September 2016 - Total Food Service by Total Food Service

2 • September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 3

NEWS

LEGISLATION

Christie Vetoes $15 An Hour Minimum Wage Bill Pushed By N.J. Democrats

ov. Chris Christie vetoed a proposal to boost New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. The Republican governor visited a Pennington grocery store to make remarks and announce the veto of the legislation. It’s the second time during his time as governor that Christie rejected a minimum wage hike sent to him by the state’s Democratic-controlled Legislature. The move was met with outrage by Democratic-leaning groups. Christie also argued more employees would be replaced by automat-

New Jersey Policy Perspective, a liberal Trenton think tank, criticized the governor for having “failed to take advantage of a great opportunity to give nearly 1 million New Jersey workers a raise,” said Jon Whiten, VP of NJPP. ed kiosks at small businesses if the state hikes its minimum wage. “That’s the way of the future if we continue to do this really radical increase with the minimum wage,”

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Christie said. “All of this sounds great, raising the minimum wage, when you’re spending someone else’s money,” Christie said. “It should bother you

because when you come into Pennington Quality Market your food is going to be more expensive.” The measure sought to raise the minimum wage from $8.38 to $10.10 on Jan. 1, 2017, and then by more than $1.25 an hour until 2021. After 2021, the minimum wage would increase annually based on changes in the consumer price index. Christie railed against Democrats for trying to force the hike. “This type of heavy hand of government, to say that we know bet-

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September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 5

NEWS

HOTELS

Douglas Appointed To Conrad New York Top Toque Post

onrad New York announced the appointment of Gerron Douglas as executive chef. In his new role, Douglas will oversee all dining operations at Conrad New York; including the hotel’s signature restaurant ATRIO Wine Bar & Restaurant, the seasonal Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar, and in-room dining. Douglas brings more than 13 years of experience to his new role, where he will guide the hotel’s unique culinary programming and lead menu Danny Meyer’s Union Square Events, development that focuses on incorwhere he managed all aspects of the porating locally sourced, sustainhotel’s catering to ensure customer able foods. satisfaction and business profitabil“We are incredibly excited to welcome Chef Douglas to his new role at Conrad New York,” says Robert Rechtermann, general manager at Conrad New York. “He has a proven ability to thrive in high-pressure environments and offers a superior level of leadership to our team. He also offers an unparalleled commitment to providing inspired experiences for all guests.” Before his role as executive chef, Douglas served as Conrad New York’s executive banquet Gerron Douglas, executive chef, Conrad New York chef, at Restaurateur

Publishers Leslie & Fred Klashman Advertising Director Michael Scinto Art Director Mark Sahm

“He has a proven ability to thrive in high-pressure environments and offers a superior level of leadership to our team. He also offers an unparalleled commitment to providing inspired experiences for all guests.”

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Main Office 282 Railroad Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830

ity, while providing leadership to the rest of his team. Douglas spent 10 years in a variety of roles, including sous chef at the Waldorf Astoria New York, prior to joining Union Square Events. There, he worked closely with the executive chef and the banquet chef to create new menus and develop innovative concepts. Douglas began his career as a line cook at Café Provencal in Los Angeles in 2002 before he took his talents to New York in 2005 with Amuse restaurant. Douglas hails from Los Angeles and earned an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts from the Le Cordon Bleu Program at The California School of Culinary Arts.

Contributing Writers Warren Bobrow Faith Hope Consolo Morgan Tucker Fred Sampson Staff Writers Deborah Hirsch Alex Rubin Andrew Watson Phone: 203.661.9090 Fax: 203.661.9325 Email: tfs@totalfood.com Web: www.totalfood.com

Cover photo by Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 is published monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2016 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

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September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 7

NEWS

LEGISLATION

Foodservice Union Applauds de Blasio “Labor Peace” Executive Order

ew York City retail and food service unions got a boost recently when Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an Executive Order titled “Labor Peace for Retail Establishments at City Development Projects.” Subject to some thresholds for the size and type of project and the amount of “Financial Assistance” received for a “City Development Project,” Executive Order No. 19 mandates that developers agree to a “labor peace clause.” In turn, the labor peace clause will compel the developer to require certain large retail and food service tenants to enter into a “Labor Peace Agreement” prohibiting their opposition to a “Labor Organization” that seeks to represent their employees. The Executive Order applies to developers of a City Development Project having a “Project Agreement” with a “City Economic Development Entity” to receive at least $1 million in “Financial Assistance” defined broadly to include an array of direct and indirect cash and noncash payments, grants, abatements, exemptions, waivers, reductions, or write-downs received from the City or a City Economic Development Entity. A City Development Project subject to the labor peace clause obligation must be larger than 100,000 square feet or more than 100 residential units and have a purpose of

A tenant operating a retail or food service establishment on the premises of a City Development Project and expected to employ 10 or more employees and occupy in excess of 15,000 square feet is considered a “Covered Employer” required to enter into a Labor Peace Agreement. improvement or development of real property, economic development, job retention or growth, or some similar purpose. City Development Projects authorized, or Financial Assistance awarded, prior to the Executive Order’s July 14, 2016, effective date are exempt. A tenant operating a retail or food service establishment on the premises of a City Development Project and expected to employ 10 or more employees and occupy in excess of 15,000 square feet is considered a “Covered Employer” required to enter into a Labor Peace Agreement. The “Labor Peace Agreement” required by the Executive Order is defined as an enforceable agreement that complies with the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) and has,

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“at a minimum,” two components. Primarily, each Covered Employer must agree to maintain a “neutral posture” with respect to efforts by a Labor Organization to “represent” its regular full-time and regular parttime “Covered Employees” whose principal place of work is, or will be, at such an establishment; only “supervisors” and “professional employees,” as those terms are defined in the NLRA, are excluded. In exchange for the Covered Employer’s neutrality, the Labor Organization must commit for itself and its members to refrain from picketing, work stoppages, boycotts, or other economic interference. To accomplish compliance, the Executive Order specifies that terms to carry out its requirements must

be incorporated in all contracts and agreements related to City Development Projects, a directive that City agencies and Economic Development Entities will heed in drafting their Project Agreements with Financial Assistance recipients. Among the express inclusions is a provision granting a contracting Housing Agency or City Economic Development Entity the discretion to impose remedies for breach of a Financial Assistance recipient’s obligation to require a Covered Employer to enter into Labor Peace Agreement. A Project Agreement’s labor peace clause must remain in effect for longer of the term of the City’s Financial Assistance or 10 years from the later of the date of commencement of the project or the date the project commences operations. The Executive Order further provides that the mayor will designate one or more officials who will be responsible for monitoring compliance with the requirements of the Executive Order and recommending “appropriate remedies” for any breach. An improbable exemption is available if a deputy mayor with jurisdiction over a City Development Project makes a specific finding that a particular project contributing to the economic well being of the City cannot reasonably be achieved consistent with the labor peace requirements.

September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 9

NEWS

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

5 Things to Consider Before Paying Cash Tips

aying out employee tips in cash at the end of each night might seem like the most convenient option in the moment: there’s no need for formulas at the end of each pay period and your employees are happy to receive immediate payment. In the long-term, however, it could have a significant financial impact for your business and your employees. Especially when you consider the fact that more than 81% of total restaurants sales are paid by debit or credit cards. Restaurant patrons benefit from a cashless experience due to convenience, deferred payment, and earned points/rewards when using credit cards. While it’s clear that patrons prefer to go cashless, why should you? From employee garnishments that you could be required to pay for out of your pocket to an unexpected tax bill for your employees, here are 5 things you should consider when deciding between cash and cashless. 1. Tax Bills & Zero-Net Checks Have you ever given an employee a check made out for $0.00? Have you ever had an employee complain to you about a huge tax bill? There are reasons for this. Every tax season servers across the country are angry at their employer, convinced that their managers made mistakes with their paychecks throughout the year. While they are technically incorrect, there are ways to prevent this issue.

When you consider that more than 81% of total restaurants sales are paid by debit or credit cards, cash tips could have a significant financial impact for your business and your employees.” Restaurants that choose to pay their employees in tips each night risk the chance of the employee’s payable gross equaling less than the amount needed to cover their taxes and/or deductions for said pay period. Each time this shortfall happens, an employee’s tax bill increases. The only way to prevent this from happening is to pay out employee tips electronically at the end of each pay period. If you prefer to continue to pay in cash, you should use your payroll software to run a shortfall report for each pay period. These reports list all of the employees with shortfalls and their total amount due. Notifying employees of their due deductions will allow them to be more financially prepared during tax season. If you’re unsure of how to run a shortfall report, contact your payroll vendor to learn how. 2. Cash Flow Management Considering that more than 81% of restaurant sales are paid via debit or credit card, it will take at

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least two days for your restaurant to receive payment for the services rendered. When you pay employee tips in cash, remember that you’re dipping into your own cash coffers to make that payment. This has a negative impact on your cash flow. Additionally, if restaurant managers are making daily trips to the bank for withdrawals, this also has a negative impact on time management. 3. Administrative Burden for Restaurant Managers Paying employee tips in cash requires more time than you think. In addition to frequent trips to the bank, managers are required to manually reconcile restaurant sales and tips on a daily basis. Spending time on paying tips every night results in several hours wasted each week and the manual calculations increase the chance of human error. Restaurants that choose to pay tips electronically reduce touch points from up to 14 times per week to 1 time per week. They also have access to advanced tip reports such as:

Tips in Excess Report – This report lists each employee by department, their SSN, and their reported tips, along with the tips they needed to get them to the minimum wage. It will then show the excess amount multiplied by the 7.65% in FICA to determine the amount of the potential credit for that payroll and the year-to-date totals. Tip Allocation Report – This report lists each employee, their tipped hours, indirect and direct tips reported, gross receipts and any necessary allocation amount. If you’re unsure of how to run either of these reports, contact your payroll vendor to learn how. This information will save you hours of manual work each week and will prove to be a big help for your business come tax time. 4. Footing the Bill for Wage Garnishments Administering wage garnishments is especially complex for restaurants and hospitality businesses and it is not something to be taken lightly. If you are paying an employee’s tips in cash and their check is not enough to cover their garnishment, it could end with your restaurant being liable for that debt. There are many misconceptions surrounding garnishment orders, they are more common than you might think. Garnishments extend beyond bankruptcy, child support

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September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 11

SEDERHOLT ON RESTAURANT FINANCE

Restaurant Recession – Operators And Suppliers, Are You Ready?

ne of my favorite Warren Buffet quotes is “you only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out”. If you listen to a growing group of industry analysts, economists and organizations like the National Restaurant Association – the tide has started to go out. A restaurant recession is being predicted through most of 2017 and it is being seen as the first signs of an economic downturn for the U.S. and global economies. Knowing this, every restaurant owner and operator should be asking themselves if they are prepared to weather or even survive the “perfect storm” of conditions coming together to make the tail end of 2016 and right through the first half of 2018 life threatening. Where as restaurants, suppliers and wholesalers need to think about a plan of action to deal with decreasing sales and more foodservice customers unable to pay on time – very few are paying attention. Restaurants have historically been a leading indicator of a greater recession showing signs 3-to-6-months prior to the start of the last three US recessions. Analysts say that the catalyst for the current trend is likely a combination of US politics, terrorism, social unrest and general economic uncertainty in the world. Are restaurant industry sales the “canary in the coal mine and the one that lays the recessionary egg”? Just last month, I received a call from an old friend, who for 37 years had owned and operated 7 casual pubs successfully. He called to tell

This is not a “Doomsday” article – this is a “wake up and smell the coffee” alert. There are things that smart operators and their suppliers can do to prepare.

David Sederholt is the Chief Operating Officer of Strategic Funding, a

me that the handwriting was on the walls and that because of decreasing sales, increasing food, liquor, labor, occupancy and insurance costs, he was throwing in the towel on his last three restaurants. The final straw was the new increase in minimum wages. He said the numbers simply didn’t work any more. A number of notable restaurants decided that they could no longer deal with increasing costs, elevated rents, and impossible lease renewals like the venerable Four Seasons, which closed after 50+ years in operation. Other long standing restaurants like the Spice Market, Telepan, Empire Szechuan, La Parisienne Diner, WD-50, Alder and many, many more have felt the crush. How many more are not prepared for an economic downturn? In 1973, when I started in my first restaurant, I had to work my butt off to survive three years or quadrupling oil prices, which killed food costs and a 9% unemployment rate. I had an initiation by fire. Luckily, my rent was low and labor was a family affair and we did everything ourselves. Hits

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came again in the early 1990’s when I had seven restaurants operating, but I was well capitalized and well positioned. With a casual theme concept, favorable leases, low food costs and no need for high end culinary staffing we did well. Many of my unprepared friends did not. When the “Great Recession” hit in 2008, I was no longer in the restaurant business but was providing financing to small businesses, most of which were restaurants. It was a scary time as the financial world stopped dead. The real estate bubble burst and access to home equity loans or mortgage refinancing ceased completely. My company, Strategic Funding, had small but adequate credit lines and decided to continue to fund those businesses that appeared to have what it took to survive. Operators that had recession resistant concepts, tenacity, sound financial management skills and favorable leases, received financing from Strategic despite 10% unemployment and a global economic meltdown. Today many conditions are repeating this pattern. Michael O’Donnell,

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

the chief executive of the parent company of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, told investors in late July that its a la carte dining business is struggling. Special occasion dining at steakhouses is not a priority for people concerned about their pocketbook. The new modern twist is that people are getting more and more restaurant quality meals from food markets at a fraction of the price and eating at home. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for “food at home” — grocery store prices — fell in July and have declined over the last 12 months. Meanwhile, the “food away

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September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 13

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

WITH FRED SAMPSON

What Is a Grocerant?

