May 2020 - Total Food Service by Total Food Service

NEWS

COVID-19 RELIEF

ANDRÉS & BLOOMBERG PARTNER TO FEED NYC HEALTHCARE FRONTLINERS

loomberg Philanthropies and World Central Kitchen have partnered to provide fresh daily meals for the 30,000 healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic at NYC Health + Hospitals’ 11 acute care hospitals and five post-acute long-term care facilities across the city’s five boroughs. Mike Bloomberg’s $6 million gift made it possible for World Central Kitchen to begin food service operations last month across all NYC Health + Hospital facilities. The collaboration is feeding all NYC Health + Hospitals, acute, and postacute care staff plus additional personnel who have joined their ranks at these facilities, regardless of their

“We know that together we are sharing so much more than just meals, but also hope, dignity, and nourishment for the future. It really instills these brave and tireless workers with the knowledge that we – the people of New York, and of America – are with them.” — Nate Mook, CEO, WCK department, discipline, or tour, seven days a week, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. from a uniquely designed grab-and-go “cafeteria.” World Central Kitchen and NYC Health + Hospitals have strategized a variety of internal and external setups tailored to each individual facility’s needs, ensuring that the highest

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safety standards are met, frontline workers experience little to no wait for meal dissemination, and that food is available to staff who work overnight shifts. The partnership aims to also meet workers’ dietary restrictions with as little burden as possible. “As the coronavirus sweeps across

the world, health care workers are risking their lives every day to protect ours -- and they need our support now more than ever,” said Michael Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP, and threeterm mayor of New York City. “Here in New York, we’re glad to be teaming up with Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen to provide daily meals to everyone working so hard at 16 of the city’s public hospitals and long-term care facilities run by the NYC Health + Hospitals system. It’s a way for our team at Bloomberg Philanthropies to express our deep appreciation for them -- and to help them keep saving lives and battling this disease.” World Central Kitchen, the international not-for-profit organization founded by chef José Andrés, uses the power of food to heal and strengthen communities in times of crisis. Through its #ChefsForAmerica

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 3

NEWS

OBITUARY

LE CIRQUE AND NYC LEGEND MACCIONI DEAD AT 88

irio Maccioni, who opened the celebrated French restaurant Le Cirque and watched it grow into arguably Manhattan’s favorite dining room of the rich and famous, died April 20 at his villa in Montecatini, Italy. He was 88. He was suffering from the effects of a stroke and Alzheimer’s disease,. Survivors include his wife, Egidiana, and three sons, Mario, Marco and Mauro. Le Cirque was famed for its decadent Grand Marnier souffles and terrines of rabbit rillette. The starry guest list included Frank Sinatra, Henry Kissinger, Princess Grace, Bill Blass, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, Diana Ross and Nancy and Ronald Reagan.

“He’s the only person I could ever imagine going into the restaurant business with.” — President Donald Trump Le Cirque opened in 1974 at the Mayfair Hotel. “We weren’t really prepared, but the rest is history. We were the first ‘place to be seen’ that also had good food,” Mr. Maccioni told the Associated Press in 2000. The restaurant moved and reopened as Le Cirque 2000 in 1997 in the New York Palace Hotel. In 2006, Le Cirque moved again and opened on East 58th Street. In 2017, the restaurant filed for bankruptcy. Le Cirque has branches in Las Vegas, Dubai and India.

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The restaurant received a fourstar review from the New York Times in 1987, which was renewed in 1997. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani once recognized it as being one of the city’s most glamorous and hospitable restaurants. The James Beard Foundation gave Mr. Maccioni its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. “I consider myself a working restaurateur, but I’m proud to be called elite,” he said, “I encourage all my people to be elite; be an elite dishwasher. Being elite means being the best.”

He and his restaurant helped launch the careers of many illustrious chefs, including Daniel Boulud, David Bouley, Terrance Brennan, Alain Sailhac, Rick Moonen and Jacques Torres. Maccioni was a giant: The last great front-of-house impresario and a prodigious spotter of kitchen talent. His two most famous culinary accomplishments were the invention, or at least popularization, of pasta primavera, and the hiring of a 31-year-old Daniel Boulud as Le Cirque’s head chef. He was also a bridge between the prehistory of New York restaurants and its modern, or at least pre-pandemic, incarnation.

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 5

NEWS

B2C DINING SOLUTIONS

RESTAURANT ASSOCIATES EXPANDS HORIZONS WITH FRESH DIRECT PACT

s the restaurant and hospitality industries continue to be devastated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, FreshDirect, the Northeast’s leading online fresh food grocer, has partnered with Restaurant Associates, the nation’s premier on-site dining management company, on a new initiative, “RA Kitchen.” This alliance will provide FreshDirect with a rotating selection of great tasting, prepared meal solutions for its customers, while bringing Restaurant Associates employees back to work. In addition, for every meal purchased, FreshDirect and Restaurant Associates will donate a meal to New Yorkers in need through the NY Common Pantry, whose mission is to reduce hunger while promoting dignity, health and self-sufficiency for the populations they serve. “RA Kitchen” is a strategic collaboration that offers solutions at a critical time. It expands FreshDirect’s capacity in the prepared food category, allowing the company to serve more customers with ready-to-eat, missiondriven meals that only require heating. At the same time, the partnership helps bring back Restaurant Associates’ cooks who were out of work as a result of the economic toll of the virus. “The devastation this health pandemic is causing across the New York restaurant industry hits close to home, as I started my career in restaurants, as a cook,” said David McInerney, CEO and Co-Founder, FreshDirect. “By partnering with Restaurant Associates, we have the opportunity to bring some of their employees back to work, while offering our customers great meal solutions, and best of all, continuing to give back and support

“Their mission is more vital than ever as we anticipate the rise of unemployment, which will lead to even more people facing uncertainty and worrying about where their next meal will come from.” — David McInerney, CEO & Co-Founder, FreshDirect NY Common Pantry in their efforts to serve the many food insecure people in our community. Their mission is more vital than ever as we anticipate the rise of unemployment, which will lead to even more people facing uncertainty and worrying about where their next meal will come from. No one should face that fear.” “Restaurant Associates is thrilled to partner with another longstanding NYC company, FreshDirect, to provide mission-driven ready-to-heat meals,” added Restaurant Associates President, Ed Brown. “For us this is a winwin-win partnership where we get to put our teams back to work, provide our community with comforting and delicious food, all the while supporting the food insecure.” “We are grateful for the continued support of FreshDirect and Restaurant Associates, and this new combined initiative,” stated Stephen Grimaldi, Executive Director, NY Common Pantry. “The consequences of COVID19 on NY Common Pantry and its exacerbating the already existing crisis of food insecurity in NYC has just begun. The number of new registrants at our two pantry locations is alarming. With unemployment skyrocketing, we see demand escalating even further. Every donation right now is critical.” Earlier this year, FreshDirect and NY Common Pantry announced a

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philanthropic partnership in which FreshDirect customers contributed to NY Common Pantry through point-ofsale donations which directly benefitted the organization. The generosity of the FreshDirect customer base has been overwhelming – over the last two months, customers have donated over $340,000 to NY Common Pantry. FreshDirect is the Northeast’s leading online fresh food grocer, delivering next day, same day and on-demand directly to customers throughout seven states, including the New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, and the District of Columbia. FreshDirect is committed to sourcing the freshest and best-tasting meat, fish, produce, and specialty items through direct relationships with suppliers, growers, and farmers. Launched in 2002, FreshDirect is a privately held company headquartered in Bronx, NY. Restaurant Associates (RA), a member of Compass Group, is recognized as the nation’s premier on-site dining management company. RA delivers hospitality excellence to guests at corporate workplaces, cultural and entertainment centers, professional schools, and catered events in metro New York City, Washington DC, Boston, and Atlanta. Since the 1950’s, we’ve delivered culinary excellence and unparalleled hospitality to some of the most recognizable institutions

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

Cover photo courtesy of Kitchen United

continued on page 102is published Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Ave., Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2020 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

and brands in the world. New York Common Pantry reduces hunger and promotes dignity, health, and self-sufficiency throughout New York City. In 2019, NYCP distributed nearly 6.5 million meals to those in need. Additionally, NYCP provides a broad spectrum of support for individuals and families, which include distribution of fresh produce and groceries, nutrition education, and case management.

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 7

TREND TALK

WITH JOYCE APPELMAN

CALL TO ACTION: LI CHEFS ON THE FRONTLINE FEEDING WORKERS AT COVID-19 TEST SITES

e are all facing challenges unlike anything we’ve ever seen including the sacrifices of our healthcare workers and first responders, who put their lives on the line for our safety and well-being every day. Many of our Chefs are also putting their lives at risk during this time of crisis. Three-Star Chefs Allison Fasano and John Brill, both who have cooked with celebrity chef Bobby Flay and Long Island favorites along with Justin Aronoff, Owner of Center Cuts and Blvd25, have heard the call to support our community. “We believe it is our duty to feed the frontline workers the best way we know, and that’s to cook and provide healthful breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week,” says Fasano. These chefs begin working at 3:30 a.m., fueled by Dunkin Donuts coffee and rock and roll music, prepping, cooking, individually wrapping, labeling, and plating each meal for healthcare and military workers at

testing sites on Long Island, Brooklyn and Bronx. They have been working 85-90-hours a week, are assisted by a staff of six, making over 4,600 meals a week. The Chefs are wearing masks, gloves and practicing social distancing. Chef Fasano is a television celebrity chef from her appearance on Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay, Chopped, Restaurant Hunter on Fios and recently appeared on Dishmantled on the new streaming network on Quibi. She was Chef Flay’s sous chef at Gato in Manhattan. She brought the oldschool New York steak house vibe to Harley’s American Grill in Farmingdale and most recently helmed the kitchen at the Salt and Sea Bistro at The Bay Breeze Inn in Jamesport. She was named one of the 2020 Total Food Service Top Women in Metro New York Foodservice and Hospitality. “John and I have previously worked together and have become friends throughout the years. So, it’s a lot easier to wake up at 2:30 in the morning and work with someone you respect and can share lots of laughs with.”

Fasano says. “At the end of the day Chefs do what they do, they cook. During a crisis, food is the one thing people need the most. With the trying times we are in, restaurants are closed and we are limited on our outlets to feed people. It’s the hospitality mentality to serve and that’s what we’re doing. Food brings people together and now more than ever that’s what we need.” Chef Brill is a familiar face in Long Island restaurants including Ayhan’s Fish on Main in Port Washington, Jack Halyards in Oyster Bay and Red Fish in Plainview, a consulting chef with Chef Aronoff for Blvd25 in Manhasset and most recently opened 7 Gerard in Huntington. “While we navigate through these unprecedented and uncertain times together, I am honored that I have been chosen to help feed all of our frontline workers. Day in and day out they lay their lives on the line for us! Whether it’s a Roast Chicken or Filet Mignon, I know that I am providing a nutritious meal made with both love and respect. Together in unity we will

(L to R) Chefs John Brill and Allison Fasano; Center Cuts owner Justin Aronoff; and a table of prepared meals ready to be delivered to the first responder community.

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

combat this vicious virus. I am thankful that I am able to do my part for our true heroes!” adds Chef Brill. The Chefs turned to US Foods as a partner to secure the ingredients necessary for the healthy meals that includes a vegetable, starch and protein. Aronoff brought back an oldworld style of butchering to Roslyn, where he provides a valuable service to the community that also includes a full-service catering company. He expanded into the restaurant business with Blvd25, a new American kitchen in Manhasset, shuttered untilthe crisis is over. Aronoff explained, “It’s our honor to help feed the frontline during these trying times. Our team has stepped up to the plate working around the clock, doing our part and what we can do to help. We will continue being a safety net for everyone working at the test sites, no worker hungry for as long as we are needed.” #chefsonthefrontline

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 9

NEWS

SANITIZATION SOLUTIONS

HOW TO HELP KEEP RESTAURANTS DISINFECTED DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Article by Judy Black, BCE, VP Quality Assurance and Technical Services, Orkin, LLC

rom the onset of COVID-19, disinfection has been at the forefront of business owners’ and consumers’ minds alike. And while disinfection has always been a top priority for the foodservice industry, it is even more critical now. In fact, proper disinfection techniques could make a significant impact on just how long this pandemic lasts. To help stop the spread of pathogens, restaurants need to continue acting quickly and strategically to keep their establishments as sterile as possible. This means taking proactive measures for customers and employees—in particular, increasing disinfection techniques. Terms like “cleaning,” “sanitizing” and “disinfecting” have very different implications when it comes to ridding surfaces of bacteria, viruses and fungi—what we generally refer to as “germs.” When it comes to helping stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, knowing the differences between these processes is important, especially for restaurant owners. • Cleaning helps remove germs by ridding surfaces of dirt and grime. Using water and soap, or some type of detergent, cleaning physically removes dirt and other organic material, often by washing them down the drain. While cleaning can remove some germs, lowering the risk of spreading infection and viruses, this process does not kill germs. • Sanitizing a surface means “to reduce, but not necessarily eliminate, microorganisms from the inanimate

environment to levels considered safe as determined by public health codes or regulations,” according to the EPA. However, dirt and grime can create a protective barrier for germs, so a surface must be cleaned before it can be sanitized. Sanitizing does not impact viruses. • Disinfecting kills 100 percent of bacteria, fungi and viruses on both surfaces and objects through the use of active ingredients. Disinfectant products—a subset of antimicrobial pesticides—destroy harmful microorganisms on hard, non-porous surfaces when applied at full strength in accordance with the product label. As in the case of sanitizing, disinfecting is not fully effective without first cleaning the surface. Pest management is one of the few designated “essential services” during this pandemic, and providers like Orkin are able to service restaurants

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with a goal of helping to quickly and thoroughly suppress a wide variety of serious pathogens. To put your restaurant in the best position possible, consider taking the following steps. • Ensure the disinfectant used is included on the EPA’s “List N.” These products are EPA-registered and labeled for use against a wide variety of pathogens, including other known coronaviruses. In being included on the list, it means the disinfectant meets the EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. • Check the disinfectant’s effectiveness. Orkin recommends using a powerful disinfectant that will kill 100 percent of bacteria and viruses on hard, non-porous surfaces when applied at full strength in accordance with the product label. • Look for a “no rinse” option. For foodservice facilities, disinfectants rated “no rinse required on food

contact surfaces” category D2 by NSF International are most ideal. This means they are approved for use in commercial or residential kitchens to control bacteria, viruses and mold without the need to wash or rinse the area with water after it is applied. While there’s no silver bullet for stopping coronavirus yet, the newly announced Orkin® VitalClean™ service is an effective option for disinfection. As with any treatment using a disinfectant, surfaces can be re-contaminated after treatment, so you’ll want to consider weekly treatments of high-traffic areas to lower the risk of surface contamination and disease transmission. Also, consider immediate treatment of areas that have been occupied by someone showing COVID-19 symptoms. It’s no secret that restaurant owners and their staff are feeling the catastrophic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, but following these suggestions will set you on the path to reducing risk and helping restore a safer and healthier foodservice environment. Judy Black is the Vice President of Quality Assurance and Technical Services for Rollins, Inc. A board-certified entomologist and PMP Hall of Fame recipient, she has more than 30 years of experience in the pest management field and is an acknowledged leader in the industry. For more information, email JBlack@rollins.com or visit www.orkincommercial.com.

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 11

RESTAURANT FINANCE

WITH DAVID SEDERHOLT

DISASTER RECOVERY IN A FINANCIAL MELTDOWN

ven for those of us that were sounding economic alarm bells over the past couple of years, no one expected anything quite like the devastation from the COVID-19 global pandemic. Just sit and absorb for a second, the scope and ferocious speed in which this invisible packet of RNA tore through millions of people lives and virtually destroyed much of the world economy. So, as I try to absorb the carnage, I ask myself – where do I begin to write this article? How do I offer some help and advice to the good people in the restaurant and hospitality industries that have suffered a disproportionate hit in this shitstorm? Unlike a number of other columns, I am not going to list all the government bail-out programs for everyone, as I am sure most of you have ascertained what you are and are not eligible for. I don’t need to tell you that (as expected) the gov-

ernment screwed up royally in getting the money into the hands of the people who really needed it. I am also fairly sure that you are sitting there worrying about your future and simple survival as unemployment claims reached well over 26 MILLION people while shaking your head wondering how hundreds of millions in relief dollars were gone in less than 4 days! While you are waiting for an answer from your bank, cash had already landed in the accounts of large, well-capitalized companies like Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. How did a publicly traded cashed up company like them get $20 million from the small business loan program? Despite having more than 5,000 employees and $468 million in revenue last year, they beat the average owner to the pot of gold. As I watch my friends struggling every day to keep their doors opened and employees on payroll – the Washington Mensa members

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gave hundreds of millions of dollars to companies that didn’t need it. It was only Danny Meyer and the team at Shake Shack that stepped up immediately to give the money back. Now Ruth’s Chris buckled after tons of bad press to return the money. WTF just happened?? The reality is that the clowns in DC continue to play partisan politics when they could be doing the right thing by helping devastated people stay afloat until the world gets back on its feet. Restaurants represent less than 9% of the PPP loans, but as of March we represent the majority of the 26 million layoffs nationwide. To add insult to injury regions that were lightly affected by the pandemic were given disproportionate chunks of the money! It doesn’t take a deep thinker to figure that out. Any reasonable person would ask – why did businesses in Texas get more PPP money than any other state, even though Texas had the tenth highest COVID case load? A mere fraction of what New York and New Jersey had to deal with. New York was #4 in receiving aid even though it was hardest hit by the infection. Luckily, phase II of the PPP has just been approved so you can get another shot at funding but the $320 billion won’t last long, so get the applications filed. Reports are that many banks will not be participating in this phase and funds will

David Sederholt is a multi-discipline entrepreneur who has launched and built numerous companies in specialty finance, foodservice and commercial real estate over 40 years. After owning, financing and operating over a dozen restaurants in his career he found a niche in serving small businesses seeking financing and strategic advice. For 10 years he served as Chief Operating Officer of Strategic Funding Source, Inc., (now called Kapitus). David has also been a Managing Partner at a boutique investment bank and a specialty commercial real estate firm. He is a regular guest lecturer and contributor to business and industry publications as well as serving as a Board member and advisor to numerous companies and non-profit organizations. He is currently owner of Ragnar Partners, LLC, a private investment and advisory firm. If you have any questions that I might help with, please email me at dsederholt@ ragnarpartners.com

dry up quickly. To make matters worse, we are finding out that the PPP was designed with a serious flaw. Despite the good intentions of adding a $600 sweetener to the weekly unemployment benefits – it has caused some serious problems. Benefits vary by state but the average weekly benefit nationwide is approximately $370. The $600 sweetener kicks that number to $970 which is nearly DOUBLE the $500 average weekly pay within the foodservice industry. So why

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 13

EYE

METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

ZAKARIAN, HALPER, & KELLER AIR GREAT NEW YORK FOODATHON TO BENEFIT CITY HARVEST

here is simply no one more appreciative for what the restaurant industry has brought him than Chef Geoffrey Zakarian. In tandem with his longtime veteran publicist Tara Halper, he produced and hosted a one-hour television event last month to raise money for City Harvest. THE GREAT NEW YORK FOODATHON featured the biggest names in culinary, film, television, music, comedy and sports – all from their homes around the country. The show aired commercial-free on Fox 5 and My 9. “In times of crisis, New Yorkers step up to help one another and this time is no different, as New York City comes together to help raise money for hunger relief throughout the boroughs,” says Zakarian, a City Harvest Board Member & Chair of the Food Council. “It’s an honor to host The Great New York Foodathon and pay tribute to the greatest city in the world.” John Legend, Neil Patrick Harris, Bobby Flay, Whoopi Goldberg, Eric Ripert, Dr. Oz, Chelsea Clinton and Katie Couric were all present to celebrate New York City’s strength and resilience while raising money for City Harvest – NYC’s private response to hunger and largest food rescue organization, helping to feed the nearly 2.5 million New Yorkers who were struggling to put meals on their tables before the crisis and the many more who need help accessing food now. The special was supported by JPMorgan Chase. “While City Harvest has stepped up to feed our city in times of great need before, including following 9/11, the 2008 recession, and Superstorm Sandy, we have never before experienced anything on the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are here for the longhaul, working to ensure there’s food for our neighbors throughout this

“New Yorkers are strong, determined and passionate when it comes to helping our neighbors.” — Jaret Keller crisis and in the uncertain weeks and months ahead,” said Jilly Stephens, City Harvest’s Chief Executive Officer. Celebrity chefs such as Giada DeLaurentiis, Rachael Ray, Anne Burrell, Katie Lee, Buddy Valastro, Marcus Samuelsson and Michael Symon shared their favorite recipes from their home kitchens while actors LinManuel Miranda, Kevin Bacon, Debi Mazar, Brooke Shields, Matt Bomer and Julianna Margulies gave heartfelt tributes to the Big Apple. Also featured in the special were: Rosanna Scotto, Michael Strahan, Jim Gaffigan, David Burtka, Rob Thomas,

Geoffrey Zakarian conducted the televised Foodathon from his kitchen

Alan Cumming, Antoni Porowski, Bethenny Frankel, Patrick Ewing, Christie Brinkley, Jill Kargman, Wendy Williams, Isaac Mizrahi, Gavin Degraw, Danny Meyer, Donna Karan, Donatella Arpaia, Judith Light, Kristin Chenoweth, Cheyenne Jackson, Cynthia Rowley, Sandra Ripert, Molly Sims, Steve Schirripa, Zac Posen, Jennifer Esposito, Laura Prepon, Gabriele Corcos, Marc Murphy, Dascha Polanco and Talib Kweli. The show’s Executive Producer Jaret Keller said, “New Yorkers are strong, determined and passionate when it comes to helping our neighbors. We are grateful to our friends at Fox 5 for acting quickly to provide a home for our extraordinary talent to tell their stories, entertain viewers and support City Harvest.” The special aired on WNYW Fox 5 NY and WWOR Channel 9 and stream on all of Fox NY’s digital platforms. “FOX 5 and My 9 are proud to partner with Geoffrey Zakarian and provide the platform that will encourage the support of City Harvest, an exceptional organization that works tirelessly to protect New Yorkers in the

A few of the celebrities who joined the Foodathon included Whoopi Goldberg, John Legend and Michael Strahan.

