NEWS
SPECIAL EVENTS
THE ELLIOT GROUP HONORS NATION’S TOP INDUSTRY LEADERS AT NYC GALA
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ery simply put, the nation’s leading restaurant companies and more importantly those that are writing the checks to acquire or fund those brands know that success lies on the shoulders of their management. So, with hundreds of millions of invested dollars at stake they need to get those management decisions correct. With that for the past 40 years, the Elliot Group has emerged as the leading resource for the selection of c-suite executive. For many of those years, the Tarrytown, NY based company has brought many of these top executives and the financial movers and shakers to New York to celebrate the industry. As with so much of life, the Pandemic was seemingly the only thing that could stop the simply indefatigable Alice Elliot and her team from assembling the restaurant industry’s best and brightest. Last month’s gathering at Manhattan’s Cipriani South Street was a long-anticipated signal that life is in fact on its way back to a sense of normalcy. The event was a who’s who of Hall of Fame restaurant executive. From Shake Shack creator Danny Meyer to David Overton of Cheesecake Factory, the Seaport event proved to be everything it was projected to be when it was originally scheduled prior to the Pandemic. “There is always a reason to high-
light and celebrate ‘Courageous Behavior: Legends and Leaders’,” Elliott explained. “Given our postponement of this great event a few years ago, the extraordinary outpouring of emotion, commitment, respect and high anticipation, was beyond anything The Elliot Group could have imagined. Given all the moving parts— the ever-changing landscape on business, travel, life events— we waited a long time to bring together over 400 Leaders and CEOs to the majestic Cipriani South Street at the same time for the same genuine reasons. Well worth the wait, no doubt.” Elliot and her team knew that last month’s return event would have so much more impact as many of these leaders had not been able to meet in person since March 2020. “When you are renowned for ‘thought leadership and advisory’ and are sought out for your executive search practice from around the country and globe, it’s a responsibility you feel to ensure your guests will have an amazing and curated experience, Elliot noted It’s also a reaffirmation that there is no replacement for trust and delivering excellence at every level. Watching our guests from all walks of life, the top tier of industry, engage, collaborate, celebrate, and communicate, is an experience for the memory box, for sure.”
Lauren Bailey, CEO and co-founder of Upward Projects, operating Postino Wine Bar and other concepts, accepts The TrueTrep Award honoring the vision, resilience, and success of entrepreneurs.
Danny Meyer, founder and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, celebrates with The Renaissance Award winner Noah Glass, founder and CEO of Olo, one of the most successful technology companies transforming the hospitality space into the digital age.
Regynald Washington, a long-time leader with senior roles at Paradies Lagardère and The Walt Disney Company, accepts The Impact Award presented by The Elliot Leadership Institute, honoring a lifetime of service and mentorship of others.
David Overton, founder and CEO, The Cheesecake Factory accepts The Legacy Award from Alice Elliot, founder and CEO of The Elliot Group.
continued on page 4
“We like to honor true innovation, the grit of an entrepreneur, the mastery of lifelong leadership, and those that commit to giving back to others.” — Alice Elliot 2 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
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Learn more & register: plantbasedworldexpo.com July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 3
ELLIOT EVENT
from page 2
The event feted four of the most accomplished stars of the restaurant industry. Lauren Bailey, CEO and co-founder, Upward Projects was presented with the The TrueTrep Award. The TrueTrep Award recognizes entrepreneurs who have successfully built a brand with inventive vision, relentless persistence, and a focus on purpose and people. Bailey is a creative powerhouse and master strategist focusing on conceptualization and development for 18 restaurants and five brands spanning three states. Postino, Windsor, Churn, Federal Pizza, and Joyride Taco House are each known for their unique, chef-driven menus, differentiated cultures, and commitment to community. The Renaissance Award was presented by Noah Glass, founder and CEO, Olo. The Renaissance Award recognizes leaders who have masterfully combined both the art and science of leadership to successfully develop distinctive paths in business. Glass is an industry visionary who founded Olo in 2005 and has since developed the brand to be the leading on-demand commerce platform powering the restaurant’s industry digital transformation. Through both tech development and advocacy for restaurant partners, Olo now serves over 500 brands. The company held a successful IPO in March 2021, raising $450 million to fund its further growth. The legendary David Overton, founder and CEO, The Cheesecake Factory was presented with The Legacy Award. The honor recognizes excellence in leadership, lifetime achievement, and contributions of outstanding significance. Through his vision, flare for culinary creativity, and commitment to excellence, Overton has helped to develop some of the highest standards in casual dining. He originated the “upscale casual” segment by creating and opening the first The Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Beverly Hills in 1978. Under Overton’s leadership, the brand has since grown to over 200 locations across the U.S.
and Canada, while maintaining the highest sales volumes in the industry, averaging $11.1 million per restaurant. The Impact Award was presented to Regynald Washington, president and CEO, RGW Enterprises. The award, presented by The Elliot Leadership Institute, recognizes a leader who has focused selflessly on giving back and serving future generations as an advocate and advisor. Throughout a long and distinguished career with leadership positions at Paradies Lagardère and Walt Disney Company, Washington never lost sight of paying it forward via philanthropy, education, and board service. Over decades of service to students, emerging leaders, and the broad hospitality industry, he has gifted $1 million for an endowment and scholarships at Georgia State University’s Hospitality School. “We are always so thoughtful of the hard work, dedication, and leadership we get to see and help foster across the consumer space, and there are so many worthy stories,” Elliot said. “When the time comes for honoring those that have risen to successful peeks, we are happy to celebrate those wins. We like to honor true innovation, the grit of an entrepreneur, the mastery of lifelong leadership, and those that commit to giving back to others. Our selections represent the best of leadership, and it’s a bit of magic that makes it all come together, but we believe that honoring these award winners and sharing their stories with others so they can be inspired to do more and be more.” The Seaport event also shed insight into what leadership will look like as the reins are passed to the next generation of industry leaders. “Leadership is constantly evolving. To be a true leader there needs to be an innate sense of curiosity – the desire to want to do more and learn more. Legends in leadership want to learn from emerging leaders, and those embarking on new journeys want to and need to learn from legends in the space. The Elliot
4 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Main Office 282 Railroad Ave. Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers Leslie & Fred Klashman Vice President of Sales and Marketing Michael Scinto Art & Web Director Mark Sahm
Alice Elliot, founder and CEO of The Elliot Group, welcomes guests to the iconic Cipriani South Street for Courageous Behavior: The Legends & Leaders Gala, honoring impactful executives across consumer sectors. The evening included music, art, a fourcourse seated dinner, and a magical presentation of The Elliot Awards.
way is to bring everyone together, so all leaders are lifted. Even more, The Elliot Group is powering The Elliot Leadership Institute nonprofit to educate and elevate leaders that we know will impact the face of business today and in the future to come.” The Elliot gala left the evening’s guest with a real vision for the future. “Elliot is well known for our ‘receiving line’ at every event we host,” the iconic executive concluded. It’s a sign of respect and embracement to everyone invited, that we are all aligned in a shared purpose of ‘giving back’ with educational purpose and intent. To see business leaders hugging and seeking each other out was glorious. Additionally, there was a renewed sense of hope, tenacity, purpose, and direction to be the best at what they do and be courageous in growing their great companies and brands. People are appreciative for the chance to share and be proud of accomplishments and future plans.” All photos by Kenny Kim Photography, courtesy of The Elliot Group
SCOOP News Editor and Senior Contributing Writer Joyce Appelman Contributing Writers Cherry Dumaual Francine Cohen Editorial Interns Karen Jones Claudia Giunta Brian O’Regan Wyatt Semenuk Zachary Kitay Jackson Hart
Phone: 203.661.9090 Email: tfs@totalfood.com Web: www.totalfood.com
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Subscribe to the TFS YouTube channel Cover photo: The Knightsbridge Group Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 is published monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Ave., Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2022 by IDA Publishing Inc. Contents in full or part may not be reproduced without permission. Not responsible for advertisers claims or statements. Periodicals Postage paid at the post office, Greenwich, CT and additional mailing offices. Additional entry at the post office in Pittsburgh, PA. Subscription rate in USA is $36 per year; single copy, $3.00. Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Food Service, P.O. Box 2507, Greenwich, CT 06836
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easyice.com July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 5
NEWS
By Zac Kitay
MEMOIRS
MORFOGEN’S NEW BOOK SHARES UNKNOWN UNDERBELLY OF NYC RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
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estaurateur Stratis Morfostanding up against the bullying and gen talks business in his alcohol tax that the Gambino’s tried to new book Be a Disruptor; force onto him. “I was afraid I had just but there’s no analytics or traded one devil for another, but they theory, his experiences from gangsters [the Genovese’s] stood up for me for 15 to Covid are what taught him the most years,” Morfogen added. valuable lessons of the trade. After the Gotham City Diner, MorMorfogen is a business owner, enfogen went on to open various estabtrepreneur, and New York City locale, lishments including a club, Rouge, the with a keen sense of street-smarts deBrooklyn Chop House, and the Brookveloped through the impressive list of lyn Dumpling Shop. He was always establishments he’s founded, partners told that he needed to write a book he’s collaborated with, and problems on his ventures and dedicated nearly he’s dealt with. At just 20 years old, five chapters in Be a Disruptor to his Morfogen opened the Gotham City experiences with organized crime. He Diner on the Upper East Side after wanted to offer entrepreneurs practileaving his father’s restaurant. cal anecdotes that would be entertainIn the early 90s, the business ating and informative on how to achieve tracted the attention of the Gambino success through determination and crime family – reputable for being one overcoming obstacles. “The bottom of the original trailblazers of organized line is to never allow anyone to get in crime at the turn of the century. “John the way of what you’re focused on,” Gotti Jr. tried to shake me down, he Morfogen said. “Every time there’s a beat up my managers for about three setback, there’s an opportunity.” weeks, I told him to go f-k himself,” Morfogen said. After Ralph Coppola and Barney Bellomo —leaders of the competing Genovese crime family and frequenters at the Gotham City Diner— saw Morfogen cleaning up the constant acts of vandalism that the Gambino’s inflicted, they intervened. The Genovese’s approached the Gambino’s with a ‘you mess with him, you mess with us’ attitude, defending Morfogen and his business. They took him in as one of their own, supporting his diner and Stratis Morfogen
6 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
“John Gotti Jr. tried to shake me down, he beat up my managers for about three weeks, I told him to go f-k himself.” — Stratis Morfogen Seeking possibilities during hard times is a central theme in his book and his life, as Morfogen also touches upon making the best out of another tough era, the pandemic. When the world shut down in March 2020 and his competitors were laying low and trying to survive, Morfogen took a less conservative approach and doubled down on investing while uncertainty flooded the industry. “I took up the biggest, most prime properties for pennies on the dollar,” Morfogen said. Those transactions have been paying off for him, as his newest restaurant, the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop which opened in Spring of 2021 offers a fresh perspective to New York City dining. The Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is the first automat dumpling shop – with a 24-hour, contact free system, delivering fresh Americanized dumplings in a vendingmachine fashion. When 20-ounce sandwiches were taking over New York, Morfogen had the idea for the two-ounce sandwich, putting any classic diner staple inside of a dumpling. From lamb gyro to bacon cheeseburger, or caramel apple dumplings, the dynamic menu paved the way for a brand-new market. Capturing both the sandwich and dumpling
audiences, the innovation of merging these two cultures has been a success as more dumpling shops are set to open in the near future. Morfogen’s tenacity and vision had led to the opening of Brooklyn Dumpling Shops in Hoboken, NJ and Storrs, CT.Franchising is underway and there are multiple unit openings slated for Georgia, Florida, and Texas by the end of 2022. Morfogen believes that adapting to new technology is one of the keys to thriving in the hospitality industry, a field that he believes is generally late to accepting technological modernism. “The businesses that were the most exposed during the pandemic had nothing, no technology, online ordering or websites,” Morfogen said. In the Darwinian battle to live through Covid, accepting the changing times by keeping up and working with new technology was part of Morfogen’s mantra. More of his advice and firsthand experiences in the industry are offered in Be a Disruptor, with insights and feats that were learned through tough times, and successes deriving from what could be compared to a Scorsese thriller. Be a Disruptor offers an intriguing perspective on the reality of the New York City hospitality industry, its changes throughout time, and one businessman figuring it all out. This industry must read is available on Amazon. And yes, the movie rights are currently being negotiated with several major studios.
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 7
NEWS
CAREER PATHS
AMBITIOUS TECH VETERAN BRINGS DREAMS TO REALITY WITH CHELSEA INDIAN EATERY
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hicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) announced last month that it was distributing approximately $33 million in community development grants to 26 businesses around the city as part of a plan to boost economic recovery after the damage of the pandemic. The grants are intended to revitalize commercial corridors; in theory, it could lead to $138 million in neighborhood improvements. Through fairness and progressive thinking, the upbringing of Chelsea’s aRoqa Contemporary Indian Cuisine set the precedent for how perseverance and zeal can achieve goals in the city where dreams are made: New York City. Monica Saxena opened aRoqa in 2017 following an atypical career path that enabled her to have a distinct expertise, which has been cru-
Saxena cross-trained her staff, teaching them how to work in all positions so that if issues arose in another department, any employee could offer a helping hand. This method of creating a “flat organization” allowed Saxena’s core value of teamwork to thrive in times when it was most needed [like Covid]. cial to the longevity of her current business. She moved to the United States from India roughly 35 years ago after finishing her undergraduate degree, and a year of law school before the university shut down. She took numerous jobs with tech startups, working on semiconductors and moving between New York, Los Angeles, and London. When she noticed the Chelsea neighborhood
lacked an Indian restaurant suitable to take someone on a date, she began cooking up a plan for progression. “I wanted to try different things, with Indian food, that had not been done before. All I ever saw was one curry house after another and frankly it was embarrassing,” Saxena said. “You could order one curry and an appetizer, and it gets old.
That was the driver behind wanting to open an Indian restaurant that was not a curry house.” She and an initial operating part-
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8 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
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July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 9
By Joyce Appelman
NEWSMAKER
MAYUMI KOBAYASHI
Who were/are your mentors? The best and worst bosses from my previous jobs. Both women, but polar opposite of how they ran the company and treated the staff and employees. Neither of them knows they are my mentors, but they definitely shaped the manager I am now.
GENERAL MANAGER, MIFUNE AND SUSHI AMANE
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ayumi Kobayashi has been the General Manager of Michelin-recognized MIFUNE and Michelinstarred sushi AMANE for five years. As a woman in a managerial position, she prides herself in being collaborative in all aspects of running the restaurant with the chefs. In July, she will begin a new journey at Yoshino New York with legendary Chef Tadashi Yoshida with the goal to make the Yoshino the top restaurant in New York.
Lessons learned from prior jobs that you’ve brought to the culture at Mifune/Sushi Amane? I used to work for a video game company, famous for their toxic work culture. The biggest lesson I learned there was how not to treat your employees. The higher ups saw the employees as “privileged” to work there so they mistreated the employees terribly. Needless to say, there was a very high staff turnaround there. At another company I worked for, I was fortunate to have the most wonderful boss who showed her gratitude and respected her employees. She created an inclusive work culture that made everyone feel valued and important, thus motivating the team to do great work. She taught me what kind of leader and company culture I should strive for. I will be forever grateful to her as she inspires me to this day.
Mayumi Kobayashi, General Manager, MIFUNE and SUSHI AMANE
in the industry? Times are changing, but the restaurant industry is still very male dominated, especially Japanese restaurants. Female GMs at Japanese restaurants are few and far between, so I deal with preconceived notions and sexism fairly regularly. When a sales rep, especially a Japanese sales rep, comes to our restaurant to pitch their products or services, they go straight to the male staff and completely igHow does being a woman in nore me. It doesn’t even occur to them management make a difference the decision maker or GM could be a woman. When they realize I’m the GM, I suddenly appear in their line of vision. It’s disheartening, but I’m sure every woman has experienced something similar to this in every industry. That’s exactly why I believe female representation in management positions matter, not MIFUNE New York takes traditional Japanese cooking that places supreme importance on the seasonal just in the restaurant bounty of the land and sea—and reimagines it using French techniques to create innovative and artistically industry.
How do you manage the complexities of the multiple restaurants? Sushi Amane is tucked away inside Mifune on another floor, so having two restaurants in one location make the logistics and complexities much more streamlined thankfully. There are a lot of positive aspects to running a multi-unit operation in one location, especially now with the pandemic, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we start to see more of this type of restaurant operation structure in the future.
composed dishes.
10 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
What do you see ahead for yourself and your restaurants? Our goal is to continue innovating, deliver something that is engaging, and have fun ourselves in the process. As the Chefs at Mifune and Sushi Amane continue to hone their craft and artistry, my job is to create and expand a platform for them to better deliver and convey that to customers. Dining out should be a joyful experience for the customers and that is what we always aim for, but I believe it should be a joyful and fulfilling experience for ourselves as well. No two days are the same in the restaurant industry, so my mindset is to do my best to make every day a great day for everyone. What are the Business systems and vendors, equipment that you rely on for operations? We use the same tools as any restaurant, but it does worry me that our industry equipment has become so heavily reliant on a stable internet connection. Our entire neighborhood had intermittent internet service one day and running the restaurant smoothly was definitely a challenge! The business has changed during COVID, talk about the changes that you’ve seen and going forward, what do you expect that to look like? What is needed to completely recover? For the restaurant industry to recover as a whole, we need both domestic and foreign tourism to return to prepandemic levels and grow from there. With work-from-home becoming more the norm now, tourism growth is especially important to fill that void. We also need crime to go down, so the
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July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 11
REOPENING STRATEGIES
WITH LAURA CRAVEN
HOW E-COMMERCE CAN CREATE A NEW INCOME STREAM FOR YOUR RESTAURANT
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ith life heading back to normal, restaurants are faced with yet another set of interesting decisions. It’s a given that the priorities continue to be takeout and delivery and welcoming back inrestaurant dining patrons. The new question on operators’ minds is: how can we continue to grow our revenue and profits in today’s environment and with our current staff? One option has all kinds of potential: e-commerce! It simply requires adapting simple and affordable technology with current staffing and some creativity. As we look at this opportunity for many of our Imperial Dade customers across the country, we have seen that online selling is a solution that
The variety is amazing! Sauces, salsas, seasonings, and condiments are available to order from restaurants all over the country can work for any size restaurant/foodservice operator. E-commerce has exploded as a sales tool and the food industry is part of that trend. Revenue from e-commerce food sales, including restaurants and specialty processors, has doubled in the last 3 years. It became a lifeline for some operators during the pandemic shutdowns and remains a viable source of revenue. An e-commerce program also checks both boxes as you look to attract new customers and maintain your relationship with that long-time guest. Targeting existing customers
12 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
that love your specialty items, ranging from secret sauces to signature desserts, is a great way to stay connected to customers that cannot visit your brick-and-mortar establishment but want to enjoy your food at home. This was effective not only during the pandemic, but also to reach loyal customers that live in other areas of the country. What’s great is that you probably already have most of the tools to make this new program a success including your existing social media channels, your web site, and the addition of a simple on-line store to support this new revenue stream. So now you are asking yourself what it is that we will be selling on our new e-commerce platform. That’s what makes this a win, you are already producing most of these products for daily use in your restaurant and takeout & delivery programs. The variety of items that can be sold online is amazing! Sauces, salsas, seasonings, and condiments are available to order from restaurants all over the country. Many come with recipes so customers can create a restaurant experience in their
Laura Craven is the Vice President, Marketing & Communications at Imperial Dade. Laura oversees marketing and corporate communications for Imperial Dade, a national distribution company headquartered in Jersey City, NJ. Her responsibilities include marketing communications, brand and reputation management, internal and external communications, experiential marketing events, and media relations. Laura has been with the company for over 17 years and has contributed to the organization’s growth and brand awareness. A LEED AP, Laura consults on sustainability initiatives and as a GBAC Trained Technician she assists customers develop cleaning programs.
own kitchen. For decades, items including deep dish pizza from Chicago, Danish Kringle from Wisconsin, key lime pie from Florida, and cheesecake from New York have been available for online ordering. I know you are concerned that your staff is already stretched thin. What’s nice is that you can start with an outside e-commerce service partner like a Goldbelly. You then build on that platform with the help of the person that manages your website, social media, and marketing. Aggregators like Goldbelly and
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July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 13
FIORITO ON INSURANCE
A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS THROUGH A HARD INSURANCE MARKET FOR HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES
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he continuing effects of COVID-19 dominated the hospitality industry over the last several years and these challenges have also had a major impact on risk management and insurance. Owners and operators of bars, restaurants, hotels, and associated businesses can become more resilient through vigilant risk management. The steps taken to mitigate risks, especially against new challenges and exposures that have arisen during the pandemic, will greatly influence their insurance premiums and coverage availability throughout 2022 and beyond. The current state of the insurance market requires hospitality businesses to present themselves in the best possible light to enable their brokers to present the best-case scenario to insurers. This means that in partnership with your insurance advisor, demonstrate to the marketplace why they should want your business (i.e., a good loss history and corrective measures taken to prevent similar losses from reoccurring, proactive risk management/transfer practices, proper safety protocols, and property upgrades.) In layman’s terms, a “hard insurance market” is the upswing in a market cycle when insurance premium rates are escalating, and insurers are disinclined to negotiate terms. Underwriting standards tighten and insurers closely monitor insurance rates and manage coverage capacity. Through the remainder of 2021 and beyond, insurance buyers will continue to feel the effects of the hard market in the hospitality industry.
In layman’s terms, a “hard insurance market” is the upswing in a market cycle when insurance premium rates are escalating, and insurers are disinclined to negotiate terms. Underwriting losses, poor industry results, decline in investment income due to lower interest rates, an increase in natural disaster claims, social factors, such as “social inflation” of claims and ‘once-in-a-century events such as COVID-19, are all factors directly contribute to the state of the market.
14 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
On the property insurance side, water damage and catastrophic weather events have been costly for insurers while on the liability side, increasing claims for slips and falls, have led to expensive lawsuits. Some companies have stopped offering hospitality insurance, exiting the space, and result-
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, Robert 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 212-3382324 or by email at robert.fiorito@ hubinternational.com.
ing in fewer players in the market. The economic fallout from the global pandemic includes lower interest rates, pushing premiums higher yet again as insurers can’t rely on investment behind the scenes to remain profitable. Additionally, concern relating to COVID-19 related liability claims is tightening the market even further.
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BURRATA
Soft and delicate, with a slightly sweet, milky flavor, BelGioioso Burrata is made with hand-crafted Fresh Mozzarella filled with Stracciatella, a mix of soft mozzarella shreds and cream. Enhance your menu by creating a deluxe Caprese salad with spooned sections of Burrata beside ripe tomatoes and fresh basil, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Or enrich your pizza or pasta by topping with a garnish of this fresh, creamy cheese just before serving. Available in 2 oz., 4 oz. and 8 oz. Burrata balls, 4 oz. balls with Black Truffles, and 8 oz. and 1 lb. Stracciatella. For more info and samples, please contact: foodservice@belgioioso.com 877-863-2123
belgioioso.com/Foodservice
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 15
TREND TALK
WITH JOYCE APPELMAN
Q&A WITH FRANCOIS PAYARD CHEF-OWNER, SOUTHOLD SOCIAL
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ames Beard Award-winning Chef François Payard has opened a new bistro, Southold Social, within the namesake hamlet located in the heart of Long Island’s North Fork. The spirited concept offers approachable, local-origin dishes with a focus on seasonality and provenance. Chef-owner François Payard is a third-generation chef who, after honing his skills by his family’s side and at La Tour d’Argent in Paris, moved to New York where he worked at Le Bernardin as well as Restaurant Daniel — where he received a James Beard award. He later opened the eponymous François Payard Patisserie & Bistro. He has won numerous other awards, such as the “Ordre du Mérite Agricole” by the French Government, the Dom Perignon Award of Excellence as well as “Pastry Chef of the Year” by Bon Appétit.