“G

rocerant”—remember this word; it alludes to grocery stores or supermarkets that have catering facilities and sit-down food service, as well as cooked takeout and a wide variety of meals to go, both fresh and frozen. In other words, a restaurant’s competitor. I came across the word in a recent Restaurant Hospitality article that deals with how the Millennials are driving sales of grocery store prepared foods. However, restaurants still hold the upper hand when it comes to young adults. But for how long? And why is this? A recent report from market researchers NPD Group “confirms the notion that restaurants’ competition for Millennials’ dollars stretch beyond other restaurants to grocery stores. Supermarkets are raising the bar on their foodservice offerings and by doing so are attracting the attention of the coveted Millennials.” The report went on to say: “Restaurant-quality and fresh food, chefdriven menus, have given rise to the grocerant and inspiration to Millennials to visit and spend.” NPD explains further. “‘Millennials’ interest in the benefits and experience supermarket foodservice offers will continue to be strong over the next several years,” says David Portalatin, V.P., industry analysis at NPD Group. “Give the Millennials what they want—fresh, healthier fare and a decent price—and they will come.” “In-store dining and takeout of prepared foods from grocers has grown nearly 30 percent since 2008, accounting for 2.4 billion foodservice visits and $10 billion in consumer spending

Fred G. Sampson is the retired President Emeritus of the New York State

Restaurants still hold the upper hand when it comes to young adults. But for how long?” in 2015, according to NPD’s research. Furthermore, more than 40 percent of the U.S population purchases prepared foods from grocery stores and, while Millennials use grocery stores less than other generational groups, retail foodservice seems to be gaining traction with them.” NPD lists the following as some advantages which grocers have: “Consumers rate visits to grocerants higher than … QSRs on variety and healthy options. … these two attributes are among the most important when it comes to motivating customers to purchase prepared foods and when it comes to their satisfaction with these purchases. Grocery prepared foods are also rated higher in the areas of ‘freshness and quality’—areas particularly important to Millennials. “Beyond the food itself, Millennialsavvy grocers are understanding the importance of the ‘experience’ to the young adult cohort. More retailers are allocating space for comfortable, casual seating for in-store dining and some a full-service restaurant.” However, all is not gloom and doom for restaurants. They “can take comfort in the fact that supermarkets are far from becoming dining destinations. Moreover, census data notes that Americans, for the first time, spent more at restaurants ($54.9 billion) than on groceries ($52.5 billion).

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Aaron Allen, consultant and principal of Aaron Allen & Associates, says: “Keep in mind what helped restaurants gain market share in the first place: convenience, experience and service.” Allen adds that restaurants can maintain the competitive advantage through the following strengths (because of time and space I have selected just two of them): • Convenience. “Grocery stores aren’t considered convenient unless the consumer already happens to be there. … customers rarely go to grocery stores with the sole intention of getting a prepared dinner.” • Customization. 62 percent of consumers believe grocery stores do not offer customizable meals. “Restaurants still have the edge in being able to prepare food exactly as consumers want it—especially in the ever-growing fast casual sector.” I have read some projections that through 2022, instances of prepared food purchases at retailers for athome consumption will increase by 10 percent over the next five to seven years, compared to a 4 percent increase forecast for commercial foodservice. While the report dealt with the competitive aspects of grocerants versus restaurants, it did not mention the

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

growth in the wide variety of ethnic prepared foods now available, such as Italian, Chinese, and Mexican. As an example of how the availability of microwave and frozen foods has affected restaurants, I offer the fact that most of the thousands of rooms in lodging facilities in the USA are equipped with a microwave oven as well as a refrigerator and a coffee maker, thus allowing guests to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner without leaving their room. While this convenience has facilitated especially families to visit various attractions across the country, it means they will not be visiting as many restaurants as they would have 25 years ago. In light of the above, I cannot see how the federal government can exempt supermarkets and grocery stores from the labeling requirements expected to be issued in the near future. There is an old adage which goes like this: “If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, it is a duck”—or in this case, a grocerant.

September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 15

LITTLE M. TUCKER

WITH MORGAN TUCKER

The People Behind The Plates (At Marta)

et me start by saying that this is not another piece of writing praising the exceptional talents of Nick Anderer, Joe Tarasco, or the entire culinary crew at Marta Manhattan. Far better industry writers have eloquently commended the audibly enjoyable crispy crust topped with inventive, thoughtful accessories. I’m here to talk about what’s under the pies. The plates used at Marta have made our factory partner a social media sensation.

onymous with authentic old-world charm and pays homage to one of the greatest culinary cities in the world. While you are probably familiar with the royal blue pigment that lies underneath the illustrious Marta crust, the collection is also available in half a dozen other colors. Coral orange, Black, Sand Dune yellow, and Palm Leaf green can be seen at Café Fiorello. Blue Lagoon will be gracing the tables of Alex Stupak’s new Empellon opening in Midtown this fall. Affordable dinnerware for everyday use, Anfora has been distributed by Steelite in the US for over a decade. Their unrivaled combination of authenticity and durability aids in the growing success of one of our largest partners. There are currently eight other extensive collections in the Steelite portfolio produced by

I just returned from a week in Mexico visiting Anfora, a factory that has been producing dinnerware around Mexico City for close to 100 years. Anfora is best known for their handpainted pattern aptly named Puebla. This signature collection is syn16 • September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Anfora. Denali Gray, pictured center below, was one of the most successful product introductions of 2015 and remains in high demand as we introduce a sister collection in emerald green. Beyond the traditional vibrant glazed dinnerware you would expect to see from a Mexican china company, Anfora now has the ability to experiment with unique matte glazes. Enrique Olivero has been partnering with the factory for many years. The most photographed dessert in the country is snapped on Anfora dinnerware at Cosme. The beloved Cornhusk Meringues with Corn Mousse matches the muted hue of its presentation vessel. An imperfectly shaped, stunningly flavored sugary and savory dessert is simply elevated on the pure white offset welled plate.

Morgan Tucker is Director of Business Development at M. Tucker, a division of Singer Equipment Company. Ms. Tucker works with a wide diversity of acclaimed restaurateurs, celebrated chefs, and industry leaders across the U.S. Her website littlemtucker.com is an exceptional resource for equipment and supplies solutions. Morgan is based in NYC and can be reached at mptucker@mtucker.com.

My team and I have been working with various factories for a few years now to introduce unique collections for our exclusive portfolio. Some of the most exciting new collections under our brand, Little M Tucker, are from Anfora. Interested in what’s coming next? Head on over to @anforam on Instagram to view my favorite industry account and let me know your favorite @littlemtucker.

September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 17

NEWS

HOTELS

Hotel Association Of New York City Chief Spinnato Announces Retirement

he longtime president of the Hotel Association of New York City, Joseph Spinnato, is set to retire in December. Spinnato has helmed the trade organization, which represents more than 270 hostelries in the five boroughs, for 28 years. The board of the association, which provides a variety of support such as legal, lobbying and public relations services for its members, has already approved Spinnato’s successor: Vijay Dandapani will take over as president on Jan. 1, a day after his term as unpaid chairman of the trade group’s board expires. He is president of Apple Core Hotels, which operates five Manhattan inns. Spinnato may continue to advise the association after his official retirement. He has led industry negotiations with City Hall over the years on matters including hotel taxes and the right to construct hotels in areas zoned for commercial use without City Council approval. “This has been a remarkable 27year journey during which we have seen unprecedented growth in New York City tourism, and hotels have been a major part of that success. It has been a privilege to work on behalf of the hotel industry’s most prominent leaders including some of the most prestigious properties

This has been a remarkable 27year journey during which we have seen unprecedented growth in New York City tourism, and hotels have been a major part of that success.” in the world,” Mr. Spinnato said. Prior to joining the Hotel Association, Mr. Spinnato served as New York City’s 25th Fire Commissioner under Mayor Edward I. Koch from 1983 to 1987. “Joe has served our association and our industry brilliantly, and has been an extraordinary leader over the last three decades. We thank him for his many years of excellent service, and congratulate him on a distinguished career,” said Dandapani. “Joe’s shoes will indeed be hard to fill.” “The Hotel Association of New York City’s more than a century of success is built on the foundation of our members and their commitment of service to their customers,” noted Geoffrey Allan Mills, Chairman of the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC). “For one hundred and thirty-eight

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years, HANYC has been driven to provide the best experience possible to visitors from the U.S. and around the world, while ensuring we also give back to the City that provides our businesses, and countless others, the opportunity to thrive and grow.” “Our more than 270 members employ over 50,000 individuals and generate billions of dollars in revenues for New York City. This is an exciting time for the tourism industry, and we look toward another 138 years,” Spinnato added. Since August 1993, Dandapani, president of Apple Core Hotels, has been instrumental in the company’s growth and development, including acquisitions, six hotel renovations and the implementation of state-ofthe-art computer systems. A hotel industry veteran, Dandapani, is also a member of the Board

of Directors for the following associations: Hotel Association of New York City, NYC & Company, NYSHTA (New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association), and the HX Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York. Mr. Dandapani has also held numerous key operational positions in hotels in the United States and abroad. He has spoken on hospitality issues at many forums sponsored by such organizations as Arthur Anderson, University of California at Los Angeles, Columbia University, New York University and the National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives. In 1998, he was recognized by Crain’s New York Business as one of the top 100 minority business leaders in New York City. In 2002, the Asian American Business Development Center, New York selected him as one of 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business, an award presented by Mr. Hector Barreto, administrator of the United States Small Business Administration. A native of India, Dandapani currently resides in Manhattan with his wife and two children. Established in 1878, the Hotel Association of New York City, Inc. is one of the oldest professional trade associations in the nation.

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September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 19

NEWS

OPENINGS

Batali Sous Chef Felice Opens New Jersey Eatery

former sous chef who worked for Mario Batali’s restaurant group has opened at the former site of Novu. Robert Felice’s Viaggio features locally grown products. The menu consists of dishes found in Italy, including linguine with clams and bucatini amatriciana. Felice will be partners in Viaggio with his father, Joe Felice, who has owned restaurants such as Gourmet Cafe in Parsippany and Casa de Amici in Denville. Robbie Felice said the menu would reflect not Italian-American cuisine but dishes found in Italy: two he plans to serve are linguine with clams and bucatini amatriciana. Felice is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who has also

Robbie Felice of New Jersey’s Viaggio

worked stints at Babbo in Manhattan and Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe. The name of Robbie Felice’s Wayne eatery, Viaggio is a nod to both his Italian heritage and his experience. “Viaggio” translates to travel or journey. “I feel like what makes you who you are as a chef is all your experiences,” said Felice who worked at restaurants across the U.S. and Europe. He began by washing dishes at his father’s Denville restaurant, Casa Di Amici. “He would pay me $20 a night,” Felice said. “I thought I was the man.” Felice later interned at chef Mario Batali’s Manhattan restaurant, Babbo, before working the pasta station at Batali’s B&B Ristorante in Las Vegas. “I loved being busy, slinging pots and pans,” Felice said. “They nicknamed me Scrappy. I was always the loudest one in the kitchen.” He was promoted to sous chef but opted to explore Europe. He spent six months in seven countries – including Holland, Spain and Italy – living with family or on friends’ sofas. In Holland, he worked for Sergio Herman, whom Felice considers one of the best chefs in the world. “He’s one of two chefs to get a perfect score on the Gault et

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Millau [a French restaurant guide],” Felice said. Felice said he begged for a job or internship and received a three-month trial at Herman’s Pure-C restaurant. “I would have easily taken the job full-time,” Felice noted, “but it was so hard getting a visa.” During that time, Felice spent two weeks at Herman’s Antwerp, Belgium eatery, The Jane, a former military chapel . His first day began at 5:30 a.m. and

didn’t end until 2:30 the next morning. “It was the most intense work I’ve ever dealt with,” Felice recalled. “I remember getting my butt kicked. It was the craziest thing I’d ever done. “I worked 105 hours in five days and slept 24 hours that weekend.” At Viaggio, the cuisine “is going to be a mix of Mario Batali-style food meets all my other experiences,” Felice said. “I want to try and keep it sexy. It’s hard to make Italian food sexy – it’s just pasta and a plate.”

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September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 21

MIXOLOGY

WITH WARREN BOBROW

Late Summer Watermelon Cocktails

ost everyone- except myself and those who work in the service industry are on vacation for the coming weeks. It’s the end of summer- metaphorically- although the warm weather will be around for a while yet. And while the school buses are beginning to tie up traffic on the roads, your taste buds are still stuck in the three h’s. Hazy, Hot and Humid. So what are you to do with the few late summer ingredients that are still on the fresh list? May I suggest the humble watermelon? Yes! The watermelon. The juice is marvelous in cocktails, the flesh adds mystery and to your pocket, well- there is very little cost, so your food cost will stay in the realm of sane. Fresh watermelon juice is so adaptable and colorful to the eye. The flavor is bright and fresh with so many possibilities on flavor from savory to sweet. I’m convinced that nearly all spirits taste better with a hit of freshly crushed watermelon juice- save for the red wines of course, but even in a punch based on red wine- like a Sangria- can be elevated with, you guessed it, watermelon juice. Even the crunchy rind can be pickled and added to your craft cocktail garnish toolkit. There is such flexibility with watermelon and who else is using this oft forgotten ingredient? Well I’m not surebecause the watermelon is

not usually a Northern ingredient. I tend to see them more in the Southern climes, where the weather is hotter for longer and cooling off is more a necessity than just a flavor augmentation. Coconuts are also a hot ingredient against the late summer and early fall heat. You can take a whole coconut, cleaned of the husk and (carefully) cut a couple holes in the top, drain out the water- freeze the coconut in the freezer overnight and have the basis for the following refresher. Smoke Stack Lightning is just the cocktail for the late summer. Sure you can serve it in a frozen coconut,

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this wouldn’t hurt- but without one handy, this cocktail fits beautifully into a Double Old Fashioned glass. You know the size. Massive in scope, able to fit a double with ease so no one knows that your thirst is larger than usual. Prep #1: The ice for this cocktail is made from a combination of frozen coconut water and watermelon water. Just juice the watermelon and for the coconut water your local supermarket will do for the packaged variety. It is pre-strained and works really well. Add the juices to individual ice trays. One for the coconut water, the other for the watermelon water. Freeze overnight and set aside to keep well chilled until ready for use. The base spirit for this drink can be most anything tropical. I would say rum without much hesitation. Cachaça from Brazil is my choice of spirit. This is a specialty sugar cane beverage-that is quite delicious in its own unique way. Made solely from freshly cut and crushed sugar cane and aged in special wooden casks, many of them indigenous to Brazil, Cachaça is authentic in every way. This little drink, made from very simple ingredients speaks clearly to my desire for speed behind the bar stick with real flash. Prep #2: Watermelon Pickle - for garnish. Cut the

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

rind into 3-inch matchsticks, toss with Demerara Sugar and white vinegar or the gourmet vinegar of your choice. Let pickle for a week or two in the fridge. Keep cool and covered at all times. Smoke Stack Lightning Ingredients: • 2 oz. Cachaça of your choice • ¼ oz. fresh lime juice • 1 oz. Cane Sugar Simple Syrup • 2 cubes of watermelon ice • 2 cubes coconut water ice • 2-3 shakes Angostura Bitters Prep #3: 1. Fill a Boston shaker with bar ice 2. Add the Cachaça and the lime juice 3. Add the Simple Syrup 4. Cap and shake hard for 20 seconds 5. Pre-chill a Double Old Fashioned glass- toss out ice 6. Add the watermelon ice and the coconut water ice 7. Strain the Cachaça mixture over the flavored ice cubes 8. Dot with the Angostura 9. Garnish with a watermelon pickle 10. Serve

