February 2020 - Total Food Service by Total Food Service

BOOTH #1617

NEWS FOOD DISTRIBUTION Connecticut’s Chefs’ Warehouse Acquires Sid Wainer & Son

he Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc., a premier distributor of specialty food products in North America, announced late last month that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Sid Wainer & Son, based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. For over 100 years, Sid Wainer & Son has been curating and distributing [some of ] the world’s finest specialty products and produce in the Northeast. “I would like to welcome the Wainer Family and the entire Sid Wainer

The combination of The Chefs’ Warehouse distribution network and quality in conjunction with Sid Wainer & Son’s unique specialty ingredients and expertise in the produce industry will provide an unprecedented service for chefs,” said Henry Wainer & Son organization into our growing family of companies,” said Christopher Pappas, Chairman and CEO

of The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. “This acquisition offers The Chefs’ Warehouse the opportunity to build New

England’s premier specialty food company. We look forward to leveraging Sid Wainer & Son’s incredible product lines and produce expertise to offer the market exceptional assortment. For 35 years, we have prided ourselves in supplying the world’s greatest ingredients to North America’s best chefs; this acquisition deepens this commitment.” Since inception in 1985, The Chefs’ Warehouse has been purveying high quality, luxury, artisan, lo-

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BOOTH #1214

2 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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

NEWS LEGISLATION NYC City Council Votes To Force Restaurants To Accept Cash

ew York City has voted to ban cashless businesses because it is ‘elitist’ and 12 percent of the city’s residents don’t have bank accounts. The City Council passed a bill late last month that will make cashlessonly policies illegal across the city and hit businesses with hefty fines of $1,000 to $1,500 if they fail to accept cash payments from customers. Lawmakers approved the legislation, first introduced by Council member Ritchie Torres in November 2018, by a 43-3 margin.

Regardless of the cashless ban, our elected leaders need to support policies that get more New Yorkers banked, because technology is advancing and mobile payments are the way of the future,” said Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance Cashless restaurants and stores have been springing up of late across the city, with supporters saying it

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helps prevent theft, speeds up the checkout process and is more innovative. Sweetgreen, the salad restau-

rant chain, went cashless in 2017 but found that this ‘had the unintended consequence of excluding those who prefer to pay, or can only pay, with cash’. By the end of 2019 it had reintroduced cash payments to all of its restaurants. Salad store Chopt is one of the NYC eateries that dropped cash transactions. New York City Council passed a bill, first introduced by Council member Ritchie Torres that will make cashless-only policies illegal

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

NEWS GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE Cuomo’s 2020 State of the State Proposes NY Ban on Polystyrene Foam Food Containers

f Governor Andrew Cuomo gets his way, there could be a statewide ban on single-use polystyrene foam food containers beginning in 2022. Cuomo’s 2020 State of the State includes a proposal to prohibit the distribution and use of polystyrene foam containers used by grocery stores, restaurants and other places where food is served. The ban would also apply to the sale of polystyrene loose fill packaging, also known as “packing peanuts.” The plan would allow the state Department of Environmental Conservation to take further action to ban packaging materials “upon a finding of environmental impact,” according to the governor’s office. The polystyrene food container ban wouldn’t apply to prepackaged food sold at food service establishments or packaging for uncooked eggs, fish and meat. The move comes on the heels of a ban on foam that was implemented in New York City in 2019. With Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan food service establishments, stores, and manufacturers may not possess, sell, or offer for use single service Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam food service articles. “New York City’s ban on styrofoam is long overdue, and New Yorkers are ready to start using recyclable alternatives. There’s no reason to continue allowing this environmentally unfriendly substance to flood our streets, landfills, and waterways,” de Blasio noted

From take-out containers to packing peanuts, this material is everywhere and it will continue to pollute our waters and harm our wildlife for generations to come if we do not act,” said Governor Mario Cuomo when he signed the legislation. A first-time New York State offender would pay a $250 fine. Fines would increase for repeat violators, from $500 for a second offense to $1,000 for a third-time offender and $2,000 for a fourth violation. The ban, if adopted by the state Legislature, would take effect Jan. 1, 2022. “From take-out containers to packing peanuts, this material is everywhere and it will continue to pollute our waters and harm our wildlife for generations to come if we do not act,” Cuomo said. “With this proposal, we can build on our nation-leading initiatives to protect the environment and move New York another step closer to a greener, more sustainable future.” Some municipalities in New York have either adopted or considered bans on single-use polystyrene foam containers. New York City implemented its prohibition in July. The Cayuga County Legislature recently held a hearing on banning polystyrene foam containers. The county hasn’t taken action on a local prohibition.

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There have been concerns from businesses about the effects of a polystyrene foam ban. Some restaurant owners say it could increase costs, which could affect employment levels and prices. Environmental groups and activists support a polystyrene foam ban. Cuomo noted that expanded polystyrene foam is one of the top contributors to litter. The U.S. produces more than 3 million tons of polystyrene, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates. There are also concerns about the health effects of styrene. The National Toxicology Program found that styrene is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said Cuomo’s proposal would ban an “antiquated and environmentally harmful product” in NY. “Styrofoam packaging is one used for a short time, but can wreak havoc on our environment for generations — littering open spaces, polluting water-

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

Cover photo courtesy of Pure Grey

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

ways and harming wildlife,” Esposito said. “Styrofoam doesn’t biodegrade; instead it breaks into small pieces and eventually becomes microplastic pollution in our waterways.” Cuomo’s proposal follows action taken earlier this year to ban singleuse plastic bags in New York. The plastic bag ban will take effect in March. Cities and counties have the option of charging a five-cent fee for paper bags.

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

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

WITH FRED SAMPSON

A Toast to Wine

“A

merica’s love affair with wine is waning.” That is the opening statement in a recent article by Saabira Chaudhuri, which appeared in The Wall Street Journal. I thought I would share some of it with you, as well as some statistics that confirm her findings. “Americans bought less wine last year, the first such drop in a quarter of a century, as millennials opt for alternatives like hard seltzers, cocktails and nonalcoholic beer. “The volume of wine purchased in the U.S. declined 0.9% in 2019, the first time it has fallen since 1994, according to industry tracker IWSR. The trend was ascribed to a generational shift as the number of millennials surpasses baby boomers ….” The millennials continue to af-

The volume of wine purchased in the U.S. declined 0.9% in 2019, the first time it has fallen since 1994, according to industry tracker IWSR. fect various markets and products. For example, “Millennials are just not embracing wine with open arms compared to previous generations,” said Brandy Rand, IWSR’s chief operating officer for the Americas. “With the rise in low and no-alcohol products and general consumer trends towards health and wellness, wine is in a tough place.” How much has the wine industry grown in the U.S.? In the 1990s

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there were 30 producers; now there are 700. Over 900,000 gallons were produced in 2017. California makes 85% of all the wine produced in the U.S. The U.S. accounts for 12% of the world’s production. The U.S. leads in wine consumption. In 2019 there were 10,431 wineries in the U.S. They lined up as follows: California, 4,501; Oregon, 793; Washington, 792; New York, 403; and Texas, 352. Overall U.S. wine sales by value rose 1.1% from a year earlier, to $38.3 billion. Returning to Ms. Chaudhuri: “The figures highlight how changing demographics and tastes are affecting the alcohol industry. Americans have drunk less alcohol in recent years amid rising concerns about health and competition from other beverages such as ready-to-drink tea, sparkling water and coffee. In 2019 the nation drank 0.3% more alcoholic drinks, after two years of annual decline.” In a recent column I pointed out that nonalcoholic beer is eating into the sales of its full-alcoholic cousin, not only in the U.S., but in Europe as well. We are now told that it is becoming a competitor for the wine industry.

Fred G. Sampson is the retired President Emeritus of the New York State Restaurant Association. He began working with NYSRA in 1961. Within the next four years the NYSRA more than tripled its membership and expanded from one regional chapter to eight. Sampson played roles in representing restaurants on issues including paid sick leave, minimum wage, liquor laws, a statewide alcohol training program and insurance plans. Comments may be sent to fredgsampson@juno.com

Also, many hospitals, clinics, health insurance companies, and doctors are urging their clients and readers to reduce their consumption of alcoholic beverages to one drink a day. Many of these institutions have monthly newsletters that emphasize diets covering alcohol and an array of other items. The next time you visit a supermarket, look around you. Today’s consumers are reading labels, and it is affecting the way they shop and purchase. Ms. Chaudhuri writes: “For 2019,

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

INTERIOR DESIGNING

WITH DALA AL-FUWAIRES

6 Restaurant Design Trends To Watch In 2020

re you a restaurant owner wondering which design features will be popular in the New Year? We’ve got the lowdown! From conceptual trends to intriguing elements, here’s a list of our top six predictions—all based on our experience working in the food and beverage industry.

new and exciting with every visit. Slashies come in many forms, from full-service restaurants with smaller side operations, like a bakery or dessert shop, to full-service restaurants complemented by retail components.

for local businesses greatly impacts the way we source our products nowadays. Artisanal goods have a place in our homes, and now, they’re making their presence known in restaurants, too.

Two: Mix-and-Match Furniture

One: “Slashie” Restaurants

Dala Al-Fuwaires, Principal of FJI, a hospitality design firm with a sweet spot for food and beverage interiors, is a dreamer, designer, and doer. With over a decade of experience in the in-

“Slashies”—a new wave of restaurant environments that combine multiple concepts from one owner under one roof—provide a singlebuilding, multi-concept approach that allows restaurateurs to maximize profits while fulfilling customers’ varied cravings. The maximization of profit comes from the Slashie’s ability to stay busy for a much wider window of the day. Rare is the coffee shop that’s actually bustling at 9 p.m., or the full-service restaurant that’s busy at 10 a.m. By combining these two concepts into one building, the business keeps traffic and profits flowing. And, customers appreciate the thrill of experiencing something

The term “resimercial” design, which is a combination of residential and commercial, is officially a household term in the design world. It highlights the “welcome home” feeling, using the residential trend of mixing and matching furniture to adorn a bar or restaurant space. Using contrasting furniture lends a home-y feel and also sends a visual cue that your establishment is not a chain, but rather a thoughtfully handcrafted eatery. To achieve this look, it’s best to stick to one shape of furniture while varying the color of your pieces, or you could keep color consistent throughout and go wild with the shapes. Three: Handmade Goods Locality and the growing support

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Using handmade goods allows an establishment to support other small businesses while also emphasizing the value of their handcrafted, “artisanal” experience. Dinnerware, table accessories, salt shakers and even bud vases—they can all be sourced from unique local makers to lend authentic personality to your space.

terior design field, Dala has worked on hospitality and retail design projects ranging in size from boutique to national rollouts. Dala graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Arizona State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design from Purdue University. Outside of design, Dala can be found traveling to new places, hosting dinner parties for friends and family, remodeling her

Four: Sophisticated and MultiColor Palettes

home, and photographing all of the above. Learn more at www.fji.design

ing a desire for both traditional and youthful colors in design, simultaneously. The traditional element brings about a feeling of familiarity—moody hues and organic tones—while the youthful twist offers a nod to the era of personalized As Pantone’s Color of The Year, Classic Blue suggests we’re express-

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

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

THOUGHTFULLY CURATED

WITH LMT PROVISIONS

Lifestyles of the Equipped and Plated

Morgan Tucker is the Director of Business Development at Singer

t was a January 8th like any other when Kim Kardashian broke my Instagram. Let me explain. I do not follow Kim Kardashian on Instagram. My Instagram is sacred. All the people I follow, I have met. In real life. However, on January 8th, Kim Kardashian shared a live walk through her nearly-empty home refrigerator. Hers holds only liquids, including at least five variations on milk – or is it mylk? Reactions, as one might

expect, ranged from inexplicably fascinated to… explicably appalled. Responding to the trolls and naysayers claiming the fridge lacked substance, Mrs. Kardashian West offered a full explanation the following day. This time, she took the adoring public on a tour of her custom walkin. The single home refrigerator was in fact, not her exhaustive home refrigeration solution. I received dozens of direct messages about a detailed tour available

on her IG story. Truly, I was now fascinated. Anyone familiar with walkin procurement and installation would be. Kim K’s model is on par with a restaurant’s size and scope, reminding us that stars… they’re just like us. When I moved out of my onebedroom apartment in New York City (smaller than KKW’s walk-in), Jamie and I envisioned what our ‘plate room’ would look like before signing our mortgage.

M. Tucker and founder of LMT. Ms. Tucker advises a wide diversity of acclaimed restaurateurs, celebrated chefs, and industry leaders across the U.S. LMT is a thoughtfully curated brand of hospitality provisions that can be sourced through the Singer family of companies. To consult with our team, please email lmt@singerequipment.com.

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Morgan, from page 14 While I haven’t previously taken to sharing my ‘she-shed’ with the world, Mrs. Kardashian West has inspired me. Fitted with perfectly measured Cambro shelving, here is what you will currently find during a tour of my ‘plate room’: Glassware: Linea Umana by Rona (coming soon), Finesse by Nude Glass (a classic), Hepburn by Nude (a new classic – Nude’s design foray). Dinnerware: Canvas by Robert Gordon Pottery, SERAX accessories, a rainbow of mugs by Felt + Fat, and an arsenal of Figgjo large format vessels.

by Agnelli. And lots of Revol. To set the table, Casa Rovea sustainable linens. Interested in taking a tour? No, this is not a pitch meeting for Cribs: Foodservice Professionals (which I’d love to host). The International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of New York will take place on March 8-10th at the Javits Center and you can tour all our most cherished partners in tabletop, and more at booth 1613. For complimentary admission, email us at LMT@singerequipment. com.

Flatware: Fiddle Vintage by Studio William. Hannah by Sambonet. Bistrot by Sabre Paris. Opinel Steak Knives. Cookware: Pans by Hestan. Pots

16 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Nilla the Golden Retriever has the privilege of exclusively dining on wares from Felt + Fat and Robert Gordon Pottery.