In collaboration with local restaurateur Adam Lovett, the restaurant seeks to embrace the hyperlocal maritime culture, rural wine country and farmland with ingredients sourced from the esteemed local bounty. The bistro menu highlights generous portions of housemade pasta, locally-sourced meats and seafood, bright and tart salads as well as crushable local North Fork and Old World wines. Menu items include housemade cavatelli with veal ragu, brine-cured pork chop, Montauk black sea bass, summer truffle polenta, a lobster roll with piment d’espelette, a burger au poivre served with a mountain of pommes frites and line-caught crudo. The recently renovated bi-level restaurant, which displays all of the natural hewn of its original wooden beams and beautiful teak flooring, features four distinct environments: a classic dining room;
an energetic, buzzing bar area; an extensive tented outdoor patio and a top floor 38-seat private dining space — perfect for a rehearsal dinner or special event. A grand fire pit for oyster roasts is slated to open within the outdoor patio by mid-summer. As the restaurant and hospitality celebrates Chef Payard’s most recent opening, Total Food Service connected with the revered chef to learn more about the vision for his latest concept. Tell our readers what got you interested in becoming a pastry chef? Walk us through your career track. I was born in a bowl of chocolate mousse; my father and grandfather were both pastry chefs, so growing up, being a pastry chef was all I aspired to be. Tell us about your partner North
Francois Payard, Chef-Owner of Southold Social, is sharing the fresh flavors of the North Fork in a relaxed, modern setting
16 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Joyce Appelman is the SCOOP News Editor and Senior Contributing Writer 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
Fork restaurateur Adam Lovett, with whom you co-own and operate Southold Social. Adam is a local Southold restaurateur. It was important for me to find a smart, experienced operator who knows the North Fork milieu as well as in terms of sourcing wine and ingredients of provenance. Where did you get the inspiration for Southold Social? Why Southold on Long Island’s North Fork? For many years now, I have had a
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July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 17
NEWS
BEVERAGE SOLUTIONS
THE BUSY BARTENDER’S GUIDE TO FAST CRAFT COCKTAILS
T
he made-to-order craft cocktail is artistic, high-end and luxurious. But customarily, there’s been a downside: These recipes may call for an experienced bartender and an extended time commitment. Nowadays, that’s not necessarily the case. Establishments challenged by labor constraints or unable to employ a highly skilled bartender can still prepare these higher-ticket beverages efficiently. All that’s required is specialized blending equipment, optimized recipes and knowledge of a few insider – but simple – approaches. The best way to fast-track these
premium beverages is to use a highperformance blender to strategically simulate or speed up a variety of mixing techniques that are traditionally done by hand or with the help of highly specialized equipment. For example, the right blender can handle jobs like muddling, aerating and processing frozen ingredients, allowing you to significantly reduce the time and effort required to prepare each drink. Another key tip: Use the blender’s preprogrammed blend settings so you can multitask and increase both efficiency and consistency. The Quiet One® – made by Vitamix Commercial – paired with one
The best way to fast-track these premium beverages is to use a high-performance blender to strategically simulate or speed up a variety of mixing techniques that are traditionally done by hand or with the help of highly specialized equipment.
accessory, the Aerating Container by Vitamix, can handle all of these tasks. These products give you a wide array of blending options. Depending on which container you use – the standard Advance® container that comes with The Quiet One or the specialized Aerating Container – you can fully process ice and other ingredients, or you can apply a much gentler touch, which is required for some craft beverage processes. The Aerating Container is outfitted with a disc-like blade studded with holes that aerates blends as they’re processed. This design opens up a range of options that can rival more laborious techniques, such as whip-shaking, muddling, infusing ingredients, frothing and quick-chilling, depending on the program selected. A side benefit of these automated processes is that establishments may notice more consistent results from one drink to the next. Fruit-infused craft beverages are made with The Quiet One® by Vitamix® Commercial, fitted with the Let’s look at three opAerating Container (sold separately). tions for making craft
18 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
By Stephen Hosey, blending application manager, Vitamix ®
cocktails with a high-performance blender. Frozen Slushie Drinks Icy drinks like margaritas, daiquiris and other frozen cocktails – typically made in high-capacity barrel freezers – are a popular novelty not attempted by all establishments. The barrel freezers used to make them can be a significant investment, and their high capacity essentially limits you to one recipe per machine per shift. But you can also employ a highpowered blender to make these specialty drinks, and doing so gives you more options. Besides being able to process ice and frozen ingredients, you can also vary flavors and recipes. You can choose from house-made purées you’ve prepared ahead of time, or from prepared mixes kept on hand. An additional benefit of a blender is the ability to process drinks for only as long as desired to achieve different textures and results. How to make: • Beginning with liquids, combine ingredients – such as prepared cocktail mixes, fruit purées, spirits, frozen fruit and ice – in a high-performance blender and blend, keeping in mind that speeds and blend times will vary depending on your ingredients, batch
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MOVING FORWARD 2
0
2
2
Meadowlands Expo Center 355 Plaza Drive | Secaucus, NJ 07094
September 21, 2022 9am-3:30pm
All businesses welcome to attend Free Admission 200+ exhibitors Seminars
Product demos Refreshments Thousands of products on display
Find new products from industry leading manufacturers Foodservice Packaging Janitorial Supplies Restroom Supplies
Chemicals Equipment Industrial Packaging Greensafe Products
Hold the date, registration begins in mid-July at ImperialDade.com July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 19
NEWS
By Zac Kitay
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
MARQII’S DIGITAL EFFICIENCIES ENABLE RESTAURANTS TO EXCEED HOSPITALITY STANDARDS
F
or decades, all a restaurant had to focus on in order to succeed were the priorities of their guest, the front of the house and culinary teams. That has since morphed in recent years into a race to understand and implement technology into an efficient foodservice operation. This can be both a taxing and time-consuming task. With that in mind, Avi Goren and his Marqii team have created a simple portfolio of solutions. In what is a technology first for the restaurant industry, Marqii enables owners and operators to automatically apply changes to their menus wherever a restaurant has a digital presence. Using its online menu dashboard, Marqii transfers any new updates to the leading menu platforms including Google, Yelp, Facebook and more. “Accurate data and relevant content,” are the
keys to being successful in your online presence, Goren noted during our recent conversation. “Having a consistent and accurate menu updated and easily viewed by customers can be the difference between a shining review and a poor customer experience.” Goren was born in Brazil but moved to Long Island when he was a child. Working at D’Cocco’s Restaurant and Pizzeria as a teenager, he started taking away valuable lessons from the restaurant industry that would later help him succeed with Marqii. “I learned that doing what you can control well is what’s going to separate you from the competition; don’t worry about what you can’t control,” Goren said. After going to school at the University of Texas at Austin, Goren began his career at Yelp, followed by Yext, an online presence manage-
20 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
“In an industry in which all content matters, branding and dependability go a long way. Messaging, including store hours and special offers, needs to be accurate and timely.” ment service, before founding Marqii. All his past experiences helped him gain insights into what running a successful business would be like, as well as what small businesses need in order to establish their online presences in a professional and proactive manner. Goren found a market opportunity in the disconnect in digital strategy accessibility among small and mid-sized restaurants, noting that “McDonald’s has access to tech solutions that momand-pop operators never will. Marqii was invented to give all companies in the hospitality industry a fair chance to use technology to its fullest capabilities, no matter the size of the company or their previous online managing styles.” Goren further explained the little differences in how tech is managed that can actually make an enormous impact. “Going to a restaurant labeled ‘open’ on the internet only to realize that they’re closed once you get there is enough to ruin a customer’s day, and a business’s reputation. Marqii lets you make sure that the expectation is clear when they show up to your restaurant,” Goren said. “In an industry in which all content matters, branding and dependability go a long way.
Messaging, including store hours and special offers, needs to be accurate and timely.” Marqii also allows a simple path to manage many of the changes that the pandemic spurred. Ghost kitchens, for instance, gained popularity as chefs and restaurant entrepreneurs sought ways to prepare and sell food without the need for bricks-and-mortar dining space or front office staff. Curbside pickups and 3rd party delivery services increased as well, along with many companies’ online presences. With the rise of so many innovations, Marqii gained immediate traction by helping its clients accomplish the digital transformation needed to survive and thrive during the pandemic. “Just because you bought more technology, doesn’t mean it’s going to be a seamless plug-andplay. Marqii helps maximize the tech investment the restaurant has made,” Goren said. “Staying reliable and easy to use and maintain is what makes Marqii so valuable to smaller restaurants with limited IT resources.” The speed at which takeout and delivery operates has created a pace
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July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 21
FINANCIAL STRATEGY INSIGHTS
WITH CHRIS FALLON
TIMES TO KNOW THE VALUE OF YOUR BUSINESS
I
n my work with my clients, one of the most common questions we get is: How much is my business worth? With our practice at Creative Financial Group, we are able to call on the experience and insights of a number of industry professionals, I found the insight of MassMutual’s Director of Business Markets Thomas Charla on the timing of business valuations to be really interesting. I would like to share those with you. There are a lot of significant moments in the life of your business — from that initial idea or inspiration to your first big client or contract. From the day you open the doors, to the day you decide to transfer or sell the business, many of the decisions you make regarding the direction of the company may hinge on the worth of the business. Because of constant change in the economic, competitive, and regulatory landscape in which your business exists, it’s a good idea to review the value of your business on a regular basis. Doing this will allow you to have a firm grasp on the business’s current value and track its growth over an extended period. With this knowledge, you could consider adjusting your business plans to focus more on the drivers of value, or simply be in a better position to take advantage of opportunities. So, when is it most important to know the value of your business? Well, there are several key times when it’s important to talk to your financial professional about getting a valuation performed and how to get it done, perhaps using a CPA or a certified business valuation firm. Let’s examine a few of those instances: Changes to your business
Because of constant change in the economic, competitive, and regulatory landscape in which your business exists, it’s a good idea to review the value of your business on a regular basis. The need for a business valuation may be indicated when there are noteworthy events in your business, like a dramatic change in revenue (e.g., up or down 25 percent or more), the addition of a new partner, or gaining a substantial client. All these changes can influence the value of the business and knowing the value of your business is critical to planning your next steps. Changes in your personal life You should know the value of your business when significant personal life events take place, such as marriage or divorce. In the event of a divorce, you may be required to perform a certified business valuation to determine marital assets. If a valuation existed previously as part of a prenuptial agreement, the marital assets might be the difference between the two. Your attorney can advise you in this area. Funding a buy-sell agreement Understanding the value of your business is an integral part of properly funding a buy-sell agreement. A buy-sell agreement is a comprehensive legal document that outlines what happens to the business in the event of certain triggering events; for example, death, disability, divorce, or retirement. Life insurance is often used to fund the buy-sell agreement with respect to a death. You’ll need to know the value
22 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
of the business so you can determine the proper amount of insurance coverage. This will help you and your partners ensure there will be enough cash available (from the proceeds of the life insurance policy) to buy-out a deceased partner’s share of the business. Selling your business This is the most obvious time to know the value of your business before you sell it. By having a firm grasp of the business value before you put it up for sale, you can confidently set your asking price and, based on that, target (or eliminate) potential buyers. Additionally, a valuation prepared by a neutral, independent expert that substantiates your asking price is key to making the deal work. Planning for your retirement How large will your retirement nestegg be? Well, that may depend on the value of the business — often the business is an owner’s largest asset. Once you know how much money you can expect to receive from the business, through either sale or transfer, you’ll have a better idea of how much income you’ll need from other sources to fund the retirement lifestyle you deserve. Planning for your estate Knowing the value of your business is also critical for estate tax purposes. When the owner of a business dies,
Chris Fallon is a Financial Services Representative at CREATIVE Financial Group. Chris focuses on helping closely held businesses develop effective and efficient financial strategies. He also assists professionals and executives with personal financial advice. He is a St. John’s University graduate. He has a diverse portfolio of clients that include restaurant and hospitality industry professionals. A former Minor League Baseball player with the Kansas City Royals and Colorado Rockies, Chris knows the value of teamwork and is actively involved as a Board member for the Tomorrows Children’s Fund. Chris can answer your business and personal financial planning questions at 610-325-5910, or via email at cfallon@1creative. com
the family or estate may have to pay taxes based on the value of the business being passed down. And if there isn’t already a certified business valuation, the IRS may look to determine the value itself. Many businesses are illiquid, meaning there isn’t enough easily accessible cash available to pay any estate taxes due. By knowing the value of the business, you may be able to put an estate plan in place that will provide the estate with enough funds, usually through life insurance, to enable the business to stay in one piece. Article by Thomas Charla, director of business markets at MassMutual. Provided by CREATIVE Financial Group, courtesy of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual). Christopher Fallon, ChFC®, CLU® is a registered representative of and offers securities and investment advisory services through MML Investors Services, LLC. Member SIPC (www.sipc. org). 16 Campus Boulevard, Newtown Square, PA 19073 610.325.6100. CRN202505-2410378
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 23
NEWS
By Zac Kitay
MENU SOLUTIONS
RESTAURANT DEPOT DEBUTS NEW BREWSTER STORE
T
he newest location of Restaurant Depot provides a one-stop-shop experience for restauranteurs, chefs, and business owners in the Brewster, NY and Greater Danbury, CT area. The warehouse had their grand opening in late May, just in time to kick off the summer and support restaurants preparing for their busy summer seasons. The new location is available to assist with all kinds of dining, from steakhouses to pizzerias, fine dining, and everything in between. Within their lines of inventory are kitchen equipment, cutlery, food, produce, and more, “A restauranteur could open a business and we could supply them with everything they need,” Manager Anthony Sciortino, a ten-year veteran of the business said. “If we don’t have their [the customer’s] product, we’re bringing it in for them.” Being over 51,000 sq. Ft., its size has also been a draw for customers. The opening was highly anticipated after taking over three years from purchasing and approvals, to becoming functional. Covid caused delays and material shortages all throughout the creation, making the construction of the new store —like many projects during the pandemic— long and difficult. The land had been vacant for over 20 years prior, so the Brewster community was thrilled when the emergence of Restaurant Depot put the spot to good use. More than the store, locals were hit hard by Covid with an increase in prices and a decrease in food supplies; along with forced adaptation to meet safety protocols and a suspension of indoor dining – the community needed all the help it could get. Restaurant Depot’s arrival allowed people of the Greater Brewster area some solace
during troubling times. “Restaurant Depot was there for people when they couldn’t get products,” Sciortino said. The location had other positive effects for the community as well, allowing restauranteurs in the area a quicker commute to pick up their necessities. What used to be a weekly trip to buy products and equipment has evolved into a by-need basis thanks to the convenience of the new building. “A lot of the customers were already Restaurant Depot shoppers, already going to Waterbury or Port Chester, but the Brewster location services them seven days a week because they’re within 15 minutes now.” Sciortino said. This, along with a wide range of business hours, allows locals to stop in on short notice for restaurant emergencies or unforeseen high demands for any given product. The ‘Depot gives shoppers valuable products at affordable prices in order to ensure the best experience possible. The experience is one more benefit that the new Restaurant Depot offers, receiving products from wholesalers and forming community partners allows the store to gain valuable information about the industry. “We’re knowledgeable enough in the corporate field that customers could always reach out to find answers that they don’t know,” Sciortino said. The addition of the store meant the addition of community collaborators, benefiting both Restaurant Depot and inquisitive locals looking to learn. In the future, the store hopes to add fresh seafood to their inventory, a large magnet for northeastern businesses. Since the arrival of the new store, convenience has spiked for people in the foodservice industry, and a reputable partner has been added to a community-centered town.
24 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
“A restaurateur could open a business and we could supply them with everything they need.” — Anthony Sciortino
The best of fruit with ease and simplicity The best of fruit, ready to use. 100% ready to use, 100% taste quality and no added sugar. Les vergers Boiron ready-touse purées are the product of 80 years of expertise. Once you’ve tasted our strawberry, raspberry, mango, passion fruit, blackberry and peach flavours, you’ll understand why they are so popular among chefs and mixologists for their instant preparations. To discover our recipes, visit my-vb.com
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 25
HOSPITALITY MARKETING
WITH REV CIANCIO
WHAT YOU MISSED AT THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION SHOW 2022 And What You Need to Know
T
he National Restaurant Association show concluded in Chicago last month. It’s the biggest of big in terms of food service trade shows. In fact, a lot of people just call it “the show.” They describe it as “discover exciting new products, interact with innovative new equipment, create business connections with key suppliers, access expert-led education sessions on today’s biggest topics, and make invaluable peer-to-peer networking connections.” Every facet of the business is represented at the show. If you are looking for rice cookers, cleaning services, technology, dairy free products, aprons, dish ware, coffee, robots …. You name it, it can be found at “the show.”
tations have changed since the pandemic; how that impacts restaurants and how operators’ response is impacting their guests. These two incredible leaders have some incredible ideas that you won’t want to miss. Catch the replay: https:// bit.ly/39UvVjB
KEY TAKEAWAYS There isn’t as much content at this show as some of the other shows and the focus is really on the trade show and vendor booths. My feedback and insights on this show will be both “state of the industry” and also about observations on exhibiting. 1. MATCH AND MEET GUEST EXPECTATIONS We can all agree, tech is the Way Forward for Restaurant Success. There’s one thing for sure coming out of the NRA show: everyone is re-evaluating how to manage guest expectations - how to match them and meet them. I had the opportunity to interview GoTab CEO Tim McLaughlin & InKind CEO Johann Moonesinghe at the show about how guest expec26 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
2. GO BIG OR GO HOME With so many booths and exhibitors it was hard to stand out from the pack. Here’s a couple of key ideas on how your booth can get more visitors. A. Go high. One way to stand out from the pack was to have a really tall booth. It’s definitely more expensive to hang something from the ceiling or to have a two floor booth, so if you want to save money do what Devour did: just have a really tall sign! B. Have food and/or drinks. Any booth that was handing out food or beverage had more visitors. I didn’t see a single booth with water throughout and you know who was thirsty, EVERYONE. C. Do something. Ovation had a basketball court. BYOD had a golf simulator. Lunchbox was giving out free tattoos. What does this have to do with tech? Nothing. But people stopped at their booths and talked to reps. 3. DEEP > WIDE There is a lot of tech out there. A lot. The ones that operators love create efficiencies and are easy to use. In a case where two pieces of tech do the same thing, the one that is better wins. Be better. Go deep. Make it work incredibly well. It’s better to be really good at doing one thing then kind of doing a couple things ok. 4. IT’S NOT ABOUT THE PRODUCTS Everyone thinks it’s about the products, and yes, I like Coke more than I like Pepsi, but there is no feature, no benefit, no aspect of any product available that is more im-
David “Rev” Ciancio is a former New York City bar owner and knows exactly how hard it is to operate and brand a hospitality business. He is now a hospitality marketing consultant, customer and technology evangelist with more than 20 years experience in B2B digital marketing and business development, specializing in hospitality marketing, content, local SEO, reputation management and influencer marketing. He helps technology companies, brands and restaurants to acquire and retain customers. Rev is known as an “expert burger taster,” pens hospitality and marketing tips on his Instagram @revciancio, as well as his LinkedIn Profile. He believes that Pizza is a religion.
portant than the people. People don’t buy from companies, they buy from people. So no matter what you are selling or how easy it is to use, and that includes napkins, ketchup, software or a robot that makes french fries, it is the service and the relationship that earns and keeps customers. Have a good product but back it with amazing people. 5. DON’T TRAVEL WITH SALT …unless you’re flying out of Philadelphia. I got stopped at security in both EWR and ORD because I had epsom salt in my bag. They have to run a chemical test on it to allow you to carry it on board. Huge delay at security. I didn’t get stopped out of Philly though! If you were at the National Restaurant Association Show, what did you take away? Thanks for reading to the bottom. You are my favorite and that’s why I take the time to write and share this kind of info ... I’m here to help you. Connect with me on Instagram or LinkedIn if you have any questions!
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 27
MEDIA CORNER
With Joyce Appelman
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING:
The Julia Child Challenge Eight home cooks compete in a series of culinary challenges in a replica of the legendary home kitchen to find out who has the skills to win the first-ever primetime competition series dedicated to all things Julia, and the prize of a lifetime -- a trip to Paris to study at Le Cordon Bleu, just as Julia did! Judges include Susan Feniger, Francis Lam, Michael Voltaggio, and Brooke Williamson. Next Level Chef Chef Gordon Ramsay scours the country for the very best line cooks, home chefs, social media stars, food truck owners and everything in between, all competing against one another with the goal of finding the food world’s newest superstar. Joined by chefs Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais, Ramsay and his co-mentors each recruit a group of
talented chefs and take them under their wings. Ramsay and his friends attempt to bring out the very best in their cooks, as they all try to find “the one.” Ramsay firmly believes that as long as a chef has the drive, talent and perseverance, he or she can make that climb to the top. Creativity, consistency and cunning are the recipe for success to make it to the next level, as the competitors adapt to the challenges waiting for them. Chefs compete for the title of “Next Level Chef” and a life-changing $250,000 grand prize. Matt Sartwell, Managing Partner, Kitchen Arts & Letters Bookstore in New York City shares his book reviews... All About Baguette By Jean Marie Lanio and Jeremy Ballester
28 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
BOOKS, TV, FILM, AND PODCASTS
WHAT WE’RE READING:
This is an explicitly detailed guide to the creation of traditional and modern baguettes, written by a pair of leading French professionals. Rather than packing their 160page book with every sort of baguette recipe imaginable, JeanMarie Lanio and Jeremy Ballester offer just 15 recipes, each of them accompanied by extensive photographic sequences which illustrate the mixing, raising, and shaping of the loaves of this popular French bread. The core recipe for a traditional French baguette made with a liquid levain is followed by variations on flour, add-ins, and liquids. You’ll learn to prepare versions which include rye, semolina, and whole wheat flours, as well as a baguette enriched with eggs, butter, and milk. Further variations include wal-
WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO:
nut, cranberry-chocolate, and an aperitif baguette larded with dried tomatoes, cheese, spinach, and herbs. The Last Bite: A Whole New Approach to Making Desserts Through the Year By Anna Higham This is a bold new take on seasonality in the pastry kitchen, one which borrows ingredients from the savory pantry, incorporates plant parts that might otherwise be destined for the compost heap, and displays a creativity and resourcefulness that we find impressive. Anna Higham’s career includes stints at NYC’s Gramercy Tavern as well as at Lyle’s and Flor in London, and now at the London River Cafe.
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July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 29
MEDIA CORNER
from page 28
Her approach is often remarkably elemental—strawberry juice with chewy dried strawberries—and treats the same ingredient in different ways to exploit flavor and texture differences. Although the book is packaged somewhat like a home baking book and is within the reach of ambitious home bakers, it’s our belief that like another book by a Gramercy alum with a similar title, The Last Bite is a fascinating statement of a professional baker’s boundary-crossing imagination. As examples: • Cherry blossom steamed sponge with sweet and pickled cherries • Corn ice cream with caramelized corn cake and whey cajeta • Nebbiolo sorbet, olive oil ice cream, and roasted Fragola grapes • Baked cream with mulberry granita and thyme Higham clearly likes her ice creams and sorbets, but you can also find and borrow individual elements such as buckwheat shortbread, yeast caramel, and black currant leaf vinegar meringues.
The Eat Y’all Podcast Hosted by Andy and Marianna Chapman, The EATYALL Podcast highlights farmers and the ingredients they produce through the eyes of different chefs who serve as guest hosts. EATYALL takes chefs behind the scenes at family farms and artisan food operations, so we can all make more informed food choices. Let’s Talk About Food Podcast Louisa Kasdon, founder of Let’s Talk About Food Podcast has launched a first-person storytelling podcast where food plays a pivotal if not a starring role. She believes that everyone has a food story and that food is at the heart of human connection, at the center of love, ritual, need and want, and most of all, foods creates community. And community is what we crave. Each story presents a deeply personal moment that is both unique and universal, reminding us that food goes to the core of all of us.
Editor’s Note About Podcasts- Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, including on Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Audible & more. 30 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
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CHEF SANTO BRUNO July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 31
SPIRITED NEWS + VIEWS
WITH FRANCINE COHEN
GUESTS WANT THIS DRINK ALL SUMMER LONG
I
n good times and in bad, people walk into a bar or restaurant looking for a beverage to buoy their mood. With the news coming out of the Supreme Court this past month aligning with the official start of summer, the country is going to be needing a big one, or a few, no matter whether they are mourning or celebrating the decision. Fortunately, for every bar and restaurant’s bottom line, summer menus recently kicked in or are about to, and soon you’ll have the answer to the question…what’s the drink of summer 2022? The answer is… while we hate the idea of jumping on trends here at totalfood.com because it’s got that flyby-night feel, we know a good thing happening when we see it. Summer 2022 is officially the take it easy and
enjoy life in a glass summer. There’s no question that frozen drinks are holding steady, and rosé wine with its rosé all day craze is sticking around, but the thing bringing us the most liquid joy right now is the ability to sit back and enjoy the return of the simple, refreshing highball. Lest you worry that the ever-popular frozen Margarita or Pina Colada are going to take a back seat, don’t. Life is being enjoyed 35-40% more so far this summer if sales at Bloomers Frozen Drinks are any indication. Founder Stacie Weisman notes the benefit of a strong frozen drink program for operators as she says, “It’s great; with the shortness of staff, you don’t have to worry, you have a pre-made drink that you just have to pull the handle to.” That pre-made option that keeps guests happy while effectively ad-
dressing the ongoing issue of short on staff situations is one reason frozen drinks are here to stay. At Vitamix® Lisa Klein, VP, Commercial and International sales, also reports an uptick and says, “After the first wave of the pandemic, the demand for our commercial machines, such as The Quiet One®, went up and it continues to increase, alongside rising consumer demand for cold and frozen beverages in quick-service restaurants.” She continues, “We are also seeing our machines and accessories being used to create an ever-wider range of cold and iced beverages, including specialty coffee and smoothies. In general, beverages are becoming more complex and varied, with a wide range of choices, including customizable options. Made-to-order beverages have become a way of creating
Followed by frozen drinks and rosé, ice cold highball cocktails lead the way this summer, like these refreshing examples from (L-R) The Smith NYC, Indigo Road Hospitality in TN, and Hawksmoor. (Photos L-R by The Smith, Chris Layman, and Ben Pickles.)