September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 23

NEWS

CULINARY EDUCATION

NYC-Based ICC® Brings Fresh New Approach To Restaurant Management Education

ew York City’s International Culinary Center® (ICC®) has continued to hear from its students about the challenges of bringing either culinary or business skills to future ventures. In very few cases, the next generation of restaurateurs have an inherent ability to combine both. So the ICC® set out to design a first-in-the-industry curriculum, the Culinary Entrepreneurship program, to enable its students to develop a balanced set of skills to be able to successfully launch a restaurant or foodservice operation that will fulfill their business and creative goals. Cathi Profitko, Director of On-Line Development, and Alek Marfisi, ICC® Instructor, talk about their experiences in this new endeavor. Give us a little background about yourself and what attracted you into a career in hospitality and foodservice. CP: This is actually my first foray into the food industry. Prior to this, I developed educational programming in the higher education business, IT, and career disciplines for a major educational provider and I have a background in instructional design. Over the years it became clear to me that I wanted to work at a school so I could partner directly with educators and students …working at ICC® on this program is something of a dream job. AM: I’ve been teaching at ICC® since 2011. My background is as a consultant to mostly small businesses. My company, Upwind Strategies in Astoria, Queens, serves the whole metro area. Maybe a quarter to a third

ICC® Culinary Entrepreneurship January 2016 Class

of my clients are working with about 700 companies at this point. That’s how I first got introduced to the Professional Pastry Arts program at ICC®. I started to do a small module on business planning. Now, in the Culinary Entrepreneurship program, we’re able to provide more than one point of view of how to do it. Endemic in the entrepreneurship education world are silver bullets. Everybody thinks that, well, it’s just easier to say that this is the way to do it, and this is the way you should do it. But in the Culinary Entrepreneurship program we have mul-

Alek Marfisi, ICC® Culinary Entrepreneurship Instructor

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tiple instructors, so we achieve a mission of educating students that there’s more than one way to do something. I really was drawn to that. Talk a little bit about some of the initiatives and programs that you’ve brought to ICC®. CP: My first initiative here has been the 2016 re-launch of the Culinary Entrepreneurship program. The program had been offered for several years as restaurant management. It was lecture-based, brick & mortar focused and solely in-person classes spreading out over 20+ weeks. Most of our students are working full time in the industry or are career changers and they don’t have time to commit to that. So we evaluated student needs - did our due diligence about what they were really looking for - and redesigned the program to meet their needs. The Culinary Entrepreneurship program is now project-based – they develop a real business plan and test their assumptions and we cover all aspects of the food industry. We made it more accessible by shortening the in-class time commitment (six 8-hour sessions) and utilizing common technol-

ogy to make resources, instructor support and project work available online 247 - allowing students to work when it’s most convenient for them. AM: The components of the Culinary Entrepreneurship program I teach include understanding and projecting your finances, figuring out how much in food costs you have, and anything on the P&L. Food people typically approach this with the most trepidation because they’re very focused on the concept and the product itself. Most don’t come from finance. There’s a contingent of the class who are career changers who may come from a financial services background. I enjoy seeing students get it in terms of figuring out working capital and how much money they need, not only to open, but to survive the first couple of years. I also teach market analysis – figuring out how to access your concept. My mission in this program is to help students understand the concept of feasibility. I have a great idea, and maybe my close circle of friends think this is a great idea, but does the rest of the world think it’s a great idea? More importantly, can I execute it? What was the main motivation for the Culinary Entrepreneurship program? CP: Helping students get started. The food industry has very unique challenges. Everything from, your goods are perishable, to the emotional relationship between food and people. There’s also a lot going on in the industry. Food start-up opportunities are everywhere. Just look on Instagram

continued on page 26

September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 25

ICC, from page 24 and at all the food markets & pop-ups. There are tons of opportunities for people to start their dream business, but the first steps are overwhelming. So that’s what we really wanted to focus on. We break down the process, we examine it one step at a time using the business plan as our map. By working on a real business plan, we teach tools for effective business planning and assessment…and effective planning minimizes risk. AM: How do you figure out what combination of service and product people want? One motivation is finding a way to help students come up with inventive ways to figure that out. The other is figuring out a way to get more women involved in the food industry. I highlight that during one of the introductory classes, featuring a lot of notable women entrepreneurs and ways in which they’ve reinvented the industry. I think that’s something important to talk about because the industry as a whole is male-dominated. There are a lot of women out there with great ideas that are hesitating to start businesses, and I’d like to open that up. How have the Culinary Entrepreneurship classes gone? CP: It’s been overwhelmingly positive. We’ve had two sessions so far. Our third will start on September 17. Students find that having 24/7 access to course materials definitely helps them juggle their busy schedules and it facilitates collaboration they also get help when they need it. In an exit survey students described the classroom experiences as intense and fun. I love that. To me that says they are comfortable and being challenged. What’s the profile of a successful student in this program? CP: We don’t have a single profile. The students are very diverse in backgrounds, experience in the industry, age and locale. But there are attributes and behaviors that stand out as com-

Graduates of ICC®’s Culinary Entrepreneurship Program

mon amongst them. They’re driven and willing to put in the work. It’s an intense program. Just like in our Professional Culinary and Pastry Arts programs, you work hard, very hard. And you get out what you put in. They’re also open to ideas. Throughout the course we test a lot of assumptions. A food business is a labor of love. Sometimes a student’s assumptions may not hold water and they need to change them. That can be tough, especially when it’s something they hold dear to their hearts. The students who are most successful are flexible and open to change. Does success in New York City require a very different and separate skill set? AM: There are definitely skills that you need in New York that are different than elsewhere. But I would caveat that with, they are nurtured, they’re not nature. These skills are all learned skills that anybody can learn. They’re related to the fact that it’s very competitive. New York City was indexed as the most competitive city in the country. And in terms of food businesses, there are more than 25,000 food businesses in New York City alone. That’s a lot of competition. So the skills needed are related to understanding and working with that competition, and at the same time, doing so in a domain where the stakes are higher. Labor costs are high.

26 • September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Rent is really high, a percentage of sales even. And these are all higher in New York than anywhere else. So we have to help students understand and work with that in New York. What does the future look like? CP: The school’s goal is to support and cultivate the next generation of chefs and industry leaders. For more than 30 years ICC® has produced chefs that have changed the culinary landscape so we’re ideally positioned to do the same in all areas of this ever growing & changing industry, Clearly the business side is something that’s going to challenge someone who wants to be a chef and open a restaurant. How do you work with that? CP: It’s one of the subjects we address in our very first session. We do a bit of self assessment. The fact that we have students coming in with different backgrounds adds more value to the program, because it fosters collaboration, and that is one of the entrepreneurial skills we try to impart. No one can do everything, and you have to really be comfortable with what you’re good at and then be comfortable finding people to help you with what you’re not. We tell students the first day that their best resource may actually be the student seated next to them.

You have a lot of celebrity chefs who are alumni. What impact has the whole celebrity chef idea had on the type of student? And your ability to recruit? CP: They’re the inspiration, right? How could they not be a draw? But once students sit down and talk to our instructors, their willingness to share their experience - how accessible and supportive they are - is what rises to the top. I don’t want to say their celebrity just fades away, but it’s immediately evident that they’re here to support our students and they want them to succeed. That may sound a little too warm and fuzzy, but it’s the truth. Do recent alumni come back and offer support through the program? CP: Yes, we have several recent alumni – Adam Lathan, The Gumbo Bros [http://www.thegumbobros. com] and Leticia Young, Lolo’s Seafood Shack [http://www.lolosseafoodshack.com] for example, who come back to offer their support as information and networking resources or being student mentors during the program. How does a prospective student get in touch with you? CP: Contact the school. You can call 888.324.2433 or email info@culinarycenter.com for more information.

September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 27

NEWS

SHOWS

Pizza Expo Launches New Northeast Pizza & Pasta Event

nternational Pizza Expo®, the largest pizzeria businessto-business trade show in the world, recently announced the launch of a new two-day trade show that focuses on pizzerias and Italian restaurants. The 2017 Pizza & Pasta Northeast® show will incorporate a blend of food demonstrations, contests and educational sessions to augment an exhibit hall showcasing top suppliers for both of these strong foodservice segments. The show will be held October 1718, 2017, at the Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJ, just 10 minutes from Atlantic City International Airport in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, and just an hour drive from the Philadelphia International Airport. Atlantic City was chosen for several reasons, including its central location on the East Coast, access to the largest concentration of pizzerias and Italian restaurants in the U.S., a top-notch convention center and affordable first-class hotel and dining options. The 2017 Pizza & Pasta Northeast show will deliver a one-stop shop exhibit hall where Italian and pizzaconcept restaurant owners can meet face-to-face with leading national and regional industry suppliers. Attendees will also have access to food demonstrations that will focus on new and traditional, Italian ingredients, flavors and products — allowing attendees to stay on top of consumers’ growing desire for pizza and pasta menu items. The education program will spotlight current menu trends, as well as toplevel business and marketing educa-

Attendees will also have access to food demonstrations that will focus on new and traditional, Italian ingredients, flavors and products — allowing attendees to stay on top of consumers’ growing desire for pizza and pasta menu items. tion sessions. Show organizers are looking to integrate a strong pasta component as part of the experience for both Italian restaurateurs and pizzeria owners and operators. “No tradeshow would be the same without a few top-notch, world-class competitions,” said Pete Lachapelle, Vice President and Publisher of Pizza Expo and Pizza Today magazine. “We’ll be on a quest to find the perfect combination of pasta, sauce and other ingredients that sets a signature pasta dish apart from the rest of the competition. Our newest cook-off will pit 20 of the world’s best pasta perfectionists against each other to find who’s the ‘Best of the Northeast.’ And as most everyone knows, pizza in this country was born in the Northeast, so we’re proud to announce our partnership with Antimo Caputo and Orlando Foods to hold the annual U.S. ‘Caputo Cup’ competition at our Northeast show. At the third annual U.S. competition, contestants will be invited to compete

28 • September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

in two categories: Traditional Neapolitan and New York Style.” The New England region combined with Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. is home to more than 28,000 Italian restaurants and pizzerias, making this region No. 1 in the U.S. in terms of the total number of pizzerias and Italian restaurants. This means one-third of the country’s operators, generating 30 percent of the industry’s revenue, are located in one tightly condensed geographic area. Show organizers are looking to integrate a strong pasta component as part of the experience for both Italian restaurateurs and pizzeria owners and operators. “This is in no way a replacement

to Pizza Expo for East Coast pizzeria operators and their staffs, but more of an opportunity to let them be a part of this regional two-day experience,” said Bill Oakley, Group Show Director – Food Group. “Most of our eastern U.S. attendees have two days of travel in order to attend the Expo, making it difficult to attend the entire four-day show, which would keep them from their pizzeria for an entire week. This event is a natural progression and one that we hope will allow more restaurateurs and pizzeria operators the opportunity to experience some of the things they have been missing for years are now at the International Pizza Expo. Adding some new twists to this new event should make it a very compelling event to attend.” Now in its 33rd year, International Pizza Expo® is the world’s largest industry event with more than 1,100 booths, 460 exhibitors and 7,000 attendees Pizza Expo is owned and operated by Emerald Expositions, a leading operator of large business-to-business trade shows in the United States, producing more than 50 trade shows and more than 100 face-to-face events in total, including conferences, summits and other events. Emerald Expositions connects more than 335,000 sellers and buyers each year and operates within the U.S. in 10 end markets (Gift, Home, General Merchandise and Manufacturing; Sports & Apparel; Design; Jewelry, Luxury & Antiques; ECommerce; Creative Services; Licensing; Healthcare; Military; and Food).

September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 29

Q&A

EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW

Maria Loi Executive Chef/Owner, Loi Estiatorio, New York, NY

he’s a celebrity chef but what Maria Loi is most known for is her welcoming smile and warmth, whether it’s the front of the house or the back. Revered by staff and customers alike, her restaurants offer exquisite cuisine and a dining experience that causes all who eat there to return again and again. Starting out as a young chef while her parents worked the fields of their farm, Loi learned to prepare “soul”food, food that is good for the soul. With her Greek heritage, Loi offers Mediterranean-style meals that are as healthy as they are delicious. In the business for many years, she notes that she never married because she wanted to devote herself to her food, and it shows. How did you get started? I’m a farm girl. I grew up on a farm. That’s how I know how to make good yogurt and cheese and how to eat well! And then I had to cook for our family. We were very poor. The first meatballs I made for my father, I was seven years old. My mom didn’t have time because she had to work in the fields, tobacco, cotton, olive oil and everything else. First I opened a clothing store in Greece. It’s still in operation. My sister is running it. Then I joined with other companies and I started putting people together, connecting them. Then when I was in Turkey, I became a lobbyist, which was not easy for a woman.

Maria Loi (photo by Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)

Have you found it hard as a woman chef? I don’t see any difference, except for the physical part. Sometimes the workers in the kitchen are funny. They say, you should not lift that. But even the men chefs should not lift something heavy. They might hurt their back. I am equal. I don’t see any difference.

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How did you wind up in the U.S.? I used to come because of my previous work but I would only stay for one or two days. I didn’t have anything to do with cooking except loading and going into the kitchens. I was actually always asking the chef, why are you doing this, why that? But let’s go back to the beginning. I came to New York four-and-a-half years ago as the ambassador for Greek cuisine.

