May 2018 - Total Food Service by Total Food Service

NEWS

INDUSTRY AWARDS

SFA’s 2018 sofi Award Winners Set for Javits Award Ceremony

round the country and the world, hundreds of Specialty Food Association members crossed their fingers, hoping to see and hear their product announced for a coveted 2018 sofi™ (specialty outstanding food innovation) Award. The Specialty Food Association (SFA) has been presenting sofi Awards since 1972, celebrating culinary excellence and creativity worldwide through recognizing the outstanding work of its members. The 2018 winners include a wide range of culinary delicacies, from mouthwatering sauces to delectable desserts to savory snacks. Winners were chosen from more than 2,650 entries in a blind tasting by a national panel of culinary experts. In all, the 2018 sofi Awards honor 156 winners with Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Best New Product recognition in 39 categories. Over 50% of the winners are firms based in Metro New York City. Among Connecticut winners are TEA•RRIFIC! ICE CREAM’s Masala Chai Ice Cream and Frescobene Foods’ Artisan Sausage Ragu pasta sauce. New Jersey winners to be feted at the upcoming show at the Javits include: Epicure Foods’ Proosdji cheese, 10 minute faro from Atalanta, Bono USA’s extra virgin oil and pitaschio/fig salami from Hellenic Farms in Roselle, NJ. The Empire State will be well represented in the winners circle with Shawrma from New York Shuk, Au-

Today’s consumers are clamoring for new and exciting foods across every channel, from retail to foodservice. The 2018 sofi winners are at the forefront of that growth and rising excitement for specialty food products.” ria’s Malaysian Kitchen’s lime leaf samba, bbq smoked salmon from Acme Smoked Fish, Healing Home Foods’ Almond Butter Chunk Granola, Butternut Squash Seed Oil from Stony Brook WholeHeartedFoods and Mouth Foods Triple Ginger Cookies highlighting New York State winners. “For 46 years, the SFA has offered sofi Awards to showcase the best of the best within the specialty food industry,” said Phil Kafarakis, president of the Specialty Food Association. Kafarakis was joined by sofi award judges to help announce this year’s awards via video. “Our 2018 winners possess the passion for innovation and greattasting food that fuels our industry. Today’s consumers are clamoring for new and exciting foods across every channel, from retail to foodservice. The sofi winners are at the forefront of that growth and rising excitement for specialty food products.” Over 12 days in March 2018, a diverse panel of expert judges participated in a series of blind tastings to select the sofi winners. In all, 58

2 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

judges from across the food industry spectrum, including chefs, culinary instructors, recipe developers, food journalists, and specialty food buyers participated in the selection process. The sofi Award Product of the Year, given to the product that received the highest cumulative score, will be announced during the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show. Held at the Javits Center in New York, June 30-July 2, the show is one of the largest marketplaces for specialty food and beverages in North America, featuring 200,000 products from around the world. The panel of judges represented all disciplines of the food industry in Metro New York including: Scott Barton, NYU; Kenneth Blanchette, FreshDirect; Stan Sagner, Former Restaurant Critic, Food Media Strategist; Laura Granston, Kings Food Markets; Jenn De La Vega, Randwiches; Gizella Otteson, Foster Sundry and Channaly Philipp, Epoch Times.  The Specialty Food Association is a thriving community of food artisans,

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

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

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

importers, and entrepreneurs. Established in 1952 in New York, the notfor-profit trade association provides its 3,600 members in the U.S. and abroad with resources, knowledge and connections to champion and nurture their companies in an always-evolving marketplace. The Association owns and produces the Winter and Summer Fancy Food Shows, and presents the sofi™ Awards honoring excellence in specialty food.

Full service at full speed.

Everything Square ever had, now with everything Square never had. Square for Restaurants

square.com/rstpos

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

NEWS

TRIBUTE

NYC Gourmet Grocery Pioneer Andrew Balducci Dies At 92

FS is saddened to note that Andrew Balducci, the New Yorker whose famed Greenwich Village gourmet food mecca attracted fans including Anna Wintour, Lou Reed and Lena Horne, has died. He was 92. He and his wife, Nina Balducci, “really taught New York how to eat and cook genuine Italian food at a time when it was perceived as little more than pizza and pasta covered with red sauce and gooey cheese,” wrote food critic Julia della

Croce. Nina Balducci said that the Brooklyn native succumbed to leukemia at a Long Island hospital. Food experts including the late chef James Beard flocked to Balducci’s, a richly stocked market that opened at its Sixth Avenue location in the Village in 1972 and stayed there for three decades. Balducci’s was a culinary destination for gourmet-quality prepared food and Italian imports not easily available elsewhere, including Parma prosciutto and fresh vegetables

4 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

such as broccoli rabe, red chicory, arugula and radicchio. Since he sold the original store in 1999 for more than $26 million, new owners expanded the business to a midtown Manhattan location and suburban Westchester County, as well as stores in Maryland and Virginia. Balducci’s roots go back to 1916 when a humble pushcart was set up on a Brooklyn street, filled with fresh produce by Andrew’s father, Louis Balducci, an immigrant from Bari, Italy. The son returned

from fighting in World War II with Manhattan ambitions. He convinced his father to set up a sidewalk stall across the river, eventually creating the specialty-food market whose doors were open to well-heeled clients with discerning tastes. Balducci’s allowed them to enjoy Italian cuisine with authentic ingredients. Balducci’s awakened New Yorkers’ hunger for the kind of fine supplies available only years later at upscale markets such as Citarella, Dean & DeLuca and Eataly.

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

NEWS

SUSTAINABILITY

Connecticut’s DORO Restaurant Group and Sub Edge Farm Expand Partnership

ith the traditional growing season in Connecticut finally beginning, diners are craving fresh, local ingredients and al fresco meals, DORO Restaurant Group announced last month that they will be partnering with Sub Edge Farm for a series of casually-elegant dinners held at the bucolic setting on the Avon/Farmington border. The dinners will be overseen by DORO Chef/Owner Dorjan Puka and his partner, Chef Scott Miller. Miller, and Sub Edge Farm owners Rodger and Isabelle Phillips, provided an overview of plans for the dinners, as well as other highlights of their expanded partnership. “This will be my 10th or 11th year doing farm dinners in Connecticut,” Miller said, and since he first started there has been a dramatic increase in interest in the farm-to-table movement in the state. The following farm dinners planned for this season will feature fresh, organic produce, with several focused on the specific cuisine and style of one of DORO’s restaurants (Treva, Àvert, and Zohara in West Hartford and Artisanal Burger Company in Manchester): • June 21 – Zohara Dinner • July14 – Bastille Day Farm Festival featuring cuisine of Àvert • Aug. 2– Artisanal Burger Company dinner

We’re committed to the local food market,” Rodger Phillips said. “We want to keep the food miles small, and 99 percent of what we grow is consumed within 10 miles.” • Sept. 7 – Treva Dinner • Sept. 8 – Farm Festival • Oct. 4 – Àvert Dinner “I love feeding my guests at the place where we get our product,” said Miller. He said he met Rodger and Isabelle Phillips even before they purchased what is now Sub Edge Farm, through Grow Hartford and the Coventry Farmers Market. That’s when they started collaborating on RSAs (restaurant-supported agriculture) – similar to the CSA (consumer-supported agriculture) concept where a delivery of fresh, in-season produce is made each week. Miller said that this year the RSA concept will be introduced to the DORO restaurants, particularly at Zohara and Àvert, and perhaps at Treva as well. “Rodger and Isabelle will pick whatever they have for the week, and we will best fit our menu to it,” he said. “The chefs will be surprised,” he said, but will have the opportunity to be creative with some of the best pro-

6 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

duce in the area. “We’re committed to the local food market,” Rodger Phillips said. He said that the CSA idea is so important to small farmers, and praised Miller for taking the bold step of joining the RSA. “Scott is one of those rare chefs who doesn’t just talk the talk but also walks the walk,” Rodger Phillips added. “We just want to have great food for our guests. We know their land and we trust them,” noted Miller. Rodger Phillips showed off a batch of sunchokes, which Miller is currently using in several dishes at West Hartford’s Zohara Mediterranean Restaurant. Sunchokes are the root of a sunflower, and have a texture similar to water chestnuts. “Not starchy, but with the softness of a potato,” Rodger Phillips said. Rodger Phillips said that Sub Edge also has fresh kale and spinach available, which have been growing in high tunnels – unheated greenhouses.

Parnsips and other vegetables over winter in the ground, and are available as well and being served at Zohara. Tomatoes will be planted soon. “We’re committed to the local food market,” Rodger Phillips said. “We want to keep the food miles small, and 99 percent of what we grow is consumed within 10 miles.” The distance between Sub Edge and Zohara, as the crow flies, is about 4.5 miles. Another exciting aspect of the partnership will be pop-up farmers markets, which Miller said will take place on Zohara’s patio on either Saturday or Sunday mornings this summer. Guests will be able to purchase fresh produce from Sub Edge, and also taste how that produce is prepared at Zohara. The farm now known as Sub Edge has a history dating back to 1820, and is now run by Rodger and Isabelle Phillips, and their five children. It includes 300 acres, about 12 of which are used for growing vegetables, flowers, fruits, and culinary herbs. Crops are certified organic by NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC. Forty of the farm’s acres are used for pasture and hay. They also offer a CSA program, including one in partnership with West Hartford’s New Park Brewery, host tours and educational programming, and run a seasonal farm shop. Sub Edge also raises heritage breed pigs, layer hens and 100 percent grass-fed beef.

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

NEWS

EVENT KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Condoleezza Rice Headlines Signature ’18 at National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show® 2018 Dr. Rice joins National Restaurant Association® President & CEO Dawn Sweeney to share her unique perspective on the nation and the world

ignature ’18 at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show – a modern take on the traditional keynote – welcomes 66th Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice for a discussion with President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association Dawn Sweeney. Dr. Rice and Sweeney offer their unique perspectives and knowledge to attendees and join an all-star roster of industry experts at the 2018 Show. The Signature ’18 conversation will touch on U.S. foreign policy, international relations, and national security. Dr. Rice will share global insights into current issues and events during her address, followed by a question and answer session with Sweeney. “We are honored to host Dr. Rice and look forward to a dynamic conversation with Dawn Sweeney on the Signature ’18 stage,” says Dickie Brennan, Convention Chair for National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show 2018 and owner/ managing partner of Dickie Brennan & Company, whose restaurant group includes Tableau, Palace Café, Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, and Bourbon House. “Dr. Rice will undoubtedly impart invaluable insights into global events, and the impact those changes and issues have in the United States and abroad.”

offering services and products that promote the industry and help individual operators and large multi-unit companies succeed. Signature ’18 is open to all registered Show attendees, exhibitors, and media, and seating is on a first come, first served basis. The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show runs May 19-22 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. For more information about this year’s Show, please visit https://show.restaurant.org/Home. To register to attend visit https://show. restaurant.org/Attend/Registration. 66th Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice

The 66th Secretary of State will bring a unique perspective to her approach to business strategy, honed by years of public service and strategy consulting. Rice served as the Secretary of State of the United States, the second woman and first African American woman to hold the post, from 2005-2009. Dr. Rice also served as President George W. Bush’s Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (National Security Advisor) from January 2001 to 2005, the first woman to hold the position. Dr. Rice is currently the Denning Professor in Global Business and the Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business; the Thomas

8 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

National Restaurant Association President and CEO Dawn Sweeney

and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution; and a professor of Political Science at Stanford University. As President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Restaurant Association, Dawn Sweeney leads the primary business association for the restaurant industry and has been instrumental in highlighting key areas of opportunity. Under Sweeney’s leadership, the largest restaurant and hospitality industry trade show in the United States has seen solid growth. Since taking the helm at the end of 2007, Sweeney has led the Association in a wide-range of policy issues, while

Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises one million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of more than 14 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We operate the industry’s largest annual trade show (National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show May 19-22, 2018, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); and a unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF’s ProStart). To learn more, visit Restaurant.org and on Twitter @WeRRestaurants.

SEE US IN BOOTH 2616

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

LITTLE M. TUCKER

WITH MORGAN TUCKER

Revol and Libbey Join Singer In Celebrating Centuries Of Quality Products and Service

’m sure you already know this: we love birthdays. We don’t plan on stopping our Centennial celebration until the stroke of midnight on January 1st, 2019! The Singer Equipment Company is not the only one aging with grace; several of our factory partners are also celebrating milestones this year. We would be remiss to not mention them here before the National Restaurant Association Show and summer fetes. Libbey is 200 years old in 2018. Join us to toast ‘America’s Glassmaker’ this month in Chicago, during NRA. Founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, production eventually moved to Toledo, Ohio in 1888. They are still making some of the same products as when they started, and notably were the first to develop machine blow glass tumblers over 100 years ago. Each year, Libbey produces over one billion glass products, including the newly minted Master’s Reserve portfolio. Designed to offer higher performance and prominent presentation, every item in this collection is forged with precision in their state-ofthe-art Shreveport, Louisiana facility. Head to The Toledo Museum of Art this summer to view over 650 pieces of iconic glassware that tell the unique

Morgan Tucker is Director of Business Development at M. Tucker, a division of Singer Equipment Company. Ms. Tucker works with a wide diversity of acclaimed restaurateurs, celebrated chefs, and industry leaders across the U.S. Andrew Beres, Sarah Bulmer and Morgan Tucker curate LMT. LMT

story of American manufacturing or just pop in to Booth #3101-South Hall. From one of our favorite large factories, to one of our personal darlings we’d also like to extend a birthday note to Revol. At 250 years young, you’ve never looked better! This month, Revol unveiled a brand new showroom space on the 19th floor of 41 Madison to toast the company’s 250th anniversary. Despite a rapid and successful brand expansion in the past decade, Revol remains fiercely loyal to its heritage, maintaining quality and consistency by keeping all production in France. At the same time, this factory wouldn’t dare shy away from innovative design. French classics have been

10 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

reborn with a matte gray finish rightfully called Pepper to commemorate this bicentenary. Picture the essential, old school, lion-headed soup bowl and oval eared dish given a 21st century update. Of course, Pepper pairs beautifully with Revol’s classic black cast-iron style finish, adding dimension and interest to the tabletop or kitchen. Revol remains one of the only factories worldwide producing a fully black porcelain glaze. At the opposite end of the timeline is Equinoxe in Cumulus White, a line that we’re convinced comes from the future! High-gloss white compliments a border of Revol’s signature black porcelain to create a stunning new interpretation of a chef’s blank canvas.

is a curated portfolio of tabletop collections. Our products speak to a contemporary aesthetic while occasionally borrowing from the past. To consult with our team, please email littlemtucker@mtucker.com..

Solstice is another new addition to the portfolio, combining Revol’s 250 years of expertise and precision with inspiration from the cosmos. Their mastery is clear in this application of reactive finishes in deep red and rich metallic, providing a bold, celestial accent to the tabletop. Whether you’re looking for classic brasserie favorites or new items on the cutting edge of art and design, we can’t wait to bring you to Revol’s new showroom for a visit or meet you at Booth #7633-South Hall. Be sure to wish them “Bon Anniversaire!” In 2018, we’re certainly 100 years wiser than we were in 1918, when Frederick Singer opened Singer Crockery Company – a brick and mortar storefront in rural Pennsylvania. Thanks to a booming empire of hospitality expertise and the integration of technology into our business practices, we look forward to celebrating another 100 years with our cherished factory partners!

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

SEDERHOLT ON RESTAURANT FINANCE

Partners from Hell?

n my last few articles we have discussed challenges that restaurants have when seeking loans from banks, the SBA, credit unions and other traditional financing sources. After banging their heads against that wall for a while, business owners often say – “Well, I could just take on a partner”. Which sounds fairly simple in concept, but may be just as frustrating as dealing with a bank. Or it could be worse. In lucky cases, a partnership can be a match made in heaven. You find someone with aligned interests and understanding of the deal. Everyone is happy. But, in other cases, you end up with the partner from hell. What might have looked easy and started out on a positive note has devolved into a monster over time. You never know for sure how it will turn out. In the past year I have seen two cases where financial partners physically locked out and removed operating partners from the business and changed the locks. I have even been told of one hostile take over where the financial partner sent armed goons into a restaurant at closing time to make the operating partner a deal he couldn’t refuse… “it’s going to be either your brains or your signature on this transfer of your stock”. I hear about similar situations quite a bit - especially after loan applications get shot down in rapid succession. Gee, why wouldn’t some cashed-up person want to invest in my dream of culinary grandeur? They assume that anyone could see why investing with them is a great

In lucky cases, a partnership can be made in heaven. You find someone with aligned interests and understanding of the deal. Everyone is happy. In other cases you end up with the partner from hell. What might have looked easy and started out positively has devolved into a monster over time. idea; but they don’t actually think it through. In a majority of cases people with money can get far better returns with traditional investments. So why do so many restaurants attract investors eager to own a piece of paradise? Let’s start from the beginning. There are a number of investor types that gravitate to restaurant opportunities and each has their own characteristics. The most typical for start-ups and newer businesses are Friends and Family. These are the people who know and love you. Some want to support you, just because you are you. Others get guilted into helping you because Grandma actually believes your BS and dumps her retirement account into your dream. Most of the time no one has any real business sense, restaurant experience or even common sense. WARNING: There is nothing worse than crushing a family member or old friend when your restaurant

12 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

blows up and you can’t pay them back. Thanksgiving dinner at your house will never be the same Next up are the Ego Investors. These are the folks whose prime motivation is to tell all their friends that they “own a restaurant”. They are very eager and happy to be the big man at the restaurant with waiters and bartenders fawning all over them. They throw their weight around and bump paying customers for seats at peak times, drink too much and give too much away to their friends. They don’t fully understand the underlying business and don’t want to - until you tell them that the place isn’t profitable and you need all the “partners” to kick in some money to cover the taxes. This is when the proverbial sh#t hits the fan. At this, they can just melt away quietly into the sunset if you are lucky, or they get hyper aggressive and confrontational as they try to “recover their investment”. Their sudden interest in

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

the business often drives it right into the ground. It may seem easy when you are accepting their money in the beginning, but it can get really ugly later and have long term effects on you and your finances. In my August 2017 article on “When a great restaurant is a bad business” I wrote about a terrific steakhouse in NYC with a number of issues that made it a bad business. One of the big issues was that there were 5 partners – all of whom had different ideas about the business, how it should be run, its marketing position and risk tolerance. They were all great guys and good friends. The “Band of Brothers” investor group were shoulder to shoulder walking in the door. But despite the efforts of the very competent operating partners, once they were through the door, it was easy to see that things were falling apart as debts grew. The liability from taxes, the landlord and

continued on page 102

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

MIXOLOGY

WITH WARREN BOBROW

The Romantic Taste of Amaro

y first experience with the romantic taste of Amaro came in Rome, when I was traveling in Italy with my parents. They would pull my sister and me out of school for a month or more at a time to see many of the European countries. My parents liked the best things that life had to offer — and rather than stick us on an impersonal tour bus, they would immerse us in local food, wine and museums. I first noticed people enjoying Amaro in a street-side café. We were staying at the Hassler Hotel at the top of the Spanish Steps. Tourists find this staircase irresistible for photography and for pausing to enjoy a relaxing cocktail from the multitudes of street-side, stand-up table cocktail bars. There were several tall tables set up beside the steps, and young men in sharply cut suits were sipping tiny glasses of a caramel colored liquor with shots of espresso on the side. I also remember that there was a tall, red tinged cocktail in almost everyone’s hands. I direct tweeted world famous “Cocktalian” Gaz Regan for his Negroni cocktail recipe and am including it here for good luck. Negroni (recipe courtesy of Gaz Regan, via Twitter) “I prefer 2 gin, 1 each campari & sweet vermouth. Gin: Traditional. Beefeater or Tanqueray fit the bill. Vermouth: Noilly Prat always.” Little did I know at the time that what they were drinking would pave the way to my future desire to whisper about cocktails. I wanted to taste what these stylish people were drinking,

because I was very sophisticated for a 12-year-old! At the end of my usual dinner bowl of Tortellini in Brodo, I remember sipping at my tiny glass hesitantly. It smelled faintly of citrus, and the texture of the liquor was soft on my inexperienced palate. The finish (as I remember) went on and on, seemingly for years. The acerbic flavor of Amaro signifies more than just bitter, however. The bitter is a curative for the gut. Many Amaro were originally created for stomach distemper. The idea of making an Amaro came from the early apothecary, where potentbut fragile herbs were picked by hand and preserved with – you guessed it... Alcohol! Italian Vermouth in many ways is similar to Amaro, but a bit less bitter on the tongue. Some uniquely flavorful ones from Italy are Punt e Mes and the esoteric, salubrious Carpano Antica. The Carpano is a rum raisin-filled mouthful of sweet vanilla cake, laced

14 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

with Asian spices and caramelized dark stone fruits. Punt e Mes is lighter and nuttier, with caramelized pecans and hand-ground grits in the finish. I’m sure the alcohol is low — all these products (Amaro included) are low in alcohol, making them perfect in a cocktail. Amaro can be enjoyed as a digestif, it acts to settle the stomach after a large meal because of the herbal ingredients. But what does Amaro taste like? The flavors vary from sweet to bittersweet to herbal, featuring orange blossoms, caramel and nuts. Some taste like artichoke, others like mint, and still others like a sweetened root tea. They may be enjoyed in a cup of hot tea as an elixir, or dropped into a small cup of espresso to “correct” the sweet, thick coffee. You can drink Amaro straight or on the rocks, or even as an adjunct to other alcoholic and non-alcoholic ingredients. I love Ramazzotti Amaro, Averna, Branca Menta and its twin (without the mint), Fernet Branca. There are dozens that I’ve tasted around Europe and at home in New Jersey. But why is Amaro so fundamental to the Italian style of living? Perhaps the explanation will be: with everything sweet, there must also be a bitter side? I’m not sure, since I’ve read that Amaro is more than just a drink; it’s a way of life. Whatever the explanation is, the use of the bitter herbs, roots and spices are pleasing to drink and stimulate conversation. Because of the low alcohol level, the drink is uniquely designed to extend your meal into further conversation, not end it immediately with a cup of coffee. A dash of bitter and a dash of the

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.

sweet make life go round and round. Amaro Fizz Ingredients: • 3 oz. Amaro of your choice • Muddled charred oranges • Q-Club Soda • Chocolate Bitters of your choice Preparation: 1. Grill 4 oranges on a charcoal grill, split- until charred- slice the charred oranges into chunks and let cool 2. Muddle several chunks of the charred orange into a cocktail mixing glass 3. Add ice to fill ¾ 4. Add the Amaro 5. Stir to cool (about 40 times) 6. Pour into a prechilled Collins Glass with spear ice 7. Top with Q-Club Soda 8. Dot with Chocolate Bitters 9. Serve with a funky paper strawthrow out all your plastic ones!

