Atlantic Restaurant News - April 2014

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Getting

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fired up MARY BROWN’S PLANS TO DOUBLE UP

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SAVOUR HIGHLIGHTS NOVA SCOTIA

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ROARY MACPHERSON LAUDED AT HNL

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P.E.I. RESTAURATEUR NEW CRFA CHAIR

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Kate and Brian Vallis.

By Kristen Smith, Assistant editor, digital content

DIGITAL INNOVATION From mobility to customer interaction, we asked experts what’s new and what’s next in point of sale technology.

ST. JOHN’S—Newfoundland and Labrador-based Piatto Pizzeria is poised to have a presence in all of Atlantic Canada’s provinces.

Four years after opening Piatto Pizzeria on Duckworth Street in St. John’s and two years after opening in Halifax, owner Brian Vallis is bringing his Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) certified pies to Moncton, NB, and Charlottetown in June. Further plans are to open a fifth location in Dartmouth, NS, next year.

Vallis called the VPN style “the original pizza” created more than two centuries ago in Naples. “The story that we believe is that it was a fishing community not dissimilar to Newfoundland and the men would go out on their small dories fishing and when they’d come in the women would have grilled vegetables and olive oil and they used to take it down on flatbread,” said Vallis.

As the women walked down from the city to the beach olive oil would run off, so they stopped touching the rim before baking the flatbread.

“If you don’t touch it with hands

and you don’t touch it with tomato sauce, now, or olive oil, in those days, it will rise up so you get a nice raised rim all the way around it,” said Vallis.

“There are a couple different stories about how pizza got its start,” added his daughter Kate Vallis, who operates the flagship location.

Brian Vallis noted there are strict criteria to meet to become VPN certified. The oven must be a certain shape, be wood burning, without a gas connection, be able to maintain temperatures of over 900 o F and cook the pizza in 90 seconds.

Only certain varieties of wood can be used, such as oak, cherry and applewood.

“We’re really lucky here because birch is one of them and Newfoundland and Nova Scotia have got tons and tons of birch,” said Vallis.

In terms of ingredients, VPN pizza is limited to Tipo 00 flour, which is more refined and has a lower gluten content than standard flour, and must use fresh yeast, sea salt and San Marzano tomatoes. The water has to be a particular temperature and the dough can only be stretched on marble.

“It is a science and if you follow the recipe, the dough is perfect every

time,” Vallis said.

The three new locations will have to undergo the intensive certification process.

The Moncton location will open at Main and Church streets in a century-old, renovated bank building.

It is about 3,000 square feet and will have 90 seats.

The Charlottetown location, where they have a local partner with more than 20 years of food experience, is also in a century-old building at the corner of King and Queen.

Vallis’ son John will run the 95seat restaurant in the 3,000-squarefoot space, which features post and beam construction and large rafters.

Piatto is not a franchise. Vallis said operating partners must be with the company for six months and have demonstrated shared values regarding the authenticity and customer experience before they can buy into the business. Greg McAfee is currently training in Halifax—which Vallis’ daughter Jay Vallis runs—to head up the Moncton location.

“There is going to be a lot of real consistency to the look and feel of the brand,” Vallis said.

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Mary Brown’s hits 100 stores, plans to double given this is only March,” Roberts told ARN. “We’re hoping to come in at 25 or more and continue a progressive increase right into year five.”

Mary Brown’s plans to open in Kelowna, BC, and Charlottetown this summer, and hopes to move into Regina and Winnipeg by the end of this year.

Mary Brown’s Bradford, ON, location.

“In the next year, we’re supposed to be in every province BARRIE, ON—The 100th outpost of Mary with the exception of Quebec,” said Roberts.

Brown’s Famous Chicken & Taters opened in “We’re hoping to eventually get to Quebec.”

Barrie, ON, in early March with plans to open Roberts said the Mary Brown’s franchi100 more over the next five years. sees are able to drive about 20 per cent more Now based in Markham, ON, the brand revenue to the bottom line compared to their was born more than four decades ago in Newcompetitors because labour costs, supply costs foundland and Labrador as U.S. chain Golden and royalties are lower.

Skillet. When that franchise closed, the N.L. “We have reached a critical point for the locations were renamed. It has strong presence brand that allows us to leverage buying powin its home province, with 39 locations there, er for our franchisees, which is important in and the other 61 are spread out between Nova terms of every day cost control and the ability Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Alberta. to deliver a strong bottom line,” Roberts said.

Mary Brown’s chief executive officer N.L. “We have the economies of scale now that resident Greg Roberts—a former multi-unit we’re at 100 stores and the marketing budget franchisee—took over the company seven to further develop our brand and provide the years ago, and since then sales have doubled, good pricing and market exposure that we’ve according to the company. always needed,” said Roberts. “We’ve got a pos“In Canada, our goal is to be at 200 stores itive catch-22 taking place.” within five years. This year, we’re already slated A private company, Mary Brown’s isn’t to open 20 stores across Canada, which is good

required to deliver a return on investment to shareholders.

Its limited breadth of selection results in lower labour costs. “We’re basically chicken and potatoes; do one thing and do it better than anyone else,” said Roberts.

The chain uses proprietary cookers, which cook with heat, rather than pressure.

“We use local chicken processors across the country; we bring fresh product into our store two or three times a week—the full chicken which we cut onsite,” said Roberts. “One of our taglines is: our taters started today as honest to goodness potatoes.”

With an average check of about $11, Roberts said the chain is making changes to the lunch menu, such as introducing smaller combos and lower price points, to promote traffic in that daypart.

Average square feet for the current concept is 1,500, and Roberts describes the look as 1960s traditional diner, homey and comfortable with warm colours and plenty of wood.