Then I opened a restaurant and Florence Fabricant from The New York Times wrote about me. That was it. Customers came and I loved them all. Then what happened? They wanted to increase my rent and I said, no, no, no! I left and moved to another space. And these people

continued on page 32

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Q&A Maria Loi, from page 30 found me, they followed me. I found a space that was one-third of my previous expense, where I made three, four, times the money! This was all a year-and-a-half ago. One of the things that makes you unique is that you’re out in front, talking to the customers. How do you run the back of the house and the front of the house at the same time? First, I love what I do. I start early in the morning because Greek food must be prepared the right way. Fish, you have to grill it. It’s not science. You can teach someone. And thank God, I have the best people in my kitchen. So even if I had to make a plate at that very moment, and someone is telling me, Maria, table 15, they ask for you, I have my sous chef taking care of everything im-

continued on page 34

An interior view of Maria Loi’s Loi Estiatorio on Manhattan’s “Billionaire’s Row” (photo by Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)

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Q&A Maria Loi, from page 32

mediately and I can go out. I’m very lucky for that. Would you say your strength is the team you have built? We are family here. We’re together since day one. We know what we want from each other. Without the team, you can’t do anything in life. Let’s talk about how Greek food has evolved. It’s actually been in the States a long time. It went through a very fashionable trend with the Paleo and Mediterranean diets. Greek food has to do with well being. The meaning is, no suffering. The meaning is not losing weight. It’s being well and the way you should eat, the way you should take care of yourself. Greek food is the pillar of the Mediterranean way of eating.

asked me to go there. Other chefs are there, including a very well known Greek chef, George Calombaris. Are Greeks all so happy because of what they eat? Food makes you happy, of course. The wine, the herbs and spices we use. You take an herb that comes from the mountain and it stimulates you and gives you the flavor. It makes you happy. Our coffee, our ol-

Where can someone buy your food? My pasta is at Whole Foods. And we’re preparing a new yogurt line, my honey line. What made you want to bring your yogurt to the marketplace? Whole Foods came to me! They came to my restaurant and loved the taste. The recipe came from my great-grandmother. I have the factory in Greece that produces it. And we went back and forth, back and forth, a lot of times. I love Whole Foods because I know how hard it was for me to get in there. It was easy to open the door but to be on the shelf that took a lot. And now my pasta is flying off the shelves! You have a trip coming up to Australia. Tell me about that. That’s because I’m the Ambassador for the Hellenic Chef’s Association. They voted for me. This is the second time in four years! There’s a big event in Melbourne, the Starlight Five Chefs Dinner and they have 34 • September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

ive oil. Our olive oil is like medicine. I remember my grandfather giving us a teaspoon of olive oil every day. I don’t need medicine. And seafood, whole grains. The food makes a difference in your body and in your brain. What about this idea of being a celebrity chief? Is it good? Do you like it? I like it because I am giving to peo-

ple. If you think you’re a rock star, that’s not good! You are not cooking, you are not giving. You are a rock star. What about doing business in New York? Like Frank Sinatra said, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” I believe that. America has

continued on page 36

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Q&A Maria Loi, from page 34 the American Dream. But New York gives you the opportunity. And the diversity. It’s all here. People don’t just grab a burger and go anymore. They’re more sophisticated. They are more educated, in food, in living, in terms of being. Living well and eating well. Living healthy. That’s the Greek diet. It’s all about the freshest ingredients, the best produce and meats. You’ve said you wanted a smaller restaurant so it could be like eating in your home. Is it possible to be successful in New York as a small establishment or does everything have to be big and bold? They like your food. That’s what food is. It’s like a nest. It’s where everything starts. People respect you. A sampling of cuisine from Maria Loi’s Loi Estiatorio (photo by Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)

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NEWS SPECIAL EVENTS The Roscoe NY Beer Co. Gives Back To Local Community With Creation Of Oktoberfest Event

or the founders and management team of Roscoe NY Beer, the creation of a community event was truly a labor of love. “Most of our team are actually from Roscoe,” noted Shannon Feeney, Roscoe’s Director of Marketing. So in 2015, The Roscoe NY Beer Company launched the Trout Town Oktoberfest. “The fall season is upon us, despite the weatherman and our

goal was to ring in autumn by celebrating all of the great things fall has to offer,” Feeney continued. The fishing town is called Trouttown USA and back in 2011 we actually received the official name from the World Fishing Network as the ultimate fishing town for the United States,” said Feeney. The second-annual Trout Town Oktoberfest, a free, family-fun event that will be held on October 1, 2016 from

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day’s activities will include games for kids and families, local vendors, beer tastings, live music, and so much more! “Oktoberfest is an amazing opportunity to sample new craft beers and delicious local food, all in a fun environment,” Feeney noted. “We encourage the Metro New York community, to come visit and take in the fall foliage and beautiful scenery, and wrap

up the last warm days of the season with a great time. Like the original Munich festival, which celebrates local beer, the Roscoe NY Beer Company will feature Trout Town beer, made proudly by local folks who love the great outdoors, craft beer, and their community. The event also calls for an

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FALL IN LOVE WITH TROUT TOWN’S HAND CRAFTED BEERS The changing season has not only an impact on nature but also on your guests and their palates. If you are looking for great fall brews that capture the essence of nature and embody the richness of the season, look no further. The Roscoe Beer Co provides hand crafted beers that will make your guest fall in love with craft beer. Their flagship brew the American Amber Ale pours a beautiful light copper amber color and a subtle citrus hop finish. Perfect for any fall dishes. Visit us online or email inquiries@roscoebeercompany.com for more about us! OUR LINE UP Trout Town™ American Amber Ale Trout Town™ Rainbow Red Ale Trout Town™ Brown Ale

Trout Town™ Eagle IPA Trout Town™ Two Rivers Rye Trout Town™ Whitetail Pale Ale

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September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 39

SCOOP Chairless Steak Restaurant Is Coming To NYC Scoop says New Yorkers know their way around a stand-up meal, from on-the-go dollar slices to a quick-service recession special at Gray’s Papaya. But steak dinner is usually a fully sit-down affair until now. Crazy-popular Japanese chain Ikinari Steak, boasting 50 locations and no chairs, will launch a New York outpost at 90 East 10th Street later this year. The spiel? Diners stand at one-meter tables while eating, which allows for quick turnaround (on average, meals last

INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE about 30 minutes). Prices will also likely be more affordable than your average New York steakhouse—in Japan; a rib eye at Ikinari costs five yen (about five cents) per gram.

New Restaurant Is Centerpiece Of Brooklyn Bazaar Rebirth In Gorgeous Old Greenpoint Banquet Hall Scoop says kudos to The Brooklyn Night Bazaar, which was displaced from their spacious home by BMW last year, has found a glorious new home in Greenpoint: Polonaise Terrace, an old Polish banquet hall.

Chairless tables at Ikinari Steak, coming soon to NYC

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The Grand Opening weekend will be presented on September 9th and 10th, with headliners such as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (remember them?) on 9/9, and Pissed Jeans on 9/10. Admission will always be freeof-charge to come enjoy the offerings in other sections of the venue, including the market and restaurant, the arcade, karaoke, mini golf, and a ping pong disco zone. A lot is changing this year: For the first time ever, the Bazaar “will be presenting a permanent 7 day a week restaurant and bar, collaborating with Joaquin Baca of Brooklyn Star on a per-

The new Brooklyn Night Bazaar will include a ping pong offering like their previous space. (photo courtesy of BNB)

manent 7 day a week restaurant,” called Brooklyn Star @ BK. Baca will also “custom curate the kitchen for the weekend Night Bazaars,” including Brunch Bazaars, bringing in a rotating crew of NYC chefs. The three-level venue will operate 7 days a week, feature 4 bars, the restaurant, a vendor space, a 400-capacity live music space (once things kick off there will be weekday concerts as well), and an event space featuring other programming, like a weekly Nighthawk Cinema movie series.

Stillman’s Venture Into New NoMad Night Spot Scoop notes that NoMad is all grown up and so are its nightclubs. Riff Raff, which catered to a younger crowd with attractions like a tiki bar, shut down a few weeks ago. Squares, its replacement at 360 Park Ave. So., will cater to a more “sophisticated” crowd when it opens this month. The 1,750 square-foot club is next to Park Avenue Summer and shares the same owners, Alan and son Michael Stillman, Quality Eats, Quality Meats, Quality Italian and Smith & Wollensky. The design by Reunion Goods & Service will feature thou-

sands of glazed tile mosaic-inspired designs. There’s also a cocktail program by Bryan Schneider and live music.

street, which recently topped out, will open with restaurants from Jean-Georges Vongerichten and David Chang, among others.

South Street Seaport Rebirth Anchored By Celebrity Eateries

Empire State Caterers Set Sites On Unusual New Venue Category

Scoop says South Street is on its way to becoming downtown’s hottest ticket around. The once-forlorn corridor astride the elevated FDR Drive is on fire with new development and new energy from the Battery to the Brooklyn Bridge. The street has come a long way. It’s a remarkable renaissance for the FiDi area’s eastern shore, which has been eclipsed in the public eye by all of the new World Trade Center Brookfield Place area development. “On Oct. 7, the doors will open on the long-awaited iPic luxury cinema complex at the Fulton Market Building,” said iPic founder and Chief Executive Hamid Hashemi. The Fulton site is an anchor element of Howard Hughes Corp.s’ newly conceived South Street Seaport meant to appeal to New Yorkers as much as to tourists. By next summer, Hughes Corp.s’ all-new Pier 17 across the

Scoop says in the West, a homey casserole of slivered potatoes, sour cream and canned mushroom soup is so often served at wakes and memorials that it is commonly known as “funeral potatoes.” In Pennsylvania Dutch country, the go-to dish is a custard and raisin pastry called “funeral pie.” Yet in New York State’s funeral homes, arcane rules had long forbidden food and drinks. But last month, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, signed a law permitting funeral parlors to serve light refreshments and nonalcoholic drinks, joining 46 other states where the bereaved have the option of crying into their potatoes and pie. “Culturally, we use food as a socializing element in all sorts of circumstances,” said Assemblyman Richard N. Gottfried, a Democrat who represents Midtown Manhattan. Mr. Gottfried was a sponsor of the legislation

along with State Senator Betty Little, a Republican who represents parts of northern New York. “To me, the notion that at a funeral you couldn’t get a cup of tea or something to eat to stave off hunger or maintain your blood-sugar level just doesn’t make sense,” Gottfried said. “Food is a vehicle for memory, and so it seems so inherent in the process and ritual of remembering and celebrating a life to have present the foods that that person and that family loved in their lifetime,” said Niki Russ Federman, a fourth-generation owner of Russ & Daughters, a Manhattan restaurant and caterer.

Brooklyn Is Home to New Generation Of Food Manufacturers Scoop notes the Brooklyn Army Terminal Annex is becoming a food manufacturing hub, part of an effort by New York City to salvage and reshape its manufacturing economy. The 5,000 square foot facility located in Sunset Park and vacant since the 1970s, can hold up to 10 food businesses. Food was the only manufacturing sector in the city to record an increase in jobs between 2005

and 2015, growing 27%, according to a report last month by the nonprofit think tank Center for an Urban Future. More than 500 New York City-based food businesses started between 2010 and 2015. “There’s a lot to celebrate,” said the report’s Charlie Euchner, citing food’s importance to other economic drivers like tourism and hospitality. “Rather than just ridding this thing out as a momentary phenomenon we can think of this as something to build on. But there have also been a string of high-profile defections from the city, including the makers of Sweet’N Low and Streit’s matzo factory on the Lower East Side. Companies have struggled to scale up as they try to comply with a thicket of city regulations, find and fund larger spaces and hire qualified employees,” Euchner said. To address some of these challenges, city officials decided to dedicate the entire annex to a cluster of food businesses, said Maria Torres-Springer, president of the city’s Economic Development Corporation.

continued on page 42

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Scoop, from page 41

Eataly Opens In Financial District

NYC’s

Scoop says when visitors walk into Eataly’s newly opened store, a map featuring breads from 196 countries will be among the fist things they see. On the third floor of 4 World Trade Center, the store is centered around bread. Guest bakers showcase a different International bread each month, starting with bagels from lower East Side’s bagel

and bialy store Kossar’s. Eataly’s 35-year-old mother yeast is the base for the breads baked inside the store, including a specially created loaf called pane Mediterraneo. For lunch, visitors can grab sandwiches made with a baked-to-order Italian flatbread called piadina. “We didn’t want to be didactic, but what’s the best food for bringing people together: bread,” said Adam Saper, one of the Italian food emporium’s

Eataly in NYC’s Financial District

SEAL THE

DEAL WITH THE MIGHTY BADGE IDENTITY SYSTEM

Connecticut TV Prison Is Inspiration for ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Eatery

Consumers prefer and trust a company whose employees wear The Mighty Badge. There’s a reason over 2 million professionals prefer our name badges. Project your image, your brand and your people with the Mighty Badge.

www.themightybadge.com

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partners. The store was designed to cater to Financial District workers, leading to Eataly’s first substantial breakfast program. Other new features include the foodiversita, a counter that will host free cooking classes and tastings, and five restaurants, interspersed among the food counters and 10,000 products. The first 100 peoplel received a ticket for a complimentary tasting tour later this month.

Scoop notes Orange is the new blech! Coming soon to diners in Singapore: an “Orange is the New Black”-inspired posh pop-up restaurant recreating the show’s Litchfield Penitentiary cafeteria. “Come meet your fellow inmates, wait in line and stay hydrated with a tall plastic cup of our refreshing house beverage: water,” reads the blurb for the restaurant on a popular online reservation site in the Indonesian city-state. The cafeteria was created by Singapore restaurant rebel Bjorn Shen, who claims he created “dude food and touts his “devil may care attitude” at his three restaurants in town. Diners need not worry that Shen is serving prison food, which, costs about 50 cents per meal.

continued on page 44

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Scoop, from page 42

Manhattan’s Pierre Hotel Resurrects Iconic Catering Space Scoop notes back in January, the muralists arrived, tiptoeing into the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan at midnight. They erected scaffolding in the grand oval space known as the Rotunda Room, climbed up and stretched out on their backs, daubing at the painted clouds that have long drifted across the skyblue ceiling. Then, in June, they turned to the shiny faux-marbling on the stair railing, applying a sub-

tler matte finish. And last month, under the direction of architect and decorator Daniel Romualdez, electricians installed theatrical lighting to highlight the room’s signature feature, its fantastical wall mural; floor contractors polished the parquet; and new furniture arrived. These efforts, the results of which were recently un-

The Pierre Hotel’s The Rotunda

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veiled have resurrected one of New York’s most spectacular gathering spaces. Beloved by brides who have taken their vows in the fairytable setting and familiar to members of the city’s upper crust who have mingled here during charity events, the Rotunda Room had languished. Until Francois-Olivier Luiggi, the general manager of the

Pierre, which is run by Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, decided to revive the space.

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FIORITO ON INSURANCE

Employment-Related Lawsuits Do Not Discriminate

he hiring, disciplining and terminating process can bring high-risk exposures for employers. Restaurant and food service companies of any size are vulnerable to claims brought by their current, former and even potential employees. These lawsuits can be extremely costly and draining. Luckily, there is insurance coverage available to defend against the damages that the restaurateur is scheduled to pay and steps your restaurant can take to help prevent these lawsuits in the first place. Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) can protect your restaurant against claims such as wrongful termination, sexual harassment and discrimination made by potential hires, employees currently on your payroll and terminated employees. Gaining an awareness of the different types of employee claims and having objective company policies and procedures in place are key. Some of the most common emerging Employment Practices Liability (EPL) claims include: fair pay, wage theft, worker classification, gender identity and restroom access and effective compensation. Protecting your business from risks begins with understanding how to spot a potential claim, avoiding common pitfalls and creating formal policies and procedures as a first line of defense. Fair Pay The Federal Equal Pay Act has tried to abolish wage disparity based on

sex since 1963. Employers looking to avoid liability related to fair pay must be proactive and self-audit. Questions to ask to ensure you’re compliant with the Fair Pay Act include: • Do you have up to date job descriptions on the books, including established criteria for assigning values? • Do you assign consistent compensation to similar jobs performed by individuals with similar skill, experience and responsibility? Wage Theft Common wage theft violations include: forcing employees to work “off the books,” not providing constant meal and rest breaks, failure to pay overtime, and stolen tips. In any given week, two-thirds of low-wage workers experience at least one pay-related violation. Just this past July, one of several lawsuits accusing McDonald’s of unfair pay practices has been granted federal class-action status. The alleged violations include misrecording of timecards to reduce pay, unpaid overtime, failure to pay the minimum wage and failure to pay wages owed to employees who quit or were fired. The most effective way to avoid wage theft is to write clear and consistent policies and train managers and supervisors on compliance with them. Worker Classification When determining independent contractor status, the question lies in the control of the individual by

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the hiring operation. Even where the control isn’t exercised, workers can be deemed employees. The best way to avoid worker’s classification (WC) contests is to be proactive. Review federal economic reality and state labor tests as well as IRS tests for classifying workers. Then ask:, “are we classifying workers performing similar tasks consistently?” Performing misclassification audits on a monthly or quarterly basis is another way to ensure consistency.

Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President, HUB International Northeast., where he specializes in providing insurance brokerage services to the restaurant in-

Gender Identity and Restroom Access This potential lawsuit exposure is increasing as it is becoming more highlighted by the media in recent times. In order to avoid restricting employees from the use of restrooms that are not consistent with their gender identity, or segregating them from other workers when it comes to workplace restroom access, OSHA suggests the following: • Employees should be permitted to use the restroom associated with their gender identity. • Transgender employees should not be segregated from other workers by requiring them to use a gender neutral restroom. • Don’t ask employees to provide medical or legal documentation of their gender identity in order to access gender appropriate facilities. • As a best practice, OSHA suggests businesses provide additional options, including single

dustry. As a 20-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. For more information, please visit www.hubfiorito.com. For more i nformation on HUB’s Employee Benefits practice, please visit www.hubemployeebenefits.com

and multiple occupancy, gender neutral facilities with lockable stalls. Navigating EPL risks to avoid potential claims is more critical than ever in today’s volatile workplace environment. Staying on top of current EPL trends will help your restaurant maintain compliance and protect your company’s reputation and revenue. Speak to your insurance broker about EPLI coverage for your restaurant and a review of your current workplace procedures.

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CHEFCETERA

Joe Isidori, Founder of Black Tap Craft Burgers and Beer, New York NY

espite their recent explosion on to the culinary scene, Black Tap Craft Burgers and Beer is owned by a man who has spent his entire life in the foodservice industry. Joe Isidori attended the CIA in Hyde Park, New York in 1998 and now owns three Black Tap locations in Soho (2) and the Meatpacking District. In the eighteen years in between Joe cut his teeth at Nemo Restaurant, Trump International, Harbour Restaurant and others, earning a Michelin Star and a reputation for sustainability and flawless culinary skill along the way. Now he has his dream, two restaurants that represent his “Favorite kind of food, a homage to the quintessential American Luncheonette”. Chef Joe’s exceptional skill and work ethic shine through with intricate milkshakes, high quality work ethic and a ravenous following who wait hours for his creations. Could you tell us a bit about your background in the foodservice industry? I’ve been in the foodservice industry my whole life! My dad was a chef and so even growing up, I knew how to cook and loved it. As I got older, I tried out a few different career paths but ultimately attended the Culinary Institute of America, which sealed the deal. How did Black Tap get its start? Black Tap represents my favorite

Black Tap is very well known through social media. What makes that wing of the business so successful? We love social media. Our presence has evolved since we started and our following has grown so much. We do all of our own photography in house. We get great feedback, so we’ve looked at what’s been successful and use that to move into lots of different platforms. Joe Isidori, Founder of Black Tap Craft Burgers and Beer (Photo by Alek Michaud)

kind of food and is a homage to the quintessential American luncheonette. After I got my Michelin star and spent time in fine dining, I knew that this was the type of restaurant I wanted to own and perfect.

We have an amazing product and care about our customers. We love seeing people come in from out of town and we’re so grateful that they’re willing to wait on line just to eat our food!

What is your customer base like? Everyone who likes burgers and milkshakes! As a burger place, are you able to take advantage of online ordering?

continued on page 50 What was the original focus and has that evolved over the years? Our focus has always been building the best burger possible, and we’ve done it! We have the best burger in NYC. We’ve spent a bit of time on our milkshakes, but the luncheonette experience has been consistent throughout. What is your signature product and what makes it stand out? Our burgers. They’re made with Pat LaFrieda beef, premium ingredients, secret spice blends, and I love eating them and serving them to our customers. Why is Black Tap so successful in a difficult and competitive market like NYC?

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Black Tap’s Soho location. Photo courtesy of Black Tap

September 2016 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 49

Joe Isidori, from page 48 how has that worked out for you? Online ordering has been great for us, because our original location is so small. We’ve been able to feed more people in the neighborhood at their convenience.

The Bison Burger at Black Tap. Photo courtesy of Black Tap

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You recently participated in and scored a win at Dan’s Taste of Summer Grill Hampton event. How did that go and why are events like that important? We were so happy to win at Dan’s Grill Hampton! We love that event and getting more time to talk to customers directly, especially outside of NYC where we’re currently located.

What do you see as the biggest trends for burgers in NYC and are you constantly changing your menu to reflect that? I love the classic – American cheese, special sauce, potato bun, with fries and milkshakes on the side. We keep our burgers to the highest quality and offer specials all the time, whether it’s to show a new ingredient we love or to collaborate with one of our friends. Trends come and go, but the burger is forever. What items are most popular and why do you think that is? Our classic burgers and Crazy Shakes are definitely the most popular items on our menu because people love them! They’re delicious, nostalgic, and a lot of fun to eat. Reporting by Andrew Watson.

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NEWS

OPENINGS

Patis/Balthazar Impressario McNally Set To Open Augustine In NYC

he luxury Beekman Hotel, built inside a landmarked 1880s office building with a soaring atrium and skylight, is set to debut this month with a pair of celebrity eateries. The Beekman had been undergoing a long conversion process to turn it into the 287-room upscale hotel, operated by Thompson Hotels, which also owns TriBeCa’s Smyth hotel. An adjoining luxury condo tower, with 68 private residences is also being built, though that 51-story building will open sometime in the second quarter of 2016. Those apartments, priced at $1.2 to $4 million, are currently being sold. “The building’s extraordinary interior attracted me to the project,” chef Keith McNally noted. “Plus being heavily in debt and having to work.” McNally describes this new restaurant as, “Closer to a French restaurant than a brasserie.” So, perhaps it

The building’s extraordinary interior attracted me to the project,” McNally noted. “Plus being heavily in debt and having to work.” McNally describes this new restaurant as, “Closer to a French restaurant than a brasserie.” will be more in the vein of his Bowery charmer Cherche Midi than Soho’s perennial favorite, Balthazar. Augustine is slated to open next month with a menu from Daniel Parilla and Shane McBride. “Named Augustine, the restaurant will feature French cuisine — a continuation on the theme of some of McNally’s other spots, which include the Odeon in Tribeca and Balthazar in Soho, but somewhat different,” McNally said. There will also be a bar with 10 to 12 seats. Shane Mc-

Keith McNally returns to NYC with a new hotel eatery.

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Bride, currently the executive chef at Balthazar, and Daniel Parilla, coexecutive chef at Cherche Midi, will helm the kitchen. McNally said he had been coming before the board since 1979. He quickly agreed to the hours the committee wanted, midnight during the week and 1 a.m. on weekends. The committee approved the liquor license. We’ve known for some time that the ten-story, 287-room hotel coming to the renovated building at 5 Beekman Street will have room for two separate showcase restaurants on its ground floor, and we’ve been hearing since the spring that these spots will be helmed by the powerhouse restaurateurs Tom Colicchio and Keith McNally. Colicchio says he’s flirting with a casual format and a menu of “old New York food, modernized.” The chef will also operate a lounge called the Living Room, while his restaurant group will run F&B; operations for the hotel, including room service. Keith McNally, in the meantime, who shuttered Pastis this year and opened Cherche Midi, a French brasserie, plans all-day service at his restaurant, which will have 90 seats.

Daniel Parilla grew up in southern New Jersey and graduated from the Restaurant School of Philadelphia in 1996. Daniel has worked in fine dining kitchens in Philadelphia and New York, including Café Boulud, Bouley, and Union Pacific. In 2009, Parilla joined the opening team at Minetta Tavern, where he worked for five years. Daniel is currently co-Executive Chef at Cherche Midi. Shane McBride grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida where, at age 18, he secured his first job in a professional kitchen at Narcissus and worked his way up from garde manger to sous chef. His first mentor, chef Todd Jent, helped instill Shane’s careerlong desire to constantly strive higher and seek out new challenges. This drive, along with knowledge of classic French cooking techniques and a love of simple, straightforward flavors, led McBride into a roster of the most prestigious restaurant kitchens in the country, including Aureole with Chef Charlie Palmer, Lespinasse with Chef Christian Delouvrier and Craftsteak (later Colicchio & Sons) with chef/ owner Tom Colicchio. In 2010, Shane joined Balthazar as Chef de Cuisine, bringing with him a solid background of fine French cuisine and a drive to bring the finest local ingredients. In his free time, Shane, a self-admitted barbecue addict, assembled some like-minded chef friends of his and started the Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krewe a NYC based competition BBQ team. Shane is currently Executive Chef at Balthazar and Schiller’s, and co-Executive Chef at Cherche Midi.

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ASK ANDREW

1. With Keith McNally and Tom Colicchio both opening restaurants in the Beekman Hotel, it seems as if restaurants in hotels have become a hot trend. What are your thoughts? Coincidence that the NYC Hospitality Alliance has teamed up with the HX Show? Not a coincidence at all. As I’ve highlighted in past columns the food and beverage market in hotels is booming, so it makes perfect sense that we’ve teamed up with the HX Show. Whenever I speak with restaurateurs who operate within hotels they tell me how important it is to have a great working relationship with the hotel operator. Our partnership with the HX Show will bring restaurateurs, nightlife operators and hoteliers together under one roof to see and discuss the products, services and trends influencing our collective industry, so it will inevitably strengthen those industry bonds. And not only will the chef demos and panel discussions be exciting and interesting but by partnering with the show we hope to encourage even more business relationships. 2. Has The Alliance issued any important industry alerts recently that restaurateurs and nightlife operators should be aware of?

FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE

Yes. Our counsel Rob Bookman brought to our attention that there is widespread unawareness in the hospitality industry of a NYS State Liquor Authority requirement about changes in a business’s owners or investors. Under the law, businesses with an SLA license are required to notify and obtain approval from the SLA for any change in the business’s owners or investors, no matter how small. This requirement applies regardless of the size of ownership percentage or number of management responsibilities. Changes in minority owners, small investors, and corporate officers all require notifying the SLA and obtaining approval before the change takes place. This requirement applies regardless of the size of ownership percentage or number of management responsibilities. Changes in minority owners, small investors, and corporate officers all require notifying the SLA and obtaining approval before the change takes place. Here are some examples of situations that many licensees believe are minor, but do require prior SLA approval: Taking on a new investor who has no management responsibilities whatsoever, buying out an investor who had a very small interest in the business, selling a minority interest in the business to new LLC members, transferring shares of the company and changing LLC managers. If any

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of these changes have been made or you plan to make them we highly recommend you speak with your liquor license attorney. Or feel free to contact me and The Alliance and Rob Bookman are more than happy to provide you additional information.

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.

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NEWS

OPENINGS

Jean-Georges Vongerichten Will Open His First Meatless Restaurant This Month

n 2015, chatter around the alcoholic beverage category focused on the craft beer explosion. While that shows no sign of slowing, the Summer of 2016 has been dubbed “The Season of Rosé” in Metro New York. What many operators don’t realize is that wine, particularly rosé, has moved to the forefront in what people desire most when they order drinks out. Jean-Georges Vongerichten is about to open a vegetarian restaurant, but he’d prefer you didn’t call it that. “For me, it sounds like a disease,” says the chef. “I like to call it a vegetable restaurant.” As such, abcV — the third, and

smallest, of Vongerichten’s collaborations with ABC Carpet & Home CEO Paulette Cole will celebrate roots and shoots and leaves without trying to mimic meat. While Vongerichten and his chef de cuisine, Neal Harden, were waiting for construction to finish (and an eight-story exhaust system for the wood-burning oven and grill to be installed), they had plenty of time for menu development: to season the wok; ferment dough for flatbreads; pressure-cook whole artichokes à la minute. “Wait until you try our kraut,” says Vongerichten, who as a native Alsatian knows his pickled cabbage. Of

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course, he’s had plenty of experience with plant matter. This is the man, after all, who gained prominence 30 years ago when he swapped butter and cream for vegetable reductions at the pioneering Lafayette, and who made waves more recently with his iconoclastic pea guacamole. He seems most excited about his new breakfast menu, which will launch along with lunch and a to-go counter and juice bar before dinner. “I learned to eat breakfast in America,” says Vongerichten, who takes a more global approach here with buckwheat crêpes, dosas, congee, and the South Asian lentil-and-rice dish called

kitchari. “We took the recipe from Deepak Chopra’s home and it’s absolutely amazing,” Vongerichten says. “A special spice makes it delicious, and not too heavy for breakfast.” The team was going to call the project ABC Home Grown, but according to a staffer, the new working project name is ABCV. As far as anyone knows, the restaurant is still planning to be vegetarian/vegan, so the V probably stands for vegetables or vegetarian or something like that. Then again, it could stand for victory. Or maybe it’s a Roman numeral. We may never know for certain.

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HEALTHCARE INSIDER

PRESENTED BY:

Michael Atanasio Overlook Hospital, Summit, NJ

t Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey it would be easy to mistake Michael Atanasio as President, CEO and Manager of everything that goes on at the facility. In addition to his position as Director of Food and Nutrition Services, Mr. Atanasio co-chairs the Green Committee and heads up the Diversity Committee at Overlook. As he put it, during the day he could be “discussing a blueberry muffin or purchasing a few hundred thousand dollars worth of medical equipment.” Mr. Atanasio took some time to speak with us about his career as well as the ever-evolving healthcare dining industry. Mr. Atanasio, how did you get into the healthcare foodservice industry? I started out about 33 years ago. I have a culinary arts degree that I started with and I worked in restaurants, country clubs and hotels. Eventually I looked at the healthcare industry and I found that it had a very different, more desirable life and work balance. So I got into healthcare but was able to keep my restaurant job at night and I was honored with a few prestigious awards and I competed in culinary competitions. I continued my education and wound up with my Masters Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in finance and healthcare. Healthcare has been rewarding in many different ways

of the industry. How have the needs and expectations of your patients changed? There have been monumental changes. Expectations have changed significantly. Folks get a lot of education from TV and the internet so that has forced many operators to elevate their game. Quality and things like sustainability and eating local has changed a lot. Organizations are also spending money recruiting very talented chefs.

