The Front Burner 2011

The official news magazine of the Washington Restaurant Association | April 2011

The Front Burner

Bottoms

Up

the

liquor issue

Common liquor law violations—

are you guilty?

Recession-proof your bar profits

Bar operations

A to Z

Rye whiskey

revisited

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID OLYMPIA, WA PERMIT NO 668

from

INCREASE TRAFFIC WITH FREE URBANSPOON REZ APPLICATION

Visit WRAhome.com/wise-buy for more information!

WRA and Urbanspoon have partnered to create a special Wise Buy offer. Through the end of 2011, WRA members receive Rez, an online reservation application that runs either on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or through your browser. This is the first product of its type from Urbanspoon who is developing several new features to help restaurants get more customers through the door.

Rez is an industry first allowing you to accept online reservations free of charge through your website:

It works as a standalone reservations system.

It works in conjunction with your existing system just like you do with the phone calls today.

It is always free to accept reservations from your own website.

It gives you the ability to promote your openings through Urbanspoon giving you access to more than 10 million consumers each month (normally this value added service would be priced at $2 per cover generated from the site).

Get last minute reservations by posting availability in real-time.

Receive multiple levels of alerts and reminders to ensure you are never caught by surprise.

Attract more customers with daily “Perks” promoted within the reservation module such as offers, discounts, specials and events.

WRA Members can take advantage of this free member benefit by visiting www.wrahome.com/urbanspoon

Washington Restaurant Association Cost-Saving Programs Career Center Affiniscape Check Management Heartland Payment Systems

Food Worker Certification WRA Education Foundation

Credit Card Processing Heartland Payment Systems

Health Care Hospitality Industry Health Insurance Trust (H.I.H.I.T.) Strata

Email Marketing Solutions Fishbowl

Property and Casualty Insurance Balcos Insurance

Employee Background Check Airfactz Screening and Reporting Services

Mandatory Alcohol Server Training WRA Education Foundation

Music Licensing BMI Music Licensing SESAC Music Licensing Payroll Processing Heartland Payment Systems Retro Program WRA Retro Program ServSafe® WRA Education Foundation Unemployment Cost Control TALX

April 2011 | 3

www.WRAhome.com

Inside Features

Liquor

w a L violations

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Common liquor law violations—are you guilty?

We asked the Washington State Liquor Control Board to tell us which violations they see most frequently during inspections. Find out what they told us.

Recession-proof your bar profits Even with consumers spending less in bars and restaurants, you can still protect the revenue they’re generating. Learn what you absolutely must do to secure your bar profits.

Bar operations from A to Z WRA consultant Kathy Chaffee Groff gives you the scoop on how to run a successful and profitable bar program. Learn how to hire the ideal bartender and get control of your costs.

Rye whiskey revisited Learn a thing or two about rye whiskey and how to get this trend moving in your bar.

This article is worth sharing with your managers, chefs, bartenders or other restaurant staff.

Other stories 31

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What do we really want out of liquor privatization?

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News Briefs

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WRA’s iPhone App: First in the country and the state

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Come In, We’re Mobile

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2011 Liquor legislation

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You reap what you sow

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Ask the Expert: Painless menu pricing modification: Is it possible?

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Washington report reveals decline in menu pricing

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Calendar/New members

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Culinary talent of tomorrow showcased at 2011 Boyd Coffee ProStart Invitational

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Marketplace

The official news magazine of the Washington Restaurant Association | April 2011

The Front Burner

Bottoms 14 24

Up

Common liquor law violations—

are you guilty?

Recession-proof your bar profits

the

liquor issue

16

Bar operations from

A to Z

Rye whiskey

revisited

4 | www.WRAhome.com

31

On the cover There are many facets to bar operations in Washington state.

From regulatory to financial, running a profitable bar requires a structured game plan. If you’re a liquor licensee, you can’t afford to miss this issue.

PASS IT ON

EDITORIAL STAFF Anthony Anton, Publisher Lex Nepomuceno, Executive Editor Camille St. Onge, Contributing Editor Heather Donahoe, Managing Editor Lisa Ellefson, Art Director WRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bret Stewart, President Center Twist Jim Rowe, Vice Chair Consolidated Restaurants Robert Bonina, Secretary/Treasurer Washington Athletic Club Steve Simmons, Past Chair S & S Hospitality, Inc. Naja Hogander, WRAEF President Daniel’s Catering WRA EXECUTIVE TEAM Anthony Anton President and CEO Bob Decker Director of Membership Bruce Beckett Director of Government Affairs Camille St. Onge Director of Marketing & Media Relations Lex Nepomuceno Director of Member Info & Resources Lyle Hildahl Director of Education Teran Petrina VP Internal Operations Victoria Olson Director of Business Development 510 Plum St. SE, Ste. 200 Olympia, WA 98501-1587 T 360.956.7279 | F 360.357.9232 www.WRAhome.com

Letters are welcomed, but must be signed to be considered for publication. Please include contact information for verification.

Reproduction of articles appearing in The Front Burner are authorized for personal use only, with credit given to The Front Burner and/or the Washington Restaurant Association.

Articles written by outside authors do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Washington Restaurant Association, its Board of Directors, staff or members.

Products and services advertised in The Front Burner are not necessarily endorsed by the WRA, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the WRA, its Board of Directors, staff or members.

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MAY BE DIRECTED TO: The Silver Agency 109 North Tower, Ste. 200, Centralia, WA 98531 T 360.736.8065 F 360.330.7960 www.silveragency.com The Front Burner is published monthly for Association members. We welcome your comments and suggestions. email: news@WRAhome.com, phone: 800.225.7166. Readership: 6,310.

“The Front Burner” gets a new name in May: “Washington Restaurant Magazine”

By Lex Nepomuceno, Executive Editor

WA S H I N GTO N

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Beginning in May, the WRA’s monthly magazine will be officially renamed to “Washington Restaurant Magazine.” The name change reflects the Association’s efforts to expand its reach as the state’s primary source of information for the restaurant industry. It also best describes the publication’s readership and content.

Plans are underway to expand the visibility and distribution of the magazine; thus, the importance of having an easily identifiable name is increased. Consumers, policy makers and other businesses recognize restaurants as an important part of everyday life. Restaurants are where they eat, celebrate and conduct business. As the state’s largest employer, restaurants are identified as a major pillar of Washington’s economic well-being. It was just time for the word “restaurant” to be included in the Washington Restaurant Association’s main communications piece.

Technology and media trends also have had a hand in the magazine’s name. The proliferation of Internet keywords has increased the significance of using the most descriptive and succinct terms possible.

If you go to Google and want to learn about the state’s restaurant industry, you wouldn’t type in “front burner” or “main ingredient;” you would most likely type in “Washington restaurant…” As the magazine delves into other electronic formats, such as ebooks and mobile, the name needed to be something everyone can understand and find.

“The Front Burner” name initially was chosen when the WRA’s monthly newsletter expanded into a full-color magazine format in 2006. Prior to 2006, the “News Update” newsletter was a two-color, monthly publication that focused mostly on direct Association activities and business.

As with any change, it may take a few issues to get used to the new name. Hopefully, members and the public at large will appreciate “Washington Restaurant Magazine” as a scalable and recognizable source of industry news and information.

April 2011 | 5

Industry Outlook | WRA President & CEO

What do we really want out of liquor privatization?

In the first major volley of rethinking liquor distribution in Washington since Prohibition, Initiative 1100 came close to radically changing the landscape of safe and efficient liquor sales in this state. The interesting thing about Initiative 1100 is that it wasn’t written or created by the alcohol lobby, the WRA, Costco or anyone actually related to the business of buying, selling or taxing alcohol. It was written by Sharon Gilpin and Stephan Sharpansky who, as near as I can tell, were part of a group that just wanted government out of the business of selling alcohol.

And while everyone connected to the booze biz jumped in on one side or the other, including the WRA, the collective business community around alcohol really never sat down and said, “What do we want from an alcohol distribution system in Washington?” Clearly, it is not the 1930s anymore.

Clearly, we could efficiently modernize a distribution system while still protecting public safety concerns. It is easy to complain, and it is somewhat easy to jump on in favor or opposition of someone else’s proposal. It is much tougher to sit down and say, “If we were to start from scratch, what system would be the best for Washington?”

Well, that conversation that started in December among four groups: the WRA, Costco, the two biggest distributors (Youngs-Columbia and Southern Odom) and the grocery stores.

At press time, the wholesalers and the beer companies have indicated they are not interested in the conversation and will oppose any attempt at modernization. The wine industry’s position is unclear at this point.

It has been a very interesting dialogue, and we have learned A LOT about the concerns of the distributor world and their business. We have learned A LOT about what goes on in

6 | www.WRAhome.com

Anthony Anton, president and CEO

other states. We have learned about the national concerns and pressures being placed on the local alcohol industry. But probably the best lessons we are learning are about ourselves by asking the question, “What do we really want?”

Our guiding principles for the WRA in the conversation have been as follows: Any new system MUST maximize competitive tension that drives efficiencies and great customer service.

Any new system MUST be a business climate improvement for Washington restaurants.

Restaurants in rural communities MUST be taken care of.

The state can’t lose financially in the short run (3-5 years).

As of press time, we were still in conversation with the other three “legs” of this table, trying to balance each other’s interests and concerns, and we are making progress. If we can reach agreement, there will be the “next step” conversation, where we determine how to reach out with a round 2 public policy debate. This could move very quickly.

If you have a liquor license, now is a VERY GOOD time to keep close tabs on the WRA. We need your input, but we also need you to feel in the loop as we negotiate and create a strategy to change a major part of our industry and your business. Please bookmark or set up an RSS feed on www.