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fight against hunger. We have faith in the success of this special, because during critical times New Yorkers are prepared to step up and help those in need,” said Dan Carlin, VP of Programming, Research, Creative Services & Public Affairs at WNYW/WWOR. Viewers were invited to join the cause to help feed hungry New Yorkers by making any monetary donation at cityharvest.org or providing a one time $25 donation by texting ‘FEEDNYC’ to ‘20222’ (data and message rates may apply). As part of their overall $10 million commitment to City Harvest, XTX Markets, a leading electronic marketmaker, generously matched all Foodathon gifts made through April 19th, doubling the impact of every donation up to $2.5 million. The Great New York Foodathon was executive produced by Geoffrey Zakarian, Jaret Keller, Margaret Zakarian and Tara Halper for Corner Table Entertainment, and Eric Conte and Dan Weinreich for Content.23 Media. The special featured original music by On The Move Entertainment’s artist, Yvette Roviro. City Harvest is New York City’s largest food rescue organization, helping to feed the nearly 1.2 million New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. They will rescue 66 million pounds of food this year and deliver it, free of charge, to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community partners across the five boroughs. The City Harvest programs empower individuals through nutrition education, increase their partners’ capacity, and strengthen the local food system, helping New Yorkers who are experiencing food insecurity to access, afford, and consume nutritious food. To learn more about their work, visit cityharvest.org.

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 15

CHEFCETERA

ELANA HORWICH, AUTHOR & CONSULTING CHEF FOR THE UCLA WOMEN’S CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER Interview by Joyce Appelman

lana Horwich is the Consulting Chef for the UCLA Women’s Cardiovascular Center and Author of Meal and a Spiel: How To Be A Badass In The Kitchen. She shares her insights and practical ways to create effective virtual events that truly capture the spirit of coming together faceto-face and connecting through a variety of life-like interactive experiences plus basics of re-tooling cookbooks for industry professionals to adapt to today’s marketplace.

messaging with multiple staff members at once. • Creative solutions for staying connected with patrons: By featuring favorite recipes, cooking advice, and new takeout options, restaurants can stay connected with established customers while also bringing in new ones. Customers will welcome learning what the restaurant is

doing to help their staff and keep the kitchen safe. Plus, these virtual formats present great opportunities to teach clientele to make their favorite dishes, or even showcase how the chefs make it themselves! This won’t prevent your customers from coming back once this is over. It will make them love you. • Benefits and tips for using Zoom: Chefs/ Managers/Industry professionals need to know that each platform (zoom/skype/Instagram live/Facebook) has its own characteristics. If the host is using the virtual meetings/videos for business only, Zoom is

Since you are conducting live cooking sessions on Zoom and now Instagram Live and Facebook, could you give advice for an executive chef, general manager or restaurant owner on how they too can pivot to virtual formats? I feel it begins with four primary focus points: • Connecting with staff: Though there’s been some recent controversy about using Zoom because of privacy issues, the platform is much safer. Hosts of the video meetings can share a unique link for participants and can approve/refuse to allow participants to enter. This protects the meetings from any unwanted guests, ideal for virtual calls with staff. Restaurant executives can use the video chat function on Zoom to train staff in new skills. By actually seeing what staff/cooks are doing in their own kitchens, it will be easier to give feedback. Instagram Live and Facebook Video are also helpful for sharing skills or video

“As a chef or business owner, it is imperative that you are constantly in a state of learning and cookbooks can be wonderful teachers.”

Elana Horwich, Consulting Chef for the UCLA Women’s Cardiovascular Center and Author of Meal and a Spiel: How To Be A Badass In The Kitchen.

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likely the best option. Why? Zoom allows the host (in this case, the chef/manager) to see the faces of the participants and call on them. While teaching my own classes over Zoom, I make sure to mute the class so that participants can listen rather than speak. This also cuts out the background noise and feedback. It might also be helpful for Zoom hosts to have someone help track and relay comments received via the chat box. This way, participants still have a venue to ask questions without derailing the primary instruction. (One thing to note, however, is that the recording quality over Zoom is not the best. If the chef hopes to share videos to social media, Instagram and Facebook might be better bets). • Some (much needed!) general encouragement: Don’t be afraid to get personal in videos! This can be an excellent way for restaurant industry professionals to connect and reach out to their customers and share a little bit about themselves. For example, a chef can share about how they studied in France and connected to a random grandma who taught him a recipe that was one of the most popular in the restaurant. Also, don’t get so precious about the technology! We’re all learning this new normal and people are

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 17

NEWS

TAKEOUT SOLUTIONS

NEW APP SWIPEBY GROWS EXPONENTIALLY DAILY Challenging Times Produce Fast-Growing Restaurant Innovation

ast month, the restaurant industry went from thriving to shutting its doors and laying off millions of workers when COVID-19 prevention measures disallowed in-restaurant dining. Prior to the pandemic, many restaurants had been slow to adopt newer ordering technologies. As a result, when carry-out orders became restaurants’ primary means of survival, taking orders over the phone became an unmanageable situation. With restaurant phone lines in constant busy mode, SWIPEBY, Winston-Salem, NC, is a new app that allows customers to browse

menus, order food, pay for it, and have items delivered curbside. Customers don’t touch restaurant door handles, open car doors, exchange money or have credit cards touched by cashiers. The security risk of providing credit card information over the phone is eliminated. Customers can order from a wide range of single location eateries, as well as popular national chains like Village Tavern, Firehouse Subs, Jersey Mike’s, Famous Toastery and more. In the future, services, where you need to drop off or pick up items, will come online, including dry cleaners, grocery stores, beauty spas and more.

18 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

SWIPEBY frees the phone-ordering bottleneck, giving restaurants an additional way to take curbside orders, at a low cost of entry, and with lower ongoing fees than those charged by delivery services like Grubhub and DoorDash. “There’s nothing like our model in the market,” said SWIPEBY Founder, Carl Turner. “Delivery services charge between $5 to $8 to the customer and 25 percent or more to the business. SWIPEBY costs nothing to the customer; and business fees are typically under 3 percent.” SWIPEBY can be set up in as short a time as 24 hours. Onboarding is turn-key because SWIPEBY doesn’t require any expensive hardware or technology, just an Android tablet, and little training. They supply curbside takeout signs, so customers know where to park to receive their orders. Prior to coronavirus, SWIPEBY grew at a rate of 30 percent monthover-month. Now the company is growing 100 percent or more daily. In the last two weeks, 200 restaurants in 19 states have come online, with 2,000 more to be added in the next few weeks and more than 5,000 restaurants in the pipeline. The app’s users total more than 10,000, with new users growing by the hundreds daily. In the first two weeks of COVID-19, weekly restaurant orders grew 1,000 percent and weekly user signups grew 3,000 percent. SWIPEBY will launch in Germany this coming week. Today, customers can order from a wide range of single location eateries, as well as popular national operations like Lady M Confections, Vil-

SWIPEBY Founder Carl Turner

lage Tavern, Firehouse Subs, Jersey Mike’s, Famous Toastery and more. “As a North Carolina-based company, we started with our favorite restaurants in our backyard,” said Turner. “But COVID-19 changed everyone’s world overnight. Luckily, our technology was ready to help restaurants of any size and in any location. We also responded quickly to how the pandemic has affected small businesses by slashing fees, charging nothing to onboard, and working overtime to get restaurants on the app.” Restaurants aren’t the only service companies to have taken notice of SWIPEBY. “Any service, where you need to drop off or pick up items, can use SWIPEBY,” added Turner. “Soon you’ll see dry cleaners, grocery stores, beauty spas and others who want to maintain sales of their products without in-store entry.” For more information, visit SWIPE.BY.

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 19

FIORITO ON INSURANCE

COVID-19 AND THE RAPID EVOLUTION OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY Why a review of insurance coverages and risk controls needs to be on the menu

s restaurants navigate the new reality of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), many are considering alternative business models to comply with government mandated closures of on-premises dining. In order to continue serving customers, keep employees working, and perpetuate a revenue stream, some restaurants are offering carry-out and delivery services. The introduction or expansion of delivery services should be done only after confirming workers’ compensation coverage and commercial hired and non-owned auto liability will apply to the delivery drivers’ utilizing their own vehicles, and implementing loss control measures.

Even though there are risks involved with delivery services (i.e., health exposures, workers’ compensation and non-owned auto vehicles), there may be an opportunity for the restaurant to continue serving customers, keep employees working and perpetuate a revenue stream during these unprecedented times by offering delivery services. Transfer of the Virus & Delivery Since food would still be prepared and handled, every business within the hospitality industry should have a contract in place with cleaning and disinfecting vendors in order to minimize COVID-19 exposure to both employees and the general public. In addition, the following

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) safety protocols should be followed for all delivery services: • Actively encourage sick delivery drivers to stay home. • Mandate the use of face masks/coverings for all drivers and other employees. • Encourage the use of (and assist in obtaining) hand sanitizer, disposable wipes and other cleaning products so that frequently touched surfaces can be wiped down by drivers. • Implement the avoidance of close contact with individuals as much as possible. • This includes developing policies and technology options that allow and prioritize contactless deliveries (e.g., no-knock, no-signature, all electronic credit card transactions, etc.) that limit or eliminate close contact between delivery drivers and suppliers and purchasers. Liability Issues to Be Aware Of: Driver-sales jobs, including delivery workers, are consistently ranked in the top 10 most dangerous occupations by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Individuals who drive while on the job are at a higher risk to be in a motor vehicle accident. Only a limited number of commercial insurance carriers will accept the risk after full underwriting and loss control. Most per-

20 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President with HUB International Northeast, a leading global insurance brokerage, where he specializes in providing insurance services to the restaurant industry. As a 25+ year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Bob has worked with a wide array of restaurant and food service businesses, ranging from fast-food chains to upscale, “white tablecloth” dining establishments. Robert can be reached at 212-338-2324 or by email at robert.fiorito@ hubinternational.com.

sonal automobile policies exclude coverage for the use of a vehicle being used to carry persons or property for compensation or fee, including retail or wholesale delivery of food or any other product, making this a commercial non-owned auto liability coverage exposure for the restaurant. This is often referred to as the “pizza delivery exclusion”. Non-Owned Auto Liability – Generally, if an employee is in a motor vehicle accident in their owned vehicle while on the job, the employee’s personal auto insurance will first respond to and pay for damages. After the limits of liability on the employee’s personal auto policy are exhausted, the injured third-

continued on page 92

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 21

PROVISIONS PREVIEWED

WITH LMT PROVISIONS

HOME SWEET HOME DELIVERY

ou’re probably reading this article at home. Restaurants, hotels, campuses, and workplaces of all kinds have closed their doors nationwide. Those of us who can should be sitting at home. Those of us who can’t, the countless members of the medical community fighting this pandemic, the bus drivers, mail carriers and delivery people all putting themselves at risk, we owe you a profound debt of gratitude. Adapt we must and adapt we shall. At Singer Equipment, one of our shifts has been to offer the value of wholesale distribution to all of you, at home. Our delivery boxes include the important supplies your family needs to stay safe and inside during these uncertain times. Three unique care packages are available. Our smallest option is ideal for a household of 1-2 people while the deluxe packages are designed to keep any family of three or more stocked for weeks with toilet paper, paper towels

and cleaning supplies from trusted American brands we know and love. To compliment these commodity offerings, the LMTprovisions team has also curated home delivery boxes. Each features the perfect portion of dinnerware to give your meals at home a change of scenery. Restaurant-grade products include three color options of our Earth dinnerware set along with a Stay-At-Home package, which features a complete offering of dinnerware, vintage-finished flatware and stackable bistro glassware. Our standard wholesale supply remains intact and available, including the standards of restaurant service – for example, gloves – as well as a few items that might surprise you. Did you know that we stock Boxed Water? It’s one of the most sustainable solutions to clean and easily distributed drinking water, and it’s ready to ship. For over a century, our company has specialized in answering the restaurant industry’s detailed needs with thoughtful procurement and supply

22 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

distribution. Now delivering directly to your doorstep nationwide, consider Singer Equipment and LMTprovisions your continued partner for supplies in the kitchen and on the table. To order your home delivery box today, visit us online at www. s i n g e re q u i p m e n t . c o m / c a re packages.

Sarah Bulmer works on the LMT team at Singer Equipment Company. Ms. Bulmer specifies tabletop products that tell distinct stories and speak to a myriad of unique operational needs. She studied Journalism & Mass Communications with a focus in food writing at the University of Iowa. Sarah is based in Brooklyn, New York and can be reached at sbulmer@mtucker.com.

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 23

RESTAURANT EXPERT

WITH DAVID SCOTT PETERS

CREATE A CASH FLOW PLAN TO RIDE OUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

s an industry, restaurants are very much a cash flow business. As long as sales are coming through the doors, you can pay your bills and make money. So, when sales were reduced for many operators by 40–60 percent or more overnight, many independent restaurants were immediately met with three key options: • Alter the business model • Close until the pandemic is over • Close for good To determine the futures of their businesses, many restaurants are trying to decide if they should take advantage of one of the new loans available through the Small Business Administration. Would a loan keep people employed, or make it viable to keep the doors open? To make an informed and vetted decision, a restaurant owner MUST have a 12-week cash flow budget. Unlike an annual budget where you are looking to create a plan to be profitable, your 12-week budget is all about survival. Do you have enough cash to do that? To create your 12-week cash flow budget, here’s the process: 1) Look at a typical month. What are your sales? How are those sales broken up by sales categories? What are your current salaries and wages, including taxes, benefits and insurance? What are your operating expenses and what week are you scheduled to pay those bills? 2) Using that information, create a 12-week cash flow template. Remember this has nothing to do with profits. 3) Edit your numbers based on your new reality. For example, if sales are down 50 percent, reduce sales by 50 percent. If you are only selling food now, food is now 100 percent of sales.

To make an informed and vetted decision, a restaurant owner MUST have a 12-week cash flow budget. Unlike an annual budget, your 12-week budget is all about survival. Do you have enough cash to do that?

Is your food cost too high? Do you need to create a new menu to lower it? Look at salaries. Are you now working on the line? Are your managers doing line employee jobs and need to be moved from salary to hourly workers, including possibly reducing their pay? Add in your beginning reconciled bank balance and you’re on your way to creating different scenarios to help you make the best decision for your restaurant. 4) Now look at where your cash deficits are. Look at what bills you can cut. Look at what bills you can defer. At the end of the 12-week period, look at your projected cash balance and new accounts payable. Now you have the numbers to help you decide what’s best for you and your restaurant until this pandemic blows over.

24 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

There are other factors to consider when making your decision. Do you believe for the first time in our lives that the federal government is going to provide the hospitality industry a bail out? It changes every day, but so far, it seems only the largest companies are getting a bailout. What can you defer? • Is the state offering sales tax deferments without penalty? • In talking with your CPA, is the federal government going to waive penalties if you are slow to pay employment taxes? • If you’re not already behind on your rent, based on your lease agreement and consulting with your attorney, can you contact your landlord and let them know you won’t be pay-

David Scott Peters is an author, restaurant coach and speaker who teaches restaurant operators how to use his trademark Restaurant Prosperity Formula to cut costs and increase profits. His first book, Restaurant Prosperity Formula: What Successful Restaurateurs Do, teaches the systems and traits to develop to run a profitable restaurant. Known as THE expert in the restaurant industry, he uses a no-BS style to teach and motivate restaurant owners to take control of their businesses and finally realize their full potential. Thousands of restaurants have used his formula to transform their businesses. To learn more about David Scott Peters, his formula for restaurant success, his book, or his coaching program, visit davidscottpeters.com.

ing the next one, two or three months of rent? Or ask them if they will add it to end of your lease. • What about your broadline distributors? Don’t bury your head in the sand and just not pay them. They are getting crushed with thousands of restaurants that owe them money and who are not paying their bills. Can you call them and ask if you pay for half of each delivery for the next four weeks, would they keep delivering your food? Remember this is a deferment, not forgiveness of debt. • Every other expense is on the table. Look at every bill and service you pay. Do you need it? If not, drop it. What about those lifelines? If you take money through the Paycheck Protection Program or the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, can you afford to pay loans back if they’re not forgiven? When you look at your 12-week cash flow projections, you will quickly see which decisions make the most sense for your restaurant business. Last but not least, every week, you’re going to look at what sales you actually brought in and what bills you paid and re-evaluate your plan. This is not a one-and-done decision.

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 25

RESTAURANT COMPLIANCE

WITH RADA TARNOVSKY

TAKEOUT AND DELIVERY GUIDE FOR RESTAURANTS IN THE NEXT PHASE

hen local governments ordered a shutdown of all inroom dining at restaurants and bars to stop the spread of COVID-19, there was only one silver lining: takeout and delivery would thrive. While many restaurants closed their doors entirely, others had to adopt new business models that others had recently adopted. In the hopes of bringing in some revenue, covering expenses and saving staff from unemployment, it turns out the silver lining has many challenges though. Besides the revenue of takeout and delivery not being enough to sustain many restaurants, there are many unsubstantiated fears with food being prepared in and delivered from restaurants. These fears have kept many people from eating food from restaurants right now. We have put together some takeout and delivery information, tips, and ideas for restaurant operators trying to get through these difficult and unprecedented times. Is Food Safe? According to multiple health and

Rada Tarnovsky is a practicing Attorney, who co-founded Letter Grade Consulting to help food service operators comply with regulations set forth by the NYC Department of Health. Servicing restaurants, hotels, theatres, corporate cafeterias and schools, Letter Grade Consulting provides operators with preemptive solutions, education and training to sustain the highest level of food safety, remain inspection ready and maintain the “A” in the window. Rada can be reached at rt@ lettergradeconsulting.com

or cooking it yourself. Shopping at supermarkets can be even more dangerous. The chef at your local restaurant probably follows stricter hygiene and safety protocols than a supermarket worker stocking the shelves. safety organizations worldwide, including the CDC, the USDA, and the European Food safety Authority, there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 has spread through food or food packaging. Previous coronavirus epidemics likewise showed no evidence of having been spread through food or packaging. Thorough cooking and reheating food at high temperatures before eating destroys the coronavirus. Are there any special risks?

26 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

None that have been recognized. Food handlers are specifically trained in proper safety and hygiene procedures. Every restaurant that serves food should be, and usually is following all food safety protocols and hygiene standards. Because this should have always been a priority, the risk of eating food served at restaurants should be even smaller. The main risk is proximity to other people. Picking up food can be riskier than having it delivered

We recommended the following hygiene and operating protocols for takeout and delivery: For Restaurant Operators and Staff in Food Preparation/Ordering: • Keep in mind that there should be a minimum of 6 feet distance between all restaurant employees at all times. Practice social distancing. • Encourage sick employees to

•

• •

For Delivery Orders: • Contactless delivery is a very safe alternative, especially

about it now. More Ideas for Delivery: • Turn dinner entrees into meal kits by packaging ingredients separately. • Deliver heat and serve dishes, cooking food it makes it safer. • Change any dishes designed to share or served family-style to single portions, this will encourage distancing. • Adjust delivery menu to include dishes that travel well. • Skip any dishes that are sensitive to temperature changes. • Create at-home baking or cooking kits for kids to do with their parents. • Deliver broths and noodles separately. • Think about what families want to eat while at home with children. • Include directions on using the microwave or oven to reheat items.

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For Takeout Orders: • Encourage credit cards as a primary method of payment. Avoid cash as much as possible. • Implement no contact payment methods, encourage orders be placed online. • Implement curbside/contact free pick-up. • Offer contact free pick-up. • Food services should limit as much barehand contact as possible. Use Gloves… Always! Change gloves after each pick-up. • Wear Masks.

•

for those who are in high-risk groups. For operators using their own delivery method (not Seamless, Grubhub, etc.), require packers and drivers to wear masks and gloves. Guests want assurances that the food they received is safe. Communicate with them. Put your protocols on your website. Let guests know that you are taking extra measures to ensure that the food you are delivering is as safe as possible. Assure guests that you are monitoring staff wellness. Tell guests about expanded cleaning protocols at your restaurant. Explain the anti-tamper labels on the packaging. Include precautions you are taking to ensure food safety. Even if you had this in place before, guests want to hear

(327-9423)

•

Strictly monitor the health of each person that is allowed into the kitchen. Use tamper evident labels to close all boxes/bags.

