May 2019 - Total Food Service by Total Food Service

NEWS

AWARDS

Manhattan CIA Event Raises $1 Million+ For Scholarships

ive legends of the hospitality industry were honored by The Culinary Institute of America at the CIA Leadership Awards ceremony at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City last month. The 2019 Augie Award™ recipients are Laura Cunningham, Will Guidara, Danny Meyer, Drew Nieporent, and Patrick O’Connell. The event is the college’s largest annual fundraising program. Through sponsorships, donations, ticket sales, and an online auction, this year’s gala raised more than $1 million. Proceeds benefit CIA student scholarships. Meyer’s relationship with the CIA spans for over 30 years. “From the very first chef I ever hired (Ali Barker at Union Square Cafe in 1985) to scores of other amazing cooks and even dining room colleagues over the years, the Culinary Institute has been an essential player in our ability to grow our business and improve in the process. Our entire industry owes a debt of gratitude to the CIA for continuously raising the professional standards of our businesses via its outstanding graduates. More than ever, CIA grads have a realistic understanding of both the challenges and joys of restaurant work, and more than ever, they are prepared to make meaningful contributions to our teams, “ Meyer noted. Hundreds of foodservice and hospitality industry leaders, celebrity chefs, and other luminaries from

(L-R) Danny Meyer and Drew Nieporent are among the 2019 Augie Award recipients.

business and entertainment joined to celebrate the contributions of these Masters of Hospitality. The honorees were recognized for helping to raise the status of the food and hospitality industry by providing every one of their guests with an exceptional experience. “This year’s honorees have had enormous impact not only on the restaurant industry but also on every guest who has ever crossed their thresholds,” said CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan. “They have deeply held philosophies of hospitality that serve as benchmarks of excellence for all of us, and their determination to provide each guest with an exceptional experience makes their restaurants

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destinations for travelers and locals alike.” Named for famed French chef Auguste Escoffier in recognition of his unwavering pursuit of excellence, creativity, and professionalism, the Augie Awards were created by the CIA in 2007 to honor leaders in the food and foodservice industry who exemplify these traits. Thirty current CIA students were on hand to assist guest chefs—including CIA graduates Andy Nusser ’95, Ben Pollinger ’97, Alon Shaya ’99, and Sarah Wallace ’13, as well as Christina Tosi, Erin Kanagy-Loux, and Taku Sato. The students also took time to thank the evening’s attendees for helping them pursue their dreams

by raising vital funds in support of CIA scholarships. More than 90 percent of the CIA student body depends on some type of financial aid. The CIA Leadership Awards are made possible, in part, by the generous support of gold sponsors Ecolab and PepsiCo; silver sponsors Breakthru Beverage Group, Buckley’s Tavern, Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, ColavitaUSA, KitchenAid Commercial, MillerCoors, and The Wonderful Company; and dozens of other suppliers to the food and hospitality industries, plus many individual friends of the CIA. Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is one of the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking & pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies. The college also offers executive education, certificate programs, and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of more than 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.

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NEWS

ACQUISITIONS

Imperial Dade Announces Acquisition Of Edmar Cleaning Corp.

mperial Dade has acquired Edmar Cleaning Corp. (“Edmar”). The transaction represents the nineteenth acquisition for Imperial Dade, a leading national distributor of disposable food service and janitorial supplies, under the leadership of Robert and Jason Tillis, CEO and President of Imperial Dade, respectively. Headquartered in Woodside, NY, Edmar is a distributor of paper, plastic, chemicals, and janitorial supplies serving the tri-state area. The acquisition of Edmar strength-

ens Imperial Dade’s presence in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut markets. Going forward, customers of Edmar can expect the same exceptional customized service with an expanded offering of distribution solutions. Robert Tillis said, “Edmar is a well-respected player in the tri-state market and I have grown to respect their commitment to service and history of excellence which make it a great addition to the Imperial Dade platform. We enthusiastically welcome the Edmar team members to Imperial Dade and look forward

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to working together to further grow the business.” David Simon, President of Edmar, said, “We are excited about the future of Edmar under the leadership of Imperial Dade. On behalf of the Edmar team, we look forward to joining the Imperial Dade organization.” “This acquisition will enhance our ability to serve Edmar’s customers as well as our own,” said Jason Tillis. “We look forward to working with the Edmar team members and continuing to grow together.”

About Imperial Dade: Founded in 1935, Imperial Dade is a leading distributor of disposable food service and janitorial supplies in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Southwest and Midwest regions and Puerto Rico. Since CEO Robert Tillis and President Jason Tillis assumed their roles in 2007, the company has grown both organically and through acquisitions to become a leader in the disposable food service and janitorial supplies industry. For additional information, please visit www.imperialdade.com.

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 5

NEWS

MERGERS

NYC Based Apollo To Take Chuck E. Cheese Public Again

huck E. Cheese’s parent company is returning to the New York Stock Exchange through a merger with a unit of Apollo Global Management, LLC, making it the first restaurant company to enter the public market in four years. Apollo was founded in 1990 by former Drexel Burnham Lambert banker Leon Black. The firm specializes in leveraged buyout transactions and purchases of distressed securities involving corporate restructuring, special situations, and industry consolidations. Apollo is headquartered in New York City, and also has offices in Purchase, New York and around the world. As of March 2018, Apollo managed over US$247 billion of investor commitments across its private equity, credit and real asset funds and other investment vehicles, making it the second-largest US-based alternative asset management firm. Among the most notable companies currently owned by Apollo are Claire’s, Caesars Entertainment Corporation, CareerBuilder, Novitex Enterprise Solutions, ADT, and Rackspace. Apollo is using a Special purpose acquisition division: Leo Holdings to structure the Chuck E. Cheese deal. Leo has no assets but will use the proceeds from an IPO, combined with bank financing, to buy and take privately held consumer companies public. Leo Holdings, the SPAC merging with the parent of the children’s party chain, was founded by executives of Lion Capital, a British private equity firm, to acquire a consumer business. Prior to launching Apollo, Black was employed by investment bank

Main Office 282 Railroad Ave. Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers Leslie & Fred Klashman Advertising Director Michael Scinto

As I joined the company in 2014 I saw what a lot of parents saw at the time... Chuck E. needed to be reenergized, revitalized,” CEC Entertainment CEO Tom Leverton Drexel Burnham Lambert, where he served as managing director, head of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group, and co-head of the Corporate Finance Department. Black was regarded as “junk bond king” Michael Milken’s right-hand man at Drexel. In 1990, he co-founded, on the heels of the collapse of Drexel Burnham Lambert, the private equity firm Apollo Global Management. After the deal closes, Queso Holdings, which owns CEC Entertainment, the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza, will trade on the NYSE with the ticker CEC this summer. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2019. Leo Holdings also plans to change its name to Chuck E. Cheese Brands. CEC Entertainment will be a subsidiary of Chuck E. Cheese Brands. Proceeds from the deal will go toward paying down the company’s debt. Excluding capital lease and sale leaseback obligations, CEC Entertainment had $978.9 million in outstanding debt as of Dec. 30, according to company filings. This marks the second time that the New York City based Apollo has taken the restaurant chain public. Private equity firm Apollo Global Management bought Chuck E. Cheese’s parent company in 2014 for about $948

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million, taking it private. Apollo will not sell any of its shares as part of the deal and will retain a 51 percent stake in the newly formed company. The company believes CEC Entertainment will have an enterprise value of $1.4 billion. In fiscal 2018, the company reported net sales of $896 million at its 750 venues across the Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza brands. More than half its revenue comes from entertainment and merchandise, with the remaining 45 percent coming from food and beverage. While the company was private, executives focused on investing in the business by bringing more parentfriendly games and revamping its menu. “When I joined the company in 2014, I saw what a lot of parents saw at the time,” CEC Entertainment CEO Tom Leverton said. “Chuck E. needed to be reenergized, revitalized.” In its first quarter of fiscal 2019, CEC Entertainment reported preliminary same-store sales growth of 7.7 percent. Leverton said the launch of All You Can Play, which lets parents buy a chunk of time for their children to play games rather than purchasing tokens, was the primary driver of that growth. Chuck E. Cheese has plans to add new limited-time food offers — like unicorn churros to celebrate National Unicorn Day on Tuesday — and to

Art Director Mark Sahm Director of Public Relations and Special Events Joyce Appelman Contributing Writers Warren Bobrow Morgan Tucker Fred Sampson Jeff Kravet Phone: 203.661.9090 Fax: 203.661.9325 Email: tfs@totalfood.com Web: www.totalfood.com

Cover photo courtesy Schulson Collective Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 is published monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Ave., Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2019 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

branch out internationally. Leverton named Mexico and Saudi Arabia as its top two international markets. The company is also planning to add its first store in India by early next year. Chuck E. Cheese is also in the middle of renovating its stores. The company has plans to reimage 60 stores by end of 2019, bringing its total number of remodeled locations to 92 out of its 515 company-owned stores.

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 7

NEWS

STORAGE INNOVATION

Tonon Shelving Solutions Bring Combination of European Design With Instant Availability

onon Shelving manufactures high-quality modular shelving units and rails for the food and meat industries with a quick turnaround. For the past 50 years (73 years, since 1946), Tonon Shelving has been revolutionizing the European shelving market and has been rapidly expanding across the United States (around the world, in the US for the past few (4) years) for the past decade. All around the country, restaurants, dining facilities, and warehouses are discovering the benefits of using Tonon’s beautiful, reliable products. So why are Tonon shelves so special? “Because we have competitive pricing and the best product on the market,” claimed Daniele Scelza, Vice-President of Tonon Shelving and Tonon USA’s Managing Director. Keep in mind that with European chefs storing and aging meats and fresh product directly on our shelves that we set the industry standards.” Tonon Shelving was founded in 1946 when Marino Tonon left the general carpentry industry in order to focus on creating meat rails for the food industry. The company, which began in Torino, Italy, now has headquarters in Asia, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and San Antonio (TX, USA). Yet despite their expansion, Tonon Shelving is still a family business; the company is now managed by Marino’s children Bruno and Sergio as well as his grand-

children Luca and Eric. Tonon first disrupted the meat rail industry in 1973 by introducing the aluminum rail, which was sturdier, lighter, and cleaner than its steel predecessors. In 1983, the company launched its modular shelving line, which features durable thermoplastic material and reinforced stability. Since then, Tonon has focused on ensuring that these products are as high quality as possible, with an emphasis on aesthetics, quality, and service. Scelza, who began working on Tonon’s team since their expansion into the United States, first encountered Tonon shelves as a buyer, not a seller. As a restaurant owner with an engineering background, Scelza discovered Tonon when he was looking for shelves for his own restaurant. Not only did he fall in love with the product, but he felt connected to the brand because of his family heritage. Later, Scelza worked as a consultant

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and noted that he would always recommend Tonon to his clients, even if they were not in the meat industry. So when Tonon decided to expand fully into the United States, Scelza found a perfect opportunity to join a company that he both trusted and valued. Since then, he has been the head of Tonon’s United States operations. “The first thing people are impressed with is the look,” says Scelza. When you see a Tonon shelf in person, you can tell that it was made with the care and attention to detail necessary for such important storage products. Not only does each product have a smooth, (anodized) aluminum finish, but since Tonon shelf lengths are customizable within 1¼”, each shelf looks like it was made for its place within a cold room or kitchen. The Tonon line features a complete line of in-stock modular options. “We manufacture 6 heights, 5 depths and 22 different lengths,” Scel-

za continued, “in order to reach an almost custom job by combining and not have to customize it, even though we can customize as we already mentioned.” But like a finely-tuned Lamborghini, Tonon units work just as well as they look. Their best in class products use the same materials as commercial airplanes and high-grade computers and are 100% dishwasher safe. Moreover, Tonon provides quality assurance that you can trust. Not only are their shelves “the only shelves that are certified for direct contact with food,” according to Scelza, but they are also 99.9% recyclable and are certified by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the NSF, and the HACCP for cleanliness and sustainability. But most importantly, Tonon Shelving provides the quality service you should expect from a family business. Even though Tonon products are so customizable, Tonon’s average turnaround in the United States is approximately five days. We can easily fill custom needs from a company logo to a full line of color shelving, Scelza explained. Tonon will ship product straight from their Italian headquarters to quickly fulfill special requests. Restaurateurs and the dealers that would like to purchase a Tonon product or learn more about the line can reach their US office via phone at (210) 410-0306 or via email at usa@tonon. com, or visit www.tonon.com.

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 9

THOUGHTFULLY CURATED

WITH LMT PROVISIONS

Fired With Imagination

n the endless search for our tribe, we find every aspect of our lives permeated with a need for belonging. Whether invisibly or overtly, this need drives us to seek out colleagues who are similarly minded and will also push us to become our best selves. Sometimes that drive takes us across the world. I recently found my own tribe in a family of third generation potters in Melbourne, Australia, that crafts pottery that matters for people who care. The Robert Gordon family welcomed me into their studio with open arms earlier this month. If you close your eyes and dream of the perfect pottery, as my team and I often do, this is it. Every method of manipulating clay is available - from state-of-the-art equipment to the most basic and tactile wheels and slab rollers. Of course, generations of experience and muscle memory keep the machinery in harmonious motion. Production experiences are further engaged by a diverse background of emphatic artists scurrying around a workshop illuminated by natural light and their infectious energy. Manufacturing exists alongside design, the workshop actively addresses repairs and developments simultaneously, and one of the inspired Gordon relatives is always in sight. Clay dusted molds anchor rows of artist’s tables while bisqueware sits at the ready, waiting to discover its fate. Glaze barrels in developed hues are actively stimulated like chess pieces to strategize col-

orways, and finished goods all have a purposeful home. This is the holy grail of pottery. When you buy a Robert Gordon plate, you’re buying into a family steeped in passion with unrivaled knowledge. A heritage of attention to detail and design with a willingness to consult the past only to recreate how we think about pottery in the future. We spent time with Andy Gordon, aka Robert Gordon, as he presented a hand thrown collection of reduction fired shapes. Originally created for a celebrated local chef, we reviewed each singular piece and its viability for reproduction with a variety of rich, layered glazes. Before professionals are welcomed inside the manufacturing facility, every visitor passes through a retail store of curated goods, limited edition pottery, and factory seconds, as well as a

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relaxed cafe. Locals can peruse kitchen and housewares while dining on thoughtful food or participating in a “paint-your-own” pottery experience. It doesn’t get more individually tailored than that. While certainly known for their stunning yet welcoming, bespoke Australian made pottery, RGA brings even more to the hospitality industry worldwide. To continue to stay relevant to a growing number of pricedrive consumers across the globe, the Gordons are also importers. It’s no surprise that overseas made pottery is given the same thoughtful, demanding consideration as the homegrown product. The family spends extensive time in China working alongside their factory partners, and their partners are expected to deeply understand RGA’s integrity through countless visits to their factory. I had the pleasure

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

of meeting one of their partner representatives during my brief time in Australia and working together to determine which singular pieces of art would discover their true destiny outside of Melbourne. This same design process transpired when Earth was created. Arriving this month in our Paterson, NJ warehouse, Earth is a collection of natural and black high-fired porcelain plates, bowls, and cups in irregular but stackable shapes. This summer, we’ll be ready to ship out Earth Pink, with the same reactive glaze. If you’re familiar with RGA already, maybe you’ve seen the Potters Collection from Steelite? Another perfect example of product made from the Gordon family’s molds and perfected for volume overseas. Interested in getting your hands on Earth, or one of the Australianmade collections we have in our warehouse for immediate delivery? Head into our NYC showroom at 230 Fifth Ave where you can see the largest display of Robert Gordon Pottery in the US. These makers are using their past to create the future, fired with imagination.

SEE US IN BOOTH 2616

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 11

FIORITO ON INSURANCE Dramatic Surge In Food Allergy Claims Emphasizes Need For Proactive Risk Management Measures

Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President with HUB International Northeast, a leading global insurance brokerage, where he specializes in providing insurance services to the restaurant industry. As a 25+ year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Bob has worked with a wide array of restaurant and food service businesses, ranging from fast-food chains to upscale,

evere allergic reactions of all kinds happen quickly and can be life-threatening. It’s reported that more than one in ten adults in the United States have a food allergy1, with roughly 150 associated deaths each year2. Just as alarming, a 2019 study by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) revealed that insurance claims associated with diagnoses of anaphylactic food reactions increased a staggering 377% from 2007 to 2016.3 Food allergy related negligence can be a dangerous and costly mistake. Last year, a Massachusetts judge in a case with important implications for restaurateurs, ruled to send a foodallergy lawsuit against Panera Bread to trial. The suit accuses the entire Panera franchise of negligence after a six year old child with a peanut allergy was hospitalized in 2016 when peanut butter was found in the child’s grilled cheese sandwich. The majority of laws regulating restaurants are state-specific, and thus how food allergen issues are treated

“white tablecloth” dining establishments. Robert can be reached at 212338-2324 or by email at robert.fiorito@ hubinternational.com.

• SOY - miso, lecithin, edamame • MILK - lactose, margarine, whey • TREE NUT - marzipan, pesto and cereals • SHELLFISH - oyster, shrimp

will vary accordingly. For example, New York requires posters with information on food allergy to be placed in all food service establishments, while Illinois is one of only a few states to require at least one manager who has had training in nationally recognized standards for food allergen safety and allergen awareness to be on-duty at all times.4 Click HERE to review the additional state-specific laws. Regardless of state legislation, it is crucial that restaurants and other food service providers take all possible measures to mitigate this increasing risk. You should also know how to

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recognize and react accordingly when a person experiences an allergic reaction and have the proper insurance protection in place. SERVING ALLERGY PRONE CUSTOMERS The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a list of the “Big 8” foods, which can cause food allergies, along with some examples of affected products: • EGGS - mayonnaise and Caesar dressing • PEANUT - cereals • WHEAT - gluten, cereals & hydrolyzed proteins • FISH - surimi and Caesar dressing

If not immediately treated, food allergy symptoms can be severe, even resulting in death. There are many steps that should be taken by the front- and back-of-the-house staff to protect customers with food allergies, such as the following: Seating the Guest • Ensure that tables, chairs, salt and pepper shakers, laminated menus and other table items are clean and sanitized. • Use a spray bottle solution to clean surfaces when sanitizing. Buckets are not recommended as food proteins could be floating in the water, coming into contact with eating surfaces. • Educate servers so they are knowledgeable about the ingredients used to prepare each menu item. If a server is new or uninformed, a manager or

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Singer M. Tucker is your Complete Foodservice Partner.

“ Running a restaurant requires ﬁnding strong partners that you can trust. Singer M. Tucker has been a dependable supplier since our opening day, helping source kitchen equipment, smallwares and high-quality plateware.” Suzanne Cupps

Execuuve Chef, Unntled

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 13

NEWS

EVENT PREVIEW

Metro NY Restaurant and Food Service Operators Head To Windy City For Annual NRA Confab

large contingent of TriState restaurant and food service professionals will be among the 50K plus industry professionals that will descend on Chicago for the annual National Restaurant Association Show. This year’s event marked the 100th edition of the show. The landmarkbirthday will be celebrated with a number of can’t miss events. Highlighting the education sessions will be Signature ’19: The Fu-

National Restaurant Association President and CEO Dawn Sweeney

ture of Dining Discover the “Where, What, and How” of Consumer Changes that Your Business Needs to Know Now. The session will feature Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, and foodservice CEOs that are leading the pack in meeting shifting consumer demands. Signature will take place on “ShowSunday”. Signature ’19 is where attendees can get a rare glimpse into the future of dining across the entire foodservice landscape, and hear from the visionary leaders driving industry change about what will make the biggest impact on businesses. “With the rapid changes happening today in foodservice, everyone – no matter what business they run – has to know where the industry is headed and who is becoming their new competition,” said Mary Pat Heftman, President, Restaurant Show Group. “With the growth of thirdparty delivery, the rise of c-stores and grocery stores in prepared foods, and the incredible innovation taking place across all food outlets there will be a stark difference between what dining

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MAY 18-21, 2019 • CHICAGO, IL

looks like today and tomorrow.” “These leaders are creatively answering consumer demands and succeeding by doing business in bold new ways, and will give clear insights into where, what, and how people will dine in the coming years,” Sweeney explained. Panelists will include: John Cywinski, President of Applebee’s Bar & Grill; Randy Edeker, Chairman of the Board, CEO & President, Hy-Vee; Chris Gheysens, President & CEO, of Wawa; and Tim McEnery, CEO, Cooper’s Hawk. “Show-Monday” will be highlighted by a featured session focused on “Winning at the Restaurant Business: Insights from the Top 500.” Show attendees will hear from Technomic’s Joe Pawlak and Pat Noone about where the restaurant industry is headed, which restaurant concepts are winning big (and why), and the latest

in acquisitions and financial trends. Additionally, they will get a taste of how best-in-class operators are using the latest insight tools to anticipate industry, menu and pricing trends for their businesses. For more than 50 years, Technomic has provided foodservice clients around the globe with the research, insights and strategic consulting support they need to enhance their business strategies, decisions and results. Their services include category and channel analyses, customer satisfaction studies, market opportunity assessments and strategic entry planning, benchmarking programs and brand equity enhancement. They excel at industry intelligence, forecasts, data, training support and consumer research.

continued on page 94

Hand-forming BelGioioso Platinum Fresh Mozzarella Curd

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 15

CHEFCETERA

William Muzio Executive Chef at Lessing’s Inc.

illiam Muzio was inspired to become a chef at the young age of 13 when he started cooking in the most formative kitchen, at his grandmother’s house. At age 14, he started his culinary career working in his uncle’s New Hyde Park restaurant, Union Street Tavern. It was there that Muzio learned he didn’t just want to be a chef, but he wanted to be a great chef. He graduated at the top of his class from The Culinary Institute of America in New Hyde Park, New York, where he received the Chef’s Award for academic excellence, culinary skill and knowledge in 2001. Following graduation, he went to the Hamptons where he was sous chef at Pacific East in Amagansett and then opening sous chef at East

by Northeast in Montauk. Muzio decided to expand his knowledge of Asian cuisine by traveling Southeast Asia beginning with Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Upon his return, he accepted the executive chef position at Babylon Carriage House in Babylon, New York, where he was first able to show his creative side and garnered the gold medal for “Best Chef on Long Island” by the American Culinary Federation. After three years, Muzio seized an opportunity to work at the three-star Michelin rated restaurant Le Bernardin in New York City under world-renowned chef Eric Ripert. Muzio decided to go back to his family roots on Long Island where the resources are abundant. In 2009, he became executive chef of Riverview Restaurant on the South Shore in Oakdale.

