October 2019 - Total Food Service by Total Food Service

NEWS

CATERING

Flik & USHG Unveil Plans To Team on Brooklyn Catering Project

oston Properties and Rudin Development, the developers of Dock 72, a new commercial building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, announced late last month a partnership with FLIK Hospitality Group to manage the building’s food hall concepts, food and beverage offerings, and catering services. FLIK Hospitality Group will also collaborate with Union Square Events, the events and off-premise hospitality business from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), on the building’s food hall. FLIK Hospitality will be responsible for daily operations and management of Dock 72’s 13,000-square-foot food hall – including a dining area with local specialty food vendors, bar, coffee bar and juice bar – and

will also oversee the food and beverage and catering services available throughout the building. In partnership with FLIK, USHG will provide consulting on the food stations within the food hall. Food and beverage service at Dock 72 will be made even more convenient by the building’s Nantum operating system and mobile app, which will enable workers to instantly order a meal or drinks at any time from the touch of their personal smartphone. Dock 72 is being developed by Rudin Development and Boston Properties alongside anchor tenant WeWork and is expected to open this fall. Dock 72’s food hall is expected to open before the end of 2019. “Offering a world-class food hall as part of our diverse array of amenities will help Dock 72 deliver a truly

The Dock 72 building

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Our customized approach to hospitality services at Dock 72 brings the latest industry innovations, exclusive partnerships with like minded culinary leaders like USHG, and fresh ideas that we know the Navy Yard community will love,” said Scott Davis, Flik International outstanding experience for the Navy Yard’s next wave of creators and innovators,” said Michael Rudin, Partner at Rudin Development. “We’re thrilled to be working with USHG and FLIK, two of the absolute best in the business, and we’re looking forward to raising the bar for quality and efficient food service for office tenants and their workforce.” “From our dining area to our rooftop conference center, workers at Dock 72 will have fast and easy access to an incredible selection of local food and beverages at all times,” said John Powers, New York Region Executive Vice President of Boston Properties. “This is an exciting time

for our project and the entire Navy Yard and we couldn’t have found better partners in this effort than FLIK and USHG.” “The Brooklyn Navy Yard is furthering the transformation of the waterfront with new jobs, innovative architecture, and community placemaking, and we’re excited to be a small part of it,” said Danny Meyer, Founder and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group. We’ve always loved participating in the evolution of New York’s emerging neighborhoods, and we’re looking forward to working together with our partners

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NEWS

SCHOOL FOOD

Chocolate Milk Would Be Banned In NYC Schools Under New Proposal

possible ban on chocolate milk in New York City public schools has led to swift backlash from upstate dairy farmers and congressional lawmakers who fear it could negatively impact children’s health and the state’s economy. The New York City Department of Education has proposed eliminating chocolate milk from school menus. The department wants to replace the beloved drink with options that contain less sugar.

I need them to have another option — there’s calcium, vitamin, potassium. All important,” said Norma Reid-Archibald. While the idea may be well-intentioned, both parents and experts say that it is not a necessary change. Norma Reid-Archibald, a dietician

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and nutritionist with NYU Langone Hospital Brooklyn, says that the ban is a bad idea because students need the calcium.

“I need them to have another option — there’s calcium, vitamin, potassium. All important,” ReidArchibald said. The dietician and nutritionist says school kids are currently served skim milk, with 90 calories. The chocolate milk served has 120 calories and only eight additional grams of sugar. “Don’t worry about the sugar for this particular meal… because it’s a minimum part of their

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

THE FOODIE QUIPPER

WITH JOE FERRI

Workplace Dining: The New Third Place

Joe Ferri (AKA the Foodiequipper) was conceived in a Greenwich Village speakeasy’s walk-in box, the love child of the hat check girl and

re you wondering whether or not that corporate cafeteria can act as a new “third place” environment”: a social surrounding not quite the workplace: definitely not the home? Perhaps a comfortable environment where one can go to relax and socialize really is the future of the corporate dining experience. If so, who will be the ultimate beneficiary, the company or the employee? Formerly, the impetus to build or refurbish a company’s cafe was driven by the corporation’s mandate to keep their staff productively on campus during the 9-5 workday. Now, having a trendy one has become both a status symbol and a leading perk sought after by career hunters. With the advent of mobile tech, Digital Nomads can have their offices wherever there’s a Wi-Fi signal. Telecommuters, upon their less frequent visits to HQ, have come to expect a competitive, diverse meal selection, on par with retail, all in a laid-back, comfortable environment where they can catch up socially with their peers. Corporate dining providers now must learn to operate profitably in newly confined spaces, with a shrinking daily population, while catering to increasingly sophisticated heterogeneous palates. Building such micro-sites had

bartender. He is in his fifth decade of

been heretofore problematic, as comestible offerings might have been limited due to the suitability of the real estate available for food preparation. Ventless cooking tech, powered by electric appliances, has provided a speedy, cost-effective and safe means to eliminate the impediment of space constraints. In addition to the patina of sustainability, electric is clearly seen a much safer alternative to gas by code officials and operators; its day has truly arrived.

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From ventless’ humble beginnings in non-traditional locations such as kiosks, it has grown to encompass mainstream installations. Cooking equipment options include self-contained combi-oven-steamers & deep-fryers, ductless hood systems, downdraft griddles, and the ubiquitous accelerated ovens. Leading chain restaurant proponents of the “third place” ambiance were also early adopters of ventless cooking technologies including most instantly recognizable names

(somewhat) gainful employment in the foodservice industry. He is past chairman of MAFSI and currently COO of Pecinka Ferri Assoc., a NY area equipment, furnishings and supplies representative. Follow Joe @ joeferri on Twitter.

in the coffee, bakery-cafe and sandwich arenas. The appeal of quality rapid cooking and the elimination

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

NEWS

CONTRACT FEEDING

Thousands of Aramark Volunteers Team Up for Annual Global Day of Service

ast month, more than 12,000 Aramark team members across the globe volunteered their time at 350 service projects in 15 countries during Aramark’s annual day of community service, Aramark Building Community Day (ABC Day). This year, Aramark joined the National Football League’s (NFL) Huddle for 100, a volunteer campaign that encourages fans to partner with them, the players and teams to donate 100 minutes of time, to help shape local

communities for the next 100 years, with the goal of reaching 100 million minutes. Aramark volunteers logged more than two million minutes while lending their time, energy and expertise at service projects in the United States, Canada, China, Korea, Mexico, Czech Republic, Germany and the United Kingdom, to bring health and wellness education and workforce readiness programs to community members. “One day each year, we come to-

gether for our annual global day of service,” said Lynn B. McKee, Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Aramark. “Aramark Building Community Day demonstrates our year round commitment to enriching and nourishing lives. Today, thousands of our employees volunteered together to build healthier communities and achieve our goal of creating long-lasting impact.” “Aramark is the exclusive NFL retail merchandiser for special events and is the food, beverage, retail and facilities partner of 14 NFL teams, so we are especially excited this year to team up in Huddle for 100,” said Carl Mittleman, President of Aramark’s Sports & Entertainment business. “Today alone, our team members expect to volunteer millions of minutes in their local communities, and we will continue to log our time throughout the rest of the year.” In addition to projects across the globe, Aramark hosted signature projects, with up to 100 volunteers, in Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Camden, NJ. Aramark’s Global projects included:

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ABC

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

continued on page 102is published Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Ave., Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2019 by IDA Publishing Inc. Contents in full or part may not be reproduced without permission. Not responsible for advertisers claims or statements. Periodicals Postage paid at the post office, Greenwich, CT and additional mailing offices. Additional entry at the post office in Pittsburgh, PA. Subscription rate in USA is $36 per year; single copy; $3.00. Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Food Service, P.O. Box 2507, Greenwich, CT 06836

•

Hosting food discovery experiences, educational activities and tastings, led by Aramark chefs and dietitians, that teach community members how to make healthier food choices. Revitalizing outdoor areas, such as nature paths, com-

Day

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

NEWSMAKER

Shayne Varnum LEED GA, Director, Consultant Services & North Region, Hobart-Traulsen-Baxter

an you please share your background with our readers. Where did you grow up? How did you get involved in the industry? I grew up on the south shore in Massachusetts. My first job in the industry was working in a donut shop as a porter. From there I started working at a local pizza chain and began to realize how much I loved providing good customer service. It was then that I realized that a career in hospitality was exactly what I wanted to do. Can you walk us through your career path? I graduated from the University of Massachusetts @ Amherst with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Restaurant Management. I began my professional career with Aramark in the business services division as a Food Service Director including many stops in Business and Industry accounts. During that time, I was certified in professional Retail Operations Management. I then had the opportunity to work the non-profit sector with the Boy Scouts of America as a Senior District Executive for Old Colony Council and served as their Food Service Director. I presently serve on the Society of Hospitality and Foodservice Management’s (SHFM) Board of Directors and their Industry Advisory Board. I received the Robert Pacifico Award from SHFM in 2017. I also serve on the Foodservice Consultant Society

International (FCSI) Allied Advisory Council, Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF) Education Committee, and serve as the Chair of the Industry Advisory Task Force for the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS). Lastly, I serve on the Board of Directors for the Senior Dining Association (SDA). When/what brought you to Hobart/ ITW? I am celebrating 15 years working for the Hobart Corporation. I began as a Territory Sales Manager where my responsibilities included growing the Hobart-Traulsen-Vulcan brands in northern New England. I valued the opportunity to work with end users in each market segment to understand their unique needs, while partnering with the dealer channel to deliver a solution. I also managed the consultant relationships with design and technical expertise. To accomplish that I studied and received my food safety and sanitation certification through the National Restaurant Association including ServSafe Certified. My current role is the Director for Consultant Services and Northern Sales. I serve as the corporate liaison to both the facility design community and, operators in several industry segments. Among my responsibilities are to interface with the consultant community, architects, and leaders from all segments of the non-commercial foodservice

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industry including Healthcare (all facets), Higher Education, Corrections, Military, Recreation, Culinary and Lodging. My goal is to work with our team to help build and maintain relationships within the hospitality industry. There’s lots of equipment options in the marketplace. What makes Hobart/Baxter/Traulsen different? Everything we do and the equipment and technologies we bring to market are all designed with our customers in mind. It’s about listening to and understanding our customers’ challenges and priorities; then delivering the very best customer support, experience and equipment to address their pain points and priorities. We believe what sets us (and our equipment) apart is our consistent dedication to addressing these pain points and priorities, focusing on delivering (1) the highest quality, most durable equipment that our customers can trust to perform in the most challenging kitchen environments, (2) the lowest total cost of ownership, reducing the burden of costs and stress over time due to unplanned downtime, energy and water consumption and labor requirements, (3) equipment and technologies designed to combat risks to food safety, (4) equipment and technologies designed to promote sustainability. There’s a whole new generation that may not even realize that Traulsen

Shayne Varnum, LEED GA, Director, Consultant Services & North Region, Hobart-Traulsen-Baxter

has very deep NYC roots. Traulsen was founded by Harry Traulsen in Queens, New York in 1938. For more than 80 years, Traulsen is proud to have become recognized as the premier commercial refrigeration manufacturer in the U.S. What’s your read on the opportunities that exist in the Northeast marketplace? Categories: Restaurants, B&I? The Northeast continues to be the place where restaurateurs go to validate success. The culture demands high-quality food and beverage along with an expectation of an amazing hospitality experience, all while being in a fast paced environment. The B&I segment has much the same demands and expectations. Technology is changing everything today. The speed of service, ordering in advance and Amazon Go style service, Self-checkout technology, Cooking technology, and robotics. Food Safety remains a top priority making sure the food served is safe, healthy and local.

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

FIORITO ON INSURANCE

As Temperatures Drop, Carbon Monoxide Exposures Rise: Crisis Prevention For Your Restaurant

hen the temperature drops outside in the coming months, sometimes the greatest danger can be lurking inside your own properties. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), carbon monoxide (CO) is responsible for more than 50,000 visits to the emergency room and over 400 deaths each year 1. It is a colorless, odorless, toxic gas which interferes with the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. Often known as the “silent killer”, CO is non-irritating and can overcome persons without warning. While CO is a concern that should be considered at all times, cold weather increases the use of gas-powered furnaces, as well as the use of alternative heating and power sources (portable generators, charcoal briquettes, propane stoves or grills), drastically increasing risk exposures in the winter months. Unfortunately, incidents of CO poisoning are not uncommon in restaurants and are often fatal, leaving businesses in damaging situations they may not ever recover from. In 2015, New York City passed a law requiring all building owners to provide a form of CO detection

Unfortunately, incidents of CO poisoning are not uncommon in restaurants and are often fatal, leaving businesses in damaging situations they may not ever recover from. at their venues. The law was named after Steven Nelson, a manager of a large seafood chain on Long Island, who passed away due to a CO leak caused by a faulty water heater pipe. It is important that owners and managers look at tragic incidents such as this to examine their own restaurants and safety practices in order to prevent future incidents. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides the following guidelines to prevent CO exposures:

• Make sure the generator has 3-4 feet of clear space on all sides and above it to ensure adequate ventilation. • Do not use a generator outdoors if placed near doors, windows or vents which could allow CO to enter and build up in occupied spaces. • When using space heaters and stoves ensure that they are in good working order to reduce CO buildup, and never use in enclosed spaces or indoors. • Consider using tools powered by electricity or compressed air, if available.

• Never use a generator indoors or in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces such as garages, crawl spaces, and basements. Opening windows and doors in an enclosed space may prevent CO buildup.

Key safety measures that all restaurants should consider, that at least meet, but in some cases exceed regulatory codes include CO detectors, alarm systems, security systems, and other life safety processes

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Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President with HUB International Northeast, a leading global insurance brokerage, where he specializes in providing insurance services to the restaurant industry. As a 25+ year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Bob has worked with a wide array of restaurant and food service businesses, ranging from fast-food chains to upscale, “white tablecloth” dining establishments. Robert can be reached at 212338-2324 or by email at robert.fiorito@ hubinternational.com.

and equipment. However, installing equipment is not enough. Businesses need to proactively prepare for the unexpected and train their employees thoroughly. • The first step to emergency management planning is perform-

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

NEWS

CONCESSIONS

Long Island Celebrates Highly Anticipated Islanders’ Belmont Arena Groundbreaking

he long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony for a new Islanders arena at Belmont Park took place late last month. Gov. Andrew Cuomo with state and local officials and New York Islanders and National Hockey League executives put shovels in the ground. New York Arena Partners, a partnership among the owners of the Islanders, Mets and arena development company Oak View Group, have already begun construction work on a $1.3 billion plan for a 19,000-seat arena, 250-room hotel and 350,000 square feet of retail. The ceremony is the culmination of the leadership of the Empire State Development, the state agency that

has coordinated the process. It marks an important step toward the end of the Islanders’ decades long search for their own arena. ESD has said pre-construction work began at the site in August after New York Arena Partners gained project approvals from three state agencies. The developers anticipate the arena will cost $955 million and take 26 months to build. Paul Sapienza, president of the Elmont Chamber of Commerce and owner of Sapienza Bake Shop in Elmont noted: “This is great news,” Sapienza said. “This is what we’ve been hoping for.” Cuomo has been a champion of the project since he announced in December 2017 that the Islanders

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This provides a world-class home for this franchise and secures their future today and for the next generation of fans,” said Gary Bettman group won the development rights at Belmont. Cuomo also was involved in the negotiations that led the Islanders to split their schedule between NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center until the Belmont arena is scheduled to open in 2021. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman noted that the new arena at Belmont will “provide a world-class home for this franchise and secures their future today and for the next generation of fans.” The ceremony comes at a time of tension between the Village of Floral Park and state and county officials over the development. Floral Park filed a lawsuit Sept. 9 in an attempt to stop construction and overturn the approvals because the village does not believe the adverse impacts of the project -- namely traffic -- have been properly mitigated. While no information was given on the cost of the arena

itself, the team’s majority owner, Jon Ledecky, has said that it will be built using private funds. Sterling Project Development has signed on as a development partner, with the New York branch of Populous listed as the architect for the project. This isn’t the first time the two have worked together, as the duo previously teamed up to build Citi Field in Queens, and Minneapolis’s Target Field. Renderings and plans released for the project show that the development will connect directly with the Long Island Railroad’s Belmont Park station, which will become a fulltime stop after the arena’s completion; previously the station was only active during the horseracing season. Because that season runs from May to October, there wouldn’t be much overlap with the hockey season, although one of the included renderings proposes converting the arena into a concert hall during the off-season.

