Ontario Restaurant News - April 2015

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O N T A R I O April 2015 Vol. 30 No. 3

N AT I O N A L

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MO JESSA TALKS RETENTION

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C O V E R A G E

SUDBURY OWNERS COME TOGETHER

R E G I O N A L

12

F O C U S

A LOOK AT THE QSR SEGMENT

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$ 5 . 9 5

FEATURE: CANADIAN WINE REPORT THE GROWTH AND FUTURE

From fine dining to Pie and we have three more restaurants,” actually put doors on the other side so now, we have doors on both sides. he said.

Pie opened a downtown Barrie lo- It’s probably the only restaurant in BARRIE, Ont. — For chef Randy cation on Lakeshore about two years the world with two front doors,” he Feltis and wine agent Craig Russell, later and in Collingwood on First laughed. “It kind of goes with the brand; we find an obstacle and we get the opening of a wood-fired pizza Street at the beginning of this year.

The most recent location, in the around it and nine times out of 10 do joint was a welcome contrast to the former Collingwood East Side Ma- it with fun.” formality of fine dining.

With the goal of making “worldThey opened Pie at 31 Commerce rio’s space, is 6,000 square feet with Park Dr. in January of 2010 in Bar- 220 seats and a patio for 40. “We like class pizza for the masses,” pies are to think of it as our flagship, because cooked in a wood oven, dough made rie, Ont. “There’s something about fine it’s by far the nicest store. We finally fresh and everything is prepped in dining that kind of wears on you after didn’t have to roll up any loonies and house, including from-scratch desa while and this was sort of an exit toonies to open this one, which was serts.

“We take the fine dining funstrategy out of it. Everything that we nice,” said Feltis.

Its first franchise opened in Pick- damentals and then we strip away hate about fine dining (reservations and that kind of stuff), we threw aside ering at 1550 Kingston Rd. in 2013. everything from there. The food is and opened up a really fun pizza joint “We’re in talks right now about an- world-class, but we bring it to you in a fun, strange, awesome, rock ’n’ roll other store as well,” Feltis added. instead,” said Feltis.

For future franchises, average atmosphere,” said Feltis.

“My partner and I literally took In addition to a selection of tradi$100,000 ($50,000 each) — we liter- footprint will range between 4,000 ally went home and rolled up loonies and 6,000 square feet. “We really tional and out-of-the-box pizzas, such and toonies; we didn’t have any mon- think it would work anywhere, be- as the green egg and ham pie, the cause we’re confident like that,” said menu is rounded out with pastas and ey,” said Feltis.

The first location was 5,000 Feltis. “We’ve proven that it works in sandwiches. Average check is about square feet and seats 120 with an ad- the worst locations, so if we can get $20 per person.

The Ontario-only beer list supditional 40-seat patio, but the location better ones, I’m sure we could pull it ports local brewers such as Flying had turned over five times already. off.”

Calling the Commerce Park lo- Monkeys Craft Brewery in Barrie and “Needless to say, the deal was very REQUIRED “the worst restaurant setup in Collingwood, next door neighbour good, but obviously the location APPROVAL was cation The enclosed proof is sent for your approval. We will not proceed with the job until the proof is returned. you’ve everINSTRUCTIONS. seen in yourCHECK life,”CAREFULLY! he cited Northwinds Brewhouse and Eatery. working against us,” Feltis said. DO NOT GIVE VERBAL Beyond this point we cannot accept responsibility for any errors. Alterations (other than typoerrors)the will be issue charged extra.

Mark proof “OK”facing or “OK with corrections” as the case may They also carry crafts from larger of doors the highway, “We obviously struck a chord,graphical bebe, signing your name so we may know that the proof reached the proper authority. cause we’re still there five years later but an entry on the other side. “We brewers, such as Steam Whistle. In

By Kristen Smith, Associate Editor

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

SIGNATURE OF APPROVAL

From left: Craig Russell and Randy Feltis. addition to wine by the glass, Russell has created a “Craig’s List” selection of his picks for $60 a bottle.

As for future franchisees, the pair is looking for seasoned restaurateurs.

“We don’t necessarily want people who are new to the business. As we grow, we could probably branch out a little bit more, but right now, we’re being very picky,” said Feltis.

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Cooking it old school

From left: Ian Kapitan and Brad Moore.

By Kristen Smith TORONTO — Brad Moore has teamed up with Ian Kapitan for two new projects slated to open this spring.

Chefs Moore and Kapitan met 23 years ago at the Rivoli on Queen Street West in Toronto.

From there, Moore opened Monsoon and Ian headed off to New York.

Most recently, Moore was chef and owner at School in Liberty Village, a position he stepped away from in early March.

Taking on 4,000 square feet below the ART Condos at the corner of Sudbury Street and Dovercourt Road and the former Hudson Kitchen space at Dundas and Palmerston, the duo are working on Recess and Old School, respectively.

Originally dubbed Memory Land and Co.,

the Recess project has occupied Moore for almost two years.

Before Moore went forward with a new project, he wanted to devise a concept that was free from the headaches he has encountered in the past.

He used a business plan creation system to write his 170-page plan in two months. From there he has raised funding and maintained 82 per cent equity.

His advice to chefs and restaurateurs with a great idea: “Treat yourself like a business and write a business plan.”

With two active entrances, Recess is a six-inone concept with two restaurant areas (Recess Diner and Fountain), two bars (Bar Bronson and Mini Bar), Grocery and Oven Bakery.

The small bar area doubles as the service and packing area for the 152-unit condo. Moore

is also negotiating with Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to allow Recess to serve booze to the residents, like a hotel would.

With a central kitchen and counter to pay, Moore said there will be various price points and an increased number of revenue streams such as wholesale baked goods and retail items such as from-scratch soda. “Every component we see as brandable, we now have a store, or a shelf. Package it, bottle it, whatever it is,” Moore said.

The classic diner area will have 80 seats, but without servers settling bills, the turnover will be more like 100 seats, he said. In all, Recess will have a capacity for 200 people and the capability to rent out portions for private events.

At Fountain, checks will average between $5 and $15 and $20 and $30 at Recess Diner.

“The idea is approachability, celebrating the most indestructible restaurant model in history, and that’s a diner,” said Moore.

“The diner is just a fun, approachable concept for everybody,” he said. “When I started doing research, it turns out to be a massive trend in the States, too: chef-reinvented diners.”

Calling the 1950s “the last decade of wholesomeness,” Moore said the concept updates classic names and ideas for current and future generations. “Nostalgia only goes so far,” he added.

Calling himself the “rock-solid guy” behind Moore, who is the driving force behind the projects, Kapitan said they will be using fine-dining technique in a diner setting.

“We’re not doing diner food that is greasy, because there’s the knowledge behind it,” said Kapitan.

Recess pays homage to the creator of the school-day break Amos Bronson Alcott, an educator, vegan and transcendentalist.

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MasterChef winner and judge team up

R&D interior. Photo by Cindy La. TORONTO — MasterChef Canada season one winner Eric Chong and three Michelin-starred chef Alvin Leung are collaborating on R&D, which is slated to open in April.

Located in Toronto’s Chinatown at 241 Spadina Ave., Chong and Leung brought on chef de cuisine Nelson Tsai, most recently of Trump Toronto, Vancouver’s Blue Water Café and Auberge du Pommier.

The concept of dualism is reflected throughout the restaurant, from menu to design. Eastern dishes meet Western style in the form of modern Chinese sharing plates, where classic ingredients are given leading-edge treatment.

Chong and Leung travelled throughout Asia while developing the menu, drawing heavily from their Malaysian and Hong Kong roots.

“The menu is a tribute to Canadian and Asian cuisine,” said Leung in a release. “Just as this country calls itself a mosaic of cultures, so too does our menu. We combine the flavours and aromas of our Asian heritage with modern twists on our favourite Canadian dishes. It is very much a collaboration between myself and Eric.”

The name R&D refers to Chong and Leung’s “rebel and demon” personalities, but is also a nod to their engineering backgrounds, referenc-

ing the term “research and development”.

Modern dim sum dishes like Grandpa’s Fun Guo (chicken with black truffle) and Little Dragon Buns (spicy Sichuan lamb or chicken tom yum) are offered alongside sharing plates such as Lobster Chow Mein (wok-fried lobster, chittara noodles) and the Umami Caesar (clams, kale, Brussels sprouts, tomato, celery).

CSB (Chinese BBQ pork, milk bun, Mexican topping) will be freshly made on the hour, and served dim sum-style. Larger sharing options include General Sanders’ Chicken (Kung pao sauce, Sichuan maple syrup, Hong Kong egg waffles) and 76HR Peking Duck served with steamed buns and three slaws.

“I grew up dreaming of cooking — I’d watch my grandfather in his restaurant and I knew this was what I wanted to do,” said Chong. “I can’t wait to share R&D with the community and show not only how far I’ve come, but how much further I’m willing to go.”

A cocktail list designed by general manager and mixologist Robin Wynne includes the Toasted Coconut & Chai Spiced Pina Colada.

The open concept restaurant is designed to have an intimate atmosphere. The interior was created by Toronto-based Commute Design, which is intended to reflect the dualistic concept. Drum lighting adorns the ceiling while mixed-material mural installations featuring Chinese-inspired street art line the walls of the main dining room.

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O N T A R I O

EDITORIAL Conferences are chockfull of information on how to attract and engage employees, particularly the millennials who will form the backbone of the hospitality industry in the coming years. The news is also rife with statistics on how scarce skilled labour will become in the next five years, making attraction and retention of hospitality employees even more important.

What I’m hearing is heartening. Speakers at a University of Guelph symposium early this month all stated that a company’s reputation or brand matters — that millennials are very picky about who they want to work for.

They want companies that encourage leadership, where they are empowered. They also want companies that have a corporate conscience, participating in charitable or environmentally friendly initiatives.

Dawn Li, general manager of Metterra and Varscona hotels in Edmonton, said that while the company’s move to renewable Bullfrog Power came at a cost premium, the move has paid off in terms of both employee and guest engagement. One employee has even bullfrogpowered their house.

What millennials are not attracted to is an inflexible hierarchy and the almighty buck.

As a boomer, I’m thinking that my generation had some of those same ideals. Decades ago, I worked as a writer/editor for the Ontario Ministry of Energy’s Conservation and Renewable Energy (CARE) group and was proud of what I did. I remember thinking that I would like to be the first on my block with a wind buggy — essentially a big skateboard powered by a sail. I chided my parents for not turning off lights or lowering the thermostat.

I wrote brochures and speeches about time-of-day energy usage, using the carrot approach of lower energy prices for those who avoided peak periods. When the government actually implemented conservation measures in the form of tiered hydro pricing, I felt totally cheated by the government’s stick approach, which made the off-peak times the baseline and penalized consumers for using peak periods.

Idealism? Dreams? Boomers had those too. We were the ones who talked about “being yourself ” and not being sucked in by the corporate “rat race.”

Did we sell out? Not completely.

No, I’m not living off-grid in a solar-powered house with a wind buggy in the driveway,

but I still take every opportunity to write stories about energy and the environment. Paying it forward warms my heart, and those stories find a place in this magazine too.

Some of my boomer friends are more jaded and less idealistic than they used to be — but not all. Some are entering their retirement years with the same goal attributed to millennials: to pay it forward by volunteering.

What may be changing is business. With all the focus on the need for millennial talent, the businesses that are thriving are those that embrace corporate social responsibility. Take Chipotle Grill, the 800-plus unit fast casual chain with a mission statement calling for Food with Integrity. Or Zappos, the online shoe company whose founder, Tony Hsieh, also leads the Downtown Project, an effort to revitalize downtown Las Vegas.

We boomers might have been idealistic, but we weren’t a scarce commodity. While businesses changed during our careers, they didn’t need to embrace our values. Maybe social responsibility for employers is one of the silver linings of the coming labour crunch.

TORONTO — The Canadian restaurant industry expanded for the fifth straight year in 2014 in terms of both sales and employees.

