that doesn’t sac-

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rifice experience.” Upon arrival, hotel guests are greeted with complimentary “Wellness Kits” which include masks, gloves, individual sanitizing wipes, and Emergen-C packets. The hotel also features expedited mobile check in to skip the line in the lobby, convenient Safe Space Scanners to provide automatic non-contact temperature checks for all guests, and a discount for choosing to self-park instead of valet their car. The Living Room, the venue that serves as the heart of the hotel, will now host an intimate setting for a drink or

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 5

NEWS

BRAND BUILDING

NYC BASED FOOD NETWORK INKS ROBERT IRVINE TO NEW MULTI-YEAR/PLATFORM DEAL

Main Office 282 Railroad Ave. Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers Leslie & Fred Klashman Advertising Director Michael Scinto Art & Web Director Mark Sahm Director of Public Relations and Special Events Joyce Appelman Contributing Writers Morgan Tucker David Scott Peters Joyce Appelman Wyatt Semenuk Phone: 203.661.9090 Fax: 203.661.9325 Email: tfs@totalfood.com Web: www.totalfood.com

Cover photo courtesy of Aurify Brands

continued on page 102is published Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 Robert Irvine

orld class chef, cookbook author and philanthropist, Robert Irvine has struck a new multi-year deal with Food Network, it was announced last month by Courtney White, President, Food Network. This two-year deal includes new episodes of the long-running, hit show Restaurant: Impossible, as well as additional content developed by Robert Irvine across the Discovery portfolio, with mid and short-form projects for both linear and digital platforms, including the Food Network Kitchen app. A culinary staple of Food Network,

“Robert Irvine’s tireless commitment to helping restaurant owners in need, along with his passion and support for service members and first responders has made Robert a fan favorite over the years.” — Courtney White, President, Food Network Robert will also continue his quest to help struggling restaurant owners across the country in the new spinoff series Restaurant Impossible: Back in Business, which premieres Thursday, July 30th at 9pm ET/PT. In the aforementioned series, Irvine helps previ-

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ously featured restaurants affected by the current pandemic. The series will be accompanied by an all-new after show with Robert and other members of the RI family going behind-the-scenes of each episode and answering questions from fans.

monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Ave., Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2020 by IDA Publishing Inc. Contents in full or part may not be reproduced without permission. Not responsible for advertisers claims or statements. Periodicals Postage paid at the post office, Greenwich, CT and additional mailing offices. Additional entry at the post office in Pittsburgh, PA. Subscription rate in USA is $36 per year; single copy, $3.00. Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Food Service, P.O. Box 2507, Greenwich, CT 06836

The most recent season of Restaurant: Impossible has been a hit with fans both on-air and online with ratings up double digits. Complementary content for the series has garnered over five million video views across social media platforms to date, with #RestaurantImpossible trending on Twitter during seven of the season’s 10 premieres. “Robert Irvine’s tireless commit-

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 7

NEWS

SAFETY SOLUTIONS

NYC RESTAURANT DUO LAUNCHES SAFE EATS TO NAVIGATE COVID-19 SAFETY GUIDELINES

pair of concerned Manhattan restaurant owners have teamed to help the industry get answers that in many cases have been difficult or impossible to procure as they reopen their eateries. Answering the call of restaurant owners and consumers during this pandemic, Safe Eats is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, created to support the restaurant industry by providing access to health and safety best practices streamlined into one place, live clinical support, a reopening model and a trustmarkbacked media campaign to promote and validate the work its members are undertaking to keep everyone safe. The goal of Safe Eats is twofold; restaurateurs are provided the ultimate safety playbook along with live clinical support, and consumers are assured that their favorite restaurants are committed to public safety. Early participants in the Safe Eats program include Boqueria, Rosemary’s, Loring Place, Bobo, Claudette, Roey’s, Delicious Hospitality’s Charlie Bird, Legacy Records, Pasquale Jones, Reverence and more. Within their restaurant toolkit, Safe Eats members will be linked with Zero Hour Health and their health and safety app called Zedic that provides a single source for the latest guidelines, 24/7 access to live clinical support and oversight

of employee health checks, and a continuously updated COVID-19 operator manual. Additional member benefits include: a Safe Eats certification, a member’s website for collaboration, preferred pricing for PPE, and a Safe Eats trustmark/window decal signifying their commitment to public safety. By committing to the Safe Eats pledge and displaying the SE certification mark, restaurants will be able to show that they are taking the necessary precautions to ensure the utmost health and safety of their customers and staff. Safe Eats will require its members to publicly display their pledge poster, window sticker and re-certify their compliance to SE standards on a monthly basis. This will ensure Safe Eats’ mission in helping restau-

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“What if there was a single source for safety guidelines that we could rely on? How great would that be for us? How great would that be for our industry?” — Carlos Suarez rants provide dining experiences that are safe — and feel safe — for everyone. Safe Eats was founded by restaurant owners Carlos Suarez of Bobo, Rosemary’s, Claudette and Roey’s, and Yann de Rochefort, founder of Boqueria restaurants (DC, Chicago, New York), along with Rachel Kornafel, VP of Marketing for Boqueria, restaurant business coach and advisor Nandu Awatramani, Roslyn Stone, COO of Zero Hour Health, the industry leader in managing restaurant health incidents and Dan Pollock, Chief Product Officer for Zedic, an app which provides 24/7 medical support for the hospitality industry. Additional Safe Eats counsel was provided by Lois Najarian O’Neill, Co-Founder of hospitality PR agency, The Door, as well as Melissa Gorman of brand strategy and design agency Love & War, who designed the trustmark and brand identity. Each have brought forth their distinct knowledge and experiences to craft solutions towards building a safe experience and future for the culinary industry. “We saw the frustration of restaurateurs with constantly changing guidelines,” Suarez said. “There is

incredible confusion over the restrictions as a result of the current pandemic with government officials sending out chaotic, mixed messages that are almost impossible to decipher. The work that Andrew Rigie and the Alliance as well as the State restaurant Association and a dozen plus agencies do is just amazing. But it was just too much to get through, so it dawned on us that there had to be a better way. Our heads were spinning and we thought how great it would be to find one source. With the help of Ben Leventhal of Resy, Lois at the Door and Zedic, we were able to build out a Covid operations manual.” Safe Eats is charging members a $69 per month fee. “We are not making a penny on this,” said Suarez, “I just want to help the industry get restarted as quickly as possible. The fee should be rapid many times over if a restaurant uses the sticker to market their commitment to providing a safe environment for diners and restaurant staff. It’s about building a message through the confusion that these are the restaurants that are keeping the public safe.” “Yann and I were both spending so much time trying to stay on top of all the latest Covid guidelines,” co-

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 9

NEWS

PRODUCT LAUNCHES

RESTAURANT DEPOT CELEBRATES NATION’S BIRTHDAY WITH LAUNCH OF NEW LIBERTY SMOKEHOUSE SMOKED SALMON

his year’s 4th of July Fireworks took on a new look across the country. In Restaurant Depot stores throughout the Northeast, they have found their way to the seafood aisle with the introduction of a highly anticipated new menu offering. Honey Smoked Fish Holdings LLC has teamed with Restaurant Depot, one of the nation’s premier National Wholesale companies serving the restaurant and foodservice industry to introduce the Liberty Smokehouse smoked salmon brand. “We are convinced that the new Liberty Smokehouse brand will bring smoked salmon to a whole new level of taste experience,” said David Smith, Development Director at Honey Smoked Fish. Honey Smoked Fish Holdings brings a tradition of state-of-the-art processes to give incomparable quality in the most environmentally sustainable way. The care of the fish in its Miami FL, plant is tightly controlled from the raising of the fish all the way through smoking. Honey Smoked uses the last in custom-made smokers to gently and slowly cold smoke each side to perfection. “We wanted to help create a product that is a celebration of our ability to come through adversity and moving forward,” Smith noted. “We want this new Liberty Smokehouse brand to tell a story of strength and unity. Every time I fly into New York and I see Lady Liberty in the harbor, it represents freedom and fairness and all of the things that make this country great, so our goal was to work with Restaurant Depot to create a brand that repre-

sents that.” Restaurant De“Restaurant Depot’s pot stores feature professional and conthe industry leadsumer chef customers ing one-stop shopwill find that Honey ping which simSmoked’s attention to plifies the process detail is designed to of buying food, provide customers with equipment and the assurance that the supplies. Whethnew Liberty brand is er you buy a few the highest quality enbakery supplies vironmentally sustainor enough food able farmed salmon and tableware to available to the profescater a party for sional chef. We under5,000, shopping at stand how vital it is to Restaurant Depot the culinary commucan save you time nity to be able to track and money. And at the sourcing of prodRestaurant Depot, uct. So with Liberty members have the Smokehouse Smoked option to purchase Salmon they get the many items by peace of mind that it is the piece or by the being produced from case, saving on the salmon that is raised unit costs accordin farms with the 4-star ingly. BAP accreditation. We Since Restaurant are justifiably proud of Depot is a “cash our production techand carry”, there Restaurant Depot and Honey Smoked Fish have teamed to launch the Liberty niques, and our team,” are no minimum Smokehouse line of smoked salmon. The farm raised Atlantic Smoked salmon Smith added. “There is order requireis available in Restaurant Depot’s Northeast stores no substitute for experiments, no delivery offers a full line of fresh and frozen seaence, skill and passion fees, and the price food for our food service customers. because for us this is the norm. Our you see on the shelf tag is the price you We have everything your restaurant team displays these abilities while fopay. Plus, RD proudly offers an “Alneeds, sourced from all over the globe cused on the production of the Liberty ways Fresh”!” guarantee. Restaurant for quality and freshness. We have a brand.” Depot is open 7 days a week. Memberhuge selection of the finest fresh salm“We are excited to launch this proship is free and open to all businesses on, live mussels and clams, dayboat gram with The Liberty Smokehouse and non profit organizations and now scallops, tuna, sword, halibut…the list brand, adding to our lineup of fine amidst the COVID-19 pandemic congoes on and on. At Restaurant Depot, smoked fish offerings,” noted Steve sumers as well. you never have to worry about our Marinelli, head seafood buyer at ResFor more information please visit fresh seafood quality… like our jackets taurant Depot. the Restaurant Depot website and the say…we’re ‘Always Fresh.’” “It’s a perfect fit as Restaurant Depot Liberty Smokehouse website.

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 11

PROVISIONS PREVIEWED

WITH LMT PROVISIONS

PROTECTING OUR PARTNERS Article by Andrew Geoffrey Beres

Mask designed by Tilit. This New York City based culinary apparel brand and partner of Singer Equipment Company is donating 10% of proceeds to charity for every mask they sell.

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e supply, advise, and ultimately take care of our customers so they’re better equipped to provide for their guests. Their guests take care of them in turn, and then restaurants take care of us with their business, their ideas, and their enthusiasm. The circuit is complete, fueled by hospitality. Over the past months, we’ve seen uppercase-h Hospitality, the industry, nearly dormant. It’s particularly reassuring, then, that the lowercase-h, visceral variety has been stronger than ever. Relationships, empathy, and passion for the industry have driven members of all facets to do their part to help sustain each other. Restaurant workers have banded together to amplify their voices, owners and operators have established relief funds for their employees even as they vie for relief themselves, and suppliers and distributors have donated product and funds within and beyond the industry. This social contract of mutual protection is nothing new but, as we work to rebuild and reopen the industry, we’re seeing it transform. A striking marker of this has been the adoption of face coverings for daily wear when in public. While they may offer the wearer peace of mind, they most benefit other people. It’s a simple way we can take care of each other, our employees, and our customers. Our procurement team has culled through myriad versions

LMT Provisions is a portfolio of foodservice supplies and partnerships curated for the hospitality industry. As part of The Singer Equipment Family of Companies, LMT Provisions was built from meticulous collaboration with a world-renowned suite of culinary ambassadors and has become the industry’s number one source of inspiration for chefs and restaurateurs nationwide.

of masks to find what’s best for our diverse customer base. While we also source and sell plenty of disposable masks, we’ve lately been seeing tremendous demand for reusable options. It makes sense. Reusable masks are a more sustainable choice that can also be customized in many ways – perfect for restaurants. Whether a basic, black mask or something more tailored, reusable options offer a unique chance to brand and protect at once. That can mean anything from a subtle logo to a custom fabric choice, to simply choosing ear loops vs neck straps. As usual, utility comes first – especially so in this situation – but this is still an opportunity to continue curating, designing, and telling the story of an operation. We use the same criteria for ourselves when visiting restaurants, whether for business or for pleasure. Restaurants have offered us restoration and revival for centuries; it’s incumbent on us to extend that hospitality back and protect our community, together. For more information on personal protective equipment, please reach out at PPE@singerequipment.com.

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 13

FIORITO ON INSURANCE

2020 HURRICANE SEASON PREPAREDNESS FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

id you know that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that about 40% of small businesses1 will unfortunately never reopen after a disaster? From flood waters, property damage, power loss and spoiled food, coping with the aftermath of a powerful storm could be very troublesome for restaurant owners. Therefore, during the Atlantic Hurricane season, which officially runs from June through November 30, hospitality business owners and managers must take a multi-pronged approach to safety. First, crisis communications, management and business continuity planning and then back up efforts with the proper insurance coverage. Combined associated losses

While restaurants, hotels and other businesses in the hospitality industry have no control over the weather, taking the proper steps before a hurricane can lessen the impact. for 2018 the 2019 seasons totaled in excess of $136 billion 2. For the 2020 season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting activity is projected to be well above average, with 13 to 19 named storms3. Since June, the season has already been record breaking thus far. While restaurants, hotels and other businesses in the hospitality industry have no control over the weather, taking the proper steps before a hurricane can lessen the impact. Generally speaking, the three

main goals of any disaster management plan are to manage the business during the crisis, resume normal operations as quickly as possible, and recover losses when it is over. By taking these goals into account when surveying the most critical areas of the business, companies can determine what steps they need to take to be fully prepared for hurricane season and beyond. As mentioned above, having a crisis communications, management and business continuity plan in place will help ensure employee

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

stability in the workplace. Predetermined employee notification channels will be critical to disseminating information should the need arise. Business owners and managers should have employee contact information at their fingertips, while also establishing a toll-free hotline number or social media site that can facilitate communication during a storm. Similarly, understanding individual risk is key to necessary business continuity planning. Try isolating the business risk first. Is it wind, power outage or hurricane damage? Will your business be down for a week, a day or a month? Review your business assets and make sure the operations that are most critical have built-in redundancy or are covered by insurance. Coverage for When it Strikes Losses are not always completely avoidable. Even businesses with the proper plans in place can suffer a setback from a storm. Unfortunately, according to the Munich Re NatCatService, as little as 28% of the $5,200 billion economic losses from

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NEWS

LEGISLATION

NJ GOVERNOR MURPHY SET TO REIMBURSE RESTAURANTS FOR INDOOR DINING FALSE START

bill that would reimburse restaurants for money spent on food and supplies in the days before restaurants were supposed to be able to open for indoor dining has been introduced to the New Jersey Senate. Restaurant owners were told by Gov. Phil Murphy they would be allowed to begin serving customers indoors at 25% capacity on July 2. Since mid-March, indoor dining has been deemed unsafe due to COVID-19, and restaurants have been operating solely on takeout, delivery and — since June 15 — outdoor dining. In preparation for indoor service, many restaurant owners rushed to buy food, protective gear for employees, plexiglas barriers and cleaning supplies. On June 29, three days before indoor dining was set to open, Murphy announced it would be postponed indefinitely. He cited overcrowding at outdoor dining areas and patrons not wearing masks as the reasons for the false start. “It brings me no joy to do this, but we have no choice,” he said. Senate president Steve Sweeney and senators Vin Gopal and Anthony Bucco have sponsored the bill that would also reimburse bars and catering companies for the money they spent to gear up for indoor dining. The bill would allow $30 million from federal block grants given to NJ from the CARES Act to be allocated to the Economic Development Authority (EDA). The EDA would then dole out money to restaurants through loans or grants. According to Marilou Halvorsen, president of the NJ Restaurant and Hospitality Association, the amount of money wasted for indoor dining varies depending on the size of the res-

“This is money that restaurant owners have already put out, many times on their own personal credit cards.” — Marilou Halvorsen taurants. Small cafes may have spent a few hundred dollars, while large diners spent more than a thousand. “The lawmakers realized the huge financial impact of prepping for indoor dining on an already devastated industry,” said Halvorsen. “This is a bipartisan issue, and we’ve seen a ton of support. It’s about compassion for the businesses.” Metro New York’s food distribution community sees the move by the New Jersey legislature as a lifeline to its restaurant customer base. “Our restaurant partners, who are such an important part of the cultural fabric of the region, have been so tested by both the virus and the related business restrictions,” noted Christopher Pappas, CEO of Chef’s Warehouse. “They have shown in-

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credible resilience, but even the most courageous of business owners have been challenged to survive in an environment where the fundamental rules have changed so suddenly. These challenges are both unprecedented and completely out of the restaurant owners’ control. For this reason, the restaurateurs are certainly deserving of these additional potentially business-salvaging measures of financial support.” There are no details yet on how restaurants can apply for grants if the bill is passed, though Halvorsen guesses it will be through applications to the EDA. “Our restaurant industry, which are the livelihood of the Cities, is among those industries, who have been hurt tremendously with COVID-19 and yet

they have shown incredible resilience,” Victory Foods’ Sunder Luthra added. “These challenges are unlike any in the history and are completely out of the restaurant owners’ control. So restaurateurs are certainly deserving of this additional financial support.” “This false start severely affected the food establishments that hired additional staff and spent money on equipment in anticipation of reopening,” Sweeney said. “These businesses are among the hardest hurt by the pandemic and they are at risk of permanently going out of business. This will help reimburse the restaurants, bars and catering businesses that have followed the rules to protect the public’s health but are now paying the price.” Meanwhile, Halvorsen and restaurant owners are anxiously awaiting the go-ahead to open their indoor dining rooms. “It’s a step in the right direction,” said Halvorsen. “This is money that restaurant owners have already put out, many times on their own personal credit cards. We’re still waiting for indoor dining to be allowed, but until then, this is something to hold us over.” Halvorsen leads the Garden State’s restaurant trade association organization that was established in 1942. The New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association represents the Garden State’s 25,000 eating and drinking establishments— the state’s largest private sector employers, generating $14.2 billion in annual sales and employing over 318,000 people. Shawn McCall, US Foods Area President for Metro New York, did a great job of summing up the industry’s response to the move. “Independent restaurants have been hit hard by this ongoing crisis. It’s good to see the state of NJ recognizing these struggles.”