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

NEWS

NEW OPENINGS

NYC Tao Group Debuts New Cathédrale Concept

he crown jewel of the soon-to-open Moxy Hotel East Village made its debut last month. Cathédrale seats up to 300 guests between the restaurant’s main dining room, bar, outdoor terrace and private dining room is a collaboration between Lightstone Hotels and Tao Group Hospitality who will handle all of F&B at the downtown hotel, Cathédrale, in Manhattan’s East Village, is a French-Mediterranean restaurant by Tao Group Hospitality Chef/Partner Ralph Scamardella, in collaboration with Executive Chef Jason Hall formerly of acclaimed restaurants like Gotham Bar & Grill, Anthos and Craft. Tao chef/partner Scamardella, worked with Hall on Legasea and helped spearhead popular upscale Greek restaurant Avra Madison Estiatorio. Dishes here are inspired by cuisine in Nice, Provence, and St. Tropez, Hall says. There will be a take on the large colorful crudité plate at famed club Cinquante Cinq in St. Tropez, as well as snapper made with a Provencal sauce, rotisserie chicken chasseur-style, roasted calamari, and chickpea crepes. Custom spices, oils, and vinegars come via a collaboration with East Village emporium SOS Chef. “Classic French has had such a moment in New York with Le Coucou, Frenchette, Lafayette, and Pastis, and we love that trend in food but wanted to lighten it up,” Hall noted. The menu brings elemental, ingredi-

Classic French has had such a moment in New York with Le Coucou, Frenchette, Lafayette, and Pastis, and we love that trend in food but wanted to lighten it up,” said Chef Jason Hall ent-driven cooking to the forefront, evoking the grandeur of the past while remaining contemporary in its execution. Signature dishes include starters such as Oyster Mushroom Brochette with Mache Salad and Basil Pistou, and Hamachi Crudo with Green Apple and Black Olive Oil. Main courses include Bouillabaisse ‘Tetou’ with Saffron Potatoes and Red-Pepper Rouille; Roasted Lobster with Wild Oregano, Lemon, and Parsley Butter; and 30-Day Dry-Aged Ribeye Steak au Poivre. The decor is a homage to the East Village, with posters from the legendary performance space Filmore East and neon signs with the names of former nightclubs from the area. Designed by the Rockwell Group, Cathédrale has a main dining room with soaring ceilings and a sculpture of rose gold birds by Italian artist Edoardo Tresoldi; a patio area with a retractable roof and lots of greenery; and a third area with a large black marble bar and an open kitchen displaying copper pots, a hearth oven,

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and rotisserie. Focus and fun will be felt in equal measure—an open kitchen outfitted with copper accents is designed to draw guests in, while the dramatic environment and show-stopping main dining room supports the decadence and raw creativity of both the menu and the East Village’s rich history and character. An outdoor dining terrace with a retractable roof evokes the townhouse-style dining patios of the neighborhood, and an adjacent private dining room is available for intimate events. Next up, Tao Group Hospitality debuted Little Sister, a new lounge adjacent to Moxy East Village, open last month with legendary doorman Wass Stevens at the ropes. The TAO Group is considered to be a leading restaurant and nightlife company that develops, owns and operates many of the most successful food and beverage facilities in the United States. The TAO Group partners include principles Marc Pack-

er, Richard Wolf, Noah Tepperberg, Jason Strauss, as well as managing partners Paul Goldstein, Bill Bonbrest, Ralph Scamardella, Kim Kurlanchik Russen, Louis Abin, Andrew Goldberg and Rich Thomas. Collectively the 11 native New Yorkers are the creators of TAO Asian Bistro, Nightclub & Beach and LAVO Italian Restaurant & Nightclub. Both TAO & LAVO have locations in Las Vegas (Venetian & Palazzo Resorts) and in New York City (58th Street between Park & Madison Avenues). Together, the group has also opened The Stanton Social (2005), Avenue (2009), and Beauty & Essex (2010), in New York City; they also operate all food and beverage outlets at Dream Downtown (2011), including PH-D Rooftop, Electric Room, Marble Lane Steak Joint + Bar and Melvin’s Juice Box, a partnership with Melvin Major Jr. As the owners of Marquee New York, which was re-launched in 2013 after a decade of success, the group opened Marquee Las Vegas, followed by its first property outside of the United States, Marquee – The Star, Sydney, Australia, in March 2012, as a joint venture with The Star’s parent company, Echo Entertainment. In November 2012, TAO Group partnered with Chef Laurent Tourondel to open Arlington Club on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. This October, TAO Group unveiled the next iteration of the iconic TAO brand with the opening of TAO Downtown, beneath New York City’s Maritime Hotel.

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

NEWS

CONCESSIONS

LEGOLAND New York Resort and Levy to Bring Exclusive New YorkCentric Hospitality to World’s Largest LEGOLAND Theme Park ®

Opening in 2020, LEGOLAND New York Resort will leverage food and beverage trends and stellar hospitality for guests visiting from across the world

EGOLAND® New York Resort announced its partnership with Levy, the industry leader in sports and entertainment dining, to provide LEGOLAND New York Resort guests a custom built hospitality and entertainment experience. Levy’s culinary team, along with its technology and analytics subsidiary E15 Group, will partner with LEGOLAND New York Resort, opening in 2020, to craft exclusive New York-

centric food and beverage menus. With this partnership, LEGOLAND New York Resort’s guests will enjoy a wide variety of dining destinations and dishes within the resort. Concessions, restaurants, and grab-and-go snacks will feature local partners, purveyors, and farms, showcasing New York’s unrivaled culinary culture. Unique menu offerings will be sprinkled with kidfriendly delights for young guests, and for those that feel like a kid at

heart. “LEGOLAND Resorts are known for immersing guests in every attraction, leaving a lasting memory for years to come,” said Levy’s Regional Director of Operations Marco Fabozzi. “With this partnership, our team will infuse New York’s legendary culinary staples into the iconic experience that LEGOLAND is known for its loyal following. With top-notch farms, food purveyors and area bakeries, we’re excited to

create a one-of-a-kind journey only found at LEGOLAND New York.” To bring the unique experience to life, Levy, leveraging market intelligence from E15 Group, will develop curated hospitality experiences and menus unique to LEGOLAND New York Resort. Levy brings a diverse history operating some of the largest and most well-known venues and events in sports and entertainment including The Kentucky Derby, Grammy Awards, Super Bowl, Jacob K. Javits Center, Barclays Center and US Open. With such varied and large-scale experience, Levy will elevate the food options available to LEGOLAND New York Resort guests, with enchanting twists. “Every moment in the resort is an opportunity to make a child’s day, make a parent’s

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

MODERN TECHNIQUES

WITH RONALDO LINARES

Replying To Negative And Positive Customer Reviews

ast month we focused on inventive social media campaigns as a way to target local business and increase foot traffic during slow periods. I kind of wanted to stay on that subject, there are many different ways to bring in customers into your business. Recently I had a conversation with other industry leaders and the subject we focused on were the customer reviews on the various online review sites. We love the positive ones but the bad reviews always hit a special spot in our gut. Most of those negative reviews focus on things that we cannot control as restaurant proprietors. So how do we prevent them from happening or even learn from them? Top 4 Restaurant review sites to keep an eye on as a restaurant owner (Ronaldo’s list): 1. Yelp -yelp.com 2. Open Table - opentable.com 3. Google - google.com/reviews 4. Facebook - facebook.com Why do people leave reviews that are positive or negative? The answer is simple, people like to be heard and they will write about it no matter what. Why not control how that review will read by how we train our Front Of The House. Key Steps to improve your customer experience and control the 5-star review you deserve: • Whether the customer calls in the

Ronaldo Linares is CEO of Ronaldo Linares LLC, an Empowerment Coach for restaurant owners. Ronaldo empowers entrepreneurs by addressing their health through proper nutrition while growing their business in the food industry. Ronaldo has showcased his Cuban-inspired, passioninfused culinary style on Food Network’s Chopped, BBC America’s cross-country chef competition “Chef

reservation or makes it online you have a great opportunity to set the stage. Most POS (point of sale) systems have the customer history in it and many have ways to personalize each customer that goes in the system. The one we use at the restaurant even tracks what they order, a great opportunity to create a special small plate when they arrive. That’s setting the stage. • The host/hostess holds all the cards, this individual is vital to your restaurant success. The host/hostess should have the following qualities; excellent communication skills, outgoing, energetic, friendly personality, positive attitude, team player, attentive, and most importantly has great

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hygiene. As a customer, I want to be greeted with a warm smile that hugs me, I want to feel welcomed to your home. This interaction sets the stage for that customers evening, it puts them in a good mood if they were not in one already. • Next layer of the onion, this is where the customer history comes in. Let’s say the party of 2 that just sat down on table 5 is a frequent customer, they always order the same small plate and as the waiter approaches the table, he/she already have that small plate in hand and on the house. That customer will be happy and now have experienced next level customer service. To me the small things matter and will lead me to write a great review

Race,” appearances on Better TV, Fox News and Telemundo, along with being a featured chef and speaker at live events including the Food Network’s “Food & Wine Festival”, and industry conferences. Ronaldo can be reached at ronaldoscocina@gmail. com or by visiting ronaldolinares. com

about your place. Once that check is delivered at the end of their complete meal, the opportunity of the ask comes in for that 5-star review. • From that point, the FOH staff needs to make sure everyone is working as a unit, everyone is on top of the

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A Full Line of Superior Cooking Oils, and of course the Most Amazing Mayonnaise! Some would call Chefler CEO Michael Leffler’s passion for quality “obsessive.” Leffler himself has always seen it as the natural force that has driven his quest for perfection. At Chefler Foods, we aim to not be just a source, but a resource. With a talent for problem-solving and a “just-in-time” business model, our goal is to be both a purveyor of top quality products at affordable prices, and a supplier of solutions. Mike’s Amazing Mayonnaise is Leffler’s signature brand. Made from scratch onsite at his state-of-the-art facility, Mike’s Amazing uses only the highest quality vegetable oil and the freshest eggs and contains the perfect balance of vinegar, lemon juice, real sugar, and natural spices. It’s formulated to be “Extra Heavy,” so it won’t separate when you use it in any recipe. From one Chef to another, don’t try any other! Official Mayonnaise and Vegetable Oil of the New York Yankees!

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

MIXOLOGY

WITH WARREN BOBROW

Cocktails From The West Coast

hey say that cocktail trends form from west to east. I’m just back from Santa Rosa where a revolution is slowing taking over the San Francisco Bay region. Bitter flavors such as Fernet Branca are woven into dreamy little concoctions that are far beyond the typical five-minute drink. Take the Young Gun cocktail comprised of Fernet Branca, Amaro Amorino, Crème de Cacao. It comes with a jolt of bitter against the sweet of the Crème de Cacao. Your drink is featuring a backbone of Rittenhouse Rye, twisting your memories into a whirlwind of fun. Jackson’s Bar and Oven in Santa Rosa gets it in their craft cocktail menu. Their entire list is chock full of tasty little turns from the creative cocktailians dream book. Their list is diverse and carefully chosen craft spirits predominate. Drinks such as the Summer Crush are classic examples of the refreshing qualities of mint and lime, with some watermelon, grenadine (house made) and the whole thing is grounded by a few slugs of Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Hats off to the bar chef for using one of my favorite unsung Straight Bourbons. It’s the good stuff that doesn’t cost like the re-

Warren Bobrow is the creator of the popular blog The Cocktail Whisperer and the author of nearly half a dozen books, including Apothecary

ally expensive bourbon that line your back-bar. You can pour Buffalo Trace all day long and most people will think that it’s pretty darned good bourbon. Finding Barr Hill Gin on a menu all the way up in Santa Rosa, California is a pleasure for me. I’m a massive fan of their raw honey and local grain-based gin. This little concoction is derived from the abovementioned gin, Amaro Nonino (bitter!), rosemary honey (yum) and lemon. It’s a take on the Bee’s Knees with a twist, the bitter Amaro element. Their cocktail known as “Stay In Your Lane” attracted me immediately with the base of Mezcal, strawberry infused Campari, Monarch Wormwood Bitters, lime, and cucumber syrup. When I used to drink distilled spirits, this drink would have called out to

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

me, rather it would have screamed my name. I loved watching this drink prepared, it’s true mixology over just mixing a drink. The strangely named, “Menage a Trois”, a brilliant combination of Rhum JM Agricole from Martinique (one of my favorite Rhums), Appleton Estate Rum, Rumhaven Coconut Rum, Pineapple, Pink Guava, Monarch Wildflower Syrup, lemon and Monarch Chipotle Salt is a drink that only I could imagine, yet this combination will be years before it hits the East Coast, unless you sense the urgency in the fact that you have discovered West Coast drinks on the East Coast? Reading this column does offer certain gems, be they snippets of love from other places? I hope so. The Menage a Trois is a take on the classic Rhum punch with a couple of twists and turns along the way. Think of this drink in the way that you think of a tropical night. The air is thick with mosquitos and humidity. You can feel the sweat dripping down your back in a long, burning sensation. Water doesn’t offer any soothing, what you need are tropical fruits and salt to lock in the healing. Healing also comes in ways undiscovered. That would be in the form of rum. The Rhum Agricole from JM is

Cocktails, Whiskey Cocktails, Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails, and his most recent book Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails, & Tonics.

unlike the other rums in the recipe. It comes from a specific recipe, or AOC and is produced in a specific manner using fresh sugar cane juice over molasses (which most rum is made from). Also, the spelling of Rhum over Rum. That is Rhum from Martinique, St. Barth, Guadeloupe. The French islands usually are Rhum producers. I think as a base for a cocktail, Rhum adds a deep element missing in the traditional sugar cane molasses versions. They lack the funk. Jamaican rum has a different funk. This comes from something named the Dunder. As there is sourdough bread in California, Dunder Rum is only found in Jamaica. Dunder is a wild yeast so rums from Jamaica that are not the mass-produced rums- can be distilled with a Dunder in place of an industrial yeast strain. The sophistication to use these quite disparate rums makes me smile. This is a bar program that says quality over just getting wasted. Santa Rosa is not a big town. Sure, it has a commercial center, but Jackson’s Bar and Oven is not located in the downtown area. It’s out by the railroad station in the older part of town. You would wander in, as I did- thirsty, hungry and ready to enjoy a bit of West Coast hospitality. Cheers!

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

SPOTLIGHT ON

TOP WOMEN IN METRO NY FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY: VENDOR E&S

Georgette Farkas Owner, Rotisserie Georgette

eorgette Farkas opened Rôtisserie Georgette in NYC in 2013. She is a native New Yorker with entrepreneurial spirit in her DNA, as her family is known for having created Alexander’s department stores. She is a restaurateur who has enjoyed an international career with over 20 years in the field, learning her trade working operational positions at some of the worlds finest hotels and restaurants. She’s worked with some of the world’s great Chefs including Roger Vergé at Moulinde Mougins, Alain Ducasse at Louis XV in Monte Carlo and with Daniel Boulud while he was executive Chef at New York’s Hotel Plaza Athenée. After studying European history at Harvard, Georgette went on to attend the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne followed by training at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco, Hotel Richmond in Geneva, and Hotel de Crillon in Paris. She bartended at Blake’s Hotel in London and with nightclub impresario Régine at the Hotel Marignan in Paris. Her first exposure to culinary communications came as assistant producer for Chef Pierre Franey’s 26-episode PBS “Cooking in France” television series. During her seventeen year tenure as the Public Relations and Marketing Director for Daniel Boulud, she was one of a small group of executives who helped

to extend Boulud’s Dinex Group to 14 venues. Ms. Farkas and the restaurant have been recognized with a “Restaurateur of the Year” (2015) award from the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, a Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence” (2015) and a Women Chefs & Restaurateurs “Golden Fork Award” (2014) for excellent service.