Annual sales for 2014 were $71.8 billion, up from $68.4 billion in 2013 and $61 billion in 2010. The industry employed 1,227,600 people in 2014, up from 1,196,300 the previous year and 1,125,700 in 2010.

“In an era of rising costs and increased competition, five straight years of growth is truly remarkable. Restaurants are more important than ever to the Canadian economy and society,” said Donna Dooher, interim president and chief executive officer of Restaurants Canada, in a March 18 release. “While many other industries move online, restaurants remain at the heart of neighbourhoods across Canada.”

Like many other businesses, restaurants took a hit in 2009 due to the recession.

However, the industry has since climbed its way back, with growth driven primarily by restaurants and caterers, and a booming economy in Western Canada, according to the association.

Restaurants Canada is forecasting continued growth for the industry in 2015.

Yellow Pages starts dining app MONTREAL — Yellow Pages announced the launch of YP Dine, a mobile app dedicated to the restaurant and dining sector, in mid-March.

The YP Dine app allows dining choices

4 | Ontario Restaurant News

to be based on mood and activity, including happy hour, weekend brunch, lunch with coworkers, late night eats and quick dinner fixes. It also allows standard searches for eateries by name or location.

“YP Dine offers a content-rich experience that facilitates dining decisions and actions such as reservation and transaction,” Nicolas Gaudreau, chief marketing officer of Yellow Pages, said in a release.

The app also integrates the top picks by local chefs or restaurant owners, sharing their favourite discoveries in local eateries.

The December acquisitions of Bookenda and Dine.TO by Yellow Pages have seen the functionalities of the two services integrated into YP Dine. These include the ability to receive deals available at local restaurants, access and publish reviews, preview menus and make reservations. The ability to place and pay for orders directly from the app will also be available in future iterations, according to the company.

YP Dine will be adding Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary content by June 1 and expanding to other cities incrementally.

Cooking for youth shelter TORONTO — A number of chefs were involved in this year’s Cover Me Urban fundraising event, which saw the Glass Factory transformed to reflect Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods.

The event supported Youth Without Shelter (YWS), Etobicoke’s emergency residence and referral agency serving homeless youth aged 16-24.

YWS will see more than 1,000 homeless

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youth seek refuge there this year.

On April 1, international street food by a number of Toronto chefs, including Chopped Canada winner chef Keith Hoare, was served up at 99 Sudbury St.

Heinz and Kraft to merge PITTSBURGH, Pa. and NORTHFIELD, Ill. — H.J. Heinz Company and Kraft Food Group Inc. have announced a deal that will see the two companies merge to form the third largest food and beverage company in North America.

The new company will be named The Kraft Heinz Company and will be coheadquartered in Pittsburgh and the Chicago area with projected revenues of approximately $28 billion.

“By bringing together these two iconic companies through this transaction, we are creating a strong platform for both U.S. and international growth,” Alex Behring, chairman of Heinz and managing partner at 3G Capital said in a release.

Behring will become the new company’s chair and Kraft chief executive officer John Cahill will be the vice-chair, according to the Globe and Mail.

In 2013, Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway acquired Heinz for $23.2 billion.

3G Capital also owns 51 per cent of Restaurants Brands International Inc., after the recent deal between Burger King and Tim Hortons.

The deal is expected to close sometime this summer.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL MICKEY CHEREVATY Consultant, Moyer Diebel Limited MARVIN GREENBERG Consultant JACK BATTERSBY President, Summit Food Service Distributors Inc. BARNEY STRASSBURGER JR. President, TwinCorp PAUL LECLERC Partner, Serve-Canada Food Equipment Ltd. PAUL MANCINI Director of Retail, Inventory and Wholesale, LCBO JORGE SOARES Director Food and Beverage Operations, Woodbine Entertainment Group ADAM COLQUHOUN President, Oyster Boy JOHN CRAWFORD Director of Sales-Canada, Lamb Weston TINA CHIU Chief Operating Officer, Mandarin Restaurant Franchise Corporation MARTIN KOUPRIE Chef/Owner, Pangaea Restaurant JOEL SISSON Founder and president of Crush Strategy Inc. LESLIE WILSON Vice-president of Business Excellence, Compass Group Canada CHRIS JEENS Partner, W. D. Colledge Co. Ltd.

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Flor de Sal takes on Corner House space TORONTO — First-time restaurateur Cristina Da Costa opened Flor de Sal last November in the midtown Toronto space Corner House occupied for more than a decade.

“My dream has always been one of experimenting with my culinary instincts,” said Da Costa, who in March 2014 bought the cottagelike Corner House building at the foot of Toronto’s Casa Loma. “It’s a unique space, out of the way, and a destination,” with neighbouring condominiums providing a built-in clientele, she said.

Immediately, Da Costa set to work renovating the space. That refurbishment, spearheaded by a number of designers, particularly at Toronto’s Tiffany Love Interior Design Studio, configured an upscale ambience Da Costa describes as “elegant, not opulent,” expressed in white linens, candlelight, padded banquettes and fireplaces, and punctuated with such accents as fresh orchids and paintings done in light grey and pastel.

The space seats 64 people among a series of rooms, located on the street level and second storey including: Quench Bar, serving raw oysters; a 10-person chef ’s table; and a 10-person garden room. Second-floor spaces include a 10-person alcove and three rooms that can double as private group dining spaces. In the warm months, Da Costa expects to operate a 26-seat patio.

At Flor de Sal — named for the Portuguese sea salt harvested off the country’s coastal

waters — the menu leans toward “contemporary Mediterranean with Portuguese flair,” said Da Costa.

Culinary influences span the Iberian Peninsula to the Italian Peninsula.

Fish is a highlight, with the restaurant bringing in seafood from Portugal and the U.S., but pasta, game, beef and poultry are also represented. A March menu, for example, featured lobster gnocchi with sweet peas; braised rabbit tart; and lamb rack with chestnuts and artichokes. Desserts are made in-house by an apprentice pastry chef. Dinner checks, including alcohol, average $100 per person.

Heading up the kitchen is executive chef Roberto Fracchioni. Fresh off a four-year stint at Toronto’s Monk kitchen, Fracchioni has also logged time at high-profile kitchens such as Scaramouche, Canoe, AuA contemporary Mediterranean sensibility influences the plates at Flor de Sal. berge de Pommier and Inn on the ian and Portuguese bottled beers round out the where she provides menu input in the form of Twenty, in Niagara wine country. dishes such as Portuguese-style cod and the clasThe restaurant serves daily dinner, Wednes- beverage list.

Flor de Sal represents a major career shift sic Portuguese feijoada stew of beans and pork. day to Friday lunch and will launch permanent Da Costa is the polar opposite of the absenfor Da Costa, who spent 14 years as an on-air Sunday brunch service on Mother’s Day. On the drinks side, Flor de Sal offers about morning show host on Toronto’s CHIN ra- tee owner and strives to be at the restaurant “as 130 wines (including seven by the glass) focusing dio. Some years ago, she had studied for two much as possible” to handle front-of-house duon California and Portugal, but also represent- years in George Brown College’s culinary chef ties. She is hands-on — sometimes quite literprogram. That training, and her Portuguese ally, such as the time she shucked oysters during ing Italy, France and Canada.

A dozen cocktails and eight Canadian, Ital- background, are serving her well at Flor de Sal, a busy late March lunch service.

Hot sauce hit at Beachside Grill Royal Oak celebrates 35 years

Chris’s Hot Sauce.

TORONTO — The Beachside Grill’s executive chef Chris Robinson has lived in The Beach area of Toronto for 17 years, and he’s the first to admit that residents of the trendy neighbourhood are a discerning crowd.

“I’ve been here for two years now, so the future is looking good,” he said with a grin. “If they don’t like you here, in six months you’re gone. So many restaurants open on the strip.”

He’s referring to the stretch of Queen Street East that runs from Coxwell to Woodbine, characterized by a large number of independent speciality stores.

Robinson has co-owned the 100-seat restaurant at 1922 Queen St. E. with partner Derek Taylor since 2013. When he took over, annual sales were $460,000, and now they have grown to $660,000.

He says running a successful restaurant takes a lot of hard work and effort as well as a personal touch.

“When people come, I personally go around to every table. I get feedback, which is a good

6 | Ontario Restaurant News

thing. Customers come to expect good food, so you have to be on your game every day. There are regulars who come all the time and stay.”

Robinson has been executive chef at Caseys, Milestones, Moxies, The Old Mill and Zutcher Berk, a large kosher catering business. This is the second restaurant he has bought, with the first being a ’60s diner called Cracker Jacks in Lindsay, Ont. The restaurant has been around for about 20 years, and Robinson is the second owner.

He has completely changed the restaurant, repainting, remodelling and developing a creative menu based on some specialty items from his past. These includes lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, jerk chicken, curried chicken roti and surf and turf with lobster and hot sauce.

Robinson is also becoming known for his own brand of hot sauce, Chris’ Hot Sauce, made from scotch bonnets, jalapeños, chili peppers, Cajun spice and water. The jar carries a warning: “Caution: very hot! Keep out of reach of children.” He created it for customers who wanted something “hotter than Frank’s”. His staff encouraged him to go retail.

The sauce is carried at Foodland in The Beaches and the Summerhill Supermarket, and Robinson sells about 50 bottles a week from the restaurant. Around Christmas, there was a bump in sales as the sauce made a great stocking stuffer.

Asked if he misses corporate life, Robinson says, “There are ups and downs of running your own business, when the bills come in and business is slow, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

OTTAWA — One of Ottawa’s oldest pubs is gearing up to celebrate a milestone.

Royal Oak Pubs — which has 12 Ottawa locations and two in Whitby, Ont. — will celebrate its 35th anniversary in April.

Chief executive officer Jonathan Hatchell said the pub group has evolved over the years.

“We’ve gone from two taps to the growth of imports to the growth of premium specialties,” he said. “We love beer.”

The menu has also undergone changes over the years, moving away from frozen to fresh produce and ingredients, Hatchell said. “Our menu, like our pubs has evolved; we are in a constant state of evolution,” he said.

The original location opened on April 23, 1980 at 318 Bank St., Ottawa, where it still stands. During the month of April, several events will be hosted at the pub to commemorate the anniversary. Festivities kick off on April 20 with a beer dinner hosted by Don Harms, head brewer for Ottawa’s Kichesippi Craft Brewery. The five-course meal will be prepared by chef Tracey Provost and see the tapping of the pub’s 35th anniversary ale.

Other events through out the week include: charity breakfast with proceeds going to Do it For Daron supporting youth mental health research; Beau’s Brewery tap takeover; beach party and trivia night; throwback to 1980s menu pricing; anniversary small-batch cocktail; and 35 chances to win 35 pounds of chicken wings.

According to Hatchell, the group continues “cautious and conservative expansion,” with eyes on the Greater Toronto Area.

“We also see in the Ottawa market the po-

tential for maybe two more,” Hatchell said.

“We are geographically well represented and where the city has grown is where we look for new locations.”

John Howard and Gordon Lilley were the original owners and they are still actively involved in the business as board members. The third original partner was Paul Harris who returned to the U.K. not long after the pub opened in the early 80s. Harris was replaced by John Thoday who is a board member and one of the three current owners.

Hatchell said the pub group is founded on the pillars of community, providing safe and appealing pubs, the perfect pint and quality food.

Patios play an important role in the business plan. Hatchell said the group has given up on locations because they didn’t have a southwestfacing patio to maximize sunshine.

“It’s been a tough winter, we’ve had a very strong St. Patrick’s Day and now we are chomping at the bit to get our patios open,” Hatchell said.

Royal Oak Pubs celebrates 35 years.

Leadership aids retention

By Colleen Isherwood, Senior Editor GUELPH, Ont. — Eighty per cent of business success is your ability to understand what it takes to be a leader, Earls Restaurants president Mo Jessa told a symposium, held at the University of Guelph in March as part of its Sustainable Restaurant Project.