SEE US IN BOOTH 4080

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

INDUSTRY OPINION

CONTRIBUTED BY ORDERLY

The 4 Dirtiest Words In Supplier Pricing Your Suppliers care about their profitability, not yours. Get to know these words and take control of your cash.

our “words” stand between you and more money in the bank. They’re words your suppliers don’t want you to

know. They’re words that have to do with food costs and food trends. And they can save you money. They can be the difference between your restaurant being a success or just a mention in a newspaper article about restaurant closings. For suppliers, these words spell profits - even if they’re not using them to their advantage on purpose. Sometimes, it’s just negligence on both of your parts. Or misplaced information. But no matter what, your ignorance is costing you cash. Being familiar with the 4 Dirtiest Words in Supplier Pricing will make the difference you need. Your suppliers may not be thrilled, but you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank. 1: PRICE CREEP - The regular and consistent rise of a price – in small quantities – over time. You’ve noticed this happening. A few months ago, a flashy new supplier came along and said he could sell you eggs for $2 less a carton. The decision felt obvious, and you made the switch. Things were great! Money was saved! But, over time, you noticed your books venturing back to where

they started… And you find that those “cheap” cartons of eggs were now the same price as what you used to pay. So how do you avoid this? Well, you could do research and see what the market is paying for each ingredient, plot it on a graph, then figure out if you’re paying according to general trends, Or, with the right tools and technology, you can automatically be updated with market trends, so you can see if your food costs are increasing in proportion to the market. 2: PRICE SPIKES - When a food cost unexpectedly jumps up then drops back down with seemingly no explanation. You’ve been buying ground beef at a consistent price for months. Then, out of nowhere, you get an order that’s $.42 more a pound. That’s well above

16 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

the average your neighbors are paying. Maybe your supplier started ordering a different ground beef. Or maybe they just messed up a number. But without proper inventory and invoice tracking, you won’t see price spikes like this until months after they happen. You’ll be combing through old invoices and happen upon them. But by then, they may have happened multiple times. But, if you’re monitoring your invoices, you can catch spikes quickly. It’s a rough convo to have with a trusted supplier. But hey – maybe it’ll get you a refund. 3: OVERMARKET - Paying more than the average restaurant pays for the same ingredients. You know that most restaurants should pay about the same for various

ingredients. But each chart has its outlier. Don’t be that outlier. Unless you’re paying way under, in which case tell us your secret, please. Suppliers aren’t going to tell you when you’re overmarket, or even when one of your restaurant locations is paying more than another for the same ingredients. There are two great ways to solve this. You can either get internet-savvy and check market prices for your most-used ingredients, or you can find technology that does it for you. For example, at Orderly we found that one of our customers was paying over a dollar more per pound of bacon at one of their two locations. This amounted to a $19.65 overspend on 15 lb. of bacon. Even if you’re buying only 50 lb. of bacon per month, that’s a lot of cheddar. 4: PACK SIZE + EFFICIENCY - Saving money by purchasing commonly used items in bulk. You’re constantly placing the same orders for the same ingredients from the same suppliers. So, you’re probably forgetting to pause, take a step back, and analyze the efficiency of your purchases. If you do, you might find that in the long run, ordering a case of 12 romaine hearts once a week is often way

continued on page 104

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

MEET THE NEWSMAKER

Visionary Restaurant Design & Development Firm Brings Fresh New Approach to Restaurant Creation and Design

t all began in a South Florida kitchen and as they say, the rest is history. For Felipe Olmeta (aka “The Pen”) and Christina Scifo (aka “The Plate”), their business venture was meant to be something special. Olmeta worked in a number of restaurant management positions to fund his true love: creation and design. While holding a number of posts in fine dining hotel lounges and gastro pubs, he was plotting his next chapter. He utilized his earnings from these jobs to fund a degree in Urban Planning with a minor in architecture. For the emerging visionary, that combination of on the job and classroom training has given him a unique ability to understand the needs of the entrepreneurial restaurateur. Christina Scifo’s path to launching one of the industry’s fastest growing design firms took a different road. After graduating from the New England Culinary Institute, Scifo began working at some of the top restaurants in South Florida. Her stint at Boca Raton’s Maxwell’s Chophouse led to the executive chef’s role at Tranquility Bay Resort, where she was responsible for three different dining concepts. She then moved on to the Addison Steakhouse and Delray Beach’s Seagate Beach Club

The Pen to Plate team maximized beverage profits at Maxwell’s Chophouse with their innovative bar design

where she was responsible for three different dining concepts. That position gave her first-hand knowledge of a wide breadth of priorities that face today’s Pen to Plate customer base from food costs and scheduling to menu design and creation. As with all great stories, Olmeta and Scifo’s paths crossed in 2011, when they both held management posts at Tryst in Delray. Olmeta then decided to strike out on his own to launch his own restaurant concept firm and recruited the gifted toque to share his vision for a different approach to restaurant design. The duo is supported by an all-star

18 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

(L-R) Christina Scifo (aka “The Plate”) and Felipe Olmeta (aka “The Pen”)

cast. The firm’s lead designer is Sunny Ryoo, The Pratt Institute graduate has brought ten years as a brand developer and graphic/web designer serving New York City’s fashion and restaurant industries to the venture. Beverage specialist team consists of Juan Arbodela and Alyssa Sartor. Juan has a portfolio of success from the awardwinning Employees Only and Macao while Alyssa is the former owner of August Laura leading the charge in cocktail creativity. The firm’s Operation liaison is Jim Switzer, who brings extensive career experience from

continued on page 20

Flow and comfort were the highlights of the Maxwell’s Chophouse dining room design

May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 19

Pen To Plate, from page 18 notable properties including the Hard Rock Cafe, Morton’s, The Balsams in New Hampshire and New York’s Mohonk Moutain House. Brooklyn College alum Jennifer Kufa brings an impressive operations record from noted New York City properties including Porchlight and formerly Pure Food and Wine. Pen To Plate’s clients can expect wine pairing guidance by Ted Rutledge. The Bar Boulud sommelier has built a reputation as one of the industry’s most knowledgeable wine experts. Pen to Plate currently finds itself focused on a project for a hip spirit concept located in Noho. With a, 2019 opening, the Pen to Plate team is cresting a full restaurant food and beverage operation plan for the unique downtown establishment. Among the priorities for Pen to Plate is the balance of technology and traditional hospitality. “We do find our-

We also see the challenges that our customers are facing as they look at an increase in minimum wage,” added Scifo. selves thinking about what we should be looking at in regards to merging design for long-term operation plans,” noted Olmeta. “We also see the challenges that our customers are facing as they look at an increase in minimum wage,” added Scifo. Key trends include Pen and Plate’s response to the impact of green and sustainable agendas. “From the onset, when we all go into a space and then create the renderings for our clients, we are visualizing the proper use of materials and colors to accomplish that goal,”

20 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

said Olmeta. With competition among restaurants fiercer than ever, Pen to Plate enables a visionary operator to create a signature. “With our experience, both working in restaurants and design, our goal is to craft a successful restaurant that breathes life into the client’s vision with unique and authentic food and design,” Scifo concluded. To learn more about Pen to Plate Studio, please visit them online at pentoplate.com

Pen To Plate’s design work at Tryst

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

NEWS MARKETING STRATEGIES UPshow’s Unique Platform Turns TVs Into Revenue Generators

e live in the digital age and if your restaurant or hospitality business isn’t utilizing social media or the latest digital trends for marketing efforts, then you’re missing out on a huge opportunity of potential profits and customers. For years, the extent of in-restaurant marketing was based on table tents and posters. UPshow has reinvented the customer marketing experience by leveraging the existing televisions within a restaurant. The Chicago, IL based company has emerged as the nation’s leading Social TV Platform. “Our goal is to boost customer engagement while driving meaningful sales lift with our platform,” UPshow ‘s Matt Gibbs explained. UPshow has been pioneering the concept of “cord cutting for business” while giving restaurants total control of the content on their TVs. The platform is completely customizable and can be fully branded to fit a brand’s style while showcasing the optimal mix of social media, marketing promotions and entertainment. With more than 7000 screens across the country, and core customers in the bar and restaurant world, UPshow’s Social TV Platform boasts three key features, according to Gibbs. “The first and most exciting thing is customer engagement,” Gibbs details. “It makes it so that anybody at any restaurant [that’s utilizing the service] can pull their phone out, post on Instagram or Twitter, add the venue’s hashtag and within a minute that picture will be posted on the venue’s UPshow screens.”

It makes it so that anybody at any restaurant [that’s utilizing the service] can pull their phone out, post on Instagram or Twitter, add the venue’s hashtag and within a minute that picture will be posted on the venue’s UPshow screens.” Gibbs calls this the “Jumbotron effect” because it creates the same excitement as if the customer is at a major sporting event and appears on the fan cam. “We bring that experience into bars and restaurants and people love it because we live in a world where everybody wants to be seen on TV.” Not only does this make patrons happy, but it gives the business more free word-of-mouth marketing than ever before since all of the content is posted to social media. “It’s all about word of mouth referrals in the hospitality world, and we drive more and

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

more of that simply because people want to be seen on TV. The second function of UPshow according to Gibbs is digital signage, which gives the venue the ability to suggestively sell any food, drinks, specials or events it wants. This allows the venue to promote things that matter to them while still engaging customers in a way that they’ll pay attention to. “We provide the tools to make it really easy at the enterprise or SMB level,” he confesses. “Huge companies can create the templates themselves or smaller mom and pops can leverage

our template library to create marketing materials. Best of all, everything can be managed via mobile.” The third part of it all is games and entertainment. UPshow’s gaming experience is 100% “BYOD,” or “bring your own device.” This simplifies gameplay and makes it so anyone can quickly join, without having to download an app or force the venue to invest in expensive hardware. As far as entertainment, UPshow has built a comprehensive library of Social TV Feeds for all of the teams and topics that matter. From sports leagues to local teams to funny videos to news, UPshow has a Feed that will dynamically showcase the best, most recent social media content on that topic. Gibbs adds that paying a monthly subscription to UPshow is far more cost efficient than trying to pay digital influencers for exposure and marketing, which can cost thousands compared to this innovative service that’s less than a few hundred a month. He also compares the service to DirectTV and other cable providers, as many restaurants and bars currently use on their big screens, but with greater value once you factor in all the marketing potential. UPshow is an innovative, cost-effective and smart way to utilize those TV screens in bars, restaurants and other hospitality operations. The service provides innovative operators with an opportunity to maximize the yield from each customer visit and bring those profits directly to the bottom line. To learn more about Upshow, please visit www.upshow.tv or call 1-855-7-UPSHOW

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

EYE

METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

2018 NYC Hospitality Alliance Awards Honors Restaurant & Bar Industry Stars

YC Hospitality Alliance Executive Director Andrew Rigie welcomed over 800 guests and 47 honorees to TAO Downtown for the 2018 NYC Hospitality Alliance Awards on Monday, April 9th. This annual event showcased the best in cuisine, cocktails and culture, paying homage to the restaurants, bars, nightlife establishments and professionals throughout the five boroughs that have made an impact on the city’s amazing hospitality industry. Notable attendees to the 2018 NYC Hospitality Alliance Awards included the newly appointed New York City Nightlife Mayor Ariel Palitz, and honorees including Tracy Nieporent of Myriad Restaurant Group, Anita Lo and Marc Forgione. Representatives from venues across the five boroughs ranging from the House of Yes and Liebman’s Delicatessen, to Balthazar and Sunday in Brooklyn were treated to wagyu beef sliders, potstickers and sushi from TAO Downtown paired with Asahi Beer, Hiro Saki, Moscow Mules from Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Topo Chico. Additional event sponsors featured at the awards included E.B. Cohen; Fox Rothschild LLP; Imperial Dade; Pesetsky & Bookman; Yelp Reservations, Brooklyn Crafted, BankUnited; CohnReznick; Howard Goldstein, LUTCF for Hospitality Health Select; HYR Inc.; I. Halper, Paper & Supplies, Inc., Micros Retail Systems, Inc. Palm Bay International and EJ Gallo Restaurant honorees and awards

•

The Special Night Honored Restaurants, Bars, Nightlife Establishments and Hospitality Professionals Across New York City’s Five Boroughs

New York City Nightlife Mayor Ariel Palitz and NYC Hospitality Alliance’s Andrew Rigie

for the 2018 NYC Hospitality Alliance Awards included: Big Apple Legacy Award – Went to an individual whose success and influence will leave a long lasting impact on the NYC hospitality industry. • Tracy Nieporent; Myriad Restaurant Group

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

Award winner Tracy Nieporent from Myraid Restaurant Group

I Love Bronx Award – Went to three favorite restaurants in the Bronx. • Enzo’s, Liebman’s Delicatessen, The Original Crab Shanty I Love Brooklyn Award – Went to three favorite restaurants in Brooklyn.

Diner, Hometown BBQ, Sunday in Brooklyn I Love Manhattan Award – Went to three favorite restaurants in Manhattan. • Balthazar, Keens Steakhouse, The Red Cat I Love Queens Award – Went to three favorite restaurants in Queens. • Don Peppe, Mu Ramen, SriPraPhai I Love Staten Island Award – Went to three favorite restaurants in Staten Island. • COMMONS Café, Joe & Pat’s Pizzeria, The Stone House at Clove Lakes True Taste of NYC Award – Went to three iconic dishes served at three iconic NYC restaurants. • Joe’s Pizza; Classic Cheese Pizza, Mamoun’s Falafel; Falafel, Lloyd’s Carrot Cake; Carrot Cake City That Never Sleeps Award – Went to three influential bars, clubs, cocktail bars or operators. • House of Yes, Stonewall Inn, The Dead Rabbit Back of House Award – Went to three individuals who have achieved respect and excellence working in one or more jobs in a restaurant kitchen. (Executive Chef, Pastry Chef, etc). • Amanda Cohen (Dirt Candy), Anita Lo, Marc Forgione (Restaurant Marc Forgione) Front of House Award – Went to three individuals who have achieved

continued on page 26

Fully Cooked Chef Convenience

Our Fisherman’s Pride® frozen fully cooked Octopus legs are 100% all natural, wild caught, and imported from Spain. Fully cooked to perfection and individually quick frozen within hours of harvest to preserve their fresh tender sweet flavor. With the growing trend of educated consumers, perfectly cooked Octopus is now a must for every menu. Considered once as one of the most complicated menu items Fisherman’s Pride® has now made it the simplest. From freezer to plate in just minutes, high in protein with unsurpassed quality. Call 866-CALAMARI today for your nearest distributor.

Ruggiero Seafood, Inc.

PO Box 5369 Newark, NJ 07105 info@ruggieroseafood.com www.ruggieroseafood.com

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

NYC Hospitality Alliance Awards, from page 24 respect and excellence working in one or more jobs on the dining room floor of a restaurant. (Manager, Maitre d’, Sommelier, Server, Bartender, etc). • Georgette Farkas (Rotisserie Georgette), Steve Morales (TAO Group), Susan Povich (Red Hook Lobster Pound) Operations Award – Went to three individuals who have achieved respect and excellence working in one or more operation level jobs for a single unit or restaurant group. (COO, CFO, F&B Director, etc). • Katie Broad (Le Bernardin), Sam Goldfinger (Soho House), Susan Spikes (Hill Country Hospitality) Hearts of Hospitality Award – Went to three individuals recognized for excellence in the profession of human resources in hospitality. • Elvira Ryder (Empowered Hospitality), Jonathan Moldenhauer (Major Food Group), Laura O’Neill (The Alicart Restaurant Group) The Determination Award – Went to three individuals who started at an entry-level job in the industry and are now in a leadership role. • Ahmon Williams (Fausto), Emily Hilton (Bathtub Gin), Melba Wilson (Melba’s Restaurant) The Next Generation Award –

(L to R) Hub’s Bob Fiorito and Marc Fuchs of M. Tucker

The Special Night Honored Restaurants, Bars, Nightlife Establishments and Hospitality Professionals Across New York City’s Five Boroughs

Went to three up-and-coming or established movers and shakers who are still early in their hospitality industry career (Must be under 40 years old). • Adam Landsman (Sunday in Brooklyn), Nicolas Jammet (sweetgreen), Will Guidara (Make it Nice Hospitality) #HospitalityGuru Award – Went to three restaurants, chefs, restaurateurs, nightlife operators or social media influencers with a social media presence that makes you drool, laugh, think and captures your attention. • Barbuto (@barbutonyc), Food Baby (@foodbabyny), thirsty

(L to R) The Micros brother and sister duo; Nadia and Greg Olesnycky

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

(@thirsty) Philanthropy Served Here Award – Went to a charitable organization whose work helps to make the neighborhoods of NYC a more hospitable place- with a focus on working with the restaurant and hospitality industry. • Wellness in the Schools Fast Casual Award – Went to three emerging or established fast casual restaurant concepts we can’t get enough of. • Pasta Flyer, The Halal Guys, Xi’an Famous Food The New York City Hospitality Alliance is a non-profit-trade associa-

(L to R) Imperial/Dade’s Bob Tillis, Jason Tillis and Laura Craven

Back of House Award winner Marc Forgione from Restaurant Marc Forgione

tion representing restaurants and nightlife establishments throughout the five boroughs. Formed in September 2012 by a group of well-noted hospitality operators, The Alliance provides a unified voice for the industry in the halls of government, in the media, and is a one-stop resource for industry-specific advice, education, events and cost-saving services. Through the support and involvement of its members, The Alliance is committed to advancing – with a clear and unified voice – an agenda focused on opportunity, economic investment and job creation. For more information, visit http:// www.allianceawards.org/

(L to R) EB Cohen’s Neil Owens with the NYC Hospitality Alliance’s Sonali Jhurani and Howard Goldstein

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

NEWS

LABOR COMPLIANCE SOLUTIONS

The Problem With Gut Instinct Sales Forecasting

estaurant managers frequently trust their guts to staff and order product. Restaurants are hectic and managing one requires a person to juggle several tasks at once. That’s often why managers staff workers “just in case” or overorder to be safe to ensure the restaurant has what it needs to operate. Ten years ago, when manager turnover was lower and digital ordering was just starting to trend, gut instinct may have been enough. Unfortunately, the complex operating environment and rise in manager turnover makes it difficult to accurately generate forecasts from gut instincts alone. Gut instinct forecasting doesn’t consider factors that can impact sales - making it difficult to schedule, order or predict a stores’ overall performance and profitability. Intelligent forecasting is the most important change you can make in your restaurant right now, and here’s why: Outliers Are Hard to Predict Weather and events are two variables that can greatly impact restaurant sales. Weather changes from week-to-week and year-to-year, and factors like local sporting events can affect one-off traffic in your stores. “Having an idea of how your restaurant performs when there’s a

Gut instinct forecasting doesn’t consider factors that can impact sales - making it difficult to schedule, order or predict a stores’ overall performance and profitability. Intelligent forecasting is the most important change you can make in your restaurant right now. home game is much different than knowing exactly what your sales were during the last home game,” said Dylan Wattecamps, implementation specialist at HotSchedules. “Managers can recognize common outliers more readily when they have a regular forecast in place. Different events might have different impacts and they are difficult to track across months or years.” Customers Want Delivery Options The on-demand economy has resulted in a larger of consumers wanting delivery and to-go options for their meals. And that requires a shift in thinking for restaurant managers, because they may need to adjust their staffing levels to accommodate delivery and takeout orders.

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

“Consumers have expectations when it comes to how much time it should take to have something delivered,” Wattecamps said. “Knowing how demand from each revenue center within a restaurant is a key concern for operators today. They need additional staff in the front and back-of-house to scale for the growth in different revenue centers.” Therefore, forecasting sales by revenue center is a best practice for every segment. “Forecasting by revenue center is not just for quick service brands,” said Wattecamps. “Full-service, casual dining, and even fine-dining are all adapting their businesses with advanced forecasting and labor modeling to meet the demands of off-premise ordering.”

Scheduling the Right People, in the Right Place, at the Right Time Inefficient restaurant scheduling affect both customer experience and overall sales. A poor customer experience can cost you big bucks. According to Moz, four or more negative articles about your company in Google can cause you to lose upwards of 70% of potential new customers. Precise sales and labor projections are necessary to optimize labor costs and drive sales. “If you have a big catering order scheduled for 11 a.m., a manager needs to be able to staff the back-ofhouse to meet that demand without overstaffing the front-of-house unnecessarily,” Wattecamps said. Losing Institutional Knowledge According to TDn2K’s 2017 Turnover Report, restaurant managers turnover at a rate of 38%. And when managers leave, operators need to find replacements and get them up to speed. But when the cost of inexperience and training are both too high, restaurants need intelligent forecasting solutions to help new managers achieve operational excellence. “Forecasting solutions that present managers with rationale for adjustments will help managers build trust in the forecast and decrease the learning curve,” said Wattecamps.