Mary Brown’s Inc. owns fast casual concept Mary’s Diner, which offers additional menu items, such as all-day breakfast and traditional diner fare, in a table service environment. With two N.L. locations open, Roberts said the fast casual segment has opportunity for growth and thinks some of the larger Mary Brown’s traditional units could be retrofitted for the newer concept.

The company recently opened its first international location in Istanbul, Turkey, under the name Mary’s Famous Chicken and Taters.

Roberts said they are focusing on emerging markets.

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RestaurantNews

Comm e n t

Maritime hospitality

www.atlanticrestaurantnews.com Editorial Director Leslie Wu ext. 227 lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com Senior Contributing Editor Colleen Isherwood ext. 231 cisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com Assistant Editor Jonathan Zettel ext. 226 jzettel@canadianrestaurantnews.com Assistant Editor, Digital Content Kristen Smith ext. 238 ksmith@canadianrestaurantnews.com Senior Account Manager Debbie McGilvray ext. 233 dmcgilvray@canadianrestaurantnews.com Account Manager Kim Kerr ext. 229 kkerr@canadianrestaurantnews.com Production Stephanie Giammarco ext. 0 sgiammarco@canadianrestaurantnews.com Circulation Manager Don Trimm ext. 228 dtrimm@canadianrestaurantnews.com Controller Tammy Turgeon ext. 237 tammy@canadianrestaurantnews.com

AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

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recently had the pleasure of travelling to Newfoundland and Labrador for a conference and was moved by the strong sense of place I felt there.

A first-time visitor, I had heard the province boasted some of the friendliest people in Canada and was looking forward to meeting some of its tourism operators at the Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador conference and tradeshow. Newfoundlanders have also been touted as having a great sense of humour and, although my visit was short, if there is an islander without one, I’m convinced they aren’t in the hospitality business.

While generosity and accommodating attitudes often come to mind when the term Maritime hospitality comes up, those notions seem to apply to the way the province’s industry members treat each other as well.

“We all belong to one big team in the tourism industry in Newfoundland and Labrador,”

said HNL chief executive officer Carol-Ann Gilliard in the opening session of the tradeshow and conference held in Gander, NL, in late February.

Rex Avery, incoming HNL chair and vicepresident of Steele Hotels said it a number of times and a number of different ways over the course of the three-day event: if one succeeds, we all do.

Gilliard later told me that HNL is a provincial network of tourism operators who share the same values. “Our role really is to wrap our arms around that network of people and help them improve and become more viable and competitive,” she said.

The organization does that primarily through advocacy and skills training. But they don’t do it alone. HNL partners with destination management organizations which are on the ground in the province’s five regions and invites other organizations to the table.

The annual conference is an opportunity for all the stakeholders—the province, associations, tourism board, hoteliers, tour operators and restaurateurs—to come together and drive the direction of provincial hospitality.

The province has made great strides with an advertising campaign focusing on the natural beauty and unique culture in N.L. With more than 10,000 people working in the local tourism industry, Gilliard feels operators have the responsibility to maintain the many natural beauties the province has been blessed with. “We are one of the ways to balance the resource equation,” she said.

Gilliard spoke of the inherent connection between tourism and a place’s culture, history and geography. “We turn it into a story,” she said. Through telling these stories and promoting their province Newfoundlanders show their hospitality—which seems rooted in a natural pride in all the things that give the province a strong sense of place—every day.

Kristen Smih, Guest columnist

How to reach us: Tel (905) 206-0150

Bi t s

Industry oppose garbage fee hike Publisher Steven Isherwood ext. 236 sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com

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HALIFAX—A proposed increase in garbage disposal has some Halifax restaurant operators concerned they will be paying more to have their trash taken away.

According to the CBC, it costs restaurants more than $900 per month for garbage pickup. Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) council has proposed a 36 per cent increase, which could, according to Restaurants Canada, mean up to $4,000 more per year in fees.

Mike Campbell, owner of The Carleton on Argyle Street told the CBC it’s like being pecked to death by ducks.

“It’s just one more thing and it might not seem like a lot of money, but every dollar down here is really hard to get and it’s just one more thing that makes it more difficult to do business. That’s all there is to it,” Campbell said.

Restaurants Canada, formerly Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, urged the city to drop the increase saying it would unfairly slam businesses.

“Restaurant operators are struggling in a tough economic environment and are faced with increasing costs for food, labour and energy,” Luc Erjavec, Atlantic Canada vicepresident for Restaurants Canada said in a release. “Higher costs for essential services like waste removal will not help businesses grow.” Currently, businesses pay $125 per metric tonne and the proposed increase will boost that to $170 per tonne.

Quiznos: bankruptcy protection OAKVILLE, ON—Quiznos announced on March 14 the company would file for bankruptcy protection, but expected the move won’t affect operations.

The Denver-based company said its 2,100 restaurants in 35 countries, most of which are independent franchises, would remain open. “The actions we are taking are intended to enable Quiznos to reduce our debt, execute a comprehensive plan to

a nd

further enhance the customer experience, elevate the profile of the brand and help increase sales and profits for our franchise owners,” Stuart K. Mathis, Quiznos chief executive officer, said in a statement.

Quiznos Canada released a statement saying its locations remain open during the financial restructuring.

George Jeffrey, chief operating officer of Quiznos Canada, said in a statement: “Our restaurants are open for business as usual.”

Beverage trends for 2014 TORONTO—Fair trade and organic coffee once again topped the list of hot trends for non-alcoholic drinks in Restaurants Canada’s 2014 Chef Survey, based on the answers from about 400 foodservice professionals.