Jessa started as a dishwasher at Earls 25 years ago, and rose through the ranks becoming executive chef in 2000, vice-president of operations in 2004 and then president two years ago.

Today Earls has 67 restaurants and more than 5,000 employees.

He presented a case study in employee engagement, pointing out that in 2008, only 500 people filled out the employee engagement survey, rating satisfaction at 76 per cent. In 2014, Earls received a similar satisfaction rating, but 4,000 people answered the survey. In one year, from 2013 to 2014, participation rose from 74 per cent of staff to 91 per cent — a huge jump in employee engagement in an area where one to two per cent is considered good progress.

Jessa credits his obsession with leadership as the key, and his conviction that every person at Earls can be a leader.

“You have to live certain aspects of leadership,” he said. Earls bases its leadership on four foundations: • Integrity. You can build trust if you do what you say, and people can count on you.

It’s also important to empower people to make decisions.

• Authenticity. Catch yourself when you are faking it. Being yourself is OK; if you’re genuine, you’re allowed to have some personal flaws.

• Believe in a cause bigger than yourself.

If you can identify what that is, it allows people to feel part of something.

• Take 100 per cent responsibility for all outcomes.

All 300 managers and general managers at Earls have taken a three-day course on leadership.

But leadership is not limited to management. Jessa found an example of leadership development for hourly employees at Lululemon developed by leadership advisor Susanne Conrad, stressing the need for dialogue, listening and self-reflection skills, and the idea that when you create a future, you do it for yourself.

This year, Jessa is implementing Earls’ Developing Leaders: Vision and Goals program, and is committed to training 1,500 employees in 2015. It asks employees to consider a 10-year vision, to decide what’s important in their lives.

“I personally blog about these principles every Sunday for three hours. It goes out on Monday, and people read it. You’ve got to live [leadership] or people won’t do it.”

New model for recruitment Sean Lyons, professor of leadership and management at University of Guelph’s College of Business and Economics, told the audience there’s a new recruitment model.

“In the old model, you assumed employees want to work for you; that jobs are static and don’t change with the employee; that the best people are local; and that recruiting is advertising focused.

“In the new From left: Mo Jessa, president, Earls Restaurants Ltd., Sean model, focused Lyons, professor, University of Guelph, and Jan van der Hoop, on generation president, Fit First Technologies.

X and millennials, [the candidate asks], ‘What do you have to offer me?’” people and organizations find better ways to The job marketing strategy must be compelling, work together. He told the symposium being fit the offer designed to be competitive, and it’s im- for the role is the leading indicator of business portant to “fish in the right pond” to get quali- performance, and set out four critical aspects: fied candidates.

• Screen for fit — find out who employees “Use employer branding because brands are as individuals, what their standards are have power,” Lyons added. Be known for your and their best and worst managers. corporate social responsibility, or be named one • Measure what matters — how they learn of the Top 50 Employers by Aon Hewitt. “You and think. Ask, “What’s the funniest thing are your unique value proposition,” Lyons said. that ever happened at work?”

• Check your standards — you attract what you tolerate. If you tolerate mediocrity, Four critical aspects of “fit” you will get mediocre staff.

Jan G. van der Hoop, president and orga• Take a ruthless look in the mirror — would nization performance expert with Fit First you work for you?

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Sudbury restaurants create associaton SUDBURY, Ont., — A group of independent Sudbury restaurateurs have come together to create an association for the area’s operators.

Following the Christmas season, the Sudbury Hospitality Association of Restaurant Entrepreneurs (SHARE), a group of 12 members, ran a five-week Localicious event which increased business and raised more than $12,700 for NEO Kids (North Eastern Ontario Health Centre for Kids).

“We want to shine a light on the independent restaurants,” said Leslie Moutsatsos, coowner of P&M’s Kouzzina.

In November, a handful of restaurateurs reached out to their peers about creating an association and got a resounding yes, according to Moutsatsos.

She says SHARE is expected to grow and is getting requests from other restaurants looking to join.

The association allows the independents to compete with the dollars and support of chains opening up in the area. “Together, we can af-

ford advertising now,” said Moutsatsos.

“We don’t want the whole pie,” said Moutsatsos, adding the franchise owner is also her neighbour and it’s not about one or the other succeeding. “[Localicious] got more bodies through the door during the coldest part of the winter,” said Moutsatsos. A second event will run this fall.

She said the group wants Sudbury residents to remember independent restaurants are there and are part of the community, some for the past 50 years.

Moutsatsos and her husband Junior opened Pat & Mario’s 30 years ago under the Sudburybased Prime Restaurants. The number of Pat and Mario’s dwindled during the 1990s and by 2007, it was the only remaining location. A couple years ago, the franchise agreement was mutually cancelled.

The couple kept the name, as it is how they have always been known, and renovated the concept with a focus on Greek and Italian cuisine, a reflection of their respective roots.

SHARE donated more than 12,000 to NEO Kids.

From left: Curtis and Jody MacDonald (Teklenburg’s) and Ryan Nesci (Tony V’s).

From left: Mark Gregorini (Verdicchio owner) and Carole Fougeres (Verdicchio banquet manager), Chuck Barbeau (M.I.C. Canadian Eatery and Whisky Pub) and Leslie Moutsatsos (P&M’s Kouzzina).

CAFP Toronto Student Awards Night

FOR DEVELOPMENT

CALL US NOW:

Marianne Schuts 888-822-7981 x 127 marianne.schuts@littlecaesars.ca www.littlecaesars.ca

8 | Ontario Restaurant News

TORONTO — The Toronto branch of the Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals (CAFP) handed out almost $25,000 in student bursary awards at a ceremony held March 23 at the Eaton Chelsea, Toronto hotel. Two hundred people attended the event that was MCed by CAFP past-president Angelo Colalillo.

The night’s major honour, the Aramark Canada Gold Plate Award, went to Sara Ermias, Ryerson University, who

CAFP Student Awards Night.

also won an award sponsored by Sysco Food Services of Southwestern Ontario.

Other multiple winners included Bonnie Nethery, University of Guelph, who won awards sponsored by New York Fries and South Street Burger Co. and the CAFP Educational Program Fund; Iana Mologuina, Ryerson University, who won awards sponsored by the Senior Management Advisory Council and CAFP Toronto Branch; Karina Thomas, Centennial College, recognized by the

CAFP Educational Program Fund and CAFP Toronto Branch; Sharmini Balakrishnan, University of Guelph, who won the Brian Cooper Memorial award and also scooped an award sponsored by CAFP Toronto Branch; Jessica Brown, Humber College, honoured by the Senior Management Advisory Council and CAFP Toronto Branch; and Andrea Cassidy, Humber College, recognized by ED Foods and the Arlene Dickinson Award.

Other winners included: Kitu Sharma, Carmen El-Khazen, Yoan Chen, Charlee Wolfe-Coyle, Won Young (Kay) Sohng, Jane Nkubito, Hui Man (Minnie) Chang, Emily Nicol, Melissa Danchak, Callie Gross, Lara Haines-Love, Melissa Tambeau, Mike Bidenko, Rebecca Minshall, Kailee Van de Vegte, Helen Feng, Vincent Duong, Zahra Hosseinian, Kalene Finnegan, Malvina Przybylak, Charlotte Jones, Inthuya Wamathewan, Shivon Wint, Olivia Kordos, Christina Natale, Victoria Hauser, Michelina Helen Martinez, Karim Mohammadi, Erika Gibson, Teesha Persaud and Lord Manalad.

D E C O D I N G T H E D ATA

Fine dining: attracting tomorrow’s consumer today considerable shifts in demographics have not been seen anywhere else in the market. In fact, 18 to 34 year olds actually increased their share of the total foodservice market outside of fine dining over that same period of time.

This means that the fine dining consumer base is getting older. While it has always depended on older consumers more than the rest of the market, this level of dependence is higher than any year in the past eight years. The major concern for operators is that they are increasing focus on a demographic that is continuing to age and entering retirement years, where income levels may no longer support high cheque restaurant visits.

Ideally, fine dining restaurants would still attract these older consumers, but also be able to simultaneously drive enough younger consumers to maintain a consistent supply of patrons who will continue to visit as they age; today’s problem is that the fine dining consumer of tomorrow is not being sufficiently cultivated.

dining, recent traffic shifts have highlighted a potentially unique challenge for these restaurants. In particular, changes in age demographic dynamics within the segment pose a potential long-term threat to the performance of fine dining.

By Scott Stewart While today’s foodservice market is made up mostly of coffee, burgers, burritos and grab-and-go meals, fine dining remains the quintessential restaurant experience. With its premium décor, top quality ingredients and knowledgeable staff, this segment of the market stands out from all others in truly representing the ultimate dining event.

However, the segment has not been invincible to the declines felt by the industry in recent years; quite the opposite, as traffic in 2014 is seven per cent lower than it was in 2008, according to The NPD Group.

This negative trend matches the rest of the full service restaurant (FSR) industry, showing that consumers are shifting away from these sit down occasions.

Within fine dining, there are particular challenges when the economy slows. Specifically, the average amount paid per person is $42, compared to only $15 in the rest of FSR. While higher checks, and therefore higher susceptibility to economic changes, will always be a part of fine

A shift in the fine dining visitor The fine dining segment has always drawn a unique consumer demographic compared to the rest of the market. Patrons of these restaurants are more likely to be older, with two-thirds of traffic over 45 years old compared to only half at all full service restaurants. These consumers are also more likely to have higher household incomes: 40 per cent of them over $100,000 per year compared to only 23 per cent in the total market.

What is important to note, though, is the shift within these demographics over the last five years. Consumers 65 years and older accounted for 18 per cent of fine dining occasions in 2009 — they now represent 23 per cent. In that same time period, 18 to 34 year olds’ share of traffic dropped from 24 per cent down to 17 per cent. These

Winning younger customers What, then, must the segment do

to correct this shift? Driving more visits among 18 to 34 year olds will be the key to re-balance the age distribution. While it may seem millennials have become the answer in every industry today, their effect in this segment cannot be ignored: between 2008 and 2014, 18- to 34-year-old millennials contributed the highest number of lost visits to fine dining.

More than other age groups, millennials are driven to FSRs by the idea of treating themselves, as well as recommendations from others, which aligns with their higher use of social media.

While social media may not strategically fit with all fine dining operators, it acts to highlight the importance of word of mouth to this demographic, along with indulgence.

In addition to treating and word of mouth, fixed-price menus — especially those that include alcohol — often resonate more with these younger consumers.

By developing a fixed-price program that communicates the indulgence of fine dining, and tapping into the vital word of mouth for this demographic, operators can start to

resonate with the age group that will be tomorrow’s target consumer.

Positioning for the future As the overall foodservice market and economy continues to struggle, fine dining will continue to be challenged to find organic growth in traffic.

Within this market, though, it is important that operators position themselves as well as possible for future growth.

Given the current demographic makeup of the segment, it seems that the future may be even more challenged if restaurants do not bring back younger consumers. Thinking one step ahead will help fine dining restaurants attract tomorrow’s core customer today.

Scott Stewart is an account manager, foodservice Canada for The NPD Group. NPD has more than 25 years of experience providing reliable and comprehensive consumerbased market information to leaders in the foodservice industry. For more information, visit www.npd.com or contact him at scott. stewart@npd.com.

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TORONTO — More than 1,100 exhibitors, both long-standing in the FEATURE: WOMEN IN FOODSERVICE foodservice industry and those getting SUCCESS STORIES IN THE INDUSTRY started, set up the 2015 Restaurants Canada Show on the first days of March.

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onstrations on the main and Ontario stages, competitions, record-breaking attempts, breakfast with a movie star and the restaurant association’s 70th annual meeting.

Paul Methot elected Restaurants Canada chair

Paul Methot, senior vice-president of operations for Pizza Pizza, was elected chair of the board of Restaurants Canada at the association’s annual meeting on March 2 and will serve a one-year term.

