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Why is it so hard to find a pest control company who can just get the job done? It shouldn’t be. Since 1928, Western Pest Services has lived by three simple rules: do what you say you’re going to do, deliver quality work in all areas, and treat everyone with dignity and respect. The search for a partner who thinks like you do is over. Finally.
877-840-0504 · foodservice.westernpest.com Contact us for a free inspection today. 2 • October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 3
// NEWS
LEGISLATION
New York City’s Ban On Foam Food Containers Reversed by Judge
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ew York City’s ban on plastic-foam food containers, the once-ubiquitous vessels for Chinese takeout and curbside halal food, has been overturned, rejecting a signature environmental initiative of two mayors and clearing the way for an industry-backed plan to buy and recycle the items. Describing the sanitation commissioner’s ban as “arbitrary and capricious,” Justice Margaret A. Chan of State Supreme Court in Manhattan last month denied the city’s claim that recy-
cling used polystyrene containers “was neither environmentally effective nor economically feasible.” The judge ordered the Sanitation Department to reconsider the ban in light of a proposal by a foam container man-
ufacturer to pay for better machines to clean and sort the material and keep most of it out of landfills. The ban, first proposed by former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg two years ago and put into effect by Mayor Bill de
“The product has inflicted extraordinary environmental harm and should not be in use.” Holloway added, referring to Mr. de Blasio, “We’re glad he is going to continue this fight.”
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Blasio in July, was seen as a tipping point in a national campaign to end the polymer’s use in products such as packaging and coffee cups. The containers, which break into tiny pieces and linger in landfills, have joined, at least for the moment, large sugary drinks in withstanding bans championed by Mr. Bloomberg. His plan to restrict the drinks was defeated in court. The city is exploring its options for re-
continued on page 108
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// NEWS
LEGISLATION
NYC Council Sets Sights On Obesity Battle With New Legislation A bill seeking to mandate better nutritional value in fast food restaurant meals marketed to children could successfully cut calories, sodium and fat, helping to reduce childhood obesity, a recent study has found.
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ew York City has recently passed a “Healthy Happy Meals” bill introduced by New York City council member Benjamin J. Kallos that would require fast food meals sold with toys or other merchandise aimed at kids to include a serving of fruit, vegetables or a whole grain and contain no more than 35 percent of their calories from fat. To measure what the impact on kids’ diets might be, researchers at New York University’s Langone Medical Center analyzed receipts from several hundred adults purchasing meals at fast food restaurants in the NYC area, to compare the purchased kids’ meals to the proposed guidelines. Ninety-eight percent of the kids’ meals - from McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King restaurants - did not meet those guidelines, according to the researchers report in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. If they did, it would result in a 9 percent drop in calories consumed by children at fast food restaurants, and consumption of sodium and calories from fat would both drop 10 percent. On average, the kids’ meals contained 600 calories with 36 percent
coming from fat; under the recently passed bill, no children’s meal could contain more than 500 calories. A nine percent decrease in calories would mean a total countdown to 54 calories. “While 54 calories at a given meal is a small reduction, small changes that affect a wide number of people can make a large impact,” said Dr. Brian Elbel, a study lead author and a professor of public health at NYU. “Passing the bill could be a step in the right direction, though no single policy can singlehandedly eliminate childhood obesity.” Obesity, which is the leading cause of heart disease, stroke and diabetes,
affects one out of three children and adolescents in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2009, the fast food industry spent more than $700 million marketing children’s meals, a 2012 report by the Federal Trade Commission found. Councilman Kallos said that made his bill all the more urgent. “It is difficult enough for parents to give their children healthy food without the fast food industry spending hundreds of million dollars per year advertising to children, and nearly half of that on toys,” he said. “If restaurants are going to incentivize children, they should incentivize them to eat healthy.”
“While 54 calories at a given meal is a small reduction, small changes that affect a wide number of people can make a large impact,” said Dr. Brian Elbel, a study lead author and a professor of public health at NYU.
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Main Office: 282 Railroad Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers: Leslie & Fred Klashman Advertising Director: Michael Scinto Art Director: Mark Sahm Contributing Writers Warren Bobrow Laurie Forster Morgan Tucker Fred Sampson Cindi Avila Staff Writers Deborah Hirsch Intern Alexis Robinson Phone: 203.661.9090 Fax: 203.661.9325 Email: tfs@totalfood.com Web: www.totalfood.com
Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 is published monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2015 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
October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 7
8 • October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
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// NEWS
LEGISLATION
City Foodservice Operators Seek Salt Alternatives With Council Posting Mandate Legislation Chain restaurants across New York City will be compelled to add a new item to their menus: a salt-warning symbol.
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he city Board of Health voted last month on a groundbreaking rule to slap a blackand-white salt-shaker emblem on chain-eatery dishes with more than the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams about a teaspoon of sodium. It could include foods ranging from BLT sandwiches to fried chicken to even some salads. The decision came down just in the last hour, after months of discussion. The new requirement would go into effect Dec. 1 and will impact only fast food chains with 15 or more locations nationwide. While some critics said this is yet another example of overreach, health officials said 95 percent of Americans consume more than the recommended daily allowance, and that overconsumption of salt can lead to all types of health problems. Leaders said restaurant food is the primary source of much of that salt. City officials said they just want New Yorkers to be more aware of high-sodium items, so they can make better choices about their diet and their overall health. New York would be the first U.S. city with such a requirement, which comes as officials and experts urge Americans to eat healthier. It furthers a series of novel nutritional efforts in the nation’s biggest city. City officials said they’re just saying “know,” not “no,” about foods high in a substance that experts say is too prevalent in most Americans’ diets, raising the
risk of high blood pressure and potentially heart attacks and strokes. Public health advocates applaud the proposal, but salt producers and restaurateurs call it a misguided step toward an onslaught of confusing warnings. But the Salt Institute, a trade association for salt producers, has said the proposal is based on “incorrect government targets” called into question by recent research. Last year, an international study involving 100,000 people suggested that most folks’ salt consumption was actually OK for heart health, adding that both way too much and too little salt can do harm. Other scientists fault the study and say most people still consume way too much salt.
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The average American consumes about 3,400 mg of salt, or sodium, each day. Only about one in 10 Americans meets the 1 teaspoon guideline. The vast majority of dietary salt
“There are few other areas in which public health could do more to save lives,” said Michael Jacobson, executive director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
comes from processed and restaurant food, studies show. Consumers may not realize how much sodium is in, say, a Panera Bread Smokehouse Turkey Panini (2,590 mg), TGI Friday’s sesame jack chicken strips (2,700 mg), a regular-size Applebee’s Grilled Shrimp ‘n Spinach Salad (2,990 mg) or a Subway foot-long spicy Italian sub (2,980 mg). “There are few other areas in which public health could do more to save lives,” Michael Jacobson, executive director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group, said at a City Health Department hearing in July. Indeed, some health experts have urged the city to set the warning limit as low as 500 mg.
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// EYE
METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
Diversity Of Flavor Options Continues To Grow As World Of Latino Show Celebrates In NJ
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he World of the Latino Cuisine Food Show made its second year debut at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey last month. With the explosive growth of the Hispanic population and restaurant community the show was embraced by the Tri-State foodservice industry. The event was dedicated to Latino food products, produce, beverages, and non-food products. This trade show included food producers and importers from the Caribbean and most Latin American countries as exhibitors and the participation of buyers, distributors, retail operators, supermarket chains, independents and bodegas. Exhibit categories included frozen goods, groceries, organic products of all kinds, and non-food products. A 2015 highlight was the participation of culinary students preparing Latino food specials for the enjoyment of the participants at the show. A number of major sponsors were featured at the show. Acosta Sales & Marketing, the largest Sales Agent in North America was the corporate sponsor of the “World of the Latino Cuisine.” Acosta, founded in 1927, represents the most No.1 and No.2 CPG brands in North America and is a proven resource for top retailers from coast to coast. Household name brands such as Bush, Campbell’s, Clorox, ColgatePalmolive, Heinz, Domino Sugar and Hormel Foods are represented by Acosta. “We are pleased to support this trade show,” said Stan Barrasso, Senior
Vice President. “We believe it is a great opportunity to showcase America’s diversity and recognize the continued growth of our industry in the Hispanic community,” added Barrasso. In addition to domestic exhibitors, the show featured the participation of producers from México, Peru, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Colombia, Guatemala, Jamaica, Brazil, Chile and Spain. Among the highlights was the keynote presentation by one of the true breakout celebrities of Latin Cuisine: Chef Wilo Benet. The iconic Puerto Rican toque gave the keynote speech where he spoke about young chefs and how tradition should not be abandoned, how the fundamentals of each culture have to grow in time, “while not ‘unanchoring’ it or fusing it with another culture.” Benet noted that, “Everything in Puerto Rico is highly seasoned. Probably things that go against the nature of culinary school,” Benet noted. “You don’t season meat with salt the day before you cook it because you will draw the juices out of it. It does rid itself of some of the juices, but at the same time, people like their meat well-done, kind of on the dry side, and this provided for that and made for a tremendous potency in terms of flavor.” “World of Latino was created to enable smart mainstream companies who recognize the opportunity for growth in the Hispanic segment to work towards accomplishing that goal.” Our event certainly has gotten the ball rolling,” concluded the show’s founder William Colon.
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Acosta Sales & Marketing’s Jerry Nieves
Chef Benet (R) and William Colon (C) with culinary scholarship recipients from Johnson & Wales University
Show organizers, William Colon and Carmen Torres-Izquierdo
CT based Inline Plastic’s Carlos Carballo was at this year’s show debuting new P.E.T. Products
Lebron’s Paul Perez (L), President and CEO, Manual Lebron (CL), and Edward Perez (R), with B.S.E.’s Jason Butler (2R)
Goya Foods product manager, Enrique Jeronimo and team were on hand with new Mexican and South American menu offerings
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// NEWS
FOOD SAFETY INNOVATION
Q&A with Shawn DiGruccio, Executive Vice President of CDN
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alk us through a history of CDN? CDN stands out as a global category leader with the personal service and commitment of a business that has been family owned for over three decades. CDN was founded in 1984 by the late Richard Murtagh, who was an engineer by profession and a cook at heart, because accurate measurement is so important in cooking. CDN is now one of the fastest growing foodservice suppliers in its field, with products sold in over 15,000 commercial locations, including large international coffee and restaurant chains. All over the world, foodservice professionals rely on CDN for product innovation, superior customer service, quality and value. Who were the visionaries for the company? CDN is a family business. Richard and Jan Murtagh were the original visionaries of the company. I joined CDN in 2000 after a career in software sales. Today, Jan Murtagh, my mother, heads our operations and I’m the Executive Vice President. We work as a team, making most of the major decisions together.
How has the line evolved to meet the needs of your dealer and end-user customers? CDN’s goal is to provide solutions for any temperature-measuring task, so we have expanded our product offerings over time to accommodate the wide range of our customers’ needs. We offer a broad range of cooking thermometers, plus specialized thermometers for candy and beverages, thermometers for the freezer and dishwasher, as well as infrared thermometers and thermometers for deep frying. We also offer a wide assortment of timers with advanced features, including digital and mechanical models. What led to the introduction of the new DTW450 series? With an increasing demand for thermometers that provided fast, accurate response, easy field calibration and waterproof, all in one, CDN introduced the DTW450 and DTW450L. With an IPX-7 waterproof rating, the thermometer is protected against water immersion for up to 30 minutes at two feet. This protects the thermometer from being ruined if it is dropped into a sink or pot of liquid.
What was in the firm’s initial line of products? CDN has always been focused on time and temperature, with a broad line of thermometers and timers from the basic to the unique.
16 • October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
Talk about the DTW450’s accuracy? The 6-second response gives a fast, accurate reading. The DTW450 is NSF® Certified and utilizes thin-tip technology with a 1.5 mm tip. A large digital display helps the chef see the temperature easily, and the temperature data hold function allows temperature recall. These functions, in conjunction with the 6-second response, help ensure accuracy and precision. We also offer the DTW450L, which offers the same features, but with a 2.5 mm tip, 8-inch stem and clip. What are the competitive advantages to 6-second response? Every second counts in foodservice. The 6-second response allows users to obtain an accurate reading within a very short time frame, so they can work as quickly and efficiently as possible.
of meat or fish. The DTW450L has a long, 8-inch stem and 2.5 mm reduced tip; it comes with a clip, making it simple to attach to a pot to test the temperature of its contents, such as soup, broth, or water, but can also be used for meat. How does the line eliminate cross contamination? We use BioCote® on all items in the ProAccurate® line to help protect against cross contamination. BioCote® itself is an antimicrobial coating containing silver, which has been shown to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, fungi and other microbes on a product’s surface when used with appropriate hygiene and cleaning techniques. What’s the next step for an operator or dealer that wants more info on the DTW series? Simply give us a call at 800-3385594, email us at info@cdn-timeandtemp.com, visit us on the web at www. cdn-timeandtemp.com, or stop by booth #1562 at the National Restaurant Association Show in May.
How did you decide on the stem sizes? We talked with our foodservice customers to understand their needs. For that reason, there are two sizes of the DTW450 line – the DTW450 and DTW450L. The DTW450 has a 4.5-inch stem and 1.5 mm thin tip, making it an excellent choice for thin cuts
The DTW450 thermometer by CDN
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October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 17
// EYE
METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
Partridge Invitational Golf Outing 2015 Recap
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ith the passion of veteran member Dennis Murphy and the cooperation of Mother Nature, the annual Partridge Invitational Club and Club Managers’ Golf Shootout on Long Island last month was a big success. The Opici Wine sales executive Murphy has built the event into one of the foodservice industry’s pre-eminent golf events. Partridge Club Members and local club managers vied for top prizes in one of the very few events that eschew the scramble format in favor of “playing your own ball.” The annual event pitted some of the top golfers from the club manager’s ranks against their Partridge Club hosts with the winner taking home the spectacular trophy. “Everybody loves Rockaway,” noted Murphy who won the tournament in 2002. The industry leader was making reference to the Rockaway Hunting Club in Lawrence, NY.
M. Tucker’s Marc Fuchs, Gary Simpson of Hobart and Michael Posternak of PBAC
The storied track although not a true links, sits on a low-lying table of land that is at times reminiscent of the game across the pond, a mix of quirk and raw challenge. The Rockaway Hunting Club was founded in 1878, making it one of the oldest country clubs in America. As the name might suggest, the club’s first years were defined by equestrian sports. Fox hunting and steeplechase were popular; Rockaway was one of the twin powers of early American polo. Golf arrived a few years later—a rudimentary 9-holer was in place by 1895 and a full 18 by 1900. Partridge and Club Manager guests were astounded with the fabulous fare that the Rockaway Hunt Club team led by GM Frank Argento served. The Westchester Club manager’s lineup featured Fenway Country Club’s Steve Arias, Rob Kasara of Wykagyl and Mark Sheehan of Mamaroneck’s Orienta Beach Club and
The Pro-Tek duo of Chad Daniels and Diane Rossi
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Kevin Burke of Bonnie Briar. In addition to the Foundation’s mission of raising scholarship funds for institutions of higher learning it promotes mutual business interests among its members and to stimulate friendship and fellowship. The Partridge Club was formed in 1935 at the Victoria Hotel in New York City. The membership was made up of leading purveyors to the hotel, club and restaurant trade. In the early Forties, a few dissatisfied
Once again the guiding force behind the annual event was Opici’s Dennis Murphy
Hyco Supply’s Tom Egan
members left and formed the Invitation Club. Things went well for both clubs until the crackdown on business expenses during the Presidency of Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969). Membership declined in both clubs and committees were formed to explore the possibilities of a merger. After much dickering and negotiating, the merger was implemented in 1967.The scholarship program was established and it grew so fast that in 1988 the club’s name was changed to the Partridge-Invitation Scholarship Foundation, Inc., to better describe its mission. Today the club grants annual scholarships to a wide diversity of students at schools including: the CIA, Johnson and Wales, Paul Smith College, City Tech, Cornell University and the University of Massachusetts.
Top golf honors went to the duo of Peter Pace Jr. and Sean Smith
Romano Gatland’s Chris Brady and Fred Klashman of Total Food Service were amongst those who braved the challenging weather
October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 19
// NEWS
REAL ESTATE
Vongrichten/Suarez Ink Deal To Bring New Seafood Concept to South Street Seaport Howard Hughes Corp. has landed a big fish as its South Street Seaport’s culinary anchor — Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
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he great chef and his business partner Phil Suarez have signed a lease/partnership contract with NYSE-listed Hughes to launch two major Seaport projects — a 40,000-square-foot, seafood-themed marketplace inside the Tin Building and a 10,000-square-foot restaurant in a rebuilt Pier 17. Vongerichten’s involvement “is a done deal, signed, sealed and delivered,” exuberant Hughes CEO David R. Weinreb said. He said the new Pier 17, now under construction, is on track to open in mid-2017. The timetable for the Tin Building which stands between the FDR Drive and the pier site is slightly less certain, but Weinreb said, “Our goal is to get that building open by the end of 2017.” Vongerichten called both portions “an amazing project and we are confident about 2017.” Hughes had said earlier it would create a gourmet emporium for the Tin Building, which raised the prospect of another clumsily curated hall filled with taco, ramen noodle and meatball stands. But Vongerichten brings vastly greater local creds to the whole Seaport project and a much-needed foodie mecca
to downtown’s under-served East River waterfront. “I am honored to be part of the catalytic transformation,” said Vongerichten, who owns 10 New York restaurants, including his flagship Jean-Georges at Columbus Circle. The three-Michelin-starred chef first bonded with Weinreb when the Hughes exec dined at his restaurant Mercato in Shanghai last winter. “He told me about the project and really convinced me,” Vongerichten said. Vongerichten saw it as a way to bring back the flavor of the old Fulton Fish
Market, which moved to the Bronx years ago. Suarez recalled that Vongerichten had loved going to the Fulton Market “three or four times a week.” The Seaport marketplace will not be ethnically focused like French-themed Le District or Italian-inspired Eataly, but simply built around seafood. Retail counters will be mixed with communal tables and noshing counters for “chowders, raw bars, sushi, shrimp,” Vongerichten said. The Pier 17 restaurant, on the second floor, will include a 2,500-square-foot al fresco patio facing the Brooklyn Bridge.