Also included in the top five are coconut water, green tea, mocktails and dairy-free milk, such as soy or almond milk.

The survey looked at up-and-coming trends, which indicated coconut water and organic coffee could continue to be popular within the non-alcohol category, with additional trends including house-made soft drinks, specialty iced tea and small batch sodas.

The survey also indicated that craft beer and microbrews are most popular when it comes to boozy beverages, with specialty beer, micro-distilled/artisan liquor, culinary cocktails and muddled cocktails rounding out the list. According to the survey, culinary cocktails and artisan liquor will likely remain popular, while hot new trends could be gluten-free beer, low calorie cocktails and organic wine, beer, liquor and cocktails.

Wirtz to move Diageo in Canada TORONTO—The company that owns the Chicago Blackhawks will become the exclusive broker and distributor of Diageo products across Canada. Chicago-based Wirtz Beverage Group will form a new company, Wirtz Beverage Canada, and begin distributing brands such as Smirnoff, Johnnie

Bi t e s

Walker and Captain Morgan in Canada.

“This arrangement with Wirtz Beverage provides us with the best of both worlds—a broker that understands our business and a dedicated Canadian sales force that knows our brands and the Canada market,” Diageo North America president Larry Schwartz said in a release.

The company already represents Diageo in several U.S. states where it has been in business for nearly 70 years. “We will leverage our commercial sales expertise with training and development programs, market analytics and technology tools to support the Diageo brands across Canada,” Wirtz Beverage president Rocky Wirtz said.

The arrangement will send Wirtz Beverage executive vice-president Julian Burzynski to head the newly formed Wirtz Beverage Canada. According to Diageo, many of the company’s sales people will also make the transition.

Jakob Ripshtein—who has been with Diageo since 2008—will replace Maggie Lapcewich as president of Diageo Canada, as of July 1, when the deal is finalized.

GMP 2014 competition dates TORONTO—The journey to the Canadian Culinary Championships has begun again now that Gold Medal Plates has announced the dates for its 2014 competition.

A celebration of Canadian excellence in cuisine, wine and athletic achievement, Gold Medal Plates features the premier chefs in 11 cities in a competition to crown a gold, silver and bronze medal culinary team in each region. This year’s dates include Winnipeg (Oct. 2); Halifax (Oct. 16); Edmonton (Oct. 23); Victoria, BC (Oct. 30); Saskatoon (Nov. 8); Montreal (private party); Toronto (Nov. 12); St. John’s (Nov. 13); Ottawa (Nov. 17); Regina (Nov. 21) and Calgary (private party).

First-place finishers of these competitions will go on to the Canadian Culinary Championships.

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AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

Piatto Pizzeria

Savour Food & Wine Show celebrates region’s best

Continued from page 1

HALIFAX—The 11th annual Savour Food & Wine Show was held at the Cunard Centre on March 6.

The event brought under one roof a showcase of Nova Scotian food and wine with more than 70 exhibitors sharing samples.

The show was the finale of a month-long festival presented by the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia (RANS),

The black and grey with red accents will carry throughout the locations and an open kitchen will have a hand-tiled oven made in Italy as the centrepiece.

“Moncton has a long railway history, so we want to very subtly put in a touch of that,” said Vallis.

The menu includes antipasti, such as tomato or olive bruschetta, a selection of red or white pizzas, traditional espresso-based beverages and desserts, such as panna cotta or tortino al limoncello.

An Enomatic machine allows the sale of select higher-end wines, ranging between $50 and more than $100 per bottle, to be served by the ounce or glass. Average check is about $25 per person.

Vallis said the menus will be the same, but some items will be added to each to represent the local flavour.

For example, Charlottetown will have a potato pizza and seafood specials, such as a lobster or mussel pizza in the summer.

“The longer we’re in business the more we’re learning about what we want to do and what we want to look like,” said Kate.

which celebrated the province’s culinary offerings.

“In our 11th year it was our incredible array of chef-inspired dishes, a diverse range of wines and beverages, an inviting and vibrant atmosphere and 1,000 foodies doing the thing they like best, sampling and sipping,” RANS executive director Gordon Stewart said in a release.

Stewart told ARN the event continues to grow annually with more tickets sold this year than previously.

According to Stewart one of the most exciting features of the event was Bill Pratt’s Gecko Bus. Pratt transformed an old school bus into a taco food truck—which looks like a giant lizard—and pulled in as part of Halifax’s burgeoning food truck scene.

Awards were handed out to applaud the best of the show. The winners included: • • •

Savour Food & Wine Show featured 70 regional exhibitors offering up their very best at the Cunard Centre in Halifax. Photos by Jeff Cooke.

•

Best hot food: Tempo Food + Drink, fish tacos.

Best cold food: Hamachi House, sushi.

Best dessert: Gabrieau’s Bistro, chocolate soufflé.

Best red wine: Harvest Wines & Spirits, Cycles

•

• •

Gladiator Petit Sirah.

Best white/sparkling wine: Bishops Cellar, Real de Aragon Cava.

Best drink: PMA, Disaronno Amaretto Mule.

Best booth: Durty Nelly’s Authentic Irish Pub.

While the festival is the premier event for RANS, Stewart said the organization has several other projects in the works.

RANS is working with all levels of government to introduce a system to streamline the way restaurants obtain and renew permits. The new system would require one form for all permits and a single date for renewals.

The organization will be expanding its Patron Accountability, Safety & Services (PASS) program outside of the Halifax region to allow more bars and restaurants in the province to be aware of troublemakers banned from other participating establishments.

RANS will also be unveiling a guide for new restaurateurs in April.

The guide will be released online free-of-charge and will help newcomers navigate everything from supply lines to renovations.