Comply with Labor Laws Recent scheduling legislation has made predictability a necessity for many restaurant owners because in most cases, these laws require businesses to post employee schedules 14 days in advance - and any mistake can cost a business big time. “A lot can change in 14 days,” said Wattecamps. “An intelligent forecast automatically generates an optimal schedule by forecasting based off factors such as demand, events and weather patterns. We’re using advanced algorithms in the background, so managers don’t have to play data analyst. At the same time, above-store leaders confidence in the forecast and the accuracy of the schedule.” As the industry continues to go through significant disruption due to technology, consumer prefer-

ence, and rising cost of labor, the ability to predict performance is more important than ever. “Owners need to arm managers with intelligent forecasting tools that learn from the ebb and flow of business while minimizing human error,” added Wattecamps. “Machine learning may seem like a farfetched concept, but the advanced forecasting we’ve delivered through the Clarifi intelligent operating platform is showing how the restaurant industry can take an abstract concept like machine learning and turn it into better decisions that drive predictable schedules and predictable revenue.” To learn more about Hot Schedules, please visit https:// www.hotschedules.com/

All-Inclusive Ice Machine Subscriptions

Commercial ice machine, maintenance, repairs, water ﬁlters, cleanings & more for a low monthly fee. Compare to buying or leasing an ice machine!

AFFORDABLE. RELIABLE. SIMPLE!

(327-9423)

SIMPLIFY YOUR ICE SUPPLY!

ICE

PR E

LE ICE AB CT

PREDICTAB

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

Q&A

EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW

Andrew Friedman Author, ‘Chefs, Drugs, and Rock & Roll’

t’s crazy to think that culinary author Andrew Friedman found his calling by accident. While working in a PR firm after college (where he was an English major at Columbia), Friedman started to work with rising chefs at the time and sort of fell in love with the culinary niche. With a passion for writing (he originally wanted to be a screenwriter), he was able to ghostwrite for a number of his culinary clients, finally landing an opportunity of a lifetime with Alfred Portale. After several different books throughout the years, his latest effort, Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll, sheds light on how American chefs become a celebrity profession, providing an all-access history of the evolution of the American restaurant chef from the 1970s to present day. Industry professionals will appreciate the unique insight. TFS was given the opportunity to talk to him about his interests, the book and more. How did your interest in chefs and the culinary world come about? I met Alfred Portale, who was one of my PR clients. And as soon as I started to get involved with the chef and restaurant world I absolutely loved it. I guess it’s sort of an opposites attract thing the complete polar opposite of the stereotypical

chef. I was a college graduate and I just started to become friends with all the guys in the culinary world. I loved hanging out with them and loved being around the restaurants. Because of my writing background, I did a lot of ghostwriting for clients to help with speeches, letters or whatever they needed and then I ended up doing Alfred Portale’s Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook in 1997. He was still my client and I thought it would be sort of a onetime lark to be honest. And that book did really well, and I thought it wasn’t the kind of writing I wanted to do, but maybe it’s at least a way to be a working writer. I vividly remember we basically taught ourselves how to write a cookbook. I knew I loved restaurants and eating well. I wasn’t at home cooking, either. I didn’t really know much about food. So what has happened between the Portale project and where you are today? I collaborated on 30 plus cookbooks and then gradually started migrating toward more memoir projects. I hate writing recipes. And you know I had sort of a revelation almost 10 years ago amazingly I did a book called Knives at Dawn: America’s Quest for Culinary

continued on page 32

30 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Andrew Friedman, Author, ‘Chefs, Drugs, and Rock & Roll’. Photo by Evan Sung

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

Q&A Andrew Friedman, from page 30

Glory at the Legendary Bocuse D’Or Competition. I would sit and interview all these cooks and chefs who I didn’t know (because I knew everyone in New York already) and I realized I really understood their world. I had been hearing stories from Alfred and the like about the culinary world and at some point I started referring to myself as a chef writer and not a food writer. How did this book Chefs, Drugs and Rock and Roll come about? I didn’t feel like anyone had ever written the story of the birth of this profession in the United States. There have been books about the food, but not really the chefs despite only memoirs. There wasn’t really a story about the rise of the chef in America as being an influential figure. Sure there have been individual memoirs. But what I saw were books that were either very personal memoirs or very West Coast biased books that reflected the world according to Anthony Bourdain. I also had some books that had profiled other disciplines including music and business. My favorite was a book titled: Easy Riders, Raging Bulls. It was a profile of the great American film directors of the 70’s who reinvented Hollywood. There was a second book: Please Kill Me: An Oral History of Punk Rock and Live from New York that profiled Saturday Night Live. It came full circle when the Wall Street Journal reviewed my book and compared it to one of those. And these parallel worlds come together when I shared a story in my book about the actor Dudley Moore investing in a restaurant and on the emergence of chefs into our culture. You mention in the book that changes in French cuisine had a major impact on the evolution of dining in the U.S.

It’s funny that from the 20’s until the 70’s that you couldn’t even call the culinary arts and being a chef glamorous. You started to see the creation of nouvelle cuisine and France and then as Americans were travelling the world, many of these chefs started to appear on magazine covers. That set the tone for what happened here as great French restaurants found their way to major American cities. But it’s interesting what happened. Because all of these chefs were cooking out of the Escoffier cookbook, the menus were basically interchangeable. So where did the creativity come from in New York and the US? All of a sudden chefs like Paul Prudhomme began doing blackened redfish. Wolfgang Puck created a buzz with unbelievable accessible dishes that broke the traditional French mold at Spago. Jeremiah Tower and his team proved that you could change a menu every day. In New York, chefs including Larry Forgione began producing their own take on regional American fare with a nod to classic technique. There are many that think it was television that ultimately brought us to this golden age of American chefs. It’s crazy but now you can finish fourth or fifth in a food competition on TV, become famous and most importantly raise the money to open a restaurant. So what happened was in the 70’s you had to be a great chef to become famous. Not today. I had a very unique perspective early on as a publicist during the launch of the Food Network. I’m even old enough to remember when the New York Times expanded their weekly Dining section. The truth is that their real game change has

continued on page 34

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

Visit us at NRA

BOOTH #1851

400+ MICROGREENS

HONESTLY GROWN™ MICROGREENS Fresh Origins Microgreens are grown in the right climate where they thrive naturally in our mild sunny climate. They are not forced to grow in the wrong climate or inside warehouses using energy-wasteful artificial lights and climate controls. Growing in the right climate results in higher quality and consistency all year-round.

FRESH ORIGINS

- Larger Leaves - Shorter, Thicker Stems - Optimal Shelf-life - Deeper Colors, Rich Flavor - Flavor is in the leaves! Not the stems. To learn more, visit: www.freshorigins.com/101

The Taste of QUALITY™

freshorigins.com

OTHER’S

Look like sprouts Pale color, less flavor Long stretched, stringy stems Tiny underdeveloped leaves Short shelf-life -

The Best Way to Stop Fair Work Week Violations? Stop them before they happen. HotSchedules gives employers and managers the tools necessary to stay compliant with the Fair Work Week laws, while also saving time and money.

Our solutions allow your teams to: Make shift changes and swaps in an instant Submit time off requests and weekly, monthly and annual availability Document, track and archive every schedule and shift swap

Learn more about how HotSchedules can help you and your teams in this new legislative landscape.

www.get.hotschedules.com/nyc-scheduling

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

Q&A Andrew Friedman, from page 32

been the emergence of You Tube. Do you want to make pastry, need to know how to spin sugar; it’s all there on You Tube. Do you believe it’s essential to go to a culinary school to become a great chef? I don’t believe it’s an essential thing. I do believe that even if you do go to cooking school that you’ll learn, but it really doesn’t prepare you for the rigors of the daily kitchen life. To me it’s the difference between training in a flight simulator or actually flying a plane. It’s way more about the externship experience to supplement what you are doing in the classroom. You need to know if this is really for you. There are now too many people coming out of culinary school. They are split into two categories: those in a hurry who want to open their restaurant by the time they are 30 and those looking to work at some sort of Michelin-level restaurant. These people have more of an old school mentality of taking their time to perfect their skills, while the others are more in a hurry.

was all about the hippie chef. The UC Berkley grad student drops out or a graduate who’s not ready for law school. They turned to food as part of their protest culture and they know that the Free Speech Movement started at UC Berkley. They travelled in France, and came back with French menus written in French that featured fairly tradition-

What made you decide to attend classes at the French Culinary? I just thought that if I was going to write about the industry that the basic rudimentary skills would be very helpful. So I enrolled in Saturdays only program that was six hours a day. I was hoping that it would give me a common frame of reference with the chefs I was working with. It was a great experience; I avoided all of the hot shots in the class and found the oldest guy to partner with. Can you talk about how Chefs, Drugs and Rock and Roll, outlined the differences between the East and West Coast restaurant scenes? The Bay Area/Berkeley scene

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

al cuisine. They didn’t go to cooking school and had no formal training. They certainly were not obsessed with technique. What’s really interesting and in many ways ahead of its time was that the Northern California/Berkley scene was dominated by female chefs and restaurateurs. Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, Judy Rogers who opened in Napa and

Cindy Paulson and Deb Madison all led the way. The Southern California and LA scene was driven by people like Bruce Marder who Ruth Reichl said in my book created California cuisine. There were talents including John Sedlar and Wolfgang Puck. The

continued on page 36

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

Q&A Andrew Friedman, from page 34

famous architect Frang Gehry then designed a contemporary Mexican restaurant in Venice. You would find everything from interpretations of Mexican street food to an India inspired Samosa. What the LA culinary scene was all about in the 70’s and early 80’s was international eclecticism. Later on the glitz of

Hollywood had its impact on the LA culinary scene. So as you did your research what made New York unique? Guys like Charlie Palmer, Rick Moonen, Terrence Brennan and Jonathan Waxman. I describe them as accidental chefs. They were kids

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

who did not do well in school and a lot of them were jocks. They got high school jobs as dishwashers and almost accidentally discovered the kitchen and became great cooks. All those guys wanted to do was to please the French and European chefs they worked for. A number of them went to the CIA and were among the first chefs to train in Europe before launching their careers in New York. The second group that made such an impact in New York that I profile in the book were what I call the “Five Couples”. They all opened their restaurants in New York City in 1979. Karen and David Waltuck had Chantarelle, The Quilted Giraffe’s Susan and Barry Wine, Karen and Bobby Pritzker’s Dodin Bouffant Susan and David Liederman of Manhattan Market which gave us David’s Cookies and Hubert’s Len and Karen Allison launched a very special era. Fascinating as well that nine of the ten were Jewish. The next wave came when the rents rose in Soho and the Waltucks moved their restaurant to Tribeca and were followed by an untrained chef named Drew Nieporent. In many ways the culinary scene in Soho and the Village was like what was going on in Berkley years before Brooklyn was reborn. How has social media impacted where the industry is today? It’s interesting in 1981; there might have been a half dozen new restaurants to try. Today, I was on Eater and there are 30 new restaurants suggested for Spring. So social

media is a perfect way to share that story. In addition, there simply is no loyalty anymore between customers and where they eat. There’s no question that Instagram has alot to do with that. Chefs, Drugs and Rock and Roll talks about how restaurants get financed. In talking to the Red Cat’s Jimmy Bradley for the book, he told me that he’d rather have a ton of investors. He sees everyone of them as brand ambassadors for the restaurant. Jimmy thinks it’s easier to get five figures from 20 plus investors than six figures from two or three. You’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with many of the industry’s most successful chefs and restaurateurs. What are the common characteristics that you see? The most successful ones find what truly makes them tick. When I first met Alfred Portale, 20 plus years ago I knew that he was at peace with exactly where he was. The next thing I see is that you need to set your own agenda for understanding what your limitations are for growth. Some of the most successful ones have built great businesses with multiple concepts in just one City. The great ones also understand what they do well and bring in the right people to build their team. It’s like a great menu, even if it’s eclectic to the eye, it works beautifully.

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

NEWS

RESTAURANT CLEANING SERVICES

Nunez Led Palisades Cleaning Reinvents Restaurants Cleaning Strategies

hen Mercedes Nunez appeared on ABCTV, it marked media validation of a truly remarkable story. Who would have thought it possible that after immigrating to the US in the early 90’s that two decades later her Palisades Cleaning firm would be among the most respected cleaning firms in the Tri-State region and across the nation. With humble beginnings in the US in 1994, she began scrubbing commercial office space as part of a cleaning crew. Through hard work and dedication, she was successful at the accounts she originally serviced, which led to many referrals and the launch of Palisades Cleaning. The company started with a focus on the cleaning of office spaces. That has grown to other commercial spaces and restaurants over time. The company now handles the cleaning for a wide diversity of commercial operators including a substantial portfolio of restaurant and food service facilities. Local success in metro New York led to national expansion. With her newly found success she started a team to assist her with new accounts. Over the years, the success of the company is the result of the hard work ethic of the team composed of Yanira Dominguez head of Human Resources, Francisco Navarrete Supervisor

Our customers see an immediate difference from our services to a basic cleaning job; our attention to detail from our experience gives us a clear advantage.” of Operations in NYC, Jorge Sanchez Supervisor of Operations in Chicago, Sebastian Supervisor of Operations in Ohio, Lorena Navarrete Supervisor of Operations in Connecticut, Herman Supervisor of Operations in Massachusetts, Jessily Gonzalez Head of Customer Service, Anamaria Office Manager, among others. “The key to building this team has been the creation of a hard working-open communication culture,” Nunez explained. Palisades Cleaning strategy has been built on its unique definition of how it approaches the needs of its unique customer base. “Cleaning is just providing a single product, we offer a service which is tailored to our customers’ needs to make sure that additionally to cleaning we address other needs like special events, remodeling/expansion projects, periodic detailing services and emergency cleanings,” Nunez noted. With restaurants now challenged

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

with issues including a $15 minimum wage, Palisades Cleaning’s service also offers the operator substantial savings. “Our service saves restaurants thousands in payroll, vacation, sick & other regular expenses incurred by restaurants with hourly employees,” Nunez said. “Our staff is trained to perform a service based on our 24 years of experience in the industry. Another common occurrence in the hospitality industry is the time wasted by regular employees, many times employers review their surveillance to find employees wasting time when they are supposed to be cleaning.” Twenty-four years of experience has taught Nunez and her Pailisades team very valuable lessons in the intricacies of cleaning commercial kitchens and spaces. “Many of these are hard to fathom for a day to day employee, there is more to the service than just cleaning. Our customers see an immediate difference from

our services to a basic cleaning job; our attention to detail from our experience gives us a clear advantage.” Palisades Cleaning has also adopted the very same green and sustainable agendas for green and sustainable product that have become a priority for the restaurant and foodservice operator. “We actively look for new ways to improve our service, for years we have used green and sustainable methods, like refillable bottles and biodegradable material,” added Nunez. In addition to restaurants, Palisades Cleaning now offers a full portfolio of cleaning services for the B&I operator. “We recognize the influence of B&I operators in the hospitality industry today and its outlook in the future, for that reason we are currently working with operators to offer our service through their packages.” For the restaurant that demands a sanitized work environment and providing patrons with an immaculate dining area, Palisades Cleaning will consistently provide best in class restaurant cleaning to make sure kitchen and dining areas are clean, fresh and ready for the next day. To learn more about Palisades Cleaning’s custom tailored services, please visit palisadescleaningservice. com or call 917-207-5055 for more information.

SEE US IN BOOTH 9650

OUR DIFFERENCE BelGioioso Farmers, Cicero, WI

Fresh, Quality Milk Made from fresh, local milk gathered only a few hours after milking, BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella and Burrata begin with quality ingredients and care. The result is a delicate, clean-flavored Fresh Mozzarella with a soft texture and porcelain white appearance – the finest available on the market today. Available in waterpack tubs and cups, thermoform logs and balls, and slicing loaf.

BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella

BelGioioso Burrata

rBST Free* | Gluten Free | Vegetarian *No significant difference has been found in milk from cows treated with artificial hormones.

Try our ning n i w d r awa Burrata

belgioioso.com

May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 39

FIORITO ON INSURANCE

Return to Work Programs Are Good Medicine When Dealing With Workers’ Compensation Claims

s the frequency of workers’ compensation (WC) claims continues to escalate, so do its corresponding costs. In fact, the most disabling workplace injuries and illnesses cost U.S. employers nearly $60 billion in WC [1] so it is more critical than ever for employers to create a healthy and safe work environment in order to minimize the frequency and rising costs of their WC claims. While there are risk management best practices an organization can take to minimize their exposures to WC claims, sometimes a claim is not always preventable. There are, however, effective measures an employer can take to mitigate existing WC claims, so that their experience rating modification won’t be affected as greatly. Studies show that there is only a 50% chance that an injured employee will return to work after a six-month absence; which declines to a 25% chance following a oneyear absence and is further reduced to a 1% chance after a two-year absence [2]. Furthering the issue, soft

When you consider the costs for temporary and new hires combined with studies revealing that workers who return to work soon after an injury recover more rapidly and completely, it clearly benefits both sides to get an employee back to work quickly.

Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President with HUB International Northeast, a leading global insurance brokerage, where he specializes in providing insurance services to the restaurant industry. As a 25-year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Bob has worked

costs of training and salary for new or temporary employees can be as much as double to triple the cost of an original workers’ compensation claim. When you consider the costs for temporary and new hires combined with studies revealing that workers who return to work soon after an injury recover more rapidly and completely, it clearly benefits both sides to get an employee back to work quickly. The following tactics can be applied in your organization to help get your employees back to

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

work as soon as possible:

with a wide array of restaurant and food service businesses, ranging from

1. Create a formal return to work program: Companies who are serious about controlling WC costs will have a formal return to work (RTW ) program tailored to their specific business culture and risks. This program starts by designating an employee, such as an HR professional, who is responsible for championing claims. This designated employee will oversee the program, which should include the following elements: a company mission statement, a flow of action to be taken

fast-food chains to upscale, “white tablecloth” dining establishments. Robert can be reached at 212-338-2324 or by email at robert.fiorito@ hubinternational.com.

from injury to return to work, an emergency plan, a communication plan and a transitional employment plan.

continued on page 106

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

NEWS

RESTAURANT TRENDS

Adding Equipment: The Pros and Cons of Ventless Fryers

o you’re looking into adding a fryer to your kitchen and there are a plethora of options out there, but one of the main distinctions between them all is whether they require venting or are ventless fryers. Do you go for the traditional open fryer and install a ventilation system? Or do you go with a less traditional ventless fryer and try something new? Today we’ll look at the pros and cons of ventless fryers and hopefully by the end of this post, you’ll be able to make an informed decision on which type of fryer is best suited for your business. VENTLESS FRYER PROS Lower Cost of Installation – Because ventless deep fryers don’t require hoods or venting, the overall cost of installation is limited to having the right type of electrical socket installed. Which, if you’re a commercial kitchen, is probably already installed anyways! Hood or venting installation can cost anywhere from $6,000-$30,000 depending on the size and scope of the installation. As far as pros and cons for ventless fryers go, this is certainly at the top of the list for benefits of using a ventless set up. Longer Oil Life – Ventless deep fryers have to be fully enclosed to ensure no fumes escape the fryer unit and can properly pass through the internal venting system. This enclosure prevents light, air and dust from getting into your fryer oil, two of the largest factors in oil deterioration. This means your oil will last longer and taste better as you fry up food for your guests. Consistent Quality – Again, because

of ventless requirements for full enclosure, most ventless fryers are automated systems. When you have an automated system, you remove human error from the list of variables that will effect your fried food outcome. This means you’ll have more consistent product over time and can ensure that your guests are always enjoying the best fried food possible. Additionally, with our own ventless fryer, AutoFry, we have a heat/time compensation intelligence that actually adjusts cook times depending on the size of the

batch that is frying. This ensures the ultimate consistent experience. Mobility – Since you didn’t have to install any hoods or venting for your ventless fryer, you have the ability to move your fryer to any location. It can easily be relocated as needed, the only requirement for its new location, again, is the electrical socket it will be plugged into. This is a great feature when it comes time for remodeling! Space Saver – A traditional open fryer requires space not only for the fryer, but also the vertical space above it for

Be sure to visit MTIproducts.com for new ventless product releases coming soon!

GIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS

WHAT THEY CRAVE Nothing compares to the smell, taste and texture of fresh made french fries. With our AutoFry, ventless deep fryer, and MultiChef, high speed oven, you can serve hot delicious appetizers without costly renovations.

Fully Automated • Ventless • Convenient • Reliable • Safe • Affordable To learn more about our products call 800-348-2976 or 508-460-9800 or visit us online at MTIproducts.com • AutoFry.com • MultiChef.com Your Source for Ventless Kitchen Solutions for over 25 Years

hoods or venting. Ventless deep fryers, on the other hand, are compact and require no overhead space. They can often be placed on countertops or the floor depending on your needs, and offer a wide range of flexibility when it comes to meeting the size constraints of your kitchen. Employee Safety – This is another HUGE benefit to the ventless deep frying system. Employee safety has to be of the utmost importance when it comes to deciding on your kitchen equipment. Because ventless fryers are fully enclosed, there is never any contact with hot oil, the number one cause of kitchen burns. Additionally, most ventless fryers come equipped with their own fire suppression system, so in the event something does go wrong, the unit will prevent fire from spreading throughout the kitchen. Reduced Insurance Costs – With an electric deep fryer that is ventless, you’ll find many insurance companies will reduce your insurance cost. This is due to the reduced safety risk that a fully enclosed unit provides as well as the fire suppression system that comes with the ventless fryer. VENTLESS FRYER CONS Typically More Expensive – If you’re just looking at the initial purchase price of one machine next to another, you will find that traditional open fryers are generally cheaper than the ventless alternative. Because they don’t need the internal venting system, traditional fryers are cheaper to produce and sell than ventless fryers.

continued on page 100 42 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

STATE-OF-THE-ART. WORK OF ART. We make the most reliable and well constructed walk-in coolers and freezers for everyday businesses. Our 200,000 sq. ft. facility is among the most advanced in the industry, using highly automated operations to rapidly and consistently produce the highest quality walk-in units on the market.