•

PR E

•

stay home… no sick servers allowed! If they come in send them home. Reinforce practicing good personal hygiene Cross-train staff in case you experience staff shortage. Be extremely vigilant when it comes to food safety and hygiene protocols. All staff should wash hands whenever touching something that has not been previously sanitized. Staff should sanitize their hands every time after handling credit cards and pens. Wash, rinse AND sanitize any food contact surface as often as possible (set timers) Prop open doors that are accessed often, like the entrance to the main kitchen, the dish room, prep kitchen etc. Use a menu board and remove all menus. If you need to use menus, use single use paper menus that customers can throw away on their own.

PREDICTAB

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 27

ASK ANDREW

FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE

NO SEAT AT THE TABLE FOR RESTAURANTS: CARES ACT LEAVES HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY HANGING This article was originally published in Forbes.com, and is co-authored with Rob Bookman, Counsel to the NYC Hospitality Alliance

pril 3rd was the first day that small businesses across the nation could apply for urgently-needed relief contained in the $2 trillion stimulus package known as the CARES Act. Small businesses have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but perhaps none more severely damaged than the hospitality industry. In most states, bars and nightclubs were first ordered closed by government mandate, followed soon after by restaurants. These businesses will likely be the last allowed to fully reopen when this pandemic is contained—and even then, there may be restrictions in place. From food capitals like New York, Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Los Angeles, restaurant and bar owners were particularly excited for the federal government’s small business relief bills, hoping for a lifeline. Unfortunately, the excitement died when the bill’s guidelines made clear that the hospitality industry is expressly prohibited from exacting benefits equal to other industries. The centerpiece of the stimulus package, dubbed the CARES Act, is the Payroll Protection Program or the PPP. The hospitality industry had great hopes for this program because while the PPP is initially a loan, it can be converted into a grant. Restaurants desperately need cash grants, not more loan debt. But to obtain the full benefits of the PPP (i.e. a grant as opposed to a low-interest loan) a businesses’ employee headcount has to be approximately the same two months

The national economy will not recover if the restaurant and nightlife industry is not at the core of the recovery. We urge our elected leaders to enact our recommendations immediately. after the loan is originated, as it was before the pandemic hit. Under these guidelines, a restaurant or bar forced to close by government mandate in March and furlough their employees must retain or hire back their employees at a staffing level on par with staffing levels previous the pandemic, and, do that by the end of June. This poses a significant challenge because restaurants and bars do not even know if they will be permitted to reopen in June, let alone be open long enough to know what our staffing levels will be. There are too many variables that will impact staffing in the hospitality industry beyond when we may fully reopen. It’s unlikely that sales will immediately be anywhere near pre-virus levels. There will also be significant associated costs to get the physical sites

28 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

open and ready to serve guests again. Millions of Americans lost their jobs and will not have the same disposable income immediately. People and companies may be hesitant to host parties and private events and gather in large groups. None of us know what consumer behavior will be in the post pandemic era. The PPP loan to grant program isn’t tailored for restaurants and bars because many will not be prepared, or even permitted, to reopen in June and will not require pre-pandemic staffing levels once they do. The PPP must be amended for the hospitality industry to have a much longer period of time to staff up - eight weeks after the loan is originated, is insufficient. It’s therefor recommended that the loan still converts to a grant at least six months after the industry is permitted to fully reopen.

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.

Another problem with the PPP that’s unique to major metropolitan areas is the high rent. Because the PPP requires that 75% of a business’s loan be allocated to labor costs for it to be converted into a grant, that leaves only 25% for the rent and related utility costs. While that may be sufficient in places where commercial rents are lower, the remaining 25% will not cover a restaurant, bar or club’s largest fixed cost in New York City, which is their rent. In New York City where commercial rents are high, the 25% will do little to help restaurants pay back rent (and other expenses) during the mandatory business closures, especially if the industry is shut down for multiple months. Therefore, the PPP also needs to be amended to allow hospitality businesses greater flexibility in how they use loan-togrant funds. The national economy will not recover if the restaurant and nightlife industry is not at the core of the recovery. We urge our elected leaders to enact our recommendations immediately.

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 29

NEWS

TAKEOUT & DELIVERY STRATEGIES

HOFFMASTER SETS PACE AS INDUSTRY LEADER IN PROTECTING ENVIRONMENT & CONSUMERS

or most native Nebraskans, red is their favorite color. It signifies generations of leading the pack as a national football powerhouse. Andy Romjue has taken a slightly different path as he focuses on green. Not that kind of green but the hue that reflects the protection of our environment and for years to come. As the leader of Hoffmaster’s foodservice division, he has created an agenda that has set its sights on creating a portfolio of sustainable paper products that are quickly becoming the industry standards. Romjue began his career at Black and Decker/DeWalt marketing power tools and accessories. In 2011, Hoffmaster’s Rory Leyden reached out with a challenge to help the firm grow its consumer business. Six years later, that turned into the opportunity to create and execute a vision for the Wisconsin based company’s foodservice division. “We have always been known as

Andy Romjue

a leader in the premium disposable space,” noted Romjue. “That has allowed us to build close relationships with the industry’s key distributors: Sysco, US Foods, Imperial Dade and Ed Don. Our partnership allows distributors to create a product mix and a full line of price point solutions for their end-user customers. With a sales force that is dedicated 100% to operators, we look at our job as supporting the country’s leading distributors as they seek solutions for their operator base.” Hoffmaster’s DNA always included communication with the operator to understand their changing needs. Under Romjue, that has been taken to another level. After years of providing a full line of paper solutions, that communication with the “street” moved Hoffmaster into uncharted territory. Their customer base was seeking a plastic straw alternative. “At the time, we were not in the straw business,” Romjue noted. “We noticed that highly decorative straws on the consumer side were becoming a craze.” At the same time, consumers saw their impact on the environment as the video of the sea turtle with a plastic straw in its nose went viral. Romjue knew that eco-friendly paper straws would be the perfect addition to Hoffmaster’s sustainable line of compostable and recyclable napkins, takeout containers, and cutlery. “So, we began a relationship with Aardvark who was producing a beautiful, eco-friendly line of decorated straws that was sweeping the nation.” “After scouring the globe, Aardvark was clearly the highest quality,” added Romjue. “We loved that it was

30 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

“Our customers have come to Hoffmaster asking for additional sanitary solutions, which is why we launched these products. These are trying times, and we want to help our customers and theirs as best as we can.” — Andy Romjue domestically manufactured in Fort Wayne, IN. and had a wonderful capability of doing so much more than just solid colors with abilities to custom print. We acquired Aardvark knowing its model also included deep relationships with their customer base, which perfectly aligned with what we have developed at Hoffmaster.” Romjue has carefully tracked the movement of the marketplace towards a green and sustainable marketplace. “It’s interesting, there is a mix of operators led by a group that clearly understands that what we do now is going to have a direct impact on future generations to come, so they proactively make changes today to their business model to incorporate eco-friendly solutions. We also realize there is a portion of the industry that will continue offering plastic straws until legislation changes.” Romjue shared that the lesson is that the environmental qualities of an Aardvark paper straw will make a difference on waterways and wildlife. “We also understand the business needs of our customer base and pay close attention to data from Straws on Demand,” he explained. “If an operator moves to a paper straw and provides them to patrons on-demand only, profits

can increase. In many cases, it’s as simple as raising cocktail prices by a penny.” Metro New York has been a hot spot for customers that are embracing the green and sustainable vision capabilities of the line. At Brooklyn based gastro-pub Freehold’s, firstyear straw usage at the establishment was more than 1.4 million straws, creating an abundance of single-use waste. With sustainability at the forefront of bar and restaurant owners, Freehold’s Brice Jones launched a new on-demand program using custom Aardvark Paper Straws. Fast forward to today; just as quickly as COVID-19 entered the U.S., Hoffmaster reacted to the pandemic and emerging foodservice needs. The challenges of the COVID-19 crisis have undoubtedly shifted the industry’s focus. Four months ago, sustainability was at the forefront of the conversation. Through deep connections with their customers and distributors, it was clear there was a need for safe and sanitary solutions during a time of fear and uncertainty. “Our distributor partners and foodservice operators asked us for more sanitary solutions, so we ex-

continued on page 82

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Q&A

EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW

JIM COLLINS

CEO, Kitchen United

he challenge of COVID-19 is yet another example of how the restaurant industry morphs to survive and respond to the changing needs of its customer base. One such example is something we’ve been hearing about for the past several years: ghost kitchens. The pandemic has brought this style of deliveryonly focused operation to the forefront. Total Food Service wanted to chat with one of the movers and shakers in the ghost kitchen space, and we were able to connect with Jim Collins, who is guiding the fortunes of Kitchen United. Can you share some of your background with us? I came to this with a very different background. I grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and after a varied college career, finished my degree at Pepperdine University. I then spent the first twenty years of my career in the tech industry. The last part of that was spent running a series of tech companies doing B2B and B2C transactions and focused on small business. It is interesting how it ran the gamut from nationwide call centers to software for accounts receivables, an ecommerce company and even a clearing house for professional photographers. A very diverse background with the same focus on small business maximizing revenues. What led you to hospitality? The last company I was working for was a market research company. We

sold it and I was burned out. I couldn’t do any more tech, I needed something else. I had always found the restaurant business interesting. So, there was a restaurant for sale not far from where I live, and I literally walked up the street and bought it. You have a strange sense of “burnout” literally going from the frying pan into the fire by buying a restaurant. (Laughs) Sometimes you are burned out on one thing and something else is so different that it gives you the break you need. For me, I had nothing more to learn from tech. In a restaurant, everything I did involved learning something new. I remember the very first day, walking in and asking how the dishwasher worked. The staff told me not to worry about it, that I was the owner and didn’t need to know how it worked. I told them because I’m the owner, that’s exactly why I need to know how everything works. I have loved every minute of it though, even the frustrating moments. Based on the commitment to community, what have you learned from the

Jim Collins, Chief Executive Officer, Kitchen United, Montrose, CA

COVID-19 challenge with your own restaurant? We had to make a decision of whether to stay open or closed. We felt that closing was turning our back on our community. In many ways, it’s the same decision we had to make with Kitchen United. How did the Kitchen United opportunity come about? I felt as if we had the restaurant op-

“People went out and bought seven bazillion pounds of groceries at the local supermarket. They went home and cooked for three nights and someone in the family then says ‘I hated cooking before this started, I still don’t like it, let’s order delivery.’ That growth will not go away.”

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erating well enough that I could dive into something else and handle both responsibilities. It’s been a great 2 1/2 years. It’s interesting, in my own restaurant, I was facing the challenges of how to make delivery work and how to utilize the new delivery companies that were appearing. A driver would show up at our door and want to place an order with our restaurant’s host. At the beginning, I would tell them that we don’t do takeout, please go away. All of a sudden, there was enough volume, where I realized we needed to find a way to make this work. That’s exactly what we did. Coincidentally, in the middle of figuring out how to make it work in my own restaurant, I was contacted through a mutual friend by the investors at Kitchen United and asked if I would talk to them about taking the CEO role. I went and sat with them and

when we spoke, I could see we were on the same page. So I took the job and three of us opened the business in our kitchen center in Pasadena, CA. and haven’t looked back. What was the agenda when you launched Kitchen United? It was wild because we were starting a new company from scratch, learning how to serve a new marketplace in a new way. We had to invent vocabulary for what we were doing. We then had to figure out a model that included how restaurants are going to pay us. Then we had to figure out what kinds of restaurants we wanted to work with. It was relatively easy to figure out what the product was going to be. I understood the challenges of delivery from what I was going through in my own restaurant. It was interesting as we began to work with much larger chains and operators how the dynamics of a single store operation translated into a much larger rollout across the country.

A restaurant staff member of one of Kitchen United’s partner brands sends food off to the pick-up center for a customer or delivery personnel

Like with any good business, we were right about a lot, wrong about a little and smart enough to know that we could let the market teach us what we needed to know to succeed. What did the market teach you? Tons! The first lesson is that this is

not an easy business. There’s this notion in many circles that all you need to do is find a vacant 10,000 square foot building in an opportunity zone and put a bunch of kitchens in it. Then by doing that, the right mix of restaurants will run to find you, move in and be successful. I like to call that the

“Field of Dreams” business plan. What we learned is that these operations needed to be in high density, highly populated areas because the most important factor is: how long is it going to take me to get my food? We also found that too many restaurants in one of our facilities cause logistical challenges that will make your head spin. On top of that, you will usually find that the last time the gas main was replaced in a vacant building was 1952. The right restaurant count in one of our facilities means we need a smaller gas line and less electricity, less ventilation to make this work. From a marketing standpoint, you create a much great opportunity for success with 8 or 16 restaurants competing for market share versus 40. Does the term Ghost Kitchen properly describe what you do? I hate that term actually, to me it

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Q&A

JIM COLLINS, from page 33

sounds dark and dangerous. We prefer to call them “Kitchen Centers”. With that comes a “Pick-Up Center” because customers and delivery personnel can’t come in the kitchen and need a place to pick up food. Have you found that national restaurant chains with bigger brand names perform better than local operators in your Kitchen Unlimited facilities? Whether local or national, we have found that the key to success in our system lies in the digital connection that the restaurant has with its customer base. It does not matter how big the chain is, it only matters whether the consumer living around our kitchen center is interested in eating their food. We are looking for the digital interaction that includes how often are they ordering through those channels, if they are retweeting them, and sharing with their friends. Are you in a supply and demand, or a

demand and supply market relative to restaurants that want to work with you? We have a lot more restaurants that want to work with us than we have space for. That also has been tempered by the fact that when we began, we said we were going to build 400 of these in four years. Everybody likes to

tell us how smart we were for not doing that. The truth is we simply didn’t have enough money at the time to roll out that quickly. The fact is it was the best thing that ever happened. Because two years ago, if I called a landlord or broker, we couldn’t even get a call back. If I did get to talk to them and told them we were not going to

Kitchen United locations feature an innovative pick-up center

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pay $300 a foot for distressed retail space, that was the end of the conversation. Those conversations have changed. We are now ready to go faster as we look to build out. Does the last month change the model of how Kitchen United can respond to the need in a marketplace? I wish I knew the answer. Let’s look at it this way, across the restaurant industry with great turmoil, this is driving two paths. The restaurant that was teetering will simply not return. That was not our potential restaurant partner. The KU restaurant hunkered down and got smart. They got better at operating with less labor. They figured out how to manage their own online menu systems and how to open new channels. None of that is going to go away when this is over and all of the learning will carry forward into whatever is next. I also think that consum-

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Q&A

JIM COLLINS, from page 34

ers are learning a lot. The average percentage of first-time orders, across channels, is as high as 25% which suggests growth. What’s the driving factor behind that growth? People went out and bought seven bazillion pounds of groceries at the local supermarket. They went home and cooked for three nights and someone in the family then says “I hated cooking before this started, I still don’t like it, let’s order delivery.” That growth will not go away. How have these conditions impacted the packaging and labeling of Kitchen United’s food? It made all of us grow up. Not only are we more cautious about bags being properly sealed, but we’re optimized how to make the handoff from our kitchen to the delivery and then to the consumer as safe as possible. My view is that it was something that needed to happen with or without COVID-19. We’ve heard for a long time that packaging was a food safety issue and needed to be improved. Those folks were right. As you look at the types of cuisine that are succeeding at KU, is it traditional comfort food, like pizza-burgersfries? What do you see? There’s really been a big swing already. We started with a lot of dietary oriented concepts like Keto diets and more recently that has swung the other way to burgers, fries and pizza. In most cases, we are looking for a demand in a specific neighborhood that is not being met. Factors like what cuisine types people are leaving that neighborhood to get, and what cuisine is missing in that neighborhood. What’s your approach to building your kitchens? Typically, we are working with a 7,000 square foot space and an older building. So, we build and design a basic kitchen footprint and then work with our restaurant partners to fine tune a layout that will work for their concept. Our nickname internally is “Tetris-ing” which means we are mov-

ing different shaped blocks inside a kitchen. The priority is minimizing the movement of a restaurant’s staff during peak periods to maximize productivity. So a range and dishwasher would come with our standard package but not a combi oven. We do supplement that with a larger warewashing station that you can roll a cart down and use. There is a common walk-in area that segments space for each of our operators. We have a national equipment and supplies program with Wasserstrom who have been a fantastic partner for us. Eric Wasserstrom and his team have been great partners in providing specialized expertise. What’s the culture like in your facilities? It’s funny, we thought in the beginning that we would need to lock up everybody’s food and equipment. With everybody working under the same roof, there’s a mutual respect and zero theft. It’s interesting watching our restaurant owners and cooks, especially in these challenging times, work together and strategize. It has been eyeopening. How is distribution handled for Kitchen United restaurants? We have negotiated packages with various distributors that have enabled restaurants that don’t have those relationships to get better pricing. But we can work and encourage our restaurants to continue to source their own specialty items. Do the restaurants you partner with close their existing operations and move their full operation under the Kitchen United roof? Absolutely not. They keep their existing restaurants. When we go into a community, we look for the hot local concepts that have the best chance for success. For example, let’s say you have a busy restaurant in the West Loop of Chicago, but River North is outside of your delivery radius. So you want to serve that River North community but don’t want the expense of

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Q&A

JIM COLLINS, from page 36

a dining room. So, you can lease space from Kitchen United, hire a couple of cooks and you are now in River North. It has caused an interesting challenge because consumers drive to our facility looking for the restaurant with an address that they got from the delivery provider. We hear all the time, “I thought there was a Canter’s Deli here, where’s Canters?” So we now provide the ability for our Pick-Up locations to process orders. We can even handle cross-platform orders from multiple restaurants on a single ticket. Does that kind of take you back to your tech roots? I spent the first year learning the restaurant business. Last year was all about real estate and construction. This year, I’m back to tech. We couldn’t find something off the shelf to answer all of these needs, so we created it internally. How do Kitchen United and your restaurants handle the responsibility for marketing? We have a program that markets each of the facilities. The restaurants are also required to do their own marketing. We look at ourselves as the secondary source for driving traffic.

KU and your restaurants? The restaurant pays a membership agreement with a monthly payment. There’s a 15% charge on sales to participate in the Mix platform which is a significant discount over third party options. It’s the softest lease you will ever see because we don’t want restaurants that are not ‘killing it’ to feel stuck. We also have a significant backlog of restaurants that would like to get in, so we want to move on as well. What are your thoughts on the GrubHub and UberEats price gouging issue? From the start we looked at what the delivery model needed to look like. We knew that these fees could end up in the 30% range. Our approach was to help them minimize their labor footprint. The thought was that with Kitchen United, we could eliminate the need for chefs and replace them with cooks. We have proven that it can be done successfully. So the operational profit is significantly higher than in their retail operations and that profit enables the ability to absorb the delivery commission. We continue to work on this, and we have launched our own platform with existing drivers in our markets that is based on a flat rate.

What is the nature of the deal between

One of Kitchen United’s food preparation areas at their Pasadena location

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What does the competitive marketplace look like with well-heeled players including Travis Kalanick from Uber and Reef? This is a giant market that is still growing. Even before COVID-19, there was the potential of a $200 billion marketplace to serve by 2023. To give you an idea, if I build a thousand kitchens, I can serve $2 billion of that. We need other people to figure out how to do this in different ways. Companies like SBE all have their own take. We learn from them and they learn from us. Is this a real estate driven business or a people business? I don’t think that distressed real estate by itself provides an opportunity. The whole thing is driven by restaurant success which is guided by consumer demand. I keep telling my team, we need to listen to the consumer, they will tell us where to locate, what restaurants they want how to order from, and whether they want to

have it delivered or pick it up. How do we do that and keep improving on making that experience great? We do that and the right real estate will find us with a busy popular solution that gets positioned as an amenity. We give that landlord a solution with multiple restaurant concepts versus a big box that might go out of business in a year and a half. We like being within a block of “Main Street” in a 7,000 square foot box that does not need to be on a ground floor. It could be subterranean or mezzanine. I like to see the space where a previous failed restaurant makes the realtor break into a cold sweat because they thought it would take ten years to find someone dumb enough to lease it again. But it might just be perfect for our operation. All I need is a way to connect that space to 200 square feet that will serve as our “Pick-Up Center” at street level, and we’re ready to go. All photos courtesy of Kitchen United

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SCOOP

INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE During this pandemic, our industry is rising to the challenge by shifting service to take-out and delivery and feeding our front-line workers. We are sharing news about many of the businesses and people that have quickly adapted to support the Metro NY community and help us all get through this crisis to the other side.

LOI ESTIATORIO JOINS “HELP A RESTAURANT, FEED A DOCTOR” SCOOP learned that Chef Loi found a way to help support the community during these trying times, and started cooking to provide nutritious, healthy meals to the frontline healthcare workers of this unprecedented crisis. The team at Loi Estiatorio has delivered hundreds of meals to NYU Langone, Lenox Hill Hospital, The Floating Hospital, NY Presbyterian-CUMC, Bellevue Hospital, NYU Langone, and Memorial Sloan Kettering. Chef Loi has partnered with her patrons’ and neighbors, Justin and Angela Clair, Founders of Globe Totters, who startChef Maria Loi ed the GoFundMe Initiative to

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SCOOP Editor Joyce Appelman

“Help a Restaurant, Feed a Doctor” to provide free meals to the healthcare heroes at NYC hospitals. Collectively, our GoFundMe team has delivered over 1000+ meals to over 12 New York City hospitals. She invites all of you to join this multi-faceted cause where your donation not only helps feed healthcare professionals, but also supports participating restaurants. Follow her @LoiEstiatorio and @ChefMariaLoi to track their deliveries, and consider donating, because “we’re all in this together, and we’ll all get through this together!” says Chef Loi.