An artist’s rendering of the Tin Building — scheduled to open by the end of 2017.
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Jean-Georges Vongerichten
The atmosphere won’t be fine dining but casual along the lines of ABC Kitchen and ABC Cocina. Suarez said he and Vongerichten had also been approached to do a project on downtown’s Hudson River side, “But we decided it was getting saturated” with recent and planned eateries at Brookfield Place, the World Trade Center and along Broadway. Hughes is transforming the Seaport from its 1980s, tourist-oriented incarnation into a residential, cultural and leisure complex attuned to Lower Manhattan’s swelling residential population and role as a hub for media and creative fields as well as finance. Pier 17 is a centerpiece of Hughes’ $1.5 billion master plan for the Seaport, which is also to include a marina, a widened esplanade, shops, arts studios, a revitalized Seaport Museum, affordable housing, as well as a controversial condo tower. However, the Tin Building work needs the blessings of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Economic Development Corp. The decayed, low-rise structure must be reinforced and moved 33 feet east to take it out of the flood plain to protect it from future surges like Superstorm Sandy.
October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 21
// LITTLE M. TUCKER
WITH MORGAN TUCKER
“The future isn’t just something that happens. It’s a brutal force with a great sense of humor that will steamroll you if you’re not watching.” -Aloha
Morgan Tucker is a Senior Account Executive and Director of Exclusive Collections at M. Tucker, a division of Singer Equipment Company. Her sales and marketing team, “Little M Tucker”
L
oss is met with a hurricane of love. I have felt my greatest losses this past year and it has been a privilege to have this platform to write about them. Four seasons in, I am unyielding sure that this industry is solely built around love. People share their lives over food, show their love through cuisine, and dedicate their most valuable hours to cooking, traveling, exploring gastronomy, and dining experiences. ‘People have to eat’ is the adage that lured my grandfather into this business fifty years ago. I am in this business today because hospitality is the universal sign of love. It took me 30 years to truly understand how to enjoy the present, but I am finally doing just that. Over the last twelve months since I started this column, I read more, cook more, and engage with more of you than ever. I am prepared for whatever happens next. Nose-to-tail and root to tip will consume this next year. Kate Murphy’s expose in the New York Times last month about the growing number of culinary conscious Americans committing to consume only meat they kill themselves in a commit-
provides equipment and supply solu-
ment to ethical meat consumption truly delineates the extent we are going to understand our Epicureanism. I am personally committed to exploring my gastronomic limitations even further while diminishing my culinary footprint and eating as close to the earth as I can get. It’s clear the farm-to-fork movement is not a fad. This trend is going to continue to sit on the front burner for another year and garner even deeper adoption. What actions are you going to take to foster dynamic change and growth in our hospitality ecosystem system today for the betterment of our planet tomorrow? I traveled to Feast Portland and Roots Action 2015 this month to find out what’s next for
Little M Tucker on the end-user side. We are committed to continuing to educate our customers and associates on where their tabletop items come from and how to curate an even more unique procurement experience and story. As the Director of Exclusive Collections for M. Tucker and Singer Equipment Company, I am committed to finding new products that intimately touch guests and exposing brands that deserve a greater spotlight. www.Verterra.com is a perfect example. Later this month in Brooklyn, NY, StarChefs.com’s ICC 2015 will focus on collaboration and connectivity. We are excited to again be the exclu-
“It’s clear the farm-to-fork movement is not a fad. This trend is going to continue to sit on the front burner for another year and garner even deeper adoption.”
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tions for a wide diversity of acclaimed restaurateurs, celebrated chefs, and industry leaders. Ms. Tucker is based in NYC and can be reached at mptucker@mtucker.com.
sive distributor partner of the symposium and have a front row seat when our customers get a first look at new products from industry leaders like Steelite, Front of the House, Vollrath, Mercer, Arcobaleno and Paderno. Join me in embracing social selling as a relationship strategy. LittleMTucker.com is built for education, to develop a buyer more informed than ever before. We will continue to offer insight and opinion on products, events, and destinations. Love is on the table. Savor it. Understand it. Pick it up! Turn it over. Identify it. Learn about it. Want help? Ask me! My love of food and the vessels that serve it have never been stronger.
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// EYE
METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
AHF New York Chapter Tours West Point Food Service Operation
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he AHF-Association for Healthcare Foodservice was founded on the belief that Healthcare organizations are best served by self- operated foodservice. The AHF drives excellence by developing members to create best practice, advocating for its members, and connecting the leaders that advance the industry. So within its mission for The “SelfOperated Difference,” educating its members has always been a priority. With that goal in mind, members of the New York City chapter of AHF visited the United States Military Academy at West Point last month. “Our goal was to give our AHF NY members a close up look of one of the nation’s most fascinating foodservice operations,” noted AHF NY chapter president Veronica McClymont of Memorial Sloan Kettering. The group had the opportunity to tour the kitchen facilities and then to observe what is surely among the “Eight Wonders of Foodservice.” Every day for lunch West Point feeds its 4000 plus cadet/students lunch simultaneously in 25 minutes. West Point’s Director of Foodservice John Fitzsimons gave the group, which included many of New York City’s most influential healthcare foodservice operators the insight on how the Academy manages to consistently accomplish the feat everyday. “You need to have the right systems and great teamwork,” Fitzsimons explained to the group. The day was made possible through the sponsorship of the Gary Simpson led ITW/Hobart and their local rep
firm PBAC. “We are very proud of our association with West Point,” Simpson noted. “It’s an on-going process as John and his team continue to push to be more efficient and serving the tastiest menus to the Cadets.” The group was then treated to a very special lunch in the West Point officers’ club. The group’s tour guide was Lieutenant John Nawoichyk. He brought life at the Academy and beyond the life as he detailed the daily schedule of a Cadet that includes a 6 am wake up and then a full day of academic classes, military training and mandatory sports participation. Fitzsimons and his group also took the time to display their commitment to continuing to search new fare for the Cadet menus. Some of those offerings included experimentation with a new line of vegetarian items. The West Point account is in fact so large that US Foods, its primary distributor has a salesperson who is assigned just to that account. Among the Long Island contingents on the tour were North Shore Hospital’s Michelle Gregory and Rose Chin. Andria Coleman and Theresa Dunn represented Queens’ Forest Hills Hospital. The South Beach Psychiatric Center’s Stephen Chow and Tiffany Li as well as Mimi Wang and Sonia Magwood of the VA Medical Center enjoyed the comprehensive tour. The dining hall itself is truly a piece of Americana. Under President John F. Kennedy in the early 60’s a completely new wing was added to the dining facility to accommodate the Cadet population that continues to grow.
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An expansive and constantly growing equipment package is needed to feed the cadet population. ITW/Baxter’s cook chill equipment is at the center of that system.
Watching 4,000 cadets being fed simultaneously at lunch is truly one of the eight wonders of the food-service world.
Brookdale University Hospital’s Patrick Lamont and Maimonides Medical Center’s Marvo Forde.
Hobart sales chief Gary Simpson (R) represented his firm that co-sponsored the special event.
West Point’s director of food service operation’s John Fitzsimons led AHF New York Chapter group through our tour of the food-service facility.
The tour gave TFS co-publisher and hockey fanatic Fred Klashman (L) the opportunity to visit with the Cadet’s senior right-wing Josh Roberts as long time hockey fan Michael Posternak of PBAC looked on.
October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 27
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// Q&A
EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW
Andrew Rigie Executive Director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance
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hat led to the creation of the Hospitality Alliance? When you look at the vast size and scope of the New York City hospitality industry, it’s larger than many states. There are more than 24,000 eating and drinking establishments in the five boroughs. This industry is an economic engine for New York City and it’s vital to the social landscape. It just made sense for us to have our own, independent organization to serve our city-centric needs and represent our interests in the halls of government and the media. What was the vision of the founders of the Hospitality Alliance? Our founders represent many of the prominent restaurant and nightlife operators as well as industry suppliers in New York City. Their prominence was key in getting the organization off the ground. Today, having so many mom-and-pop to midsize restaurants and bars also involved with the organization has been key to our rapid growth. We believed that if we brought all aspects of our industry together under one umbrella organization, we would have a respected political voice. We would advocate to reduce regulatory burdens, present our industry’s perspective on newly proposed laws, and have an organization that provides information, education and services to help the city’s business owners succeed.
When was the Hospitality Alliance launched? We just celebrated our three-year anniversary, September 24, 2015. In just three years, this marketplace has really changed. How have the needs of this group changed? The hospitality marketplace is
Andrew Rigie
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always changing but some things also stay the same. While the Hospitality Alliance’s advocacy efforts have been incredibly successful in reducing regulatory burdens and fines thus far, business owners still face many old and new struggles. This is why it’s still more important than ever for New York City’s hospi-
tality industry to have our own independent organization to serve us. Over the past three years the need has increased for education on labor law compliance, food safety, and how technology and real estate are affecting our industry. In addition to our advocacy efforts, a major focus of the Hospitality Alliance is hosting seminars and conferences. We provide the information business owners need to know about and create forums to facilitate conversations that entrepreneurs want to be engaged in. What’s nice is that we’ve been able to bring so many industry people to the table so we have a real brain trust of experience, opinions, and perspectives that elevates our industry. These incredible people allow the Hospitality Alliance to have a proactive and meaningful approach when addressing all of the issues impacting the industry. What has enabled the Hospitality Alliance to strike a chord with a younger constituency? The demographics of the hospitality industry have been changing, it’s true. I love nothing more than seeing an old-timer chatting it up with someone new to the business. The restaurant group phenomenon, in which one company operates multiple different concepts has certainly helped us strike that chord. These groups, in addition to the owner, now have human resource professionals, directors of operation, marketing professionals, CFOs, COOs, GMs and many more who want to get together and be part of an industry organization. They enjoy our seminars because they’re timely and relevant. They like knowing there’s a strong voice representing them in front of government. When we created this
organization, it was important that the industry felt that the Hospitality Alliance moves at their pace and is a part of their culture. We may be a not-for-profit organization, but we have an entrepreneurial spirit that is very pro-active, not reactive. It’s important to be responsive to our members’ needs. If there’s a change in the law that the restaurant industry needs to know about, we’ll immediately issue an alert explaining what it means for their business. But it’s not all rules and regulations. We like to have fun of course. Instead of a traditional gala dinner, we host our Friends and Family cocktail parties. And our Ping Pong Slam is a tournament where restaurant and nightlife operators network and compete outside of the restaurants. We try to keep everything we do fresh and embrace the vibrancy of our industry. How do you perceive the needs of
“This is a crazy industry – nights, weekends, holidays, low profit margins, high stress - so to make it and to be successful you have to be passionate, hard working and relentless.” corporate sponsors and how do you answer them? We call them partners because that’s the type of relationship we want to forge with them. Getting involved with the Hospitality Alliance is a great way for companies to support their clients. Our Friends and Family cocktail parties and The Ping Pong Slam are a unique opportunity for our partners. At these events, they hangout with potential clients and also get to foster their existing
relationships in an exclusive and fun environment. How is the Hospitality Alliance dealing with the foam packaging ban that goes into effect on January 1? Many of our members have already transitioned to more ecofriendly packaging before this ban took effect, so it has a limited impact on most of our membership. Working with city government, we
were able to ensure that the law allowed for a hardship exemption for the very small businesses. We’re supportive of our environment, but when the city is passing regulations, they have to be conscious of their impact on our business community, especially the smallest businesses. What about the October 1 EMV chip technology regulation? One of the concerns here is that many business owners may not even be familiar with EMV and the new liability they may be subject to. What solutions are available to meet EMV requirements, or is there a lack of options in the market? Unfortunately, so much of the burden and liability ends up falling on small business owners’ shoulders without a seamless way to always comply. So we strongly encourage
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Q&A Andrew Rigie, from page 31
our members to speak with their POS and merchant providers, and lawyers to best understand their options.
ple from all walks of life can start as a server, dishwasher or cook and become a manager or owner. And that’s the norm, not the exception.
What are some of the common characteristics of the people who succeed in this business? They’re passionate and have the entrepreneurial spirit. The hospitality gene runs through their blood! This is a crazy industry – nights, weekends, holidays, low profit margins, high stress - so to make it and to be successful you have to be passionate, hard working and relentless.
You’ve spent a lot of time with the city council people, Bloomberg, de Blasio. What’s the role of the city council relative to our industry? How does the Hospitality Alliance push this relationship ahead? When you speak with elected representatives they always say how important our local restaurants are, how important small businesses are to our communities. While I believe they’re being honest, well intentioned, and some have been helpful, we want to see them push for more substantial changes to the regulatory environment. There’s more that
What makes the restaurant business different from other businesses? It’s an industry where the bar for entry is low but there’s no ceiling on success. It’s an industry where peo-
Andrew Rigie (center) with last year’s NYC Hospitality Alliance Ping Pong Slam champions, Jonathan Segal and Sam Goldfinger of The One Group.
continued on page 34
, SO GOOD VODKA IS OPTIONAL. DISTRIBUTED BY:
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METRO NEW YORK: Opici Wine Company 201-689-3256
NEW JERSEY: R & R Marketing 973-228-5100
UPSTATE NEW YORK: Empire Merchants North 845-338-2740
CONNECTICUT: CT Distributors Inc. 800-972-9822
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Q&A Andrew Rigie, from page 32
can be done to reduce regulatory burdens on small business owners so they can continue to operate great restaurants, employ local people and add to the greatness of New York City. One of the ways we at the Hospitality Alliance turn words into action is by meeting with government representatives. We explain the different challenges their constituents face running restaurants in their districts, we present solutions to reduce those burdens, and suggest initiatives the city can implement to promote the growth of existing and new restaurants. Where are we with the letter grading? We’ve been successful advocating for a reduction in fines by tens of millions of dollars at various city
agencies and reducing some of the burdens posed by the Letter Grade System. But there is still more work to be done. We believe Mayor de Blasio’s administration must further reduce burdens associated with the Letter Grade inspection system without jeopardizing public health. How do you assess the future and the growth of the restaurant industry? It’s amazing to see how the hospitality industry is evolving and the positive economic and social development it’s spurred in so many neighborhoods. When we talk about commercial/residential development these days there always seems to be a restaurant component because developers understand that New Yorkers, tourists and businesses
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want a vibrant hospitality industry around them. For so long, in many hotels and office buildings, food and beverage was just an amenity, nonexistent or an afterthought. But now it’s the driving force. People are going to hotels not to even stay in a room but instead to eat at the restaurants and drink at their bars.
foodie culture and chefs are the new rock stars. So it makes good sense for the hotels to have great food and beverage programs. It also provides opportunities for the restaurant industry to open new establishments in hotels, both locally and around the world. I’m sure we’ll continue to see this trend.
The International Motel Hotel and Restaurant Show has now changed its name to HX: The Hotel Experience, with its new slogan, “From Rooms to Restaurants.” How do you think this will affect the hospitality environment? Hotels are more of a draw when they have incredible food and beverage options for overnight guests and for the people living and working in the neighborhood. We’re living in a
How can people get in touch with you? We’re very hands on and we’re out and about so if you see us at an event please say hi. Or go to www. theNYCalliance.org, email info@ theNYCalliance.org, or find us on Twitter at @theNYCalliance and @AndrewRigie. Join the Hospitality Alliance. The more members we have, the better we can serve the industry.
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// SCOOP Group Opposing NY Wage Hike Posts Billboard
Scoop sees The Employment Policies Institute,(EPI), a public-policy research group, has taken its opposition to New York’s proposed fastfood minimum wage increases to the street, erecting a billboard in Times Square. The billboard is part of the Washington, D.C.-based group’s digital and print advertising campaign called “Fast Food Flop” that criticizes the recommended wage increase. The billboard in Times Square said
INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE the group receives support from restaurants, foundations and individuals. EPI is a non-profit group managed by Berman and Company, a Washington, D.C.- based communications firm that advocates for public policy issues. The Fast Food Wage Board, called for by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, voted July 22 to recommend that the New York State labor commissioner phase in a tiered, $15-an-hour minimum wage at restaurants with more than 30 units. It provided a faster timetable for New York City operators than for those in other parts of the state. The Employment Policies Institute’s billboard portrays an employee asking: “What? I get $30,000 a year with no experience or skills?” and, “Who needs an education or hard work when Gov. Cuomo is raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.” The EPI cited Bureau of Labor Statistics data that showed the median hourly wage for first-line food industry supervisors in New York State is $16.02, which the group said is “only negligibly higher than the new minimum wage of the entry-level employees they’ll be supervising.”
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An Ex-Merrill Lynch Exec Has Transformed New York’s Power Dining Scene
Scoop says there are two eras in modern New York City dining and nightlife — BC (before crisis), and AC (after crisis). The “crisis”, naturally, refers to the financial crisis. The one that sucked money and life from the city just as it did the entire world. Before the crisis, Wall Street enjoyed itself brashly and boldly, unapologetically spending more on a bottle of liquor than a layman might spend on a month’s rent. This was normal. So were lavish dinners at loud restaurants with 20foot Buddha statues in the center. It was all normal. But now it’s not. In the after crisis era, Wall Street has become more conscious of how it is viewed by the outside world.