32 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Francine Cohen is an awardwinning journalist covering the business of the f&b/hospitality industry, and a proud native Washingtonian (DC). In addition to her work as a journalist she keeps busy fundraising for Citymeals on Wheels, Les Dames d’Escoffier, NY Women’s Culinary Alliance, and the USBG Foundation and serves as chief storyteller and brand steward for clients in the food and beverage sector by providing them with strategic marketing and business growth guidance. She has never met a cheese or beverage she does not like, and lives with her husband in New York; leaving him behind to visit New Orleans every summer. (Except 2020-21. Darn pandemic.) You can reach her at francinecohen@mindspring.com
meaning or fun in people’s daily lives, not just a means of hydrating or getting caffeine.” According to Kala Ellis, Beverage Director at Indigo Road Hospitality, frozen drinks in Nashville have always been a fun thing. The same is true in New York, where The Smith changes up their menu seasonally to wow guests in their always-packed restaurants. Mike DiTota, The Smith Bar Manager who oversees all restaurants concurs with Ellis and comments, “We are big fans of frozen drinks, and think they offer an opportunity to enjoy a cocktail in a new way.” At The Smith this currently means you can enjoy a frozen French 75. Drinks like this classic turned into an icy experience keeps frozen drinks in the top-10 bestselling cocktails during the summer. But ask DiTota what his guests are asking for over and over as the temperature climbs right now, and he’ll tell you, “Tonic or soda topped cocktails that are simple, and crisp have been ones we’ve seen people looking for more often.” Meghan Balser, a former NYC bar-
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Ruggiero Seafood, Inc.
PO Box 5369 Newark, NJ 07105 - info@ruggieroseafood.com - www.ruggieroseafood.com
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 33
NEWS
BEVERAGE SOLUTIONS
787 COFFEE BRINGS SINGLE ORIGIN ROASTS TO NYC & PUERTO RICO 787 Coffee, a Puerto Rican coffee company who roasts their own beans for their 20+ locations in New York City and Puerto Rico, knows what it takes to face setbacks and succeed. Co-founder and CEO Brandan Ivan Peña spoke with Choco about his big ambitions for the company that has already survived a hurricane and pandemic.
A
ccording to the National Coffee Association, the average American coffee consumer drinks three cups of coffee every day. And 53% of coffee drinkers want to buy coffee that is good for the environment, coffee farmers and their communities. This is the growing market that Brandon Ivan Peña and partner Sam Sepulveda tapped into when they started 787 Coffee. Choco has been with them from early on, providing the technical support to make ordering from suppliers between many locations possible. “I don’t know if we would have been able to grow so fast without Choco. Because it’s so simple. Choco is everything we believe in at 787—keeping it easy, pretty and efficient,” Brandon said. 787 started with a single farm in 2014. “We went to Puerto Rico and we bought 103 acres of what used to be a coffee farm that was abandoned. We started growing, started learning, started connecting with two or three good humans who could help us understand the area. And then once that happened, we started traveling the world. We went all the way from Rwanda to Guatemala to basically understand the concept that is specialty coffee.” 787 grows, roasts and sells their own single origin coffee beans with notes of dark chocolate, butter and citrus.
“We’re not just a company that goes and opens in Puerto Rico, makes sales and then brings the money out of the island. We’re doing quite the opposite. We’re bringing more economy to the island. We don’t want to lose that essence.” Grown on an idyllic, sustainable farm in Maricao, Puerto Rico, quality is a high priority for the beans that continually rank well above the cut-off for specialty coffee established by the Specialty Coffee Association. “We handpick all of our cherries,” Brandon described, referring to the fruit that houses the coffee beans. “They have to be red. They have to be ripe.” 787 is centered around humans— the farmers, roasters, baristas, suppliers and customers that make 787 possible. Since starting out in 2014, 787 has grown from an island farm to a company with over twenty coffee shop locations, and they have ambitious plans for additional growth. Choco, who shares 787’s passion for sustainability and simplicity, has been a powerful tool in their expansion. “It’s just an amazing way of simplifying an operation. It’s helped everywhere. We were at four or five shops when we started with Choco and it took us to a different level.” But 787’s success hasn’t always been easy. In September of 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and destroyed 97% of 787’s crop. “We lost basically everything we had. It was the first full production year for us, and everything was lost within four hours.” After being forced to close their existing coffee shops due to a lack of supply, 787 was on hiatus as Brandon and his co-founder decided what to do next. “We had a big responsibil-
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ity to our coworkers. We learned that from hurricane Maria. They don’t have a lot of options. I even considered not opening again,” Brandon admits. “And when I was deciding if we should reinvest at the farm, my coworkers reached out and said, ‘We don’t have anything else.’ The responsibility was immense.” For Brandon and 787, the goal is bigger than selling coffee. “We’re not just a company that goes and opens in Puerto Rico, makes sales and then brings the money out of the island. We’re doing quite the opposite. We’re bringing more economy to the island. We don’t want to lose that essence,” he explained. 787 is the phone area code for the island and a clever way to display 787’s heritage on the streets of New York City, which has a large Puerto Rican population. “In our case,” Brandon said, “it’s beyond me or anyone else that works with me. We’re representing an area code. We are going to be one of the largest companies in Puerto Rico.” By taking advantage of Choco’s ordering technology, 787 manages ordering for each coffee shop location and their farm from a single app. Brandon explained, “We were the first ones to use Choco in Puerto Rico. And people love it. We’ve reached out to every single one of our vendors. It’s been really, really helpful, even for small, very local companies.”
787 Coffee co-founder & CEO Ivan Peña
When it comes to customers, Brandon is honed in. “We are customer centric,” he stated. “And I know they say that a lot in business, but we really mean it. We wouldn’t do anything that our customers don’t want.” This includes looking extensively at simple customer satisfaction surveys automatically initiated with every credit card purchase, digging into transaction details, and frequent engagement on social media. “Social media does a lot for us. We ask a lot of questions. We chose our logo based on social media. We put it out there. We’re thinking of opening a couple shops in different areas. We put it out there. Then people get to be part of the process. We engage our audience a lot.” In 2020, as many businesses across the world were closing their doors, 787 was expanding. After an initial three month closure during the heaviest of COVID restrictions, 787 used their hard-earned resilience to keep pushing towards their business goals to open additional coffee shops. As many coffee shops around New York City were struggling to make rent and facing closure, 787 would work with the owners to acquire their shops. Looking towards the future, 787’s plans aren’t anywhere near complete. With goals to open 25 stores in NYC by the end of the year, 100 within the next three years, five shops in Puerto Rico, a growing coffee subscription service, and a second farm to keep up with growth, 787’s caffeinated journey is far from over.
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 35
Q&A
EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW
ASHOK BAJAJ Founder, Knightsbridge Group
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he restaurant business is not for the fainthearted. Research indicates that the average lifespan of a restaurant is five years. Findings from the Perry Group study published four years ago revealed that 70% of those establishments that are still operating after their first anniversary will shutter their doors in the next three to five years. Further, 90% of the restaurants that remain in business beyond the five-year mark will continue to operate for a minimum of 10 years. It is therefore no mean feat that the Knightsbridge Group led by its founder Ashok Bajaj continues to successfully operate in the Washington, D.C. metro area and remain at the top of its game for three decades. His success, we may speculate, may be due to his academic background – a foundation that was built upon his training in commerce, hospitality and tourism. Bajaj took a very circuitous route to the United States in 1988 following a successful career in the hospitality industry, which began after he completed postgraduate studies in Hotel Management and Tourism in India. The hotel chain he worked for then, relocated him to London and in his quest for his next adventure traveled to Sydney, Australia. It was the first leg of a journey with stops in several major U.S. cities that ended in the nation’s capital where his now 10 establishments have been thriving over the last 30 years.
As the industry rebounds from the trouncing it received over the last two-and-a-half years coupled with the resulting labor shortage, supply chain issues, and now inflation, Total Food Service wanted to hear from this restaurateur, whose successful ventures exemplify the proverbial Midas touch, as well as endurance and sophistication. Could you talk a little bit about who cultivated your love of food in the restaurant industry as you grew up in India? It wasn’t just the food. There were so many aspects related to the restaurant and hotel industry. I went to hotel school and did my management training in restaurants and hotels. Then I moved to London to open the first very smart Indian restaurant called Bombay Brasserie for the company I was working for, the Taj group. During my early 20s in London, the city at that time did not have a history of great restaurants. However, starting in the late ‘80s and into the ‘90s that environment changed. And I saw a lot from being in different restaurants and that’s how the passion for food and passion for developing different concepts truly began. Before that my love of food was only limited to my mother’s cooking who was a great cook and we had great help at home.
continued on page 38
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Ashok Bajaj, Founder, Knightsbridge Group
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Q&A
ASHOK BAJAJ, from page 36
How did you end up in Sydney, Australia? I always wanted to open a boutique hotel that would feature a 3–4-star restaurant there. That was a dream I had in London. In fact, it was a dream I had since I was young. As manager of the Bombay Brasserie, I met a business partner who was Australian. At the time I also had a consulting firm called Night Switch Management. After meeting several times, he said ‘look I’m in real estate, you like hospitality and you want to open a hotel’. Back then the Australian government was encouraging young entrepreneurs to move to Sydney, and they were giving unsecured loans which prompted the move to Sydney, Australia. When I got there, the person I was supposed to be doing business with said, ‘the building we thought was going to be a hotel didn’t materialize’. And so, I went back to London. We continued to converse and then he suggested the United States and I thought, United States?
I don’t know about the United States. When you’re living in London, you’re closer to home, and as a young man that’s where I wanted to be. Anyway, I ended up coming here first to New York, then I went to Chicago and San Francisco, and my last stop was Washington, D.C., and I liked the feel there. It is a federal city, open, and it just felt right and here I am. And that was in 1988. How did Knightsbridge come to be? Talk a little bit about how these restaurants came to be and what was the first one in Washington, D.C.? The first one I opened is called Bombay Club which is still there 3233 years later. The second restaurant I opened was called the 701 Restaurant on Pennsylvania Ave. That was the first restaurant in the city to have
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a caviar bar featuring the modern American cuisine and supper club and that was there for just over 29 years until I was not able to cut a deal with the landlord, so I closed two and a half years ago. It was very sad for me. I always honored my rent, but you know sometimes the landlord gets too greedy. This was about a year before COVID. He spent the last three years trying to figure out what to do with the space and it is still empty. My third restaurant was called the Oval Room, which I closed and rebranded as La Bise. I don’t know if you remember this, but two years ago there were riots in DC, and they destroyed part of the restaurant and I just didn’t feel like after that about keeping the same concept and I just moved on. But in my group at that time, I had opened Annabelle
two-and-a-half years ago featuring a modern American cuisine. All of them were modern American cuisine and I said you know what I don’t have French cuisine in my portfolio, and I had always wanted to do something like that and that’s how I ended up with the restaurant between a fine dining French and a brasserie called La Bise, formerly the Oval Room. There was also Adeio, which is sort of a modern American brasserie and then I opened Bardeio, which was the first wine bar in the city. So those two concepts ran for 21- 22 years and then I changed them to Sababa, modern Israeli cuisine and the wine bar became Bindaas, offering Indian street food. That’s how those two restaurants came along, and they are recent in the last four or five years. There is also Rasika, which offers a modern Indian cuisine. It has modern music and modern presentation just a little bit more affordable
continued on page 40
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Q&A
ASHOK BAJAJ, from page 38
than Bombay Club. You are unbelievable. I’ve never talked to anybody who has had that many concepts last that long. You either have landlords that are charging you nothing or you’re an amazing guy, one of the two. I’m going to let you decide that. It’s amazing. Almost nobody has restaurants that last this long. So how have you done it? There is not a secret sauce to it. The secret thing is the following: I keep my restaurants fresh. I don’t want to
use the phrase you know ‘keep reinventing’ which is not true. I make the promise that I’m going to give you great food at a great value, that that I’m going to provide you hospitality, and I’m going to continue to do so for you to keep coming back to my restaurants. They are not inexpensive restaurants. The value I provide, I give my patrons the right amount of food on the plate, keep the menu innovative, and find very good chefs - I have Frank Ruta, who is the executive chef at Annabelle. He had his own restaurant. He’s a James Beard award-winning chef. He was a
Food and Wine magazine Top Chef, then he was also a chef for the White House for three different presidents. So, a great chef with a great reputation is key. We also have Vikram Sunderam, who’s been with me for 17 years. I invited him from London to come here. He worked in the same restaurant which I opened in London, and he was the first Indian guy to win the James Beard award. So, the key to success is, that I try to hire like-minded people who share the vision, and if something is not working analyze why. When I closed Odeio people kept saying, ‘oh it’s so sad’. Ok.
You’re so sad but you weren’t coming enough because they could get American food anywhere. So, they will give us the need to evolve. Plus, people are eating more ethnic food than ever before so when I did Sababa, I went to Israel a couple of times to see what Israeli cuisine is. I did my research locally and went to Jahab. I went to Montreal, Quebec and I went to London to see Israeli restaurants. Then finally I went to Israel after more than a year of research and like a flashbulb goes off. I said, oh my
continued on page 42
Among Ashok Bajaj and the Knightsbridge Group’s highly acclaimed contemporary dining experiences in Washington DC are (clockwise from top L): Sababa, Modena, La Bise, and Annbelle. (All photos by Greg Powers)
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Order like a pro. Use the Choco app to place orders from any supplier in seconds. GET STARTED TODAY July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 41
Q&A
ASHOK BAJAJ, from page 40
Where do Bombay Club and Rasika fit into your portfolio? Bombay club was one of the first smart restaurants to open in the United States. We won Esquire magazine’s Top Ten Restaurants by John Mariani. Food and Wine magazine’s Top Table, Gourmet and Washington Post praised us a lot, and we were always the top 50 restaurants and on and on. But I was young I didn’t know what I was getting into, and I just wanted to create the best restaurants. So, at Bombay Club, we offered food from different parts of India. But Indian food was not really well received in the United States. So, then I opened 701 Restaurant, a caviar bar and modern American cuisine and people were saying ‘we have to go to other restaurants, but we don’t know anything about Indian food. And to solve that problem I used to send newsletters to say how to order in an Indian restaurant. I would also keep cue cards in my pocket and give it to them and I’d say ok lunch is on me, or dinner is on me, and the managers knew. So, that’s how I introduced Bombay Club to American Washingtonians. I would also go to a gallery and invite 40/50 people to come to the Bombay Club for its reception so when they came, I passed around all the orders to them. So, it was a struggle. Even getting a space was a struggle. The landlord would say ‘you know we’re not comfortable with the Indian restaurant in our building because our lobbies will smell of Indian spices. So, you get deflated, and I decided not to open my second Indian restaurant in Washington until 16 years later. I focused on other cuisines. I opened an Italian restaurant, Viviana. Everything else but another Indian restaurant. So then after 16 years, I saw how people are eating and drinking and how the country is changing, people like ethnic foods and so I opened Rasika.
never seen a more diverse portfolio of cuisines than what you have. How do you look at neighborhoods and decide what’s going to work and in what space and in what neighborhood? When I open Sababa downtown, I’m not going to say that there are a lot of people who are from Israel. That’s not the case. Here it’s more modern and people do not want to eat just hummus and falafel. So, basically, if you look at these things and examine which way the people are eating and ask which neighborhood will like the concept and is there a need for it? There’s no set rule for it. When I opened Bombay Club my only goal was, I wanted it to be close to the international society. I wanted to attract the well-traveled people who traveled to India or the White House, those who would travel to different parts of the world. The IMF and World Bank were all within a block or block and a half. That was the clientele I aimed at and I achieved that at the Bombay Club. The space was available across the street and by then I had a bit of a reputation. Bombay Club is very sophisticated. So, I thought what will compliment Bombay Club? What cuisine can I offer? Can I open up a modern American cuisine restaurant? And so, I named it Oval Room because of its proximity to the White House and its oval office and we were very successful. It was the same thing with Rasika. It was the first restaurant to get four stars, the first restaurant chef to receive the James Beard award. How did I open Rasika? I had 701 Restaurant literally one block away from Rasika and I said ok, it was a good combination for Bombay Club and Oval Room together and the same thing happened with 701. A lot of young people were moving into the neighborhood who understood food, people were traveling to India more, and they understood the Indian food so now I have five units of Indian restaurants in the city, and I have Italian, French, American, and
So how do you decide, I mean I’ve
continued on page 44
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July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 43
Q&A
ASHOK BAJAJ, from page 42
Mediterranean restaurants. So, the neighborhood dictates and the space also dictate. When you opened La Bise did you see a lot of French places in DC? When I opened Viviana, my first Italian restaurant which was changed to Modena after 10 years I thought that something needed to change but I still wanted to keep the Italian. So, when I opened La Bise there were not many French restaurants in the city. Now they are sprouting all over. What did the last two-and-a-half years look like for you? Did you have to close restaurants? Did you have to do takeout and delivery? The last two years have been difficult, and I have been one of the fortunate ones, I will say, and I only closed one restaurant – Olivia, which was a very successful restaurant. It was right across from the Sports Center arena, and it is in the theater district. There is the Shakespeare theatre. But those places were closed, and I was not able to come to an agreement with the landlord. What is the DC marketplace like today? How has it changed in these 30 years that you have been operating there and how do you break down the neighborhoods in terms of where opportunity was? DC is a completely different city from when I moved here. There were two streets and one area that people always wanted to be in when I came here. They wanted me to be there on Flanigan avenue, KFC, and Georgetown. That was DC. Beginning and end. How has it changed? now there’s a West End there’s an East End. There’s a CBD - central business district. Now there are new neighborhoods. There is Shaw, there is Georgetown, there is Navy Yard, and there is Ward. DC has grown so much in the last 30 years and there are so many quarters. It’s very much like a mini New York without the density. If you go to the Navy Yard, it’s like you’re in a small city by itself. The city is sprouting with different apartment
buildings, and condo buildings. It’s amazing and now there is so many food concepts here it is unbelievable. You can find Cambodian food, Ethiopian food, Indian food whatever you want. The city has changed a lot in that sense. Is it a great food city now? It’s a great food city for the population we have. We have a lot of people coming from outside to operate food businesses here. It’s a great city. Is the restaurant community supportive of each other or is it hotlycompetitive? It is competitive. Are the people generally from out of town that you compete with? Are they people who have portfolios as you have? What does it look like? In the last ten years a lot of these national chains came in. Some have come and gone, and others are moving in and establishing themselves. In New York a restaurateur with a portfolio like you typically look at opportunities in Atlantic City and Las Vegas or with a licensing deal or Miami operation. I’m sure you’ve had opportunities. Why has your focus remained in DC? If you look at a lot of chefs or restaurateurs, they come and they go. I have thought many times about opening Rasika in New York or Miami or some other place. I get offers from people urging me, ‘let’s do it’. But the question is, will I be able to pay the same attention and love to the concept? I don’t feel comfortable doing it. And for me where I am in my professional and personal life, I don’t really feel that I want to go and worry about did the waiter show up or whether the dish was presented in the same way or not. Yeah, it’s OK to make another two, three, and four hundred dollars a month one is interested in, but would I be happy? Here I have 10 restaurants. I go to all of them every day at some point
continued on page 46
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Q&A
ASHOK BAJAJ, from page 44
in my day. I greet the staff and know my guests. If someone can’t open a restaurant, I can open it. I did the traveling a long time back when I was living in DC, and I was connected to London and I went back and forth so many times it became tiring. So, yes. I have always wondered about it but there are smarter people who could do it. You have been nominated by your peers as national restaurateur of the year. What are your thoughts on that? What does it mean for you? I have been a semifinalist ten times. This is the first time that I’m a finalist. I’ve been fortunate enough to have all the local awards, restaurateur awards. But I think it’s a great honor when your peers and especially a pool of people believe you deserve to be the finalist. I think it’s a great honor and I’m really honored to have made the final cut. Several chefs that work for you
have won top awards. I’m curious what your keys are in building your front of the house and your culinary teams and does it challenge you to continue to find great people? It’s been more of a challenge in the last two years than it has ever been. I’ve been fortunate in that sometimes I chase them another time they chase me. So, I’ve been able to find good help all the time. But the difference between me, and another restaurant would be the following: I give them the platform to do what they want to do. They can create, they can make mistakes, and I’m supportive of them and that’s the mindset that I’ve had for decades. I don’t micromanage because they know better than me. I sit down and conceptualize. This is the price point I want it to be, this is what I’d like to do, this is what I like to see, what do you think? And you know, two brains are better than the one! They have different experiences than me and if I really disagree with something then I will make it known.
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Otherwise, I leave them alone. Are we done with COVID and what do you want the “new normal” to look like for customers dining in one of your restaurants? I don’t think we’re done with COVID. We did not think people are still apprehensive, but you see the cases going up in the last six weeks. We see it in cancellations or they’re focusing on sitting outside, or they’ll say, ‘don’t put me close to the other table’. My personal feeling is I think it’s still going to be a couple of years before we see a shift. I’m the most optimistic person but I’m also beginning to realize that it is going to be a while before we see normal. We don’t see the lunch scene being back yet. Office buildings are empty and people are thinking about converting them into condos and that may be good for the city too. It may not be so bad, but seriously I think we have two to three years to go through this. International travelers
are not coming in and I just saw what happened today that now they don’t need to show proof of vaccination before coming in. What about the real estate marketplace is there going to be some exciting opportunities that might just be too enticing for you to pass on? I don’t do restaurants just for the sake of doing it. I have to feel it, live it, breathe it, sense it. It’s about operating cost, it’s about a lot of other things. And that’s the only way it has to be. Look, I opened a place on 7th street on the spur of the moment two years ago. The space became available. It was during COVID they closed the restaurant I was walking by and the landlord who is also the owner of the space where La Bise is offered it to me. So, I end up opening a contemporary take out place. Two years ago, I thought it’s going to take a year for them to come back, and by the time they come back I’ll be ready to open. People are not back in town!
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NEWS
FOOD TRENDS
GLOBAL HOT LIST 2022: WHAT’S TRENDING?