NEW YORK FOODIE COUPLE UTILIZE THEIR PASSION TO FEED FAMILIES IN NEED SCOOP hears that Kim Calichio and Omar Bravo have launched Lifeline Food Packages, a program that will ensure a box of fresh food and staple items will be delivered weekly to families in greatest need in their Queens neighborhood that has been dubbed by international media as “COVID hell”. Calichio, owner of The Connected Chef, knows the neighborhood’s food landscape and with her contacts and connections have reached out to the com-

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METRO NY INSIDER NEWS, from page 40

munity including nearby Hellgate Farm and invited them to participate in the project. In less than two weeks, the couple and the farm were putting together and circulating an intake form (local moms shared the form through school groups), as well as sourcing items for delivery and prepping their first round of deliveries to 20 families. “Each box includes enough food for a family of four for a week,” says Calichio, and includes “bread, meat, nut or cow milk, grains or pasta, toilet paper, soap and fresh fruit and veggies. It’s important to us that we are providing high density, nutritious foods to families and supporting our local economy.” With so much food being organized for delivery, they created a staging area for a small team of volunteers to prep and pack the boxes in a local bakery, whose owner lets them use the space. “Full sanitation procedures are in place and all people handling any items are required to wear masks and gloves at all times,” she explains. “Once the packages are filled, a volunteer delivers each package to the registered families in a single day. The deliveries are left at each family’s door, where the family can then safely bring the package into their home.” Calichio and Bravo, who are financing the project through crowdfunding, say each box costs around

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$30 to fill. So far, they’ve raised more than $4,600. “We hope to double the number of delivered boxes each week with the help of our community and other supporters,” says Calichio. “As long as we have the funding, we will keep going.”

BROOKLYN CHOP HOUSE DELIVERS TO OVER 2,000 FRONT-LINE WORKERS EACH WEEK AT LOCAL HOSPITALS SCOOP hears from Brooklyn Chop House Director of Operations Stratis Morfogen in FiDi that they are making food deliveries to their neighboring hospital, New York Presbyterian, nightly for as long as the restaurant’s doors are open. They’re offering their most popular dishes to the staff that’s working tirelessly to ensure everyone’s safety, including nurses, doctors, surgeons and more for being the true heroes during this pandemic. Since word of their generosity has spread, over a dozen other hospitals have reached out to Brooklyn Chop House for dinners including Sloan

The Brooklyn Chop House staff packs up some of the meals heading out to the frontline workers

Kettering, Cornell Weill, Elmhurst Hospital, Lenox Hill and the most recent being the Samaritan’s Purse pop up hospital in Central Park, and without hesitation the owners agreed to make meals for their workers too. The team at Brooklyn Chop House was also able to get their vendors to pitch

in. Because of that generosity, the care packages now include VOSS Water, Four Five Roasters Coffee, J. Kings, King Solomon Meats, Juniors Cheesecake and more. They are also offering 20% off for all first responders picking up meals at the downtown hotspot. Since starting their initiative, Brooklyn Chop House has helped feed over 2,000 hospital workers each week.

PIZZA DONATIONS DELIVERED TO THE FRONT LINES BY MIDDLETOWN PIZZERIA SCOOP hears that Vinni Scileppi owner of Illianos Restaurant and Pizzeria right down the street from Middlesex hospital is serving up pizza pies for those on the front lines. With a strong community behind the restaurant, Scileppi knew exactly how to give back. Explaining “the community came together to help us out tremendously it only makes sense for us to give back as much as we possibly can.” The donations seem to be pouring in; every tendollar donation received the restaurant matches,

makes pizza, and delivers those pizzas to hospitals around the area. “Our website has a link for people to donate in $10 increments at the end of every week we are tallying them up and doubling it,” said Scileppi. He went on to explain, “the first week with $700 so this past week we brought $1400 to Middlesex Hospital areas and we’re just trying to bring some normalcy to those who are working their butts off.”

DA NONNA ROSSA DELIVERS MEALS TO THE HOSPITAL SCOOP learned that a group of Park Slope residents have raised thousands to feed the hardworking staff of Methodist Hospital, and support struggling local businesses while they’re at it. As of April 9, an online fundraiser for the hospital netted over $100,000, with the proceeds providing hundreds of dinners for healthcare workers from local restaurants seven nights a week as a result of the medical center’s cafeteria shuttering at the start of the outbreak. “We’ve heard from so many people in the community about how this has provided them such a

wonderful outlet to feel that they can give back and show their support,” said Jessica Fields, who organized the fundraiser along with Soni Saluja and Emily Drucker. Fields and her neighbors set out with modest ambitions, and a goal of only a $1,000 to provide the workers with one dinner — a trial run, she said. After sharing the fundraiser with around 40 neighbors, the effort ballooned almost immediately, with $2,000 pouring in in just the first day. The fundraiser also gives locals a chance to support local restaurants, who have struggled since a ban on dining-in went into effect in March. Each meal is catered by a different local restaurant each night, with only independent local restaurants being used. Restaurants so far have included Giovanni’s Brooklyn Eats, Benchmark Restaurant, Negril, and Da Nonna Rossa. “It’s such a win on so many levels, the restaurants are getting business, the hospitals are getting food,” said Fields. “The win that we had not anticipated was the win for morale and keeping the community spirit up,” she said.

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METRO NY INSIDER NEWS, from page 43

ED’S LOBSTER BAR DONATES TO STAFF OF BELLEVUE HOSPITAL AND STONY BROOK MEDICINE

Chef Ed McFarlane

SCOOP heard that Ed’s Lobster Bar and Two Cousins Fish Market donated 75 lobster roll lunches to the staff at Bellevue Hospital, one of the COVID-19 acute care assessment and testing centers in New York City. Ed McFarland is the Chef/Owner of Ed’s Lobster Bar in SoHo and Sag Harbor. Two Cousins Fish Market, a wholesale and retail seafood supplier located in Freeport, NY, supplied live lobster for Ed’s Lobster Bar in NYC to cook and prepare. Chef McFarland prepared 75 lobster roll lunches, individually-packaged with salads and Ed’s specialty pickles for the staff at Bellevue Hospital in NYC. The Sag Harbor location of Ed’s Lobster Bar in the Hamptons donated 20 pizzas to Stony Brook Medicine in Stony Brook, New York.

NYC RESTAURANTS OFFER FREE GRAB-AND-GO MEALS SCOOP learned that seven restaurants in Long Is44 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

land City, Queens have committed to providing free grab-and-go meals on weekdays, amid news that Queens is now considered the epicenter of New York City’s pandemic. Outreach organization LIC Relief is working with the restaurants to provide meals to those financially impacted by the health crisis. It is also trying to keep businesses afloat by providing information on how customers can order food and beverages online or even donate. “Beginning Monday, March 23, we are partnering with local restaurants to provide free nutritional meals on weekdays for students and families impacted by the school closures as well as any person in need or unable to secure a daily meal,” LIC Relief said in an announcement. “Meals will be available from 12:00– 2:00 pm. Look for the LIC RELIEF table just inside the restaurant and simply pick up a meal.” The restaurants include Piatto, Blend on Vernon, Centro Italian Kitchen, Vernon Grille, Manetta’s, Bella Via and Little Chef, Little Cafe. Queens’ workforce demographic likely explains why the borough has the high number of COVID-19 cases. Many workers considered “essential” by the city government reside there. “These are folks who cannot stay at home,” Dr. Sandra Albrecht, an assistant professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, told the station. “And even as the cases soar in the city, they have to continue taking the subway, they have to continue going to work.” To support residents in the borough, LIC Relief is currently collecting donations to continue providing free meals. For each meal a restaurant provides, LIC Relief gives $5 in relief to a local business. The organization’s goal is to provide meals until New York City schools reopen.

NFL’S QUINNEN WILLIAMS FEEDS HEALTH STAFF WITH $25K OF FOOD SCOOP hears about a sweet gesture from NFL star Quinnen Williams, the NY Jets D-lineman, donation of $25,000 worth of food to medical personnel in N.J. and it was all handmade by a celeb chef! The former first-round pick hit-up Brianna’s Nutrition Kitchen to take care of staffers at Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, N.J. and the meals didn’t disappoint. Quinnen and the private chef hooked-up the heroes with super healthy products including seasoned protein, veggies and potatoes. One of the coolest parts of the gift? Quinnen labeled each meal with a smiling photo and the mes-

sage, “Thank you for your service! Love, Quinnen Williams.” Seemed the people who are laying their lives on the line to stop the effects of coronavirus were more than happy with the grub -- smiling and posing with the meals.

LLOYDPANS INTRODUCES NEW LONG AND TALL PANS SCOOP heard that LloydPans debuted two new pans that push the boundaries of length and size for pizza makers and bakers. LloydPans’ new Long Pan Pizza now comes in dimensions as long as 27 x 4 x 1.5 inches and an extra-tall round cheesecake pan, measuring 8x4 inches.

The new Long Pan Pizza from LloydPans

“For years, we’ve paid attention to the consumer-packaged goods industry, where new products are continually developed by repackaging existing brands into new formats,” Traci Rennaker, LloydPans’ President and Chief Executive Officer, says. “We took the same approach when developing these two new pans. The Long Pan Pizza style is perfect for restaurants looking to excite customers with a long, narrow pan pizza perfect for large parties. And, who doesn’t want a bigger cheesecake! This new cheesecake pan is perfect for those bakers looking to make a visual impact with a tall cheesecake.” Long Pan Pizza comes in several pan lengths with a standard width (4 inches) and depth (1.5 inches). Pizzerias can produce long personal pizzas with the 12-inch long pan, feed a family with the 18-inch long pan or serve a whole party with the 27-inch long pan. Each pan features LloydPans’ proprietary PSTK® coating that offers operators a durable pan that re-

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METRO NY INSIDER NEWS, from page 44

quires no pre-seasoning. Their new tall cheesecake pan was originally launched as a custom pan, but due to popular demand, has now found a permanent home in the line of loose-bottom cheesecake pans. The 4-inch height is about as tall as a baker can make a cheesecake, and the stick-resistant coating allows for easy release. The coating also makes the pan steam resistant, which means a baker can de-pan cheesecakes now or later and they won’t damage the pan or the integrity of the cheesecake. LloydPans, a U.S. manufacturer of commercial pizza pans and tools, bakeware, cookware and foodservice equipment, is located in Spokane Valley, Washington. In addition to an extensive line of standard products, LloydPans also offers custom solutions for just about anything their customers need. LloydPans’ products are sold online at www.lloydpans.com and through distributors.

NOT EVEN A PANDEMIC CAN SLOW THE UNSTOPPABLE J.W. LEHR SCOOP notes that amidst this pandemic, there are still milestones to be celebrated. At the top of SCOOP’s list is the 70th anniversary of one Joseph W. Lehr at Brooklyn, NY based Glissen Chemical.

simply no one like him. JW’s elegance and grace is both a thing of beauty and timelessness. First with his Dad and then for decades with his lovely bride Bobbi, Lehr has guided Glissen and helped build the company into a leading detergent manufacturer with distribution across the country. Joe’s commitment to detail from flowers throughout the Brooklyn office and even polished door knobs are an inspiration to anybdy lucky enough to cross paths with him. Most recently, his grandson Rich Knoop has worked side by side with Joe to bring the latest technology to Glissen.

Joseph Lehr’s seven decades at Glissen Chemical have been highlighted by an unwavering commitment to his customers through hurricanes and now a pandemic.

As with so many of the great stories of our industry, what was supposed to be a career as a full time fisherman took a rather lengthy detour in 1950. He came to “help” out his father Eugene with the business on that fateful day and simply never left. For those of us that get to call him our friend and customer, there’s

VERIZON PARTNERING WITH NYC RESTAURANTS DONATE 22,000 MEALS TO FDNY EMS AND MEDICS SCOOP learned that telecommunications giant Verizon partnered with the nonprofit FDNY EMS Help Fund and over a dozen city restaurants to donate about 22,000 meals to emergency medical

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MEET THE NEWSMAKER NEWSMAKER: Healthcare Dining

PATRICK LAMONT, PRESIDENT OF AHF-NY A Call to Action on the Healthcare and Hospital Food Service Front Line: Meeting the Challenge of COVID-19 Interview with Joyce Appelman

s we continue to monitor developments regarding COVID-19 and the impact on our industry, we know it’s more important than ever to connect with our healthcare and hospital foodservice colleagues who are impacted with the live experiences and to understand the challenges that come along during this crisis. We want to share accurate information and understand the hurdles that your colleagues in healthcare and hospital foodservice are facing during this time. We are thankful to Patrick LaMont for his time during this crisis. He has shared his leader-

ship insights and strategies on feeding the community of patients and staff with our readers. LaMont leads over 122 members as the President of the Association for Healthcare Foodservice of New York (AHF-NY). Does AHF-NY have a new plan for foodservice? What has been recommended for rolling out emergency programs? Yes, we do have a new plan. We believe every foodservice director must have a new plan as the COVID-19 has created a new normal for everyone. Governor Cuomo has asked that all hospitals increase their bed capacity by 100% and, to provide the necessary staffing needs to meet this demand.

Patrick LaMont speaks at a recent event for the Partridge Club

50 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Are you increasing your staff at this time? No, not at this time but soon. Once all the locations have been identified to meet the new bed capacity to accommodate the surge capacity anticipated, we will be ready to go. Many members at their sites currently Cook-Chill, however, we discussed converting to CookServe during this COVID-19 emergency or stay Cook-Chill. Unfortunately, making this change would come with a new set of challenges. It will probably be more disruptive to staff than it needs to be. Are your foodservice broker and distribution partners providing what your hospital needs during this time? Our distributors have been amazing doing everything to meet our needs. We as managers understand that all healthcare and hospital foodservice are in the same boat. It’s imperative that our distributers put controls in place to make sure some of us do not panic, do not over order, do not hoard by ordering excessive amounts that could leave others without. We are in this together. Vendors such as US Foods and Imperial Dade are truly our partners and have been working amazingly hard to meet our needs. It is a little frustrating when you cannot get the amounts, you’re ordering but, because of this we put options 2-3 deep in place just in case we cannot get what I want. Tell us about the changes members

Patrick LaMont, President of AHF-NY

are making to their retail areas. Sales have declined in the retail areas, but that is to be expected due to sick calls and some of the changes made in the cafeterias such as moving to grab and go and everything individually packaged. We shut down our salad bars and now make pre-packaged salads and sandwiches. Surprisingly enough, many of our customers love the changes and asked us to keep serving this way when we return to normal business, whatever that was, as this may be the new normal. Do your members have a different approach to menus during this time? With the exception of the retail area, the menus remain the same thus far, however we’ve had to make

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 51

RESTAURANT MARKETING

HOW TO CREATE GOLD MEDAL MARKETING CONTENT

hen a business falls on hard times, it seems that marketing is one of the first things to go. On the surface that may seem logical--you don’t need marketing to survive. However, you do need customers, and chances are you earn those customers through some form of marketing. In the current state we are in, restaurants can no longer rely on revenue generated through foot traffic and habitual customers. The country has been on lock down for over 21 days--the amount of time it takes to form a habit--and almost no one is walking around, just browsing for a place to grab a bite. While business may have slowed, or your restaurant may be on a temporary hiatus, it is still important to stay in front of your customers. You need to remain familiar whether it’s promoting your take-out and delivery menu or simply reminding your

While your restaurant may be on a temporary hiatus, it is still important to stay in front of your customers. You need to remain familiar whether it’s promoting your take-out and delivery menu or simply reminding your customers of your brand customers of your brand. Eventually, all of this will end, doors will open, and you customers are going to be hungry. So, get ready to win them back! Essentially, you have the opportunity to make a new first impression. The most efficient and cost-effective way to do that is to reach your customers through social media. To really make an impact, you are going to need some grade-A content. If there are two words that you hear more often than any others in the marketing world, they are data and content. Previously, we took some steps into the data pool and

discussed the importance of growing a customer database. In this article, we are going to talk all about what you feed that database--Content!! Content content content. It’s all about content. Show who you are. Show your product. Show your brand. Keep your audience entertained, engaged, and aware. Alright. That’s pretty vague. What exactly do you mean by content? Content can be any sort of stimuli that you feed your audience. This can be in the form of emails, texts, Instagram posts, Facebook coupons - you get the gist. As a restaurant, the content that you produce and send out to your audience, whether that be your subscribers or your followers on social media, is the main way that you communicate with them. When you have new events going on it’s less likely that you will have a personal conversation with each customer, so the best way for you to get the word out is through one of the mediums men(L-R) Above is an example of a picture taken in natural light with a supplementary LED light source, fluorescent tioned above. light, and with a smartphone flash. If you’re not

52 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Brett Linkletter is the CEO & CoFounder of Misfit Media. He has an aggressive willingness to take on new challenges and a strong understanding of scaling a business from scratch. His vision is to disrupt the restaurant marketing space by empowering business owners with predictable, scalable marketing strategies so they can grow their business based on insights and data, versus guesswork and course correction. Brett’s specialty lies in creative content creation, brand messaging, social media growth hacking, and business development. His biggest role model and lifetime hero is his great grandfather, Art Linkletter, who was a famous TV personality and businessman. Ariana Brajkovich is Misfit Media’s inhouse media buyer. She is a data-driven individual who loves to take the creative route to achieve results. Ariana studied business and marketing at the University of Southern California and has found her niche in the restaurant world. She thrives in competition and is inspired by Misfit’s drive to take restaurants across the world to the next level. Outside of the office, you can find her skiing, rock climbing, or baking. Contact the team at hello@ misfitmedia.com or 424-289-8648

used to creating your own content, I have some great news for you: good content isn’t hard to create! You only need to follow a couple steps and rules to make your posts stand out. There’s no need to hire a professional team, buy a super expensive camera, or spend tons of money on special editing software. All it takes is a little bit of time, a little bit of effort, and a little bit of creativity. The first thing you want to do is identify your target audience. What kind of customers do you have at your restaurant? What demographics do they fit? What kind of culture do they represent? These are the people who you want to focus on when creating the type of content

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 53

LEGAL INSIDER

WITH VALERIE J. BLUTH, ESQ., ELLENOFF GROSSMAN & SCHOLE LLP

NAVIGATING THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY’S TOUGH ROAD BACK TO “NORMAL”

he hospitality industry has been turned on its head as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. There are widespread restaurant and bar closures, and even those establishments that remain open for takeout and/or delivery are facing unique struggles. It goes without saying that this pandemic has completely changed our way of life, and has people scrambling to regain some sense of normalcy. A big piece of that “return to normalcy” is a return to dining and drinking out. Many patrons and employees are asking the unanswerable question of “when will the restaurants and bars reopen?” but hospitality employers are focused on “what will the landscape really look like once we do reopen, and what obligations or challenges will we face?” Legal and Practical Obstacles From a legal standpoint, it is highly likely that restaurants and bars will face significant new and/or continued restrictions and obligations in how they operate. First, restaurants and

Many patrons and employees are asking the unanswerable question of “when will the restaurants and bars reopen?” but hospitality employers are focused on “what will the landscape really look like once we do reopen, and what obligations or challenges will we face?” bars will likely reopen gradually, with bars remaining closed longer than restaurants. This means that a so-called end to the various states of self-isolation will not restore businesses to their pre-pandemic levels, at least not immediately. There will still likely be limitations on capacity and perhaps hours of operation. There may also be newly imposed restrictions regarding table spacing, and congregating or eating at the bar may be a thing of the past. In addition, we have already seen overtures from, for example, the Governor of California that servers and other restaurant/bar staff may be required to wear masks and/or gloves.