After-crisis era dinners are quieter. There is less flash, less performance, less bottle service, less everything. That isn’t to say that Wall Street no longer entertains luxuriously. It’s just that the type of luxury has changed. In the era of relative understatement, one group of restaurants co-owned by a celebrity chef and former master of the universe has become to go-to for Wall Street’s elite: Altamarea Group. On any given day for lunch or dinner at Altamarea’s flagship Italian restaurant on Central Park South, Marea, hedge fund billionaire Dan Loeb will entertain guests in the private room. Pershing Square’s Bill Ackman will avoid billionaire frenemy Carl Icahn of Icahn Associates. Film and music industry mogul David Geffen will have his corner table. There will be deal closings, and client meetings, and birthday celebrations. There will be Goldman Sachs’ COO Gary Cohn and CEO Lloyd Blankfein. This arrangement was put together, in part, by a man who walked away from Wall Street just before it was brought to its knees. Ahmass Fakahany was the president of Merrill Lynch until February of 2007, just before the fi-
nancial world was about to implode. He, along with chef Michael White, own all of Altamarea Group - a rare situation in an industry where dozens of investors can own slivers of this place and that. They started it right when everything was burning down too. Marea opened in 2009. “I thought, you do something clean and honest and not too pretentious and it will work,” Fakahany said. It was, he said, “a gut-wrenching” gamble. “It was a bet on New Yorkers.” Fakahany met his soon-to-be business partner Chef Michael White over a decade ago at Fiamma, a Soho restaurant inside a three story townhouse that is now occupied by Altamarea’s steakhouse, Costata. During the BC era, Wall Street banks and hedge funds would entertain clients in the private room on the third floor. It is there that Fakahany realized Michael White was the kind of man he wanted to go into business with. “He is a business junky, he just wanted to know about the markets,” Fakahany said of White. So when White said he wanted to start a restaurant in New Jersey, and that he had collected a group of investors to make his dream a reality, Fakahany said he would contribute on the condition that White return
the money he had raised. Fakahany didn’t want partners. And after a while, he didn’t want to be a master of the universe either. “You’re never bored on Wall Street, but when you make it to the very top you become everyone’s therapist,” Fakahany said.
Henry Dissin, 98, restaurateur Scoop notes that, Henry Dissin, who was “the father of many South Jersey restaurants” passed away last month. Dissin, made it big years ago with Henry’s near the old Garden State Park, the racecourse in Cherry Hill. He then went on to own or manage the Calico Kitchen in Pennsauken, O’Henrys in Hurffville, then Absolutely Gloria’s in Cherry Hill. In a 1985 Inquirer interview, Mr. Dissin said he had opened 52 restaurants for himself and others during 49 years in the business. “Many of those were owned across the nation by the former Sonesta International Hotels Corp.,” his wife, Arlene, said. Dissin grew up in South Philadelphia and graduated from South Philadelphia High School during the Depression. His sister had a restaurant called the Harvey House on Broad Street a few blocks south of Philadelphia City Hall and that’s
where he was first introduced to the restaurant business. Tilly Lockman, his sister, was married to actor Harvey Lockman and all the people who played in the theaters ate there, often after the evening curtains rang down on their shows, many of them out-of-town tryouts headed for Broadway. Mr. Dissin interrupted his restaurant education to serve in the Army during World War II, at a radar station in Sault St. Marie, Ontario. Dissin returned to Philadelphia as night manager at the Harvey House until, in the 1950s, he and a brother, Samuel, borrowed $5,000 from their sister - about $50,000 in 2015 dollars and opened Calico Kitchen. “He had a saying,” his wife said, “‘Say goodbye to mediocrity.’ If you were going to be a restaurant, put out the best food and do it every day.” Besides his South Jersey locations, Mr. Dissin opened a Calico Kitchen in Plymouth Meeting and Henry’s Son at the former Penn Center Inn in Center City. For a time, while he consulted on the Sonesta Hotel restaurants that he had opened, she said, “he commuted to New York daily.” Dissin was more than an owner and manager of his own restaurants. He loved to design a plate of food and to get a new recipe. He would do a rec-
ipe 50 times until he thought it was worth serving. Sometimes, downtime was not downtime. “I thought I was going on a vacation to California” at one time, she recalled, but “it turned out to be a restaurant vacation.” “He had 15 restaurants that he wanted to check out. These were restaurants that were in a magazine and he wanted to see what they were doing and if it was really good. “Somehow, vacations became work.” But, she said, she enjoyed them.
Chefs Help Long Island City’s Ronzoni Celebrate Its 100th Year Scoop notes to celebrate 100 years of calling New York home, Ronzoni Pasta is announcing a 100th anniversary celebration partnering with New York area chefs to create a signature pasta dish inspired by the culture of their neighborhood, paired with donations benefiting local non-profit partners chosen by each chef. Chefs participating in the 100th anniversary campaign include: Chef Gianna Cerbone of Manducatis Rustica (46-35 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City); Chef Chris Jaeckle of All’onda (22 East 13th Street, Manhattan); Chef Samantha
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Scoop, from page 37 Diaz and the Pirolo family of The Saint Austere (613 Grand Street, Brooklyn) and Chef Biagio Settepani of Pasticceria Bruno (1650 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island). New York pasta lovers can join in on the fun by going to the Ronzoni Facebook page and selecting their favorite ingredients that the chefs will be required to include in their signature dish. The dish will then be served for a limited time at each participating restaurant during the month of October, which is National Pasta Month. In an effort to give back to the New York communities that have supported Ronzoni Pasta over the past 100 years, Ronzoni Pasta will make a donation to local non-profit partners that the chefs have selected. Chef Gianna chose Long Island City YMCA as her non-profit partner.
Marti
Noxon
Developing
High-Stakes Soap Opera Set in NYC’s Restaurant Scene for Fox Scoop says while heading Lifetime’s “UnReal” and “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,” Noxon has been EPing Marcia Gay Harden’s upcoming medical drama “Code Black” on CBS. And Noxon has now added to her slate the development of a Fox soap opera called “Hungry,” described as “set in the down and dirty, cutthroat and exciting restaurant world of New York City. The series centers on a young, aspiring chef who lands the thankless job as a line cook for one of Manhattan’s most famous and infamous culinary stars.” Noxon will executive produce “Hungry” with “Girlfriends’ Guide” EP Meryl Poster and Nina Colman, who will write the pilot. There’s no word yet on the gender of “Hungry’s” lead, but Noxon’s history with wom-
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en-centric series and the all-female creative team announced so far give us hope that she’ll continue writing great, prominent roles for women.
Kontos Foods Donated Over 6,700 Loaves of Flatbread to the NYC Century Bike Tour Scoop notes that Kontos Foods,
Inc., a U.S.-based manufacturer and distributor of traditional Greek and Mediterranean foods, recently announced that the company has been
named an official sponsor of NYC Century Bike Tour, a Transportation Alternatives event in New York City last month. Kontos Foods supplied 6,760 loaves of Kontos Flatbread so cyclists could snack on hummus and pita along their bike journeys throughout Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. The bike tour, which drew cyclists from the metropolitan area, the U.S. and the world, offered cyclists a choice of 35, 50, 75 or 100-mile tours. Along the way, participants were provided with healthy power snacks, including wedges of Kontos Foods’ Flatbreads with hummus. Cyclists had the opportunity to try Kontos Foods’ Onion Nan, MultiGrain Flatbread, Lower-Carb Greek Lifestyle Flatbread, and White and Whole Wheat Pocket-Less® Pita. Several Kontos Foods employees and their family members partici-
pated in the NYC Century Bike Tour. This is Kontos Foods’ 19th year supporting the event. Transportation Alternatives is New York City’s leading advocacy group that raises funds and awareness about the need for safe public spaces for biking and walking. The organization’s mission is to achieve Vision Zero, New York City’s policy goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2024. “Kontos Foods was honored to have donated Pita breads to nourish NYC Century Bike Tour cyclists as they made an important statement about
public spaces, safety and urban recreation,” said Steve Kontos, Vice President of Kontos Foods. “As a company that continuously works to reduce its carbon footprint, we wholeheartedly support the efforts of those who promote cycling as healthy, alternative transport.”
Manitowoc Foodservice named 2015 Vendor of the Year by SUBWAY® Restaurants Scoop says Manitowoc Foodservice is honored to have been named Vendor of the Year by the SUBWAY®
restaurant chain during the brand’s 50th Anniversary Convention recently held in Las Vegas, NV. This award was given in recognition for the hard work and dedication of the Manitowoc Foodservice brands Manitowoc Ice® and Merrychef® as a truly global supplier who supports an on-going relationship with SUBWAY® through innovation, enhanced operations and customer service. “Manitowoc as a company comes to us with innovations on a regular basis to see if they fit our needs and if it is something that would really benefit the Subway
brand,” said Frank Buffone, Senior Manager of Subway Operations. “It’s great having a supplier that really makes the Subway brand better. They bring innovation to the Subway brand that puts us in a better place than we were before they joined the team.” Glen Tellock, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Manitowoc Company, explained the Manitowoc Foodservice partnership approach to doing business. “We ask questions like what is the total cost of ownership? How to make products more water conserving, energy efficiency, easier to clean and easier
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Scoop, from page 39 to support?” This philosophy leads Manitowoc Foodservice to regularly deliver innovation, like touch screen technology and energy efficient equipment, which solve real operational problems while adding value that operators need. One example of this approach is the Merrychef eikon® high-speed ovens. By taking the opportunity to talk with and listen to the customer, we took that feedback and developed the Merrychef oven to exceed their expectations in performance, maintenance and ease-of-use. Technology like touch screens and energy savings are all ideas that came from customer dialogue. Manitowoc Ice Indigo® series ice machines also provides innovation steeped in customer needs. With patented Luminice® Growth Inhibitor to keep the food zone clean, operators are able to extend the cleaning time of the ice ma-
chine, without food safety concerns, saving time and money. This technology can lead to saving thousands of dollars each year in labor alone. Indigo series ice machines are also programmable and many are ENERGY STAR® rated creating even further operational savings.
Villa Bianca Contest Offers “Dream Life” Scoop notes that for 35 years the Villa Bianca in Seymour has hosted thousands of weddings and banquets. Now, the owner is looking for new blood to give his business a boost, and he’s using an essay contest to pick a new owner. Owner Tony Mavuli called the contest “Win your Dream Life,” because his was to build a successful business. However, he said his children are not interested in taking over the business so he is looking for someone to
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continue what he started. “I want to keep this place going forever, because it is what I built, it was my dream,” Mavuli said. He’s using a sweepstakes and an essay contest to select a new owner, with the winner getting the 9-acre wedding empire he built along Route 34 in Seymour. The 300 word essay would share a vision for the Villa Bianca’s future. “It breaks my heart, but before I get too old and the place is still in the best of shape, I want to pass it along, offer it to the right people,” Mavuli said. The main banquet facility has three ballrooms, a 200-seat chapel, an inn with 16 hotel rooms, a standalone restaurant that is currently rented, along with a 4,000 square foot home on the property. The new owner would also get $100,000 to start the business with.”The sweepstake is very simple. You have very little to lose and a lot to gain,” Mavuli said.
It costs $1,000 to enter and he said he’s hoping for a minimum of 7,500 entries, which would bring in $7.5 million for the property. A trust has been set up to run the contest with independent judges picking the winning essay. Mavuli said business is good, with more than 200-plus events per year. He added that brides-to-be already booked don’t have to worry. As part of the contest rules, Mavuli will be around to help during the transition. He said the contest opens it up for more people who normally wouldn’t be able to afford it to enter. “Not just selling it to a businessman. Now everybody has a chance,” Mavuli said. The deadline to enter is Dec. 15. According to the rules, if they don’t get the minimum number of entries, it will be up to Mavuli on whether or not to proceed. If not, everyone gets their entry fee back.
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// C-CAP TRADE TALK
WITH JOYCE APPELMAN
Mentorship Matters Anyone who has had a mentor will tell you that it changes your life; sometimes in ways you never imagined.
Joyce Appelman, is the National Communications Director for CCAP, Careers through Culinary Arts
F
our years from the time they first met, C-CAP alums Brother Luck and Oliver Malcolm have just embarked on a new adventure as mentor and mentee: the Avero Restaurant Experience. But it all started in 2011 when C-CAP Chicago alum Oliver Malcolm answered an ad for cooks on Craigslist. “It was rather vague,” he recalls, “so I didn’t really know what I was going in for.” On the day of the interview, Oliver shows up to the appointed building (20 minutes early, as per his C-CAP training), rides the elevator up, and finds himself facing a large frosted glass door reading “World of Whirlpool.” Am I in the right place?, he thinks. Should I just go home? Little does he know that behind that door sits a chef who will change his life and his career forever. He gathers his confidence, goes through those glass doors, and announces himself for his interview. Behind the interview table is C-CAP Arizona alum and World of Whirlpool Food & Beverage Director Brother Luck. “I had seen on his resume that he was a C-CAP alum, so I was interested in him right away,” remembers Brother. “Being part of C-CAP and having been mentored from the beginning by my teacher Jim Holman and C-CAP’s founder Richard Grausman gave me the skills and the confidence I needed to succeed. This was an opportunity to pass that on.” After a long conver-
Program in New York, NY. She has
sation, he hired Oliver and became his mentor. “He taught me to play ‘chess and not checkers’ in how I think about my life,” Oliver says fondly. “He taught me to think strategically and set up for older Oliver. In the kitchen, he gave me an appetite for learning, and for pushing myself; he said it was his job to make me better for when he wasn’t around. He taught me that you always need people who will bring you to the next level.” Opportunities for mentorship and bringing people to the next level? Sounds like a job for C-CAP and Avero! For the second year running, Avero,
(l-r) Damian Mogavero, Avero’s CEO and founder; Brother Luck, Executive Chef of Brother Luck Street Eats in Colorado Springs; Oliver Malcolm, C-CAP alum and a junior at Kendall College in Chicago; Michael Twiford, Avero Account Manager
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the leading provider of web-based and mobile business intelligence and analytical applications for the hospitality industry, has provided a C-CAP hospitality student and his or her mentor with the amazing opportunity to come to New York City for a four-day immersion trip into the food and beverage industry. Oliver and Brother were selected from a competitive pool of CCAP alums and their chef-mentors. Oliver Malcolm is a 2007 recipient of a C-CAP scholarship to the Restaurant School at Walnut College, and is currently pursuing his Bachelors at Kendall College. Brother is a 2001 recipient of a C-CAP scholarship to the Art Institute of Phoenix, and is currently Executive Chef and Owner of Brother Luck Street Eats in Colorado Springs. After Brother learned that he and Oliver had been selected for the experience, he had this to say: “It’s pretty great to be a part of a program that changes lives everyday with food and education. I received my C-CAP scholarship 15 years ago, and they’re still providing me tools to be successful. Thank you, C-CAP and Avero!” Oliver and Brother’s Restaurant Experience included tours and meals at The Nomad, Baccarat Hotel, Reynard, Brooklyn Bowl, Union Square Greenmarket, Eataly, The Smith and Rebelle, just to name a few. At Gabriel Kreuther’s eponymous restaurant Gabriel, Chef Gabriel sat down with the
been instrumental in opening career opportunities for many young people in the foodservice industry. Email her at joyceappelman@gmail.com
C-CAP Avero group over food and champagne for four hours (!), chatting and answering questions. It was a night that Brother and Oliver both swear they will never forget. In addition to the amazing restaurants that Avero exposed them to, Brother and Oliver also had one-onone time in the office with the Avero team, including Founder and CEO Damian Mogavero, learning about how their products work and receiving career advice. “Learning about these new tools and what they can do really sparked new motivation within me. It was incredible to see the scope of who is using their products already,” remarked Brother. “Plus, Damian is a great motivational speaker. I feel like he opened so many doors for me, both in my mind and in the industry.” C-CAP is so grateful to our friends at Avero for giving our alums this remarkable experience! Brother Luck has a fitting motto: “Luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation.” With the contacts Brother and Oliver have made, we have no doubt that opportunity will come knocking. And these culinarians will be more than prepared.
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// INSURANCE
FIORITO ON INSURANCE
New NY State Law Now Requires Carbon Monoxide Detection in All Restaurants Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President,
Earlier this year, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York signed into law new regulations requiring all restaurants and commercial spaces to provide carbon monoxide (CO) detection by June 2015.
HUB International Northeast, where he specializes in providing insurance brokerage services to the restaurant industry. As a 20-year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Bob has worked with a wide array of restaurant
T
he law is named after Steven Nelson, a manager of Legal Sea Foods on Long Island, who passed away in 2014 due to a carbon monoxide leak caused by a faulty water heater pipe. In addition, approximately thirty other people became sick as the colorless, odorless gas spread from inside the basement of the restaurant complex, which was attached to a shopping mall. Originally, one and two family homes, condo, co-ops and each unit of an apartment building were required to provide carbon monoxide detection, while restaurants and other commercial buildings were excluded. What is carbon monoxide and what are the dangers? Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that can be a result of incomplete combustion. It is considered a ‘silent killer’ because there is no way for a person to detect its presence or levels by seeing, tasting or smelling it. It is regulated under OSHA in workplaces in concentrations of greater than 50 parts per million. The human body’s respiratory system
& food service businesses, ranging from
is designed to infuse blood with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. When carbon monoxide is present, it attaches to hemoglobin during inhalation instead of oxygen. In high enough concentrations, this causes asphyxiation due to the lower levels of oxygen in the blood stream to fatal levels. The body does not have a mechanism to actively remove carbon monoxide like it does for carbon dioxide. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), on average over 400 people die annually nationwide due to non-fire, unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: • Headache • Nausea • Vomiting • Dizziness • Sleepiness • Trouble breathing • Loss of consciousness Required Building- What to do? According to the new regulations, the term carbon monoxide source is defined as: “Any appliance, equipment, de-
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vice or system that may emit carbon monoxide (including, but not limited to, fuel fired furnaces; fuel fired boilers; space heaters with pilot lights or open flames; kerosene heaters; wood stoves; fireplaces; and stoves, ovens, dryers, water heaters and refrigerators that use gas or liquid fuel, garages, and other motor vehicle related occupancies).” In most cases, carbon monoxide detection must be installed by a licensed security/fire protection professional by hardwiring it into the building power and alarm systems. The detection systems must meet the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 720, NFPA 72 standards and UL’s standard 2024. When it comes to all types of risk mitigation, being proactive rather than reactive can be a matter of life or death.
fast-food chains to upscale, “white tablecloth” dining establishments. For more information, please visit www.hubfiorito.com
With the proper detection, tragedies such as last year’s leak at Legal Sea Foods can be prevented. An announcement from the restaurant’s CEO after the incident stated “stronger safety measures must be put in place, and I pledge to be at the forefront of this effort.” This new law makes these safety measures not only a priority, but a compliance requirement. It is highly recommended to check with your local jurisdiction/ fire marshal to ensure what requirements are needed for your particular establishment. It is also critical to have an attorney review the landlord/ tenant lease to see who is ultimately responsible for the installation of these systems.