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famous NYC pizza restaurant has chosen Toronto as the location for their first Canadian restaurant ever. Prince St. Pizza is opening up at The Well in Toronto. Reinventing the norm while staying creative and flexible are central themes of 2022. We’re tracking trending concepts to help you push the boundaries of menu innovation, so you can change up proteins and flavors, utilize what’s available, and discover new, delicious ways to engage your customers. Comfort Food vs. Newest Trend In 2022, we will see conflicting trends driving menu ideation. Consumers will be searching for comfort foods that remind them of days gone by, especially in the dessert category. They’ll also be looking for the newest food trends as seen on TikTok and similar platforms. Social media will also increase the speed and distance that food ideas can travel. Good for the Planet & Good for You As consumers continue to prioritize taking care of the planet, they’ll support restaurants that reflect their values. Highlight dishes and ingredients that are plant-based, sustainable, upcycled, low carbon footprint, or are ethically raised and sourced. Demonstrating that you value these concepts
including next-level quesadillas and taquitos to birria-inspired burgers THE SPICE IS RIGHT Spicy flavors from across the globe are getting even hotter in 2022. Experiment with global hot sauces and seasonings like: • Korean Gochujang • Argentinian Chimichurri • Mexican Tajín • Moroccan Harissa • Japanese Furikake • Indonesian Sambal
will help customers feel aligned with your brand and more inclined to invest in your business. Find inspiration for zero-waste cooking and more of these concepts at this link: https://bit. ly/3A3r4qS. Recycle the Present, Save the Future Also at the top of 2022 environmental-related trends along with zero waste cooking, is sustainable, reusable, and recyclable packaging. This has become a priority for consumers as off-premise dining grows in demand. Customers want it all; pack-
aging that keeps their food hot and intact yet doesn’t harm the environment. Providing options will ensure a more satisfying dining experience for take-out diners. Top Trending Global Flavors Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines were cited by the National Restaurant Association as the top regions influencing flavors on menus in 2022. MEXICAN COMFORTS As consumers crave familiar-yetnew fare, serve Mexican comfort food
Seasonal Recipes Solutions & Services Industry Articles VIEW ISSUE HERE
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Plant Based Keeps Growing Look out for the continuation of the plant-based trend with these meatfree proteins showing up in sandwiches, breakfast items, and burgers. They are increasingly popular due to animal protein shortages and because of their aura of eco-friendliness and healthiness. Supply shortages are also causing less-expensive traditional proteins to trend such as chicken thighs vs. wings and beef chuck vs. loin. The next frontier in the plant-based space? Seafood. Alternative Milks Nut milks are topping beverage trends with other alternative milks also gaining momentum. Increasing
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92%*
Global First Time Fix Rate
*Compared to CFESA industry average first time fix rate of 60%
"They understand that keeping downtime to a minimum is very important to us... and we really appreciate that side of Henny Penny." - Johnny Vasquez, McDonald’s Owner/Operator of 21 Stores
Say Goodbye to
Equipment Downtime CONNECT WITH US
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 49
NEWS
By Zac Kitay
TAKEOUT & DELIVERY SOLUTIONS
RED GOLD SET TO DEBUT HIGHLY ANTICIPATED PLANT-BASED SAUCE SOLUTION
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he all-natural, environmentally conscious mindset remains on the rise as Red Gold, the largest familyowned tomato company in the world, is adding plant-based alternatives to their line of products, as consumer demand is soaring. David Halt, vice president of foodservice at Red Gold, discussed the demographics surrounding the need for healthier alternatives to condiments and sauces that normally contain meat. “Most of the research is saying that it’s not vegans, it’s flexitarians, people who are just making the conscientious decision to eat less meat,” Halt said. Flexitarians see the value in cutting back on meat, whether for environmental, health, or social reasons, and want products that help them maintain their lifestyle. Red Gold is offering that exact solution by launching their brand-new, plant-based Italian sausage, and Bolognese pasta sauces. Both sauces were a part of Red Gold’s new initiative, ‘Plant-Based 3.0,’ their approach to catering towards wider audiences. Plant-based 3.0 combines natural products like tomato sauce with a plant-based protein, to produce an item that looks and tastes familiar, but doesn’t have the same drawbacks as conventional meat. “We’ve taken vegetables and added them for the first time to plant based proteins,” Halt explained. The first generation was plantbased burgers, plant-based 2.0 was chicken and seafood substitutes. 3.0 was the next step in the evolution for consumers because they’re already familiar with what tomato sauce normally is, so the experimentation was
“We’ve taken vegetables and added them for the first time to plant based proteins,” — David Halt not so far out of their comfort zone. Red Gold, like most companies, had to expand their inventory and think outside the box after the pandemic. Both the foodservice and retail side of the industry were affected when inperson dining came to a stop. Takeout and delivery were, “absolutely the biggest change [to the industry],” according to Halt. “Tabletop bottle-ketchup, self-serve condiment stations, all of that business disappeared.” Portion control became the most important factor to businesses regarding the sale of Red Gold’s products. In a world where the social aspect of dining disappeared, restaurants had to begin training their employees on how to give out the right quantity of condiments, —a hot commodity during the pandemic— without overusing their resources or taking a financial loss. With more of an emphasis on
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portion control, ketchup packets and dunk-cups had skyrocketed in value for the foodservice industry. Red Gold had to start producing multiple sizes for to-go cups, in keeping with those trends. While restrictions have been loosening up, there has been a steady mix of pre-Covid and mid-pandemic practices moving forward. “We’ve invested a higher capacity in portion control cups; bottles and dispensers have come back, but they’re not going to come all the way back to 2019 levels,” Halt said. He noted that the return of ketchup bottles back to tabletops tends to vary geographically. There are shifts in terms of behavior according to different restaurants, their practices, and regulations in their area. While the conventional processes may never return to the way they once
were, 3rd party delivery systems have also had an impact on dining operations. Though they have become a regular feature throughout the past few years, they have also gained a reputation for encroaching upon small restaurants’ profits. Having the right mixture of maintaining quality while food is delivered, and steady profit margins are key for small businesses to allow for 3rd party delivery systems, without having them eat away at more profits than can be afforded. “Until that [profit loss from delivery services] becomes a little more reasonable, or more transparent to the people buying the product, more restaurants will be willing to sustain it,” Halt said. Being in both the retail and foodservice businesses, Red Gold has a unique perspective in terms of how America eats. They develop specialty brands; produce corporate distributors’ private labels; support their own brand; and provide for schools and universities, with that, there is a lot that can be done with the new portion control options and plant-based innovations. Moving forward, a strong prediction for plant-based 4.0 may be for foods that had never been on a regular palate before, made from alternative sources, items that customers would have to adapt to like jerk and fruity flavors. Operators or distributors seeking more information or samples of Red Gold’s new Flexatarian condiment solution can find it at www.redgoldfoods. com. Once again, Red Gold continues to listen to the needs of the operator and distributors that support them to create quality and cost-effective solutions.
Eclectic menu, you say?
©2022 J.R. Simplot Company
Simplot Good Grains™ Cilantro Lime Rice & Fire-Roasted Corn Fiesta Nutritious whole grains and colorful vegetables in delicious combinations.
Simplot Harvest Fresh™ Avocados A premium topping that you can upcharge for.
potatoes | avocados | fruits | vegetables | grains
Get a FREE sample and recipe ideas at www.simplotfoods.com July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 51
PLANT BASED NEWS + TRENDS
WITH CHERRY DUMAUAL
WHY PLANT-BASED CULINARY TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL FOR CHEFS A culinary specialist from The Humane Society of the US offers strategies and innovations
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ith more and more customers interested in ordering plant-based dishes in restaurants and foodservice venues, chefs are updating their menus to provide non-meat options. While most chefs are skilled at developing meat-based menus, many face challenges when creating innovative dishes highlighting plant ingredients. Faced with this knowledge gap, chefs are going back to school or participating in virtual culinary training to learn the fundamental methods of plantbased cooking, such as meal composition, seasonal menu planning, allergen awareness, and ingredient substitutions. And although culinary school can be pricey, one highly regarded program is offering its materials and training for free. The Virtual Culinary Training from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) helps organizations integrate more plant-based foods into their cafeteria and meal programs. Major universities, such as Harvard and the University of Michigan, have already adopted the program and subsequently increased their offerings of plant-based meals. We invited Chef Jason Patel, culinary specialist for The Humane Society of the US, to enlighten Total Food Service’s readers on their plant-based trainings. Chef Patel, could you give a brief
Chef Jason Patel, culinary specialist with the Humane Society of the U.S. influences food service companies to implement plant-based solutions through culinary trainings provided by the food service innovation team. The goal of the training is to help food service companies meet their customers’ needs, save money, and meet environmental and sustainability goals.
background about food service innovation at The Humane Society of the US and the free plant-based trainings you provide? One of our main goals is to improve the lives of farm animals. We have dedicated people who work on creating humane policies with food producers and legislation at both the state and national level. We also tackle this issue by looking at food service: what better way is there to improve farm
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animals’ lives than by not using them for food? Our team of outreach coordinators, specialists, dietitians, and chefs work with self-operated institutions and major food service management companies to improve plant-based offerings on their menus. Our work focuses on college/university, healthcare, and K-12 institutions. Many companies and institutions choose to formalize their collaboration with us by signing a pledge that sets target goals for adding more plant-based meals to their menus, year over year. We know that students, patients and customers are going to continue to request more plant-based options. A collaborative agreement with The Humane Society of the US offers access to a host of free services, including culinary trainings, recipes, marketing assistance and materials. Our goal with the trainings is to provide education on common plant-based ingredients and the tools to create delicious and nutritious plantbased meals that lead to lasting menu changes for human health, for animals and for the planet. How do you conduct the training? Our trainings are conducted virtually and typically take place over one week. The first session lasts for an hour or so at the beginning of the week. In this session we have a presentation on the “why’s” behind our work, educational content on com-
Cherry Dumaual is the Partnerships Director, The Monday Campaigns / Meatless Monday. She oversees PR and partnership development for the initiatives of The Monday Campaigns (TMC), including Meatless Monday. She has forged partnerships with leading organizations, such as C-CAP (Careers for Culinary Arts Program), the American Institute of Cancer Research, and New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative, Prior to joining TMC, Cherry served as svp for leading PR agencies and worked with major food and healthcare clients. Passionate about learning and cooking international cuisines, Cherry has traveled to more than 50 countries where she and her husband explored local food markets and restaurants. She earned her communications degree cum laude at Hunter College, CUNY.
mon plant-based products that are used, a background and walk-through on the recipes provided, and information about the chefs’ assignments for the week. Tuesday through Thursday, the chefs work on their assigned recipes. While preparing the recipes, they take photos of the process and the completed dish and fill out a recipe recap form which details the flavor profile, their experience in creating the dish, and how they see it being integrated into their menu cycles. The chefs send us their photos and recap forms, and we create a presentation for the final session. During the final session, we ask the chefs to speak about their experience and share the photos they took with the team. We encourage the chefs to share what they learned, provide areas of opportunity and specify how they would present this dish to their customers. We end by talking about how to market plant-based offerings to customers, providing examples of
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NEWS
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
4 RESTAURANTS SEE SUCCESS WITH UBER EATS
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t the Height of the Pandemic, DC’s Roaming Rooster Thrives With Uber Eats
Every office worker in downtown Washington, D.C. knows: Roaming Rooster is a must-try. What started out as a fried chicken food truck roaming busy D.C. neighborhoods in 2014 quickly grew into a booming business with two storefront locations and a third one opening in January. And Roaming Rooster has relied on Uber Eats since its early days. “People saw us on Uber, and they trust that platform, so they decided to try our food. And once they did, they kept coming back and ordering,” Michael Habtemariam, co-owner of Roaming Rooster says. But when the pandemic hit, Roaming Rooster’s food truck had to hit the brakes. With office employees working remotely, there was simply not enough demand to sustain the business. Roaming Rooster shifted focus to its permanent locations and doubled down on delivery. The company used the opportunity to perfect its approach to takeout orders, leaning on insights it gathered through the Uber Eats app. And customers have responded, praising Roaming Roosters with positive reviews complimenting them for changes such as their thoughtful, safe packaging.”
“We check all the Uber Eats reviews daily and reach out to managers and run through what we need to work on,” Carmona said. “We’re on the front page on the app1 because of our positive reviews. If people are looking for fried chicken, we’re up there,” he says. Despite the immense challenge of maintaining restaurant success during the pandemic, Habtemariam considers Roaming Rooster one of the lucky ones. While it owes much of its success to its dedicated delivery effort—the restaurant sees 30% in sales via Uber Eats—its reputation and respect are no accident. Roaming Rooster has reached out to its community, serving free food to health care workers, and the community has reciprocated, ordering from Roaming Rooster whenever that craving for delectable fried chicken strikes. “We’ve supported our community and our community has turned out to support us too. We’ve been good, thanks to them,” Habtemariam says. How Smoothie Spot Takes Customer Feedback To Heart With Uber Eats
Smoothie Spot in Miami prides itself on offering healthy, customizable menu items with the freshest
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ingredients available. To make sure the restaurant continually delivers on that promise, the team relies on data and analytics—and Uber Eats Manager is an essential tool for tracking performance. That’s been especially true since the COVID-19 pandemic. When shelterin-place rules first went into effect, Smoothie Spot had to close three of its six locations for over a month. But the remaining three locations saw a surge in delivery—and with the help of Uber Eats data, Smoothie Spot was able to reopen all its locations. Smoothie Spot’s owner Daniel Carmona estimates that nearly 50% of his business now comes in through the platform, increasing from about 60 orders a day per location to over 100.2 Promotion data was one metric Carmona and his team leveraged to help grow Smoothie Spot’s delivery business. Earlier this year, Smoothie Spot launched its first marketing campaign, offering buy-one-get-one and free items to customers via Uber Eats. As a result, Smoothie Spot’s conversion rate in the app rose to 92%–customers liked the offers they were seeing. But for promotions to provide long-term success and keep customers coming back for more, the food has to be of the highest quality, Carmona says. To that end, Smoothie Spot takes advantage of customer feedback in Uber Eats to spot areas for improvement. “We check all the Uber Eats reviews daily and reach out to managers and run through what we need to work on,” Carmona said. If there’s ever an ongoing issue with a menu item, the team at Smoothie Spot makes operational changes to help ensure only the best dishes are
delivered to customers. For example, some of Smoothie Spot’s most popular menu items, like cold smoothies, acai bowls, and salads need to be delivered quickly to maintain freshness. These items received poor reviews because they weren’t withstanding long delivery trips in the Miami heat. Carmona spotted these reviews early thanks to Uber Eats Manager and leapt into action, investing in better packaging and making adjustments to prep timing for these cold dishes. The data and insights from Uber has helped grow Smoothie Spot’s business since the pandemic: the restaurant plans to open two new locations by the end of the year. How Evos Went Exclusive with Uber Eats During the Pandemic
Michael Jeffers and his co-founders had a vision that was ahead of its time when they started fast-casual restaurant EVOS…Feel Great Food! back in 1994. A riff on the word evolve, EVOS takes the All American Meal of fast food to the next level: EVOS uses the fresh, organic ingredients (think: naturally raised beef with no added hormones or antibiotics) and uses earth- friendly methods and materials to make it healthier for people and the planet—while still keeping it delicious and affordable.
“This move to Uber Eats exclusivity was a win-win all around, Better for our Delivery Guests, Better for EVOS and better for Uber Eats,” Jeffers said.” The founding team had little restaurant experience, so Jeffers says it was important to keep testing and iterating on the concept. With this process, they’ve grown the business from an 800-square-foot test location to four stores across the Tampa Bay & Miami/ Pinecrest areas of Florida. For a group defined by staying ahead of trends, it’s no surprise that the team was early to the delivery game. EVOS uploaded their menu to delivery partners beginning in 2016, adding Uber Eats as well as other major national and local platforms. But offering delivery is a challenge for a business built on fresh, healthy, all-natural ingredients, which can be more difficult to transport and keep fresh than traditional fast food. That means the delivery timeline is critical for EVOS. Left sitting too long in the packaging, food quality begins to deteriorate—like air-baked fries (Airfries™) getting soggy. So Jeffers says his team doesn’t put anything in packages until the delivery person arrives. As a result, if delivery people show up late, this can cause order fulfillment headaches in the kitchen. “We were waiting for delivery drivers to show up on most delivery platforms,” Jeffers said. “We had errors, food wasn’t picked up on time—it was an operational disaster. But Uber Eats has an extensive delivery network, so a delivery person was in our restaurant within minutes4, consistently. We can plan better knowing that there’s going to be a consistent and quick turnaround time.” In July of 2020, even though it was during the peak of the pandemic, Jeffers and his team decided to drop the other delivery platforms to partner exclusively with Uber Eats. “It was uncomfortable during COVID to make this decision,” he recalls, “But Uber Eats did up to ten times the
volume3 of the other platforms. Whatever we lost in sales, we more than made up on Uber Eats alone—and we didn’t have complaints coming in about food being late.” Jeffers also worked with Uber Eats to double down on his promotion strategy in the app. The goal was to increase the average order size—and he’s seen a $2.50 average increase in ticket size using buy-one-get-one and fixed promotions on high-margin items like free Airfries with a $25+ purchase. “This move to Uber Eats exclusivity was a win-win all around, Better for our Delivery Guests, Better for EVOS and better for Uber Eats,” he said. Why Crazy Poke Prefers Uber Eats Over the Competition
Fish connoisseur and founder of Crazy Poke, Gonzalo Rubino, knows how freshness should taste. Before opening his Hawaiian-inspired poke spot in Miami’s trendy Wynwood neighborhood, he owned a fish company, delivering local catch to restaurants. Now a restauranteur, Rubino knows that delivery speed and reliability matter. Crazy Poke needed
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PROVISIONS PREVIEWED
WITH LMT PROVISIONS
PROJECT REUSEME STEWARDS SUSTAINABLE ‘TO-GO’
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ften imitated, never duplicated, Drinique pioneered the use of Tritan in drinkware in 2007 and we’ve been specifying their ingenuity (and celebrating it) for over 15 years. Many other companies have since entered this space, but no other brand offers BPA-free copolyester drinkware with crystal
clarity and patented, elevated designs. Drinique also uniquely sources and manufacturers entirely in the United States. After bolstering a roster of clients that includes the finest bars and lounges, it was time for the next chapter. After all, when products carry a lifetime guarantee, you don’t get many reorders.
“Little Bento” Plated by Chef Jamie Simpson, Photography by Michelle Demuth-Bibb at The Culinary Vegetable Institute
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Project Reuseme is Drinique’s foray into creating regenerative foodservice vessels. The first collection outside of the beverage space is an innovative, modular, culinarydriven food delivery system. Every piece is composed of 50% recycled content reclaimed from PET water bottles. These bento boxes are both service and storage containers made with cutting-edge materials, designed with classic style. They are NSF-Certified, dishwasher, hot-box, microwave, and freezer safe and stack tightly for compact shipping and storage. In 2021, Drinique transitioned all product composition to over 50% post-consumer waste which reduces carbon emissions by approximately 30% over virgin plastics. As consumers and salespeople, we hear these words too often: Innovative. Sustainable. Authentic. They are exhaustingly overused and regularly misunderstood. But not when it comes to Drinique. In a white paper titled, “10 Trends in Sustainability and How They Could Impact Your Business”, Kimberly Clark Professional summarizes key threats to our ecosystem and discusses how businesses must put more resources back than they take out to actively shape systems and move toward regenerative outcomes. Dr. Sally Uren states, “we must achieve net zero, protect biodiversity and combat social inequity.” Which is nothing we don’t already know. What we do know is that it’s not enough to have a ton of reusable tote bags and a rainbow of Yeti’s. You must use them daily, in place of
Morgan Tucker is the Vice President, Marketing at Singer Equipment Company and a member of Singer’s senior leadership team. Attuned to foodservice trends, and guiding many of them herself, Morgan is recognized for her ability to source new products and identify and serve customers’ changing needs. Morgan can be reached at mtucker@singerequipment. com and @littlemtucker.
single-use plastics. The same is true for Reuseme bento boxes. With that in mind, here’s a completely unstaged photo of my locally sourced lunch in my Reuseme, affectionately named ‘Little Bento’. Interested in one of your own? Email marketing@ singerequipment.com. As we each work to advance our individual conservation journey and move forward with a gentler footprint, we must learn from each other. I’ve recently changed my browser to Ecosia – the search engine that plants trees – and you should too. While you’re doing that, search for the newly released Carbon Almanac Photo Book titled ‘With Your Own Eyes – Climate Change in Photos’. Happy Summer, friends. About Singer Equipment Company: Singer Equipment Company is the fourth largest foodservice equipment and supply dealer in the United States and remains privately owned and operated in its third generation of family leadership. Headquartered in Elverson, Pennsylvania, Singer maintains offices and 8 distribution centers throughout the East Coast. Singer offers the power of a century of experience combined with highly personalized service delivered nationwide.
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NEWS
By Jackson Hart
ENERGY EFFICIENCY STRATEGIES
CON EDISON DEBUTS REBATE PROGRAM TO REWARD ENERGY SAVING
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s economic uncertainty burgeons and restaurants struggle to reopen and discover what the “new normal” means for them, establishments in Metro New York City and in Rockland /Orange County, NY are searching for new ways to cut down on costs. The new Con Edison rebate program, facilitated by a partnership with Energy Solutions provides New York City restaurateurs and food service operators with a costfriendly, green, and local strategy to maximize energy savings. With a goal of unlocking those savings for our readership, Total Food Service visited with the program’s administrator Sophia Showalter of Energy Solutions as well as Nikki Dubé of ConEd and Nikole DiPillo of Orange and Rockland Utilities (O&R is a sister company of Con Edison) and to get a deeper understanding of
the program’s benefits. “Con Ed’s rebate program offers commercial appliance customers the opportunity to receive money back on purchases of new food service equipment,” Showalter noted. Offering paperwork-free incentives for an evolving mix of both electric and natural gas-powered devices, the program is easy to become a part of: customers need only work with any local equipment dealer already enrolled in the program and indicate their interest in taking advantage of the cost-saving program. Appliance installation is just as simple: so long as the business is within a Con Edison natural gas or electric service zone, they are eligible to receive the rebate on new equipment. In the age of e-commerce, the rebate program keeps business local by supporting Metro New York kitchen equipment and supply dealers.
“Fryers and convection ovens are the most popular products offered in the rebate program with so many different types of food establishments using them.” — Stephanie Showalter “The program helps New York dealers compete against e-commerce websites, particularly for emergency replacements (which is how most equipment is replaced),” Dube noted. “A main goal of the program is to encourage the stocking of energy efficient equipment. When equipment breaks down, local dealers are able to offer their customer energy efficient equipment that is in stock, available for pickup that day, and priced at a reduced cost due to the rebates. This helps local dealers draw
customers away from e-commerce sites because customers are able to purchase the equipment at a comparable price without waiting for the product to be shipped and delivered. Local dealers can also offer installation, service, and warranties that may not be available through an ecommerce site. The program is available to all dealers, including online dealers. That said, it is much easier for brick & mortar dealers located in the New York area to implement and commit to the program because a vast majority of their customers will qualify for the rebates. For online dealers, implementation of the program is more complex because customers from all over the country visit their websites, meaning that marketing the program is not as simple. Large out-of-state online dealers have been slow to adopt the program due to the these questions of how to identify qualifying customers, how to market the program to a segment of their site visitors, and how to implement the rebates within the website itself.” “The goal of our ConEd rebate program is to benefit the local community. Brick and mortar dealers can also offer installation, service, and warranties that may not be available through an e-commerce site and a
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LEGAL INSIDER
FROM ELLENOFF GROSSMAN & SCHOLE LLP
NY LEGISLATION PRESENTS OBSTACLES TO TRADE ASSOCIATIONS PROVIDING LARGE EMPLOYER GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE
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n area of interest to trade associations in recent years has been group health coverage for members’ employees and their dependents. The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”) in 2010 has helped stimulate interest in this area. However, in New York, existing legislation limits the ability of insurance carriers to underwrite a single group health plan for a trade association. In New York, for an insurance carrier to issue an association a group health policy, the association must be in active existence for two years and be formed principally for purposes other than obtaining insurance coverage for its members. In other words, the group must have commonalities of purpose, business activities and employer governance. The resulting structure assumes that the association members are employers in relation to their work force and that the work force is composed of “common law” employees (as distinguished from 1099 independent contractors) who are not covered by plans maintained under union contracts. In addition to the above, the association would also be considered a Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (a “MEWA”) under ERISA (the federal law that regulates health and retirement plans) because a purpose of the group health arrangement is to cover the employees of multiple,
Robert L. Sacks is a Partner at Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, and practices in the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group and in all phases of labor and employment on behalf of management, ERISA, principally as applied to multiple and multiemployer plans, trade association law and antitrust. Jaclyn K. Ruocco is an associate in the Firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Ms. Ruocco represents hospitality companies in all areas of federal, state and local labor and employment law, including traditional labor relations, employment counseling, and employment litigation defense. As part of her practice, Ms. Ruocco has broad experience in negotiating and interpreting labor contracts and separation agreements, conducting management and employee trainings, and devising company policies. Robert L. Sacks (RSacks@egsllp.com) and Jaclyn K. Ruocce (jruocco@egsllp. com) can be reached via phone at 212370-1300.
unrelated employers. Let’s assume the association opts for fully-insured MEWA status through a licensed health insurance carrier (as opposed to a self-funded MEWA). It will aim for a large group, experience rated policy where it can get the advantages of the economies of larger groups of employers and better (or at least less volatile) claims experience of the association as a whole. Enter the New York small group rules -- New York law provides that if an association group includes one or more employers with 100
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or fewer employees exclusive of spouses and dependents, then the small employer group must be community rated for purposes of setting premiums. Community rating will normally produce higher premiums for a small employer than it would obtain as part of a large employer group because “the premium for all persons covered by the policy or contract form is the same based on the experience of the entire pool of risks covered by that policy or contract form without regard to age, sex, health status or occupation”. It cannot be assumed that an as-
sociation will be rated as a large group even where the number of all covered employees, in the “aggregate”, among the member employers exceeds 100. Under New York law eligibility for large group rating is determined by looking through the association as an aggregate to the number of employees of each member. In this case, neither the New York “look through” approach nor the small group rules are superseded by ERISA or the ACA. The New York Department of Finance has explained that the look through provision in the case of a MEWA is necessary to prevent small employers from avoiding certain consumer protections that would otherwise apply under the ACA. State small group rules are also described as necessary to protect the underwriting pool in which state
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MEDITERRANEAN MENU TRENDS
WITH CHEF MARIA LOI
A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD SMELL AS WHEAT
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t’s July, which means its summer, full of festivity and merriment, made up of long sunny days and hot summer nights, filled with warm weather culinary favorites. This time of year is also a crucial time for certain harvests, in particular, that of wheat. However, with the war in Ukraine with Russia, the air feels a bit heavier because it has a direct and tangible effect on our global food systems, which affect all of us in food service. How does the war in Ukraine affect us? Ukraine is colloquially known as the ‘bread basket of Europe’ because it is one of the largest producers AND exporters of grain throughout the world, especially wheat. With the war on, not only are the current crops affected, but the soil that will yield future crops as well. Beyond that, Russia is one of the largest producers and exporters of agricultural fertilizer. So, without the fertilizer, and with the war’s effect on the crops, the combination is a perfect storm of essential shortages. Once you add in the compounded issues of shipping delays and increase in gas prices, you can see how this equation results in inflated prices across the board for bread, pasta, flour, and other wheat products…
been the rise of gluten-free food alternatives, the fact of the matter is that many more people consume wheat and gluten than those who do not. Wheat is a Treasure When I was a kid, I remember harvesting wheat – it was difficult to do, but as a reward, I used to make bouquets out of the wheat, and would keep them as decorations in my room all year round… Though it may sound simple and silly, this made me happy, and made me appreciate everything we made with the wheat – from bread, to pasta, to salad, to cake, to everything in between.