August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 17

RESTAURANT EXPERT

WITH DAVID SCOTT PETERS

HOW TO SECURE YOUR RESTAURANT’S FUTURE

o matter what happens in the next weeks and months, the lesson I hope you take away from this industry crisis is that you can never go back to operating the way you were prior to the pandemic. That means if you were flying by the seat of your pants in any way such as using your gut to place orders and schedule your staff, it’s time to accept and adopt systems, starting with the foundation to all restaurant systems. What is the foundation of restaurant systems? Checklists! Checklists allow you to impose your will without being in the restaurant. They set up your standards for your business, from cleanliness to service standards to product quality to line checks to passive and critical control points. They give the steps to make sure that food is safe, the portions are consistent. They guide you in the prep list, scheduling

Checklists allow you to impose your will without being in the restaurant. They set up your standards for your business, from cleanliness to service standards to product quality to line checks to passive and critical control points. and cutting labor. You can literally checklist everything. Another reason to start with checklists is if you can’t get a manager to use a checklist, what makes you think that they’re going to follow more involved systems such as inventory every Sunday night? As an independent operator, if the first thing that came into your mind was, “We have checklists; I can’t get anybody to use them. They don’t work,” I’m going to tell you right now, it’s because your checklists suck.

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They’re not detailed enough, and you’re holding the wrong person accountable. For example, if you’re going to hold your management team accountable to those checklists, and they decide to let employees go home without doing that side work, then they must get it done themselves. You want to create a culture of close to open, that each manager has each other’s back. Do that a few times and guess what – your managers are going to make sure those standards are met. So, if you’re ready to move forward with establishing a strong foundation on which to build systems for a more stable and profitable restaurant, let’s get started with checklists. The best place to start is your opening and closing side work for every position. Your checklists should be so detailed that anybody could pick it up and do it. It’s not just “clean the bathroom,” but, “Make sure the bathroom is clean: the mirrors have no water spots, there’s no standing water on the counter, wipe down the counter and throw away the paper towel, if the garbage pail is 50% filled, take it out and replace the liner.” It is step-bystep instructions how you want it done, how well you want it

David Scott Peters is an author, restaurant coach and speaker who teaches restaurant operators how to use his trademark Restaurant Prosperity Formula to cut costs and increase profits. His first book, Restaurant Prosperity Formula: What Successful Restaurateurs Do, teaches the systems and traits to develop to run a profitable restaurant. Known as THE expert in the restaurant industry, he uses a no-BS style to teach and motivate restaurant owners to take control of their businesses and finally realize their full potential. Thousands of restaurants have used his formula to transform their businesses. To learn more about David Scott Peters, his formula for restaurant success, his book, or his coaching program, visit davidscottpeters.com.

done and by when. Walk around your building with a pad of paper, write down everything that makes you mad, grab any old checklists, grab your new checklist and put it all together. From this point forward, use your checklists to set expectations for every part of operating the restaurant. This is especially useful as you have to implement new processes for cleanliness, delivery and to-go orders. Checklists are critical to your restaurant’s future because: • They set your standards. • They allow you to impose your rule without being there. • They implement accountability without being a micromanager or a frustrated owner. Our industry is going through something it’s never gone through. You have opportunity. Yes, your sales may not be as strong, but there will be less competition, which means it’s an opportunity to be great. Don’t miss your opportunity!

August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 19

NEWS

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES

JERSEY’S SALAD HOUSE POISED FOR GROWTH AS DEMAND FOR HEALTHY FOOD RISES

ith states across the country slowly reopening their economies, and many restaurants starting to open their doors again, one brand is looking toward the future. The Salad House – a health-conscious fast casual restaurant brand that serves up fresh, customizable salad creations – has been successful throughout Covid-19. While continuing to effectively navigate the pandemic, The Salad House has set its sights on expanding its presence in the Northeast. The brand’s success can be attrib-

“By leveraging our advanced POS system, modifying our operations, and integrating delivery services (Uber Eats and DoorDash), we were able to continue providing our customers with an outstanding customer experience,” founder and owner of The Salad House Joey Cioffi stated. “We offered curbside pickup before the pandemic struck because we wanted to offer a convenient service, so when the stayat-home orders went into effect, we already had experience with this kind of service. Couple that with our strong third party delivery relationships and we were able to seamlessly transition to curbside pickup and delivery only operations.” In addition to its strong business model, the brand sees its The Reel Love salad from The Salad House (mix of arugula & baby greens, grilled ahi tuna, cucumbers, healthy lifestyle edamame, carrots, pomegranate seeds, crispy wontons, w/Tamari Thai Ranch dressing) menu as a mauted to its large menu variety which caters to most diets and food restrictions, its streamlined systems, and strong third party relationships. While some restaurants struggled to adapt to the changing restaurant landscape, The Salad House is poised for growth as the demand for healthy food increases.

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jor factor in its success. Throughout the pandemic, The Salad House has seen store revenue increase compared to 2019, as more families are ordering healthy food. The pandemic has driven consumers to order in groups as opposed to individuals. As a result, The Salad House has seen larger tickets and overall revenue growth during the pandemic. “Our menu has healthy food options for the entire family to choose from,” stated Director of Franchise Development Jerry Eicke. “By providing an array of menu offerings that fit all dietary restrictions, we appeal to a broader customer base, which has been key to allowing our brand to continue to thrive during the pandemic. With the warm weather here and people spending more time outside we are already seeing an increase in demand for our healthy food options as people look to clean up their diets and get in-shape.” The Salad House has menu items that appeal to a variety of diets and food preferences, including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free. Vegan options include a Beyond Meat California wrap, vegetarian offerings include the Greek Out salad, and gluten-free items like the Apple Waldy, Fiesta Chx or the Fit and Fueled

continued on page 94

August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 21

NEWS

By Wyatt Semenuk

DINING SOLUTIONS

THEATRICAL SET DESIGN VETERANS REFOCUS ON CREATING SAFE AND AFFORDABLE NYC OUTDOOR DINING VENUES

ith COVID-19 cases starting to spike again in many locations, it has become clear that challenges lie ahead to generate revenues. With this in mind, many restaurants are scrambling to make sure their outdoor dining setups are safe, that they meet guidelines, and that they’re sustainable in the long term. Creating an ideal outdoor dining system can be daunting due to cost and infrastructure, however, Erika Farber, and her partners have formed a new venture to accomplish that goal. With a theme of the show must go on adapted from their experiences creating backdrops for Broadway plays, Farber have created SET, Inc. The Manhattan based company offer their combined experience in Broadway set design, operations, and sales and advertising, as well as fully constructed modular units (among other hardware), to restaurants struggling to adapt to the new normal. SET has created a line of modular units that are both versatile and sustainable to the New York City restauranteur seeking to maximize their outdoor footprint. “These modular units can be

“These modular units can be installed and then disassembled, stored and later reinstalled,” — Erika Farber installed and then disassembled, stored and later reinstalled,” Farber explained. “We are planning on offering options ranging from simple customizable paint colors and modular heating units, to custom designs tailored specifically to different types of establishments. These modulars are crafted using pressure-treated and weather safe

22 • August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

materials, and are beautifully designed by architects vetted by Masaharu Morimoto himself.” Although everyone’s budget is different, SET has a plan in place to help restaurants who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford their services. “We understand the financial challenges that many restaurants are struggling with,” Farber added. “Ultimately, we would love to see a non-profit that would help restaurants apply for grant dollars to be able to build out their outdoor space and put people back to work.” One of the most important aspects of a robust outdoor dining setup is a focus on safety, both from the virus and more traditional dangers that arise from eating outdoors in an urban environment, such as vehicles. SET plans on covering all of these bases so that their clients can focus on providing the best dining experience possible. “We can’t

move forward and have a sustainable business if what we’re selling is not compliant and safe.” Farber. continued. “As part of the cleanliness option we have available for purchase, we offer sanitation stations, which are both important for the sanitation aspect, as well as for optics, making it clear to guests that everything is being cleaned very frequently.” SET also offers their restaurant clients expertise in the often overlooked segment of legislation that deals with vehicular barriers. This has been particularly taxing for restaurants, since most have already spent their budgets on aspects more closely related to the dining experience. To accommodate this, SET offers a wide variety of barriers, ranging from traditional solid material types, to much heavier-duty waterfilled ones, such as those used in construction sites. Farber and her partners also offer consulting on safety standards, procedures, and guidelines concerning the re-training of staff in a Covid environment. Although SET is a brand new company, they are already off to a quick start as the local restaurant community scrambles to maximize outdoor dining revenues during warm weather. They are currently involved in their first project in Brooklyn. “We are looking forward to doing our part to help New York’s restaurants get opened again and get back on solid footing,” Farber concluded.

August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 23

By Wyatt Semenuk

CHEFCETERA

NICK VOGEL, EXECUTIVE CHEF, BARON’S COVE SAG HARBOR, NY

rior to becoming head chef of Baron’s Cove, Nick Vogel had immersed himself in nearly every aspect of the restaurant industry, beginning at his family’s Philadelphia bar. From dangling his feet over a barstool as a child and eating chicken wings while chatting with chefs, to bussing tables and later working as a line cook, the restaurant industry was his entire life. At the age of 18, Vogel decided to take a break from the business, and enrolled at Coastal Carolina Univer-

sity to pursue a degree in Finance. After graduating and working in finance for a while, Vogel realized that the food industry was his true calling, and returned to it, quitting his job and becoming a line cook and farmhand in Cape May, New Jersey. This job, on a property owned by Cape Resorts, is where the journey that eventually led him to Baron’s Cove (owned by the same company) began. Following his time in Cape May, Vogel moved to Washington D.C. where he served as a chef in

Baron’s Cove Executive Chef Nick Vogel gathers fresh ingredients from the garden in Sag Harbor, NY (Photo by Doug Young Photography)

24 • August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

various capacities in several different restaurants and received accolades for his work. Earlier this year, he accepted the position at Baron’s Cove in The Hamptons where he now focuses on serving the freshest food, showcasing nature’s bounty to the fullest. What impact has the last four months had on what you’re doing this summer? Luckily, we have a lot of outdoor space, and we can devote it entirely to our customers. We can give them the space they need to breathe easily, while still maintaining a high enough turnover rate to run a healthy business. We also have to look at CDC guidelines and follow them strictly, which is another very important aspect this summer. Every day chefs are already thinking about food safety, proper storage, receiving of food,

linens, and dealing with labor and POS systems. These are procedures we follow and carry out constantly, so integrating these new guidelines into what we already do is something we should be prepared for as chefs, and something we should be prepared to keep doing for the foreseeable future. The way I see it, it’s something you can even use to your advantage, it makes you better at your job if you’re the person who’s on top of all these additional details. For example, I’ve never worked in a cleaner kitchen. Many chefs are used to working in disorganized kitchens, so the increased oversight on both the state and federal level helps clarify expectations and make them uniform. At the end of the day, all chefs have a job to do and that job is way easier when expectations are clear. Also, if it weren’t for the changes

continued on page 88

The Seared Scallops from Baron’s Cove, Sag Harbor, NY (Photo by Doug Young Photography)

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TREND TALK

WITH JOYCE APPELMAN

HUNGRY FOR GAMEPLAY DURING COVID-19? An Interview with Nicholas Chen, CEO and Founder of Tavern of Tales

ince its initial opening, Tavern of Tales has attracted both regulars and curious first-timers eager to step into immersive gaming. New releases have helped keep patrons coming back hungry for more gameplay, and the expert staff has helped keep the experience smooth and novel. Tell us a bit about your background and how the idea for Tavern of Tales came about. Tavern of Tales was born out of a passion for sound design and a hunger to put on a spin on traditional board game cafés. As the CEO and Founder, I came up with the idea while tinkering with backstage theater design – a hobby discovered as a high school student in Singapore that grew into the focus of my major at Boston University’s School of Theater. As a senior, I decided to put a twist

on traditional board game cafés and put my efforts towards a business model that would facilitate a more immersive gaming experience, pulling elements from other successful concepts like escape rooms. I graduated in 2017 as one of only two students in the sound design department, and, with the crucial help of my advisors and professors, I began my journey towards launching Tavern of Tales. Tell our readers about Tavern of Tales’ typical operations. Tavern of Tales opened in Mission Hill in December of 2019 as an interactive board game bar that offers sound-enhanced, immersive gaming experiences and welcomes both beginners and experts alike. The Tavern carefully curates the games it offers to guarantee they can be paired with excellent sound experiences, and gameplay is supported by GameMasters on staff who cover

The interior bar area at Tavern of Tales in Boston, MA

26 • August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

set up and tear down, intimately know the rules of the games and help establish storylines so players can focus on actual gameplay. We worked with McMahon Architects to remodel the space to provide an ideal environment for interactive gaming, complete with a café, private sound-proofed rooms for gaming and intricately-placed audio features to enhance gameplay. The location was chosen strategically next to the Roxbury Crossing T stop to be easily accessible for its visitors, and the name was chosen based on the concept of the ‘tavern’ in gaming where players can rest, meet other players, return at different stages of their journey and gather instructions before setting out again on their quests. The result of the construction and planning is a fully immersive, sound-enhanced gameplay experience, where players can step into the roles of their characters, then

Joyce Appelman is the Director of Public Relations and Special Events for Total Food Service and previously the National Communications Director for C-CAP, Careers through Culinary Arts Program. An industry leader supporting education and scholarships, she has been instrumental in opening career opportunities for many young people in the foodservice industry. Email her at joyceappelman@gmail.com

swap tales of victory and defeat in the café over drinks and shared plates. Players can record their progress in Quest Logs to unlock discounts through different gameplay achievements and the Tavern

One of the gaming areas at Tavern of Tales in Boston, MA

about set up or cleaning up after the game ends. The Tavern pairs this all with a menu of shared plates, hearty meals and drinks, some sourced from local breweries.

how will you adjust once you are able to open the indoor portion? In response to the latest guidelines and health considerations for COVID-19, we have closed the interior and private gaming rooms, and instead pivoted to opening a brandnew outdoor patio with seating for up to 30 people. We have commissioned muralist Chavez Design Studio to create a unique mural to help establish a desirable aesthetic for our new and repeat visitors, and we have expanded the menu to provide heartier meals like gourmet sandwiches and summer seasonal cocktails, in addition, they are traditionally offered shared plates and appetizers. To help keep gameplay safe, all staff will wear masks and gloves, and menus will be accessible without needing to be touched. Visitors will be required to wear masks whenever they are not seated at their tables,

How has the Tavern pivoted from the current business model and

continued on page 90

rotates games to continuously provide new experiences to its patrons. What is the focus of your unique business model? Traditional board game bars provide a single, shared space for visitors to play games. This loud intersection of groups seated close to each other actively participating in different games can create a distracting and chaotic environment, making it tough to step into character. Most bars may have one or two passionate staff members who have experience with a particular set of rules, but the high volume of options these bars tend to offer and the limited staff on hand makes it difficult to rely on persistence guidance for smooth gameplay if players are newer to a game or less experienced at gaming overall. We focus on a carefully curated set of games and taps into our staff’s experience to create unique, one-of-a-kind soundtracks in private, sound-proofed rooms to help

The new outdoor patio area at Tavern of Tales in Boston, MA

players fully immerse themselves in a new style of gameplay. The Game Masters on staff are experts at the rules and remain in the rooms to navigate players to new storylines. They are dedicated to making sure each player can focus their time on gameplay, rather than worrying

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 27

HOSPITALITY PROFILER

WITH KAREN DIPERI

THE GREENS RESTAURANT AT COPAKE COUNTRY CLUB, CRARYVILLE, NY

sat down with General Manager Kyleigh Zengen of The Greens at Copake Country Club to find out how the pandemic has impacted their restaurant and catering business. The below is an excerpt of our discussion. We are in the early phases of reopening, what positive and challenging behaviors have you noticed with guests that come to your venue? The most positive theme is how excited and appreciative they are that we remained opened throughout the pandemic. Now they are really happy

to be out and about! The most challenging thing, however, is that not everyone is aware of the expectations, especially wearing a mask in public spaces. We were under the impression that everyone was knowledgeable about the requirements. In the first couple of days of our reopening for outdoor dining, we began seeing that many people were not aware of what was expected of them. It became quickly apparent to us that we needed to remind customers that wearing masks was a requirement. Signage became crucial to delivering that messaging, and it helped a lot. Now that things seem more relaxed, its posing challenges with enforcing wearing masks. Our main goal is comfort for our diners. There a huge

disparity between those who are literally just coming out of quarantine and dining out for the first time and those who maybe are not taking the social distancing and mask wearing seriously. Again, ensuring everyone’s comfort level is the high priority. So, it is a tug between asking those who aren’t wearing masks to help us make those others feel comfortable. What has been the key to your lockdown recovery strategy for your venue? The transition to a takeout model. We thought long and hard about how to deliver a very consistent product that would mirror our pre-covid offerings. We wanted to offer as much of our favorite menu items as we could logistically, but in a take-out model. Even while seeing other establishments take on trendy approaches, we felt our loyal patrons love our season farm-to-table cuisine and wanted to keep delivering that to them. Let’s talk about staffing! Staffing has been such an essential component to our

Karen DiPeri is the President of HMG+, the tri-state’s leading hospitality staffing service, focused on specialized hospitality staffing and recruiting. HMG+ find their success in their passion for hospitality, their commitment to excellence in service, and in the power of people. HMG+ believe the right people—carefully chosen, rigorously vetted, properly trained, impeccably presented, and led by a team that’s always ready and on-demand—have the ability to transform any hospitality experience. While they are industry experts with their history spanning over two decades, it’s time to hone the art of change for the new future. HMG+ looks forward to being 100% ServSafe certified, expertly trained in safety and sanitation, and technologically forward to best fit all evolving needs. Above all else, HMG+ is here for you to make your hospitality experience exceptional. Learn more at hmgplus.com

successful reopening. From the beginning, our key staff members were brought into the conversation, where we discussed a myriad of options, from the menu to the execution. We talked about navigating the new normal and the new systems that had to be implemented. This collaboration was essential to a smooth reopening strategy. Our team embraced having to do multiple functions and change roles and be completely flexible with the ever-changing scenarios. Having the right people on staff is critical! What systems do you have in place if we enter a second wave of a stay at home order? As a special event venue, we are accustomed to booking events years in advance. Special occasions like Weddings, golf tournaments, fundraisers, and annual events all need long lead times to plan. Now that is all changed.

continued on page 86 28 • August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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(201) 437-7440 | ImperialDade.com August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 29

NEWS

COOKING TECHNOLOGY

LIGHTFRY ENERGIZES HEALTHY MENUS BY MAXIMIZING TASTE PROFILE

s air really the new oil? Lightfry CEO Henrik Önnermark surely thinks so, as he and his company Eatgood are on a mission to bring their commercial air fryers to restaurant and commercial kitchens in the US and across the world. The vision behind Eatgood Sweden AB, the company that produces the Lightfry, was envisioned in 1980’s under the hypothesis that food could be fried with hot air, steam, and rotation instead of oil. After years of testing, LightFry came to market in 2006, after the product won an invention contest in Önnermark’s native city of Borås for its strong market potential. The team naturally began testing with French fries, but over time they have discovered countless use cases, due to the Lightfry’s ability to air fry, roast, grill, and steam cook.