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

NEWSMAKER

Industry Veteran David Scott Peters Creates Media Brand to Help Restaurateurs Find Their Vision

t’s not often that a restaurateur finds the opportunity in a career to work in restaurants of many sizes from coast to coast. For David Scott Peters, that is in fact the overview of his decades in the restaurant and foodservice industry. The New Jersey native has now dedicated the last two decades to bringing that unique base of knowledge to restaurant operators across the country. Scott Peters has garnered a reputation as a leading restaurant coach and speaker who teaches restaurant operators how to cut costs and increase profits with his trademark Restaurant Prosperity Formula. Known as THE expert in the res-

This is the formula I used to rescue a multi-unit restaurant sports bar chain from bankruptcy and helped the owners sell it for a profit.”

taurant 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. Once again, Scott Peters will be on hand at the upcoming International Restaurant and Foodservice Show in New York on March 9th at 2pm in room 1C-04. This year’s presentation at the Center will be special as he celebrates the publishing of his latest book: Restaurant Prosperity Formula. “Thousands of restaurants have used my formula to transform their businesses,” Scott Peters explained. “I am looking forward to coming to New David Scott Peters, Restaurant Expert, Author, Public Speaker

18 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

York in the middle of my book tour to share the systems that I have created with Metro New York’s restaurant community.” The new book and the seminar at the Javits will give operators and inside look at his trademark Restaurant Prosperity Formula. “It’s all about the creation and execution of repeatable systems,” Scott Peters noted. “This is the formula I used to rescue a multi-unit restaurant sports bar chain from bankruptcy and helped the owners sell it for a profit.” The Northeastern University graduate then went on to launch a restaurant management software from the ground up based on his formula and sold it to a group of investors that included satisfied software users. As with many restaurant and foodservice operators, Scott Peters was born into a restaurant family. “I grew up in my family’s restaurant catering

David Scott Peters’ new book

business in Linwood, New Jersey,” he explained. His Mother’s impact has been a pillar of his approach to restaurant management. “It was a love/hate relationship I joke about my mom being the toughest manager I ever worked for. She told my sister and I that she was going to treat us harder than anybody else.” “I find it easy to relate to the folks

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

NEWS

CULINARY EDUCATION

The Institute Of Culinary Education Launches Beverage Studies Program

he Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) has developed a new Beverage Studies program with three in-depth courses covering fluency in tasting and serving, effective team and inventory management, and increased professionalism to achieve success in the beverage sector of culinary and hospitality businesses. The eight-week courses can be taken together or separately, in any order the student chooses: Beverage Program Management, Fundamentals & Service of Wine and Essentials of Spirits & Mixology. Class timing is mid-day on Tuesdays and Thursdays to align with the schedules of many current restaurant and hospitality professionals. The comprehensive curriculum brings wine and spirits identification and evaluation, management skills and tools, and practical guidance for profitability together in this schedule of classes. “At the Institute of Culinary Education, we’re always thinking about new directions and dimensions of education we can offer the restaurant and hotel sector. In recent years that has meant business skills, and beverage management is a logical and much needed extension of that strategy,” said Rick Smilow, ICE’s president and CEO since 1995. “This program is designed for a wide

This program is designed for a wide range of people, who may or may not already be working in the hospitality field, including bartenders, sommeliers, servers or cooks who are interested in wine, the beverage community, or beverage managers seeking to broaden their exposure,” said Rick Smilow, ICE’s president and CEO range of people, who may or may not already be working in the hospitality field, including bartenders, sommeliers, servers or cooks who are interested in wine, the beverage

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community, or beverage managers seeking to broaden their exposure.” ICE’s new Director of Beverage Studies Eamon Rockey led the program’s design. A leader among New

York’s mixology and beverage experts and the founder of Rockey’s Milk Punch, his career path has wound through several Michelinstarred restaurants in New York. He was most recently general manager of Betony, which was Esquire Magazine’s Restaurant of the Year in 2013. He is joined by award-winning author, educator, journalist and sommelier Anthony Giglio. Students can expect guest lectures and tastings from industry leaders and field trips to local businesses. “In designing the program, I focused on providing the information I wish I had when I began my career,” Rockey says. “I’m excited to bring a 360-degree exploration of the beverage industry that is rarely or never offered in a classroom setting to our students.” Debuting in February, Beverage Program Management will teach students how to advance from guest relations to purchasing, budgeting, creating menus, staff education and optimizing technology. This intensive course will focus on introducing the essential concepts and techniques that maximize profitability and efficiency. From working towards Excel proficiency, to executing costing protocols, to ensuring compliance with best HR practices and anti-harassment training,

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MIXOLOGY

WITH WARREN BOBROW

Roasted Citrus Drinks For Winter

t’s winter and…. My taste buds are frozen! What is a person to do? It’s cold outside, my taste buds are flat from the freezing weather. What kind of drinks will wake up the palate and those of my guests? Isn’t it ironic that the best citrus comes out in the wintertime? Why is that? Well, if you live up here in the northeast, you’d know that the release date for most fresh citrus is in the depth of the winter. To perk up the palate! And what better way to perk up the palate then the citrus route. I’m pretty sure that your bar or restaurant carries at least four kinds of citrus: oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and limes. You know what I’m talking about here. If you have a culinary graduate on your kitchen staff, they may enter some blood oranges or tangerines to the mix of flavors. As any seasoned food and beverage professional knows, the best way to running a successful business is to have turnover of the citrus in the walk-in. You should be going through the cases of citrus daily to ensure freshness. If a piece of citrus goes bad in the

walk-in, the other fragile fruits and vegetables will follow in short order, so make sure you rotate your citrus, every single day! But what to do with the mostly fine parts of that orange or lemon or grapefruit? Do I throw them away? NO WAY! There is this marvelous invention that the chefs will never let out of their sight, so don’t ask them! It’s a kitchen knife. You should own

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

your own knife, don’t ask to borrow theirs! Cut the citrus fruits into manageable pieces and place them on a sheet of parchment paper which is on a sheet tray. Sprinkle the citrus with sugar, then wet them down with Angostura. Set your oven temperature to 300 and roast the citrus until it is nice and caramelized. This should take no more than an hour. Cool and juice the roasted citrus fruits. Use in cocktails like the following. Gin and (Roasted) Juice Ingredients: • 4 oz. Botanical Gin (the herbal tasting ones work best here, London Dry does not work as well) • 6 oz. Roasted Citrus Juice • 1 oz. Pickett’s Ginger Syrup (I used the Spicy) • Splash of seltzer • Lemon Bitters (I used Fee Brothers) Preparation: 1. Fill Mixing vessel with ice 2. Add the liquid ingredients *except for the seltzer* to the ice filled mixing vessel 3. Stir until well chilled 4. Pour into two Coupes that are prechilled 5. Add a splash of seltzer

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

6. Dot with Fee Brothers Lemon Bitters 7. Serve Frosty Citrus Punch Ingredients: • 4 oz. Rum- I used a Jamaican rum- funky flavors at work here • 8 oz. Roasted Citrus Juice • 6 oz. Ginger Beer Soda- Again, I use Pickett’s • 4 shakes of Cardamom Bitters- I use Fee Brothers • Rounds of oranges and lemons and grapefruit Preparation: 1. Add all the liquid Ingredients (except for the ginger beer) to a large vessel 2. Mix well 3. Then add the ginger beer soda 4. Mix again 5. Dot with Cardamom Bitters 6. Serve in Collins glasses with ice

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

BERMAN ON SERVICE

PRESENTED BY

Understanding That Service and Parts Selection Today Is All About Prescription With Proper Diagnosis

ecause I’m working and advocating for our customers every day, we understand the challenges that face the restaurant and foodservice operating professional. There’s a need to balance a cash flow and best operating practices. In our service segment, those decisions often focus on the selection of replacement parts for your kitchens. Quality and performance of nonOEM parts has greatly improved in recent years and promises to get better. The right non-OEM is far better than anything associated “cheapest replacement part” and the two should not be confused with one another. Even more important, given the food and worker safety issues, buying the cheapest part has great potential to become the most expensive bad decision anyone could ever make. We’re talking about dangerous gas or electric powered pieces of sensitive equipment. However sturdy these items may be, one malfunction on a small part can result in a catastrophe. Simply, the best/smartest approach is to get the highest performance part at the right price—very definition of value. Let this layman try to put it in restaurant terms. I have a reasonably high appreciation for red wine, have over 6 dozen self-selected bottles in my cellar. Suspect I am hardly alone. Even with this, why do I always defer to a Sommelier when I go out to dinner? Because I don’t qualify as an ad-

Given the food and worker safety issues, buying the cheapest part has great potential to become the most expensive bad decision anyone could ever make. vanced hobbyist, let alone an expert. While selecting the wrong bottle of wine—at any price!!—may diminish the dining experience, leaving critical parts selection to anyone less than foremost experts in this volatile environment absolutely will have serious consequences. In an attempt to take a close look at this, let’s explore through these crucial issues: What are the pros and cons of the cheapest replacement part vs. an OEM warrantied part? Rarely, if ever, can there be any pros for putting the cheapest part in sensitive kitchen equipment. The objective is to procure the highest performing part at the best possible price where, depending on the equipment and part, OEM and non-OEM product can be viable. Because of the many and growing variables involved, expertise is required to guide and drive right decisions. Just knowing the part description and specs is insufficient to distinguish between OEM and nonOEM. Instead, knowing how a particular component is likely to perform in

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

a given environment is critical. Is each replacement part a piece of a puzzle or do they stand alone? Schematically each part stands alone, but functionally each are vital pieces of a complex, integrated and sensitive puzzle. All manufactured items operate as a series of dependencies. More often than not, equipment isn’t fully/properly fixed the first time because of snap judgments about one obviously misfiring part. Just as you wouldn’t go back to a physician who didn’t do a thorough examination before prescribing medicine, quick and narrow focus on a problem part typically amounts to treating a symptom rather than the greater illness. Hence, the axiom “prescription without proper diagnosis is malpractice” surely applies. Why can’t I (restaurant owner) just buy it on Amazon and then call you to install it? Pretty much for the same reasons, I can’t pick up groceries at Amazon’s Whole Foods and have you prepare the meal for me at your establishment

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 businessto-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.

or what would happen if I were to whip up my own meal in your kitchen using the very best ingredients you’ve purchased. Less flippantly, the real issue at hand is maximum equipment uptime. Just as each part is a critical piece of a complex puzzle, achieving maximum uptime is a reflection of a

continued on page 26

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Berman, from page 24 greater, interdependent continuum involving nothing less than expertise in diagnosis, selection, installation and maintenance. What changes have there been in kitchen equipment that has impacted how an operator should think about parts? Digital components, advanced circuitry and continued product differentiation certainly make for better equipment while simultaneously raising uptime’s stakes. In this regard, any operator thinking in terms of “parts” is already taking the wrong fork in the road. Instead, an operator’s every focus should be highest return on asset, measured by equipment uptime. The previously summarized synchronous symphony of expertise + product to deliver the highest value in a given environment, assuring maximum uptime is the path to superior return on asset, greatly reducing all associated risks.

We heard that Heritage and Parts Town merged. Will that drive the price for parts up? Parts Town and Heritage have merged to form a $1 billion dollar distributorship. While time will tell exactly how this will play out, across all industries we’d be hard pressed to find any examples where the 2 largest companies merged and pricing didn’t go up. However, the more immediate and known (parts) inflation has come from global trade wars impact. The back half of 2019 was defined by ongoing price increases and 2020 already opened with selective increases. The wise operator also recognizes these events have created and might further lead to less availability and turnaround delays. All the more reason for relying on experts to navigate and manage this complicated terrain. At some point is the right decision not to buy a part and to buy a new piece of equipment with a new warranty? Yes, even the best maintained stur-

diest equipment has a natural lifecycle. There’s more to this question than the simple buy vs. repair choice though. The prevailing industry model essentially reduces an operator’s decision to one or the other. There are emerging new models poised to expand the marketplace’s options beyond new with warranty vs. fix until death. Indeed, much as these questions are posed from a traditional point of product view the painfully limited choices are a function of approaching the entire hospitality ecosystem from a product/parts perspective. Emerging models are built around end-user experiences, taking in to account everything from operational performance to financial impact. Is there a recipe for preventive maintenance that can switch in a smaller/ less expensive part through the right service contract with Day & Nite rather than waiting for Saturday night full restaurant catastrophe?

Absolutely! Any establishment not protecting its interests with a thorough preventative maintenance agreement is openly inviting that Saturday night catastrophe. More than properly maintaining equipment, the right PM agreement with the right service provider will consistently, accurately project what may happen if additional repairs aren’t made. Proactive. Whether a Saturday evening or less trafficked day/time, equipment downtime means a mad scramble to fix what has already happened. Most cost-effective uptime is the operative phrase in this integrated service-delivery chain. So here’s a simple takeaway. Our Day & Nite /All Service team is here to help. Use this essential 3-part recipe as your guide, whether a smaller or less expensive part, OEM or credentialed non-OEM, the part is only as good as the diagnosis, installation, and (ongoing) maintenance that your service company provides.

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NEWS

CELEBRATION OF A SPECIAL LIFE

Westchester Sauce Maven Lou DiLisio Remembered Fondly

riends, family and the foodservice industry that he embraced assembled en masse last month to pay their respects to Lou DiLisio. The long time Ridgefield, CT resident passed away last month on January 14 at the age of 88. Lou – the son of an Italian immigrant was born in Mt. Vernon, NY in 1931 to the late Edward and Antoinette DiLisio of Mt Kisco, NY. The food service industry knew him and his family as the face behind one of the great success stories. His legendary Casa DiLisio sauces were staples on menus across the country. The genius of the Mt. Kisco based sauce line was that it enabled old school chefs who would have preferred to prepare their sauces by hand to serve a sauce that equaled or surpassed chef made quality for use in high volume applications. Lou’s saga is the kind that often is described as the “Only in America” story. Lou grew up in Mt Kisco, NY working in the family auto body shop,

For 30 plus years, I learned so much working by his side,” said daughter Linda DiLisio

Mt Kisco Paint and Body Shop, opened by his father in 1932. Lou’s true passion was his food manufacturing business, Casa DiLisio Products, Inc. where he began in 1973 manufacturing frozen Italian sauces in the evenings and weekend along with his wife of more than 65 years. Lou launched the company after frustration on a vacation. “We had come home from a trip to the Caribbean and had fallen in love with the scampi sauce at the hotel,” Lou DiLisio explained. “We asked for the recipe and the chef refused. So we came home and my wife and I went to work trying to recreate them for us to enjoy and share with family and friends. We made them from scratch so we knew to get to the right flavor that only the highest quality ingredients would enable us to create the true flavor we were after.” The Westchester company’s first sauce was a French style scampi sauce later called Sauce Provencal. Casa DiLisio was the first company to put frozen Pesto Sauce on the market for foodservice. They broke new ground when they launched and became the only manufacturer with a frozen sauce that combined the highest quality Basil Pesto with Pine Nuts. So that legend grew out of their Connecticut home kitchen as friends and neighbors and nearby stores clamored to stock the DiLisio sauces. “It’s interesting that people told us, if you go outside of major cities like New York that people don’t have the type of

28 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

palette to be able to appreciate a great sauce,” Lou told TFS in 2016. “We found early on that when we sampled the product, people all over loved it.” The success of the Casa DiLisio brand is second to none, Lou is known as one of the true pioneers of the food manufacturing business. “For many years, when you went to a local show or an NRA show in Chicago, Lou and his family were manning their booth handing out samples,” noted longtime friend Bob Fortuna of Perdue Farms. “Nobody worked harder to build a business than Lou and his loving wife of 65 1⁄2 years, Lucy DiLisio, and their dynamic daughter Linda DiLisio. Lou enjoyed a unique relationship with daughter Linda who worked at his side. “I left IBM to come work here,” noted daughter Linda. “My father told me that it was no place for

a girl. For 30 plus years, I learned so much working by his side. His commitment to the quality of our products and the needs of our customers never ceased to amaze me.” Lou was one of the most giving and generous people you could know. His family and friends will sorely miss him. “He was a welcome staple on the foodservice scene for many years,” noted Vin DiCarlo Jr. of Long Island’s DiCarlo foods. “He had a true passion for his products, one you don’t see often these days. We will miss him.” As with so many of the greats in their industry, there was a creative side that shaped who Lou brought to business. Lou was a musician whose dance band played at many local weddings and events. His love for music also drove him to become part of other organizations including to the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra. Lucy and Lou were blessed with 4 children, Linda DiLisio, Louis DiLisio Jr., Leslie DiLisio (deceased) and Lisa Preysler. His immediate family includes Lisa’s husband Charles, along with their 4 grandchildren, Charles Preysler, Alexandra Preysler, Jennifer (DiLisio) DeBias, Louis DiLisio III and two great-grandchildren Samuel DeBias and Benjamin DeBias. Nobody understood the recipe for a successful life better than Lou. He knew that family, friends, business and music were the keys to a lifetime of fulfillment.