WRAhome.com so you can follow news updates on the issue.

Also, please make sure the right people in your company are receiving our free weekly Hot Off the Grill legislative update e-mails that recap the week’s action.

Once again, we are excited to be at the center of this debate as it unfolds. We invite you to join us in the conversation.

Primary Source of Information | News Briefs Washington Restaurant Association applauds bipartisan efforts behind passage of Unemployment Insurance legislation Washington Restaurant Association President and CEO Anthony Anton issued the following statement after Gov. Christine Gregoire signed SB 5135 and HB 1091, which will reform the state’s Unemployment Insurance system. “The new law will facilitate a one-year tax change through a social tax ceiling and reduction of the percentage of social tax paid by each rate class. According to projections from the Washington State Employment Security Department, projected tax obligations for certain restaurant operators will change dramatically. For example, a restaurant operator with multiple locations and approximately 150 employees could see their 2011 tax obligation drop from a projected $72,600 to a projected $41,850 under the new legislation, according to calculations by the Washington State Employment Security Department. Similarly, a single-unit operator with roughly 20 employees could see his tax obligation fall from $3,000 to $1,800.”

WRA weighs in on the future of tourism in the state Robust tourism in Washington is essential to the state’s restaurant industry. Consequently, the Washington Restaurant Association has helped support, with other stakeholders, in the formation of the Washington Tourism Alliance. The WTA was created in February 2011 following the announcement of the closure of the Washington State Tourism office by the end of the 2009-2011 biennium. The first major event for the Alliance, the tourism Industry Summit, was held in late March and gave the general public the opportunity to engage with tourism industry representatives from across the state, and discuss the future of Washington’s tourism marketing. Learn more about the WTA and the recent Summit at www.watourismalliance.com.

A fond farewell to WRA and industry friend Ray Delfino Ray Delfino, who was executive chef at the Spokane Club for many years, died in February at his Spokane home, according to the Spokesman Review. He was 53. Delfino was a valued mentor for many Spokane chefs and often assisted area nonprofits that hosted catered events, said Elijah Dalager, sous chef at Harbor Crest Retirement Center in Spokane. Delfino became executive chef and dining services director at Harbor Crest in July 2009. For the previous 14 years Delfino was executive chef at the downtown Spokane Club.

WRA members recognized for excellence in community service Three restaurants have been selected as state winners of the 2011 Restaurant Neighbor Award and are now in the running for the national award that rewards community service. The Restaurant Neighbor Award was created by the National Restaurant Association to recognize restaurants that exemplify the industry’s philanthropic spirit.

Washington winners have a chance to win the National Restaurant Association’s prestigious 2011 Restaurant Neighbor Award. The winners are: Kona Kai Coffee Company, Kent, Wash.

The Harmon Brewing Company/The Hub Restaurant, Tacoma, Wash.

Lynn Fischer/The Keg Steakhouse & Bar, Lynnwood, Wash. (cont. top)

The Restaurant Neighbor Award honors charitable contributions in four categories (small business, midsize business, large business/national chain and Cornerstone Humanitarian).

Each participating state restaurant association selects local winners that will be in the running for the national award.The national winners of the 2011 Restaurant Neighbor Award will each receive a $5,000 contribution to continue their community programs and be presented the awards in April in Washington, D.C. Average workweek of restaurant industry employees was unchanged in 2010 According to NRA economists’ analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The average weekly hours worked by non-supervisory employees at eating and drinking places was 24 hours in 2010, matching the average workweek in 2009.

However, 2010 marked the first time in five years that the average workweek didn’t decline on an annual basis.

Healthy options for kids tops 2011 trends Healthy options in kids meals topped the list of ‘hot trend’ menu items for the second consecutive year in the National Restaurant Association’s 2010 Quickservice Operator Survey.

Operators were given a list of 50 food and beverage items and were asked to rate each item as a “hot trend,” “yesterday’s news” or “perennial favorite” on quick service menus in 2011. Also making the top 10 were gluten-free items, spicy dishes, smoothies, organic items, snack-sized items, lower-sodium items and energy drinks. http://blog.wrahome.com/healthyoptions-for-kids-tops-2011-trends/ April 2011 | 7

Primary Source of Information | New app

WRA’s iPhone App: First in the country and the state

By Lex Nepomuceno, Executive Editor

In late March, the WRA became the very first state restaurant association in the U.S. to launch its own iPhone application. Why build a mobile application? It helps members and prospective members tap into the WRA as their main source of restaurant industry information.

Oftentimes, restaurateurs are on the road and don’t have access to a full computer, so the smartphone becomes the most convenient way for them to receive information.

Mobile apps are an effective way of providing members an organized experience that addresses the challenges of browsing the web through a smaller device. With more than 85% of mobile users expected to access the Internet in 2011, it is vital for the WRA to be cognizant of these trends and the tools members are using. “We must master the tools of communications, or we will be mastered by those who do.”

(R. Moley. 1923)

What does the WRA iPhone app do?

Convenient access to WRA news and information—everyday there is something new on the Association’s website, as well as multiple member communications that go out every week.

The app provides the latest details on important industry developments and policy changes that affect restaurants in Washington state.

Easily find and take advantage of WRA programs and services. Busy restaurant owners generally spend more time with their phones than they do with their computers, and the WRA’s app understands this. Member discounts, training opportunities and resources are regularly updated and pushed to the iPhone, so members are able to take full advantage of available benefits.

Join, renew or learn more. The iPhone app makes it easy for members to renew, or non-members to join the WRA. All of the transactions are secure, and member information is sent directly to the WRA. Non-members will also be able to learn more about the Association through the apps Membership section.

Discover WRA Events. For active members, the Events area provides a simple interface for learning about upcoming 8 | www.WRAhome.com

events. Regional and statewide meetings are included, as well as major activities such as Hill Climb and the ProStart Invitational.

Stay on top of government affairs.

The WRA boasts one of the very best govenrment affairs programs in Olympia, and now members will have one-click access to developments and insights during and after the legislative session. Action alerts, bill tracking and legislative priorities can all be found on the app.

Smile, you’re on camera! WRA always has tremendous photo coverage at events, and its video efforts are growing. The WRA’s iPhone app includes updated photo galleries of the latest events, as well as videos as they become available.

Find WRA member restaurants. Users of the iPhone app will be able to identify where the nearest WRA members are, based on their current location. Ever go to an unfamiliar part of the state and want to eat at a member’s restaurant? It is now possible!

It’s all social. Connect with the WRA’s Facebook and Twitter activities in one place. Follow and participate in live Twitter coverage of events, and check out the latest industry scoops through the WRA’s blog posts.

Plans are underway to scale out the WRA’s application onto other mobile devices, such as Android. However, with 100 million iPhones sold through March 2011 and a nearly 400,000 apps available, Apple continues to lead the way in user adoption and ease-of-use. The WRA’s app needed to start somewhere, and the iOS platform provides an excellent jumping-off point into the world of mobile application development.

Smartphones such as the iPhone and Droid are increasingly becoming the convergence device that consolidates the phone, web access, email, audio/video player, etc. into one device. By launching its own app, the WRA makes sure it isn’t left behind. Download the app at wra.cc/iphoneWRA. 

Primary Source of Information | Mobile apps

PASS IT ON

Come in, we’re mobile

By Brian Twiggs, Co-Founder of Talus Mobile

Mobile.

Ready or not, here it comes—or rather, here it is. The smartphone revolution didn’t take long to captivate our attention. It’s more than a fad and more than a subtle amusement for most of us; it has become a way of life. We now have access to information wherever and whenever we want it.

Since the introduction of apps on the iPhone, apps have given us a refreshing way to access and interact with content about virtually everything, and consumers are coming to expect it. A recent Hospitality.net survey found that 85% of consumers prefer some form of self-service.

Undoubtedly, you have already noticed a steep rise in the number of guests using smartphones in your restaurant. Businesses are noticing a huge opportunity to connect with guests using platforms that they’re using. As a great example, if you haven’t downloaded the WRA’s new iPhone app, check it out—it has something for everyone.

Imagine the increase in take-out orders if the process was as simple as opening your application and selecting a repeat order from a list. There are primarily two ways a restaurant can increase gross revenue: increase the average ticket amount per party or increase the number of seats filled. An app does both, and it does them well!

Restaurants with apps are seeing a 25% increase in take-out revenue and available features for restaurant apps are growing almost daily.

Mobile is still new, and all of the intricacies can be confusing. At Talus Mobile, we are trying to educate our partners about the potential benefits to a business. Let’s take a look at two important benefits of incorporating mobile technology into your restaurant.

Increase revenue

The easier you make it for someone to spend their time or money with you, the more they’ll be inclined to do so.

Interact with your guests

When potential customers are deciding where to go out, chances are they are not in front of a computer. If you’re like me and other average, busy families, those decisions are made on the way home from work, or with a group of friends thinking about happy hour. It is faster and easier to use an app to see what’s happening at your restaurant than it is to call or Google it. Among other things, mobile apps are an interactive version of the promotional refrigerator magnet. But this magnet can do a lot more than just display your logo and phone number. It can alert guests about a new special or show a video of the band that’s playing tonight. Include Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools in your app to expand your reach.

Restaurants with apps are seeing a 25% increase in takeout revenue and available features for restaurant apps are growing almost daily. A branded iPhone or Android application for your restaurant comes at a low cost and is well worth the investment. We are in the infancy stages of an exciting new technology, and it’s important to understand the benefits it can bring to your restaurant. 