Some mouth watering examples of Chef William Muzio’s cuisine f

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Lessing’s Hospitality reincarnated the 23-year-old restaurant in 2010 with the launch of VIEW, boasting a brand new menu, look and concept with Muzio at the helm in the kitchen. In 2017 Muzio expanded his duties within the Lessing’s Hospitality Group becoming the executive chef for all Main Street Properties which includes five restaurants across Long Island. In 2018 Muzio added another restaurant to his roster as the executive chef for Lessing’s newest incarnation Hatch, a breakfast/ brunch spot in Huntington, Long Island. Total Food had the opportunity to speak with William Muzio about his inspiration to become a chef and how he manages a full roster of restaurants.

William Muzio, Executive Chef at Lessing’s Inc.

What inspired you to become a chef? When I was 14 years old I was invited to work with my uncle who is a chef. I remember every single thing I made that day, from a basic marinara sauce to stuffed jumbo shrimp and even hand-made ravioli. I was making all these cool things from scratch and working with so many ingredients, I was hooked!

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 17

NEWS

TABLETOP SOLUTIONS

Arc Cardinal Brings Sommelier And Mixologist To 2019 National Restaurant Association Show

rc Cardinal, a North American leading tabletop supplier to the hospitality industry, is bringing French Sommelier Sébastien Depis and Expert Bar Consultant/Mixologist Derrick Turner to the 2019 National Restaurant Association (NRA) show. Sébastien Depis, a French wine consultant and sommelier, will be leading a wine tasting and sommelier competition at the show. The tasting will showcase one wine in multiple glass shapes to show how the shape of the glass can transform and change the wine experience. Following the tasting will be a competition where Depis will be challenging show attendees to a taste test. Who will be able to out taste the sommelier?

encouraged to attend the sessions.

Sébastien Depis and Derrick Turner will be at the 2019 National Restaurant Association (NRA) show Saturday through Monday. As an expert beverage consultant on Paramount Network’s Bar Rescue, Derrick Turner transforms bars and provides expert knowledge to restaurants. Turner will be demonstrating how to speed bartend. Attendees will be able to put their learning to the test and participate in fast bottle opening with Turner. He will also be leading a “Garnish 101” session where he will teach how to dress up the entire glass from top to bottom

Sébastien Depis

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through garnishing. Depis and Turner will be at the show Saturday through Monday. Depis will be doing the wine tasting each day from 12pm-1pm and the sommelier competition from 2:30pm-3:30pm. Turner will be teaching how to speed bartend from 2:15pm-3:15pm and “Garnish 101” from 3:45pm-4:45pm. Attendees are

Derrick Turner

To learn more about Arc Cardinal, visit cardinalfoodservice.com or call (973) 628-0900. As a key component of the Arc global portfolio, Arc Cardinal is part of the largest tableware company in the world. With production facilities in France, the United States, China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, Arc provides tableware on a truly global scale. Their mission is to set new standards of excellence through innovative product design, technological advancement, global teamwork, extraordinary customer service and by promoting sustainability. They have a passion for and understanding of food and beverage service. For decades, they have set the world’s tables with some of the most durable, most stylish, most valued tableware around. Each product is designed to support the needs of today’s chefs, mixologists and sommeliers. This visionary approach to tableware is the founding principle of the culture and brands – Chef & Sommelier and Arcoroc.

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 19

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

WITH FRED SAMPSON

Protecting the Brand (or Reputation)

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

Author’s note: In light of the accelerated growth of change, the maintenance of a healthy appearance by brands is of the utmost importance, as I portray in the following article.

rior to 1965, it would have been almost impossible to use the term “brand,” as we presently know it, when discussing multi-unit foodservice companies. First of all, there weren’t that many, and, second, for the most part they were regional. Not so today. Now we not only have national restaurant brands, but international ones. Whether it’s chicken, burgers, hot dogs, or fine dining, American foodservice brands are thriving throughout most of the world. This has placed a heavy burden on the manner in which these companies operate here in the United States, as well as their having to adhere to foreign standards. If they make one mistake, social media will have it traveling around the globe faster than the speed of light. This has created a “walking on eggshells” environment in many of the top brand executive suites and has given birth to a “protect the brand” mentality. Some have not been totally successful in doing so, as you will see. In the last three or four years, some major brands have made major blips. For example: A major player in the casual dining area somehow let leak a memo that it was going to raise prices and shave portions! Of course, it was reported in the general press and was

the hit of the day on a number of social media websites. The company received 30,000 emails of protest. It didn’t take more than a week before the company said they were dropping the unfortunate policy. This may be the first recorded incident whereby a company was saved because of the internet. The company responded to every email it received and apologized, and, I believe, offered some kind of discount to the recipient. The brand was really hurt; however, I’m happy to report that it survived. This incident is also a dramatic example of how the internet has

20 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

changed the customer’s ability to let managers of major brands know when they are unhappy with them. No more struggling to find the company’s address, sitting and drafting a long letter, putting it in an envelope, and buying a stamp. Now all you do is say what you feel, hit the spell-check, and then, with great gusto, hit the Send key. Done! More recently two major brands, one, a large casual dining chain, and the other, an equally large QSR specialty operation, went public with their concerns relating to the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare. It seemed both were trying to alert their patrons of upcoming changes in staffing and even some staff cutting. It did not go well with the customers. Though many of the changes might be necessary, why go public? It seemed to many, including this writer, that it was not really any of the public’s business. To suggest that service might suffer is an invitation for your customer base to go elsewhere. While the competition may have to do the same, they’re not announcing it to the public. One company admitted it did receive blowback because of its response to the new healthcare law, and admitted it contributed to a steep decline in its net profit for the last quarter. Please note that in the three incidents I used as examples of hurting the brand, these were major organizations. “Brand” also can be considered a euphemism for reputation. If you are an independent operator, you,

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

too, have to protect your good name (brand, or reputation) even if you don’t have hundreds of locations. As you know, many of today’s social issues have—or will have, if they become law—an impact on your business: no smoking, menu posting, eliminating trans fat, increasing the minimum wage, the obesity issue and how foodservice companies are dealing with it, the banning of certain size soft drinks, the health department’s grading of inspections, and the list goes on and on. Should the media contact you for your thoughts on any of these issues, be very careful what you say and how you say it. In many instances, the public supports these initiatives, and you run the risk of alienating them if you are vigorous in opposing them. Keep in mind that you will not have a chance to edit your remarks. Always have the person asking the questions read back your answers. I have a friend who is considered one of the best in the public relations business. He earned this reputation because of his ability to keep many of his clients’ names out of the press.

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cheflerfoods.com • 800-506-1925 • 400 Lyster Ave. Saddle Brook, NJ 07663 May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 21

TREND TALK

WITH JOYCE APPELMAN

Bartenders Are The New Chefs An Interview with Lucinda Sterling, Middle Branch, NYC

artenders and Mixologists cocktail bar equal parts pioneering are more frequently reachand the way of the future. The entire ing for fresh ingredients, chain - from farmer to distributor making their drinks with to bartender to consumer -benefits the same complexity and seasonalfrom this practice of introducing ity as the dishes prepared by chefs. fresh ingredients to bar programs So, these days, foodservice distribuhere in New York City and around tors are finding increasingly more of the world. It adds a layer of qualtheir weekly orders come from the ity and creativity to cocktail making bar in addition to the kitchen. that a bar can tap to set themselves We reached out to Lucinda Sterapart.” ling, an early adopter of fresh ingredients in a craft cocktail program, to Why are bartenders reaching for share her own experiences and phifresh ingredients one normally losophy on drink creation. She is the would find the chef ordering and managing partner and bartender of storing in the kitchen walk in? Murray Hill’s beloved cocktail den, Having a large array of fresh herbs, Middle Branch. On a cross-country road trip in late 2005, the Colorado native arrived in New York City and became a regular at the speakeasystyle bar Milk & Honey. When Owner Sasha Petraske told her that several employees were leaving, Sterling joined the team even though she had no bartending experience. She trained on the job, and became inspired to hone her skills as the mixology movement took off. In 2012, bartending led to a full partnership at Middle Branch. Hospitality industry maven Francine Cohen noted of Sterling, “Lucinda’s apLucinda Sterling, Middle Branch proach at her intimate

22 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

spices, fruits and vegetables to use in cocktails allows the bartender to be more diverse and original. Many cocktails these days are being paired with food on the menu. How does this shift to fresh impact a cocktail program?   Seasonal ingredients may limit the life of a cocktail on a menu if it requires only fresh ingredients, and it may increase the cost. Does it change how you design a menu?  A seasonal menu can offer fresh and interesting ingredients; conversely, menu design is time-consuming, and would keep a bar/restaurant on its toes. Does it, or how does it, impact the costing of drinks?   Ideally, seasonal ingredients are less expensive when they are purchased at peak time. If the seasonality is short, or the items are sparse for a particular reason, such as a shortage or allocation, the cost of drinks would certainly go up. During the lime crisis a few years ago, many venues removed lime from their menus to substitute lemon. How can distributors help you be more creative? If Baldor Foods, Sid

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

Wainer or others were to let us know about a savings opportunity because of seasonality or surplus, we could begin locating compatible spirits. If a liquor distributor offered a food pairing in their description of spirits, similar to the way some wines are described, bar tenders could open more doors to creativity.    How does the bar maximize using fresh ingredients? At times, it makes sense to make a syrup/preserve to prolong the life of

continued on page 102

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 23

NEWS

EVENTS

Ticket City Ofsales New York Set To Host now open!Food Waste Event Biennial

foodwastefair.nyc he second edition of the NYC Food Waste Fair is slated for later this month in Learn from experts on Brooklyn. On May 23rd the howNYC toDepartment save money and nonof Sanitation’s profit affiliate, the Foundation for embrace sustainable New York’s Strongest, will welcome operations in your chefs, restaurant operators, grocery kitchen and business. store owners, and street vendors to the event at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The inaugural event, held in 2017, enabled food service professionals to join forces with the City of New York to learn ways to solve the social and environmental issues of food waste. It opened the eyes to many in the industry with strategies to profit from the recovery and reuse of food waste. The upcoming Fair will also benefit from the addition of a true food waste visionary. The Foundation has recently welcomed Julie Raskin as incoming Executive Director. “I am so excited to join the city again at the Department of Sanitation which is doing some truly innovative things right now in waste reduction. This fair also gives us a great opportunity to respond to a strong appetite to partner with the private sector,” added Raskin. Raskin is teaming with the Department’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Monika Wysocki, who was instrumental in the vision and creation of the event. “One-third of all the food produced for human consumption doesn’t actually end up being eaten as intended,” Wysocki noted. “Instead, it ends up rotting in landfills and producing harmful methane emissions. The Food Waste Fair exists to help stop that

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problem of food being wasted and not being used for the highest possible use.” One of the Food Waste Fair’s true breakthroughs has been its ability to illustrate how one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The opportunity has never been greater to recover and reuse food responsibly and profitably. “The food waste fair mission is to connect businesses with the solutions they need to solve this problem,” added Wysocki. “Our goal is to present solutions for focusing on prevention and recovery and what else to do when recycling options simply don’t

24 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

make sense.” Among Raskin’s priorities for this year’s fair is to launch an education track that will highlight the latest techniques and technologies from the foremost experts in the field. These workshops will share strategies to develop a more sustainable food system and means for using data to drive food waste reduction and more. “One of the things that is critical to realize is that this is a sector where profit margins are notoriously thin and in our conversations with chef operators and caterers we constantly hear about the struggle of operating a foodservice business in

New York City,” Raskin noted. “So our workshops will highlight specific food waste prevention strategies that can help save money for your business,” said Raskin. The Fair will host three tracks of workshops this year for professional chefs, food establishment operators and sustainability advocates. “Our goal is for any attendee to be stimulated by an immersive experience to build the skills that they need to go back to their kitchens to be able to implement new practices.” The upcoming Brooklyn event also presents a unique opportunity for the vendor community. “We welcome exhibitors that provide New York City businesses with service, guidance and solutions that they need to start and then grow their food waste management strategies to meet New York City regulations,” Wysocki outlined. “There’s a lot of really innovative work going on in technology in terms of inventory tracking systems. Many of our vendors at the Fair will offer solutions that will facilitate smarter procurement decisions to reduce what will become waste before it even comes in a restaurant’s door. From tracking analytics to waste auditors, more applications and online platforms are being launched which benefit retailers and consumers.” The 2019 NYC Food Waste Fair has set its sights on embracing innovative strategies and setting a new precedent for reducing food waste in NYC. For more information on exhibiting or attending, please visit www.foodwastefair.nyc.

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 25

NEWS

EVENTS

All Things Plant-Based Takes Center Stage At Javits in June

ith a goal of a healthier world by shifting towards a more plantbased lifestyle, the Plant Based World Conference & Expo (PBW) is slated for June 7-8, 2019. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City will welcome this rapidly evolving community. The event will focus on establishing a home for the rapidly evolving community of human beings by making the shift towards a more plant-based lifestyle. PBW will feature an exhibit floor ripe with innovative plant-based foods, beverages, products, services and brands as well as an educational conference with separate tracks for healthcare professionals, businesses and consumers. What led to the decision to create the Plant Based World Conference & Expo? Who is the team of entrepreneurs behind the JD Events? JD Events is a boutique trade show management company that established a reputation over the past 17 years launching, running and growing professional events across a diverse range of industries. In the winter of 2017 Joel Davis, Founder and President of JDE, was looking into emerging markets that could potentially be served by a trade event, and also help serve to create a better world. Around this time Ben Davis, Joel’s son, who was passionate about the plant-based movement after personally shifting to a vegan lifestyle, recognized the growth of the plant-based market and the lack of any dedicated event serving it. Ben developed a business plan for the first and only 100% plant-based

trade event, presented it to the team at JDE and Plant Based World was born. What is the niche that the JD Events saw for this show? Plant-based products can be found at all sorts of events throughout the world. On one side you have consumer facing vegetarian food festivals. These events are 100% plant-based but do not offer brands any real networking, education or buying opportunities. On the other hand there are major food trade shows which offer all of those opportunities but plant-based is just one small, but growing category amongst many others. JDE saw the need for an event that could bridge the gap and be entirely plant-based focused to tap into the passion behind the movement, but also professional and trade focused in a way that can add value to exhibitors and attendees in a way that no other event can offer. Who’s the target show EXHIBITOR? The target exhibitor for PBW is any company selling a product that is designed to be an alternative to a product that is traditionally made from animal ingredients. Examples would be plantbased burgers and meat replacements,

26 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

cheeses, milks, yogurts, ice creams, etc. These are the categories that are seeing the most growth in the market. That being said, any company seeking to market itself towards health and sustainability conscious customers is welcome to exhibit, provided that their products are 100% cruelty free (no animals in ingredients or production process). How would you outline their needs? Our exhibitors’ needs are incredibly diverse. Some are early stage and looking for investment. Others are further along and are seeking large retail or food service contracts. Some are looking to be recognized by the medical community as healthy options to recommend to patients, while others are more interested in marketing directly to consumers. How will the new show fill that need? PBW will fill these needs by bringing together a diverse audience that no other event can offer. Major investment groups are involved ranging from mission driven firms like StrayDog and New Crop Capital to mainstream players like Tyson Ventures. An Industry Buyer Council has been developed which includes lead-

ers from top distributers and retailers such as UNFI, DPI, KeHe, Sprouts, Dot Foods and more and all will be walking the show floor with teams of buyers. The 2-day Food Solutions for Human Health Summit at PBW is offering CE credited education for a diverse range of healthcare professionals. And Saturday, June 8, is Community Day and open to the general public, giving exhibitors a chance to demonstrate their products directly to the consumer audience. Who’s the target show ATTENDEE? The target attendees for PBW are mainstream food professionals interested in learning about and experiencing the shift in consumer demand for plant-based foods and products. How would you outline their needs? Modern day restaurants, food service providers and retailers need to offer plant-based options if they want to grow and ultimately stay in business. This can be harder than it sounds as there are a variety of different products on the market and ways to incorporate them on to menus. Professionals need access to the latest products and education on how to properly incorporate them into their business. How will the new show fill that need? PBW will feature an expo floor with over 100 leading plant-based brands. Attendees will be able to sample and purchase plant-based products that can open up their business to a whole new customer base. The expo floor is complimentary to any qualified trade

continued on page 28

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Plant Based World, from page 26 professional. PBW also offers the Eat For The Future Business Forum, with 2 days of world-class education diving into the unique challenges that businesses face when transitioning into the plantbased market. Sessions will feature diverse panels with content for food service providers, retailers and brand developers. We’re sure you’re encountering, “Oh, another show”. Let’s dig deeper and talk about what is going to make this different? The explosion of the plant-based market in 2019 cannot be ignored. PBW is the only event giving this market the credit it deserves with a dedicated focus on the hottest trend in all of food. Placed in the middle of the media capital of the world in NYC, PBW is the only event that will both celebrate the passion and community behind the plant-based movement while also bringing it to a mainstream audience of individuals and businesses curious about learning more about what plantbased has to offer. Let’s back up for a second and talk about the deeper meaning of a restaurant/chef making a commitment to a plant-based menu? This is a great question for Brad Barnes, Director of Consulting for The Culinary Institute of America. Brad is presenting a workshop in the Eat For The Future Business Forum titled “The Philosophical Shift Towards a PlantBased Kitchen”. He describes it as a complete overhaul of everything a chef or restaurant owner has known, taking apart all the pieces of the engine and putting it back together. While this seems daunting, it gives those who are up for the challenge an opportunity to establish themselves as a business ready to be successful in a new and evolving food industry. PBW is the place for food service professionals to find the resources they need to keep their business up with the changing

THE FRESH ORIGINS

times. Talk about the EAT-Lancet Commission’s report on Food, Plant and Health. It’s no secret, and the science is indisputable: our food system needs to change for the sake of both human health and the sustainability of the planet. Animal-based and processed foods are the leading cause of many of the top chronic diseases and the agriculture needed to produce those foods is the leading cause of environmental destruction. Putting more wholesome plant-based foods on the plate is one thing that all humans have within their power to positively impact both personal health and the health of our world. Why should a restaurant be concerned with feeding the 10 billion people that will be on the earth in 2050? The real question here is why should a restaurant be concerned about staying in business, and the answer to that is obvious. There is no changing the fact that more and more consumers each year will be seeking out healthier, more sustainable food options. If a restaurant wants to continue to exist in the future it will seek to educate itself on this shift and create menu items that will excite this next generation of customers. At the center of this report was that in 1900, two thirds of our protein came from plant foods. Somehow in 1985, two-thirds were coming from cattle. Your thoughts? The meat and dairy industries are powerful. Their lobbying efforts and marketing have convinced the world that we need these foods in order to be healthy and strong when that is simply not the case. In 2019, people everywhere are waking up to the notion that they can fight back against these political juggernauts simply by making different choices at mealtime.