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February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 29

NEWS

DELIVERY TRENDS

From Ghost Kitchens To Exotic Cuisines, Delivery And Takeout Set To Chart New Course In 2020

mong the significant trends in foodservice in 2019 was the repositioning of takeout and delivery. For the past decade plus, it was a change in lifestyle that drove the growth. For many restaurants and foodservice operators, it was a reflection of their own busy lives. Mom and Dad were both working and from sports to music, children in the households that were to put it mildly: overscheduled from dawn to dusk. With that came explosive growth in takeout and delivery revenues for Metro New York and the nation’s dining operators. Over the past two years, that growth is finding its impetus from a phenomenon that has impacted all of us: technology. What was just a single on-line ordering platform with Seamless Web in 2015, has morphed into a highly competitive marketplace with Grubhub, Uber Eats and Door Dash among those that have created an industry projected to generate $23.9 billion in 2020. With estimated growth pegged at 5.1% over the next five years, it is estimated revenue will result in a market volume of $29.2 billion by 2023. Further proof of this growth has been the emergence in 2018-19 of the “ghost kitchen.” This enables the foodservice operator to move out of expensive real estate to create a central commissary to support their delivery business. This trend allows a restaurant to eliminate all of the overhead

of retail space and wait staff in favor of just the preparation and delivery of meals. Among those driving that trend is former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. After his ouster from Uber, he’s kept a controlling stake in City Storage Systems, the Los Angeles-based parent company to a ghost kitchen start-up called CloudKitchens. Also, Kitchen United will build 400 kitchen centers and install 5,000 virtual kitchens over four years to service operators, including Sweetgreen and Chick-fil-A. DoorDash has opened its commissary kitchen in Silicon Valley. Among the keys to supporting the growth of the delivery segment are, of

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

course, the creating of the right app to support a customer base. Most importantly, to build traction that comes from the trust of a customer is the ability to replicate the quality of food served in the restaurant. With that has come a fresh new look in packaging. There are several critical determining factors when choosing the packaging needed to support a successful and sustainable delivery program. At the top of that list is the ability to keep food hot for the time in transit. Restaurants are paying a premium to partner with third-party vendors, so the right choice of packaging ensures the investment they are making pro-

vides an excellent customer experience. Twenty years ago, there were two options for delivery: pizza or Chinese food. Restaurants asked for takeout would use whatever they had available for customer leftovers. They often used the same foam clamshell to handle off-premise dining. Transportation of takeout food by companies rather than the customer has changed the perception of quality in the marketplace. With the restaurant investing in delivery costs, the old foam clamshell that was a staple for so long and banned recently doesn’t reflect the realities of today’s marketplace. Despite increased food and labor cost, most operators realize the need to add the right packaging to compete. It’s interesting that even with the growth of delivery to encompass a number of cuisines, the classic French fry remains at the top of the list for the most ordered side item. Anchor Packaging, a St. Louis, MO-based company, has embraced the challenge of eliminating the soggy and cold order of fries before it reaches the consumer. French fries are just one of the many fried foods that Anchor has found a solution for with Crisp Food Technologies® containers. These hinged and two-piece bases and lids keep meals, sides, and large portions of fried foods hot and crispy up to 30 minutes utilizing a patented “convection crossflow design that relieves moisture

and condensation while maintaining food temperature. Over 16,000 locations have tried these products, found them to be more effective than any other package, and are using them to grow their business today. Later this month, the company will be launching a new container within the same line specifically intended to hold an order of fries, chicken strips, egg rolls, and other side items. It is rumored to be the lowest-priced item within the line, costing less than some paper containers. Several foodservice operators are looking to take advantage of the delivery growth with a hybrid approach. The Washington, DC-based salad chain Sweetgreen that has built a significant presence in Manhattan, has announced plans to grow its 400 “outpost” locations. These business and industry (B&I) locations allow Sweetgreen to take orders from employees

Transportation of takeout food by companies rather than the customer has changed the perception of quality in the marketplace. and drop them off, en masse, at a central location for individual pickup. Last year also brought the launch of Wegmans supermarkets to the Metro New York marketplace. They opened a much talked about Brooklyn location and will open in Westchester County in June. The Rochester, NY based grocer continues to add more prepared grab-and-go foods, becoming, in the process, grocerants: a hybrid place where people not only shop, but dinein and take-out. With that growth,

Wegmans has partnered with DoorDash to deliver their prepared foods. Among the other major issues impacting the delivery issue is waste. The right approach to packaging can assist a restaurant in making a statement on the subject of waste. Food waste is a huge problem in the foodservice channel. ReFED reports that 52 million tons of food are sent to landfills annually in the US alone, plus another 10 million that are discarded or left unharvested. Given this enor-

mous waste of valuable resources, restaurants and suppliers are doing everything they can to reduce waste and repurpose what they can’t. The technology company Winnow reports that food waste costs the hospitality industry $100 billion annually, with up to 20 percent of food wasted. Their artificial intelligence system allows operators to identify what’s being discarded, giving them data on when and where waste occurs, which is the first step in eliminating it. Delivery is so significant that top chefs realize that their imprint is on everything that leaves the kitchen, whether the destination is a table in their dining room or a delivery customer home. With that comes the need to provide high-quality packaging that protects the integrity of the restaurant’s brand which is defined by taste, texture and presentation that you would get on-premise.

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

Q&A

EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW

Guy Heksch Global Vice President, Pure Grey, Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group, Marriott International

uy Heksch, head of Pure Grey, is a seasoned hospitality expert with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. He began his career as a chef and now he’s a renowned design and brand innovator in the hotel industry. He worked as a chef with some of the biggest names, such as restaurants by Guy Savory, Daniel Boulud, Mario Batali and Alain Ducasse, which all afforded him the experience and knowledge needed in his current position with Pure Grey. While he enjoyed cooking, hospitality is really where his talents shine. His methodology for design and branding is deeply connected to the culture of a location, pairing it with modern details that truly make a unique space. Total Food Service caught up with Heksch to talk about his past, his vision and the portfolio of projects he’ll be undertaking in 2020.

Guy Heksch, Global Vice President, Pure Grey, Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group, Marriott International

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

Can you provide us with some background information on you and your career? I was born in France, and then grew up in Israel. At an early age I started working in great restaurants in both countries as a chef before coming to the U.S. in ‘95 and attending Johnson

and Wales. From there, I worked for several chefs along the way. I really enjoyed the cooking aspect of things and felt it was a good way to escape and create. The culinary arts became my escape. What are the lessons you took from your time on the cooking line into your career in design? You know, when I look at the industry today, I think we took it a bit too far. At the end, we’re just feeding people and now we are making it so much more than it really is. We look at every meal as just that, a meal. There’s nothing like you’re best performance. I mean, you’re only as good as your last performance, so basically every service and every meal you have to perform as if you’re an actor. You put on a show over and over again. But the details are so critical when it comes to cooking in high-end places. You can’t make mistakes or miss anything. The best chefs I have worked with have this need to constantly improve every single dish. It doesn’t matter how many ducks we cooked, or how many fished we filleted. The next one has to be better.

continued on page 34

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4 Q&A Guy Heksch, from page 32

How do you feel about the big names in the industry not even cooking anymore? Instead, they are trying to build these large franchises or end up on TV, which then drags them away from the kitchen. Yes, some are looking to build an empire, but there are many that are there in the restaurant, performing every day to build their reputation. These are the ones that respect the tradition and methods, always going back to them no matter how big they get. We are our worst critics and, yes, we can have big egos and tend to want more. So somewhere along the line, people who have a background like yours usually open a restaurant. But you seem to have gone in a very different direction, why? I was about to open a restaurant

in New York in 2008 but the whole financial crisis happened, and I got scared. You then see that this business you’ve always dreamed about isn’t going to work out at the time and you have to figure out something else. It’s hard to open up your own place because there are so many risks and challenges involved. I knew I’d one day go back to this idea, but that wasn’t the time. I then realized that I wanted something different that wasn’t so strict and rigid as Developed by Guy Heksch and the Pure Grey Team, the Spice Market restaurant at the Live Aqua Urban Resort, San Miguel de Allende is bold and eclectic, yet lush and luxurious opening up a restaurant. Someday I’d like to open something like a B&B in the something I love and then be able to After I realized that I wanted to dabsouth of France. It’ll be a small place travel in the offseason. ble more in front of the house busiwith a restaurant with a set menu. ness and was really intrigued by food There won’t be all these substitutions What led you to the launch of Pure continued on page 36 like the menus of today. I’d be doing Grey?

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4 Q&A Guy Heksch, from page 34 and wine. I wanted to jump into creating concepts and working with individuals. I wanted to create spaces and found hotels to be a great place to do that. They seem to be failing when it comes to food and beverage because they looked at it as an amenity and not as an aspect that was a true profit center. They see it as only servicing hotel guests and not adding to the overall revenue. How do you suggest that a hotel look at F&B?   If you’re a hotel and only focusing on the hotel guest, then you’re doing something wrong. Typically, there’s always this breakfast room that they then transform into a dinner room. Well, that doesn’t work, so I want our clients to think the other way around and build a restaurant and then figure out how to do breakfast there. Where did the interest in hotels come from? My family was in the hotel business, so I grew up around that from since I was a boy. After ‘08-’09, I was recruited to do a project for the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, and they wanted to compete with boutique hotels, which were barely com-

ing up back then. The Mandarin was a very conservative company, but also wanted to really push the envelope and create something new. I came along to try and create the best restaurant and bar and from there fell in love with the world of hotels. I love hosting and entertaining and feel as if there’s something magical or mystical about hotels. I’ve done several openings of other hotels across the world, from New York to Mexico and so many other places. I love it when money isn’t one of the main objectives. I’m all about working with my team to create something amazing. What led to the connection with Marriott? I then started working with Marriott International before the acquisition of Starwood. They came to me and said they wanted to make a food and beverage change. I wasn’t really convinced that they really wanted to change, and I challenged them to really show they were committed. They’d have to change their views on hiring and more and they were willing to do it all. Mr. Marriott who was 87 at the time told

continued on page 38

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Q&A Guy Heksch, from page 36 that me the company was willing to do whatever it took. So I got on board to create a new strategy for them when it came to their food and beverage. We wanted to become the hub of the city and a place for locals, where they met to eat and drink. I didn’t even want to cater to hotel guests really. How did the relationship with Marriott evolve? Marriott bought Starwood hotels and resorts and then I now had to identify how 30 different brands could all be streamlined and work properly together. That’s when I developed Pure Grey, which is an individual restaurant and bar concept team studio. Can you elaborate more on what Pure Grey is? It is now fully owned and operated by Marriott. Right from the start, I told Marriott

We are probably one of the last industries to adapt to new technologies. But we have to because it’s all about smart cooking, using the latest technology. It will not only enhance the experience, but it will make it easier in the end.” that Pure Grey needed to live in a big city like New York or Paris. They also have given us the flexibility to work with non-Marriott related businesses. From there, we hired a great team of creative people to over a 360-degree solution for our clients. We’d create everything from the beverage opera-

tion strategy, branding, design and everything needed to really transform a space. We started with a feasibility study, but also think locally so that it works for the location. We don’t just think about the food or beverage, but about the design, music and look of it all. It’s a combination of all those

things and we go into each city and identify those different things to see how we can enhance the culture rather than dilute it. We have the flexibility to design these grand locations so that it makes sense for the location and budget. These days, places only have a few years of notoriety before they need to be refreshed into something new. We have to be smart about how we build and design the space. Can you talk about how that translates to the equipment used in the restaurant space? It’s important that we utilize new technology. It’s so handy these days. We are probably one of the last industries to adapt to new technologies. But we have to because it’s all about smart cooking, using the latest technology. It will not only enhance the experience, but it will make it easier in the end. Quite honestly, technology could enable us to operate with less skilled people than before, but we still recognize the value of people in the hospitality equation. We noticed in your portfolio that there are things beyond restaurant hospitality. What are the other common elements that you find make for a great design? I think a combination of music and fashion go together with restaurants because they are elements that are tied together. If you put them under one roof, you now have something that’s lifestyle based.

A recent Pure Grey project was the El Cedro Tasting Room at Sharq Village and Spa, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel (Photo by Glown Photography (a Qatar-based agency).

38 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

What do you have planned for 2020? We are looking to redesign Marriott Marquis in Times Square. We’re trying to see how we can make it a bit more relevant. Although, we have to understand that it might not attract locals given the location, but are trying to do it more for the guests and the firsttime New York City visitors. We also have another hotel project happening in Milan, Italy.

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FIORITO ON INSURANCE

Food Allergies: Risk Prevention and Liability Insurance Protection

evere allergic reactions of all kinds happen quickly and can be life-threatening. It’s reported that more than one in ten adults in the United States have a food allergy1, with roughly 150 associated deaths each year2. Just as alarming, a 2019 study by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) revealed that insurance claims associated with diagnoses of anaphylactic food reactions increased a staggering 377% over a ten year period.3 Food allergy related negligence can be a dangerous and costly mistake for hospitality businesses. The majority of laws regulating restaurants are statespecific, and thus how food allergen issues are treated will vary accordingly. For example, New York requires posters with information on food allergy to be placed in all food service establishments, while Illinois is one of only a few states to require at least one manager who has had training in nationally recognized standards for food allergen safety and allergen awareness to be on-duty at all times.4 A detailed overview of the additional state-specific laws can be found on the FARE website provided in the citations below. Regardless of state legislation, it is crucial that restaurants and other food service providers take all possible

Food allergy related negligence can be a dangerous and costly mistake for hospitality businesses. The majority of laws regulating restaurants are statespecific, and thus how food allergen issues are treated will vary accordingly.

Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President with HUB International Northeast, a leading global insurance broker-

measures to mitigate this increasing risk. Training Your Staff Train staff on food allergies including identifying major food allergens, how to prevent cross-contamination of allergens, and what to do if a customer has an allergic reaction. There are many steps that should be taken by the front- and back-of-the-house staff to protect customers with food allergies, such as the following: • Ensure that tables, chairs, salt and pepper shakers, laminated menus and other table items are clean and sanitized. • Use a spray bottle solution to clean surfaces when sanitizing. Buckets are not recommended as food proteins could be floating in the water, coming into contact with eating surfaces.

40 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

• Educate servers so they are knowledgeable about the ingredients used to prepare each menu item. If a server is new or uninformed, a manager or more experienced wait staff member should handle the table. • Communicate to managers, chefs and colleagues to heighten awareness around customers with food allergies. • Select a designated staff member to ensure that all food safety precautions have been met. Food Preparation Practices Raise awareness with chefs and cooks on the precautions needed for food allergies, as well as how to properly cook and prepare them. You can reduce cross contact during the food preparation process through the following suggestions: • Change aprons, wash hands and

age, 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 212338-2324 or by email at robert.fiorito@ hubinternational.com.

sanitize all food preparation surfaces. • Insert a piece of foil between food and a grill surface to act as a barrier. • Use separate fryers with clean grease. Example: If the guest has a fish allergy, do not cook French fries in the same oil used to fry fish.

continued on page 96

February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 41

SCOOP

INSIDER NEWS

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

Imperial Dade Acquires American Paper & Plastics Transaction Represents 27th Acquisition for Leading Distributor of Foodservice Disposables and Janitorial Products Scoop hear Imperial Dade, a leading distributor of disposable food service and janitorial supplies, recently announced the acquisition of American Paper & Plastics (“APP”). The acquisition strengthens Imperial Dade’s California presence while enhancing the company’s differentiated value proposition to customers in the region. The transaction represents the 27th acquisition for Imperial Dade under the leadership of Robert and Jason Tillis, CEO and President of Imperial Dade, respectively. Financial terms of the

private transaction were not disclosed. Headquartered in City of Industry, CA, American Paper & Plastics is a leading distributor of food service and janitorial products owned and operated by Daniel Emrani, CEO of American Paper and Plastics. With nearly 40 years of experience serving the California market, the company has built a strong reputation for its knowledgeable sales force, wide breadth of products, and high level of customer service. By leveraging Imperial Dade’s market-leading platform and California presence, American Paper and Plastics customers can expect the same exceptional customized service coupled with an even greater offering of products and solutions. “APP’s strong reputation and track record of outstanding customer service make the company a great addition to the Imperial Dade family,” said Robert Tillis. “We are excited to grow our presence in California

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Irinox North America Hires Chef Sebastian Heil Scoop hears that Sebastian Heil has joined Irinox North America in the position of Southwest Sales Manager & Corporate Chef. Sebastian will be managing their California, Arizona and New Mexico markets and help Irinox expand its relationships on several of their most important key accounts. Hail-

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Scoop, from page 42 ing from Germany, Chef Sebastian Heil started his culinary journey with a distinct, European influence. The son of a Hungarian mother, German father, and fluent in both languages, Sebastian learned old-world cooking styles and a passion Chef Sebastian Heil for flavors firsthand in his family’s kitchen. Beginning his professional culinary journey at the young age of 23, he quickly accelerated to Executive Chef status within six years, working in many prestigious kitchens across the United States. With time at the Biltmore Resort and Spa in Arizona, South Seas Island Resort in Florida, Hilton Head Marriott Resort and Spa in South Carolina, as well as five years with Club Corp properties in both Florida and Los Angeles,

Chef Sebastian has cooked his way across this country and grown with every opportunity and challenge he has faced. In 2018, Chef Sebastian participated in the LA Food & Wine Festival in Downtown Los Angeles showcasing his unique style, Continental cuisine, and flair for regional influences and local ingredients. With a lifelong passion for cooking, Chef Sebastian brings enthusiasm and a zest for adventure to every plate he crafts. When he isn’t in the kitchen cooking up a storm, he enjoys exploring the great outdoors and quiet hikes through many of LA’s canyon trails.