Michael Atanasio

both personally and professionally. A lot of things fall under your umbrella outside the realm of traditional dining. What are those and how have they impacted your daily job? Well it is very dynamic and very busy as many people are. I prefer “organized chaos”, if you will. However I do things methodically and I invest a lot of my own time into putting the right people in the right job. In addition to my department I manage other initiatives. I co-chair the green committee and I am the chair of the diversity committee. So there are a lot of competing priorities. How do you build a team of people around you that help make the operation run smoothly? I’ve always been a big advocate of the saying, “the sign of a good manager is how the place runs when

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they are not there.” My goal is always to have people who can do my job. I am not one who is threatened, I encourage. For example I put together an intern program for frontline employees to prepare them for a supervisory level position. When I sit down and ask where would you like to be in three years, if they want to be a manager or supervisor, I tailor a plan to help get them there. Our greatest success story is that one of our pot washers is now a physician’s assistant. How are you attracting young professionals to an operation like Overlook? What attracts people is the opportunity, the growth potential and the learning experience. There are also a number of external things that push people into food and nutrition. Many years ago there was no Food TV and no Food Network and those things sort of glamorized a lot

Speaking of local eating, is there pressure to serve “farm to table” and is it realistic in your environment? I think we would rather do something than nothing. There is always a desire to buy locally. Can I do it 100% for Overlook? Not Yet. We have our own gardens and beehives, and we work with a program called Jersey Fresh. I am also working on an initiative called clean eating, where we are working with our vendors to know exactly where our produce comes from. I have a lot of support from the administration here and sometimes it just requires a little more thought and creativity. How do your food and beverage vendors play into your success and how do you get your products? Are you bidding constantly or do you have select vendors?

continued on page 62

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Michael Atanasio, from page 60 We work very closely with our vendors. We are not unlike most hospitals in that we participate in a group purchasing organization or GPO. So we do have select vendors. We don’t go out to bid unless there is cause to or our normal vendors cannot provide a speciality item. What kitchen renovations have you done recently and what is coming up in the future? At the end of December 2015 we redid the floor in the kitchen which is huge for us. We pulled up the old floor and poured a polymer, nonskid sealed to the floor. It is nonporous and leak proof. That was a monumental undertaking. We took that opportunity to also do a little bit of redesign and make the kitchen a little bit more ergonomic.

What healthcare food service associations do you participate in and what is that experience like? I am very much engaged in the Greater New Jersey Society for Healthcare Food Service Administrators. I am a past president and sit on the board. I am currently on the Association for Healthcare Food Services benchmarking committee and have served on their selection committee. It is a great organization and historically I was always a part of the legacy organizations that came before it. There are great benefits to national and local involvement, you have networking opportunities and resources. There’s a great camaraderie on all levels.

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23,

19 25,3

77 m

New Stadium, New Kitchen, New Feel For The US Open 19 16

15 14 13 12 11 10 9

79,3

8 7

5 415

USTA Grandstand Stadium

he United States Tennis Association (USTA) put the finishing touches on the new Grandstand Stadium in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. As part of a 10-year, $550 million revamp, dubbed the “Sports Spectacle Vision Plan,” of the entire 46-acre campus, the stadium has been relocated to the campus’s southwest corner to alleviate circulation issues and to establish a more even distribution of people and venues throughout the campus. The stadium is designed by the firm Rossetti, which was also behind the

iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium. The new tennis space will have increased capacity, with nearly 2,000 more seats throughout its 125,000 square feet of space. The structure has been outfitted with 486 panels that surround the stadium and upper walkways that allow for expansive views of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center campus. While the entire campus re-vamp isn’t scheduled for completion until 2018, the Grandstand Stadium was completed in time for this year’s 2016 US Open. Among the highlights of the

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Jerry Hoffman and Nick Morelli, Equipment and Supply Dealers, 1 22 The Sam Tell Companies, Farmingdale, NY and New York, NY 23

Danny Vausner, Managing Director of USTA, Flushing, NY Chris Studley, Director of Operations, USTA, Flushing, NY

Flushing Meadows - Corona Park, NY 2

x 16

4 19 The Sam Tell Companies teamed with the USTA and Levy Restaurants to design and build a new kitchen and concession stands at the Tennis Center’s new 8,000 seat stadium.

Jim Abbey, Executive Chef, US Open, Flushing, NY Vice President, Levy Restaurants, Chicago, IL

renovation for this year’s event was the construction of a new kitchen in the basement of the new Grandstand Stadium as well as a number of new concession stands. The kitchen side of the project was done by The Sam Tell Companies duo of Jerry Hoffman and Nick Morelli. The kitchen renovation was a 3 million dollar job, which began on January 1st. This project has not been the 2 duo; the two easiest for the Sam Tell have been finding solutions for the variety of problems presented in this renovation. The pair were left with

54,

a kitchen renovation that is underground that had no loading dock, no freight elevator, a makeshift platform and a tight timetable. Sam Tell and Son went problem to problem utilizing new food service technology and reliable companies to find solutions. With the kitchen being located in the basement of the new stadium, the Hoffman/Morelli duo faced a challenge of how to create proper ventilation. “Giles offered a line of innovative products including an electric fryer

continued on page 66

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USTA Blueprint, from page 64

The USTA’s Grandstand Stadium is backed by well-known chefs (L to R) Jim Abbey, Ed Brown, David Burke, David Chang, Tony Mantuano, Masaharu Morimoto, and Ken Oringer,

design with a built in ventless hood, and an assortment of recalculating ventilation hoods,” Morelli said. Other aspects such as fabrics were relieved by Aero. “I can’t say enough about the combination of flexibility and quality that Aero brought to the project. With the tight deadlines, it made our lives easier knowing that all of our custom fabrication was being produced in Aero’s facility in ‘Jersey,” Hoffman added. With limited storage and the need to

quickly clean dishes, glasses and flatware for the ‘Opening day and evening sessions, the selection of ware washing capacity was crucial. “With the selection of Champion brought us so much experience in working in a number of different challenging spaces and in being able to handle such intense volume. Champion enabled us to create a solution for preparation, cleaning and serving as many as 20,000 dishes per hour,” Hoffmann said.

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Hoffman and Morelli persevered and were able to complete the brand new commissary in the brand new grandstand stadium. Aside from the commissary, the Sam Tell duo added brand new bars, newsstands, a wine bar, oyster bar, and concession stands. Sam Tell also updated some of the facilities on campus with new equipment all while keeping the original design and structure intact. Their approach to creating the cooking capac-

ity necessary to feed tens of thousand of tennis fans included Star and Lang griddles. “With the ability to prepare multiple day parts from bacon and pancakes at breakfast to grilled cheese sandwiches to burgers for lunches and salmon to steaks for dinner. The Star and Lang griddle will give the Levy culinary team the firepower and peace of mind needed to keep up with

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USTA Blueprint, from page 66 peak demand,” Hoffman said. “Pizza has become such an important part of our guest experience,” noted Levy Restaurant corporate chef Jim Abbey. “New York City is so well known for its pizza that we knew we had to find the right oven to create a great pizza. With Marra Forni, we were able to bring an authentic Neapolitan oven and flavor to our guests. Marra Forni’s Francesco and Enzo Marra came to the US a decade ago with a goal of combining old fashioned Italian craftsmanship and the latest in technology and innovation in a domestically built line of Pizza ovens. “Most importantly, Marra Forni enabled us to overcome big challenges,” Abbey continued. “We knew that we would have gas to work with in our Food Village stands but we only had access to electric in the new stadium. The Marra Forni oven enabled us to provide the identical taste profile in both venues,” Abbey continued. The kitchen is one thing but running a kitchen facility that feeds over half a million people in a span of two weeks is another. We chatted with Craig Appel of Levy Restaurants to hear what they had planned for the U.S. Open revamp. Levy Restaurants’ goal was to create the best possible stadium dining experience that reflects what is going on in the broader New York restaurant scene. “We strive to offer something for everyone, from elegant dining to casual street eats, the dining options at the US Open reflect the vast and varied audience who attend the event,” Craig said. USTA envisioned an industry leading experience from suites to streets that represented the global flavor of the event and the ever-changing pallets of the guests. The Levy team operated as an extension of USTA and created a dining experience of just that. The Levy Team brought in a team of champions with 250 managers and chefs from Levy venues all over the country. Along with partnerships with local New York restaurants and chefs, such as David Chang’s Fuku, David Burkes’s BLT Fish

Shack, Angry Taco, Soomsoom, and Korilla BBQ. All of these local partnerships were added into the expansion of the food village and offered in suite dining which gave guests a taste of the hottest culinary trends in NYC. Levy was still faced with an uphill battle, as they had to prepare to run 7 total kitchens, concession stands, and suites with kitchen capabilities, all focused on serving over 700,000 guests. Not to mention the demands of Levy’s all-star team of chefs including local icons David Burke, David Chang and Masaharu Morimoto who all require the highest quality reach in refrigeration. “I still think about Traulsen’s roots right around the corner from the tennis center in College Point,” Hoffman noted. “We selected Traulsen for the USTA because the technology that they put in their units leads to long-term savings. When you think about Traulsen, you know you are getting quality hinges, seals and handles built to withstand constant use with the very latest in airflow, cooling defrosting, energy efficiency and ergonomics,” said Hoffman. The expanded concession refrigeration needs to provide yet another challenge with the wide diversity of fare being offered to tennis fans. “We used Beverage Air extensively to solve the challenge of such intense demand. We knew that with Bev-Air they bring a state of the industry commitment to technology that makes food safety a priority and creates a look for the customer that maximizes impulse buying,” Morelli added. Along with the new kitchen and concessions requiring an extensive expansion for walk-in capacity, “Arctic walk-ins provided both the experience of maximizing the utilization of space and the quality of construction required for a project of this size,” Morelli explained. “Their laminated solid-core board foam panels, foamed-in-place panels and the construction of their doors with ABS plastic and steel supports made Arctic the right choice for us,” Morelli continued.

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New York City chef David Chang brought his twist on a spicy chicken bacon sandwich

The legendary David Burke debuts his Angry Taco concept at the US Open

Jersey based Pat LaFrieda long known for their beef unveiled a new Chicken sandwich

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MEET THE NEWSMAKER

Randy Shelly VP of Hospitality, Shawmut Design and Construction, New York, NY

andy Shelly has worked at Shawmut Design and Construction for the past fourteen years and now serves as Vice President of Shawmut’s Hospitality Group. Randy and his team have spearheaded projects like renovations of Mario Batali’s La Sirena, Thomas Keller’s Per Se and Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin in addition to working on new Shake Shack locations from Virginia all the way up to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. We spoke to Randy to get his thoughts on his career in construction, how Shawmut has evolved in his time there and the challenges of building and renovating restaurants. How did you get into the construction business? I’ve been in construction all my life, since I was sixteen years old. I went to college at Bowling Green State University in a construction management program. I’ve only had two jobs since I graduated from college, one for seventeen years and now I have been with Shawmut for fourteen years. Hopefully I’ll spend my whole career here. Who are Shawmut’s target clients and how has the company expanded over the years? We work nationwide with some of the larger chains like Del Frisco’s, Cheesecake Factory and Benihana. However in large part we do highend restaurants in New York and Los

Angeles. The hospitality business also includes hotels and sports venues. The company has expanded geographically as we now have offices in Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Overall we have stayed true to our core business strategy which is to work in places where we can add value. What are some of the unique challenges of building a restaurant space? The mechanical infrastructure, things like grease exhaust, grease traps and natural gas capacity is the biggest thing. A lot of buildings don’t have these things, especially in New York City. If a space is not prepared for a restaurant it can be a great expense to outfit the space. Additionally we have the challenge of working over finished retail space or finished office space. These are sensitive spaces so we have to be careful with what we are building to make sure nothing leaks into the space below. What would you say is different about Shawmut’s approach to projects? We are really trying to differentiate ourselves from competition through the experience we offer. We identify problems before they exist, take preventative measures and communicate with our clients so they know what is going on. For example we have our own waterproofing standards and other require-

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ments that guarantee these spaces won’t have issues down the road. We look out for the client beyond the contractual scope of our job. Is there a trend toward “green” or sustainable construction in your industry? Is that something that you handle on the construction end as opposed to in design later on? In some of our other business segments, like academic buildings we have seen movement toward that sort of thing. We have not seen much of it in restaurants. The LEED and green design has as much to do with the ongoing use of the space as it does the construction end, so we don’t see it often in the construction phase.