28 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

continued on page 92

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 29

MIXOLOGY

WITH WARREN BOBROW

Mint Drinks for Spring

hen Spring arrives, my palate reaches out for drinks that deepen my relationship to brown spirits. But a dent often pops up in the periphery and that should be a drink that makes you smile instead of frown. That drink would be the Mint Julep. Rumor has it that the mint julep was devised in that stinking swamp, Washington, DC. Dueling pistols were the rage, and the combination of strong liquor and stronger tempers would flare into certain malaise. But I digress in saying that a well-made mint julep is a thing of rare beauty. But a bad one?

It’s up to you to make it right the first time. No excuses. Classic Mint Julep Ingredients: • 4 oz. Bourbon or Rye • 1 oz. Simple or granulated dark sugar like turbinado or demerara • Fresh mint well washed Preparation: 1. Muddle the mint in a julep cup 2. Add sugar and bourbon or rye 3. Muddle lightly, add ice, more mint, more bourbon 4. Serve!

30 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Roasted Peach Julep Ingredients: • 4 oz. rye whiskey • Fresh Mint, Well Washed • 2 Tablespoons of Orange Marmalade Preparation: 1. Roast de-stoned peaches covered in Angostura and Demerara Sugar for 1 hour at 300, cool 2. Roasted peach halves 3. Muddle the Orange marmalade with the Rye and the Peach half 4. Add ice to the glass, top with more rye. 5. Garnish with another slice of caramelized peach and serve!

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.

One of the best mint juleps I’ve ever enjoyed took a bit of doing but at the end, the results are magnificent indeed. It takes a couple of steps. Here they are: First you want to make your own

dehydrated oranges. You would slice oranges really thinly and put them in a very slow oven, say 200 degrees, for over-night. You can preserve them in a vat of rum, or bourbon, or even rye. They will last forever- or until you use them. Next, you’ll want to make your own simple syrup from Demerara Sugar. It’s got a nice funk to it. I make this sugar extra dark. Almost caramelized. The next thing is a nice handcut rock of ice. It doesn’t have to be clear, but if you cut it in front of your guest, well not to bore you with minute details, but this is important. Start watching the Japanese mixology and ice cutting videos. Learn the details and emulate them! The next thing you need to do is have a nice selection of hand cut crystal glasses that you bought at

a garage sale. They should be really unique, as this drink is unique. Stirred Whiskey Punch Ingredients: • 2-3 oz. Rye Whiskey of your choice • Dehydrated oranges • Spray of Absinthe • Dot of Peychaud’s Bitters • Mint • ¼ oz. Demerara simple

7. Pour ¼ oz of the dark simple over that and stir vigorously to mix. A milk punch should round out the blend with this one touched by a mint liqueur. It’s easy to do!

Preparation: 1. Rub the inside of the rocks glass with a fresh orange zest 2. Spray the inside of the glass with a spritz of absinthe 3. Drop a couple drops of Peychaud’s into the glass 4. Add the hand cut rock of ice 5. Add the dehydrated orange slice and the mint (slapped) 6. Pour about 2-3 oz. of your favorite whiskey over the top

Minted Milk Punch Ingredients: • 4 oz. Bourbon Whiskey • 2 oz. Brewed Minted Tea (sweetened to taste) • 3 oz. Heavy cream • 1 oz. ½ and ½ • 1 oz. Whole milk • 1 oz. Pure vanilla • 2 oz. Mint Liqueur like Bols • Boston Shaker filled ¾ with ice Preparation: 1. Add all the liquid ingredients to the Boston Shaker 2. Cap and shake hard 3. Pour into a tall glass with a sprig of fresh mint as a garnish Cheers!

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 31

NEWS FUNDRAISERS American Cancer Society Hosts 14th Annual Taste of Hope

he American Cancer Society hosts the 14th Annual Taste of Hope on Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York. This years’ Volunteer Host Committee includes Alyssa Reiner, Danny Burstein, Harry Carson, David Alan Basche, Rebecca Luker, and Clarke Thorell. Event Co-Chairs Mark D. Friedman and Jamie Koff volunteered for 9 months to produce this signature culinary, wine, and spirits event that provides the 700+ guests the opportunity to enjoy bites from New York City’s top restaurants and philanthropic chefs, and sips from leading winemakers and spirit brands. This year’s celebration recognizes Culinary Honorees, Chefs Michael Lomonaco, Chef & Partner of Porter House Bar and Grill, and Ralph Scamardella, Chef & Partner of TAO Group Restaurants; Otto Cedeno, Founder of Otto’s Tacos as the Corporate Honoree, and Dana Cowin, former Editorin-chief of Food & Wine Magazine, as the Survivor Honoree. CBS News’ Chris Wragge is back to Emcee. Taste of Hope is the American Cancer Society’s signature culinary, wine, and spirits event, featuring some of New York’s most popular restaurants and beverage vendors. Guests enjoy a walk-around tasting where they can sample signature dishes, premier wines and spirits, and inventive cocktails. Now in its 14th year, the event is hosted annually by the Taste of Hope volunteer committee and has raised over $1.8 Million to

support the American Cancer Society’s mission and goal of eliminating cancer as a major health problem. More than 70 restaurants are scheduled to participate including: A Little Brittle Heaven, Allie’s GF Goodies, Baby Brasa, Ben & Jacks Steakhouse, Benjamin Prime, Bonsai Kakigori, Boulud Sud, Butterfly Bake Shop, Caffe Palermo - Cannoli King, Calle Ocho, Clarkson Avenue Crumb Cake Company, Drunken Fruit, Frito Con Cito, FrutaPOP, Hunt & Fish Club, Insomnia Cookies, Java Melts, Jing Fong, Jora, L’angolo Tribeca, L’adresse, LAVO, Loi Estiatorio, LTH, Magnolia Bakery, Melt Bakery, Meska Sweets, Motel Morris, Mr. Crabby’s Craft Kitchen + Bar, Nick’s Lobster House, Nobu Fifty Seven, Ortzi NYC, Otto’s Tacos, Parkway Bakery & Tavern, Patina Restaurant Group, Patrizias of 2nd Ave, Sarabeth’s, Serendipity 3, STK Steakhouse, Surfish Bistro, Sweet

32 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Rae’s Cookies, Sweetcatch Poke, Talty Bar, TAO, The Algonquin Hotel, The Kati Roll Company, The Sea Fire Grill, The Smith, The Vegantry, Toloache Restaurant, Tommy Bahama, and Treat House. Attendees also will have the opportunity to bid on silent auction prizes donated from leading organizations including: Ark Restaurants, Tory Burch, Intersect by Lexus, Levain Bakery, Wine Spectator, Nautilus Hotel, New York Health and Racquet Club, and Rebecca Minkoff. Corporate support for this year’s event has been received from the following: Murray River Salt – All Access Lounge Sponsor, Bank Leumi – Wristband Sponsor, Eurostruct – Silver Sponsor, Olshan – Silver Sponsor, Glassman Walters Associate – Merrill – Silver Sponsor, UHY Advisors – Silver Sponsor, Citi Quiet – Silver Sponsor, American Freedom Distillery – Silver Sponsor, Gentle Giant Moving Company – Moving Sponsor, Sabert Mozaik – Tabletop Sponsor, Cloud Shop Studios - Website Sponsor, KGI Design Group – Design Sponsor, DJ Spin Diesel – Entertainment Sponsor, Total Food Service – Media Sponsor, 1-800-Bartend – Bar Sponsor. This year’s Benefit Committee includes Drew Blumenthal, Jennifer Cayetano, Jil S. Davison, Gail Eissen-

stat, Nicole Filingeri, Gayle Greenberg, Melanie Greene, Wayne Margolin, Jeanine Marino, Melanie McManus, Kara Mignone, Lucy Miller, Sari Pollack, Christine Poopatana, Kim Poulos, Scott Sheehy, Melissa Siegel, Brittany Stevenson, Maresca Visone, Dialecti Voudouris, and Rachel Waynberg. Those who cannot attend can follow the event online at @ACSTOHNYC (Instagram) and @ACSTasteOfHope (Twitter), or by following hashtag #TOH2019. WHEN: Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 7:00pm – 10:00pm Press Check in: 5:30pm – 7:00pm VIP & Red Carpet: 6:00pm – 7:00pm WHERE Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011 TICKETS General Admission – $200 VIP Admission – $275 All Access Table – $300 About Taste of Hope: Taste of Hope® was founded in 2005 by the American Cancer Society as a way to celebrate New York dining while raising funds to support the Society’s mission to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer. From breakthrough research, to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to treatment, and convening powerful activists to create awareness and impact, the Society is attacking cancer from every angle.

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 33

QUEL’S CORNER

AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE TRENDS REDEFINING THE INDUSTRY

Hello Hudson Yards

osh. Exciting. Trendy. Dynamic. #hellohudsonyards These words describe a remarkable location in New York City. On March 15, 2019, Anderson Cooper, United States’ Senator Chuck Schumer, singer Andra Day and even Big Bird, toasted to the unveiling of New York City’s newest neighborhood. I happened to catch the ribbon cutting ceremony on video because, apparently, Big Bird has more pull than me. In all seriousness, the video was fabulous, but it doesn’t compare to experiencing this new development in person. I’ve had the opportunity to visit Hudson Yards personally and professionally and must say, if you haven’t been yet, you’re missing out! You could spend a day or stay awhile because there’s so much to do... and eat! Speaking of eating, I’m amazed the possibility of a food tour hasn’t been offered yet. Hudson Yards is a foodie’s dream — home to everything from your morning coffee and pastry to

Located at the heart of Hudson Yards, the Vessel is made of 154 staircases and 80 platforms zigzagging together to form a web of more than 2,500 individual stairs.

Hudson Yards has really put the spotlight on changing and evolving workplace design.” weekend brunch, happy hour and signature dining. Anchored by Mercato’s Little Spain, a 35,000-square-foot establishment, Hudson Yards is a unique culinary experience. Other features are, of course, the shopping, the design and that beautiful Vessel, which feels like a significant landmark of our generation. The Vessel is a focal point of Hudson Yards, allowing visitors to enjoy new perspectives of New York City from various heights and angles. For me, it’s a symbol of this community and a celebration of the innovation it was built upon. More than 125,000 people a day are expected to either visit, work in or call the 28-acre Hudson Yards their home by the project’s completion in 2025, according to AM New York. The final stage of the project is slated to include homes, offices, a hotel, school, performing arts center and the “Edge,”

Raquel Weiss Fusco is among a generation that’s redefining foodservice. Inspired by her Instagram account, Quel’s Corner will focus on the latest trends, designs and happenings in

which is set to be the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere. What we’re witnessing is history in New York! And who would know better than a former history teacher? What was once this empty area is now attracting people from all over. A person can take the 7-line directly from Grand Central Station or walk the High Line and take a detour into Hudson Yards. But what’s attracting big name businesses like Markit and L’Oreal to the neighborhood? For one, Related (the developer) has worked to create an amenity program

At SAP, the view on the 49th floor is spectacular, which is why elite|studio e placed the coffee bar facing the windows. Not only do the sight lines remain unobstructed, but the concept gets the natural light it deserves.

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the industry. The third generation of her family to work in managed foodservice, Raquel is the Director of Client Relations at elite|studio e, a foodservice project solutions firm. She is also an established leader for the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management. Follow Raquel on Instagram @quelscorner or www.quelscorner.com.

that would help lure and keep tenants. Some of the office buildings offer restaurants and party spaces, while others provide large auditoriums and inhouse catering services. There’s also a daycare center and a medical clinic, which, as a new mom, sounds likes incredible one-stop shopping! But from an employer perspective, I think the design of the buildings is key. Hudson Yards has really put the spotlight on changing and evolving workplace design. Not only are the buildings’ exteriors clean, modern and sustainable, but nearly every office I’ve been to in Hudson Yards features center-core open floorplans that al-

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 35

NEWS

CRAFT BREWERIES

NJ Has the Fastest Growing Craft Beer Scene in the U.S. Article by 20 Lemons LLC

Ryan

Gallagher,

here is no season to beer. Just new reasons to drink different sorts of suds. For New Jersey and America at large, beer consumption has begun to move away from the products of larger brewing organizations and more toward those of localized microbreweries. As a result, it’s never been more important for restaurants, bars, and breweries to concoct a plan for marketing new brew as it is released. Last year, the craft brewers took over. Smaller and independent breweries yielded 25.9 million barrels of beer in an effort that increased craft beer’s piece of the industry pie to a 13.2% market share. Beer production in 2018 retailed at $27.6 billion, created more than 150,000 jobs, and occurred during a 1% downturn for the overall beer industry, according to a recent report by the Brewers Association. Even more interesting, NJ is tied for first place when it comes to growth in the American craft beer market. Since 2015, NJ’s craft beer scene has grown by 43%--tying Kentucky for most growth out of any other U.S. state, according to a study by C+R Research. The evolution of legislation regarding the Garden State’s breweries had much to do with craft beer’s success in the state, according to Jeff Plate, Founder and Owner of Asbury Park Brewery (APB). “Up until about 2013, you weren’t allowed to have a tasting room where

you could also sell the beer. That rule change is the primary driver of why so many breweries are opening up now,” said Plate. “Also, you weren’t allowed to self-distribute back then. Now, the taproom-centric breweries are opening on Main Streets all throughout the state. So, it allows a smaller brewery to open up, brew their own beer, and sell it on premises rather than distribute it out to a lot of bars.” With so much growth, the importance for beer brewers to differentiate themselves has been quite obvious. This fact describes the goals of GM, Todd O’Connor, owner Preston Casertano, and the team at White Chapel Projects (WCP) in Long Branch, NJ. “We brew our own beer and want to be known for our saisons, our ales, our stouts, and our porters,” said O’Connor about the restaurant, bar, and brewery that took nearly 9 years to open up. Since launching in De-

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cember 2018, WCP has established themselves as the only brewery in Long Branch in their newly-renovated space born from a 119-year-old, warehouse building. Specializing in certain styles of beer and perfecting them is the easiest way for a small brewery to carve out a piece of the rapidly-growing NJ beer market. APB launched in August of 2016. The company has since taken advantage of the change in Jersey brew laws and now works with a distributor in order to make their brand a household name--the main difference between a microbrewery and an operation of a larger size. “Our core three brands are the Blonde Lager, Roasted Stout, and Sea Dragon IPA. We do those year-round with our distributor and then we have a fourth spot open for our seasonal beer,” said Plate. “We brew traditional beers and styles that you’d be familiar

with, we just use premium ingredients, handcraft it, and put a lot of energy into making it the best we can.” WCP varies from APB because the business is not focused solely on brewing beer. As a restaurant and bar, WCP places heavy value on the beer they decide to bring in as well. The new brewery and bar by the beach has been, “going after smaller breweries to kinda support one another. We’ve had Last Wave in here, Red Tank is coming up, Jughandle is coming up, and Brotherton. Everyone enjoys it and they like that we’re not going after the normal AB & Bev beers.” O’Connor explained that there were two main ways that WCP marketed themselves for opening and how they continue to communicate their most recent initiatives to the public. “I think 90% of the world is involved with Instagram or Facebook, and that’s where our outreach has been,” explained O’Connor. “We’ve also been taking steps toward Instagram and Facebook ads as well. But, word of mouth has definitely been a power tool for us because this project has taken so long. And once you do come into the space, it’s hard not to tell your friends.” APB confirms that their most useful marketing tool is also social media when promoting a core brew or releasing a new product. “We’ll do a photoshoot with the beer, set it up with branded pint glasses and cans so we can try to create cool, eyecatching content for social media,”

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 37

CHEFCETERA

Jet Tila, Chef and Author, Los Angeles, CA

ward-winning Chef and TV Personality, Jet Tila, showcases his dynamic presence with dishes that touch both hearts and stomachs! With the help of his wife and business partner, Ali Tila, the Los Angeles native showcases his vast knowledge by tapping into the places closest to his heart - his home and his family. The Jet team hS produced a one-stop guide to perfecting the foundations of cooking with their new cookbook, 101 Epic Dishes: Recipes That Teach You How to Make the Classics Even More Delicious. What drove you to become a chef? My family opened the first Thai food businesses in the country in the 70s in L.A. They moved here and there was the largest type population outside of Thailand. So, my early years were spent watching our restaurants and markets and the import companies and the farms - I was working in a family business. We had the only grocery store in L.A. that had all these Thai ingredients for the whole fusion California cuisine movement. Chefs like Wolfgang Puck and all the big L.A. guys looked to us as the only one-stop shop in town. I was bagging their groceries and delivering food to their restaurants. So it was a logical next step for me to move on to the French Culinary School and then Japanese Culinary School in my 20s. I then came back and started working for many of them. Actually, my first job was working for Russ Parsons at the L.A. Times. I was the test kitchen intern for about a year. Can you tell us a bit about how your career came together?

differences you see between the two? They’re totally different muscles and skill sets. A competition chef has to be able to take ingredients and immediately make a decision without going through the tasting process, without vetting dishes, and they just make a choice and knock it out. With competition cooking you are cooking for someone who’s going to eat maybe three bites of your food and then maybe up to two to four of other people’s bites of food. You’re really trying to do the Cliff’s Notes and appealing to eyeballs and palates - bigger flavor, more aggressive plating - you’ve got to make a mark versus an a la carte dining experience that can take 30 to 90 mins to multiple hours. It’s a very different discipline. You’ve got to give them smaller portions, build menus that make sense together. So, competition chef is like you’re really crafting one dish that has to be memorable versus an entire experience.

My big break really was with Bon Appetit Management. They assigned me to tech companies like Google, Cisco, and Yahoo. I did all their big openings in the early 2000s and then I got a call from Steve Wynn in 2007 to open the Encore Hotel in ‘Vegas and that was my big national break. I was one of the eight chefs to cook a tasting for Encore because they needed someone with a balanced skill set of Thai, Chinese, Japanese and French. Is the definition of Asian dining in Vegas different than it is in Los Angeles? Totally different. You have to be able to do everything in one building. In any city you can go to a Chinese dim sum restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a Japanese restaurant, a sushi restaurant, an Americanized Chinese restaurant, but we have to do that all in one tower. And in some cases, all in one room, one restaurant. That’s why they needed someone that understood from fine dining down to dim sum to fast casual. My entire career kind of prepared me for that job and it worked out perfectly. I spent five years with Wynn at Encore. What brought you to TV? While I was at Encore, I was asked to battle Chef Morimoto on Iron Chef. I’d done really limited TV up until that point, so that was my first big national tv show. We went in kind of as underdogs and he beat me by two points. It was such a great battle that Food Network asked “Hey, do you want to do more television?” and I said, “absolutely, I’d love

38 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

A delicious clam chowder recipe from Chef Jet Tila’s book ‘101 Epic Dishes’

to”. That’s what started my TV career. Cutthroat Kitchen was my first series and after that, I went on to do Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, Guy’s Grocery Game. I basically did all the nondessert competition shows on Food Network and then they asked me to join the cast of Iron Chef as a floor reporter - so it kind of came full circle. As you look at this phenomenon of competition cooking and being a competition chef versus being an a la carte chef on a line, what are the big

What’s your strategy for writing a cookbook? It’s actually a third discipline - being a teacher. First, I know my audience is going to be home cooks. Home cooks don’t spend 10,000 hours on the line. In my early years while I was cooking at restaurants I was moonlighting and teaching at all the culinary schools in Los Angeles. That comes from a very slow, methodical point of view. You have to make it accessible. Our cookbook is really about taking fundamental dishes and having people really master them and understand not just the “how” but the “why”. My wife was an educator - she was in Pre-

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 39

LEGAL INSIDER

WITH MOHAMMAD SHIHABI OF ELLENOFF GROSSMAN & SCHOLE LLP

Workplace Hairstyle Policies? They May Be Illegal Under New York City Law

estaurant owners know that first impressions can make or break a restaurant. Whether it’s a gourmet chef or a part-time waiter, how your staff dress and groom themselves can influence your restaurant’s image and success. Creating a dress and grooming code can be challenging, often involving a balance between cosmetic desires and compliance with strict safety and sanitation regulations. Restaurants may now need to revisit their carefully crafted dress and grooming policies. Piling on all the federal, state, and local regulatory requirements, earlier this year, the New York City Commission on Human Rights prohibited discrimination against “natural hair or hairstyles” associated with certain racial, ethnic, or cultural identities. New York City is the first jurisdiction to do so. In fact, last year, the United States Supreme Court declined to review a case that upheld a workplace ban on dreadlocks. Despite the Supreme Court’s reluctance to entertain a ban on hair discrimination, the Commission reminds employers that the City’s Human Rights Law (“NYCHRL”) is distinct from similar federal and state laws. The Commission’s legal enforcement guidance on hair discrimination specifically highlights protections for people who maintain

Creating a dress and grooming code can be challenging, often involving a balance between cosmetic desires and compliance with strict safety and sanitation regulations.