IMA Research Yields Foodservice Industry Opportunities Scoop learned that through in-depth market research conducted in the development of their brands, Independent Marketing Alliance (IMA) has compiled insights and identified four critical opportunities for growth in the foodservice industry in 2020: • Clean Labeling Will Be Rewarded: Through IMA’s research, 65% of North American consumers said they’d seek out and pay more for products free

of undesirable ingredients. Private label brands have given distributors and suppliers additional options for operators to offer differentiated new products in clean label brands, which results in an increased bottom line. • Carryout Systems Must be Robust: The past year revealed a continued increase in the number of people ordering out to dine at home or in the office, rather than in restaurant and other offsite locations. The statistics are staggering, with 86% of consumers using off-premise services at least monthly and a third using it more than they did a year ago. This trend has also driven a dramatic increase in third party delivery service options further facilitating growth in carryout. • Restaurants Will Carry More Ethnic Foods: Menu trends are showing global and ethnic food categories are projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.8% during the forecast period as consumers are becoming more globalized and open to experimenting with new cuisines. This trend is also fueled by a demand for more variety, choice and flavor across all demographic groups. • Sustainable Products Are Highly Valued: In

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2020, consumers want to better understand the full lifecycle of a food product, from where and how it was grown, why it is better nutritionally and whether it is better for the environment. With 24% of consumers always or usually considering sustainability when purchasing, sustainability has truly become a competitive focus of not just the farmer, but the supplier, the distributor and the operator as well in achieving growth.

C-CAP 30th Anniversary Grand Tasting To Celebrate Culinary Advancement of Underserved Youth Scoop sees that C-CAP will host its 30th Anniversary Grand Tasting Celebration on Tuesday, February 25 at Pier Sixty in NYC. Maurice Dubois – CBS Anchorman, will emcee the evening which will be Chaired by Tim Zagat, Co-Founder of Zagat. This year’s honorees include Richard Grausman, C-CAP’s Founder & Chair Emeritus and Chef Sarabeth Levine,

w o r l d - r e n ow n e d Baker and Restaurant Owner. Many guests, New York celebrities and sports figures will be in attendance to enjoy decadent dishes by 40 top chefs and restaurants along with world-class wines, cocktails and specialty Vodka Richard Grausman by Tito’s top mixologists. This grand tasting will be assisted by talented C-CAP students and alumni. The night will celebrate the finest in the industry and guests will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to savor the exquisite food tastes by the “hard to get into” restaurants in one night, for a great cause. Participating restaurants and chefs include: Abigail Kirsch (Matthew Tiscornia), Almond (Jason Weiner, Alex Nieto), Aretsky’s Patroon (Ken Aretsky, Aaron

Fitterman), Bâtard Tribeca (Markus Glocker), Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse (Admir Alibasic), Bouley at Home (David Bouley), Casa Nomad (Yvan Lemoine), Cosme (Evelyn Velazquez, Isabel Coss), Cuisine Solutions (Bruno Bertin), Daniel Chef Sarabeth Levine (Daniel Boulud, Jean-François Bruel), Estiatorio Milos (Costas Spiliadis), Felidia (Lidia Bastianich, Fortunato Nicotra), Four Seasons Hotel (John Johnson), Gramercy Tavern (Miroslav Uskokovic), Indian Accent (Manish Mehrotra), JAMS (Jonathan Waxman), Le Bernardin (Eric Ripert, Thomas Raquel), Locanda Verde (Deborah Racicot), Loi Estiatorio (Maria Loi), Majorelle (Richard Brower, Charles Masson), Mi-

continued on page 46

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Scoop, from page 45 chael’s (Michael McCarty, Kyung Up Lim), Nobu 57 (Matt Hoyle), Oceana (Bill Telepan), Park Avenue Winter (Zene Flinn), Perrine at the Pierre (Ashfer Biju), Polo Club (Philippe Bertineau), Portale (Alfred Portale), Porter House New York (Michael Lomonaco, Wayne Harley Brachman, Daniel Rutledge), Hudson Yards Grill (Michael Lomonaco, Wayne Harley Brachman, Daniel Rutledge), Quality Eats (Craig Kokestu), Decoy/ Red Farm (Eddie Schoenfeld, Joe Ng), Red Rooster (Marcus Samuelsson), Sarabeth’s (Sarabeth Levine), Shake Shack, Storico (James Miller), Tavern on the Green (Bill Peet), The Loyal (John Fraser), Untitled (Evan Tessler) and Vaucluse (Michael White, Jared Gadbaw). C-CAP, a national nonprofit co-chaired by chef, author and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson, and founded by culinary educator Richard Grausman, provides underserved youth with educational and career opportunities through the culinary arts. It is a curriculum enrichment program linking public high school culinary teachers and their students to the foodservice industry. C-CAP’s various programs work together to help prepare students for college and careers in the restaurant and hospitality industry. For

46 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

more information, https://ccapinc.org

Marilyn Schlossbach Named Chairwoman Of NJRHA Scoop learned that humanitarian and Asbury Park native, Marilyn Schlossbach was sworn in and honored on January 27th as the new chairwoman of the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association (NJRHA). Schlossbach is the owner of Langosta Lounge. “Marilyn is an exciting chef that brings her flair of international cuisine to New Jersey, whose goal is to bring new and diverse chefs and owners into our association,” said Marilou Halvorsen, president of the NJRHA. Schlossbach is well known for her local and national humanitarian efforts. She attempts to achieve unforgettable culinary experiences for diners while inspiring support for local and national causes. Her community work includes a collaboration with Interfaith Neighbors on Asbury Park’s Kula Café and Urban Farm, community gardening and surf lessons

with the Boys and Girls Club of Asbury Park, and unwavering support of environmental organizations like Clean Ocean Action, Surfrider Foundation, American Littoral Society and Waves For Water that work to protect coastlines and marine Marilyn Schlossbach environments. In addition, Schlossbach is the founder of the not-for-profit Food for Thought by The Sea, and sits on the board of the newly launched College Achieve Greater Asbury Park Charter School. She lives in Asbury Park with her twin girls, Hari Mar and Rubi Dee, and artist husband Scott Szegeski

continued on page 48

BOOTH #2035

February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 47

Scoop, from page 46

Chef and House Team New Owners of Madonia Restaurant in Stamford, CT

from the bustle of downtown Stamford, Madonia’s rural location is the perfect backdrop for its stately brick façade which houses two New England style dining rooms, a convivial bar, and a vintage wine room for private dining. “We have spent many years in this restaurant serving the community,” says Amine of the group decision to take it over, “It’s a new chapter for not only us, but for the restaurant. It’s time to take things to the next level while not losing sight of what made Madonia so special to begin with.”

Scoop sees restaurant owners often encourage staff members to treat their restaurant as if it was their own. The former owner of Madonia Restaurant & Bar in Stamford, CT, upon announcing that he was going to sell his popular Mediterranean inspired restaurant and event venue, got the surprise of his life when his staff stepped in and bought the restaurant from him! Spearheaded by Partners; Jacqueline Ciaraldi, Amine Hoss, and Executive Chef Adam Zuniga, seasoned industry professionals with over 50 years of experience between them, the “new” Madonia Restaurant & Bar brings genuine hospitality to the forefront of this stunning Stamford locale. The restaurant’s seasonal land and sea menu is a virtual tour throughout France, Italy, and Spain. A stone’s throw The interior at the Madonia Restaurant

48 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

The Whitney Hosts Edible Art Exhibit Scoop hears there’s still time to experience and taste the edible exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where visitors are invited to eat the items on display! Titled fruits, vegetables; fruits and vegetable salad, the showing is the latest work by artist Darren Bader who is known for his often quirky, interactive artwork including Lasagna on Heroin, where he injected a piece of lasagna with heroin back in 2012. Fruits and vegetables are displayed like art objects on wooden pedestals, with museum staff turning them into salads every so often. The produce will be replaced each time throughout the show’s length through February 17, 2020. Salads are served Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday afternoons, and Friday nights. The Whitney is the latest to participate in the edible art trend following the $120,000 duct-taped banana at Art Basel Miami Beach, which has since been spoofed by Brooklyn pizzerias.

continued on page 88

BOOTH #1508

February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 49

LEGAL INSIDER

FROM ELLENOFF, GROSSMAN & SCHOLE LLP

Signature Dish: An Entry Into Protecting Entrees

Amanda M. Fugazy is a partner at Ellenoff, Grossman & Schole in New York City. Amanda is the head of the firm’s Labor and Employment group, and has a focus on the restaurant and hospitality industry. Amanda offers a variety of services to the

ne would be hard pressed to find a restaurateur that did not know the importance of brand recognition. When one hears names like Nobu, Jean-Georges, Carmine’s and Eataly, it instantly conjures up in the mind the delectable cuisines provided at these establishments. The name of a restaurant is well known to be an important piece of intellectual property for owners to protect. Once inside one of these establishments however, while the food may be amazing, the menus themselves can be less unique. Dry aged New York strip steaks, bigeye tuna sashimi, wedge salads and tiramisu. All sound delicious, but there’s nothing that stands out with these menu entries. And while these staples and standards are what many restaurant-goers would expect to find, these same individuals frequently have their interest piqued by an unknown signature dish or cocktail. Hopefully you are reading this with a Cronut® in one hand and Frappuccino® in the other thinking what this has to do with anything. Because, in fact, these signature items can frequently be protected, just as both the Cronut® and the Frappuccino® are registered trademarks of their respective owners, preventing use by their competitors. The Cronut®, a donut shaped pastry made from croissant-like dough

industry, including working with her clients to ensure that they are in

Copycats [of the Cronut ] were quick to follow, but [inventor Dominique] Ansel was able to secure the federal trademark registration in the delectable food, preventing others from calling their offerings Cronuts® or even names that would be confusingly similar to the registered mark. ®

and fried to perfection, was invented in 2013 by Dominique Ansel of Dominque Ansel Bakery in New York City, and quickly became a huge hit, even becoming one of TIME magazine’s best inventions of 2013. Copycats were quick to follow, but Ansel was able to secure the federal trademark registration in the delectable food, preventing others from calling their offerings Cronuts® or even names that would be confusingly similar to the registered mark. Sure, others can fry croissant-dough in the shape of a donut, but they cannot call it a Cronut®, which is what the average consumer is looking for. The Frappuccino®, as everyone knows, is a line of blended ice coffee drinks that generally consist of a coffee or crème base and are blended with flavorings and ice to create incredibly tasty and energizing bever-

50 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

ages. And just like with the Cronut®, Starbucks’ trademarked beverage cannot be sold as a Frappuccino® by any other company. They can sell flavored ice coffees, but not a Frappuccino®. The ability to protect the names of specialty consumables extends beyond just donuts and coffee. Alcoholic beverages and cocktail names can be registered, such as Sazerac® and Dark n’ Stormy®, which are registered trademarks of their owners. So to can condiments, such as the hot sauces from Bayou Gotham® (e.g., Ruby Rebelle®) or salsas like La Fundidora®. And this continues all the way down to the end of the menu, with registrations being made on desserts, such as Applebees® Triple Chocolate Meltdown® or any number of Ben & Jerry’s® ice cream flavors, like Pecan Resist®. Beyond names themselves, trademarks can cover a variety of other as-

compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. James M. Smedley is a member of the Firm and serves as head of the firm’s Intellectual Property and Technology law group. Mr. Smedley’s practice has focused on strategic counseling of companies with respect to protecting and enforcing their intellectual property rights, both domestically and internationally. Representative matters include trademark and patent prosecution, brand protection and enforcement, intellectual property licensing, anti-counterfeiting counseling and privacy/cybersecurity counseling. Amanda M. Fugazy (afugazy@egsllp. com) and James Smedley (jsmedley@ egsllp.com) can be reached via phone at 212-370-1300

pects for signature items. In fact, even the shape of foods can be protected. Hershey has a trademark registration for the shape of its famous Hershey’s

continued on page 102

BOOTH #2007

February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 51

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February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 53

NEWS

INDUSTRY EVENTS

IRFSNY 2020 To Present Torch Award To P.S. Kitchen Execs; Beacon Award To Butter & Scotch Co-Owners

larion Events, producers of the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, is pleased to announce the recipients of their annual Torch and Beacon Awards, which will presented at the event taking place March 8-10 at the Javits Center in New York City. The Torch Award will be presented to the leadership team of P.S. Kitchen, a social business, artisanal and plant-based restaurant in New York City with the mission of leveraging the power of good food and an open heart to lovingly serve their clients, employees, society and the earth.

The Beacon Award will be presented to Allison Kave and Keavy Landreth, from Butter & Scotch, a feminist cocktail bar & bakery in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. For more information about the trade show and conference and to register for this year’s event, visit www. internationalrestaurantny.com. “The Torch and Beacon Awards have become a highlight of our food and beverage portfolio events and we are thrilled to recognize these dedicated recipients who are making such an impact on the industry and the world,” said Tom Loughran, Vice President for the Clarion Events Food &

54 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Beverage Portfolio. “We invite our attendees and exhibitors to mark their calendars for both presentations during the show - and hear the remarkable programs both winning teams are leading.” The Torch Award was created to honor talented chefs and/ or restaurateurs for the brilliance of their careers and the impact they have had on the industry and their surrounding community. This year’s recipients are Jeffrey LaPadula, CoGeneral Manager; April Tam Smith, Co-Founder; and Timothy Carberry, Co-General Manager of P.S. Kitchen. The team is committed to donating 100% of profits to sustainable charitable work locally and overseas, creating jobs for those marginalized, and providing New Yorkers with delicious food options that are kind to the body and the earth. The P.S. Kitchen team joins past recipients including Geoffrey Zakarian, Danny Meyer, Thomas Keller, and others. The award will be

presented on Sunday, March 8 on Center Stage at 12:00 pm. The Beacon Award was created to recognize female leaders who have truly served as a Beacon in the industry through their leadership, contributions, and inspiration. This year’s Beacon Award recipients, Allison Kave and Keavy Landreth, are bakers and bartenders and co-own Butter & Scotch in Crown Heights, Brooklyn where they serve wonderful cakes, cocktails and in your face feminist politics. Allison and Keavy join past recipients, including Dominique Crenn, City Harvest’s Jilly Stevens, Amanda

continued on page 86

BOOTH #1672

BOOTH #1305

February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 55

MEET THE NEWSMAKER

Tom Loughran Vice President/General Manager, IRFSNY Show

or nearly 20 years of his career in trade shows, Tom Loughran has an insightful perspective on the coming changes for the food industry in New York as well as the rest of the country for 2020. Surrounded by the culinary industry, Tom Loughran has noted the continual trends he’s observed as emerging for the current year and shares his wisdom for restaurants and foodservice professionals to harness the power of trade shows for greater business success. You’ve had a couple of years now to lead the IRFSNY show. Can we get your thoughts on how it has evolved? Since I’ve joined the show team 2-1/2 years ago the show is dramatically different. I mean the first thing that we’ve done is we acquired Coffee Fest. And introduced our healthy eating section. The synergy that coffee creates is amazing. Every foodservice operator is in the coffee business because it is at the top of the profit center opportunity for every operator. Our show really focuses on helping the operator understand the ins and outs of roasting beans and then finding that very specific machine for their operation. Think about how many times you have been to decent or above restaurant from a food standpoint only to be disappointed with a low quality cup of coffee. Shopping Coffee Fest makes finding the right coffee strategy a breeze. What else has lead to maximizing the experience for your exhibitor base?