Wheat on Earth Wheat is one of the oldest crops on the planet, and continues to be an essential part of farming today. Touted in the bible, and perhaps even more so in Greek mythology, where we name Demeter the Goddess of Wheat (and moreover Goddess of Grain and the Harvest). Wheat is also the second largest crop, covering more of the planet than any other crop on earth! And while the rise in celiac disease is real, as has
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Why is Wheat so Important? In addition to being a major source of energy and starch, wheat also provides substantial amounts of a number of elements which are essential – or rather, beneficial for health, most notably protein, vitamins (in particular B vitamins), dietary fiber, and phytochemicals. Wheat Breakdown Wheat in its purest form consists of the bran, the germ, the endosperm – and all of what we benefit and use of wheat stems from those three structural components. From the Endosperm, we get about 83 percent of the kernel weight; it’s also the source of white flour. Bran accounts for about 14½ per-
Chef Maria Loi is an Entrepreneur, Greek Food Ambassador and Healthy Lifestyle Guru. The author of more than 36 cookbooks, she is also the host of The Life of Loi, debuted on PBS in 2021, which aims to build an inspirational and educational movement around the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. Her Loi Food Products, a specialty brand built on traditional ingredients from Greece, includes pastas, beans, botanical herbs, refrigerated dips, honey and olive oil sold on QVC, at Whole Foods Markets and in other stores. The namesake of Loi Estiatorio in the heart of Manhattan, she also has the Loi Specialty Shop at The Plaza Hotel (open through January 2023) Connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on Instagram and Facebook, and learn more about her food philosophy at loiestiatorio.com/ chef-loi/.
cent of the kernel weight. Bran is included in whole wheat flour and can also be bought separately. Germ makes up about 2½ percent of the kernel weight. The germ is the embryo or sprouting section of the seed, which is often separated from flour in milling because the fat content limits flour’s shelf life. How Can We Use Wheat in Different Ways? Well, the simple answer is: expand our culinary horizons – look to alternative grains, products, etc. to round out our menus, exercise our culinary creativity, and make novel, exciting dishes jump off the plate. Because of the bounty of the summer, we can utilize wheat in different ways with all of the seasonal produce available – think of all the salads and cold soups that can be made with different wheat products!
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MARIA LOI
from page 62
Wheat can be cooked in no-traditional ways. Cooked wheatberries (L) make for a great centerpiece of Mediterranean cooking cuisine such as Sitarenia - Summer Warm Grain Salad (Photos courtesy of Chef Loi)
Besides Flour, Bread, And Pasta, Where Else Do You Find Wheat? One of my most favorite ingredients are wheatberries. When cooked properly, these little nuggets of epicurean magic can create a textural phenomenon, which translates incredibly well to menus across multiple cuisines. One of my most beloved summer recipes involves wheatberries (you can substitute farro), fruit, and mint, just to show you the gastronomic flexibility of this grain. No matter how you use it, once thing is clear – wheat is the grain of the people. Kalí órexi! Enjoy your meal!
Sitarenia – Summer Warm Grain Salad Serves 8 Ingredients – Salad: • 2 cups of hard wheatberries
• • • • •
• •
Salt as needed 1 apple (pink lady, honey crisp, or granny smith) ½ lemon – juice and zest (separate) ¾ cup walnuts, chopped 1 cup of pomegranate seeds OR fresh cherries, pitted and chopped (can substitute for dried cherries as well (¼ cup) 2 pieces of scallion, finely chopped 5 ounces arugula/rocket, cleaned
Ingredients – Dressing: • ¼ - 1/3 cup pomegranate molasses or carob syrup • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar • 1 tablespoon Loi Garlic Potato Dip • 1/3 cup olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste
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Method: 1. The night before: place the wheatberries in a large bowl with water to cover by 1 inch. Cover the bowl and set aside to soak overnight. 2. The next day, drain wheatberries, and rinse. Place in a medium saucepan covered by 2 inches of water with a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook, uncovered, for approximately one hour, or until tender. Drain, spread out on a sheet tray to allow to cool, and reserve. 3. While the wheatberries are cooking, cut the apple into a medium dice, and hold in 2 cups of water with half a lemon, juiced. 4. Toast the walnuts by tossing them in a hot, dry sauté pan, over medium high heat, until you can smell the nuttiness. Remove from heat, continue tossing for a minute, and then reserve. 5. To make the dressing, first coat
the measuring cup with olive oil, then measure out the pomegranate molasses, and pour into bowl of a Robocoup or Vita-Prep mixer; add the balsamic vinegar and Loi Garlic-Potato Dip, and begin running the machine. Slowly add olive oil until mixture is emulsified. Taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly. 6. To assemble the salad, drain the apples, and combine in a large mixing bowl with the wheatberries, pomegranate seeds or cherries (dried or fresh), toasted walnuts, lemon zest, scallions, and arugula, toss with dressing as desired. Chef’s Notes: • You can substitute the fruit in the recipe to adjust to the season and your personal taste! • Change the dressing according to your taste, as well as the greens – make the recipe yours!
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NEWS
Article contributed by Temi J. Sacks
INTERIOR DESIGN SOLUTIONS
MODERN DAY TREASURE HUNTERS:
ADDING ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY AND SUSTAINABILITY TO THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
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uried and hidden treasure may be the stuff of legend and film, but treasure hunters exist – both professionals and hobbyists. Take for example architecturologists, those who work in the field of architectural salvage who recycle and upcycle important historic building architectural pieces such as gargoyles, industrial lighting, crystal chandeliers, mantels and reclaimed items such as chicken wire glass and wrought iron gates, according to Jim DiGiacoma of Olde Good Things, the nation’s leading architectural salvage company with retail locations in New York, Los Angeles and Scranton, PA as well as a major online presence. Unlike demolition, architectural
deconstruction requires finesse instead of shear force. Reusable items such as large stained-glass windows, marble fireplaces, large mirrors and intricate cabinetry can lose their value if they are damaged during the salvage process. “Today we are finding that many restaurant owners and interior designers are increasingly applying this sustainable aesthetic as a modern industrial chic décor,” noted DiGiacoma. It is a growing trend that’s being embraced in the hospitality industry as seen by Olde Good Things’ creative partnerships with each of the following restaurants: “This is my restaurant, not something I inherited, and I was look-
Angie Mar in her Les Trois Cheveux New York restaurant, stands under an architecturally salvaged crystal chandelier that had hung at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. (Photo courtesy of The New York Times.)
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ing for fresh ideas,” says Angie Mar, owner of New York-based Les Trois Cheveux. This dramatic 55” in diameter crystal chandelier created just the right focal point in the bar area of her West Village eatery. Restauranteur Viron Rondos was looking for a huge, dramatic statement piece to hang over the bar of his mid-century modern design restaurant in Cheshire, CT, Viron Rondos Osteria. He discovered a 14’ x 8’ chandelier with 385 lighted arms that had been removed with care from the New York Film Academy Theater by Olde Good Things. “I called my architect to see if it would fit and he said, ‘The bigger the better.’ “ Designer Erica Diskin, Assembly
Design Studio, as a restaurant designer, she noted that “It’s our job to create an authentic dining experience that supports the often lofty culinary goals of ownership. As the saying goes, you eat with your eyes first. So, it’s very important that your surroundings show the same level of attention to detail that a five-star chef would show in the kitchen.” “The reclaimed pieces we’ve been able to place in our projects are almost always the most talked about design elements in the room. Perfectly worn, full of history, and impossible to recreate,” notes Diskin. “Successful architectural salvage examples include: the use of chicken
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Dramatic focal point at Viron Rondos Osteria is this architecturally salvages oversized chandelier.
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RESTAURANT STRATEGIES
WITH RYAN GROMFIN
WHY MANY PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO WORK IN RESTAURANTS ANYMORE
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he hospitality industry has a staffing problem and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen in recent years. Despite many states removing mandates and allowing restaurants to operate at full capacity for quite some time, many restaurants are still struggling, and have reduced hours because they don’t have the people to properly staff the business. With government subsidies gone, we can no longer say that there are outside forces keeping away restaurant staff. No matter what the job pays or what benefits restaurants are willing to offer, it’s nearly impossible to get anyone to show up for an interview let alone take the job and show up every day. So why is it so hard to find anyone to work in a restaurant? There is a long-standing stigma attached to working in restaurants - that the jobs are a short-term fix or a last resort for those who are unskilled. When COVID hit, the hospitality industry was one of the hardest hit. Those working in restaurants were forced to start looking at other options to make money. As the world began to open slowly, the gig economy was a hospitality worker’s best friend. People began delivering food, driving for Uber, or offering their freelance services online. People adapted to what was happening in the world faster than restaurants could. The restaurants that are winning this race were the ones who were quick to respond and adapt to the new “post-pandemic” world when restaurants started to reopen.
Would you work for you? Think about that before you answer and list out all of the reasons why YOU would want to work in your restaurant. People who once thought they had no other choices quickly realized they could make just as much money at home in the gig economy as they could in the restaurant. So WHY is it so hard to find anyone to work in a restaurant? There are two reasons that you’re still having trouble finding people to work in your restaurant. There’s either a problem with your culture or you aren’t paying enough money. 1. What Happened to Your Restaurant Culture? Would you work for you? Think about that before you answer and list out all of the reasons why YOU would want to work in your restaurant.
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Every restaurant has a reputation. Not with your customers, but with your staff. When your servers come in for their shift, are they excited to be there? What are they saying to their friends when they go home at night? If your staff isn’t happy, they won’t ever be a good spokesperson to bring in other great staff. Your restaurant culture stems from a clear set of values and standards. The Navy SEALS have an expression that soldiers don’t rise to the occasion when put under pressure, they rise or fall to their average level of training. The same is true in your restaurant. 2. Now let’s tackle the problem of wages.
Ryan Gromfin is an author, speaker, chef, restaurateur, and founder of therestaurantboss.com, clickbacon. com, and scalemyrestaurant. com. He is the most followed restaurant coach in the world helping Restaurant Owners and Operators increase profits, improve operations, and scale and grow their businesses.
There is no magic number that will make people want to work for you. In fact, there’s probably no number high enough that will overcome a bad restaurant culture. If your culture is on point and you’re still having trouble getting staff, wages is the next problem to fix. But what if you simply can’t afford to pay another penny per hour? You can either pay very talented people a lot of money knowing that they won’t need as much handholding and basic training, or you can pay less money to people who need a little more training to know how to do the job perfectly. At Chick-Fil-A, they have teenagers in high school who have never cooked before manning the grill. Why does everything turn out great every time? They have every process, system, and procedure heavily documented. When new staff members join the team, they’re trained to perform the exact same steps every single time. So, what’s the answer? How do you get people to work in your restaurant? It’s not as impossible as it seems on the surface. Focus on creating a great restaurant culture first, then look at whether you can afford to pay more for the top talent out of the gate or if you should be hiring the right personality and leaning on systems and procedures. Are you ready to make some changes?
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 69
EYE
FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
SPECIALTY FOODS INDUSTRY RECONVENES AT JAVITS/NYC FOR SUMMER FANCY FOOD SHOW
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hree years of Pandemicmania came to an abrupt halt on the show floor of the Jacob Javits Center in New York city last month. The largest East Coast B2B-only specialty food and beverage show: The 2022 Summer Fancy Food Show made its successful and healthy return to Manhattan’s West Side. “After nearly three years, we are excited to gather with the specialty food community in New York City for what we anticipate will be a sold-out show,” noted the show’s general manager Bill Lynch. The show has always been a bit of an enigma for Metro New York’s restaurant and foodservice professionals. It can be a difficult show to navigate who is producing product for foodservice with much focus on the gourmet store and retail/grocery buyer. That being said, there is no shortage of top chefs who have found their way to the other side if you will. Both Major Good Group and iconic chef Tom Colicchio were on hand to debut said lines that will soon be available in supermarkets and gourmet stores across the US. Among the highlights of this year’s show were Hot trends from the SFA Trendspotter Panel 2022 Predictions and Winter Fancy Food Show. The Startup Pavilion showcased up and coming makers. The Incubator Village brought the best of food incubators from around the country. Category-focused pavilions included Beverages, Cheese, Chocolate, Confectionery/Snacks and Sweets, Deli. Clearly at the top of this years trends on the show floor was the growth of the plant based category.
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(L to R) Legendary NYC chef Tom Colicchio launched a new line of retail focused sauces at the Javits
(L to R) Chef Warehouse’s Christopher Pappas and Steve Kontos of Kontos Foods
(L to R) Stylianos Rellinas of Eliai Sweat, Loi Products’ Maria Loi and leading Greek media maven Nectarios Notis
(L to R) Federico Balestra and Dave Persaud of Sabatino Tartufi
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(L to R) Strategic Tax Planning’s Ben Dorsey and Matt Costa worked with show guests to explain the ERC tax credit program that is now available
(L to R) Alan Green of Acetana Belles visited with the Chefs Warehouse duo of Dino Papatores and John Pappas
(L to R) The Polish Pavillon was one of a number of country-based exhibits that displayed the breadth of the annual show’s offerings
(L to R) TFS VP of Advertising Michael Scinto and Jamie Wichlacz of BelGioioso
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EYE
M
FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
TOP HEALTHCARE DINING LEADERS GATHER FOR AHF-NY’S 2022 EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR AND VENDOR EXHIBITION
etro New York’s leading Healthcare foodservice executives met last month at the Sheraton LaGuardia for their annual Educational Seminar and Vendor Exhibition with a theme of: “Ready, Reset, Go-A Path Forward”. Nearly 100 members from the Metro area were stimulated by a wide diversity of topic and speakers. Keynoter Adam White talked about the Power of Resilience. He shared his thoughts on the healthcare foodservice professional Carving their path forward. Veteran Direct for Food and Nutritional Services at St. Charles and St. Catherine of Siena Hospital anchored a panel on Working Together and creating a journey to Excellence. She was joined by St Charles’ Gwen Degnan and Chef Thomas Mulzoff The vendor floor was abuzz with several new ideas. From the latest in nutritional menu addition ideas to energy efficient equipment and green and sustainable cleaning solutions, Metro New York’s healthcare dining professionals had their choice of many new ideas. As with every aspect of foodservice, the healthcare foodservice professional has been challenged with a number of supply chain issues. With a goal of helping membership navigate these obstacles AHF put together and allstar panel. US Foods’ NY chief Shawn McCall, Dan Plaut of Imperial Dade and industry veteran Marc Fuchs of Singer/M. Tucker anchored the session that was moderated by Kingsboro Psychiatrics’ Simone Nicolas. The annual event was then closed with a topic that has touched so many.
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(L to R) Patrick Lamont of Brookdale Medical and Singer/M. Tucker’s Marc Fuchs
(L to R) VA Hospital’s Mimi Wang, Vernon Ravenwall and the PBAC duo of Cory Perez and Keith Fitzgerald
(L to R) New Memorial Sloan Kettering foodservice director and Ecolab’s Giovanni Baretta
(L to R) VA Hospital’s Marsha Tucker Scott and Anna Sporri
(L to R) Imperial Dade’s Dan Plaut and longtime AHF officer Veronica McClymont
(L to R) Ron Fast led the Advantage Food Marketing team at the annual event
Pecinka Ferri’s John Alfano worked with local healthcare professionals to find energy efficient equipment solutions
(L to R) NY Presbyterian’s Evangenia Christou with Cory Perez of PBAC
(L to R) St Charles and St. Catherines of Siena Hospitals Stephanie Giraulo offered a strategy for food allergies
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NEWS
RESTAURANT OPERATIONS
POPCORN SHORTAGE? SHOWCASE ALTERNATIVE OFFERINGS
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et another impending shortage is gleaming its ugly head as we enter the Summer months, and this one is aiming to hit the cinema industry particularly hard. Popcorn is a movie goers best friend. In fact, it is a vital part of the theater experience! I mean, can you even imagine sitting down in front of the big screen without a giant tub of buttery, salty goodness on your lap? Yeah…we didn’t think so. Unfortunately, this maybe be a reality for many as get through the final weeks of Spring. What is the cause of the forecasted scarcity? To put it simply, supplychain issues are to blame. Farmers are opting to focus on crops that will lead to heftier profits, and rightfully so. Pivoting to survive has become a well know business tactic since the
start of the pandemic. Additionally, the lining that goes into the containers and bags to prevent the popcorn butter from staining movie goers’ clothes is also becoming less and less available. This means that even if owners and operators can get the popcorn, they may have nothing to serve it to their guests in. Thankfully, there are things that cinemas can do to help offset this foreseeable disruption. Changing up the focus of your menu is a great way to distract your patrons from the unavailability of popcorn, while simultaneously restoring foodservice profits. Highlighting items like, nachos, boneless wings, or mozzarella sticks are a good place to start. You may even want to think about adding larger size options to your menu so customers can purchase them as shareables.
Altering your foodservice menu can seem overwhelming, especially if that menu hasn’t changed in quite some time. But, with the right equipment it is easy to implement new offerings in no time at all. High-speed ovens and automatic deep fryers like the MultiChef and AutoFry keep things simple and safe. Simply plug in and start cooking! They are so easy to use any employee can operate them. No need to hire a professional cook, or extensively train your staff. With the press of just a
few buttons you will be serving up hot and delicious food with ease. Don’t let these supply scarcities be the final scene for your cinema. Having a food menu that entices your guests can improve foot traffic and customer satisfaction, and with the right equipment that objective is absolutely achievable. Beat the popcorn shortage with a menu that delivers on quality time and time again. Head to www.mtiproducts.com today to learn more!
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RESTAURANT EXPERT
WITH DAVID SCOTT PETERS
HOW TO FIX THE #1 REASON RESTAURANT CUSTOMERS DON’T COME BACK
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estaurant owners often think they’re losing customers because of the competition. But what if I told you that while you might be losing a few to competition, it only accounts for about 9% of lost customers? Let’s talk about all the reasons you lose customers, the number one reason 68% of your customers don’t come back and what you need to do to fix it. The main purpose of the hospitality industry is to create memorable experiences for your guests. Everything we do on the restaurant floor is to successfully achieve this result. What is happening when customers don’t come back? Here are the six main reasons why your customers don’t come back, finishing with the number one reason and what you need do to fix it. No. 6 – 1% of your customers die. That is a sad reality of life, and this may affect some restaurants more than others, say if you serve a primarily elderly population. Do know that you’re going to need to replace customers just through that alone. No. 5 – 3% of your customers move out of the area. Now, this could be as simple as getting a job completely across country or as simple moving from one side of the freeway to the other. Often, train tracks,
ence as your life changed and it’s happening in your population as well.
freeways, bridges, things like that can be barriers that keep people on one side or the other. So even if it’s blocks away, it could change your customer’s pattern. This may not be anything to do with what you’ve done or not done, just that people move. No. 4 – 5% find new interests or friends. This is a big one that we often don’t look at. For instance, when I was younger, I’d go to restaurants that had a bar component and maybe even just a bar, for that matter. As I got a little older, sports bars became more appealing, where I could hang out with my buddies, have a good time. Then when I had a girlfriend, we started going out to restaurants with couples and then as I had kids, we didn’t have any friends. No! Just kidding. When people get married, have kids, they change where they go. With kids you’re looking for speed and for an environment that adapts to kids. I’m sure you’ve had a similar experi-
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No. 3 – 9% change for competitive reasons. This is the one you probably attribute more impact to than what is really happening. If a new restaurant opens down the street, independent or chain, people might try them out, but the truth is, if you do a good job in your restaurant, your customers are going to come back. Usually that loss is temporary unless you didn’t do a good job. And that’s where the top two reasons really come into play. No. 2 – 14% of your customers don’t come back because they’re dissatisfied with the restaurant. This means poor service, poor food quality, temperature, portions, cleanliness, you name it. You did a bad job executing the restaurant experience or offering great hospitality and people didn’t want to give you another shot. No. 1 – 68% of your customers don’t come back because they encounter an attitude of indifference or unconcern by one or more employees. For example, not hand-holding the customer such as pointing to where to go in the restaurant vs taking them there, or not giving customers the right of way and forcing them to jump out of the way when a
David Scott Peters is an author, restaurant coach and speaker who teaches restaurant operators how to take control of their businesses and finally realize their full potential. His first book, Restaurant Prosperity Formula: What Successful Restaurateurs Do, teaches the systems and traits to develop to run a profitable restaurant. Thousands of restaurants have worked with Peters to transform their businesses. Get his three principles to restaurant success at https://dsp.coach/ three-key-principles.
bus boy with a big bin of dishes comes barreling toward them. Not caring to contribute to the guest experience and focusing more on the task at hand. If you think about it, the number two reason was 14% of why your customers don’t come back and number one reason accounts for why 68% of our customers don’t come back. That number together is 82%, which means 82% of your customers don’t come back because of the people you have on your team. That means 82 out of every 100 customers don’t come back because of how your employees conducted themselves or how they’ve done their jobs – or not done their jobs. How do you fix this 82%? Build a better training program. Training is critical. If you want to change, you need training. Your training should cover the basics from food safety to steps of service, hospitality and the idea that the customer comes first, that we’re all here for the guest, not for ourselves. If we do a good job for the guests, we make more money as employees, as a restaurant and as a whole. There’s no front of house vs back of house. We’re all here for one purpose: to take care of the guest. If you do nothing more than tackle these two reasons and properly train your employees to fix them, your business will literally explode.
PREMIER RESTAURANT SPACE FOR LEASE
$40 NNN NNN $8.00 3,995 sq.ft
261 Main St, Stamford, CT
Basement Included • “West Village”-esque 6-way intersection @ Main + Summer Streets has evolved into Stamford CT’s busy center of restaurants and nightlife • Extremely rare opportunity is priced with a key fee of $70,000, and $40 NNN rate is competitive for the area
• Completely built-out yet adaptable restaurant that’s plug & play ready with kitchen fully renovated in 2019
• Part of Downtown Special Services District, opening up city street and sidewalk to outdoor dining experiences
Offered by:
• Current bar runs full length of the space, with easy access to kegs and liquor storage from directly behind the bar to the basement below
• UCONN-Stamford residence hall (2K+ students) at the end of the block, and over 3,000+ other residential units a short walk from 261 Main
Jeff Kravet 203.430.7811 kravetjeff@gmail.com
Kravet Realty LLC Contact us for a guided tour!