1.800.627.5665

w w w . a m e r i k o o l e r. c o m Preferred Supplier

Restaurants • Chains • Institutions • Hotels • Convenience Stores May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 43

ASK ANDREW

FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE

PRESENTED BY

Update On Landmarks And Electric Bicycles

his month, I have two positive developments to share with you that impact New York City restaurants. One is about the Landmark Preservation Commission and the other concerns peddle assisted e-bikes. The NYC Hospitality Alliance is happy to announce that the Landmarks Preservation Commission (“LPC”) has proposed amending their Rules to speed up the review and approval process for minor alterations for businesses located in landmark districts. The proposal includes a reform that we have advocated for, which is to expand the type of renovations that are eligible for expedited review and approval at the LPC staff level. We anticipate that the proposed reforms will be approved. While not included in the proposal at this time, we are also advocating to allow certain minor interior renovations to proceed without the need for any approval, so long as the applica-

tion is certified by a professional architect. In addition to the testimony we submitted in support of these reforms, we thank our member, BCD, who submitted comments regarding technical aspects of the proposal. We thank LPC for their role in ensuring that our city’s historic buildings and districts remain preserved and harmonized with new and creative development while seeking ways to reduce regulatory burdens on small businesses. Last month Mayor de Blasio’s administration also proposed a rule that would allow the use of pedal-assisted electric bicycles. This is good news because delivery is an important source of revenue for NYC restaurants and a quintessential service for New Yorkers. Unfortunately, the use of pedalassisted e-bikes that can help delivery workers get around town is illegal. Restaurants and their delivery workers can be fined and have

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

their e-bikes confiscated for using them. This is a shame because pedAndrew Rigie is the Executive Direcal-assisted e-bikes provide the user tor of the New York City Hospitality an efficient and less grueling way to Alliance, a trade association formed deliver food. That’s why we’re happy in 2012 to foster the growth and to announce that Mayor de Blasio’s vitality of the industry that has made administration is in the process of New York City the Hospitality Capital changing their rules to allow their of the World. use in NYC, a move advocated for by the NYC Hospitality Alliance. Throttle e-bikes would still be prohibited under the proposal. By the time this article is published the official proposal may be released, and while we support the concept, we’ll review it carefully to ensure it presents only a welcome regulatory Pedal-assisted electric bicycles are a great asset for delivery, an important source of revenue for NYC restaurants reform.

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

SCOOP Singer Equipment Hosts 31st Annual Show

INSIDER NEWS

FROM METRO NYC’S FOODSERVICE SCENE

lation projects. Singer maintains a multi-milliondollar inventory of equipment as well as tabletop, kitchen, disposable and janitorial supplies — over 12,000 items available for immediate delivery.

Local Chefs Team With Hannaford To Make $125K Donation To Food Bank Scoop says Mid-Atlantic restaurant and food service operators came out in force once again for last months’ annual Singer Equipment show. The 31st annual edition held at the firm’s home in Elverson, PA featured some 300 manufacturers displaying their newest products. “The show offers many of our customers the opportunity to actually demo and see many of the new products in action,” noted Singer President Fred Singer. The year’s event also celebrated the firm’s 100th anniversary at the show with special buys, prizes and giveaways.

Scoop notes a food bank received a six-figure donation from Hannaford Supermarkets. A $125,000 donation was presented to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York last month. The donation was given by Hannaford as part of its commitment to hunger relief. “Hannaford has been successful in substantially increasing our donations of fresh food to local food pantries,” said Mike Vail, president of Hannaford Supermarkets. Heatly School will receive $15,000 of the money Hannaford donated, allowing it to continue serving students with the BackPack Program through the 2022-23 academic year. “The impact on students here is phenomenal,” Superintendent of Green Island Union Free School District superintendent Dr. Teresa Thayer Snyder said, noting that the sustenance provided through the BackPack Program creates opportunity for the children.

NYC’s AlixPartners Survey Suggests Foodservice Drives C-Store Visits Singer Equipment Company, currently the sixth largest foodservice equipment dealer in the United States, is the leading foodservice equipment dealer in the mid-Atlantic market. Singer also builds commercial kitchens nationwide for chain restaurants, higher education, healthcare and hospitality clients. Founded in 1918, Singer is known for its broad inventory, high level of service and excellence in completing new kitchen instal46 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Scoop says a new survey from New York City consulting firm AlixPartners shows 27% of consumers said food was the main item they buy at convenience stores. Foodservice purchases, including hot, cold or frozen dispensed beverages, were followed by packaged beverages (17%) and cigarettes (13%). According to the survey, foodservice eating and purchase frequency has been increasing, with a compound annual growth rate

of 13.2% since 2012. Participants in the Convenience-Store Consumer Survey cited the top reasons that drive them to stop into a convenience store for a meal as location (21%), price (18%) and food quality (14%). Older consumers said they favor location and convenience, while Gen X and millennials said price and quality are deciding factors. Survey participants also said they favor c-stores with drive-thru windows and delivery service, and those with self-checkout and mobile loyalty programs.

‘A Lot Of Excitement’ As MGM Springfield Prepares To Hire 800 Food And Beverage Workers

The soon-to-open MGM Springfield

Scoop notes the MGM Springfield casino is preparing to hire 800 food and beverage workers. An event at the MassMutual Center took on the flavor of a job fair as Western Massachusetts and Connecticut residents participated. They were greeted by MGM officials and representatives of the restaurants and other food and beverage establishments opening at the casino. The $960 million resort casino is slated to open in September, across the street from the MassMutual Center downtown. “There was a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of excitement,” said MGM Springfield spokesman Saverio Mancini. “People are eager and looking forward to the job opportunities. People can’t wait to apply and we’re excited for them.” Those

continued on page 48

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

Scoop, from page 46 who attended the open house event had a chance to meet Anthony Caratozzolo, vice president of food and beverage for MGM Springfield, and Nate Waugaman, the casino’s executive chef. “There were various food and beverage stations where participants could meet with specific food and beverage businesses that will open at the casino, including Cal Mare restaurant, Chandler Steakhouse, TAP Sports Bar and the various restaurants at South End Market,” Mancini said. “There will be an array of “back room” and “front room” jobs including cooks and chefs, bartenders, waiters, hosts, managers, kitchen staff and even a banquet manager,” Mancini said. The company is committed to hiring 3,000 employees for its opening. “The opportunities at an MGM resort are endless,” said MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis. “We know Western Massachusetts has been waiting patiently for the chance to pursue these careers. The casino has partnered with more than 25 local community organizations to offer workforce training and educational opportunities as part of its workforce preparations. “These efforts included sponsoring the Holyoke Community College

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

Culinary Arts Center, training table game dealers at the Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute, developing a hospitality pre-apprenticeship program with Cambridge College, and holding information sessions and career readiness workshops throughout the region,” MGM Springfield said.

Scarsdale Chopped Finalist On A Mission Scoop notes that Jared Goldberg goes out with friends on most weekend nights, but the Boston University student leaves by midnight to get some sleep. By 4 a.m., he’s up and out the door, just as his friends are coming home. It’s a concession he makes to bake. When the 17-year-old Scarsdale, Goldberg (SHA’20) made it to the final round on the teen version of Food Network’s Chopped. He has cooked at restaurants in Connecticut, New York, and Boston, and in summer 2017, he interned at a top bakery in New York City. Goldberg thrives on challenge, working “in a field you truly can’t master,” he says. “There are so many types of

Jared Goldberg in action

cuisines and ingredients that you constantly learn new things.” Goldberg found the kitchen after a high school basketball injury sidelined him from the game. Looking for an alternative to sports, he attended a cooking class at UMass Amherst. “I knew I liked to eat, so I figured the class was worth a try,” he says. “I loved it. The teacher gave us cre-

continued on page 50

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

Scoop, from page 48 ative freedom in the final exam to make a dish of our choice, and I made a stuffed tomato with wild rice, ground lamb, and a red pepper coulis. It was the first thing I ever made that was my own.” At 16, he walked into Westchester’s Crabtree’s Kittle House, the finest restaurant near his hometown of Scarsdale, N.Y., seeking experience. The farmto-table restaurant and wine cellar gave him a job as a prep cook, and he started by spending hours cutting strawberries into quarters. He learned new cooking techniques each week, from knife skills to how to create basic sauces. During the summer before his senior year of high school, he auditioned for a role on Chopped Teen Tournament, where four contestants are given baskets of secret ingredients and face off in appetizer, main course, and dessert rounds. He made it onto the show’s third season, but was eliminated during his episode’s final round after attempting a dessert using banana split brownies, ribbon candy, avocados, and wasabi peanuts. He did his best to transform those funky ingredients into a berry banana crumble with avocado whipped cream in 20 minutes. But he accidentally shattered the bowl

mixer and got glass in his avocado, losing one of his key ingredients. While Goldberg admits desserts weren’t his strength at the time, Chopped judge Alex Guarnaschelli cited Goldberg’s “enormous creativity as truly something to watch. You missed it by a nose, but you did some beautiful things.” And judge Geoffrey Zakarian was so impressed with Goldberg’s work ethic that he offered him a job at his Greenwich, Conn., restaurant, the National. Goldberg spent five months there as a chef garde manger (preparing cold items like salads), and then moved on to the nose-to-tail butcher shop Fleishers, where he worked until starting SHA.

New York’s Freegans Expose The Insane Waste Of Our Food System Scoop notes on a recent night in New York City, a group of foragers pulled 50 perfectly edible bagels and a bag of untarnished, fresh produce out of

the garbage. And that’s just the beginning. It was a cold March night in New York City, snow still on the ground from a late-season nor’easter, when a small group gathered around a pile of trash outside a Morton Williams supermarket in Midtown East. There were around 40 to 50 plastic bags piled high. A lot of them held normal waste–discarded packaging, crusts from people’s lunches. But Janet Kalish, an organizer with New York’s freegan group, opened one bag to find around 50 intact, edible bagels. Kalish and a handful of dedicated freegans–people who pull edible food from piles of waste in an art commonly known as “dumpster diving”–organize tours in New York every couple of weeks. During meetings, Kalish and her co-organizers will discuss the larger issues of the city’s food system, including why so much edible waste ends up on the street. They’ll give newcomers advice on how and when to forage (late at night but before garbage pickup is ideal), what to look for, and how to make use of their salvaged sustenance. Generally, the freegan meetups are not open to the media and instead geared toward building a participatory

continued on page 52

SEE US IN BOOTH 1800

50 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Increase revenue by driving more orders through tableside ordering and payments, online ordering, and integrated loyalty programs.

Improve restaurant operations by gaining visibility into your restaurant’s data through kitchen management technology and an easy-to-use point of sale system built in the cloud. Toast’s restaurant management platform combines front of the house, back of the house and guest-facing technology that empowers restaurateurs.

Deliver amazing guest experiences toasttab.com/totalfoodservice-2018

by offering digital gift cards, text and email receipts, and personalized marketing campaigns.

May 19-22, 2018

McCormick Place, Chicago, IL

Booth #1960 IMMERSION BLENDERS SALAD SPINNERS DICER JUICER

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

SMX ‘ES’ SERIES IMMERSION BLENDERS OFFICIAL LAUNCH

SEE US IN BOOTH 6254

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

Scoop, from page 50 movement shielded from interrogation. But the New York freegans play an integral role in new docu-series from Fusion called Food Exposed, in which journalist Nelufar Hedayat travels the world examining how our food systems work, who they exploit, and how they create waste in the process of feeding us. Hedayat joined the New York tour in mid-March to retread the path she followed with the New York freegans in Food Exposed. Digging through bags of trash for food “is designed to open your eyes, rather than fill your bellies,” Hedayat said. “In a land of plenty, there are so many people that go without,” she adds. “This helps you question and interrogate why that is.” In New York, the sheer volume of food we uncovered on the sidewalk stands in contrast to the more than 16% of New York residents who are food insecure, and often do not know where their next meal will come from, or if they’ll be able to afford it. Right before leaving the Morton Williams, Hedayat pulled out a bag filled to the brim with fresh produce–onions, peppers, potatoes–discarded for slight with irregularities. “Something has gone terribly wrong when all the produce, salads, and prepared sushi that were so valuable just minutes before are thrown out and now worthless,” she says after the tour. “That was a moment that opened everybody’s eyes,” Hedayat adds. “Most people weren’t expecting to experience that.” But for people familiar with the issue of food waste in cities, and how frequently good, edible food is discarded for failing to meet a certain aesthetic standard, that bag is unremarkable. Recognizing the magnitude of the waste, nonprofits like City Harvest work to connect some of that excess food to pantries, which then distribute to lower-income people. All of these interventions, though, work as damage control for a flawed system. While Kalish and the freegans work to educate people about the amount of waste we generate, they essentially want to put themselves out of business. “What they’re saying is there should be no edible food in the trash at the end of the day for them to find,” Hedayat says. While the food system itself, and all the players within it, from distributors to restaurants to grocery stores, have to do much more to cut down on waste, Hedayat hopes that the freegan movement will inspire people to do “their own version of freeganism in their own homes. “Americans throw away 40% of the food they buy. “If we domestically reduce our waste, that would indicate a trend to the larger players in the system.”

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

World’s Largest Chick-fil-A Opens In New York City

The front of the world’s largest Chick-fil-A

Scoop sees New York City is now home to the largest Chick-fil-A in the world. The five-story restaurant, complete with a rooftop terrace, officially opened in New York City’s Financial District last month. Over 12,000 square feet, the Fulton Street Chick-fil-A is nearly twice the size of any existing Chick-fil-A restaurant. With floor-to-ceiling windows on each level, there are three levels of dining with seating for 140 guests and two kitchens. A staircase with a skylight will lead you to a rooftop terrace that offers views of One World Trade Center. Mobile and in-store technology at the restaurant will help serve customers quickly and efficiently, allowing customers to order in advance or as soon as they walk through the door. The restaurant will be locally owned and operated by downtown Manhattan resident Luke Cook, who said, “My family and I are honored to be opening a Chick-fil-A restaurant in lower Manhattan, a part of the city we’ve always loved. We’re so happy to be living, working and raising our children in the most vibrant city and neighborhood in the world. We want this restaurant to be a gathering place for everyone in the community.”

Metro New York White Castle Units Unveil New Plant Based Slider Scoop says that White Castle’s latest slider is, well, impossible. It’s made with a patty called the Impossible Burger, a plant-based alternative to

ground beef created by a California company. The product looks like beef, cooks like beef and, according to some reviews, even tastes pretty much like beef. When the Impossible Burger–a plant-based burger designed to sizzle, smell, taste, and bleed like beef–launched in July 2016, it was available first in Manhattan at Momofuku Nishi, a restaurant that also sells $39 strip steak and $62 lobster fra diavolo. Momofuku’s upscale version of the burger is $18. Now, after quickly scaling up, the burger is taking the next step into the mainstream: The fastfood chain White Castle will begin selling Impossible Sliders for $1.99. Columbus-based White Castle has offered a veggie burger for a while now, but the Impossible Burger is different. Impossible Food makes its beef alternative out of wheat protein, water, potato protein, coconut oil and heme, a protein found in plants and in meat. No more green or yellow veggie patties; the Impossible Burger is red and turns brown when cooked. The heme is the source of its beefy flavor and color. “The taste will be surprising to people,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle. “I was tentative because I didn’t know what to expect, but I loved it.” “White Castle has been researching plant-based burgers for about two years,” Richardson said. Impossible makes the custom, slider-sized patties, and White Castle will cook them as it does its regular sliders. It will serve them the same way as well. Impossible Burgers will cost more, though, at $1.99 each. “If you want it with a piece of jalapeno cheese, you got it, if you want it on a waffle, we’ll give it to you that way,” Richardson said. Meatless options are growing in popularity and it makes sense for a brand like White Castle, which is known for taking risks and innovation, to be the first big chain to take up the Impossible Burger. “They are more open minded,” said Darren Tristano, a Chicago-based independent food industry analyst. “And I think it is good for them to think this way and expand the brand to new customers who maybe haven’t tried White Castle before.” “The Impossible slider is available at 140 stores in New York, New Jersey and the Chicago area. If it succeeds, it will roll out to the entire 385-store footprint,” Richardson said. The veggie slider, made with Dr. Praeger’s veggie burgers, will remain on the menu.

SEE US IN BOOTH 2213

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

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

WITH FRED SAMPSON

One More Time: Calorie Posting

ver the course of the last three years, I have written a number of columns about tipping, minimum wages, independents, chains, the impact of social media, and, last but not least, the pending Food and Drug Administration’s menu posting rules. Most times, I stated that they were to be implemented in the next six months, and once they were postponed for a year. Well, like the bride waiting for the groom at the church, they finally showed up in May 2018. And as expected, they include alcoholic beverages. Before I moved on, I was still trying to figure out how this requirement was ever slipped into the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as ObamaCare. Then I discovered that the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) was able to convince the FDA to include alcoholic drinks as well. More on their objectives later. As most of you know, there are jurisdictions where the chains have been posting calorie information for both food and, voluntarily, for alcoholic beverages. Let’s see what they probably will look like on most menus. In an article on the subject in the Wall Street Journal, by Saabira Chaudhuri, nine drinks and their calories are listed as follows: “Applebee’s ‘Perfect’ Margarita, 310; Chili’s Premium Long Island Iced Tea, 290; Gordon’s London Dry gin

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

and Schweppes tonic, 202; Lagunitas IPA, 190; Bud Light, 110; Blossom Hill California White, 105; Smirnoff No. 21 Red vodka and club soda, 98; Johnnie Walker Black Label on the rocks, 98; and Campo Viejo Rioja, 97. Note: Calories shown are per standard drink size. Wine is 5 oz., beer is 12 oz. and spirit shots are 1.5 oz. Source: Drinkaware (an industryfunded U.K. alcohol education nonprofit), Chili’s, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Applebee’s, Diageo.” The article continued: “Publichealth researchers hope the new requirement will not only raise awareness but also spur drinkers to cut back. ‘If you don’t want to get the 400 calories from an alcoholic beverage, you can easily swap for free water,” said Margo G. Wootan, vice president for nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based consumer-advocacy group that lobbied the FDA to

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

include alcoholic drinks in the new rules. “Studies have found calorie counts can influence food choices. Cochrane, a health-focused research network, last month published findings showing that when food calories are disclosed on menus, diners’ orders have 7.8% fewer calories.” I offer the following in rebuttal: I wonder if any of the jurisdictions that have passed or are considering passing menu labeling have read this piece, reported by United Press International: “University of Vermont researchers found significant numbers of people do not look at food labels and many are unable to use the information the labels contain. Telephone surveys of more than 600 U.S. adults and more than 300 college students found that approximately half of the surveyed college students and one-third of the individuals in the community sample reported that

they did not generally look at food labels,” according to the researchers. “The surveys found that twothirds of the participants were unable to identify the number of calories they should be consuming each day, 44 percent to 57 percent of the combined self-reported that they would not likely use restaurant food caloric information,” the researchers said. The findings published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that legislation for nutrition and calories on menus “may not be particularly effective in combating the obesity epidemic if people are not looking at existing food labels and are not able to use this information for nutrition planning.” Please note that neither the surveys nor the reporting of them was

continued on page 98

SEE US IN BOOTH 4023

802-658-6600 | Burlington, VT | www.marsalsons.com

Old World Bake

MB Series Ovens

POWER OF BRICK

Never es te Pi a t o R ! Again

SD Series Ovens

CLASSIC SUPERIORITY ute n i M 2 an Artis Pies

Wave Flame Ovens front of oven

WOOD-FIRED EXPERIENCE

front of oven

Revolutionary

LEFT TO RIGHT BURNERS Test out our Marsal pizza equipment at the Pecinka Ferri Test kitchen.

Ask us about the CT Series countertop ovens! Pecinka Ferri Associates | 973-812-4277 | sales@pecinkaferri.com May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 55

56 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 57

23,

19 25,3

77 m

Resorts World Catskills 19

Monticello, NY

19 The Operator: Michael 16 Beford, Director of Food and Beverage, Resorts WorldCatskills,15 Monticello, NY 14

The Kitchen Consultant: 13 Steve Carlson, President, 12 Rippe Associates, Minneapolis, 11 MN 10

9 Equipment and Supply The 8 Dealer: Bill Keith, Project 7 Manager, BHS Equipment 6Solutions, Rochester, 17 NY

79,3

grab and go options. The casino also has two entertainment bars in the casino and a sports bar -- which will be ready to convert to a sports-betting book, if New York ultimately legalizes.

54,

Resorts World’s much talked about Lotus combines elegance with a truly inspired menu of authentic Chinese delicacies, in a fine dining atmosphere.

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

415

x 16

2 1

Cellaio steak house concept to the hotel. The DoubleTop Bar & Grill features many craft beers on tap and live bands. Comfort food is the focus at the 24/7 Diner. The RW Food Hall and Good Friends Market offer many

he $1.2 billion Resorts World Catskills has opened its doors and is the largest full-scale casino in New York and bringing hope that it can revive the region’s once robust tourism industry. The 18-story, gleaming hotel tower 2in Thompson, Sullivan County, is part of the 1.6 million-square-foot resort on property that was once home to the Concord Hotel during the Borscht Belt-era of the Catskills. The hotel tower has 332 all-suite rooms, as well as villas with their own pools for big spenders on a separate floor. High rollers can even get their own private gambling rooms with a butler. Resorts World Catskills has many dining options from Asian fine dining to a casual bar & grill. Celebrity Chef Scott Conant has brought his

bar 360 on the casino floor is a trendy, chic and stylish space featuring dynamic live entertainment and offering bottle service in uber plush space.