54 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Beyond the cost burden on the employer, having your food delivered to your table by a masked and gloved server will undoubtedly be detrimental to the patrons’ in-person dining experience. There have also been rumblings about requiring disposable menus and dishware, glassware and utensils. Further, the pandemic will likely make the hospitality industry’s labor shortage worse as restaurants and bars may be unable to adequately staff their establishments. Even when we are permitted to dine out again, the virus will not completely go away. Accordingly, there may still be instances where an employee needs to take time off because they or a family member is diagnosed with, exposed to or feeling symptoms of coronavirus, or due to ancillary issues such as lack of childcare or senior care. In that regard, even if an employee has no paid time off available from their employer’s regular time off policies once the business reopens, the emergency paid sick and family/ medical leave provisions of the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) are presently in effect through December 31, 2020. It’s possible that there will be an FFCRA extension in the future, as it is presently unknown if there will be a resurgence of coronavirus down the road. The FFCRA provides for up to 10

Valerie Bluth is a Partner in the Labor & Employment Group at Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP. For more than ten years, Ms. Bluth has exclusively represented and advised clients in employment-related matters, with a particular focus in the hospitality industry. Above all, Ms. Bluth works tirelessly to ensure clients are in compliance with an ever-changing landscape of federal, state and local employment laws, especially with respect to pay practices and employment policies, and to devise practical solutions for any employment problems that might arise. Ms. Bluth can be reached at (212) 370-1300 or vbluth@egsllp.com.

days of employer-paid sick leave if an employee is unable to work due to certain coronavirus-related reasons, including because they or their family member are sick or their child’s school or place of care has closed. The FFCRA also provides for up to 10 additional weeks of employer-paid extended family and medical leave when an employee is unable to work to care for their child if the child’s school or place of care has been closed or their child care provider is unavailable due to the current public health emergency. Workers who have been laid off or are presently furloughed are not entitled to those paid leave benefits,

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 55

MEET THE NEWSMAKER NEWSMAKER: Healthcare Equipment & Supply

KEITH FITZGERALD

HEALTHCARE SALES MANAGER, PBAC & ASSOCIATES Supplying The Healthcare and Hospital Food Service Front Line To Meet The Challenge of COVID-19 Interview with Joyce Appelman

BAC & Associates has a team that brings the foodservice industry’s best equipment and supply brands to the world’s most complex and diverse Metro New York foodservice marketplace. Keith Fitzgerald is on the front line providing solutions for clients during this time of crisis due to Covid-19. Total Food Service continues our coverage sharing accurate information to help understand the hurdles that your colleagues in healthcare and hospital foodservice are facing now. We are thankful to Keith Fitzgerald for his time during this crisis to share his insights and strategies on feeding the community of patients and staff with our readers. It’s not business as usual during the Covid-19 crisis, what are you doing to reinvent yourselves to provide the best possible service to your healthcare clients? Having worked primarily out of a home office for the past 30 years, the current “shelter in place” requirement that has many doing this for the first time, has not been an issue for me. The challenge is not being able to visit with prospective clients to as-

sist with specifications and startup. We’ve been utilizing Zoom and Skype for meetings in addition to email and phone calls. The fact is that many of our clients in healthcare are just too busy to meet anyway so they seem to prefer this “new” way of doing business. What are the brands and equipment being requested from your community at this time?

Keith Fitzgerald, Healthcare Sales Manager, PBAC & Associates

56 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Our primary focus in healthcare is our Dinex line of meal delivery systems and disposable products that are produced to support these systems. The trend in long term care for the past few years has been congregate dining and that concept has turned 180 degrees in just a matter of weeks. The COVID-19 crisis has forced residents back into their rooms to shelter in place. This, in turn, has caused all long-term care facilities to provide in-room dining for their residents. Consequently, we are seeing tremendous demand for the products needed to service these needs. Trays, insulated wear and increased disposable use has grown exponentially. Fortunately, all of these products are produced by Dinex at their factory here in the United States and we have been able to meet the increased demand. Additionally, with more insulated ware in use, we are seeing more demand for warewash equipment and our leading brand of Hobart. We have also seen a surge of business for San Jamar products as they are the leading supplier of sanitation products such as hands-free towel dispensers and Sanitizing products like SaniStation.

What are PBAC and MAFSI doing at this time for special training and education? As mentioned earlier, we are also utilizing Zoom video conferencing with many of our factories. We’re using the extra time that we now have to schedule product training with our factories, consultants and dealers. Any new resources? Coincidently, we just launched our new website: www.pbacrep. com We hope to see more traffic on it and to utilize it to promote products that are appropriate for the challenge ahead of us. We also recently implemented a CRM from SalesForce, that we use to stay on top of our current business, but also to keep our factories up to date with forecasting and sales development. Please share your creative solutions and best practices to get through this crisis with our readers. Be safe out there! Take every precaution possible and keep a positive outlook. We will prevail and overcome! Be ready for the surge of future business that will come once the crisis is resolved. PBAC will continue industry leadership within the rep community and partnership with our principals, dealers and customers.

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 57

NEWS

ASSOCIATIONS

DOLCH LED CONNECTICUT RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION MAKES SAFETY PROMISE TO STATE RESIDENTS

he Connecticut Restaurant Association late last month introduced “The Connecticut Restaurant Promise,” a public pledge from local restaurant owners to the Connecticut public, detailing how they will use every necessary safety and sanitation measure as the state plans its reopening in order to protect both their employees and their customers. “As Connecticut is now planning how best to begin reopening businesses and reopening its economy, we want the public to know that local restaurants are taking our role and our responsibility seriously when it comes to protecting public health,” said Scott Dolch, Executive Director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association. “Connecticut restaurants are working with state officials to determine how best to return to full service as soon as it is safe to do so. As part of that work, we’re making these promises directly to the public that we will do everything in our power to make their dining experience safe

and enjoyable.” The Connecticut Restaurant Promise, includes the following promises from local restaurants to the Connecticut public: • Continue leading in safe sanitation practices • Establish protocol for monitoring the health of all staff prior to shift start • Our indoor & outdoor seating meets all physical distancing guidelines • Hand sanitizer or hand washing stations are at all entrances • Clean and sanitize common areas and surfaces regularly • Clean and sanitize all tables and hard surfaces after every use • Place settings, utensils, menus, and condiments are sanitized after every use or are single use As they prepare to make these extra efforts, the association is also asking for promises in return from their customers that will help keep

“As Connecticut is now planning how best to begin reopening businesses and reopening its economy, we want the public to know that local restaurants are taking our role and our responsibility seriously when it comes to protecting public health.” — Scott Dolch 58 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

them and the employees of the restaurants they visit safe and healthy. Those asks include: • If you have been exposed to COVID-19 recently or have symptoms of COVID-19 (including a fever, aches, cough, shortness of breath, headache, chills or loss of taste/ smell), keep everyone safe by staying home and contacting your local restaurant to inquire about their contactless delivery options • If you have underlying health conditions or are otherwise concerned about contracting COVID-19, please consider contactless delivery options • If you have any questions about the Connecticut Restaurant Prom-

ise, please ask for a manager who will be happy to answer any questions Connecticut’s bars and restaurants will remain closed through at least May 20, Gov. Ned Lamont said. That date would be “the earliest we’d consider opening anything,” he said, warning that the target date could be pushed back if necessary. “We’ll be outlining over the next week or two how we carefully plan to get people back to work, antibody testing and doing it a safe way,” he said. “We’re not just going to open the doors on May 20.” Restaurants and bars in the state

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 59

NEWS

MEDIA SOLUTIONS

HERITAGE RADIO NETWORK COVERS THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE FOOD INDUSTRY Article contributed by Dylan Heuer

hen news of a novel coronavirus began to reverberate throughout the world, Heritage Radio Network (HRN) was immediately concerned with how it would impact our food system. While questions about the food supply chain, unemployment for hospitality workers, and the challenges of cooking with limited ingredients quickly became part of national news coverage about COVID-19, HRN was uniquely poised to lead the conversation. As the world’s pioneering food podcast network, HRN is constantly thinking about the food angle of current events. HRN’s hosts - a visionary group of entrepreneurs, chefs, journalists, and historians - immediately began covering how hospitality workers, restaurant owners, independent farms, and others in the food supply chain were being impacted by COVID-19. Many didn’t see any alternative for their shows. Lisa Held, the host of The Farm Report, shared her perspective: “Honestly, there isn’t a farm or food business that hasn’t been affected by COVID-19 in some way, so continuing to talk about agriculture or the food system without addressing the pandemic didn’t feel possible or relevant.” In covering how this pandemic is affecting our nation’s farms – from the expansion of CSAs to the adjustments made by New York City’s Greenmarkets – Held has not only shifted her coverage, but the structure of her show. In addition to conducting interviews remotely, she is planning her shows on a week-to-week basis as the crisis evolves. In fact, she sees similarities between her situation and that of her guests. She says, “COVID-19

Heritage Radio Network hosts (L-R) Jenny Goodman and Alex McCrery, and Eli Sussman

has made planning ahead irrelevant on so many fronts. Farmers are reinventing business plans they finalized months ago and hustling to plant different seeds to shift, for example, from selling to restaurants to doing bigger CSAs. Everything is on the fly, and so is my coverage.” Eli Sussman, a Brooklyn-based restaurant owner and the host of HRN’s The Line, has also shifted his typical show format by following stories that resonate most. His first instinct was to invite fellow chefs and restaurant owners across the country to share the difficult decisions they made as self-isolation became the norm. What resulted was an oral history series of firsthand accounts documenting the hardest month restaurants have ever seen. Sussman says, “I hope it can be cathartic for those to tell their stories

60 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

and for those listening who may be going through the same thing to not feel alone.” By encouraging his guests to open up about the challenges they are facing, Sussman hopes everyone can learn something and most importantly that, “the episodes are providing hope that we as an industry are in this together and there are resources available to help you.” The hosts of Opening Soon, Jenny Goodman and Alex McCrery, went so far as to optimistically dub their show, Re-Opening Soon. Goodman describes feeling a “sense of duty to get information to our community as quickly as possible.” In recent weeks, the show has featured an array of experts who have provided concrete advice on topics ranging from mental health to securing small business loans. Goodman hopes these resourc-

es will help hospitality professionals to feel less alone in navigating difficult decisions. Put simply, she sees food radio as an avenue to bring people together, “It’s community when we are in isolation.” In covering COVID-19, Heritage Radio Network seeks to provide resources and answers that offer more than temporary relief. It is the hope of many hosts that their work will ignite ongoing conversations. “Questions about how the pandemic is affecting food production provide insights into deeper realities about the food system that will be valuable long after all of this is over,” said Lisa Held. “Like: Are long supply chains more vulnerable to disruption than local food systems? Why are grocery stores out of eggs while farmers are dumping out excess milk?” In her recent reporting, Lisa is working to strike a critical balance. She adds, “My goal is to give listeners first-person insights into how the pandemic is affecting farms and the overall food system. Beyond that, though, it’s to talk about the effects of COVID-19 in a way that helps get at how to build a more resilient, sustainable, equitable food system that can feed us through any crisis.” While our nation’s interest is piqued for food news, HRN has an opportune moment to speak to a diverse population’s questions and concerns. Their priority is to support the hospitality industry by documenting stories from every part of the food supply chain. In the process, they hope to cultivate a growing community of thoughtful eaters, whose shifting perspective on food and where it comes from may long outlast COVID-19. You can follow HRN’s latest coverage of COVID-19 here: heritageradionetwork.org/covid19

THE SUM IS GREATER THAN THE PARTS. In corporate cafeterias, hotels, casinos, mixed-use buildings, solid fuel cooking in restaurants. Big or small, smoke, odor, and grease don’t stand a chance. From design to sale to service, we have it covered. Listen to what our customers have to say about the SmogHog experts. Clean Air. It’s What We Do.®

www.parker.com/kitchenventilation May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 61

ESSENTIALS OF HOSPITALITY PR

WITH LINDA KAVANAGH

RESTAURANT REBOOT:

APPLYING NEW NORM PRACTICES WITH AN ENHANCED MARKETING APPROACH

here’s no need to state the obvious and repeat yet another synop of the COVID-19 mayhem which led to the implosion of our industry. There are fabulous news and support resources out there that I hope everyone is staying on top of and in the process of taking advantage of. Let’s now start the process of moving forward with some major internal operations evaluation, a fresh new outlook on marketing, and a renewed energy towards your brand. As I always preach, “PR happens any time.” BRAND While both the consumer and the industry can’t wait for things to go back to “normal”, re-entry should be approached with a greater enthusiasm, resulting in a greater impact on the consumer. Now is the time to slightly reinvent your restaurant and improve upon your existing brand. • Refresh your logo and content on your website and all social media and marketing platforms. • Incorporate fresh, high-quality photography into all your platforms. Focus on food, cocktails, interiors, exteriors, design elements, action shots, and owner/staff/chef images. • Produce video content. Short, long, and b-roll format. • New menu – seasonal changes and possible format/style variations on current menu concept. • Location refresh. Table configurations need to become more spacious. A fresh coat of paint and new design elements, artwork, and light-

Linda Kavanagh is the founder of MaxEx Public Relations, LLC. Prior to launching her company in 1997, Kavanagh spent ten years in the culinary field, ultimately leaving the kitchen side of the business, trading her apron in for the almighty press release. Kavanagh’s experience in the restaurant industry adds another layer to her skillset, separating her from other publicists. Kavanagh is also the director of the New England Culinary Group, a 501(c)(3) professional organizational and support arm for the food service industry.

ordering/POS tie-in, gift card sales, contact forms/information, and CMS accessibility will all need to be improved upon. • Add a minimum of one NEW marketing program. Text programs, collaborations, WiFi database capture, and lots of effective programs are available. Be open to new ideas.

ing have a tremendous impact on a space. Incorporate outdoor lighting, plantings, and new patio furniture layout. • Hospitality/Service – retrain your staff, incentify your team, and instill a stronger work ethic for this new chapter in your business. MARKETING PLATFORMS How did your social media, email marketing, delivery services, POS, online portals, and website all perform when you needed them the most? • When was the last time you ran analytics? Have your platforms consistently been gaining followers,

62 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

sign-ups, reviews, opens, redemptions, reservations, etc? • Now is the time to rebuild and refresh all communications outlets with better content, a more robust outreach schedule, and additional consumer target markets. Utilize your marketing programs to their fullest and integrate additional program collaborations that are available. • Engage and incentify consumers in order to further build and grow all communication outlets. You can NEVER have enough emails in your database, and you will NEVER survive on your “regulars”. • Website capabilities: online

SOCIAL MEDIA & EMAIL For all of you out there (you know who you are) who just never seemed to understand or appreciate the importance and impact social media has on the restaurant industry, or did so begrudgingly, there’s no denying that these hungry influencers became the number one promoter of restaurants and resource for the masses throughout this epidemic. And no, email is not dead. In fact, it’s one of the strongest opt-in communication platforms for small businesses across the board. Were you able to communicate with your customers directly when you needed to the most? It’s a new day. New approach. New (loftier) goals. Take this time to re-evaluate, re-structure, and reinvent your social media and email marketing programs. Establish new

continued on page 89

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 63

NEWS

MOBILE DINING SOLUTIONS

ONE FAT FROG TABS LEGENDARY TOQUE BRUNO TO BRING UNIQUE DESIGN INSIGHT TO MOBILE FOOD TRUCK FLEET

s any sports fan has come to appreciate, great teams are built on the diamond and on the gridiron through the ability to identify and secure top talent. The restaurant and foodservice industry is no different, as the key to success is attracting top talent and then giving them the resources to succeed. For Florida based One Fat Frog that has in fact been the recipe for success. The food truck manufacturer was born in the kitchen and has a deep passion for helping others build their own business through the power of food on the move. To ensure the success of that goal, the Orlando firm has added one of the industry’ most iconic talents: Chef Santo Bruno. Since 2005, when Connie and Amin Hassanien launched a kitchen equipment supply and design company, One Fat Frog has been creating solutions for restaurant and foodservice operators. The company has expanded in Orlando on several occasions. “That’s why we say that we were born in the kitchen,” noted Dean. “Because that’s where it all started before, we

turned all of our efforts to truck design. Because of relationships, we really began with smaller projects. We understood what our customer base needs to be successful. It enabled the small entrepreneur to enter this business successfully with a high-quality affordable food truck.” That commitment to the smaller independent operator has driven One Fat Frog’s move to a 200K square foot manufacturing plant that is just dedicated to food trucks. “We have a number of competitors who are only interested in the larger $100k plus project,” Dean said. “They’ve built 700 to 800 trucks over the past decade. With our focus on the smaller operator, we have built that volume in a matter of months and at the same time, we put folks to work both in our facility building the units and on the streets across the country in their own businesses. With the volume of trucks that we build, we are able to buy in bulk and create the highest quality truck at the fraction of the cost of our competitors.” With its background as a kitchen equipment and supply dealer, One Fat Frog brings a unique understanding

64 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

“Our trucks are going to enable the operator to meet whatever new clean protocol New York City and other major cities enact across the country.” — Ryan Dean of how to create a successful mobile kitchen model. “Even with the challenges COVID-19, we can start the process on the phone discussing your dream with one of our sales associates,” noted One Fat Frog’s director of marketing Ryan Dean. “Our goal is to help you map out a path for what type of trailer will best fit your needs.” From a restaurant chain looking to create a mobile presence to an individual entrepreneur looking to launch a business, One Fat Frog has a design and financing solution. “We understand that a successful mobile truck needs to be able to use its cash for daily operations,” Dean added. “So, we have built our financing platform with lenders who understand the business and work with most credit scores and can get approvals in as little as a day.” Most importantly, One Fat Frog has created a program that handles all of the details of getting a food truck on the street and operating within hours of rolling off the production line. “While your trailer is in production, we help make sure you have all your permits and licensing ready so that when the trailer arrives, you’re ready for inspection and you’re cookin’!” Dean explained. Chef Bruno’s career has always been built around understanding what’s next and being in the right place at an opportune time. It began when he opened a pizzeria in Maspeth, NY. Little did he know that the establishment would become a favorite of Richard Hirsch who created a

business known as Welbilt, that would soon become one of the foodservice equipment industry’s global leaders. “Richie and his team would come for lunch and the next thing I knew they were flying me to ‘Vegas to demo their ovens at trade shows,” Bruno reminisced. What makes Bruno unique is that intertwined with his eateries, the beloved toque has worked extensively on the R&D side of pizza and cooking equipment. He eventually went onto work fulltime for Welbilt. He became one of the country’s foremost authorities on pizza ovens and moved in 2002 to Marsal & Sons, a cutting-edge manufacturer of gas, brick and electric pizza ovens for the restaurant industry. Bruno has owned or co-owned 35 restaurants and helped countless other entrepreneurs launch pizzerias around the country. He has also cooked for U.S. Presidents and Senators and made appearances on The Food Channel, the History Channel and Martha. His work on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous made him a household name. That led to stints at Garland residential and then full time in food service with Marsal Ovens. For years he seemed to be at every tradeshow everywhere as he built Marsal into a leading pizza oven brand. As the company’s corporate chef, he was its roving ambassador, jetsetting from coast to coast, offering turnkey solutions to restaurateurs,

continued on page 83

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 65

NEWS

FOOD LABELING SOLUTIONS

NCCO: PROTECTING & INNOVATING DURING TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY

estaurants and foodservice businesses have turned to takeout, delivery and graband-go orders to stay operational – posing a unique challenge for the industry nationwide. Restaurants must adapt to stay alive during closures. National Checking Company (NCCO), a leading provider of foodservice products and solutions, can help uniquely position foodservice operations for success during times of uncertainty and beyond. According to a study conducted last year by a national foodservice supplier, 85% of customers indicated they would like restaurants to use tamper-evident labels on takeout and delivery orders. Tamper-evident labels are not new to the marketplace but have spiked exponentially in popularity considering recent events. NCCO introduced SecureIt™ tamper-evident labels several years ago. Safeguarding customers is no new initiative for the 110+ year-old company, but an abundance of additional caution in the industry has skyrocketed the need for SecureIt™ labels. NCCO operates with a goal of providing essential resources to the foodservice industry. “As a company, we are constantly innovating and especially within our SecureIt™ label line,” says Ben Olk III, President of NCCO. “Our customers come to us with specific ideas and needs, and we do our best to solve them.” With a wide range in sizing of food bags, boxes, clamshells, and plastic containers being used across the country (and world), hav-

“Adding SecureIt™ labels to an existing workflow adds enhanced credibility and tangibly shows an operation’s dedication to customer safety.” — Ben Olk III, President of NCCO ing a label family with multiple styles and sizes, like the SecureIt™ line, is a large benefit to operations both big and small. Each SecureIt™ label is crafted with a strong, permanent adhesive and security cuts that tear to expose tampering. A distinct red color sets SecureIt™ labels apart in the marketplace and provides a visual indica-

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tion to customers that their order is protected by an extra layer of security. These labels also provide a subtle reminder to delivery drivers who may be tempted to open the container and glimpse, or even take a bite. Customers have heightened anxiety about possible routes of contamination… food takeout and delivery included. The idea of adding an additional third-party in between a restaurant and the dinner table may cause further concern – but can be put to rest by using tamper-evident labels. “Adding SecureIt™ labels to an existing workflow adds enhanced credibility and tangibly shows an operation’s dedication to customer safety,” says Olk. Six label styles are available from small to large and for both food and beverage containers and lids. Label dispensers make application fast and easy in the kitchen or order-staging area. Additionally, two dedicated SecureIt™ label styles are made to be used with NCCO’s innovative automated labeling system – the Date Code Genie®. This cloud-based, centrally managed system makes labeling for prep, grab-and-go, takeout, delivery, branding and more, easy and safe. Menu items can be added in the Date Code Genie

portal prior to use, so when a label is needed in the kitchen for a prep item, or for a takeout or delivery meal on its way out the door, a label with appropriate ingredient and nutritional information will print at the touch of a button. Along with SecureIt™, permanent, dissolving and DuraPeel™ labels from Date Code Genie are also available to use with the system. A hallmark of the Date Code Genie®, and a one-of-a-kind feature that differentiates this system in the industry, is the Label Designer. Start with a blank label canvas and dragand-drop features – such as ingredients, allergens, nutritional information, logos, QR codes, customer names, expiration dates and any additional components wanted – to the label. There are no limitations to the design. Labels can also be kept simple with pre-designed layouts that are ready to use. Date Code Genie® takes the guesswork out of handwritten labels and adds an extra touch of professionalism when printing labels for takeout and delivery. This labeling machine provides long-lasting benefits to foodservice operations beyond the current times. As restaurants and foodservice operations evolve, both SecureIt™ tamper-evident labels and the Date Code Genie® system are symbols of innovation – and NCCO is at the forefront of forward-looking solutions each step of the way. For more than 100 years, National Checking Company (NCCO) has developed and produced quality, American-made products that drive success in the foodservice industry. Our products are designed to help a foodservice operation function more efficiently. These products include POS essentials such as the GuestCheck™, register rolls and ribbons, tamperevident labels, disposable food safety products, first aid kits, and smart labeling solutions. NCCO also operates internationally with headquarters in Burton-on-Trent, England. For more information, visit NCCO.com.