Lucas Severo 973.830.0742 lsevero@kravetrealty.com
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 77
FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE
PRESENTED BY:
TIME FOR THE NYC COMMERCIAL RENT TAX TO BE REPEALED
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or many as they walk by a busy restaurant on a beautiful summer day, the assumption is that whatever strain the Pandemic caused is a thing of the past. With a dizzying array of challenges from being shut out of the Restaurant Relief to the impact of inflation of food and supplies, the truth is that many of the City’s restaurants are still in a battle for survival. Among the immediate opportunities that we see for relief is the suspension and hopefully the ultimate elimination of what is known as the Commercial Rent Tax. Let’s start with an understanding of what it is. The bill that often a restaurant gets in the mail and didn’t even know that it existed is a tax on the rent that a restaurant operator is paying to their landlord. What makes it even more bizarre is that it only impacts restaurants that are south of 96th Street in Manhattan and pay more than a certain amount in rent. For years, it was a tax that was a Citywide assessment. Through the years it has been repealed through most of NYC. The last repeal was for businesses around the World Trade Center after 9/11. With thousands of Manhattan restaurants and businesses still paying the tax, we want it suspended and repealed. It simply makes no sense. Because it is tied into the amount of rent that an operator is paying and not the profitability of the business. So a restaurant that is paying to be in a prime location is being unfairly punished by the ‘City. It simply makes no sense for a business that iOS one block over on 97th Street to be exempt while a competitor on 96th is paying this tax. It’s another example of something that isn’t fair and equitable. God knows as we
Keep in mind that this tax impacts all 5 boroughs. The restaurant might be south of 96th Street in Manhattan but think about its employee base. Many of the waitstaff and culinary team live throughout the boroughs. try to recover from the damage of the Pandemic on our industry, we should not be punishing business that are located in places where the rent is the most expensive. Not to mention that in many of these areas, our restaurants are dependent on office workers that haven’t returned to work and who knows if they every will. Not to mention restaurants I these areas that are dependent on tourists. As we all know, we are waiting for the 70 million tourist who visit NYC to return. Those are the customers that stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, and drink in our bars. This tax is a relic and ultimately needs to be eliminated completely. With that, there is finally hope on the horizon. City Councilor and Majority leader Keith Powers has introduced legislation to eliminate this 3.9% annual tax on top of a business’s annual rent. It would be phased in as a suspension of the tax over the next three years, to give businesses that have yet to recover a breather as they focus one recovery. We need to look at this and understand that commercial rents continue to spiral up and up. Needless to say, areas like 5th Avenue and Times Square and the 400 to 500 of them in Manhattan are paying increased rents and this commercial rent tax. Again, this would have made a lot more sense if it had been tied into profits and not a restaurant’s gross rent.
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Keep in mind that this tax impacts all 5 boroughs. The restaurant might be south of 96th Street in Manhattan but think about its employee base. Many of the waitstaff and culinary team live throughout each of the boroughs. In fact, at a recent event we held, the City told us that more restaurant employees in NYC live in Jackson Heights, Queens. Not only are these restaurants being asked to pay this tax, but they are paying all kinds of taxes that support the City’s essential services. It’s also well documented that this area below 96th Street is a huge driver in the City’s economy. These restaurants not only support their neighborhoods but the overall social economics of the entire City. The challenge with this tax is not a new issue. Prior to the pandemic, rents were spiraling out of control And New York City’s restaurant were paying the tax. With the last 2 1/2 years of the pandemic, the Commercial Rent Tax has become an unfair impediment to survival and discriminatory. We’ve all seen the carnage with some 2000 plus restaurants shuttering as a result of Covid. With that came the elimination 100’s of thousands of jobs that fortunately are starting to return. We are still off about 50k jobs from the Pre-Pandemic numbers. Many of these businesses are struggling financially. Sure, although many benefited from the Federal government financ-
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.
ing programs, some 65% that were eligible ended up being shut out of the program. Between paying past rent and the impact of rent, our restaurants are facing sky rocketing costs. In addition, labor costs continue to spiral. Our industry wants to pay people properly of that they can live productive lives. But the restauranteur still sees this as a cost. You have an industry that worked on tight margins to begin with and now faces life after a Pandemic. Even businesses that participated in the Restaurant Revitalization grant program are dealing with a life of uncertainty. We thought on a couple of occasions that we were in the clear. People want to get out and visit their local establishments, only to be challenged with the Omicron and Delta variants. Certainly, there are better days ahead. But we simply don’t know what thew next obstacles will be. Our small business live off of their week to week sales. They are on the way back from 2 1/2 years of government regulation. With that in mind, we need the help of the City Council and Mayor Eric Adams to look at this as a Citywide issue and work toward the suspension and abolishment of the Commercial Rent Tax.
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NEWS
By Karen Jones
EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONS
NBR TEAMS WITH TD MARKETING TO PROVIDE EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONS FOR TRI-STATE DEALERS & CONSULTANTS
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ith the growth of takeout and delivery over the past two plus years and the return of in-restaurant dining patrons, the selection of the right kitchen equipment has become essential. New equipment improves efficiency and food safety, lowers operational costs, and bottom line, makes a statement to both your staff and guests. To ensure that operators have the correct equipment that changes in the industry have driven, New Jersey based manufacturers’ representative TD Marketing has teamed with NBR. The Central New Jersey foodservice equipment manufacturer. NBR specializes in essential products which allows for functionality while contributing to cleanliness, food preparation, and overall food safety. “The NBR product line fills so many different segments of our
industry,” noted TD Marketing’s president, Frank Doyle. “They can really help complete a kitchen and the other great part is availability. It’s a local company and they have plenty of stock and we all know in our territories in the Philadelphia, PA, the metro New York, and the New Jersey area, everybody needs things yesterday, especially during these crazy times that we are experiencing now.” NBR specializes in “heavy duty tables and sinks for all price points and higher quality demands,” Doyle said. “Their quality is phenomenal. They are bringing in 14-gauge 304 series stainless steel, so they have a premier line for the more spec type work where you need more heavy duty tables and sinks and they also have an economy style that brings down the price point which drops you down to the 16 gauge 304 stainless steel.” NBR also manufacturers an ex-
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“In today’s restaurant, you might need a small bar, a service bar or even a waiter’s station to complete a kitchen and front of the house design, and NBR offers high quality solutions for each.” — Frank Doyle tensive bar equipment line. “For most applications today where there’s a need for several different types of bars. In today’s restaurant, you might need a small bar, a service bar or even a waiter’s station to complete a kitchen and front of the house design and NBR offers high quality solutions for each,” Doyle added. According to Doyle, NBR’s commitment runs deep to support the highest quality manufacturing. “They are also customer service masters. “When our dealer-customers place orders with NBR, when the order is processed their staff reviews
every item on the purchase order. If they find something that they don’t have in stock at that time they contact our customers and give them options of what is available that’s very close to what they’re looking for. Nine times out of 10 that customer takes what they have because they need it and that’s just the best service you could possibly offer. It’s so much more than just wanting to process orders and move on to the next P.O. NBR is all about the follow through to installation.” With that commitment to quality
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July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 81
NEWS
By Zac Kitay
NEW OPENINGS
NEW MIDTOWN EATERY IL GRADINO FOCUSED ON “PIACERE”/FOOD YOUR WAY
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l Gradino offers customers a hospitable and unique experience by allowing them to choose the way their meal is prepared; the “piacere” approach puts a personal twist on traditional Italian dining. Owner Diego Argudo opened Il Gradino at the end of May, building up its foundation during Covid. After a takeover of a Manhattan location of the Mediterranean restaurant Fig & Olive —a casualty of the pandemic— not much remodeling had to go into the kitchen. With the foot-traffic of the neighborhood and the need for an ambitious Italian restaurant, Argudo took the opportunity as his moment to step in. Argudo’s approach to the dining room design was to create an oldschool New York-Italian restaurant, featured a warm contemporary look. These features are what gives the atmosphere its welcoming feeling that attracts a crowd that Argudo thinks of as “a family, like friends, not like customers.” Building up this family was no easy feat though, Argudo devoted himself to the art of the business by surrounding himself with others in the restaurant world throughout his entire life. Immigrating to the United States from Ecuador in 1992 at just 15 years old, he immediately went to work helping his father, who also worked in a restaurant. Argudo grew up in the industry working as a dishwasher, busser, and wait-
er in a variety of different eateries. All these different positions allowed him to discover the community that embodies restaurant staff members, and the diligence that is a necessity in the field. “All my life I had been working, always watching and learning, Argudo said. My dream was to one day have my own restaurant and make people happy.” When he hired Chef Carlos Inga and opened Il Gradino, he took the opportunity to seize that dream. Inga had previously worked as a sous chef, and with Il Gradino was given the opportunity to step into the head-chef role. Together with Argudo, the pair had worked to develop the menu that remolds the typical customer experience. Il Gradino offers traditional Italian dishes such as chicken and fish, but with “piacere” options. “Piacere” is Italian for “pleasure,” named so because it allows the customer to customize the dishes to their liking. Allowing guests to pick
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“All my life I had been working, always watching and learning. My dream was to one day have my own restaurant and make people happy.” — Diego Argudo their preferences adds an individualized element to the environment. Argudo added that he always loved to take care of people, and this personalization was his way of showing it. “[This option] makes everybody happy, with no challenges for the customer.” For an easy dining experience, Il Gradino offers any menu option that a guest may desire. Challenges did emerge, however, from an operational standpoint. No POS. system is set up to handle the meals when every order is different. The requests are hand-written and explained to the chefs in order to ensure that each guest’s meal is made according to their liking. When it is settled at
the end, the price must be determined accordingly. The staff feels that the task is worth going through because of the pleasure that it brings the customers. Argudo always wanted “good food, good service, good quality,” within all his meals in his restaurant. Aside from Chef Inga, finding staff was another challenge during the pandemic. Argudo reached out to staffing agencies that offered help specializing in Italian restaurants but had little luck. Finding help was an obstacle affecting most industries nearing the end of the Covid era. “We have to work hard to do the best.” Argudo said. That hard work paid off as the opening took place, and the restaurant is working to slowly build its reputation. Looking ahead, Argudo hopes to continue the specialty in his meals, and gain new customers to grow his dining family. Il Gradino represents classic roots and perseverance with the advantage of custom tailoring orders, for a meal made just the way the customer sees fit. Learn more about Il Gradino online at https:// www.ilgradino.com/
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July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 83
NEWS
By Karen Jones
E&S PARTS STRATEGIES
PARTS TOWN CELEBRATES ENTRY INTO $1 BILLION SALES CLUB
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ndoubtedly, these are unprecedented times for the foodservice industry. As COVID-19 fades and the industry seeks to find its “New Normal” it has created a sense of overdrive in the nation’s kitchens. With takeout and delivery becoming a mainstay and now the return of in-restaurant dining, the demands on kitchen equipment have reached new levels that have never been seen before. While this shift has proven in many cases to be highly profitable to restaurateurs, it requires that operators build a parts and service strategy rather than waiting to react to equipment breakdowns. According to Clint Holder, CEO of Parts Town, “the demand by the dining public has simply left no room for downtime. What used to be a daypart defined industry now finds itself working 24/7 to feed its customers. There no longer exists a window to have equipment out of commission or a budget for backup equipment. This stress on the equipment also drives the need for greater preventive maintenance activity which has not traditionally been fully appreciated or embraced by the industry.” Parts Town has an excellent read on the industry and are well equipped to meet the demands the growing pressure on prep and cooking equipment has brought. “Our business has grown substantially through the pandemic as customers have pivoted to this new ordering. So, we’ve increased our stocking profiles and the demand for OEM parts that I think is higher than ever as the equipment needs to be running more efficiently and reliably,” Holder said. The Chicago-based company is now among sales club royalty, hav-
ing just achieved billion-dollar status. “We support all channels of the market that require food service equipment parts. We are providing custom solutions for service companies, chain restaurants, institutions, and independent restaurants. Aware of the difference in need across the spectrum,” Holder added. “We have dedicated teams focused on supporting those units and we’ve developed innovative tools and technology that really make finding parts and procuring them fast, simple, and most importantly, accurate.” It is important to note that this meteoric rise happened only within the 21st Century. The foodservice industry took its time to fully embrace technology. His company saw a void and acted quickly to fill it. According to Holder prior to 2007, when Parts Town launched - the first e-com-
Clint Holder, Parts Town CEO
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“We have dedicated teams focused on supporting those units and we’ve developed innovative tools and technology that really make finding parts and procuring them fast, simple, and most importantly, accurate.” — Clint Holder merce enabled website of its kind, the industry was “very fragmented and at that time there was no ecommerce platform supporting the manufacturers and partnering with the manufacturers with a loyalty and commitment to support genuine OEM to speak of.” His company, he continued, brought “industry tools to bear and we’ve got a number of innovations that have fueled our growth and the ability to support customers unlike any other of our competition.” Now, with technology awakening in foodservice and accelerated in part by the pandemic, means that “the equipment is definitely becoming more connected, more technical, more unique in the sense that it’s less common parts on some of these more sophisticated pieces of equipment, which I think drives the need to have a fast reliable access to OEM parts,” Holder said. “I think that’s where we come in and deliver a support to the industry, both the manufacturers and the customers who are on the equipment and service companies that rely on having the parts to quickly get the equipment up and running.” Additionally, the industry is now moving toward specialized software and hardware that can remotely track kitchen equipment performance. With that Holder and his
Parts Town team have introduced a mobile app to assist operators and service providers maximize their efficiency in keeping kitchens up and running. “We see an evolution and adoption of connected equipment to monitor and to maximize uptime and we’re super excited about that.” This allows them to “collaborate with our manufacturer partners as they’re developing technology and working alongside them to support and optimize the opportunity to deliver parts ahead of time, in real time, and just in time to support the equipment. I think it’s going to be broadly adopted as people see the value that it can support lowering operating costs.” Holder also revealed that one of the biggest findings from surveys that his company has conducted is that what customers care most about is “availability, availability, availability, availability, he emphasized. So, we want to make it very easy and efficient for someone to find the right part and get it to them next day.” The rapport that Parts Town has built with its customer base over the years, Holder said, has also bred a new culture. “The culture is foundational to what we do. We don’t make anything. We are a distributor and the things we differentiate and do is the
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July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 85
NEWS
By Karen Jones
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
SQUADLE’S TECHNOLOGY BRINGS PRECISION TO FOOD SAFETY AND LABOR SAVINGS
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he cost of a foodborne illness outbreak to a restaurant can be astronomical and ironically more expensive than prevention and control measures. A study published in Public Health Reports estimated that the cost of a single foodborne illness outbreak ranged from approximately $4,000 to $1.9 million for a fast-food restaurant and up to $2.6 million for a fine-dining establishment (Bartsch et al, 2018). It goes without saying therefore that prevention is better than having to cure. This is the mission of Squadle, a Boston-based food safety software company. Squadle aims to help operators proactively avert food contamination at the service level through digital food safety. “Customers who have rolled out Squadle have seen a 31% reduction in health department violations,” said Vice President of Marketing, Derek Stangle. The goal of this digital innovator “is to simplify complex operations, streamline food safety, and achieve compliance for foodservice multi-unit operators,” he said. “We work with restaurants, convenience stores, and grocers to digitize back of house operations. We streamline activities that were traditionally done on paper and transform them into digital tasks ranging from food temperature logs, shift management responsibilities, and equipment monitoring.” Being mindful that food safety is a shared responsibility, Stangle said “Foodservice operators and employees alike have a lot of challenges on their plates. So, what we do and the niche that we’re trying to solve for is really making food safety less compli-
cated and less time consuming. Our goal is to save time for foodservice businesses, make compliance more straightforward, and ensure performance is trackable,” he added. The company’s name provides further insight into its mission. “It comes from the fact that we work with multiunit operators. Internally, we have always referred to these individual locations as ‘squads’ or teams, so we thought that Squadle was a great way to represent our business model, a fun way to capture what it is that we do, and also resonate with customers.” Squadle puts food safety and accountability at the highest priority for the operator and enables simple compliance with health protocols,
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“Our goal is to simplify complex operations and streamline food safety compliance specifically with multiunit operators.” — Derek Stangle said Stangle. “Squadle sends timed alerts that notify employees when hot or cold bar items are no longer safe to serve to customers.” These are some of the safety checks that we put into place to ensure that operators always meet the local and National Health protocols to avoid outbreaks.” Stangle explained that his company uses “technology built on algorithms and AI that helps simplify operations with a suite of digital technologies.”
In this age where society increasingly embraces touchless technology, Squadle offers its clientele the opportunity to use “Our ZeroTouch™ temperature probe takes food and equipment temperatures 83% faster as compared to a manual thermometer. This gives operators up to the minute food safety compliance and it helps them to reduce spoilage within their stores,” Stangle added. The Squadle platform also features SMS alerts that monitor freezer or refrigerator temperatures around the clock. “If the system goes out of range, we will notify operators instantly that they’re at risk of inventory loss, allowing them to save thousands of dollars in potentially lost inventory,” Stangle explained. “This technology automatically pulls in temperatures from coolers and freezers and uploads them into your Squadle digital checklists. The auto-temperature logging is crucial for operators when they arrive at their store in the morning and capture temperatures for each piece of equipment. Historically, store owners needed to individually check up to 10–20 fridges and freezers at an individual location and manually capture equipment temperatures across multiple locations. However, our SmartCapture feature achieves this with one click and pulls in temperatures from all these various coolers and freezers
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SCOOP
INSIDER NEWS FROM THE FOODSERVICE + HOSPITALITY SCENE
Do you have the SCOOP on any foodservice and hospitality news? Send items to SCOOP Editor Joyce Appelman at tfs@totalfood.com
HOSHIZAKI AMERICA RELEASES NEW PIZZA PREP TABLE MODELS WITH SMART TECHNOLOGY
SCOOP knows that when driven by need and opportunity, our industry is reinventing itself daily, pushing operators to look for ways to enhance kitchen efficiency and productivity throughout the day. Hoshizaki’s new refrigerated Pizza Prep models do just that, designed with four new key features to combat current restaurant owners’ difficulties. Already the recipient of the 2022 Kitchen Innovations Award, these eleven new models – including two new 60-inch options – have been redesigned with value engineered technology that keeps products at ideal temperatures while requiring less labor and maintenance. Technologies like night/day mode can help lower costs and energy consumption and make operations even more sustainable. “The team has done a fantastic job,” said Kris Miller, VP of Engineering, “working together to streamline manufacturing processes along with incorporating new technologies to bring more value to our customers.” New features include: • Night/day mode – when the lid is open, the set point drops to keep food cool in the rail. When the lid is closed, the set point returns to normal so 88 • July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
food can stay in the rail overnight without freezing – saving labor costs of removing food from the rail each night and back in the morning. • One-piece pan rail design – protects the cabinet and is easy to clean. • Dual controller with single refrigeration system – for separate temperature controls for both the rail and cabinet; adjustable for every operation. • Optimal airflow in rail – back to front airflow through louvered ducts directs cold air around each pan, both 4” and 6” in any configuration, for consistent, precise cooling for all food products from cheese, greens, produce, sauces, etc. • Removable air filter – for easy cleaning and better operation. Models are available now in 46-inch and 60inch options. 67-inch and 93-inch sizes will be available in Q3 2022. Learn more at hoshizakiamerica.com/pizza-prep.
WIZ KHALIFA AND NEXTBITE ROLL OUT DELIVERY-ONLY MENU OF TASTY LATE-NIGHT MUNCHIES IN CITIES NATIONWIDE SCOOP heard that Wiz Khalifa, GRAMMY® and Golden Globe-nominated recording artist, and Nextbite are rolling out a new delivery-only res-
taurant brand Packed Bowls by Wiz Khalifa® in cities nationwide including in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh. Packed Bowls by Wiz Khalifa is now available for delivery on Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub.
PACTIV EVERGREEN INTRODUCES ‘ZERO WASTE IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE’ AS A RESOURCE FOR FOODSERVICE OPERATORS
SCOOP learned that Pactiv Evergreen has launched the “Zero Waste Implementation Guide” as a resource to help foodservice establishments improve their waste diversion rates. Recreation venues, stadiums, arenas, colleges and university foodservice programs, in particular, will benefit from this valuable resource. For more information about Pactiv Evergreen’s Zero Waste Implementation Guide, and to download a free copy, visit pactivevergreen.com/sustainability or earthchoicepackaging.com. In addition, they have launched new Tamper Evident Fry Cartons to meet the evolving needs of today’s foodservice operators. Pactiv Evergreen’s new Tamper Evident Fry Cartons were designed with portability, safety, and security in mind. The cartons’ innovative, patent-pending design features a tamper evident latch that must be torn to access the contents inside. Both the foodservice operator and consumer will be able to see if a carton has been tampered with, increasing food
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Your customers’ trust is in your hands So put your hands in Elara brand gloves Show guests you care about their health. Protection you can count on, from the brand you trust.
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For each case purchased, Elara donates a meal for a person struggling with hunger in America
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 89
SCOOP
INSIDER NEWS, from page 88
safety and consumer confidence. The latch keeps food safely secure during transport, preventing unwanted spills. Pactiv Evergreen’s Tamper Evident Fry Cartons are proudly made in the USA from Pactiv Evergreen’s SentinelTM SBS Paperboard. Sentinel Paperboard meets the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) Certified Sourcing Standard.
HOSPITALITY VET ELIZABETH BLAU IS THE 2022 CORNELL HOSPITALITY INNOVATOR AWARD RECIPIENT Hospitality vet and James Beard Award Nominee, Elizabeth Blau, was the recipient of the 2022 Cornell Hospitality Innovator Award at this year’s Cornell Hospitality Icon and Innovator Awards gala. As a tribute to the leaders that have developed new approaches to hospitality industry enterprises, Blau is more than deserving of the recognition. Widely credited with transforming Las Vegas into the world-class culinary destination it is today, Blau, a graduate of the Cornell School of Administration (MS ’97), has developed and spearheaded several projects to further the hospitality industry. Elizabeth founded Blau + Associates in 2002 and made it into one of the foremost restaurant development and consulting companies in the field. Blau launched and co-founded Women’s Hospitality Initiative, a Las Vegas-based non-profit committed to developing and implementing programs for women to grow and achieve leadership positions in the restau-
rant community. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Elizabeth co-founded Delivering with Dignity, a program that gathers thousands of restaurant-quality meals and safely delivers them to families in need. With several restaurant concepts in operation today, including five restaurants within Parq Vancouver, Honey Salt, Lumin Café at Illuminarium Las Vegas, and the recently announced Noble Heights, set to open in 2025, the future is looking grand for Blau.
BOWERY FARMING OPENS SMART FARM Bowery Farming, the largest vertical farming company in the U.S., has opened a smart farm in Bethlehem, PA. The farm is powered with 100 percent renewable energy and features 15 percent more efficient LED lighting. A state-of-theart water recapture and filtration system has been custom-built to harness even the water that is transpired from the plants, and ensures the highest-quality food safety standards, according to the company. The farm’s design, custom hardware, AI, data and robotics, has increased the speed of farm operations and processing allowing the company to continue to grow more food smarter. Bowery Farming’s produce will be distributed through Whole Foods Market, Giant of Landover and Albertsons Companies’ stores, as well as through ecommerce partners like Amazon Fresh. Working with local distributors, including Four Seasons Produce, Bowery produce will be available to specialty and independent grocery partners throughout the region, like local grocer Gerrity’s in Bethlehem.
PLANT-BASED SHRIMP AVAILABLE FROM NEW WAVE FOODS
Elizabeth Blau
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SCOOP learned that New Wave Foods, an innovative manufacturer in the plant-based seafood space, has added a breaded variety of the brand’s sustainable and delicious New Wave Shrimp® to its growing portfolio. Breaded New Wave Shrimp is vegan, free from cholesterol and contains 5g of protein per serving with fewer calories than ocean shrimp. It has the same plate coverage as a 36/40ct ocean shrimp and provides a tasty, responsibly sourced plant-based option that is sure to appeal to climatarians, flexitarians or anyone who enjoys the taste of breaded shrimp. New Wave Shrimp is available nationally for distribution through Dot Foods. You can also contact info@newwavefoods.com to place your order.
A lobster roll from LobsterCraft
LOBSTERCRAFT CELEBRATES A DECADE OF SERVICING CT’S STATE SANDWICH AND EXPANDS THE BRAND Ten years ago, Captain Mike Harden, a Coast Guard Captain and licensed lobster fisherman, introduced Connecticut’s state sandwich, the hot buttered lobster roll, to the coastal community of Norwalk, CT with his LobsterCraft food truck. LobsterCraft was an instant food sensation, amassing a local fan base of hungry consumers looking for their next lobster roll fix. Today, the brand has grown into a thriving brick and mortar Restaurant Group, a fleet of food trucks, and a catering business, with three locations in CT, one in Sarasota, FL, and Block Island, RI. LobsterCraft’s signature lobster roll, the “Coastal Roll”, which has been featured on Food Network and Flavored Nation as “The Best CT Style Hot Buttered Lobster Roll in the Country”, is how it all began. The recipe remains - the best soft toasted buns filled with the freshest and sweetest claw and knuckle lobster meat bathed in butter. Also, on the menu is scratch-made creamy New England/Newport style clam chowder brimming with locally sourced Copps Island clams from Norm Bloom & Sons in Norwalk, CT.