Georgette Farkas, Owner, Rotisserie Georgette (Photo by Hiroshi Abe)

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

Was there someone that had an impact on you that led to your interest in cooking and then getting into the business? My interest in cooking began with my mother. She was and still is a hard-working businesswoman. So while she wasn’t preparing our nightly family dinners, she did love to cook and made everything with generosity and soulfulness. She also presented food with beauty and style. Her cooking was like a gift to her guests. I still make her pot roast and potato pancakes to this day. I was also tremendously influenced by the time my family spent living in the South of France when I was a child. Those years formed my taste for light, healthy Mediterranean cooking, often rustic and with the occasional seasonal splurge on porcini in the fall, black Perigord truffles in winter or white asparagus in the spring. Can you talk about some of the mentors along the way that had an impact on your career? I have had the privilege of working for some truly accomplished pros. Daniel Boulud has been my most significant mentor. I don’t know anyone with as much creativity, energy and generosity. He instilled me with the idea that everything we do, we can always do a little better. That hors d’oeuvre

may be delicious, but does it have contrast in flavor and texture? Can it be more beautifully presented? I will also never cease to marvel at the extra effort he makes to care for people. The gesture may be as simple as delivering a meal to a guest in the hospital. The heartfelt effort is invaluable. What brought you to your current position at Rotisserie Georgette? From my teenage years onward, I worked in many kitchens, forging my path toward a restaurant career. After college, I set off for hotel school in Lausanne with the intent of building a career in restaurants, with the idea that I would create my own business someday. Yet I am not naturally courageous or a risk-taker, so I spent over two decades working for other people before I arrived at the point where I knew I would never forgive myself if I did not face the challenge of going out on my own. After years of working in Europe and in New York, I had painted a clear idea for myself of the restaurant I would create, a combination of luxury, simplicity, seasonality, comfort and tradition. You hand-picked your staff, tell us about your key members who make Rotisserie Georgette possible. I could never have created the restaurant without Katina Pappas Dermatas, one of the smartest women I

continued on page 100

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

RESTAURANT EXPERT

WITH DAVID SCOTT PETERS

How To Calculate Your Food Cost For The Biggest Bang

David Scott Peters is a restaurant coach and speaker who teaches restaurant operators how to cut costs and increase profits with his trademark Restaurant Prosperity Formula. Known as THE expert in the restau-

hen it comes to figuring out food cost, most restaurant owners are paying attention to the wrong number. Because they don’t take inventory, they’re dividing food purchases by sales to come up with a food cost percentage, but it’s wrong. Really, there are three food cost calculations restaurant owners must be making – ideal, actual and budgeted. Budgeted food cost Let’s start with budgeted food cost. It’s the number you’ve determined you must run to achieve your 55 percent or lower prime cost (cost of goods sold plus your labor cost, minus salaries, benefits and insurance). This food cost number depends on all the line items in your budget. It allows you to put systems in place to achieve a new number. Let’s say you started with a 35 percent food cost, but you really want to get to 30 percent. Putting systems in place, such as a waste sheet, key item report, purchase allotment, are the path to lowering that food cost. That 30 percent budgeted food cost represents the number you determined you need to hit to

rant industry, he uses a no-BS style

make money. Actual food cost Then you have actual food cost. This is what most people are looking for when they’re trying to find their food cost percentage. That is beginning inventory plus purchases minus ending inventory is use divided by sales. That’s your actual food cost – the cost of the product you actually used. It doesn’t matter if you bring in $100,000, whatever you use is a part of that. The product that left the shelves, whether through use, waste, spoilage or theft, is your actual food cost. Your actual food cost tells you where your food cost is today. Ideal food cost Lastly, you have your ideal food cost. If you were to run a perfect res-

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

taurant with no waste, theft or spoilage, which isn’t even possible since there is no such thing as perfect, what should that food cost number be? Where should your menu be on food cost? What does it produce? To get to this number, you must have accurate recipe costing cards that are up to date with current pricing and a POS system that gives you a PMIX (product mix) report so you know how many of each item you sold. Take the total number of items sold times the cost of the product you used, do that for every item, total it up and you know the total cost. Total number of sold times the gross sale price before any discounts, total that up, and you know what you’ve sold. Then take the use divided by sales of that dollar value and you get your ideal food cost in your perfect restaurant. If it doesn’t exist, why do you need this number? If you have a chef or kitchen manager doing their job exceptionally, you give them 1.5 to 2 percentage points higher than the ideal, and if they’re hitting that, you know they’re doing incredible work. How the three numbers work together Why do you need to

to teach and motivate restaurant owners to take control of their businesses and finally realize their full potential. Thousands of restaurants have used his formula to transform their businesses. Peters is also a coach and principal in The Largo Group, an accounting firm concentrating on the specific needs of restaurants. To learn more about David Scott Peters, his formula, his online courses or The Largo Group, visit davidscottpeters.com.

know all three of these numbers? Budgeted food cost tells you what you need to do to make money. Your actual food cost tells you what left the shelves. Let’s say you budgeted for 30 percent and your actual food cost is 32 percent. It might look to you like your managers aren’t doing their jobs. You might even get mad at them if you’re only using these two numbers. Then bring in the ideal food cost. In this case, let’s say your ideal food was 28 percent and your actual was 30 percent. That would be good because I just told you to give the managers two percentage points. But in the example I just gave you, the budgeted was 30 percent, ideal was 28 percent and your actual was 32 percent. Now you can look at your chef and tell him or her they’re not controlling their kitchen properly and need to find where those two points can be made up.

October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 27

NEWS

CORPORATE DINING

Aramark’s Kline Receives Inaugural Silverstein Award At SHFM National Confab

he Society for Hospitality & Foodservice Management (SHFM), the pre-eminent national association serving the needs and interests of executives in the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industries, made its annual award presentations at last month’s national convention. These prestigious awards were announced at the SHFM President’s Banquet during the 40th Anniversary SHFM National Conference. SHFM also presented the previously announced SHFM Directors’ Awards during the 2019 National Conference, September 17 - 19, at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort and Spa in Greater Palms Springs, California. Each year, SHFM honors the very best in the industry and recognizes our special honorees that have gone “above and beyond” to serve the association and better the industry. This year’s award winners were Tom Newcomb who won the Robert Pacifico Award: It is given to a deserving Associate Member in recognition of extended, exemplary and dedicated service to the Society, his or her community, and the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industry. SHFM’s President’s Awards were

Jay B. Silverstein. His wife Kim and children were on hand to help honor the beloved SHFM leader. It is presented annually to the SHFM Member that has gone above and beyond to help support the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industry, as well as their local community. Russ Benson of DayOne Hospitality Consulting was presented with SHFM’s Spirit Award. It is presented to an individual who consistently demonstrates the qualities of loyalty, dedication and enthusiasm for the Society. SHFM recognized Aramark’s Rob Yayac of the company’s LifeWorks Restaurant Group as this year’s Rising Young Professional. The award recognizes Aramark’s Betsy Kline was presented with the first Jay B. Silverstein Award from SHFM’s Bill Adams an emerging individual and President Rob Geile who has been a stand out among our newest mempresented to Linda Femling, of ed the President throughout his or bers, supporting the initiaGoogle and Rob Gordon of Ameriher term or has served the organizatives of the Society through his or can Express. They were chosen by tion as a whole and dedicated his or her active engagement and particithe SHFM President to honor an inher time to betterment of SHFM. pation in SHFM committees and acdividual who has been instrumental A Community Service Award was continued on page 90 in the career of the President, assistawarded posthumously awarded to

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

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

TREND TALK WITH JOYCE APPELMAN Street Food Culture, Plant Power On The Menu And Light Footprint Living

Joyce Appelman, is the Director of Public Relations and Special Events for Total Food Service and previously the National Communications Director for C-CAP, Careers through

Food and Flavor Trends 2020 and Beyond Global Trend Survey from Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI)

Culinary Arts Program. An industry leader supporting education and scholarships, she has been instrumental in opening career opportuni-

ood and Flavor Trends 2020 and Beyond was the subject of an in-depth trend survey conducted by Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) and presented at the American Culinary Federation National Convention in Orlando, Florida this month. The study that delved into current and emerging food, beverage and hospitality trends was presented by LDEI board member, Sharon Olson who moderated a discussion among six chefs and food professionals from diverse culinary fields. This comprehensive trends survey included the insight of members of LDEI representing many different disciplines in the food industry including chefs, cookbook authors, culinary educators, wine experts, publishers, farmers and health professionals among over a dozen different professional categories. The conversation among the panelists explored global food and flavor trends, sustainability, and the role of food professionals in educating young consumers and inspiring the next generation of chefs. Participating in the panel were: Moderator: Sharon Olson, Executive Director,

ties for many young people in the

Culinary Visions and LDEI Board Member Panelists: Chef George Bezanson, Earth’s Harvest Chef Paula Kendrick, Chef Educator, Florida Department of Agriculture Andrea Orth, VP Group Account Director, The Food Group Chef Tiffany Poe, Senior Corporate Chef, CFS Brands Chef Bryan Wareham, Chef Educator, Alconbury High School Jennifer Waxman-Loyd, Executive Director, The Villages Grown. The major topics of discussion included:

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

Mediterranean Flavors - these dishes, known for healthfulness, are expected to grow in popularity. Expect more exotic flavors from North Africa and the Middle East to gain attention on menus. Street Food Culture - affordability, convenience and cultural exposure are driving the growth of this portable culinary pleasure. Plant Power on the Menu - expect health and lifestyle trends to encourage more consumption of fruits and vegetables with smaller portions of meat and amped up flavors. Indian Spices - as exploration of Asian cuisines continues to fuel menu exploration, Indian spices and dishes are moving closer to mainstream appeal. Light Footprint Living - growing consciousness among consumers of all ages is fueling behavioral shifts to less waste and more sustainable living. Highlights from the Tradeshow include: Trend Setting Tables tableware that compliments the menu, from rustic fare to durable fine dining ware, was on display.

foodservice industry. Email her at joyceappelman@gmail.com

There was also great attention to glassware to compliment signature cocktails and beverages. Tools of the Trade - a personal selection of knives continues to be important to chefs. There was interest in the latest foodservice equipment that suits the diversity of the modern menu. Slow Food in the Fast Lane - there is no doubt that convenience drives much of foodservice, yet consumers have high culinary expectations. Exhibitors were featuring a wide range of premium ingredients including meats, cheeses and spice blends to fuel diverse menus and high volume feeding. Implications include:

for

Marketers

Inspiring The Next Generation - Culinary educators and students are interested in engagement with manufacturers and suppliers for inspiration. Culinary Inspiration is Immersive - Chefs want to be connected

and explore first hand. According to the LDEI survey the top three places professionals look for inspiration are travel, cookbooks and farmers markets – internet and social media ranked fourth. The American Culinary Federation (ACF) is celebrating its 90th year and met in Orland for its annual conference this year. ACF is the largest professional chefs’ organization in North America, comprised of more than 15,000 members. The organization is considered the leader in offering educational resources, training and accreditation to enhance professional growth for all current and future chefs and pastry chefs. Les Dames d’Escoffier International is an international philanthropic organization of women leaders who create a supportive culture in their communities to achieve excellence

in the food, beverage, and hospitality professions. The by-invitation membership includes over 2,400 members in 43 chapters worldwide that

provide leadership, educational opportunities and host philanthropic events within their communities.

Thank you to Sharon Olson of Culinary Visions for providing the Conference Beat!

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Q&A

EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW

Giada

De Laurentiis Chef, Author, and Restaurateur

Giada De Laurentiis at work in her studio kitchen

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

iada De Laurentiis is a well know chef, writer, and television personality. She is the host of Food Network’s Giada at Home. She is a winner of the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle Host and the Gracie Award for Best Television Host. De Laurentiis is the founder of the catering business GDL Foods and most recently an expanding restaurant empire. Hollywood aficionados recognize the family name from the career of her iconic grandfather Dino De Laurentiis. As a child, Giada often found herself in the family’s kitchen and spent a great deal of time at her grandfather’s restaurant, DDL Foodshow. She certainly wasn’t looking to rest on the laurels of her family name to build her career. De Laurentiis studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, with aspirations of becoming a pastry chef. After returning to the United States, she became a professional chef working in several Los Angeles restaurants, notably the Wolfgang Puck-owned Spago In July 2014, De Laurentiis opened

her first restaurant, called GIADA, inside The Cromwell in Las Vegas, Nevada. The restaurant offers seating in the dining room, lounge, or outdoor patio with views of the Bellagio fountains and Caesars Palace. Most recently she debuted a new Pronto by Giada in Caesars Palace Las Vegas that features her take on fast casual Italian fare. Total Food Service wanted to get Giada’s thoughts on the challenges of brand building in both the restaurant and TV arenas, and her next steps. Who sparked your love of the food industry? My great grandparents owned a pasta factory in Naples – so my grandfather and his 7 siblings would go door to door selling handmade pasta and sauces for their parents, all day long! It stuck with my grandfather, so when we moved to the United States, he opened up his own store: DDL Foodshow. It was an Italian specialty food store, and I spent a ton of time there as a kid. Between that, and the fact that food was the gathering point and love language

of my entire family – there was a lot to be inspired by. Your Grandfather was a creative visionary. My grandfather always had a vision that his empire would expand beyond just movies. He was probably one of the most influential Italian American movie producers, but he still always wanted to do more. That’s something I absolutely get from him. As proud as I am of my accomplishments so far, I know I’m not done. I have so much more to do! What led you to the Cordon Bleu? When I decided to really go for it and become a chef after college, it felt like the only path to take. My family did not love the idea of me cooking for a career, so I put myself through school. I’m going to be honest – it was brutal. The chefs threw pans and

rolling pins, I had burns all up and down my arms, and it was intense, laborious work. The experience absolutely threw away any notion that this would be easy. I was one of very few women in the class, and going to Cordon Bleu taught me how to prove myself by not just talking the talk – but walking the walk. What are your thoughts on how we train young people to come into the industry? I think both culinary school and hands-on experience are very important. I’m a huge advocate of culinary school. If you work in a kitchen long enough, you’ll know the ins and outs of that particular kitchen, but culinary school offers a full breadth and foundation of knowledge. For example, if you make a lot of pizza dough in a kitchen, you’ll know that you need to add salt to the mixture

last – but you might not realize it’s because it impedes the development of the yeast. Culinary school answers all of the “why” questions and teaches you techniques that you can take with you to any kitchen you work in. That said, anyone with the drive, passion and gumption to cook can excel in a restaurant kitchen, whether they have a formal education or not.

into place more easily. Not only that, but the more successful I became, the more I was able to create things on my own terms. For example, if I had never become a successful TV chef, I would never have been able to create a restaurant exactly how I wanted to, down to every detail. I would have never gotten the call from Caesars to even have the opportunity.

Your route to building a brand has been... well “backwards”. I never thought of it like that! In terms of what I’ve done in the spotlight, I suppose it can seem backwards. To me though, it felt like a slow trudge to even get to TV: culinary school, working in restaurants, food styling for magazines, then eventually getting to do a show. Doing TV opened the doors for more possibilities for me – so once I got there, everything else I wanted to try could fall

Why even bother going into the restaurant business with all the success you have had? Like I said earlier – it’s hard for me to feel “done”. I have a distinctive drive to keep accomplishing more, and I always hear my grandfather’s voice in the back of my head telling me to keep going. I will be honest, though – I did not want to have a restaurant for years! It just seemed like

continued on page 34

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Q&A Giada De Laurentiis, from page 33 an overwhelming amount of work, and a huge gamble at that. Ironically, it was a gamble I made in Vegas, and one of the most ultimately rewarding ones I ever made. Talk about what led to the original ‘Vegas restaurant in ‘14 and now the Pronto concept at Caesars Palace? Caesars had been reaching out to me for quite some time – there weren’t any restaurants owned by women on the strip at the time, and they wanted to change that. I wasn’t interested until they showed me a particular location: a parking garage on the corner of the Vegas strip, across the street from Caesars, the Bellagio and Bally’s. I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to build a restaurant from the ground-up, 100% from my own vision, right on the Vegas strip. My closest chef friends told me I would be crazy to do it… but even crazier not to do it. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done in my life – maybe the most difficult – but I’m overwhelmingly proud of it now, and proud of my team who continues to make it work every day. Pronto seemed like a natural next step, and a way to offer food that was a bit more casual and every-day… basically, more in tune with how I eat on a regular basis, as opposed to special occasion food like GIADA has. Everything I do has a story, and I wanted to start building this potentially new franchise that takes what I love about my culture and introduce it to the world. Walk our readers through what has made Pronto a success. I can see a big shift in the way people like to eat, and it’s gearing toward a much healthier lifestyle, even in somewhere as indulgent as Las Vegas! If both GIADA and Pronto reflected different parts of my life, GIADA would be the Sunday suppers my family would host every week,

and Pronto is my every day. We offer fresh and healthy options at Pronto, and everything can be taken to-go. We take a lot of care in the experience from morning until night – so whenever you need to stop by for a healthy bite, a decadent treat or a glass of wine and charcuterie, we want to offer this community that reflects my culture. It’s a very casual, comfortable space that I think can be a great reprieve from hustle and bustle of other places. Is healthy a fad or is it here to stay? The cultural change and interest in being healthier has been so huge, I can’t see it going backwards. People want to know where their food is coming from, how certain things are affecting their bodies and minds, and I couldn’t be more supportive of it. I believe the very first thing you can do for yourself is eat healthy and balanced, and everything else will fall into place. One of my goals in life is to make sure I’m doing the best I can to take part in creating healthier lives for future generations, and you need to start with yourself – and in my case, with my daughter Jade, too! Pronto also features dessert. What role does dessert play on a restaurant menu with the move towards healthier cuisine? I love sweets. Seriously love. I don’t live a life where I heavily restrict any one food – I just strive for a healthy balance. For my own personal happiness, that includes dessert. Gelato and pastries are also just a big part of Italian culture, but it’s all in moderation. Dessert has a different culture in the United States, but I like to bring my own personal take on it. If you’re eating healthy food most of the time, there’s certainly nothing wrong with indulging in some gelato or freshly baked pastries here and there.

34 • October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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Q&A Giada De Laurentiis, from page 34 What does the beverage menu look like at Pronto? The beverage menu at Pronto is my love letter to Italy and California. As much as healthy food options are part of the Pronto identity, our wine bar is a very big part as well. My goal with the curated wines is to make guests feel transported to a trattoria, and to make it an easy and comfortable journey to get there. If you look at our wine menu, it’s not just sectioned by varieties, but by flavors as well, and each wine is described by its flavor profile. Unless you’re a sommelier or happen to recognize a certain brand of wine on a menu, it’s mostly guesswork, and we try to make it a more personal experience than that. I wanted it to be accessible to everyone, and a totally unintimidating experience. Along with our wines, we offer signature cocktails: classic Italian ones like an Aperol Spritz or Negroni, to creative takes on familiar flavors like our Bel-

lissimo or Citrus Mistress. Ultimately, the cocktail menu is a blend of classic Italy and carefree California. What are your goals for a national rollout of Pronto? Our goal with Pronto is the franchise model. We’ve identified the top 50 media markets as our goal for eventual locations, as we want to be strategic with our growth through franchising. We ultimately want to create a community out of Pronto – one that reflects a healthy lifestyle. What’s your approach to building a management team at Pronto? In all things I do, I’ve learned to be able to give up some control to people I trust. You simply can’t be in every room all the time, and through everything I do – my shows, my books, my website Giadzy – I’ve had to build small teams of people I trust who share my vision. It’s no different with

36 • October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Pronto! I can’t be there every day, so I’ve built staff who I trust. A lot can be trained in a person for a job, but some things are infinitely more valuable: for me, it’s so important to find the right personality and someone who genuinely cares about the business, product and brand. I will always take someone who’s less experienced but more passionate about the job – you can give experience, but teaching someone to have the right attitude is much harder. In this world of technology, delivery has become huge. Delivery has become so much more than it ever was, and it’s getting easier and easier for people every day. To really create the community of a healthy lifestyle, being able to have food delivered makes it that much more convenient for people to get on board. To better create the community and brand we want, our goal is to build a

mobile ordering app that we’ll partner on with a third party. It ensures that we’re able to get our product out there, and be able to tell our story to more and more people. What are your goals for Pronto for 2019 and beyond? We have our sights set on the top 50 media markets, so our goal is to further expand and continue to create and develop a healthy lifestyle brand. New York is number one on that list, so it’s definitely on our radar. New York is so unique in that it’s so small, but so dense with restaurants and places to eat. Standing out in a place like that will be undeniably hard, but I have faith in this brand – and in my team of people. Building a national community that reflects the importance of healthy living, and to make it as easy as possible for so many people, is the ultimate goal – and that means expanding.