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 67

NEWS

FOOD SOURCING SOLUTIONS

By Miriam Rubin, Food Columnist and Cookbook Author

FEEDING A RURAL COMMUNITY DURING THE PANDEMIC: A SPOTLIGHT ON COLUMBIA COUNTY, NY

(L to R) The Bartlett House exterior; Bartlett House’s fresh baked bread; a customer picking up her order at the Chatham Real! Food Market; and Local 111’s exterior

estled between the Catskill and Berkshire mountains in New York State’s Hudson Valley, Columbia County boasts expansive views, tucked-away homes and lush farmland. Its population numbers around 60,000; a number that increases during summer and weekends--and right now—as many second-home owners have fled New York City, 2 hours south. The economy is based on the service industry but agriculture and agrotourism are strong, too. Area farms raise high-quality meat, poultry and vegetables that are sold to residents and local businesses and trucked to fine New York City restaurants and farmers markets. Like many places, restaurants here are closed except for takeout. Smaller food stores have reduced or eliminated customer traffic. Some restaurants offer their full menus for takeout, others are padlocked, hopefully for a short period. And other businesses have found new ways to operate. For those continuing to serve, how long

can they remain open? Where will they source food? We spoke with three operations, each attempting a different model to remain open and keep the food flowing: The Bartlett House, a bakery-restaurant in Ghent, Local 111, a small restaurant in Philmont and the Chatham Real! Food Market, a natural foods coop. Specializing in seasonal, local ingredients, the Bartlett House is located in an historic railroad hotel. You’d go there for a farm-fresh breakfast, a super-popular brunch or for housemade breads and pastries. These days the parking lot has plenty of empty spaces and the covered porch, where you could browse your laptop while sipping a latte is instead filled with bagged orders to go. They’re picked up a customer at a time, limiting person contact. Bartlett House has morphed from a restaurant to a commissary. Instead of an a la carte menu, there’s a flexible list of cooked and chilled foods, such as beef and lamb chili or chicken and

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grains soup, sold by the quart. There are frozen house-made pasta noodles, with kale pesto or beef ragu for topping, plus sundry items to add to your online or phone order, like farm eggs, shredded cheese, pancake mix and wine. The transition happened fast, said Alina Roytberg, one of the principal owners. “All of a sudden, literally, we turned into a phone-order business. Our kitchen had to change because we could not proceed to do orders and prepare food, so we quickly changed into a provision place.” “The idea was to completely eliminate personal contact between the team and the guest and still be able to produce food, still be able to employ to some people,” said Roytberg. They’d been about to open a boutique hotel, The Maker, in the oncebustling county seat of Hudson, now gone quiet. Over 37 people from the hotel were let go; a few at Bartlett, too. “That was really one of the toughest things,” she said. So far, the new model is working,

perhaps because Bartlett House was a bakery before it became a restaurant. “We all need bread,” said Roytberg. “We decided that we would focus on the bread and other things that would help people to build themselves a meal.” Staying open, they’re able to retain employees and help area farmers. ”It’s breaking into spring now and it’s amazing to be in this area near the farms. Things are growing and farmers want to sell them,” she said, mentioning local sources such as Pigasso Farms and Letterbox Farms. Some vegetables and dry goods are delivered from Baldor. We plan to continue to be there for the community, Roytberg said. “It isn’t just about making profits, it’s about keeping the family together and trying to move through it with the least possible human trauma. We don’t want the Bartlett House to go silent.” Chef/owner Josephine Proul shuttered her well-regarded, farm-to-table

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 69

NEWS

FOOD WASTE SOLUTIONS

By Ray Hatch, CEO, Quest Resource Management Group

TOP PANDEMIC STRATEGIES FOR RESTAURANTS AND FOOD DISTRIBUTORS TO HANDLE WASTE

he COVID-19 quarantine has presented unprecedented challenges for the restaurant and food distribution industries. Almost overnight, restaurants have gone from packed dining rooms to empty buildings. Curbside pickup and delivery options have helped ease the blow of shelter-in-place orders, but there is still an excess of food waste. Food distribution services are experiencing challenges with school closings, massive reductions in hotel business and cafeterias shutting down. The International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) projects the food distribution industry will lose $24 billion over the next three months alone. However, there are still ways that restaurants and food distributors can reduce waste and stick to sustainable practices that customers seek. Waste Reduction for Restaurants In any food industry right now, food waste is the obvious challenge. Restaurants have a few unique opportunities to not only keep doors open, but to ensure that purchased food doesn’t go to waste. Food Waste: Like most restaurants across the country have done, shift to online ordering, contact-less purchase, curbside pick-up and delivery to ensure some level of revenue and distribution of food. • Offering curbside pickup and delivery is a lot simpler than signing up for services like UberEats or Grubhub. Use your social media presence to let customers know about new offerings. Change to a limited menu to reduce purchasing and risks of overbuying • By offering a limited menu, you

the floor - potentially creating another source of contamination. Paper Waste With all of the cleaning and disinfecting that a restaurant needs to be doing on a nearly constant basis, using paper products can produce its own waste nightmare, aside from being extremely expensive. Using reusable rags with CDC-approved sanitizing agents (like bleach) to clean all surfaces instead of disposable wipes not only saves money but prevents waste.

can easily dial in your purchasing to cover only the most popular dishes you offer. Freeze what can be used at a later time • To cover the initial overages, put those freezers to use. Compost all prep-food • Now is the perfect time to spin up a food composting program if you don’t already have one in place. Composting programs are always in demand. Donate unsellable food to staff • With finances tight for employees, direct food donation not only helps them – it prevents you from having to throw away perfectly good produce and meat. Donate unsellable food to local shelters/food banks instead of composting it • The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act protects restaurants from liability when donating to nonprofits. Aside from food waste, there is other waste associated with COVID-19 that restaurants need to pay attention to.

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Plastic Waste: Unfortunately, COVID-19 prevention procedures generate more waste as single-use containers, condiments, cups & utensils are needed. The easiest way to curb this type of waste is to simply ask consumers if they want utensils instead of automatically adding them to to-go boxes. Many food delivery apps have already adopted the practice of offering consumers the choice, and it’s simply a matter of asking consumers on phone-in orders what they need. Gloves, Masks All staff members should wear gloves and discard them after touching credit cards, prepping food and disinfecting surfaces. Proper use and handling of gloves is a critical step to keeping your customers and employees safe. The CDC has a useful guide on how to safely remove gloves, which you can print and display in your prep areas. The key is to make sure that gloves make their way to the proper trash containers and don’t end up on

Waste Reduction for Food Distributors Waste challenges for food distributors are a little more difficult for a few reasons: • Scale A food distributor has to deal with tons of food at a time and can service multiple large-scale operations. • Existing Infrastructure Food distributors have purchasing, warehousing and logistics practices in place to support existing operations. Making sweeping changes to those practices takes time and spoilage on produce is a ticking time clock. • Market Restrictions Food distributors have the challenge of not being able to sell to the public because of labeling restrictions. Nutritional labels are required on any products that are sold directly to consumers, and food distributors are designed to sell to restaurants and facilities. Short Term Changes: Starting with what you have on hand now, there are some immediate steps that can be taken to reduce the amount of food waste you are

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 71

INTERIOR DESIGNING

WITH DALA AL-FUWAIRES

WHAT PERMITS AND LICENSES YOUR RESTAURANT NEEDS TO OPEN

f you want to bring your cuisine and unique approach to hospitality into the world, you’re going to need to spend some time on administrative tasks before your dream becomes reality. It’s just part of the process. Because the restaurant industry is so highly regulated, applying for all of the correct permits and licenses is no easy task, but it’s an important one. Failure to obtain all of the proper paperwork can result in hefty fines and possibly even the closure of your business. No one wants that! Set yourself up for success with this checklist that outlines the 12 licenses and permits you’ll need to open a restaurant. But, keep in mind: Each state has a different filing fee and application process, so do your own due diligence by researching your city and state accordingly. One: Registered Business Name Thinking up a business name is no easy task, but once you’ve found the perfect one, the first thing you should do is register it as a form of identity protection. You can register a business name in one of three ways. First, by creating a business structure, which is the type of business you’ll run. There are different business structures to choose from, like a Sole Proprietorship, Limited Liability Company, and/or a Corporation. The second option is to file for a “DBA” (doing business as). A DBA is the operating name of a company, as opposed to your company’s legal

ing program. It’s important to note that once you acquire a food service license, your restaurant is still subject to regular inspections for ongoing adherence to governmental guidelines.

name. Finally, you may also choose to file a trademark application. Doing so prevents other businesses from using your business name, whether it’s in the form of words, titles, symbols, devices or a combination of these. Two: Business License Once you’ve registered your business, it’s time to get an actual business license. A business license gives you permission to legally operate your restaurant within a specific jurisdiction, which means the license is based on your restaurant’s address, so you’ll need a location before you apply for this one. Three: Food Service License To serve food at your restaurant, you need an official food service license. In order to get one, a city or county health department official will visit your establishment inperson to inspect it and ensure that you’re adhering to all of the laws and food safety regulations. And, some food licenses also require that your staff complete a food safety train-

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Four: Food Handler’s Permit In addition to the food service license, you’ll also need a food handler’s permit, which ensures that your restaurant meets regulations regarding food sanitation, storage, protection and preparation. Some states require that anyone handling food complete a food safety course to obtain and maintain their individual permits. Five: Liquor License If you plan to serve alcohol at your restaurant, state authorities require you to have a liquor license. Liquor licenses come in different “series” and the series you apply for determines what type of alcohol you can sell—i.e. liquor vs. only beer and wine—as well as where on the premises that you can actually serve the drinks. Six: Building A Health Permit A building health permit indicates that your restaurant’s physical structure complies with sanitation regulations and is issued by your local government. Not every state or province requires a building health permit, but, similar to a food service license, your location will be subject to routine inspections in order to maintain the permit.

Dala Al-Fuwaires, Principal of FJI, a hospitality design firm with a sweet spot for food and beverage interiors, is a dreamer, designer, and doer. With over a decade of experience in the interior design field, Dala has worked on hospitality and retail design projects ranging in size from boutique to national rollouts. Dala graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Arizona State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design from Purdue University. Outside of design, Dala can be found traveling to new places, hosting dinner parties for friends and family, remodeling her home, and photographing all of the above. Learn more at www. fji.design

Seven: Sign Permit Planning to put up some restaurant signage? We sure hope so. Branded signage draws attention to your new restaurant, but, of course, you’ll need a permit for that, too! This permit comes from your city or town government, which often has regulations on the size and location of your signs. In most cases, you’ll need approval from your landlord, too, as they may have their own set of rules or guidelines. Eight: Music or Live Entertainment License Whether you’re playing background music or hosting a live band, you need to apply for either a music license or a live entertainment license. Music licenses are acquired from companies that hold rights for copyrighted music. There are several private companies that hold such rights, but two of the largest are the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and Broadcast Music Incorporated. There are also

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 73

MIXOLOGY

WITH WARREN BOBROW

FLAVORED ICE CUBES TO ENHANCE YOUR CRAFT COCKTAILS

ith all this free time on my hands, I thought it important to go over a few things that don’t require drinking but will keep my creative mixology brain sharp during the time of staying at home. The first thing I’m doing is experimenting with ice. I love making ice with tea. Different types of tea make different flavors in your craft cocktails. There are many ways to make a spirit like mezcal even more mysterious. One of the ways is to brew a pot of loose tea. I like a smoky tea, like Lapsang Souchong. I learned recently that this tea comes unsmoked, so please get the smoky version for this recipe. When you make tea for ice cubes, let the tea steep double as long as you would for a cup of tea. You can make your tea as strong as you prefer, but my suggestion is to let it steep extra-long. I use a tea ball for this purpose. It’s a little strainer that goes right into the teapot. Get one, they’re fun to use to infuse loose tea and herbs into tasty ice. Lapsang Souchong Tea Cubes Sure, this resembles an Old-Fashioned. But it’s not. Ingredients: • 2-3 cups STRONG brewed Lapsang Souchong Tea brewed with 4-5 sprigs of lemon thyme and lemon zests • Clean Ice Cube tray Preparation: 1. Freeze overnight with the lemon zests 2. Hand Cut into shapes of your

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.

NJ, and CT. That is for certain. But you can go to just about any grocery store and buy a large tin or bottle of coconut water. That is a start! Then I get busier by halving limes, pre-heating the oven and roasting them with a scattering of Angostura Bitters and Demerara sugar for about a half an hour, cooling and juicing into your freezer proof container. You’re going to have to roast about fifty limes. In the end, it’s worth it. The concentration of the roasted lime juice, coconut water, and the last ingredient, mint bitters from Fee Brothers make this ice the perfect foil for a Ti Punch. All you really have to do is add the Rhum Agricole.

desire. I like rough cuts Pro-tip: Create a cocktail that deepens balance and flavor as the ice melts instead of diluting the drink with plain water (regular ice) Another favorite ice cube for Rhum Agricole is based on Cane Sugar Syrup and Lime Juice, the basis of the drink known as a Ti Punch. The Ti Punch traditionally does not take ice. What it does take is your breath away, because a wellcrafted Ti Punch is made with Rhum Agricole north of 100 proof or 50% ABV.

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It is a strong drink, but not a cold drink. I propose making ice with the lime and the sugar added to a base of coconut water. What? Coconut water ice? In place like the Virgin Islands, where water is an expensive proposition, one will forgo water instead, allowing for a clean glass. In this case, might I suggest making a tray of ice cubes out of coconut water. In the Virgin Islands, machetes are plentiful, and a good bar back has both his thumbs. Coconuts are also plentiful. I know what you’re saying, coconuts don’t grow in zone six, New York,

Simple Ti-Punch (Cocktail Whisperer Style) Ingredients: • Tray of Coconut Water ice infused with roasted lime juice and Fee Brothers Mint Bitters • Rhum Agricole to taste- I recommend 3 oz. of 100 proof Rhum Agricole per drink. It’s a strong drink. • Mint Bitters, I use Fee Brothers always… Preparation: 1. Pre-chill a cocktail glass with regular ice and water 2. Toss out when frosty cold 3. Dot the inside of the glass with the Fee Brothers Mint Bitters

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 75

NEWS

By Liz Cooper, Health and Travel Writer

FOOD SOURCING SOLUTIONS

7 RECIPES YOU CAN PREPARE WITH CBD OIL

t was not long ago when the world considered possessing and using marijuana a crime. Right now, the use of CBD is legal, and that has seen a significant number of people incorporating it into their daily routines. You should, however, note the industry is yet to come up with an incredible and effective way of administering CBD oil. That is because, to date, some people still find current administration methods to be unbearable. It has, therefore, led to the emergence of creative ways to consume CBD oil without having concerns about the actual taste of marijuana. Among the most common techniques is the incorporation of cannabidiol oil in numerous food preparation techniques, including those of drinks and foods. But first, make sure your CBD oil comes from the right company if you want to get the best product. A company which serves seven different unique CBD gummies will make sure to fulfil all demands of customers. Once you get the correct CBD oil that has excellent potency, you can go ahead and start preparing your cocktails or CBD oil dishes for relaxation. In case you don’t know how to proceed, get inspiration from the recipes highlighted below. Each recipe comes with a distinct method of preparation to suit different individuals. 1. CBD Oil Lemon Honey Tea Tea enthusiasts consider having this CBD oil tea recipe for utmost relaxation and stress alleviation. Ingredients: • 1 teabag • 4 glasses of water • 20mg of high potency CBD oil • 5 tablespoons of honey • • 2 tablespoons of lemon

Preparation: 1. Boil the water 2. Transfer it in a larger bowl or jar and submerge your preferred tea bag until you get perfect tea 3. Proceed by adding honey, Cannabidiol, and lemon 4. Stir until everything mixes well, for a pleasant taste 5. Serve it hot in two mugs 2. CBD Oil Julep Mint Cocktail Apart from the usual weed edibles, you may also consider coming up with an incredible cocktail for relaxation. For an excellent CBD oil Julep mint cocktail, follow the instructions below. Ingredients: 1/2 an ounce of simple syrup 8 mint leaves 4 jots of bourbon 20mg CBD oil Preparation: 1. Stuff the mint leaves in any size glass 2. Crush the leaves using a muddler 3. Pour in bourbon, simple syrup, and CBD 4. Add rocks of ice then mix 5. Serve cold 3. Parmesan Potatoes Mashed and Infused with CBD Oil The meal is great with sweet scents and incredible flavors. It also has an excellent texture, thus making it fantastic to eat with a delectable stew or alone. Ingredients: • 11 cups of already cooked mashed potatoes • 1 cup cream (whipped) • 1 cup cheese, preferably parmesan • 16mg of CBD • 3 tablespoons of dairy butter • 1/4 teaspoon of salt to taste

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Preparation: 1. Pour parmesan and potatoes into a clear bowl 2. Add, cheese, cream, butter, CBD, and salt 3. Blend the contents until you develop a smooth and outstanding mixture 4. Transfer the dish to a nice nonstick casserole or you can apply a nonstick solution 5. You can complete the setup by spreading parmesan cheese on the resultant dish 6. Serve the dish hot 4. CBD Homemade Whipped Cream Homemade whipped creams are perfect for desserts. It can be far better if consumed with CBD for relaxation. Unlike other recipes, the CBD homemade whipped cream is simple to prepare and tastes delicious with desserts. Ingredients: • 4 cups of whipped cream • 1/4 cup of icing sugar • 3 tablespoons vanilla extract • 33mg of CBD Preparation: 1. Place a bowl in the refrigerator and allow it to cool for 25 minutes 2. Once it is cold, use it to mix all the above ingredients 3. For the best results, make sure you use a mixer and only stop when you get a smooth mixture 4. Serve with dessert

5. Sweet CBD Pumpkin Loaf The Sweet CBD pumpkin loaf is intriguing, flavorful, and enjoyable. It is one of the few and wonderful CBD confectionaries that will suit anyone interested in experiencing the impact of Cannabidiol. Ingredients: • 5 eggs • 1 cup of pumpkin blend • 2 tablespoons of baking soda • 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice • 2 cups flour of yuka root • 1 tablespoon apple cider • 20mg Cannabidiol Preparation: 1. Prepare the oven by heating it to a temperature of 350 degrees F 2. Proceed by mixing apple cider with 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl 3. Add whipped eggs in the mix and combine them (Do it immediately after foaming stops) 4. Add in the other contents, and knead to come up with an incredible dough 5. Bake the dough for about 30 to 35 minutes 6. CBD Oil Chocolate Cookies If you need a quick snack to consume anywhere you want, then you should opt for CBD oil pastries such as these cookies. They are some of the best snacks you can have. The canna-

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RESTAURANT MARKETING that will represent your restaurant. For example, if you run a pizza place or burger joint or something similar that has a large focus on families, you want your content to be enjoyable for both adults and adolescents. Never forget the level of influence that kids have on their parents when it comes to deciding where to eat. This doesn’t mean that you need to have some person running around in a mascot costume in order to reach kids. Just keep them in mind when creating promotions and posts--almost all age groups have access to social media. If your target demographic is mil-

COLUMBIA COUNTY

from page 52 lennials, make sure your banding is consistent. This generation appreciates (and is drawn to) a consistent, pleasing aesthetic. Use similar or the same filter and edits for your posts and ads and write copy that emits the same tone as the photos. Consistent branding makes it easier for your customers to remember you. It helps to solidify your identity and allows for the opportunity for your audience to associate more than just your food with your restaurant. When it comes to actually creating your photo and video content, there are only two things you need

from an equipment standpoint: a smartphone and good lighting. If your restaurant has an outdoor eating area and you’re looking to post a picture of your food, try taking pictures of outside with natural light. Lighting can be tricky with food especially with fluorescent and incandescent lighting, which happens to be very common in restaurant kitchens and dining rooms. The flash on your phone’s camera can also discolor the food in the photo or highlight grease spots on plate, basket, tray, or paper. If you don’t have the option to take pictures of your food outside with natural light,

we recommend purchasing an LED photography light. These are inexpensive and easy to find at any camera/photography store or on Amazon. In a time when person to person contact is extremely limited, it’s still important to stay in front of your audience. Ultimately, your food is the reason people come to eat at your restaurant. You want to put your best foot forward and show off your delicious dishes! These tips will help you create professional-looking content that is sure to bring your customers running once quarantine ends.