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INSIDER NEWS, from page 90
BABKA KING CHEF SHIMI AARON PARTNERS WITH C3 TO LAUNCH ELLAMIA LIFESTYLE CAFÉS SCOOP heard that C3 (Creating Culinary Communities), the leading global food tech platform founded by visionary Sam Nazarian, has partnered with international chef Shimi Aaron to oversee all offerings for C3’s new lifestyle coffee café, EllaMia. Chef Shimi Aaron is an Israeli-born LA based chef who rose to international fame through his contemporary reinvention of the traditional babka. Chef Shimi Aaron’s vision for EllaMia is to create an elevated experience incorporating all the senses. His aim is to combine flavor, sound, aroma, aesthetic and texture into the EllaMia experience. At the same time, he has created a global menu inspired by the middle eastern flavors he grew up with, as well as his travels and training in New York, London and most recently Los Angeles. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Aaron was given the moniker “The Babka King” by the Los Angeles Times, and his confections have quickly found a cult following, with Angeleno’s trekking across the city for pickups in Los Feliz and Calabasas. Partnering with C3, Chef Shimi Aaron’s goal is to take his confections nationwide starting with EllaMia locations across the country and with plans for expansion internationally.
JOE ITALIANO’S MAPLEWOOD HELPED RAISE FUNDS FOR COMMUNITY FOODBANK OF NEW JERSEY AT NIGHT OF 300,000 MEALS SCOOP learned that Joe Italiano’s Maplewood, NJ, participated in The Night of 300,000 Meals, a fundraiser for the Community Foodbank of New Jersey’s Egg Harbor Township Branch. Designed to raise funding for 300,000 meals to more than 60,000 residents of South Jersey who are food insecure, this event brought together many of the top restauranteurs in the area. “At Joe Italiano’s, we use our award-winning food to bring people together to help them communicate with one another and to share a sense of family,” said Chris Curry, General Manager of Joe Italiano’s Maplewood. “Helping people in the community realize that there are many that don’t have access to food and helping them discover that this is something they should care about, is the first step to driving real change. The fact that we could use our signature pastas and seafood dishes to help drive this kind of change made participating in this event a no-brainer.” Over the course of two hours, over 200 people were able to sample Joe Italiano’s go-to destination for Italian food. “Seeing the look on people’s faces as they bite into our pasta made the event worthwhile by itself,” said Justin Italiano, General Manager of Joe Italiano’s Maplewood. “We got to talk to people about what they like, and how they like to make meals. I love talking about food. And there is no better time to do that than when people are eating.”
Chef Craig Riker
Le Cordon Bleu Program in Pasadena, Riker boasts more than 15 years in the hospitality industry and is now bringing sophisticated yet accessible cuisine to the evolution of Finch & Fork. Counting Chef Evan Funke – known for his celebrated Los Angeles restaurants Felix and Mother Wolf – as an early mentor, Chef Riker started his career underneath Funke’s tutelage as a sous chef at Santa Monica’s Michelin-starred Rustic Canyon. Riker then moved on to roles with Forbes Five-Star hotels including Montage Beverly Hills, The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, and Belmond El Encanto, crafting unforgettable culinary experiences for a discerning, exclusive clientele. Riker also served as the Executive Sous Chef for the opening of Mastro’s Ocean Club in Malibu. Most recently, he was creating award-winning, plant-based cuisine as the Executive Chef of Oliver’s in Montecito.
PARCHED HOSPITALITY GROUP SANTA BARBARA RESTAURANT EXPANDS WITH ISLA & CO. FINCH & FORK APPOINTS EXECUTIVE CHEF CRAIG RIKER
Chef Shimi Aaron
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Executive Chef Craig Riker is at the helm of the reimagined Finch & Fork, a beloved Santa Barbara restaurant located at the Kimpton Canary Hotel that highlights the abundant seafood and produce of California’s central coast. Riker was exposed to phenomenal cuisine around the world through his tenure as a touring musician, which he credits with informing his culinary style and igniting his passion for flavor. A graduate of the California School of Culinary Arts’
Parched Hospitality Group (PHG), the Australian team behind New York City’s wildly popular Hole in the Wall restaurants, The Sentry, Daintree, Isla and Ghost Burger, just launched their latest concept, Isla & Co. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. PHG will now bring Isla & Co. to Fairfield, CT. The menu, which was carefully crafted by Executive Chef Matt Foley, formerly of two Michelin-starred Marea in NYC, is inspired by Australian coastal towns by day and is a cocktail driven dinner destination by night. Isla & Co. also opened in Atlanta and Dallas, and two locations in Florida will open in the fall.
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NEWS
By Karen Jones
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
MASS FIRM PAYTRONIX BRINGS INSIGHT INTO RESTAURANT PATRONS’ PROFILES
W
e are in an age where the success of any business is heavily dependent on three components it uses in its marketing strategy - technology, data analytics, and behavioral science. It used to be that strategists would rely primarily on demographics and geographics to reach the target audience. But that plus blanket advertising strategies are methods of the past. Today, it is all about psychographics – understanding the personality of the market. One company who understands this shift and is using artificial intelligence to bring insight into restaurant patrons’ “individual behavioral traits” is Paytronix. Paytronix uses “one platform to see patterns and learn behaviors.” They are “a customer experience platform for restaurants and convenience stores that uses artificial intelligence to convert your visitors into repeat customers and build recurring revenue with a custom loyalty program,” said Andrew Robbins, CEO of the
Massachusetts-based firm. “The key is to keep reaching out to the guest. That is to learn about them and then use that information across all their experiences.” According to Robbins, his firm provides a complete suite of solutions for the restaurant operator. “We provide electronic gift cards, loyalty programs, messaging, customer relation management solutions, email SMS, mobile phone apps, and online ordering.” Their loyalty programs, he pointed out, allows their clients “to build a tight relationship with their guests. And it’s more than a database. It’s a relationship. People want to communicate with you.” “We always start with the consumer. Where they are now, where are they going to be in the future, and what do they need. Because if we can make their life more convenient and reduce friction, all they do is opt into things. They will give us methods of communication so we can text them, email them, send push messages to their phone and then they just visit more,”
“And it’s more than a database. It’s a relationship. People want to communicate with you.” — Andrew Robbins With over 1,800 customers across 34,000 locations, Robbins said Paytronix saw a gap at the “intersection of convenience, loyalty, and payment and we said let’s be at that intersection and bring the power of cloud computing into the four walls of the restaurant.” That was 20 years ago, when his company started with combining punch cards and gift cards. Back then, he added, “most people didn’t even have DSL connections so that their stores could connect. But we always knew that we needed that as a prerequisite so that the information about the guest needed to be in a central da-
Andrew Robbins, Paytronix CEO
tabase in the cloud.” Over the years, the guest relations space became more crowded, but Paytronix have been able to stay ahead of the game by being innovative and delivering on their promises
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Paytronix will lead your customers through a personalized, one-to-one journey that maximizes CLV with an all-in-one Customer Experience Platform.
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MAYUMI KOBAYASHI
from page 10
locals feel safer in their surroundings to go out and dine more. New York has always been the city that never sleeps, but that vibrancy has yet to fully return. Are you having difficulty finding staff? What are your thoughts in terms of where we are in the industry and what have you done to find the work staff to be successful? Tips to share? It is always a challenge finding new staff, but thankfully we were able to rehire many of our staff from before the shutdown as the mandates lifted and business volume grew along with it. I understand staff retention is hard in our industry, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Treat your employees well and pay them a fair, livable wage. We are constantly tweaking our business model to keep the business sustainable and to also keep up with rising costs at the same time. What about the supply chain has affected your operations and purchasing, menus? Pre-pandemic, Mifune had both an a la carte menu and a set tasting menu that changed seasonally. However, the pandemic created an unprecedented supply chain disruption. To counter the wildly fluctuating market prices and unstable supply of ingredients when the shutdown was lifted, we quickly pivoted to an omakase tasting menu that changed weekly, sometimes daily based on market availability, and whatever inspiration struck our Chefs that day at the farmer’s market. This business model continues to this day, and this has given Co-Executive Chefs Tomohiro Urata and Yuu Shimano such extraordinary flexibility, their creativity and skills are on full display every day. Although the term “omakase” is closely associated with sushi in the US, it just means “Chef’s Choice” in Japanese and is not bound to one type of cuisine, which in Mifune’s case is Modern French-Japanese. Now, we only have one menu option: A $125 8-course omakase tasting menu with an optional $40 upgrade.
What might people underestimate about the operations at Michelin recognized/starred restaurants? With or without Michelin recognition, running a restaurant is not an easy task. Please be kind to your frontline workers and know we are here because we want to make your dining experience extraordinary and make you happy. We do not take for granted you are spending your hard-earned money with us, especially in these uncertain times, and please know we are grateful for it. What are 3 tips you can share about working behind the scenes in Michelin-starred and recognized restaurants? I take a very collaborative approach with all aspects of running the restaurant. I have always approached all the Chefs who I have worked with, as partners and equals instead of their superior. Chefs are artists and as GM, I am here to help support their vision and do my best to let their talent flourish in this turbulent industry. I’m not sure if that’s the correct way, but it’s the method that has worked best for me. Be happy and spread good vibes is my mantra. Sprinkle wit and humor in the conversation wherever you can to make your staff/customers smile and laugh. Always be mindful your actions have the ability to make or break your coworkers’ day. Say “good morning” to every staff member when you see them, and say “thank you, see you tomorrow” to your staff every night! It’s the simplest and tiniest thing, but it’s very important to me. Would you like to mention the name of the restaurant you’ll be moving to? I have recently been given the opportunity to join Yoshino New York as General Manager and instantly felt this was an opportunity I cannot refuse. The opportunity to work with the legendary Chef Tadashi Yoshida, whose ambition is to make Yoshino New York the top sushi restaurant, not only in New York, but the world, is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I am truly honored to have the chance to chase that dream with him. July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 95
VINTAGE FINDS
from page 66
wire glass to create partitions, a pair of gorgeous copper fire doors that we hung on brick and used as decorative sliding video screen covers at The Broadway in South Boston. We also refurbished vintage shoe racks that were used as a dramatic bread display at Capo in South Boston. Designer Alsun Keogh of Nusla Designs, created the industrial chic look at Washington, DC’s Nicoletta Italian Kitchen and Brew’d Coffee Bar, top photo, by mixing layers of architecturally salvaged industrial holophane fixtures with steel and glass elements. A partition wall created from raw steel and using large sheets of corrugated chicken wire from old factories separates the bar and the main dining room without closing off either space. “The seating is leather, rich, dark and comfortable, while the tables are made from recycled industrial floors including original screws,” Keogh noted, “Old French school chairs add a whimsical touch. Lighting fixtures made from WWI machine gun parts and Edison bulbs continue the industrial chic effect into the bathrooms. And a makeshift wine display was created from old 1950s office cabinets filled with old legal books, wine bottles and votive candles for a charming accent wall.” Restaurateur Seth McClelland notes that the atmosphere rates as the most important thing that causes a customer to return again and again. “Architectural salvage has been crucial to the authenticity of the atmosphere in my venues,” said McClelland. “To help create a cozy conversation area in my prohibition-era speakeasy, The Mirror, Washington, DC, I added a soft cocoa leather couch, vintage cocktail table, crystal chandelier and industrial metal stools.” Temi J. Sacks is a journalist, book author and the president of New York-based public relations agency T. J. Sacks & Associates. Learn more at https://tjsacks.com/
Vintage shoe racks were upcycled as bread display racks at Capo.
The Broadway uses chicken wire glass partitions.
Nicoletta makeshift wine display was created from old 1950s office cabinets filled with old legal books, wine bottles and votive candles.
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PLANT BASED
from page 52
best practices in labelling new dishes and placement of new items for the best results. What effective strategies have you determined for training chefs about successfully adding plant-based menus in foodservice operations? We provide an education on common whole food plant-based products such as tofu, tempeh, flaxseed, and aquafaba. We want to open a discussion and take the fear away from using these products. Most often, the chefs and foodservice workers have all seen these products but rarely are they discussed in depth. We go over techniques that will help chefs use these products more effectively, making sure we hit on the most important aspect of our work – making tasty, beautiful food that customers are craving. We have found that one of the most effective ways to make big changes on menus with little impact to labor and procurement is to swap whole food plant-based proteins for the animal-based proteins in recipes that the chefs already use. Accounts have popular recipes that the chefs already know how to create, so we just
FANCY FOOD SHOW
ask them to replace the protein. It’s a simple swap with a big impact. The chefs can see how easy it is to take out animal products from their recipe and the menu cycle can still continue. After the training, we encourage the accounts to make additional swaps on their menus with the recipes they have been provided. This empowers the accounts to make changes on their own after seeing how easy it is to do. What types of kitchen cooking equipment would make plant-based menus easier for chefs and their staff? Our work focuses on keeping recipes fairly easy and accessible for all, and that includes what type of kitchen cooking equipment should be used. The most common pieces of equipment are stoves, pots, pans, ovens, and food processors. I don’t think of cooking equipment as the tool to make plant-based menus easier for chefs and their staff. I believe a lot of chefs and their staff get hung up on the idea that we are removing something from a dish. I try to think about how the other half of the world eats, without meat. How do they create beautiful and delicious
dishes? They use the tools available to them: seasoning, marinating, smoking, charring, etc. Instead of focusing on what is not in the dish, focus on the creation of a flavorful dish first; it just happens to not have any animal products in it. Please share innovations for plantbased menu planning. I think our use of whole food plantbased proteins as swaps for existing menu offerings is probably our biggest innovation by far. We understand the struggles that chefs and their staff have these days with labor and procurement issues, so looking at the challenge of creating successful recipes for accounts to use without having to learn all new processes and ordering unfamiliar ingredients was paramount. Staff and customers know the menu cycle pretty well, so instead of creating brand new dishes from scratch which could have a variety of challenges on all fronts, we have them create dishes that are familiar, which in turn makes it easier on staff to learn and allows customers the opportunity to try something they already know.
Kindly provide two or three examples of successful outcomes of the trainings. We had an opportunity to work with the University of Dayton and Washington State University this past winter because both accounts agreed to increase their plant-based offerings in all their retail outlets. We were able to reach about 60 participants between the two institutions. Not only were the participants wonderful to work with and learned a lot about plant-based ingredients and techniques, but they also came away with new versions of existing recipes by applying what they learned and creating new flavor profiles. They challenged themselves to create delicious food that would inspire their customers, and they walked away with the knowledge to keep innovating their menus for the health of their customers, the planet and to benefit animals in the process! For more plant-based insights, marketing materials, and how-to’s for foodservice, take a look at what Meatless Monday offers at https://www.mondaycampaigns.org/meatless-monday/ foodservice
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Every corner of the world was represented with State and International Pavilions from Wisconsin to Poland. There was an extensive agenda of educational programming, including the new 2022 State of the Specialty Food Industry research. What’s New and What’s Hot showcases were found throughout the show. The show also provided a backdrop for The Specialty Food Association (SFA) to reveal the winners of its 50th Annual sofi™ Awards, a celebration of culinary excellence and creativity. One hundred plus specialty food products were awarded Gold, and New Product, trophies. Available only to product-qualified members of the SFA, the sofi Awards were judged at the Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University (FIC),
the SFA’s partner for the awards. FIC experts evaluated products using anonymous tastings across 47 categories using criteria that included flavor, appearance, texture, aroma, ingredient quality, and innovation. “For 50 years the sofi Awards have been recognizing the best of the best in the specialty food industry,” said Laura Lozada, vice president, Membership for the SFA. “Our members are the foundation of our industry, and we are proud to honor their innovation, growth, and creativity.” Product of the year honors went to Sterling Caviar. “We are extremely thankful to have received Product of the Year for our ROYAL Grade White Sturgeon Caviar. Our entire team at Sterling Caviar is truly excited
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(L to R) The show’s Wall of Cheese has become a must-see spectacle
by this award as it’s a testament to the dedication and commitment we have in producing a quality product while, at the same time, promoting true sustainability and complete traceability of our caviar products,”
said Myra Tallerico, General Manager/COO of Sterling Caviar. “The sofi Awards represent the best of the best and it’s an honor to now be a part of its story.” The nod for best new product went to Lime Mint Shrub. “This summer we celebrate our 35th year of making Shrub,” said Kim Tait, president, Tait Farm Foods. “What started from an over-abundance of ripe raspberries on our farm in the mid 1890’s, has led us on an unimaginable journey. This award is a wonderful and important affirmation to the continued hard work and creativity of our team.” With over 1,800 booths and buying power closing in on $200 billion, the Specialty Food show’s 2022 edition showed that the “New Normal” is coming quickly.
SUCCESS WITH UBER EATS a partner that would deliver the poke bowls quickly and with care, keeping them cold to withstand the Miami heat and ensuring that toppings stay in place. While Doordash and Grubhub promised to provide the efficiency Crazy Poke needed, it was Uber Eats that delivered—literally. “Other apps seem to lack delivery people,” Rubino says. “Sometimes with other apps, it takes too long to get a delivery person. Why am I making an effort to have the food ready quickly, only to have it sit there while the delivery person arrives?” According to Rubino, delays not only jeopardize the freshness of the poke, but also frustrate customers waiting for their food. “Ultimately, Uber Eats is simply a better partner, according to Rubino. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Crazy Poke continued to thrive thanks to Uber Eats. Uber Eats’ flexible promotions, including buy-oneget-one or dollars off an order, were instrumental in enticing new customers to try Crazy Poke, and once they ordered, they kept coming back. “We saw a 15% lift in delivery from Uber Eats over the past few months5,” Rubino says. Typically, Uber Eats drives about 25% of Crazy Poke’s delivery business. “They just do a great job,” he says.
from page 55 monthly orders for small businesses and restaurants adding delivery to their offering is ~10 - 30%. Actual results may vary. Editor’s Note: These stories are sponsored by Uber Eats. In accordance with FTC guidelines concerning use of endorsements and testimonials in marketing, please be aware of the following: The case studies presented here reflect experiences of restaurants that have used our products and services in
some way. However, they are individual results and results may vary. The testimonials are not necessarily representative of all those who will use our products and/or services. The information contained within these testimonials are self-reported by the restaurant featured unless otherwise indicated as based on internal Uber data. As such, they may not be indicative of current or future performance for prospective or other platform users. This information should not be considered a guarantee of future
performance using the Uber Eats platform. The testimonials were gathered via interviews with restaurant representatives. While some quotations were taken verbatim, much of the interview has been paraphrased and edited for clarity. The entire interview, and all information shared during the interview, is not displayed. The Uber Eats partners interviewed have consented to the representation seen here.
1 Based on self-reported data from Roaming Rooster in 2020. Average delivery sales via delivery will vary based on restaurant size, uptime on the Uber Eats app and other factors. 2 Based on self-reported data from Smoothie Spot in 2020. Average delivery sales via delivery will vary based on restaurant size, uptime on the Uber Eats app and other factors. Actual results may vary. 3 Based on self-reported data from EVOS in 2020. Avg. basket lift for free item and BOGO promotions is ~10%. Actual results may vary. 4 Average time between restaurant accepting an order to delivery person pick-up was 14 mins in 2020, versus the national average, 20 mins. Actual results may vary.” 5 Based on self-reported data from Crazy Poke in 2020. The lift in avg. July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 99
AHF-NY 2022 EVENT
from page 72
Steve Chassman, the executive director of The Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence spoke about: The Cost of Caring: Resiliency and Compassion Fatigue in a session that was truly food for thought. “This year is so important to so many of our members as we look towards a return to normal after the challenges of the last two plus years,” noted AHF-NY chapter president Leslie Rosen. AHF-New York’s goal is to play a key role in the journey to health and wellness. As healthcare foodservice self-
FRANCINE COHEN
operators, the group understands the important alignment between nutrition and healing. The chapter’s mission is to develop leaders and raise the bar for foodservice in New York’s selfoperated facilities, whether acute or long-term care. Its members are directors, managers, dietitians, and chefs. AHF-NY provides professional growth through focused education - the programming that drives productivity, innovation, and patient satisfaction from within all facets of the foodservice department, from patient meals to staff dining to retail concepts.
PARTS TOWN
from page 84
delivery of products faster than anyone and more efficiently and more effectively and in a way that makes it easy to do business. So much so that Parts Town’s ethos now goes beyond providing foodservice equipment,” Holder added. “We are a one stop shop for the industry and those customers have demands that go beyond food service equipment parts. So many of our chain partners and institutional customers come to us for things that are not fitting the traditional food service equipment parts, but they
find it simple and easy to do business with us and want us to expand that support.” The Parts Town Marketplace platform he concluded, “is a fantastic way for us to extend the availability of parts that our customers are demanding, and more and more customers are digital, and our platform is fantastic for leveraging that opportunity.” More information on Parts Town as well as their inventory and services can be found online at https://www. partstown.com/
from page 32
tender who is now the San Diego based brand ambassador for Humboldt Distillery understands why and she shares, “This is the summer of cocktail freedom. Summer is all about light, refreshing, crushable, and sessionable. There’s a reason lower ABV Rosé (All Day) caught on and breweries now make sessionable beers. Longer days mean longer hours of sunlight, and if you are partaking in daytime drinking, you want to make sure that you can sustain your sobriety throughout the afternoon. Lower ABV cocktails or Hard Kombuchas are always good to have on the menu during summer.” Ellis concurs and shares her opinion that the low proof highball is the drink of 2022. Her research supporting this? Bartenders, always the arbiters of next year’s trends, have been on the low abv highball bandwagon for at least a year. And who can question the popularity of canned cocktails and hard seltzers? Currently Ellis’ favorite call is a blanc vermouth with soda and a lemon twist. The Rosé Sangria Spritz that reappears on The Smith’s summer menu annually reflects Ellis’ and Balser’s thoughts about summer drinking, and there’s no denying that hot and sticky Washingtonians embrace the classic Rickey as their signature summer hometown drink for a reason. While refreshing is the name of the game, quality ingredients and interest-
ing options draws them in and makes guests order one more. Ellis looks to under the radar spirits like Trakal from Patagonia, while creativity drives Adam Montgomerie, the Bar Manager of the New York outpost of London’s famed Hawksmoor, and his team who worked together to produce a summer cocktail program centered around the dual themes of thirst-quenching and compelling. He explains, “For us it’s all about Highballs. We have some staples on our menu, La Mariposa, Ginza Highball, Hawksmoor Calling, and for summer we’ve added a couple more. The Mandarin Paloma is our take on the classic Paloma which we’ve updated with Mezcal, mandarin and other tropical notes. Our Mackinaw Highball features the classic combination of Bourbon and peach and is accentuated by Cognac and Jasmine tea.” Riffing on drinks like the Paloma and the Margarita allow Montgomerie to reach for ingredients like the Oro Blanco grapefruit he sources from California. Just as Ellis knows that drinks need to reflect the setting and food coming out of a kitchen Montgomerie also seeks ingredients that suit the venue as he explains, “Oro Blancos are less acidic and have a really delicious, sweet flavor that makes them perfect for this drink. Bernard Ranches also farm sustainably and put some serious work in to looking after their land which aligns with Hawksmoor values.”
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SIPS TO SAVOR Maison Marcel ‘Love Now’ While highballs and frozen drinks will remain center stage this summer, there’s still always room for rosé. And this special edition that hit the market in June in time for Pride month is one you’ll want to know, both for its desirable off-dry rosé style, and because sales from the Love Now bottle of Maison Marcel benefits the Latino Equity Alliance. Guests will love this blend of Grenache, merlot, black and white muscat that comes in at 12% abv. Doing good while tasting great is an extra bonus. (Photo by Eugene Lee)
Klein concludes with a few thoughts, “The objective is not to put as many beverages on your menu as possible but to know your customers and to have options they truly want. It’s also important to organize your
menu so it’s easy for people to quickly discover what meets their needs at the moment.” The moment is calling for refreshing drink options. Count on washing a lot of Collins glasses this summer.