Mohammad Shihabi is an Associate in the Labor & Employment practice

particular hairstyles as part of a racial or ethnic identity, including natural hair, treated or untreated hairstyles such as locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, fades, and Afros, and the right to keep hair in an uncut or untrimmed state. What is prohibited? Employers with four or more employees are now prohibited from treating workers “less favorably” than others because of their racial, ethnic, or cultural natural hair or hairstyles. Covered employers who have grooming or appearance policies must be wary of enforcing natural hair or hairstyle requirements that could subject employee to disparate treatment. Employers may not harass, impose unfair conditions, or otherwise discriminate against employees based on hairstyles associated with their race. Employers are also prohibited from banning, limiting, or placing restric-

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tions on natural hair or hairstyles to promote a particular corporate image, because of customer preference, or under the guise of speculative health or safety concerns. This is not to say that employers cannot impose requirements around maintaining a work appropriate appearance. Employers may enforce grooming and appearance policies so long as they don’t target any specific hair textures or hairstyles. However, even if a grooming or appearance code does not explicitly target any particular hairstyle, a seemingly neutral policy could give rise to claims. For example, employers who require employees to maintain a “neat and orderly” appearance should explain that the policy does not require employees to straighten, relax, “or otherwise manipulate their hair” to conform to employer expectations.

group at Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP in New York City. He represents and advises clients on a wide range of labor and employment matters, including on employment contracts, response to workplace complaints, and the conduct of workplace investigations, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, leave, accommodation and wage and hour issues. He also regularly defends clients in federal and state court and before various governmental agencies. He can be reached by phone at 646-895-7226 or by email at mshihabi@egsllp.com

What are the penalties for non-compliance? Aggrieved workers may file complaints with the Commission or lawsuits in New York State Courts. The Commission can impose civil penalties of up to $250,000 on employers

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 41

SCOOP

INSIDER NEWS

Marcus Samuelsson Named ‘Chief Culinary Coach’ of New York City F.C. Scoop sees that Major League Soccer’s New York City F.C. has just significantly upped their game. The club debuted four years ago and now announces its first-ever “chief culinary coach” and it’s none other than lauded celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. He’ll be creating the menu for the team’s training facility as well as dropping in once1:16 a SCJP_WINDEX_TotalFoodAd_P.pdf 1 4/17/19 Marcus Samuelsson month to prepare

FROM METRO NYC’S FOODSERVICE SCENE

gourmet meals for the players. Samuelsson plans to celebrate the culinary heritage of the team’s players by creating dishes from their home countries, which he’ll serve at Red Rooster. He’ll also be involved in community outreach, attending things like the Harlem EatUp! Festival and events targeting kids and teens such as youth soccer tournaments and healthy cooking classes, Samuelsson, who loves soccer, says he is a big fan of NYCFC, who plays their home matches in Yankee Stadium.

Tuxton China Celebrates 20th Anniversary PM

Scoop hears that Tuxton China, Inc., one of the leading distributors of high quality dinnerware

Sample collection from Tuxton China

and ovenware to the foodservice industry will be celebrating their 20th anniversary with a new portfolio of products in Booth #7439 at the 2019 National Restaurant Association Show | 100 Centennial. Make sure to pay them a visit!

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Scoop, from page 42

Hudson Yards Concepts From Chef Thomas Keller Scoop knows that with concepts from globallyacclaimed chefs like Thomas Keller, José Andrés, David Chang, guests can taste the cuisines of the world delivered at their finest, all within steps of one another at the globally-acclaimed tastes of Hudson Yards. Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller debuts his latest concept, TAK Room, to the new complex. Embodying the theme of “throwback flair, timeless fare” TAK Room pays homage to the glamour of New York in the ’50s and ’60s, presenting exquisite Continental cuisine with Keller’s signature touch. Guests will be treated to five-star service with the restaurant’s unique a la carte menu made all the more special by touches like Champagne carts to start, gueridon service, multiple dishes featuring interactive tableside preparations and beautiful live music on a nightly basis. Aside from the incredible cuisine, Keller is offering at the restaurant, partner Ken Himmel, Related

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Chef Thomas Keller

Urban CEO, also notes that the alluring upscale atmosphere is also making it a unique destination for diners of all ages in Manhattan. “It’s really interesting because even the younger crowd of diners are coming in and getting dressed up for the occasion,” he states. “It’s rewarding to see because

that’s a trend that has faded in recent years. And even more so, we’re getting a lot of large parties. So people are coming to TAK Room and using it as a gathering place to all be together.” The spaces range from an open dining room to a sexy lounge and bar, with consistent service and innovative food, beverage and entertainment offerings. From an impressive wine list to a creative cocktail program and unrivaled preparation of cuisine, all needs are met in one setting. The pair tapped TKRG VP of Branding and Creative Development Laura Cunningham and Simon Rawlings, creative director of London-based David Collins’ Studio, to help complete their vision. The beautiful era of New York glamour is captured seamlessly within the design of the space, with deep greens, burgundy hues and bronze accents highlighting the interior. Cast glass and polished walnut with lustrous terrazzo are juxtaposed to bring forth a breath of nostalgia and modern-day luxury. Additionally, a contemporary art collection lines the walls, introducing an exhibition-like experience throughout the restaurant.

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Scoop, from page 44 Keller’s access is indicative in signature dishes such as the New York Strip Steak from the coveted Snake River Farms—a rare hybrid of Japanese Wagyu and Black Angus Beef; the Wild Dover Sole Meunière, which beautifully represents Keller’s craft, cooked and served to a warm, golden brown and filleted tableside from a gueridon; Roasted Four Story Hill Farm Free Range Chicken with Thyme Jus displaying Keller’s unique rotisserie preparation, presented in an oval roasting dish and dressed with fresh herbs and locally-sourced caramelized vegetables. Other fan favorites include the Classic Caesar Salad prepared tableside, the Hand-cut Steak Tartare and the Double Oxtail Consommé Célestine, which serves as a beautifully-done transition dish between courses. The restaurant’s indulgent desserts include the K+M Chocolate Layer Cake, which pays homage to the Blackout cake developed in World War II at Brooklyn’s Ebinger Bakery, or a classic New York-style Cheesecake.

Surf ‘n’ Turf Rides a New Wave in Chelsea

Scoop likes that traditional surf ’n’ turf is getting an Asian twist with a new concept eatery, Steak ‘N Lobster, from restaurateur Don Fellner and sushi chef Masato Okamoto, at 129 W. 29th St. The 170-seat eatery also features a 30-seat bar and a large lobster tank. The restaurant features hormone-free, grass-fed Black Angus steak and Maine lobsters.

Steak ‘N Lobster is true to its name

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46 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

British Restaurant Wild Ink Imported to Hudson Yards Scoop sees that British import Wild ink, which opened on March 15, is primed to be one of the leaders of the culinary charge at Hudson Yards. Executive chef Peter Jin, formerly of Refinery Hotel and Hotel 50 Bowery and eight-year vet in that position in Hong Kong will spearhead a global mix of a menu with Asian influences. Wild ink’s 5,800 square-foot space designed by London-based Robert Angell Design International with 175-seats throughout the main dining room, chef’s counter, oval bar, bar tables and on the indoor terrace. Rhubarb, the British hospitality group behind Wild ink, will also debut a 10,000- square-foot restaurant and event space on top of 30 Hudson Yards, the 1,296- foot tall tower that is slated to open in 2020. That space will feature the highest man-made observation deck in the western hemisphere. Wild ink is Rhubarb’s first international restaurant.

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 47

SPOTLIGHT ON

TOP WOMEN IN METRO NY FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY : CLUBS

Lily Braswell, Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, NY

ily Braswell is the Club and passion for her work have been attend The Culinary Institute of AmerHouse Manager for the nearthe key elements to achieve success at ica, there was no turning back. ly 100 year-old club, with her position at Winged Foot Golf Club. the first round of golf played Lily Braswell sat down with TFS’s Can you talk about some of the menin 1923. Winged Foot has a history of Joyce Appelman to talk about her role tors along the way that had an imhosting national championships golf at the prestigious golf club. pact on your career? and is getting set to host the U.S. Open I have been lucky to have some in 2020. As a child was there someone that wonderful people I have worked along Lily brings her special touch to the had an impact on you getting into the with. First and foremost, John Fischer club. She has been in the hospitality business? gave me the opportunity to work the industry for the past 15 years. After For sure, my father had a great interfront of the house by his side as a felgraduating with a Business Degree est in food and wine. As children, he low after graduation at the CIA. My from the University of Lima in her natook us to many great restaurants and career would have most likely taken tive Peru, Lily moved to New York to encouraged us to try different cuisines. a different path if I did not have this pursue an Associated Degree in CuBy age 14, I was lucky enough to have opportunity. Moving forward to my linary Arts as well as a Bachelor’s Dedined at some of the most respected time in clubs, my current gree in Hospitality Management at the restaurants in the world, such as boss Colin Burns has Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Le Bernardin and Le Cirque. So been instrumental in Hyde Park, NY. Upon graduation, Lily when the opportunity came to my career in the golf was hired as a Teacher’s Assistant club world. He has at the Caterina Di Medici Restaureally not only taught rant at the CIA. After a year there, me a lot about golf she later relocated to Westchester (I did not play or was County, NY where she worked at familiar with the game!) a couple of distinguished restaubut has pushed me to be a rants amongst them, the highly better professional and to strive acclaimed Café Meze in Hartsfor the level of service our memdale. bership deserves. In 2007, the opportunity to work in private clubs arose and What brought you to your curLily took the position of Food and rent position at your club? Beverage Manager at the CovI was working at the Coveleigh eleigh Club where she learned Club in Rye, NY, when I received the ins and outs of private club an email from the Chef at Winged dynamics. The opportunity to inFoot. He asked if we could meet terview at Club House Manager to discuss our transition from at Winged Foot Golf Club arrived the restaurant business to prithree years later. Lily has been vate clubs. We had lunch and the at Winged Foot for the last nine General Manager at Winged Foot years. “stopped by” to say hello. It was Lily Braswell, Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, NY Her confidence, determination at that point I realized this lunch

48 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

was not social, but they were looking into possibly having me join the Winged Foot team. Six months later, I was on board. It has been a really great nine years and counting! How would you describe the needs of your customers? We are a member’s only golf club; so most needs are mostly golf related and somewhat predictable. In an environment like Winged Foot is all about excellence in service both on the golf course and in the clubhouse. How have those needs evolved and what has your company done to respond to those needs? Being a very traditional club with multigenerational families, change is somewhat a challenge. But it is a challenge we embrace and make the necessary changes to provide the experience our members expect. Whether it is technology, food trends, golf services, locker room services, we do our absolute best to keep up with the changing needs of our membership. We are constantly evolving to keep up with the demands of current times. Crystal ball. What’s on your agenda? Right now, it is a very exciting time as we are all focused on the 2020 U.S Open, which will be hosted at Winged Foot. It will be my first major championship, so very excited to be able to be part of the team. It will be a very busy year but look forward to hosting the 7th major championship at our club.

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 49

EYE

METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

5th Annual NYC Hospitality Alliance Awards Honors Restaurant & Bar Industry Stars

YC Hospitality Alliance Executive Director Andrew Rigie welcomed over 1000 guests and 40 plus honorees to TAO Downtown for the 2019 NYC Hospitality Alliance Awards last month. 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. Over 800 industry leaders turned out to celebrate including New York City Nightlife Mayor Ariel Palitz, Myriad Restaurant Group Partner and the man behind NYC Restaurant Week Tracy Nieporent and Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson. NYC Hospitality Alliance Executive Director Andrew Rigie and President and chef/owner of Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem, Melba Wilson, co-hosted the evening and gave out over two dozen awards during a private reception before the party kicked off. Kudos to Rigie and his team for the updated format that included a special 6pm family/friends/BIP and Press ceremony. The night featured some of TAO’s dinner bites, Asahi Beer, Tito’s cocktails and wine from Rodney Strong Vineyards. The Café Wha? band took the stage and brought down the house, playing classics and today’s hits for an uproarious crowd. Top Bronx awards: The “I Love Bronx

Awards” went to Moss Café, Bronx Havana Café and Trattoria Tra Di Noi. Brooklyn honors were bestowed on Bogota Latin Bistro, Olmsted, and Tanoreen. Manhattan’s “I Love Manhattan Award” were presented to Magnolia Bakery, Peasant and the iconic Rainbow Room. A trio of top Queens eateries were recognized with the “I Love Queens Awards” going to Adda, London Lennie’s and Bungalow Bar. Staten Island was very much in the house with Vinum, Corner House BBQ and Vidataking center stage to accept the “I Love Staten Island Award”. Rigie and Wilson also presented a number of special honors at the event. The “True Taste of NYC Award” went to Veselka for their Pierogies. That award goes to an iconic dish served at an iconic NYC restaurant. The legendary Blue Note won “The City That Never Sleeps Award” for an influential bar, club, cocktail bar or operator. Five of the industries really wonderful people also took home top honors. Loring Place chef/chief Dan Kluger won the Back of House Award that is presented to an individual who has achieved respect and excellence working in one or more jobs in a restaurant kitchen. The “Front of House Award” went to Sylvia’s Tezra Bryant. The Harlem restaurateur was recognized for achieving respect and excellence working in

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(L to R) Alliance president Melba Wilson of Melba’s, the award winning Tezra Bryant of Sylvia’s, and HUB’s Bob Fiorito shared a light moment

Cote’s Simon Kim (C) won top Under 40 honors

Mr. and Mrs. Greg Guarducci of SA Hospitality

Loring Place’s Dan Kluger (R) was congratulated by many of his peers

Imperial Dade’s Howard Hirsch and Laura Craven

I Halper’s Matthew Halper and Georgette Farkas of Restaurant Georgette

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 51

Alliance Awards, from page 50 one or more jobs on the dining room floor of a restaurant. The Alliance recognized Timothy Meyers of RH Rooftop with this year’s Operations Award. The “Hearts of Hospitality Award” recognized for excellence for human resource excellence in hospitality was presented to Jackie McMann Oliveri of Gato & Bobby’s Burger Palace. SA Hospitality’s Jakeline Pereira was presented with the Determination Award. It goes to an individual who started at an entrylevel job in the industry and is now in a leadership role. Top individual honors also included “The Next Generation Award”. Cote’s Simon Kim was recognized by the Alliance to an up-and-coming under-40 or established mover and shaker who is still early in their hospitality industry career. TFS favorite Gennaro Pecchia of (@MenWhoDine) was presented with “The #HospitalityGuru Award” that honors a restaurant, chef, res-

The father and son duo of Tracy Nieporent of Myriad and Uber Eats’ Robert Nieporent

taurateur, nightlife operator or social media influencer with a social media presence that makes you drool, laugh, think and captures your attention. The Alliance also presented a special Philanthropy Served Here Award to Billion Oyster Project. The charitable organization’s work helps to make the neighborhoods of NYC a more hospitable place- with a focus on working with the restaurant and hospitality industry.

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The Blue Note team led by president Steve Bensusan (C) celebrated their award

The ceremony also presented its much-anticipated Fast Casual Award to Num Pang for an emerging or established fast casual restaurant concept we can’t get enough of. The New York City Hospitality Alliance is a non-profit-trade association 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 uni-

EB Cohen’s Neil Owens (L) has been a long time Alliance advocate

fied 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 costsaving 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.

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 53

ASK ANDREW

FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE

PRESENTED BY

Regulating NYC Street Vendors

n April 11th the NYC Hospitality Alliance’s Andrew Rigie and Max Bookman participated in a press conference and City Council hearing about proposed street vendor legislation. If passed, the legislation would approximately double the number of existing mobile vending permits by adding 4,000 new permits over the next 10 years. The proposed legislation would also loosen food cart placement requirements, establish

a vendor regulation enforcement squad and create a vendor advisory board. While there are certain provisions in this proposal we support, we have many concerns that as drafted it will exacerbate conflicts among some brick and mortar restaurants and mobile vendors. The following is an abridged version of our testimony that addresses our concerns and proposes changes. Today, general merchandise vendors, newsstand operators, food vendors, and sidewalk cafes all

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contribute to the New York City streetscape. Yet our city’s system for regulating commercial uses of the public sidewalk is broken. Unfortunately, many of our city’s brick and mortar businesses are broken too, as evidenced by the vacant storefronts that line so many of our neighborhoods’ streets. That’s why we support what helps vendors and brick and mortar businesses. Unfortunately, that’s not what this package

continued on page 103

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

June 7–8, 2019 • New York, NY

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 55

Q&A

EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW

Michael Schulson Founder/CEO, Schulson Collective

e’re always on the lookout for interesting stories that define the Metro New York restaurant industry. A key to that strategy is identifying who is “next”. After all, Total Food Service’s mission is to provide our readers with the latest news on all the happenings within the industry, in addition to profiling prominent figures. One such figure is Michael Schulson, a celebrity chef and successful restaurateur. As the founder of the Schulson Collective, he’s come a long way from his humble beginnings working in a pizza joint on Long Island after he dropped out of college. Schulson’s company has morphed into a regional power. The portfolio of restaurants in Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and South Florida includes Double Knot, Izakaya, the Graffiti Bar, Sampan, Harp & Crown, the Independence Beer Garden, Monkitail at The Diplomat Beach Resort, Giuseppe & Sons, and most recently, Alpen Rose. Schulson shared insight into his background, work ethic and plans on expanding to New York City. Tell us a little bit about your background and what got you interested in cooking? I grew up on Long Island in Roslyn Heights. I was always around food. My grandmother used to cook and it really intrigued me. I mean I remember my brother making fun of me

were teachers, they kind of looked at me and told me I needed a job if I’m going to drop out of school. So I went back to school, saw a bulletin board and pulled off one of the pieces of paper that said a pizza place was looking for somebody to make the pizzas. The rest is kind of history. What did you take from humble beginnings at a Long Island pizza shop? I worked in that pizza place for about a year. The owner said to me that if I was going to do this as a career that I should probably go to cooking school. This was probably 26 years ago now.

Michael Schulson, Founder/CEO, Schulson Collective

when we were outside playing sports and my grandmother would come in and be like, “Michael, Michael you want to help us make some soup,” or whatever, and I was so excited to do it. At first, I was really intrigued by the concept of going to school for architectural engineering because my un-

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cle was a very successful developer in Rockland County. So I just graduated high school went to school for architectural engineering for two years and decided this is not for me whatsoever because I wasn’t being creative enough. I dropped out and moved back home. But since my parents

How did you decide on where to go to school? There was no Food Network really, very limited cooking shows. Cooking wasn’t sexy by any chance… it wasn’t cool. I didn’t know where to go to school and the pizza shop owner suggested I check out the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Back in the day there used to be prerequisites. One was a year in food and beverage (but you could lie) and a six-month waiting list. I got in and went to school and I just kind of fell in love with it. It was hands on, interactive, creative learning. I remember coming home to my parents - and they still tell me the story to this day - and I said, “you know what, mom and dad, it’s amazing.” I didn’t realize I could actually

continued on page 58

SEE US IN BOOTH 1857

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 57

Q&A Michael Schulson, from page 56 learn something at school. That was it. The rest is history. What did the career path look like after the CIA? Every chef has this dream of opening their own restaurant, cooking their own food and doing their own thing and I was no different. I went down that path and worked at many places, including the Waldorf Astoria and Peacock Alley and a number of fine dining and smaller restaurants. Then I started working in some bigger restaurants and my horizons broadened. I always loved math, so I was intrigued by a restaurant’s P&L. I would sit down with the owner and they would ask me questions I could comfortably dissect. The Borgata has had a big impact on your career on several occasions. As I started to grow and work with

Many people say greed conquers all. I don’t believe that. To me, it’s ego that conquers all. Are we cooking the food that I want to cook at every single restaurant every single day? No, we’re cooking the food that the people want. It’s not about what I want; it’s about what the people want.” different people and different restaurants, the Borgata heard about me. They brought me down and they introduced me to Bobby Flay and Wolfgang Puck. They said you could be a part of this team and I was like, “Wow that’s a pretty good team to be a part of. Sign me up!” So I did that deal and while growing at the Borgata, I started

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to meet business people that would have a big impact on my life in Philadelphia. Those relationships spurred not just my interest in restaurants but in business in general. I really became a student of business and studied and read about it and discussed with my friends. I wanted to know how do you set up these business deals and what

do they look like. I became curious about when a deal became bankable, how debt and equity worked or are you just raising capital? So I had a bunch of guys that were like, “We’ll give you a couple thousand dollars. Why don’t we open a restaurant?” And that was 10 years ago and since then we’ve been able to move our company to 11 restaurants. We have our 12th, 13th and 14th opening by the end of this year. We are still on an amazing growth pace. So how did restaurant one turn into restaurant two? And was that a tough jump? So that was obviously a big concern of my business partners. They were asking where my time would be focused, but they took a chance on me. When we first opened, I was in the office reading Quick Books for Dummies. I had my accountant com-

ing in and teaching me Quick Books and I was literally doing all of it. I remember I didn’t take a salary for the first five months and I was making sure that I was paying back investors because I didn’t want to have bank debt. Then something clicked and the restaurant just took off, the area got busier and we got more consistent. And then we turned it into the next restaurant and then we turned it into the next, and the guys got very concerned and they worried I was no longer the chef and asked, what happens now? I think the advantage that I had and what allowed that to happen was while we were struggling at Sampan, I was the one doing the books. So to me all of a sudden at that point, when I had the third restaurant, I was like, “Wow this business thing is almost as exciting in some ways as restaurants.” Like I just love and I’m fascinated with this con-

ing Officer. We created the gap almost between me, as the CEO, and the rest of my directors of operation and restaurants, so this way they all report directly to me because that’s what this business is built on; it’s built on hospitality and service and all of that. So they report directly to me and the org chart is probably the key to our success at this point.