April 2011 | 9

POLITICAL REPRESENTATION

2011 Liquor legislation

The session has been full of liquor-related proposals. Here’s an overview of where they stand and the WRA’s position on them

By Julia Clark, WRA staff

Voters supported I-1053 this past November, requiring a twothirds majority of the Legislature to pass a tax increase. What the initiative did not do, however, was require a two-thirds majority for increase fees.

Introduced late this session, HB 2014 seeks to impose a 20% increase to the cost of liquor licenses, a proposal the WRA is actively opposing.

In 2009, the legislature approved a 10.5% increase to liquor licenses. The WRA Government Affairs Committee voted to stay neutral on the issue for a few reasons. First, the tax was slated to sunset in 2011. Secondly, the 10.5% increase was directed to fund administration of licensing, education and enforcement.

Lastly, liquor license fees had not been increased in close to a decade.

HB 2014, however, not only maintains the temporary 10.5% increase, but adds an additional 10% on top. The additional 10% increase would be dispersed with 5% directed to the Department of Commerce Community Mobilization Program to fund substance abuse prevention, and 5% directed to OSPI for drug abuse education.

Currently, nearly 90% of the licensing funds go to DSHS. Beyond that, $150,000 is directed annually to DUI investigations, and just a little more than 10% is dedicated to the University of Washington and Washington State University for drug abuse treatment research.

The WRA is adamant that the additional 10% increase to businesses to further increase funding for drug abuse programs is excessive and will undoubtedly have a harmful impact on our businesses in these very difficult economic times. While we are not disputing the effectiveness, or the need for the programs, we will hold strong that our industry alone cannot afford to fund general budget programs.

Alcohol omnibus bill

Each year, a stakeholder group representing alcohol interests in different areas convenes with the liquor control board and puts forward a bill consisting of non controversial technical fixes to liquor laws. SB 5788, among other things contains the WRA’s growlers to-go for restaurants, trade show and private club provisions. This bill is making its way through the legislative process and provides an additional vehicle to pass legislation beneficial to our industry.

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Growlers to go

HB 1244 and SB 5302 were introduced this year in both chambers. This bill extends the ability to sell “growlers” to go for spirits, beer, and wine restaurant licensees. Currently, taverns and beer and wine restaurants already have the ability to do so. Also contained in the bill is a technical fix for manufacturers of drink mixers to sample their product with liquor to licensees. Both bills have overwhelming support. The decision was made to condense both bills down to one, and HB 1244 is making its way through the legislative process.

Restaurant corkage fees

Legislation this year (HB 1227 and SB 5173) was introduced to allow restaurants and wineries to partner and offer “corkage fee zones” to help promote tourism. This practice was in place in Yakima earlier this year, until businesses were notified by the liquor control board that this violated tied house laws.

WRA member, Jar Arcand of Santiago’s in Yakima, made the journey to Olympia twice to testify in support of the bill, as his restaurant was one of the businesses impacted on this issue.

Jar’s testimony was well-received by the committee, and as a result passed out of the House with unanimous support.

The bill is well-positioned to pass out of the Senate and to be signed into law. 

Food code revision a demanding process WRA advocates for restaurants during review

By Josh McDonald, WRA staff

Roughly twice a decade the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) releases an updated version of the federal food code. This work is the result of annual meetings between the FDA, state and local health departments across the country and industries that must adhere to some version of the newest adopted food code (restaurants, grocers, etc.). This work is fairly well known. What is less known is the intense process that takes place in Washington state once a new version of the FDA food code comes out and is considered for full or partial adoption.

on every participant how vital it is to make sure all decisions are based both on the best available science and, if implemented, being realistically possible when implemented in the real world. Our industry was successful on some issues to ease regulations, and unsuccessful on others when the best available science showed a need for stricter regulation. Here a few examples of decisions that have been made, but it is important to keep in mind that all decisions are preliminary and must still be adopted by the State Board of Health:

With the release of the 2009 food code last year, the Washington State Department of Health began the process of reaching out to all impacted stakeholders with the explicit purpose of going line-by-line through the code and debating what from the new 2009 FDA food code our state should adopt and what we should reject. Stakeholder groups included a WRA representative, two restaurant owner/operators (one full service and one quick service), two grocery stores operators, a representative from the K-12 school districts, a higher education representative, local health departments and a consumer advocate spokesperson.

decision to add cut leafy greens and cut tomatoes to the list of potentially hazardous foods.

Rejected the idea that a person-incharge (PIC) designated for the restaurant must be knowledgeable in every food allergen known, not just the eight that are currently required.

Accepted the requirement that mushrooms must be washed prior to consumption.

Rejected the idea of prohibiting the technique of partial cooking.

Also, the industry is working on language now that would define “grill marking” and exempt this practice from any reporting requirements.

Accepted the prohibition on sale of raw or undercooked foods on a children’s menu. This will still allow any operator to serve whatever he/she would like on a children’s menu, it would simply prohibit the food from being undercooked.

This group of stakeholders, known as the Core Work Group, has met consistently over the past year to debate every section of the food code, with more than 100 suggested changes for the group to talk through and vote to either accept or reject. Although a fairly grueling process, it is not lost

Accepted the 2009 FDA code’s

Rejected the idea of prohibiting

washing produce in a warewashing sink. Some operators are limited in space, and the ability to use an additional sink for this purpose is critical.

Accepted the ability for a food worker to change gloves during his/her shift and NOT be required to wash his/her hands IF the glove change is not due to contamination. For example, a food worker is making several sandwiches, gets mustard on his/ her hands and needs to make a glove change. If adopted, this new rule would allow that worker to change gloves without the requirement to do a hand wash.

Accepted language that requires a food establishment to be free of an infestation of insects, rodents and other pests. Current language does not include “an infestation” and has lead some local health departments to deny requests for an operator to have open windows or outdoor seating during business hours solely on the basis that a fly or other insect could possibly enter the food establishment.

The Core Work Group will continue to meet through the summer with the goal of presenting an agreed upon revised food code to the State Board of Health in the fall. If you have any questions or would like to get more involved with the food code revision process, please contact Josh McDonald of the GA team at joshm@wrahome. com. 

April 2011 | 11

Training and Education | ProStart

THANK YOU You reap what you sow

to our sponsors for supporting the 2011 Boyd Coffee ProStart Invitational.

Title Sponsor — Boyd Coffee Company

By Lyle Hildahl, Washington Restaurant Association Education Foundation Director

Adages and colloquialisms usually come into existence based on some truth that lies within them.

The members of the Washington Restaurant Association are now reaping what it has sown for the past 11 years in our vocational program, ProStart.

Today we are seeing the first students to go through the ProStart program thrive and lead the industry. And, it all begins with the energy, planning and good intentions that have come from our members supporting ProStart for so many years.

A prime example is Elijah Dalager.

Chef Eli was a ProStart student who went through ProStart. He is a talented chef that is leading the way.

As you will read on page 28 of this publication, our annual ProStart competition, the Boyd Coffee ProStart Invitational, took place March 19 in Spokane, Wash., and Chef Eli was there contributing as a judge at the event. That same event spurred his passion for culinary competition 10 years ago.

Eli is a graduate of the Ferris High School ProStart program in Spokane.

According to Eli he didn’t have a lot of direction at the time he started ProStart but as soon as he was introduced to the culinary arts and was asked to compete in the Boyd Coffee ProStart Invitational he was hooked.

12 | www.WRAhome.com

Eli went on to Spokane Community College, then to Inland Northwest Culinary Academy and received his associate degree in applied science in culinary arts and is now a certified American Chef Federation Chef de Cuisine. And last but not least, in 2010 he was named Washington’s Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation.

Remember what I said at the beginning, about reaping what you sow? Eli is just one of the professionals in our industry who is a product of our members’ foresight and goodwill that all began with supporting education for our future.

At the Invitational in March, we made a significant impact on the lives of our youth and future industry leaders.

WRA members displayed the gift of volunteering time, demonstrated leadership and illustrated how to give back to the industry that supports us all. The participating students learned many valuable lessons. The planning, commitment, overcoming fear and striving to be and do their best are just a fraction of the lessons learned.

These students will take this with them on their life’s journey, and I am certain we will continue to reap what we have sown.

Diamond Sponsor — Heartland Payment Systems Diamond Sponsor

Culinary Competition Sponsor — Sysco

Travel Scholarship Sponsor — The Ram Awards Reception Sponsor — Kalispel Tribe, Northern Quest Resort & Casino

Meal Host Sponsor — FSA/Coca-Cola

Student of the Year Scholarship Sponsor — Farelli’s Wood Fire Pizza

Other Sponsors: Auntie Anne’s Whole Foods Market Charlie’s Produce Picabu Bistro Waddell’s Neighborhood Pub & Grille Smith & Greene Co. Bargreen-Ellingson Mercer Tool Dexter Knives Bill Marvin, The Restaurant Doctor Northwest Restaurants, Inc. KFC Franchisee of YUM! Brands, Inc. Spokane Convention & Visitor’s Bureau Consolidated Restaurants Metropolitan Grill Anthony D’Agnese Culinary Institute of America Chef Works Rock City Grill Panda Express Young’s Columbia Distributing Ecolab General Fire Equipment Sodexo

Lower Your Workers’ Comp Rates t Save money on your Workers’ Compensation costs t Have 24/7 access to FREE customizable online safety training The WRA provides you with the necessary tools and support to close claims and bring people back to work quickly.

Start taking advantage

WRA’s Retro benefits today! of

Visit www.WRAhome.com/Retro, or call Jill Brady at 800.225.7166, ext.134.

Regulatory Agencies | Liquor Control Board

Restaurants can prevent common liquor law violations

By Anne Radford, Washington State Liquor Control Board Communications Consultant

Restaurants play an important role in keeping their customers safe by selling alcohol responsibly and ensuring liquor laws are followed.