“We found that by removing oil [from the frying process] that flavors were significantly more intense.” — Henrik Önnermark With an initial goal of creating healthier fare, Önnermark and his Lightfry team were surprised to discover that the technology actually created an unmatched flavor profile. Testing found that air frying foods such as French fries actually added to the food’s taste. Önnermark explained, “Oil kills the flavor from the spices – we found that by removing oil that flavors were significantly more intense.” And removing oil from the equation makes the food much healthier as well, since air fried foods contain 40-60% less fat than their oil fried

30 • August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

alternatives. Without all the oil, airfried foods can stay fresher longer, which has never been as important as in the socially distant era. Önnermark has found that these benefits make the product a particularly strong selling point for food service providers in health-conscious areas such as California and New York. In addition to the health and taste benefits, switching to Lightfry has had dramatic impact on a food service provider’s bottom line. The air frying technology can provide significant cost savings because the restaurant or institution does not need to worry about replenishing oil supplies. “Oil is getting more and more expensive and the cost of handling it before and after using it is expensive,” Önnermark remarked. Many chefs and culinary professionals have also found that the use of Lightfry technology has eliminated the problem of flavor being off as a result of the overuse of oil, traditional gas and electric fryers. Lightfry has also proven to have a positive impact on the safety of working environments in commer-

cial kitchens. Air frying and Lightfry has eliminated the risk of burns from working with hot oil. In addition, the Lightfry does not need any recovery time between batches, unlike its oil frying counterparts, and requires less energy to operate. Interestingly, Önnermark has observed that the Lightfry does not necessarily replace a kitchen’s traditional fryer. Rather, the Lightfry often serves as an alternative which allows the restaurant to provide healthier options for its customers. For instance, a pizza restaurant that lacks healthy options can cost effectively create menu solutions with Lightfry without needing to sacrifice space within the kitchen. That same Lightfry versatility has enabled many C-Stores, coffee shops and nontraditional outlets to now offer a functional and flavorful menu of fried items without the expense of a traditional frying setup. Önnermark also noted that the fryer works particularly well as the centerpiece in the production of a children’s menu. Lightfry units are priced to be competitive with the traditional small tabletop fryer. However, with the unit’s versatility and low running costs, Lightfry offers far more value. Pricing varies depending on volume and location. To get a quote, Önnermark suggests emailing info@ lightfry.com or their US based sales rep team: Stephen Sawyerssawyer@ hbspecialtyfoods.com or Keith Raymond kraymond@hbspecialtyfoods. com. “We welcome the opportunity to setup a demo in your kitchen of the Lightfry line,” Önnermark concluded.

August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 31

Q&A

EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW

ANDY STERN

avigating the first half of 2020 has been no easy task for Metro New York’s restaurateurs. Total Food Service wanted to find an operator that has a feel and vision for not just the challenges of Manhattan, but an overview of the entire Tri-State area. For Andy Stern and his partner John Rigos of Aurify Brands, they have a unique perspective of what the industry has experienced with the pandemic and what lies ahead.

As former Five Guys and Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees, and now operators of a portfolio that includes Melt Shop, Little Beet and Fields Good Chicken, Andy was able to share with TFS all about his lessons learned and what lies ahead for Aurify. Looking back, how did you navigate the first and

Andy Stern, CO-CEO, Aurify Brands, New York, NY

32 • August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

CO-CEO, Aurify Brands, New York, NY second weeks of March? They were intense. The last four months have been the hardest I’ve worked in my career, but also the most rewarding. Particularly, those first two weeks were probably the most difficult I’ve ever dealt with. The focus for us was staff, both from a job security and health security standpoint.

We closed everything, and because of how quickly the government reacted with the unemployment stimulus, we made the decision to terminate all of our hourly workers so that they could have access to the stimulus program. Beyond that, we had about two hundred people on salary that we decided to keep on, and make part of the solution. So what was that solution?

continued on page 34

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 33

Q&A

ANDY STERN, from page 32

Our first thought was how were we going to chip in. From that, one of our immediate focuses became providing meals for first responders. We were incredibly successful in this regard, providing upwards of several hundred thousand meals, mainly in NYC. We also integrated takeout and delivery systems into many of our brands. One luxury we have in this industry, which we constantly reminded ourselves of, is that you can’t just opt out of food. Making a decision to eat is very different than deciding not to go to the movies or take a cruise. We don’t have that option with food because people need to eat. With this pseudo safety-net in mind, we realized that our solution was going to be heavily tied to what the main means of consumption were going to be moving forward, both short and longterm. The way we see it, although offpremise consumption is higher than it has ever been, this will be tempered a bit when we begin to stabilize. Do you think Uber Eats’ recent acquisition of Postmates will shake

“I don’t believe that [Uber Eats acquiring Postmates] deal was one hundred percent driven by the pandemic. Both of their models were broken. They didn’t make much money before and still don’t even now that they’re a consolidated entity. As long as they don’t own the full vertical stack, the way a company like Domino’s does, they won’t be terribly successful. The only path those big aggregators can really take, is to start selling their own food. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we see those aggregators begin to buy restaurants.” up the industry in this regard? I don’t actually, and I don’t believe that deal was one hundred percent driven by the pandemic. Both of their models were broken. They didn’t make much money before and still don’t even now that they’re a consolidated entity. As long as they don’t own the full vertical stack, the way a company like Domino’s does, they won’t be terribly successful. The only path those big aggrega-

tors can really take, is to start selling their own food. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we see those aggregators begin to buy restaurants. What was your read on PPP and the ability of the government to bail out and prop up the industry? The biggest problem that everyone had was with business interruption insurance, and that insurance not coming into play with COVID.

Melt Shop is about food that reminds you of comfortable times. Easier times. Yummier times. Times when home cooking was the only kind of cooking. For the founders, that food is grilled sandwiches. And tater tots. And milkshakes.

34 • August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

This was the real killer. I would have thought that the government would have propped up the insurance industry by backing the business interruption claims. That should have happened, because that would have saved a lot of these businesses. What impact will COVID-19 have on the leases that restaurants negotiate with their landlords? Another important aspect of this that hasn’t really changed regards a restaurant’s biggest fixed expense: rent. A lot of landlords thought and hoped that this COVID situation would be a fleeting moment, so rather than share the pain, they refused to make any accommodations. I think this is about to change. With COVID, the real estate business is becoming a buyer’s market. With so many people fleeing and places going out of business, in Manhattan alone, you’ll have four, five, six thousand vacant restaurants, not to mention retail. With this being the case, all of a sudden there’s a conversation being had with landlords that looks a lot like the 2008 and 2009 recession, which is ‘Please come to my building and I’ll pay you to be there.’ I completely anticipate revenue based leases going forward, it has to happen. In the middle of all this, you found a wonderful opportunity in Le Pain Quotidien (LPQ). How did that come to happen?

Before we crossed paths with LPQ, they were struggling with debt and mismanagement. Because of this, they weren’t in a great position to deal with the trouble that COVID brought. When they eventually called us up and inquired if we’d have an interest in helping, we said what we always say: “If there’s a great brand that’s a bad company, we’re very interested.” As it turned out, we loved the brand, and decided to step in. When it comes to what we do as a company, it’s not as much about the financial side of the equation. It’s more about if we can continue to build a company where there’s a lot of opportunity for people to change their trajectory in life, then we want to do what we can to create those opportunities. The best way to do that is through great brands. What stuck out to you about LPQ? It’s just a wonderfully classic brand. It sits in that bakery and coffee segment that we love and it doesn’t compete directly with Starbucks. Its’ closest competitor right now is probably Panera, but I think it’s a touch more elegant. Obviously we think very highly of Panera, but in my opinion, Le Pain Quotidien is just a notch above. Fortunately, LPQ has a fantastic and very loyal fanbase, so we have a lot of support. People really love the brand and experience. In a rush to get your thoughts on managing through COVID, we forgot to share your background and how you got into the restaurant business. My partner John and I had worked together in a previous life in technology. We worked on two tech companies right out of Vanderbilt in Nashville. One of the companies was sold to Idealab in California and the buyer knew John. We’ve been together ever since and then the tech boom came and went and that was really a gut punch for me. I actually moved to Colorado to learn how to

fly fish, but I was back and forth to New York. John and I were investing together and we bought the Subway franchise in the town upstate that he bought a home in Walton, NY. We thought it would be a passive investment. We found out quickly that it was hands on, so we bought several more. We also discovered that we loved the business for its ability to have an impact on a community through your customers and the people working for you. It’s an amazing business in that it can really change people’s lives by building careers.

How did life as a Subway franchisee morph into a multi brand operator? We were attracted to the opportunity that Dunkin offered. We did our homework and found that you couldn’t buy in the Northeast. We also saw something else, that the more you moved away from their Quincy, MA headquarters, food began to replace coffee as the major source of revenue. Our play was to buy into a franchise on Long Island. Dunkin’ offered us a great opportunity to grow. With Jon Luther running the show, we found our way on their franchise council. We wanted more which led to us buying the rights for all of Washington, DC. This was in 2005 and my first son was born, so needless to say my wife thought I was nuts. It was a great time to grow with funding sources like GE putting up 100% of construction costs. We built it out to three dozen Dunkin’s and Baskin’s. We brought in a family office investor and we thought everything was golden, but it wasn’t. We simply were not ready to grow as fast as we did. Our goal was always to do our own thing but we learned how much from our franchise partners. What is a family office investor? It is a wealthy family with investments that hire a team to invest

continued on page 36

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 35

Q&A

ANDY STERN, from page 35

their family money. We held on to the Subways for a while and then sold them. We didn’t have as much control as we thought. Very frustrating, because we were working 100 plus hours a week and we have someone looking over our shoulders. To our credit, because both of us had really young children, we took a risk and handed back the keys and said here’s your 36 Dunkin’/Baskins back. The hard part was that we had built a terrific team. What was the next step postDunkin’? We knew we had a great team, so we went looking for the next brand opportunity. We connected with Five Guys through Sam Chamberlain, the CEO and the former NFL player Mark Mosely who was handling their franchise sales. I knew Sam from my tech days and when their Manhattan deal fell apart, we stepped in.

We took the train to DC, went to one of their units, had a burger and then went to meet the founder Jerry Murrell. They turned out to be amazing partners, an honest family and the best thing that ever happened to us. We made the deal for Manhattan and then went looking for the right investor. A friend of a friend introduced us and fast forward, he’s still our key investor today. Best thing that ever happened, he let us run our business. What were the lessons learned from the Five Guys experience? After 13 years in it, we sold out about a year ago. We wanted a Street not an Avenue so we started in a location on 55th Street in Manhattan that nobody wanted. We had a guy doing real estate for us but we typically find our own locations. We’ve learned that it’s an art not science. It’s interesting, you know where not to move than where to go. We lived through a fire in the first store,

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closed and got back on our feet. We started building stores through the recession of 2008 which turned out to be a blessing in disguise in terms of real estate prices. We spent ‘08-09 signing leases and focused on Manhattan and then bought four stores in Brooklyn. After being a franchisee for so long, what finally made you decide to leave that behind and focus more on creating your own brands? Owning franchises is a great business, and we learned a lot doing it. But at the same time, we always knew we were just in the franchise business to learn. What we are at heart is entrepreneurs, and we like to think about things like strategy, positioning, and brand. You don’t do any of that as a franchisee, which is in part why it’s a good business. You simply operate and execute, and leave all of the creative aspects to the franchisor. They tell you what to do, and if you do it, it works for

the most part. At Aurify, we are not only able to work on the creative aspects, we are also able to directly affect the people that work for our brands. To this day, part of our mission statement is to transform lives with upward mobility where there traditionally is none, and break cycles that have permeated the industry for decades. Our goal is to invest in our employees and help them grow and make careers. Talk about the type of people that you look for as you have built your team? In 2010, we began with the Melt Shop concept. We started with Spencer Rubin, a 23-year-old partner who we actually had originally talked to about a high end donut concept. He was actually our project manager when we built out the first Five Guys store. The kid slept in the

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Q&A

ANDY STERN, from page 36

store to get it opened. We’ll take that attitude any day over experience. The Melt Shop is an amazing brand that he has built into 20 plus stores. What is that word called “ideating” that you created? We had taken a trip out west and found of all things a lemonade concept that we liked. So we started “ideating” with our friend Scott Feldman who has become the agent for many top chefs. I told him that we needed someone who could do healthy food, so he brought us Franklin Becker. He came from a steak background but has a child on the autism spectrum who he cooks healthy food for. It was a match and Little Beet was born. We were able to ride the beginning of the wellness wave and didn’t have Sweetgreens to compete with. At the same time we found this great concept on the West Coast with three Chinese brothers and their Dad that escaped from China. It’s this really cool Baha style of cooking, where you add sauces to create these wonderful fish tacos. Great quick serve price point of $8-9. When we met with them, they had built it to 62 locations. We cut a deal with them and opened a store in Manhattan. It did ok, but it was way too time intensive. We did something really unusual as we tried to figure it out. We had brought in a separate group of investors and told them that we were going to pivot and try something else and if they stayed with us, we would make them whole. We could see that Little

Fields Good Chicken is your favorite fast-casual chicken restaurant serving up the best damn chicken in New York City for lunch and dinner. All of their chickens come from FreeBird® chicken as their namesake product. FreeBird® chicken is locally sourced from family farms on the rolling countryside of Pennsylvania’s Amish Country.

Beet was killing it, so we decided to take the whole space and build out Little Beet Table as a full restaurant concept. In three weeks, we reopened first for dinner and then for lunch and it was a hit. What went into the choice of Chicago as the second market for Little Beet? We brought in a real estate guy to do some market surveys for us and Chicago was a match for a number of reasons. To build the brand, we

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knew that we had to go in with Little Beet and Little Beet Table at the same time. We were set to go and frankly we got cold feet. One tough landlord would not let us out of the lease so we have an orphan store in Chicago that we are going to have to figure out. We have of course opened here in Greenwich, CT and most recently in Chevy Chase, MD. As someone who has worked in the industry in both urban and suburban environments, how would you

compare them? There’s definitely less room for error in suburban environments, and by that I mean the density in the suburbs is much lower. Wanting to make everyone happy is the goal, but realistically that won’t happen and you’re going to lose customers on occasion. If you lose one in the city, there are thousands more. If you lose one in the suburbs, word of mouth travels fast. This means in the suburbs you really have to come out swinging, or things can go south very quickly.

August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 39

NEWS

EVENTS

THE FOOD ON DEMAND CONFERENCE IS GOING VIRTUAL FOR 2020

his year’s Food On Demand conference has transitioned to a fully virtual event and now is the time to register and make plans to virtually attend the biggest, best and most important gathering in the delivery, takeout and off-premises side of the restaurant world— which is obviously more important than ever. For the last three years, Food On Demand has been the industry leading resource for news and information on all things off-premises and delivery, and the annual Food On Demand Conference has grown to become a keystone for restaurant operators looking to find profits in a dramatically reshaped foodservice industry. Packed with restaurant operators of all shapes and sizes, this year’s FODC is happening when the future of the industry is both more exciting and more confusing than ever before as the largest delivery brands are opening their jaws to gobble each other up. There’s never been more to talk about in this industry. FODC attendees will hear directly from the biggest brands in the business including Chipotle, Panera, Brinker

International, Dunkin’, DoorDash, Postmates, Uber Eats, Grubhub, Kitchen United, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Aramark, ItsaCheckmate, as well as independent restaurant operators with battle scars and creative success stories to tell. The entire Food On Demand team, along with our sponsors, suppliers and speakers, hope you can join us August 10-12th.

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Visit https://foodondemandnews.com/food-on-demand-conference/ to register and check out the speakers, agenda and sponsorship opportunities. Registration is free for restaurant operators and qualified industry personnel. Learn more at www.foodondemandnews. com.

Food On Demand connects the foodservice industry’s mobile ordering and delivery pacesetters and covers the ongoing transformation of how consumers discover, shop, order and consume food in a digital age. Food On Demand publishes a weekly e-newsletter, produces timely webinars and white papers, and hosts the annual Food On Demand Conference that is the industry’s premier inperson event. The Food On Demand Conference examines new technologies and business models and the latest trends in consumer behaviors, preferences and expectations. The Food On Demand team has 30 years of experience hosting successful events like the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference. We have built long-term relationships with restaurant operators, technology companies and industry experts from all over the country. We specialize in putting together events that educate our attendees, plus help to facilitate our sponsors in generating business at the events.

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FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE

THE LEGACY OF SYLVIA’S RESTAURANT, AN AMERICAN STORY

ew York City is the greatest city in the world and its hospitality industry represents the melting pot of diversity and people from all walks of life who have contributed to it. The story of the late Sylvia Woods, the Queen of Soul Food and founder of beloved Harlem institution Sylvia’s Restaurant demonstrates the amazing opportunities our industry has provided countless people of color through the years and the pride that Black-owned businesses still feel today. August 1, 1962, the day that my grandmother opened Sylvia’s Restaurant “was not yesterday” as she used to say. Following the recent gross injustices of Black people around the nation, I can’t help but connect the dots, struggles, victories, and life altering similarities of her experiences to what’s happening now. But to explore all that Sylvia’s Restaurant means and represents one must understand her story, which begins with a young Black soldier and expecting father. Van Pressley, Sylvia’s father, left his home in South Carolina to fight in World War 1. Van left the segregated South for the segregated Army. He fought for a country that did not fight for him and was sent home ill from exposure to poisonous gas. Very much aware that his time here on earth was limited, he made a prayer pact between God and his young bride, Julia. The pact was for their unborn child to have a life easier than his, and for him at the very least to meet the child his wife was carrying. On February 2, 1926, Sylvia Woods was born, and it was only days later that Van Pressley passed away.

Sylvia and her family grew the business to its present-day status, an institution that has served everyone from celebrities, to everyday Harlemites, to Heads-of-States and Presidents alike. Julia, whose own father was lynched for a crime he did not commit, was determined to pour all she had into her child. Working in the footsteps of her mother, Julia became a midwife and farmer and never remarried. Instead she worked day and night to ensure young Sylvia’s destiny. It was soon thereafter that Julia’s mother became ill, and when young Sylvia began to care for her grandmother while her mother worked their fields. To this day, that remains Sylvia’s first memory: fanning the flies away from her grandmother who was dying from what we now know as Alzheimer’s. After her grandmother’s passing, Sylvia was a great help and the love of her mother’s life. She eagerly

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started cooking at the age of six. The first dish she mastered was rice. Though quick to do things her own way and distracted by play, Sylvia’s first go at cooking was a failure…she burned the rice. She told her mother that she was watching over it as instructed but Julia knew a lie when she saw one and just like that Sylvia learned her first lesson of cooking – minding your pot and always telling the truth would be gems that would lead towards the success of the pact being lived out. By age eleven, Sylvia met her beloved husband, Herbert Woods while picking beans after school. This story is one I would ask her to repeat often, just to see that childlike blush come over her face. She

Tren’ness Woods-Black is President and Chief Strategist of Tren’ness WoodsBlack, LLC Passion for People, Poised for Press and granddaughter of the late Sylvia Woods, renowned founder of the Soul Food icon, Sylvia’s Restaurant where she serves as the VP Communications. With over 20 years experience in the restaurant industry and as a seasoned communications executive, Tren’ness has worked for clients such as Sylvia’s restaurant and food products, National Action Network and J. Walter Thompson. She has successfully brokered marketing deals with Target, Splenda, Starbucks, and Whirlpool to name a few. Her philanthropic efforts have raised over one hundred thousand dollars for The Sylvia and Herbert Woods Scholarship Fund. Tren’ness has served as a spokesperson for the American Heart Association, is Co-Chair and founding Board Member of Harlem Park to Park and serves on the Board of Directors for NYC & Company and the NYC Hospitality Alliance.

described Herbert as the prettiest boy she has ever seen. Ripped clothing and all, the two fell in love and later married. The bright lights of Harlem called, and Sylvia and Herbert joined

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NEWS

HEALTHCARE DINING

TD MARKETING AND ENGLISH MANUFACTURING TEAM WITH NJ’S ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON HOSPITAL TO CREATE NEW PROTOCOL SOLUTIONS

hen an award winning healthcare facility needed to respond quickly to the new protocols that COVID-19 has spawned, a local marketing agent for foodservice equipment, smallwares, china, flatware and furniture was poised to respond. New Jersey-based TD Marketing brought their expertise to the Garden State’s Robert Wood John Hospital system to create an implement a protective strategy. “They had originally reached out to a leading Dealer to procure a few portable plexiglass partitions from English Manufacturing,” explained Frank Doyle, President, TD Marketing. “They were so impressed with the responsiveness, service and product quality, that they reached out to us again, but this time as design and solutions providers, for other areas throughout the Hospital.” TD worked with the award winning equipment and supply dealer Singer/M. Tucker to design and install

“Both pre- and post-vaccine, there is always going to be a need for protector shields, cases, and display cases. And English is ready.” — Frank Doyle plexiglass protection throughout the hospital’s waiting rooms to separate patient that were going to enter the emergency room for treatment and cafeterias. In addition, TD coordinated the design of portable guards and hanging shields that drop from the ceiling. The English Manufacturing line feature flexibility unique to the industry. “The line is built so it is fully adjustable both horizontally and vertically,” Doyle said. “English also has a really unique approach to the aesthetics of the line with hardware that is concealed for a great finished look. When it comes to sneeze guards, you don’t want to see the hardware with a sneeze guard, you want it to be invisible.