“For many years, I have listened to the stories of many now past chairs

and have been inspired by them,” said Methot, who has served on the Restaurants Canada board since 2004. He said his story is a bit different.

With an education in business from the University of Western Ontario, Methot worked in mergers and acquisitions before joining Pizza Pizza as director of real estate a year after graduation.

He left the company for a brief stint to work in real estate and served as the vice-president of both corporate development and commissary before moving into his current role.

Methot joined Pizza Pizza in 1984 and has seen the chain grow from 45 to more than 700 locations across Canada.

Methot said the association needs to lobby the government to foster positive economic conditions for the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

“As chair, I’m determined to achieve results to support our Canadian businesses,” said Methot.

Outgoing chair Liam Dolan noted his tenure was during a time of much change with a new brand, website, offices and the search for new leadership.

“As my year comes to an end, I will continue to roll up my sleeves,”

he said. Dolan said he hopes there will be more success with respect to credit card rates and that the association can encourage the implementation of wholesale liquor pricing across the country.

Craft beer tops chef survey TORONTO — Prior to the show, Restaurants Canada released its sixth annual Canadian Chefs Survey, which polled more than 400 professionals in January.

Craft beer topped the list of “Hot Trends,” which are considered at the peak of popularity.

Here are the top 10 trends for 2015 with last years’s rank in brackets: 1. Craft beer/ microbrews (5) 2. Locally sourced foods (3) 3. Leafy greens (4) 4. Food smoking (6) 5. C h a rc u t e r i e / h o u s e - c u re d meats (8) 6. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious (1) 7. Quinoa (2) 8. Sustainable seafood (new) 9. Inexpensive/underused cuts of meat (10) 10. International sauces (new)

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Burrito Jax heads into N.L. Continued on page 18

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N

Bell considers himself lucky to know he wanted to be a chef at a young age.

His first job was washing dishes at Avenue Grille in Vancouver’s Kerrisdale neighbourhood at the age of 14 and after high school, he attended Dubrulle French Culinary School. His instructor and friend Rob Feenie inspired Bell to apprentice at Le Crocodile, where he met a culinary mentor Michel Jacob. “One of the reasons that I’ve been in the places that I’ve been is because of the foundation that he helped to build in my career,” says Bell.

When Feenie left in 1995 to open Lumière, Bell came over as sous chef.

He took his first executive chef position two years later in Toronto’s Accolade and worked in the province until moving to Murrieta’s Bar & Grill in Calgary where he also spent three years working with the Vintage Group. In 2008, Bell opened Cabana Bar & Grill after moving to Kelowna, B.C., the year prior and sold it in 2014.

“This opportunity with Four Seasons was unique to me because I wasn’t a hotel chef. It was a real learning experience and learning curve, having spent most of my career in restaurants,” says Bell.

In 2011, Bell was brought on to take over foodservice for the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver including its YEW seafood + bar. When Bell joined the property, the hotel changed YEW’s concept from West Coast continental to seafood-centric.

Bell’s mission was to make the luxury hotel fully Ocean Wise certified.

“You don’t meet a chef these days worth their salt that isn’t engaged in where their food is from,” says Bell.

“I guess you call my food ocean-totable, but really I’m not just about the three oceans that surround our country. I’m about healthy lakes, oceans and rivers and land-based, closed containment aquaculture.”

Bell hopes to create a day to celebrate sustainable seafood from coast to coast, with the “audacious goal” of having sustainable seafood accessible to every Canadian within the next decade.

“Chefs have a unique opportunity and, quite honestly, a responsibility to educate ourselves and our customers and our cooks about where our food comes from and how it was caught, raised, farmed, harvested, or gathered,” says Bell. “Let’s be honest, we’re addicted to cheap. We all are, myself included. We love to go and get the deal, we love to go out and buy the cheapest, but we really don’t think about where it came from.”

He says the work of Chefs for Oceans is just beginning. “The platform that I have as the executive chef of the Four Seasons here in Vancouver is an extraordinary one and it’s not lost on me,” says Bell, noting his peers at Four Seasons properties around the world are all people he can connect with.

“It’s not Ned for oceans, it’s Chefs for Oceans, because it’s all of my peers who need to engage their friends and customers through their own restaurants or hotels,” he says.

“I feed thousands of people a week, I can educate thousands of people in however small way and chefs across Canada can do the same. That’s

my call to action,” he says. “We’re going to have to do this eventually. We can’t continue to just take and take and take; it will run out, period, full stop. Look what happened to the cod. Imagine if that happened on the West Coast and we lost our five wild salmon species? People would freak out, but for some bizarre reason we continue abuse and use.”

He says consumers care about supporting local food more than ever, and sees that moving in the direction of sustainable seafood.

“I know I’m on the crest of a wave here, but I also know that 10 years from now, this is the only conversation we’ll be having.”

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By Kristen Smith, Associate Editor ed Bell took the case for sustainable seafood across the country last year cycling more than 8,700 kilometres from St. John’s, N.L., to Vancouver.

The executive chef for Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver kick-started Chefs for Oceans, reaching out to local champions of sustainable seafood and holding 24 events over the course of 10 weeks to bolster awareness both in the community and in the restaurant industry.

An event in every province, each was unique but the message was always the same: healthy oceans, lakes and rivers through responsible fishing methods and aquaculture.

The idea for the non-profit organization was born at the 2012 Canadian Chefs’ Congress in Halifax. “We were having this conversation in individual provinces, in regions and communities, but we weren’t having it on a national scale,” says Bell.

The Penticton, B.C.-born chef spent much of his time growing up in the Okanagan Valley. “I guess that’s where I got my love of food, because my parents had a farm. We were involved in the wine business in the early days — my dad was a hydroponic fruit and vegetable grower,” says Bell.

When Bell was 12, his parents separated. His mom was “working her tail off ” and after frozen lasagna dinners grew tiresome, Bell says he starting cooking for his younger brother and sister and recognized the power of food. “I realized young that it brought us together; we spent time around the table as siblings,” says Bell.

“I really fell in love with the aspect of people and food and how it brings families and friends together. To this day, one of the things that I love the most is the people aspect of it, whether it’s my team in the kitchen, or my customers in the restaurant or cooking for friends.”

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Boston Pizza and the Boston Pizza roundel are registered trademarks of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, used under licence. © Boston Pizza International Inc. 2015.

of a St. John’s, N.L., location and the construction of a new head office and Burnstorefront on Ilsley Avenue in Burn side. storeThe new 1,100-square-foot store front also includes an additional

800-square-foot training centre, said Gord Delano, co-owner and president of G4U Foods Inc., which owns the fast casual brand.

The chain opened its flagship location on Blowers Street in Halifax in

2009. In October 2012, the first franchise opened in the suburban community of Lower Sackville.

Two more N.S. locations followed and the brand opened its first P.E.I. location in June 2014.

A three-store deal in N.L. will see the first few locations open in St. John’s. Delano said site selection is underway for the first location, which is expected to open this year.

“For 2015, we want to further develop Nova Scotia and enter into New Brunswick,” said Delano. There are also plans for a second Charlottetown store in the next 14 months.

With the tagline “Relax … it’s good for you,” Delano says this comes into play with every decision the chain makes.

As for future franchisees, Delano said Burrito Jax is looking for “people with an entrepreneurial spirit” and multi-unit owners.

“I think the first and foremost thing is they have to love our food,” said Delano.

With each burrito tailor-made to diners’ preferences, Delano said it’s a customer-driven concept.

Focusing on takeout and catering, future franchise locations will have about five or six cafe-style tables and an average footprint of approximately 1,000 square feet.

Delano said the franchise maintains very strict guidelines regarding how food is prepared. Everything is made in house at the fresh-prep restaurant, including its sauces, such as its cranberry salsa and burrito sauce (sour cream infused with lime, herbs and garlic).

N.B. craft alcohol producers come together FREDERICTON, N.B. — The New Brunswick Craft Alcohol Producers Association (NBCAPA) held its first meeting in February.

With microbreweries, cideries, mead and wine producers on board, the association is “growing all the Comtime,” said Red Rover Brewing Com pany founder and co-owner Adam beClawson, who is a driving force be hind the creation of the NBCAPA. At the first meeting, members and organizastakeholders discussed the organiza direction’s mandate, directives and direc tors. Clawson is the vice-president Picaand Sean Dunbar, founder of Pica

roons Traditional Ales, will serve as president.

“The intention was to try and create something that wasn’t ‘alcoholist.’

It’s not specifically intended for one type of alcohol production, it’s more intended for the community that is craft within the province,” said Clawson.

The association’s mandate is to advocate for craft producers and support the growth of the industry both in and outside of the province.

“Up until now, there hasn’t been a unified voice and because we’re all small producers — even people like

Picaroons and Pumphouse are small in comparison to the Mooseheads — the voice hasn’t really been very loud,” said Clawson.

With the joining of beer, cider and spirits, Clawson said they can advocate for modernization, fair treatment, expansion and economic growth.

When Red Rover started producing cider three years ago, Clawson said there were only three microbreweries in the province. Now, there are about a dozen with four more in planning stages.

“The growth has been quite fast

within the last year and a half,” said Clawson.

He pointed out that consumer interest in knowing where food comes from and the accountability that comes with local products has spurred a shift toward craft alcohol.

He said people are willing to pay more for higher quality making the higher cost associated with small batches economically viable.

In addition to being a voice for the industry and being a point of contact if issues arise, Clawson said the NBCAPA hopes to utilize its collective purchasing power in the future.

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April 2015 | 9

Peter Pan flies again TORONTO — Toronto chef Noah French-style bentwood chairs; and Goldberg relaunched Peter Pan Bis- bringing in wall sconces salvaged tro on March 18 with a design hon- from Toronto’s defunct Captain ouring the restaurant’s history and John’s seafood restaurant. Adorning a mission statement — high-quality walls are tapestries, made by London, food served in a relaxed, non-intim- U.K.-based multimedia artist Debidating atmosphere — that Goldberg bie Lawson, depicting heads of deer, characterizes as “three Michelin moose and bear fashioned from resin [star] technique, one Michelin [star] and sandwiched between pieces of carpet. Two-tone green accents puncservice.”

Last year, Goldberg bought the tuate the room.

Augmenting the banquettes are business from Mary Jackman, who had owned the Queen Street West tables made from concrete, which acrestaurant since 1977. In April, count for half the dining room’s 62 2014, Jackman closed the restau- seats (the banquettes account for the rant, through whose kitchens such other half and the bar adds another acclaimed chefs as Susur Lee had seven seats). In the summer, a 35-seat passed. As far back as the 1930s, patio will open.

Plates reflect Goldberg’s markethowever, the eatery had operated as Peter Pan Lunch, and it is that period driven, nose-to-tail philosophy, nur— specifically, 1930s Paris Art Deco tured during an 18-month stint from — that designer Jessica Ingwersen 2010 to 2012 as a chef at London, evoked when she spearheaded the U.K.’s St. John restaurant.

After returning to Toronto in room’s facelift, said Goldberg.

Many of original elements were 2012, Goldberg helmed Feasting kept: wood banquettes; dark-wood Room, a six-month pop-up on Tobar back; tin ceiling; 20-foot marble- ronto’s College Street that served top bar; the façade’s stained-glass multi-course, meat-centric tasting menus. windows; and pendant lights.

French and British influences figIngwersen also brought in new elements to modernize the space. That ure prominently in Peter Pan’s menu, included upholstering the banquettes; although Goldberg said he’s open to 0112015_FoodService&HospitalityMagAdfinalREVISED.pdf adding Art Deco picture lights and incorporating ideas from other cui-

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sines. He added that he is working closely with local suppliers giving priority to Ontario, but also sourcing from Quebec. Offering fish and fowl as well as meat, the menu follows a starter/main/dessert format. A late March menu, for example, offered confit of pig’s head (starter) and pig’s cheek (main), but also halibut fish and chips, along with cauliflower gratin (a vegetarian option is always offered).