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// NEWS
FINANCE
Former Wall Street Exec Is Driving Force Behind Altamarea
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here are two eras in modern New York City dining and nightlife — BC (before crisis), and AC (after crisis). The “crisis”, naturally, refers to the financial crisis. The one that sucked money and life from the city just as it did the entire world. Before the crisis, Wall Street enjoyed itself brashly and boldly, unapologetically spending more on a bottle of liquor than a layman might spend on a month’s rent. This was normal. So were lavish dinners at loud restaurants with 20-foot Buddha statues in the center. It was all normal. But now it’s not. In the after crisis era, Wall Street has become more conscious of how it is viewed by the outside world. Aftercrisis era dinners are quieter. There is
less flash, less performance, less bottle service, less everything. That isn’t to say that Wall Street no longer entertains luxuriously. It’s just that the type of luxury has changed. In the era of relative understatement, one group of restaurants co-owned by a celebrity chef and former master of the universe has become to go-to for Wall Street’s elite: Altamarea Group. On any given day for lunch or dinner at Altamarea’s flag-
ship Italian restaurant on Central Park South, Marea, hedge fund billionaire Dan Loeb will entertain guests in the private room. Pershing Square’s Bill Ackman will avoid billionaire frenemy Carl Icahn of Icahn Associates. Film and music industry mogul David Geffen will have his corner table. There will be deal closings, and client meetings, and birthday celebrations. There will be Goldman Sachs’ COO Gary Cohn
In the era of relative understatement, one group of restaurants co-owned by a celebrity chef and former master of the universe has become to go-to for Wall Street’s elite: Altamarea Group.
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and CEO Lloyd Blankfein. This arrangement was put together, in part, by a man who walked away from Wall Street just before it was brought to its knees. Ahmass Fakahany was the president of Merrill Lynch until February of 2007, just before the financial world was about to implode. He, along with chef Michael White, own all of Altamarea Group - a rare situation in an industry where dozens of investors can own slivers of this place and that. They started it right when everything was burning down too. Marea opened in 2009. “I thought, you do something clean and honest and not too pretentious and it will work,” Fakahany said. It was, he said, “a gut-wrenching” gamble. “It was a bet on New Yorkers.”
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// RESTAURANT RENAISSANCE
WITH FAITH HOPE CONSOLO
Brooklyn and Queens Offer Cultural Cuisines and Hopping Scenes
Faith Hope Consolo is the Chairman of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group.
When it comes to dining in New York City, Manhattan isn’t the only borough with a marvelous mix of delectable dishes.
Ms. Consolo is responsible for the most successful commercial division of New York City’s largest residential real estate brokerage firm. Email her at fconsolo@elliman.com
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rooklyn and Queens also offer culinary plates that are as varied and sumptuous as are the world’s most extraordinary cuisines. Whether you’re in the mood for fine dining, a trend-topping restaurant or an impromptu stop at an ethnic eatery, these boroughs have it all. The first stop is Brooklyn, where food fanatics will be sure to return again and again. In Williamsburg, Oleanders at160 North 12th Street is headed by Joe Carroll and Francesco Panella, where a retro menu features dishes like clams casino and a Waldorf salad, along with past-perfect drinks like grasshoppers and Harvey Wallbangers. Head down to the neighborhood’s south side for The Four Horsemen at 295 Grand Street, the place to be when it comes to wine bars. With a winning wine list, tasty small-plate menu and the prestige of James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem in the mix, the place promises good times for all. Nearby, in East Williamsburg, Kings County Imperial at 20 Skill-
man Avenue has earned starred reviews for its Chinese cuisine, with named favorites including mock eel and yeungshau egg fried rice. Among the other delights are radish cakes with sausage, marinated duck and garlic chicken. Another neighborhood favorite is Moku Moku at 43 Bogart Street. Now bigger than ever with an expanded space, more diners can enjoy the restaurant’s izakaya Japanese dishes, like skewered selections, salads, ramen and grilled foods. A bit further east in Bushwick, cultural cuisines include Japanese fare at Okiway, 1006 Flushing Avenue, for specialty meat-and-vegetable-filled savory pancakes, plus menu items like tempura, gyoza and clams steeped in sake broth. Visit El Cortez at 17 Ingraham Street for Mexican food thanks to the joint efforts of restaurant notables Stephen Tanner, Chris Young, Dennis Spina and Yvon de Tassigny. Expect Mission-style burritos and cheeseburgers along with taco salads and frozen, tiki-type drinks. Faro, at 436 Jefferson Street, serves rustic Italian dishes made from fresh pastas with
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locally sourced ingredients. Among the offerings by Chef Kevin Adey are spaghetti alla chitarra with little neck clams, white wine and Calabrian chili, along with homemade bread and baked dishes from the restaurant’s wood-fired oven. Over in Bedford, Willow at 506 Franklin Avenue shares its chef, John Poiarkoff, with The Pines restaurant in Gowanus. Look for farm-to-table fare such as potato pierogi with oxtail and onions, and boar belly with asparagus. Local beer, natural wines and cocktails also are served. Crown Heights is the home of newcomer The Food Sermon at 355 Rogers Avenue. While less than a year old, this Caribbean eatery already is earning top reviews. The affordably priced menu’s tasty dishes include mini rotis and curry goat, along with vegetarian meals and personalized Island Bowls. Just to the west in Prospect Heights is Rose’s at 295 Flatbush Avenue, the new iteration of Marco’s trattoria. Highlights on this tavern’s menu are cheese toast, fried olives, spit pork, and a bodacious burger, along with beer, wine and cocktails. Foodies,
take note – the kitchen is open Wednesdays through Sundays, only. In Boerum Hill Grand Army at 336 State Street is the latest eatery from local restaurateurs Noah Bernamoff, Julian Brizzi and Damon Boelte. Come for cocktails, a raw bar and seafood dishes. And to the far west in Red Hook, Chiang Mai Restaurant has taken up residence at Home/Made, 293 Van Brunt Street, where dishes from Northern Thailand star, such as sausage plates, kicked-up soups and papaya salads. Queens also counts when it comes to delicious dining. New in Astoria is Burnside Biscuits at 3207 30th Avenue, courtesy of the crew from Bareburger. Munch on fried chicken and biscuits, along with wood-fired veggie sides cooked in the place’s wood-fired oven, and watch for a second location, rumored to be in the offing. Not far is Mamu Thai Noodle at 36-02 36th Avenue, which has gone from its food truck to a restaurant where choices include an eleven-course Thai tasting selection, noodle and
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// COFFEE PROFITS
WITH DAVID MENDEZ
A Winning Formula: Coffee + Education = Success
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offee roasters have been providing decades of DISSERVICE to food service establishments. Most have NEVER taken the time to educate chefs, servers, restaurateurs and buyers alike about coffee and its brewing techniques; this has led to an uneducated coffee buying marketplace producing a lot of sub-par cups of coffee. Coffee is a commodity, but it should not be treated as one. Here’s an example; I’ve been on sales calls at Brazilian Restaurants and sampled for them a beautiful coffee from Cerrado in Minas Gerais. They enjoy the taste of the coffee, but in the end they decide to buy inexpensive stale coffee blend from a restaurant wholesaler. I sit back and wonder, “If you have a Brazilian Restaurant, and the country of Brazil produces coffee, why wouldn’t you sell Brazilian Coffee in your “authentic” restaurant!?” It’s not the chef’s fault; IT’S OUR FAULT!! The fact is, it’s the roaster’s job to educate the restaurateurs. When a restaurant chooses their coffee roaster, they should be their strategic partner, not just their salesperson. We’re the expert, we should teach about coffee, espresso, and educate their staff on how to prepare it. Now, when the decision maker is making a coffee selection, they’re making an educated one. And when their staff is making and serving the coffee, they are doing so properly. Very often, the staffs’ training gets overlooked, and they don’t know how to brew and serve coffee. They are
one of the most important people in the supply chain! If they serve a burnt drip coffee or under-extracted shot of espresso, all that hard work up to that point is for nothing, and now you have a disappointed customer. Over 54% of adults in the US are regular coffee drinkers, leading to 382 million cups of coffee consumed every day! With a large percentage of restaurant staffs untrained, that leaves a lot of room for poor cups of coffee! My family has been in the industry for over 100 years. I’m sure at some point we were a part of the problem, just selling coffee and not taking the time to educate. But, the first step to correcting a problem is recognizing that you have one. We identified this issue and constructed a coffee training facility in our headquarters in Newark, NJ. We bring in groups of business owners and restaurant staffs to teach them about espresso, coffee, tea, equipment, brewing methods as well as beverage strategies. Our goal is to be a true strategic partner for our customers.
As educators, it’s our goal to teach you about brewing exceptional coffees & espresso, then help you strategize around that. If you own an origin specific restaurant, your coffee program should mirror that country’s coffee culture. For instance, a Brazilian Restaurant, should brew a Brazilian Coffee. Why would a Brazilian Restaurant brew a Colombian Coffee? If you have a French Restaurant, you should attempt to use French Presses coupled with a darker roasted coffee (synonymous w/ French Style Coffees). If you have an Italian Restaurant, you should ONLY have an espresso machine to extract perfect shots of espresso with a beautiful caramel colored crema. Then, with your newly trained staff, they can prepare lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos and even my favorite dessert; the affogatto! Once you select the coffee and brewing method, it’s imperative to describe the coffee on your dessert menu. What’s the point of doing all this work if you don’t convey the message to your customer? Talk about the
When a restaurant chooses their coffee roaster, they should be their strategic partner, not just their salesperson. We’re the expert, we should teach about coffee, espresso, and educate their staff on how to prepare it.
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David W. Mendez is a 4th-gen coffee professional for WB Law Coffee Co. (www.LawCoffee.com). Focusing on sales & marketing for Mid-Atlantic foodservice accounts, his expertise in coffee from seed to cup has helped develop, implement and maintain thousands of coffee & espresso programs.
traceability of the coffees to educate the consumer on the “seed to cup” journey. Also elaborate about the table-side presentation (French Press or other). These points will enable you to command higher price points. Restaurants that don’t do these things have decreased credibility amongst consumers. They may quickly find their Yelp and other social media reviews being very critical of their menu. To the contrary, if you do it, it ADDS to your credibility!! If you’re building your menu, or altering an existing menu, think about the coffee culture that’s relevant to your restaurant. If you’re not sure about it, then consult your roaster. They should be your strategic partner and help you develop an optimal coffee. With a category as important as coffee and in a marketplace as competitive as ours, you shouldn’t leave the success of your coffee program to chance. Now you can have confidence when your customers leave, they’ll leave with a great taste in their mouth, your coffee! You will see a positive response in customer feedback and profits!!
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// MIXOLOGY
WITH WARREN BOBROW
There Are Powerful Health Benefits Inherent In Drinking Vinegar
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inegar has a marvelous history in health tonics of all types. In my first book, Apothecary Cocktails: Restoratives from Yesterday and Today, I discovered that mixing vinegar, fruit and sugar together is more than just a flavorful treat. What drinking vinegar does is certainly offer refreshment, but it goes much further than that! But first, what is a Shrub? It’s not one of those plants from the garden center. A Shrub is a concoction of at least three ingredients, with vinegar being the key component to preservation. Vinegar is especially good as a health tonic and aid to digestion as evidenced by Asian cultures. They have utilized sweet plum vinegar for thousands of years in the desire for long life and good digestive health. Asian plum vinegar is little more than sugar, vinegar and crushed plums. But mixed into a cup of iced Oolong Tea or woven into a savory dish, good health and long life seem to join in the fun of drinking this ancient Shrub. Shrubs are in vogue again because they taste good, mixed with, or without the intoxicating ingredients. But when did they become popular here? Place yourself into the mid 18th Century, the early days of our Colonial nation. Most of the food that you ate during the day was either produced fresh or it was suffering from some form of rot. The plain facts of life are without refrigeration; food goes bad, very quickly. Vinegar is a powerful preservative to fruit or vegetables and when taken in the form of a Shrub, it
aids digestion! Enter the ever-enterprising immigrants during the 18th Century. These people brought the art and science of Shrubs with them from far-flung places in the world, where you ate food either freshly made, preserved in some manner, or not at all. This is harsh realty, but as anyone who has ever suffered from food poisoning knows, your food can hurt you, very badly. Something had to be done to extend the usability of fragile fruits through these ancient preservation techniques. This desire for refreshment forced the entrepre-
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neurial spirit. The early residents were driven to create Shrubs using ingredients available at the time not only for refreshment, but also for overall good health. Bitters and tonics were widely available at this time in the mid 18th Century in the early apothecary shop or dispensed by “Snake Oil salesmen” out to make a quick buck. These techniques and materials were not originally used in cocktails. They were used for good health! The early apothecary would dispense bitters, tonics and vinegar based preparations for healing maladies in the gut. Shrubs were first used as healthy refreshment in early America in the absence of pure water sources. For decades, most water that people drank was poisonous because it had not been purified before drinking. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot just drink from the stream over there. What is living in the water will hurt you, badly-should you not purify it first. Wine was added to water, as were Shrubs to make it drinkable. A portion of the acidulated Shrub was added to a glass
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 Cocktail and Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails- his most recent book.
and cool water was poured over the concentrated syrup and then it was enjoyed. Remember, without refrigeration, there was no ice so the market was ripe for innovation in this regard! Around the same time, workers in the fields were introduced to another Shrub-like concoction that was the energy drink of the day. This drink was named the Haymaker’s Punch, a combination of vinegar, water and molasses or honey. This punch often had a bit of brandy, whiskey or rum added to make a potent energy drink. Fast forward to the days of soda pop. Entrepreneurs discovered that carbon dioxide gas and water mixed with cane sugar and fruit syrup was a pretty good way to stay refreshed. This was the death knelt to Shrubs that require a much longer time to extract the essential flavors. Shrubs take patience and time to achieve their concentration, thus making them more difficult (and expensive) to make in quantity. For the modern mixologist or the homebartender, Shrubs stir up Colonial and pre-Colonial history in every sweet and tangy sip, offering real balance to
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// RESTAURANT EXPERT
WITH DAVID SCOTT PETERS
Top Business Killers Five critical points of contact to ignore if you want to kill your business
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ou can’t afford to not make a great first impression. There are too many other options for your customers in today’s marketplace. And with fewer dining out experiences per week, the amount of chances you have is also down. Here are five points of contact I often find get ignored in independent restaurants. If you ignore these five points of contact, you reduce your opportunity to build your business. You actually drive business away. Increase your chances of winning and keeping business. • First contact – make it count. Your guests encounter you the first time in many ways and all must be stellar. • In print: whether it’s an ad, a direct mail piece or a flyer going out to surrounding businesses, it must reflect your business. When they show up, they should have a reasonably good idea about what they’re going to experience in style, service, menu and price. For example, don’t have 10-cent-wings night with white tablecloths. Don’t woo them in with low-priced menu items or specials when your average ticket price is much higher. Be who you are target the right audience with that message. • Word of mouth: Provide a WOW
David Scott Peters is a restaurant
experience to every customer every time so that the word-of-mouth message that precedes that visit is lived up to. In other words, if a customer has a great experience and tells their friends about it, their friends should be able to count on a WOW experience as well. Remember, people are more protective of their positive comments and very open with their negative ones. One terrible experience will travel much faster than five WOW experiences. If one person’s word-of-mouth recommendation is rebuked by your lousy service, you’ve lost the original customer as well. Nobody likes to be made the fool. • Drive/walk bys: Make sure your
Never fall down on this job because a guest should never have to approach you. And train your employees to all be aware of it. If they’re not sure if someone has been greeted and helped, they should ask.
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facility looks good. Are the lights all working and turned on? Is it inviting? Is the paint cracked and peeling, or clean and fresh? Does the outside match your style; does it speak to who you are as a restaurant? When someone pulls up to your restaurant, do they want to get out and go inside? • Phone: People don’t think about this and it drove me crazy as a manager. You can’t take one phone call for granted. Does it take more than two rings for phone calls into your restaurant to get answered? If it takes too long, you could be giving the caller the impression that their time and effort isn’t important to you. • Answer with a smile: You can literally hear it on the other end. • Use a tagline, your USP: It’s designed to sum up your business, use it. • Those who answer must be trained: Whoever answers the phone must know about the business, such as hours of operation, directions, specials, games on the flat screens that night, all the basic questions. You have one chance to make a first impression; there are no second chances. • Facilities – a little spit and polish can only help. • Entrance: When people walk up to your front door, is there trash? It doesn’t matter if you share a strip
expert, speaker, coach and trainer for independent restaurant owners. He is the developer of SMART Systems Pro, an online restaurant management software program helping the independent restaurant owner remain competitive and profitable in an industry boxed in by the big chain restaurants. Download a free report to discover the #1 secret to lowering food and labor costs and running the independent restaurant you’ve always dreamed of. Learn more about how David can help you at www. TheRestaurantExpert.com.
mall with 20 other tenants who never pick up trash. If it’s in front of your door or around it, pick it up. Make your employees aware and make sure they’re cleaning it up when they see it. Do you let your employees smoke out front and leave their cigarette butts? Are your windows clean? • Dining room/tables: Your customer has come this far; they’re in the dining room. What will their impression be? Are the tables clean, the chairs free of crumbs, condiments clean and organized on the tables? Are your tables balanced? Your team can see it, make sure they’re eyeing it and keeping it all clean. In Phoenix, when Sue and I go
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// NEWS
MENU INNOVATIONS
Know Your Restaurant Equipment!