It is just as crucial to check IDs carefully, watch for signs of intoxication and create an environment that discourages disorderly behavior as it is to provide excellent food and an inviting ambiance.

“Restaurants can avoid common liquor law violations through training, clear business policies and diligence,” said Chief Pat Parmer of the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) Enforcement and Education Division. “For managers and owners, it is especially important to regularly review your expectations with your staff to avoid complacency or confusion.”

The WSLCB may find violations during compliance checks, premises checks, undercover operations and complaint investigations. Complaints can come from the public, law enforcement and employees, and officers follow up with interviews and visits.

“Public safety violations—such as sales to minors and apparently intoxicated persons, and disorderly conduct—are considered the most serious,” Chief Parmer said. “From the first drink order to the final check, employees should be aware of the situation and ready to take action to prevent harm to their customers.”

Administrative violation notices can result in fines or liquor license suspensions for the restaurant. Employees involved in the violation could face criminal citations, fines and even jail time. Mandatory Alcohol Server Training permits—which allow employees to serve alcohol—could be suspended or revoked. The WSLCB also gives verbal and written warnings, which do not result in fines or suspensions.

Sales to minors

Restaurants may not sell or serve alcohol to those under 21 years of age. While not required by law, checking identification is key to preventing sales to minors.

Restaurants should have a policy that dictates when an ID should be checked and what forms of acceptable ID are permitted at the business.

Acceptable forms of ID A drivers license, ID card or instruction permit issued by any U.S. state or Canadian province

A Washington temporary drivers license (paper license)

A U.S. Military ID An official passport A Merchant Marine ID A Washington State tribal enrollment card A valid ID must show: Date of birth Signature (except U.S. Military IDs) Photo Note: If an ID has an expiration date, the ID must not be expired

How to check ID: Ask for identification.

Have the customer hand you the ID. Do not accept or handle a customer’s wallet.

Check the expiration date. Do not accept expired ID. Check the date of birth. For vertical Washington IDs, check the information to the left of the photo to make sure the customer has turned 21.

Verify the photo matches the customer.

Verify the IDs unique features (for example, on a Washington ID, a black state seal overlaps the photo).

Sales to apparently intoxicated persons

It is against the law to sell alcohol to an apparently intoxicated person or allow them to possess alcohol.

It is important to know the signs of intoxication—such as slurred speech, difficulty focusing, and aggressive behavior— when determining if a customer should be served alcohol. A list of signs can be found at www.wra.cc/lcb0411.

Employees should remember that customers may have already had several drinks before coming to their restaurant, so it is important to watch for signs before the first order is placed.

If a customer is showing apparent signs, employees should not serve them and remove any alcohol they have in their possession. While the customer can remain at the restaurant

14 | www.WRAhome.com

PASS IT ON

as long as they are not acting disorderly, employees must make sure they don’t get alcohol from someone else.

When refusing service, employees can keep the situation calm by remaining polite, tactful and firm. The restaurant should have a policy about what to do after a sale is refused.

Possibilities include offering complementary coffee or cab fare.

Restaurants having problems meeting their food service requirement should look into the new spirits, beer and wine nightclub liquor license, which is for businesses that primarily provide live entertainment and serve alcohol with main hours between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. The license does not have a food requirement.

Conduct violations

Top 3 Violations in 2010

When determining whether a disorderly conduct violation has occurred, the WSLCB looks at factors such as:

1. Sales to minors 2. Sales to apparently intoxicated persons 3. Employees drinking on duty

Restaurants should intervene immediately if they see people arguing or acting aggressively in order to prevent a fight.

Customers who fight may not remain at your business.

Did the restaurant create an environment that encouraged the behavior?

Did the restaurant allow the disorderly customer to remain at the business?

How did the restaurant respond to the altercation?

If there were injuries, were the police and medical aid called?

Also, owners and employees are not allowed to drink while working. In addition, employees and owners may not be at their restaurant while showing signs of intoxication, whether they are working or not.

New food service requirements

While food service violations are not among the most common violations, restaurants should be aware of the food service requirements for their liquor license type.

The WSLCB this fall adopted new food requirements for spirits, beer and wine restaurants. Highlights: Expanded items that are considered an entrée to include hamburgers, salads, sandwiches, pizza and breakfast items as long as they include a side dish.

Entrées do not include snack items, menu items which consist solely of precooked frozen food that is reheated, or carry-out items obtained from other businesses.

Increased the number of complete meals required from four to eight. A complete meal is an entrée (steak, fish, pasta, etc.) and at least one side dish (soup, vegetables, salad, potatoes, french fries, rice, fruit and bread).

Restaurants must serve complete meals for five hours a day, five days a week between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Previously, the hours were between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m.

*These violations resulted in Administrative Violation Notices. The data does not include warnings.

Top 3 Complaints in 2010

1. Sales to apparently intoxicated persons 2. Sales to minors 3. Disorderly conduct

Available resources

Restaurants can take advantage of the following resources:

Written business policies that describe expectations and

how to handle various situations should be developed, and regularly shared with employees.

Mandatory Alcohol Server Training (MAST) is required by law for managers, bartenders and other employees who serve or supervise the sale of alcohol for on-premises consumption. Class information: www.liq.wa.gov/ licensing/get-mast-permit.

WSLCB Responsible Alcohol and Tobacco Sales classes are offered regularly around the state by WSLCB enforcement officers. Class schedules: www.liq.wa.gov/enforcement/ enforcement-class-schedule.

WSLCB website (www.liq.wa.gov) has information on selling responsibly and public safety laws, educational videos and more.

WSLCB enforcement officers are available to help you understand liquor laws. Enforcement Customer Service: 360.664.9878 In conclusion, restaurants can contribute to public safety and keep their customers safe by carrying out their work in a way that supports Washington’s liquor laws.  April 2011 | 15

Protecting Profits | Liquor sales

Safeguarding bar profits in a tough economy

PASS IT ON

By Ian Foster, contributing writer

For the first time in decades, the amount of money spent in restaurants and bars is declining. In this environment, operators who excel at the fundamentals will survive: watching costs, offering value and authentic hospitality to customers, managing cash-flow and safeguarding assets.

If you are able to look after these basics through this tough economy, your business will emerge stronger in a year as competitors close and you cut out any waste and inefficiency that has crept into your business.

Perceived value is critical

Comparing the current slowdown with the Great Depression is silly except that it is instructive to note that value pricing was one of the rare successes in the 1930s. Back then diners became very popular because their low fixed costs enabled operators to cut prices.

And two major innovations, “fastfood” and take-out, first appeared based on the low pricing demand and no frills (you may have heard of the McDonald’s brothers, who opened their restaurant in 1940).

The increased demand for lowerpriced drinks and entrées calls for a careful look at your pricing. Many customers are going to “trade-down” from imported beer and premium vodkas to Budweiser draft and well vodka—you need to make sure that those types of brands are competitively priced; if you haven’t “shopped” your competitors pricing recently, now it is vital.

Get pricing right

With that said, there is no reason to discount your premium brands. When customers call for premium brands 16 | www.WRAhome.com

they are stating their preference for quality (or, more often, status) over price— in other words, they are not particularly sensitive to the price. Cutting your premium brand pricing is unnecessary.

In fact, as more of your customers downgrade to cheaper brands, it is a good idea to devote more time to training your staff to up-sell. While that training needs to include some basic up-selling techniques, it is just as important to show your staff why up-selling is good for the bar and good for them.

Of course, up-selling to a premium brand is pretty stupid if you don’t actually make more money by doing so. It is surprising, however, how often we find that our clients actually lose money by up-selling to some brands. For example, it is no good charging an extra $1 for a Grey Goose vodka if Grey Goose costs $1.10 more than your well vodka.

Every bar should calculate the ideal pour cost from each drink (and food item, for that matter) at least once a year. As part of this analysis, we recommend figuring out the additional profit contribution from up-selling to a premium brand. In this example, from a real Bevinco client, you can see that they actually lost money whenever a customer ordered a J&B scotch instead of a well scotch, and that the Glenfiddich pricing was too low compared to other single-malts:

Brand

Drink Cost

Regular Price

Pour Cost

Profit Per Drink

Upselling Profit

Well Scotch

$0.51

$4.00

12.8%

$3.49

J&B

$1.10

$4.50

24.4%

$3.40

-$0.09

Johnny Walker Red

$1.10

$5.00

22.0%

$3.90

$0.41

Chivas Regal

$1.19

$6.00

19.9%

$4.81

$1.32

Glenlivet 12yr

$1.63

$8.00

20.4%

$6.36

$2.87

Glenfiddich 12yr

$1.64

$6.00

27.3%

$4.36

$0.87

Laphroig 10yr

$2.01

$9.00

22.3%

$6.99

$3.50

MacCallan 10yr

$2.35

$10.00

23.5%

$7.65

$4.16

Glenmorangie 12yr

$2.56

$11.00

23.3%

$8.44

$4.95

MacCallan 25yr

$7.11

$35.00

20.3%

$27.90

$24.41

Develop a signature drink

Perhaps the single best way to build bar sales is to develop a signature drink that is only available in your establishment. When well-conceived, your signature drink should also be a one of your very highest profit items. Here are a few essentials to making this work:

Have only one key signature drink—if you have more than three, you don’t have a “signature,” you just have a list.

Develop something unique—either visually striking or with an unusual ingredient.

Price it right—with an ideal pour cost in the same

range as your house margarita. Considering the promotional effort that will go into it, your drink should be one of the most profitable items.