Checks average $65 per person including alcohol.

At launch, Peter Pan served dinner only, but Goldberg expected to introduce Saturday-Sunday brunch in April. Once the good weather ushers in patio season, he will add Monday-to-Friday lunch and said that in mid-June, he expects to launch private dining in the three divisible, second-floor rooms that collectively seat 100 people.

Goldberg and wine director Jay Whiteley have curated a drinks list featuring about 60 Old and New World wines (including 10 by the glass); cocktails (eight in-house creations along with a selection of classics); and beer highlighting Ontario and Quebec microbrews. Scotch and gin are also a focus, with 20-plus and 1 12/03/15 8:48 PM 28 labels on offer, respectively.

Peter Pan’s seven-seat bar.

Peter Pan’s original wood banquettes were kept for the reopening.

From left: James Smtih, Joe Baker and Michelle Caine.

New directions at Centennial SCARBOROUGH, Ont. — Preparing a business plan, presenting ideas, making a pitch and working with staff are every bit as essential to today’s hospitality graduates as learning skills in the classroom.

They also need to know how to present themselves, dress for an interview and talk about their own strengths.

James Smith, newly minted chair of culinary programs and operations at Centennial College, calls it “roundedness,” and Centennial aims to graduate more well-rounded students.

Smith’s position is a new one, and

it reflects a change in culinary focus for the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culture. The program has seen some changes at the top end, with Joe Baker taking over as dean a year ago following Shyam Ranganathan’s retirement, and Michelle Caine replacing Verona Barclay as chair last May. Centennial is in the process of building a residence and Culinary Arts Centre to house the entire School of Hospitality and Tourism. It will include an eight-storey, 740-room hotel, 20,000 square feet of event spaces, seven kitchen labs (using the equipment installed a few years back in the original building), eight addi-

tional classrooms, a teaching restaurant and café.

Centennial’s courses will focus on a broader range of career options.

“Before the focus was on downtown bakeries and fine dining,” said Caine.

“Now we are also looking at chain restaurants and commercial bakeries.

We are opening the doors to all parts of the industry to come in and say hi, and talk to the students.

“Bakery and Pastry Arts students won’t just be bakers. They can be food writers, recipe testers, entrepreneurs, product developers, food blogger, stylists, or they can work in Hollywood producing cakes.”

Restaurant investment summit TORONTO — On May 5-6, the restaurant industry will come together at the Canadian Restaurant Investment Summit at the Hilton Toronto.

Keynote speaker Curt Steinhorst will present on how to retain employees and how to market to the millennial generation.

“Millennial customers and employees are top of mind for any operator right now,” said Orie Berlasso, managing director of Big Picture Conferences Inc., the company organizing the summit. “[Steinhorst] will not only deliver a keynote, but stay onward to coach a communication workshop that will get boomers and gen Y’s talking,” Berlasso said.

Attendees will also have access to the Canadian Chain Restaurant Industry Review, commissioned by GE Capital and compiled by fsSTRATEGY and The NPD Group Canada.

“The review is a comprehensive analysis and factual overview of market shares, revenue trends, costs, hot (and not-so-hot) products, consumer behaviour and the overall state of

foodservice in Canada,” Berlasso said. “The data is very encouraging and undoubtedly food for thought for the future of the industry.”

While registration begins on May 5, the opening remarks from GE Captial’s Ed Khediguian will be delivered at 8 a.m. on May 6.

A group of presenters — including: John Hamburger, Franchise Times Corp.; Chris Elliott, Restaurants Canada; Jacob Mancini, GE Capital; and Michael Curt Steinhorst.

Glen, Laurentian Bank Securities — will provide an outlook on how Soltesz of GE Capital will talk about the industry is doing.

Robert Carter, executive director the impact of oil prices on the restauof the NPD Group, and Todd Jones, rant industry.

Each year, GE Capital Canada managing director of Brand Management GE Capital, will give a glimpse and the Franchise Finance team donate proceeds from the summit to a into where the industry is headed.

Breakout sessions throughout chosen charity. Last year, the sumthe day include Sam Winberg from mit supported Chairman Tom’s AnNorthwest Atlantic Inc. Brokerage nual Grouse Grind Event for the and Ulf Bergener of Ivanhoe Cam- Vancouver General Hospital and the bridge; Darnell Holloway from Yelp University of British Columbia’s MS research, ALS Society of BC and the Inc.; and a panel on big data.

In the afternoon, John Paul Canadian Cancer Society.

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April 2015 | 1 1

BY JONATHAN ZETTEL

F

orget your fancy artisan cheese, craft beer and organic lettuce sandwiches — the country continues to opt for quick and easy fast food keeping quick service restaurants (QSRs) on top of the foodservice chain. Despite flat sales, the rise of fast casual locations and a changing market driven by millennials, QSRs continue to find ways to bring customers in and deliver cheap, tasty meals quicker than you can say Colonel Sanders.

Breakfast is the most important meal According to Scott Stewart, foodservice account manager for The NPD Group Inc., up until a few years ago, the QSR segment was doing fairly well.

“What’s happened lately, is that the market has really flattened out, but within that there has been some dynamic movement within dayparts,” Stewart says.

Lunch had a bad year in 2014, as did the dinner daypart declining by a few points. What’s keeping overall sales flat for QSRs, he says, is a win with the rise of breakfast sales.

A number of chains have invested heavily into their breakfast programs. McDonald’s literally gave coffee away for days to bring in traffic and chains like Taco Bell, Wendy’s and Tim Hortons continue to unveil variations of portable breakfast sandwiches and better coffee.

Recently, A&W introduced what could be a first for QSRs in Canada: an organic fair trade coffee.

“We went to Van Houtte and told them what we would like to offer and they developed this coffee especially for us,” says Susan Senecal, chief marketing officer for A&W. The coffee is a 100 per cent Arabica, organic, fair trade blend the company calls rich and full bodied in taste.

“Coffee became a priority for us when our customers kept telling us how much they loved our new eggs, but wanted a better cup of coffee,” says Senecal. “Through extensive taste and quality testing, it became clear that organic coffee was a winner among our customers, so we partnered with Van Houtte to provide it.”

In 2014, the company began sourcing eggs from hens fed a vegetarian diet without animal by-products and chicken raised without the use of antibiotics. A&W also sources beef raised without the use of hormones or steroids.

According to Senecal, replacing major ingredients such as the new organic coffee at the company’s 832 restaurants across Canada is no easy task, but the move to transparent ingredient listings has paid off with an increase of 10 per cent in sales.

“It comes with a great feeling of satisfaction in knowing we’re giving our customers what they want,” she says.

Meanwhile, Canadian QSR giant Tim Hortons has introduced several new breakfast sandwiches, a dark roast and announced in early March, the company is testing a single-origin coffee in select Canadian markets.

All of this signals an important move within the QSR segment to steal breakfast share and increase the bottom line.

According to Stewart, 80 per cent of breakfast sales come from only two chains, leaving the remaining 20 per cent for everyone else to fight over.

“Breakfast is the most habitual daypart,” Stewart says. “It’s very difficult to get into the market, but once you get them, they’re yours.”

rise of fast casual Over the past five years, there’s been a ton of talk around the rise of fast casual. The QSR hybrid has seen much success in the U.S., and has seeped into the Canadian mainstream with chains such as Quesada, Panera Bread, Freshii and the Burger’s Priest.

With its premium ingredients, in-house sauces and higher checks, fast casual seeks to steal share from traditional QSRs with the idea customers are willing to pay more for a better quality product.

According to NPD’s Stewart, the rise of fast casual is really only a micro-problem for QSR operators. While fast casual has grown by 18 per cent in location footprint alone, it still only represents one per cent of the overall market, he says.

“Is that going to be a major threat? No,” Stewart says.

“However, if you are a franchisee and a fast casual operation opens next door, there’s legitimate concern.”

Stewart says the rise of fast casual south of the border started 15 years ago, and now represents 5 per cent of the U.S. market.

“One caveat for Canada is that it won’t take as long as it did in the U.S.,” he says.

The trend, however, can be seen with some major QSR groups upping food quality or adding fast casual concepts to their portfolios.

MTY Food Group Inc. — the company behind more than

BY THE NUMBERS CANADA

In that time, CHAINS have GAINED about 3,000 while INDEPENDENTS have LOST about 3,000.

has had about

72,000

restaurants

ENTIRE INDUSTRY

QSRs have been flat at around 36,000 TOTAL UNITS over that

SINCE 2008

SIMILAR SHIFT TO CHAINS .

ACROSS THE

every year

same time period, with a

TRAFFIC for QSRs INCREASED by only 1 PER CENT in 2014.

DOLLARS INCREASED by 4 PER CENT due to HIGHER CHECKS.

the TOP CATEGORIES for QSRs are: SOFT DRINK

POTATOES

21%

COFFEE

40%

19%

SANDWICHES

20%

BURGERS

13%

According to NPD MARKET PROJECTIONS QSR traffic is EXPECTED TO GROW by 1 PER CENT per year until 2020.

20 chains including Manchu Wok, Mr. Sub, Country Style and Mr. Souvlaki — announced in early March the launch of TOSTO Quickfire Pizza Pasta.

“As the rapidly growing segment of fast-casual dining continues to gain acceptance in Canada, MTY believes that now is the time to raise the bar one more level,” Michael Lublin, brand vice-president says in a release. “By creating a fast-premium dining concept, Canadian consumers can experience a high quality, premium fine dining product in a quick service environment and at a reasonable price.”

The first TOSTO location opened in the heart of Toronto’s business district at 800 Bay St. and features made-from-scratch noodles and Romano pizza dough made fresh daily in house.

According to the company, it has noticed a major demographic shift throughout Canada and a greater knowledge of the culinary industry, which translates into a more savvy consumer who demands “a high quality product at an attractive price point.”

Bringing in millennials Getting the attention of millennials and maintaining their loyalty can be a real challenge for operators.

“Subway is always looking for innovative ways to connect with existing consumers, as well as potential customers, especially millennials,” says Kathleen Bell, director of national marketing for Subway Canada.

In 2014, Subway partnered with the music streaming company Spotify. “The technology on Spotify offered a great chance to reconnect with the target consumers to foster inter-

est and engagement,” Bell says. “[The relationship gave us] a unique opportunity to get in front of potential customers and millennials while tapping into one of their core interests: their love for music.”

Subway Canada has also teamed up with the sports network theScore to launch a smartphone application and with Disney, all with a keen eye on engaging customers, Bell says.

At Carl’s Jr. — which has several locations in B.C. and Alberta and is just breaking into the Ontario market with a location in Waterloo, Ont., and two locations in Toronto — the company is focused on males from the age of 18 to 34, “or anyone who wants to be in that demographic,” says Kent Graber, managing partner of 6 Points Food Services Ltd., a franchisee of Carl’s Jr. With its sexed-up ad campaigns that have featured celebrity models such as Paris Hilton, Charlotte McKinney and Kate Upton, the company unapologetically looks to drive traffic from male millennials to its eateries.

Once they are in the door, Graber says, it’s important to offer a quality product.

“What’s happened in a lot of the business is that there’s been a transition from the old-style fast food restaurants to the newer restaurants with better burgers, more things like hand-crafted milkshakes, better buns and higher quality meats,” he says.

Despite the common perception the foodservice industry is in the middle of a radical shift, Graber offers some perspective.

“I’ve been in the business for 43 years and it’s always changing and evolving. Think of the first drive-thru restaurants; who would have thought those would work?” he says. “If you’re not prepared to change, get out of the business.”

April 2015 | 1 3

Cindy Phillips.

Linda Reader.

Damian Wills.

Halton summit tackles food tourism MILTON, Ont. — At Halton Food Tourism Summit, chefs, farmers and restaurateurs heard about how to take steps to sustainability, the title of the second annual meeting.

About 70 people gathered in the Gambrel Barn at Country Heritage Park on March 26 to hear about projects bringing the culinary and farm communities together. The summit aims to put more local food on restaurant tables and foster growth in culinary tourism.