over our environment in our store right now, we just have our employees in there and we’re taking necessary precautions.” They had to transition quickly. “As soon as we realized we had to close the store to shoppers it became obvious, nobody knows what we have. We also had to focus our energy on (selling) the most perishable product first,” said Leandra. The store had a website, but an e-commerce site was created, adding photos so customers would know what was available. Chris mused that people were on-line shopping at two AM. However, orders aren’t filled until the store opens. Customers wanted produce most of all. “For the first week, we didn’t have (produce) prices online, but people didn’t care,” said Chris. Their business has boomed due to the influx of second-homeowners. The coop had a small café with a hot bar and soup station but now, that’s where the bagged orders go. There’s demand for prepared foods, so they added a limited changing array of entrees like turkey pot pie, zucchini Parmesan and a detox soup. Other than dismantling the café, the store remains unchanged. Even the vegetables are put into the displays so employees packing orders can find them. “When we do reopen our doors everything will still be set up for cus-

tomers. We won’t need to completely reset the store,” said Leandra. They retained all their employees and are busy because it takes longer to pack an order than to simply ring one up. Generally, orders are ready for pickup within an hour. While local foods are easy to source, and it supports local farmers, Chris struggles with his other suppliers, striving to provide the same wide variety of products as before. “We were working with UNFI (United Natural Foods) for 11 years. Two weeks before our buying frenzy they stopped coming.” He then called Kehe Distributors but the delivery was cancelled because workers were sick and their warehouse was being decontaminated. He again ordered from UNFI with no success. He’s optimistic that a new distributor, Ace Natural, will deliver. They’re hoping for the best. “We still can’t be sure that if we order a product, we will get the product,” said Leandra. “So we’re trying to keep our orders diversified, order through different channels. Maybe one will bring it, or they’ll all bring it and then we’ll have a lot of canned beans. “Then we’ll have a sale on beans,” said Chris. For now, they’re just hoping the truck will deliver on Tuesday.

from page 68

restaurant Local 111 after the State mandate. Located in a small village, Proul has been the chef of the 38-seat eatery for 12 years; she now owns both the business and the building. Her thriving (not right now) catering company is what fuels the restaurant that serves both loyal local residents and second homeowners. Once closed, she had to decide what was next. She laid off staff, mostly parttimers. “I did the first rational thing I could do,” said Proul. “I thought about how experienced we were in catering, and how to execute the food. If we prepare it all separately, cool it down immediately and then pack it, the quality of the product is there.” So she developed a cook and chill menu of entrees and sides that she could produce mainly by herself. Her menu’s available only on Fridays. People drive up at appointed times for pickup, usually not leaving their cars. She created an e-commerce site for ordering. An order comes in, a confirmation email goes out. Some of her laid-off employees help prep and pack orders, to others, she provides sympathy and food. The model’s done well the past four weeks. it’s keeping her afloat. She served about 47 orders the last Friday, selling out each time, with repeat customers. One dish is constant – braised short ribs -- other comfort-food op-

tions are mac and cheese, fried chicken sandwiches and pimiento cheese bread. She’s begun a Tuesday night hot meal for pick-up as well. Like others, Proul sources from local producers. Other goods come from Chef’s Warehouse and Baldor. “I’m not having ordering issues,” she said. And the future? “I’m fine right now but I have a secondary catering company; all my contracts are protected by insurance, we’re just moving the dates There’s (some) reassurance that even if I’m not comfortable reopening the restaurant when it’s allowed, my catering contracts will allow my employees to come back to work.” She paused: “My biggest concern is that just because everybody gets the green light to go out to eat again, are they going to go out to eat again?” Natural foods coop, Chatham Real! Foods Market, is out of a lot of things: bananas, pasta, all-purpose flour, tahini, sriracha, yeast, tortilla chips, olive oil and most canned goods. The store is open, but closed to foot traffic. Customers order by phone or email from the ever-expanding and contracting list on the store’s website. We’re trying stay open and remain an alternative to the supermarket, explained Leandra Keefe, store manager with her husband, Chris Keefe. “I think people are appreciating our option. We have a lot more control

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SCOOP

METRO NY INSIDER NEWS, from page 46

technicians and paramedics.EMS workers at Station 22 in Staten Island accepted meals delivered by Patrizia’s restaurant in Staten Island. The first round of food went out Easter Sunday to 22 EMS stations across the five boroughs, ranging from chicken dishes to breakfast sandwiches to all-vegetarian meals. The drop-offs were divvied up across five central EMS stations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, and two on Staten Island, where medics and EMTs can pick up one free meal every day. “When these guys are out working hard and putting their lives on the line, especially in this environment, it’s often hard to find something to eat,” said Verizon Business CEO Tami Erwin. “Now when the world needs them more than ever, we have the opportunity to lean in and support those who are serving.”EMS Local 2507 president Oren Barzilay said the union was searching for ways to nourish their overworked members when Verizon reached out. “It’s extremely difficult for our members to get some downtime to look for food. Most of the places around the city are closed and accepting food at home is difficult when you’re away most of the time or sleeping at the station,” said Barzilay. Pizza, salads, sandwiches and water from San Gennaro Restaurant are delivered to EMS Station #20 in the Bronx. “Now they’re posting pictures of how much food they’re getting delivered to the station. It’s a huge relief for us that they’re taken care of during this crisis.” Chef Mike Russo of Gargiulo’s in Coney Island, despite being forced to shut down his Italian eatery, felt a personal responsibility to jump on board especially because his own daughter is an EMT with NYU Langone Medical Center. “I see every day when she walks home, how exhausted she is, the work she has to handle,” Russo, 57, said. “What they do is above and beyond.”Russo has already delivered over 300 sandwiches, like chicken and eggplant parmesan and meatball heroes. “They’re individually wrapped so there’s no issue of cross-contamination,” said Russo. “They love it. They’ve been so overwhelmed. We might start doing dinners too.” Verizon began its food donation drive in April with meals delivered to New York’s healthcare staff. They’re looking to expand the fund to other frontline workers, with over $1 million earmarked for the initiative.“What I’m really hoping is that the work we’re doing here will spark more widespread efforts and others will choose to participate,” said Erwin.

FREE TRANSIT TWO-WHEEL PARTNERSHIP FOR NEW YORK CITY RESTAURANTS 80 • May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

SCOOP hears that Revel, a New York-based moped share startup, has announced free transit partnerships with several local restaurants, including Italian spot Evelina in Fort Greene and Everyman Espresso near Union Square. Under the terms of the partnership, the restaurants get a free month of Revel membership to use the mopeds at any time to make deliveries, a partnership arranged by emailing the company at communityaffairs@gorevel.com. According to a spokesperson, the partnerships are open to any NYC restaurants that wish to join, and there are no stipulations on any future membership commitment beyond the free month. The company plans to “re-evaluate its terms of service as the pandemic plays out,” the spokesperson says. In a smaller partnership, high-end bicycle brand Cannondale is partnering with fine dining spot Eleven Madison Park and will lend a dozen bicycles to chef Daniel Humm’s staff for free so that they can get to work without using public transportation. The restaurant is currently open to produce free meals for New Yorkers in partnership with industry nonprofit Rethink Food. According to a spokesperson for Cannondale, the partnership is only open to Eleven Madison Park at this time due to Humm’s relationship with the brand as a former pro cyclist.

MAMOUN’S FALAFEL SUPPORTS FOOD BANK FOR NYC SCOOP learned that the popular Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant Mamoun’s Falafel on Macdougal Street and St. Marks Place recently launched a “Buy One, Feed One” fundraiser. For each

Mamoun’s Falafel

falafel sandwich purchased in April, Mamoun’s made an equivalent donation to the Food Bank For New York City to cover the cost of one meal. Family-run Mamoun’s Falafel has weathered many storms since they opened their first location in 1971, and remains dedicated to supporting their local communities in times of crisis and uncertainty. Its original New York City locations remained open through the 1977 NYC Blackout, Hurricane Sandy, and 9/11.

T&S BRASS WELCOMES NEW EASTERN REGIONAL SALES MANAGER SCOOP learned that T&S Brass and Bronze Works, a leading manufacturer of foodservice plumbing equipment, has hired Tim Shipley as the Eastern Regional Sales Manager for Foodservice. Shipley, who brings nearly 20 years of sales management experience and extensive foodservice expertise to the role, will be responsible for managing and extending T&S Brass’ Tim Shipley network of clients and customers in the Eastern United States. Shipley most recently served as Eastern regional sales manager for John Boos & Co. and previously as regional manager for South Eastern Manufacturers’ Agents (SEMA), a T&S representative agency. He has also worked with broadline distributors U.S. Foods and Performance Food Group and was a franchisee of a well-known sandwich chain. “Tim has spent most of his career using his abilities as a problem solver to support his customers and deliver success for his team. He really comes at this from a unique perspective, drawing on experiences in every segment of the foodservice industry,” said Mike Orlando, Director of Sales Foodservice for T&S. “His broad base of knowledge and his experience aligns with T&S’ commitment to solving problems for our customers, and we’re proud to welcome him to our team.” Shipley is filling the role currently held by Mike Snyder, who after a brief transition period, will move into a national account role.

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 81

HOFFMASTER

from page 30

tended our product line to provide safer and more sanitary meal delivery and takeout with every order,” noted Romjue. Hoffmaster extended its prerolled napkin and cutlery set line, CaterWrap®, to now include CaterWrap® sets that are individually overwrapped for additional sanitation and ease. “Restaurants still in operation have quickly shifted from traditional dine-in models to takeout and de-

LEGAL INSIDER

livery only,” said Romjue. “To aid in safe third-party food delivery, tamper-evident bands and stickers have been added to our line. Tamper evidence provides both operators and consumers with the peace of mind they’re serving and receiving food in a safer-than-ever manner.” In addition to Takeout & Delivery, Hoffmaster continues to innovate in other foodservice segments that are feeling additional pressure of the pandemic. For nursing homes

and assisted living facilities where residents eat on-site, Hoffmaster launched a pocket fold napkin. The new Linen-Like® Ready-Set Napkin™ has an innovative pocket fold design where the napkin serves as a slot to hold and cover utensils. “Foodservice operations and institutions are looking for products to protect their customers and patients from germs and cross-contamination,” said Romjue. “Our customers have come to us asking for

additional sanitary solutions, which is why we launched these products. These are trying times, and we want to help our customers and theirs as best as we can.” With Romjue at the helm, Hoffmaster creates custom solutions for segments as diverse as Takeout & Delivery and nightclubs and bars to healthcare. Hoffmaster Foodservice continues to set the pace as the nation’s innovator in tabletop and janpaper solutions.

These measures may not create a “normal” dining or drinking experience, but can allow an establishment to build a bridge to a time when this too shall pass while providing a safe environment for employees and customers alike. Ensuring appropriate safety measures are in place is especially important because it is possible that employers may be subject to liability if an employee contracts coronavirus at work. Generally, when an employee contracts an illness in the course of their work, their exclusive avenue for redress is the employer’s Workers’ Compensation insurance. However, there has been some talk in Congress about changing the law to allow employees to bring a legal claim against an employer for failing to protect the health and safety of its employees with respect to coronavirus, as opposed to being restricted to filing a Workers Compensation claim.

employees’ tips will surely decrease from pre-pandemic levels as restaurants and bars reopen gradually and at reduced capacity. While this may never have been an issue for your business in the past, employers must pay careful attention to whether the employee’s tips are sufficiently making up for the tip credit. Additionally, as there may be decreased staffing levels, employers should also ensure that any exempt managerial employees continue to supervise at least two fulltime equivalent employees or may face misclassification claims. Finally, this pandemic has really underscored the need for clear, comprehensive employment policies, particularly those pertaining to time off from work. It has also highlighted the importance of an unambiguous disclaimer that an employer’s policies are not enforceable contracts. Such a disclaimer allows for flexibility without legal liability in the event the employer cannot reasonably or feasibly follow the policy terms to the letter. This prereopening stage is also a prime opportunity to ensure that your wage/hour and other employment practices are legally compliant, and that your policies are well-defined and understandable to the employee.

from page 54

but once employees return to active work employers may face the need to both grant time off and to provide pay under already tight financial circumstances. Further, as the current federal unemployment insurance supplement increases state unemployment benefits by $600 per week, some employees have begun to realize they can earn more by remaining on unemployment than by returning to their job. Though employees who turn down offered work are technically ineligible for unemployment benefits, given the present number of unemployment claims, government oversight of these jobless claims will likely be lax and the claims therefore harder to challenge. Steps to Take When Reopening By now, you may be thinking “what’s the point of reopening?” However, it is not all doom and gloom. While the dining and drinking landscape will inevitably change, and we cannot reasonably predict how, or for how long, there are numerous steps a restaurant or bar can take to better position itself for reopening and continued success. To deal with the prospect of staffing shortages, employers may consider incentivizing employees to return to work instead of continuing to collect unemployment. In that regard, there are numerous low-cost strategies that will likely go a long way in bringing reluctant employees back to work. For example, employers can offer free or

discounted food and beverage items or gift cards to employees who report to work. Employers may also consider conducting in-house training classes to cross-train staff, or an in-house management training program. Enhancing the business’s safety and health program can also go a long way towards ensuring employees come to work even in the face of continued uncertainty about the coronavirus. In that regard, employers should be prepared to double down on safety and health practices, including stocking up on protective equipment such as gloves and sanitizing supplies. Employers should also encourage employees who feel sick or believe they may have been exposed to coronavirus to stay home. From a practical standpoint, restaurants and bars can consider low-cost design changes to assuage employee and customer concerns about dining with the general public, such as installing Plexiglass dividers between tables, changing seating configurations or adding tables to a bar space. Restaurants can also consider installing glass tabletops and putting their menus underneath. Doing so makes the menu hands-free and the table easy to clean. Restaurants and bars might also consider moving to a counter pick-up system to avoid having masked-and-gloved servers deliver food and drink, or instituting ordervia-smartphone capabilities to limit interaction between staff and patrons.

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Pay Close Attention to Your Employment Practices As to those employees returning to work, employers should pay close attention to their pay practices, in particular with respect to tipped employees. In states, like New York, where hospitality employers are permitted to take a tip credit from the wages of tipped employees, if the employee does not earn enough tips to make up for the credit, the employer needs to make up the difference. Tipped

Above all, demonstrating a commitment to the wellbeing of staff and your customers will be an essential ingredient in the recipe for continued viability and success.

ONE FAT FROG

from page 64

providing menu development consultation and helping pizzaioli fulfill their dreams of financial independence. “You got a problem, call Bruno,” he says, with utmost confidence. But more than that he developed a deep understanding of the relationship between food and the selection of the right equipment. He brought that very same commitment to a recent consulting stint with his longtime friend Joe Cirone at Roger & Sons on the Bowery in Manhattan. As his career took off, he would see food trucks and never gave them a second thought. “I could not have been more wrong, the Frog has grown from a single truck into an industry, Bruno quipped. When Amin asked me to join the group, I toured the factory and I was simply stunned by the quality of the kitchens in the One Fat Frog truck fleet. You’re talking about a complete kitchen with hot water, sinks, air conditioning, fryers and of course pizza ovens. All top the line equipment that makes me very proud. I knew it was going to be the next big thing and this would be the perfect last chapter for me. I have calls coming in from everywhere to create trucks for their brands.” In addition to Chef Bruno’s expertise in pizza, One Fat Frog has designed food trucks that are featuring fare from burgers to Cajun. For many years the sheer size of pizza ovens kept ‘The Frog from growing its pizza truck capabilities. “So many oven manufacturers have now created pizza oven models that are a perfect fit for a truck, noted Chef Bruno. The company is working to combine Bruno’s expertise to create a branded Chef Bruno Pizza Express truck that will soon be seen in communities across America. Bruno went on to share his vision for the design of the truck. “My goal is to create a New York City pizzeria on wheels. We will feature pizza, subs, Stromboli, calzone, chicken wings and even fresh bread. The centerpiece will be a six pie deck oven that you would find in a pizzeria. The Chef Bruno trucks will be available in both 16 and 24-foot models. Many even have provisions for the changes in laws that now allow the sale of beer and wine

with a walk-in cooler built into the truck design. The trucks have been designed to be good neighbors as well. They feature self draining tanks that eliminate any draining onto city street. In addition, a traditional hood with Ansul fire suppression system will support the trucks commitment to be part of the communities they serve. Cooking is driven by the highest quality propane tanks that have D.O.T approvals. “There’s no question that pizzeria owners are thinking about life after COVID-19. They know that they are

going to need to execute a new strategy,” Dean noted. “Our trucks are going to enable that operator to meet whatever new clean protocol New York City and other major cities enact across the country. The days of waiting for the customer to come to you are over. Today’s operator needs to adapt and bring their product to their customer. Our One Fat Frog trucks will easily accommodate that.” In addition, social media and technology have become the center piece for marketing a restaurant or foodservice operation. “Our trucks work

beautifully with Door Dash, Uber Eats and Grub Hub. You simply find a location and address and make your self accessible to these delivery options. It actually becomes the perfect model for what we’ve all learned from the takeout and delivery of the pandemic. “Think of it as a ‘ghost kitchen’ on wheels. The very same $60K that you may have needed to install a hood in a brick and mortar location, will buy an entire truck,” Dean concluded. One Fat Frog expects to have a demo truck on hand at Roger and Sons on the Bowery this summer.

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May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 83

ELANA HORWICH

from page 16

just grateful that you’re there. As a cooking class instructor, what advice can you provide for other cooking instructors? You need to give your audience/ class a chance to ask questions. They need to participate in order to feel heard, otherwise they are just watching TV and the educational experience and community experience is lost. Have them ask questions in the chat box and look over to answer them periodically. Speak to people using their names. Be personal. I am as detailed as possible about what I am doing. I don’t skip any steps. And I encourage them to ask questions on Instagram or Facebook even after the class which I answer. The entire food industry is having to pivot their businesses right now. They’ve had to change their menus, their staffing, their delivery and

FOOD WASTE SOLUTIONS bidiol snacks are also easy to prepare and tasty for anyone in need of an excellent method of administering CBD oil, especially if you find the taste disagreeable. Ingredients: • 1 cup of wheat flour • 1/4 cup of crushed chocolate • 2 tablespoons of sugar • 1 tablespoon of baking soda • 2 teaspoons of coconut oil • An egg • 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence • 1 cup of butter • CBD oil approximately 7 to 15 drops Preparation: 1. Heat the oven to 374 degrees 2. Add flour, baking powder, coconut oil, and crushed chocolate in a bowl, then mix them thoroughly 3. In a second bowl, mix coconut oil, melted butter, egg, vanilla, sugar, and CBD oil until you obtain a smooth batter

takeout systems. What advice do you have for anyone trying to tackle these changes? Keep posting on social media, offering as many “free” goods as possible. This means recipes, cooking instruction, videos. The way to stay successful in the pandemic is to be able to shift and be flexible. If using seasonal ingredients are easier to find and use, do it. If they aren’t, do what is easy and flows. You can’t stick to old practices simply because they are easy. How can these industry professionals utilize cookbooks during this time? Cookbooks usually offer recipes that are more reliable than online recipes, however, you need to test the recipe before making it in big batches of course. People are looking for home-cooked “style” meals as they are at home, so shifting to comfort food, even healthy comfort

food that stores well as leftovers is on point. As a chef or business owner, it is imperative that you are constantly in a state of learning and cookbooks can be wonderful teachers. I taught myself to cook through reading hundreds of them. And it prepared me to write a cookbook that works incredibly well for readers. Chefs hoping to use cookbooks to expand their takeout menus should look for: • Slow-cooked foods and pureed type dishes that will reheat well and would sell in bulk. • Don’t just offer delivery for one meal. Offer a week’s worth of meals. Or three days’ worth of meals. • This will help people feel safer because they don’t want delivery people at their door every 5 hours. • Since I work primarily with Italian dishes, I would have to recommend any cookbooks by Lidia Bastianich or Marcella Hazan. My own

cookbook, MEAL AND A SPIEL: How To Be A Badass In The Kitchen, which is Italian with healthy California elements. Due to the delays in shipping books from Amazon because of the Coronavirus, you can now order a signed copy of MEAL AND A SPIEL from http://www.elanahorwich.com for a limited time. To receive an additional 20% off, just enter the code KITCHENBADASS20 at checkout. Orders are being shipped out every day of the week so place your order today! Cooking classes: I am offering cooking classes Tuesday and Thursday evenings on Facebook Live and Instagram Live. They will be held at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT. The link for more information from her Instagram is here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ4oajlN_S/

from page 76 4 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard Olive oil, half a cup 3 tablespoon of honey 3/4 cup of orange juice 25mg Cannabidiol 3/4 cup of vinegar (raspberry) Enough Salt Preparation: 1. Mix the above contents in a transparent dish and combine to obtain a flawless combination 2. Dress a pre-made salad with the dressing 3. Serve

4. Pour the first resultant content in the second bowl and create a dough 5. Pinch the dough and using your palm flatten it to achieve the cookie shape then bake them for 9 to 11 minutes 6. Serve them hot or cold with your favorite refreshment

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7. CBD Salad Dressing There is no better way to check your weight and relax than consuming this CBD salad dressing. It is an excellent addition to salads for fitness trainers, athletes, and individuals who are after weight reduction. Ingredients:

The recipes are incredible for people seeking an incredible cannabidiol administration method without worrying about its natural taste. With the recipes, you can make dishes, drinks, and tasty confectionaries. They are ingenious methods of taking your daily dose of CBD without stressing over it. Just follow every instruction for excellent results.