Market it effectively—most of the effort here should be on-premise. Your bartenders and servers have to enthusiastically sell it, so make them part of the vision.

Promotions for cheapskates

Attracting new customers is challenging even in the best economy. When cash is tight, advertising seems prohibitively expensive. Linda Duke, CEO of Duke Marketing, suggests that restaurateurs make more use of sampling to drive business. “Not a lot of businesses can give what they sell to guests for free or to initiate trial,” notes Duke. “(Restaurateurs) can spend 30 cents to get their food in someone’s mouth instead of a dollar asking people to come in and taste their food.” Discounting can also be effective, but only when offered judiciously. Discounting too freely simply teaches your customers to expect to pay “special” prices.

Cash flow is king

In the current economy where additional financing is unattainable, poor cash flow can kill even a profitable business. One of the easiest places to free up cash flow is your alcohol inventory. The average bar has between $6,000 and $10,000 in excess inventory—a lot of money that can be easily put to use in your business instead of gathering dust. Try these fundamental rules of good inventory management:

Never let your liquor salesman determine your order Know how much inventory you should have

considering your volume. One way to look at it: 33¢ of inventory for each $1 of sales.

Determine par levels for each brand. Those pars should be based on your peak usage with a safety margin added on top.

Find a system that constantly re-adjusts these par levels as your sales change.

Safe-guard your assets

The average bar is missing 20% of their sales on account of theft and over-pouring—that hard reality has been established by several studies. That means an extra $4,000 to $10,000 in missing profit every month. In today’s economy, no operator can afford that kind of complacency.

To thrive, we all must examine our unquestioned assumptions.

It might be difficult to accept the fact that your employees are routinely over-pouring and sometimes stealing, but if you deny that there might be an opportunity to tighten up your operation, you will be at a competitive disadvantage to those operators who are willing to take a cold, hard look at their controls.

Using an independent alcohol auditing company will pay for itself several times over. Here are other ways to maximize the economic efficiency of your operation:

Develop solid measures of efficiency Hold your managers accountable for excelling

at efficiency by tying at least part of their pay to measurable results.

Monitor void and comp reports and “walk-out” claims.

Question no-sale transactions when excessive.

Use blind cash drops All transactions need to be rung up and printed on chits before they are served.

Cash drawers should remain closed between transactions All employees should be required to sit at a table for service, not at the bar. This puts a buffer level between the bartender and staff member.

Which brings us to the rare light of good news: recruiting good employees is easier now than ever. In this labor market, you don’t need to stick with lousy employees; you can afford to have high standards – or perhaps, you cannot afford not to.  Reprinted with permission.

Ian can be reached at Bevinco’s West coast office at (619) 6308231. A Bevinco auditor helps bar and restaurant owners eliminate losses from over-pouring and lost sales, resulting in a 3 to 4 point decrease in pour costs along with a 5% increase in sales.

The typical Bevinco client increases their profits by $50,000 to $100,000 year. www.bevinco.com April 2011 | 17

Industry History | State liquor sales

Restaurants and the Liquor Control Board: Partners in public safety

By Richard Weber, contributing writer It’s all about safety.

applications and enforcement actions on licensees.

Since the end of Prohibition, Washington’s Liquor Currently, the board Control Board (LCB) consists of Sharon has worked with Foster, the chair who restaurants to keep is a retired contract the legal consumption lobbyist; Ruthann of alcohol safe and Kurose, who also sane. Although serves on boards the LCB regulates ranging from KCTS restaurants that apply Public Television to for liquor licenses, the Bellevue College; and relationship between Chris Marr, a former state legislator. restaurants and the Board, at heart, is not Exterior of state liquor store, Seattle 1971 an adversarial one A balanced except in rare instances AR-25501080-ph004086 - Susan Parish Photograph Collection, 1889-1990, mission of liquor law violations. Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov “We have a balanced Essentially, it is a partnership based on common goals. mission,” said Brian Smith, a spokesman for the LCB. “The LCB has made it a priority to reach out to the regulated community and work with us if and where problems arise,” said Bruce Beckett, government affairs director of the Washington Restaurant Association. “But communication can always be better, and the restaurants and the LCB are working to improve.”

Child of Prohibition

The LCB’s roots were in the 1933 repeal of Prohibition.

Once alcohol was legal again under federal law, each state developed its own system of liquor control, ranging from very wide open alcohol laws to stringent systems that banned restaurants and taverns from serving liquor by the drink and, in some cases, statewide bans of alcohol.

Washington’s response to the end of Prohibition came in 1934 when Gov. Clarence Martin signed the Steele Liquor Act, establishing the LCB. As a result, Washington is one of 18 states where state government is involved with retail sales and/or the distribution of liquor.

The LCB consists of three executive members appointed by the governor for six-year terms. The board holds meetings and work sessions with stakeholders, makes policy and budget decisions, and adjudicates contested liquor license 18 | www.WRAhome.com

“The number one priority of our agency is public safety.

We do that with controlled sales at our state and contract retail stores. We also enforce liquor laws at 16,000 licensed locations throughout the state.”

Additionally, the LCB generates funding for state and local services through liquor sales. In 2010 alone, liquor sales generated $370 million for those services.

The LCB’s enforcement arm is far reaching. “We respond to every complaint that pertains to enforcement,” said Smith.

The LCB focuses like a laser on what Smith calls “locations of strategic interest”—establishments with high levels of public safety issues, including a large number of reported DUIs, a more than average amount of police calls, and a large number of recent public safety violations.

Additionally, the LCB sometimes goes undercover to find violations.

“We do compliance checks where we contract an underage investigative aide—they’re usually 18 or 19 years old,” said Smith. “They attempt to go into establishments and purchase alcohol. We do that at restaurants, taverns and retail outlets.”

Unless the LCB finds a violation, most of this work remains

Liquor Commission with Governor Martin, 1934 AR-25501080-ph004052 - Susan Parish Photograph Collection, 1889-1990, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov under the radar.

“I’m sure they’ve been in our restaurants sometimes when we don’t even know it,” said, Jim Rowe, president of Consolidated Restaurants, a Mercer Island company that owns several well-known restaurants, including Seattle’s Metropolitan Grill. “The only time you’d know is if you have a violation. If you come away with a clean bill of health, I don’t think you ever hear about it.”

Rowe and most other restaurateurs have good records of compliance, and the LCB works hard to keep it that way.

“We try to work with our licensees through education and having a rapport with them so we can work together on things like improving our service and combating underage sales.”

Partners

Beckett is happy with the relationship between the restaurants and the LCB. “The relationship between the LCB and the restaurants has been steadily improving,” said Beckett. “We have worked on some difficult rulemaking together successfully, and have open lines of communication. We appreciate the commitment of the LCB to instill a culture of outreach, and we are working hard to improve the lines of communication as well.”

While the Washington Restaurant Association generally believes the LCB is doing a good job, it also insists there is room for improvement. During 2010, the Association strongly supported Initiative 1100, which would have ended the LCB’s monopoly on liquor sales and distribution.

Liquor Control Board warehouse, Seattle 1969 AR-25501080-ph004104 - Susan Parish Photograph Collection, 1889-1990, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov “Our members believe competition for the sale and distribution of spirits in Washington state would benefit consumers,” said Beckett. “A sole supplier does not have the competitive pressure to offer services, supply and other features to garner the business.”

Although that ballot measure failed in November, the Association and the LCB continue working together on ways for the LCB to improve its customer service. Already, the LCB is eyeing some big changes to increase its customer service, including standardizing liquor store hours and opening additional stores. Among these new outlets will be two major high-volume stores in metropolitan markets with a high number of specialty products, particularly suitable for restaurants or taverns in an urban area.

Additionally, the LCB plans to open up five pilot co-location stores. These will be state liquor stores within other stores— much like the Starbucks you see located inside supermarkets like Safeway.

The LCB is also working closely with the WRA on legislation that would allow for manufacturers of alcohol-related products—including mixers—to show their products at trade shows, changing some requirements for nightclub licenses, and allowing licensees to work with local wineries to promote tourism by waving corkage fees in some instances.

“The LCB takes our feedback and incorporates it where it can,” said Rowe. “The relationship between the LCB and the restaurants is not bad to begin with, but the LCB recognizes the need to strengthen the relationship and is acting on improving it. I’m very encouraged by its attitude.” 

April 2011 | 19

Ask the Expert | Restaurant Profit Coach Painless menu pricing modification: Is it possible?

By Rick Braa, WRA Consulting Network

Q: The cost of food has been increasing over the last year. Times have been tough, but it’s time for me to take a price increase on my menu. What is the best way to go about increasing our menu pricing?

A: The National Restaurant Association is forecasting an increase in wholesale food prices of 3.3% over 2010 while the USDA projects a 2.0-3.0% increase for all foods. Meats, pork, dairy, fats and oils are projected to have the highest increases.

On top of product cost increases, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects diesel fuel to increase 14.7% (39.4% over 2009) leading to margin pressure on suppliers. The largest, publically held supplier to the industry missed market projections for Q2’10 due to more “pressure on gross margin”.

You can bet price increases and fuel surcharges are coming your way in 2011.

In addition to food and fuel, minimum wage jumped $0.12 to $8.67 in Washington state.

It’s logical that many are looking to increase menu pricing based on projected increases in product and labor. To begin, estimate how much product and labor increases are going to cost your company in 2011. For illustrative purposes, we’ll estimate food without the fuel surcharge and make some assumptions about the number of hours worked at minimum wage.