Randy Shelly, VP of Hospitality, Shawmut Design and Construction, New York, NY

Shawmut recently completed the design of Mario Batali’s new La Sirena in Manhattan’s Chelsea district. Photo by Shawmut Design and Construction

What advice can you give to restaurant owners who want to build a space? What should they look for in a construction company? The traditional meth-

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Maialino. Photo by Shawmut Design and Construction

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ON WATER

WITH BRIAN MADDEN

Great Pizza Requires A Commitment To Understanding Your Water

ith all of the amazing growth of white tablecloth and eclectic ethnic dining all over Manhattan and Metro New York City, sometimes it’s easy to forget our roots. That one common denominator on every street corner in the Tri-State area is that local pizzeria. Everybody has a favorite place to stop during a crazy day for a slice or two. When you think of family, how many special occasions have been celebrated on the fly at a neighborhood pizzeria. What’s fascinating is that in many cases those secret recipes have kept

two and in some cases three generations of pizzas an integral part of the communities they serve. I was thinking that those recipes have a number of common ingredients including water. So I sought out one of the Tri-State’s most noted experts: Chef Santo Bruno of Marsal ovens to get his thoughts on how water needs to be treated to create consistently great pizza. I asked Chef Bruno What makes a great pizza? So he clicked through his top three: number one, the chef, number two, the flour that you use and fyi he prefers the old flour with

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gluten that keeps the dough from ripping. Chef Bruno’s third essential was a tie between water and oil. He told me that it’s the flour that makes the crust. It’s what gives you the color. The idea is simple: minerals dissolved in water (mostly magnesium and calcium) can help proteins in the flour bond together more tightly, forming a stronger gluten structure, the network of interconnected proteins that give dough its strength and elasticity. So the higher the mineral content of water (measured in parts per million, or ppm), the stronger and chewier the dough. In theory, it makes sense, and is easily provable in a laboratory. The more interesting question to me is, are the effects of the minerals in the water (referred to as Total Dissolved Solids, or TDS) significant enough to be detected by a normal eater in a real-world situation? Various aspects of the water can impact the dough in different ways. For example, iron in the water can react with many oxidative dough strengtheners such as ascorbic acid or azodicarbonamide (ADA) and, to some extent, even potassium bromate. While we don’t usually think about these additives, the truth is that in many cases they are present in the flour that we use since they are added at the flour mill to improve the qual-

Brian Madden is a New Hyde Park , NY native. The Western Connectcut University graduate has built a reputation as one of the nation’s leading experts on water filtration. In his current post with Pentair, he is handling sales in the Northeast. Madden’s career includes successful stints with Pepsi in Las Vegas, Metro NY with Hoshizaki as well as being deployed by Pentair to China.

ity of the flour, and their impact upon our dough might be more significant than we think it is. Our suggestion is that with the right Everpure water filtration system that the pizzeria operator is able to control the quality of the water and with the flour and the crust. Many Tri-State operators have units in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. So I wondered if we open a new

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NEWS

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

Pecinka Ferri Launches Tabletop Initiative To Support Metro NYC Dealers and Operators

ure, you can buy your knives and forks online. But what if you wanted a tabletop that shouted out who you are, and why diners should choose your restaurant first? That’s when you turn to Pecinka Ferri Associates and the community of equipment and supply dealers that they serve. “The internet appeals to people who want quick and easy,” said Ed Pecinka. “But when you’re looking for sheer elegance and taste, to make your operation a place you want to return to, this is where you go.” Pecinka Ferri, the well-known man-

ufacturer’s agent to the foodservice industry, representing internationally recognized brands, is now launching a new tabletop initiative to deliver solutions to local dealers and their restaurant and foodservice customers. The company, with its vast industry experience, brings knowledge and solutions to end users, support for dealers and consultants and innovative marketing services for its factories. The new lines Pecinka Ferri is introducing are Villeroy & Boch and Lancaster Commercial Products. The duo of iconic brands joins Geneva/Lakeside in the Pecinka Ferri portfolio. “If you go in to Bloomingdale’s and

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Macy’s, you see our prominence within their display,” said Frank Cullinan of Villeroy and Boch. “It’s the most, widely recognized brand of tableware in the world and has been for decades. But it’s prestige within reach. People may think, I can never afford that but the reality is, it brings value to the table. You may buy something less expensive but ours is going to last. Over the course of its life, it pays for itself.” Cullinan explained that though many other brands remain the same, the product changes. “Ours doesn’t,” he stated. “And our reorder rate is in the single digits, because our products are not just beautiful, but they

last. Competitors can’t say that. Their reorder rates can be about 30 to 40%. So we make sense for restaurants. We have the name, the reputation, the permanence.” All Villeroy & Boch products are made out of premium bone or premium porcelain. Discontinuations of products can be a real nightmare. “You don’t have that with us. And we have consistency. You’re always going to get the product you want, with the same design and manufacture. You’re talking 40% replenishment rate vs. 8%.”

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FAITHFUL FOOD

WITH FAITH HOPE CONSOLO

Harlem’s Divine Dining

arlem is the crown jewel of northern Manhattan and boasts a royal culinary scene. Harlem’s Restaurant Row along Frederick Douglass Boulevard has over 30 food and dining hotspots open or about to debut in the neighborhood. This great mix of cafes and restaurants are providing the amenities that people in the neighborhood want to see and restaurateurs around the city – and around the world -- are now diving into the mix. The growing culinary and hospitality industry has evolved from the legendary Sylvia’s and Rao’s to include the world-renowned Red Rooster, and today being followed by The Cecil, Serafina, Mountain Bird, Chaiwali and many more dining destinations. Harlem’s first Whole Foods is opening eminently on the corner of Lenox Avenue and 125th Street later this fall. The focus on food in Harlem will certainly continue, and the attention given to the neighborhood is increasing awareness all around. South Harlem: Café Dandy, 1890 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, the newest dining concept by the Harlem-based restaurant group responsible for highly-acclaimed destinations Lenox Saphire, on Lenox and 127th St., and Patisserie des Ambassades, on Fredrick Douglas Boulevard and 118th St. The patisserie and café, located between 114th and 115th Streets, is featuring a full-service menu and will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night dining. Surrounded by stately apart-

ment buildings and an eclectic mix of restaurants and retail, neighboring businesses include Mo’s Sneaker Spot, Make My Cake, Cantina and JS Cycle. Open for Business East Harlem: Harlem Shake, 2162 Second Avenue, burger restaurant with its second NYC space on the corner of Second Avenue and East 111th Street. Their burgers are made with grass-fed beef and its menu features comfort foods -- grilled-cheeseand-bacon sandwiches, chicken and waffles, and organic shakes. The original location, on West 124th Street and Lenox Avenue, opened in 2013. Coming Soon Frederick Douglass Boulevard - Harlem’s Restaurant Row: Cafeine, 2124 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, Italian coffee brand by Israeli-born chef Kfir Ben-Ari who made his mark heading the kitchen of Paradou in the Meatpacking District. Cafeine features Bristot, an Italian java brand with a nearly 100-year history and the menu features the classic coffee drinks, from espresso to café au lait, plus Frenchstyle pastries. Open for Business Harlem Burger Co., 2190 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, offers beef, turkey and veggie burgers with different topping combos. Graffitistyle mural decorates the space where you can dine on hot dogs, sandwiches and shakes. Open for Business Le Caméléon Restaurant, 2220

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Frederick Douglass Boulevard, Jeanne Mélanie Delcourt, the chef of Le Caméléon, is opening the restaurant with husband Xavier at her side. A former chef at Camelia, the two Michelin star restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in Paris, Delcourt was most recently chef at Palais de Tokyo, the Museum of Modern Art, near the Trocadero. Le Caméléon’s casual French menu will include fresh pastries in the morning and French-themed cocktails in the evening. The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, in addition to catering. Coming Soon Hop House, 2224 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, taproom and kitchen serving local NY beer, other craft brews, artisan pizza and other bar bites. Coming Soon Lenox Avenue: Archer & Goat, 187 Lenox Avenue, classic American comfort food and interesting cocktails in a cool hip environment. “Our food and drinks rely on a handcrafted approach and incorporate locally sourced seasonal ingredients whenever possible. Housed in a classic brownstone building in the Mount Morris Park historic district in Harlem NYC, Archer & Goat offers guests seating in the dining room area as well as a cozy backyard space.” Coming Soon Sottocasa Pizzeria, 227 Lenox Avenue,“Literally, in Italian, sotto means under, and casa, home. And that’s where we are nestled at the very bottom of a brick townhouse.

Faith Hope Consolo is the Chairman of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group. Ms. Consolo is responsible for the most successful commercial division of New York City’s largest residential real estate brokerage firm. Email her at fconsolo@elliman.com

But being “sottocasa”, is less about a physical location and more about a feeling: it involves being convenient, close, friendly, warm. That’s how you feel when you step through our door: welcome home!” “State of the art, flavorful, authentic Neapolitan Pizza. Which means a century old technique and the freshest ingredients, with an eye always open toward the environment. We source the best flour and tomatoes from Italy, and most of our fresh cheeses are from the US, so they travel less and they are always as fresh as possible.” Open for Business Manhattanville: Bierstrasse, 697 W 133rd Street, “located under the 12th Avenue viaduct in view of the Hudson River, we are a German themed beer garden. You can enjoy the pairing of German beers with classic biergarten cuisine in our spacious outside sitting area or inside while watching the game.” Open for Business Curry-Ya, 1467 Amsterdam Avenue, is the second location of the East Village eatery which is also the sister shop to Rai Rai Ken ramen next door. The specialty of the

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HOW GREEN ARE YOUR WAYS?

WITH PETER KAPLAN

How to Save Money On Your Restaurant Energy Costs

ant to know what types of buildings use up the most energy in the United States? According to the Energy Information Administration, restaurants are the most energy intensive buildings in the entire country! Let’s face the facts: restaurants require a lot of high-energy equipment running for extended periods of time. This mass consumption of energy by foodservice buildings are expensive, excessive, wasteful and awful for our environment. So what exactly is the most energy deficient aspect of your restaurant? There are many aspects that come into play when you’re looking at energy consumption but unfortunately if you own a restaurant your electricity bill is going to hurt. According to the E.I.A. an average restaurant energy bill will be split with 16.4% going to refrigeration, 15.7% going to sanitation, 24.4% going to food prep, and 16.6% going to heating. The rest of the bill is split up amongst your lighting, ventilation, cooling, computers, and office equipment. So as you can see, energy efficiency is one of the most difficult aspects of running a restaurant. We all want to cut down our electric bill; the thing is that people don’t know how to achieve energy efficiency. The benefits of energy efficiency are incomparable; energy

We all want to cut down our electric bill; the thing is that people don’t know how to achieve energy efficiency. Peter Kaplan has served as Chief

efficiency reduces energy demand, reduces the stress on our environment, and will eventually lead to create competitive yet affordable production costs of goods and services. There are a few ways to seriously evaluate your energy consumption. The first and most intensive is Comprehensive Energy Management (CEM), which is a program that literally measures every watt of energy used. CEM will then implement a sustainability program, which will update the equipment to reduce energy consumption. The first step of CEM is to measure and record your energy usage and then determine what has been the most ineffective. The easiest and most affordable version of a CEM is to track your energy and enter your usage levels into a spreadsheet, then compare and graph. There are even energy use tracking tools that you can use for free. As well as more comprehensive programs like Portfolio Manager from Energy Star that does

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the CEM for you. The important aspect of these systems is that they provide online access to your energy usage and make it easy for businesses to save money! There is a virtually infinite amount of information on how to keep your energy costs down. Here is a narrowed down blurb gathered by the UEC on Energy Efficiency in Restaurants and Food Service Operations. The simplest of these energy solutions is to make sure the oven door seal is tight; a loose seal will leak heat and waste energy. Some additional tips are reducing broiler, fryer and range pre-heating/idle time, avoiding overfilling your fryers and avoid prolonged cook times. Along with turning off your backup fryers and run your exhaust systems at a lower fan speed. Look into energy-efficient LED lamps and move away from incandescent and neon lighting. Cooling can be a huge burden on

Operating Officer and President of United Energy Consultants since 2005. Behind his leadership and 20+ years of de-regulated energy and risk management experience, United Energy Consultants has developed several proprietary procurement and software systems that are a benchmark in the industry. Email him at peter@uecnow.com

a restaurant’s energy bill; here are a few tips to keep that cost down. Keep your coils clean on your refrigerators and freezers; if evaporator and condenser coils are clean the equipment won’t have to work as hard. Some tips for your refrigerator and freezer are to keep them full but not overloaded so proper airflow is possible, avoid placing warm products into refrigerated cabinets and make sure that refrigerator door is closed nice and shut.

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Roscoe NY Beer, from page 38

The Roscoe NY Beer Brewery building.

exciting new Oktoberfest beer release. We will also feature our Autumn Spice, which we look forward to every year. It’s a very different type of beer that we flavor with squash. The festival will also feature Roscoe’s brown ale which

is a very popular american style and our stout.” In addition to the amazing craft beer selection, the festival will include pumpkin painting contests, pumpkin painting for the children, carriage hay

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rides, live music, and food. Roscoe Cares will have a booth selling hot cider and doughnuts to raise funds for local families in need. Rockland House will also have a booth serving delicious food throughout the day. There will be several local vendors selling goods, as well. Live music with the event starting at 1 p.m. Roscoe NY Beer also utilizes the annual Oktoberfest event to highlight its Roscoe Cares. “We have a whole area set up with a group that raises money for people in need. They actually sell cider and donuts at the festival every year and all the proceeds go back to them.” Can’t make it to the Oktoberfest event? In addition to the exciting events the brewery offers, Roscoe NY Beer Company is open all year round. Plan a trip to Roscoe to take in the phenomenon of fall foliage, or come in and warm up by the relaxing fireplace.

There’s also plenty to do in town. Join the brewery for a great taste-testing experience, and allow the team to take you on a tour of the brewing facilities. Each tour lasts about 30 minutes, and describes the main stages of the brewing process. Call to schedule your visit, or just stop in. Take Exit 94, go through the only red light in town, and proceed up Rockland Road. Make sure to follow Roscoe NY Beer Company on Facebook and Instagram, and visit their website to stay updated on the event.

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NEWS

MENU INNOVATIONS

Bosco Brings Portfolio Of Diversified Solutions To Metro New York Foodservice Operators

f you’re looking for anything from sausages to sodas and seltzers, The Bosco Family Food Company delivers. And if it’s a zingy new beverage you’re looking for, Bosco is even about to make its mark in the soda world as a manufacturer and supplier of its own sparkling sodas and seltzers. In business since 2005, Bosco distributes provisions from Karl Ehmer, which specializes in hams, sausages, bacon, pâtés, and many other fine smoked products. Bosco also distributes Chersi Sodas, with its exciting new flavors of Bouratino and Tarragon, according to owner Tony Maltese. Maltese, whose in-laws started the business, one of New York State’s biggest distributors, maintained that the company’s focus on the personal touch is what’s made it so successful. “When you’re our customer, everything is for you. We’re hands-on. Our company is privately owned. That means we take personally everything we do. Whatever size we grow the company, whatever we do, you’re always going to see me hands on and watching what’s what, because that’s what I do.” “If you’re looking for a supplier who will be with you for the long haul, it’s Bosco,” Maltese promised. “Relationships are very important to us, Maltese said. “Restaurant owners like to know that, when they start dealing with somebody, that person they’ve been dealing with all these years is still there, protecting them. That’s what we

Everybody in the business knew us from our days with Boars Head. So when the opportunity presented itself to purchase an iconic brand like Karl Ehmer, it was a perfect fit for us,” Maltese said. do. That continuity is very important. You become our customer for life.” Bosco’s customer base includes foodservice, restaurant, and supermarkets. “Almost every genre you can think of, as far as meats are concerned,” Maltese explained. “And that in itself is unusual because, typically, you have a lot of people calling on you for just one thing, so you’re juggling lots of calls and orders. With us, you just deal with us. Our customers love the way we take care of them.” The company was started when Maltese’s father-in-law retired from Boars Head in 2003. “We wanted to reinvent ourselves and come back as a provision company, but not causing any damage to the existing customer base,” Maltese pointed out, “And we started doing that through soda.” Bosco bought a Russian manufacturer back in 2003 and created its own proprietary brand. “It had a strong following in the streets for the European community. But that business has changed over the years because of importing and the fact that product im-

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porting is a lot cheaper than making it here in the U.S. And that was really the foundation of Bosco right there,” Maltese stated. In fact, the company does make its own product. “Right now we don’t pack it but very soon we’re going to be making it ourselves, original and flavored seltzers, including such specialty flavors as Bouratino and Tarragon. Today we have between eight and ten flavors and we make it in a variety of sizes – one liter, two liters, and a 12-ounce glass,” Maltese said proudly. A new taste in soda is infused waters. “It’s a different type of customer, a more sophisticated, funky customer,” Maltese asserted. “Whether it’s a vitamin-infused water or a seltzer with a little bit of a zing to it that’s becoming very popular, we can supply any restaurant with this popular new kind of beverage.” The second step in Maltese and his team reinventing the company was its return to its roots. “Everybody in the business knew us from our days with Boars Head. So when the opportunity

presented itself to purchase an iconic brand like Karl Ehmer, it was a perfect fit for us,” Maltese said. With Octoberfest just around the corner, Bosco is poised to assist Metro New York restaurant and food service operators to create new seasonal profits. “One of the things that we’ve acquired over the years is a lot of experience with how to add the right Octoberfest menu to a foodservice operator’s menu,” Maltese noted. “We had a restaurant called The River Inn near us that had never had any sort of Oktoberfest menu. We were able to create a Bavarian platter that featured three or four sausage varieties and a smoked pork chop. We also added a potato pancake and it went over surprisingly well. People would go in, they’d get their beer, and order a Bavarian platter for two,” Maltee continued. Bosco has also become a staple at the annual Specialty Food Show at the Javits Center in New York. “The show gives us the opportunity to introduce new products and to listen to our customers,” Maltese explained. As a result of that input the firm is currently working on several new natural line additions to the Karl Ehmer line. In today’s marketplace, it’s all about creating a signature on your food and beverage menus. With a single call to Bosco Family Food, Maltese and his team are ready to help the Tri-State foodservice operator accomplish that goal.