Again our ability to generate quality leads for our exhibitors has grown tremendously. As we look at this success, much of it is in fact the ability to have the Coffee Fest buyer walk and shop the restaurant show. We have also worked diligently to convert to a paid model that delivered a much higher quality buyer to our exhibitors’ booths. We’ve been very focused on quality of buyers and then that’s something that will we focus on and will continue to drive new partnerships with organizations to drive more buyers to the show. It gives special access to the show for that quality buyer. Keep in mind that if we flip the discussion, many coffee shops and c-stores now see a valuable new revenue stream so they are now very focused on food. Our show gives the coffee shop operator the opportunity to shop like the restaurants do. How has the show evolved for the attendee? One thing attendees will see is the continued growth of food exhibitors on the show floor. With our Taste of New York and NFTE section and the Healthy Food Expo, our attendees are asking us for more food and we have worked hard to deliver that. As your base of food exhibitors grows on the floor, how do you avoid comparison with the Specialty/Fancy Food show in June? The SFA is a great show but much of it is grocery and gourmet product. The big difference is that we have ev-

56 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

erything from A-Z. You walk into a restaurant from kitchen to software, our show has it. Can you talk about some of the equipment supply innovation that attendees can expect to see on the show floor. That has been a significant accomplishment for us. We understand the important role that the equipment dealer plays in the local foodservice community. Many of the largest dealers, Singer/M.Tucker, Roger and Sons, and Sam Tell all look at this show as a crucial piece of their yearly marketing plan. They love the show because it gives the direct access to an end-user operator that is so vital to their success. Can you can you explain why it’s still important to make the effort to come to a show rather than just shopping online? Besides the fact that when it comes to food you can’t taste something on the internet, people still feel the need to connect. There’s simply nothing more valuable than seeing your current customers or a prospect face to face. People still have the desire to come together as an industry. We know the internet has become important in foodservice. But with our show you get to see and touch a number of different solutions for anything you are trying to solve on our show floor. When you get to touch and feel a piece of equipment, you can get a sense of the level of quality that you simply can’t get online. Exhibitors love it, because we have an aggressive show special pro-

Tom Loughran, Vice President/Show Director, IRFSNY Show

gram that enables them to sell on the floor. I think the internet is great for reordering a product you have shown on our floor. This show of all the shows that we ever covered has done the most amazing job of showcasing what’s new. How have you maintained that culture? You can’t manufacture that. It is something that happens organically through the exhibitors driven by who’s launching products. This show has always been a great starting point for either new companies that are introducing product or existing brands that use our show to debut their latest, and want additional exposure. Again we have our New Product Showcase and our show specials that drive the “What’s New” theme. We know it’s a major reason why people come to the show. What special events do you have planned for this year’s show? The special events we have every year are lead by the Torch Award. It’s really about a philanthropic award for people that support the industry. This year it’s going to PS kitchen and that’s part of the mission is donating 100 percent of profits to sustainable charitable work locally and overseas. We will be presenting our Beacon

continued on page 86

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ASK ANDREW

FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE

PRESENTED BY

Thoughts On Saving NYC’s Oldest Tavern And Beloved Small Businesses Andrew Rigie is the Executive Direc-

This article was originally published in Forbes.com

ast month it was reported that Neir’s Tavern, a 190-year-old watering hole with the claim of being New York City’s oldest bar was shuttering. The owner of the famed bar that appeared in Martin Scors-

ese’s iconic film Goodfellas said that unaffordable rent and insufficient sales were among the reasons for closing. The somber news resulted in an outcry from the community and on social media to help save the historic drinking spot from its demise. The owner of Neir’s Tavern then called into WNYC Radio’s Brian Leh-

58 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

rer Show during his #AskTheMayor segment with hizzoner, Bill de Blasio, who offered to help. The tavern owner explained his dire situation and the Mayor responded by decrying landlord greed and telling the bar’s owner that his administration will try to help him get grants to assist, but suggested that the landlord could also “back off” and allow the bar to continue at a “rent level that is achievable.” Later in the day, the Queens Chamber of Commerce issued a press release announcing the tavern would remain open. Negotiations between the Chamber, the business owner, the landlord, and elected officials, including Mayor de Blasio, resulted in a deal to keep the historic business open and its beer flowing. So, a day that started with people pouring out beer in memory of Neir’s Tavern, ended with the sound of beer steins clinking, and folks saying “cheers” to a bar that may now live to celebrate its 200th birthday. It sounds like the City of New York adverted the loss of another historic business, which we should celebrate. Now post-celebration, we must ask an important question: If

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

the tavern owner cited government mandates as a major factor in their closing, not the rent, would Mayor de Blasio have told himself and his colleagues in government to “back off” or decried their laws and mandates? I didn’t hear the Mayor cast blame when the iconic Coffee Shop restaurant served its last meal after it was reported that it was not only rent, but labor mandates playing a major role in the business shutting. The owner of Coffee Shop said the higher labor mandates increased his monthly payroll by an additional $46,000 a month, versus the reported $3,000 monthly rent increase at Neir’s Tavern. In addition to rents and labor mandates, when you speak with small business owners around the city, they tell you that among their top concerns are the fines levied

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

SPOTLIGHT ON

TOP WOMEN IN METRO NY FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY

Chef Allison Fasano Interview by Joyce Appelman

llison Fasano at the age of 28 already has a foodie following that rivals many seasoned celebrity chefs. She’s already appeared on “Beat Bobby Flay” and that Food Network appearance was the catalyst launching her in the spotlight. She was Bobby Flay’s sous chef at Gato, worked at Michelin Star restaurants like Del Posto and The Sagamore Resort. She’s taken up residence on Long Island where she’s helming kitchens with her true blended cooking style. She brought the old-school New York steak house vibe to Harley’s American Grill, earning the Farmingdale steakhouse three stars. This past summer, she turned the Salt and Sea Bistro at The Bay Breeze Inn in Jamesport into a bustling North Fork dining destination. She took time from her busy schedule to present a Tedx Talk on Food Waste and was the keynote speaker for the annual Long Island ATHENA Leadership awards ceremony where they acknowledged that Chef Fasano exemplifies the characteristics of ATHENA leadership and professional excellence. She spoke on “saying yes,” an approach instilled by her father and taking risks outside of your comfort zone. ATHENA Long Island serves to celebrate and support

women leaders throughout different phases of their careers, honoring then for attaining professional excellence, community service and for actively assisting women in their achievement of professional excellence and leadership skills. In addition, she cooked alongside Daniel Boulud at the Palm Beach Wine and Food Festival and supported Women Chefs and Restauranteurs (WCR) initiatives. What inspired you to become a chef? I actually focused my whole life on food and cooking. I was always

Chef Allison Fasano

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the class clown. I was always a comedian. Now I cook and tell jokes for free so it’s a win-win for everyone around me. I would come home from school every single day and watch the Food Network. When I was 11, I saw Rachael Ray on “30 Minute Meals” and immediately realized it was the first time in my life seeing someone do what they really love. She was always smiling and telling great stories, many were funny and my kind of humor. I said out loud, ‘OK, this is what I want to do. I want to be Rachael Ray.’ She has been my biggest inspiration. When I was 18 yearsold I met Rachael. When I get really excited about something, I laugh a lot and then I cry. Here I am meeting Rachael Ray with a shirt that says ‘I heart Rachael Ray’ and I start crying. Then in October 2018, I was at the Food Network and Cooking Channel NYC Food and Wine Festival and I participated in the Burger Bash that Rachael hosted. Of course, I was wearing the ‘I heart’ shirt. She came over and gave me a big hug and she gave me her phone number. So, we’re like friends now! My first food job at 14

was at an Italian bakery where I grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I knew I always wanted to be a chef, so I went to school in the South of Italy in Calabria. I’m one of those people who say they are going to do something, and then I do it. A lot of people are surprised to hear that I’m 28. But I’ve just focused my life on food and always striving to be better than I was yesterday. Do you have a mentor that’s had an impact on your career? Elizabeth Falkner for sure. She has one of the biggest hearts and has given me a whole new approach to cooking. I’m always honored to work beside her. Elizabeth is a huge inspiration to me and to many female Chefs out there. Her fearless “you can do anything” attitude is something that is heartfelt. Charitable organizations are important to you, tell us about your work with them. I spend a lot of time collaborating with WCR (Women’s Chefs and Restaurateurs) and other talented Female Chefs on how we can make an impact on the future of the industry. It’s always important to me to give back and discover new ways for me to pay it forward.

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BOOTH #1549

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RESTAURANT MARKETING

Brett Linkletter is the CEO & CoFounder of

Which Marketing Strategy Is Best For Your Restaurant?

n this day and age, there are numerous ways to market a restaurant. Often times, it can feel overwhelming when deciding which route is best for your restaurant. However, the strategy that will best serve your restaurant often comes down to a number of factors including location, surrounding population, level of service/formality, etc. In this article, you’ll learn about a number of different forms of restaurant marketing and the benefits and drawbacks they each have. Word Of Mouth: Word of mouth is without a doubt one of the most effective forms for marketing. That being said, don’t let it be your downfall. If your restaurant is relying entirely on word of mouth for your marketing strategy, you are essentially relinquishing all of your marketing power to your customers. I understand that almost nothing beats a recommendation from a primary source, but people aren’t always the kindest when talking about restaurants. I’m sure you are aware of Yelp reviews that go a little like this: “The food was delicious and my server was super friendly. Two thumbs up for the pad see ew! However, they gave us paper napkins instead of cloth ones and my table was a little wobbly--2/5 stars.” It’s the reviews that come from the type of people who would take a flight from New York to London, experience NO turbulence, and still complain that a baby 20 rows back cried for 10 minutes. Unfortunately, the most negative--and often most unrea-

Misfit Media. He has an aggressive willingness to take on new challenges and a strong understanding of scaling a business from scratch. His vision is to disrupt the restaurant marketing

sonable--voices tend to be the loudest and most impactful. However, happy patrons sharing their positive experiences at your restaurant with others is extremely beneficial. Whenever appropriate and natural, encourage your customers to spread the word about your store. Just be careful not to put all of your marketing eggs in the word of mouth basket Pro: Very Effective. Con: Little to no control, negative voices are often the loudest, not scalable Mass Broadcast--TV and Radio: If you are a widespread chain or international brand that is comfortable waiting an entire quarter to determine the effectiveness of a campaign, then TV ads are a reasonable method to have in your marketing arsenal. However, if you are a single, small, or medium sized restaurant or chain, TV and radio ads--more likely Hulu and Spotify ads--are not the best way to get your brand in front of a relevant audience. Unfortunately, you can’t really measure the impact those campaigns have on your business until the end of a significant financial period, and even then, you are measuring sales correlation rather than direct causation. Pros: Massive reach. Cons: Limited targeting abilities, can only measure through correlation, $$$ Email: Email marketing is a good way to keep your customers updated on events, promotions, new menu items, etc. at your restaurant. In most cases, you won’t be able to find new custom-

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ers from email, but it is an excellent tool to re-market to your existing audience. Most POS systems offer features that can prompt customers and guests for their email address in exchange for membership to a loyalty program, promotional coupons or other perks. The main downside of email marketing is the overall low open rates (~20%) and even lower click rates (under 3%.) Unfortunately, “spam” and “promotion” tags applied by your email server don’t do your restaurant’s emails any inbox favors. HOWEVER, even though you are only able to reach a portion of your mailing list, you don’t really have anything to lose! Subscriptions to email address hosting services (ex: Drip, MailChimp, and Constant Contact) are inexpensive (starting around $10/ month) and allow you to send a (virtually) unlimited amount of emails per month. That’s right! In most cases, you are not charged based on the amount of messages you send to your subscribers. Collecting customer emails is also an important component to chat marketing, which is discussed further down! Pros: Easy collection, Warm leads, direct targeting, on-demand contact, low cost. Cons: low open rates, only re-marketing vs. new acquisition

space by empowering business owners with predictable, scalable marketing strategies so they can grow their business based on insights and data, versus guesswork and course correction. Brett’s specialty lies in creative content creation, brand messaging, social media growth hacking, and business development. His biggest role model and lifetime hero is his great grandfather, Art Linkletter, who was a famous TV personality and businessman. Ariana Brajkovich is Misfit Media’s in-house media buyer. She is a data-driven individual who loves to take the creative route to achieve results. Ariana studied business and marketing at the University of Southern California and has found her niche in the restaurant world. She thrives in competition and is inspired by Misfit’s drive to take restaurants across the world to the next level. Outside of the office, you can find her skiing, rock climbing, or baking. Contact the team at hello@ misfitmedia.com or 424-289-8648

Online Organic: Creating any sort of “organic” online traffic simply means you don’t pay for people to see your content. The biggest pro for organic online marketing, whether that be on social media or boosting your SEO (search engine optimization--where you pop up on Google when someone searches

something relevant to your restaurant) is that it is completely free and very simple. Anyone is plenty capable of taking nice photos of their food and posting it to their restaurant’s

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Nobody knows design + build like us. For 20+ years, elite | studio e has been providing comprehensive design consulting services with an emphasis on planning within all segments of the foodservice industry. Our portfolio includes corporate foodservice, healthcare, aviation, government, higher education, K-12, charter schools, hospitality, and leisure. In every location we provide an array of services from the larger necessities ― kitchen equipment, café and dining area design ― to the details such as brand development and merchandising finishing touches that enhance your food and coordinate with your space design. CO•GA•NY•OK•PA | 631.420.9400 | elitestudioe.com

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COFFEE STRATEGIES

WITH JONATHAN WHITE

Let’s Make A (Good) Deal

s the year starts out, we are inevitably looking to what we did the prior year- and thinking how we can improve our performance. On a personal basis this often comes in the form of “New Year’s Resolutions”. Many people join a gym in January, only to realize that the financial and/or physical investment is not what they thought. In the business world, at the beginning of any given year, companies and executives frequently look at their past actions as a guide for potential things to change. Vendors, in the same situation, wanting to grow their sales in the new year, may want to offer what appears to be on the surface a “deal you can’t refuse”. It may involve initial promotional product, brand new equipment, or an extra low price. All of that can seem understandably enticing for a customer looking to improve their bottom line. Everyone should always keep their eyes open for opportunities that help their business. But in the long term, one has to ask, is the deal “too good to be true”? Or, put in another way, is the inducement to make a change really worth it in the big picture? What if the quality is really a notch down- do you think the educated customer in New York won’t notice? The problem is that sometimes the customer will tell you, and in other circumstances may vote with his/her feet and purchase elsewhere. Similarly, for a product where service is a key component, a cheaper price may save a few bucks today, but in the long term, what impact will there be if

Jonathan White is the Executive Vice President at White Coffee Corporation in Long Island City, NY. Learn more about how Jonathan and his team can help you at www.White Coffee.com.

Everyone should always keep their eyes open for opportunities that help their business. But in the long term, one has to ask, is the deal “too good to be true”? the service deficiency leads to a far larger loss of income? The actual offer is often deceptive when looked at on a long term or per unit basis. In my coffee world, two examples come to mind. For instance, customers may be offered “new equipment”- but, like a used car, after the first brew that equipment is now used. Are customers really buying product because the equipment is new? Or is it more important how the product tastes? Tell us that another competitor offered.

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In another frequent occurrence, a competitor may offer a seemingly significant lower price- like a dollar a pound on coffee. But at the end of the day, that extra dollar translates to only two pennies per cup- which could be completely addressed by a nominal nickel price increase. Another example can be the selection of a “brand”. A brand may offer perceived reliability and awareness. But in some cases that “brand” may just be a “label” constituting a pretty sign- with no real consumer

recognition. And even in the case of a well established consumer brand, this selection does not in any way allow you to differentiate yourself from another prospective location that offers the identical product. With the intense competition, shoppers seek unique experiences or products- not merely something they can get anywhere else (and likely cheaper). Strong companies, even in the absence of a consumer brand, can still offer consistency in their products. Third party audits insure that companies are following procedures on an ongoing basis and using the quality of products that they represent. Far too often customers can be fooled by one factor that at the end of the day does not translate into a better experience for the customer. Be alert for opportunities- but think before you jump. It may not be what is on the surface.

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

QUEL’S CORNER

AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE TRENDS REDEFINING THE INDUSTRY

That “ahhhh” Feeling Refreshing the Dining Experience

’m sitting down in January to write this piece and the word refresh keeps coming to mind. It’s no wonder when there are more than 777,000,000 results for the word on Google in a half of a second. My guess is many of those are recent articles about refreshing your mindset, your fitness routine, your meals, and your home. We can take this piece about refreshes in hundreds of directions but

Previously, the space was bland and dated.