Total Sales

$1,000,000

Number of guest visits

$50,000

Guest Check Average (GCA)

$20.00

Food sales (70% of Total Sales)

$700,000

Food cost (30%)

$210,000

2011 projected increase in Food Cost ($210,000*3.3% rounded)

$6,900

Hourly labor @ minimum wage (10% of sales)

$100,000

# of Labor hours @ $8.55 (rounded)

$11,700

(11,700 hours*$0.12/hour rounded)

$1,400

Total projected increase in food and labor ($6,900+$1,400)

$8,300

Total projected increase per guest ($8,300/50,000 rounded)

$0.17

To keep food cost at 30% and hourly labor cost at 10%, increase your guest check average (GCA) by about $0.75 ($6,900/30%+1,400/10%)/50,000 guests). Rather than simply increasing every price on the menu by $0.75, target items that can easily handle a price increase. AVOID SWEEPING CHANGES! 20 | www.WRAhome.com

1. Print a product sales mix report from your POS system, and highlight your best sellers at lunch and dinner. Focus on increasing prices on those items that sell the best. If the item is common to other restaurants, make sure the price is competitive; but it doesn’t have to be less than your competitors. Be careful adjusting pricing at lunch, as lunch guests are more price sensitive than dinner guests.

2. Look through the menu for items that are simply mispriced. On a large menu there is usually one. Make sure the food cost percentage for an item makes sense.

If you’re underpriced on any items, fix the prices or take them off the menu.

3. Follow this time-tested pricing logic: for items priced less than $5, have them end in $0.25, $0.50 and $0.95 (you can also end in a nine). For items between $5and $10, end in $0.50 and $0.95. For items more than $10, end in $0.95.

The rationale? How do you read the price of gas? $3.179 reads $3.17 not $3.18 as it should. $10.95 reads differently mentally than $11. Remember, consumers don’t read menus; they scan them.

4. Make sure your items are properly “squeezed” to reflect value. If you sell soup this way: cup—$2.99; bowl—$4.99, then move the bottom price first to gain more revenue e.g. cup—$3.50; bowl $4.99. The guest may chose to move to the bowl rather than the cup, either way the guest check increases. Repeat the same pricing technique with half/ full, small/large. Make sure the prices of the large are about 50% higher than the small. For example; Small— $10.95; Large—$15.95 5. If need be, adjust the portion size to reflect the additional price. Add an accompaniment, or improve the quality of the item.

After prices have been adjusted, have a meeting with your staff. Raise the bar on service in every area. The goal is to provide a flawless guest experience every time, regardless of concept. Every position in the restaurant must focus on meeting and exceeding the needs of the guest from door to door. Remember, guests are five times more likely to return to your restaurant if they have a memorable experience with an employee!  For a more information on menu pricing and other advice on how to make more money visit braaconsulting.com or contact BRAA Associates at rbraa@braaconsulting.com. Rick Braa is the founder/principal of BRAA Associates, LLC.3

Primary Source of Information | Trends

Washington report reveals decline in menu pricing, cooks’ wages suffering and shift in menu trends

By Camille St. Onge, Director of Marketing & Media Relations Washington quick service restaurants saw a 28% decrease in pizza pricing according to the latest data from the Washington Restaurant Association Compensation, Benefit and Menu Report prepared by People Report.

six percent of full service and 80% of quick service respondents indicated they have added healthy food options to their menus.

“The data produced from this report confirms what we’ve been hearing from our members,” Anton said. “Restaurants have been proactively making changes to offer healthy options on their menus. And, we’re also seeing a big shift toward buying local products.”

Sixty-one percent of full service respondents said they have increased their focus on purchasing local and/or organically grown foods.

Best selling pizza pricing 2010 $10.11

Overall average cooks’ wages decreased by 12 cents per hour compared to the 2008 average cook wages. Hardest hit were cooks’ wages in the full service sector which saw a 49 cent drop in average hourly compensation.

2008 $14.04 Best selling lunch entrée pricing (excluding pizza) declined by 19% and a hamburger, medium fries and drink also saw a 13% pricing drop.

“I think restaurant operators will find the changes in pricing and wages interesting,” said Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Restaurant Association. “The market is extremely competitive, which is reflected in the pricing data in this report.”

The comprehensive biennial report, produced by the Washington Restaurant Association in conjunction with People Report, revealed a strong trend in the menu offerings by Washington restaurants.

Ninety-

Full service cooks’ wages 2008 $11.25 2010 $10.76

The comprehensive biennial report, produced in conjunction with People Report, is considered the authority on trends and economics in Washington’s hospitality industry. The report provides restaurant operators with a tool for salaries, benefits and other economic decisions.

Receive a full copy of the report at www.wrahome. com/2011report 

April 2011 | 21

w w w. r m nw - au c ti on s . c om

SPRING 2011 REAL ESTATE AUCTION

Bank Orders Price Reduction!

Former Palmer’s Waterfront Restaurant 512 South First Street - La Conner, Washington 7300± square foot building with parking and moorage available, FFE included with sale

Published Reserve Price: $725,000 Last Asking Price: $995,000

Inspection by Appointment Only: April 26, 2011 May 11, 2011

Broker Cooperation Invited

SEALED BIDS DUE MAY 25, 2011 Call for Auction Catalog #1102

1-800-845-3524 Realty Marketing/Northwest , Broker

Washington Auction License #96

2908 228th Avenue SE, Suite B – Sammamish, Washington 98075

Join the revolution … and discover how you can improve your restaurant.

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Full Course Business Solutions Card Processing • Gift Marketing • Payroll Services • Check Management To learn more about how this movement can help revolutionize your restaurant, visit GoFullCourse.com and call 866.941.1HPS (1477) x150. © Copyright 2010 National Restaurant Association. All rights reserved. © 2010 Heartland Payment Systems, Inc.

WRA Consulting Network | Bar operations

How to put your best bar forward

By Kathy Chaffee Groff, WRA Consulting Network

PASS IT ON

Bar operations…casual, elegant, bargain, pricy, innovative, classic.

be clean, neat, appealing, bottles dust-free and fitting with the concept of the place.

There are myriad things to consider when deciding to operate a bar, whether it’s an existing location or a new endeavor.

Beverage choices abound as well. Determining whether your guest would like an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink is important up front. If you offer a good selection of nonalcohol choices, you can increase your guest check even if the guest is a non-imbiber. Learning to pair food and beverages is key here as well. Your staff should know how to best pair your menu items with beer and wine types, as well as the perfect appetizers or small plates to complement cocktails.

Staffing strategies

First and foremost, staffing your bar with great talent is the most important step. Be sure to look for charismatic folks who are hospitality oriented and have outgoing personalities. Your bartender should be able to engage a guest in conversation (while being productive) about a variety of topics. He/she should be able to assist the guest with menu options for both their liquid libation as well as for food. Smart bar operators find that if they feed their patrons, they provide a better and safer experience all around. For that reason, I prefer to have all bar staff complete server training. They must be knowledgeable about the entire menu and able to help a guest make a good choice. It also is important for bar staff to be up to speed on all ingredients, as many guests have allergic reactions to some products.

Guests must be top of mind at all times, whether it’s making them feel comfortable in a new environment, assisting with a F&B selection or not over-serving them. Staff should be well trained in the signs of overconsumption as well as in effective ways to cut a guest off if they feel they should not be served more alcohol. Your license is a privilege and comes with responsibilities.

Many guests will choose to sit at a bar (often when dining solo) over a table because they are looking for company and a bit of dialogue. A good bartender needs to be able to make them feel welcome, engage in conversation and also be able to excuse themselves to take care of servers’ orders or other guests at the bar.

Bartenders are a reflection of your overall business, so they must exemplify model behavior in front of your guests. Ensure that they excited about working for you, supportive of your operations and goals and never engage in negative dialogue about your business. There is nothing worse for a guest than being in front of a bartender who complains about the boss or staff to them. This behavior also should extend beyond your four walls, into the community and when they are off shift.

Few things can be as damaging as an employee who publicly disparages your business.

Operational techniques

Because guests sit right at your bar, they are in a position to see everything within eye level. The bar area itself must always 24 | www.WRAhome.com

Timing is critical for both the guest at the bar and the servers picking up their orders. Bartenders need to be skilled in recipes and able to complete a drink order in a reasonable amount of time. Many establishments set a guideline for production to ensure the guest is well cared for and doesn’t wait too long for their beverages. In that respect, manual dexterity is almost as important as personality for these positions.

Financial considerations

Price points should be reflective of the style of the operation as well. Taverns and casual bars might offer the same selections as higher end locations, but would do best not to price too high for the environment.

Dinner houses and more high-end locations have a bit more flexibility with pricing, but also need to consider what’s fair in the industry. If you offer something very unique, you have more latitude with price points.

Controls are critical to a bar operation. In my many years in the industry, I have met very few bartenders who couldn’t “beat” cost control systems. Therefore, I prefer to hire people with integrity, train the results I want and then give them a “comp” tab to occasionally buy a drink for a regular or special guest. I usually tie this comp tab into the overall bar results.

So, when the restaurant has good costs, the bartenders retain the privilege. If costs are high, they lose it temporarily until costs are back in line. An important aspect of cost controls involves education the management team on the particulars of managing bar costs. Addressing the items on the following list can help you avoid potential problems:

Pricing—Have you done cost analysis on your profit margin?

Ordering—Don’t keep too much on hand, as it ties up cash flow Receiving—Did you get what you ordered at the price you agreed upon?

Save the Date!

Storing—Are you rotating

perishable product such as dairy and juices?

Inventory—Are you accurate with units of measure, pricing, counts, locations and extensions?

Portion control—This is critical.

Over-pouring is rampant in the industry…what is your standard?

Training—Regardless of prior experience, all bartenders should be trained to your standards.