Halton Region consists of Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills, Ont.

Chef/farmer connection Among the speakers were representatives from the Grey County Chef ’s Forum: community economic development and marketing consultant Linda Reader and Cindy Phillips, farmer and owner of Rob Roy

Market Garden.

The chef ’s forum aims to make the family farm sustainable and consists of 50 producers who buy and sell their wares directly to chefs.

“We always have more chefs looking for local food than we have farmers, which is a good sign,” said Reader.

The farmers made direct connections with restaurants in neighbouring communities, but getting their products into larger markets is more complicated.

Reader used the example of Justus Martin, who sold 100 ducks to restaurants on one corner in Toronto in a day, an amount that would take a month at farm gate, to illustrate how the foodservice industry can support agriculture.

She noted Grey County has some challenges: there is a short growing season (there is still snow in March

and April); it is far from a large market; there is limited highway access and because of limited Internet, the county can be isolated from urban trends.

“A lot of the trends in food are not trickling up to Grey County,” said Reader, noting this means farmers have to figure out what chefs want.

Running two events annually, the forum acted as a farmers market for trade and allowed chefs and farmers to plan their crops and menus together.

Reader said her member surveys indicated three quarters increased production in 2014 and 100 per cent plan to increase it this year because of high demand.

All in one place Damian Wills, local food manager at Hamilton, Ont.’s The Mustard Seed, spoke on local food and the im-

portance of access.

Since opening in January 2014 the co-operatively owned grocery store has grown to 1,800 members.

He said the mandate is to stock local first and have it be affordable, the latter being a struggle.

“Local food costs more for a good reason,” said Wills, adding people should get over it, pay what local food costs and the prices will eventually come down.

Food is sourced by sharing trucks between nearby producers or by Wills hitting the road to make pickups from farms.

He said the interest in local food is growing, which has created a demand for farm tours. “It’s no longer the anonymous exchange of money for food,” said Wills.

He told the farmers in the room not to devalue their products and push for the price they’re worth.

Serving cyclists Founder of the PwC EpicTour Halton Michael Merrall spoke to attendees about the cycling demographic, one that is largely white collar.

“Cycling is becoming the new golf,” said Merrall.

He urged business owners to attract the “affluent, desirable consumer segment.”

Merrall shared some stats about what this segment looks like based on EpicTour participants: 75 per cent are men; 80 per cent have a household income greater than $100,000; and 58 per cent make more than $150,000 annually.

When EpicTour comes through Milton in September with “high-end consumers looking for a weekend experience,” he encourages businesses to give visitors a taste of Halton and ensure they are bike-friendly.

Brad Moore launching charity Continued from page 3

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1 4 | Ontario Restaurant News

While working on this project Moore stumbled across an article in the New York Times about troubled times for recess.

In that spirit, Moore established Recess for Kids, which will receive a portion of sales and money from vendors to encourage social and physical activity by providing funds for league signups and uniforms.

Slated to open in April, Old School and The General Store will focus on regional barbecue from the U.S., a subject Kapitan has become quite familiar with. With a two-ton smoker, Moore called the 90-seat restaurant a “real deal barbecue shop.” In the summer, there are about 60 more seats on the patio.

At Old School, the menu will feature an extensive seven-day breakfast and brunch menu, sandwiches for lunch and supper dishes that include fried chicken, mid-west spare ribs, platters to share and a selection of sides.

Sunday night dinner will feature a weekly three-course meal for $25.

In the spirit of being neighbourly, residents of Palmerston Avenue receive a discounted check.

The former home of Hudson Kitchen is the Old School location.

Gordon Food Service Show TORONTO — More than 200 exhibitors set up at the Toronto Congress Centre on March 25 as part of the Toronto leg of this year’s Gordon Food Service Show.

Ontario GFS corporate chef David Evans said some stand-out things he took from the show include: vegetable-forward dishes focusing on “all things green and weird new vegetables”; cheese as the star garnish; clean ingredient decks with low salt, high fibre and gluten free; and sustainability

(such as local, organic and hormoneand antibiotic-free), not as a trend, rather as part of the landscape.

Evans said he is also seeing foodservice operators, vendors and distributors “working even harder together to be fiscally prudent to achieve profitable goals for all concerned.”

Attendees were also able to visit the nutritional resource centre in the healthcare section for presentations on celiac disease, reducing sodium and managing millennials.

In 2014, Gordon Food Service rolled out the tagline “Always at your table.”

Chef Darryl Fletcher cooked up kalettes.

Mushrooms from Windmill Farms.

Jon Stewart, Woolwich Dairy sales manager.

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Proven Results April 2015 | 1 5

canadian A REPORT ON THREE MAJOR GROWING REGIONS

BY KRISTEN SMITH

I

f a band is drawn around the globe between 41 and 51 degrees latitude north, Canada’s growing regions will be found within this recognized growing zone. The country’s primary wine-growing regions are Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula and the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.

Although small in scale by world standards — Canada represents less than one (0.5) per cent of global wine production (27.8 billion litres) — according to the Canadian Vintners Association, wine is a growing business in Canada, with wineries sprouting up where terroir permits.

According to the association’s most recent numbers, Canada’s growing regions of B.C., Ontario, Quebec and Nova Sco-

tia include about 30,000 acres and 548 wineries.

Chair of the Wine Council of Ontario Allan Schmidt, president of Vineland Estates Winery, is a third-generation winemaker. Originally from B.C., Schmidt’s grandfather started one of the province’s first vineyards and his father co-founded Sumac Ridge Estate Winery in Summerland, B.C. “We are referred to as a cool climate grape growing region and if you look on a map or on a globe, all the best wines that are made in the world are made in the 40 to 49th parallel, either north or south,” explains Schmidt.

He says the extremes in temperature are one of the reasons Canada can grow grapes so well.

NOVA SCOTIA Nova Scotia’s growing industry has 19 wineries and about 700 acres situated between the Annapolis Valley and the shores of the Northumberland Strait.

On one of the cooler climate limits for vines, the province’s warm summers and long falls create crisp aromatic wines, with 40 per cent red and 60 per cent white grapes grown.

In 2012, the province came together to launch Tidal Bay, described as a fresh, crisp, still, dryish white with a bright “signature Nova Scotia” aromatic component.

Judged by an independent tasting panel of industry professionals, Tidal Bay wines must have an alcohol content of between 9.5 and 11 per cent, follow certain production rules, and are required to be made with only Nova Scotiagrown grapes with primary varieties of l’acadie, seyval, vidal and geisenheim 318.

“We’re really promoting our whites and

1 6 | Ontario Restaurant News

sparklings; we do good reds, but I wouldn’t say that on the world stage, they are at that level.

We have our local audience for them, absolutely, who love our reds,” says Wine Association of Nova Scotia (WANS) manager Gillian Mainguy.

She says many wineries sell out of their reds, but sees major future growth in aromatic whites and traditional-method sparklings.

The industry set a target for growth for the year 2020 to increase vineyard acreage to 1,000 and the number of wineries to 20. Current stats have them quite close to that goal with 19 wineries and 700 acres.

Most recently, Planters Ridge Winery was opened by an Ontario couple and Mainguy expects more coming onboard.

“I think that’s a big thing: we’re going to see a lot of new wineries starting to expand and open up in the province. I always say we’re about 20 years behind Ontario,” she laughs.

“Right now, we’re getting a lot of attention as an emerging wine region, which is very exciting,” says Mainguy. “The story in Nova Scotia is catching on, but we haven’t done a great job of explaining the story outside of Nova Scotia.”

Only a couple wineries are selling in other provinces and a few are exporting.

“The majority of wineries in Nova Scotia are still small, classic, 100 per cent Nova Scotia grape content,” says Mainguy, adding this is an important part of the province’s story. It’s an intimate industry with a majority of sales through the cellar door.

WANS hopes to increase restaurant sales through education and training and pair N.S. wine with N.S. food products at events.

“We’re getting everyone onboard from different ministries to try and lobby them pretty hard to recognize what the grape and wine industry is doing for the province in terms of

Nova Scotia economic impact,” says Mainguy.

“I’m cautiously optimistic about where things are going in this province with the wine industry. I think there’s going to be changes. I think we’re going to see some sort of government initiative or program to encourage the growth of this industry because they are realizing that there has been limited government intervention,” she says.

“The capital investment has been capital investment directly from the winery owners.

They’re a passionate bunch, they’re altruistic, they work together, they see the common goal of a successful wine industry and the payout is just around $200 million in economic impact,” says Mainguy.

With affordable land to grow grapes and adjacent growing policy under review, Mainguy says she feels the future of the industry is on track for growth.

ONTARIO Ontario’s wine industry covers the most ground with about 17,000 acres of primarily vitis vinifera plants and a focus on chardonnay, riesling, pinot noir and cabernet franc grapes and a 60:40 red to white ratio.

VQA sales for the year ending March 2014 were $395 million (17.5 million litres), with about $120.6 million from the LCBO, $120.3 million in winery retail stores, $55.2 million sold directly to licensees and $99.4 million exported or sold interprovincially.

There are more than 150 wineries in Ontario in three designated viticulture areas: Niagara Peninsula (with 10 sub-appellations), Prince Edward County and Lake Erie North Shore.

The number has grown from 20 when Wine Council of Ontario chair Allan Schmidt came on the scene 28 years ago when Vineland Estate Winery was just a vineyard, to 66 in 2003 and 102 in 2008. “The growth of the industry has been spectacular despite the challenges that we face,” says Schmidt.

1

“The wines that were made in 1987 weren’t of the same quality they are today because a lot of the grapes that were in the ground were of the labrusca species of grapes, which make better jams, juices and jellies, than they do wine,” he laughs.

When tariffs that protected the Ontario industry were removed, people thought homegrown wine wouldn’t be able to compete internationally. Schmidt says there were a handful of wineries making higher-quality products and the VQA appellation standards were developed.

“It actually gave the winemakers a quality bar to start raising every year, and they kept challenging themselves and the quality kept going up as newer grape varieties came on and winemakers realized what varieties grow better in what sub-appellations, what type of soil merlot needs versus cabernet franc,” says Schmidt.

Over the last 25 years, Schmidt says the industry did a lot of fine-tuning and is now at a point where there aren’t enough shelves.

“Every winery has got their own retail store on the winery and that works great during tourism season. But if people live in Ottawa, they actually can’t purchase all of the wines that I or my colleague wineries make,” he says.

Allowing licensee-direct sales in 1999 saw huge growth of Ontario wine in the foodservice industry.

In Ontario, the market share at the LCBO is less than 10 per cent, which Schmidt sees as an obstacle to the industry’s being able to own its own market.

He says there is willingness from wineries to invest, great winemakers and grapes, and the land is there to increase acreage by 50 per cent.

“We have all the capacities to grow our industry, but what we don’t have is the shelves.

That’s simply because the government hasn’t been able to keep up with the growth of our industry,” says Schmidt.

He says Ontario is on the cusp of the same opportunity the B.C. industry had when the

2

province allowed private liquor retail stores about 15 years ago.

Ontario’s wine industry is expecting changes in the provincial budget, which will take into account findings from the advisory council on government assets chaired by retired TD Bank chief Ed Clark. Initial findings identified three Ontario liquor monopolies: the LCBO, Beer Store and private wine stores, which were grandfathered in free trade agreements.

For the last 28 years, Schmidt says, new wineries haven’t had access to the private wine stores, which are now owned by a handful of companies that have bought up the original 20 wineries and consolidated over time. “They’re making great wine, that’s not the issue, but they have a grandfathered distribution channel that’s now a private monopoly,” he says.

Schmidt says the wine council is encouraged by what they are hearing so far and are looking forward to seeing changes in the budget that will see fair and equal distribution.