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

NEWS

RESTAURANT ASSOCIATIONS

Workers’ Compensation Safety Overview By Kevin Cook, NYSRA Director of Member Services

safe work place is a key component in not only controlling injuries, but also in controlling your Workers’ Compensation cost. Creating a safe work place is a longterm continuous project that takes commitment from upper management in order to create a business environment that has low accident rates, low turn-over and high levels of

productivity. Management must make the commitment to safety and, most importantly, clearly communicate the plan to your staff. Along with the required posting notices, the company safety plan and procedures should be posted. The importance of safety should be part of employee orientation as well as any employee manual. The safety of your employees must take precedence over everything else. Employees should err on the side of safety and they should be able to

communicate any safety concerns to management without fear of repercussion. Employees should be offered opportunities to learn and be able to identify unsafe practices or conditions. The more they learn and know the more the likelihood of accidents decreases. Your insurance carrier and your agent/broker can help you develop safety procedures and manuals. Members of Safety Group 505 have access to free safety checklists and through the New York State Insurance

Fund access to free safety inspections. If you are not part of Safety Group 505 call NYSRA for a free quote at 1-800452-4212 or email membersavings@ nysra.org. Be safe, save money and be a part of the group. The New York State Restaurant Association has been giving restaurateurs the power to succeed since 1935. The Association provides a platform for statewide cooperation and leadership on advocacy issues, along with valuable support services to members.

Be part of the group. NYSRA Safety Group 505 members saved 50% on their 2018 workers' compensation premiums. • Average annual premium savings of 40-45%. • Dividends for 33 consecutive years – totaling over $100 million! • We cover restaurants, bars and new foodservice establishments.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS The Covert Life of Cottage Food Operations Detra Denay Davis is the Founder

xploding across the county is the cottage food industry. Never heard of it. It’s one of the best-kept secrets in the food industry. Luckily common everyday cooks are becoming food entrepreneurs and defying the odds. The purpose of cottage food operations is to manufacture unusual foods. It has nothing to do with restaurants or catering. Novice cooks and bakers can sell nonhazardous products to consumers prepared from their home kitchen. Shocking? Half of the cottage food states place a limitation on the amount of income earned per year. Texas recently raised its Cottage Food income limit from $15000 to $50000. North Carolina, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, and Tennessee have no sales limit. Have you ever wanted to sell your specialty sauce, relish, chocolate truffles, or hot pepper jams? Sounds too good to be true. It’s not. In 2000, Duff Goldman opened his own business called Charm City Cakes. His cake sales began as he worked out of his house in Baltimore, Maryland. He even employed two assistants. How do you start a cottage food operation? Contact your State Department of Agriculture or State/County Health Department. Complete the application process. Some states have permit fees others don’t. Required training may be necessary along with a food handlers’ certificate. Once products are approved, it’s time to start production. Are you a professional cook and baker seeking a side hustle? The disadvantage can be working in

a small home-based kitchen. The advantage, you join an elite group of food producers who want to take their unique product to market. What can you produce? Non-hazardous foods approved by your state cottage food agency. The list is endless depending on the state where you live. Get rich quick is not the purpose of cottage food operations. Years ago, the Cajun Chef Paul Prudhomme was notorious for hiding seasoning blends in his pockets. Little did he know some years later they would become his Magic Seasoning Blends®. The title of Cottage Food Operator is usually associated with those who bake. In recent years, exotic condiments, sauces, vinegar, and dry seasonings have joined the cottage food list of products. Why should this be of interest to chefs and cooks? Food is about flavor. And if you’re creative enough to capture a unique flavor blend, it could direct you down a different path. Chef Keith Lorren’s created a luxury line of gourmet spice blends. These were more flavorful than traditional brands and called the Spice King Collection. Chefs love what they do, and each chef has his/her own secret flavor

40 • October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

booster. Would you want to sell your flavor packets? Few folks are familiar with the Cottage Food Industry. You could say it is a gateway to designing and developing a food or flavor concept. In the same way, the city of Louisville, Kentucky is allowing chefs to start popups in abandon housing. Providing chefs with a way to test their restaurant concept. The major difference, the idea starts in your home kitchen. The product is your product and how far you go with the idea is 100% dependent on how hard you want to work. So, what’s the catch? Cottage foods are usually non-hazardous foods. Examples are dry baked goods, bread, cookies, fruit pies, jams, jellies. Plus, preserves, honey, dried herbs, packaged spices, and spice mixes and soup mixes. This is not a get rich quick scheme and not limited to the foods listed. It is a way to exercise your creative side and take a product to market. You may have never thought of selling anything. Chefs spend their life creating for others. Now the opportunity exists to innovate in a completely different way. How do you get started in Cottage Foods? Review your state Cottage Food rules and regulations at foodpreneurinstitute.com/cottage-food-law/ The Cottage Food Best Practices include: • Make your product an outlier. • Commit to making an exclusive product. • Manufacture products with “Swag”.

and CEO of The Foodpreneur Institute (FPI). An Online Resource and Educational Center for Cottage Food Operators. The Institute helps home food processors take their specialty products from kitchen to market. FPI offers industry-specific information via a knowledgebase of resources. Since 2008 Denay has been teaching Food Entrepreneurship for the Wake County Public School Lifelong Learning Program and in Charlotte, North Carolina. Formerly a Cottage Food Operator selling custom pies from her home-based bakery, The Charlotte Pie Authority. Denay can be reached at 919-412-9158 or by email at contact@foodpreneurinstitute.com. For more information on Foodpreneur Institute, please visit https:// foodpreneurinstitute.com

• Think outside the box. • If the marketplace is oversaturated, stand out like a sore thumb. • Sell to your niche. • Identify those folks willing and able to pay the price you’re asking for your product. Hard stop! • When you’re in a slump throw everything in the pot. • Avoid mediocrity. Think big, act small. Make every day a productive day. Be bold! Many cottage food states have local training and workshops. There are informative websites that address the product development journey. Contact the Foodpreneur Institute, with questions about developing a specialty food product. Cottage foods are about setting yourself apart from the status quo.

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NEWS

NUTRITION

Is America’s Obesity Crisis The Catering Industry’s Problem? Article contributed Wyndham

Lucy

comes to taste.

n estimated 66% of American adults are overweight or obese and the number of children and adolescents who are overweight is rapidly rising. Convenience is more important than ever before with people’s lifestyles demanding food on the go and quick options. It seems the majority of the catering industry has gravitated towards foods that are delicious but have very little nutritional value. This has resulted in people eating foods on a daily basis that should only be consumed as a treat. So, just how much can the catering industry do to help take on the growing obesity problem? Offer healthy options As of 2018, the FDA requires chain restaurants to list calorie information on their menus in a bid to fight obesity. However, a recent study by Treadmill Reviews found that many people still can’t say how many calories are in some of their favorite foods. So, if nobody is paying attention to the amount of calories, it’s not going to help the problem. More catering companies are offering healthy options on their menus,

but it’s important that these aren’t just a fruit bag or switching fries for veggies and that the focus is on the whole meal. For people who are trying to take responsibility for their health and weight by making lifestyle changes, they need to have healthy options on the menus, otherwise they have little choice but to eat unhealthily. Ultimately, menus need to represent what people should be eating, putting health before profits. Make unhealthy options healthier Unhealthy options aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and there’s nothing wrong with having un-

42 • October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

healthy options on menus for people to treat themselves to. However, it’s important catering companies look at these options and see where they can cut back on calories and fat while increasing the nutrient content of it. This can be as simple as changing the way the food is cooked, such as baked or cooked in an air fryer instead of deep-fried and switching to low-fat versions of certain ingredients. For desserts, fruit can be used instead of sugar to sweeten things up and making fresh juice instead of selling branded ones that are packed full of sugar will save a lot of calories. It all helps, and most people won’t even notice the difference when it

The impact of advertising Health advocates are starting to call for a ban on advertising unhealthy foods. Research shows that TV food ads make up 50% of all ads on children’s shows and are dominated by unhealthy options. Unsurprisingly, the more exposure children have to TV ads of unhealthy foods, the higher their risk for obesity. It would be difficult to ban advertising unhealthy foods altogether as the definition of what makes something unhealthy varies between people and calorie or fat content isn’t always enough. However, catering companies can prioritize advertising healthy options to both children and adults. This can help to influence people into making better choices or, at the very least, make them aware that the healthy options are there. The obesity crisis that America and many other parts of the world are facing has been caused by a long list of reasons. It’s up to individuals to care for their own health, but the catering industry certainly plays a large role. After all, how can people make healthy choices when the options aren’t there, or they simply don’t know they exist?

October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 43

ASK ANDREW

FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE

PRESENTED BY

Unfunded, Paid Vacation Mandate

dvocates of Mayor de Blasio’s unfunded, two-week paid vacation mandate rallied at City Hall in support of the proposal. In advance of this rally, the NYC Hospitality Alliance & many other small business representatives submitted the following letter. We’re working collectively to make sure our members’ voices are heard! Dear NYC Council Member: We urge you to read this very important letter in full concerning Mayor de Blasio’s unfunded, paid vacation proposal and rally. We’ve heard that Mayor de Blasio may host a press conference at City Hall on Monday, September 9th to rally support for his unfunded, two-week paid vacation mandate. As Mayor de Blasio campaigns for President around the country, he is trying to dictate that his proposed legislation be passed this year, on his timeline, and not on the schedule of the City Council, which is an independent legislative body. Equally troubling is that the de Blasio administration is attempting to dismiss and ignore small business owners and advocates in your district who express concern about the financial and operational impact the unfunded mandate poses by calling them “naysayers,” ignoring their legitimate concerns, and pitting small business owners against their employees. The mayor and key members of his administration have also repeatedly misrepresented the current require-

It’s not enough for our elected leaders to only talk about how important small businesses are to their community... We need you to take action. ments for paid time off, and the situations it already covers. For example, the mayor’s spokesperson recently told Politico that nearly one million New Yorkers go without a single paid day off, so they have “no time to move their parent into a nursing home, and not even a few hours to visit a doctor.” The mayor’s Consumer Affairs commissioner wrote a misleading letter to the editor in the Daily News, in which she implied that a worker couldn’t take paid time off to visit their sick mother. In her Daily News op-ed First Lady McCray wrote, “When tragedy and hardship hit home, like the loss of a loved one or a sick parent, the ability to take time off is even more essential.” This implies the current paid leave laws do not already cover these types of situations. The fact is that New York City’s Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, and New York State’s Paid Family Leave Law ALREADY require employers to provide paid time off to workers under the aforementioned scenarios, as well as for several additional reasons. Small business owners throughout the city understand that providing paid vacation to all employees is an

44 • October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

ideal to strive towards, and many already accommodate their employees’ vacation requests in a manner that aligns with their business realities. However, many businesses are struggling, or simply can’t afford another expensive and complicated government mandate, which we’re certain you know by speaking with business owners in your district and by seeing all the vacant storefronts. As a large group of small business owners in New York City, our message is clear: If it is a moral imperative that every worker requires at least twoweeks of paid vacation, in addition to the one-week of paid sick leave plus paid family leave to which they’re already legally entitled, then the City of New York must help fund and administer the benefit. This mechanism is used for Social Security, Paid Family Leave, and other social programs. As a business community, we would happily engage with the City Council in discussions about this possibility. But it would be irresponsible to not seriously investigate this approach and force the full burden of this mandate on the shoulders of the small business owners you represent.

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

It’s not enough for our elected leaders to only talk about how important small businesses are to their community and to decry the blight of closed storefronts. We need you to take action and support small businesses. Please do not be pushed into supporting the mayor’s proposal, especially before speaking with our organizations. We respectfully urge you to consider our request and we look forward to your response. Bronx Chamber of Commerce Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Food Industry Alliance of New York State, Inc Manhattan Chamber of Commerce National Supermarket Association NATO, Theatre Owners of New York State, Inc New York City Hospitality Alliance New York State Restaurant Association New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce Queens Chamber of Commerce Staten Island Chamber of Commerce

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SCOOP Carpigiani North America Names Penny Klingler As President SCOOP heard that Penny Klingler has been named President of Carpigiani North America, an Ali Group Company. She has served as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Carpigiani North America since 2017, and prior to that served as Senior Vice President of Key Accounts. As President, Klingler will be responsible for driving strategic growth while strengthening the foundation of the North American platform. Carpigiani has been the global leader, innovator and manufacturer of frozen dessert equipment for over for 70 years. Klingler has an extensive background in the commercial foodservice equipment industry, including 25 years with H.C. Duke & Son/Electro Freeze where she served as Vice President of Sales and oversaw international sales expansion; three

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

INSIDER NEWS

FROM METRO NYC’S FOODSERVICE SCENE

years with Sweden Freezer as Vice President of Customer Services; and four years with Alco Standard Corporation’s dispensing division, leading the beverage support teams. Carpigiani is dedicated to providing the highest quality, most reliable and most durable frozen dessert equipment in the industry. Carpigiani also hosts the Gelato Festivals, the world’s largest gelato competition, and Carpigiani Gelato University Penny Klingler and Frozen Dessert

University, providing unparalleled professional education on frozen desserts for gelato and premium ice cream artisans. For more information, visit their website at www.carpigiani.com/usa.

Irinox Announces Jeffrey Bignell As Southeast Sales Manager And Corporate Chef SCOOP learned that Jeffrey Bignell has joined IRINOX in the position of Southeast Sales Manager & Corporate Chef. In his new role, he will manage all relationships with the region’s appointed Sales Representatives, Dealers & Specifiers and help aggressively increase IRINOX’s market presence in the Southeast. Bignell is a classically trained culinarian and operations specialist with an extensive back-

continued on page 48

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Scoop, from page 46 ground in the foodservice industry. He has been committed to providing knowledge and innovative solutions to an array of food production environments, crafting operational expertise that encompasses all aspects of the hospitality world, concentrating on creative menu engineering, service and delivery methods, kitchen layout and design, and HACCP planning and surveying. Over

the last ten years, he has supported a diverse portfolio of companies across the Southeast by way of Chef, director, mentor and consultant capacities. Most recently, Jeff established the role of Corporate Executive Chef for PACOJET USA, with a dedicated focus on the development and strategy for sales and marketing in North America. Reach out to him at jbignell@irinoxnorthamerica.com and (912) 856-6428.

Orwashers French Baguette Now Available Through Featherstone

SCJP_fanMAX_TF_HalfAd_Oct_final.pdf 1 9/23/19 The handcrafted French Baguette from Orwashers

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SCOOP learned that Orwashers French Baguette is now available from Featherstone Foods, the area’s premier bread wholesaler and distributor. Orwashers Bakery

has been making bread the old-fashioned way in NYC for over 100 years. Quality ingredients, long fermentation times and tried-and-true technique are what make their products exceptional. For their French Baguettes, Orwashers imports traditional flour directly from a mill in the heart of France’s Bread Basket. Owner Keith Cohen and his baking team studied proper baguette technique in both tight Parisian bakers and large-scale facilities on the French countryside. To hold themselves and their product to the highest quality standards, the Orwashers Bakers go through a rigorous yearly Baguette Bootcamp, overseen by a Master French Baker. Kosher Parve under Tablet K Supervision. Contact them at orders@feathrestonefoods.com /718-456-5400 x 1.

The Lexington Hotel Appoints Director of F&B The Lexington Hotel in New York City has ap-

continued on page 50

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Scoop, from page 48 pointed Frank Caiafa as the director of food and beverage at The Lexington Hotel and beverage director of The Stayton Room. This new position marks his return to Lexington Ave., bringing his years of expertise in cocktail culture to a new yet classic New York hotel bar. Caiafa played a role as the beverage director of the Peacock Alley and La Chine restaurants at The Waldorf Astoria in New York City, where he worked from 2005 until the hotel’s recent closure for renovations. He also serves as principal of the hospitality consulting and management enterprise Handle Bars NYC/ Global Hospitality.

You’re Invited to Monday Night with the NFL Alumni on October 21 in Mamaroneck-Benefit Caring for Kids SCOOP hears that the NY/LI Chapter of the NFL

50 • October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Alumni and 25 North have partnered to host an event to raise money for the NFL Alumni missions of Caring for Kids, 1st Responders and Vets on Monday, October 21, starting at 6:00pm at 25 North, 974 E. Boston Post Rd, Mamaroneck, NY. Support the missions of the NFLA and the good work they do with kids, vets and 1st responders plus have a great time while you’re at it. Join us for an evening of networking, food, fun and stories of game we all love from the men that played at its highest level. Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite. com. Keyword: NFL Alumni 25 North. This event is produced by ProLegends.org, a division of Optimal Wellness Network LLC. For groups or more information please contact Larry Sashin, 347720-5649.

LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy Opens Daymoves Cafe in Brooklyn

SCOOP hears that Daymoves is open seven days a week during the day and will be serving coffee and pastries to those who pop in. Murphy plans to open the business up at night sometime in the future as a club called Nightmoves. It will house a massive custom speaker system that Murphy has built himself. Daymoves is next door to Murphy’s wine bar The Four Horsemen in Williamsburg. LCD Soundsystem have been quiet of late having wrapped up touring on their return album, ‘American Dream’ last year. Late last year, they released the live album ‘Electric Lady Sessions’. Murphy has also been focusing on the DespaJames Murphy cio parties and sound

continued on page 52

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

Scoop, from page 50 system he runs with 2ManyDJs over the last few years, having brought it to festivals such as Meltdown and All Points East.

A Must Read For Industry Professionals— The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World SCOOP notes the remarkable story of a restaurant on top of the world-built by a legend, destroyed in tragedy-and an era in New York City it helped to frame. In the 1970s, New York City was plagued by crime, filth, and an ineffective government. The city was falling apart, and even the newly constructed World Trade Center threatened to be a fiasco. But in April 1976, a quarter-mile up on the 107th floor of the North Tower, a new restaurant called Windows on the World opened its doors—a glittering sign that New York wasn’t done just yet. In The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World, journalist Tom Roston tells the complete

history of this incredible restaurant, from its stunning $14-million opening to 9/11 and its tragic end. There are stories of the people behind it, such as Joe Baum, the celebrated restaurateur,

who was said to be the only man who could outspend an unlimited budget; the well-tipped waiters; and the cavalcade of famous guests, as well as everyday people celebrating the key moments in their lives. Roston also charts the changes in American food, from baroque and theatrical to locally sourced and organic. Built on nearly 150 original interviews, The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World is the story of New York City’s restaurant culture and the quintessential American drive to succeed. On that day, 73 Windows on the World employees lost their lives, and the stirring prologue of Tom Roston’s The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World focuses on that day: both the seeming averageness of it among the employees heading into work, and the still-palpable ache as New Yorkers look back, 18 years later. “Many New York restaurants hold a special place in the hearts of the people who cherish them,” he writes. “Windows on the World was one of them, but it was something more. Not only did it become the highest-grossing restaurant in the country during its

continued on page 54

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Scoop, from page 52

25-year existence, it also became a landmark that embodied the city’s greatness.

Fresh&co Announces “Back to Soul Menu” Curated in Partnership with Son of a Southern Chef Lazarus Lynch SCOOP hears that Lazarus Lynch, a two-time Chopped Champion, cookbook author of “Son of a Southern Chef,” and a graduate of Manhattan’s Food and Finance High School and Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) has collaborated with Fresh&co on a new fall menu. The Back to Soul menu includes items that pay homage to the deep roots of southern cuisine that Lynch and fresh&co’s executive chef Craig Rispoli have expertly crafted incorporating seasonal, locallysourced ingredients. The Soul Bowl consists of

Chef Lazarus Lynch

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Black-Eyed Peas, Apples, Crispy Smoked Bacon, Red Onions, Feta, and Roasted Pecans over Collard Greens and Mixed Salad Greens with a Champagne Vinaigrette; and the Laz’Wich, includes Turkey Ham, BBQ Freebird Chicken, Smoked Gouda, Ameri-

can Cheese, Red Onions, Pickled Pepper Collard Slaw, and Herbed Chipotle Mayo served on a Seeded Hero Roll. The collaboration stems from the shared connection to Lynch’s alma mater, the Food and Finance High School, where for many years, fresh&co has unwaveringly donated its time and resources to support the improvement and impact of food culture as well as the future of culinary leaders. Fresh&co has employed, trained, and mentored dozens of students from the high school through their internship program, taught classes, hosted field trips to the fresh&co farm, and recently opened

continued on page 96

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METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

Marcum Food & Beverage Group Concludes First National Summit Program

arcum LLP’s Food & Beverage Services Group concluded its first national summit program last month, presented in four regions of the U.S. The summits, aimed at helping F&B companies survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive industry, focused on innovation, regulation and disruption. F&B executives representing manufacturing, retail, distribution, and finance attended. A panel of industry leaders discussed the latest trends and provided examples of innovation as models for other F&B companies at every stage of development, from start-up through maturity. Louis Biscotti, Marcum’s national Food & Beverage leader, created the summit program as a networking and learning event for senior industry executives. “I have always been intrigued by the stories that CEOs told me about how they developed their companies and the keys to their success. I thought it would be a great forum for CEOs to get together and talk

Emerging company winners included: • Ft. Lauderdale – Bolay, restaurant serving freshly prepared, gluten-free ingredients • New England – Maya Yogurt, minimally processed, lessMarcum’s LI Managing Partner Carolyn MazzenF&B NYC Leader Jim Aspromonti (R) moderating sweet GMO product ga (R), national F&B Services Leader Lou Biscotti a panel that included Zak Romanoff, Omni Food • New York – Altru (2nd R), and F&B NYC Leader Natalie Verbanac Sales; Eric Ottaway, Brooklyn Brewery; Stephanie Brands, patent-pend(2nd L) during the event’s networking portion. Katzman, Katzman Produce. ing antioxidant & electrolyte blended beverage about these strategies and all of their outreach of the companies that they • San Francisco – Miyokos, nonbest practices,” Mr. Biscotti said. “Our represent, really provides a solid base dairy cheese goaIs are for attendees to come away of people who can grow and profit Additional markets will be added to with ideas they can put into immedifrom the material being presented,” the program in 2020. ate action and a new set of contacts to said another attendee. help build their businesses.” In addition to the formal program, For more information includOne CEO said, “You get some really each summit also featured an Innoing sponsorship details, visit www. good pointers from these people— vative Emerging Company Showmarcumevents.com. how to position your business, your case, where young F&B companies marketing, your growth strategy to efintroduced their products through Marcum’s Food & Beverage Services fectively stand on the shoulders of gifood samplings. Attendees voted Group helps clients improve growth ants.” on their favorites, and a $2,500 cash and profitability, guiding their devel“Marcum really assembles some of prize was awarded to the winner in opment from small emerging entities the brightest people in the accounteach market. into national and international oring industry. That, combined with the ganizations. Services range from supply chain logistics, transaction advisory services, and profitability analyses to cost segregation studies, financial reviews and audits, structuring, succession planning, and more. For more information, visit www.marcumllp.com.

58 • October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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

23,

19 25,3

77 m

Hudson House

Jersey City, NJ

The Owner: Frank Cretella, President, 19 Hospitality, Landmark Whitehouse Station, NJ The Designer: Jeanne Cretella, Black Dog Construction, Whitehouse Station, NJ

15 14 13

The Kitchen Designer/Dealer: Brad LaBel, LaBel Food Service Equipment & Design, Islandia, NY

2Jeanne

and Frank Cretella’s Approach: For the past 25 years, our passion has been to lovingly restore historic landmarks into highly esteemed event venues designed to enchant. The Hudson House, which was negelected after the devasation on Hurricane Sandy, was a perfect fit for us. Terra e Mare (Land & Sea) at Hudson House is an Italian Prime Seafood House complete with displayed dry aged room and a two tiered lobster tank flanking the entrance which leads to a panoramic view of

8 7 6

NYC. The expansive, open kitchen complete with raw bar and pizza oven makes it immediately apparent that food and preparation is Terra e Mare’s focus. On the opposite side of the restaurant is a 9 sided bar offering 20 varieties of beer and our wine wall displays 2000 bottles. Guests can sit at the bar, take in the view and enjoy the complete restaurant menu. The rooftop, of this impressive four story building, is the modern version of the famed Manhattan Stork Club and styled after a Palm Springs modern “Rat Pack Pool House”. Rooftop design elements include a 60 seat bar, fireplace, fire pits and outdoor vignettes with lush lounge seating. This highly designed venue is meant to give guests multiple op-

continued on page 62

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415

4 3

18 20

x 16

ituated at the end of Port Liberte in Jersey City, NJ, this structure is an arm’s length away from the Hudson River and boasts outstanding skyline views from every aspect. Lined with the Freedom Tower, Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Verrazano Bridges; Hudson House is NJ’s hottest wedding and event space!

11 10

The Lighting Designer: Max Cohen, Second Avenue 79,3 Lighting, Yorkville, 5 NY

22 23 24

54,

Situated at the end of Port Liberte in Jersey City, NJ, this structure is an arm’s length away from the Hudson River and boasts outstanding skyline views from every aspect. Lined with the Freedom Tower, Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Verrazano Bridges; Hudson House is NJ’s hottest new event space.

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Hudson House, from page 60 tions or zones in the dining room so they can explore the various details and design elements crafted by Black Dog Construction. Black Dog is Landmark Hospitality’s 20 year old, in-house design, build company. BDC boasts its own wood, steel and glass shop where all our restaurants unique, one of a kind features are fabricated. All lighting in Hudson House is custom designed by the owner in conjunction with Max Cohen, owner, of Second Avenue Lighting in Yorkville, NY. As a Chef driven company, Landmark Hospitality collaborates with talented, young chefs early on in the process of launching a new venue. The menu at Terra e Mare offers all of what is expected from a grand Italian seafood and steak restaurant along with tactful surprises from Chef Daniel Brunia. Signature items include: seafood plateau, in house dry aged steaks, fresh lobster right out of the tank, salt baked whole fish and “angry lobster”.

Hudson House, in addition to Terra e Mare and Stock Chub Lounge offers two event spaces, both with their own pre-function area and walk around terraces. The views are stunning. Panoramic view of the Verrazano, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges with Lady Liberty front end center topped with all of Manhattan as Hudson Houses’s backdrop. Our understated design allows the view to take center stage. Brad LaBel’s Approach:    My Dad has worked with the Cretellas for the past 15 plus years on many of their projects. We have have a good feel for what they are trying to accomplish with both their a la cart and catering operations. We “get” what they are trying to accomplish. We actually have three projects we are working on with them right now. The Hudson House space was a restaurant that got damaged during

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Hurricane Sandy. They took it over and made the decision to turn it to four stories of dining with an amazing rooftop catering space. It’s right on the water and if you ask me , it has the best view of Manhattan that you will ever see that stares at the Statue of Liberty. The building was gutted which meant building the kitchen from scratch. The Cretella’s wanted a beautiful open kitchen. The centerpiece of the kitchen is a cooking line from Southbend. It will give the Hudson House crew the flexibility to meet both their a la carte and high volume catering needs. We designed this kitchen with a goal of maximizing the efficiency on all four floors. The main kitchen features two lines to serve banquet cooking with a large prep area. We used a wall to enable us to position back to back equipment includ-

ing tilt skillets, kettles, charbroilers, Southbend’s six burner ranges , fryers, convection ovens. We also have designed a beautiful pizza cooking suite with a Wood Stone oven. Among the highlights is a beautiful bar that Eddie Yuter from Tri-State helped us design. All the food for the catering operation is going to come out of that main kitchen. They can also do prep in that main kitchen for the restaurant’s a la carte’s needs. We then designed the TAFCO walk-in boxes so that they can easily be shared by both the restaurant and catering operations. TAFCO gave us the quality and flexibility we needed to serve four floors. Although we didn’t design the dining area, in building an open kitchen, we needed to carefully coordinate . We designed the equivalent of a traditional chef’s table with seats in the kitchen. It’s a very exciting opportunity for diners to see the inner workings of a kitchen.

October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 63

EYE

METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

Partridge Invitational Raises Funds for Scholarships At Annual Golf Event

ast month featured one of the true highlights of the foodservice industry calendar as the annual Partridge Invitational Club and Club Managers’ Golf Shootout took center stage on Long Island. One of the food service industry’s most sought after trophies was on the line as club managers and Metro New York’s vendor community squared off on the legendary Lawrence, NY track. Once again veteran Partridge member Dennis Murphy, who has long been the visionary for the yearly event hosted a spectacular day of golf at Rockaway Hunting Club to benefit the Partridge’s commitment to scholarships. 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. After a very long run, the Partridge Club was rewarded with their first win in a number of years. “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.

The storied track although not 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. Partridge and Club Manager guests were astounded with the fabulous fare that the Rockaway Hunt Club team led by GM Frank Argento served. 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 members left and formed the Invitation Club.

The Partridge 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 and Cornell.

(L-R) Korn Ferry’s Richard Preng and Partridge president Richard Bloch

(L-R) Long time friends Marc Sarrazin of DeBragga and Lou Rozzo of F. Rozzo

The Princeton Club’s Justin Pallen has been instrumental in a membership resurgence of the Partridge Club in 2019.

(L-R) Frank Argento of the host Rockway Hunt Clubs with The Partridge Club’s pro baseball star Bob Honeyman and his Grandfather Dennis Murphy of Opici Wines celebrated their win.

Anthony Trenticosti (R) president of Cater To You Food Service with Michael Minuni, Tony DiPietranio and Jon Kasman enjoyed the day at the iconic Long Island club.

PBAC’s Michael Posternak and Keith Fitzgerald

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October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 65

NEWS

EMPLOYEE RETENTION

Resolving The Revolving Door Dilemma At Restaurants

t’s no longer enough for a restaurant to put together an amazing team. The key to success and longevity in this competitive food service environment begins and ends with employee retention. Losing a key employee can cripple a successful business. If you’re not prepared for the loss, your entire company will be affected. Key personnel hold the responsibility for running specific areas of your restaurants, knows your client/guest base, and generally hold a stronger bond with the restaurant’s employees than the restaurant’s principals/ownership. Sudden management changes usually create a negative image for employees on how owners view the relationship between themselves and their personnel. Even worse, most management personnel leave for what they feel is a better opportunity and generally recruit other key employees to join them in these “greener pastures”. Additionally, key personnel change usually affects employee morale reducing employee efficiencies, causing loss of productivity and an often results in an economic hit to your restaurant. Some restaurant principals have tried to minimize the risks by paying management higher salaries, increased sales incentive compensation, and even profit sharing. However, in a competitive market, that is not always a cure all. In addition, perks only increase a restaurant’s overhead without obtaining the desired result and only positions that employee to be open to

Losing a key employee can cripple a successful business. If you’re not prepared for the loss, your entire company will be affected. more lucrative offers from cash rich or even desperate restaurants looking for qualified candidates with successful track records. Minimize Your Risks By Taking Several Steps First, you need to identify whom in your organization you simply can’t afford to lose. Which of your employees are key people that you are not prepared to lose? Which employee leaves your restaurant vulnerable to a decrease in productivity and even a possible conflict with a key vendor relationship? Does that employees exiting leave other employees susceptible to being recruited to join them. Again, who are the people in your organization that you can’t afford to lose? Make A Major Effort To Lock In A Key Employee From Leaving Is your key employee relevant to your succession plan or valuable in some other way that makes it logical to pull out all the stops to keep him or her on board? Take a deep look and put a value on that person. If that value is high enough that the person may be very hard, if not impossible, to replace, then consider this option.

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Use Life Insurance To Provide Key Employee Value By using a permanent life insurance policy, the restaurant owner/ employer can create a mechanism to provide the key employee with a retirement benefit for a fixed period of time that is beneficial to both the valued employee and ownership. If the employee dies while still employed the family will receive a survivor’s benefit from the employer for a defined period time. The employer would be the owner of the policy on the employee. The policy would be designed to build substantial cash values, which would be an asset on the employer’s balance sheet and accumulate tax-free. Upon retirement, the employer would withdraw (or loan) cash value from the policy each year to fund the agreed-upon retirement benefit. The policy death benefit would be used to: a) fund the survivors benefit and: b) provide the employer with protection for losses that may incur the death of the event employee. Finance The Life Insurance By utilizing the premium finance extremity to pay the premium, the employer, rather than paying manual

premiums will pay interest on loan, will provide the employer with the cash flow savings compared to the premium payment. The interest on the loan will be based off a fixed spread over 90 day or longer duration LIBOR. The policy cash value will provide the majority of the initial collateral needed on loan overtime as the cash value grows, it will become the sole source of collateral. The policy may be designed using a high cash value rider to minimize the collateral needed to impact the employees balance sheet as minimally as possible. In addition, the policies will be designed to retire the debt incurred by the employer 1115 years. Plan Outline For this example we are sending a 40 year old key restaurant employee. The employee would receive: • A supplemental retirement benefit of $50,000 per year, beginning at age 65 for 20 years • A survivor’s benefit of 50,000 would be paid to inane beneficiary of the death of the employee for 10 years while still employed at the company prior to age 65. The employer’s contribution to the plan would be as follows: - Initial interest payment: $5,554 - Total projected interest payments: $264,319 - Initial collateral amount: $30,000 - Peak collateral needed: $60,000 **Predicated on current interest crediting assumptions and current costs of insurance.