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nder what conditions does your ice machine need an upgraded water filtration system? Easy Ice defines an Upgraded Water Filter (UWF) to be a filtration system to solve specific problems affecting the ice machine’s performance and sanitation. Less than 2% of our customers require upgraded water filter systems (UWF). There are four primary reasons for installing a UWF: 1) Well Water 2) Extremely high mineral content 3) Facilities and water systems with very old pipes (i.e. New York City) 4) High yeast or mold environment
Most of these situations are identifiable in advance: 1. If your water is supplied from a well, you have likely already installed some form of advanced water treatment (AWT). If not, it is possible to install a UWF that can resolve issues specifically for the ice machine. 2. Extremely high mineral content will be observable by white, chalky deposits commonly identified as calcium carbonate. Iron will leave rust spots in unexpected places. In many cases taste or odor will be affected by high mineral
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content. 3. Areas like Manhattan with old buildings and old pipes introduce many suspended particulates in the water that can even challenge multi-stage filtration systems. The first three conditions are a result of the incoming water. Mold issues, however, are more commonly introduced through airborne matter from the environment. Bread and pizza baking or microbrewery activities create yeasty environments, which can facilitate the growth of mold and require an
UWF and/or more frequent standard water filter replacements and deepcleanings. We expect the standard filtration system to enable the ice machine to function properly for a minimum of 6 months. If it does not, then an UWF or AWT will be required. 9 out of 10 times, we’re able to identify the need for an AWT or UWF in advance of the installation – mostly because the owner should already know if they have one of the 4 conditions noted above. If you have questions about your ice machine’s performance or are ready for a simpler solution to your ice needs, give us a call: 866-easyice.
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// HOW GREEN ARE YOUR WAYS?
WITH PETER KAPLAN
It’s Time To Take A Fresh Look At How Deregulation Can Save Your Restaurant Money On Energy Costs
Peter Kaplan has served as Chief Operating Officer and President of United Energy Consultants since 2005. Behind his leadership and 20+ years of de-regulated energy and risk
Whether you look at the glass as “half empty” or half full” as business owners we are always looking to make our business model more efficient. I am always asked, “What is the low hanging fruit in your market?” and “How can we save money?”
management experience, United Energy Consultants has developed several proprietary procurement and software systems that are a benchmark in the industry. Email him at peter@uecnow.com
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n past articles we have tried to share with you some of the low hanging fruit in regards to bringing our electric and natural gas usage down to a more nominal level. In this article we thought it would be prudent to share with you, “the low hanging” fruit by purchasing your energy supply from a deregulated Energy Company properly. When done correctly, this can save your business thousands of dollars, and really have an impact on your bottom-line. Throughout the years, public utilities have been operated as regulated monopolies. These utilities were heavily regulated by the government because of how important their function is to the public as a whole. It was not long ago, when people were still using candlelight, and wood burning stoves for heat. With the advances in energy supply came changes in the way a restaurateur/business owner could choose who supplies us our
power. This was known as deregulation and it created a more effective way to shop for energy rather than being bound by our utilities and whatever they decide to charge us. Over the last several years, a number of states and provinces have deregulated their electricity markets to enhance competition between energy providers. Prior to deregulation, our utility company provided all aspects of your electric service–generation, sales, delivery, billing, and support. Post deregulation, some of these components were separated. Each of the Public Utilities Commission in the nation’s deregulated states opened up generation to companies other than utilities. The result was to create a competitive environment where the business owner could actually shop out their energy supply like any other line item they purchase. There is different status of the deregulation of energy per state. Some
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are fully deregulated for electricity and natural gas, while others have gas only and some have electric only while others have not deregulated at all. As business owners in the northeast we are, in that gas and electric are both deregulated in most states in the Northeast. Each of the four states that TFS covers: Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are in fact deregulated. There are a number of benefits from the deregulation of energy. At its core, Energy Deregulation provides you the right to choose who you purchase your energy from. Again, this creates competition in the marketplace and drives pricing down due to heavy competition. The benefits of choosing your own supply company are, price protection (guaranteeing budget certainty with a pre determined fixed price), saving money versus what you would have paid the utility, and also being taken out of the volatility in the
utility markets. I like the fact that no matter which company you select the utility still delivers your energy into your business. You just get the added benefit of choosing exactly how you want to purchase your supply. You can shop for the best prices available in the energy market and start saving money on your energy bills. My advice is to find a good consultant that can help you decide what type of deregulated supply rate works for you. That consultant will enable you to quickly sort out which energy supplier is right for you. They also will enable you to read the seasonal and marketplace fluctuations in pricing. The key thing to remember is that this change will be completely transparent. You may see a new name on the bill but you will be saving money and rest assured there will be no interruption of services.
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// NEWS
ENVIRONMENTAL FOODSERVICE
Government Cracks Down on NonTransparent Environmental Claims
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he term Greenwashing has been around for a couple decades or so. It describes businesses who make general unsubstantiated environmental claims in order to attract environmentally concerned customers to their business. Now the Federal Trade Commission is beginning to crack down on businesses who make general claims that are self-reported, nottransparent, and not measured. Let’s take two fake businesses and put them side-by-side. Let’s call the first one Pasta Hut. They make the following environmental claims: • “Farm to Table” • “Organic and Local Whenever Possible” • “We care about the environment”
• They have a recycling symbol on their menu. Next to it, it says “Do your part” The second restaurant is called Barbara’s Sandwich Haven. They make the following environmental claims: • “2 Star Certified Green Restaurant ®” • 50 Environmental Steps • 160 GreenPoints™ • 95% Waste Reduction • 25% Energy Saved • 10% of Food comes from within 100 Miles Pasta Hut is using general “feelgood” phrases that are not objective. “Farm to Table” can mean various different things to various different restaurants. “Organic and Local Whenever Possible” can mean 100% organic and local; or it can mean 0%. The “whenever possible” makes it a subjective term. In addition, their claims are self-made; there is no outside verification. Barbara’s Sandwich Haven is specifically stating how many environmental changes it made; what level of certification it has met. That indicates that all of its changes have been vetted by a 3rd party organization. It lists some of the 50 steps in the list; and it gives you a link to find more information on all of its steps. It is not subjective or self-reported. The FTC’s Green Marketing Guidelines are making it easier for
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consumers to be able to begin to see more specific environmental claims that are vetted; versus general environmental claims that leave the consumer not knowing exactly what they mean. The Green Restaurant Association has supported this philosophy for 25 years. Transparency, standards, and legitimate verifying
bodies create a marketplace that is trustworthy, which spawns consumer demand and industry innovation. When buying a product, dining at a restaurant, or selling a product, make sure there are real environmental standards and a real environmental organization behind the claims.
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// RESTAURANT STAFF MANAGEMENT
WITH LEEANNE HOMSEY
How To Inspire Your Restaurant Staff To Learn Customer’s Names To Double Sales And Tips
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oes your staff find opportunities to connect with their customers, learn guest’s names and then leverage information to provide the exceptional, intuitive service that inspires five star social media reviews or do they sneak off somewhere to check their own social media? Does your staff look for ways to provide personalized, intuitive service that brings customers back or do they look to spotlight problems within the restaurant? The problem may be as simple as inspiring your staff to genuinely connect with your customers and the first step is to learn their customer’s names. How can you inspire your staff to learn customer’s names? Here is just one way: Coach your team to realize that waiting on strangers is twice as hard and twice as risky as serving customers they know. Remind your FOH employees that they can’t possibly know how a stranger will tip no matter how good the food or service. Teach your employees that knowing customer’s names, preferences and idiosyncrasies, no matter how odd, will actually save them time and energy and makes space for new customers and sales so in two months’ time they would actually double their tips. Here is one way to start your coaching: Bring a calculator to your next
LeeAnne Homsey specializes in
meeting and ask, “On average what do you think you take home in a week?” When they give you a number multiply it by 52 show or tell them the total. Then multiply it by 2 and ask, “How would you like to make this much doing less work? Well it all starts by knowing your customer’s names. You are all here for the same number of hours wouldn’t it make sense to make more money. Wouldn’t you like to make twice as much and save yourselves steps?” The fact that your staff will easily double their income by turning customers they serve into customers they know will be of interest to them. The fact that you are going to help them accomplish this will make you an ally and coach. Global attitudes have changed. You and your employees should be changing with them to inspire and create community within your restaurant. If things have stayed the same, you
might by feeling pushback from your employees and customers. Helping your staff make better connections and more money will help so for at least a few weeks carve out some time each day to coach your staff how to accomplish this and you will find yourself in a much better place in just two months. Below are just three of the ways servers can easily begin learning names of your customers. 1) Incomplete parties are a virtual goldmine. Asking the name of the guest they are waiting for so they can be personally greeted at the door gives both guests a value added service and less likely to post negatively on social media even if things go wrong. It also gives the server license to use the customer’s name to check on them throughout the meal. 2) Solo diners should be asked how they heard about the restaurant or what brought them in. People love to
The fact that your staff will easily double their income by turning customers they serve into customers they know will be of interest to them.
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providing consulting / training services to the restaurant industry. As a 25-year veteran, LeeAnne has worked with a wide array of restaurant businesses ranging from casual to upscale dining establishments. For more information call 1-646-462-0384, e-mail info@leeannehomsey.com or visit www. leeannehomsey.com.
talk and since they are alone the server won’t be interrupting anything. • Birthday or anniversary celebrations are the jackpot. The person’s name is usually given at the time of the reservation but if your reservationists or hosts aren’t asking they should definitely start. That is vital information for everyone in the restaurant and the person’s name AS WELL AS THE RESTAURANT’S name should be written on dessert plates. It is THE most posted restaurant picture and almost every restaurant misses the opportunity to brand and be shared by thousands of potential customers. When customers share a branded photo they are 5 times more likely to say something positive plus share on your restaurant FB page making it possible to learn, remember or quickly access return customers. Next month: “Contests and Teambuilding To Inspire Your Staff To Remember Customer’s Names.”
October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 71
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New Jersey based Krowne Metal teamed with Premium to create a 7 boat shaped bar that captures the 6 excitement of the Windlass 17 project.
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Windlass Restaurant, Lake Hopatcong, NJ
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Manente Led Premium Supply Team Reinvigorates Iconic New Jersey Lakefront 2
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he Hamptons are too busy. The Berkshires, too many bears. But what about a change of season trip to a nice, peaceful lake only 40 minutes from New York City? We’re talking Lake Hopatcong, of course, and guests are finding that they can’t go there without stopping to dine
at Windlass Restaurant, a beloved family restaurant for the past half century. Although The Windlass was sold to the Szigethy family, the restaurant’s soul hasn’t changed. The Szigethy’s Camp Six management firm plan is for the iconic eatery to feature the same Italian favorites,
72 • October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
with some updated dishes and most importantly a fresh new look. Bela Szigethy and his wife Alice are at the helm of Camp Six, which runs a number of Lake Hopatcong properties. The Windlass acquisition adds to a growing list of lakefront properties owned by the Szigethy family, including Al-
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ice’s Restaurant (located across the street on the hilltop right above Windlass Restaurant), Lake Hopatcong Cruises and the Main Lake Market. Alice Szigethy, who spends her summers on the lake, has previously talked about her hopes to return Lake Hopatcong to the tourist attraction it once was.
October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 73
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Craft boat that points out towards the lake. Premium, which offers the latest technology, has designers and engineers who can plan any kitchen facility to suit customers’ needs, no matter how challenging, complying with all national and local health codes. In the year and a half from planning to opening, Premium’s designer Joe Manente, and the contractors were able to both preserve and invigorate the 50-year old restaurant, while creating a lakefront retreat for local residents and those summering at Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey. “The owners’ goal was to totally revamp and spruce up the
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Windlass, this wonderful restaurant that had been at the lake since the ‘70’s on,” says Manente. “As part of the deal, the new owners promised the original owners that they’d keep the memory of the Windlass alive, while, at the same time, creating a new building.” “So my challenge was to create a restaurant that compliments a spectacular lakeside backdrop,” Manente added. The new owners 16 want to make the lake a must-see for New 1Yorkers looking to spend 5 quiet, restful weekends away from 14 the hustle and bustle of the city. The 13 restaurant, on Nolan’s Point Park 12 Road11 in Jefferson, is complete with
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The Szigethy’s family farm on Halsey Island produces fresh produce for both the Main Lake Market and the Windlass. Alice operated a restaurant on the top floor of the Windlass for many years. It was a no-brainer to want to combine her talents with the history and distinctiveness of the Windlass. Szigethy shopped the food service marketplace to find a designing kitchen and equipment dealer that had the experience to understand her firm’s vision. Camp Six selected, Joe Manente of Premium Supply Company to design and build the new kitchen and bars, including the main bar, shaped just like a Chris
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“The lakeside area is so beautiful, and historic, too, that it seemed a perfect place to open a new restaurant while still keeping the touches of the beloved Windlass,” Alice Szigethy noted. “With the marina, the restaurant, and the bar, we’ve created a whole new community of guests and hosts at Lake Hopatcong.” “I’ve lived at the lake for 12 years and it never gets old. When we heard the owners of the Windlass wanted to sell, we were right there. It’s such a beautiful area and the restaurant itself is a treasure. We wanted to keep its charm while adding a little to the menu favorites.
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try Chef.” By working with noted New Jersey custom fabrication manufacturer EMI/Marlo, the Premium team was able to expand Windlass culinary capacity to meet a vast array of both a la carte and catering needs. He points out that the chef’s table is probably the most important piece of equipment in the kitchen. “It’s like a tank in the middle of the kitchen,” he says. “It’s a main piece of construction and it helps the chef on one side, and waiters on the other for pick-up. We did a nice pick up area, open with no overshelf on the very end so if the waiters do a party of 25, they can lay out the sal-
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it’s mostly a sauté line,” says Manente. “Two pasta cookers and a flat top and deep fat fryers but the whole line-up is set towards an Italian menu, complemented by an Lshaped custom chef table by EMI Industries/Marlo,” he says. “The back counter on the adjacent side of the L is a marble-topped dessert area where they put a pasteurizing Carpigiani gelato machine so they can make gelato for themselves and the Ms. Lotta Dinner Boat, and for Main Lake Market, to sell retail its own brand of gelato. The machine pasteurizes as well as makes the gelato so you can containerize it. It’s done right in the kitchen by the Pas-
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boat parking and an outdoor patio overlooking Lake Hopatcong. One of the first things Manente did was to take more space in the kitchen than was originally there. “We put in a Dining Room woodburning oven and grill and an antipasto bar counter featuring display of hot and cold plates, where food is displayed. In addition to that, we have a raw bar. The custom pass thru window enables communication with the main a la carte kitchen,” he notes. “We also built another banquet kitchen behind the main kitchen.” “The menu drove the choice and layout of the kitchen equipment, as
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ads all at one time.” On the long end of the L is dessert and appetizers, salad, and the cold station and on the other, the hot station. “I love the L-shape,” he says. “It compliments the labor. If you bring a guy from dish washing and put him on salad and he learns the salad but he’s wide open in the back to the cooking line, on a slow night the chef might say, help me with the fried foods or a little 16 sauté, so it helps you train the kitchen that way. It’s 15 an open line, Americanized Waldorf.” 14 For13dish washing, Manente created a12very large scullery area. “It’s a u-shaped dish washing area with a 11 10 9
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Available At Premium Supply Co. Inc. www.premiumsupply.com In New York: 631-586-2477 In New Jersey: 201-636-2196
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The byproduct of refrigeration is 1 heat, so we capitalize by reclaiming the heat from this rack and to provide the customer’s hot water 24/7,” Manente says. “You’re using this rack, which is highly energyefficient to begin with, and then you’re using the heat from the rack to heat the hot water so they don’t have to spend the money heating the hot water with electricity or gas,” he says. The contractor and owners put high emphasis on the green factor. There is blown in insulation, throughout, R-factory windows and glass doors, and all LED lights. “It’s LED across the board,” says Manente, adding that a new LED fixture lights up the kitchen better than
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much as it should. So they wash, rinse and sanitize in the threecompartment sink, which is connected, and they have a rack sitting on the clean table that they can fill with utensils, then pick it up and run it through the other side of the conveyer machine so everything is clean and sanitized for the next day.” But one of the most significant parts of the build was the green component. “We provided a fully redundant Cold Zone rack that provides 28 remote units. It becomes advantageous to put as many units – for example, back bar units, displays, worktop refrigerators and freezers, things that would be normally self-contained on this rack.
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conveyor-type machine so we have three different directions soil can come from. We had to make sure we had a very good accepting area or soil dish table and then that U’s into a Champion conveyor dishwasher that continues along a clean table. I added my three-compartment sink to the end of the clean table, 2mainly for the end of the night, when the last dishes are done and the last racks are coming through with dishes, silver and glass,” he explains. “The cooks start to break down and have a multitude of small containers and utensils, and what happens is, the dishwasher just by nature has a tendency not to change the water at the end of the night as
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The Premium design team created dining areas that capture the best of a traditional lakefront with the amenities of the very latest in customer comfort and value added dining experience.