Michael Schulson’s Izakaya restaurant at the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ

cept of how are we going to build the company. So what’s your approach to building a team? The most important thing with

building a team is my involvement. Leading by example is the only way that you can. I mean we just did a little bit of a restructuring, with my wife filling in as the COO role and we moved her over to the Chief Market-

So when we talk to you, why do we sense such calmness? We don’t hear any ego. My wife laughs at me, but we have an amazing team. Many people say greed conquers all. I mean, I don’t believe that. To me, it’s ego that conquers all. I mean are we cooking the food that I want to cook at every single restaurant every single day? No, we’re cooking the food that the peo-

continued on page 60

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 59

Q&A Michael Schulson, from page 59 ple want. It’s not about what I want; it’s about what the people want. So to me, it’s about having a really good group of business partners that I could count on, rely on, ask questions and grow with. For the first time you expanded outside to a place you can’t drive to anymore with Florida. How does the change in the footprint change how you run your business? It definitely does. When I’m down there, I tell my staff that just because I’m in Florida doesn’t mean we stop communicating. And to me that’s kind of the key if we’re doing more stuff. I mean Florida is hard for us right now because we have one restaurant. We’re looking in Delray we’re looking in Brickell and we’re looking in Palm Beach. So if we could grow that for four restaurants, all of a sudden we could afford to have a director down there and we could have a bookkeeper down there as well as have a salesperson down there. And then all of a sudden we have an infrastructure that makes sense. Which definitely makes our life a lot easier. Tell us a little bit about Giuseppe and Sons. Where did this idea come from? We were presented with a huge space in Philadelphia in a basement, 14,000 square feet and another 2000 square feet upstairs. Our belief in restaurants is three fold: one is their design, two is service and three is food. And when we build something, we believe that the most important element is the design. And this is coming from a chef - keep in mind. So that’s how we start. With Giuseppe’s, we got this amazing space in a basement and hired Home Studio, which is out of Brooklyn (great designers). And my wife grew up in a very hardcore Italian family here in Philadelphia, so to us, it’s kind of paying homage to what she grew up eating. So that’s what we do there… It’s southern Italian food that’s not

Michael Schulson demonstrating his hands-on skills in one of his restaurant kitchens

really heavy; you don’t feel gluttonous and like you were a pig when you walked out of there - all in a beautifully well-designed space. The range of entrees is mostly around $16 to $22, really accessible. So we’re finding that people are coming in two to three times a week. The upstairs concept is a sandwich shop during the day. So you walk in upstairs and you have a variety of sandwich options. The theme of what I hear from you is that you read the neighborhood. You read the customer base and then you deliver a product that’s going to solve those needs. Again, it’s not about what I want to create. It’s about what is needed in the neighborhood. And I think a lot of people miss that from a business standpoint. It’s okay to want to open up a French Bistro, but when there’s three French Bistros in a neighborhood, so there’s no density. I tell my business partners that I need to go to a place where I can get business people, I could get tours, I could get locals, and I can get convention people as well. We need all those customer segments if I’m going to make it work. Is that why you aren’t in New York yet? We’re looking in New York. We have

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a name in Philly, obviously and in New York, we don’t. Most of the spaces listed in New York, people have already pitched them to us and there’s a reason why it’s not taken. So the struggle for us is having good spaces call us back. We’re trying to find the right space without having the brand recognition in New York. Did Hudson Yards call you? Yes, they did. But for us, I think it was just about location and our first entry into New York. We didn’t want to be in that location and there’s this big sense of how many restaurants are going in there? 15…30? That’s not our kind of model. And I also believe the most important demographic is locals and it’s not really local yet. Are you excited to move outside of Philly? We’re definitely excited. I mean we’re definitely looking in Florida, and are definitely looking in New York. Also in D.C. and other concepts we’re thinking of for fast casual options that would go great in most college towns. We’ve also had a bunch of people approach us about managing, but we don’t want that because we have enough infrastructure to be able to do things that most people who do management deals can’t do.

We also hear that you invest in small businesses? Where did this come from? So business partners are awesome and like to do a lot of investing. I told them if they have interesting deals to throw them my way to look at the perspectives and try to diversify my portfolio a bit. We invested in a shoe company called Margaux shoes out of New York. Two fabulous girls, and to me you don’t invest in concepts, you invest in people. My wife loved the shoes and they’re great people, so we invested in that. We also invested in a company called Ownable, which allows you to rent household items with an option to buy it after. We also invested in a healthcare management company. It’s been a lot of fun! With so much technology now and a huge focus on delivery and takeout and things like that, is that part of your world or not? I actually have a completely different view than most people have on it. Our mission is to create a beautiful restaurant design that screams fun/ energy when you walk in. So we don’t do takeout for any of our restaurants except the sandwich shop in Philly and our fast casual sushi place. We have GrubHub pushing us, Doordash and the like, but we don’t do takeout. My belief is, the way to make money is to put asses in seats in your restaurant. If the place is empty, is it even a cool place anymore? I don’t think so. My belief is, if I walk down the street and check out a restaurant and then go home, if I see that I could order from all these places, I’m less likely to go into that restaurant because I can order that food. Plus, takeout orders can be a headache on top of regular service. I think too many people are forgetting that many people still like to go out! All photos courtesy of Schulson Collective

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 61

EYE

METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

American Express Hosts Annual SHFM CIC Conference

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 at American Express’ corporate headquarters in New York City. An all-star cast slate of presenters explored this year’s conference theme. 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 enable industry professionals to come together to exchange ideas with industry professionals who share similar challenges and agendas. The goal of the CIC is to provide a program that outlines the opening session that enabled operators to come together at this roundtable to exchange ideas with industry professionals who share similar membership classifications. This interactive session featured selected presentations on critical topics and provided a forum for open dialogue. The roundtable was facilitated by subject matter experts to maximize educational benefit and allow for conversations on issues of common

interest. Once again the CIC hosted a Young Professionals Session & Lunch. Young professionals (40 and younger) discussed ways they deliver and retain excellence in service. In addition, industry leader and SHFM Past President, Holly Von Seggern with HRV Marketing & Communications outlined her keys to building personal brand in the workplace. The afternoon session began with welcoming remarks by the event’s host: Suzanne Heidelberger, SVP, Global Real Estate, American Express. An All-star panel featuring Flik’s Adam Freed, Alan Gallo of American Express and Jones, Lang,

(L to R) Romano Gatland’s Chris Brady with Michael Shapiro and Anthony Gargiulo of Compass Group

(L to R) The Father and Son duo of Flik’s Corey Silverstein and Dad Jay

(L to R) Farmshelf’s Jean Paul Kyrillos and Jacobs Doland Beer’s Christine Gurtler and Bob Doland

(L to R) World Bank’s Gerry DiCosta and Christian Bergen

(L to R) Jim Colombaris of Compass and elite/studio e’s Seth Prager

(L to R) Marc Fuchs of M. Tucker and Restaurant Associates’ Michael Gallagher

(L to R) Karen DiPeri of HMG and Flik chief Scott Davis

PBAC president Larry Cantamessa

(L to R) Dan Cramer of CBRE-Credit Suisse and Sodexo’s Ann McNally

Pro-Tek’s Kim Bunn Minsky

continued on page 64

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EYE, from page 62 LaSalle’s Peter Miscovich then discussed Hospitality Is Bigger Than Ourselves. The mission panel outlined strategies for providing hospitality experiences that attract and retain top-tier talent, drive repeat customers and create value for clients. The trio of corporate and industry executives offered perspectives on delivering and maintaining worldclass service that exceeds customers’ expectations through innovative experiences. The focus was on providing service to multiple generations with differing perspectives. The panel helped attendees adapt to technological advances and automation while supporting multiple service disciplines. “Our goal for the panel was to explore how hospitality models and strategies influence customers and associates as the definition of worldclass service continues to change,” noted Miscovich. The second afternoon session focused on: Measuring Customer Service For Success. Panelists Dr. Ken Fordyce of Arkieva, NYU’s Dr. Jukka M. Laitamaki and Ronni Schorr of Sodexo Group focused on a theme of: If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it! Measuring world-class customer service is essential to the success of any business. There are numerous ways to measure satisfaction globally and locally. The all-star panel also explored how to measure, analyze and act on customer responses to drive worldclass service. From theory to practice – academics to action, attendees discovered the latest recommendations from global experts as they address metrics for world-class customer service, data collection and how to utilize that feedback. Moderator Becky Schilling of Food Management magazine led an afternoon panel that discussed: Creating A Customer For Life. WeWork’s Julian

Clayton, Tony Johnson of Aramark and American Express’ Allison Silver joined Schilling in outlining how to master world-class service. “Service today requires an indepth understanding of customers and the ability to anticipate needs before they are perceived,” Schilling explained. Our goal was to deliver strategies on how to match those expectations and with that to build connections, loyalty and trust.” The event concluded with the opportunity for industry professionals to network. The CIC’s “meet and greet” has been designed to build relationships among operators and suppliers. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails in an intimate networking environment— the perfect close to an insightful conference. SHFM members oversee all facets of corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality from cafes and retail operations to catering, vending and even fitness centers and child care services at major corporations in Metro New York and throughout the US.

(L to R) Rob Gordon of American Express, Kent Bain, John Herron of Restaurant Technologies and NYU’s Owen Moore

(L to R) Denise McCabe of Restaurant Associates and Jessica Salero of The Bread Guy Bakery

(L to R) Eurest Dining Services’ Bill Daley and elite/studio e’s Raquel Fusco Weiss

(L to R) The Tyson Foods trio of James Marr, Dennis Ball and Mike Johnston

(L to R) Day & Nite’s Mike Berman, Kristin Lane of Parts Town and Smart Care’s Kevin Sullivan

(L to R) Elisa Shukran of Citigroup and Flik’s Arlette Jackson

(L to R) Pecinka Ferri’s Joe Ferri and Mike Raycher of Follett

(L to R) Amy Lewis of Kitchens to Go and Barbara Kane of Ecolab

(L to R) TemPositions Group’s Ann Marie McGuire and Nadine Widener, and HMG’s Michael Smith

Past SHFM president Victoria Vega of Unidine

(L to R) Mark Spinelli of Sodexo, Alto Shaam’s Tim Murphy and Adam Varney of USAA

(L to R) Alex Donahue of Sir Kensington’s and NYU’s Mike Dinuzzo

64 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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NEWS

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Critical Issues Facing The Hospitality Industry HMG+’s Karen DiPeri Interviews Industry Leaders Victoria Vega and Rob Gordon

nderstanding the trend in the hospitality and staffing world is one way to make sure your business is on the right track. To help you identify them, Karen DiPeri, President of HMG+, rounded up the top leaders from the Society of Hospitality and Food Management (SHFM) during the Critical Issues Conference hosted by American Express to share their voices during this changing tide in the industry. The Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management serves the needs and interests of executives in the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industries and helps achieve career and business objectives. SHFM outgoing President Victoria Vega and incoming President Rob Gordon sat down with Karen to share their perspectives on hospitality today, and the critical issues facing the industry. Victoria Vega raised the bar of service during her tenure making significant strides in the growth of SHFM. She is the Vice President of Operations for Unidine Corporation’s Corporate Culinary Group and Senior Living Culinary Group, and has had an extensive career in the workplace hospitality industry.

How do you define Hospitality? Victoria: Hospitality is about manifesting your natural DNA as a servant leader. It’s about how we deliver and passionately define ourselves, our companies, and brands with acute customer service. It’s about our drive to make defining moments part of the experience that our guests, customers, residents and clients have with our product or service. It’s about elevating the quality of the food, rapture of the service, tones of the décor and cushions the experience in a halo of exceptional service.

What were the critical issues you addressed as president of SHFM? Victoria: It was important to send the message that SHFM is anticipatory and tactical in our approach to the evolving professional and educational needs of the workplace hospitality industry. Working with our executive leadership, we crafted a three-year strategic plan aligning our mission with mega issues challenging onsite operations. The major platform initiative for my year as President was the re-launch of the SHFM Diversity Council. Fostered

The SHFM experience is transformative and can even be transportative for your career. SHFM helps all members leverage the opportunity to lean on the energy of others, identify resources to help achieve goals and seek the resources to rapidly solve hospitality challenges. I continue to encourage all members and sponsors to get involved, stay engaged, share their expertise and have a voice in the changing landscape of onsite foodservice. We cannot forget that as students of this industry we all need to stand ready to absorb the continuous learning and thrive by sharing those best practices. SHFM is the conduit to deliver that value.” ~ Victoria Vega

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(L-R) Past SHFM president Victoria Vega with HMG+’s Karen DiPeri

by a need for unity and connectedness, and breaking down barriers to provide equal access and inclusion, these are vital to the enhancement and longevity of this society. SHFM is proud to promote and socially support the changing composition of our membership.

Rob Gordon has a pulse on the needs of the industry and as the incoming President of SHFM he’ll be setting the standards as he leads the organization. He is the Vice President of WorkPlace Services at American Express, overseeing dining operations, conference & audio visual services, as well as employee amenities such as back-up child care centers, gyms/ fitness rooms, and concierge services globally. How do you define Hospitality? Rob: Hospitality is having genuine care for the customer, group, or team member. It sounds rather simple to simply understand customer needs and show care and respect for the customer. It’s delivering a kindhearted

continued on page 68

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 67

Critical Issues, from page 68

HMG+’s Karen DiPeri with SHFM Incoming President Rob Gordon

service. The big piece of that is knowing who your customer is. In my world now, my customers are our colleagues or our internal team. The people that day in and day out deliver the very best service and experience. What are the Amex philosophy and implementation for hospitality locally and worldwide? Rob: Amex gives a global perspective to hospitality providing a worldclass service for our customer and employees. They are at the center of everything we do, we design around them to provide unique and memorable experiences.

fresh ideas about the future. It takes courage for a young person, maybe right out of college to get involved with a professional organization. But it’s that same courage that is necessary for leadership. Our goal is to build an inclusive community through education, mentoring and networking. We realize that developing our next group of leaders is critical to the sustainability and vibrancy of SHFM and the industry.

What are the critical issues you will be addressing as the new president of SHFM? Rob: I’ll continue to prioritize the Diversity Council’s mission to foster an environment that embraces diversity and inclusion. We want membership to reflect the markets and people we serve. American Express created Small Business Saturday as a way to celebrate and discover small businesses. In a similar way, SHFM can expand their membership to include smaller businesses, and minority-owned firms in the hospitality sphere. Having a truly engaged, diverse membership with energy and vision will help keep SHFM relevant and a catalyst for creating new leaders. Our Young Professionals and Rising Star program is very successful and has infused the organization with 68 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

As the incoming president I am focused on delivering solutions that meet the needs of our members. I’m a champion for other people. I’m the cheerleader for our leadership and a supporter for our members. I’m looking to create a culture by the members for the members. It’s the help from my SHFM team that’s really pushing the needle on initiatives and innovation.” ~ Rob Gordon What are your plans to motivate young professionals to be active in SHFM? Rob: SHFM’s Rising Star program provides complimentary membership, registration and travel to events and conferences. I think that we’ve started a solid initiative and we’re starting to see a whole new group of leaders through this program. Young

people appreciate and are eager to take part in professional development. So I’d like to explore more ways to provide that to them. The SHFM Foundation has raised and donated $640,000 over 11 years for scholarships and research to students to pave the way for a successful career in hospitality and food service. That’s reaching students before they are entering the workforce. That’s a great program and I’d love to see the Foundation continue to reach ambitious and well deserving students with internships and scholarships. To learn more about SHFM and becoming a member, visit https:// www.shfm-online.org/ Karen DiPeri is known as a community builder for the industry. She is President of HMG Plus, Inc., a specialized provider of hospitality staffing solutions headquartered in Manhattan, the marketing co-chair for the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management (SHFM). She is the President and a Board Member of the New York Staffing Association (NYSA) and an alumnus of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. She has been honored as a SmartCEO New York Brava and awards include the SHFM Spirit Award Winner and recognized for three years by Total Food Service as a Top Woman in Metro New York Foodservice & Hospitality.

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 69

23,

19 25,3

77 m

Crown Shy

New York, NY

wo restaurant veterans are flying solo with Crown Shy, New York’s latest fine dining restaurant that’s housed in the Financial District landmark building at 70 Pine Street. Located on the ground floor of the iconic building, Crown Shy is a collaboration of James Kent and Jeff Katz. The entire concept took two years to bring to life and is a dining room and bar that occupies a series of beautiful rooms that feature many alluring design attributes. We talked to some of the people responsible for bringing Crown Shy to life!