Raquel Weiss Fusco is among a gen-

What can you do to your corporate foodservice operation to provide a refresh to your menu, café décor and/or dining experience? for now, let’s focus on the monotony of going to the same place every day. I’m sure I’m not the only person who walks into their living room one day (after several years of it looking the same) and winds up rearranging furniture, replacing some knickknacks and buying new throw pillows. The result of a few simple changes gives me that “ahhh” feeling and for a while, it’s exciting to come home and experience the new environment. Now let’s apply that same mind-

This corporate café refresh turned around the employee dining experience. Bright and airy colors, new counter fronts and other small changes make a big difference.

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set to the workplace. If an employee desires, every day, he or she can visit the same office café and dining room. If the building hasn’t undergone construction in recent years, odds are there’s a deli, salad bar, grill and possibly pizza concepts available. And if I had to guess, most of the dining room consists of traditional tables and maybe some booth seating. But if your office is in a place like New York City and an employee finds the whole company dining experience tired, there’s a world of options available a few floors away. In one direction there could be a chopped salad bar, sushi and coffee. While the other direction might offer smoothies, pizza and tacos. Let’s not forget the array of food trucks that share location via social media and could be in the neighborhood any day. There are options to suit every person and palette, and odds are, if your company café is dated, it isn’t filled. So, what can you do to bring that “ahhh” feeling to your corporate café’s consumers and to your staff that doesn’t require a gut renovation? The first thing you might want to consider is changing the aesthetics. I’m not saying tear up the floor, but a

eration that’s redefining foodservice. Inspired by her Instagram account, Quel’s Corner will focus on the latest trends, designs and happenings in the industry. The third generation of her family to work in managed foodservice, Raquel is the Director of Client Relations at elite|studio e, a foodservice project solutions firm. She is also an established leader for the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management. Follow Raquel on Instagram @quelscorner or www.quelscorner.com.

fresh coat of paint, signage, new counter front fascia and food view windows all contribute to a new look with minimal downtime and budget. Now, think about taking it a step further. Maybe some of the equipment is older and it’s affecting your food presentation and taste. Consider replacing some of it. When you do that, you may even create the opportunity for a more flexible menu. Speaking of the menu ... Remember that menu offering I mentioned earlier? How can you bring some of those

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NEWS

TECHNOLOGY

NYC’s Zuul Kitchens Acquires OnTray Restaurant Ordering Platform

he Ghost kitchen trend continues to catch fire with news late last month that Manhattan based Zuul Kitchens, has acquired the OnTray online food-ordering platform. “Joining OnTray and Zuul Kitchens is a natural move,” noted Zuul’s co-founder and CEO Tyler Wiest. The deal will enable the Ghost Kitchen operator Zuul that also offers individual kitchen spaces for restaurants to prepare delivery orders to offer it restaurant clients and ordering platform. “Both companies share a similar

goal: returning the power and purse back to individual restaurants, We both believe that restaurants’ fulltime focus should be on running a restaurant — not burdensome, expensive tasks like online ordering or delivery operations,” Wiest continued. Philadelphia-based Ontray, meanwhile, has an online ordering platform aimed at smaller restaurants who might not have the cash or inclination to pay the massive commission fees associated with bigger delivery services like Grubhub and DoorDash. Ontray’s

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We both believe that restaurants’ full-time focus should be on running a restaurant — not burdensome, expensive tasks like online ordering or delivery operations,” said Tyler Wiest software lets restaurants create a custom website integrated with an online ordering platform or add online ordering capabilities to existing sites. The idea is to let restaurants retain control over their own branding and, most important, customer data, two things they must give away when working with third-party delivery services like Grubhub. Restaurants can view sales and customer data, monitor SEO, manage multiple restaurants, and import menus with Ontray’s system. Ontray also charges lower commission fees than a restaurant would typically have to pay with a bigger service. Zuul opened its first ghost kitchen facility in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood in 2019. The location serves as a place where restaurant

chains like Sweetgreen and Junzi can rent kitchen space to fulfill delivery orders and grow their offpremises strategies. “We have acquired key technical assets and talent from Ontray to better support our restaurant members and set them up for success,” Zuul Kitchens CEO Corey Manicone said. “Together with Ontray’s technology, Zuul can innovate a ‘whole product delivery solution’ that includes affordable online ordering for our members.” Zuul is currently based in Manhattan in a 5,000-square-foot facility with nine kitchens. The company plans to continue to open kitchen locations throughout New York City in the coming years.

BOOTH #1833

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NEWS

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

The 8 Hottest Healthy Food & Beverage Trends for 2020 Article By Mareya Ibrahim

and apple slices.

ive peas a chance, color me purple and allergen-free is the way to be. The Hottest 8 Healthy Food & Beverage Trends for 2020 are here, and in the year of perfect vision, The “plantbased effect” is growing like wildfire, and everyone wants a bite. Who will get a piece of multi-billion dollar action? You, if you stay true to the core mission – helping the health of humans and the planet. Eaters, beware. As a word of caution, don’t fall for just any label claiming to be “plant-based” – know the ingredients behind it. Every meat and dairy category is out to capitalize on what I’m calling the “plant-based effect.” This means customers and super fans (like you) will need to get savvy about what they’re biting and sipping on every day. Question the source of soy, understand the language of labelese – because even if it’s natural or organic, it doesn’t mean it’s good for you – and ask ‘where’s the health’ before you bite. To sum it up: a whole lot of plantlove, served up in a health-conscious way. 8 on its side is the infinity sign, and I’m predicting these trends are here to stay. Here are the 8 Hottest Healthy Food & Beverage Trends for 2020 1) The Buzz is Manuka Used in beauty products across categories and as a home remedy for thousands of years, the topical benefits of this ’nectar of the Gods’ are vast. Legend has it that Cleopatra bathed in honey, along with milk. As an edible,

the bee-knitted sweetener is normally just relegated to that – sweetening. But all that is about to change. Manuka is the ‘it’ honey, harvested from the Manuka bush which grows primarily in New Zealand. While the jury is still out on whether it’s truly more beneficial than raw, unpasteurized honey, it is certainly a potent antiinflammatory, praised for its anti-cancer properties. Manuka’s luxury price tag and influencer fan base makes it an enticing addition to drinks, a sparingly-used replacement for syrup (warning: it’s thick) or taken by the spoonful as a food-based supplement (think juice bar add-on). A drizzle or drop may just make the difference in creating marketing buzz around your product. 2) Allergen-FREE? Way to Be! Paleo, organic, gluten-free, dairyfree – these are all labels we’re now used to seeing on packages as brands get on board with those respective bandwagons. Moms – who make over 70% of the food-purchasing decisions – are all about protecting their flock. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, children have food allergies more often than adults – and it costs the US over $25 billion annually. That’s not even including the

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devastating effects of hyper allergic reactions, which can be deadly. The ‘trigger’ allergens are milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. Any product or menu item that excludes these categories can easily be labeled an ‘allergen-free’ safe haven. Some food trends that fit neatly in this category include OAT MILK, GRAIN-FREE PASTA, PLANTPROTEINS (see trend #3), SUNFLOWER BUTTER, SEEDS (flax, chia, hemp, sacha inchi, watermelon seed), GLUTEN-FREE GRAINS (quinoa, sorghum, amaranth, etc), and VEGGIE NOODLES. 3) Air-Fried Everything “I’ll have it French, hold the fry.” Imagine how liberated people feel, now that they can have all the crunching without the guilt! A definite Insta-worthy trend, watch for it in food service as restaurants search for more healthy options without the grease splatter – including better-for-you donuts and chicken tenders. That’s why (step aside InstantPot), air fryers will be the musthave appliance of the year. Along with air-fried everything, look for some creative side-dish options using different types of fruits and veggies, like sweet potato (see trend #8), taro, green beans, parsnips, chickpeas,

4) Give Peas a Chance Just one of these mighty tiny greens got under the Princess’s skin… but peas are no longer the lowly subjects of the plate. Full of phytonutrients, protein, and Omega 3’s, this nonstarchy veggie is taking over the plantbased world. The prevalence of peas as a plant-based protein will continue to lead the way as consumers demand cleaner, safer, non-GMO, and non-soy options that are also allergen-free. Global pea protein sales were estimated around $73 million in 2016 and are forecasted to quadruple by 2025 (according to Grand View Research). You’ll also find them in drinks, plantburgers and meats, gravy options, and waffles. See them shine in whole form as a snack, as well as gracing the plates of neighborhood restaurants and 3 Michelin star establishments alike. 5) Puffed Up Just add air. These puffs aren’t your 80’s variety cheese doodles coated in fluorescent dust. A quest for healthier, non-fried options paves the way for sophisticated snacks, cereals, and finger foods that use a variety of whole grains and are rich in protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, and potassium (and relatively low-calorie). Look for extruded and puffed foods made with gluten-free grains like millet, sorghum, rice, and quinoa in items like cereals, snacks, and large cracker-like bread substitutes for

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

NEWS

VENTLESS SOLUTIONS

30 Years of Ventless Innovations with MTI

ou know, a lot can happen in thirty years. The last three decades have given us so much to reflect on. The restaurant industry has gone through some momentous changes and while that was happening, Motion Technology, Inc was hard at work, perfecting our ventless innovations. Oh yes, these past thirty years have been a whirlwind, but we could not be happier with where they have brought us. As the pioneers in ventless innovation and the creators of Simplifry® Technology, we are so very proud of all our achievements. When MTI first began, we had only one model, the FFG-10. This single basket, fully enclosed fryer made deep frying both simple and safe! After a few years and some minor updates, the FFG-10 became the MTI-10.

Today, we have FIVE different sizes available for the AutoFry. This includes double basket models like the MTI-40C, which can cook up to six pounds of product at a time. Or the MTI-40E, which can process a whopping EIGHT pounds per cycle! But we didn’t stop there. We are always asking our clients for feedback in order to improve and grow our ventless fleet. When we received word that our customer base needed a single serve double basket fryer, we went to work and designed the MTI- Mini C to match the demand. We even slightly redeveloped the size of our MTI-10, increasing product capacity from three pounds to four, creating MTI-10X/XL. Early on, we knew that our clients would also benefit from a ventless oven. So, in 1998 we rolled out the AirMaster. This oven used three different types of cooking mechanisms

to quickly prepare food without the use of microwaves. Throughout the next ten plus years, we listened to feedback from our customers and implemented updates to the design of the AirMaster. The end result was the MultiChef 5500, and later, the MultiChef 6500, a slightly larger version of the former. Come 2017, the need for an oven with microwave capabilities was brought to our attention. So, we introduced the world to the new and improved MultiChef

XL! A highspeed oven that gives our customers the option to turn the microwave on or off, depending on their preference. As we roll into 2020, we are so excited for the new things we have in store. Our ventless family continues to grow, and with the last three decades behind us, we look forward to introducing our newest innovations to the foodservice world! Cheers to another thirty years of ventless innovation!

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

LIZ ON TABLETOP

TABLETOP SOLUTIONS

Serving Strategies For The 2020 Club Season

s we get ready to bid adieu to January, the days are getting longer and that before too long winter is going to give way to some warm weather and with it the launch of a new club season. We are already working closely with our club customers to bring them our thoughts on trends that we think they will be seeing. We then look forward to sharing many of those ideas with the club managers’ community at the Club Managers Show next month in Westchester. Every year, we look forward to shopping the showrooms at 41 Madison in search of new tabletop looks for our BHS/H. Weiss customer base. We are constantly on the lookout for new tabletop items to showcase these additions to our club clientele’s menus. I’m excited about for our upcoming buying visit to the show rooms at 41 Madison. We’re already seen a number of really nice things from Eastern Tabletop including a brushed stainless finish and Steelite. Haber is great for Spring/Summer with an exciting line of resin items that features a thick luxurious look and some really nice colors. We are also seeing more higher end melamine, which I like for its durability and weight. Every year, the melamine on the market improves dramatically. We see more exciting drinkware and serving pieces. A key to our recommending melamine is that it is much easier for staff to handle, for use on a buffet or for easily passing. Our club chefs are among the most creative culinarians in the foodser-

Many of our club customers are trying to understand how to add plant based menu items vice industry. So it’s important that we look to our chefs to get a sense of where they are taking menus going into a new season. What we are seeing is clubs pushing to serve restaurant quality food in the style of restaurants. Then we suggest a separate china set for banquet with rimmed plates for banquet and coupe for “member dining”. Many of our club customers are trying to understand how to add plant based menu items. Even though you

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are seeing it everywhere from Burger King to white tablecloth restaurants, we are reluctant to recommend its addition. The issue is that it is not all that healthy, especially for woman (soy is estrogen receptive). But it is a big thing for its reduced carbon footprint. The bigger movement is towards a smaller “protein” portion and more vegetables, with fruit as vegetables including breadfruit, jack fruit, and papaya as meat and carb replacements. The warmer weather will also be marked by the return of club members to outdoor dining. Our club clients always challenge us with helping them to create a fresh new look for poolside and outdoor dining. This year we are suggesting bento boxes. They are neat and have covers, and create the feel of a personal tray. It’s interesting trying to balance a green and sustainable solution, which has put a simple item like a straw in the cross hairs. I hate paper straws because they fall apart, but they are a necessary evil. The good news is that they are finally available with both wrapped and unwrapped options. Nothing changes more radically every year then the cocktail members at clubs. Our club manager clients continue to do an amazing job of listening and responding to the needs of their

Liz Weiss is the President and coowner of Armonk, NY based H. Weiss Co., a division of BHS Foodservice Solutions. She is known nationally as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on tabletop design. The Michigan State graduate is also actively involved with WPO-Women’s Presidents Organization. Comments may be sent to eweiss@hweiss.net.

members. At the top of the list this year will be infused cocktails with both herbal and fruits. Look for bar managers at clubs to adapt ageing in their own barrels. We are also seeing custom and house made bitters and bacon infusions and garnishes. This Spring and Summer you will see wine based Cocktails at clubs with the use of lavender and flowers as garnishes. At BHS/H. Weiss, we have a team of sales professionals who specialize in tabletop. Our goal is to help clients find and suggest appropriate settings for everywhere and to lend our years of experience in working with the club professionals to help you find the right look.

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COFFEE EXPERT

WITH DAVID W. MENDEZ

Finding the Right Coffee Equipment Article by David W. Mendez

ou’re opening a café, restaurant, banquet hall, or even a fast casual concept. Coffee in these Roaring Twenties is major category, a category that needs an expert to help you navigate all these modernizations in equipment. An expert in the coffee industry can’t be just born by reading a book, or sitting at a cupping table. An expert in the coffee industry is made by experiences, positive and negative through the seed to cup process. Mitigate your coffee program risks by listening to experts, because there are many variables to walk through when choosing the right equipment for a restauranteur/retailer. My opinions are not beyond reproach, but the following are a few common scenarios I’ve encountered that may help you find the right decision.

Choosing a coffee that tastes good in perfect settings is only one part of a successful coffee program, because there are countless other variables once in action that can adjust the coffee to consumer.