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LIZ ON TABLETOP

TABLETOP SOLUTIONS

Updating Your Approach To Catering Equipment And Supplies To Match Today’s Menus

Liz Weiss is the President and coowner of Armonk, NY based H. Weiss Co. She is known nationally as one of

ouldn’t it make sense that, as you look at your restaurant or foodservice operation, the largest potential profit centers deserve the most attention? There’s no question in my mind that catering should sit at the top of the list. It gives an operator who usually is dependent on customers coming to them the opportunity to market and sell and create cash flow in and around peak a la carte periods.

Think about it, what other segment of an operator offers the opportunity to book a party or an event and have the luxury of the customer’s deposit to make certain that you get everything just right on their behalf. We’ve noticed in working with our H. Weiss customers that there has been more change in catering fare than any aspect of the culinary landscape. Whether you operate a country club or a hotel, the ability to know

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how many people you will feed in a relatively short amount of time, maximizes profits by enabling you to plan your food costs. Let’s take a look at what’s hot in terms of menus. Why don’t you join me as we walk through a typical New York City area catering function. The whole approach to the cocktail on the way in has changed. The tradition of just serving a glass of champagne or water as you walk in has been replaced by a signa-

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.

ture cocktail. Infact in some cases it might acutally be infused water. There’s a new practicality regarding a guest being offered a cocktail on an empty stomach. In many cases you will now see a martini

type setup with the beverage being offered in a stunning vessel. As we get ready to eat, we are struck by the new reality of safety regulation. The old days of chafing dishes are done partially because you can’t cook with open flame anymore. They are being replaced by induction ranges or warmers. One of the prior issues with making a commitment to induction cooking was the tremendous amount of electrical power and cost that was required. But now you have a well respected company like Vollrath bring a wonderful solution to the market. They offer an induction system that you can bank three warmers together, almost like Christmas lights with a

single outlet. Keep in mind that these new induction cookers require special creative pots that are made specially for use with induction cooking. They come in a beautiful array of ceramic, stainless or copper for a great look. We are noticing that the upgrade in creativity and quality of catering fare is marked by much smaller batches of food. Among the trends that we are seeing with our catering clients are passed hors d’oeuvres that are really being presented beautifully. From baskets to spoons, even a vertical tree looking piece with picks that you could pull off the item. Not the old fashioned oak leafs but more

of a palm look that are very pretty. They are a little bit more earthy and garnished with flowers. We are even seeing creative caterers using shot glasses with soups. Might even be a single shrimp served in a shot glass or a single item in baby martini glasses. The food is a little bit more complex. No more fried shrimp to dip in sauce and put it in your mouth. Today it’s a composed bite that’s fully garnished. The guest puts it onto a spoon, or on a pick, or in a small glass and experiences it all in one taste. The size of the portion has also changed. It’s small enough today to be a single bite. With two to three bites and cocktail and a napkin, it

simply becomes too much to juggle. They use much smaller bites that you can take and just put down your throat. And they’re just prettier. They’re so much prettier than they used to be. Everything today is colorful in a very natural way. Herbs, flowers and a dot of color. Finally the approach to desserts has seen enormous change. Today it’s all about small bites away from the table. So guests get a chance to come off the dance floor and enjoy everything from a mini ice cream sandwich to a bite of the wedding cake. Enjoy the upcoming Fall and holiday catering season. Call or email and we would be happy to share our ideas.

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C-CAP TRADE TALK

WITH JOYCE APPELMAN

Tuxton China Now A Sponsor For Careers Through Culinary Arts Program

he support and sponsorship from the foodservice industry is one of the keys to C-CAP’s success. Since 1990, Industry sponsors have provided under-stocked and underequipped classrooms with necessary equipment and ingredients. C-CAP wishes to thank the following companies for donating products to C-CAP classrooms for the 20152016 school year: • August Thomsen Corp • Banza • Blue Diamond Growers • Bush Brothers & Company • DKB Household USA • Filippo Berio • Guittard Chocolate Company • Healthy Kids Concepts • Grassland Dairy Products • Harold Import Co. • Korin Japanese Trading Corp. • Minor’s • Nielsen-Massey • Picot Productions Ltd • Premium Supply Company • True Refrigeration • The Uhlmann Company This year, Tuxton China, a leading tabletop supplier to the foodservice industry, will become a sponsor for C-CAP and is donating a percentage of their total sales from the month of September to the Los Angeles location. “We at Tuxton China are very excited to begin what we hope will be a

long association with C-CAP. We have been looking for a charitable organization that we could partner and grow with that has a direct impact on the industry we are a part of. This new partnership allows us to give back and help these kids become a valued part of this wonderful industry,” says Bill Burden, President of Tuxton China. “As Tuxton continues to grow as a company, we want to help partners we believe in and causes we can support which are going above and beyond to help those in our industry,” says Marketing Director Jennifer Rolander. “We chose C-CAP as our Tuxton Cares partner because they are committed to helping at-risk high school students by providing them the tools to prepare for college and culinary careers. Their organization is extraordinary and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with not only the Los Angeles location but their other locations across the country as well.” “We are excited to announce the partnership with Tuxton China Company, an industry leader in assisting and fortifying programs like ours. Their fundraising donation will support our programs and services to more than 3,200 students in 22 schools here in Los Angeles. Tuxton is here to support CCAP one plate at a time,” says C-CAP Los Angeles Director Lisa Fontanesi. Tuxton China Inc. is a familyowned and operated company here

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in the US and in China. Started in 1999 by the Lam family, Tuxton has become a leading wholesaler of highquality dinnerware and ovenware products for the foodservice industry. They pride themselves on fostering long-term relationships with their clients, providing exceptional customer service and producing superior quality products.

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

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Randy Shelly, from page 72

od is to take the approach of hiring an architect to design a space then bringing it to three or four contractors to get a price. It is known as the competitive bid process and the owner ends up with four bids but they all end up being way over budget. Now they have to go through a process of reducing costs before they hire a contractor, something they did not think they would have to do that takes time and money. The better way to do it is to hire a contractor at the same time as an architect. That way we can give our input and try to add value. For example, do you really need eight different HVAC zones in your dining room when you could do it in four and save $200,000? If you get a contractor on board early to work with an architect to help manage the budget and get as much value as possible, you’ll be on a better track.

Then you can decide if you want to go over budget or not, but at least as an owner you’re making a conscious decision along the way with input from the contractor. What are the projects at Shawmut you are most proud of, and what is on the docket for future projects? One of our favorites is Nobu Fifty Seven which has really stood the test of time. That was over ten years ago and is still one of the hottest spots in Manhattan. Nobu has been a client for a long time; we’ve done projects with them in Malibu, Los Angeles and Texas. We’re doing one now in D.C and then one on Broadway. We’re also doing the new Union Square Cafe with Danny Meyer. Danny has been a long time client. We have done Blue Smoke, Porchlight and Maialino with him.

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Do you see a lot of repeat clients such as Danny Meyer? About eighty percent of our business is with repeat clients. Our goal is to treat our clients fairly and add value to their projects in order to make them lifelong clients. The other twenty percent represents our new clients as we continue to grow. You can view Shawmut’s Hospitality Portfolio here at http://www. shawmut.com/portfolio/hospitality/fine-dining

Nobu 57. Photo by Shawmut Construction and Design

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Sederholt, from page 12 from home” – restaurant - category has seen prices move in the opposite direction. How are you responding to that? Newer and larger challenges have emerged. Calls for increasing wages to provide more livable income for workers is actually having a negative effect, particularly on our industry. A substantial portion of the U.S. population lives in states and regions where minimum wage increases are expected over the next few years – namely New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Michigan, California, and others. Blend this into the recessionary stew pot and you’ve got problems. “Restaurants operate on thin margins with low profits per employee and little room to absorb added costs,” the National Restaurant Association said in a statement earlier this year in response to news that the

Labor Department was aiming to expand overtime eligibility among U.S. workers. “More than doubling the current minimum salary threshold for exempt employees, while automatically increasing salary levels, will harm restaurants and the employer community at large.” This is not a “Doomsday” article – this is a “wake up and smell the coffee” alert. There are things that smart operators and their suppliers can do to prepare. • Keep your current spending under control and try to put away “rainy day” cash reserves. This is a time for good systems and controls and for vigilant purchasing practices. Keep all your variable costs tightly under control because every dollar you save will be there for you when sales slide and costs increase. • Establish positive relationships with your primary vendors. This part-

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nership will ensure that both of you come out of the recession together. • Establish a relationship with a reputable financing company that will be able to provide you with instant funds if you need it. Our company has close to 20,000 current and former small business customers who can call in and get the funds they need, when they need them. • Suppliers, wholesalers and service companies should not take on more credit risk as the “tide goes out”. Remember, you are not in the financial services business, you supply the foodservice industry. Establish a financing partnership with a professional well-capitalized company like Strategic Funding, which will provide the capital to your customers to keep them within your credit terms, with no additional risk to you. • If possible, restaurant operators should start talking to their landlords

to see how cooperative they might be in an extended economic downturn. It is better to test the water and discuss it before you are falling behind in your rent. They are not receptive when things are bad. If possible, build up and hold a cash reserve specifically for rent and insurance costs. Whether you are a restaurateur or you supply them, being prepared for a recession will not only help you weather the storm, but you will be ready to take advantage of potential opportunities that present themselves in those times. When I was in the restaurant business, this is when I would buy restaurants at a substantial discount. I picked up the best bargains from suppliers seeking to keep product moving and to sell inventory and equipment. Luckily, I can say I always did very well in down economies – I hope you will do so too.

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Minimum Wage Veto, from page 4 ter than the people who actually run these businesses, is the reason why in past administrations New Jersey has gotten less and less affordable,” Christie said. Christie added: “This measure is a complete pander to folks who are uninformed because they neither receive the minimum wage or pay it.” New Jersey Policy Perspective, a liberal Trenton think tank, criticized the governor for having “failed to take advantage of a great opportunity to give nearly 1 million New Jersey workers a raise,” said Jon Whiten, vice president of NJPP. NJPP has estimated 975,000 people would benefit from the wage hike. “Instead, he has decided to allow employers to continue paying 975,000 New Jerseyans so little that they can’t survive on their wages

alone in this high-cost state,” Whiten said. “These workers and their families must continue to rely on the publicly funded safety net and the charity of the private nonprofit sector just to put food on the table, clothes on their backs and a roof over their heads.” Business owners argued when the bill made its way through the Legislature that sharp increases in labor costs could force them to raise prices, cut hours and staff, and possibly close up shop, shrinking the labor market. Michele Siekerka, president and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, praised the governor on the veto. “Increasing the minimum wage to $15, as prescribed in the bill vetoed, is too much too fast,” Siekerka said. “The governor’s veto has saved thousands of small businesses

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from the negative impacts of a 79 percent increase in the minimum wage,” Siekerka said. “Had this bill been signed, it would not only have hurt the New Jersey economy, but it would have hurt the exact workers the proponents of this policy are trying to help.” But workers and worker advocates said the measure was needed because many workers have trouble trying to get by on the minimum wage in such a high-cost state. The annual take-home pay for a full-time worker earning the minimum wage in New Jersey is about $17,430. The United Way of Northern New Jersey has estimated a single adult in New Jersey would need to earn $13.78 an hour to meet his or her basic needs, and $19.73 per hour for “better food and shelter, plus modest savings.” Christie agreed with the business

community that hiking the minimum wage would hurt New Jersey’s small businesses. “If we’re forced to reduce staff our customer service drops and we’re forced to increase prices,” said Mike Rothwell, owner of Pennington Quality Market. Rothwell argued hiking the minimum wage would threaten the future of his store and would make it more likely he would need to shutter his family-owned business because he wouldn’t be able to compete with big box stores. Democratic leaders had said they would attempt to place the measure on the fall 2017 ballot for voter approval, which would push back the timeline for hitting $15, if Christie vetoed the bill. Anticipating that, Christie urged business leaders to “speak up.”

continued on page 98

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Minimum Wage Veto, from page 96 “There’s going to be a large and, I hope, loud public discussion about this,” Christie said. “Those who choose to stay under the radar will lose. We need to educate the public on this issue.” New Jersey’s minimum wage is already controlled by the state Constitution. Democrats went that route after Christie in 2013 vetoed a minimum wage bill that he said would hurt the economy. Christie instead offered to phase the $1 increase in over three years, with no automatic increases. Democrats took their plan to voters, who agreed to amend the state constitution to increase the minimum wage by $1 to $8.25 an hour and then adjust annually based on the Consumer Price Index. Wages rose 13 cents in January 2015 and did not increase in 2016. A short time after Christie vetoed

the bill, Democratic-leaning groups in the state called on lawmakers to follow through with that commitment. “Our coalition is prepared to continue to build on our effort to raise the people of this state out of poverty including a large number of women, people of color, adult heads of households,” said Analilia Mejia, director of NJ Working Families Alliance. “We call our Legislature to live up to their commitment to the working families of the state and circumvent this veto by placing a comprehensive measure that raises all families on the ballot,” Mejia said. Within hours of the veto, a top Democratic lawmaker confirmed the Legislature will push for a ballot question for voters to decide the issue.

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