The Marketing Director: David Gruber, Crown Shy, NY, NY

The Architect: Jonathan Garnett, Partner, MN Design Professional Corp., NY, NY

15 14 13

The Kitchen Equipment Dealer: Steve Braun, M. Tucker, Paterson, NY

12 11 10

The Custom Fabricator: Chris Rapciewicz, EMI Industries, Boonton, NJ

70 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

7 6

2 1

415

4 3

18 20

x 16

ers of the neighborhood. Locals can swing by for a glass of wine at the bar or schedule a celebratory dinner for eight. The menu at Crown Shy is rooted in European technique but draws inspiration from Chef Kent’s travels and the diverse cuisine in New York City.   We have brought in Renata Ameni, former executive pastry chef at Manresa, to lead the pastry kitchen.  The restaurant takes its name from Crown Shyness, the phenomenon in some tree species where the uppermost branches in a forest canopy avoid touching one another, creating space between the treetops and a mosaic pattern of light. Visually, the forest canopy is similar to the lower Manhattan skyline: dozens of distinct towers separated by the street grid.  Chef Kent has created a menu with multiple visits in mind. The menu is divided into four sections: first is small dishes that can easily be snacked on at the bar, second vegetable-forward and lighter dishes, third is grains, and four is main dishes or proteins. Everything on the

The Kitchen Design Consultant: Ed Hull, Jacobs Doland Beer, NY, NY

79,3

David Gruber’s Approach: Much of the anticipation with this project comes from bringing two of the real stars of the industry together for the first time. Crown Shy is a collaboration between James Kent, longtime chef de cuisine at Eleven Madison Park, and Jeff Katz, managing partner of Del Posto. The restaurant is Kent and Katz’s first solo project and their first collaboration.  Our team has spent two years working on the project. As you can well 2imagine after working for 30 years for other people, this is really something special.   We have brought in a top flight design team, led by MN Design. They are well-known for their work on Kappo Masa and Cote Korean Steakhouse. MN was able to create a very unique feel with a 120-seat dining room and bar includes a series of rooms with floor to 16-foot-ceiling windows lined by a leather banquette leading to an open kitchen.   The signature in the space is a 30-foot granite bar and exposed steel columns that echo the structure of the skyscrap-

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A Hestan cooking suite is the centerpiece of the open kitchen

menu can either be shared or ordered individually.   Jonathan Garnett’s Approach:    Crown Shy is the latest in our short tenure, of projects we have completed in the hospitality, commercial, industrial, and residential sectors. We have worked with award-winning chefs and restaurateurs, media personalities, fashion designers, and even the premier designer and manufacturer of protective military equipment for the likes of US Navy Seal Team 6.   MN has a range of expertise, from navigating 2 compliance, the ins-and-outs of code to developing and detailing custom furniture and lighting with trusted fabricators and consultants. We pride

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EMI’s New Jersey division provided custom fab solutions throughout Crown Shy’s expansive kitchens

ourselves on being collaborative and allow our work to evolve out of the

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 71

Crown Shy, from page 70 experiences, stories, and expertise of our clients’ lives. Our first restaurant project was Kappo Masa, a joint venture between the legendary art dealer Larry Gagosian and the luminary chef Masa Takayama. The project is located within the flagship Gagosian Gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City. We have been fortunate that our work in the restaurant space has continued to expand and evolve solely through word of mouth referral. The restaurant world is tightly knit, ambitious, and dynamic, which has led us organically to new introductions and commissions. We’ve worked primarily in New York City, notably designing restaurants such as Cote Korean Steakhouse, Tetsu, and an expansion of Shuko, in addition to Kappo Masa. We’ll be taking our efforts outside of New York City in the near future for some exciting new ventures.  For Crown Shy, both James and Jeff were trying to figure out what a restaurant that represented their values might look and feel like - from the cuisine, to the service, to the space. Because our relationships have always been a collaboration with our clients, we built a dialogue where an idea for the restaurant emerged from discussion, rather than any particular dictum.   Though both James and Jeff cut their teeth in some of the most pedigreed establishments in New York, there was a mutual desire to develop a project that both reflected this upbringing, yet was more casual and accessible than both of their previous endeavors. We felt a strong sense, from both James and Jeff, of wanting to make an experience that was welcoming, joyful, and communal, yet also refined, inventive, and elegant.   Early on, James shared with us stories of his days growing up in New York City and how it informed his sensibility, which we find both elegant and gritty. He identified things within the city itself that gave shape to his personal aesthetic. We had great discussions about finding the balance between

“elegance” and “grit,” and how his sensibility might live within a landmarked Art Deco skyscraper. Ultimately, finding a design sensibility that felt authentic to New York City, the locale, and his cuisine became the starting point for design.  When Jeff joined the project, he shared with us a unique combination of an aesthetic imagination paired with a pragmatic, operational sensibility. Not only keenly aware of what he needed in the dining room, but also very aware of how things should feel for guests, Jeff left no stone unturned as we developed the designs together.     In our previous work with Chef Masa, we had the opportunity to design open kitchens as integral to the restaurant design, so we were already familiar with the impact that seeing the work of chefs could have upon the dining experience. For Crown Shy, the open kitchen became a key conceptual piece. Unlike other open kitchens that we’ve designed or seen, we worked to break down any barriers between these traditionally separate spaces. The view towards the kitchen is exhilarating for diners, but the view from the kitchen to the dining room is also special. There is a continuity of space that makes the relationship between kitchen and dining room explicit, creating a unique relationship between chefs, servers, and diners. The main pass is the focus of this relationship, where all of the people and parts come together for everyone to see.  We knew that we wanted the dining room to feel airy and modern, yet, we also knew that the spaces needed to feel warm and comfortable. We wanted the space to feel inviting not only upon first glance, but after sitting for a long meal. For Crown Shy, this meant a material palette that was not fussy, that looked good in the lighting scheme that we worked on with Da-

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sibility about the quality of our projects and how certain details of an experience come into play within the larger context.  The entire project was a fascinating challenge from so many standpoints! There were several technical and operational hurdles to overcome, but also there was the design hurdle of working in such a spectacular landmarked building.

Ed Hull’s Jacobs Doland team designed a flexible prep kitchen for the Crown Shy culinary operation

EMI’s millwork capabilities took centerstage in the Crown Shy design

vid Weiner Design, and which had a tactile—not just visually—but also in quality. We brought together concrete, brushed leather, textured stone, oiled wood, and blackened steel, but also introduced brass details, reeded glass, and planting to create a diverse and harmonious material palette. Tables and chairs played a huge role in the quality of the space, so we custom designed both to continue on the quality of design established at a larger scale.   For us, the selections of plate and glassware need to work as part of the space’s gestalt; that is, the smallest pieces should relate to larger concepts and design decisions, whether extending—or contrasting—a particular sensibility. We aren’t experts in service wares, but we have an inherent sen-

Ed Hull’s Approach: The Chef is a friend, we worked together previously on The Nomad. We had conversations about what he was looking at and where he was going to land. He then brought us on when he signed the deal. We were kind of figuring it all out at first between James and the architect, trying to find the best layout for the space. When he took it, there were certain restrictions to the building given there was a market in the building below. We were limited as to where to put drainage, also the layout of the restaurant is that the main kitchen is on the ground floor. The prep kitchen is actually two floors below. So trying to work out the vertical transportation, whether receiving good or prepping, up to the main kitchen was a big challenge. We looked at every option from staircases to dumb waiters. Delivery is to the basement floor. We ended up designing connecting stairs between the levels. We could not land a dumb waiter in the space without giving up valuable kitchen space. The downstairs kitchen now operates as a commissary. When Chef Kent first started, he didn’t have a menu yet. We went with some basic cooking on both sides of the line and went with what we had previously done at Eleven Madison and The Nomad. We came to the point of realizing that the way the kitchen

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 73

REAL ESTATE PERSPECTIVE

WITH JOSEPH AQUINO

Don’t Let Hudson Yards Confuse The Reality Of Retail Rents Falling

Joseph Aquino is renowned for his 30-plus years of deal making in

hy have retail rents fallen, and why do they continue to decline? After all, the magnificent Hudson Yards project opened last month. With many of the leading names and retail and restaurants from some of the greats, one would believe that all is well and that retail rates will hold. It can’t be because sales are off. Young people’s closets are still full of designer shirts, khakis, and sneakers—for which they’re still paying top dollar. However, the way they buy their merchandise has changed dramatically. Retail rents have always been a derivative of sales. If your store sells a certain amount, you can afford to pay a certain percentage of that number to rent the store. That holds true today. But brick-and-mortar retailers’ bottom line is smaller, now, because today’s shoppers have found online shopping to be just as much fun as wandering through a boutique or a department store— plus, the prices are frequently lower. Many of us have an outdated notion of what today’s shopper looks like. We still tend to think of Carrie Bradshaw and her friends from Sex and the City, gadding around Manhattan in their designer shoes. Well, they’re 20 years older now, and their buying habits have changed. Some of them have children, who know an

New York City and global real estate markets, during which time he has helped various well-known property

Retail rents have always been a derivative of sales. If your store sells a certain amount, you can afford to pay a certain percentage of that number to rent the store. That holds true today.

owners, hoteliers, and retailers to find and complete leasing transactions. His specialties include sales of hotels and office buildings and the leasing of retail, OFFICE, and industrial space. He is known for his work in high-end New York City neighborhoods, including Madison Avenue, SoHo, NoLiTa, the Meatpacking and Flatiron Districts, and Long

entirely different kind of life. Women are most retailers’ target customers, and most of them have gotten used to the online experience. Successful restaurateurs in NYC also know that today’s customer has a very different set of needs. Customer experience today means everything from small and shared plates to custom signature cocktails. What does this mean for owners of retail property? It certainly doesn’t mean that your property is obsolete as retail space. But it often will mean re-thinking how tenants use that property. It will mean expanding your concept of “highest and best use” for retail real estate. “That’s where a knowledgeable broker can help. New concepts in retail leasing evolve all the time. It’s a smart broker’s business to keep up with them and use them to the client’s advantage.” In my more than 30 years in this market, I’ve helped tenants and

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owners weather the savings and loan crisis, the bursting of the tech bubble, 9/11, and the Great Recession. Nothing surprises me much. My specialties include the full spectrum of retail, whether, it includes luxury, fast fashion or food & beverage. I also have experience and capability for the site selection of showroom and office, movie theatres, parking garage, and industrial. I have worked along Madison Ave., SoHo, the Meatpacking district, the Flatiron District and Nolita. Some of the tenants I have represented include Buccellati, Paul & Shark, Caruso Menswear, Paul Morelli, Tous, Sermonetta, Fogal, John Fluevog and Ports 1961. I have also consulted for The 42nd Street Development Project in Times Sq. in 1992 when Times Sq. was changing from The Red Light District into the family center it is known for today. I also represented Amtrak for the retail level at Penn Station, along

Island City. He has assisted numerous hotels and casinos across the country in their real estate plans. Aquino founded and leads The Secret Brokers Society, a team that consists of 25 brokers in major cities all over the world. He is a citizen of the world, but lives in New York City.

with The Downtown Alliance that is the business improvement association for The Financial District where I assisted in the analysis for “big box” retail development, along with assisting numerous hotels and casinos across the country in their retail use plans. It’s important today that you find a broker that can blend retail knowledge and restaurant and food service experience. Because as we see with the opening of Hudson Yards and the return of upscale dining inside stores including Neiman Marcus, retail and dining have become very much a blended experience.

SEE US IN BOOTH 3668

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 75

MENU STRATEGIES

WITH ALLIE WAINER

Menu Crafting Within The Country Club Space

eeping menus fresh is one of the most exciting, and most challenging aspects of a chef’s job. Not only do they need to plan around what’s fresh, in-season and available to them, they also need to fit these choices into the greater context of diner preferences. Dining, like any human pursuit, is often driven by trends and expectations. To craft effective menus, chefs need to stay current with trends in the industry and check in with their customers frequently to learn what’s working what isn’t. In my position as Chief Customer Officer and Executive Vice President at Sid Wainer & Son, I get the opportunity to speak with many of our customers. We’re a company of chefs, and so we feel a strong kinship with the chefs that buy from us. We encourage them to use our warehouse as their walk-in and we always invite our chefs to visit and use our test kitchen to do menu development. Through these frequent interactions with chefs all around the world, we’ve built up an exhaustive knowledge of dining trends and practices across every sort of dining experience. Today we’re talking about menu crafting within the country club space. I thought I’d take this opportunity to share with you some of the things I’ve learned about what’s trending currently, and ways that you can use these insights to create interesting, dynamic menus that will surprise your diners and keep customers intrigued and coming back for more.

Allie Wainer is the Executive Vice President of Sid Wainer and Son. The New Bedford , MA native is a fourth generation member of the Wainer family to guide the firm. She has an

Clubs are frequently opening their dining rooms to the outside, creating indoor and outdoor eating spaces. This is a great opportunity for chefs and their staff to create unique dining experiences that take advantage of each location. • In recent years we’ve seen a huge shift away from the standard threecourse, protein-centered meal. Instead, patrons are enjoying small plates and other dining formats that promote sharing. And they’re looking for clean eating opportunities where meats and carbs are becoming side players, with hearty, seasonal vegetable combinations taking center stage. When you’re planning menus for this sort of patron, keep the social aspect of food in mind, and create dynamic experiences that the whole table can share. • Clubs are frequently opening their dining rooms to the outside, creating indoor and outdoor eating spaces. This is a great opportunity for chefs and their staff to create unique dining experiences that take advantage of each location. Outdoor dining can be less formal and more relaxed. You could have fun with a bloody mary bar, some interesting salads, and small plates. Focus on high-volume items that are fresh and unique. Indoor dining can be a little bit

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more of an elevated experience, but you can still keep things interesting. Consider a caviar service or different themed dinners that create narratives that pull interest and get people excited to return. • Poolside eating should be light and airy. People aren’t looking for heavy or messy when they’re sitting out in the hot sun. Look for no-frills dishes that are self-contained, easy to eat, and don’t weigh patrons down. Deconstructed salads and other light finger foods can win over members. • 19th hole diners, on the other hand, are looking to have a beer or two after a round, and are more accepting of flavor-heavy dishes. Think of elevated pub fare. Salty and flavor-forward are appreciated by this crowd. Small plates and new takes on classic snack foods can work very well in this context. You might try a new take on classic calamari, or a punched up tuna salad that incorporates unique flavor profiles. • One trend that’s no longer a trend in my opinion, but instead an expectation, is the inclusion of choice for

extensive restaurant and catering management background in Boston and New York. The Dartmouth, MA native oversees the company’s 300,000 square foot storage facility. Allie also had led the company’s commitment to local farms.

those with special dietary restrictions. Whether you’re talking Keto, Paleo, or gluten-free, club patrons no longer hope for options that fit their dietary choices but instead expect that something will be available to them. It’s important for menus to be as inclusive as possible. But this doesn’t have to be a hobbling situation. Instead, it represents an opportunity for your menus to depart from the mainstream and take risks. It allows you to feature foods that might not normally get a leading role. It forces us all to get out of our comfort zone and create interesting foods that cater to a wide array of dining requirements. In the end, that’s what we do as chefs. We create dining experiences, and our menus should reflect that. We should be constantly pushing ourselves to reinvent what we consider fine dining or casual fare. Chefs today have more, highquality ingredients available to them than ever before. I encourage you all to take advantage of this opportunity to elevate your skills and your menus. Your patrons will certainly thank you for it and they’ll reward your diligence with frequent visits.

BY THE PIECE BY THE POUND B Y T H E PA L L E T C R E AT E A N A C C O U N T T O D AY AT S I D WA I N E R .C O M BECAUSE THE BEST CHEFS DEMAND THE BEST INGREDIENTS™

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 77

NEWS

FOOD SAFETY INNOVATION

Sani Professional Set To Honor Industry’s Top Food Safety Achievers at 5th Annual Sani-Awards™

midst a climate of continuing threat to the world’s food supply, safeguarding the food preparation and processing infrastructure is a priority. There is a need for the food supply to be properly regulated and monitored. Companies that handle and serve food should have the moral responsibility to guarantee the safety of customers. However, the government’s efforts through regulation and inspection alone are not enough. Our industry needs to maximize efforts to make sure that the food provided to the final consumer is safe. Over the years, several food safety practitioners and experts have done well in maintaining high food safety standards and promoting excellence in the foodservice industry. These efforts are worth celebrating for their commitment to go above and beyond. The food safety division of Professional Disposables International (PDI ®) is set to hold its 5th Annual Sani Awards™, an honor that recognizes leadership and innovation in food safety within the foodservice industry. “As a company, we are passionate about food safety, and we know how important it is to the general public. We aim to recognize and celebrate excellence in food safety,” noted Elise Lenz, Sani Professional’s Senior Product Manager. The first edition of the Sani Awards™ which was held in 2014 78 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

The increasing number of food safety practitioners and experts being honored at the Sani Awards™ over the years is encouraging, and it’s a great show of the industry’s growing commitment towards food safety,” said Elise Lenz was a real eye-opener to the essence of appreciating food safety practitioners and experts in the industry and how these awards can motivate individuals to do more. “We had our maiden edition back in 2014 when we presented the awards at the Food Safety Summit, a trade show and educational event that happens annually in May, ” Lenz explained. “We started with three awards: the Outstanding Food Safety Program Innovation which recognizes a program that has been implemented in a food service operation but not training related, the Exceptional Food Safety Education which focuses on education and training program implementation, and lastly the Leadership in Food Safety which recognizes food practitioners that have really made it their mission to educate both their employees and the general public”. Sani Professional has announced that the fifth edition will have a new category in order to widen the scope of the individual honorary awards winner at the ceremony. The new category, Food Safety Champion, will honor and recognize the recipient’s outstanding commitment to food safety and their significant body of work that has had a lasting influence and major impact on food safety in the food service industry. The awards ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Food Safety Summit

Town Hall in Rosemont, IL in May 2019. For the winners of the various categories, the awards ceremony will give the individual or company an edge over their competition not only in their sector but in the entire food industry. Nominations are evaluated based on contributions and innovations made to the advancement of food safety in the food service/ processing industry. “The increasing number of food safety practitioners and experts being honored at the Sani Awards™ over the years is encouraging, and it’s a great show of the industry’s growing commitment towards food safety,” Lenz concluded. Sani Professional, a division of PDI, is committed and dedicated to protecting companies and their employees as well as their target market. The company’s line of accessories and disposable wipe products including Hands Instant Sanitizing Wipes, Disinfecting Multi-Surface Wipes and No-rinse Sanitizing MultiSurface Wipes Softpack are designed specifically to meet every general cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting requirements.

May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 79

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MEET THE NEWSMAKER NYC Attorney Combines Passion for Food and Law Into Vibrant Practice

his is a tale about one of those rare individuals in life that gets to make a living while working in and around his passion. Queens, New York native Richard Frazer was your average student at what was then Stuyvesant High School, on Manhattan’s 14th Street. He later attended New York University undergrad as a philosophy major, ultimately narrowing his choices upon graduation to either starving philosopher or law student. In the end, he chose to stay in NYC and attend NYU School of Law. As a young attorney, Frazer was interested in corporate law, starting out at a relatively big law firm, where he focused on securities and mergers and acquisitions work. He eventually decamped to a smaller firm, where he continued to practice general corporate law. Then, in 1999, Frazer was lured to one of New York’s most prestigious and well known midsize law firms: Pryor Cashman, which today employs more than 170 lawyers. After moving from Park Avenue to its current location, “you can literally touch the New Year’s Eve ball from the firm’s window in Times Square,” Frazer said. Over

the years, the firm has grown, adding an office in Los Angeles, and has been ranked the #1 midsize law firm in New York City. But most importantly, the move to Pryor Cashman led the way for the affable barrister to merge two of his passions. Frazer is a self-proclaimed “foodie” and member of the James Beard Foundation (just one look at his Twitter page, @guttergourmet, reveals his unbridled love of diverse cuisines). “I’ve always loved food and, at Pryor Cashman, I have been able to build a practice representing both leaders and innovators of the restaurant industry.” Despite having a demanding “day job” as an attorney, Frazer never abandoned his interest in food. About ten years ago, he began chronicling his thoughts on both new restaurants and old favorites, writing for digital publications including Always Hungry, The Daily Meal and, even earlier, the popular food chat board Chowhound. For Frazer, writing about food has been a way to learn about history, religion and culture, which continue to drive his passion as a restaurant lawyer. Not long after joining Pryor Cashman, Frazer’s law partners came to

I’ve always loved food and, at Pryor Cashman, I have been able to build a practice representing both leaders and innovators of the restaurant industry.” 82 • May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Richard Frazer

regard him not only as a go-to for restaurant recommendations and industry news (he has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the comings and goings of the city’s top chefs, from pizzaiolos to omakase sushi masters), but also as the de facto expert on the legal issues impacting restaurant businesses, eventually naming him co-head of the firm’s Restaurant, Food + Beverage Group, which Frazer created. “By combining my passion for food with the work I was doing for some of the most iconic chefs and restauranteurs in the industry, I was really able to grow this specialized practice within the firm,” Frazer said. “I enjoy nothing more than just listening to my chef clients and restaurant owners talk about their businesses.” With the green light from his partners, Frazer initially hoped to be able to devote 10 percent of his time to representing restaurant, food and beverage companies. Within two years, this percentage grew to 50 percent and, presently, accounts for over 99

percent of his work. Over the years, Frazer has counseled more than 100 food businesses, including mom and pop operations that have grown into some of the most respected companies in the industry, such as Major Food Group and its founders Mario Carbone, Jeff Zalaznick and Rich Torrisi, and the young entrepreneurs behind New York’s celebrated Los Tacos No. 1, and Los Mariscos, among others. His clients appreciate his “soup to nuts” legal representation, which reflects his holistic understanding of the business issues restaurant owners, investors, manufacturers and distributors face (and enables them to save time and money by having a single firm handle all their legal work). His practice has grown to include advising on business formation, startup expansion, financing, licensing, leasing, operational issues, franchising and even brand optimization. “Many restaurants do not realize that they need more than just a real estate and liquor lawyer. From health and safety issues to ADA compliance, discrimination claims, minimum wage, tipping and overtime employment matters, the food business has become a minefield of regulatory hurdles,” he explained. Challenges aside, Frazer says his greatest satisfaction comes from his clients’ success. When Noda, a recently-opened omakase sushi restaurant, received a Michelin star, Frazer called to congratulate his clients there, who told him, to his amazement, that the star belonged as much to him, their lawyer, as to them.