New Vision. Stronger Voice.

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CRFA show and new name TORONTO—The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) recently announced it was revamping its brand with a new name and tagline: “Restaurants Canada: The voice of foodservice.”

The association will be changing over all facets of its visual identity in a rollout over the year.

A contest will determine the new name for the CRFA Show for 2015.

More than 1,200 exhibitors set up at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place March 2 to 4 for the 70th anniversary CRFA Show.

ARN met exhibitors, sat in on sessions and attended demos.

Here’s some of what went on.

Breakfast with champions

From Left: Bill Simpson, Drake Hotel; Dilup Attygalla, Ovations Food Services; Christina Tosi, Momofuku Milk Bar; Roger Mooking, Chopped Canada judge; Annie Young-Scrivner, Teavana; James Henderson, Keg Restaurants; and moderator George Stroumboulopoulos.

Photo by Restaurants Canada.

Giacomo Pasquini, Vertical Restaurant, at the Greenbelt Foundation reception.

From left: Nick Kewin, Jerry Coburn and Kris Haig, Beau’s All Natural Brewing.

Tony White, Future Shop Business Solutions at Best Buy Canada.

Christina Tosi (right), Momofuku Milk Bar at birthday cake truffles demo.

Members of the foodservice industry gathered for the annual Breakfast with Champions at the Liberty Grand on March 4 as part of Restaurants Canada’s annual tradeshow.

The event—moderated by CBC’s George Stroumboulopoulos—featured a panel discussion on industry trends. The six-person panel included: Roger Mooking, Chopped Canada judge; Annie Young-Scrivner, who transitioned from president of Starbucks Canada to president of Teavana in February; James Henderson, vice-president of business development at Keg Restaurants Ltd.; Christina Tosi, chef and founder of Momofuku Milk Bar; Dilup Attygalla, Ovations Food Services; and Bill Simpson, general manager of Toronto’s Drake Hotel.

The discussion centred around the release of Restaurants Canada’s annual Chefs Survey, which asked more than 400 chefs about foodservice trends. Gluten-free items, quinoa, locally-sourced, leafy greens and craft beer rounded out the top five current trends.

“I think that personalization is so important to consumers right now,” Young-Scrivner

said. “Our number of ingredients [at Starbucks] is small but we have the ability to make 98,000 different beverages.”

Young-Scrivner also pointed out that tea is trending, adding that it is the second most popular beverage in the world next to water.

“Craft beer is very hot right now,” Henderson said. “It’s growing across the country—it’s coming out of the U.S. and I don’t think it’s going away,” he said.

According to Attygalla, the biggest trend right now is a return to the basics, keeping menus simple and healthy. “We use, in our menus, a lot of grains,” he said.

A strictly Canadian trend?

Mooking used the example of ribs in the Southern U.S. states saying that different regions have strict rules when it comes to preparation with different parts of the animal and different sauce bases. “North Carolina uses a mustard-based sauce. [In] South Carolina they use a vinegar-based sauce. In Tennessee, they are like, ‘We don’t really use a sauce,’” Mooking said. “And it’s the law … there’s a real downhome earnest connection to those things. I don’t feel that in Canada,” he said.

Tosi said something as simple as maple syrup could span sweet and savoury and even be used in beverages. “A flavour like maple syrup has so much depth and so much potential for what can be done with it beyond just saying it’s maple-flavoured or it’s just maple syrup poured over something or added. I think maple has a really wide voice,” Tosi said.

Simpson pointed out that Canadian seafood culture is prevalent right across the country. Simpson also noted some restaurants are using state-of-the-art ovens to cook off-cuts of Canadian beef.

“We do a short-rib that’s literally cooked for three days but it keeps some of the blue in the meat so instead of getting this sort of grey pot-roasty type of beef you actually have a little bit of pink inside the beef. So it’s a lesser cut that’s slowly cooked in a $25,000 oven,” Simpson said.

2014 Chef Survey Restaurants Canada released its 2014 Chef Survey, which highlights current and future trends based on responses from more than 400 professional chefs.

Top 10 hot trends: 1. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious 2. Quinoa 3. Locally-sourced foods 4. Leafy greens 5. Craft beer/microbrews 6. Food smoking 7. Heirloom fruits and vegetables 8. Charcuterie/house-cured meats 9. Food trucks 10. Inexpensive/underused cuts of meat

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Lessons from the A restaurant website is as important as its menu cronut burger A representative of NSF-GFTC spoke to the foodservice industry at the tradeshow about food safety.

Frank Schreurs, NSF-GFTC managing director, consulting and technical services, told the cautionary tale of the cronut burger to illustrate how easily people could become ill when food is improperly handled.

In August 2013, there were more than 200 reports of vomiting, diarrhea and cramping after eating the cronut burger—a cheeseburger sandwiched between a deep-fried croissant/donut bun—at the Canadian National Exhibition. In its investigation, Toronto Public Health (TPH) found Staphylococcus aureus in the bacon maple syrup, which was used as a condiment on the cronut. TPH concluded the infection came from inadequate refrigeration at multiple points, both at the supplier and at Epic Burger where the cronut was sold.

According to Schreurs, four lessons should be learned from the cronut burger when it comes to food safety: inspections do not ensure food safety; suppliers play a huge role in ensuring food safety; ingredient selection must be analyzed for food safety and operational risks; and operators must fully understand the potential risk to customers and the company’s brand.

To avoid future problems, Schreurs outlined several actions: • Buy from approved suppliers. Ask your suppliers if they have been audited and comply with health and safety regulations.

• Conduct a risk analysis of ingredients. Consider biological, chemical, physical and allergenic hazards with all ingredients.