Joe Manente’s Premium team has created a state of the art kitchen facility that can handle both a full a 17 la carte menu and the demands of 18 high volume special events. 19
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anything he’s22ever seen – for only 3 amps per fixture. 23 In terms24of used oil, the restaurant is using an oil reclamation system. “The great part of being involved from early on is that we were able to pre pipe the oil reclamation system while the walls were still open. All the refrigeration lines and beer and soda system lines were also run during construction. Now, when oil needs to be changed, they bring a wand or gun to each area where there’s a deep fat fryer,” he says. “You turn the switch on the gun, and it draws the old oil out. You clean the fryer out for any residue, then fill it with new oil from the other tank. The company, Oilmatic, supplies you with oil at pen-
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take the shape of the tip of the boat. A Camp Six mill worker made it look like an old Chris Craft, the white slats on the bottom, the mahogany top and trim. It looks exactly like one of those gorgeous old boats you see on the lake. RPI made me a wine display recessed into the rear wall of the bar. The pass through custom wine case, allows wines to be stocked from the back of the house. “When I design a kitchen, I’m always trying to find new ways for a customer to make money above and beyond what they think,” he says. “If they think they’ll open up a 100 seat restaurant, I’ll say, can you cater, do take out, anything that’s going to create an additional price
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nies over the commodity, and they retrieve and pay you for the dirty oil.” Another piece of equipment called the Big Dipper works with each three-compartment sink. “It can retrieve the dirt, grease and oil in a container that looks like a large plastic measuring cup before anything goes into the main grease trap underground. Cutting most of the grease off at the source, especially important when you’re lakeside. It allows the customer to maintain the septic system.” One part of the set-up that Manente is particularly proud of is the bar made by Krowne Metal, designed in the shape of a boat. “It’s all conformed and made custom to
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Camp Six and Premium created and implemented a plan that has brought back the glory days of lakefront dining at The Windlass.
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point. What that does is gives them a good foundation for a successful business. The first two years, there’s a real big risk. What we did here is all of that. You want to try to give them a good start, bringing in some really nice extra revenue from day one.” Manente says his goal was to expand and maximize the original concept, while keeping the Windlass’s Italian menu, to stay true to the restaurant’s history. The new owners say they are already adding new recipes to the menu, including new white clam and Bolognese sauces as part of a long and thoughtful transition from old to new. It may have taken a year and a half but Manente was able to both preserve and invigorate the 50-year old restaurant, while creating a lakefront retreat for local residents and those visiting Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey. “Remember this was known as an Italian restaurant and bar, now we have created a venue with a dining destination for a very different customer,” Manente explained, “locals pull their boats into the Marina’s new slips to have lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch.” “Everything was first-class in our renovation. We wanted only the best. That’s why we brought in Premium to design and build the 2new kitchen and bars, including the one shaped just like a Chris Craft that points out towards the lake. They helped us turn this glorious lakefront into a world-class operation that people can’t wait to come see, and dine,” Alice Szigethy concluded.
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(top) Marra Forni’s pizza oven is a focal point of Windlass’ commitment to presentation cooking. (bottom) Under the Szigethy ownership, the Lake Hopatcong Windlass has been restored to its glory years as a premier vacation destination.
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78 • October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
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Thirsty environments. Cold Solutions. The cold, hard fact is, keeping beer or other drinks at the perfect temperature for serving makes a difference in customer satisfaction. That’s why we’re raising the bar on “cold” with Back Bar Coolers that offer superior performance needed to keep bar establishments running at peak efficiency. In other words, our Back Bar Coolers beat the others COLD!
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INNOVATIVE DESIGNS FOR YOUR FOODSERVICE NEEDS
Represented in Metro New York by: Pecinka Ferri Associates: www.pecinkaferri.com sales@pecinkaferri.com • (973) 812-4277 3 Spielman Road, Fairfield, NJ 07004 October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 79 8/26/2015 3:42:09 PM
// LIZ ON TABLETOP
TABLETOP SOLUTIONS
Embrace Octoberfest and have a beer!
S
o, what are we drinking this fall? BEER. Tough topic for a wine drinker. I understand rich full body reds in large Bordeaux glasses. I get light crisp Chablis is tall elegant stems. I am happy drinking dry Rose in stemless glasses on the deck. But beer? This is totally out of my comfort zone. There is a huge movement towards craft beer. And the Hudson Valley seems to be a hot bed. Paring Plum Honey beer with Foie Gras or maple Honey Rye beer with citrus cured salmon seems to be the rage
amongst our more inventive chefs. Definitely not the Natty Lite with chips that college students are drinking. As the beer becomes more inventive and unique, so does the glassware. Need to, to make the experience upscale, and therefore more profitable for the establishment. We know well that a 16 oz. mixing glass can also be called a pub glass. These are easy to come by, and are also available tempered and with patterns. Simple and easy. Some manufacturers offer logo or etching on glasses at very little cost to help you
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push your brand. Call me and I will help you through this process. Many restaurateurs also like to use these simple pub glasses as give-aways - a reminder when you get home of the great meal and experience the customer had. We are now seeing the resurgence of specific glasses for specific styles of beer: heavier dark beers in lower, round “Berlin” glasses, some of which tulip out allowing for aromas to breath. There are tall footed ale for this lighter style. Comfortable sturdy pilsners for this approachable style.
Liz Weiss is the President and coowner of Armonk, NY based H. Weiss Co. 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.
There is still room to show your own style- serving in something different: instead of an ale glass, try a tall thin cylinder, maybe a stout in a low balloon type glass. Many of these items are stocked here at H. Weiss or are readily available. It is no longer adequate to have one glass for all types of beer. And while most of us preach less items to make operations run smoother,
behind the bar is one place that we see a different trend. There is way too much profit at the bar to ignore the showmanship. We borrow this trend from wine, as we borrow the trends of tastings and food paring. Smaller portions of several beers can be served on a wood or slate board, or even a metal stand. Try using different style tasting glasses to make this even more interesting. Do not forget to artfully present garnishes. This showmanship not only enhanced subtle flavors and educated consumers on what they should be tasting, but allow your restaurant to shine above the competition. Try a sugar encrusted orange on an elegant stainless pick served on a shiny stainless coaster. Or really think out of the box and serve “beer for 2” in a liter swing top bottle. So, embrace Octoberfest - and have a beer!
The use of specific glasses for specific styles of beer, like this dark beer in a round “Berlin” glass, tulip out to allow for the aromas to breath.
October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 81
// THE WINE COACH
WITH LAURIE FORSTER
Outsmart the Wine List
I
magine this—You are seated at an upscale restaurant with one of your best clients and then handed a wine list thicker than a college textbook. You want to pick out the “perfect” wine to impress your client but everything looks like it is written in a foreign language. After only a few minutes the server asks if you have made your selection so you decide to order the most familiar thing on the menu. You are not sure your selection will coordinate with your meals and it costs more than your boss will tolerate for a client dinner. By the time the bottle arrives you have broken out in a cold sweat and are ready to take a big gulp! The good news is that understanding the three main ways wine lists are organized is the first step to preventing this from ever happening to YOU. There are three primary types of wine lists: those organized by the grape varietal, by geography or where it is made, and by flavor profile. Keep in mind that some lists blend several of these methods. Let’s explore each of these three types of wine lists: 1. By Grape Varietal. Organized by the main grape variety used to produce the wine, this type of list may be further organized by country or state. Thinking of the grape varietal first and the origin second is an American trend. Many European countries are trying to focus on the grape varieties despite regulations that ban the top rated wine from listing them on the label. Sections for the popular varietals, e.g., Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pi-
not Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, are usually listed, as well as an “other varietals” category for white and red. These lesser known varietal sections can often be more interesting, and is where many bargains can be found! 2. By Geography. This wine list is organized by countries of origin and often has the more specific subcategories, like the regions or state, which is the traditional type of wine list. If you love French wines, this type of list makes it easy. Flip to the French section and then look at what regions or wines are offered. The grape varietal used may (or may not) be listed next to the wines in this type of list. This is not an issue for most wines from the US since the wine is usually labeled by grape varietal, e.g., Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. The European wine industry, however, tends to focus on the region and assume we know what grapes are grown. Even though the principal grapes of Burgundy are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, they won’t appear on the bottles of Burgundy’s finest wines. 3. Progressive. This type of list is a relatively new approach that is organized by the flavor profile. A typical category might be fruity whites or powerful reds and the wines in that category may be ordered from mildest to fullest.
82 • October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
This allows diners to look for the type of wine they enjoy and then order options in the same flavor category. Your favorite grapes or countries may be located in many different categories. Once you get the hang of these lists, they are tons of fun. They don’t require any special knowledge of geography or grapes—just a knowledge what you like. Now you should have a better understanding of the three most common ways that restaurants organize their lists. The geographic and grape varietal lists will account for 80% of the lists encountered, but the progressive list may be a growing trend. The next time you take an important client (or that special someone) to dinner they will be impressed with your ability to find the right wine in no time! More Secrets to Ordering a Great Bottle of Wine Every Time! • Do Your Homework: The first step to ordering a great bottle happens before you arrive at the restaurant. See if the wine lists are online. If so, you can get an idea of what they offer and do a bit of research. If not, you may want time after you are seated to digest the wine list and narrow down your choices. The easiest way to do this is to order sparkling wine to begin. Italian Prosecco or Spanish
Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach, is a certified sommelier, award-winning author and media personality. Forster is the host of her radio show The Sipping Point and her mobile application “The Wine Coach” was listed as one of the Top 8 Wine Apps in Wine Enthusiast. To find out more visit: www.TheWineCoachSpeaks.com | @thewinecoach | facebook.com/winecoach
Cava are usually my choices since they’re tasty, affordable and pair nicely with most appetizers. • Speak Up: Ask the sommelier or server for suggestions. Most are eager to help and have tasted most (if not all) of the wines on their list. Those of us who have chosen wine as a career enjoy drinking wine every night but don’t necessarily have large budgets. Sommeliers and servers will know the best bargains because that is what we are drinking at home! • Don’t Break the Bank: If you are on a budget but don’t want the client to know that, point out a wine in your price range and then ask for an alternate suggestion. Any good server will recommend something within $10 of the wine you pointed out. Don’t go for the least expensive bottle, however; look for the second or third level wines. The lowest priced wines are actually marked up the most, sometimes 4 or 5 times cost, whereas higher priced wines
might only be marked up 2 times cost. • Get the Point: Let’s face it, we are not experts in French, Spanish or Italian but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying the wine right? If you find a great wine you want to order but are afraid to pronounce it, look for the Bin Number listed to the left of the wine. Many restaurants use these as a method to organize their wine inventory. If the list does not list bin numbers, then point to the wine in question and any astute server will get the message. • Hidden Gems: Resist the temptation to order the cult favorites like Opus One or other highly sought after wines with name recognition.
These wines are expensive because, like Gucci or Cartier, the brand’s status is part of what you are paying for. Many times you can find wines that are similar in quality for much less, especially if you are willing to try lesser known grape varietals or regions. Ask your sommelier or server. They will be able to recommend the best buys. • Keep on Sipping: Try to taste as much as you can at home or at free in-store tastings. Retail wines are usually only marked up 30-50% over cost as opposed to the standard 2-3 times markup at a restaurant. Experimenting at home will give you the experience to order great wine you’ll love when you are out!
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// FOOD SAFETY
WITH FRANCINE SHAW
Who Is Cooking For The Pope?
A
s I sat in the airport this morning waiting for my flight, I watched Pope Francis in the Papal Parade along the National Mall in Washington, DC. And as I listened to the commentators speak about the security risks surrounding his visit to the United States, I began to wonder…. While the Pope is in the United States, he needs to eat (yes, my world revolves around food – literally). What will he eat? Who will prepare his food? How will they prepare his meals? Where did they purchase the products that they will serve him? Will they take any special precautions when preparing his meals? According an article written by Sam Dean in Bon Appetit, Pope Francis enjoys dining on fruit, skinless chicken and salads. Those items, of course, pose the risk for contamination if they’re not properly prepared. The chicken needs to be cooked thoroughly to proper temperature to eliminate the possibility of
foodborne illness. And the equipment used to prep the raw poultry (e.g., cutting boards and other surfaces, knives and other utensils) must be properly and completely cleaned and sanitized before preparing the ready-to-eat fruits and salads, to minimize the risk of cross-contamination. Whether you are cooking for the holiest man in the world or a room full of customers, the meals you’re preparing should always be made with care and attention to safety. The food you serve should never make anyone sick or (heaven forbid) kill them. Everyone deserves to have safe dining experiences – every time, regardless of where they go. Recently, in a groundbreaking court case, three executives from the Peanut Corporation of America were sentenced to prison for their roles in a major foodborne illness outbreak that occurred in 2008 - 2009. These individuals were found to have knowingly shipped peanuts tainted with salmo-
Pope Francis shares a laugh at a luncheon last year in Rome. 86 • October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
nella, and tampering with lab tests around their products. As a result of these actions, there was a nationwide salmonella outbreak that made 714 people sick and killed an additional nine people. The executives’ prison sentences ranged from five to 28 years. Some may say this punishment is a bit harsh, but if you are responsible for deliberate decisions that made people sick – or killed them – shouldn’t you be held accountable for your negligence? In this case, it wasn’t a simple, honest mistake that caused the outbreak. These executives knew they were shipping tainted food that could cause foodborne illness on a national scale, and they did it anyway. This court ruling is monumental in the food service industry, since it’s the first time ever that a corporate executive has been convicted of federal felony charges related to food poisoning. When I conducted an audit at a casino recently, I took the temperature of a TCS product that fell well within the temperature danger zone. When I brought it to the shift supervisor’s attention, she replied, “We only sell one or two of those a day.” I responded, “So, if you only kill one or two of the 5,000 or so customers you feed a day, that’s not an issue?” Sometimes team members don’t understand the importance of the basics - keep hot food hot, cold food cold or don’t keep it. Where were the temperature logs, the thermometer, or the calibration log? The corporation had solid policies and procedures in place but there was no follow-up to ensure the practices were being followed. Without ongoing follow-up, policies and procedures are just words
Francine L. Shaw, CP-FS.FMP, is President of Food Safety Training Solutions, Inc., which offers a robust roster of services, including food safety training, food safety auditing, responsible alcohol service training, writing HACCP plans and more. The Food Safety Training Solutions team has more than100 combined years of industry experience in restaurants, casinos, and convenience stores. The company has helped numerous clients, including McDonald’s, Subway, Marriott, Domino’s, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Dairy Queen, and Omni Hotel and Resorts, prevent foodborne illnesses. Additionally, they work with restaurants of all sizes, schools, medical facilities, convenience stores, hotels and casinos.
in a book. To keep all of your customers safe, get back to the basics: • Make certain that everyone washes their hands and washes them appropriately, with soap and hot water, using single-use towels to dry them. • Keep hot food hot and cold food cold or don’t keep it. • Food thermometers must be easily accessible – not locked in the office – and should be used to monitor the temperature of food.
continued on page 106
October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 87
// NEWS
HOSPITALITY AWARDS
Legendary Luther Set to Receive Penn State Award At NYC’s Waldorf As Part Of HX ’15 Celebration
J
on Luther, board chairman for Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. and retired CEO and board chairman of Dunkin’ Brands, has been named 2015 Hospitality Executive of the Year by the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society (PSHRS). Luther will receive the award during the 53rd Hospitality Executive of the Year award reception, which will take place at the Waldorf Astoria New York on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015, in conjunction with the annual HX Hotel Experience Show in New York. As part of the honor, Luther also will be inducted into the Penn State Hospitality Hall of Fame, located at The Nittany Lion Inn on Penn State’s University Park campus. “Jon’s career success speaks directly to the tradition of education embedded in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management and that is a hallmark of our alumni,” said Donna Quadri-Felitti, director of the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. “His values-based leadership and innovations, founded on solid research, consistently elevated the brands he steered in a highly competitive dining segment.” Since 2011, Luther has served as board chairman for Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. Additionally, he serves as lead director of the board at Six Flags Theme Parks, as well as a member of the board of directors at Brinker International.
“The members of PSHRS are extremely pleased to have Jon Luther as our 2015 award recipient and inductee into our hospitality Hall of Fame,” said Lea Ann Kish, president of PSHRS and chief operating officer of Milestone Hospitality Management. “Mr. Luther has an impressive career history that includes the successful transformation of Dunkin’ Donuts among many other accomplishments within the hospitality industry.” Luther was named chief executive officer of Dunkin’ Brands in 2003 and held the additional title of chairman in 2006. In 2010, he assumed the role of executive chairman and, in 2011, nonexecutive chairman of the board. In 2013, Luther retired as chairman of the board at Dunkin’ Brands. “I am honored to be named the recipient of the prestigious Hospitality Executive of the Year granted by the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Soci-
ety,” Luther said. “To be among the luminary hospitality leaders who have received this award is quite humbling.” Upon joining Dunkin’ Brands in 2003, Luther led the transformation, revitalization and global expansion of the company’s two iconic brands: Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins. Early on, he instituted values-based leadership, resetting the company culture. Under his direction, stores were restyled with exciting, contemporary designs that also honored both brands’ heritage. He has rolled out a portfolio of flexible store formats that opened the door to growth in non-traditional locations, such as stadiums, airports and universities. In 2005, Luther brought in a culinary “dream team” of award-winning chefs to fuel menu innovation and excellence, creating the new category “quick quality” to change perceptions regarding quick-service meals. He im-
“Jon’s career success speaks directly to the tradition of education embedded in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management and that is a hallmark of our alumni,” said Donna Quadri-Felitti, director of the Penn State School of Hospitality Management.