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Frank Doyle saw a unique opportunity with English Manufacturing. “The company began as a father and daughter team and you could see the commitment to quality,” Doyle said. “Frankly sneeze guards are a really tough sell that are very labor intensive from the get-go with the need for very exact measuring. But as we saw the changes in protocol coming with Covid, we knew the English line would provide a valuable solution for our dealer and consultants and their customers.” With the Pandemic, Doyle sees a change in how sneeze guards are utilized. “Clearly the day of the self-serve buffet line are gone. But again, English Manufacturing’s line has such flexibil-

ity that as the industry moves to a protective shield with a pass-over or pass under, their quality is going to enable foodservice operators to meet new safety protocols. English Manufacturing and the TD team both have an eye towards the future. “Both pre- and post-vaccine, there is always going to be a need for protector shields, cases and display cases. And English is ready.” The English line is yet another example of Doyle returning to his roots. “I started in custom fab years ago and we have a great custom fab line with EMI. When you combine that factory’s expertise with English, we are able to offer our customers a really unique portfolio of solutions.” “As a company we do a lot of healthcare and school foodservice work. These shields have also taken us beyond foodservice applications. There are a number of schools that have us designing guards that can be used at students desks this Fall. In fact, we just shipped 1500 guards to the Ocean County school district in New Jersey. Masks become uncomfortable to wear all day and shields enable the give and take needed in the classroom.” Today, TD Marketing Co. is made up of 15 seasoned individuals with extensive knowledge of the Tri-State Marketplace and the products TD Marketing represents. With over 250 years of experience, Doyle and his TD team are on-call to answer the needs of the Metro New York food service professional.

Building Distance to Bring Us Together Equipping your facility for reopening doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. With food shields and barrier solutions from English Manufacturing, any servery can offer guests the added protection of temporary and permanent shield solutions that encourage social distancing. Fo o d S h i e l d s • P ro te c t i ve Pa rt i t i o n s • S e r ve r y S o l u t i o n s

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NEWS

EDUCATION

BROOKLYN BREWERY’S ICONIC OLIVER LAUNCHES NEW SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION WITH PARTRIDGE CLUB

hen it comes to mak- 2007) was the world’s greatest beer ing a commitment to and whisky writer. His books have sold learning or launching more than 3 million copies in 18 lansomething, nobody guages and helped launch the worlddoes it better than Garrett Oliver. He wide craft beer movement. “Michael is a self-taught brewmaster who went was English, but he was also actively from an apprentice to the top of his and profoundly anti-racist,” Oliver field as the brewmaster and spokesadded. person of one of the world’s most In addition, the MJF will fund a iconic beer brands, Brooklyn Brewbrewing scholarship: The Sir Geoff ery. Oliver has now turned his passion Palmer Scholarship Award for Brewtowards a new goal: the education ing. Sir Geoff, 80, born in Jamaica, is of the next generation of beverage a Professor Emeritus of Heriot-Watt professionals. “I am pleased to announce the formation of the Michael Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling (MJF),” Oliver explained. “The MJF will fund scholarship awards to predominantly people of color within the brewing and distilling industries or who wish to join those industries. These scholarships present an opportunity for members and supporters of our industries to directly fund a more equitable and dynamic future for brewing and distilling.” The MJF scholarship awards will fund brewing and distilling education, whether beginning or ongoing, for BIPOC within the professions. Each scholarship granted to a student will be matched with a BIPOC mentor and/or peer within the industry. “Barriers to success in these industries have never been solely financial. No one needs walk this path alone,” OliGarrett Oliver admires his beloved creation, Sorachi ver continued. Ace Farmhouse Saison (Photo by Matt Furman) Michael James Jackson (1942

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“Barriers to success in these industries have never been solely financial. No one needs walk this path alone.” — Garrett Oliver University in Edinburgh. In 1989 he became the first black professor in Scotland. In 1998 the American Society of Brewing Chemists honored him with the Award of Distinction, considered the “Nobel Prize of Brewing”. Sir Geoff Palmer has also been one of the most prominent civil rights authors and activists in the UK for decades. The distilling scholarship under the MJF will be the Nathan Green Scholarship for Distilling. Nathan Green (1820 - 1890?), born enslaved, was the original distiller for Jack Daniel Tennessee Whiskey, and taught founder Jack Daniel how to distill using his distinctive techniques. Today, he is properly credited as Jack Daniels original Master Distiller. The recipients of the MJF scholarships will be predominantly people of color. “This is a positive action meant to take our allied industries in a more positive and equitable direction for the future,” said Oliver. “This work remains necessary.” The MJF and its seed funding grows out of the original Michael Jackson scholarship program under the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF). “As AIWF

wraps up, we will continue its legacy and we thank them,” noted the iconic Brewery executive. “The MJF will be housed within The Partridge Scholarship Foundation, who we thank for welcoming us. Our grants will directly fund fees/tuition/materials costs for accredited brewing and distilling courses.” Last month the MJF began accepting funds for the scholarships under The Michael Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling. “I know that this is a tough time financially for most brewers and distillers,” Oliver concluded. “But this work needs to start, and I hope my fellow brewers, our friends in the distilling industry, education leaders, and beer and spirit enthusiasts will join in this important effort.” The Partridge Club was formed in 1935. The membership was made up of leading purveyors to the hotel, club and restaurant trade. The mission of the Partridge Foundation to raise scholarship funds for institutions of higher learning and to provide training for students pursuing a career in the Hospitality Industry. “We are thrilled that Garrett has selected us to partner with him for such a special cause,” added Partridge Club President Richard Bloch.

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LEGAL INSIDER

FROM ELLENOFF, GROSSMAN & SCHOLE LLP

COVID LIABILITY WAIVERS: WHAT PROTECTION THEY DO AND DO NOT OFFER

OVID-19 liability waivers cannot provide immunity to the business from all lawsuits or protections from employees’ claims under workers’ compensation laws or workplace safety laws. Such waivers may, however, limit or even prevent liability for negligence and, accordingly, are well worth considering as part of a business’s comprehensive effort to limit COVID-19 exposure and claims arising from it. Waivers for Customers and other Visitors to a Business Businesses most frequently use liability waivers to protect themselves from liability for recreational activities that are inherently dangerous (i.e. use of gym or sporting equip-

In the case of COVID-19, restaurants in particular have both a reasonable concern that their visitors could seek to hold them liable for illness and a reasonable desire to have visitors bear a fair share of that risk in order to obtain the benefits of visiting the restaurant. ment). In other contexts, however, where an activity a person wants to undertake involves a known risk, it is reasonable to ask that person to acknowledge and assume that risk. In the case of COVID-19, restaurants in particular have both a reasonable concern that their visitors

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could seek to hold them liable for illness and a reasonable desire to have visitors bear a fair share of that risk in order to obtain the benefits of visiting the restaurant. A robust waiver for a customer, vendor, or other visitor should contain: a) clear information on the safety protocols the restaurant will follow; b) a statement that the visitor is aware of and accepts the inherent risk; c) a promise that the visitor will not sue the restaurant; and d) an explicit waiver of the visitor’s right to sue, and an indemnification provision providing that the visitor agrees to pay for any claims against the restaurant related to the customer. The protection afforded by such a waiver, however, has limits. Notably, such waivers do not apply to intentional, reckless, or grossly negligent conduct. Accordingly, regardless of whether customers sign a liability waiver, if a business is not using reasonable safety precautions, such that the business could be consid-

Paul P. Rooney is a Partner at Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP. He specializes in employment law and civil litigation, and advises clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, drafts employment agreements, handbooks, and policies, and performs employment-related corporate due diligence. His cases have included numerous collective actions under The Fair Labor Standards Act, and claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and The New York State and City Human Rights Laws. Mr. Rooney has also litigated cases involving covenants not to compete, claims of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty, and defamation. Joanna R. Cohen is an associate in the Litigation Group at Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP. Her experience includes representation of clients in litigation in federal and state courts. Ms. Cohen also worked as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of New York defending the State in litigation in federal and state courts. Paul P. Rooney (prooney@egsllp.com) and Joanna R. Cohen (jcohen@egsllp. com) can be reached via phone at 212370-1300.

ered reckless or grossly negligent, even an enforceable waiver will not shield the business from liability. The enforceability of liability waivers is a matter of state law, and accordingly the enforceability of such waivers will vary from state to state. At least three states (Louisiana, Montana and Virginia) flatly do not enforce liability waivers. Most states have adopted certain tests that a court will apply to determine whether or not a waiver is enforceable. For example, under New York law, a liability waiver is enforce-

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NEWS

CUSTOMER SERVICE SOLUTIONS

CONNECTING WITH PATRONS: Q&A WITH BRIAN BELL, VP MARKETING, ABUELO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

ining out provides a sense of community for many restaurant-goers and the COVID-19 pandemic has halted a lot of that within the restaurant industry. With many restaurants only open at a fraction of their capacity and restaurant patrons opting for carry-out or delivery, restaurant managers are forced to come up with creative ways to stay connected with customers. National restaurant chain Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant, known for its authentic, made-from-scratch cuisine, wants to stay in touch with its patrons during this time and is sharing some of its most beloved recipes on social media to let customers recreate memorable restaurant mo-

ments at home. We connected with Brian Bell, VP of Marketing to tell our readers how Abuelo’s is connecting with patrons. How have your distribution partners helped you through this pandemic? Our distribution partners have been extremely helpful and understanding during this time. The food service industry is a close-knit community and we’re all getting through this pandemic together. Because of our distribution partners’ support, we’ve been able to continue serving our customers with the best quality dining experience – whether that be in our restaurant or delivered to their door.

Abuelo’s menu favorites El Jefe Margarita and Jalapeño Cheese Fritters

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How are you continuing to work with your partners throughout the pandemic? Charitable partners are very important to us at Abuelo’s. We’ve built a strong partnership with No Kid Hungry over the last few years to help its initiative to end childhood hunger. For many of our biggest celebrations like National Margarita Day and our anniversary, we’ve worked with No Kid Hungry to help raise money to help children in need. While the coronavirus pandemic affects everyone across the globe, childhood hunger is still a great concern. That’s why we’re focusing on maintaining our charitable efforts with No Kid Hungry throughout the rest of the year and help make a positive difference in kids’ lives. Next month, we’re kicking off another fundraiser with No Kid Hungry. How were you able to set yourself up for delivery and curbside so quickly across 12 states? All of our locations worked quickly to make sure delivery and curbside offerings were ready to go when our restaurants closed for dinein. Prior to the pandemic, we already had both options available through our website, on the phone and on our app, so the transition was less of us moving to a completely

new format of serving our customers and more to an increased amount of curbside and delivery orders. We also want to better support our customers throughout the pandemic, so we’ve included curbside, takeout and delivery promotions to help make dinner time a little less stressful since we all have a lot on our plate right now. One of our most popular takeout options are our Family Feast packages of enchiladas, nachos, tacos or fajitas. Currently, guests can order online at www.abuelos.com to enjoy free delivery or 15% off pickup or curbside with code “15%OFF.” Did you cut your menu down during this time? Yes, we felt this move was necessary to ensure the highest food quality for our guests. This also streamlines operations to be effective at getting food hot and fresh to our guests in this new normal of off-premise sales. Have you learned any lessons from the pandemic that you’d like to incorporate post-pandemic? We’ve learned a lot from the pandemic and, with all the changes happening each day, we’re continuing to learn. That’s the most important thing for us. Often times in the restaurant industry, we get into the same routine and don’t shake things up. Now, we’re learning how to adapt on the fly to maintain offering great experiences for our customers. This wasn’t an expectation of the restaurant industry before, but with a mindset of being agile, we’re able to face anything that lay ahead. Why did Abuelo’s decide to create interactive videos for followers to

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SCOOP

INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE

Do you have the SCOOP on any Metro New York City foodservice and hospitality news? Send items to SCOOP Editor Joyce Appelman at tfs@totalfood.com

DAY & NITE JOINS JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION’S CAMPAIGN OPEN FOR GOOD SCOOP learned that to help independent restaurants survive this interminable crisis, Day & Nite has just signed an agreement with the James Beard Foundation where 10% of all dnasperformancesolutions.net revenues coming in from this partnership and 5% of all-new service contracts will be donated to Open for Good in the name of the end-use customer. “Evidenced by its 9/11 or Katrina recovery efforts, throughout US history the hospitality industry has been there for everyone else during a time of great need. Today, hospitality is faced with a crisis of epic proportions; most acute for the in-

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dependent restaurant. Since inception, the Day & Nite family of companies has earned its income and grown to its market-leading stature by providing installation, maintenance and repair for commercial equipment to the hospitality field. The always philanthropic Sher family was deter-

mined to get behind the right cause during these times of unprecedented public health, economic and social volatility. The James Beard Foundation’s Open for Good Campaign is, most naturally, the right initiative--for the industry, for society. On behalf of the Sher family and the Day & Nite family of companies, it is an honor to partner with James Beard for this noble cause.” Mike Berman, Chief Operating Office, Day & Nite Community-focused and independent restaurants are at the heart of every city, town, and village across America, and the world. For over 30 years, the James Beard Foundation has celebrated the best of those restaurants, showcased culinary excellence, and pushed chefs and restaurateurs to use their voices for positive change. Open for Good is the James Beard Foundation’s campaign to help independent restaurants. Open for Good programs provide critical resources to help independent restaurants build the capacity to come back stronger, more equitable, more sustainable, and more resilient. “Through our Open for Good Campaign, the

continued on page 56

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SCOOP

METRO NY INSIDER NEWS, from page 56

James Beard Foundation is committed to helping independent restaurants survive this crisis, rebuild better, and thrive for the long term. Core to that effort is our ongoing commitment to identifying and shining a spotlight on resources that can support our community through this process.” said Kris Moon, Chief Operating Officer of the James Beard Foundation. “As a long-time client of Day & Nite at the Beard House in NYC, we are pleased to expand our partnership to our Open for Good campaign and to highlight the suite of services on offer by Day & Nite that can support chefs and restaurants through their reopening and rebuilding process.” To join the program, email jbf@wearetheone.com.

SFA RELEASES STATE OF THE SPECIALTY FOOD INDUSTRY, 2020-2021 EDITION SCOOP notes that The Specialty Food Association, working with Mintel, has released the 20202021 Edition of The State of the Specialty Food Industry report. The annual research explores the market and where it is going based on sales data from the past three calendar years, sales forecasts in key categories, and a consumer survey that tracks behaviors, preferences, and generational differences shifting the market. This year’s research includes analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on the specialty food industry, including supply chain commentary, to provide insight on market ramifications, challenges, and opportunities in the current business environment. Specialty food sales hit $158.4 billion in 2019, a 10.7 percent increase since 2017, but growth had slowed as the market matured. Foodservice and online sales continued to be bright spots in growing sales, though both now have different landscapes due to COVID-19. The specialty food and beverage market con-

SPINS data shows that specialty food and beverages grew nearly 42 percent versus March 2019. “The impact of COVID-19 on the specialty food industry cannot be underestimated,” said Bill Lynch, interim president of the SFA. “Food retail is an essential business channel and while that has been beneficial to sales for our members, many of whom are small businesses, the overall landscape is both optimistic and uncertain.” Highlights of this year’s State of the Specialty Food research can be found here as well as information to purchase the full report and 10-Year Category Tracking and Forecasts.

tinued to outpace sales of all food, growing three times faster than the entire food and beverage market during 2017-2019. In 2019 more categories than ever before (12) achieved at least $2 billion in annual sales. Cheese and Plant-Based Cheese; Meat, Poultry, Seafood (Frozen and Refrigerated); Chips, Pretzels and Snacks; Coffee and Hot Cocoa (nonRTD); and Bread and Baked Goods topped categories with the highest retail sales. Refrigerated and frozen categories accounted for four of the top five categories with the highest dollar growth and included Refrigerated Plant-based Meat Alternatives; Refrigerated Creams and Creamers; Refrigerated RTD Tea and Coffee; and Frozen Breakfast Foods. Shelf Stable Creams and Creamers rounded out the list. Mintel tracked and forecasted retail sales for the specialty food market overall and 35 key categories from 2014 through 2024, including sales data from SPINS through the first quarter of 2020 to incorporate the pandemic impact. Due to COVID-19, the specialty food industry saw an unprecedented sales spike beginning in March 2020.

MENU SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY’S WORLD. ANTIMICROBIAL, WIPEABLE AND DISHWASHER SAFE. TASTE-ENVY.COM 56 • August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

SCOOP notes that Chobani is donating all profits from a new, limited edition charity flavor of its yogurt to Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks that provide food to people in need. The Chobani Greek Yogurt PB&J flavor, called Food Bank Batch, will be sold at retailers across the U.S. from July through September. “Since Chobani’s earliest days, we’ve had a close

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PAPER RESIN NOTCHED MENUS AND PLASTIC OVERLAYS

CHOBANI DONATES PROFITS FROM LIMITED EDITION FLAVOR TO FOOD BANKS

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SCOOP

METRO NY INSIDER NEWS, from page 58

relationship with food banks. They are beacons of hope and humanity and they need our help more than ever given their communities need them more than ever,” said Peter McGuinness, president of Chobani, in a statement. “Our new Food Bank Batch is another way we can work together to support local food banks and our friends at Feeding America.”