Waste—Are your beer lines clear?

Are there ordering mistakes, spills or production errors?

Comps/promos—If you want to have a program in place, it should be tracked and reviewed.

Crew drinks after work—If you allow this, the program should be monitored and controlled.

Theft—Put systems in for controls to avoid temptation.

I believe managers—not just bartenders—should oversee bar costs. An awareness of all the above areas helps keep everyone honest and the results the sharpest. An open, direct and informative regular dialogue between the bar staff and management results in great costs and great guest satisfaction. While I often enlist the support of my bartenders in cost controls, I have a manager designated to place orders, put away product and conduct inventories.

Occasional spot checks are also a good idea.

Checking POS records, against inventory, of what has sold is a useful measure to implement periodically.

Generally, awareness is key to great bar operations from a cost standpoint.

Hiring the best people, training them well and caring about their success is the best formula for creating a motivational environment to attract and keep the best in the business. You’ll find with the right people representing you behind the bar, revenues will climb and costs will stabilize.

Keep your product offerings and people fresh, compelling and competitive while having fun!  Kathy Chaffee Groff is in the WRA Consulting Network. Call 800.225.7166 for a FREE 30minute consultation.

Golf FORE!

Education

August 16, 2011

INDUSTRY CALENDAR

Visit www.WRAhome.com/calendar for a full list of events.

Training | Meetings | Events | April & May Events April 30 – 2

Meetings National ProStart Invitational

Training April 11 April 18 April 18 May 3 May 19 May 26

ServSafe , Kent ServSafe®, Everett ServSafe®, Post Falls, ID ServSafe®, Seattle ServSafe®, Tacoma ServSafe®, Kent

April 12 April 12 April 13, 20, 27

®

April 19 April 26 April 27 May 3 May 3

Member Services Committee Meeting Spokane Chapter Meeting Government Affairs Committee Conference Call Finance Committee Meeting WRA Board of Director’s Meeting EF Board of Director’s Meeting HIHIT Trustee Meeting Executive Committee Meeting

May 4 May 4, 11 May May May May May

10 10 11 11 11

Seattle Restaurant Alliance Morning Mixer Government Affairs Committee Conference Call Member Services Committee Meeting Spokane Chapter Meeting Retro Investment Group Retro Trustee Meeting MSC Sub-Committee Meeting

NEW MEMBERS 112th St Diner, Everett 50 North, Seattle Adriatic Grill, Tacoma Big Y Café, Leavenworth Bob’s Burgers & Brews, Burlington Bob’s Burger & Brew, Everett Bob’s Burger & Brew, Tulalip Crockett’s Public House, Covington Din Tai Fung, Bellevue Fairfield Inn, Burlington Fairwood Golf, Renton Fairwood Golf, Renton Fatburger, Bellevue Fatburger, Bellevue 147th Fatburger, Federal Way Fatburger, Issaquah Fatburger, Lynnwood Fatburger, Redmond Forecaster’s Pub @ Redhook, Woodinville Godfather’s Pizza, Vancouver Hungry Harbor, Long Beach Incao Group, Kirkland Incao Group, Kirkland Intermission Coffee House, Longview Jitterbugs Espresso JITT2, Burlington Le Bon Ton Roule, Seattle Little Water Cantina, Seattle Loft, Bremerton Manito Tap House, Spokane Olympic Crest Coffee Roaster, Lacey Pies & Pints, Seattle Regal Street Seafood, Spokane Shell Cook Road/Jitterbugs, Burlington Silver Reef Casino, Ferndale Sizizis, Olympia Skipper’s, Bellevue Skipper’s, Burien 26 | www.WRAhome.com

Smitty’s, Lacey Spike’s, Spokane Stage 54, Spokane Stop N Go Family Drive Inn, Spokane Termini Brewing, Olympia The Dog House, Aberdeen Tippe and Drague, Seattle Villa Nuova, Bothell Wizzard’s, Bothell Woodsky’s, Seattle Yella Beak, Enumclaw

NEW ALLIED MEMBERS Andrews Consulting Inc. Rachel Andrews 9291 Ladyslipper Ln Missoula, MT 59808-5314 307.413.5725 rachel_andrews1@msn.com Human Resource and Benefit consulting - training and education.

Work shops including customer service, management and team building, MyersBriggs, sexual harrasment and TIPS alcohol awareness training.

CCTV CameraScan Robert Salopek PO Box 980 North Bend, WA 98045-0980 800.444.1002 www.cctvcamerascan.com rob@cctvcamerascan.com Custom designed closed circuit television surveillance systems for inventory control, productivity, employee theft,

custom service and peace of mind. Now with internet and iphone apps.

Choice Organic Teas Anne-Marie Phillips 600 S Brandon St Seattle, WA 98108-2240 206.525.0051 annemarie@granum-inc.com www.choiceorganicteas.com Choice Organic Teas is the first company to introduce certified organic and Fair Trade certified teas in the U.S. and the first tea company to earn Non-GMO Project verification. We offer more then 70 varieties of black, green, oolong, white teas and herbal infusions in tea bagts, tea pyramids and loose leaf.

Dynamik, The Business Experience Melanie Corey Ferrini 615 2nd Ave., Ste. 720 Seattle, WA 98104-2226 206.686.2525 melanie@dynamikspace.com www.dynamikspace.com Dynamik Design plans, permits and constructs new restaurants and existing restaurants looking for an upgrade. We integrate and crate your overall brand and food & beverage experiences.

Northwest Fire Systems Mary Potter 3315 S. 116th St., Ste. 115 Tukwila, WA 98168-1980 206.772.7502 mpotter@nwfiresystems.com www.nwfiresystems.com

TasteePic Pavan Kanaparthy 9011 Venn Ave. S.E. Snoqualmie, WA 98065-5010 425.654.4983 pavank@tasteePic.com www.tasteePic.com

Fire protection, fire sprinkler installation, maintenance, inspection, hoods & fire extinguisher.

Local restaurants can now showcase their menu-items and ambiance with high quality pictures on the internet and on GPS enabled mobile devices. We will come out to your restaurant and take professional photos of the restaurant interiors, exterior and menu 25% discount will then be featured, online and on our mobile apps. If you already have a website, you will be able to use our widgets to show large visual menus with photos on your site using our simple to use widgets. TasteePic will also make all your menu-items searchable on Google and sharable with direct Facebook integration. We will provide a central place to manage your online presence. Try us out at www.tasteePic. com/WhyList

Northwest Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Matt Williams 2439 Beach Dr. E. Port Orchard, WA 98366-8312 206.948.6288 kitchencleaners@yahoo.com Northwest Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning is a certified hood and duct cleaning service serving western Washington. Our services: - Full hood cleaning (range hood and duct system) - Certified UV hood maintenance and cleaning - Fan belt replacement and minor fan repair - Hinge kit and panel installation Filter Exchange Service - clean filters every month! - Filter sales - Fan grease containment - Partnered with top-notch fire suppression & fan repair companies.

Our top goal is to always satisfy our customers! - Licensed, insured, bonded and Phil Ackland Certified restaurant hood cleaners. - Before-and-after photos of our work. - Well-trained, efficient, friendly, trustworthy, dependable hood cleaning technicians. - Property cleaned to NFPA 96 standards.

Portland Energy Conservation, Inc. Stephen Aldrich 1400 SW 5th Ave Ste 700 Portland, OR 97201-5442 503.248.4636 saldrich@peci.org www.peci.org RD Fresh Stella Evans 21609 N. Meadowview Dr. Colbert, WA 99005-9017 509.869.1580 nancystella1@msn.com www.rdfreshwashington.com Silver Agency Coralee Taylor 109 N. Tower Ave., Ste. 200 Centralia, WA 98531-4219 360.736.8065 cori@silveragency.com www.silveragency.com

United Bank Card West Coast Division Jennifer Laifa 1522 Arab Dr. S.E. Olympia, WA 98501-5829 619.865.0270 jen@unitedbankcardwcd.com www.unitedbankcardwcd.com UBC is one of the largest, most reputable & fastest growing payment processors in the country.

WorkSource (ESD) www.esd.wa.gov Solve many of your employment challenges at no cost with Worksource.

Experts are available to help you attract, screen and retain qualified workers.

WorkSource (ESD) Benton-Franklin Candace Bluechel 815 N. Kellogg St., Ste. D Kennewick, WA 99336-8007 509.734.5941 cbluechel@esd.wa.gov WorkSource (ESD) Eastern Doug Loney 1520 S. Stevens St. Walla Walla, WA 98362 509.527.1827 drloney@esd.wa.gov

WorkSource (ESD) North Central Richard Taylor 215 Bridge St. Wenatchee, WA 98801-3002 509.665.3714 rtaylor@esd.wa.gov WorkSource (ESD) Northwest Bert Miller 101 Prospect St. Bellingham, WA 98225-4401 360.676.3252 bmiller@esd.wa.gov WorkSource (ESD) Olympic Peggy Barnett 1300 Sylvan Way Bremerton, WA 98310-3401 360.337.4734 pbarnett@esd.wa.gov WorkSource (ESD) Pac Mtn Nathaly Kolp 1570 Irving St. S.W. Tumwater, WA 98512-6368 360.704.6451 nkolp@esd.wa.gov WorkSource (ESD) Seattle-King Paul Christopherson 2707 I St. N.E. Auburn, WA 98002-2411 425.861.3737 pchristopherson@esd.wa.gov WorkSource (ESD) Snohomish Carol Young 20311 52nd Ave. W. Lynnwood, WA 98036-3901 425.673.3316 cyoung@esd.wa.gov WorkSource (ESD) South Central Jean Brown 305 Division St. Yakima, WA 98902-4552 509.574.0129 jmbrown@esd.wa.gov WorkSource (ESD) Spokane Kathy Atha 130 S. Arthur Street Spokane, WA 99202-2252 509.532.3133 katha@esd.wa.gov WorkSource (ESD) Tacoma-Pierce Chris Murphy 1305 Tacoma Ave. S. Tacoma, WA 98402-1903 253.593.7375 cmurphy@esd.wa.gov

April 2011 | 27

Industry Training | ProStart

Culinary talent of tomorrow showcased at 2011 Boyd Coffee ProStart Invitational Staff reports

Students from 21 high schools across Washington competed at the 11th annual Boyd Coffee ProStart Invitational in March in March. At the end of the day, teams from two of the high schools had earned top honors at the event. The Washington Restaurant Association Education Foundation is pleased to announce that Puyallup High School earned first place in the culinary contest, while Oak Harbor High School’s team of students came out on top in the restaurant management competition.