(Photos by

19 Dave

Coppola)

20 21 22

Michael Beford’s Approach 23 Our goal from the beginning has 24 been to ensure a food and beverage experience that aligns our broader vision: to provide guests with worldclass offerings, service, and experiences. My background is in what you would call theatrical culinary destinations that combine great food, special aesthetic appeal and hip nightlife. Before coming to Resorts World, I was at The TAO GROUP at the Dream Hotel in Manhattan, managing multiple nightclubs and restaurants for the EMM Group. Before NYC, I managed in overseeing numerous boutique restaurants in Charleston, S.C., which prepared me well for overseeing Resorts World Catskills’ culinary and nightlife venues. Our approach in building out the

continued on page 60

SEE US IN BOOTH 4031

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

Resorts World Catskills, from page 58 restaurants was to change the mid set of casino food service. At many casinos, F+B is looked at as an amenity. We want to make each outlet a memorable experience of itself so that you know people are coming back regardless of the casino. “The opportunity to positively influence our guests’ overall experience is what attracted me to this position. Opening a property is one thing. Making it a destination is one of the most exciting things someone in my business can be a part of.” So each of our food markets offer several quick-service outlets that are unique to the property. The RW Food Hall offers several different food concepts, while the Good Friends Market focuses on Asian fast-casual options. We’re bringing world-class flavors and cuisine to our property for guests to enjoy, so when they get a bowl of dim sum from Good Friends Market, they’ll feel like they’re getting something from a secret place in Chinatown. We were able to create something special with our Chinese market concept. It really brings together the best of fresh cooking and technology. Our guests order from a kiosk but they have a chinese street food experience as they see their food being prepared in a glass in kitchen. Lotus offers high-end, delicious Asian cuisine that is handcrafted by a Hong Kong trained chef. We are very excited about our partnership with celebrity Chef Scott Conant, who will open Cellaio, a fine dining Italian Steakhouse concept. We felt that a key to that restaurant would be to go big with 200 plus seats that could support a very special wine list. Additional options for our guest include The Doubletop Bar & Grill, a sports bar offering craft beers and

Minneapolis based Albers Commercial Kitchen Solutions met the high volume challenges and an opening that was pushed up by a month to enable the casino to open on time

A Hobart dish machine was specified by BHS to handle the heavy volume for dish and ware washing.

dishes made with locally sourced and organic products and 24/7 Diner, an always-open diner offering comfort food classics. We wanted a design with Doubletap that would give us flexibility. Our goal was to execute a 24/7 diner concept but to do it in a very contemporary non-diner look. We’ve accomplished that with the right lighting and music. We’re taking classic dishes from around the world that people love and are creating the best versions of them for our guests.

60 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

We want to create an unforgettable experience for our guests and every decision we’ve made has been with that in mind. Steve Carlson’s Approach Since our founding in 1981, Rippe Associates has focused on understanding the unique culture and needs of each client and their project goals. Through a collaborative process, we provide expertise and creative solutions, while asking questions and soliciting client feedback.

We use the diverse backgrounds of our 28 staff members, ranging from operations to construction, and the experience gained from hundreds of successful projects, to develop personalized solutions. Our work in multiple segments, including education, healthcare and hospitality, is shared across our teams to the benefit of all projects. As independent consultants, we can represent the best interests of our clients. Rippe is wellregarded for crafting high quality operational solutions for the global foodservice community. From master planning through design, to operational assessments and implementation guidance, our mission is to deliver Kitchens that work™. We bring an extensive background in working within the casino segment. It really started in the early 1990’s when we were asked to design a commissary for Grand Casino, Tunica, Mississippi. Casinos are now one of three major market segments that our office serves. The Rippe team at Resorts WorldCatskills consisted of Mike Wrase, Shelby Wurscher, Trish Jass and myself all based out of Minneapolis. It’s interesting to look at our individual backgrounds to see what we each brought to the project. I was always interested in cooking and tried the operations world as a cook for awhile, but realized I wasn’t going to be a great chef. I was also always interested in building and construction and when I was ¾ of the way through college, I found there was such an industry as Foodservice Design Consulting. For Mike it was his enjoyment of the building and construction field but he didn’t want to be out in the elements. When he found he had a knack for drawing things he

continued on page 62

TRY THE NEW HABANERO BURGER

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TVS

DIGITAL SIGNAGE

Coming Up On UPshowTV powered by

SPORTS !"#!$"#!%&

CELEBS

GAMES & ENTERTAINMENT

LAUNCH YOUR BRAND’S SOCIAL TV TODAY

WWW.UPSHOW.TV | INFO@UPSHOW.TV

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

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

Resorts World Catskills, from page 60 went into drafting. He was able to combine that with his experience at Pizza Hut. Shelby enjoyed the art aspect of design and was drawn towards architecture. She stumbled into the foodservice world and has found it to be a great home due to her love of food and cocktails. Finally, Trish brought a great background from Hobart. We had previously worked with the architect, JCJ, on Calder Casino and St Regis Mohawk through some former Grand Casino contacts. We joined the team for this project in 2012 when the project was a Racino. When Resorts World won one of the New York casino licenses, the scope changed to a five-star resort. From our work on various projects we understood that the F&B venues at Resorts World-Catskills needed to be a part of the amenities that would attract an international gamer. Looking to draw the same clientele that travel to Las Vegas and Macau. We look at the opportunity in a ground-up casino, to properly organize the storage and workflow within foodservice. When working on projects where the property has expanded multiple times over a few decades, you end up with each venue having its own storage and production. Here we were able to create shared storage and production and plan the delivery routes through the back-of-house so deliveries to the individual venues did not have to go across the casino floor. Our approach to the selection of kitchen equipment for each venue is driven by the menus. This was a bit more difficult because there was not a chef on board at the time of planning. We created some sample menus for the Owner to approve so we could finalize the cooking equipment and build in future flexibility for changes to the menu down the road. We met with Chef Scott Conant

The cooking suites at Resorts World feature both Vulcan and Jade ranges

and his team a few times to plan the kitchen and equipment for his restaurant at the property. We were also able to call on the breadth of our practice with the creation of the employee cafeteria. A large part of the business in our office is Higher Education. We used that experience, to create an employee cafeteria that is inline with what is expected and offered in those environments to assist with employee hiring and retention. We were excited when we saw that we were going to be able to team with Albers on the project to complete the custom fabrication. We have worked with Albers for many years and were excited they were working on this complex project. We have a great working relationship with them and know their ability to handle all sizes of projects, small and large. When they have questions or encounter a challenge, they work to solve the problem with the best outcome for the Owner and end user. As you can well imagine when you work on a project of this size there are a number of valuable take-aways. We had the opportunity to work extensively with the Asian chefs and learned a lot about equipment and

62 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

layouts necessary to accommodate this style of preparation that we have not experienced on previous projects. Working with Scott Conant and his team provided a unique opportunity to learn what he was trying to accomplish with his menu. We also had to deal with figuring out how to get liquor, beer, wine and soda from the warehouse to the various venues throughout the casino. Due to the long line runs, some almost 1000 feet, we had to work closely with manufacturers to find out how to accomplish this without losing product quality. Bill Keith’s Approach We had bid the project through the General Contractor LP Ciminelli. We had worked with them on another casino project. Keep in mind that our role in the project was to support the Rippe consulting and JCJ teams by providing everything for specification. We were focused on the employee dining room, which is on a separate level from the gaming, the food court that is driven by touch screen ordering, a sport bar, stand alone bars and their Asian sit down and fast casual concepts. The hotel itself

has the Scott Conant project and the VIP level that has a kitchen that will serve guests pool side. Again, we were there to support the consultant Rippe. Typically when we design a restaurant, I take the total seating then talk about the menu with the chef, so that the equipment package can handle the projected volume. So in a case like this you need to have enough woks to handle all of the asian cuisine. The equipment package included Alto Shaam, Blodgett, Carpigiani, Cleveland, Rational, Randell, Pitco fryers and EasyBar. The cooking was split between Vulcan and Jade. Hobart’s flight machine was specified to handle the large volume. Can’t say enough about Albers ability to execute 198 pages of shop drawings to complete the custom fab. We’ve got RPI wine cases that will be used on the project because we knew they would get it right. Our role at BHS was to provide detailed installation documentation in terms of all of the mechanical service that would be needed for the equipment. We took the architectural drawings and created technical specifications for each piece of equipment. So we then work with the trades to make sure that each of the connections are in the right spot so that there are no hitches when the equipment is installed. To accomplish that goal, we needed the right guy on site. We found him with Mike Jansen, I can’t say enough about the job he continues to do for us. Bottom line is our role is interpretation of the specification and ordering the product accurately, installing and then coordinating installation and connectivity. Lots of field measuring and getting it right. I really came away with an appreciation for how important the planning process is. You simply can’t start soon enough with a goal of getting it right.

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

in the foodservice and hospitality industry.

EYE

EVENT COVERAGE

www.unidine.com

PRESENTED BY

Fresh Thinking, Culinary Excellence

NYU Hosts Annual SHFM Critical Issues Conference

(L to R) New York’s rep community was represented with Tri-State’s Bart Gobioff, Liz Hannon, PBAC’s Michael Posternak and Larry Catamessa, Ed Pecinka of Pecinka Ferri, and Lynne Schultz of Tri-State

Metro chief John Nackley (R) anchored a fascinating look into the future of an industry looking to properly access technology to maximize the customer experience

etro New York and the nation’s leading Client Liaisons, Self-Operators, Contractors and Integrated Facility Managers gathered for the annual SHFM Critical Issues Conference (CIC) last month in New York City. SHFM - The Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management serves the needs and interests of executives in the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industries. SHFM hosts events across the country that enables industry professionals to come together to exchange ideas with industry professionals who share similar challenges and agendas. This year’s Critical Issues conference held at NYU’s Kimmel  Center featured an all-star cast slate of presenters who explore the conference’s theme: DESIGNING THE EVOLUTIONARY WORK SPACE EXPERIENCE. CIC moderator John Nackley led an engaging dialogue that focused on an interactive discussion of the drivers changing the way we design work-

space and serve customers. Attendees had the opportunity to discover the implications for design strategy and analyze how to innovate in a foodservice and hospitality environment. Nackley brought unique qualifications to the moderator post. He has been the President and CEO of InterMetro, a division of The Ali Group, for over 22 years. Under his leadership, Metro has become a global force in offering space optimization and productivity solutions, which gives Nackley a unique perspective on current trends in the foodservice industry. He cites changing menus, technology and automation as just a few of the drivers changing the way we design and serve. The former SHFM award winner was joined in the panel by  Michael Bonomo, Director of Global Workplace, CannonDesign; Deloitte Digital Managing Director Mike Church; Connie Dickson, Principal at Rippe Associates; and Christine Gurtler who serves as Design Director at Manhattan’s Jacobs | Doland | Beer, LLC.

64 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

(L to R) Romano Gatland’s Chris Brady and Gary Gunderson of Innovative Hospitality

“Our goal was to help CIC attendees create strategies to simplify the way you configure space,” noted Nackley. “We also hope to challenge the group with key questions including: how can you reinvent your services, refocus your core audience or redefine the purpose of your brand.” The panel of Industry design consultants and technology specialists brought their additional expertise and informative examples. Attendees learned from the panel’s insight and project experience as they shared work space perspectives on: key components and metrics of flexible design, emerging uses of technology, customer expectations and the enhanced customer experience, budgetary concerns and design requirements. Nackley concluded: “We wanted SHFM CIC attendees to take away recommendations, ideas and a new appreciation for the critical importance of designing a evolutionary work space experience to ensure the most

continued on page 89

RPI’s Ken Gura represented the innovative Pennsylvania based case maker

(L to R) Tracy Kelly of Weight Watchers, Aramark’s Betsy Kline, and Mike Berman of Day & Nite

(L to R) Culinart’s Mike Purcell, Chef Michael of NYU, Culinart’s Vincent McPhail and Tim Eich

COOKIE CUTTERS ARE FOR COOKIES. Unidine creates custom-tailored dining solutions for every client. If you’re stuck in a one-size-ﬁts-all dining program, it’s time to give your current provider the boot. Unidine would like to congratulate Victoria Vega for being a trailblazer in the foodservice and hospitality industry.

www.unidine.com

Fresh Thinking, Culinary Excellence

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

JOIN THE SOUS VIDE REVOLUTION ! Bring a little tenderness to the table ...

Preserve flavor Consistent results every time Lock in nutrients

VS-300

SV-1200W

Vacuum Packaging Machine

Sous Vide Immersion Circulator

• • • •

Powerful and Ensures a Superior Seal Every Time Ensures that Nutrients are not Lost in the Cooking Process Easy to Use Front Control Panel with Digital Display Polished Stainless Steel Body Construction

Suitable for Cooking Different Types of Foods Programmable for up to 3 Cooking Settings Provides more Control with Consistent Results Every Time Easy to Read, Accurate Digital LED Temperature Display

www.admiralcraft.com

66 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

SEE US IN BOOTH 8642

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

LEGAL INSIDER

FROM ELLENOFF GROSSMAN & SCHOLE LLP

Understanding The Realities Of The ADA And Your Website

ebsite accessibility is a hot topic right now which means you should be checking if your website is compliant with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). If your website is not accessible to individuals with disabilities, you might get slapped with an unwanted and expensive lawsuit. Title III applies to private places of “public accommodation” and prohibits them from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. Examples of public accommodations include privatelyowned, leased or operated facilities like hotels, restaurants, retail stores, doctor’s offices, golf courses, private schools, health clubs, movie theaters, and so on. Title III is unique from other anti-discrimination statutes in that it requires (with limited exceptions) businesses to take affirmative, proactive measures to ensure individuals with disabilities are afforded equal access to their goods and services. You might be asking yourself why ADA website compliance is such a big deal now. The uptick in these types of cases is due in large part to the internet becoming an integral part of mainstream American life—individuals rely on the inter-

Richard P. Kaye, a member of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, leads the firm’s litigation department. He represents clients in a wide range of business and real estate matters in state and federal courts, as well as alternative dispute resolution forums. He acts as outside general counsel for numerous companies and has represented

You might be asking yourself why ADA website compliance is such a big deal now. The uptick in these types of cases is due in large part to the internet becoming an integral part of mainstream American life. net to do just about everything from making dinner reservations at their favorite restaurants and ordering catering services to paying bills and planning trips. Website compliance is simply the latest frontier for Title III ADA cases; the plaintiffs in these cases, typically visually impaired, argue that websites of certain companies are not accessible to them because the sites lack the proper software to enable them to have equal access to the goods and services being offered. Although plaintiffs are entitled only to injunctive relief (i.e., an order from the Court directing a business to become ADA compliant), these cases are flooding federal court dockets largely because of the relative ease in proving a viola-

68 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

tion has occurred under the statute and the availability of legal fees to the prevailing plaintiff. For Plaintiffs’ attorneys’ this is a potential gold mine. In order for plaintiffs’ attorneys to “win” these cases and collect their attorneys’ fees, they need only show that their client attempted to use a business’ website once, but was prevented from enjoying full access of the site’s goods and service because it lacked the proper software to make it accessible to individuals who are legally blind or visually impaired. Moreover, these lawsuits usually threaten a potential class action in an effort to maximize attorneys’ fees and often include claims for monetary damages under state and local antidiscrimination laws.

numerous clients in the defense of cases brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Stephania C. Sanon is an Associate in the Labor and Employment law practice group. Ms. Sanon represents and advises clients in a variety of labor and employment matters. She handles a broad range of cases, from individual employment disputes to multi-plaintiff and class action litigation. She has also represented clients in the defense of website accessibility cases brought under the ADA and relevant state and local statutes. Richard P. Kaye (rkaye@egsllp.com) and Stephania C. Sanon (ssanon@ egsllp.com) can be reached via phone at 212-370-1300.

As attorneys with experience in handling both physical accessibility and website cases, we are seeing

continued on page 107

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

NEWS

COOKING SOLUTIONS

Eloma USA Broadens Cooking Solutions With Multimax Debut at NRA/Chicago

hether it’s a white tablecloth restaurant or a corporate dining facility, the bar has been raised for the quality and consistency of menus being produced in Tri-State kitchens. The emergence of combi cooking has made that recipe for success a possibility. However, all combi ovens on the market are not alike. For many executive chefs, the ability to control the consistency of multiple kitchens is now possible as a result of a pair of entries from Eloma USA. In many cases, today’s chef in a Midtown Manhattan hotel or Long Island hospital is responsible for multiple kitchens in which they simply can’t be there in person to oversee the traditional management of those facilities. Eloma USA has enhanced its reputation in the foodservice industry with its on-going introduction of innovative technology. Both at the annual NRA-National Restaurant Association Show and the the bi-annual NAFEM events the Eloma USA booth has become a priority destination. These innovative show debuts have included the introduction of the Genius MT line which became an industry favorite for its commitment to simplicity. The debut was a hit as chefs and foodservice professionals embraced the ultra-fast, high-resolution multi-touch display boasts a picture driven interface. It had enabled easy access to the oven’s controls and stored cooking processes.

With our Multimax we are able to provide that very same high performance featuring boilerless design in a smaller footprint.” Once again after listening to the needs of its customer base, Eloma USA will unveil its latest solution: Multimax. “As we talked with our end user customer base and the dealers that serve them, we found that they wanted a value engineered and priced solution,” noted Thomas Stegmaier, President of Eloma USA. “So with the introduction of Multimax, which we will have in our booth in Chicago, we are able to provide that very same high performance featuring boilerless design in a smaller footprint.” Both the Genius MT and Multimax enable operators to precisely control the temperature, humidity and time for each cooking event to deliver a consistent desired result. Because of its programmability, they are well suited for use in foodservice chains and volume feeding operations where multiple ovens across multiple locations are used to produce a consistent, singular product. The sheer speed that culinary life moves at today demands that technology be utilized to optimize kitchen operations. “To keep up with the life

70 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

in the fast world we live in we have set a goal to make life easy in the kitchen for all of us,” noted Stegmaier. Many of the early options of combining technology brought new levels of powerful options to commercial kitchens. “Some brands do offer automation but they are not designed to make it simple. Our emphasis has been on simplicity and I believe that our simple picture driven controls with our Genius MT line provide that.” Selecting the proper combi solution also requires an understanding of the role of USB connectivity in the process. “Clearly over the past several years, you have seen major security breaches as a result of Wi-Fi dependency,” Stegmaier explained. “Credit card thefts and bank frauds all route through the Wi-Fi, so we have designed a USB based system that is easier than operating cell phones. I believe simplicity is the key and the kitchen should not be complex,” noted Stegmaier.The Illinois based firm also offers both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity solution to support both the Genius MT and Multimax platforms.

New York City and the Tri-State area have always provided challenges due to space limitations. The Eloma line offers maximum cooking capacity in a limited footprint. A wide range of available gas and electric size and power configurations enable both the Genius MT and Multimax cooking solutions to accommodate nearly any space or application, which is critical in cramped kitchens and high-rent locations. With food safety continuing to be a priority for the restaurant and foodservice professional, Eloma’s units provide an effective cleaning system. “Our AutoClean requires only 15 minutes in the quick clean setting to complete its cycle,” Stegmaier said. “We have also created to conserve and save water and detergent while cleaning.” The automatic logging feature of the Genius MT combi supports HAACP compliance even across multiple units and locations. The system saves up to 16% of energy savings and up to 42 percent water savings compared to conventional cooking equipment in comparison to conventional cooking products available in the market. “We offer well designed equipment for the satisfaction of our users. Our focus is on conserving energy but we do not compromise on comfort either. Our systems provide you with near immediate

continued on page 110

SEE US IN BOOTH 5036

The Best Steak on the Planet

THE STEAK YOUR GRILL HAS BEEN WAITING FOR.