BROOKLYN PRODUCTION CO. AND LOCAL RESTAURANTS TEAM UP TO DONATE MEALS TO FAMILIES IN NEED SCOOP learned that Gage and Tollner in Downtown Brooklyn and Alta Calidad in Prospect Heights both are donating food as a part of Meals on Us, started by Christa Lynch, the owner of the event and production catering company, Brooklyn Braised. They have joined forces with local restaurants starting an initiative that aims to give back to families in need.A total of 500 meals have been prepped and donated weekly by two Brooklyn restaurants partnering to help families in need. “We just want people to be excited and feel like when they open that box of food that it’s like, it’s something delicious and special,” says Caroline Schiff, pastry chef for Gage and Tollner. “Meals on Us is a public service initiative where Brooklyn Braised partners with local restaurants to produce meals to serve to the Kensington shelter, under the umbrella of CAMBA which is a 30-year-old social service agency that has several shelters within the New York City area,” says Lynch. The Meals on Us initiative started at the beginning of June, and in that time Lynch says she’s raised more than $6,000, which goes toward the cost of food and delivery. Lynch says that she wants to raise more money for Meals on Us in hope of partnering with other local restaurants to continue the initiative.

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“Our goal was that this was going to be our first cycle, and then we would have an additional cycle which would start the first week of August, however, in order for us to start that second cycle we need to raise enough funds,” says Lynch. The initiative is a volunteer effort for the restaurant staff that Schiff says gives them purpose during these difficult times.The restaurant was supposed to celebrate its grand opening in March when the pandemic hit, causing the city to shut down, and it hasn’t fully opened since. “Using the kitchen in this way, during these very heart-breaking times, to me it makes sense and it keeps it alive and it gives some positivity and connection to the community,” says Schiff.

FATHER AND DAUGHTER REOPEN LONG-CLOSED 227-YEAR-OLD UPSTATE NY LANDMARK INN SCOOP notes that the long closed 227-year-old Columbus Hotel just outside of Sherburne (Chenango County) has reopened. Edsall Hodges bought the landmark building a few years back and spent a lot of time employing his expertise as a carpenter in renovating the old inn. Today, people are re-discovering this legendary business situated right in the middle of tiny Columbus - population 900. Once called the Columbus Hotel, now dubbed the Columbus Public House, the 1793 building is reported to be the last operating business still standing from the glory days of the historic Cortland to Albany stagecoach run. “Yes, this old structure has many great stories to it,” said daughter Emma, the dining room manager. “The front of the building dates from the late 1700s and the back from the early 1800s. Today, my father has returned it to a place of good food and drink, a comfortable place for family and friends to come and reconnect, as well as turning the most recognizable

building in Columbus into a destination again.” Customers drive more than a half-hour to come and enjoy the lunches, dinners and delicious desserts. “We are fortunate that the big Chobani yogurt manufacturing plant is just down the road, and Golden Artist Colors paint company is right up the road. They have both been very supportive.” The building’s dining rooms are small and “country cozy” with gleaming hardwood floors, antique furnishings and historic area photographs lining the walls. A tavern bar invites you to sit for a spell and enjoy a hand-crafted cocktail. There is a long front porch that goes across the entire length of the building, perfect for dining or relaxing on. There is an original ballroom and meeting hall on the upper level that tells a remarkable story.

CELEBRATED NYC RESTAURANT IL BUCO POPS UP AT MONTAUK’S MARRAM SCOOP notes that while the summer traffic to the East End can move slower than molasses, even midweek, those who emerge blinking into the gilded sunlight of Montauk have reached the end of the rainbow, as far as food and drink are concerned this season. In the age of coronavirus, the eastbound exodus of New York City chefs, owners and beverage directors have been epic, especially while many city restaurants remain closed. Among them is award-winning chef Justin Smillie, who left New York City’s Upland this spring to rejoin owner Donna Lennard of the celebrated NoHo restaurants Il Buco and Il Buco Alimentari e Vinetari. Earlier this summer, the pair decamped to the luxury oceanfront resort Mostrador Marram for the season to take over the kitchen serving their adapted menu with a lot of the New York City favorites, including cast-iron pizza, at the outdoor café.

August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 59

NEWS

EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING

FIFTH GENERATION CANTOR FAMILY EXEC GUIDES INSINGER THROUGH PANDEMIC CHALLENGE

s you can well imagine of the 127-year history of Insinger Machine Company, each leader has faced new challenges. The case could be made that the company’s current leader, Ari Cantor, has been handed the most challenging obstacles ever faced by the family with the on-set of the Pandemic of 2020. From two World Wars to The Great Depression to 9/11, each generation of Cantor leadership has found away to respond to the challenge. The Cantor family saga reads like a Hollywood movie script. “My great, great grandfather Emel Levine was basically a merchant banker who came over to the US in like the late 1880’s.” Ari Cantor noted. “He was a brilliant businessman in the 1910s and twenties. The way he made money was buying

distressed businesses. He actually brought Insinger out of bankruptcy, receivership and thought it was an interesting concept because they had this patent on a thing called a dishwasher, which was at the time was a revolutionary new product.” It is interesting to look back at who Insinger’s neighbors were in Philadelphia at the time. They actually shared the building with an automobile factory, an agricultural food equipment processing plant, a furrier and a paint processing company. The actual design had been created by Mr. Insinger when he was a Dutch immigrant and an engineer. “He designed a product that basically combined a giant cast iron bathtub and a propeller from a boat motor with a leather belt and a drive system,” Cantor said. “There was an open burner ring underneath that

“We are able to handle much smaller orders for a chain that might only need 50 units.” — Ari Cantor

would heat the water in the bathtub and a giant hand crank with wooden basket attached to it.” “You would crank on one side and lower the wooden basket of dishes into the washing side. You leave it there for about 10, 15 minutes, the water would agitate and then you kind of pull the crank up and would then dip it into the clean side. Then sterilize with boiling hot water. It’s very similar to the way you might kind of sterilize an old baby bottle with a pair of tongs, like a glass bottle. With the Spanish flu, typhoid and polio to contend with like COVID today, it was truly a modern sanitizing system. My grandfather originally sold the dishwashers primarily to hotels and resorts along the Mid Atlantic. Atlantic City, which was booming at the time, as well as Manhattan and along the Jersey shore.” In the 1940s, the supply division of the US Navy was located at the With an integrated dispensing pump and built-in lock, the Outpost’s design is unmatched. Simply Philadelphia shipyard. insert the dispensing tube into any sanitizing chemical. Best of all, the unit accepts any one gallon The company was alhand sanitizer container for easy replacements. ready building equip-

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ment for the Navy and when the call went out to minimize weight on ships going to fight World War II. Cast iron needed to be replaced on ships by a new material called Stainless Steel and Insinger took the job. “From the 1930s through probably the late 1970s, about 90% of what we did was fulfilling military contracts. Although, we still do a substantial amount of government business today, most of our business today is commercial kitchens.” Cantor said. In the ‘90s and early 2000s, Insinger became one of the first manufacturers to start making and selling under counter dishwashers in the US market. The design had become popular as a glass washer in Europe. Cantor and his father, Robert, had a vision to market the line domestically as a dishwashing solution. Among the keys to Insinger’s success has been the company’s ability to continue to innovate its manufacturing procedures. “Here we are in the same home we have been in for 100 plus years, constantly trying to introduce the very latest technology to our line. That includes, the intricate bending and cutting of metal. By cutting and welding metal in house. we are able to get product to market really quickly.” Insinger’s insistence on continuing to produce in its own home has also given the company a unique ability to serve key segments of the industry. “We are able to handle much smaller orders for a chain that might only need 50 units. While most of our competitors don’t want anything to do with an order of less than 500 units. “By combining that

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 61

NEWS

By Wyatt Semenuk

FOOD MANUFACTURING

JERSEY CHEESE MANUFACTURER PIVOTS TO EXPAND RETAIL FOOTPRINT

ationwide quarantine and state-mandated social distancing guidelines have rocked the food service industry, creating challenges for restaurants, and their suppliers. Many of these companies are being forced to innovate in order to maintain revenue streams, and Milano’s Cheese has done just that. “We’ve been working with existing foodservice and now retail/grocery distributors and retailers to help supply them with creative menu solutions,” said Justin Tomasino, Executive Director of Milano’s Cheese. The foodservice distributors are extremely intelligent and resilient people. Many of our customers came to us and allowed us the opportunity to provide them with products that would be traditionally distributed in the retail outlets. You’d be surprised at the amount of restaurants that are selling retail items with their take-

out items to build a new revenue stream.” Tomasino, taking to heart the phrase “necessity is the mother of invention,” implemented a new retail initiative into the business, which has traditionally supplied product primarily to customers in the food service industry. This pivot has not only allowed Milano’s to offset the challenges of the Pandemic as the Tomasino led Milano’s Cheese has actually seen an increase in overall sales for the first quarter of 2020. That unmatched growth has come as a result of Tomasino’s ability to create and launch products that respond quickly to the supermarket patron and professional chef’s needs. At the top of the list of those new entries are Milano’s Theo’s Feta & Que Gusto! Hispanic Cheeses. “You have to understand the history to get a feel for how authentic feta cheese needs to be produced,”

“I love to create new brands and products and bring them to market.” — Justin Tomasino Tomasino explained. “Among Greek Mythology, Polyphemus, the Giant Cyclops Son of Poseidon and Thoosa, was the first to discover feta cheese. According to legend, Polyphemus would transport the milk of his sheep in leather sacks. One day, he realized the milk had curdled and taken solid form. Thus, forming the first feta known in history. So our Feta is made the traditional way. Milk, Salt, Cultures and Enzymes. No additives or fillers. Simply Feta. We understand exactly what our retail and foodservice customers are looking for. So we source from ethical farms with Happy Cows and their nutritious milk. We only use All Natural, Gluten Free, Non-GMO & rBST/ rBGH Free Ingredients! Our feta cheese stands aside from the rest and that’s why we named it Theos after the Greek Gods!” Milano’s has created its Que Gusto! Hispanic Cheeses line with a goal of providing the absolute highest quality products. Tomasino explained: “Our vision is to allow you to provide your family and friends a wholesome traditional cheese for any

dish.” Once again, Tomasino looked to the history books to produce the authentic line. Fresco is a fresh semi-soft cheese that is best known as America’s favorite Hispanic cheese. It is slightly salted and creamy with a mild smooth flavor. It is a traditional Mexican farmer’s cheese that’s lightly pressed and salted which has become the most popular Mexican cheese in the US. In the mid 1800’s when the Queso Fresco cheese making tradition started there was no refrigeration so the cheese was made fresh by farmers for consumption the same day it was made, thus the name Queso (Fresco/Fresh Cheese). Mexico’s parmesan known as Cotija is a dry grating cheese similar to Parmesan. It is an aged cheese, packed with flavor and zest that gets better with time. It is named after the town of Cotija in the Mexican state of Michoacán. When the cheese is made, it is white, fresh and salty resembling feta cheese. However, with aging, it becomes hard and crumbly like Parmigiano-Reggiano. Its similarity with Parmesan has earned it the nickname “Parmesan of Mexico”. It is usually saltier than the typical Mexican Cheese, strongly flavored, firm and it does not melt. Northeast supermarket retailers were looking for a new twist on string cheese over the past four months as students who were learning at

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PRESENTED BY

PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS WITH DAY & NITE/ALL SERVICE’S MIKE BERMAN

GETTING TO THE POINT SO YOU CAN GET TO ACTION

obody would ever argue that adding layers of manual procedures and labor is a smart business practice under any circumstance. Unfortunately, in this most challenging environment, the hospitality industry has been backed into far too many corners to make any number of vitally important decisions with little meaningful guidance and less precedent. A lack of reliable information compounded by conflicting analyses against the need to take action only further compounds the problem. As a result, virtually everything done to manage coronavirus, necessary though it undoubtedly is, has been labor-intensive, manual, time-consuming, and costly. Major League Baseball offers a vivid illustration of what can go wrong

Hospitality must immediately find more scalable and reliable technology-driven solutions to escape the similar trap of relying on manual procedures to manage complexity. even when highly structured and organized multi-step labor intensive plans are implemented. Spring Training Part 2, highlighted by comprehensive coronavirus tests, relying on the ever-steady FedEx to rush tests to labs, seemed so perfect on paper; and perhaps it could be. Except for one small fact: this orchestrated series of steps took place over the Independence Day holiday weekend when FedEx was running a very partial operation! The amount of time and knowledge nec-

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essary to consider every possibility and influence for everything needed to create a maximum environmental, workplace, guest, and food safety is truly incalculable. Hospitality must immediately find more scalable and reliable technology-driven solutions to escape the similar trap of relying on manual procedures to manage complexity. Indeed, the literally hundreds of hospitality industry executives and staff we speak with every week confirms this to be a well-accepted fact. But these conversations also reveal a state of suspended decision making animation. In this 15th week column we will get to the constructive point. Since its inception, the Day & Nite family of companies has been manufacturer and product agnostic, a core company value continuing to this day. The Company has unrivaled product performance insights and expertise more than servicing over 1 million distinct pieces of Refrigeration, Cooking, Plumbing, and HVAC pieces of equipment a year in every possible operating environment. As the industry leader, Day & Nite commits significant resources to ongoing product research, analysis, and testing. Regular readers of this column already know Day & Nite started COVID-19 scenario planning as far back as December 2019. Having thoroughly conducted all necessary research, Day & Nite Performance Solutions was launched as

Mike Berman is the Chief Operating Officer of New Hyde Park, NY based Day & Nite/All Service. The veteran executive joined the service leader in 2016. He has held leadership positions in his career across a range of business-to-business service sector. Prior to joining Day & Nite he served as Chief Operating Officer of Outside Ventures, LLC, the parent company for several B2B service businesses with a particular concentration in merchant services. As Director and Chief Operating Officer of Meridian Capital Group LLC, he overhauled the corporate structure and enabled the company to achieve a 2006 run rate in excess of $30 billion.

a specialized environmental quality business unit earlier this year. In fact, by about a decade, the Company’s pedigree predates COVID-19, going back to Green Building/LEED Certification leadership. While the Day & Nite is neither a manufacturer nor manufacturer’s rep, Day & Nite Performance Solutions’ underlying technology was selected after consecutive years of thorough analysis conducted by the industry’s foremost experts. In sum, Day & Nite Performance Solutions integrated, engineered portfolio designed to accomplish one objective: protect and enhance the hospitality industry’s business interests. If you’re knocking yourself reading and researching what to do next, contact Day & Nite Performance and ask for the no-obligation research reports.

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 65

RESTAURANT FINANCE

WITH DAVID SEDERHOLT

FALL IS COMING – THINK AHEAD

hen I was still working in Finance in New York City, at the end of a tough day we would regularly find ourselves at the bar at Bobby Van’s on W. 44th street. Ronan, our favorite Irish bartender, was quick with a greeting and poured exactly what you needed before you even reached a stool. He was always smiling and positive regardless of the crisis and every day I would ask how he was, and he always said… “livin’ the dream!” It seemed like he had the answer for everything. I have always felt that the main reason to write this column every month was to share my experiences and offer advice wherever possible to help people in the foodservice industry. When the biggest problem is a downturn in the economy or even a natural disaster like a hurricane, the parameters around the issue are still fairly well contained and finite. Some problems are bigger than others however in most cases we can put our arms around it and try to fix it. Today seems more like living a nightmare than livin’ the dream and no amount of good cheer or single malt scotch can fix it. We are all caught in a perfect storm with nothing but uncertainty and no real end in sight. The COVID pandemic is burning through the country after months of learning by trial and error how it can be contained. Now that we understand it better, it is mind boggling that the continued surge is largely self-inflicted by some who are defiant naysayers. Science doesn’t care what you believe. The numbers don’t lie, and the virus doesn’t give a crap who you voted for. It is spreading because people are allowing it to happen.

Because of this there are hundreds of thousands of desperate people out of work or with crippled businesses that need to make money to survive. They believe the risk is worth blazing ahead even though they are unsure of the outcome. Unfortunately, it’s not like re-opening after a hurricane or flood because the danger is being carried by the most essential element in our economy – people. Regardless of your politics - everyone wants to get society back to normal, unfortunately with over 4,000,000 cases and 150,000 dead in the US the stakes may be far too high and most of the general public not ready to risk it. Florida, Texas, Arizona and California are getting slammed and most of the south is on the same trajectory. The Midwest is starting to light up with infections and death as well. In a free country, people travel and as a result there is spreading and reinfection in many areas. As we add to our understanding of COVID epidemiologists are finding that even in hard hit countries that only 6-10% of the popula-

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tion is establishing antibodies to prevent reinfection and we need to reach 60-70% to achieve “herd immunity”. Even if we are very lucky, a vaccine and more therapeutic drugs won’t be rolled out in sufficient numbers until about a year from now. This means small business owners and laid off employees really need to think ahead to make their next move. In recently speaking to a number of doctors at Stamford Health in Connecticut, the biggest concern even for a state which has been successful in containment is the double whammy of COVID hitting in the Fall along with Influenza season. They don’t know how these two will play together in the population. Will the second wave of COVID combined with the flu close us down even harder? Then let’s consider the economic situation as our survival is not just dependent on a solid public health strategy. If in a free market, people can’t or won’t come out to spend enough money for our businesses to survive – or employees can’t keep their jobs – what

David Sederholt is a multi-discipline entrepreneur who has launched and built numerous companies in specialty finance, foodservice and commercial real estate over 40 years. After owning, financing and operating over a dozen restaurants in his career he found a niche in serving small businesses seeking financing and strategic advice. For 10 years he served as Chief Operating Officer of Strategic Funding Source, Inc., (now called Kapitus). David has also been a Managing Partner at a boutique investment bank and a specialty commercial real estate firm. He is a regular guest lecturer and contributor to business and industry publications as well as serving as a Board member and advisor to numerous companies and non-profit organizations. He is currently owner of Ragnar Partners, LLC, a private investment and advisory firm. If you have any questions that I might help with, please email me at dsederholt@ ragnarpartners.com

will you do? The Senate hasn’t passed another stimulus package and the one they have on the table won’t be sufficient to sustain the economy for the next year. The enhanced unemployment benefits lapsed bas GOP lawmakers claim people aren’t looking for work – even though more 45,000,000 have lost their jobs, no one has given any answers as to where they should look. To add to the pain, the forbearance on evictions has expired and a tsunami of evictions is expected as landlords gear up. This will then kick already beaten people out of their homes and many out of their businesses. People under this much pressure ds not have sufficient income cover basic expenses nor enough to dine out. The bankruptcies will escalate as we finish this year and the banks are bracing for it by increasing their cash reserves against defaults. JP Morgan Chase set

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 67

NEWS

RESTAURANT OPERATIONS

CAMPGROUNDS: MAKING IT A REMOTE RETREAT WITH MTI

ummer is finally here, and we could not be more excited. Businesses are reopening, people are getting outside, and slowly we are all gaining back a bit of normalcy. Today, campgrounds are becoming increasingly enticing as we navigate the new norm. Families all over are packing up the RV and heading out into the world. The open air and spacious layouts of campgrounds give guests the opportunity to vacation in a safer way. And of course, no vacation is complete without delicious food! Adults and kids alike want to really indulge in scrumptious meals and snacks they might not typically have otherwise. You know, the basic vacation food like, burgers and fries, pepperoni pizzas, and of course fried dough. But it doesn’t stop at the basics. Vacationers are also

Vacationers are also looking for exciting eats! Things like deep fried PB & J’s and BBQ Chicken Flatbreads are simple menu additions that any campground can implement with the right tools. looking for exciting eats! Things like deep fried PB & J’s and BBQ Chicken Flatbreads are simple menu additions that any campground can implement with the right tools. Here, at Motion Technology, Inc., we have been supplying our ventless, portable, kitchen equipment to businesses all over the world for over thirty years. We have worked with all kinds of industries, helping them add successful food service programs with ease. With our fully contained fryers, the AutoFry and high-speed oven, the MultiChef

XL, owners and operators can make their campground the place to be! Now, as vital as it is to have a great menu, it is also equally as vital to ensure safety to your staff and

guests. Both the AutoFry and MultiChef XL are made simple and safe with their hands-free capabilities, fire suppression systems and full containment cavities. Furthermore, both pieces of equipment can be operated by any employee allowing campgrounds to run on a limited kitchen staff. We know it is hard to foresee what the future holds, but with the right investment in the right equipment, businesses can better prepare for whatever comes their way.