• Conduct a risk analysis of operations. Identify crosscontamination points and storage requirements.

• Risk/crisis management procedures. Keep records of your food safety management and develop a plan in case of a crisis.

What’s in a menu label?

Food labelling expert Carol Zweep addressed the timely topic of nutritional information programs at Restaurants Canada’s annual tradeshow. Zweep, who is manager of packaging and food labelling services at NSF-GFTC, outlined what it takes to list nutritional information on a menu.

Zweep noted that almost one quarter of household food dollars is spent in restaurants. “One reason why people are making poor choices is because there is a lack of information,” she said.

According to the Technomic’s 2013 Canadian Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report, 81 per cent of those surveyed say health is important to them and 35 per cent say they are more likely to visit restaurants that offer healthy options.

Zweep spoke about how a restaurant would obtain nutritional information to label menu items: • First, choose the item and appropriate serving size.

In order for the information to remain accurate the recipe and portion must be consistent. Set firm specifications.

• Choose the best method of determining the nutritional information for each item: the calculation method, which determines the total by the sum of a dish’s parts using a credible database, software and supplier specification sheets; laboratory analysis; or a combination of the two. The calculation method is less costly and can be very accurate (“it’s only as good as the information used,” said Zweep), but laboratory analysis is necessary for foods that are grilled or deep fried, as both cooking methods would affect the nutrient content.

• Tabulate the calories of 13 core nutrients (including sodium and fats) for each item.

“Canadians eat 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day, which is more than double what we need,” said Zweep.

She suggested foodservice professionals gradually reduce sodium over time—so they don’t shock customers with a drastically different taste—use low sodium sea salt and enhance flavours in other ways.

Andrea Orozco, owner of Kik Brand Marketing, said she can’t think of another business which needs a good website presence, especially a mobile friendly one, more than a restaurant.

“Forty-eight per cent of users say that if they arrive on a business site that isn’t working well on mobile, they take is as an indication of the business simply not caring,” she said.

A website needs to include the menu, reflect the ambiance, include hours and location and make it easy for potential customers to make reservations.

She said a website should be simple, sug-

gested only using a handful of good images and is adamantly against features like flash or music that may distract from the website’s message.

Some tips: • Use forms to learn about customers; • Establish the goals of your website; • Determine channels driving the most traffic with Google Analytics; • Check your site regularly to make sure it is showing properly; • Design your website for your dream customer; and • Search engines react to regularly updated content.

mTablet mTablet

Andrea Orozco, Kik Brand Marketing.

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AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

How they work

A look at Canadian corporate chefs in the different facets of foodservice

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s the name implies, a corporate chef must have both the culinary chops and a mind for business to succeed in the role. While creativity and a passion for foodservice remains the anchor of the job, some companies are asking for more from their top gastronomic minds.

ARN spoke with six corporate chefs across the foodservice industry about what their job entails and how they see the role evolving.

By Atlantic Restaurant News staff

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Stefan Czapalay has been working with Clearwater Seafoods since 1999 when he starting catering important in-house events and in 2001 was contracted as a corporate chef. The partnership grew over the next five years. “After that it became a full-time job and now it’s certainly full time—way over full time,” he says.

Throughout the year, Czapalay builds relationships with other corporate chefs and participates in co-creating (or ide-

ation) sessions with new chefs. “A lot of the time it’s being able to eliminate a perceived hurdle that maybe a chef has,” says Czapalay, who works with the products regularly.

“My role, interestingly enough is part of the marketing department,” said Czapalay, who works with the team to come up with ideas that would fit well on a particular menu and work within the restaurant’s demographic.

He works closely with the marketing team, who use insight based on trends or demographics to help develop new products, a process he is part of.

Last year, Czapalay travelled for 160 days to 21 countries.

“I love the diversity and unpredictability,” said Czapalay, whose day could start with a 5 a.m. conference call to China, include one in the afternoon with the European team, involve fielding calls throughout the day from the quality assurance department and end at 9 p.m. with a call to the West Coast.

He says his role is changing to include more food science and over the years he has become more involved with product development and the marketing and research teams.

“I believe the position of corporate chef has shifted from someone in the back of the house to someone actually needed and required to assist with sales. The role became more of a sales role. Some corporate chefs are very famous and you see them actually as figureheads for the company,” says Czapalay.

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Tony Fernandes is the group executive chef and food and beverage director for hotel management Royal Equator Inc. He is responsible for F&B operations at Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport, Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Airport and Hilton Garden Inn Toronto/Mississauga.

His day starts with a 9 a.m. meeting, but how it ends is always up in the air.

On average he is there until about 7 p.m., but delayed flights might mean he needs to

hop on the line until after the rush and an important function might see him stay onsite until 1 a.m.

He is responsible for menu redesigns for each restaurant, which he tackles twice a year. “I talk to a lot of guests before I do the menus, then I see what sells a lot,” he says.

Fernandes says because of the location, the airport hotels see a number of international travellers with a variety of food preferences, but the menus must also cater to those who want to stop in for a sandwich or pizza.

The kitchens are responsible for the restaurant as well as the room service and banquets. Between the three properties there is 30,000 square feet of banquet facilities and at least one event every day.

Fernandes is also responsible for the business aspects of the food and beverage programs: marketing strategies to widen brand awareness, setting the budget, analyzing revenue. In a nutshell, he is responsible for the financial viability of the food and beverage programs.

“One of the things I do is compete. I make time—if you’re passionate about what you do, you find time,” says Fernandes. He and his teams have won 40 medals in culinary competitions worldwide and Fernandes says it helps him keep up with international trends to add to his repertoire. “I don’t want to be stagnant,” he says.