NEW YORK PRIME BEEF Delivers the best steak on the planet directly to your home via FREE overnight Fed Ex service. This summer give your guests the steakhouse experience right in your own backyard. Choose from meltingly tender dry aged Porterhouse, New York Strips, Rib Eyes and T-Bones. Or choose from our collections of Filet Mignon, American Wagyu NY Strips, or imported Japanese Wagyu NY Strips.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR TOTAL FOOD SERVICE READERS: RECEIVE 15% OFF ANY ORDER AT CHECKOUT. USE COUPON CODE TFS0518

ORDER NOW THE GRILLING SEASON IS HERE! NEWYORKPRIMEBEEF.COM

1.800.STEAK.NY

FILET MIGNON COLLECTION

WAGYU USA COLLECTION

WAGYU JAPAN COLLECTION

(6) 8 OZ. FILETS

CHOOSE (2) OR (4) 16 OZ. STRIPS

CHOOSE (2) OR (4) 18-20 OZ. STRIPS

ORDER NOW - THE GRILLING SEASON IS HERE! All orders include FREE shipping overnight via FedEx

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

NEWS

TRIBUTE

Iconic Restaurateur And Former Major Leaguer Staub Remembered At Midtown Mass

ne of the more unique individuals to grace a Manhattan kitchen was honored late last month. Rusty Staub, who died last month at age 73, was remembered at a memorial Mass as both a ballplayer and philanthropist. The clutch pinch-hitter with the bright orange hair and the heart of pure gold. “He would have been great if he never got a hit,” said New York Mets broadcaster Ron Darling — although Staub racked up 2,716 of them during a 23-year career. “Rusty was one of the most unique people you’d ever meet,” he continued. “All that was in his heart was to do good. He was a beacon.” Mourners filled St. Patrick’s Cathedral on a rainy afternoon to honor Staub, with baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon joined by ex-FDNY head Sal Cassano and NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill. “He was a great man with great generosity and a huge heart,” said Manfred. “It was a sad day for baseball when we lost Rusty.” Staub who died in late March launched the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children Benefit Fund in 1985, eventually distributing a staggering $140 million to the families of first responders. FDNY bagpipers played “Amazing Grace” to start the service, an homage to the man who aided the families of firefighters and police officers for more than three decades. Staub was also the president

of The Rusty Staub Foundation, Inc., which he established in 1985. The Foundation raised over $17,000,000 and in collaboration with Catholic Charities, supports emergency pantries that serve more than 800,000 meals per year. “Rusty has bypassed Cooperstown, because on the very first ballot, he made God’s Hall of Fame in heaven,” said Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, a Staub friend for 20 years, in his eulogy. Legend Rusty Staub throwing out the ceremonial first Darling was joined by felpitch at a Mets game in 2015 low former Mets John Franco and Lee Mazzilli along with exAmazins manager Bobby Valenrestaurant that very quickly built a tine in remembering the legendary reputation for offering one of New man known as “Le Grande Orange.” York’s better American-wine lists. The “He was an icon,” recalled reliever well appointed two-level establishFranco. “He was such a lovable guy. ment, featured a long brass-and-wood They don’t come any better than him.” bar upstairs with paintings and phoSullivan noted Staub’s extensive eftographs from Staub’s major-league forts on behalf of the needy, but said career. the veteran ballplayer would never re“He was an active member of the fer to himself as a philanthropist. “Let’s New York Restaurant Association,” not pretend Rusty was some perfect, noted former NYSRA president Fred somber do-gooder,” said Sullivan. “He Sampson. “For over 20 years, we liked food, and he liked wine.” would welcome him to our meetings While playing for the New York and events.” Mets, he opened his first pub-style The New Orleans, LA native made restaurant, called Rusty’s, 1271 Third his Major League debut when he Avenue, at 73rd Street, in 1977. In 1989 signed a professional baseball conafter retiring from baseball, Staub tract with the, then, Houston Colt took that love of food and wine to a .45’s on September 11th, 1961. After new level with the opening of a new six successful seasons in Houston, inrestaurant Rusty’s on Fifth. The eatery cluding All-Star selections in 1967 and on 47th Street was a sports-themed 1968, Staub was traded to the Montreal

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

Expos in 1969. He would spend three years with the expansion Expos, playing in 480 games and earning three straight selections to the National League All-Star team before he was traded to the Mets in 1972. During his first of two tenures with the Mets, Rusty starred in the 1973 World Series, which the Mets lost to Oakland, four games to three. During the World Series he hit .423 with a home run and six runs batted in, despite playing with a severely injured right shoulder. In Game 4, Rusty went 4-4 with a home run and five runs batted in to lead the Mets to a 6-1 victory. In doing so, he became only the 42nd player to collect four hits in a World Series game. Following the 1975 season, Staub was traded to the Detroit Tigers, where he spent three and a half seasons as an outfielder and designated hitter. In 1978, Rusty was voted the American League’s outstanding designated hitter, as he batted .273 and drove in 121 runs, playing in all 162 games for Detroit. He started in the outfield for the American League in the 1976 All-Star Game. After stints with the Expos and Texas Rangers, Staub returned to the Mets prior to the 1981 season and spent the final five seasons of his career in Flushing, finally retiring in 1985.

WANT MORE REGULARS?

DON’T BE SO REGULAR.

THE INTERNATIONAL FOODSERVICE MARKETPLACE

Regular doesn’t wow. It doesn’t attract new customers. And it certainly doesn’t boost your

MAY 19-22

reviews or your bottom line. So break free from regular and come to the National Restaurant Association Show. You’ll get fresh ideas, make lasting connections and leave prepared to meet your challenges head-on. Get the edge and stay ahead of your competition—only at the Restaurant Show.

McCORMICK PLACE • CHICAGO, IL

• REGISTER NOW AT RESTAURANT.ORG/SHOW •

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

NEWS

PEST CONTROL SOLUTIONS

The Biggest Pest Threats for Restaurants This Spring water and shelter. They are also excellent at hiding in dark cracks and crevices. Because they are nocturnal, spotting one crawling across the floor during the day can be a sign that there may be many more hiding behind the scenes. If cockroaches reach the dining room area, they can spread diseases to your patrons such as E. coli and Salmonella. Keeping these pests out in the first place is the best way to ensure your diners don’t see them.

Cockroaches: Cockroaches have been around for thousands of years, so they are one of the most highly adaptive and resilient pests. Unfortunately, their adaptability means they are resistant to some pest control treatments, including those sold to consumers. Restaurants provide everything cockroaches need to thrive, including a steady supply of food,

Flies: Flies may be small, but they are among the filthiest of all pests, carrying diseases such as typhoid, cholera and Salmonella. They feed on garbage, feces, carcasses and food waste, so flies spend much of their time in unsanitary areas. Surprisingly, many patrons don’t recognize just how filthy flies are – in fact, 61 percent of patrons in a 2016 survey

One pest sighting in a restaurant could mean the difference between a 5-star review and an onslaught of negative feedback, so it’s important to take the necessary measures to prevent them. 74 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

reported that they would continue to eat a meal after a fly lands on it. When they make a quick stop on a diner’s plate of food or utensils, they deposit thousands of bacteria from their recent meal in just seconds. This transmission of bacteria can result in food poisoning, diarrhea and bloodstream infections. Even though diners may not be aware of the threat flies pose, they are likely to associate the food they ate at your restaurant with any po-

tential illness they may have following their meal. These pests aren’t diminishing in numbers either. Flies breed rapidly, so it’s important to be proactive in your treatment and maintain a thorough pest management program. Ants: Ants outnumber humans 14,000 to one, and they are the number one

continued on page 103

KEEPING REPUTATIONS SQUEAKY CLEAN SINCE 1928. What your customers say is really all that matters. That’s why so many restaurant owners trust us to protect their reputations. And that’s something we’ve been committed to for 90 years. Learn more at westernpest.com.

s the warm weather approaches, so does the risk for additional pest pressures. Flies, cockroaches and ants are three of the dirtiest pests restaurants should be concerned about that shouldn’t be part of your diners’ experience. One pest sighting in a restaurant could mean the difference between a 5-star review and an onslaught of negative feedback, so it’s important to take the necessary measures to prevent them.

MODERN SOLUTIONS. OLD-SCHOOL STYLE.

877.219.6968 · westernpest.com

continued on page 116 CONTA CT US F OR A F RE E INS PE CTION.

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

EYE

METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

Brooklyn’s City Tech Celebrates Culinary Program at Annual Gala

he Annual Chefs City Tech Moraccan Cous Cous from Chef Louevent was held last month ise Hoffman and a cabernet short rib and featured the school’s that had the room buzzing. annual salute to their stuStudents follow a course of study dent’s persistence and to fulfill their that leads to a bachelor of technology dreams held at the Janet Lefler Dining degree, usually preceded by an asRoom at City Tech in Brooklyn. Event sociate in applied sciences degree in Co-Chairs Alums Jason Kwintner (‘95) hospitality management. In addition of the Metropolitan Club and Southto taking a broad range of industryern Glazer Wine and Spirits Rahul Suri specific courses, City Tech graduates (‘96) made sure that everyone had fun. are well educated in the arts and sci“Hospitality and tourism represent ences, which enhance the overall prothe largest international industry of fessional development and individual the 21st century and the vibrant core marketability upon graduation. of the economy of New York City,” noted the department’s chairperson Elizabeth Schaible. “For over sixty years our graduates have led successful careers throughout New York City and beyond. They can be found in all areas of the hospitality industry including: Hotels and Resorts, Restaurant Operations, Tourism Fred’s at Barneys chef Mark Straussand Travel Management, Culinary man (C) celebrated the release of his and Pastry Arts, Sales and Marketing new book with fellow alumni Elaina Duand even Culinary Arts Education in rante (L) and Chandai Raghunauth (R) New York City High Schools. Chef Philip DeMaiolo (‘14) of Pier 60 prepared a tasty array of hors d’oeuvres. USHG’s John Karangis followed with a Marinated lobster appetizer. Chef Ebow Dadzi (‘03) of Folukie Chef Anthony Smith Guests were and the Marriott Marquis teamed (‘96) of The Cosmotreated to Chef with Chef Anthony Smith (‘96) of politan Club directs the Jean Claude’s The Cosmopolitan Club to create dessert team in the Mahi-Mahi or decadent dessert of the ages kitchen

76 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

The department also offers two international programs: in agreement with Université d’Evry~Val d’Essonne, which provides a rich and varied learning and living opportunity for qualified students to earn six elective credits in international tourism and traditions of the French table. Selected students can also spend the summer months working as interns at resorts, hotels and restaurants in the United States and Western Europe. Students receive a stipend with the generous support of

the NYCCT Foundation and industry associations including Societé Culinaire Philanthropique, Culinarian’s Home Foundation, Jules Weber Foundation, and Paris Gourmet. From Mark Strausman at Fred’s at Barneys’ to USHG’s Karangis, the legendary Michael Lomonaco at Porter House, the City Tech program continues to be a resource that continues to produce shining stars on the culinary scene both in New York City and beyond.

The annual gala gave student chefs studying in the pastry arts and baking programs an opportunity to shine

(L to R) The event co-chairs were alums Jason Kwintner (‘95) of the Metropolitan Club and Southern Glazer Wine and Spirits’ Rahul Suri (‘96)

(L to R) Henri Gueron, chef Co-chair John Karangis (‘92) of USHG Special Events and long time City Tech faculty member Julia Jordan

The evening concluded with a tribute to the faculty, student and alumni chefs who created a truly memorable event

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

NEWS

ASSOCIATIONS

Long Island Says Leave Tip Wage Alone!

s expected hundreds showed up at the Long Island hearing, many from the restaurant community, servers, bartenders and operators that do NOT want a change to the current tip wage system and said “leave the tip wage alone Governor Cuomo”. On Friday, April 20 the first of seven statewide hearings initiated by Governor Cuomo’s directive to the Department of Labor took place to hear testimony on the possible elimination of the tip credit. Hundreds turned out to SUNY Farmingdale to share their stories. The tip wage community of servers, bartenders and professional foodservice staff took to the microphone, some waiting for hours for their chance, to explain why this ex-

ploration is more of a solution in search of a problem than a move to improve wages. In fact one of the overarching messages was that this is not being asked for by the tipped restaurant workers, the very people this change is designed to help. A server from one Long Island restaurant said that if the tip credit were eliminated her employer might have to close for a few months due to the seasonality of their business which would force her to get another job out of the industry. Tipped employees from restaurants of all different sizes, styles and cuisine stood before the Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon and her staff sharing the negative affects this would place on their earnings, the restaurant industries owners and the consumers

78 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

who will have to endure more price increases at a time where every penny is being pinched. The crowd’s comments suggested the effect of this type of change could reduce tips, confuse consumers, markedly increase prices and force service levels to drop due to reduced staff. Restaurant owners also had their chance at sharing the impact to

their businesses. The industry is already forced to survive on slim margins and after being forced to endure three minimum wage increases over a three year period many wouldn’t be able to handle a tip credit elimination. Anthony Rovet, a Divisional Vice President for Miller’s Ale House

continued on page 80

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

NYSRA, from page 78 shared this: “We employ over 600 New York residents and to stay competitive in hiring talent, our average nontipped employee earns an average wage of $15 per hour, $4 above the current New York minimum wage. Our tipped employees, earn an average wage of $18 per hour when combining the required hourly wage and their tips, $7 above the current New York minimum wage.

Eliminating the tip credit in New York will hurt the very people Governor Cuomo is attempting to help: • We will have to raise our prices. • We will lose business. • We will cut hours and jobs. • Guests will perceive that tipping is unnecessary • Guests will stop tipping or tip considerably less and ultimately reduce server income.

80 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Melissa Fleischut the President & CEO of the New York Restaurant Association shared in her testimony that “during the past eight years tipped restaurant employees have received increases in wages from their employers of anywhere from 115% in New York City to 61% in upstate with more to come” and that these increases do not account for any income made from tips. She also spoke to a recent example of a

state eliminating the tip credit and how that ended poorly for all parties involved. In 2015 Maine voted to eliminate the tip credit through a statewide ballot initiative. Almost immediately after it was signed into law, servers and other tipped employees began to see a stark decrease in their take home pay due to rapidly declining tips. Restaurant employees began to rally en masse at the state capitol arguing for the reinstatement of the credit and got just that a mere 6 months later. The New York State Restaurant Association has held dozens of meetings all over the state during the last three months to gain insights and listen to feedback about how this would affect the industry. During those meetings members have explained if the tip wage were eliminated they would have to consider cutting staff, raising prices, consider technology options like tablets, and almost certainly add work responsibilities to the current staff. Some even said they might have to contemplate ‘service included’ models which would likely result in less total earnings for tipped employees. Service included models can be risky since many customers dislike them and the concept has failed more times that it’s been successful. Many operators are reeling from the recent minimum wage increases and fear they may have to close if the tip credit were eliminated. Momentum is key and we urge the industry to continue to voice their opposition to this dangerous policy. The remaining hearings are scheduled to take place in Watertown on 4/25, Syracuse on 4/30, Buffalo on 5/8, Albany 5/18, and 6/27 in the New York City. For more information on the tip wage hearings call Ron Mathews at NYSRA 212-398-9160 or email ronm@nysra.org

May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 81

FAITHFUL FOOD

WITH FAITH HOPE CONSOLO

Food Hall Frenzy

he appetite for food halls has been growing nationwide with the predication that by 2020, the number of food halls in our Country will go from 70 to 300+. It is no surprise one of the culinary epicenters of the world, New York City has a food hall game that’s been getting stronger thanks to many additions over recent years. We have about 25 operating food halls and at least 12 others in the works including TimeOut DUMBO food hall and the Essex Crossing’s Market Line. Let’s examine these two food centric landmark developments. Based on the first Time Out Market in Lisbon, Portugal, Time Out Market will bring the best NYC restaurants, bars and cultural experiences, all chosen by expert Time Out editors, under one roof at 55 Water Street within Empire Stores. You will find two levels, three bars, an outdoor rooftop area and a breathtaking view of the Brook-

lyn Bridge and Manhattan’s iconic skyline. Essex Crossing’s Market Line in the Lower East Side will cover three city blocks and connect by underground tunnels, The Market Line will be one of the world’s greatest markets featuring 60 foot ceilings that welcome natural light to an underground landscape that will feature a food hall and a variety of large and small businesses; anchored by the historic Essex Street Market, 120 Essex Street (at Delancey Street). Manhattan’s oldest food hall Chelsea Market’s building was recently purchased by Google for $2.4 billion and the market will continue exactly as it is and expansion will move forward. Original owner Jamestown is already seeking new locations in the U.S. and Europe for their next new food concept. They know “food is the future” and they know how to create delicious success!

Here are locations open for business: Canal Street Market 265 Canal Street, Manhattan At the crossroads of Chinatown and SoHo, this marketplace is a mix between an artsy retail market and a sleek, modern food hall similar to Chelsea Market, which includes a number of Asian-influenced local vendors.

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

Chelsea Market 75 Ninth Avenue, Manhattan Chelsea Market set the standard for the food hall industry, after this complex of 22 interlocking Nabisco factories covering an entire Chelsea block was transformed over 20 years ago. Virtually every corner of the earth is represented in this ever-changing market. City Acres Market 70 Pine Street, Manhattan

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

The space combines trendy ‘grocerant’ (the concept of blending a restaurant experience with the grocery experience) and food hall concepts with independent food vendors, a butcher, cheesemonger, fishmonger, and comprehensive groceries (both locally made and national name brands) and fresh grab-and-go from the house chef. City Kitchen at Row NYC 700 Eighth Avenue (at 44th Street), Manhattan This subway-tiled oasis near Times Square has some of the city’s biggest recent culinary hits. The urban style food market has nine vendors who offer everything from spicy ramen and lobster rolls to passion fruit donuts to shaved snow. DeKalb Market Hall 445 Gold Street, Brooklyn Located in City Point Brooklyn,

continued on page 91 82 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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

CHARROUX ON TRANSPORTATION

Selecting The Right Van For Your Metro New York Restaurant/ Foodservice Operation

f you own a catering business or are a restaurateur, and have deliveries to make, then purchasing the right vehicle for your delivery business is a priority. Bottom line is that food delivery needs to satisfy two essential priorities. It must reach its destination at the right temperature to ensure food safety and of course it must capture the same signature flavor that your restaurants or catering facility has built its reputation on. My goal is to use this column to bring my 30 plus years of experience as a Commercial Vehicle Professional to help the Metro New York food service operator accomplish that goal. I’m convinced when you shop for a commercial van or truck emphasis that your first look is “under the hood”. I would suggest that you look at the timing chain rather than the timing belts because of its longevity factor. The difference is that the belts break up and need to be serviced whereas, a timing chain is encased and gives you more longevity. One of the key factors that attracted me to the opportunity with Teddy and the Nissan line is the quality under the hood. Nissan has a leasing program that can build higher payments during prime season, and lower during off season for qualified clients who are seasonal businesses.

I’m convinced when you shop for a commercial van or truck emphasis that your first look is “under the hood”. This means that when business owners in the food industry plan to purchase vehicles they should keep in mind the overall cost of ownership. The next key factor is to compare the dimension of the trucks that you are considering. Our Nissan NV vehicles have the ideal dimensions (48 inches x 40 inches) that offer ample cargo space to hold a standard 48 inch palette. Let’s face it speed is also crucial in the successful and profitable delivery of food. So not only does it offer large cargo space but also the bumpers are low in the doors, which means it is easier to load cargo. The other advantage of Nissan is the lower loading cargo which means that the bumper is a little lower in the doors - so you’re not really lifting high to put things in. The next consideration is of course to find a truck that can handle your mix. As you look at your menu and the orders that you are sending for

84 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

delivery, how much space needs to be allocated towards, frozen, refrigerated and/or dry goods. Nissan has taken the time to understand the needs of the restaurant/foodservice professional and design a van that offers the proper compartments and flexibility. I have also found that successful restaurateurs/foodservice operators take the time to consider the comfort of the employee that is making the delivery. Nissan has worked diligently to minimize such problems with seat and cab design technology that virtually eliminates spine and back issues for the driver. Sometimes you sit in vans and the feeling is yes it feels like you’re sitting on a piece of cardboard. Nissan designed Zero Gravity seating that alleviates tension on the back and the spine. As you shop, you also want to look for the little things that can make such a big difference. For instance Nissan offers a larger window in the

Mark Charroux is the Director of Commercial Vehicle Sales at Bronx based Teddy Nissan. The New Bedford, MA native brings some 25 plus years of industry experience in helping restaurant and food service professionals and the distributors that serve them build transportation strategies. He can answer questions at MCharroux@teddynissan.com.

front doors, which offers the driver a larger view frame to look in the rear view mirror. When it comes to selecting the right transportation solution, please take the time to look under the hood, and then consider capacity, the comfort of your driving staff and not just the total cost and monthly payment but the total value of your investment. Like those signature items on your menu, it’s a recipe for transportation success.

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

C-CAP TRADE TALK

WITH JOYCE APPELMAN

NYC High School Students Cook Their Way to a Promising Future Over $650,000 in Culinary Scholarships and Opportunities Awarded by Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP)

utstanding culinary students from public high schools were awarded scholarships to continue their culinary studies at the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (CCAP) New York Awards Breakfast at The Pierre Hotel. C-CAP President Karen Brosius awarded over $650,000 in scholarships and opportunities alongside C-CAP Founder Richard Grausman and New York Program Manager Anna Borgman. C-CAP alum Chef Brandon Bryan, Sous Chef at Pat LaFrieda and Chef Ashfer Biju, Executive Chef at The Pierre were the featured speakers. Scholarships were awarded to 21 high school seniors to attend local culinary schools and some of the most prestigious culinary schools in the country. Some students also received C-CAP Cash Scholarships to help de-

fray the costs of books, supplies, housing, and other expenses while at community college or another culinary school. Twelve high school juniors were awarded scholarships to attend the Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe College Boot Camp, a four-day, three-night culinary summer boot camp in which rising high school seniors will have the opportunity to practice their culinary techniques on a college campus. C-CAP announced the 2018 Meatless Monday Recipe Contest New York-based winner at the ceremony, Gabriella Perez, from Food and Finance High School who was awarded the Meatless Monday Recipe Contest Scholarship. In addition, several C-CAP Alumni awards were announced for workabroad and culinary school scholarships including: Yvette Castillo, the

The 2018 C-CAP New York Award Winners

86 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Olesay Work-Abroad Scholarship in Madrid, Spain; Kelvin Fernandez, the Daniel Boulud Scholarship for a fourweek stage under Chef Davy Tissot at Restaurant Saisons in Lyon, France; and Nicholas Pace, the Gohan Society Chef Scholarship to study in Japan. During the C-CAP New York Cooking Competition for Scholarships, finalists representing high schools from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island competed against the clock when C-CAP re-created the intensity of a restaurant kitchen at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) for the high school seniors to face off in a savory and sweet challenge. Students were judged by a panel of local esteemed judges on presentation of the dishes, knife skills, techniques in the kitchen, taste, sanitary food handling, and timeliness. The judges included: Ashfer Biju, Executive Chef,

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

The Pierre; Aaron Bludorn, Executive Chef, Café Boulud; Gabee Calle*, Sous Chef, Pier Sixty; Suzanne Cupps, Executive Chef, Untitled; Zene Flinn, Executive Chef, Park Avenue Winter; Paige Nebrig*, Sous Chef; Ted Siegel, Chef Instructor, Institute of Culinary Education; Karen Brosius, C-CAP President; Richard Grausman, C-CAP Founder. * C-CAP Alumni The C-CAP Cooking Competitions for Scholarships are hosted across the country and teach the invaluable skills of discipline, commitment, and drive to underserved teenagers at risk

continued on page 98

YOU EXPECT VALUE, YOU DESERVE THE BEST

WITH NORDON YOU GET IT ALL!