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 69

NEWS

OUTDOOR DINING

NYC CITY COUNCIL’S POWERS SEEK TO MAKE RESTAURANT RELIEF MEASURES PERMANENT

s restaurants attempt to restabilize during the coronavirus pandemic, the addition of outdoor dining and curbside cocktail takeaway has provided an avenue for success at some establishments fighting to keep the lights on. In New York City, a council member released a plan late last month that seeks to extend that help to hard-hit bars and restaurants in the coming months. The plan by council member Keith Powers, “Open for Business: Saving our small businesses post-COVID,” proposes the permanent extension of outdoor dining to help small businesses in jeopardy of permanent closure. Other proposals in the plan include allowances for emergency measures on takeaway cocktails and delivery rules, as well as emergency rent relief

for stores that have long been shuttered due to the pandemic. “I’m calling on the entire council and state legislature to take action in the meantime rather than waiting for federal dollars to show up,” Powers noted. While he recognizes the obvious fiscal challenges and looming deficits, Powers says that support of small businesses will be instrumental in “the bounce-back of the city’s economy.” “New York City is defined by our neighborhood businesses, but they won’t be open if we don’t take measures immediately to save them,” Powers told ABC News. “Our report spotlights actionable items that we can take to help them starting today. From the local pizza spot to the neighborhood bar, we need go rescue our cherished local businesses.” Powers said two existing measures have “brought new life to the city”

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“I’m calling on the entire council and state legislature to take action in the meantime rather than waiting for federal dollars to show up.” — Keith Powers since the arrival of the pandemic in March: outdoor dining and takeout and delivery service, both of which he wants to extend permanently. “Outdoor dining has allowed New Yorkers to enjoy their favorite establishments and socialize in a safe and healthy manner,” the plan says. “It has also provided an essential way to keep our favorite restaurants, bars, and cafes in business. New York should learn lessons from this moment and extend outdoor dining permanently.” Over 9,000 establishments have applied and been approved for outdoor dining setups this summer, but currently, restaurants and bars are only able to offer outdoor dining in parking spots and other areas for a few more months. City Council passed a bill last month that allowed for outdoor dining on sidewalks, curbsides, and in parking spots at least until September 8, with the possibility to extend the provision up until December 31. The city’s Open Restaurants program for outdoor dining and roadway seating — in streets and parking spots — was recently extended until Oct. 31st. “We hope this extension helps restaurants not only recoup the expense so many have made in building roadway dining installations, but also helps because in-

door dining has been postponed indefinitely,” commented the New York City Hospitality Alliance’s Andrew Rigie. Powers is urging local leaders to work with other city agencies in order to establish criteria for a long-term program. He also hailed the importance of takeaway and delivery programs, which he hailed as “a lifeline” for bars and restaurants. “It highlighted the archaic Alcohol Beverage Control Law (ABC) that places restrictions on the items that can be delivered. In the earliest phases, the State Liquor Authority’s (SLA) relaxation of the rules on takeout and delivery played a role in helping businesses reopen, rehire, and restart,” Powers’ plan says. “The temporary lifting of restrictions should be extended.” The plan also suggests an assistance program that would suspend the commercial rent tax, a levy on Manhattan businesses below 96th Street, during the remainder of the COVID-19 state of emergency. “In New York City, rent poses a unique challenge for small businesses compared to other parts of the country,” the proposal says. “Congress should allocate federal stimulus funding to the city so that we could create a rental assistance program to address the issue of the exorbitant rent burden our small businesses have faced.”

August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 71

NEWS

NEW PROTOCOLS

HOBART INTRODUCES LINE EXTENSION OF CLeN CONVEYOR DISHWASHER Ventless Operation Can Save Operations Thousands of Dollars

“For medium- and high-volume kitchens, dish room performance is vital to the entire operation” — Tim Peters 72 • August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

obart recently introduced a new line extension for its CLeN Conveyor Dishwashers for operators who want the best rack conveyor performance in dish room environments that require ventless operation. Designed to eliminate direct venting, the CLeN Ventless Conveyor Dishwasher reduces installation costs by over $5,000 by removing the need for a vent hood and ducting in dish room construction. Using Hobart Ventless Energy Recovery technology™, the new Hobart ventless CLeN repurposes hot steam from within the unit to preheat incoming cold water for the final rinse, reducing energy and costs to heat the final rinse water. Hobart’s Ventless Energy Recovery design also repurposes heat to the wash tank, further reducing energy costs while helping maintain wash tank temperatures at 160°F or higher to meet NSF sanitization standards. “For medium- and high-volume kitchens, dish room performance is vital to the entire operation,” said Hobart Product Manager Tim Peters. “Our new CLeN Ventless dishwasher combines best-in-class wash performance with innovative ventless technologies to not only keep up with busy kitchens but also deliver much lower operating costs.” The dishwasher’s highly efficient closed loop design uses 30 percent less energy per rack versus competitive ventless dishwashers while also

reducing total water usage versus competitive due to its superior heat pump design. Compared to nonventless rack conveyor dishwashers, the unit’s performance improvements can create savings of up to $1,200 in annual operating costs. Perfect for new builds or kitchen retrofits, the CLeN ventless dishwasher eliminates steam and ducting from the dish room while saving operators thousands of dollars in energy costs over the life of the machine. At Hobart, an ITW Food Equipment Group brand, it is our mission to provide premium commercial dishwashers that foodservice and food retail professionals can trust to work hard and deliver quality, consistent results day in and day out, empowering them to focus on what they love most – creating great food for great people. Achieve a better clean for less – less time, energy and cost. From sparkling glasses to freshly washed dishware and totes, Hobart commercial dishwashers deliver a level of clean that staff and customers will appreciate. Backed by our nationwide network of 1,500 factory-trained service technicians, we’re always nearby to install, maintain and service your equipment. Hobart is part of the ITW Food Equipment Group LLC (a subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works) and is proud to be an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2008.

August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 73

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

CREATIVE BARTERING OFFERS LIFELINE TO METRO NYC RESTAURANTS

s a New Yorker, I have seen first-hand the hardship that has bludgeoned many businesses in recent months. Every day I walk a mile to my office and am no longer surprised by the boarded-up windows, the “For Rent” signs, or just empty desolate spaces where thriving businesses once flourished. The restaurant industry was immediately affected, for obvious reasons, as they were shut down without notice and zero revenue stream available. Further, the restrictions placed upon them for reopening were additional pressures that added to the hardship. I often wonder, “could that business have been saved?” “did they give up too quickly?” or “what would it take to save them?”. Cash seems the obvious answer, but definitely not so easy to come by. Many restaurateurs found the PPP funding crucial to surviving to the return of outdoor dining this Spring. The government may not be offering a second helping of support, but barter does. Imagine, for a moment, a world where you can buy what you need, without paying cash. Sounds crazy, but it’s not.

I work at a retail barter exchange in NYC, where businesses join our network, and do business with each other without exchanging cash. All types of businesses participate in the exchange including restaurants. Our restaurant owners have stored up “trade dollars” by allowing other members of the exchange to dine with them. You might ask yourself “Why would someone give away free food?”. That’s a good question! First of all, it is not free, as the restaurant is fully compensated for all meals, including tax/tip. And, can

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we be real here? Most businesses, of any type, are not functioning at 100% capacity 100% of the time. Trading allows businesses to turn that excess time into revenue. Who doesn’t like increased profits? That revenue served several of our members well during this difficult period. They were able to use the trade dollars, instead of paying CASH, to get their businesses compliant and back in action. One restaurateur got innovative as he needed to provide comfortable outdoor seating for his patrons. It’s no

Lisa Ellerbee is the President of Superbiz Barter in Manhattan. She is a certified barter professional. You can reach her with questions at 212.537.0274, x 4 or via email at lisa@superbiznow.com

surprise that the price to buy/rent tents was surging with the high demand. Through our company, he secured the tents from one of our participating party companies. He has a monthly renewable contract, beautiful tents, and paid ZERO CASH. All the payments to the party company will come directly out of his barter account, with zero hassle. This restaurant is now on its way to recovery and is able to do so through the power of barter. Using trade dollars, other members were able to purchase necessary items to become compliant, as well. This includes branded hand sanitizers w/ logos, custom made Plexiglass dividers, floor decals, and of course masks. These are just a few of the things you can get via barter. Services such as legal, medical, accounting, advertising are readily available for active traders. If you are curious about barter or trading, just go online and look up “Barter” in your area. You are just one phone call away from saving cash and the freedom to focus on what really matters. And yes, we’re open for business! Check out this short video about Recovery: bit.ly/RecoverThruBarter

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 75

NEWS

Article contributed by C3

RESTAURANT REOPENINGS

KID-FRIENDLINESS IS KEY FOR BRINGING FAMILIES BACK TO RESTAURANTS

hy isn’t it over yet? When can things go back to how they used to be? Like a kid kicking their feet in the backseat wondering whether we’re there yet, these are the questions on so many minds as we all struggle to find our footing in a world impacted by COVID-19. Now that summer has come and some states have begun opening up, many people are feeling braver and more willing to venture out in search of normalcy—families included. What are they looking for when they go back to eat at a restaurant for the first time? How are they feeling? And what are their expectations of restaurants? C3 looked to answer those questions and others when we surveyed over 500 parents with young kids (ages 4-10) during the third week of June 2020. Even though a lot has already changed since June, looking at parents’ behaviors and attitudes during that time reveals what is important to them—and what will keep being important to them—as they bring their families back to restaurants. One key finding: restaurants that create a kid-friendly experience will make parents feel safer and more excited about taking their kids out to eat. Read on to see what else they had to tell

us about going out to eat in these unprecedented times. A Mix of Excitement and Anxiety As families tentatively return to restaurant dining rooms, they’re filled with excitement, worry, and high expectations. Over half of the parents we surveyed are willing to dine indoors at restaurants with their kids in the next month. In fact, by late June, a quarter had already done so. The other half of parents remain hesitant, a percentage that may grow again in the coming weeks as the

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Even though a lot has already changed since June, looking at parents’ behaviors and attitudes during that time reveals what is important to them—and what will keep being important to them—as they bring their families back to restaurants. number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise across the US. Parents’ mixed attitudes about taking their kids into restaurants are mirrored in the emotions they feel about the prospect: The top 5 emotions parents report feeling when thinking of taking their kids out to eat are: excitement, anxiety, worry, joy, and hope. Keeping Kids Safe It’s no surprise that parents have high expectations of safety and sanitation procedures at restaurants. The parents we surveyed want to see clearly visible steps taken to reduce risk, including free hand sanitizer at entrances, sanitation of tables/chairs between customers, employees wearing masks and gloves, spaced out tables, and daily employee temperature checks. They also have expectations of safety procedures that relate specifically to kids. Over half of parents surveyed expect play areas to be closed,

or at the absolute least, sanitized more frequently; two-thirds expect sanitation of high chairs & booster seats between customers; and they expect kids’ toys, cups, crayons, and activity menus to be single use or individually wrapped. Now is not the time to walk away from kid-friendly items like toys, cups, crayons, and activity menus. These items are now more important than ever in restaurants because, as parents told us, they feel better knowing that there’s entertainment to help keep kids safe at the table. Kid-Friendly = More Motivating Not only is kid-friendliness important for families to feel safe, it’s also what will get them excited about going out to eat. In fact, it’s the number one thing— by far—that parents say will make them choose one restaurant over another once they’re ready to take their kids out to eat. The parents we surveyed said kid-friendliness is even more important than the food! Of the 22 options we gave them, here are the top 6 things that parents will look for in restaurants when they’re deciding where to dine out with their kids again. This

continued on page 83

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NEWS

CHEF NEWS

CHEF BRIAN LEE PREPARES A SIMMERING BOUNCE BACK AT GARDEN CITY HOTEL’S RESTAURANTS

ays before the Garden City Hotel would normally host its fancy-hatted annual Belmont Stakes festival in June, guests were instead toasting with to-go cups, celebrating the first week of outdoor dining’s return. Although the hotel didn’t close during the coronavirus pandemic — traveling nurses and other essential workers stayed there during the peak — its restaurants, King Bar and Red Salt Room, conceptualized by celebrity Chef David Burke, remain temporarily closed as of press time, with catered events canceled. In place of the usual fine dining fare, Executive Chef Brian Lee has been cooking up inventive new family friendly casual menus for guests dining al fresco at the Patio Bar on the hotel’s spacious lawn. “We brought the menu comfortably affordable, compared to our normal Garden City standard,” Lee says while presiding over dinner among the grass and trees. “We’re going to interest our locals by catching eyes with a great price and giving it back to the locals who’ve been a fan of our hotel.” Patrons appeared thirsty to try the new menu, judging by brisk business at the Patio Bar during a recent visit on a weekday evening — with tables 6 feet apart to ensure social distancing and mask rules in effect, of course. The hotel has also been open for takeout, curbside pickup, and to-go kits that take advantage of its topnotch inventory. There’s the Steakhouse Burgers Kit featuring the popular short rib burgers and all the sides, the Pizzaiola Kit with ingredients for the best homemade pizza ever to grace an oven, and the Curbside Butcher Kit that includes a choice of dry-aged steaks, chicken, or kielbasa. To protect those staying at the hotel,

Chef Brian Lee in front of the Garden City Hotel

the staff submits to daily temperature checks, requires guests to wear PPE, and management has rolled out the five-phase Rest Easy measure to put worried minds at ease. In addition to cleaning all rooms, housekeepers also disinfect high-touch points, sanitize rooms with a ULV(Ultra-low volume) atomization fogging machine, use virus-eliminating UV light disinfection application, then seal the room, following a management inspection. It’s a lot of work, but nothing that can’t be handled by a hotel that’s been around for 146 years, survived two world wars and multiple pandemics, and was founded when Ulysses S. Grant was president. Chef Lee, who’s been working hotel kitchens for 15 years — most recently

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at Trump SoHo before coming to Garden City — has been the talent that sustains the kitchen during the crisis. “Brian has put in a lot of long hours here,” says Carole Diaz, director of sales and marketing for the hotel. “He’s normally running a restaurant, a bar, and our entire banquets … All of a sudden, the hotel is lower occupancy, we have to figure out how we can still feed our guests and be creative with only very few people.” Creative he has been, having tried four menus since the pandemic hit and already working on a fifth. A recent visit revealed the scrumptiousness of Lee’s chicken dumpling soup ($10), a divine rigatoni pomodoro with shrimp ($20), and a ginger pepper salmon ($20) grilled to perfection

with sides of forbidden black rice, broccoli rabe, caper berries, and cherry tomatoes. Of course, no trip to Garden City Hotel is complete without a sample of the famed Burke bacon, a thick-cut maple-glazed strip of sowbelly prepared with a chef’s torch. A staple at all of Burke’s restaurants, it’s normally served on a clothesline. But Chef Lee fired it up a notch, taking the chocolate-covered version of Burke bacon and adding a shaved almond and crushed pretzel crust. The result is as ridiculously delicious as it sounds. The match baked in heaven stems from Chefs Lee and Burke, who both live in Fort Lee, New Jersey, sharing a flare for culinary precision. “As crazy or as great as something is, you have to have a reason for it,” Burke said “And there has to be some fundamental foundation or groundwork from a regional perspective, seasonal perspective, or digestive perspective. You can’t just pull things out of midair.” But what’s also fundamental in the current climate is rebuilding relationships with the regulars, which is what the new, more affordable menu is all about. “True leaders, when the time is tough, actually find an opportunity to give back to the guests,” Lee says, “instead of trying to scrape them for another penny.”

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NEWSMAKER

JOHN ENGEL, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, CINTAS FACILITY SERVICES

hen you drive through the Tri-State area, among the constants are Cintas trucks parked throughout each of New York City’s boroughs as well as the Main Streets of the suburbs in New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island. As the restaurant community looks to reopen, first for outdoor dining and then welcoming guest indoors, they need a simple solution to the new cleaning protocols. Total Food Service searched out John Engle who heads those efforts for the Cincinnati, OH based company to get his thoughts on best practices for reopening. Can you share with our readers a brief history of Cintas? When Cintas opened, who was the target customer? Established by Doc and Amelia Farmer in 1929, Cintas began as a business that collected and laundered used rags from local factories and sold them back to businesses. When Dick Farmer took over in 1957, Cintas ventured into uniform rental. In 1973, the Cintas name came to

John Engel

be, and the logo began appearing on Cintas trucks. When and why did Cintas begin serving the restaurant and hospitality professional? Cintas began serving the hospitality and restaurant industry as businesses started to reach out to us asking if we could help them. However, when we launched our facility services in the early 90s, we expanded our product line and received more attention from those businesses because we were able to offer products that were specific to restaurants and hospitality. Cintas touches on a wide diversity of essentials for the restaurant and hospitality operator from Uniforms to first aid. Can you please share an overview of that portfolio? Cintas offers a wide range of products and services that enhance an organization’s image and its bottom line. Cintas’ portfolio includes: Uniform & Apparel, which offers chef coats, pants, aprons and other custom uniform programs that help operators protect their brand image; Facility services, such as restroom supplies, mat services, tile & carpet cleaning, restroom cleaning and more to help businesses improve their image, protect their business and save money; First Aid & Safety, which provides a variety of first aid and safety solutions like first aid supplies, AEDs and training to help businesses be prepared for the unexpected; and Fire Protection, which helps businesses protect their assets with services such as fire extinguisher inspection and training, fire sprinkler system inspection, fire alarm monitoring, emergency and exit light inspection and more.