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Jon Luther
proved the company’s research capability with a consumer insights group and refocused and re-energized the brands’ marketing initiatives, leading to the 2006 launch of Dunkin’ Donuts’ award-winning marketing campaign, “America Runs on Dunkin.” Most notably, Luther led the expansion of Dunkin’ Donuts from its core region in the Northeast to key markets across the United States, yielding dramatic growth in both brands’ international business. From 2003 to 2009, system-wide sales increased more than 66 percent, the total number of stores grew by nearly 44 percent, and the company achieved EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization) growth of 135 percent. After a successful CEO leadership transition in 2010, Dunkin’ Brands continued this positive growth and completed a successful public offering in 2011. Before joining Dunkin’ Brands, Luther was president of Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, a division of AFC Enterprises. During his six years with Popeyes, the company’s store count grew 67 percent to 1,672 units, while average annual unit volume grew to more than $1 million, the highest in the chicken quick-service restaurant (QSR) category at the time. With Luther at the
helm, Popeyes won industry awards for menu strategy, store re-design and customer satisfaction. Luther was president of CA One Services, a subsidiary of Delaware North Companies Inc. He has also held leadership positions in the contract foodservice division of the Marriott Corporation and at ARAMARK in Philadelphia, where he rose from vending sales director to become president of Davre’s, ARAMARK’s luxury restaurant subsidiary. Luther also founded Benchmark Services Inc., a foodservice management firm specializing in business dining for corporations, growing the business into a strong regional competitor. Luther holds an associate degree in hotel and restaurant management from Paul Smith’s College and honorary doctorate degrees from Bentley
College, Johnson & Wales University and Canisius College, as well as from his alma mater, Paul Smith’s College. He supports culinary and foodservice programs at a variety of institutions, including serving on the Board of Trustees for the Culinary Institute of America as vice chairman. Additionally, Luther is the 2012 Past Chairman for the International Franchise Association. In 2005, Luther was the recipient of the Nation’s Restaurant News Golden Chain award and in 2006, he received the Chain Leadership award from Chain Leader magazine. Luther received the 2007 Gold Plate Award from the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association and the 2008 Mentor of the Year award from the Elliot Leadership Conference. In 2009, Luther received the Na-
tional Restaurant Association’s College of Diplomates award honoring his lifetime achievement in the restaurant field; and in 2010, Luther was elected into the MenuMasters Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Leadership Roundtable. Luther received the Norman Brinker Award from Nations Restaurant News at the MUFSO Conference in 2013. The Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society was established in 1948 to strengthen the hospitality profession and to enhance the reputation of the hotel, restaurant and institutional management program in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. PSHRS and the school created the Hospitality Executive of the Year Award in 1960 to honor individuals who exemplify the successful leader-
ship characteristics that they strive to instill in students and to convey to alumni and colleagues. Last year’s award recipient was Michael Leven, president of Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Previous winners include J. W. “Bill” Marriott Jr., executive chairman, Marriott International; Jim Abrahamson, president and CEO, Interstate Hotels and Resorts; Steve Rushmore, chairman, HVS; Randy Smith, chairman and co-founder, STR; Roger Dow, president and chief executive officer, U.S. Travel Association; Niki Leondakis, former chief operating officer, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants; Andrew Kerin, former group president, Global Food, Hospitality and Facility Services, ARAMARK Corporation; Tom Giannopoulos, executive chairman, MICROS Systems Inc.; and other notable executives in the industry.
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// RESTAURANT OPERATIONS
WITH KEVIN PAIDER
A World Gone Mobile: The Ease of Technology
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he food and beverage industry is front and center in a mobile device revolution that has taken over as the norm. Whether the user is a customer, business operator, or staff member there is a huge appreciation for what technology offers. Mobile devices, software, mobile websites and apps all serve 2 fundamental needs of users- convenience and productivity. Today’s consumers want their information to be quick, pertinent, and easily accessible. Restaurants are utilizing mobile
websites and apps to reach customers in several ways that fit the demands of today’s mobile device users. • Tell me what I need to know. Websites and apps can help provide information containing menu items, nutrition analysis, allergens, and photos to provide a visual illustration of what to expect. Reviews about a business are easily accessible to help decide and validate choices. • Help me get there. Mobile devices make life easier through maps to locate your business and get directions.
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Once a potential customer finds you they can use an app to either make a reservation, order take out, or request delivery. The traditional methods of phoning for a reservation or walking in and requesting a party of 8 are outdated. • Make my experience quicker and easier. Many operations are using mobile solutions that include hand held POS devices to directly enter orders as well as various payment collection methods such as mobile payment, or table payment processing
Kevin Paider has over 25 years of management experience in the food service industry. He has trained implementation and use of POS and back office software programs, and has opened restaurants as both a manager and trainer. Kevin is currently a Training Manager with ChefTec specializing in on-site trainings, food cost and food safety presentations.
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machines. The recent conversion of credit/debit cards from swipe technology to implanted chip technology is the next step in the payment process evolution that will result in more mobile payment options. • Help me connect socially. We see it all of the time. Facebook posts, pictures of meals, tweets about experiences, checking in at a location. Today’s mobile users want and expect to share the events of their lives. Additionally, many companies want to include the mobile world as a part of their internal operations to increase productivity. Scheduling programs and apps make it easier for employees to have instant visibility to schedules and easier access to exchange shifts. Inventory programs that include scanning bar codes and data entry into tablets can significantly reduce the time needed to count, record, and verify a
tedious process. On-line ordering systems that are connected through an app and mobile device also save time. Finally, there are huge marketing benefits included with using mobile systems. Large numbers of companies utilize apps to promote loyalty and frequency programs. They increase their customer database information and learn more about their demographics by making registration easy. They offer discounts and deals to this group of customers as part of a special deal for social media or app only users. I was once told that it is critical to keep up with the technological changes of the time or you will be left behind. Consider that today’s youth are growing up only knowing how to use smartphones and tablets and it is easy to see that businesses need to cater to a future full of mobile technology users and solutions.
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October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 93
// NEWS
OCTOBER 1st - EMV COMPLIANCE
Par Tech Simplifies EMV Compliance For Metro NYC Operators With Brink Debut
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hough operators may not welcome one part, the changes that are coming to New York City restaurants October 1st will protect them from fraudulent use of credit cards in their establishments. “On Oct. 1, 2015, in-store counterfeit fraud liability will shift to the party that has not adopted EMV chip technology – either the issuing financial institution or the merchant,” according to Paul Rubin, Sr. VP Brink Software, PAR Technology, Inc. “Understanding how this liability shift affects a business can help protect it from liability exposure,” Rubin says. “While the transition to EMV will
take some time for the industry to fully roll out the hardware needed for these solutions, the benefits to both merchants and customers are undeniable!” EMV (Europay, MasterCard, Visa) is a smart-chip technology for payment cards—EMVcards have an embedded microprocessor chip that creates a dynamic authentication code for each transaction. It can be used with a PIN or just with the cardholder’s signature. This shift is the answer to a growing number of large-scale data breaches and increasing rates of counterfeit card fraud in the U.S. Restaurants in New York City will need to begin using the technology October 1st.
The new technology will shift liability exposure to those foodservice establishments, which do not switch over to the new standard. Explains Rubin, “A traditional magnetic stripe card (no chip) is swiped by the customer at a magnetic stripe terminal. If the purchase is a counterfeit transaction, the merchant is generally not liable, just like today. Chip cards can also be used at a traditional magnetic stripe-only terminal. If this kind of purchase is a counterfeit transaction, the merchant generally holds liability because the issuer has made the investment in chip technology to make transactions more secure while the merchant did not invest in upgrading to chip.”
If a chip card presented at a chipenabled terminal that has been activated by the merchant is used for a purchase that is a counterfeit transaction, the merchant is not liable, and the issuer will continue to bear the responsibility of counterfeit fraudulent activity. “The really good news is that when both parties adopt chip, overall in-store counterfeit fraud is virtually eliminated due to the security benefits of chip technology,” Rubin adds. PAR has worked with several vendors in the payment industry to enhance Brink POS for EMV. “Working with companies like VeriFone and Mercury Payments yields software and hardware solutions that mer-
To help restaurant operators make this transition as seamlessly as possible, PAR has added support for EMV into Brink POS software and is educating its customers about what they can expect. 94 • October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
chants can deploy that accommodate MSR, EMV and mobile payments like Apple Pay,” Rubin says. One small drawback to the card is there is a slightly longer processing time than a magnetic stripe transaction. Unlike magnetic-stripe cards, however, every time an EMV card is used for payment, the card chip creates a unique transaction code that cannot be used again, preventing hackers from using the chip information from that specific use. All this occurs through the new EMV card’s metallic square – which is the computer chip. Magnetic stripes on traditional credit and debit cards contain static data that does not change over time
until a new card with new information is given, Rubin points out. “EMV cards contain dynamic data that make in-store credit fraud much more difficult—each time a chip card is used, a new code is created and that new code is needed to complete the in-store transaction,” he says. “This technology has already greatly reduced credit fraud in countries which have implemented EMV, so businesses who adopt this new technology sooner will be protecting their customers and their brand from hackers,” he notes. In the store, customers will “dip” their card rather than swipe it by inserting it into a terminal slot. The
machine then transmits the data from the chip. “The learning curve for consumers will be eased with machines that will walk you through the process,” he says. Some EMV cards can also support NFC (near field communication) in which, instead of dipping or swiping, NFC-equipped cards are tapped against a terminal scanner that can pick up the card data from the embedded computer chip. To help restaurant operators make this transition as seamlessly as possible, PAR has added support for EMV into Brink POS software and is educating its customers about what they can expect.
What if a customer has an old magnetic stripe device? “The new EMVenabled devices, which are separate from POS registers, can accommodate both traditional magnetic swipe and EMV transactions,” Rubin says. New EMV-ready cards are still being distributed to consumers and there will be a need for businesses to process both formats for a time. The first round of EMV cards will be equipped with both chip and mag stripe functions to give businesses time to adjust and consumer spending is not disrupted. For more information, call 800403.9027, x1.
• Designed for the Multi-Unit Operator • Cloud-Based POS • Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Model • Loyalty at its Core • Online & Mobile Ordering • PCI Compliant
For more information, contact Par today (800) 448.6505 x5849 | www.partech.com October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 95
// INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
WITH FRED SAMPSON
The Independent Segment Is Slowly Disappearing If you’re operating only a single foodservice establishment, you could be or are now facing a threat to that independence from a multi-unit company more commonly known as a chain. They are growing at a prodigious rate.
Fred G. Sampson is the retired President Emeritus of the New York State Restaurant Association. He began working with NYSRA in 1961. Within the next four years the NYSRA
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ccording to a report by market researcher NPD Group, the total number of restaurants shrank by one percent … even though Starbucks, Chipotle, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Subway collectively opened thousands of brandnew locations. It confirms the fact that if the chains are growing—and they are—the shrinkage is in the independent segment. The report went on to state: “The majority of America’s restaurants have always been independently run. At NPD Group’s last count, nonchains still accounted for 54 percent of U.S. restaurants, but if the current trend continues, that majority won’t last but a year or two. It’s still unclear what effect that a $15 living wage would have on small business owners, but as more cities begin raising the minimum wage, it will cost momand-pops more than the 22 cents per Big Mac.” While this NPD Group report pertains to national chains, it doesn’t begin to address the newest phenomenon, the growth of regional or local chains. These groups operate five or more units—in many cases operating under different names—and they also are growing at a rapid rate. They
more than tripled its membership
are, for the most part, limited to large urban areas, and are in many cases sought after by landlords that have excellent retail space. The reasons are obvious: experience, good balance sheet, and, in many cases, reputation. For the most part they are full-service establishments. I call them the “phantom groups”; they’re illusionary yet they are real. Full-service independent operators took the biggest hit with a unit loss of 3 percent. Quick-service independent units held their ground. This decline in restaurant counts reflects stalled foodservice traffic growth over the past several years. Independents’ traffic, quick-service hamburger and full-service restaurant visit declines, particularly at midscale / family dining restaurants, are factors in stalled traffic growth. Visits to total restaurants were flat in the year ending May 2015 compared to a year ago, according to NPD’s ongoing foodservice market research, Crest. While urban operators are facing outlandish rent increases in many parts of the country, chains are also faced with a shortage of prime locations. In addition, a number of communities are trying to limit the amount of QSRs with drive-up ser-
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vice. They maintain that the driveups create traffic problems. I don’t, however, see a similar effort as it relates to banks with drive-ups. One of the factors rarely discussed, but growing, is the home meal replacement, or prepared foods from supermarkets and convenience stores. I visited this topic in an article titled “Café Microwave: A Growing Competitive Threat” about 18 months ago. At that time it was projected by the NPD Group that through 2022, instances of prepared food purchased at retailers for at-home consumption will increase by 10 percent over the next decade, compared to a 4 percent increase forecast for commercial foodservice traffic. If you have not visited a full-line supermarket, I suggest you do and take a look at not only their frozen prepared foods, but their lines of ready-to-eat offerings. Some have full-service restaurants and most have full catering departments. What I find disturbing is that no one at any level of government will acknowledge the existence of inflation. How can you ignore $4.00-a-pound hamburger, $4.00-a-gallon milk, and chicken at an all-time high—even before the avian flu. Feeding a family at home is difficult at these prices,
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
leaving little discretionary dollars for eating out. Survey after survey shows that one of the industries most impacted by a tough economy is foodservice, at almost every level. Why? Simply because unlike service stations and supermarkets, we cannot change our prices every day to reflect a changing market. We cannot charge $3.00 for a hamburger on a Tuesday and, if beef goes up because of a storm out West, increase our price on Friday. It may sound elementary, but it is a fact. One last observation: We are not the only industry losing sales to growing chains; the local drugstores are disappearing, along with hardware stores, mom-and-pop groceries, shoe stores, women’s clothing shops, men’s wear stores, all due to the increasing number of superstores. You might call it the “chaining of America.”
October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 97
// NEWS
BAKERY EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONS
Long Island Based Firm Brings Decades Of Bakery Design Expertise To Metro NYC Food Service Marketplace
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n 1977 Stephan Wechsler was in construction and it was dying. “My family had been in the baking machinery industry for years and I was encouraged to take a look,” he says. After checking out several alternatives, and starting to hang out in bakeries, Steve found he enjoyed the atmosphere and the machinery. “I’m a bit of a gear head and although I had sworn that selling machinery was something I would never do, I found it fascinating. I also saw there was a need for a company that would focus on quality machinery and service on a smaller level than some of the larger companies with machinery for bigger production,” he says. And so Empire Bakery Equipment was born. “I decided to focus on small, family-owned ethnic bakeries,” says the company president. “It seemed a good idea, and 38 years later, it looks like it was!” Now his company has moved into foodservice, including large supermarkets and multi-unit operations that do the bake in-house. “As our business started to evolve, we saw that the type of production equipment we were offering to small, privately held bakeries was also applicable to supermarkets and
the foodservice end of the industry,” he says. “Small supermarket chains were interested in making a quality product and making it fresh, and we found that we had a niche with the particular equipment we were bringing in to make that quality product.” But as times change, baking needs change too. “The baking industry is not insulated from the influences of society as a whole and nutritional aspects of food have become much more important over the last 38 years,” he says. “Unfortunately,
they’ve also changed from year to year, sometimes month to month. First it’s Atkins, then gluten-free, then allergies. The winds and tides change and the industry has to follow or get left behind. Sometimes it works in the bakeries’ favor, sometimes not. Take, for example, the Atkins diet. They needed bread substitutes. We spent hours formulating, experimenting, working at it, and it fizzled. It did not have a lasting impact. By the time we got it right, it was over.” But that doesn’t happen too of-
“As our business started to evolve, we saw that the type of production equipment we were offering small, privately held bakeries was also applicable to supermarkets and the foodservice end of the industry,” Wechsler says.