David W. Mendez, President and fifth-generation coffee professional for his family’s company, WB Law Coffee

ter at around 205 degrees. All other brewers traditionally hold coffee at 180 degrees. (Pro Tip: make sure you have proper volt/amperage for these machines.) So why is higher temperature important? Well because this service generally takes a few minutes, and/or staff will pour into small coffee pitchers. What happens? …. the temperature de-

You’re opening a banquet hall/ institution that needs to serve 300 guests ALL AT THE SAME TIME. First make sure, the brewer can brew that much coffee for that service time period. Now this isn’t sexy solution, but a large traditional 3 or 6 gallon coffee urn that we’ve all seen is the right machine. It brews coffee, and holds it at ~205 degrees F, because the machine itself is one giant water tank holding wa76 • February 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

creases. Then, they pour the coffee into a ceramic cup at ambient temperature…. What happens? …. the temperature decreases further as heat from coffee transfers to the ceramic cup. Now, 90% of coffee consumers add milk and/or sugar to their coffee. What happens? …. the temperature decreases even further. So by the time a consumer drinks their coffee is lukewarm, not passable for an acceptable cup of coffee. You’re opening a small café or restaurant and forecasting 100 to 200 cups of drip coffee per day, with only two SKUs, your House/ Single Origin & a decaf. My recommendation at those quantities would be to use a 1 or 1.5 gallon heated satellite/thermal brewer. I’m basing this on encountering waves of customers throughout the day, and these machines heaters/volume are designed for

Co & Ironbound Cold Brew. (www. LawCoffee.com). Headquartered in Newark, N.J. Mendez literally grown up in the business, he has a deep understanding of coffee from seed to cup. He’s traveled to origins across the globe to source coffees, and has helped develop, and implement thousands coffee, espresso and/or cold brew programs.

that type of output. Note, coffee has a finite life. Whether you are brewing and holding in a thermal dispenser (insulated and not heated) or heated in a satellite brewer, I think a good ratio to consider is the coffee is good 30-40 minutes per ½ gallon. Pro Tip: If you do use a thermal dispenser, PRE-HEAT the server, by running hot water through it so you don’t brew hot coffee in an ambient container. Pro Tip 2: If

continued on page 78

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Mendez, from page 76 your location will be using ceramic cups, and you’re more food-centric rather than coffee-centric, I would recommend using heated satellite, because if the staff doesn’t rotate the coffee in a thermal dispenser, the coffee will have cooled off the 180 degree temperature. Then more heat will transfer into the ambient ceramic cup and cool off the coffee itself…. Unforgiveable and unmistakable by the consumer. You’re looking to open a fast casual concept. You want to cover your base consumers and have a Single Origin/House Coffee, a decaf, a dark roast, then maybe a French Vanilla & Hazelnut option. You estimate the location will be busy with at least 200 cups sold per day. I see this often, and it has red flags all over it. Let’s break this down: On average, 15% of the sales will are Decaf, French Vanilla & Hazelnut Coffee. That’s 30 cups per day, 10 cups per coffee SKU. So maybe a cup an hour on the tertiary coffees? This comes back to quality control and staff training to make sure they; One, either dump the old coffee, or two, you need to make a business decision and decide if few SKU’s so they rotate more and prepare flavored coffees with syrups or sauces. There’s one common element between all machines that not too many people talk about, and it makes up 98% of the beverage. Water. Not all water is equal, each town has water from a different source, or treated differently at the respective water treatment facilities. My core region is the Mid-Atlantic. We encounter everything from water with chlorine, chloramines to hard water. Each impacts the flavor of the coffee, and how the machines can operate, treatable by water filters or softeners. It’s important to look up your water quality drink-

ing report (each town has one and water can impact dish washers as well as flavors in food when cooking or baking). Chloramines (chlorine and ammonia) is now commonly used to cost effectively treat water we drink, which literally rots away steel water tanks in machines. Minerals occurring in water attach themselves in coffee & espresso machines and can wreak havoc (especially espresso machines). Pro Tip: if unsure, always put water softeners on espresso machines to avoid voiding the warranty, and monitor softeners usage so you know when to replace. In closing, one of the most important things to remember is that machines WILL break down one day or simply need recalibrating. So as you choose your right coffee roaster partner, make them make you a believer in their service department as much as their coffee. Choosing a coffee that tastes good in perfect settings is only one part of a successful coffee program, because there are countless other variables once in action that can adjust the coffee to consumer. When you choose the equipment, make sure to base your decision on: temperature, volume, cups, how the coffee is being served, and staff trainings.

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Food & Beverage Trends, from page 70 avocado toast (that trend is not going anywhere). You’ll also see veggieforward snacks as a way to get kids eating healthier, featuring kale, broccoli, and spinach, and loaded up with nutrient-dense add-ons like flax, chia, and hemp. These options are both fun and diverse in flavor profiles, featuring Indian, Spanish, Moroccan, and Mediterranean-inspired spices to please adult palates, too.

there’s still a lot of confusion over dosing, state laws, and labeling. CBD is still wandering the wild west. Soon, however, you’ll find CBDinfused products up and down the aisles, in everything from snacks to beverages, coffee to chocolate. Watch that scene unfold before your eyes in what’s considered one of the most exciting new food and beverage categories in decades.

6) ACBD CBD lattes and Frappuccinos at Starbucks? Maybe not yet, but some independent cafes have already started serving up the hemp-spiked drinks and menu items. In 2020, be prepared for the full-blown CBD takeover in restaurants and spas, cafes and grocery/ convenience stores. While business is booming – CBD sales in the U.S. are projected to hit as high as $22 Billion by 2022, up from $262Million in 2016 (according to Brightfield Group) –

7) The ‘It’ Antioxidant: Black Seed (Black Cumin, Black Caraway) Thank the tomb raiders for this discovery! Buried among the treasures of King Tut, Nigella Sativa (often referred to as Black Seed, Black Cumin, or Black Caraway) is the life-extending secret of the pharaohs. Nicknamed the ‘blessed’ seed in Arabic, science proves it to be quite the little miracle. Nigella Sativa is hock-full of the powerful cancer-fighting antioxidant thymoquinone and is also proven to

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help with around 100 other conditions based on real scientific data. Sales of black seed oil increased 202.5 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to a 2018 report from American Botanical Council. Watch the whole seed show up in spice blends, snacks, baked goods, and other “seedy” places, while the oil finds its way into dressings, sauces, and soups. While celery was the ‘tidal wave trend’ of the 2019 with a sales increase of almost 500% and sold-out shelves thanks to popularity around celery juice, celery root, its cousin, is making headway in 2020 with a 20% increase in sales this year according to Robert Schueller of Melissa’s Produce. 8) The ‘It’ Veggie: Purple Yams/ Purple Sweet Potatoes You can thank Instagrammers for this trend. The opulence of the purple veggie (a.k.a. UBE, Okinawan sweet potato, and other varieties) makes for

a stunning picture, and that regal color is just sheer magic when it comes to health. Full of anthocyanins with potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, and anti-obesity effects (according to the National Institute of Health) sweet potatoes and yams are largely interchangeable in their usage. Available in dehydrated powder and whole veggie form, you’ll soon see them show up in everything from smoothies to soft-serve, baked goods to mashed potatoes, chips to granola. Want to win over the millennials? Add Ube Sweet Potato Toast and Smoothie Bowls to your menu! Food & Beverage Trends 2020 Runner Up: While celery was the ‘tidal wave trend’ of 2019 with a sales increase of almost 500% and sold-out shelves thanks to the popularity of celery juice, celery root, it’s cousin, is making headway in 2020 with a 20% increase in sales this year according to Robert Schueller of Melissa’s Produce.

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ICE Beverage Studies Program, from page 20 Rockey and other industry experts will educate on how to think like a manager. Also in February, Fundamentals & Service of Wine will bring Anthony Giglio’s expertise on viticulture, terroir, fermentation, varietals, major wine production regions and cellaring with lectures, tastings and a field trip to an active winery. Anthony and expert New York sommeliers will teach evaluation and tasting, while covering service and presentation techniques with demonstrations and hands-on exercises. In the spring, Essentials of Spirits and Mixology will explore the key aspects of mixology through tastings, technique demonstrations, lectures and hands-on workshops. Students will study the history, characteristics and uses for major spirits, beer, cider, infusions and syrups with guided taste analysis and cocktail crafting. Noted bartenders and spirits entrepreneurs from lauded New York establishments will share their expertise on trends in mixology and bar program development. The course will cover the art of crafting a perfect cocktail and how to develop practices in cleanliness, setup and breakdown, and hospitality-driven service, through classes in ICE’s classroom cocktail bar. “I am extremely excited for the launch of ICE’s Beverage Studies program and thrilled to be a part of something that I think will add a valuable missing piece to bar education in New York,” said Greg Buda, a member of the program’s advisory committee and director of education at The Dead Rabbit. “Having a set of courses available that can be completed while actively working in a bar or restaurant and having these courses extend beyond wine and spirits training to include cocktails and bar management will add something extremely unique to the suite of educational opportunities that are currently available. I have

high hopes for this program and am excited to see it develop.” For more information on the program, courses and faculty, visit recreational.ice.edu/Home/BeverageStudies. The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) is one of the largest and most diverse culinary schools in the world with campuses in New York and Los Angeles. Established in 1975, ICE offers award-winning

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Warren Bobrow, from page 22 A Vodka Drink – something I hardly do. Ingredients: • 2 oz. Smirnoff Vodka • 4 oz. Roasted Citrus Juice • Coconut Water Ice-yes, as it sounds- pour coconut water into an ice tray and freeze! • Lime Bitters Preparation: 1. Add Coconut water ice to a Double Old Fashioned 2. Pour Vodka over 3. Top with Roasted Citrus Juice 4. Stir well 5. Dot with Lime Bitters- Again, Fee Brothers A Bourbon Drink with Citrus Pretty easy this one… Ingredients: • 2 oz. of your favorite Bourbon- I used Barrell

• • • •

One large Ice Cube Splash of simple Splash of Roasted Citrus Whiskey Barrel Bitters *Fee Brothers*

Preparation: 1. Pre-Chill a Double Old-Fashioned glass 2. Add a large ice cube to the chilled glass 3. Pour Over 2 oz. of your bourbon whiskey 4. Add a Splash of the Roasted Citrus Juice 5. Dot with the Fee Brothers-or your choice, Whiskey Barrel Bitters 6. Serve The last cocktail that I recommend for this time of the year makes the demand for savory even more pronounced. How? I’d go back to

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basics. Tomatoes are not really tomatoes until the summer. But what if I taught you a method for making a tomato and vodka drink that made your winter tomatoes as savor and delicious as those in the summer? Roasting them, that’s how. And by using the correct kind of tomato! This would be the plum tomato. Ask your chef to order you a case of plum tomatoes. Ripen them in paper bags for a couple days. Slice them in half and roast them, low and slow for two hours at 250. Puree the tomatoes and add a cup of vodka to the mix. Let marinate for a couple days in the walk-in, well-sealed to prevent flavor reversion. When you are making a Bloody Mary, substitute this oven roasted tomato instead of your usual canned tomato juice. I know you will taste the difference!

Askew Bloody Mary Ingredients: • 4 oz. Oven Roasted Tomato juice • 1 teaspoon horseradish • 1 tsp. lemon juice • 1 tsp. lime juice • Celery salt • 4 oz. Vodka of your choice • 1 oz. carrot juice • 1 tsp. hot sauce Preparation: 1. Combine the ingredients into a Boston Shaker filled ¾ with ice 2. Shake hard to combine 3. Pour into two Collins glasses with fresh ice 4. Garnish with a whole fried chicken and a cut up watermelon

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IRFSNY Awards, from pg 54

Tom Loughran, from pg 56

Cohen of Dirt Candy, and others. The award will be presented on Monday, March 9 at 12:30 pm on Center Stage, following the Foodservice Council for Women panel discussion. The 2020 International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York will be held Sunday, March 8 - Tuesday, March 10 at the Javits Center in New York. The tradeshow and conference will provide thousands of industry professionals with access to the hottest menu trends, state of the art design and decor, a renowned education program, special events including Hip Sip: Battle of the Modern Bartender, Rapid Fire Challenge, Cake Decorating & Gelato Competitions, and several culinary demonstrations, as well as, hundreds of leading vendors and purveyors dedicated to serving the restaurant & foodservice community. For more information, visit www.internationalrestaurantny.com.

Award to Allison Kave and Keavy Landreth. They both serve on the Council for Women In Food Service. We will have our Rapid Fire dessert competition and a bartender Hip-Sip event that features cocktails with coffee. Our Centerstage will once again feature several top chefs including Chris Jackal, Alex Guarnaschelli and Mark Forgione. Once again, our workshops will be highlighted by the Restaurant Coach David Scott Peters, as well as workshops on recruiting and keeping your staff. There’s also a complete educational track that deals with everything from employees and staffing to social media marketing and operational excellence.

How can the show help the attendee plan or respond to those issues? We gear our education program to focus on key issues go on We’ve created a simple website to easily access all the titles for our sessions. We work hard to stay on top of what the hottest issues are in the restaurant food service industry, and ensure that we’re delivering that education to our attendees to give them another reason to attend the event. We are very sensitive to the need of our attendee base. We use our Hot Trends platform to discuss those issues. In many cases, we seek the help of our partners at NYSRA to update our guests on the status of legislation.

Once again your exhibitors are dealing with your attendees exhibitors are dealing with a host of issues everything from the banning of Foie Gras and plastic bags to appear straws.

The amount of apps and tech in the restaurant and foodservice space can be daunting. Can you talk about what the show’s approaches to helping attendees create a tech strategy?

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We expect to make a major announcement at this year’s show regarding technology. We are teaming with one of the biggest names in restaurant technology. We will roll out the new program in California later this year and bring it to the 2021 show at Javits. Whoever would have thought that the Javits neighborhood become the hottest area in New York City. All kinds of amazing restaurants are about to open just outside the show door. How do you think that’s going to impact a visit to the show? It’s been amazing, I’ve been doing shows with the Javits for 20 plus years and seen that whole neighborhood evolve. With all of the Hudson Yards, all the new restaurants and hotels there’s a lot going on and that will improve the overall customer experience for both the exhibitors and the attendees.

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Scoop, from page 48 ice cream, among other artisanal items. Check out Garden State Kitchen’s website for more information www.gardenstatekitchen.com or call Kris Ohleth at (201) 950-3690 to arrange a tour. Sign up for The Formula here.

Food Network Star Hosts Burger Eating Contest- $3K prize Scoop hears that in honor of Uncle Jack’s Meat House’s 3rd anniversary in Astoria, Food Network star and Uncle Jack’s owner Willie Degel hosted the 1st annual Uncle Jack’s burger eating contest along with celebrity Judges, DJ Chef from the Food Network Show, Cutthroat Kitchen, Comedian, Christian Finnegan and Chef Barret Beyer, contestant on Season 11 of Hell’s Kitchen. Seven contestants selected by Willie himself competed to devour as many “Ooey Gooey Mooey” burgers as they could in 10 minutes. The winner, Molly Schuyler, received a $3,000 check.

Garden State Kitchen Offers Small Business Workshops Scoop says the Formula, Garden State Kitchen’s six-week program for start-up food businesses looking to expand, begins February 22. Each week, busi-

Garden State Kitchen

ness founders/owners, financial advisors, food scientists, coaches, chefs and hospitality consultants will bring their real-life experience to lead informative, interactive workshops. Kris Ohleth opened the state-of-the-art incubator kitchen in November 2018, intending to create an ecosystem of support for food entrepreneurs. The space is open 24/7, offering kitchen rental, event space, specialty classes and unique networking opportunities. Housed in a former iron works factory in the Valley Arts District of Orange, NJ, Garden State Kitchen provides the professional cooking facilities that start-up catering and meal-prep companies need to run their businesses. Chefs who sell prepared and packaged food also rent space, producing quarts of matzo ball soup, mini sweet potato pies, and pints of gourmet

NYC’s Closest Conference Resort is Now Solar Powered Scoop notes sustainably minded organizations may wish to consider holding their next retreat at the Northeast’s largest solar-powered resort, which also happens to be NYC’s closest conference resort, making it a good option for those looking to reduce unnecessary air travel. Crystal Springs Resort is one-hour northwest of the GWB in Sussex County, NJ and has recently come online with a 25-acre solar farm that generates more power than the combined consumption of its 2 hotels. The resort offers 100,000 square feet of meeting & catering space, 6 golf courses, 2 spas, wellness center, nature trails, 10 restaurants and one of North America’s largest wine collections.

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Allison Fasano, from page 60

Tell us what we need to know to support your efforts in reducing Food Waste. Back in September I did a TEDx talk in Long is about food waste and hunger it’s ironic that those two go hand in hand. Waste and Hunger isn’t just an industry problem it goes way beyond our kitchens it’s a world problem. While most food waste takes place in our homes, professionals in our industry are becoming aware of the issue and looking for ways to make a difference. Restaurants can save their fruits and vegetable scraps for compost. 6080% of garbage produced by restaurants is food waste. By composting they can reduce the environmental impact by keeping waste out of the landfill, lower the waste hauling and disposal costs and find a whole new way to connect with their community. I also believe we need more

educational programming for both consumers and professionals that will help teach us to not waste when we can feed, feed those who suffer from hunger. We need to create a world where meals are shared and enough food to go around. It’s important to shop local, support local farmers markets, and donate to organizations involved with food waste. I believe there’s a seat at everyone’s table. Here’s the link to view my presentation: https://bit.ly/3aQhto2 Crystal ball, what’s in store for you? I think the best is yet to come. I always try to be better than I was yesterday. I’d like to be nominated for a James Beard award. And to host my own show, comedy and food, what a novel idea!