F O R

A L L

Y O U

C U L I N A R Y

H E R O E S

NOW REPRESENTED BY NORDON IN NY AND NJ

ONE CABOT BLVD EAST

LANGHORNE, PA 19047

800 5440400

NORDONINC.COM

INFONORDONINC.COM

800 54440400 FACEBOOK.COM/NORDONFOODSERVICE

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

RESTAURANT COMPLIANCE

WITH RADA TARNOVSKY

Ice Machines: What Every Food Service Operator Needs To Know

elieve it or not, the FDA defines ice as “food”. As such, ice contaminated by bacteria, mold and viruses can spread illness just like any other food when handled by staff or consumed by diners. Ice from contaminated ice machines is one of the most common Health Code violations, a violation that could potentially lead to money fines, violation points, or worse, illness. And what’s the biggest reasons why ice gets contaminated? Improper handling by employees or improperly maintained ice machines. Basically, human error. Here’s what you can do to make sure your ice machines and ice handling are safe and up to code:

Rada Tarnovsky is a practicing Attorney, who co-founded Letter Grade Consulting to help food service operators comply with regulations set forth by the NYC Department of Health. Servicing restaurants, hotels, theatres, corporate cafeterias and schools, Letter Grade Consulting provides operators with preemptive solutions, education and training to sustain the highest level of food safety, remain

Ice Machines Operators are required by law to keep ice machines clean and sanitized. A dirty ice machine can cost a restaurant $250 in fines and 5 violation points. When 13 points is all you’re allowed to maintain an “A” letter grade, 5 points is a lot to give up. But aren’t ice machines way too cold for germs to survive? Apparently not. Scientific research has shown that cold temperatures do not kill bacteria and viruses, they just slow the growth process. It could take weeks or months for a noticeable growth. Ice could smell and taste fine, but still be harboring dangerous bacteria. …

inspection ready and maintain the “A”

And what’s the biggest reasons why ice gets contaminated? Improper handling by employees or improperly maintained ice machines. Basically, human error. that’s pretty scary stuff. Properly cleaning ice machines is not only required by law, it is imperative to the safety of your patrons. Department Of Health inspectors have recently been given screwdrivers as part of their standard equipment. Inspectors are using the screwdrivers to remove paneling off ice machines to search for mildew.

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

Our recommendations• Do not store anything such as food, drinks, or fruit inside the ice machine. Never use the ice machine as a refrigerator. • Never use “storage ice,” or ice that is used to keep food chilled (oysters, shrimp,

in the window. Rada can be reached at rt@lettergradeconsulting.com

•

• • •

etc.), as beverage ice. If glass or plastic breaks near the ice machine, empty and dispose of all the ice. Following this, deep clean the ice machine before ice is reloaded. Change water filters regularly Do not return unused ice to the machine. Clean ice machines at least once a week

continued on page 103

SHFM Conference, from page 64 effective project collaboration and execution.” The event concluded with the opportunity for industry professionals to network. NYU’s culinary team took guests on a culinary tour of each of the boroughs of New York with stations featuring signature dishes of the Big Apple. CIC’s “meet and greet” is designed to build relationships among operators and suppliers. Everyone enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails as they networked—the perfect close to an insightful conference! “The CI conference fits our agenda to attract, retain and develop the best competitive minds, corporations are moving away from centralized office hierarchies and cafeterias to deconstructed, multi-use collaborative thinking and dining spaces,” noted SHFM President Victoria Vega. “It is imperative that SHFM be at the forefront of delivering best practices in

evolutional workplace design for our hospitality industry professionals to successfully navigate the ever-changing real estate landscape.” SHFM members oversee all facets of corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality; from cafes and retail operations to catering, vending and even fitness centers and child care services at major corporations In Metro New York throughout the US.

Blackstone’s Joshua Wallin

(L to R) New York Life’s Rob Mantzer and Aramark’s Denise O’Brien

Party Rental’s Jim McManus and Bill Coyne of Cloud Catering

Joe Dristrian of CBRE-Bank of America

(L to R) Tim McLaughlin and Daniel Auger of Sodexho

(L to R) Chad Weiss and Raquel Weiss Fusco of elite/Studio E

(L to R) PepsiCo Foodservice’s Chris Casini and Sumi DeBenedittis

(L to R) M. Tucker’s Marc Fuchs and the event’s moderator John Nackley of InterMetro

(L to R) Unidine’s Jeff Becker and Margaret Dwyer

(L to R) Alto Shaam’s Todd Griffith, Sandy Smith of Party Rental and At Your Service’s Jeanine Cosgrove

(L to R) Stephanie Gilbert of Hobart and Kitchen’s to Go’s Amy Lewis

(L to R) Rob Geile of Ali Group and the legendary Dick Hynes of Hobart

(L to R) HMG’s Amanda Beni, Karen DiPeri and Marissa Nani

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

LIZ ON TABLETOP

TABLETOP SOLUTIONS

Small Plates Create New Profits

fter what feels like forever winter, we seem to finally be seeing flowers blooming and green on the trees. Golfers are finally on the course and boaters are in the high seas and restaurants are about to shift into a busy outdoor dining season. With that comes a great opportunity for restaurants and foodservice operators to maximize both profits and the customer dining experience. The warmer weather brings a busy calendar on the Metro New York culinary

scene with a bevy of food festivals , restaurants unveiling their spring and summer food and beverage menus. I’m not sure if it’s the warm weather or people coming out of hibernation but during spring there is a huge rise in sharing and with that the use of plates. There’s no question that the price of real estate has had a major impact on the use of small plates. The operator is paying so much per square foot. A big plate takes up a lot of room which then requires a larger

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

table. So a smaller plate with a smaller table enables you to maximize profit. For a restaurant owner, this is a blessing; you can sell a table of six, eight small plates that they all share. Even though they are less expensive people buy more of them. The question becomes how do you manage that profitability within a restaurant. For your guests this a great way for your guests to be able to try your menu and order something different. Let’s say four people come in and order four appetizers and four main courses, where

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.

they are sharing eight different things. If you were to push small plates from the moment they sit down they may

continued on page 92

Faith Hope Consolo, from page 82

DeKalb Market Hall has transformed downtown Brooklyn with its mega food hall housing outposts of some of New York City’s most iconic restaurants; Katz’s Deli, Arepa Lady, Wilma Jean and many mouthwatering more. This 33,000-square-foot pace is home to almost forty local and regional food outposts. DeKalb Market Hall hosts daily entertainment programming in its two dedicated spaces: a custombuilt show kitchen and an event space, DeKalb Stage, as well as a 40 foot bar designed by Brooklyn artists.

Gotham West Market 600 11th Avenue, Manhattan This full service food hall in Hell’s Kitchen features cuisine from world famous chefs.

Eataly NYC Downtown 4 World Trade Center, Manhattan All things Italian under one roof!

Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place 200 Vesey Street, Manhattan Impressive and modern food hall with a variety of popular, counterserve eateries featuring river views.

Eataly NYC Flatiron 200 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan Food Hall at Industry City 274 36th Street, Brooklyn On the waterfront in Sunset Park, a 40,000-square-foot food hall awaits with oodles of vendors including eight different artisanal coffee purveyors. A food hall within a food hall is under way there: Japan Village, dubbed as the “Japanese Eataly” is a 20,000-square-foot culinary delight with six food stalls, an izakaya, a sake store, specialty grocery, and more. Expected to open in June 2018. Gansevoort Market 353 West 14th Street, Manhattan They say it best, “a curated selection of locally produced goods and fare. The industrial inspired architecture brings together the history of the market while creating a modern communal space to eat, entertain and relax”. Gotham Market at the Ashland 590 Fulton Street, Brooklyn This 16,000-square-foot hall located on the ground floor of the Fort Greene apartment building The Ashland.

Great Northern Hall (in Vanderbilt Hall) at Grand Central Station 89 East 42nd Street, Manhattan Danish restaurateur and Noma cofounder Claus Meyer Nordic flavors with a food hall that features six vendors carrying over 100 different seasonal dishes

Le District at Brookfield Place 200 Vesey Street Brookfield Place, Manhattan French-inspired food in a market of bustling “districts” of culinary-specific stations, exciting restaurants, and a fresh grocery. Plaza Food Hall / Todd English Food Hall 1 West 59th Street, Manhattan Located on the basement level of the City’s most iconic hotel, the Plaza Food Hall is home to outposts of around twenty of NYC’s most popular local eateries from sushi to macaroons luring tourists, guests of the hotel and even locals. The Pennsy (Penn Plates) 2 Pennsylvania Plaza, Manhattan This 8,000-square-foot space located at street level right about Penn Station and next to Madison Square Garden, is surrounded by a large outdoor patio and has become home to live entertainment and events almost every lunch hour and evening. Lineup includes The Cinnamon Snail, The

Little Beet, Pat LaFrieda, Ribalta, Sabi Sushi and Taco Dumbo. TurnStyle Underground Market 1000 South 8th Avenue, Manhattan Located underground 8th Avenue, between 57th and 58th Street, find 38 eateries, kiosks and pop ups. Union Fare 6 East 18th Street, Manhattan This 25,000 square-foot food hall located in the former home of NYC’s first Barnes & Noble, spanning an entire block near Union Square. The fullservice space emphasizes seasonal American food. Urbanspace at 570 Lexington 570 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan The second permanent food hall concept in NYC, opened in the historic General Electric building bringing16 food concepts. UrbanSpace Vanderbilt (at the Helmsley Building) 230 Park Avenue, Manhattan 20 artisanal and chef-driven food concepts to the heart of Midtown perfectly positioned near Grand Central.

Bruckner Market 9 Bruckner Boulevard, Bronx Hudson Yards Food Hall 10 Hudson Yards, Manhattan Seasonal Pop-up food markets by Borough:

Broadway Bites Greeley Square, Midtown between 32nd and 33rd Street Summer market runs May 2June 15, 11 am to 9 pm.

Mad. Sq. Eats Worth Square, Flatiron District Spring market runs May 5- June 1 11 am to 9 pm. Urbanspace Garment District Broadway and 40th, Midtown West Spring market runs June 4- July 13

Brooklyn Smorgasburg 90 Kent Ave in Williamsburg and East Drive at Lincoln Road in Prospect Park Opens March 31 in Williamsburg & April 1 in Prospect Park Open every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm until the end of October.

Queens LIC Flea & Food 5-25 46th Avenue, Long Island City Runs monthly, starting May 12

Coming Soon:

Manhattan

Hester Street Fair 25 Essex Street, Lower East Side Runs Saturdays from April 14- Oct 27 11 am to 6 pm.

Queens International Night Market New York Hall of Science, Flushing Meadows Corona Park Saturdays, April 21st- Aug 18 and Sept. 29- Oct 27th 6 pm to 12 am. Food halls are the perfect place for any food enthusiast to indulge in an array of culinary choices. Without a doubt, these bustling marketplaces embody the spirit and diversity of New York as a City that will continue to host the hottest and latest epicurean delights! Happy Dining!

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

Weiss, from page 90 end up sharing 12 small plates. This makes the average check go up. Managing the comparison of appetizer and entrees vs. small plates is a challenge that has an odd solution. It seems that having on odd number on that plate is the way to do it. Look at the number three, there is a theory that three is a cluster. When you walk down the street you are going to notice that everything is in increments of three from flowers to a grouping of books. When you are talking about food, three is a weird number for a table of people. If you are out to dinner with four people and you order a small plate that comes with only three pieces of food you are not going to cut it up and share, you are going to order another serving. This will stay constant all throughout the meal if your guests are eating small plates for their meal. With small plates and bites you are going to have a variety of positives

from a higher average check, energy and ingredient savings, and of course savings on tableware. The energy savings are simple, the plates you are preparing are smaller portion size, for your chef that means fewer ingredients, less time cooking, and therefore giving you some savings on ingredients and energy. Smaller plates also enable the operator to create a rhythm and pace that leads to a faster turn of tables. It’s almost as if the staff is able to set the pace because with a smaller plate the customer expects that when a plate is put on the table that one is going to be taken away. Now let’s get to tableware. Pretty simply you are serving on smaller plates, which will give you less expensive costs for your plating. Having smaller plates gives your restaurant the option of mixing and matching for your tables. You can incorporate

wood, stone, tile, slate or a really intricate bowl. You are given a ton of leniency with the matching because the plating for small plates is usually smaller and sturdier than your average 12-inch plate. Within the small plates’ world the coolest catalog that I have seen recently is the Rosenthal, they have dishes that look like they are made of concrete and slate that are just beautiful. You can play with all sorts of shapes, colors, and textures as long as you match them to the food. Colors are allover the place but I am stating to see red. Fire-engine red is hot. There’s also copper and lots of satin finishes and blackened metal. We are seeing a move towards melamine and polycarbonate cups around pools at Manhattan hotspots and with our country club clientele. Infact, we are starting to see a higher quality melamine being used as china.

There’s no question that the smaller plates create a sense of healthier eating. Seasonal beverage menus are driven by the creativity of the drink and of course how they are served. From craft beer flights to floral drinks and cocktails, our goal at BHS is to help our clients get it right. This is the summer of patterned glass. Not cut crystal, pressed glass. Lots of double old fashioned and hi-balls that are used for everything. This year’s texture trends are highlighted matte finished but not with ridges. You should always look at the individual item that you are serving. This is what makes small plates such an interesting segment of the restaurant industry. You have freedom to allow the chefs to create whatever they want, the option for your guests to try more than normal, and do it in a unique stylish way.

SEE US IN BOOTH 4254

92 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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

RESTAURANT EXPERT

WITH DAVID SCOTT PETERS

Sexual Harassment: It’s Not If, But When

nyone who has worked in restaurants knows sexual harassment is rampant in the industry. Some explain it away as the nature of the restaurant business, but it is essential to take a harder line on sexual harassment to protect your employees and your business. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is also the legal thing to do. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Based on this act, the EEOC defines sexual harassment as, “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidation, hostile or offensive work environment.” DISCLAIMER ALERT: I want to be clear that I am not an attorney. The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice or replace legal counsel. I recommend you contact local legal counsel before implementing any harassment prevention program to ensure it addresses all federal requirements and is effective in

Your responsibility as a restaurant owner is to first prevent sexual harassment and/or discrimination. Next, when it occurs, you must take IMMEDIATE, CORRECTIVE, REMEDIAL ACTION.

David Scott Peters is a restaurant expert, speaker, coach and trainer for independent restaurant owners. He is the developer of SMART Systems

the state you conduct business.

employee bulletin board.

Your responsibility as a restaurant owner is to first prevent sexual harassment and/or discrimination. Next, when it occurs, you must take IMMEDIATE, CORRECTIVE, REMEDIAL ACTION.

Keep in mind the policy applies to owners and managers as well. Lead by example to show the policy cannot be violated. Don’t tell inappropriate jokes if your policy says there will be no inappropriate jokes shared in the workplace. If you don’t follow the policy, you virtually render your policy worthless.

You must do this because: 1) It can cost you your business 2) You are personally liable 3) It’s not a matter if, but a matter of when a sexual harassment claim will be made Prevention Start with a sexual harassment prevention policy and communicate it to all employees. I recommend doing this over and over again, in the employee handbook, in pre-shift meetings, posted to the

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

Hold training workshops with managers at least annually and immediately after any claims. Cover your harassment prevention policy is, what their responsibilities are, how to handle a claim and the legal ramifications. Lastly, provide a mechanism for employees to complain and to not have to complain first to their direct supervisor because the person who

Pro, an online restaurant management software program helping the independent restaurant owner remain competitive and profitable in an industry boxed in by the big chain restaurants. Download a free report to discover the #1 secret to lowering food and labor costs and running the independent restaurant you’ve always dreamed of. Learn more about how David can help you at www. TheRestaurantExpert.com.

may be accused of sexual harassment may be their direct supervisor. So, your process needs to allow complainants to go above their direct supervisor’s head, so to speak. NOTE: Going above the restaurant owner’s head is the EEOC!

continued on page 101

SEE US IN BOOTHS 1640 + 2440

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

COFFEE STRATEGIES

WITH JONATHAN WHITE

The Greatest Trend of All

’ve just returned from visiting the coffee industry’s two major organizational conferences- coordinated through the National Coffee Association and the Specialty Coffee Association. Well attended and well executed, both conferences offered many networking opportunities and specific programs geared at both industry-specific issues and general operational challenges. Although the focus of each conference is different (with the former focusing on the larger commercial trade and its major exporters, while the latter has an emphasis on smaller retailers/products for them), common

trends emerge that we ignore at our peril: 1. One of my long time salespersons recently told me, “It’s tough out there.” And while this is likely not a surprise to anyone, it should also not be a surprise that it’s going to get even tougher over the coming months and years. The big are getting bigger, the costs for everything (particularly labor and freight) will continue to rise (not accounting for higher interest rates which will also impact many components of the economy), and price increases, even when fully justified by cost increases beyond control, are

96 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

increasingly challenging. Receivables are being increasingly extended. In spite of overall positive economic indicators, rental rates have squeezed out many long time independents and even long term chains that were not innovative. In short, competition has never been harder. Expect more consolidation to come. 2. Everyone is looking for the “next great idea” to differentiate themselves, but most of these paths are often attractive at first glance but impractical to execute. New products can be wonderful, but if the margin is not there to make the product workable, the idea

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.

will not succeed. And with all the cost factors highlighted above, it becomes ever more challenging to deliver a great idea to market. Only the largest players can afford to invest for an extended period without expectations of profitability and survive. 3. The French have an old expression, “the more things change, the more they remain the same.” The greatest differentiator and path to success has always come from the level of service that one provides a customer. That degree of service can take many forms. It can be in the design of a customized product specifically for that customer. It can be in meeting an emergency need of a customer. It can be in correcting a mistake that someone made. It can be in producing prod-

ucts more cost effectively so that your customers can put the appropriate margin onto it to survive. It can be in creating consistent quality so their customers can easily rely on the brand and what it stands for. It can be in advising a customer on market conditions and becoming a partner (not economically, but in many other ways) to their success. In short, when it comes to a good and valued customer, what services can you list that make a difference? 4. Relationships matter, people matter, and how people depend on each other (even in the most

spreadsheets and spreadsheets alone. But far more commonly, things are decided because someone has gone the extra mile to make a lasting impression that “this is someone I want to deal with, someone I can count on, someone who has a track history of standing behind me.”

simple interactions) can make all the difference. Yes, we all participate in many bids where someone looks at

These trends seem obvious- but think about how much time we all spend looking for the “next pot of gold.” Instead, we might be better served by making sure our “old reliable pot” is doing a spectacular job.

In today's economic market, value, credibility and reliability are critical when deciding who to buy seafood from. That's why Fisherman's Pride® is the #1 source for Frozen Calamari and a large selection of other seafood products including Cleaned Calamari, IQF Calamari Rings, Breaded Calamari Products (Fries, Rings, Rings & Tentacles), Clams (Vietnam White & Chinese Hard Shell), Octopus, made to order fresh Gourmet Salad (Calamari, Octopus & Mixed Seafood), Mussels (Half Shell, Whole Shell & Meat), Grouper, Swai, Flounder and Scungilli (Frozen & Canned). Our years of experience and strict quality guidelines ensure you get incomparable value, variety and service from all of our products. Call Fisherman's Pride® today.

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

Sampson, from page 54 associated with a commercial food company or trade group, which enhances their nonpartisan credibility. Also note that participants were adults and college students, groups that seemingly would be more concerned about the surveys’ subject matter. Obviously, they were not. To sum up, the Cochrane-published report stated “that when calories are disclosed on menus, diners’ orders have 7.8% fewer calories.” Compare that with the University of Vermont’s report: “Researchers found significant numbers of people look at food labels and are unable to use the information the labels contain.” It is the findings published by the American Dietetic Association that—to the best of my knowledge—

C-CAP, from page 86 the Center for Science in the Public Interest has never responded to: “Legislation for nutrition and calorie labeling on menus may not be particularly effective in combating the obesity epidemic if people are not looking at existing food labels and are not able to use this information for nutrition planning.” To those who take solace in the fact that only chains will be affected, I submit to you that the CSPI is dedicated to the proposition that it will not be satisfied until every full-service food outlet is covered by calorie posting. As more and more outlets do post this information, the public will start to look for it and, like the supermarkets and the chains, you will find yourself posting it.

of leaving high school without a job or college prospects. The C-CAP program helps underserved high school youth find passion and a fulfilling career in a growing industry. In 2017-2018 academic year, the C-CAP New York program impacted over 2,500 students in 19 high schools. Founded in 1990 by culinary educator and cookbook author Richard Grausman, C-CAP serves over 17,500 students nationwide and has awarded over $53 million in scholarships since inception. We are grateful for all of our scholarship educational partners: Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe College, International Culinary Center (ICC), Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), Johnson and Wales University, Kingsborough Community College, and Paul Smith’s College. “The Competition challenges both

W E N

the cooking skills and commitment of C-CAP students, and they showed their talents during the high-pressure kitchen challenge. We are delighted to be able to give them a brighter future through career exploration and educational opportunities, including scholarships, as a result of their participation in our program,” says CCAP President Karen Brosius. “C-CAP changes lives by equipping underserved high school students with the skills they need to succeed in the culinary arts,” says C-CAP CoBoard Chair Marcus Samuelsson. “C-CAP helps thousands of students across the country through education and career placement opportunities. As a chef and longtime supporter of CCAP’s work, I have seen first-hand how this program benefits its remarkable students and the industry’s growing demand for skilled talent.”

Grease Interceptor

EnduraXL has been designed from the ground up to meet the needs of the modern operational foodservice environment.

Compact Footprint, with a Lifetime of Performance

Represented in Metro New York by: enduraXL.com Tel: (201) 525-1433 Fax: (201) 525-1437 dmm@dmmreps.com

DMM Enterprises 98 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 99

Ventless Fryers, from page 42 This however does not factor in installation costs, which can greatly impact the overall price. Regular Maintenance – Ventless fryers, like all equipment, require regular maintenance. The ventless system included in each machine generally requires at least one or two types of filters with a regular filter changing schedule. This is something you should factor in to the overall cost of the machine, but keep in mind, open fryer hoods ALSO require regular maintenance and can be just as expensive if not more expensive to upkeep. Some Food not Friable – With an enclosed ventless fryer unit, you will find that some food is just not friable. Food that needs to be closely watched, flipped or tended to, for instance, is not going to work in an enclosed system, as you’ll have to open the enclosure to tend to the product. Product

on sticks can also cause problems in ventless fryers as the sticks can get caught in the fryer basket if the holes aren’t small enough. So now you know the whole scoop on the pros and cons of ventless fryers. Have you decided which style fryer is going to be right for your location? If you’re still on the fence, we highly recommend contacting your dealer or manufacturer and see if you can have a test run of their equipment. This can be especially helpful if you have a specific product you want to fry. Most companies will work with you to set up a full demonstration! Alternatively you may want to look into attending a trade show for your industry or for kitchen equipment. Shows like NRA, IAAPA, IDDBA, NACS, etc, all bring the biggest and best players to the table and you’ll be able to do some in-person comparisons of your own.