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

LEGAL INSIDER

FROM ELLENOFF, GROSSMAN & SCHOLE LLP

Tread Carefully If You Receive A “No-Match” Letter

Mitchell F. Borger is a Partner in the Labor and Employment group of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP (“EGS”) and has more than twenty-seven years of experience practicing Employment Law. Mr. Borger advises clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, drafts employment agreements, sever-

ave you recently received a bunch of “no-match” letters from the Social Security Administration (SSA)? Beginning March 2019, SSA revived an old practice of issuing “nomatch” letters which notify employers that an employee’s name and social security number (SSN) as reported on W-2 records do not match SSA’s record of the employee and his/her SSN. According to SSA, the purpose of the “no-match” letter is to advise employers that corrections are needed so SSA can ensure the accuracy of earnings records that are used to determine Social Security benefits. Since March 2019, SSA has issued over 550,000 of these letters. What should you do if you receive one of these letters? First, do not panic and fire the employee because you assume the employee is an undocumented worker. In fact, the “no match” form letter specifically states that you should not discipline or fire an employee based solely upon receipt of a “no-match” letter. There are a number of legitimate reasons why reported names and SSNs may not align with SSA’s records, such as typographical errors, unreported name changes, and inaccurate or incomplete employer records, so employers are not supposed to jump to conclusions.

ance and release documents, handbooks, and policies, is well versed in

A “no-match” letter can expose an employer to liability under the Immigration Reform and Control Act for knowingly continuing to employ an individual who is not authorized to work in the United States.

alternative dispute resolution (with an emphasis on mediation and arbitration programs), and performs employment-related corporate due diligence. Mr. Borger is current chair of the New York State Bar Association’s (“NYSBA”) Corporate Counsel Section, served as its 2005 Chair and is a twenty-year member of its Executive Committee. Stephania C. Sanon is an

Employers must be pro-active upon receipt of “no-match” letters because under the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), employers are obligated to ensure that they employ only those workers authorized to work in the United States. A “no-match” letter can expose an employer to liability under IRCA for knowingly continuing to employ an individual who is not authorized to work in the United States. The liability may be based upon actual knowledge (i.e., the employee admits he/she is unauthorized to work in the U.S.) or constructive knowledge (i.e., through the exercise of reasonable care, the employer would have learned of the employee’s unauthorized status). If it is discovered that an employer knowingly hired and/or continued to employ an individual not authorized

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to work in the United States, the employer may be subject to penalties such as fines ranging from $573 to $4,586 for a first offense, to incarceration (typically involving repeated offenses). In addition, employers may face exposure under the anti-discrimination provision of IRCA and federal, state and city anti-discriminatory laws. For example, treating the receipt of a “no-match” letter as reason alone to terminate an individual’s employment may violate laws which prohibit discrimination on the basis of a person’s national origin. Upon receiving a “no-match” letter, employers should take the following steps:

Associate in the Labor and Employment group of EGS. Stephania represents and advises clients in a variety of labor and employment matters. In addition to handling a broad range of cases in federal and state court and before administrate agencies, she routinely assists restaurant clients in complying with federal, state and local employment and wage and hour regulations. Mitchell F. Borger (mborger@ egsllp.com) and Stephania C. Sanon (ssanon@egsllp.com) can be reached via phone at 212-370-1300.

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EYE

METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

Chefs’ Warehouse Taste of CW Event Series Continues To Impress

he September Taste of CW Vendor show took centerstage last month at the Chefs’ Warehouse Hunt’s Point hub. The monthly event showcases the creativity of Chefs’ Warehouse to bring the very latest in menu solutions to the Metro New York food service community as quickly as possible. Many of the nation’s leading manufacturers were brought in to display their latest to the Chefs’ Warehouse sales team as well as local restaurant and foodservice customers. With Fall dining and holiday catering season upon us, the Chefs’ Warehouse culinary experts and world-class sales team brought a full portfolio of solutions to support the chef’s every need. In addition,

the show enabled guests to taste ticipated Holiday Taste of CW Show the outstanding portfolio of Chefs’ is set for October 21st from 11 to Warehouse brands including Allen 2pm at the Hunts Point /Bronx faBrothers and Michaels Meats. cility. Leave it to CW marketing guru The Chefs’ Warehouse is a family David Vogel to pull out all stops as operated specialty food distributor CW offers Uber discounts from the that has been purveying high-qualTrain to the show. ity artisan ingredients for chefs for over 30 years. With locations in major metropolitan areas across the United States and Canada, The Chefs’ Warehouse is focused on serving the finest restaurants, hotels, caterers and gourmet stores in Metro New York and across North America. The Chefs’ WareHarlem’s Archer & Goat Restaurant shopped the show looking for creative new ideas for their restaurant. house Show much an-

Mazzini Nuts Jan Friedman (L) and Chefs’ Warehouse’s Jaqueline Scacco

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Van-Lang corporate chef Katie Boyle (L) worked with Chefs Warehouse sales team and guests at the monthly event

(R-L) White Toques corporate chef Jean -Jaques Bernat and Guillemette Manes

Dufour’s Lindsey Dealy (L) helped guests with menu strategies

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

NEWS

SPECIAL EVENTS

Tauscher To Be Feted By Les Amis d’Escoffier At Four Seasons NYC Event

n November 8, 2019, over a hundred members and guests of Les Amis d’Escoffier Society of New York will celebrate a leader in the hospitality industry at their 83rd Annual Fall Dinner to be held at The Four Season Hotel New York. Rudy Tauscher will be honored as the Hospitality Professional of the Year. “We gather to celebrate a superb professional and educator in our hospitality world,” said Uwe Toedter, Foundation President of Les Amis d’Escoffier Society of New

Rudy Tauscher

We gather to celebrate a superb professional and educator in our hospitality world,” said Uwe Toedter York. “The Escoffier Board is delighted to have such an extraordinary and renowned honoree with a distinguished career. Rudy Tauscher has an impact in the hospitality industry and supports the profession by actively educating colleagues and serving as a role model in their fields.” Here is Rudy Tauscher: Hospitality is important to him as it is a direct reflection of how we live. During his first few weeks at The Four Seasons Hotel New York, he made sure to meet everyone in the building to learn about their responsibilities. “I like working with people who know more about their roles than I do. As a manager, their knowledge helps me put things into place,” he says. Many of the Hotel’s team members have been with the property for more than 20 years. This warmed his heart as a champion of loyalty and excellence in service. “There’s

72 • October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

a reason why we are a crown jewel in this city. Guests remember their stays from the beginning and I will continue to uphold that tradition during my time here.” His humble beginnings have helped him understand hotels to their core. As he walks the halls of the property, he is amazed by the synchronization of the teams and their commitment to putting guests first. “I have followed the Golden Rule all of my life and have believed in Isadore Sharp’s philosophy. Choosing to work for Four Seasons was a decision I could not decline.” Tauscher is no stranger to the Big Apple, having managed the openings of the Mandarin Oriental in 2002 and Trump International Hotel and Tower in 1996. He also led the inaugural teams at the Park Hotel in Germany and The Palace of the Lost City in South Africa. From Mozart to Hip-Hop, his ear

is no stranger to various genres of music. When he is not traveling, he enjoys painting, reading, jogging, and spending time with his three children, Ileana, Manuela, and Oliver. Les Amis d’Escoffier Society of New York has presented every year over $15,000 for student scholarships to support students in our industry. Since 2005, the Society has given over $100,000. In 1955, Les Amis d’Escoffier Society Foundation, Inc. was founded on New York City, by Joseph Donon, Claudius Phillippe, Robert Audelan, Albert Simard, Herman Rusch, Raymond Bosquer and Edward Grenier as a non-profit, charitable organization that provides scholarships for students of the culinary arts. The group’s goal has never wavered. Les Amis d’Escoffier Society continues to uphold the standards of haute cuisine and culinary tradition established by Auguste Escoffier by marrying the resources of respected culinary professionals and enthusiasts in the sharing common culinary experiences, and also recognizing achievement in, and providing support of, culinary education through scholarships for students.

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

NEWS

VENTLESS SOLUTIONS

Game Day Bar Food: The Ventless Benefits

our the beer, turn up the volume on the TV, and pull up a bar stool, it is Football Season! There is no better way to cheer on your favorite team then at the local watering hole, digging into delicious appetizers. Every Thursday, Sunday, and Monday night, fans flock to the bars in search of the best game watching experience, and with Motion Technology Inc, it is easy for owners and operators to keep the great grub pumping from the bar through the whole game! With our ventless kitchen equipment, bars can serve up everything from the classic buffalo wings & fries served with blue cheese for dipping, to fajita chicken flatbreads topped with a cilantro sour cream. Feed the crowds all the way into overtime by arming your bar with the AutoFry & MultiChef

XL! On their own, or as a team, this fully enclosed automated fryer and high-speed oven really know how to impress. The AutoFry is the ideal addition to any business looking to fry without all the expenses associated with installing a hood. Businesses can find themselves facing costs of anywhere between $20,000-$30,000, when they choose to install a traditional open fryer. The AutoFry is much more affordable and is also available in a range of sizes, making the decision for which one will fit your establishment best even easier! Not to mention, the quality of product our fryer produces is top notch. Fry up everything from pickles to poppers and watch the profits pile up. The MultiChef XL uses a combination of cooking methods to perfectly

prepare a wide variety of food in just minutes. From loaded chicken nachos to roasted Brussels sprouts, there isn’t much this oven can’t handle. With ease employees can roast, toast, steam, bake and reheat all with the press of a couple buttons. No need to hire a professional chef, just like the AutoFry, the MultiChef XL is so simple, anyone can operate it! In fact, our oven comes with 80 preloaded recipes built right in! We know that when we think of

football; beer and food instantly come to mind. It isn’t just about watching the game, it is about the entire experience of being a fan and rooting for your team, surrounded by family and friends. There is no better time spent, then the times with great people and great food. So, let us help your business be the place that people have to be to watch the next game. Save money while scoring BIG with amazing food that would please the palate of any patron.

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74 • October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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

NEWS

SCHOOL FOODSERVICE

Hobart and Traulsen Team With PBAC In Metro NY In Search Of School Super Heroes

s students head back to the classroom for another year of learning, the ITW Kitchen Defenders – Martin the Carton, Sally Strawberry, Rich Chocolate, Wally the Warewasher and the Hobart Doughminator – are putting out a call for school heroes to register for Traulsen and Hobart’s final Save Your Kitchen equipment giveaway of 2019. Traulsen, the leader in commercial refrigeration, is wrapping up the fourth year of its annual kitchen equipment sweepstakes, which is open to K-12 nutrition professionals in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Upon entry, school nutrition professionals have the chance to rescue one of their school kitchens by winning a Traulsen refrigeration unit of their choice out of the following options – a One-Section Reach-In Refrigerator (RHT132WUT), a One-Section Pass-Thru Refrigerator (RHT132WPUT), a One-Section Reach-In Freezer (RLT132WUT), or an eight-crate Milk Cooler (RMC34S4). In addition, the winning school will receive its choice of one piece of food preparation equipment from the following Hobart models: an HCC34 Food Processor, an EDGE 13A-11 Slicer, or a limited edition (red) Hobart Legacy 20-quart HL 200 Mixer. “This year’s Save Your Kitchen contest has been a wonderful success so far and we can’t wait to learn who the next school hero will be,” said Hailey

As a proud supporter of school kitchens, we hope as many schools as possible, including those who registered for earlier drawings, will enter again for a chance to win this last drawing of the year,” said Hailey Elting, Sales Development Manager, K-12 Specialist at Traulsen Elting, Sales Development Manager and K-12 Specialist at Traulsen. “As a proud supporter of school kitchens, we hope as many schools as possible, including those who registered for earlier drawings, will enter again for a chance to win this last drawing of the year.” Drawings this year have seen three school districts from across the country win. The first drawing, held in March in honor of National School Breakfast Week, saw the Harlem School District in Machesney Park, Illinois, win. The second drawing, held in May in honor of School Lunch Hero Day, was won by the Taylor County School District in Butler, Georgia. In July, Foley Public Schools in Foley, Minnesota, won the third and largest drawing of the year as it included a Hobart dish machine. This drawing

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was held at the School Nutrition Association Annual National Conference in St. Louis. The Harlem School District chose a one-section, R-Series Reach-in Refrigerator (RHT132WUT) and a Hobart HL 200 mixer. The R-Series Refrigerator features advanced technology, including Traulsen’s StayClear™ Condenser coil and advanced Smart Control. The Hobart HL 200 Mixer is a 20-quart mixer that features a heavy duty ½ horsepower motor, three fixed speeds plus a stir speed, Shift-on-theFly™ controls, and a large, ergonomic swing-out bowl. For the second drawing, the Taylor County School district also chose a one-section, R-Series Reach-in Refrigerator (RHT132WUT) and a Hobart HCC34 Food Processor. The Hobart HCC34 Food Processor is a two-in-one

machine that features both bowl style and continuous-feed style processing that allows kitchens to reduce preparation time without sacrificing consistency or quality. The July drawing was the largest giveaway of the year with the addition of a third prize choice from Hobart’s warewashing equipment. Foley Public Schools in Foley, Minnesota, selected a Hobart dish machine, a Hobart HL200 Mixer and a Traulsen eight-crate Milk Cooler (RMC34S4) that features a unique, low-access-height design for easy student access and staff loading, as well as a durable, top-mounted refrigeration system that is easier to maintain and picks up less floor debris for long-lasting performance. Foley Public Schools’ Cheryl Pick was excited about winning the new equipment for her district and said the prizes will improve the kitchen at Foley Elementary, which gets the Hobart HL200 Mixer for baking, and at Foley Intermediate where the Hobart dish machine upgrades an old machine and the Traulsen milk cooler will serve grades 4-6. “Thank you so much for making this happen!” Pick said. “We at Foley love our students and help them succeed every step of the way! Go Falcons.” Schools can learn more and enter the Save Your Kitchen drawings at www.saveyourkitchen.com. Entries are free and winners are chosen randomly.

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

NEWS

CHEFS

Ridgewells Names New Executive Chef For Social Events Division

ethesda, MD-based Ridgewells Catering, an upscale catering company that serves both the Washington, DC are and the professional golf community across the nation announced last month that Kashif Browne will be the company’s new executive chef for their social events division. Browne, had been a sous chef for Ridgewells for six years and left to become a sous chef at the White House in 2017. He is from Guyana, where he learned to cook with his mother while growing up. He graduated from the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Washington and has cooked in a

number of respected restaurants in New York and Las Vegas. “My training has mainly been in French and Asian cuisine, but I love to have fun and innovate,” Browne noted. “There have been moments when I’ve been able to infuse some of my own story to classic dishes by adding a touch of Guyanese or Caribbean flavor, and I think those end up feeling very honest and successful to me. I love catering because it really allows me to explore and play with very diverse cuisine,” he said. Life is sweet for Guyanese Chef Kashif Browne. At age 29, he was creating a stir and living his dream at The White House, the official residence of the President of the United

Kashif Browne (R) posing with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto

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There have been moments when I’ve been able to infuse some of my own story to classic dishes by adding a touch of Guyanese or Caribbean flavor, and I think those end up feeling very honest and successful to me,” said Kashif Browne States. Kashif comes from a family of Chefs and developed a love for the culinary arts from an early age. He has great memories of his mother being in the kitchen whipping up dishes for him and his siblings.His interest in food blossomed after he moved to the United States and got accepted into the International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Washington. While there, he was recognized as a “genius in the kitchen” with “gifted hands” for any dish that he cooked. When Kashif completed his training, he added more flavor to his credentials following a stint of work and study in Italy. He embellished his culinary skills at The Zeppelin Ristorante in Orvieto and was also a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society before grad-

uating from the Culinary School of the Art Institute. Within seven years, Kashif traveled and worked at different corners of America, gradually becoming a culinary savant. Some of his notable portfolio entries include Las Vegas, New York, the French Ambassador’s Residence, Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock concerts and the Grammy Award Ceremony. With an eye for detail and quality, Kashif has also been climbing the ladder to greater success, while building a family of his own. Over the years, he said he has lived his life through the philosophical words of Albert Einstein, who once said, “try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value.”

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

WHERE SOCIAL GETS SMART Facebook And Instagram Ad Campaigns That Get Results

romoting your restaurant with Facebook and Instagram ads is a surefire way to acquire new customers. But with millions of restaurants vying for attention, how can you guarantee your restaurant stands out? Restaurants have to be promoting themselves with targeted and beautifully designed, paid Facebook and Instagram ads, particularly in tight markets like the New York metro area, where the crowded restaurant scene is highly competitive, Organic Reach If you have a Facebook page and an Instagram account for your restaurant (and why wouldn’t you?), you might be disappointed in the reach and engagement of your posts. Organic reach for posts on Facebook pages is dismal. By some estimates, just 2% of a restaurant’s fan base will see its unpaid posts. The best way to make sure that your content reaches as many people as possible is with a paid promotion. Boosting Your Post Most restaurants know how to boost a post, mainly because Facebook is constantly suggesting it. But simply boosting a post is Facebook basic advertising 101. There’s little to no strategy behind what you’re doing and the post you’re boosting may not be very effective. You are far better off planning an ad campaign and creating it in the Ads

Deborah Smith is the President of Foxtrot Media LLC. She is the founder and Executive Editor of JerseyBites. com and owner of MarketToFoodies.