The Puyallup and and Oak Harbor teams’ successes on Saturday advanced them to the National ProStart Invitational in Overland Park, KS, April 29 – May 1, where they will compete against other students from high schools across the country.

Other winners in Saturday’s culinary competition include Oak Harbor High School, with 2nd place honors; and Newport High School, which earned 3rd place. Meanwhile, Lewis & Clark High School and Lakes High School earned 2nd and 3rd place respectively in the management portion of the competition.

The annual Invitational gives students a chance to showcase their talents in cooking, knife skills and restaurant management proficiency in front of judges who hold prominent positions in the culinary world.

In an award ceremony following the competition, several ProStart superlatives were awarded. Kris Boyle

of South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard was named ProStart Teacher of the Year; Kate Ptasnik of Roosevelt High School in Seattle was named ProStart Student of the Year; Grant Matsuno of Amy’s on the Bay in Port Orchard was named ProStart Mentor of the Year.

1st Place Culinary Puyallup High School, Puyallup, Wash.

The five-student Puyallup team grabbed the judges’ attention with a sophisticated menu that began with truffled goat cheese panna cotta and tomato piquant/fried roti; a main entrée of lamb two ways: pistachio crusted lamb loin and fried parmesan polenta/ shaved brussels sprouts; lamb carpaccio and tomato and radish sprout salad/chive oil.

Their meal was rounded out with a dessert of rosemary citrus olive oil cake and blood orange salad/blood orange reduction.

2nd Place Culinary Oak Harbor High School, Oak Harbor, Wash.

Coming in at a close second, Oak Harbor impressed judges with their skills. Their culinary presentation showcased: Oliver scallop wrapped in bacon, veil with Penn Cove mussels, clams, shrimp and white bean ragout; boneless game hen with stuffed duck, pistachio and cranberry truffle scented potato puree, vegetable pearls and asparagus spears, served with a pan jus reduction; and warm brie, Bosc pear bread pudding topped with a fig, honey, a tuile cookie and star anis spheres.

3rd Place Culinary Newport High School, Bellevue, Wash.

The Newport students placed by preparing an upscale three-course meal consisting of: beef carpaccio with huckleberry gastrique, herb crusted lamb chops, truffled celeriac barlotto, sautéed wild mushrooms, spring asparagus and lamb jus; and a dessert of chocolate molten cake, burnt orange ice cream, almond tuille, macerated raspberries and lemon anglaise. continued on page 30

28 | www.WRAhome.com

Marketplace SERVSAFE速

SELLING OR BUYING?

The WRA Education Foundation holds ServSafe food safety courses throughout Washington. Visit www.wrahome.com/training for schedule information.

Fee is $130 for members and includes the text, class and exam.

Thinking about selling or buying an existing restaurant, or adding a new location? Call Allan Boden, Sunbelt restaurant specialist at 206.229.4717, or email a.boden@sunbeltnetwork.com. Sunbelt has been serving clients since 1982 with offices nationwide. http://seattle1.sunbeltnetwork.com

FREE LABOR LAW POSTERS

Take advantage of your WRA membership and get your FREE labor law posters today! Call 800.225.7166 for more information.

Choices H.I.H.I.T. understands that choices are as important as affordability.

Did you know...

H.I.H.I.T. offers health care statewide.

Whether you are in Spokane, Seattle or Neah Bay, H.I.H.I.T. offers a statewide network for all your health care needs. Plus, with H.I.H.I.T. you can: s s s

Keep using your existing doctor Choose from 800 Group Health physicians Access more than 9,100 contracted providers

H.I.H.I.T. is the plan of choice when it comes to offering benefits and options to the hospitality industry.

Enroll in a health care plan today. Call Pam Moynahan toll free at 877.892.9203.

April 2011 | 29

continued from page 28 3rd Place Management Lakes High School, Lakewood, Wash.

The Lakes High School restaurant management team designed a restaurant concept called “The Ration Ticket” and presented their plan to a panel of judges.

The students fielded questions during a rigorous interview, in which they expertly explained the specifics of how their business would be run.  1st Place Management Oak Harbor High School, Oak Harbor, Wash.

The Oak Harbor team designed a restaurant concept featuring an upscale urban eatery called “Seattle Lights.” The students planned every detail of the fictional restaurant design, including everything from menu design, to floor layout, kitchen schematics and a business model. The students fielded questions during a rigorous panel interview, in which they expertly explained how they would handle situations such as menu pricing and special requests from customers with allergies.

Sysco Food Services “One Stop & Shop” Groceries • Desserts • Fresh Produce • Frozen Food • Fresh & Frozen Meats • Fresh & Frozen Poultry • Fresh & Frozen Seafood • Equipment & Supplies • Chemicals & Janitorial Supplies • Paper Goods / To Go Containers

BEVERAGE PROGRAMS - Coffee - Juice - Tea & Cocoa

Complete Equipment and Service Program

WAREWASHING PROGRAM - Dish Machine - Bar / Glass Machine - Laundry Services

Value Added Services

2nd Place Management Lewis & Clark High School, Spokane, Wash.

Lewis & Clark restaurant management team designed a restaurant concept called “Wrap & Roll,” and presented their plan to a panel of judges. The students fielded questions during a rigorous interview, in which they expertly explained the specifics of how their business would be run.

-

Credit Card Processing Secret Shopper Pest Control Business Insurance - Consulting & Menu Analysis Restaurant Design Operations Preview - Menu Design -

Sysco Portland, Inc. www.syscoportland.com 503-682-8700

30 | www.WRAhome.com

Advertising & Marketing Point-of-Sale Machines Hostess Pager Systems Labor & Food Cost Review

Sysco Seattle, Inc. www.syscoseattle.com 206-622-2261 206-721-5750

Sysco Spokane, Inc. www.syscospokane.com 208-777-9511

Bar Trends | Rye Whiskey

Rye whiskey rewind

What’s old is new

By Matt McCarthy, contributing writer

Did you know?

The original Manhattan recipe used rye whiskey.

bottling (other than water to cut the whiskey to proof).

North American whiskies account for almost 25% of all spirits sold in Washington state. The traditional categories Rye is a spicy grain, not as sweet as corn and creates a of Canadian, bourbon, Tennessee and blended whiskies whiskey with depth of character that can be good for have long been recognized by customers. The smaller mixing, drinking straight category of and enjoying on the rocks. rye whiskey is With bourbons, think sweet expanding, in corn bread; with ryes, think a large part, 2 oz. rye whiskey dry rye bread. because of 1/2 oz. simple syrup bartenders.

2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters New in Washington state Creativity Absinthe or Herbsaint this month, Bulleit Rye 95 behind that Ice cubes has been created by master bar is expected distiller, Tom Bulleit, and at trendy Tools: mixing glass, barspoon, strainer complements his fine lounges, and Glass: cocktail or rocks bourbon by the same name. craft bartenders Garnish: lemon twist Both are bottled at 90 have found proof. The “rye 95” signifies rye whiskey Give chilled glass an absinthe or Herbsaint rinse and set that 95% of the mash bill is important to aside. Stir other ingredients in a mixing glass, strain into rye grains. their brown the chilled glass and garnish. spirits program.

Tasting new whiskies is always a good time.

The straight Be sure to add a few rye whiskey rye whiskies into category grew by your bar’s lineup 39% in 2010 in This 1930s New Orleans recipe is named after the city’s and experience firstWashington (NABCA French Quarter—it’s a potent but smooth cocktail, just hand what the new report) and is made like the Crescent City. trend is all about. up of standbys: Old Overholt, Jim Beam 3/4 oz. rye whiskey Here are two of Rye and Wild Turkey, 3/4 oz. Cognac cocktail recipes, as well as newcomers 3/4 oz. sweet vermouth showcasing the R1, Pikesville and the 1 barspoon Bénédictine distinct flavor of rye newest, Bulleit Rye 95.

2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters whiskey, reprinted 2 dashes Angostura bitters courtesy of Imbibe Production of rye Ice cubes magazine.  whiskey is similar to that of bourbon. Rye Tools: mixing glass, barspoon, strainer Matt McCarthy, of whiskey must be made Glass: Old Fashioned Southern Wine Spirits from at least 51% rye Garnish: cherry West, is a WRA board and is usually made member. with corn and barley as Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and fill with ice. well. A straight whiskey Stir well, strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass and is not blended with garnish. anything else before

Sazerac

Vieux Carré

April 2011 | 31

“A delicate, well-balanced Prosecco, showing a good blend of baked apple, sour lemon and grapefruit, with a lightly creamy mineral texture on the palate.

Medium froth, with some body and a pleasant lemon and mineral finish.�

Wine Spectator

90 Points

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