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 101
FAST CRAFT COCKTAILS size and the consistency desired. Try to use frozen ingredients in place of ice to prevent dilution and increase hold times. • If using large chunks of ice or frozen and tough ingredients, start the blender on a lower speed setting to incorporate before increasing the speed to high to refine. • You’ll need to optimize the sugar and spirits content for each recipe, as frozen drinks using ice as a major ingredient may require more concentrated flavors, and stronger drinks are likely to melt faster. Whip-Shaken Creations Craft cocktails such as the Ramos Gin Fizz and the Amaretto Sour are typically hand-shaken to produce a pleasantly tart beverage with a creamy top layer of foam. The beverage is normally made by combining spirits, syrups, juices and ice, along with an emulsifying ingredient such as egg whites, fresh pineapple juice or aquafaba. Then, bartenders employ the “whip-shaking” technique, using a bar shaker to aerate the mix and produce the rich, frothy result. The main drawback to making this drink by hand is preparation time, which may require up to several minutes of vigorous shaking per drink. If the bartender doesn’t shake the drink properly – for example, by rushing this process – it can lead to unsatisfactory results. However, you can achieve the desired effect quickly and more easily by using The Quiet One equipped with the Aerating Container. The flat blade in the container will aerate, foam and chill ingredients in a fraction of the time it takes to whip-shake. Using the blender also allows for multiple batches at once, and the bartender can attend to other tasks when using the blender’s automated blend settings. How to make: • Add all ingredients (except carbonated ingredients) into a highperformance blender fitted with the Aerating Container. Blend speed, time and cycle will vary depending on the ingredients, the number of servings and the level of aeration desired.
from page 18 • Strain the blended beverage into a glass and top with soda, aromatics or bitters, as desired. • When blending, use the largest size of ice cubes possible to reduce dilution and prevent them from being processed. Flavored Syrups Elevate cocktails to a new level by flavoring them with sweet, aromatic or flavored syrups, made in-house ahead of time. Examples range from the basic simple syrup to syrups infused with the flavor of fresh ginger, citrus, herbs and spices. Making these syrups without a blender can be difficult to do behind the bar. The traditional 1:1 sugar-towater combo usually requires both a saucepan and a stove, which may not be available there at the bar. But you can use a high-powered blender to achieve the same results. How to make: • Add hot water from the bar’s instant hot water tap (ideally about 180° F) into The Quiet One blender fitted with the Aerating Container. Next, add an equal amount of granulated or raw sugar. It’s important to add the water first, as this promotes better blade movement and can reduce wear and tear on the blender. • Blend the ingredients on one speed continuously until the sugar has dissolved, about one to two minutes. The blender blades in combination with the heat of the water will hasten this process. • To flavor the syrup, you can steep herbs, spices or other botanical ingredients in the hot water first, removing them from the water before blending. Try these tips and tricks and see how surprisingly easy and speedy it can be to replicate these popular craft cocktails using specialized blending equipment. Stephen Hosey is blending application manager and culinary team member at Vitamix, where he assists commercial customers with kitchen and bar efficiency, recipe creation and menu development. Contact him at letstalkcommercial@vitamix.com.
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FRANCOIS PAYARD
from page 16
dual residence and have split my time between Manhattan and Long Island. I have really had a love affair with the North Fork. I started working with the General last year and now, of course, in opening Southold Social. Until 2009, I used to have an eponymous concept in Manhattan, which was my heart and soul. I wanted to open a variation of ‘Payard’ on the North Fork. A similarly approachable concept, but with a menu that takes advantage of the bounty that is hyperlocal — oysters/ seafood, rosé, produce, Long Island duck — sourced from within a tight radius. What makes Southold Social different from other cafes and markets in the area? Southold Social is completely different than anything on the North Fork. Ultimately, it’s a Gallic concept with local North Fork sourcing. This brasserie blends beautiful colors, great ambiance, and good vibes so it will be meal diners never forget. We also have an incredible outdoor dining area, and an oyster pit that we are excited to officially open very soon. Lessons learned from prior jobs that you’ve brought to the culture at Southold Social. Over the last four years, I have opened five different restaurants and have learned quite a bit. This menu offers the favorite dishes from each of the restaurants, so, you will find everything. We have pasta, crudo, polenta, ratatouille, and so much more...It is impossible to find something you will not like! Are you experiencing any supply chain issues? Yes, sure, but the silver lining is that we source from local farms and fishers so everything is fresh and delicious, and we are supporting the community. Tell us about the local vendors you source for ingredients. Everything we do, it is with the
local community in mind. Pretty much everything on the menu is sourced locally. We rely heavily on local farm and fish vendors. If somebody approaches me and asks me to visit their farm, I will always go; I love meeting everyone and learning about the work that they do. What’s your favorite piece of equipment that you couldn’t live without? The KitchenAid, of course! And we purchase almost exclusively Staub cookware. What’s your greatest aspiration for Southold Social? When creating this menu, I wanted to bring the community something that you would see in the city, but is made with all local ingredients. Favorite career accomplishment? Payard –– everybody made lasting memories there. Even now, people tell me that they lament its opening. When people love a specific place so much, it is hard to replicate. I am glad that my restaurant was a special place for so many. Who were/are your mentors? My dad is my first mentor and continues to be. What do you see ahead for yourself and Southold Social? I see ahead of us a great place not just for destination visitors but for locals. Much of the time with summer vacation spots, the locals find that they are left out of the culinary scene. I live with everyone here all year long, so all of my restaurants are focused on pleasing them. I want everyone on the North Fork to know that we ensure they have tables whenever they want; they have a spot at the table. I want the locals not to just love it for one night, but for multiple nights a week, like Payard. The price point is great, and the portions are plentiful. Everything is local!
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 103
FIORITO ON INSURANCE So, what can hospitality businesses do? Within such an environment, underwriters carefully review submissions, questioning and reviewing every detail of information on the application. Together, with your insurance broker, work towards a professional submission that highlights the strengths of your risk management efforts. Completing an insurance review and gathering information takes time.
TREND HOT LIST 2022 concern for animal welfare is driving popularity for cashew, pistachio, and the familiar almond milk. Milks from alternative substances, such as potatoes are also on the rise as a way to use leftover scraps from cooking and adhere to the zero-waste trend. Modern Menu Menus have evolved significantly
MARQII
from page 14 Here is what you can do to improve your situation in this hard market: • Be Proactive: Providing your updated information to your broker early in the renewal process will allow you to obtain your renewal terms sooner and address options with your broker.
• Be Current: Improve maintenance, implement Risk Services recommendations, undergo an operational evaluation – underwriters favor and value clients that take care of their business.
• Be Complete: Insurance underwriters have limited time to go back and forth with your broker requesting missing information - assist by ensur-
These are just some of the ways you can get ahead of rising premium costs and navigate the current state of the insurance market. Now more than
ever, it is imperative to work with your insurance advisor to review your coverages and to understand what your P&C policies cover, what they don’t and the best ways to mitigate the individual and unique risks of your properties. 1. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ empsit.nr0.htm
from page 48 since the pandemic. Enhance your dining experience and boost your bottom line with this modern menu inspiration: > Labor and supply chain constraints demand smaller menus that are easy to execute and change. Smaller menus offer operators an opportunity to improve forecasting and boost profit margins.
from page 20
that can easily strain operations as a restaurant looks to keep its online presence up to date and accurate. “Content is either updated or outdated,” Goren said. “Marqii at its core is a digital operations efficiency tool. Our goal is to enable technology to work for restaurants as they seek to grow and build a loyal following of repeat customers.” Goren has developed an astute eye for the changes in the needs of the “New Normal” restaurant operator. Because of that, the company has greatly simplified the on-boarding process of new customers with a brief 30-minute onboarding meeting where Marqii learns each company’s specific practices and operational techniques for implementing changes internally. Then Marqii, without altering a customer’s previous style, will adapt to make sure that the restaurant is able to push its online menu information across all relevant customer-facing platforms
ing your file is complete.
efficiently, accurately and quickly. With varying packages offered, customers receive beneficial information such as location data, menu management analytics, and reviews after the collaboration begins. “Our representatives respond quickly to our restaurant customers. We like to think of it as treating you the way that you want to treat your customer,” Goren concluded. In a business where respect and honesty are priorities for building a sound reputation, Marqii helps to ensure that those qualities are highlighted as a restaurant builds its digital brand.
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> Digital menus and orders continue to flourish. Ordering via QR codes, kiosks, handheld devices, and websites will become commonplace. > Remote work is here to stay; reflect this in your business model through remote ordering options, top-quality packaging, takeout meals and meal kits, and delivery.
> To maximize the space of restaurants that still have capacity restraints, offer midweek specials to drive traffic on off -peak days. To learn more about trends and restaurant solutions, view Sysco Foodie Magazine here: https://bit.ly/3A3r4qS.
July 2022 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 105
RE-OPENING STRATEGIES Tastes of Chicago provide a one-stop shop for consumers looking for regional specialties, gift basket combos, and hard to find treats. For the operator, they provide services ranging from marketing to fulfillment to payment processing. There are also niche websites featuring products that cater to people with dietary restrictions and preferences where chefs, bakers, and other producers can market their items to a specific audience. All good options to explore! Let’s focus next on how to get the program started. If you have a data base of current customers and their email addresses, you can launch an email campaign to promote your fare and draw them to your website. Optin text messages are another way to promote sales. People eat with their eyes, so make sure no matter what digital marketing tools you use, your photography is stellar. Take the time to stage your products, use video and get creative. The next step is to create a loyalty program and/or subscription program to promote repeat sales. Gift cards sold online are another great way to boost revenue. Make sure your website is easy to navigate and the checkout process is simple. In addition, social media platforms are an excellent way to showcase your product. Instagram, Facebook, and wherever else your target customers are, is where you want to advertise and post content. Review various e-commerce platforms for one that meets your needs. There are so many options today including Shopify, Wix, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Volusion, and custom platforms. Depending on your volume, your budget, and in-house skills, you can find a solution that is best for you. Remember, whether you decide to launch this with your own platform or find a marketing partner to get you started, selecting the right packaging is essential. Our Imperial Dade experts can simplify the process and help you determine what menu items are appropriate for e-commerce sales. This includes selecting packaging for
from page 12 the products as well as packaging for shipping. Picking the right packaging is key. Let’s say a restaurant has a signature cheesecake they want to offer for online sales. The package needs to protect the product and preserve quality during shipping. The answer may be a heavier corrugated box coupled with shirk wrap rather than the traditional bakery box used for retail sales. Another example is a meal kit, with each element packaged individually. An example is ribs with barbeque sauce and side of au gratin potatoes. Containers may need to withstand freezing or reheating in the microwave or oven. In this case, labeling each item with instructions is important to ensure a positive customer experience. Operators can include a QR code linking to a short video featuring the chef talking them through the reheating process and thanking them for their purchase. For shipping perishable items, you’ll most likely need an outer case with an insulated liner, metalized bubble wrap, or a rigid foam box that creates airspace to help the product keep cold. Ice blocks or dry ice may be required. We also recommend printed tape to seal the box, creating a tamper-evident and branded closure for the box. For large volume customers, the shipping cartons can be customized creating an enjoyable experience when the shipment arrives, especially when the item is a gift. We are happy to help get you started with this exciting new opportunity. We have customers ranging from fine dining to fast casual restaurants, gourmet markets to bakeries, that have enjoyed success selling their products online, directly and through aggregators. Schedule a packaging review with one of our experts. Discuss which items you wish to offer for e-commerce sales. We’ll recommend both product and shipping packaging and run trials to ensure quality. Next, we can address custom print items to help with brand recognition. Put our experience to work for your new ecommerce business.
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AROQA
from page 8
ner scouted out a location for 3 months before they were satisfied and hired a Korean architect to remodel it entirely. Saxena and her partner stopped seeing eye-to-eye when her partner wanted to take the restaurant towards the catering industry, believing it wouldn’t succeed as a conventional eatery. “I was invested though, I decided to take over as the operator,” Saxena said. “In 2018, I took over the restaurant and spent 16 hours a day for about six months understanding how to work a restaurant.” That understanding meshed with her background in the technology industry to create and implement tried and true managerial techniques with high standards and equality at the forefront. Saxena cross-trained her staff, teaching them how to work in all positions so that if issues arose in an individual department, any employee could offer a helping hand. This method of creating a “flat organization” allowed Saxena’s core value of teamwork to thrive in times when it was most needed. During Covid, that cross-training ended up being more valuable than ever. It enabled the aRoqa team to seamlessly substitute for each other without needing additional training. Saxena didn’t take that for granted and did her best to supply them with everything they needed to keep them going strong during a low point in the community. “The minute I got my PPP (Payroll Protection Program), I brought them all back in and said, ‘this money has come for you guys,’” Saxena noted. “I was the first one to have dividers and mask mandates, I got my whole team vaccinated. I had somebody come in and vaccinate all of them for the first two shots.” Along with hiring somebody to come to the restaurant with the vaccine, Saxena paid some of her employees out of pocket when enough revenue wasn’t coming in because she knew she had to have their backs. Covid helped Saxena build her confidence in aRoqa, knowing that surviving the pandemic would
mean that it could survive anything. The esteemed sense of camaraderie, along with her consideration for others is what Saxena credits her success to. Her empathy for her workers, suppliers, and guests keeps the feedback coming, and everyone in the aRoqa family happy. For the meal itself, presentation is always a factor, as the first experience customers have with the food is what they can see. Saxena said that being true to the cuisine is how she keeps her standards met. Those standards allowed aRoqa to become Michelin-recognized in 2021, a prestigious honor for any organization, but especially impressive with how young the business is. The namesake comes from the term “roka,” a traditional Indian event where families gather and celebrate the newfound engagement of a couple over a meal. The meals are inspired by the Mughal culture, and the ambience is set to spark that feeling of celebration and festivities for customers. “It’s the team and the cooks that are cooking and serving the guests. These are the people who are the true aRoqa, not Monica, Monica is a dreamer who wanted to set an example that Indian restaurants can operate in a dignified fashion that treats staff well,” Saxena said. That dream became a reality from the passion and effort put forth by Saxena, serving as an inspiration for all dreamers that anything is possible. To learn more about aRoqa, visit their website at https://aroqanyc. com/
CON ED
from page 58
vast majority of their customers will qualify for the rebates,” Dubé added. “Con Edison offers rebates to nonresidential customers for the purchase and installation of energy efficient food service equipment, DiPillo said. Our program allows customers to receive their rebate on their sales invoice at the time of purchase of qualifying food service equipment. That means the customer does not have to wait or fill out paperwork. Customers can work with any food service equipment dealer that is enrolled in the program to take advantage of the rebates; the dealer will submit the rebate claim on behalf of the customer. Eligible natural gas equipment must be installed at an active, valid, non-residential Con Edison natural gas service location. Eligible electric equipment must be installed at an active, valid, non-residential Con Edison electric service location. Religious institutions and veterans’ institutions with a residential account are also eligible for the program.” ConEd’s new program offers more than just financial incentive. By selecting from a range of Energy Star approved appliances, customers also invest in the protection of the environment. According to Energy Star, the benchmark established by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, the rigorous efficiency testing undertaken by participating manufacturers ensures that their designation honors products that reduce greenhouse emissions. Thus, explained Dubé, “participation and the purchase and installation of energy efficient food service equipment offers additional benefits outside of savings on a customer’s utility bill. Energy efficient equipment promotes a healthier kitchen environment by reducing emissions, improving air quality, and reducing temperatures within the kitchen. Participating dealers can market the program as an investment they have made to help their customers afford energy efficient equipment and enjoy utility bill savings throughout the life of the equipment. In addi-
“There is no paperwork that the customer needs to fill out to take advantage of the rebates! The food service equipment dealers that participate have been trained to offer the rebates and it is the dealers’ responsibility to submit the rebate form.” — Nikole DiPillo tion, food service equipment dealers in the program and their customers that participate are communicating to their community, and to the food service equipment industry, that they care about climate change and reducing CO2 emissions. We all must do our part to participate in the clean energy transition and the Energy Star label communicates that a business is investing in sustainability. Con Edison works with participating dealers and customers that have received rebates to create case studies for use on their website to highlight the commitment of these partners to reducing their carbon footprint.” As the food services industry embarks on what will likely be a lengthy recovery following the pandemic, ConEd has begun to see increased demand for rebate-compliant appliances. “Yes, the program offers rebates on many product types for both gas and electric equipment. Fryers and convection ovens are the most successful product types within the program. Both product types have high demand because so many different types of food service establishments use them. Electric equipment generally has been in high demand. At this point, it’s unclear if the increased demand is due to supply chain shortages that are impacting gas equipment, or if the market is responding to the push toward electrification by proactively switching to electric equipment. Combination ovens are also growing in popularity, especially in New York City, where there are space constraints. Combination ovens can replace the need for both steamers and convection
ovens.,” added DiPillo. Additionally, electric equipment has seen an uptick in demand, fueled primarily by the impact of supply chain shortages on gas appliances and the market’s shift away from gas power. Combi ovens are also a popular choice amongst consumers – especially those based in New York City – as they remedy space constraints by combining the benefits of ventless cooking into a single appliance. Con Edison currently offers rebates on 12 gas product types and 9 electric product types. We are always looking for new product types to add based on market research and feedback, so this list evolves and changes over time.” Despite the ever-evolving economic environment, ConEd remains steadfastly committed to providing consumers with the best bang for their buck. The rebate program saves restaurant and foodservice professionals money both at purchase and throughout the lifetime of an appliance through its partnership with eco-friendly pioneer Energy Star. ENERGY STAR is a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “For a product to receive the ENERGY STAR designation, the manufacturer must have the product tested for various energy efficiency (and sometimes water efficiency) metrics, as dictated by the applicable ENERGY STAR product specification, Dube noted. The product will be tested by an EPA-recognized certification body (CB) and the CB personnel will determine if a product meets the ENERGY STAR criteria based
on the efficiency requirements laid out in the product specification. In short – the ENERGY STAR designation indicates that a product is meeting the minimum energy efficiency standards set by the ENERGY STAR product specification document. I will add that the program also accepts products that have been tested and approved through the FSTC/ Foodservice Technology Center in addition to ENERGY STAR certified products.” Overall, Con Edison ensures that the hospitality professional keep their business local, reduce their carbon footprint, and save hard-earned cash by offering a suite of modern and efficient appliances at competitive prices. The programs popularity has been driven by its simplicity. “There is no paperwork that the customer needs to fill out to take advantage of the rebates! The food service equipment dealers that participate have been trained to offer the rebates and it is the dealers’ responsibility to submit the rebate form,” DiPillo concluded. “At this point, the customer’s work is done! After the sale is completed, the dealer will submit a claim for the rebate via the program’s online claim processing platform. The dealer receives a check within 2 weeks of a claim’s approval as reimbursement for the rebate amount that was discounted off the customer’s invoice.” For additional queries concerning product eligibility, rebate amounts, and contact information, go to https://coned.com/efficientkitchen to learn about the product types that are eligible for rebates, the corresponding rebate amounts, and to find contact information on enrolled dealers that offer the rebates. For any customer questions about how to take advantage of the rebates or if you are a dealer and want to enroll in the program, please email instantrebates-ne@energy-solution. com or call 617-440-5466 to communicate directly with the program implementation team.
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NBR + TD MARKETING and manufacturing, 2022 is evolving into a banner year for the TD/ NBR team. TD Marketing recently coordinated with NBR to complete the outfitting of several Sarabeth’s locations in New York City with shelving lines and bar equipment demonstrating NBR’s range of products. The best testimony we have is actually our own showroom. I just put in a brand-new demo test kitchen, and this is a great example of why availability is so important. The plumbing side of NBR’s business - their sinks and their floor troughs and their hand sinks are products that sometimes get forgotten about and then at the last minute the plumber says, ‘hey I need to get this installed’, and you scramble to try to find it. So again, having NBR so close I was able to put in floor troughs and I didn’t know that the plumber wasn’t providing them. So, spur of a moment I was able to drive down to NBR, pick up floor troughs and get them back to the plumber to have them installed in a concrete floor that day. He was amazed. He couldn’t believe how fast I was able to go get these floor troughs and bring them back and have them installed.” The TD Marketing test kitchen is playing a huge role as the company seeks to support the dealer and consultant professional. In addition to NBR, Doyle points out that “the facility features different types of food processors for chefs that want to come in and try to grind their spices and see if it’ll do exactly what
from page 80 they want it to do. Or an oven they want to use to try a specific menu item to see if it’s going to cook the way they want it to cook in the time frame that they want it to. It is just a great way for chefs to be able to test out a piece of equipment or small appliance and see if it will fit their needs before they go out and purchase.” Doyle explained that while the Internet is a great educational tool, “sometimes you really need to just put your hands on the equipment and give it a test drive. I think the demo test kitchens are never going away. They will always add value and we always invite our dealer customers and chefs to come in and try anything. I think it’s critical to the sale of a lot of different higher end type of appliances like speed ovens and combi ovens and food preservation, and especially with food processing.” He also indicated that as the industry resurges, several pieces of equipment are regaining relevance these days. “The top siders on griddles are coming back. It’s all about speed today. Everybody is just fast paced but you don’t have a whole lot of time for lunch so they’ve got to find ways to keep a really great product and do it as fast as they possibly can,” Doyle concluded. With the NBR line from TD Marketing, operators and the dealer and consultants that serve them can focus on maximizing their guests dining experience.
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SQUADLE
from page 86
that have a Squadle sensor located in them.” This patented feature, Stangle explained, is both economical and labor-saving. “From an ROI perspective as it relates to remote temperature monitoring, there’s a lot of ways the software pays you back. With our SmartCapture functionality, we’re reducing the need for manual checks. So we’re seeing operators save 20 minutes per shift when they switch to wireless temperature monitoring. Historically operators were using pen and paper for tests that require 2 employees specifically for food safety. One employee would capture the temperature and another person would record the temperature . Now, with Squadle’s ZeroTouch™ bluetooth temperature transmission, one employee can both capture and log temperatures, so that’s saving these operators one hour per day on their food safety tasks specifically.”
Undoubtedly the pandemic brought clean and safe to a new level of priority in our consciousness. Now that life is on its way back to normal, Stangle said there are several key issues that Squadle can help to address. “Protocols that we’re able to address with some of our digitized safety task management include scheduled handwashing alerts or reminders to clean the customer dining area. Management can view progress for these tasks in real-time and communicate to employees if there are task completion issues,” he concluded. With its suite of innovative Bluetooth devices, Squadle has made its mark on the food safety industry and is here to stay. The Squadle system enables quick serve restaurant (QSR) and foodservice operators to make a statement to employees and dining patrons that food safety, general health, and cleanliness are a top priority.
SOCIETY FOR HOSPITALITY AND FOODSERVICE MANAGEMENT
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LEGAL INSIDER
from page 60
insurance exchanges operate from adverse health claims experience. Can New York’s concerns over some aspects of association plans be reconciled with the benefits that an insured association MEWA can produce? Here are some suggested measures NY might consider either through regulatory action or legislation to help that process: • Require the association that sponsors the plan to clearly meet the higher standards for single group plan status under ERISA as well as the tax exempt and “line of business” requirements of Section 501 (c) (6) of the Internal Revenue Code —this would ensure that the sponsoring association is not merely an insurance-focused organization but one that is engaged in multi-program industry advancement. • Permit aggregation for employer groups that include groups of employees that due to their intermittent or short-term work patterns are
PAYTRONIX
unable to achieve coverage under standard, small employer, community rated plans—employees in construction, motion picture production and other industries often work on a project-by-project basis. • Require that the group health insurance policy have specified levels of coverage pegged to ACA (or to the States Exchange’s) levels and specified of essential benefits coverage. • Require that participating employers pay at a minimum a specified threshold of the individual employee’s premiums. • Require that the association plan cover in the aggregate at least 101 employees annually. This article is intended as a general informational discussion of the selected topic and is not legal advice or intended as legal advice. Readers are advised to consult with attorneys and other professionals for advice and guidance with respect to specific situations.
from page 94
to their clients. “We get people to visit 20 to 30% more frequently than they would if they don’t join. And anytime there’s a downturn or recession, those retention numbers go off the chart. During COVID restaurant spend was down 75%. If you were engaging in one of the program offerings that we have you only reduced your spend by 25%,” Robbins explained. In this era where online ordering has skyrocketed, Robbins said, “prepandemic online ordering could have been 18% for many brands. Now it’s up around 33-35% and post pandemic it is staying there. His firm has tapped into that shift by adding a variety of payment vehicles as well as subscriptions which is attractive to the venture’s target market and lures the clients in for increased spending online. “It works for the packaged meals company where their clients can buy into more meals and get a better discount.”
He added that “just as one would ask for recommendations when they are in a restaurant, we have designed a recommendation engine for the offprem dining guest.” For the fast casual enterprise, he said, their subscription recommendations may persuade a client to “come in for that afternoon chill time drink and when they’re there they also get an additional bakery item, a little snack and that is an upsell.” From all angles, Paytronix is catering to the needs of its restaurant client’s dining patrons whether they are dining out or in.
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