Manager. Video ads perform much better than static image ads for restaurants. There are several different formats for ad campaigns, but we’ve found video is important for restaurants because it gives them a chance to showcase several offerings in an engaging format. You can choose to run the ad both on Facebook and Instagram—simultaneously or separately. We often find that Facebook aims your ads almost exclusively to Facebook users and therefore the ad is hardly delivered on Instagram. So, you may want to consider running two separate campaigns—one on each platform. Targeting When you run an ad on Facebook, the platform gives you the ability to select your own audience. We always recommend selecting your own ‘custom audience’ over targeting people who have liked your page because it is cheaper, and you know exactly who and where you are targeting. Audience targeting on Facebook and Instagram can get incredibly precise. In general, it’s safe to say that a restaurant should be targeting its ad campaigns around a geographic radius based on the restaurant’s location. Since our goal is to cultivate “regular customers” for our clients, we stick to a fairly close area, usually 3 to 10 miles depending on how densely populated their area is. Depending on the demographics of your customer base, you might also want to target

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by age or personal interests such as healthy eating, wine, fine dining, craft beer, etc. If you’ve never run Facebook or Instagram ad campaigns before, keep your audience fairly broad at first and let Facebook do its magic. Facebook will detect which audience segments are engaging more with your ad and will start filtering more of your budget toward that population. It’s an excellent way of gathering intel on who your actual target market is, which you can use for later campaigns. Thinking it Through The types of ads you use will depend on your objectives as a restaurant owner. We feel strongly that “Click to your website” is the appropriate objective for restaurants. People who take action by following a link to your website to view your menu have more serious intentions than someone who is simply “liking” a photo. If they care enough to visit your website, capitalize on their visit! Is there an offer you can make in exchange for their email address? To help you judge whether your ad campaign is performing well, Facebook offers many metrics in its reporting. Some of the most important things to look at are the number of link clicks and impressions, as well as the Cost Per Click (CPC) and Cost Per Thousand Ad Views (CPM). You want to keep both CPC and CPM as low as possible. Recently, we ran a campaign for a

com. A food writer and photographer, Deborah is also the author of The Jersey Shore Cookbook. Follow Deborah on Instagram and all social channels @JerseyBites

newly renovated restaurant whose owners wanted to get the word out about all the changes in both decor and menu. We ran video ad campaigns on both Instagram and Facebook within a seven-mile radius. The total budget for the month was $350. We ultimately drove 1,400 people to their website for .25 per click. Our CPM was under $8.00. Total for all clicks was over 4,000. That means likes, shares, comments and tagging friends. Where else can you get that kind of bang for your advertising buck? Picture This Image quality is an important, yet often overlooked element of any ad campaign. Quality and professionalism really matter in the restaurant industry. While it’s certainly possible to take incredible images with an iPhone, if you don’t think you’re up to the task, you need to commit to finding a photographer who can capture appetizing images and videos of your best menu items. If you would like more information about how to acquire diners with Facebook and Instagram ads, then reach out to our team at Market to Foodies. We specialize in restaurant marketing for the digital age.

October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 81

NEWS

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

PBAC Adds Industry Veteran Tokofsky To Sales Team

BAC, a Westchester County, NY commercial kitchen equipment and supply representative company, has announced a key addition to its sales team. Barbara Tokofsky has joined the firm as a sales account executive. “Barbara brings a truly unique skill set to our team,” noted PBAC president Larry Cantamessa. Adding her to our team will give us the depth that we need to continue to enhance our ability to respond the needs of our equipment and supply dealers, design/build kitchen consultants and the end user operating customers that they serve.” The Long Island native began her

Barbara Tokofsky

career with the iconic manufacturing firm Hobart. The ITW division brands cover the full range of food equipment needs, from food preparation and refrigeration to cooking and baking to dishwashing and waste reduction to weighing and packaging. “My Hobart experience really taught me that when you represent premium lines of equipment, you must be able to add value by offering superior support,” Tokofsky explained. Tokofsky then went on to a successful sales career at Consolidated Equipment as their Metro New York sales manager. “That gave me the opportunity to enhance my knowledge of equipment needed to hold, prepare, cook and cleanup for both supermarkets and foodservice.” The Holbrook, NY native looks at joining PBAC as an opportunity to expand her horizons. “The Food Service side of the business along with PBAC offers more opportunity to extend my knowledge of the Food Equipment business and their premium lines of the food equipment. Tokofsky has clearly defined her goals as part of the PBAC team. “I am looking to create relationships which over time, will increase the volume for the factories PBAC represents. We will accomplish that by working to educate our dealer reps and end users on the equipment needed to lessen labor hours and ensure consistency of food and

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sanitation.” PBAC’s president Cantamessa envisions Tokofsky as being a key addition to support the company’s growing focus on the healthcare sector. “Clearly with an aging population our manufacturers continue to introduce innovative solutions for the healthcare operator. We continue to work diligently to support the efforts of local groups including the AHF (Association for Healthcare Foodservice). Tokofsky joins a company that has entered its fourth decade of unmatched commitment to the factories it represents and the foodservice community it serves. In 1988, Traulsen sales executives Steve Bauer and Michael Posternak founded PBAC to represent leading equipment and supply manufacturers. In addition to Hobart and Traulsen, PBAC represents Aerowerks, Amerikooler, Baxter, Berkel, Carlisle, Dinex, Duke, Elkay, Franke, Gaylord, Hatco, Metro, Ovention, Scotsman, Stero, Structural Concepts, T&S Brass, Victorinox, Vulcan and Wolf. In 2018 with the firm celebrating its 30th anniversary Larry Cantamessa was named PBAC’s new President. Tokofsky’s appointment represents the latest move in the Cantamessa’s vision for the firm’s future.

The Food Service side of the business along with PBAC offers more opportunity to extend my knowledge of the Food Equipment business and their premium lines of the food equipment,” said Barbara Tokofsky

October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 83

LIZ ON TABLETOP

TABLETOP SOLUTIONS

Redefining Dining Elegance For Hospitality In NY

ew York City just hosted Fashion Week. I always like to look at elegance from a fashion perspec-

tive first. Although fabrics and styles have changed, the recognizable logos of Izod and Louis Vuitton etc, are easily recognizable items. In many ways elegance in dining has evolved with a move towards nicer glasses including , heavy bar glasses, a large wine and liquor/cocktail menu, linen napkins, comfortable chairs, and of course a pleasant atmosphere. It’s also important to remember that whether with fashion or dining, social media has not redefined elegance. You can’t confuse popularity due to the volume of posts on Instagram with a standard for elegance.

Our goal is to recapture the best of the past as you welcome your guests. One thing that has not changed in defining elegance is the line of demarcation for the preparation of cocktails.

Liz Weiss is the President and coowner of Armonk, NY based H. Weiss Co., a division of BHS Foodservice

It seems to me that the only priority today is doing things as fast as possible and of course capturing it all on camera- if you didn’t film it were you even there? The answer according to my generation is no. I, on the other hand,

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would argue the contrary. A lack of an Instagram post should not equate to your absence but instead to the proof that wherever you were had you captivated enough to not feel the need to let the world know of your whereabouts. The number of cell phones at a table never ceases to amaze me when I eat out. I find myself questioning whether the service and quality of the food are even noticed. Our goal is to recapture the best of the past as you welcome your guests. One thing that has not changed in defining elegance is the line of demarcation for the

Solutions. She is known nationally as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on tabletop design. The Michigan State graduate is also actively involved with WPO-Women’s Presidents Organization. Comments may be sent to eweiss@hweiss.net.

preparation of cocktails. Elegance today has evolved into cocktails shaken, but with house infused liquor, bitters, soda and in many cases: special garnishes. There’s even a new category of non-alcoholic elegance with milk shakes with glasses dipped in chocolate and sprinkles, topped with a sundae and slice of cake. Even a Shish ka-burger at Westchester’s Moderne Barn (from Family Food Fight tv show) with an over the top and highly memorable presentation. Executing elegance in cocktails today requires that better liquors

continued on page 94

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LEGOLAND New York, from page 18 day easier with a variety of options for picky eaters, and provide fun foods to wow guests,” said LEGOLAND New York Director of Food and Beverage Amanda Becerra. “We’re thrilled to partner with Levy and their unmatched expertise in the industry to build an unparalleled dining and hospitality experience for every guest we welcome to the resort.” When it opens, LEGOLAND New York Resort will be the largest LEGOLAND theme park ever built by Merlin Entertainments, with more than 50 rides, shows, and attractions on 150 acres in the heart of New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley. LEGOLAND® New York and Levy will be collaborating over the course of the next year ahead of the resort’s opening in 2020. Merlin Entertainments plc is a

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global leader in location-based, family entertainment. As Europe’s number one and the world’s secondlargest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates more than 130 attractions, 19 hotels and 6 holiday villages in 25 countries and across 4 continents. Merlin’s purpose is to

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deliver memorable experiences to its 67 million guests around the world, through its iconic brands and multiple attraction formats, and the commitment and passion of its 28,000 employees (peak season). See www. merlinentertainments.biz for more information and follow on Twitter @

The disruptor in defining the sports and entertainment hospitality experience, Levy is recognized as the market leader and most critically acclaimed hospitality company in its industry. Twice named one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports by Fast Company magazine and one of the top three Best Employers for Diversity in America by Forbes, Levy’s diverse portfolio includes award-winning restaurants; iconic sports and entertainment venues, zoos and cultural institutions, theaters, and convention centers; as well as the Super Bowl, Grammy Awards, PGA Championship, US Open Tennis Tournament, Kentucky Derby, and NHL, MLB, NBA, NFL, and MLS All-Star Games. For more, visit www. levyrestaurants.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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SHFM Awards, from page 28 tivities. Through his or her actions and career trajectory, this recipient is poised to be a future leader in the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industry, as well as the Society. Guido Boers of Freddie Mac won the SHFM Leadership Award. That honor recognizes an individual whose work on behalf of SHFM and the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industry has resulted in the demonstration of outstanding leadership qualities. Compass Group’s Rick Postiglione was the recipient of SHFM’s Richard Ysmael Distinguished Service Award, given in memory of Richard Ysmael and reflects how he lived and delivered his philosophy of life in the best and most challenging moments of his career and personal life. Richard was a founding member of the Society, and his

I am truly humbled to be presented as the first winner of an honor that recognizes someone who was so special to us,” said Betsy Kline of the inaugural Jay B. Silverstein award. dedication, leadership and integrity throughout his career continue to inspire not only the Society’s membership but foodservice professionals in all facets of our industry. This Award recognizes an individual who has been diligent in service to corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality and who has consistently demonstrated the ideals of dedication, integrity, professionalism and leadership to the Society and to which Richard aspired. SHFM announced a new award at the SoCal conference.

The inaugural Jay B. Silverstein Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Betsy Kline of Aramark. Recognizing a lifetime of contributions and service to the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industry. This prestigious award has been renamed to honor long-time member and past president Jay B. Silverstein, who passed away this year. Jay was one of the most active SHFM members, whose contributions to the Society define a lifetime of achievement. “I am truly humbled to be pre-

sented as the first winner of an honor that recognizes someone who was so special to us,” Kline noted. The Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management is the pre-eminent national association serving the needs and interests of executives in the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industries. Our principal role is to enhance the ability of our members to achieve career and business objectives in an ethical, responsible and professional climate.

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

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Chocolate Milk, from page 4

overall daily intake that these students are consuming.” Still, while the idea has only been floated recently and no one has come out with vocal support, it hasn’t been utterly rejected either. “Our priority is the health and well-being of our students, and every day, we offer a variety of healthy, delicious, and free meal options that exceed USDA standards,” the department said. “No decision has been made about chocolate milk.” But the idea isn’t sitting well with the state Farm Bureau, which argues a ban on flavored milk would have a negative consequence on children’s health and hurt the more than 4,000 dairy farms in the state. David Fisher, president of the New York Farm Bureau, wrote a letter to City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, voicing his concern

over the potential ban. “New York Farm Bureau appreciates that they have the best interest of students’ health at heart, but removing flavored milk is the unhealthy choice and will do a disservice to the thousands of students who depend on their school to provide a healthy, balanced diet,” the letter said. Low milk prices in recent years have made it difficult for some dairy farms to survive in the state, and recent trade disputes have only exacerbated the issue. A bipartisan group of lawmakers headed by Democratic Rep. Anthony Brindisi wrote a similar letter to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Banning flavored milk hurts our kids and our hardworking farmers,” Brindisi, who represents the state’s

22nd Congressional District, which spans central New York and parts of the Southern Tier, said. This isn’t the first time New York City has sought to limit milk options

for students in public schools. In 2006, the district began serving only low-fat and nonfat milk options. And current regulations require two milk options be served to students during lunch. Choices include lowfat and nonfat white milk as well as nonfat chocolate milk. “Other cities where schools have banned chocolate milk include Washington, D.C., Rochester, Minnesota, and San Francisco,” National Dairy Council spokesperson Lisa McComb said. At least two cities, Los Angeles and Detroit, reversed their bans on flavored milk. LA was because of the cost of dealing with the waste which was reduced once chocolate milk was reinstated and Detroit when a new school nutrition director was hired and saw benefits from the nutrition of milk,” McComb said.

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Weiss, from page 84

are served in heavy glasses. Luxury is also being accomplished with wines being served in nicely balanced tall glasses. We continue to see elegance in cocktail service being accomplished with a return to pressed glass and old fashioned glasses. Many of our clients are using pressed and cut shot glasses, for items other than cocktails. We are truly in the age of fancy stir sticks and unusual garnishes. During the age of elegance the focus was on a smaller plate and glass. Today that has evolved into a larger plate and a larger glass being the accepted norm for restaurants to make its presentation statement. The larger the plate or glass the more elegant in today’s dining world. Decades ago table linen was a must. To me, elegance will always be marked by fine linen. They simply cannot be replaced. We are seeing more pale colors. There’s also been growth in high end coffee service as restaurants/ clubs and hotels seek to create that elegant signature. For many of our client restaurants and clubs, tabletop change is more a function of how people dine than a fashion statement. Today sharing dishes is a focal point. Gone is the golden age of the 25 piece flatware settings and with it the soupspoon. What has happened is that elegant food is now served in a more approachable atmosphere. New York City’s high-end restaurants and clubs find themselves balancing a customer base of tourists not wanting to go too elegant and residents liking to “go out”. There continues to be a move towards green and sustainable is which is here to stay. We are suggesting wood, marble, coriander cutting boards for serving to our clients. The adjustment in tabletop selection is in many cases a reflection

of the growth of tasting menus and special menus on the rise. This includes shared items (steak and seafood platters) that are served rather than set on the table. Our factories are helping to redefine that elegance with sleek and modern looks rather than the traditional big and heavy design elements. Great steaks are still a favorite even as vegan and vegetarian dishes allowing everyone the treat of a

night out. Formal dinner service at restaurants and clubs in the 60’s had a very different look. Flatware is always in the center of any definition of elegance. This Fall, we are seeing Gold, copper, and black. Look for matte and brushed finish and it may be time to retire those silver plates. Even though, I personally am a vegetarian, the growth of steakhouses and beef on area menus continues to be brisk. We are moving many

of our clients into slimmer , curved knives. Black and mother of pearl handles have replaced the big gaucho look. Don’t forget, no matter how expensive the knife, change them out before they get dull. Our BHS/H. Weiss team can help you with finding that right blend between nostalgia and defining your operations’ elegance as it relates to the needs of today’s dining public.

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Scoop, from page 54 the first-of-its-kind student-run full-service VIP room. “Fresh&co has been a longtime fan of Lazarus Lynch and our team has watched with great pride as his career catapulted to success,” says George Tenedios, CEO of fresh&co. “Joining together with him occurred organically, as we mutually recognize the importance of continuing to support the mission of the Food and Finance High School. This partnership will provide fresh&co’s loyal guests with a truly new, delightful lunch experience as we introduce soul food menu items for the first time.” “Joining forces with fresh&co, a staple of New York City’s fast-casual dining, has been an honor,” says Lynch. “Following the launch of my cookbook, “The Son of a Southern Chef,” I set out to connect people around the globe with delicious, homemade food. I’m pleased to have the opportunity

to collaborate with fresh&co to bring New Yorkers a taste of southern cooking as we also raise awareness of the Food and Finance High School’s important vision.”

Food Network Star Willie ‘Steak Doctor’ Degel Announces New YouTube Channel SCOOP hears that Food Network star Willie ‘Steak Doctor’ Degel is going live with a new YouTube Channel. The show will give viewers an inside look at what it takes to be a successful CEO of a major restaurant brand like Uncle Jack’s. Each episode will have a theme such as cooking, designing, manag-

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Restaurateur Willie Degel in his first YouTube video

ing, investing, building, home life, etc. where Willie will walk viewers through current issues and pain points in the industry and educate viewers on how to overcome and be successful. Here is a link to Willie summarizing the new show - https://youtu.be/ gdAIS9IlL7o

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

October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 97

No Match Letters, from page 68 1) Follow the instructions in the “nomatch” letter to register an account with SSA’s Business Services Online to determine which employee’s information needs to be reconciled. 2) Compare your records to the social security number SSA has for the employee. 3) If there is a discrepancy between the employer’s records and SSA’s records, advise the employee of the discrepancy, ask the employee to check his/her records and confirm the name and number that the employee originally provided. a. Please note that SSA advises that the employee check his/her records and then respond to the employer’s inquiry instead of asking the employee to bring in his/her social security card – this practice will help avoid claims of discriminatory actions (i.e., an employer pursuing/investigating this more aggressively because of the individual’s nationality).