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How have the needs of the restaurant and food service operator evolved prior to COVID-19? Prior to COVID-19, most restaurants were focused on achieving a positive image. This included: utilizing our ChefWorks uniform service, which offers world-class culinary apparel garments that provide image consistency as coats, pants and aprons are delivered fresh and clean each week; keeping entrances clean and presentable with the use of our high-performance mats like the Cintas Active Scraper® Mat, Cintas Traffic® Mat and Cintas Xtraction® Mat; and avoiding malodors in restrooms through restroom cleaning services such as Cintas UltraClean®, which removes all soil and dirty water that prevents cross-contamination and odor-causing bacteria. How has COVID-19 changed the needs of the foodservice operator? In today’s environment, customers are hypersensitive about facility cleanliness. Good enough is no longer good enough, and people’s perception of clean has changed. We understand businesses are taking a more detailed look into developing and adhering to cleaning protocols. Based upon the feedback we are receiving, businesses appear to be more interested in increasing the frequency of outsourced, professional restroom deep cleans to focus on dirt removal while also applying disinfectants and sanitizers to high-touch surfaces. Our customers are also conducting more frequent spot checks and ensuring that issues are addressed immediately and proactively. Ensuring a restroom is stocked with paper and soap is critical as empty dispensers can negatively impact customers’ per-

ception of a business resulting in lost business. Businesses should also promote what they are doing to clean and disinfect their restrooms to help instill customer confidence. One of your specialties is uniform rental. Is the key moving forward in the fabric utilized or in the way textiles are laundered? We are starting to see an increase in culinary apparel rental and laundry service. For example, the culinary rental program delivers clean chef coats, pants, cook shirts and polos each week and takes the soiled garments back to be laundered. With no upfront investment, operators can provide employees with a program where they are able to change into clean garments every day, and throughout the course of the day if necessary. It eliminates the need for employees to take home their uniforms and ensures that items are cleaned with our laundering service. The laundering service washes and dries uniforms at high temperatures and is designed to eliminate certain bacteria and viruses. We also offer a line of antibacterial suiting which prevents the growth of bacteria, and antimicrobial shirting, including polos. We are even hearing about a move towards re-useable/washable face masks. Thoughts? The importance PPE such as face masks will continue to increase as more businesses start to reopen and states continue to require the use of face masks in public. Cintas recently launched a Face Mask rental service, where masks are delivered to businesses weekly and cleaned with

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NEWS

By Francine Cohen

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

A SIP OF PARADISE GARDEN BROUGHT TO LIFE

he next time you have a cocktail in Atlanta, it is quite possible that the bartender not only made your drink, but also grew the ingredients for it. In their very own garden. While others have been busy baking sourdough and banana bread, the hospitality community in Atlanta has had its fingers deep in the good earth. And what better time? If our time with this global pandemic has taught us anything as we roll through the ravages it visits upon us, it is that the human spirit is resilient. And that creativity, imagination, hope, and simplicity turns out to be the solution to what appears to be insurmountable problems. This return to a simpler time, when we relied upon our own green thumbs to provide nourishment and peace, is at the heart of Keyatta Mincey-Parker’s urban garden in East Atlanta. Her urban oasis known as A Sip of Paradise Garden is a haven for Atlanta’s bartenders and chefs who tend to their plots, growing fruit, tomatoes, corn, fennel, cabbage, lavender, thyme, basil, mint, lemon balm and more for cocktail development, and simply feeding their own families and neighbors. Born out of a larger project as part of a cocktail competition that she ultimately did not win, Mincey-Parker has turned her dream of a business plan into reality. This spot had laid dormant for five years, and thanks to a relationship she had with the Community Farmers

and create a peaceful space for their minds. This new Monday Meditations program goes hand in hand with Mincey-Parker’s desire to build this earthbound getaway for her colleagues. She concludes, “I wanted a space my friends could grow what they want. I wanted people to invest something. I wanted them to invest something in having a piece of land. When you get your fingers in dirt it raises your endorphin levels. Gardening is hard. And when you see what you have planted grow it is insane. It feels really good.”

Market, she was bequeathed the land in perpetuity. After creating a board of directors, business plan and a budget she got down to it, splitting the plot into 46 individual plots that can be rented for the growing season of May to December. Most are 4’ x6’ feet, and seven of them are communal; the rest belong to individuals who pay a nominal fee and tend to their own plots, growing whatever they desire. At a time where bartenders and chefs in Atlanta, and around the country, are at the whim of a virus and local governments a spot like this becomes even more necessary. Says MinceyParker, “What’s really helped me through all of this is that I don’t have to clock in, in the garden I don’t have to move any faster than I want to do; I move as I want and leave as I want. Really, it is everyone’s haven. Especially at a time where there is so much

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noise going around. It is the one place where you can be safe.” She continues, “It’s a place for bartenders to retreat. We need that. People unload on us a lot whether you are working in dive bars where you are churning and burning, or at clubs, in fine dining or at cocktail bars. This space is for us and it has turned into this thing with so many people interested, including chefs who want to do classes. So many people who want to share their vision.” That vision has created an even tighter sense of community for the gardeners who spend their time tilling their plot in this old-fashioned neighborhood. On Mondays ten plot owners gather twice monthly, not just to garden, but to meditate. This half-hour session, led by Tasha Cyril, a managing partner of a restaurant group in Atlanta, offers a socially distanced way for the gardeners to reflect

Tips/insights for starting your own garden: 1. Actually take the time to plan it all out, what you want to grow, when you can grow and how to grow. 2. No one can do this alone, from window garden to backyard garden to community garden, ask for help, it can be overwhelming. 3. Enjoy it for what it is 4. The most important...things have to die in order for things to live. Do not be discouraged if you do not have a full harvest. It is ok. Mrs. Mincey-Parker is available for consultations if you are interested in creating an urban garden of your own and can be reached at picturesandcocktails@gmail.com Francine Cohen is Editor in Chief/ Founder of insidefandb.com, an online hospitality industry trade magazine and strategic marketing firm.

KID FRIENDLINESS

from page 76

list shows parents are putting a lot of emphasis on what will give their kids a good experience. • They’re kid-friendly (57%) • They have my favorite food / food I’m craving (49%) • They have my kids’ favorite food / food they’re craving (46%) • I trust their sanitation and safety procedures (45%) • They provide fun and safe things to entertain my kids while we’re in the restaurant (43%) • My kids request to go there (40%) What do these parents mean when they say “kid-friendly?” “Activities at the table, even just the typical menu and crayons is good,” said one respondent. “I went to one recently that didn’t have a kids menu or crayons given out and my daughter kept asking for

them. We finally found a receipt paper and a pen.” “Puzzles and other fun activities,” specified another. A third clarified: “A very child-friendly place will have waiters who actually like kids.” In other words, being kid-friendly starts with giving kids activities that they’ll love, but it’s also about creating an experience that tells kids and families that this is a place for them. There are so many creative ways to make families feel welcome, and now’s the time invest and innovate in this space to make sure your restaurant is a top choice for families. Families’ High Expectations At the end of the day, parents are still looking to restaurants to give their families a great dining experience, one that includes all the things that make going out to eat extra special for their kids. And for 73% of the parents we surveyed, that expectation of a great dining

experience is just not the same as it was pre-COVID—it’s even higher now. Why? Because, in this environment, parents feel that if they are going to take the risk of taking their kids out to eat at a restaurant, they want that risk to be worthwhile. In conclusion, many families are ready (or almost ready!) to start coming back into restaurants to eat, and though they’re craving a comfortable and familiar experience, they know that some things will need to be different. They’re keeping an eye out for the ways brands are striving to keep them safe, healthy, and entertained, and they want their choices to be worth it— not just to them, but to their kids. There is a unique opportunity here not to walk away from things that add to the experience, but to lean into the realities of 2020 and invest in strategies to keep families choosing to come back.

But time moves strangely during a pandemic. By the time you read this, the situation may have changed drastically again … though the things families want and need likely haven’t. C3 - Creative Consumer Concepts is the largest family and kids-focused marketing firm in the U.S. dedicated to the restaurant and hospitality industry. For more than 30 years, we have helped restaurants passionately communicate and promote their brands to families and children through research-based recommendations and masterful design expertly conceived and flawlessly executed. C3 was founded on six Centers of Excellence: Kids, Design, Toys, Promotions, Distribution and Charity; and continues to be the preeminent provider of educational-based activities and collateral advocating healthy lifestyles. Learn more at http://www. c3brandmarketing.com

August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 83

LEGAL INSIDER

from page 50

able if (1) it does not violate public policy, (2) the intention of the parties is clear and unmistakable based on the language of the waiver, and (3) the waiver’s provisions are “clear and coherent.” Thus, a waiver must very clearly explain the risks associated with dining at the restaurant and the rights that the customer is agreeing to waive. Courts have not yet ruled on any COVID waivers so it is not clear if such waivers will be enforced in this context or if such waivers will be deemed void as against public policy. Practical concerns limit the usefulness of liability waivers for restaurants. Customers may be reluctant to sign such a waiver and courts are not likely to enforce a waiver based on mere signage.

MILANO’S CHEESE

Any feelings of vulnerability restaurants may have regard to COVID-19 claims should be assuaged somewhat by the great difficulty of proving that a visitor to a restaurant caught COVID-19 there and that the illness resulted from negligence. Liability Waivers for Employees COVID liability waivers cannot protect business from claims by their employees. Such protection is, however, not necessary because workers’ compensation laws protect business from virtually all personal injury claims by making workers’ compensation benefits employees’ sole remedy for workplace illnesses and injuries. For example, in New York, Section

11 of the New York Workers’ Compensation Law provides that “[t]he liability of an employer prescribed by [§ 10 of the Law to pay workers’ compensation benefits] shall be exclusive and in place of any other liability whatsoever, to such employee...” Under workers’ compensation laws, employees cannot sue in court for unintentional workplace injuries and illnesses. Thus, a business does not require a liability waiver to be protected from COVID-19 lawsuits by employees – a waiver is inherent in the workers’ compensation law. In light of that, businesses may ask, “Can employees waive their rights to bring workers’ compensation claims? The answer is “no.” The other main source of potential liability from claims by employees

arising from COVID-19 is the federal Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OSHA”). In general, OSHA requires employers to provide workplaces free from conditions that are likely to lead to serious injury or death. Like workers’ compensation protections, employees cannot waive the protections provided by OSHA. An executive order of the President, however, encourages OSHA to accept good faith compliance efforts and to take enforcement action only when good faith compliance efforts are absent. In summary, liability waivers do have a role in protecting businesses from claims arising from COVID-19, but their utility is limited. They certainly are no substitute for vigilant efforts to prevent COVID-19 exposure.

If they have to meet a deadline, our office is at their disposal. We truly focused on building a real partnership with our customers. An environment where I help you, you help me, and we all succeed together.” The innovative executive’s ideology has been instrumental in helping Milano’s Cheese grow from its humble Brooklyn origins into one of the leading suppliers in the Northeast and a household name in the industry. Even though Milano’s has already seen success with this new retail initiative, Tomasino doesn’t intend to let it stop there, because as he puts it: “There are plenty of suppliers wanting to take your place and ready to do what it takes to get there.” This means that constant experimentation and innovation is required to maintain its status. Fortunately, Tomasino knows his customer base. “I like to think of Northeasterners as birds of the same feather, people always willing to try something new and exciting,” Tomasino said. “I love to create new brands and products and try bringing them to the market. I frequently stay with my staff during in-store demos to gauge responses.

Sometimes they’re not what you want to see but they’re always a great learning tool.” Milano’s already has several new retail items designed to service takeout, including Grated Parmesan, Garlic, Oregano, and Crushed Red Pepper Packets. For over 35 years, Milano’s has simultaneously managed to put the customer first, as well as leave a personal touch on every product that leaves its door, and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. “A mother that is grocery shopping, week after week, to cook dinner for her family, is just as much of a professional as a Michelin star chef,” Tomasino concluded. “People know quality. If you provide the best product on the shelf, the consumer isn’t afraid of paying that little extra to make their meals so much better.” Tomasino and his team’s unwavering commitment to listening to the needs of the changing retail and foodservice marketplaces have enabled Milano’s to ascend to a position of market leadership in the Northeast, in a very short period of time.

from page 62

home looking for a high quality fun snack. They have found it with Que Gusto’s Oaxaca (Wa-ha-ka) cheese. It is Mexico’s most popular cheese because it melts and strings like no other when heated, forming delicious long strings when pulled. Oaxaca is a semi soft cheese like un-aged Monterey Jack, but a mozzarella-like string cheese texture. It is named after the state of Oaxaca in Southern Mexico, where it was first made. Milano’s Que Gusto line also features Blanco, a very popular Caribbean cheese. It is mild, firm yet smooth in texture and softens without melting. This culinary wonder doesn’t separate into solids and oils when heated or grilled. It becomes soft on the inside. “When you bite into it, it squeaks like a fresh cheese curd and rewards you with a buttery creaminess found in only the best mild cheeses,” Tomasino explained. Although initial questions of production lines and slotting allowances were new and challenging the Garden State manufacturer has found its stride. With a brand new, retaildedicated facility for jars and cups, as well as cutting-edge automated

packaging lines, Milano’s production lines output over 200 jars and cups per minute, and the company is now private labeling products for many of the most popular brands on supermarket shelves today. When it comes to slotting, Mr. Tomasino has a very specific approach: “Your customers are your partners in the business of making money. If you have the funds available and you believe in your product, you have to take the shot. At the same time, your customers understand that risk you have to take and that it may be more beneficial to both to give a really great everyday price.” As Tomasino puts it: “It’s all a partnership, a discussion, not a negotiation.” This isn’t the first time Milano’s has put the customer first. Ever since Tomasino took over sales and marketing, he has made it a point to be in tune with the customer’s needs. “My first goal jumping into sales and marketing, was understanding each and every customer, basically what made their worlds turn. When I sit with a customer, I want to know everything that’s on their mind. If they have a freight issue, I’ll help solve it.

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SAFE EATS

founder Suarez, continued in describing what led to the establishment of Safe Eats. “By last count we were monitoring over a dozen agencies. We were totally stressed about our ability to navigate our businesses through the health crisis and had a thought: What if we there was a single source for safety guidelines that we could rely on? How great would that be for us. How great would that be for our industry?” Suarez’s next mission is for Open Table and Resy to add the Safe Eats certification to the restaurant listings on those web sites. Suarez brings a diverse background to the Safe Eats launch. After growing

SEDERHOLT

HOSPITALITY PROFILER

from page 8 up in a home with parents who were both accomplished cooks, he went on to study finance at Wharton. It wasn’t long before he returned to his passion for food. His return to industry came with a staff position at Blue Fin in New York’s Times Square. That iconic eatery was owned by the legendary Steve Hanson. “Only in the restaurant business could you go from making $10 an hour working for someone to having them as a partner in your own restaurant,” Suarez quipped. He was slated to team with Hanson to open a NYC restaurant that is now on hold in response to the pandemic.

from page 66

aside and additional $10.4 billion and Citibank stashed another $5.6 billion. They also realize that “the massive government stimulus and the enhanced unemployment benefits have made it difficult to gain a true picture of future economic health”. This begs the question for foodservice owners and operators – how will you survive? I saw an interview this morning with Danny Meyer’s the owner and founder of the Union Square Restaurant Group and Shake Shack. He emphasized that the pandemic will force the industry to change drastically in order to survive. The question for those directly on the battlefield Should you continue the fight and try to hold on or should you put together a well thought out exit strategy? If you are a foodservice employee, should you follow Ivanka Trump’s erstwhile inane advice a “find something new!”? This from a person who was never hungry or had to find and keep a job in her life. Sorry, I can’t go looking for a job today, I’m on the sidewalk after my eviction! If you are a laid off employee in a restaurant you should be considering other options. If you think you are going to rely on government assistance, you are probably fooling yourself. In the past 12 months the budget deficit soared

over $3 TRILLION and because of the pandemic stimulus money poured out of the Treasury with deficit spending outpacing GDP since World War II. The current US debt is OVER $25 TRILLION. With every industry in need and the average worker and small business owner on the brink of catastrophe, the government simply cannot prop up everyone. It’s not politics – it’s simple math. To make matters worse, in many cities we are seeing social unrest and protests that have completely closed sections of cities unrelated to COVID. How do these businesses continue even with restrictions? The hard facts are that the restaurant business will not be the same for a long time. Face it. It is time to think ahead and ask yourself hard questions. Margins have always been tight and costs are going up while occupancies will be held at 25 – 50% of capacity indoors and the Fall and Winter are coming, so outdoor dining won’t last forever. In the last column I urged people to collect the facts, face the fears and then attack the problem. With the storm clouds continuing to swirl around us and the additional challenges of the winter ahead – what will you do? It’s time to do some aggressive planning.

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Hosts are reluctant to book in advance, not knowing what the future will hold. So, should a second wave come, and we are forced to adjust, we’ll be much better prepared. We are working with the mindset of “one day at a time.” What kinds of events do you anticipate hosting first? What are the “safest” events to host? Since we are located on a golf course with over 160 acres, we have the blessing of being able to social distance. We are looking forward to bringing back live music with social distanced seating and continue to provide our takeout menu for picnic style dining. Traditional golf tournaments are off the table for right now. However, small-scale shotgun style tournaments with a boxed lunches and to-go meals could be feasible. So how many golfers pre-pandemic was the capacity? Our tournaments can host 144 golfers with a seated or buffet dinner and cocktails. Now, only 50 golfers with a boxed lunch or to-go meal. What about the annual fundraisers? Event hosts are faced with the challenge of soliciting funds during a pandemic, and therefore are holding off completely. Can you put up a tent for additional dining room space? We have pondered that, but we are so committed to maintaining our consistent dining experience, that the quality and the authentic service would be diminished, so for now we’ve decided against that for our ala carte dining. What are some issues you might have experienced during this time with your suppliers? Most of our shortages we experienced initially were cleaning supplies. Like everyone else we could not get hand sanitizer, and even to-go bags. All that has been rectified now. We did experience huge fluctuations in some items. Ironically, chicken wings dropped in pricing because

from page 28 bars were closed, and they weren’t selling as much. There was a disparity between distributors being flexible with minimums. 100% of our local purveyors were super supportive and flexible. Our menu is very seasonal, so we are fortunate that because we’re in the spring so much can be sourced locally from beef and pork to salad greens, herbs and vegetables, beer. Any surprises? A few years ago, we built an outdoor BBQ & walk up beverage station for our golfers. It was an underutilized addition until recently. Now, Golfers don’t have to come inside for drinks and food afterwards, they can walk right up to the outdoor grill and grab a burger and a beer. How has this experience helped you grow as a restaurant owner/event space/business owner? Changing our perspective on how far out we can plan has brought management closer together. The conversations we needed to have were sometimes painful, but we were forced to face the new reality. We have a deeper appreciation for each other and for our loyal customers who continue to come out to support us has been our silver lining. About the Copake Greens: www. thegreensatcopake.com Copake Country Club — public golf, private quality, since 1921. Our stunningly designed 18-hole golf course is enveloped by the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the shores of Copake Lake, and the unparalleled vistas of Columbia County in upstate New York. The Greens—a restaurant and bar serving club fare and finely prepared American cuisine, we’ve got something for everyone. Whether it’s a quick bite after your round or a special occasion meal with all your friends and family, we invite you to join us any time of year for a spectacular dining experience. Cozy up to our 360 degree fireplace in the winter or snag a table on the deck in summer, with friendly familiar service we’re sure to become your new favorite dining destination.