3

1. A barrel cellar in Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula.

2. Food and wine pairing at Reif Estates Winery in Ontario. 3. Icewine grapes in an Ontario vineyard.

4. Naramata Bench near Penticton, B.C. 5. A winery in Okanagan Falls, B.C.

4

5

BRITISH COLUMBIA Among Canada’s wine-growing provinces, British Columbia has the most wineries, but not the most acreage. There are 254 licensed grape wineries in the designated regions of Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands.

About 930 vineyards are spread out over more than 10,000 acres, 80 per cent in the Okanagan Valley.

The Okanagan Valley gets almost two hours more sunlight per day during July and August than the Napa Valley. The variety of soils, the slopes of the vineyards and proximity to lakes, rivers and oceans contribute to the variety of styles in the province.

Last year, there were about 20.9 million litres produced and top-planted grapes are merlot, pinot noir, pinot gris and chardonnay.

“We’ve seen some fantastic industry growth, but not just in terms of quantity, but also quality.

B.C. wines enter into a number of international competitions and continually do very well,” says

Miles Prodan president and chief executive officer of the British Columbia Wine Institute.

Over 25 years, the industry has grown from 17 wineries, but although that number has increased more than tenfold, most are less than 30 acres.

“These are terms that are often bandied around in the wine industry: boutique, artisanal.

In B.C., we really are just by the nature of our size. We don’t have the room for mechanized anything, frankly, so everything is hand-done,” says Prodan.

“They tell a story, before my time, about how B.C. wine really became accepted by consumers,” he says.

While there had been winemaking in the province for some time, the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement allowed California wine to be imported at a lower price. Recognizing many of their grapes were not the best quality, the province’s winemakers replanted about 90 per cent with more traditional vinifera varieties.

Prodan says the foodservice industry was an early adopter of B.C. VQA wines and played a critical role in consumer acceptance.

In terms of new wineries, Prodan says about two or three open every six months. “More than anything else, it’s grape growers deciding to try their hand at winemaking,” he notes.

With proportions of red and white almost a 50/50 split every year, there are more than 60 varietals planted in B.C. “That really speaks to how new the wine industry is here in B.C. comparative to everywhere else in the world. You talk to the winemakers and grape growers and what they tell me is: there is no textbook or guidebook for growing and making wine in B.C. because that book is being written,” says Prodan. “What that lends itself to is a really interesting time for experimentation and trying different things in different places … You get such a variety of temperatures that a wine grape can find a place to grow well anywhere in British Columbia.”

Golden Mile Bench in central Okanagan was recently approved as B.C.’s first sub-appellation and Prodan says the province is indentifying other sub-regions.

Okanagan is hemmed in by mountains and lakes, so there isn’t a lot of room for expansion and the acreage surveys have levelled off over the years.

“That’s good, because we don’t worry about expansion physically. It allows us to focus on quality and improving techniques, grape growing and viticulture,” he says.

He expects to see volume increase by 15 per cent for the 2014 vintage, but B.C. will never double its acreage, although there is room for growth in emerging regions, which include: Shuswap, North Okanagan, Thompson Nicola and West Kootenays.

“We’re finally building up the kind of quantity that we can start really focusing on exploring opportunities outside of our traditional base of British Columbia,” says Prodan.

April 2015 | 1 7

R E S TA U R A N T S C A N A D A S H O W P R O D U C T S TORONTO — Companies from across the foodservice industry showcased new products at the annual Restaurants Canada Show in early March at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto.

With more than 10,000 attendees and 1,100 booths, here are just some of the new items the showroom floor had to offer:

1. Creamy cooking sauce Bunge has introduced a lactose-free creamy sauce base suitable for sweet and savoury applications. The vegan-friendly sauce has a dairy flavour profile and is intended as a one-for-one replacement for cream in soups and sauces and can also be used in desserts and to make whipped cream. It comes in one-litre tetra packs by the dozen and has a one-year refrigerated shelf life.

2. Billy by UTC Available in July, Town & Country Uniforms unveiled its Billy by UTC collection.

Inspired by the new generation of chefs and restaurateurs, the more casual line includes raw cotton canvas aprons in charcoal grey, natural and copper with interchangeable straps.

The line also features unisex button down shirts, denim or striped denim aprons, a black striped bib apron and men’s and women’s denim shirts.

3. Twisted fries Simplot rolled out a new flavour of its Sidewinders fried potatoes. Marketed to QSR operations, Conquest Sidewinders are “light and fluffy” on the inside and crispy outside and have a clear coating that triples the hold time of regular fries, according to the company.

The new natural potato flavour adds to the lineup of Smokey BBQ , JR Buffalos and the original Bent Arm Ale craft beer-battered Sidewinders.

4. Reuven chicken drumettes Reuven’s Frenched Chicken Wing Drumettes can work as an appetizer, on a shared platter or as the centre of the plate. Offering neutral seasoning, they’re fully cooked (saving time in the kitchen), Halal certified and are of a consistent piece weight for uniform plate appearance.

5. Oreo Churros J&J Snack Foods teamed up with Mondelez International to introduce Oreo Churros. With a crispy exterior, warm soft interior and cookie pieces in every bite, the dessert has a “justbaked” Oreo taste.

The churros can be served with Oreo cookie cream dip, supplied by J&J Snack Foods, rolled in sugar or topped with a favourite ice cream

and prepared using an oven, fryer or TurboChef.

6. Frank’s RedHot sauces Frank’s RedHot Sauces introduced two new globally inspired flavours, Sriracha Chili and Asian Sweet Ginger. Preservative- and glutenfree, the Sriracha Chili sauce features heat from a blend of chili pepper and jalapeño. Sweet, mildly hot and tangy, the Asian Sweet Ginger balances tomato, garlic, ginger and spices, and works as a recipe ingredient or as a topping or dipping sauce.

7. Tefismart breaks into Canada Well established in Europe, Tefismart is the “new generation tablecloth,” according to the president of Canadian operations.

The stain-resistant tablecloths, developed in Finland, are now available through Surrey, B.C.-based Smart Tablecloth Concept Ltd. According to Canadian operations president Kari Kutvonen, the linens are five times more durable than traditional linens and because spills can be wiped away with a damp cloth, reduce annual maintenance by between 50 and 70 per cent and require ten times less washing.

The blend of cotton and polyester has a nanotechnology-based treatment. The tablecloths have about 20 years experience in the market,

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1 8 | Ontario Restaurant News

7.

are available in a number of colours and patterns, resist wrinkles, bacteria and mould and last between six and eight years.

“They feel and look like regular cotton,” said Kutvonen.

Photo: Kari Kutvonen and his son Mika Kutvonen.

8. Egg Farmers new website Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) launched an online marketing tool at the Restaurants Canada Show to assist restaurateurs in promoting eggs. The website intends to help operators create marketing material to increase the sale of egg menu items. The Egg Chef site allows operators to create table cards, posters, banners or loyalty cards. “It is a convenient service that gives us the flexibility to promote specific egg menu items,” said Randy Loucks, owner of Smitty’s Restaurant in Kingston, Ont. This marketing tool is open to foodservice operators in Ontario and can be accessed by signing up at www.eggchef.ca. Individual restaurant logos can be added to design templates on the portal for custom applications.

“We are thrilled to offer this resource,” said Clare Jones, EFO’s foodservice program consultant. “It will ultimately make it easier for foodservice operators to promote fresh shell eggs more often.”

BEVERAGE NEWS

How to build a wine list TORONTO — At the Restaurants Canada Show in early March Constellation Brands strategic account manager Dave Grant went over some of the fundamental elements behind a good wine list.

With respect to how the wines are organized, Grant said it should be easy to navigate and scan over.

It can be arranged by style and can include vintage, varietal, winery, region and price point. “In a casual setting, vintage might not be as important,” he said.

Grant noted that the biggest pitfall is inconsistency and encourages operators to ensure the wine descriptions remain in the same order throughout the list.

“The longer the guest looks at a wine list and the more confused they get, the less likely they are to order anything,” said Grant.

He recommends having eight by the glass — four of each colour — adding 25 is too much unless that’s the restaurant’s particular niche.

A cohesive culture is as important to the wine list as it is to the menu, said Grant, adding a French restaurant will want to focus on wine from France, while a local-focused, Niagara-area establishment should source from neighbouring wineries.

He says recommended pairings make it easier for both customer and staff. “A lot of staff are afraid of wine,” Grant added.

He said the key volume drivers are pinot grigio, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc whites and in the red category, cabernet sauvignon, syrah/shiraz and merlot or malbec.

While some lists are arranged by lowest to highest price, Grant said, “Lately, I am seeing restaurants are mixing it up,” which encourages customers to move down the list and see other options.

A trend, he said is people trading up, opting for one more expensive glass rather than two cheaper ones.

Alternative sizes are also an option, such as two- or three-ounce pours, which allows for both trials and top-up. Offering glasses more than the standard six ounces also encourages increased wine sales.

Grant said half bottles are also increasing in popularity.

When it comes to which wines to put on the list, Grant said it’s a good move to have a balance of both recognizable and interesting brands. This allows the list to appeal to customers who are looking for a safe bet and those who are searching for something new.

COMING EVENTS April 24-26: Waterloo Region Food & Drink Show, Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex, Kitchener, Ont. www.fooddrinkshow.com

May 5: Flanagan Foodservice Annual Tradeshow, Owen Sound Bayshore Arena, Owen Sound, Ont. www.flanagan.ca

April 28-30: SIAL/SET Canada Show, Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto. www.sialcanada.com

May 5-6: GE Capital’s Canadian Restaurant Investment Summit, Hilton Toronto Hotel. www.restaurantinvest.ca

April 29: Flanagan Foodservice Annual Tradeshow, Garson Community Centre, Garson, Ont. www.flanagan.ca

May 10-13: Terroir Hospitality Symposium, Arcadian Court, 410 Bay St., Toronto. www.terroirsymposium.com

May 16-17: National Restaurant Association Show, McCormick Place, Chicago. www.show.restaurant.org May 26-31: CCFCC National Conference, St. John’s, N.L. www.ccfcc.ca/conference May 28-30: Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals 41st annual conference, Delta Fredericton, Fredericton, N.B. www.cafp.com

George Brown opens postgrad wine and beverage program TORONTO — George Brown College’s Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (CHCA) announced in early March the introduction of a wine and beverage business management postgraduate program.

According to the college, this is a first-of-its-kind program in the wine, beer and spirits business and suited to those looking to advance their careers in the food and beverage industry. “This program offers several benefits for those looking to enter the beverage management business,” Lorraine Trotter, dean of the CHCA, said in a release.

“Not only does it reflect industry trends and the needs of employers, it also provides students with unique hands-on learning opportunities, international exposure and additional pathways for career success in the competitive food and alcohol beverage industry.”

The program will touch on key sectors of alcoholic beverages and provide students with the business skills needed by the industry, the college said. It will be a full-time course, completed over three semesters.

“The core of what we wish to achieve through this program would

be to have well-trained graduates with professional knowledge of the alcohol beverage industry,” said Dario Guescini, chair, school of hospitality and tourism management. “Students will master the areas of wine, beer, mixology, food pairing, and then expand on those fundamentals with an understanding of food and beverage business management. They will also have the opportunity to learn though field placements at wineries, breweries and distilleries.”

In order to be admitted to the program students must have a degree or diploma in food and beverage management, hotel, tourism and leisure management, special event planning or a related area.

Students with industry experience may also be considered for program acceptance.

The introduction of the program coincides with the college’s planned renovation and expansion of its student-focused concept restaurant, The Chef ’s House. Renovations are expected to be complete by this fall and students in the new postgraduate program will use the facility to gain hands-on experience.

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Greenhouse growers say Waterloo a winner WATERLOO, ON – The Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) have selected University of Waterloo Food Services (UWFS) as the winner of the first OGVG Celebrating Ontario Agriculture promotion and display competition held the week of October 16, 2014. The award was presented at a ceremony held at the University of Waterloo on March 6.

The UWFS operates 24 outlets providing a range of products and services to students, faculty, staff and the broader community. OGVG engaged a number of university and college locations across Ontario, providing tool kits consisting of promotional ideas, recipes and merchandising material.