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Ask us about the CT Series countertop ovens! Pecinka Ferri Associates | 973-812-4277 | sales@pecinkaferri.com May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 83

NEWS

VENTLESS SOLUTIONS

Ventless Equipment In Unlikely Locations

ocation, location, location. While it may be the most important rule of realty, when it comes to our ventless kitchen equipment practically any place will do! At Motion Technology Inc., we have just what owners and operators need to add a successful foodservice program to their business. With our high-speed oven and full line of automated deep fryers, it is easy to whip up delicious menu items in no time at all. Even in the most unlikely location any type of business can pump out tasty grub for their patrons with our products. Now, where are some of the unlikely spots you can find our products? Well, for starters how about car dealerships and auto repair shops? That’s right, while you wait for repairs and maintenance to be completed on your vehicle you can enjoy a tasty lunch or snack. What about a laundry mat? Get your

fried food fix while you whiten your whites! We even have a fryer at a school for synchronized swimmers! Hey, swimmers have to eat too! Bottom line, it is a go, go, go kind of world, and sometimes people need to eat when and where they can. This, however, doesn’t mean the flavor or quality needs to be sacrificed. We take pride in the quality food that our machines produce and know that our customers will take that same pride when serving their clients from the AutoFry or MultiChef XL. For nearly thirty years, we have been providing all kinds of companies with reliable and profitable ventless kitchen equipment. All of our products require no hood or ventilation installation, saving our clients in costly renovations. Our products are also super simple to use. With just the push of a couple buttons any employee can serve up

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scrumptious items like flatbread pizzas, tater tots, quesadillas, and crispy fried chicken. In addition to being easy to use, our equipment is also extremely safe. Both our oven and fryers are fully contained, keeping employees out of harms way, and every AutoFry comes with a preinstalled ANSUL Fire Suppression System. Just like our equipment our cus-

tomer service really outshines the rest. We are always happy to answer any question from our clients or potential buyers. Our team is ready to give you the information you need to make a fully informed decision. From deciding the right fryer size to match your customer capacity, to the electrical specifics for your location, we are here to help.

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 85

LIZ ON TABLETOP TABLETOP SOLUTIONS Generate New Profits With Small Plate Creativity

s we begin to enjoy warmer spring and summer weather, we are seeing a great opportunity that brings the fun back to dining. In a world of cellphones, a dining experience that features sharing is nothing short of special. It’s all about a fun sharing experience for the dining patron and their friends. It starts with reworking your menu so that the word “SHARE” becomes a highlight. I know that it is ironic that many restaurants spent years penalizing diners who wanted to share. The right spot on the menu is to

Liz Weiss is the President and co-

create a pre-appetizer addition to the menu that comes with a description that promotes the new shared plates. We are seeing it being done right with operators like Dave DiBari. His new Eugene’s Diner & Bar restaurant in Port Chester is utilizing smaller plates to create larger profits. For your guests this a great way 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 they are sharing eight different things. If you were to push small plates from the moment they sit down they may

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end up sharing 12 small plates. This which makes the average check go up. Managing the comparison of appetizer and entrees vs. small plates is a challenge that has an odd solution. We have been working with our customers to replace their bread and butter plates with a sharing plate so it’s a little larger than a bread and butter plate. We suggest an oval because it takes up less room. Our goal is to replace a free piece of bread that is not being paid for with a shared appetizer that is creating revenue. With small plates and bites you are going to have a variety of positives

owner 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.

from a higher average check, energy and ingredient savings, and of course savings on tableware. The energy sav-

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May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 87

THE FOODIE QUIPPER

WITH JOE FERRI

Kitchen Harmony

o you frequent your local music stores? No, not the kind that sell pre-recorded songs, but the types that supply performing artists. If so, you’d certainly know that most musicians turn into kidsin-a candy shop upon entering. You see, the tools of their trade inspire and excite them and get their juices flowing. They will get lost in the aisles, trying out various new instruments, practicing and trying to impress each other. Creative people such as artists, designers, musicians and yes, chefs share many common traits. Parallels between cooking and music abound. Chefs too can be inspired at a well-appointed dealer or rep showroom, and similarly can’t resist jumping in on the line and jamming at a test kitchen demonstration. Just as a trained guitarist or drummer can make beautiful sounds from whatever is at hand, so too can an experienced cook create harmony from a few simple ingredients and utensils. Similarly, when each is afforded superior tools and supplies, a relative symphony ensues. A well -appointed work space can bring out the sweetest melodies from artists and artisans. What equipment then is essential and which pieces optional? It depends; ask the experts. Foodservice equipment professionals can recommend and specify various kitchen appliances for individual functions and applications.

Joe Ferri (AKA the Foodiequipper) was conceived in a Greenwich Village speakeasy’s walk-in box, the love child of the hat check girl and bartender. He is in his fifth decade of (somewhat) gainful employment in the foodservice industry. He is past chairman of MAFSI and currently COO of Pecinka Ferri Assoc., a NY area equipment, furnishings and supplies representative. Follow Joe @ joeferri on Twitter.

The better suppliers can typically select form a broad array of goodbetter-best items. These can be tailored to space restrictions, utility availability, ventilation requirements, and a whole series of other factors. A kitchen which is in tune with its concept is one where design principles such as flexibility and modularity, ergonomics, efficiency and sustainability are all employed. The

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selection process must, of course, take into consideration menu production and budget constraints. With each station performing at peak, the back of the house can create the buzz worthy of applause. A common refrain resonates that the very best equipment cannot be had for a song. A proper expenditure should be calculated, and a medley of gear assembled. Evolution and availability of the

very latest equipment and supplies must be considered when embarking on a project. Resources abound for researching and testing and ultimately sourcing innovative new kitchen components such as ventless combi oven steamers, energy efficient radiant deep fryers and charcoal powered oven grills. A team approach in foodservice might include the operator, a design consultant, manufacturer’s representative(s), dealer(s), and service agencies. Why not get the band assembled to make some beautiful music together?

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THE ESSENTIALS OF HOSPITALITY PR

WITH LINDA KAVANAGH

DIY or Hired Pro?

e all wish our business performed like Field of Dreams – build it and they will come. It’s not the world we live in anymore. Great food and service, solid kitchen talent, and an atmosphere to match are sadly, not enough. So, how does one get the right information to the right people? The answer is simple. Promotion. The execution – not so simple. Ever since social media became a major influencer, restaurant reviews from “professionals” were 86’d, and way too many restaurants began popping up, the formula for effective marketing has changed. If you thought the restaurant industry was saturated, imagine how overloaded media and social media outlets have become. How does one play the game and stay relevant in today’s communication frenzy and unpredictable dining culture? The answer is PR / Marketing. Budget Whether you’re goin’ it alone or with a PR professional, your business plan must include allocated funds towards marketing. The essentials are: • Professional Photo Shoot • Branding • Website • SEO • Social Media Management • Social Media Monthly Advertising Budget • Advertising • Graphic Arts • In-house Hosting of Tastemakers and Social Media Influencers • Off-premise Events • Social Media Collaborations

If you thought the restaurant industry was saturated, imagine how overloaded media and social media outlets have become. How does one play the game and stay relevant in today’s communication frenzy and unpredictable dining culture? The answer is PR / Marketing.

Linda Kavanagh is the founder of MaxEx Public Relations. Prior to launching her company, Kavanagh spent ten years in the culinary field, including line cooking, and later, catering. Naturally, her clients include over 300 businesses in the restaurant and dining industry. Kavanagh’s experience in the restaurant industry adds another layer to her skill set, and separates her from other publicists.

• •

Donations PR Professional

The challenge with this checklist of essentials if you are new to playing the game is knowing what these components can and should cost in your market. This is why a PR professional has tremendous value when you are putting a business plan in place. If your plan is to do your own PR, I suggest bringing a PR consultant on board to, at the very least, flesh out these numbers with you and set you on the right path. DIY or Hired Pro If you have the (experienced) manpower on your team and are able to incorporate dedicated time into their schedule for marketing efforts, then managing your own PR can be quite rewarding and you can save a significant amount of money each month. Keep in mind, while we like to think that the rest of the world conducts business between 3-5 PM and then again after 11 PM, sadly, this is just not the case. Whoever your dedicated marketing person is must be able to

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function in PR mode throughout a normal business day in order to connect with the appropriate people, facilitate requests, manage social media, and create opportunities. Ask yourself and your designated in-house marketing representative the following questions: • Do you have access to branding, website, and photography talent that has a stellar reputation within the foodservice industry? • Do you have relationships with your regional media outlets, editors, and writers? • Are you a proficient writer? • Are you connected to your community and its influencers? • Is social media your second language? • Which all-access media outlets reach your audience? • Advertising: Print or digital? Email or social media? • Which events in your area are important to be a part of? • What sorts of collaborations make sense for your business and your concept?

Her career as a publicist began at Gary Stromberg’s PR firm in the music industry. After learning the business, Kavanagh went on to launch MaxEx in 1997.

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What types of marketing materials are needed for in-house and off-premise marketing efforts? If you know the answers to and have knowledge of at least 6 out of these 10 questions, you may be able to pull off your own marketing efforts successfully in-house. If not, read on. Working with a PR Professional You’ve decided to concentrate on your restaurant and hire a PR pro to lay down a strong marketing foundation for your business and keep up with the day-to-day promotion of your restaurant. The same criteria that went into finding your chef or manager should follow suit when looking for the right publicist. One size does not fit all. It’s important that your publicist specializes in the food service and hospitality indus-

try. Bonus points for restaurant publicists who actually have restaurant experience. Their knowledge of food, beverage, operations, and restaurant culture will be essential when navigating their way through your restaurant and being able to communicate properly with you, your staff, the media, vendors, partners, and influencers. Reputation is key. Your publicist is representative of your restaurant. Their ability to communicate properly, utilize their standing within their field, and garner positive attention on your behalf is what you are paying them to do. Your PR rep should come with a large “Rolodex”, a respect for the industry, and an undeniable passion for what they do. Trust your publicist. Granted, this is earned. But if you’ve hired the right one, take their lead and be receptive to ideas. Provide answers to questions promptly. Follow through on your end by providing a restaurant experience they can be proud of when hosting events for tastemakers. You are a reflection of them just as much as they are of you. Be that client that makes it easy for them to get the job done. And while they are there to take things off your plate, a really outgoing publicist is going to be adding a bit to your workload by coming up with creative ideas, implementing promotions, and needing you to execute these ideas with them.

content and storytelling throughout all outreach; a portfolio of professional pictures; and planned strategies. Once these are in place, the fun can begin! PR is a process and should not be rushed. Proper media outreach should be consistent but never all at once. Your publicist knows how to navigate these waters and properly enhance your media and social media presence with a crafty and gentle

touch, allowing for not just impact, but traction. From there, such garnered attention needs to be properly leveraged, making a typical media placement last in the eyes of the consumer. While there are never any guarantees with regard to media placement, a robust marketing program provides the majority of what is needed to communicate properly and stay relevant within your market. Media attention

is fun and effective but it is the most impactful when it runs in tandem with numerous other PR and marketing efforts. PR campaigns are not just for new restaurants. It’s never too late to implement a new or updated marketing plan for your restaurant, no matter how long you’ve been operating. PR happens – all the time.

Managing Expectations Expectations are important to manage when starting any PR program. A thorough campaign should outline not only the process but the potential outcomes and timeframes. Any publicist worth their reputation will take the time to lay down a strong foundation first and ensure that all of the tools needed to manage a successful marketing program are in place. Priorities include; compressive website; properly managed and visually appealing social media platforms; solid May 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 91

Plant Based World, from page 28

Talk about the impact that the Greenhouse gasses and the saturated fats from that switch has had on our lives? Don’t forget the destruction of rainforests… 70% of which is burned down for animal agriculture, destroying the “lungs of our planet” aka the Amazon while making our friends and families sick with heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. If we keep thinking electric cars are going to save our environment, or heart disease drugs are going to cure our illnesses, we are never going to make any progress. There is a root cause of all of these issues and it has to do with what we eat and how we produce it. If we address that root cause, we have the ability to create real change. Let’s assume, a chef or restaurant owner “gets it”. Does that mean that a vegan diet is the only solution? Certainly not… if every restaurant goer was able to order even one more plant-based option a week, think of how much of an impact that would make. The goal - and the mission behind Plant Based World Conference & Expo - is not to make everyone vegan…

rather it is to give people the knowledge and power they need to add more plant-based products to their lives in whatever way makes the most sense for them. There are plant-based burgers out there that are indistinguishable from beef, plant-based milks and cheeses indistinguishable from dairy… Some people may choose to go fully vegan and that’s great, but if others simply switch out a traditional animal product for a plant-based alternative once in a while, that’s great too! The future holds both an opportunity for new all plant-based restaurant concepts, but at the same time there is opportunity for burger and steak joints that offer one or two truly appetizing plant-based options. Where a restaurant falls on that scale is up to their business strategy, mission and customer base. The key is to not lose out on the “veto vote” where one person in a large party can’t eat a single thing on the menu so the whole group chooses to eat at a different establishment.

It makes sense because attendees will leave with a better understanding of the shift that is taking place within the food industry and awareness of products and strategies available to take advantage of that shift. It will make cents once those strategies are implemented in a way that works for the business and begins to increase sales with both new and existing customer bases. Can this mission be phased in? Absolutely. One example is a family friend of the Davis’s, Bourassa Catering that operates B Muse Cafe in Wallingford CT. After much urging from the plant-based Davis family, the Bourassas added a plant-based protein bowl to their prepared food shelf in the cafe. The bowl sold out the first day and has gotten them excited to try more creative options to tap in to the clientele interested in these options. It can be as simple as adding one new menu item, figuring out the best way to position and market it, seeing how customers respond and going from there.

How does a visit to the show provide the beginning of a strategy that makes “sense and cents”?

How will the show provide a “lifeline” for support after the show to be able to

gestion has been to find a price point between the appetizer and the entreesized portions of the same item. Last year when we looked at this phenomenon, I talked about a shared program being based around a portion of “3”. Well “4” is the new “3” in 2019. People sit as a couple so you need four portions on your new sharable menu. When you see it done properly at places like Stanton Social and Beauty and Essex, it’s all about buzz and flow. You have plates coming and going with an attentive wait staff and nothing but smiles on customer’s faces because they get to “ooh and aah” over all of the different flavors and textures. As the restaurant owner, you get to sell

more and create a pace that may even get you an extra table turn. 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. Because it’s so informal, you can get a really fun mix of serving vessels that include wood and copper and hammered looks that are all unique. 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. From a flatware standpoint, you can certainly use your “winter” inven-

implement these changes? The networking that will take place at the event itself will provide the lifeline for businesses after the event. Attendees will leave with new connections with colleagues in the food space, leaders in the plant-based movement, product manufacturers, health professionals and consumers who could be potential customers. These connections will be an invaluable resource for businesses moving forward in this space. What’s the next step for a potential exhibitor or attendee to get more info? Visit www.plantbasedworldexpo. com and be sure to check out the Keynote Presentations and Eat For The Future Business Forum under the education tab. Visit the PBW official news site www.theplantbasedworld.com for news from around the plant-based foods industry and be sure to join the mailing list for both news and event updates. Interested exhibitors contact Michelle Bonina at 203-416-1924 or michelle@theplantbasedworld.com, or contact Ben Davis at 203-416-1923 or ben@theplantbasedworld.com with any questions.

Weiss, from page 86 ings 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. As we work to help our BHS customers understand to add this sharable strategy, we’ve had answered questions regarding pricing. Our sug-

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tory. We suggest supplementing it with some of the hot ball and copper looks we are seeing with disposables. With so many of our BHS customers now focused on green and sustainable agendas, a sharable menu enables the operator a superb solution. Many of the menu items lend themselves to serving on disposables. FOH and Packnwood make a line of really attractive and affordable solutions. We love many of the skewer options. We are seeing a move towards melamine and polycarbonate cups around pools at Manhattan hotspots and with our country club clientele.

continued on page 94

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2019 National Restaurant Show, from page 14 The 100th edition of the show will also feature 100 education sessions. This year attendees can mix and match education specific to them with specialized programming like Menu Trends: 2020 and Beyond, Digital Media Slam, Women Leaders Panel, and KI Fireside Chats, as well as from various focused tracks including Hiring & Retention, Culinary Insights, Marketing Matters, Tech & Innovation, and Beverage/Alcohol. “We develop programs focused on the pain points restaurateurs around the world face each day, and on opportunities that they can take advantage of to grow their businesses,” said Marc Lapides, Vice President, Marketing, Programming & Communications for the Show. “Revenue growth, managing a workforce in a tight labor market, digital marketing, leveraging restaurant technology, and uncovering trends to shape menus are all part of the program. There are multiple sessions for every operator, regardless of size or segment.” Once again the NRA show will bring much anticipated competition to the show floor. Six regional Star of the Bar Mixology Competition winners will participate in a bartending battle that provides a national platform for mixologists to highlight their skills and creativity. Bartenders from across the country had the opportunity to submit their original cocktail recipe which were then reviewed and scored by a panel of judges made up of professional mixologists, and competition ambassadors. Mixologists who received the highest scores were invited to compete in the regional events throughout March and April in Washington D.C., Chicago, Tampa, Nashville, Las Vegas and San Diego, with the top two competitors facing-off in a live “shake-off” with a featured spirit and ingredients. The winners of each regional event advance to compete in the Star of the Bar Finals, which will take place on

Monday, May 20 at 7pm at the Show’s 100th Anniversary Celebration at Tao Chicago. The Finals will be scored and judged by cocktail industry veterans Jessica Lambert, Jarmel Doss, Tony Abou-Ganim with the winner receiving a cash prize and recognition as the “Star of the Bar National Mixology Champion. The 2019 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Awards, will honor progressive equipment that increases efficiencies and productivity. Each recipient and each product honoree will be showcased in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Showroom. The KI Showroom allows attendees the opportunity see emerging back-of-house trends in one dedicated area. The KI Awards program has earned a reputation for defining the gold standard of foodservice equipment innovations. “Forward-thinking and cutting-edge, this is the equipment that generates industry growth through a focus on factors such as automation, efficiency, safety improvements, sustainability, waste solutions, and more,” says Scott Redler, COO and co-founder of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Co-Chair for the 2019 National Restaurant Association Show. The show will also present its’ annual Food and Beverage (FABI Awards), recognizing food and beverage products that are breaking new ground in taste, creativity, packaging and profit potential. These industryaltering products will shape the future of food and beverage with flavorful and marketable items designed to delight diners and drive sales for years to come. “The FABI Awards showcase the creative companies helping chefs and foodservice operators innovate in their businesses,” said Mike Hickey, executive vice president and president, Ecolab Inc. and 2019 CoChair of the National Restaurant Association Show. “The products showcased as 2019 recipients represent ‘what’s new and next’ in foodservice. Metro New York is well represented

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Weiss, from page 92 with New Jersey’s Atalanta Corporation DeMedici Imports set to receive top honors for its A L’Olivier Basque Pepper Fruit Vinegar. This multi-purpose flavored vinegar is made from bell peppers and the famous Piment d’Espelette pepper of the Basque region with 40% fruit pulp and white wine vinegar. The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is owned and operated by Winsight LLC in equity partnership with the National Restaurant Association. About the National Restaurant Association. Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises more than one million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of more than 15.3 million employees.

Infact, we are starting to see a higher quality melamine being swapped out for slate and 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. Spring/Summer is such a great time of year to implement a sharable program. It is a much less formal time of year and in many cases you have more space to work with due to your outdoor dining space. Remember, our BHS team is here to help.

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Crown Shy, from page 72 was laying out and where the architect was envisioning it would make a great venue for an open kitchen. We worked with the chef to create a cooking suite that would be the centerpiece of the kitchen. He liked the flexibility and options that Hestan could build into the suite. It’s the first time I’ve been able to do a suite with them. They were one of two companies we were talking to. Their willingness to just work with us impressed us and they were quick to turnaround drawings for us. Infact when the menu was completed Hestan enabled us to easily add bells and whistles to the suite including a pasta cooker. Most of the challenges were really just setting up the units to get the plumbing and access to it in areas where we could make penetration for drainage. Originally we planned on concrete bases for all the equipment but we got away from that to stay with steel bases, so we can step up a little easier with the connections that we needed. The main storage and beverage storage are on the sub-cellar level in the basement. There is an intermediate level between the two floors, which houses our ice production. We also positioned the walk-ins in the main kitchen behind the prep line. It was just the way the space laid out. We added a lot of drawers on the line for support. One of the biggest challenges was dish washing because the bulk of the plates were coming from the dining room. So we set up a traditional come in from behind the closed walls or you can’t see it. When you look at the open kitchen, there’s a drop right there. The challenge how to efficiently move dishes from the private dining room, which is behind the kitchen in what is the opposite direction. So we solved that by designing a staging area for that. There wasn’t so much of a time crunch on this project, it was about two years in the making. But it was a lot of trying to get the design locked

down like what the concept was going to be. Once we knew what we were doing, we figured out how to work around limitations of where we could place the plumbing. Steve Braun’s Approach: We have a good relationship with Eleven Madison Park, where Chef Kent came from and Jacobs Doland. We were brought into the project about a year ago. We’ve done a number of open kitchens through the years. I’ve also seen a lot of high-end restaurants have a chef’s table inside the kitchen, which makes the space an open kitchen given it’s designed for special guests. This is an interesting project with two different kitchen areas. The upstairs open kitchen features a Hestan suite. The decision came from a strong chef preference. The kitchen down stairs was designed to give the Crown Shy team the firepower needed to support both ala carte and special events. We have placed a bank of Blodgett convection ovens. There is also a Groen steamer and kettle to produce stocks for special menu items. We brought in EMI to produce high quality custom fabrication. EMI was specified for a myriad of reasons which include attention to detail, accessibility and for its customer centric approach. Having a local state-of-theart manufacturing facility in New Jersey brings a competitive advantage to EMI’s clients when it comes to custom fabrication. Additionally, this project gave EMI an opportunity to showcase their stone and millwork capabilities. Keep in mind that this space never had a restaurant before. It is being repurposed into a restaurant, hotel and residential space. It’s a cool little building that sort of looks likes The Daily Planet from the Superman comics. Much of our priority was to manage the logistics of getting product in through the narrow streets of the financial district and it required a lot of manpower. Delivery times had to be adjusted for downtown traffic.