Tom Field

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Tom Field is a corporate chef for AltoShaam Canada, a branch of an international company that sells a wide range of kitchen equipment including ovens, smokers and deep fryers. He is responsible for the entire province of Ontario, the Atlantic provinces and fills in both nationally and internationally when the need arises.

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Jason Rosso says he has lived on a plane for the past two years as the corporate chef for Milestones Restaurants. With more than 50 restaurants spread out across the country, and with several more planned to open this year, Rosso says he takes a hands-on approach to his role.

For the past eight years, Field has worked with Alto-Shaam equipment, pushing the boundaries of what the machines are capable of, determining where efficiencies can be made and providing consultation on possible improvements. According to Field, it’s a job where no two days are alike.

“There is no predictable thing,” laughs Field trying to pin down an average day as corporate chef. “Some days I am going to customers to do training on equipment that they’ve bought. Other days I am coming into the office … to set up demonstrations for people who are about to buy.”

For a week out of every month, Field travels across Canada and the world, meeting with customers, presenting at tradeshows, introducing new products and offering his expertise on how to maximize the handling of the company’s equipment.

When he is not on a plane, he spends countless hours at the office in Concord, ON, where the company’s test kitchen is located, developing programs for clients and testing new foods.

It’s the variety, which is his favorite part of the job, says Field.

Recently, he says, he had the pleasure of designing a booth for a tradeshow and he acts as a frontline representative for AltoShaam’s products.

“As a corporate chef I also look after minor service problems for people who have either new or older equipment,” Field says, pointing to a hands-on approach to the job.

“I ask them to call me first instead of phoning a service agent.”

As corporate chef at C.W. Shasky & Associates Ltd., Ryan Marquis is front-and-centre of the company’s foodservice operations.

He works directly with manufacturers as an ingredients sales representative to promote products the food brokerage represents including Tabasco, Dole, Faro and Mission Foods.

“From our Tabasco dry red flavouring to our Tabasco paste to our sauces to even some of our ready-made products like our Rosina meatballs,” Marquis says, adding he works with research and development to find ways to use products in items they are making for foodservice, retail or another manufacturer.

Marquis also works with the company’s national sales team to offer support, comes up with new ideas for key accounts and also works with restaurant groups.

“We basically come up with strategies and formulate different types of promotions and ways we can help drive revenue for them and support their processes and restaurant at the same time,” he says.

Through his relationship with manufacturers, Marquis is also able to drum up new accounts for the company and help coordinate new relationships.

“If you want to develop a specific sauce or rub or a new coating system, I’ve already got those relationships so I can turn around and say I know the manufacturer that can make that for you,” he says.

In January, C.W. Shasky unveiled its new test kitchen in Oakville, ON. According to

Rosso says he took the job because he wanted to see how he could influence food on a national level. In the past 18 months, 40 new menu items have been launched, with another 40 plates coming this year.

When he is not directly involved in food development, Rosso works with chefs to keep them inspired and moving forward.

He developed a program to allow Milestones’ chefs to create menu items, which are used across the country along with the creator’s name and bio.

“My success and my happiness really comes from seeing the chefs that work for me and work in our restaurant company really succeed,” Rosso said.

Rosso—who has worked with several television food shows—says restaurants like Milestones are bringing on strong talent to help brand their restaurant’s foodservice.

“From a marketing side it’s an easy sell to say ‘Hey look, we’ve got Jason Rosso doing great dishes for our restaurant’,” Rosso says. “But for me, its really about how we deliver each plate at a time.”

Rosso says although Cara—parent company of Milestones—has a test kitchen, he prefers to work out of the company’s Richmond, ON location. “It’s not a theory-based job, we try to keep it as tactical and practical as possible,” Rosso says.

Rosso says he’s lucky the job isn’t compartmentalized and boxed in. “My role is really very diversified, so I’m really involved in the entire operations of the restaurant.”

Kira Smith, corporate chef with Kraft Canada, says the job allows her to combine her love of food with her desire to help people succeed.

Her role is to support the success of the company’s foodservice customers, which range from chains and distributors to independent operators.

“There is also a wonderful balance of business and creativity, spontaneity and detail,” Smith says. “I might be getting my hands dirty in the kitchen, or working on building a food trends deck with consumer insights. On other days, I am meeting oneon-one with customers or taking meticulous measurements and notes on product performance—it is a true smorgasbord.”

While Smith sees the daily variety as a highlight in her job, one thing is consistent: she is always working on menu concepts in one form or another.

“With national and larger regional chains we can work directly with the customer on customized recipes and concepts,” Smith says, noting this brings culinary support together with industry research and insight.

Smith works with Kraft’s North American culinary team and the foodservice website manager to offer online recipes, product use ideas, trends and business information to the expansive number of independents the company supplies.

Within the organization, Smith supports Kraft’s category managers and sales team with the launch of new products and

Ryan Marquis C.W.

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Marquis, he is in the kitchen three or four times a week with clients from across the country testing and working out new ideas.

“You’re constantly learning and evolving your strategies,” Marquis says. “The job changes on a daily basis depending on needs.”

Outside of C.W. Shasky, Marquis lends his culinary skills to judge competitions and is the president of the Oakville branch of the Canadian Culinary Federation.

Kira Smith K ra f

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upkeep of existing items by testing, performing sensory evaluation and developing recipes.

“I think that having a corporate chef on staff has gone from a ‘nice to do’ to a ‘have to have’ for larger food manufacturers and suppliers,” says Smith, who adds the need for corporate chefs will increase as demand for value beyond the product grows.

“I also think that there may be more of a demand for chefs that have a strong grounding in nutrition and how to develop recipes that meet specific criteria while still tasting delicious,” Smith says.