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ten. And as for the trends today, it doesn’t seem to be going that way at all. “Gluten-free has staying power,” says Wechsler. “It’s a medical condition and it’s not going away. It’s not someone’s opinion like no carbs. You have proof, positive feedback, so that led to the birth of some new products, like gluten free pizza, gluten-free bread. We found that requires different handling, different machinery. You can actually make gourmet gluten-free breads on cookie machines because it’s more like cookie batter than a bread dough. All the bread comes out like bread but the process is more like a batter.” Empire’s decision to get into foodservice happened as a part of their evolution. “We had thought about foodservice for many years. We had people calling us in as bakery experts -- a lot of times after the fact, after a job was really messed up, where something had been spec’d or equipment had been purchased that was not suitable for what the bakers wanted to do,” says Wechsler. “And we began to see there was a need for our bakery expertise in the foodservice space.” “The more we spoke with consultants and foodservice dealers and reps, we realized they had minimal experience in that area because bak-
ing is a smaller industry than food itself. There wasn’t the focus or the time or the opportunity for those involved in foodservice machinery to know a lot about bakery machinery, so that’s why they started calling us. We got calls from large foodservice dealers or reps asking for help, and the more we saw that, we said ok, here’s an opportunity for us.” Empire Bakery Equipment helps restaurants make a statement. “Restaurants want to have signatures,” he says. “People’s first impression when they walk into a restaurant, besides the décor, is the bread because that’s the first thing they serve you. Restaurants wanting to make a great first impression started buying great breads from terrific bakers but they wanted signature items so some started baking their own, especially the chains. They decided they wanted to get into supplying their own so now they’ll build a commissary to supply their own restaurants, on all levels of ability, all levels of craftsmanship. On any part of the spectrum, people wanted to be part of this movement.” While the company’s approach to the foodservice industry’s needs had been reactive in the past, they finally decided to take a more proactive role. “We knew if we were to be successful in foodservice we needed to have someone with the expertise, knowledge and relationships to help with the distribution
network and the mechanics of the industry. One individual who had called on us over the years and encouraged us to enter the market possessed these attributes, so we brought him on to lead the effort,” says Steve. “Our goal is to meet the consultants, get them aware of what we do, who we are, and more importantly, why it’s to their client’s advantage to involve us in their process,” he says. Wechsler touts the versatility of the company. “We do 50,000-square-foot plants as well as small retail stores. We have the capability of solving baking problems at every size.” Empire isn’t sector-specific, he says. “Our goal is to develop and nurture a rep group, have quality reps around us, which we have now done. We want to make them more knowledgeable about the baking industry, more educated. We solve baking problems, and our goal is to expand that into foodservice.” As for restaurants in New York City, where space is limited, new equipment is making it easier. Having someone available to spec it is golden. “In the old days everyone had big revolving ovens. That was great because they were versatile but they were 10’x10’. Now you can put in a deck oven for bread, a convection oven for pastries, and maintain it in space half that size, using half as much energy,” he says October 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com • 99
// CHEFCETERA
UP CLOSE WITH METRO NY CHEFS
Chef CJ Reycraft and Julianne Hodges AMUSE, Westfield, NJ
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he story of Amuse’s proprietors, CJ Reycraft and Julianne Hodges, is one about love: love of good food, of all things French, and of one another. Both found their passion for food early in life. For Ms. Hodges it was a global affair, from spending time with her family’s roots in Southern France, to kitchen work in Israel while on a kibbutz. Chef Reycraft knew from his first restaurant job as a line cook that he was most at home in the kitchen. Chef Reycraft and Ms. Hodges received classical training at The French Culinary institute in New York City, which boasts countless influential alumni, including Momofuku’s David Chang, wd~50’s Wylie Dufresne, to Food Network personality Bobby Flay. Hodges and Reycraft met while working at Westfield’s Chez Catherine in 2011, and have been inseparable ever since. In his time at Chez Catherine, Chef Reycraft created seasonally inspired classic French dishes from tasting menus to dessert, that The Newark Star Ledger called, “wellfocused dishes that consistently hit a high mark, each presenting a visual that matches the taste” in addition to awarding him their “Best French” award for six consecutive years. When frequent patrons Jim and Missy Ford approached Reycraft about opening a restaurant together he knew it was fate. Proud of their Westfield roots, they were delighted to settle into a
beautiful space downtown in a building that was a post office at the turn of the 20th century. The team behind Amuse are inspired by the beautiful simplicity of fresh local ingredients, French food culture, seasonality, and the Westfield community. Talk about your experience at Chez Catherine and how your stint there has helped you with the launch of Amuse? My experience at Chez Catherine taught me many lessons about running a restaurant. The number one thing it taught me is that consistency is everything. It is hard enough to get through the first year of business and Chez Catherine has been around in some form since 1979! Didier Jouvenet, the current owner, has been at the helm for 13 years now. I am fortunate enough to have a good relationship with him even though I am now a competitor. The continued excellence at Chez
Catherine is an amazing accomplishment. What Didier taught me is that there has to be one driving voice and a singular vision for the direction of a restaurant. He and I may not have agreed on everything when I worked there, but it was his place and his influence could be seen on even the finest details. How did Amuse come together from vision to completion? When my business partner (one of Chez Catherine’s best customers at the time), Jim Ford, decided to retire, he approached me about opening a restaurant. He and I had become close over the years and he knew I was looking to make a change and possibly open a new place. We did a lot of research and visited many locations, from Montclair to Fords, to Perryville, NJ. I approached a local restaurant owner/friend that owned three restaurants on the same block in West-
“Our customers love that we do our best to use local farms whenever possible. People like to know that the salad they are eating came from right here in NJ, The Garden State!”
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Chef CJ Reycraft and Julianne Hodges
field and inquired about purchasing one of the businesses from him. We were able to work out a deal and Amuse was born! Walk us through a typical day at work. What are some of the challenges you face each day being first time restaurant owners? Since we are open 6 days a week, my “work” week starts on Tuesday. I usually get in around 9am to start going over paper work and bills for the week. Once I get the office work out of the way, I get into the kitchen and get my team organized and ready. My sous chef has been with me for almost 8 years now so that makes that part of my life very easy. From there it is receiving product or making a run to Restaurant Depot for some supplies. Cooking during lunch service and prepping up stations for dinner service, going over specials, meeting with my manager and FOH staff, and setting up for diner service. During service, I am either working on the line with my crew or expediting or sometimes I am on the pastry station. Once dinner service is complete, we break everything down and clean
the kitchen, go over the food orders for the next day, and call it a day for the kitchen staff. I usually chat with my manager after dinner service to go over any issues we might have had during the evening and discuss any upcoming events/private parties. It is about 11-11:30pm by the time I go home. Let’s talk real estate. What were you looking of in terms of location and space? Did you ever think about New York City to open Amuse? We scouted many locations. Price, location, and being a turnkey restaurant were the three main factors we focused on in determining the location for Amuse. We did talk about New York City, but decided that for our first place, being close to home was important. It also was a place where I had a following whereas in New York I would be virtually unknown in the culinary landscape.
and making sure our customers every need is met. Any issue that may arise, we try our best to turn a negative situation into a positive one. What’s your opinion on local sustainability? And do you look for loyalty from your suppliers or do you go to bid each week? Local sustainability is very important. It is definitely the way we are supposed to eat. There is a reason you will not find tomatoes on my menu in January, THEY ARE NOT IN SEASON! As far as bidding/loyalty to my suppliers, it takes a blend of both to make sure we are getting the best quality and price for our products. What role does the vendor community on both the equipment and food supply side play? Vendors in this area are definitely aggressive on pricing and on inform-
ing us what is new and exciting in the market place. There is plenty of competition in the area and most vendors are looking to work with you on prices in order to get your business. There are also three Restaurant Depots nearby and the deals available there are excellent. Paper goods and many other items are available at far below other vendor’s pricing. The only extra cost is your time spent in going to get the items. There’s always talk of healthier eating, are your customers looking for that, and if so, how do you cater to the growing demand? Being that we are a French inspired bistro, people are expecting a dose of cream and butter when they dine with us. People that are health conscious do come in and ask for changes to our menu and we do our best to comply. The biggest trend right now
is people being gluten free. We even added an asterisk next to menu items that are gluten free to make it easy for our patrons with dietary restrictions to choose their dishes. What advice would you offer to a newcomer looking to become a successful chef and restaurateur in this industry? There are two things I have learned since we have opened. Number one, when scouting your location, do your best to buy the real estate. Number two; make sure you get a liquor license. Trying to make a living on selling food alone is extremely difficult. Having the extra revenue stream from selling alcohol would make my life much easier. The only problem is the ridiculous cost/structure of the liquor laws in NJ. Oh and number three, it is a 24/7 job and you get paid last! Good Luck!
What culinary trends are you noticing nowadays and which of them are you utilizing at Amuse? Local ingredients. Our customers love that we do our best to use local farms whenever possible. People like to know that the salad they are eating came from right here in NJ, The Garden State! A great menu and location is so important, but in your opinion, how important is your kitchen and wait staff to the success of a restaurant? Menu, location, service, atmosphere, and consistency are all equally important. Our service staff is the front line of communication between the kitchen and the customer. We are blessed with a bunch of really nice, outgoing people that love to serve our guests. Many of our wait staff and kitchen staff have been with us since we opened. We stress consistency
A sample of Chef Reycraft’s cuisine.
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Peters, from page 62
out, there are so many restaurant choices, you can literally drive down a two mile stretch of road and see about a hundred restaurants. We can be picky, make judgments on the appearance. When it comes to restaurants, we can definitely judge a book by its cover. • Greeting: If you’ve been to my workshop, you know about my GUEST philosophy. The G stands for greet and it must be done within 30 seconds. Make it a rule that someone is near the door at all times. Never fall down on this job because a guest should never have to approach you. And train your employees to all be aware of it. If they’re not sure if someone has been greeted and helped, they should ask. Even if we THINK someone has been
helped, don’t ASSUME. You know what they say about what happens when you assume? It makes an ASS out of U and ME. • Bussers: Try to be seen and not heard. And this doesn’t just apply to bussers. It applies to anyone who busses a table, from a server walking by to managers. My mom taught me this rule: No one comes in or out of the kitchen empty handed. If you see dishes on a table, pick them up, and do so without disturbing guests. How do you train your servers to see it as their duty? Yes, this customer isn’t in your section today, but they may be in your section tomorrow. But they won’t come back to be in anyone’s section if they don’t have a WOW experience. • Servers: Your servers spend
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the most amount of time with your guests. You must train them to think like a salesperson, not an order taker. In so many restaurants I see human vending machines. Fred Langley, Elite member and coach, trains his servers to change their attitude. It’s not about upselling and increasing ticket averages, but improving the guest’s experience. If the server thinks the experience will be better if the customer has a premium vodka, then the server has the attitude necessary to make the suggestion. It’s not pushy. It’s about improving the guest’s experience. They need to guide the guest, show off what they know, be the expert, what they like. To do this, your servers must be trained in everything menu-related. They have to know ingredients, al-
lergens, portions, prices, extras that are available, etc. Servers need to use the right words, such as “featured item” and “special.” The right words will influence the purchase. One side note related to a clean dining room: have clean and fresh menus. It must be reflective of your business, just as your entrance, your advertising and your phone greeting. Your menu is your sales tool and it costs you more to operate with sub-par sales tools than it does just to purchase new ones. You have few opportunities to keep business, but many to lose business. Every point of contact counts.
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Consolo, from page 52
rice dishes, plus soups and salads. Lunch special, Moo Yang features Thai barbecued pork or chicken served with sticky rice. Tucked into 34-21 34th Avenue is Mar’s, a pubplus that offers dishes like grilled Portuguese octopus, steak tartare and spicy gazpacho with heirloom tomatoes. In Hunters Point Station LIC at 10-37 Jackson Avenue, which has an International variety of appetizers, including cubano mac n’ cheese, bulgogi beef skewers, and polenta with mushrooms and cheese. A handful of Bloody Mary recipes round out the brunch menu, which also features sweet dishes like crème brulee French toast and savory smoked salmon hash. Remember, too, to stop by Mu Ramen at 1209 Jackson Avenue for a selection of ramen dishes offered with toppings like roasted corn, seasoned bamboo, pork jowl and egg. The menu also includes such fancy fare as foie and brioche stuffed fried chicken wings. Over in Sunnyside is I Love Paraguay at 43-16 Greenpoint Avenue, which has expanded beyond its bakery beginnings into a casual restaurant where soccer fans can enjoy televised games at the bar. Traditional Paraguay dishes are on the menu plus pastas, sandwiches, empanadas, hot dishes, salads and daily soups. Woodside’s stand-out, Cumbre at 67-03 Woodside Avenue, is one of NYC’s select few Bolivian restaurants. Traditional dishes are offered, such as stuffed sandwiches, empanadas and savory pies. Among the house specialties is thimpu, boiled lamb chops with onion sauce and potatoes, rice and chuno. Just a few streets over is Papa’s Kitchen at 6540 Woodside Avenue. Known for its Filipino food and the dining room’s free karaoke, this place offers roasted pork shank, fish soup and chick-
en adobo, as well as the restaurant’s variety of vegetable dishes. Venture into Jackson Heights for the Sake Bar by Zabb at 7128 Roosevelt Avenue has been opened by Thai chef Palm Tangjantuk, who’s serving up izakaya dishes featuring – what else – sushi and sake. Don’t forget Flushing, where Gui Lin Mi Fen at 135-25 40th Road offers a menu with noodles galore paired with meat, vegetables and
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broth. The restaurant also serves dishes of skewered foods, vegetables and chicken. And at Iki, 33-42 39th Avenue, modern Japanese cuisine is offered as (relatively) affordable omakase meals consisting of 18 to 20 courses for $100 per person, along with a la carte selections, rice and noodle dishes, along with sushi bar delights like monkfish liver with scallion ponzu sauce. In South Richmond Hill, get your
fix of food from Trinidad at Trini Gyul, 112-16 Liberty Avenue, where diners can indulge in fried swordfish sandwiches and the steam table’s plantains, callaloo greens, and shredded chicken, peas and rice dish made with coconut milk. Come late for drinks and daring dishes like stewed tripe and gizzards. Happy dining!
Bobrow, from page 58 craft cocktails. I like to do my Shrubs at cellar temperature, 50-55 degrees. I believe that I get better results than the ones I did in the refrigerator or even the heated ones. You may be squeamish about leaving a bowl of fruit, vegetables and sugar on your countertop, covered with cheesecloth, but you shouldn’t be. There really is nothing to fear about fermentation, after all we drink fermented beverages and they certainly are not pretty to look at in the early stages. Experiment! Most of the Shrub recipes that I see in the news are sweet ones. I propose to do a savory Shrub for the Raw Honey based gin from Vermont, named Barr Hill. I think Barr Hill works the best for Shrubs because of the pure and natural ingredients inherent to the farms of this region of the country. The raw honey element adds much to my Shrub that contains early spring peas and mint. This savory Shrub is a gorgeous way to drink your body into deep relaxation, but what a healthy way to go!
Pea and Mint Shrub Ingredients: • 1-cup fresh green peas • 1-cup fresh mint- well washed and de-stemmed • 1-cup Apple Cider VinegarBragg’s works the best for my recipe, although you can try Champagne Vinegar or even white balsamic • 1-cup Demerara Sugar Preparation: 1. To an earthenware (non-reactive) bowl add the peas 2. Cover them with Demerara sugar and then place a cheesecloth or plastic wrap over the top to keep insects out - oh, they will find the sugar enticing, so keep the bowl covered like in the Colonial Era 3. Let sit until the peas start releasing their inner sweetness and the sugar appears to melt into the peas… this may take a week or
so, be patient, but stir twice daily with a wooden spoon to Bocombine, you may want to stir more frequently… it’s up to you! 4. Add the mint to the peas and the sugar; mash them together with the wooden spoon to a soft paste 5. Add the Apple Cider Vinegar to the peas and the sugar 6. Let sit together for another week or two, stirring twice daily to create your sugar, pea and mint syrup 7. Taste your Shrub and add more sugar or more Apple Cider vinegar as necessary 8. Strain the mashed peas and mint out and add to a sterilized Mason jar. 9. Shake daily This will keep many months, but I’m sure you’ll drink it much sooner than later. The flavor and the color of the peas and the mint will mellow over time.
Great Alleviation of Idle Hours Ingredients: • 2 oz. Barr Hill Gin from Caledonia Spirits in Vermont • 1 oz. Pea and Mint Shrub • 2 oz. Polar Seltzer Water (Plain) • 2-4 Dashes Fee Brothers Celery Bitters • Wide lemon zest (Cut this with a pairing knife!) • Pebble Ice Preparation: 1. Add a handful of pebble ice to an Old Fashioned glass 2. Add the Barr Hill gin and then the Shrub 3. Top with the Seltzer water, mix with a stirrer and twist the lemon zest over the fizzy concoction 4. Finish with a couple dashes of the Fee Brothers Celery Bitters To make this drink a MOCK-Tail... leave out the gin, not sure why you would, but you never know, this may refresh you more than artificially flavored soda pop! Savory, Historic Refreshment!
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Shaw, from page 86 • Food thermometers should be calibrated daily at a minimum; I recommend once a shift (and when they are new prior to their initial use and also if they are dropped). • Take the temperatures of products upon delivery. If food products are unsafe when they arrive, there is nothing you can do to make them safe later. • TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN and TRAIN
some more. When you have welltrained staff, there’s a much higher chance that they’ll properly prepare the food, which will make your establishment safer and more profitable – and also lower your risks for liability, a ruined reputation and other negative fall-out from a foodborne illness incident. It doesn’t matter if you’re preparing
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food for the Pope, shipping food products nationwide or managing the busy Saturday night shift at a restaurant: there’s nothing more important than food safety. Be certain that you provide your team with the proper tools, training and techniques to prepare food correctly and keep your guests healthy and safe.
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Foam Containers, from page 4 instituting the ban, including an appeal. City officials had called it a way to protect city waterways and promote more environmentally friendly materials. “We disagree with the ruling,” a de Blasio spokeswoman, Ishanee Parikh, said. “These products cause real environmental harm, and we need to be able to prevent nearly 30,000 tons of expanded polystyrene waste from entering our landfills, streets and waterways. We are reviewing our options to keep the ban in effect.” The Restaurant Action Alliance, along with a group of manufacturers, recyclers and restaurants, sued the city in April to stop the ban. They said it was in fact possible to recycle the containers in a way that cut down on landfill additions and save the city money. The city delayed issuing fines until January 2016, but many businesses quickly replaced plastic foam with paper-based or legal plastic cartons. Justice Chan’s ruling, made public, hinged on the question of whether the city had broken its obligation to recycle the used containers, as long as it could do so in a way that was efficient and environmentally effective. The sanitation commissioner, Kathryn Garcia, determined in December that the material was nonrecyclable. But Dart Container Corporation, a manufacturer in Michigan, put forward a plan that the company’s director of recycling, Michael Westerfield, said would allow the city to start recycling a wider variety of plastics and guarantee that products made from recycled foam containers made their way back into the market. “We view this as a win for recycling and the environment,” he said of the ruling. As part of the plan, which Dart said it laid out to city officials in a dozen meetings before the ban was announced in January, the company would buy and install new sorting machines that it said would recover more than 90 percent of the foam. A recycler in Indiana promised to buy
the bales of plastic material for at least five years and gave the city a list of buyers who were in the market for products refashioned out of the foam, the ruling said. Under the plan, Dart said only 5 percent to 10 percent of the material would end up in landfills. Justice Chan said the city had ignored those figures and instead made much more conservative estimates. She said the city could make at least $400,000 by recycling 40 percent of its yearly plastic-
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foam waste. Eric A. Goldstein, a lawyer at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the court had “glossed over” evidence that plastic-foam containers could not be recycled. “There’s not a single major city in the nation that has successfully implemented a recycling program for used polystyrene food containers, and the reason is simple: It doesn’t make economic sense,” Goldstein said. Officials from the Bloomberg admin-
istration also cast doubt on whether the manufacturer had really found a better way to recycle plastic foam. “The decision is clearly wrong,” a former deputy mayor for operations, Caswell F. Holloway, who led the administration’s efforts on foam, said. “The product has inflicted extraordinary environmental harm and should not be in use.” Holloway added, referring to Mr. de Blasio, “We’re glad he is going to continue this fight.”
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