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Peters, from page 18 that sit in my session because there were multiple occasions when I wanted to quit the business,” the award-winning speaker noted. “It’s interesting, the love of hospitality and the restaurant industry never wavered, but the frustration with a toxic culture did. For instance with one of my first jobs out of school, I went to work for Hyatt Hotels in Cambridge. It was horrendous, it was a very short experience because the food and beverage director was sleeping with the assistant food and beverage director and it impacted everybody on that staff.” From there, it was onto Phoenix for Scott Peters. He worked briefly in HVAC and plumbing supplies, before finding himself back behind the bar. “It was a brew pub called Coyote Springs Brewing company where in the early nineties, brewpubs were like the return of the gold-rush,” Peters said. “Very quickly, I was pulled from behind the bar into management. Before too long I was on the road opening the second and third pubs and managing both of them. That lead to becoming the Director of Operations in which I had learn how to write budgets. I often joke that it’s cheaper to learn the industry working in restaurants than it is to pay for a Harvard education.” Scott Peters’ work in restaurant operations also led to his second success: restaurant software management. “Even with an old PC and very basic spreadsheets, we were able to create and fine tune financial systems that enabled us to easily fix mistakes. It was the greatest education in the world for me because I got to learn the importance of systems and training accountability. Most importantly, the software highlighted the power of cash. I continue to teach today that cash pays your bills and profits don’t.” After a stint at Famous Sam’s, a 30 unit restaurant sports bar chain in

which Scott Peters got an unclose look at franchising, his mother once again accidentally intervened in his career path. “My mother had bought a rather expensive ticket to a seminar on the Business of Speaking. So she asked me to accompany her and while I was sitting there, it dawned on me that this is what I should be doing.” That has lead to the establishment of Scott Peters company: take Action

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Enterprises. From the platform the Garden State native now speaks to restaurant management teams and hospitality professionals across the globe. His first book Restaurant Prosperity Formula is sure to be a best seller with industry professionals when it makes its debut later this month. “This new book really makes it simple, I have provided the restaurant operator with every pos-

sible checklist to succeed. The book features system after system from implementation of holding people accountable and even finding that person on your team to handle your weak spots. Restaurant Prosperity Formula is truly a textbook for our industry and just the budget scheduling alone on how to budget and dollars for labor work will pay for itself many times over,” Scott Peters concluded.

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Restaurant Design Trends, from page 10 self-expression with bold and daring shades. In 2020, color schemes will be traditional and familiar with a youthful twist, making for an overall sophisticated theme highlighting three or more shades. Five: Immersive Experiences Kitschy themed interiors may be “out,” but immersive experiences are most definitely “in.” Restaurants are no longer just part of a night

out—they are the night out. They’re immersive and multi-sensory, activating all of the customers’ senses

and transporting them somewhere new, while at the same time rooting them where they are in the moment. To create an immersive environment, you’ll need to develop experiential activities that evoke an emotion or a memorable reaction. Themed establishments and limited-run pop-ups are two ways you can fulfill this trend. Whether dining in the dark or drinking in a cold bar made entirely from ice, custom-

ers want experiences that they can’t find anywhere else…and, of course, ones they can brag about to their friends, too. Six: Front-And-Center Kitchens

Yes, the open-kitchen concept and related push for food transparency have been a “trend” for a while now, but the open kitchen is being reinvented to play an even bigger role. The theatrics of all stages of food preparation are still being put on display, but its footprint is now being moved to the entrance of the restaurant, making the kitchen the first thing customers encounter when they walk in. A strong presence of the kitchen at the forefront of your journey sets the “quality bar” pretty high. It also allows the guest to watch in awe (and with even more anticipation!) for the their food to arrive at the table.

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BOOTH #1833

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Andrew Rigie, from page 58 by government agencies, red tape, escalating real estate taxes, overly complex laws, major lawsuits they have to settle over minor violations, scaffolding, and the general bureaucracy that make it so difficult to survive and thrive in the five boroughs. I commend everyone involved with helping keep the historic Neir’s Tavern open, but we should not let this wonderful story and community effort distract from the challenges other everyday small businesses face. The fact is that Mayor de Blasio’s relentless efforts to enact an unfunded paid vacation mandate have small business owners on edge, fearing the added cost and administrative burden the new mandate would add. His refusal to enact other regulatory reforms long sought by the small business community means your local pub and restaurant owners aren’t celebrating.

Robert Fiorito, from page 38 Small business owners don’t need more mandates, platitudes on social media, and government intervention when politically expedient. They need a comprehensive plan to address the vacant storefront crisis in New York City and real policies that support new and existing small businesses. That’s why, the New York City Hospitality Alliance will soon release our 20 Policy Ideas for 2020, NYC Hospitality Industry Edition report, which will be a menu of progressive policy ideas that’ll serve as a roadmap, and a litmus test for government officials who say they want to support and preserve small businesses. In 2020, let’s see if they not only want to talk about small businesses, but also be about them. We’d love to raise a glass with Mayor de Blasio in 2020 in support of these policy ideas.

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• Use separate utensils, plates, glassware etc. that has been washed, sanitized and stored separately in a locked cabinet. If mistakes are made during dish preparation, start over! It’s not worth putting someone’s life at risk. Incident Response Measures Even with the best precautions and processes in place, incidents do occur. In the event that a customer is in distress, do not leave the guest alone. Direct a co-worker to stand outside and meet paramedics at the door. Upon arrival, tell emergency services that the customer is experiencing an allergic reaction and advise them as to whether the customer has injected themselves with an EpiPen to mitigate the symptoms. Insurance Protection A general commercial liability in-

surance policy will provide a layer of coverage, which can be enhanced by the limits of an excess liability/umbrella policy. In addition, other types of specialized insurance policies such as product recall, trade name restoration and accidental contamination/ malicious product tampering coverage, are increasingly available to help fill any coverage gaps or exclusions. These would come into play for incidences of wide spread illness and contamination, rather than individual allergies or food poisoning scenarios. When it comes to food related liability exposures, proactive risk management is a way of thinking that must permeate the whole organization - from management to front-line employees. Making it a part of all decision-making processes is important to creating a culture that values risk management. Speak to your insurance advisor and explore all of your options when it comes to managing risk.

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Chefs, from page 2 cal and specialty products for the Northeast. Founded in New York, the Northeast is the Company’s largest market in North America. “My grandfather started the company in New Bedford, MA in 1914. From its inception, the Wainer Family has sourced produce from the world’s finest farms,” said Henry Wainer, CEO & President of Sid Wainer & Son. “As the company developed, my family and I traveled nationally and internationally meeting and building relationships with growers, specialty foods and cheese producers, broadening our diversification and sourcing the highest quality produce and specialty foods for chefs across America. We are excited to be able to broaden our distribution network and offer four generations of produce knowledge to The Chefs’ Warehouse team. The combination of The Chefs’ Warehouse distribution network and quality in conjunction with Sid Wainer & Son’s unique specialty ingredients and expertise in the produce industry will provide an unprecedented service for chefs. We are very excited to grow our futures together.” The acquisition of Sid Wainer & Son is expected to generate approximately $180 million in annual net sales. The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. is a premier distributor of specialty food products in the United States and Canada focused on serving the specific needs of chefs who own and/or operate some of the nation’s leading menu-driven independent restaurants, fine dining establishments, country clubs, hotels, caterers, culinary schools, bakeries, patisseries, chocolatiers, cruise lines, casinos and specialty food stores. The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. carries and distributes more than 55,000 products to more than 34,000 customer locations throughout the United States and Canada.

Quel’s, from page 66 outside trends to your café? Maybe your deli only has a cold offering. Consider incorporating a rapid cook oven allowing you to prepare some hot sandwiches at breakfast and lunch. Bring in a mobile cart on occasion with a chef’s special or feature a popup restaurant. Maybe it’s that neighborhood juice bar making smoothies or a create your own omelet station. Small changes like these will refresh your menu and, if publicized well, can help increase traffic. I’ll give you an example, not from a client at elite|studio e, but from my town on Long Island. There’s a typical strip mall where every storefront looks exactly the same and one restaurant in there has changed hands several times in the past two or three years. Obviously, something wasn’t right because it went from a sports bar to a burger joint to another burger joint. But there’s something different about the most recent occupant. People were posting about their positive experiences all over our local Facebook page. I decided to venture over there to check it out, but honestly, I was expecting your typical burger and crazy milkshake dining experience. From the time I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed the change. The restaurant stood out! It wasn’t the same white concrete that the rest of the strip mall was finished in. The façade was red brick with black painted trim. The owners were clearly trying to indicate there’s been a change from the previous owners. And just to prove my point, the new owner continued to differentiate by not just serving burgers and crazy milkshakes. There were a variety of salads, sandwiches and other quick offerings like quesadillas, wings and grilled cheese. A few small changes to the menu and décor can really bring that “ahhh” moment. Now it’s your turn. What can you do to your corporate foodservice operation to provide a refresh to your menu, café décor and/or dining experience? Want to talk it out? I’m there for you!

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Linkletter, from page 62 Facebook and Instagram pages. The downside of organic posting is the limited reach. Across all industries, businesses see average engagement rates of 0.09% and 1.60% on Facebook and Instagram respectively. While it still isn’t a bad idea to have an appealing Instagram profile to showcase your restaurant, it’s not sufficient to rely on organic posting as your main marketing strategy for acquiring new customers. At Misfit Media, we consider posting on social to be a form of branding, rather a technique of new customer acquisition. Pros: No/low cost, personal, great for branding and image. Cons: Limited reach, difficult to measure effectiveness Paid Social Media: If you are aiming to build a following for your restaurant on social media, paid/sponsored content is the way to go. Facebook Ads Manager is a simple, user friendly platform that takes you step by step though the process of creating ads on Instagram and Facebook Social Media. When you market through social media, always keep in mind what your actual goal is: bringing guests into your restaurant. More often than not, restaurant owners get caught up in gaining followers and getting likes on photos--I like to call these statistics “vanity metrics”. Those metrics are relevant when it comes to building a brand presence, but when it comes to increasing your restaurant’s revenue, they don’t lead to definite conclusions on the success of your campaigns. One of my team’s favorite sayings is “You can’t deposit likes into the bank™”. Paid social media is a surefire way to expand your customer base as long as your campaigns are working towards the right goal. Pros: Detailed Targeting, guaranteed automatic large reach, exact budgeting. Cons: Vanity Metrics, difficult to measure contribution to revenue growth,

Chat Marketing: Chat marketing is a newer method of marketing where customers can interact with the business directly, preferably in a 1-on-1 scenario. Think of marketing your business as giving a speech. You are speaking to a crowd of people on the amazing quality of your product or service. In this scenario, you have great reach, but the feedback you get from your audience is pretty limited. They can cheer or heckle you and you can read the looks on their faces and the overall vibe of the audience, but ultimately, you won’t know how receptive they were to your speech until you finish speaking and you are able to talk to them afterwards. Chat marketing can be seen as conversation rather than a speech. Unlike a speech, chat marketing allows for instant and continuous feedback from your audience. It creates an open communication channel between you and each one of your customers--potential, new, and returning--allowing you to engage with them whenever you see fit once they initiate the conversation. This allows you to market to them directly at NO cost for upcoming promotions and events as well as general brand awareness.The most common channels for direct response marketing are Facebook Messenger, SMS/Text message, and email. However, each of these channels require the use of automation or chat bots to keep the conversation going. Chat marketing also opens up the opportunity to run campaigns where you can track metrics all the way from a customer engagement to an in-store customer transactions driven directly by your marketing. Pros: Detailed targeting, guaranteed reach, high open rates--over 90% (Messenger & SMS/Text), 100% trackable. Cons: massive learning curve Stat Source: https://sproutsocial. com/insights/social-media-statistics/

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Cashless Ban, from page 4 across the city. Dos Toros Taqueria restaurant chain currently does not accept cash payments. Its founder Leo Kremer said in City Council testimony last year that cashless payments are more ‘seamless’ and that since moving to cashless transactions, the business had cut down on firing or punishing workers over cash discrepancies. However, critics slammed the move to cashless stores as ‘elitist’ and said that it marginalizes many residents. Torres said that New York people should have a right to choose. “Consumers should have the right to choose if they want to pay in cash or not,” he said. “We are reining in the excesses of the digital economy.” In the introduction for the motion prior to the vote, Rafael L Espinal, chair of the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing, said he wanted to ‘draw attention to some unintended consequences of cashless technologies’. “In a modern financial hub like New

York City it might be easy to assume everyone has easy access to banking facilities and technologies that allow cashless transactions - unfortunately this is not the case,” he said. Espinal said that cashless-only stores are marginalizing disadvantaged groups, because many residents in New York don’t have access to a bank account. “In 2013 close to 12% of the city’s population were completely unbanked,” said Espinal. “Not having a bank account is linked to poverty.” And while some groups were critical of the bill passed arguing that it would inconvenience restaurants that have to start accepting cash, even they acknowledge that the unbanked issue is one that needs solving. “Regardless of the cashless ban, our elected leaders need to support policies that get more New Yorkers banked, because technology is advancing and mobile payments are the way of the future,” said Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance.

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Sampson, from page 8

Signature Dish, from page 50

volumes of ready-to-drink products consumed rose 50%, driven by hard seltzers and canned cocktails, according to IWSR. Spirits volumes grew by 2.3%, helped by mezcal, tequila, cognac, bourbon and other whiskey. Beer continued to decline, falling 2.3% as demand keeps ebbing for big domestic brands such as Budweiser. Craft beer volumes increased 4.1%, while low and noalcohol beer climbed 6.6%. “Wine could be further hit by U.S. tariffs on European imports. The U.S. last year levied a 25% tariff on bottled table wines from France, Germany, Spain and the U.K., and has threatened further measures.” Another change is growing. Winemakers are selling more in cans and cartons, as I reported in a previous story. Traditional wine bottles don’t lend themselves to casual outdoor drinking or when consumers want a single drink. It also allows users to

take the wine home if purchased in a retail setting, law permitting. Another phenomenon is the growth of “group wine sales programs” sponsored by various media groups. Then there is the Internet. Ms. Chaudhuri writes, “IWSR forecasts U.S. online alcohol sales to rise from $3 billion in 2019 to $13.4 billion by 2024. Sales so far have been driven by wine, which has fewer state-level restrictions than other drinks.” And while I have not had the advantage of conducting a survey, it has been my observation that more women are turning to light and white wines. Most TV commercials verify that fact. I, for one, believe that wine will continue to be welcomed into most homes and wine lists will continue to be part of the fine dining scene for a long time. What would you use for a toast?

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Kisses®, as does Nestle with its KitKat® bar. Bubba Foods LLC has a trademark on the shape of its uncooked Bubba Burger®, which is not a traditional round or square burger. Ultimately, the analysis of whether something can be registered as a federal trademark boils down to this question: does the proposed mark (e.g., word, logo, shape) act as an identifier of the source of the related goods or services? In other words, when a consumer sees the mark, does it tell the consumer where the good or service comes from. If the answer is yes, then there is a chance it can be registered as a trademark. Registering a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) comes with several advantages, including injunctive relief, statutory damages in the cases of counterfeit goods or services, and the possibility of being able to recover attorney’s fees from the infringing party.

Additionally, if maintained properly, the term of a trademark registration is indefinite, giving mark owners long lasting enforceable intellectual property rights. Better yet, as a company’s brand grows, there are options for creating a holding company for the marks, which will then license the rights back to the restaurants and any other licensees, creating both potential tax benefits as well as ways to protect and commoditize the marks separate from the restaurant. Of course, this does not mean that you should aim to have a menu consisting exclusively of branded content. There are plenty of times the customer just wants a good old fashion hamburger and fries. But if you do have a magical entry that’s stirring up a craze, it might be time to speak with an intellectual property attorney about how to secure and commoditize that dish.

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