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AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

Highlights from the 2014 HNL conference

From left: Barry Rogers, NL Tourism Board; Carmen Hancock, Destination Labrador; Rita Malone, assistant deputy minister, regional development; and Rex Avery, HNL chair.

By Kristen Smith • GANDER, NL—It’s been said that no band since the Beach Boys has ever embodied a place as well as Great Big Sea characterizes The Rock, so it’s fitting GBS frontman Alan Doyle was the keynote for this year’s Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador (HNL) conference.

Doyle shared some lessons learned about “stuff that has made it go smoothly at times.”

• Don’t just be a cog in the wheel. “Demonstrate you are not just there to do your job, you’re there to get the job done,” said Doyle.

• “Be prepared.” Both tourism and entertainment have a show time, Doyle said, and he learned while working on the movie Robin Hood that so many things are out your control that, at the

very least, you have to be ready.

Do whatever the day asks of you. “You want people around you who will do [both] the big stuff and the boring stuff,” said Doyle.

Social media: “the new telephone” Lyle Wetsch, associate professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, told delegates social media is “no longer a niche communication channel; this is a primary communication channel.” Wetsch said 60 per cent of businesses do not respond on Twitter. He said social media should be a business’ main communication channel, calling it an operator’s new telephone.

He added too many focus on the media portion of the term, pushing out messages.

Communication is bidirectional and Wetsch noted the key aspects to doing it well

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are: listening, engaging and responding.

He said many companies make the mistake of putting whomever is familiar with social media in charge of it. People can be taught how to use the channels, “the critical skill in doing social media is the social.”

He said it’s not simply a matter of putting time and money into social media, it’s about reallocating time and money from things that aren’t as effective.

“We all have to be where our customers are and our customers are on TripAdvisor, they’re on Facebook, they’re on Twitter. That’s how they speak, that’s how they interact, that’s how to get to know places and get that word-ofmouth validation from other travellers,” said HNL chief executive officer Carol-Ann Gilliard.

“Customers are embracing the idea of reviewing everything,” said Andrew Wiens of TripAdvisor. “They are reviewing you and that conversation is happening whether you want to engage or not.”

When responding to a review it’s important to customize; it shows authenticity. If it’s positive, repeating the establishment’s name in the response will boost Google placement of the comment; if negative, don’t use the name because it will do the same.

Wiens said you don’t have to respond to everyone. “You should respond to serious negative reviews. You don’t need to respond to crazy ones,” he said.

Destination development update Richard Innis, of Brain Trust, presented an update on the province’s destination development planning process, a province-wide assessment of the tourism industry with a focus on the five regions through a customer’s lens.

The assessment of the Eastern Region is nearly complete and Labrador studies are underway. Early implications suggest a need for clarity on who is a member of the tourism industry.

“We are all tourism stakeholders whether it’s for profit or not for profit,” he said.

Innis said he has noticed a reliance on the in-province traveller. “While we never want to ignore the resident traveller, we need to be developing in the context of the non-resident traveller,” he noted.

RANL board change ups The Restaurant Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (RANL) made some changes to its board at its annual general meeting.

Michelle LeBlanc, of Chinched Bistro, remains at the helm, with Jonathan Rusted of Manna’s Bakery in St. John’s moving from treasurer to vice-president. Annette Parson, of The Black Spruce in Neddie’s Harbour, joins the executive board as treasurer.

Roary MacPherson.

Roary MacPherson, executive chef at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland, moved to a zone director position and all new to the board are: Gary Gosse of Harbour Breeze Catering, Harbour Grace; Andrew Hodge as the new Canadian Culinary Federation representative; Donnie Delaney of Doone Lodge, Black Duck Crossing and Sysco representative Stephen Howell.

Chef Roary MacPherson lauded MacPherson was recognized as the RANL Chef of the Year for his contribution to the province’s culinary scene at the HNL awards gala. “Any award that comes from your peers means a lot,” he said.

“No one says no to Roary—all the chefs in the province, no matter how busy we are—because he is so helpful,” said LeBlanc.

MacPherson is a driving force in the province’s culinary events scene and has been bringing a team to the annual James Beard Foundation competition for eight years. “Fifty-six chefs from Newfoundland and Labrador took part in a piece of culinary history by invitation,” said MacPherson.

Culinary tourism rolling on The Rock RANL executive director Nancy Brace told ARN that culinary events such as the Mid Winter Bivver and From this Rock are bringing chefs out of the kitchen and making them a more prominent part of the tourism industry.

MacPherson said culinary tourism is bringing people to the area to experience the cuisine and these festivals are also attractive to locals vacationing at home.

With NL covering more than 400,000 square kilometres, LeBlanc said events like From this Rock help engage RANL’s members across the province.

Heading into its third year, Brace hopes the event will grow to include nine locations.

LeBlanc says culinary tourism has given chefs the opportunity to work together. “We all want our businesses to succeed, the only way to do that is together,” she said.

Brace points to a two-fold local movement in NL restaurants.

“The more restaurants and chefs who use local—not just ingredients, but local cuisine— the sexier it becomes,” said Brace, pointing to jiggs dinner being incorporated in a cabbage roll at Bacalao Nouvelle Newfoundland Cuisine and in a taco at Quintanas de la Plaza as examples of St. John’s restaurants putting a twist on traditional NL fare.

At the Cape Spear Lighthouse, NL chefs take turns preparing Sunday evening dinners and sharing the province’s heritage through local food for 13 weeks starting in June.

“I don’t know if you could do culinary tourism a better way,” LeBlanc said.