May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 85

CT RESTAURANTS

from page 58

have been closed since March 16 due to the coronavirus outbreak. These businesses have been allowed to offer takeout and delivery, with proper social distancing practices. Restaurants have also been allowed to sell to-go liquor in recent weeks, and an executive order last week permitted restaurants, bars and breweries to make home deliveries of alcohol. Some restaurants have opted to temporarily close altogether, citing safety concerns. Hartford Restaurant Group, with nine Wood-n-Taps in Connecticut and Que Whiskey Kitchen in Southington, announced March 19 it would close all of its restaurants for the duration. Max Restaurant Group closed all of its

INTERIOR DESIGNING restaurant music streaming services out there that cover all of your needs in one platform. Nine: Dumpster Placement Permit There’s no getting around it. Your chefs need a place to dispose of food waste, which means you’ll need a nearby dumpster. If you don’t already have one in your area, you may need to obtain a dumpster placement permit, which allows you to place a dumpster outside of your restaurant that can be used for food waste and trash disposal. Ten: Seller’s Permit A seller’s permit, also known as a sales tax permit, allows your state to identify your restaurant as a collector of sales tax. Seller’s permits are granted by your local government and, if you need a seller’s permit, you likely also need a resale permit. Eleven: Resale Permit This permit allows your restaurant to make nontaxable purchases on things like wholesale food and protects your business from the double collection of sales tax on those

locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Florida as of March 31. DORO Restaurant Group, including Zohara, Avert and Treva in West Hartford and Artisanal Burger Company in Manchester, opted to close all restaurants as of Apr. 3. “It’s the responsibility of restaurants to make extra efforts to serve our customers during these difficult times, but we’re also asking them to do what they can to protect one another,” continued Dolch. “Connecticut has shown real unity and real resolve to manage this crisis -and now we need to work together to come out of it, for the sake of our health, and for the sake of our local economy.”

from page 72 wholesale purchases. What this means is, rather than collecting tax when you buy the product initially, tax is collected when your customer buys that product from you. Obtain a resale permit through your local government. Twelve: Certificate of Occupancy Ah, the grand finale! A certificate of occupancy indicates that your restaurant passed all of its final building inspections, and is deemed safe to occupy and operate. To receive a certificate of occupancy, your restaurant will be inspected by a local building or zoning department for adherence to mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire safety and general building requirements. Yes, the process of obtaining restaurant permits and licenses can feel daunting, but it’s absolutely essential to your business success. Penalties and lack of acquiring the right paperwork could close your doors, so make sure you research the licenses and permits that are specific to your jurisdiction. And, definitely make sure to start your application process early on to allow for processing times and possible delays.

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RESTAURANT FINANCE would employees remain at work when they can sit home safe from the virus and get paid better?? Then comes the Catch 22 in the PPP for the employers – the loans will only be forgiven if 75% of the money goes into retaining these employees… if they don’t work and go on unemployment, owners will have to pay back the money they received. Brilliant! We have all been absorbing this as quickly as we can, but the real important question is what lies ahead. Here we are in a brave new world and we have learned very quickly how to adapt to the threat and current conditions however the uncertainty makes it impossible to plan. How long will we need to stay isolated? Will the warm weather cause the virus to go dormant? When will a second wave hit? Will they find a drug to treat the virus anytime soon? Will they develop a vaccine before next Fall?? If you are a restaurant employee – do you wait and see if your place reopens or do you find a job working for UPS or Amazon? Before you can make reasonable business decisions, the science and psychological condition of the country needs to stabilize, yet that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider your options. You need to start asking yourself many times over – “what if…?” What if the recovery from this is not only dependent on how the virus behaves, but also on the behavior of our fellow man? What if our customers don’t feel comfortable coming back to our restaurants? What if they are uncomfortable with sanitizing hands or social distancing in our dining rooms? Servers wearing masks and gloves? What if your sales volume is 50% of what it was before the pandemic and not showing signs of coming back anytime soon? What if your landlord will not renegotiate your rent? Can you re-invent yourself?? If I were going to advise you I would tell you to put together three disaster recovery plans and visualize how you might have to operate

from page 12 in recovery or how to get out of this with as little damage as possible. In finance we typically do a Best Case / Worst Case / Most Likely Case analysis. In the Best Case, imagine the federal relief funds are plentiful and arrive quickly and the virus subsides dramatically in the next 4 to 6 weeks, doors open and customers flock back and fill the seats. Worst case is the exact opposite and you realize that even if you can get the doors open again, your losses and mounting debt have effectively killed your business. Your revenues will not sustain operations and your only hope is to drain your finances and add to your debt. In all cases you need to figure out as accurately as possible how long you can sustain yourself before you need to do something drastic. One of the biggest mistakes that owners in distress make is they hang in there too long. They end up burning all their resources and assets, putting themselves in crushing debt and tax jeopardy. This is far worse that losing your business if done right. My general recommendations to all are: 1. Apply for CARE Funds ASAP. Don’t delay and apply for everything – PPP, EIDL 2. If you don’t have one – apply for an SBA 7(a) or 504 loan. They are approving them quicker than the PPP or EIDL because they must be paid back, however they are very low interest rates. The SBA announced they will be making all P&I payments for borrowers on these loans that are already funded, or new loans made before June 30th. If you close a 7(a) or 504 loan, you will receive 6 months of payments of principal and interest from the government plus in some cases a 3-month forbearance because of the COVID pandemic. 3. Because no one knows when this will be over or when business will return to former levels, I recommend you accept every dollar

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offered from any stimulus program. I know many owners who do not want to take on this debt, but remember if recovery comes sooner rather than later, you can always return the money. It probably will not be available in the future. 4. You should try to conserve as much cash as possible because healthier businesses will thrive as we emerge, and the cash starved ones will close their door permanently. Don’t be one of them. 5. Stay in communications with your landlord and other creditors to let them know your payments will be minimal if at all, even if you have the ability to pay right now – conserve cash. To say it again – we don’t know what is going to happen, so only pay what is critical. 6. If possible, even if you are in extreme straights, save enough cash

to retain a lawyer in the event that you need to file Bankruptcy. Seeking the protection of the court to save your business and your personal finances is of critical importance. It will not help you if you cannot afford to pay a lawyer to file and manage the process. This is uncharted territory and just as we are all taking measures to protect our health, we need to take drastic measures to protect your business and personal finances. Make plans. Stay safe and healthy. Good luck. If you’d like to ask questions please email me at dsederholt@ragnarpartners.com To view the Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) Application online, go to: https://bit.ly/2yEJkcp To view the the EIDL Application & Emergency Grant Application online, go to: https://bit.ly/2KBg892

HOSPITALITY PR

from page 62

relationships and strengthen current ones with your local social media brigade and start capturing (more) email addresses so you can stay better connected to your customer and community base. • Social Media – No more point-npost! Quality pictures, concise content, meaningful hashtags, and understand how to get the most out of social media. Add a monthly budget for advertising (it works!). • Email Marketing – Give people a reason to want to read your newsletter. What are you offering them? Make information accessible with a click of a mouse. Is your newsletter really VIP material? Content and design are just as important as the promotion/offer itself. • Take advantage of marketing components offered by listing sites, business organizations, reservation platforms, etc. You pay to be a part of these. Utilize them to the fullest. • Utilize other outlets’ databases and reach through designated email blasts, paid posts, business collaborations, contests, and group platform inclusions. PUBLIC RELATIONS Never has there been a moment in recent history to be so genuinely connected to current, old, new, and prospective restaurant guests than now. THIS is your moment to connect – and that’s all PR is. Connecting. • Resurface with the attitude of a NEW restaurant! When was the last time you put out a press release? • When the doors re-open, host media and influencer events on a consistent basis. • Engage with community platforms, chambers, social organizations, new (to you) events, and target markets. • Create your own signature events and offers and brand them as such. • Pitch and Post. Don’t be left out of seasonal media roundups. Submit recipes, photos, and videos to media outlets. Take advantage of free online news platforms.

• Radio is not dead and local televisions is still a leading resource for local news. Revisit these “old school” mediums and create more opportunities to reach an extended audience. MARKETING MANAGEMENT First, let’s address the obvious. Budget. While the majority of what’s outlined here imposes minimal cost, you will still want to invest the appropriate time and dollars into any marketing program to ensure maximum impact and continual growth. Start by utilizing this shutdown time to do some cost comparisons with your vendors. Evaluate the performance of your hardware, vendors, service staff, and platforms that you pay for. Reach out to new companies, or better yet, hire a reputable consultant to do the research and wheeling and dealing for you. It’s worth every penny – that you will do doubt be recouping in the end. Most marketing programs fall short because they are not managed properly. PR, social media, and all forms of advertising and communications should be a consistent part of your day-to-day operations and calls for a strong and knowledgeable person to manage it. If you are assigning this to someone in-house, they will need the proper training, time, and compensation to manage it effectively. Incorporating a professional marketing person/ team has tremendous advantages as it will provide you with the professionalism, talent, connections, and organization that it needs, while allowing you to concentrate on operating your business and managing your staff. Either way, it’s an investment, but when done smartly, it’s priceless. Nobody can look into a crystal ball or project what’s down the line for the restaurant industry. All we can do is work with what we’re given, set a course for a new beginning, and just try to do things better than how we did before. I have faith in our industry, and even more faith in the talent behind it. May 2020 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 89

NYC HEALTHCARE RELIEF response to the coronavirus crisis, they are distributing 50,000 meals a day to people in need in the Bronx, Queens, Harlem, Brooklyn and New Jersey. Through their partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, World Central Kitchen will increase production at their meal distribution center at Hudson Yards and establish contracts with local vendors and restaurants to assist in providing thousands of additional fresh meals for the NYC Health + Hospitals staff. This will allow some local restaurants to bring back employees and start to revive the ailing NYC restaurant industry. World Central Kitchen has also distributed more than one million fresh meals to families, seniors, and frontline workers in 65 cities in 20 U.S. states and territories, as well as five cities in Spain. “In this moment of profound need, World Central Kitchen’s team of food first responders is honored and grateful to be able to work together on this expanded response with the generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies,” said Nate Mook, CEO of World Central Kitchen. “We know that together we are sharing so much more than just meals, but also hope, dignity, and nourishment for the future. It really instills these brave and tireless workers with the knowledge that we – the people of New York, and of America – are with them.”

MACCIONI MEMORIAL “I owe him all the respect and admiration for all that he did for me and my career as a chef. No one in the business was more elegant, savvy, and confident in running the dining room of Le Cirque,” Boulud said. Geoffrey Zakarian, who served as a line cook at Le Cirque, posted a picture with Maccioni to his Instagram to remember the late restaurateur. “Sirio Maccioni on the far left in the suit ran the most sophisticated and notable restaurant for over 30 years,” the caption reads. “Those that passed through his doors learned about food, hospital-

from page 2 NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the country serving more than a million New Yorkers annually. Currently, their hospitals and other care facilities are at the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adequately feeding staff who are enduring increased caseloads and pressures, while adhering to strict health guidelines in an effort to stop the spread of the virus, has been increasingly challenging. The Bloomberg Philanthropies and World Central Kitchen partnership will help ensure that these critical frontline NYC Health + Hospitals workers have a steady supply of fresh food easily accessible while they continue to deliver high quality care to New Yorkers. “Our health care system is incredibly grateful for the generous contribution made by Bloomberg Philanthropies and World Central Kitchen, and their commitment to provide meals to our heroic and dedicated workforce,” said Mitchell Katz, MD, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. “At NYC Health + Hospitals, we value each employee and understand the crucial role everyone plays to address this unprecedented operation.” NYC Health + Hospitals launched a fundraising campaign in March to help address additional needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign will direct funds to purchase

comfort items like groceries, taxi rides, and hotel rooms for their health care workers. Mike Bloomberg’s $6 million in support for this partnership is part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Coronavirus Response Initiatives which were launched in March to give public health professionals and local leaders the tools to protect themselves and the public. This support is vital to saving lives and helping mitigate the kind of economic and social damage that could make this crisis even more debilitating for families and communities. Learn more about Bloomberg Philanthropies work to fight the pandemic here. Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in more than 570 cities and over 160 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2019, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.3 billion.

Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) uses the power of food to strengthen communities through times of crisis and beyond. WCK has transformed the field of disaster response to help devastated communities recover and establish resilient food systems. Since its founding, WCK has served more than 16 million meals to those impacted by natural disasters and other crises around the world in countries including Albania, The Bahamas, Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Mozambique, Venezuela, and the United States. Learn more at WCK.org. NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible.

from page 4 ity and family directly from him, the one and only.” Mr. Maccioni, who was born in the Tuscan city of Montecatini on April 5, 1932, was forced to go to work after his father was killed during World War II. He worked in hotels and restaurants in France, Switzerland and Germany before moving to the United States in 1956. “I didn’t do this out of inspiration or desperation. I realized very early that I couldn’t afford to be young,” he said. “I did completely give my life to this business. Is it worth it? Maybe not. But I had no choice, and

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I’ve never felt exploited.” He attended Hunter College during the day. At night, he worked at the Colony, one of New York’s trendiest restaurants, where Sinatra, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and Aristotle Onassis frequently dined. After a few years, he moved to a club at the Pierre Hotel before opening Le Cirque. Le Cirque’s lease ran out the end of 2018 and Maccioni’s sons are looking to reopen Le Cirque on Manhattan’s East Side once again in honor of their father when the coronavirus pandemic allows for it.

“He was so proud of his work and he loved New York,” Marco said. “But no matter what, his greatest accomplishment wasn’t the restaurants, it was being a father and I’m so lucky to have been his son. “Sirio Maccioni is the perfect maestro. He does it all—great food, great entertainment—and always with a room full of the best people,” noted President Donald Trump. “He’s the only person I could ever imagine going into the restaurant business with.”

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FIORITO ON INSURANCE party may look to the restaurant to pay damages. However, if the employee is in a motor vehicle accident in their owned vehicle while on the job delivering food, the restaurant’s non-owned auto liability policy will most likely respond primary because most personal automobile policies exclude coverage while a vehicle is being used to deliver food or any other product for compensation. Workers’ Compensation – Delivery workers have an increased risk to injury for multiple reasons. Statistically, individuals who drive while on the job are at a higher risk to be injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident. The uncontrolled environment associated with delivering goods makes delivery workers at greater risk of slips, trips and falls. There is also a risk of injury due to robbery of goods or money. Any time an employee is injured on company time, the claim will be included in the experience modification calculation and will negatively impact claims history, increasing premiums. Controlling the Risk: Even though a restaurant’s only option may be to have non-owned auto coverage, instead of operating their own fleet, there are ways to control the risks involved. • Personal auto use should be restricted where possible. Employers should have a written program in place detailing their driver policies and procedures. Policies should require employees follow all laws, require the use of seat belts, restrict the use of communication devices in all but emergency situations and prohibit the use of alcohol and both legal or illegal drugs that may impair their ability to drive safely. • Drivers should be qualified as if they are operating company owned vehicles. This qualification process should include: • Confirming the employee holds a valid driver’s license • The employee’s motor vehicle

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WARREN BOBROW

report, or MVR, should be accessed annually. The MVR should then be compared against company set driving criteria. Any employee not meeting this criteria should not be allowed to drive. • Ensuring proper driver training and document that each driver has been trained on company policy in regards to distracted driving. Training should be used to address both auto and worker’s compensation risks. • Employees using a personal vehicle for business use should be asked to provide proof of insurance and confirmation that there are no exclusions regarding business use. The employer should retain on file a current copy of the employee’s declarations page for their personal auto insurance policy. Instead of accepting state minimum limits, many companies and commercial auto carriers require higher limits be maintained on employee personal auto policies to further reduce their exposure. Transferring more of the risk by requiring higher limits is a very useful practice that should be strongly considered. • A non-owned “Auto Use Agreement” similar to what’s shown below should be implemented to document expectations of drivers of non-owned vehicles and to document that these drivers are aware of what’s expected of them.

4. Swirl around 5. Add the lime, coconut water, mint bitters ice to the glass 6. Pour over the three ounces of Rhum Agricole 7. Stir with your favorite extra tall mixing spoon 8. Express a lime zest over the top and serve

As more restaurants depend on delivery services to keep their operations running during this unprecedented time, it’s vital to understand these delivery service exposures and how you can protect your restaurant from these risks. Stay safe and we will get through these times together. For the latest information, guidance and resources on COVID-19 to help you protect what matters most, please visit www. hubinternational.com/coronavirus.

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Another favorite ice is one that uses really easy ingredients to find in almost any kitchen. The best parts of this recipe are the ones that taste better after a day or so. That would be yesterday’s coffee. I’ll bet you have a pot of it on the stove right now. It’s the perfect base for a milk punch. Brandy or bourbon? Your choice. But the ice that you use in your milk punch is an essential ingredient. As pertinent as the quality of the vanilla and the sugar syrup. I like to add a touch of Pickett’s Ginger Syrup to my ice. It adds (as it melts) a spicy edge to an otherwise sweet drink.

Ginger, Coffee, Condensed Milk Ice Cubes Ingredients: • 1 can condensed milk • 1 cup yesterday’s coffee • 1 tablespoon McCormick’s Real Vanilla Extract • 2 oz. Pickett’s Extra Hot and Spicy GB Ginger Syrup Preparation: 1. Combine the liquid ingredients with a hand blender until well mixed. 2. Pour into a freezer safe vessel 3. Freeze overnight until really firm in a plastic freezer bagthis technique eliminates freezer burn- utilize this method for all your ice recipes! 4. Hand Cut your ice into a double old-fashioned glass 5. Pour over brandy or bourbon to taste 6. I like at least three ounces, it’s a strong drink. You’ll need it.

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PATRICK LAMONT

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changes to protect our employees serving the patients on the floor and working in the dish room. We had to create status on our diet order sheets to identify two new groups of patients: • Group 1 - COVID-19 +/• Group 2 - PUI or Patient under investigation Our members made the decision to place both groups on disposable due to the difficulty of identifying these two groups if they were on regular trays. Are you able to stay sanitary and not ditch your environmental goals during this crisis? If so, have you implemented any new procedures? Our members had very good cleaning procedures and a master cleaning schedule previously. So, we all simply stuck with that I do believe our new normal will eventually force us to implement lessons learned from this pandemic.

FOOD WASTE SOLUTIONS producing: • Freeze what can be frozen first to prevent spoilage. • Store what can stay on shelves for future use. This may require some warehousing changes but will prevent having to throw away food that can be sold in the future. • Donate perishable food that cannot be sold to employees. • Donate to local shelters. The restrictions on food donation are much less restrictive than what can be sold direct to consumers. Food donation also has the added benefit of tax breaks. For the food you cannot store or donate, recycling is always the best option. There are food waste recycling programs that can turn food waste into everything from compost and animal feed to biofuels. Landfilling food always needs to be the LAST option. Moving forward, food distributors need to work with customers to limit

You guys get your share of hurricanes and disasters. Is COVID-19 uncharted waters for you? It could be! I think we have to see how we all come thru with our surge capacity of beds. There are pieces of equipment that will be needed. Also, additional staffing and re-engineering, especially on our part, as we run two different food delivery systems both of which are CookChill. So, re-engineering may require adding another trayline in the kitchen. What are you looking to take from this to make your return to our “regularly scheduled programming”? I think it will allow us to use this as fresh eyes. It is making us think outside of the box and to actually come out of this more efficient than before. Our members’ employees and management teams have a lot

from page 70 deliveries and maximize the size of orders. This environment we are in today should help restaurant operators be more receptive to that than in the past. Long Term Changes: When the quarantine ends, food distributors have opportunities to take the lessons we’ve learned in the last few months and enhance business processes. Making changes to the logistical infrastructure that is creating issues now will build in efficiency and redundancy for the future of your business. There are a lot of hard lessons being learned right now, but that experience doesn’t have to be in vain. Sustainability is no longer just a passing trend; it is a way of doing business that consumers expect. Through all of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 outbreak, restaurants and food distributors can maintain sustainable practices now, and in the future.

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of great ideas. I’m looking forward to working with them through this emergency. As President of AHF-NY, LaMont offered words of encouragement and asked his members to share suggestions for their community. I believe everyone is on the same path. But just in case, we should share with everyone what we are doing during this Pandemic. • Share best practices and challenges as well as recommendations for both. • Share the expanded role we may be asked to step into. This includes ordering COVID-19 supplies and storage for your organization and leveraging those contacts for masks, gloves, gowns, face shields, truck rental and multiple facilities to meet your department’s needs. We’re all competing for the same resources so, we all need to look beyond our own scope of services.

• Share our knowledge and be a conduit for each other because, what you share could be the difference between success and failure. Look on the AHF National website to see if there is something there you can apply and share. Reach out to the resources AHF may have even if it is just in case (your back-up), don’t wait until you think you need it, do your due diligence. • Remember many of the vendors are our business partners. They’re going through the same challenges. So be patient and respectful as they’re committed to meet your needs and they understand your situation. They are working very hard to be there for all of us. I’ve been on the phone with them and so have many of you. To share any Healthcare and Hospital Foodservice insights, you can reach Patrick LaMont via email PLamont@bhmcny.org

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SOCIETY FOR HOSPITALITY AND FOODSERVICE MANAGEMENT