It is well-known that restaurants rely heavily on immigrant workers to fulfill their labor needs, some of whom are undocumented. Restaurants that follow up with employees regarding “no match” letters, as recommended, run the risk that employees will abandon their jobs or that they will ultimately have to fire employees. Given the already tight labor market and high turnover in the industry, there is a legitimate concern that restaurants

4) If the action referred to above does not resolve the issue, the employer should send a letter to the employee. The letter should state there is a discrepancy and ask the employee to resolve the issue by going to his/her local SSA office. 5) Give the employee reasonable time to fix the error (i.e., 90 days). 6) If the employee is still unable to provide a valid social security number, consult with counsel before proceeding with any adverse employment action (i.e., termination or discipline). In light of the current tight labor market and increased immigration enforcement such as the uptick in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) raids, many restaurants are reluctant to follow up with employees regarding “no-match” letters. 98 • October 2019 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

will not be able to meet their staffing needs if they confront employees about “no match” letters. Yet, ignoring “no match” letters and failing to follow up with employees may subject restaurants to stiff penalties. Thus, restaurants who receive “no-match” letters are in a bind: (1) comply and risk their businesses or (2) fail to comply and risk being subject to violations and fines. Restaurant employers must carefully weigh these risks before

making a decision about how to address “no match” letters. In short, employers must tread carefully in addressing “no-match” letters. Acting too hastily, such as firing an employee, can subject an employer to a charge of discrimination. However, ignoring a “no-match” letter may lead to a finding that an employer knowingly continued to employ an individual not authorized to work in the U.S.

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Georgette Farkas, from page 24 know. We built the business together from the ground up, with the idea that she would remain for about a year after opening to establish a strong foundation for our systems. Right now we have the strongest team since our opening in November 2013. Catalin Pirvu has been with us for over four years, and I could have no finer teammate in terms of the strong leadership he provides to the front of house team. He is deeply respected by our staff, and that says everything. Our Maitre d’ Melissa Fields takes caring for our guests very personally, and everyone who walks in the door feels her innate spirit of welcome. Mickael Noterman joined us only a few months ago as a Sous Chef. After observing his talent and dedication and the sincerity of his cooking, I promoted him to lead the kitchen. We have developed a strong collaborative stance for creating new dishes together. The new whole roasted artichoke heart with roasted tomatoes, tapenade and arugula is a perfect example. Poached shrimp with a fennel-orange salad and avocado mousse is another great addition bringing us into the fall season. Pastry Chef Maira Maldonado is a sheer delight in terms of talent, professionalism and motivation and her support of the whole team. For every new idea we explore together, she has the drive to test and create until we hit a high note. Come try her maple créme brûlée with crisp maple tuile. Your cuisine is authentic classic French, what’s on your wine and champagne list, and cocktail menu? My wine list parallels my menu in that it’s quite classily French. I offer value on the list. This often comes by way of the second or third wines of the great Bordeaux châteaux. I recently added Margaux de Brane from Brane-Cantenac; Margaux of Château Margaux and Connétable from

Château Talbot. On the cocktail front, I’m always inspired by the creations we add at the start of each season. This fall look for our new “Forbidden Fruit” made with Normandy apple cider, apple brandy and Rockey’s punch, garnished with a crisp apple chip. We’re also bringing back our “Orange Fumée cocktail made with Grand Marnier, mezcal and freshly squeezed orange juice. I believe there’s no better way to begin the evening than with a glass of Champagne. Frèrejean Frères is my latest discovery, and I have a glass waiting for you.

long to expanding restaurant groups, I find our guests appreciate the small, independently run establishment with a personal touch and the stamp of an ever-present owner with a caring staff. Greeting by a caring familiar face is valued. The highest standard in the quality of our ingredients is also vital, not only for the quality of our cooking, but just as much for reinforcing our guests trust in what we are serving. They know our chickens come from small family farms in Pennsylvania, our ducks from Long Island and our guinea hens from Upstate New York.

How would you describe the needs of your customers? I’ve developed a strong following of Upper East Side regulars. They know what they want, and I understand their tastes in terms of classics, beautifully presented, but with a light, healthy approach that brings traditional cooking up to date. For every dish, I look to eliminate ingredients that might weigh it down without adding flavor. This is especially true with vegetarian specialties, such as the farroto that I change it every season. Right now we’re pairing it with yellow and green zucchini, pesto and a crisp zucchini flower beignet. As we head into the fall, we’ll make it with roasted butternut squash, Parmesan and pumpkin seeds. The majority of my menu is gluten-free. Frankly, it was not purposeful; but simply reflects my uncluttered style of cooking. Over the years, I’ve seen how much this appeals to our guests, so I’ve simply continued in this direction. Yet as essential as the quality of our cooking is, nurturing our guests one at a time is every bit as important.

Charitable organizations are important to you, tell us about your work with Citymeals-on-Wheels and Literacy Partners. I credit Daniel Boulud for setting me on the path to working with Citymeals. Feeding so many privi-

How have those needs evolved and what have you done to respond to those needs? As more and more restaurants be-

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leged people in my restaurant makes it rewarding to serve less prominent and sometimes forgotten neighbors. Citymeals delivers food to New York’s homebound elderly right here in our community. I highly recommend going on a meal delivery to appreciate the value of what they do. www. citymeals.org Through my series of Literary Lunches, I discovered their mission of strengthening families through a two-generation approach to education. With their free classes, lowincome parents develop the literacy and language skills they need to thrive out on their own. I am all too aware of the privilege I have had in terms of my own education. I owe it to our community to support access to reading and writing for families in whose lives it will make a meaningful difference. https://literacypartners.org/

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Aramark, from page 8

Today alone, our team members expect to volunteer millions of minutes in their local communities, and we will continue to log our time throughout the rest of the year,” said Carl Mittleman.

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munity gardens and outdoor play areas, to support active, healthy play in a safe environment. Transforming community kitchens by creating inspirational messaging in kitchen areas and assembling new shelving and signage for food pantries. Creating healthy meal kits, snack packs and healthy recipe cards to help support healthy food discovery within low-income families. Enhancing workforce readiness through information and hands-on training from human resources experts, to prepare teens and adults to find and keep good jobs.

ABC Day supports Aramark’s Healthy for Life® commitment to improve the health of Americans, and Aramark’s Feed Your Potential 365 public health and well-being campaign, promoting healthy lifestyles. This year, Aramark celebrates more than ten years of Aramark Building Community, which debuted in Philadelphia, Chicago and Houston in 2008, and the sixth anniversary of ABC Day. Since its inception, more than 70,000 Aramark employees have volunteered their time and talent to support Aramark Building Community projects, impacting five million children and

families in underserved communities since 2008. Aramark has invested tens of millions of dollars in expertise, financial and in-kind resources to strengthen communities through Aramark Building Community, our commitment to improve community health and wellness and help people succeed through education and employment. Aramark, proudly serves Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, state-of-the-art healthcare providers, the world’s leading educational institutions, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world. The company’s 270,000 team members deliver experiences that enrich and nourish millions of lives every day through innovative services in food, facilities management and uniforms. Aramark is recognized as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE, as well as an employer of choice by the Human Rights Campaign and Diversity Inc. Aramark is in the customer service business across food, facilities and uniforms, wherever people work, learn, recover, and play. United by a passion to serve their more than 270,000 employees deliver experiences that enrich and nourish the lives of millions of people in 22 countries.

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Flik and USHG, from page 2 at Dock 72 to bring some good food and hospitality to where New York is growing.” “Our customized approach to hospitality services at Dock 72 brings the latest industry innovations, exclusive partnerships with likeminded culinary leaders like USHG, and fresh ideas that we know the Navy Yard community will love,” said Scott Davis, CEO of FLIK Hospitality Group. “We are so excited to provide great food and great service to the entire

team at Dock 72 and to be a part of this groundbreaking facility.” Dock 72’s food hall is part of the building’s 35,000 square feet of diverse amenities, which also include a state-of-the-art health and wellness center, an open lawn and basketball court, a rooftop conference center and an on-site bike valet, among others. Dock 72 also boasts numerous multimodal transit options, including a new NYC Ferry stop that opened this summer on the

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ferry system’s Astoria Line and provides 10 minute ferry service to Wall Street and 34th Street, a shuttle bus operated by the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation that runs every 10 minutes and connects to 13 subway lines and the LIRR; CitiBike; NYC Transit’s B67 bus. Dock 72 is being built through a unique partnership between Boston Properties, Rudin Development, WeWork and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. Slated to

open in Fall 2019, Dock 72 is the first major ground-up commercial office building to be constructed in Brooklyn in over a decade. Originally a former shipbuilding facility, the site has been reinvented as an innovative and collaborative workspace. The 675,000 square foot office building integrates state-of-the-art amenities and modern Class-A office infrastructure with a unique design by S9 Architects, Perkins Eastman and Fogarty Finger Architects that honors the Navy Yard’s maritime history. The building features 14’ floor to floor heights with 8’ of vision glass, intensifying the light and air throughout and building and highlighting the unobstructed views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. FLIK Hospitality Group, part of Compass Group, is a leading hospitality company, dedicated to great food, great service and great people. We provide delicious meals with a wellness-first approach, unmatched reception services, and property management to over 800 locations nationwide. From respected law firms, leading hotels and conference centers, universities, financial institutions, airport lounges, professional athletics teams, K-12 independent schools and more, their approach to hospitality is rooted in their dedication to providing quality service to each and every one of their guests. Union Square Events (USE) is the catering and venue hospitality business from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG). Based in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards, USE creates experiences to savor that are rooted in USHG’s 30-year heritage of culinary excellence and Enlightened Hospitality. Through collaborations with a diverse portfolio of best in class clients and business partners, USE produces one-of-akind catered events and unparalleled dining experiences within a variety of cultural, corporate and entertainment venues throughout New York and beyond.

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Joe Ferri, from page 6 of the traditional hood allowed them to expand exponentially, eventually overtaking the unit development of even the most storied of national accounts. Just about any menu can now be prepared in practically any environment. Just as retail leaseholders began discovering the portability and tax advantages of these technologies, now workplace feeders are coming to realize the same benefits that are to be attained. The bonds between real estate and foodservice development have been broken. No longer is the commercial kitchen tied to a specific turf. Micro cafeterias can pop-up and diverse food can be prepared for and served to the team in any venue. Prior to the advent of ductless cooking, the primary driving force behind any kitchen design was establishing the hood and its support equipment parameters. Site surveys almost always led with the problematic decisions of where, how, and how much. Unsightly rooftop fans, hazardous space-stealing chase

ways, vulnerable roof penetrations (potentially roof warranty voiding), and HVAC system engineering, as well as increased build-out and operating costs are mitigated with the proliferation of ventless installations. Temporary space (and really, what space isn’t?) developers suddenly are able to boast of having a visceral connection to prospective tenants/ clients/employees via the varied foodservice offered and the comfort of that experience. Clearly, the benefits of this emerging technology are reaching the tipping point and disrupting traditional notions of foodservice. Enabling shared workspace and unconventional leaseholds to offer diverse menus is only the tip of the iceberg. Ventless electric cooking is helping to redefine the “third place” for society. Ventless electric is rounding what’s on second, not looking back to who’s on first, on its way to stealing third place.

Robert Fiorito, from page 12 ing a vulnerability analysis. An effective vulnerability analysis looks at all possible threats. Once risks have been assessed, you will need to put together a response plan that addresses various types of incidents, what the risks are, what could trigger the plan, and what to do in the event an incident escalates to become a crisis. • The plan should include, at minimum, roles and responsibilities, emergency procedures, a communications plan, and a process for training, testing, and maintaining the plan. Copies of the plan should be distributed to all individuals with responsibilities. • Periodically, key elements of the plan should be tested and the entire plan should be reviewed at least

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once a year to ensure it is up-todate and addresses the major risks. This step-by-step process should also include how your team will interact with the media aftermath in the event of an incident as the reputational damage can easily devastate a business in the event of a crisis such as a CO leak, particularly if it could potentially be attributed to the business’s actions. Speak to your insurance advisor to learn more about implementing effective emergency and crisis management plans that include detailed CO exposure prevention measures, as well as strategies for recovery. 1. https://www.cdc.gov/features/ copoisoning/index.html

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Responding To Reviews, from page 20 drinks, orders, clearing the tables, and making sure we have no mishaps during service. • The last mile, the customer is walking out happy and full; your host/hostess guides them out of the restaurant with a friendly smile (extra bonus calls them by their name, you have that access) and one final ask, “Don’t forget to give us that 5-star review”. The steps above might seem simple but I am surprised at how many restaurants miss the bus. Reading through reviews: Once a week I look through my list of online review sites and read the to find the good, bad, and ugly. The reason is obvious, I need to find what people are saying about the restaurant. Reading the reviews gives me an honest look at how the FOH is operating, customer experience, and if the training that is done is transferring to the customer. Have a pen and paper ready, write down all the pro’s and con’s. Responding to reviews: Responding to positive reviews is easy, the words come easy but responding to a negative review takes grit. Here are some tips on how to craft the perfect response to a negative review and help bring more customers in. • Address the reviewer by their name, Yelp, Google, Facebook, and Open Table provide the first name. • Bring up the issues in the response, show in your response that you read the review and their opinion matters. Be thoughtful. • Take ownership of the issue, apologize to them. At the end of the day the customer is writing about their personal experience and we must respect that. • Provide your restaurant contact information to take the situation offline and discuss further. • By addressing negative reviews, it shows you care about what the cus-

tomers have to say but it shows you are also willing to take ownership of a bad customer experience. • Once the customer sees you responded to the review a couple of things happen, it shows your audience and customer the response, the unsatisfied customer sees the response, the customer could now update the review, depending on your response they could come back to your business, and here is a bonus; online studies show customers that read responses to negative reviews are 45% more likely to visit your restaurant. Tip: How an owner responds to a negative review will help me in my dining decision. So start responding to those negative reviews. Here are some stats I found online that are very surprising and prove the importance of responding to negative online reviews just in case you still need some convincing: • Over 90% of consumers say that a bad review has convinced them to avoid a restaurant. • Over 50% of customers expect businesses to respond to negative reviews within a week. • Over 60% say that a business has never responded to their review, why because no one likes to admit they are wrong. • 45% of customers are more likely to visit a business that responds to a negative review. Customer service is not rocket science and that formula has never been easier with all the free tools we have at our disposal, use those tools, attend free online workshops, webinars, and classes. It all falls on you, so create a system that simplifies your life so you could focus on what is important; family and health.

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Shayne Varnum, from page 10 Having healthy snacks that are readily available and easy to access are important for B&I and its employees. A large amount of the members for SHFM (Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management) are from the Northeast. SHFM continues to be the place where the most influential professionals in our industry go to for insight. The Northeast is the boiling pot for new innovation! With all the imported products, how do you retain the integrity of the brand and not end up in a pricing race to the bottom? We believe our steadfast commitment to our customers and our focus on quality, performance, lowest total cost of ownership, food safety and sustainability, accompanied by the support of the industry’s only factory-trained service organization, positions us to effectively maintain the integrity of our brands and our ability to justify the value we offer to our customers. How has e-commerce pressured and changed the marketplace? Internet and e-commerce have opened new opportunities for engaging our buyers and conveniently getting our equipment to market. It has also made it increasingly easy for sellers to sell and buyers to buy beyond the bounds of geographic limitations. For this reason, it has opened the door for increased global competition, which too often leads to competitive pricing reduction and greater challenges in getting our message/value justification heard amidst all the competitive noise. A big part of being heard amidst the noise requires us to be present when buyers are searching for information online (which has become the primary channel for which buyers research equipment). For this reason, our approach to informing buyers has shifted significantly toward the

use of online channels and making content available. Making this shift and creating corresponding content is no small task. Additionally, we now face a new and sometimes challenging responsibility to maintain a fair and balanced selling opportunity between online dealers and physical dealers as it relates to competitive price promotion. Without geographic boundaries, online dealers have a larger audience than local and regional physical dealers, which offers opportunity for increased equipment transactions and the corresponding ability to be more flexible in discounting—a potentially catastrophic disadvantage for brick and mortar dealers if not regulated. Brick and mortar dealers are an extremely valuable part of the distribution channel and support system for buyers. We continue to work hard to maintain an equal standard in regard to advertised pricing policy. How are changing menus trends impacting your customers’s needs? What additions (e.g., Centerline, etc.) are you making to respond to those needs? Menus are getting more creative and diverse, commonly leveraging “farm to table” and “from scratch” applications. All the while, available space for equipment is limited, preventing the addition of singlepurpose equipment in kitchens. Likewise, we continuously look for ways to make our equipment and technologies support more diversified application needs. We also recognize a growing need (especially with independent restaurants) for quality and reliable yet simple and affordable equipment options, whereas operations don’t always require the advanced technology features or extreme environment/application performance capabilities that come with our premium line of equipment. For this reason, we’ve introduced Cen-

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terline—a line of simple, affordable food preparation and dishwashing equipment designed with the needs of today’s modern kitchen in mind, backed by the quality and reliability that comes with the Hobart name. You’re blessed in New York with an iconic rep: PBAC. What is the role of the rep and how is it evolving? Their objective is to sell all the Hobart, Traulsen and Baxter products within the scope of the dealer and Food Equipment Group. The responsibility for calling on Foodservice Consultants have never been more important to provide technical assistance, product and application knowledge along with an understanding of back-of-house flow. Calling on end users is essential as it helps develop relationships and a basic understanding of how our

products can help meet their needs. Communication amongst all players is key as it helps provide insight and pain points that our customers feel on a daily basis. We are able to take the voice of the customer and help drive our customers’ back innovation process. What’s the next step for a dealer/ end-user operator that wants more info on Hobart/Baxter/Traulsen? For more information about Hobart, Baxter or Traulsen, visit us online at www.hobartcorp.com, www. baxtermfg.com, or www.traulsen. com; connect with us via facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ hobartfoodequipment,https://www. facebook.com/baxtermfg, https:// www.facebook.com/Traulsen; or simply give us a call 800-777-2828. We’d love to hear from you!

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