These resources were created to support launching cafeteria initiatives, promotions and displays during Celebrating Ontario Agriculture Week from October 16 to 20. Working with OGVG resources, Micaela Buchnea-Chew, UWFS marketing and communications coordinator, led her team and spearheaded multiple OGVG promotions, menu specials and displays throughout their operations on campus.

UWFS is a self-operated ancillary service which is not a common format for today’s institutions. As a key stakeholder in student services, UWFS strives to create and cultivate a comprehensive service that promotes a healthy, sustainable university environment. Purchasing fresh local food is a priority to promote nutri-

From left: OGVG grower, Jordan Kniaziew; OGVG board chair, Don Taylor; OGVG foodservice market specialist, Nancy Hewitt; University of Waterloo (UWFS) marketing coordinator, Micaela Buchnea-Chew; OGVG grower, Tony Coppola; UWFS director of food services, Lee Elkas; UWFS video producer, Cody Hutt; and UWFS chefs Denise Allen-McMaster and Mark Meinzinger. tion awareness, availability and selection for their customers.

“OGVG has been pleased to be part of this promotion with Ontario university and college cafeterias and we look forward to working with

other foodservice partners in the future,” said Don Taylor, chair of OGVG. “In a competitive market, these new partnerships that expand and support our produce in the foodservice marketplace will help sustain

Ontario greenhouse vegetable farmers,” said Taylor.

Funding was provided by the Greenbelt Fund to support the launch of an OGVG Celebrating Ontario Agriculture Week promotion.

Chesher moves into glassware Ricco Food

Distributors expands

Pasabahce Glassware.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Chesher Equipment Ltd. has announced it has exclusive rights to distribute Turkey-based Pasabahce Glassware in Canada.

Chesher has purchased $500,000 worth of glassware — set to land in Canada at the beginning of May — though the company is already taking orders.

“At Chesher we are always looking for innovation technology and value added things, I don’t want to be a me-too guy,” said Chesher partner Chris Koehler who lends his past experience with Libbey Glass to the company’s entry into the glassware market.

According to Koehler, Pasabahce is the world’s largest glassware producer of machine-

2 0 | Ontario Restaurant News

made and handmade soda lime glass and leadfree crystal.

The glassware company has high quality, durable and brilliantly clear glass that fits across all segments of the market from casual to fine dining, he said. Products include stemware, beer, spirits, tumblers, barware, tableware and accessories.

“We feel strongly that by servicing it and offering style and design and differentiation there’s room for us here in this market,” Koehler said.

Based in Mississauga, Ont., Chesher’s brands include: CookTek, Cres Cor, Electrolux, LAINOX, Pasabahce, Roundup, Sunkist, Varimixer, Vitamix and Vizion and acts as a Manufacturer’s agent for BSI and Wood Stone.

STRATHROY, Ont. — Ricco Food Distributors has been operational since 1990 and recently completed a 14,000-square-foot expansion at its Strathroy, Ont., home base.

After the September expansion, the warehouse in Strathroy is now 33,000 square feet in total.

The company originally started out in 1990 as a pizza supply distributor, but over the years, has grown to provide a more broad-reaching supply list including smallwares and beverages.

At the heart of the operation is customer service, said owner Don Windsor, who still meets face-to-face with clients to ensure the company is meeting industry needs.

“We provide a good customer service,” said Windsor. “We know you by name. You’re not a number, you’re a member of the family.”

The company employs 36 people — including the recent hire of seven new salespeople — and has seven fully refrigerated trucks on the road. Ricco’s network reaches as far north as Owen Sound and from Windsor across to Brantford, Ont. “We’re small enough that we can react quickly to access those items customers need,” Windsor said.

As part of the philosophy of the company, Windsor said they bring on young people to work in the warehouse, show them the business and provide the groundwork for advancement.

Eco Takeouts by G.E.T. Enterprises.

G.E.T. merges with Bugambilia International Houston, Texas — Tabletop supplier G.E.T. Enterprises announced the completed merger with Irvine, Calif.-based Bugambilia International in March.

Houston-based G.E.T. supplies high-quality drinkware, dinnerware and display ware from melamine and alternative materials.

By joining with Bugambilia, G.E.T. adds the company’s resin-coated, cast aluminum displayware, biodegradable bamboo dinnerware, bamboo risers and metal stands to its offerings.

“Joining an established and rapidly growing company like G.E.T. is the next exciting step for the Bugambilia brand. With G.E.T.’s reach, Bugambilia’s unique products will soon be part of even more foodservice establishments worldwide,” said founder Paul Segal in a release.

Canada gets with GHS TORONTO — In February, Canada adopted the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) modifying the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) 1988 to incorporate GHS classification and labelling for workplace chemicals. This modified WHMIS is referred to as WHMIS 2015.

“Up until now, every country had their own type of system,” said Ecolab senior marketing manager Mike Brown at a trade media presentation at the Restaurants Canada Show in early March.

WHMIS 2015 will be phased in over several years, but employers are recommended to begin training staff on the new material as well as maintain WHMIS 1988 training, said Brown.

According to Health Canada, suppliers, employers and workers are being given a transition period to adjust to WHMIS 2015. During this time suppliers can either comply with the old Hazardous Product Act (HPA) and the repealed Controlled Products Regulations and Ingredi-

ent Disclosure List or the new HPA and the new Hazardous Products Regulations. Either way the supplier must comply with one or the other and not a combination of the two.

The second phase is from June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018, during which time manufacturers and importers must comply with HPR requirements.

Between June 1 and Nov. 30, 2018, distributors must also comply with HPR requirements.

By Dec. 1, 2018, employers, who could comply with CPR or HPR, must move to HPR requirements.

During the transition period, however, operators could be receiving workplace chemicals that fall under both old and new regulations.

In this case, employees may handle products if they have received training in either WHMIS 1988 or WHMIS 2015. If employers receive products with only WHMIS 1988 labels and Safety Data Sheets, employees may only handle them if they are trained under WHMIS 1988.

From left: Grace Egan and Mike Brown at the Ecolab trade media presentation at the Restaurants Canada Show. Below: New hazard symbols.

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April 2015 | 2 1

PEOPLE

TCU staff.

Town and Country Uniforms has announced the recipients of its annual chef ’s coat draw. Entries were taken at the company’s booth during the Restaurants Canada Show between March 1 and 3. The list of those who will receive a free personalized chef jacket from Town and Country’s Gusto Collection is on www.canadianrestaurantnews.com.

Charlotte Bell has been appointed the president and chief executive officer of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), effective April 9.

The announcement was made on March 16 by TIAC’s chair Andrew Lind. “With more than 25 years of experience in regulatory, corporate and government affairs, Charlotte is a seasoned executive bringing a wealth of experience and proven track record of success leading regulatory change in the broadcast sector,” said Lind.

Most recently, Bell led corporate affairs strategies for Atlantic Lottery Corporation.

Charlotte Bell The Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC) central region has named Tony Fernandes chef of the year.

Fernandes is the executive chef and food and beverage manager for Royal Equator Inc., which owns and operates Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport, Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Airport and Hilton Garden Inn Toronto/Mississauga.

Fernandes and his chef teams have won more than 45 medals from culinary competitions around the world, including a gold medal at the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup 2014 and a silver at the 2012 IKA Culinary Olympics.

The Thompson Toronto hotel announced the appointment of Kevin Sinclair as chef in late February.

Sinclair will helm the culinary operations for the property’s array of venues, including The Lobby Bar, Thompson Diner, Screening Room, Rooftop Lounge, and its ballroom and catering facilities.

A Le Cordon Bleu alumnus, Sin-

Tony Fernandes clair has worked in Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris under chef Alain Ducasse and Toronto’s Fabbrica.

Most recently, he was executive chef of a Paris restaurant group overseeing its two locations.

The Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) presented Lisa MacNeil, general manager, United Restaurant Supplies, a subsidiary of Gordon Food Service, the Volunteer of the Year Award at the 2015 Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla. in March.

“Lisa’s scope of responsibility and investment of volunteer time in WFF is significantly greater than any other volunteer role. Due to the volunteer structure in Canada, she leads the planning and hosting of a variety of regional events on an annual basis,” said Hattie Hill, WFF president and chief executive officer.

MacNeil has been engaged with WFF as a member since 2008, joining the volunteer ranks in 2009 as the first company ambassador for GFS Canada and stepping up to lead the Cana-

Kevin Sinclair dian Ambassadors group in 2011 for two years. She eventually took on the leadership role for all WFF events in 2014 and expanded Canadian events into markets beyond Toronto.

She began her career in the foodservice industry in 1988 with Canada Packer as a quality control technician.

Toronto tourism will lose an aggressive advocate as industry veteran David Whitaker has announced he is going to become chief marketing officer for Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the U.S. Whitaker will join Brand USA on May 11, following eight years as president and CEO of Tourism Toronto, the fourth largest city in North America.

After taking the helm of Tourism Toronto to promote Canada’s largest city in April 2007, Whitaker embarked on an aggressive strategy to reinvigorate the greater metropolitan area as an exciting leisure and business travel destination. He revamped its marketing and advertising and focused on attracting high-value travel-

Lisa MacNeil lers (who stay longer and spend more) primarily from major U.S. cities, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Japan, and Brazil.

The strategy began paying off inside of three years, and by 2014 Tourism Toronto experienced its fourth consecutive year of growth in visitors from the United States and the highest number of overseas visitors in its history. In 2014, visitation reached a record 14.3 million overnight visitors who spent $6.9 billion.

Brick Brewing Co. Ltd. announced on March 16 that it has named Jim Manz director of Canadian sales, reporting directly to Brick Brewing president and chief executive officer George Croft.

Most recently, Manz was vicepresident of membership at Restaurants Canada, where he’d worked since March 2013.

Prior to working at Restaurants Canada, Manz spent 19 years at Labatt Breweries of Canada, leading various sales management roles in both B.C. and Ontario.

Toronto Culinary Salon winners TORONTO — The 2015 Toronto Culinary Salon was held over three days in early March as part of the Restaurants Canada Show at the Direct Energy Centre.

The annual event is co-hosted by the Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC) Oakville branch and Toronto branch (Escoffier Society). It is CCFCC sanctioned and endorsed by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS).

Best in show awards were presented to Humber College student Kooshmattie Heera in the cake and carving category for her two-tier wedding cake.

On day two, Jonathan Brum of Cirillo’s Culinary Academy won best in show in the professional category for his festival buffet platter.

In the novices category, Matthew McDonald of Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island won in the culinary arts portion while Humber College student Ruben Nguyen took best in show in pastry arts.

2 2 | Ontario Restaurant News

“We would like to congratulate everyone that participated in this year’s Culinary Salon and competed at a standard of performance aligned with both the CCFCC and WACS,” said co-chair Cornelia Volino. “The Toronto Culinary Salon is an opportunity for novices and professionals alike to showcase and strengthen their competition skills for recognition in Canada and in preparation for international competition including the 2016 World Culinary Olympics to be held in Erfurt, Germany.”

Participants included individuals from included novices and professionals from Canada, the United States, and the Philippines with students from the Center of Culinary Arts in Manila, College of Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales University, Schoolcraft in Michigan, Cirillo’s Culinary Academy and Humber, Fanshawe, Centennial and George Brown colleges.

In 2016, the Toronto Culinary Salon will be open to regional and national teams.

Top photo, from left: CCFCC central region vice-president Ryan Marquis; Saputo director of marketing Glenda Taylor; Jonathan Blum, winner of best in show for the professional category; judge and WACS representative Gert Klotzke; head judge Simon Smotkowicz, executive chef at the Shaw Conference Center in Edmonton; and Shonah Chalmers, CCFCC Toronto president. Bottom, from left: Ryan Marquis, Glenda Taylor, Simon Smotkowicz, best in show winner in the wedding cake and carving category Kooshmattie Heera, Gert Klotzke and Shonah Chalmers.

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