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CHEF ANDREW CARMELLINI meal exclusive to hotel guests, where maximum capacity will be 15. In-room dining will also be limited contact, as tables will be presented outside of guest room doors and team members will maintain a six-foot distance from guests when greeting and delivering. The hotel is continuing to use top-of-the-line cleaning products and CDC Level 2 encasements for bedding offering full protection of pillows, mattresses and duvets and conducting a deep clean between every stay. Guest luggage is also sanitized as soon as it is in a team member’s possession and again after being placed in the room. Team members

CHEF NICK VOGEL

from page 4 are pre-screened, receive temperature checks throughout the day and will be equipped with masks, gloves and other necessary PPE. The reopening of Chef Andrew Carmellini’s restaurants at the hotel reflects a hopeful turning point for the industry and marks the long awaited return of favorite menu items. While Carmellini has spent the last quartercentury in New York opening some of its most iconic restaurants (Locanda Verde, Bar Primi, The Dutch) his roots are in the Midwest. Shinola Hotel and his Southern Italian restaurant, San Morello, provided his first foray into the region that raised him.

“Now more than ever we’re seeing the importance of food in fostering connections and refuge from people’s daily lives,” Carmellini said. “In this reopening phase, we are excited to once again be providing just that and doing what we love for our guests in a safe and comfortable environment.” The hotel’s Southern Italian restaurant San Morello is an urban neighborhood restaurant, that boasts expanded outdoor seating and renowned dishes such as sheep’s milk ricotta accompanied with hot honey & garlic and whole chicken. Restaurant ‘Rosalina’ continues to offer to-go and delivery order service.

Detroit’s open-air American beer hall, The Brakeman, is back serving Midwest craft brews. Penny Red’s, the casual venue adjacent to The Brakeman, known for buckets of fried chicken, honey-butter biscuits and local farmstead sides, has also reopened and will continue to offer to-go and delivery order service. Carmellini and Shinola’s operations feature new sanitation and safety protocols in line with Michigan’s state health guidelines such as staff wellness checks, face mask and social distancing requirements, and disinfecting surfaces between uses have been put in place at the restaurants.

my kitchen between the hours of 5pm to 11:30 pm, every night. I’m early on in my career, and I don’t think I deserve television or a brand yet. I’m focused on being happy and

consistent with the food that I’m putting out and finding my voice on the plate. Creating a brand pales in comparison to creating my own identity as a chef right now.

from page 24

brought on by Covid, I might never have had the opportunity in my career to take over a restaurant, or a hotel for that matter, and start from scratch. I was the only person in the back office and kitchen for 30 days, mopping the floor and developing and testing recipes. I had an entire month to rewrite breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, which never would have been possible under normal circumstances. Basically, every restaurant in the country experienced a closing and reopening, which if utilized properly can have a very positive impact. Were you ready when Governor Cuomo gave the green light to open? There’s never a time like the present, so whether I was ready or not isn’t even relevant. My company didn’t micromanage me, instead they gave me the tools I needed to operate 21 meals a week with a focus on revitalizing a dinner service. I think the key to making the best of this situation is to continue doing what we’re good at, and to not overthink it to the point of detriment. We all miss the simple things, a busy dinner service, re-firing a steak for a customer at table 50 or a broken ticket machine. To me, the goal was to put people back to work. This is not only vital for operational needs,

but for people’s livelihoods and morale. People need paychecks and people need to eat, so when you can satisfy both of those requirements, success comes naturally. Did you bring in distributors such as Baldor, Dairyland, or J. Kings, and show them what you wanted to do with the menu? I use some distributors, but I’m most interested in partnering with local farmers and fishermen. I was amazed by the farming when I moved to Long Island two months ago, it’s incredible. Today’s my off day and I was at a farm for hours this morning, picking vegetables in the field with my girlfriend and bringing back all sorts of great ingredients. The reason I’m here is to get back to the roots, after all. The big distributors are all great businesses and they’ll always play their part. However, in an area like this where I can have a focused dinner service, showcasing nature’s bounty is what I’m all about. Would you like to brand around yourself? Your own television show, or cookbooks, for example. If that comes along with the territory, so be it, but my priority right now is expediting and plating every single one of the dishes that leaves

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JOHN ENGEL

from page 80

Cintas’ industrial wash process, which is stronger than home laundry. We deliver packs of 50 masks weekly. Once masks are worn employees can deposit them into a secure soil bin, so they don’t have to bring them home. During weekly deliveries, a Cintas representative picks up the bin that includes the worn masks and cleans them at a Cintas facility. This Face Mask Rental service increases employee confidence for workplace safety. We expect restrooms to emerge with new protocols. What does Cintas see? The two most common requests are for our Cintas UltraClean® restroom deep cleaning service and touchless dispensers. People are sensitive to touching surfaces in today’s COVID-19 environment. This especially holds true in a restroom. Fortunately, hands-free dispensers can make the restroom experience better. Using paper from a touchless dispenser, visitors can navigate their way out of a restroom touching nothing at all. We’ve also seen an increase in demand for our Cintas UltraClean® restroom deep cleaning service. Interestingly, many customers now want the service performed during the day rather than at night. Businesses want customers, employees and building visitors to see they are cleaning their restrooms thoroughly. Businesses are also increasing frequency because they know restrooms are an area within their facility that everyone visits. Cintas has offered a back of the house/ Clean Zone program for a number of years. How will that program evolve with the changes ahead? Businesses will pay more attention to their zone cleaning practices in era of the new norm. We expect more awareness and more demand for making sure there is separation of cleaning tools, cleaning chemicals and everything they need to run their business. Businesses will want to ensure that the mop they’re using in the kitchen isn’t the same mop that will be used in the restroom. This is also important as different floor types require different solutions so you will have different tools

and solutions for each area. Additionally, using dual chamber mop buckets will separate dirty water from cleaning chemicals, which extends the use of chemicals and make it easier to remove dirty water when cleaning is complete. With the dual chamber, floors can be much cleaner because you’re not swishing dirty water around from a muddy solution of a one-chamber bucket. For quick cleaning, businesses can use the Pulse mop, which stores cleaning chemical on a microfiber mop, eliminating mop bucket preparation

and saving time on quick clean ups. This can instill confidence in customers when they realize that they’re entering a clean facility. The 21oz refillable reservoir allows the right cleaning chemical to be used for the right job. Your towel wiping solutions have been utilized by many restaurant and food service professionals. Why does proper attention to this become vital as we get ready to re-open? There are several surfaces that need to be wiped down regularly within the foodservice industry. This includes

surfaces such as tables, chairs, bars, kitchen prep areas, etc. We expect to see an increase in demand as foodservice workers adjust to customers’ new expectations around cleaning and disinfection. Regularly laundering and replacing towels and wipes can help avoid cross contamination and reduce the spread of germs. What’s the next step for an operator that would like more info on Cintas solutions? Call 844-404-6953 to request a quote or visit cintas.com to learn more.

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August 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 89

TAVERN OF TALES

from page 27

and the adjusted tabletop games utilize items from our library that can be sanitized after each use. As guidelines change, we are looking forward to gradually and safely reopening the indoor café, then, eventually, opening its private game rooms to return players to interactive and sound-enhanced gameplay experiences. Can you share any best practices working with Boston distributors? When businesses originally closed for the quarantine all the distributors we worked with from local brewery, Bentwater Brewing, to national distributor Sysco have been very understanding and helpful in this time. It was very easy for us to put on hold our deliveries while we all focused on trying to contain the pandemic. When it looked feasible to begin reopening again, we were able to reach out and seamlessly begin the process of getting deliveries going so that we could reopen without issue. We spent a lot of time during quarantine experimenting with new dishes for potential entrees to serve and were delighted to find that our distributor was easily able to provide the source quality ingredients and add it to our delivery. As the menu grows and expands, we

SYLVIA’S RESTAURANT the migration north to escape the harshness of the Jim Crow South. The newlyweds landed in Harlem in 1944 where Herbert took odd jobs and Sylvia worked in a Long Island factory. One day on her dreaded commute to work, she passed Johnson’s luncheonette and noticed a help wanted sign. She took a chance and went in. Mr. Johnson asked Sylvia if she had restaurant experience and she quickly answered yes. He then asked her to go behind the lunch counter to make a pot of coffee. As she got closer, she remembered burning the rice as a child. She then told

came up with a way to keep offering the community a way to enjoy board gaming while being stuck at home. Tavern of Tales’ GameMasters began preparing Dungeons and Dragons sessions online for people to enjoy from the safety of their own homes. Dungeons and Dragons has been the classic RPG for generations. There are a lot of online resources for people to play together online. I had my staff begin constructing a world and a unique story for people to enjoy. Since we were moving to online this also allowed us to build

our community and reach out to people outside of the Boston area to participate. In the last 3 months, we’ve had 42 sessions for 52 participants. Many of whom have participated in many of the sessions since the beginning. A majority of them are around Boston but many come from farther away. Now that we’re focused on reopening, we’re looking to transition what we’ve offered online back to our game rooms. Many of the people we’ve met online have expressed interest in coming to the Tavern and finally getting to meet everyone in person. Even though the pandemic really affected us and closed us down we were able to take a step back and focus on building our community while maintaining social distancing. There’s been a recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases throughout the US and we at Tavern of Tales don’t want to be a part of the issue, which is why we’ve been taking our phased reopening much slower than most businesses. We’re also changing the way our games will be played to provide safe environments for people. We’re all looking forward to seeing people in our game rooms, sharing drinks and going on amazing adventures together soon.

the family farm. Sylvia did as he suggested and although the value wasn’t quite enough, Mr. Johnson sold the 35-seat luncheonette to his guests’ favorite waitress, Sylvia Woods. On August 1, 1962 Sylvia’s Restaurant was born. Sylvia and her family grew the business to its present-day status, an institution that has served everyone from celebrities, to everyday Harlemites, to Heads-of-States and Presidents alike. Her parents’ prayer continues to be lived out, as three generations of Woods Family own and operate the business; inclusive of a national line of Sylvia’s

Food Products, two successful cookbooks, an impressive real estate portfolio and Sylvia’s most prized accomplishment – The Sylvia and Herbert Woods Scholarship Foundation. At the start of the covid-19 pandemic The Woods Family started a Sunday Food Pantry in Partnership with the National Action Network and the CARE Organization. The story of Sylvia’s cannot be written without its past. And each new day brings with new life, love, and opportunity that makes Sylvia’s the endearing Harlem restaurant that still sustains its community today.

Outdoor drink options at Tavern of Tales in Boston, MA

will continue to look for partnerships that can help support local businesses and provide its patrons with an enhanced experience. Can you summarize your initial and ongoing concerns of the pandemic’s impact on your business? When the city was shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic my main concern was being able to support my staff. The GameMasters here at Tavern of Tales are the key factor in how our game experience works. After a few brainstorming sessions, I

from page 42 Mr. Johnson that she was raised on a farm in South Carolina and had been cooking all of her life. She also told him that she had never been in a restaurant before, but if he gave her this opportunity that she would be his best worker. Sixteen years later when Mr. Johnson wanted to sell the business, he offered it to Sylvia, his best waitress. The year was 1962 and the climate in America was much like it is in 2020. Sylvia, as a Black woman could not get a traditional loan. Mr. Johnson, a Black business owner knew that she would have to ask her mother to borrow money against

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FIORITO ON INSURANCE Natural Catastrophes were insured over the period 1980-2019, due to gaps in coverage for a multitude of reasons. It’s important to examine your insurance policies (and any potential gaps in coverage) in advance with your professional advisor as there are a variety of policies to help coastal and non-coastal businesses recover from an event – each involving a different aspect of the restoration. It’s important to realize that all businesses in hurricane zones are at risk no matter where they are located. •

Business income coverage. Review your business income coverage limits, which include loss of income as a result of an event, to ensure they are sufficient. Extra expense coverage often accompanies business income coverage for necessary costs, such as having to relocate your business operations to a temporary location as a result of storm related damage.

•

Business Interruption. Go through a potential business interruption to determine the estimated monthly costs for both loss of income and extra expenses. How long will it take you to get your business up and running again? How much can you afford to lose? Base insurance coverage needs on identified risks to ensure that any business interruption will be covered to the greatest extent possible.

•

Flood coverage. It’s important to understand that most business property policies exclude flood coverage. In addition, businesses typically buy minimum flood coverage limits, but don’t consider that floods can come from even minor storms or no storm at all.

•

Examine deductibles. What

from page 14 type of deductible do you have on property coverage – a percentage or flat deductible? A calendar year or occurrence deductible? If your business has a lot of locations, occurrence or percentage deductibles could potentially be more costly. Additionally, many policies will have lower deductibles for wind and hail events than for a named storm. •

Watch out for escalated cybercrime exposures. As recently illustrated at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, phishing and email scams that include malware are known to increase post-disaster, when companies are more vulnerable to cyber intrusion and attack. Consider cyber liability coverage, if you do not already have a policy in place.

Hurricanes can pose a major challenge for the hospitality industry. By taking the appropriate steps ahead of time and working with the proper experts, hospitality companies can help to ensure that they can weather any storm. Review your policy with an experienced insurance advisor now to ensure that you have the coverages and policy limits that you need to be adequately protected before a storm strikes. Visit HUB’s dedicated Hurricane Resource Center for timely updates and preparedness resources: www. hubinternational.com/products/ risk-services/hub-crisis-resources/ hurricane-resource-center/ 1. https://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/assets/documents/108451 2. https://coast.noaa.gov/states/ fast-facts/hurricane-costs.html 3. https://www.noaa.gov/mediarelease/busy-atlantic-hurricaneseason-predicted-for-2020 4. https://www.munichre.com/en/ solutions/for-industry-clients/natcatservice.html

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ROBERT IRVINE

from page 6

ment to helping restaurant owners in need, along with his passion and support for service members and first responders has made Robert a fan favorite over the years,” said White. “I could not be more excited for Robert to remain in the Food Network family, as he continues to captivate viewers with the Restaurant: Impossible franchise, along with delivering future projects that are sure to help and inspire.” “I’m beyond grateful to have had Food Network as my professional home for so many years - and positively thrilled that our partnership will continue for the foreseeable future,” said Irvine. “The biggest thanks, however, I reserve for our fans, whose enthusiasm and support make it all possible. We have a lot of work to do, with more restaurants than ever needing a helping hand. Now let’s get to work!” Robert Irvine is a chef and entrepreneur, best known for his work as host of Restaurant: Impossible on Food Network, which is now airing in its 17th season. As a philanthro-

pist focusing on veterans’ and first responder’s issues, he created the Robert Irvine Foundation to support service members, veterans, and first responders, including those wounded, ill or injured, through resiliency, health and wellness support programs and their families in need, including caregivers of wounded service members as well as support of surviving family members. Robert has hosted or appeared on Food Network’s Dinner: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America, Next Iron Chef, Restaurant Express, Chopped: Impossible, Guy’s Grocery Games: Impossible, A Hero’s Welcome, among others. Robert is also the author of four cookbooks, the most recent of which, Family Table, serves as a guide for bringing families back together around the dinner table. Robert launched Robert Irvine Magazine, a free digital magazine focusing on healthy recipes, fitness advice, and motivation for success in all areas of life.

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INSINGER

from page 60

flexibility with a truly unique line of niche products, including our tray washers and three compartments sinks, we have developed a true cult following of customers.” Dealers and consultants love working with Insinger: “I think it is our Navy heritage that has led to us being known as the Seal Team of dishwashing. It’s very common for our team to work with our customers to make certain that the installation is handled with military precision.” With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest generations of Cantors had the opportunity to show how his recipe of passion and vision could reinvent an already humble company. “We saw many of our competitors go back to making hand-washing sinks. It struck us as space that’s already inundated. We took a very different tact by creating a line called Outpost. It’s our response to everything that is wrong with all of the hand sanitizer prod-

SALAD HOUSE

ucts and delivery systems on the market. Most are either plastic or cheap thing that barely hold enough chemical and require a proprietary refill. We even saw one-gallon jugs tied down to a music sheet holder or to an old box or a grocery cart that doesn’t work. We knew there was a better way.” Cantor and his team challenged themselves to find a hand sanitizer solution that can fit a one-gallon container with a hand pump built into it. Then we added a foot pedal to make it touchless and a key lock, so it couldn’t be stolen by bolting it to the floor. In addition to Outpost and a full line of innovative dishwashing solutions, Insinger has also made a commitment to enhance service in Metro New York. “We are very excited to introduce Kaufmann and Associates as our new Tri-State rep. The Kaufmann brothers share our passion to serve our customers.” Cantor concluded.

from page 20

salad, which provides a nutritionally balanced meal that has been curated by a Registered Dietitian. At The Salad House, there is a delicious, made-to-order menu item for everyone. Eicke, who serves as the brand’s first franchisee in addition to his role as Director of Franchise Development, has helped drive The Salad House’s growth via franchising. After Cioffi opened the brand’s first location in 2011, Eicke spent years as a customer of The Salad House. Upon realizing his passion for the restaurant, he became involved in the brand and decided to start working with Cioffi on a franchise opportunity. The duo wanted to make sure that they had a solid foundation for The Salad House to build on before launching the franchise opportunity in 2017. “We wanted to ensure that we had a strong understanding of The Salad House brand and everything it stood for before expanding,” said

Cioffi. “Between opening The Salad House and launching the franchise opportunity, we spent every minute working to perfect the concept and build a strong foundation from which we could grow. Between our strong model, our delicious menu, and our impressive success during the pandemic, The Salad House is positioned for incredible growth and we are excited to see our brand continue to expand its presence throughout the New York and New Jersey area.” To augment the company’s growth and introduce even more consumers to its delicious, health- conscious food offerings, The Salad House is currently seeking multi-unit franchisees. The brand is focused on expanding in the New York and New Jersey area, but other available territories include Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Including an initial franchise fee of $40,000, the initial investment range to open a location of The Salad House is $269,200 – $454,500.

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ABUELO’S

from page 52

recreate Abuelo’s favorites? We know how difficult it is to come up with creative dinners at home every night, so we wanted to give our followers something fun and easy to do. We also had to temporarily remove some of our dishes from the menu, so creating these videos help our customers learn to make their favorite Abuelo’s classics that they couldn’t order for takeout/delivery from the comfort of their home. What are any tips / best practices you’ve learned for the creation of your videos? We like to create our videos in a “follow along” style for viewers when it comes to the ingredients and the preparation. The videos are less than one minute in length. Before each step of the preparation process, you’ll see the necessary ingredients for that step, which makes it very easy to follow along. Our videos are also short, which helps keep followers engaged for the entire time.

How do you decide which food items you’ll create videos for? There are a few staples on the Abuelo’s menu that we knew would be perfect for this series, like the El Jefe Margarita, Avocado Cream and Jalepeno Cheese Fritters. These are some of our favorite dishes and customers continuously ask for them year-round.   How have they been received by patrons? We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from our followers about the videos. Lots of the feedback from our customers are about how they miss coming into Abuelo’s and how much they enjoy certain dishes. They also love how quick and easy it is to make some of their favorite Mexican dishes. We’ve heard that this has turned into an exciting family activity that gets the kids involved in the kitchen. Who knew you didn’t have to be a professional chef to make really tasty food!

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Behind You!

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