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Chris Rapciewicz’s Approach: EMI has been supporting New York’s food service consultants and dealers network since its inception in the early 1970’s. EMI acquired All State Fabricators (ASF) located in Cranston, Rhode Island in 2003 and Marlo Manufacturing in 2011, and thus east coast operators know that EMI is committed to getting their custom jobs done right and on-time. Our expertise across the country with manufacturing facilities in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Texas and Rhode Island has enabled us to bring our consultant and dealers clients with more capacity to handle the most demanding high-quality stainless and millwork projects. Additionally, our partnerships and collaboration with strategic stone suppliers has given EMI a unique strategic advantage and the ability to offer a wide range of high-end finishes. We’d worked with Steve Braun and

his M. Tucker team on a number of different projects. So we were thrilled to be specified for the Crown Shy project. We have done a number of open kitchens, so were fully engaged to respond to the needs of Ed and Steve. The biggest challenge of this project had nothing to do with anything in the kitchen. With a building like 70 Pine Street in the Financial District, you are talking  about a real challenge of designing and shipping each of our custom fab pieces to be modular so that you can get them into the building and installed. We are proud of our ability to think outside of the box on behalf of our clients. So for this particular project with a large prep area in the basement and a mini-pastry suite, we had to help create solutions. In many cases, it involved a dual design where you have a refrigerated display case on the bottom and a dry display case on top.

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Jet Tila, from page 38 school Special Ed for fifteen years - we both came at it from a teacher’s point of view. We want to make the reader immediately comfortable and not intimidated and just take them through the fundamentals. The nice thing about this book is there are levels of experience. It’s mainly for people who do a little of everything. It’s the perfect book if you’re a new cook, it’s the perfect book if you’re an experienced cook. There are really great recipes to draw from. We wanted to create a book where a family or a single person could cook from this book in every meal period of the day. I think everyone wants to become a better cook, but beyond just being a better cook they want recipes that work, that they’re familiar with. So, if you want to make chicken and waffles for breakfast or a frittata, we’re going to show you how to make the best one. If you want to make anything from chicken parm to prime rib, we’re

going to teach you that. And then to add sides, the perfect french fry, and why that works and roasted brussels sprouts. This really is an everyday cookbook. How have you utilized social media to enhance the readers’ experience with the book? The book works phenomenally on its own. As a working cookbook, you don’t need anything more than that. If you’re a visual learner, we have a really robust Facebook and Instagram page that we cook the dishes from the book. Some people like to see how things come together. It’s hard to put into words what “perfectly caramelized” or “golden brown, delicious” looks like, but we reinforce that with the tips and tricks and the visual depths of the dishes, and it becomes a total package. We have a very strong social media presence that will back up the book.

We have a website and host a lot of content, but I think the way that everybody checks their Instagram and Facebook page multiple times a day is what hits home. And if you don’t know me from television, this cookbook is going to be phenomenal. If you know me from TV it’s one more layer of engagement, it’s one more way we can all hang out together. Do you see yourself back in the restaurant business at some point? In other words, where are you as you look at your career? I’ve never really left. I did full time, but we’re running a really nice place. We have some national partners including NBC, Universal DreamWorks. On the foodservice side, we work with Compass Group North America for whom we support the entire country. They have 3000 plus contracts and I’ve written an Asian concept for them kind of a fast-casual, healthy Asian

concept that they use in thousands of units. I’ve been in the Compass world for 20-something years. How about your connection to Bobby Flay? How’d you choose him to write the forward? Since we competed on TV, Bobby’s become a brother and a mentor. Once or twice a year he’ll sit me down in a restaurant, you know. He’s very handson and very, very supportive. And our stories are very similar. High school dropout, grinding the business, and Bobby and I became very good friends when his daughter came to school in L.A. I basically told Bobby, “Look, I’ve got a brother who’s a cop and I’ve got some cousins on the other side, so no matter what happens to Sophie, we’re going to make sure she’s safe” and based on that one conversation we’ve become very, very close friends. He actually tells that same story in the forward.

www.host.fieramilano.it/en

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SEE US IN BOOTH 2068

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Fiorito, from page 12 more experienced wait staff member should handle the table. • Communicate to managers, chefs and colleagues to heighten awareness around customers with food allergies. • Select a designated staff member to ensure that all food safety precautions have been met. Food Preparation Raise awareness with chefs and cooks on the precautions needed for the “Big 8” food items, as well as how to properly cook and prepare them. You can reduce cross contact during the food preparation process through the following suggestions: • Change aprons, wash hands and sanitize all food preparation surfaces. • Insert a piece of foil between food and a grill surface to act as a barrier. • Use separate fryers with clean grease. Example: If the guest has a fish allergy, do not cook French fries in the same oil used to fry fish.

• Use separate utensils, plates, glassware etc. that has been washed, sanitized and stored separately in a locked cabinet. If mistakes are made during dish preparation, start over! It’s not worth putting someone’s life at risk. WHEN A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES A REACTION Even with the best precautions and processes in place, incidents do occur. There are several key identifiers that will alert you to a customer in distress. • Guest has difficulty breathing or swallowing • Eyes, face, lips, or tongue begin to swell • Customer goes into anaphylactic shock. Notify the manager and call 911 immediately. In the event that a customer is in distress, do not leave the guest alone. Direct a co-worker to stand outside and meet paramedics at the door.

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Upon arrival, tell emergency services that the customer is experiencing an allergic reaction and advise them as to whether the customer has injected themselves with an EpiPen to mitigate the symptoms. INSURANCE PROTECTION The cost of insurance is insignificant in comparison to the financial protection your restaurant would receive in the event of a food allergy related lawsuit. A commercial general liability insurance policy will provide a layer of coverage, which can be enhanced by the limits of an excess liability/umbrella policy. In addition, other types of insurance policies such as product recall and accidental contamination/ malicious product tampering coverage are increasingly available to help fill any coverage gaps or exclusions. When it comes to food allergies, food-borne illness and all types of other exposures, proactive risk man-

agement is a way of thinking that must permeate the whole organization - from management to frontline employees. Making it a part of all decision-making processes is important to creating a culture that values risk management. Speak to your insurance advisor and explore all of your options when it comes to managing your business risk. 1. https://www.foodallergy.org/ about-fare/blog/study-more-than-onein-ten-us-adults-has-food-allergy 2. https://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm079311. htm 3. https://www.foodallergy.org/ about/media-press-room/food-allergyrelated-insurance-claims-up-in-almost-every-state-in-the 4. https://www.foodallergy.org/education-awareness/advocacy-resources/ advocacy-priorities/food-allergiesand-restaurants

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Bartenders Are The New Chefs, from page 22 a fresh ingredient with a short shelf life. Additionally, using one ingredient alongside another can create a new flavor profile while expanding that ingredients total volume. With labor costs rising to a $15/ hour minimum in the N.Y. tri-state area how do you juggle labor and ingredient costs and remain as creative as your chef counterparts are? I think making a limited menu with fewer ingredients is a practical

way of managing a menu that requires fresh ingredients.   What sorts of ingredients are you reaching for and how are you getting them? (E.g. a daily/weekly visit to farmers markets, growing on rooftop, using distributors, etc.) Often we will look to chefs and restaurants to follow trends. Naturally, we must visit other bars to observe their techniques and application of various ingredients. Visiting

the farmers market and locating items on the websites of distributors allows us to see what is seasonal and cost-effective. Our bars are implementing the use of an Aerogarden to grow fresh ingredients year-round.

In a larger environment, whether it’s a big arena or special event situation when you’re batching, can you and how do you make a drink with a culinary twist? Use a fresh garnish, such as mint, thyme, or rosemary.

In a small cocktail bar environment what percentage of your drinks include fresh ingredients? 100%

What are today’s drinkers expecting from bartenders?  Fresh, unique and approachable. More people are making cocktails at home. How do you approach your drink creation so that you surprise and delight guests and bring them back for more like a chef creates a destination dish that everyone flicks to enjoy?  I believe that a drink must look beautiful and taste balanced. If it doesn’t taste as good as it looks, it won’t be reordered. One ingredient listed on the menu for a cocktail must not be more or less represented than another and should be a fresh ingredient whenever possible. Is there anything else about fresh ingredients and being creative behind the bar that is worth noting as we think about bartenders being the new chefs? (Not including notorious egos.)   Too much garnish can take away from the aesthetic appeal of a cocktail. Balance applies to appearance as well as taste. What haven’t I asked you about chefs being the new bartenders that you think is important to share? Ice is a very, very important ingredient in a cocktail, and the quality of the water is the first step toward that end. Freezing fresh ingredients in the ice is a form of preserving seasonal items for later use. Watering down a crafted cocktail by over-shaking, or not pouring off immediately after shaking diminishes the cocktail.

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Rigie, from page 54 of legislation does. Enforcement continues to be an afterthought. While the Office of Street Vendor Enforcement contemplated by this legislation is a step in the right direction, it is only a small step. In three important areas, the proposal is silent or misguided: • No dedicated funding, leaving the efficacy of the office to the whim of the Mayor and future administrations. • No administrative home. We suggest the Department of Health, an obvious choice given their familiarity with regulating this industry. • Insufficient patrols. The bill mandates that the office inspect at least 75% of permittees each year. Every permittee should at minimum get an annual inspection. Committing to double the number of permits with no conditions is bad policy. This legislation doesn’t provide an effective mechanism to swiftly modify, delay, or halt the increase of permits if conditions dictate. For example: • Health Department, Department of Transportation and/ or the selected enforcement agency should have authority and discretion to limit new permits. • If specific enforcement goals are not met, or if noncompliance amongst permitholders remains at a certain metric, issuance of new permits should be automatically delayed. • If the number of brick-andmortar vacancies rises above a certain level, or if vacancies increase by a certain percentage in a year, issuance of new permits should be automatically delayed.

hands by revoking illegally rented permits and reissuing them to the vendors themselves. There must be regulation of the underground market. Instead of initially issuing new permits, the City should revoke illegally rented permits, and then reissue them to those vendors who rented them. Two additions to the clearance requirements. Since this package of bills addresses clearance criteria for food vendors, we suggest two more:

•

Improve sidewalk café air quality by requiring food vendors to keep a minimum distance away from sidewalk cafes. That way sidewalk café customers can dine without breathing the exhaust emitted by vending units, or the excessive smoke that comes from cooking certain foods in the open air. Protect pedestrians with a minimum clear path. Like the

clearance criteria for newsstands and sidewalk cafes, there must be a fixed minimum clear path requirement for mobile food vendors, such as 9.5 feet measured from the front of the pushcart to the nearest lawful obstruction, and 15 feet on either side. This is especially necessary given the proposed bill to allow carts to be placed 2 feet from the curb.

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NJ Craft Beer, from page 36 explained Plate. Organizing tasting events to bring members of the local community together has also shown promise amongst the laundry list of possible marketing techniques. Whether it is craft beer or new farm-to-table restaurants, people are making market choices that reflect the desire to have something local over something that’s mass-produced, explained the founder of Asbury Park’s local brew project. “We get a better response when we do tastings and promote a one-off, limited-run beer,” said Plate. “Everyone, from bar managers and purchasers down to the everyday customer, wants to feel involved in some way. So, anytime you can reach out and say we’re making a special beer, brewing it right around the corner, and that we’d like to invite you to try it--that really resonates with people more than just a simple social media post.” APB will continue to distribute their core products throughout NJ and beyond, however self-distribution is still very important when marketing to their hyper-local audience. “There are some beers that we will self-distribute whether it is because we don’t plan on doing a large quantity, or because we want to keep it tasting room only, or it’s something that’s not as complementary to our core products,” said Plate. “If we were to do a one-off IPA, it wouldn’t make a ton of sense to release it to our distributor because it would cannibalize the Sea Dragon IPA sales.” With a couple more years under their belt, APB is focusing on a larger audience, while still working the local outlets. On the other hand, WCP has a very specific and hyper-local audience. In order to nurture their current consumer base, WCP has intentionally employed a staff who are younger artists and musicians--people who they feel make up most of their target market. By knowing their audience, the beer hall has successfully targeted likely customers, communicated on

platforms these customers are familiar with, and as a result have been able to get their small market space talking about the new, Long Branch-based operation. In any event, the teams at APB and WCP both have definitive plans for the coming season of warmth. With the start of May and as summer nears, “you’re going to start to notice some more tropical notes in our IPAs, you’re going to see a little bit more honey and melon in our saisons, and we kind of back away from stouts and porters,” said Todd O’Connor. He explained that their brewer-in-charge, Mike Dolan, is currently perfecting a French Saison-a fruity, mildly-spicy beer with a lot of carbonation, a lower level of alcohol, which originates from a Belgian yeast. On the other hand, APB has an early summer seasonal product known as the Kettle Sour, which is “light, refreshing, and brewed with fresh ginger.” While pushing the distribution on the new sour beer, APB has also partnered with The Stone Pony on their 45th Anniversary year to offer a localized, concert beer for shows at the legendary Stony Pony Summer Stage: Pony 45. Plate describes the beer collaboration as “a light-bodied lager that’s low in ABV. But, we dry hop it with some Australian summer and sapphire hops. So, it’s light, crisp, but it also has a floral, citrusy nose like an IPA, just without the bitterness.” Individuals from the Garden State to the Golden State are just now figuring out that the options for beer are seemingly endless. As interest has risen and people’s palates are expanding, the players inside the beer market have to understand the needs of an industry that is segmenting, localizing, and becoming much more specific. However a new brand of brew decides to get word out about their product, WCP’s O’Connor mentioned one rule of thumb that can’t be overlooked: “As the weather gets better, the beer gets a little bit lighter, you know what I mean?”

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Workplace Hairstyles, from page 40 that violate the law and is authorized to award a wide array of remedies to workers including hiring, reinstatement, and promotion. There is no cap on compensatory damages that a worker may recover. The Commission can also mandate changes in the employer’s internal policies and procedures. In Court, workers can seek to recover damages such as back pay, front pay, compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and costs.

What about health and safety regulations? Restaurant owners know that health and safety regulations govern everything from fingernail hygiene to body hair. So how do restaurants comply with these regulations without running afoul of the City’s anti-hair discrimination laws? Restaurants with legitimate health or safety concerns, such as for workers who handle food, may implement certain safety-related restrictions, so long as the rules ap-

ply to everyone. Before imposing an outright ban or restriction on certain hairstyles, the employer must first consider alternative ways to meet the concern including hair ties, nets, coverings, and other safety equipment. Employers may not enforce a ban on natural hair or hairstyles based on speculative health or safety concerns. Outside of legitimate health or safety concerns, the guidelines do not permit employers to impose any restrictions – including any alternative

options – on hair textures and hairstyles. Given that the Commission will closely scrutinize any policies that impose restrictions on the basis of a health or safety concern, employers must ensure that any restrictions are based on the employee’s ability to perform the essential functions of the job, as well as customer and public safety. What about customers and members of the public? The new law does not only apply to employees – restaurants must also be mindful of intentionally or unintentionally discriminating against customers and members of the public because of their natural hair or hairstyles. For example, customers and other non-employees should not be subjected to adverse treatment – such as refusing to seat them at the restaurant – because of their natural hair or hairstyles. The Commission provides other examples of prohibited discrimination against the public, including: • A dance company requiring girls to remove their braids, alter their Afro, and only wear a “smooth bun” to participate in classes; and • A nightclub telling a patron she is not welcome because her natural hairstyle does not meet their dress code. It can be difficult to comprehend why laws like this are even necessary. Grooming standards have always been a landmine for implicit discrimination. Often, workplace appearance and safety policies are used to discriminate against racial minorities. Recognizing this reality, the Commission encourages employers to revisit their existing grooming or appearance policies to ensure that they do not overtly or implicitly subject employees to disparate treatment based on their natural hair or hairstyles.

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Quel’s Corner, from page 34 low for flexible configurations and incredible views of the city. Take SAP for example. When the elite|studio e team designed and built its 49th floor barista bar, we didn’t want to tarnish the view of the skyline. By placing the coffee bar on an interior wall, our design didn’t interfere with the sheer beauty of New York and allowed all diners to enjoy it. This strategy is used in buildings throughout Hudson Yards because almost anywhere a person looks, there’s a view. Another trend in Hudson Yards’ workplaces is making foodservice an office fixture by removing the boundaries. R/GA, which was among the earlier companies to move into Hudson Yards, prides itself on a connected employee experience. To achieve that goal, its CEO Bob Greenberg desired an office design that not only provided technical connections, but also increased casual interactions among employees. As a result, everyone en-

ters on the 12th floor, and at the heart of the office, is a high-end coffee/juice bar and a café with tables scattered around for drinking, eating and impromptu meetings. It is a gratifying experience to be part of conceptualizing, designing, building and creating spaces for SAP, R/GA and other companies in Hudson Yards. Being part of this process has allowed the elite|studio e team to bring current trends like flexibility, demonstration cooking, sustainability and food forward experiences to the next level. It has challenged our ability to be innovative and allowed us to collaborate with some incredible architects. Speaking honestly, our team travels across the country to complete projects and it’s been fabulous to do some in our own backyard. New York is always new, exciting and dynamic. I know I speak for my entire team when I say it’s an honor to be part of New York City history.

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William Muzio, from page 16

Where did you receive your formal training? What was your most memorable moment of culinary school? I was classically trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. I graduated at the top of my class and won the Chefs Award. I have a lot of great memories from there, but the one that stands out the most is the traveling back and forth every single weekend from Poughkeepsie to Montauk for two years straight! It was a real grind and extremely difficult but well worth it. Who are your culinary mentors and what are the most important takeaways you gained from them? My mentors are a combination of all the great chefs I have had the privilege to work with - my uncle, Michael Castino, Anthony Silvestri, Bradley Ogden and Eric Ripert. I’ve

been a sponge in all of their kitchens and learned a lot about how to do things and how not to do things. I truly learned what real kitchen discipline is in Chef Ripert’s kitchen at Le Bernardin. I learned not to settle for good or mediocre, but to demand only the best from myself. I try to preach that same mentality to my chefs today. How have your travels influenced your menus? I’ve been very fortunate to travel to many different countries and experience first-hand many different cultures. I have seen everything from rich countries that are able to get whatever they want shipped in, to very poor countries that survive on what is indigenous to their specific region. I have always taken a little something back with me from each experience whether it’s a new ingredient or an amazing technique

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that I can’t wait to try as soon as I get back to the states. On my menus you’ll always see something that I was inspired by on my travels. In your current position with Lessing’s you manage several different restaurant concepts, how do you navigate the menu planning for all the concepts? It is definitely difficult to wake up in the morning and say to myself, “ok today we’re doing breakfast, tomorrow is Gastro Pub food, Friday is casual family dining and Saturday I’ll be working in a fine dining restaurant.” I have learned to adapt to each establishment, and realized that I literally have to reinvent myself every day. Some days I’ll be in five different restaurants, so imagine what that feels like. It is a challenge however that is the reason I love it! I also love working with our many talented chefs and being able

to help them and teach them something new. What is your favorite tool to use in the kitchen? My favorite tool would have to be my tasting spoons. It may sound boring but I have to taste everything and that’s what I teach my fellow chefs. Taste, Taste, Taste!! I also love my Masahiro palette knife. What do you predict is in store for the future of restaurant kitchens? I predict we will see a tremendous rise in To-Go or Take out food. We as a company have already seen a huge boost in To-Go food. As a result we have partnered with Uber Eats, Grub Hub and Door Dash. We have seen a big increase in take out sales and I do believe we will see even more in years to come thanks to the ever growing delivery services and technology.

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