100 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

David Scott Peters, from page 94

witnessed the incident. Policy for Complaints

Addressing

The law is very clear when it comes to what you are supposed to do when a sexual harassment claim is made: take immediate, corrective, remedial action. Step 1 (IMMEDIATE) Once a claim is brought to your attention, you must investigate the claim. Please note immediate means as soon as it’s reasonably possible. Restaurants have lost sexual harassment cases, even after they did everything right, because they took too long to start the process. Aim to start the process within a day or two and get a statement from complainant, the alleged perpetrator, and any co-workers who

Step 2 (Make a decision) Once you have completed your investigation, you are judge, jury and executioner. You have to decide if what was claimed happened or not. Step 3 (DOCUMENT) DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT! You get the picture. Step 4 (CORRECTIVE, REMEDIAL ACTION) Once you have decided if harassment has occurred or not, you need to resolve the situation with an action “reasonably calculated to end the sexual harassment, discrimination, etc.” Step 5 (Notify)

You will then have to notify the complainant what you found and tell them what you have done to end the sexual harassment and make sure it will not happen again. Please urge the complainant to continue to communicate as necessary. Step 6 (Don’t publicize) You need to make sure that those involved in the investigation, from the managers to the complainant to those interviewed, do not publicize any details of the investigation or incident in question. Otherwise, even if sexual harassment did not occur, you will create a hostile work environment and/or a situation where retaliation sexual harassment will have occurred.

workshops or meetings with your supervisors and managers to review policies to prevent harassment from happening in the future. Let this information empower you. No matter how good a job you do, odds are it will happen. Be prepared.

Step 7 (Hold meetings) As we discussed earlier, hold

May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 101

Sederholt, from page 12 vendors shook them up pretty badly. Some wanted to sell. Some wanted to close up and walk. Others wanted to stay and fight it out. Lawyers were brought in, negotiations had…and on my latest visit this month, one partner remains and he has taken on all the liabilities. The others are gone and no one got their money back. The best they hoped for was to be relieved of their liability, which is still questionable. If they had done their homework before opening instead of buying into the collective dream machine, it might have turned out differently. True Financial Investors are rare in the restaurant business unless they have had some previous experience in the industry or some level of connection to the geography / real estate. For this group there must be some demonstrable financial benefit and protections or they aren’t writing a check. For these professionals, the numbers tell the story and management can make decisions based upon real data not emotions and excuses. This group often includes landlords and real estate developers looking to place quality foodservice operations into their properties. Typically they pay for build out and furnishings commonly referred to as “T/I allowances” for tenant improvements. Very often these investors make attractive deals in the early portion of the relationship in order to give operators time to establish themselves. As the lease matures the costs escalate. Sometimes beyond what a restaurant can afford to pay. This strategy has crushed a number of multi-unit operators who could not grow the revenues fast enough to out run the rising occupancy costs. The one common thread that runs through this strategy is that taking on a partner is often very expensive - financially, emotionally and/or personally. Eager entrepreneurs do what they need to do to get their en-

terprise off the ground only to find out that they traded off ease in getting an investor for more onerous terms as they move along. An instrument I have used and favor is called a convertible debt obligation. In this structure you obtain financing from an investor in the form of debt, with built in performance metrics. If for some reason, you fail to perform the debt can convert into equity and a very favor-

102 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

able valuation for the investor. This incentivizes the business owner to perform to avoid a new partner or losing control of the business. Partners don’t go away unless they are bought out. They will very often have a say in the business and will feed from the profits for as long as they remain owners. Debt, even expensive debt, is far more forgiving. Once it is paid – it is done and gone. Structured properly, convertible debt ob-

ligations can work out very well, but I suggest you speak to someone who has done them before so you get can get a realistic deal done. Once you come to terms, tear it apart and look for the downside before you sign. If you can live with the worst possible outcome – then it’s good. Good luck in your hunt for capital. If you have questions or would like to discuss your business you can email me at dsederholt@sfscapital.com

Western Pest, from page 74 structural invader on the planet. While they may not raise the alarm bells for diners that cockroaches do, they are still a pest to be reckoned with. Like most pests, they are attracted to sugar, but depending on the species, ants may also dine on plant material or human food, particularly greasy, fatty foods. Ants are social creatures, so a lone ant is indicative of thousands tucked away in a colony. Ask your pest management provider to help discover the pheromone trail, which should also help to uncover the point of entry and the nest. It’s best to document your findings. Take note of moisture, structural damage and the presence of swarmers, the winged adults that can reproduce to start a colony. Ants may be considered a constant in any outdoor dining experience, but they shouldn’t be welcome at your restaurant. Integrated Pest Management: So what can you do to ensure these pests don’t become regulars at your restaurant? Implementing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program is a proactive approach that focuses on reducing conducive

conditions in an ongoing cycle of assessing the issues, implementing corrective actions and monitoring for improvements. Involving your employees in this process is critical to its success. Here are some important things for your staff to focus on as part of an IPM program.

Involve Your Staff: • Educate your staff on pest threats, attractants and ways to help prevent them. • Ask your pest management provider to provide a training session with your staff. • Encourage employees to report any pest sightings immediately.

Keep Things Clean: • Reduce the smells that attract pests by lining trash cans, keeping lids tightly shut and taking trash to the dumpster frequently. Wash down trash cans and dumpsters regularly and locate dumpsters as far away from the building as possible. • Monitor and clean floor drains on a regular basis to keep them from clogging. • Wipe down countertops and tables regularly and clean up any spills immediately. • Repair sources of moisture, including leaky sinks, vending machines or ice machines. • Sweep, mop and vacuum floors. Use a HEPA (high efficiency partic-

ulate air) filter to remove dust and debris from small cracks and crevices. Shut Pests Out: • Install door sweeps and weather stripping to close gaps around doors and windows. Use screens on windows and doors. • Inspect the exterior of your building for cracks and crevices regularly, as well as gaps that can develop around utility pipes. Seal any openings with weather resistant sealant. • Keep food in tightly sealed containers in the kitchen on shelves above the floor.

Work closely with your pest control provider to implement an Integrated Pest Management program and determine potential issues before they turn into an infestation. Regularly following the tips above will help your restaurant keep diners in and pests out. Hope Bowman is a Technical Specialist and Board-Certified Entomologist with Western Pest Services, a New Jersey-based pest management company serving businesses and homeowners in major Northeastern markets. Learn more about Western by visiting www.westernpest.com.

Ice Machines, from page 88 •

•

For ice makers in high-yeast areas, like breweries or pizzerias, professional cleaning should occur much more often. If the room is humid, mold can grow more quickly..Clean more often. Ice machines need to be regularly taken apart and cleaned with a chemical sanitizer to remove mildew.

Handling Ice Besides avoiding fines and points, all hotels, bars, and restaurants, have a responsibility to serve, clean, safe ice, to their patrons. Even if your ice machine is properly maintained, improper handling can cause contamination. Training staff in following protocols is critical to ice safety.

Our recommendations • Wash hands before obtaining ice. • Do not handle the ice with hands. • Use scoops, tongs or utensils Sect 81.07 g, NEVER use a glass as a scoop. • Hold ice scoops by their handle without touching other parts. • Store ice scoops outside of

•

the ice maker in a separate holder. Ice scoops and Holders should be washed & sanitized regularly.

Like food safety, ice safety should be taken seriously by every food service operator. Following the rules will keep the “A” on your door, ensure the safety of your patrons, and protect your brand.

May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 103

Orderly, from page 16 cheaper than buying a 3-heart case every few days. Even if you have to discard a few hearts, you end up way ahead. You may think finding these bulk deals is as simple as chatting with your rep. But your rep is quite happy selling you higher-price split cases. They’ll make sure you’re very aware of how perishable the ingredient can be, or how it might overcrowd your stockroom. What can you do? Your research. Try and find the pricing of items in bulk, and determine if that type of purchase can affect your business. LEARN THE WORDS. KNOW THE WORDS. END THE WORDS. Knowing these four words is going to change how you run your business. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to find even more secret ways for you to be profitable in your restaurant’s data.

But don’t forget, there are dozens of software solutions out there that can help you out. Solutions that can spot price spikes before they happen, pay attention to price creep, and notify you when it’s cheaper to buy in bulk or from a different supplier. Do your research, and you’ll be reaping the benefits. There’s no reason to let your suppliers run rampant when you can start saving with just a little extra work.

DO YOU SERVE THE LATEST TRENDS IN BEVERAGES? We do and we’d be happy to help you!

Citrus Honeydew Strawberry Mango Tangerine Green Tea Blueberry Cucumber

ITH

Danny Barry is the Content Marketing Manager at Orderly, where he is helping restaurant owners find the hassle-free way to a smarter restaurant. Orderly provides food cost management done for you, and is proud to save all of its customers thousands of dollars and hours of time. A graduate of the University of Miami, Danny loves to create content that helps change people’s businesses for the better.

104 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

MAD

E PUR E CAN R A SUG

800-SEA-BREEZE (800-732-2733) SEABREEZESYRUPS .COM

May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 105

Fiorito, from page 40

2. All modified duty jobs should be temporary and used as a bridge to full duty return to work. The employer that establishes an effective RTW program sets an expectation with their employees that once an injury occurs, the employer will find a way to match the capabilities of the injured worker to a temporary position. By bringing an injured employee back to work as quickly as possible; you are reducing the cost of the claim, while helping the injured worker to maintain a productive routine. 3. Write detailed job descriptions for each function: Maintaining detailed descriptions of each job function will set the bar for an employee returning to work with new restrictions after an injury. If the employee’s original job called for lifting of 40 to 50 pounds and their modified abilities only allow them to lift 10 pounds, an employer can use existing job descriptions to either shift workers around or give the modified employee another task. Keeping an updated list of “rainy day” projects can provide other avenues of work for those returning on modified duty. 4. Implement an Injured Worker Contact Program: A simple, effective, no-cost program which involves having management or HR professional reach out to the injured employee weekly or bi-weekly to express concern for their wellbeing and to offer assistance for any issues they may be having with communication with the insurance carrier or medical providers. This ongoing contact helps to eliminate the issues that lead injured employees to seek legal counsel. The designated RTW manager should establish initial contact with the injured employee a day or two

post-accident to let them know that the company is working with them to ensure a complete recovery. They should also engage a claims advocate from your insurance broker who interacts with the physician, the insurance company and works hand-in-hand with your RTW manager to create transparency. Communication among all parties is critical to eliminating extra costs and streamlining claims. For example, regularly scheduled phone calls should be established between the physician and the responsible in-house employee so that expected return to work dates and modified work levels are clear. This will eliminate the potential for employees to be off work for longer than they should and keep employer costs to a minimum. The combination of implementing an effective RTW program with an Injured Worker Contact program will lower indemnity and medical costs while cutting down on the length of the claim. Lower costs over time lead to a reduction in the experience modification. A WC claim should not be an adversarial experience, it should be a collaborative experience between employer, employee, insurance broker and carrier. Speak to your broker to find out what your organization can do to minimize claims and build or perfect your RTW program. For more information on HUB, please visit www.hubinternational. com. [1] Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index [2] New York State Workers’ Compensation Board Return to Work Program

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

ADA And Your Website, from page 68

an increasing number of the website accessibility cases. The plaintiffs’ bar has taken the position that the ADA applies to websites in the same way it applies to traditional brick and mortar stores. These cases are often brought by individuals who are legally blind or visually impaired alleging that a company has discriminated against them by failing to make its website accessible via readily available technological updates. After all, the web is largely an optical-based medium. The theory is relatively new, but unsurprising in light of the internet’s growing ubiquity. While the text of the ADA itself makes no mention of websites or the internet, many courts have taken the position that a website is a place of “public accommodation” much like traditional brick and mortar establishments, and as such

businesses must take measures to make their websites accessible to the visually impaired. Some courts have expressed doubts about the application of the ADA to website accessibility, reasoning that there needs to be some nexus to the business’ physical location given the statute’s focus on physical “places” of public accommodation. Others have voiced concern over the fact that the federal agency tasked with enforcing Title III of the ADA, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), has not officially issued definitive guidelines on what standards businesses should use to make their websites compliant. However, many federal courts throughout the nation, including those sitting in California, Florida, and New York, have allowed cases to proceed on the basis that the ADA

may be applicable to websites. In the Eastern District of New York, for example, United States District Judge Weinstein issued a decision in Andrews v. Blick Art Materials, No. 17-CV-767 (E.D.N.Y. Aug. 1, 2017), clearly holding that websites are places of public accommodation. While the case is not binding on other cases brought in New York or other states, it certainly has some precedential value, particularly since the decision was wellreasoned and comes from a highly regarded jurist. So what do you need to do to make your website ADA compliant? Follow the guidelines that are laid out in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) —these guidelines specify how to make web content accessible

to individuals with disabilities and will likely be adopted by the DOJ to some extent. By way of example, the standards include the use of “alttext” features which allow screen reader technology to convert text to audio and provide captions for video with audio. To ensure you are compliant (not many are) or are taking the proper steps to become compliant, you should confer with knowledgeable counsel who have handled website accessibility cases. We can assist your business in retaining a third-party vendor who specializes in ADA accessibility compliance to determine how to upgrade your website to achieve compliance and avoid unnecessary expense and protracted litigation down the road.

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

NEWS

ASSOCIATIONS

Large Contingent of Metro New York Chefs Make Mark at Annual WC&R Conference

n 1993, eight top female chefs and restaurateurs across the country founded Women Chefs and Restaurateurs to promote education and to connect women in the culinary industry. Last month, the Twin Cities hosted the organization’s annual conference and 25th anniversary celebration, with big names to boot. Since its founding, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs has worked to promote and enhance the education, advancement, and connection of women in the culinary industry. Originally founded by eight of the nation’s top female chefs and restaurateurs: Barbara Tropp, Joyce Goldstein, Barbara Lazaroff, Anne Rosenzweig, Mary Sue Milliken, Lidia Bastianich, Elka Gilmore and Johanne Killeen, with Kim Bartmann serving as the current president, the organization offers a variety of education, networking and professional opportunities including scholarships. The celebration featured culinary all-stars such as Carla Hall (co-host of ABC’s “The Chew” and competitor on Bravo’s “Top Chef”), Ann Cooper (Putney Inn) and Gale Gand ( James Beard-winning pastry chef and Food Network host). The conference’s theme is “Women Speak: Curating the Future of

Since its founding in1993, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs has worked to promote and enhance the education, advancement, and connection of women in the culinary industry. Food,” and it explored current restaurant topics and how women are shaping the industry. The conference was kicked off with a keynote speech by Carla Hall. Highlights included an opening night party with local female chefs preparing a variety of food and drinks. Seminars and demos on the latest topics and trends in the industry as well as food, wine and agriculture tours were included. • An Opening Keynote by Carla Hall: As this year’s keynote speaker, the co-host of ABC’s “The Chew” and competitor on Bravo’s “Top Chef” shared a dynamic talk that explored this year’s theme to kick off the conference. • GrubHub RestaurantHER Campaign: Attendees learned about GrubHub’s RestaurantHER campaign, an initiative dedicated to supporting women-led restaurants nationwide. The first $100,000 of

108 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

their $1 million pledge was donated to WCR to support its scholarship program and pilot a mentorship program, as well as the development of a LEADership tool kit to help make restaurant culture more equitable. Conference attendees had the opportunity to contribute to building the toolkit in real time. • Fifth Annual WCR Food Games: While enjoying a lunch featuring recipes from WCR founders, attendees were treated to a twist on the conference’s crowd-pleasing favorite Food Games: this year in the form of a video. Hosted by Elizabeth Falkner, the culinary competition was filmed in collaboration with Yale University and presented during lunch, with the winner announced live, receiving their award from Holland America. • Opening Night Party: The brightest female culinary talent from the Twin Cities prepared a wide array of

food and drink for the opening night party, with plenty of delicious bites, beverages, and entertainment to celebrate the first night of the conference. • Breakout Sessions: Conference attendees learned more about trends in the industry, as well as personal and professional development, through intimate educational seminars and demos covering everything from sweet and savory applications of Belgian chocolate, peanut butter and fermentation pairing, to how women curate a healthy planet, B.O.L.D. Leadership and much more. • Food, Wine, and Agriculture Tours: Attendees got the chance to explore some of the Twin Cities’ most innovative spaces for food and drink development, including a tour of its urban farming operations, a tour of the state’s first vineyard, Alexis Bailly, from female winemaker Nan Bailly, and an exploration into the intersection of food, science and technology with Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) in the NE Minneapolis Food District. A closing night celebration was held at the historic Old Milwaukee Road Depot in the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel. More than 20 local female chefs and restaurateurs featured food and drinks that highlight the region.

SEE US IN BOOTH 3447

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

Eloma, from page 70 availability of steam with perfect saturation down to a tiny fraction of an ounce from the patented Fresh Steam system.” A key to the design of Eloma’s technology system is the automatic extraction of steam and adding fresh air in the oven’s cooking chamber, which keeps heat and humidity out of the kitchen environment. “ You don’t want your kitchen to have an odor after cooking,” added Stegmaier. Eloma USA has also built a comprehensive service team across the country to respond to the needs of its customer base. “We understand that our customers depend on us to keep their customer’s happy. So, we have made that responsibility a priority.” “We hear consistently from our customers across the country that Eloma combi ovens are used more often because they are easier to use,” said Thomas Stegmaier. “As versatile as combi technology is in theory, in

practice it’s only as versatile as operators choose it to be. At Eloma, we pride ourselves on making all of our combis’ capabilities easy to use and Genius MT takes that ideal one step further.” Eloma GmbH is a worldwide leading manufacturer of combi steamers and bake-off ovens for professional use. In 2007, Eloma North America was formed as a part of Champion Industries, an affiliate of the Ali Group. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Eloma is currently supplying goods nationwide, working with an extensive network of dealers and service partners all around the United States. “Many of the associates at Eloma are chefs, butchers and bakers, so they speak our industry and customer’s language,” Stegmaier concluded. We look forward to greeting them at NRA in booth 5036.”

110 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 111

NEWS

SHOWS

Western Foodservice Expo to Co-Locate with Healthy Food Expo West and Coffee Fest Los Angeles One Badge Gives Access To Three Shows; Registration Now Open at westernfoodexpo.com

larion UX has announced the co-location of three trade shows and conferences for the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry taking place August 19-21st at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, Healthy Food Expo West and Coffee Fest Los Angeles will all be running the same three dates, and one registration will give industry professionals access to these three dynamic events. Registration is now open at www.westernfoodexpo.com. “We are thrilled to be bringing three leading events together for the first time so buyers looking for new products and services for their foodservice establishments can find everything under one roof,” said Tom Loughran, Vice President for the Clarion UX food & beverage event portfolio. “The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo has been our anchor event for over 80 years, and bringing in a healthy food focus, and a specific event for coffee and tea professionals, makes this the premier 3-day event for businesses to engage their customers.” The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo will provide 9,000+ 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, Rapid Fire Challenge and several culinary demonstrations, and 450+ of the leading vendors and purveyors dedicated to serving the restaurant & foodservice community. Thousands of restaurant and foodservice professionals gather to gain experience and knowledge on how to become more informed, more educated, more competitive, and more profitable in the industry. The tradeshow and conference, started in 1936 is sponsored by the California Restaurant Association (www.calrest.org). For more information, visit www.westernfoodexpo.com The New Healthy Food Expo West is a celebration of healthy food products and ingredients, and will include an exhibit hall, education, and special events including culinary demonstrations. The exhibit hall will be comprised of the latest healthy food and beverage products, services and tools. eatCleaner®, Gourmet Business, Green Restaurant Association, Healthy Dining, MenuTrinfo®, and Produce Business are all on board as event supporters and will be joining Avalon Group, who has secured

112 • May 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

space for their partner organizations on show floor. Visit http://www.westernfoodexpo.com/healthy-food-expo-west Coffee Fest Los Angeles is where passionate coffee and tea professionals will learn skills, receive education and experience new products, alongside great networking. Coffee Fest has been serving the specialty coffee and gourmet tea industries since 1992. The event offers a trade show floor featuring many new companies with wonderful new products; several exciting competitions including the Coffee Fest Latte Art World Championship Open; and a robust education program. Visit https://www.coffeefest. com/venues/details/coffee-fest-losangeles-2018. Founded in 1995, Urban Expositions, now operating as Clarion UX and owned by Clarion Events, produces and manages a portfolio of 36 trade and consumer events, serving a range of industry sectors including Gift, Souvenir, Art, Aviation, Foodservice, Specialty Retail, Gaming, Automotive and Enthusiast Lifestyle, with offices in Kennesaw, GA, Chicago, IL, Trumbull, CT, Portland, OR and Boca Raton, FL. www.urban-expo.com

Inspiration. Creativity. Passion. Your fascination with food. Your creativity. Your love of people. Your talent for nourishing their bodies and their souls. Imagine 3 days in the heart of Los Angeles — the world’s most entertaining city — where you can focus on all the magic and mystery that attracted you to food in the first place. Give yourself the gift of learning! Spark your creative appetite and turn your passion for the industry into a sustainable business. The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo August 19-21, 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center

CO-LOCATED WITH

EDUCATION | DEMOS | TASTINGS | EXHIBITS

westernfoodexpo.com PRODUCED AND MANAGED BY CLARION UX