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AT L A N T I C R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

By Kristen Smith

D

uring the inaugural Digital Restaurant Project held at Ryerson University last month, Anna Tauzin, manager of digital innovation for the U.S. National Restaurant Association painted a picture of the future of restaurant dining.

Imagine a couple going out for dinner to their favourite restaurant. Upon arrival the couple is greeted by name. The hostess wishes them a happy anniversary and leads them to the table they prefer on the patio. Their favourite drinks are waiting as the couple take their seats. The server describes the specials, but not the bisque, because he knows they are both allergic to shellfish because that information is in a customer database. They make their dessert decision based on the nutritional information on a tablet menu, and when they are done they use a smartphone to pay with PayPal and leave without waiting for the bill.

Nothing seems forced or contrived, says Tauzin, it’s seamless and it’s not that far away.

Don Smith, sales manager for POS Canada says more and more new generation restaurateurs are embracing mobile technology.

“If you had walked into the CRFA Show never having been before … you would think that the whole industry has gone mobile; that tablets and handhelds are the way to go,” says Smith.

It’s a concept being considered across the foodservice industry.

“I think that mobility is so much a part of everyone’s thinking

these days, I would say that almost everybody is thinking about it in some way, shape or form,” says Dan Schachtler, Micros Eastern Canada general manager.

Schachtler reasons that as more people are becoming comfortable with online ordering from home or work, there is a natural evolution to start doing so from their smartphones.

He suggests pre-ordering and prepaying will be a large trend going forward and as e-wallets and Paypal become more commonplace, customers will demand they be accepted as payment.

“All those applications that basically allow you to interact with the establishment and transact business, those are all going to become very popular,” says Schachtler.

Joe Finizio, executive director of industry strategies and relations for the Retail Solutions Providers

Association (RSPA) spoke of the transition of the POS platform from an all-in-one to a tablet-based system. He says the lighter configurations with payment devices, such as Square, are perfect for cafés, smaller operations and food trucks.

“Right now, technology is one of those key differentiators that are going to help your restaurant grow,” Finizio says.

Operations and marketing are intersecting in the form of geomarketing, loyalty programs and apps, he says, allowing the customer to place an order on the go. “Hospitality is really out front with mobile merchandising.”

Toronto-based TouchBistro has grown to more than 1,200 customers since the tablet-based POS software launched in 2011. Chief marketing officer Toan Dinh says he thinks other tablet-based POS software creators have also been successful in

their acquisition rate.

With so many restaurants closing and opening, Dinh says he thinks this change in the is a main driver of the adoption of new POS models.

“The concept of the traditional point of sale, in my opinion, has really being shaken,” he says.

He thinks restaurant owners are becoming more tech-savvy and are learning to demand more from a system. “It’s up to the point of sales solutions, whether its TouchBistro or not, to educate the market that you can demand more from your point of sale,” he says. Dinh says technology should add value in cost, efficiency and customer experience.

Shannon Arnold, director of marketing for Posera Software, which makes Maitre’D POS says tableside ordering has been around for quite a while, “But the adoption rate had been quite low until the past year or two.”

Mobility, notes Arnold, also includes mobile payment, ordering ahead and reservation applications.

“In the past 12 to 24 months, there has been a lot more demand for it.

Most of the leads that we get want to be sure, whether they implement it or not, that we do run on iPads [and] that we have the mobile apps.

They’ll always ask for it and half the time they’ll implement it,” she says.

According to Arnold, she and the Posera management team sat down at the end of last year and discusssed the state of the POS industry. “We haven’t seen this much movement in the point of sale industry since touch screen solutions were introduced 20 years ago,” says Arnold.

“It’s going to be interesting to see where the next 12 to 24 months are going to lead us.”

The question operators are tackling is whether customer experience is improved by this technology.

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Michael T h a l a s sino, regional s a l e s ma na ger, SilverWare, was recently in Las Vegas.

“A lot of the time trends start in the states and work their way up to Toronto and Canada,” he says. “There was no printed menu for beverages at multiple restaurants we went to in casinos, it was all on a tablet,” he notes.

In some cases, such as a share plate or sushi eatery, Thalassino

thinks letting the customer order from the full digital menu would fit well. In a high-end restaurant, he imagines the wine list on a tablet with tasting notes and pictures of the winery and perhaps a button allowing the guest to order.

“Soon enough, what’s trending and clearly what we’re going to see more and more often, is the table being able to interact on their own.”

He said tablets could be a menu, a game, Internet access, or can put ordering in the customers’ hands.

“If you allow the guests to kind of choose their own destiny and empower them with the tools to make

it really easy, then … its really just an opportunity for added revenue,” says Thalassino. “That technology has come quickly and will continue to adapt as it is adopted.”

While the concept of self-service isn’t new, especially in quick service, tablets and POS systems have recently earned a place at the table at full service establishments.

“I would say that the menu in question has to be very simple,” says Don Smith of POS Canada. He adds that customers shouldn’t have to go through more than one level of modifiers.

Co-founder of Toronto startup

Menyou, Thaves Ponnampalam, was inspired by a restaurant experience in Singapore about two years ago. The restaurant had traditional paper menus. The server punched in the order on a palm pilot and it was sent to the kitchen.

“That’s when I realized that we’re in a day and age when technology has somewhat evolved in our daily lives. Why not bring that whole experience to the customer themselves,” says Ponnampalam.

He says it doesn’t replace the waiter, but enhances the relationship between the serving staff and customers by allowing them to build

a rapport rather than be an order taker.

Menyou co-founder Ara Ehamparam says tablet menus allow customers to know more about what they are eating by including images and nutritional information and doubles as a marketing platform for specials or events.

“I think we live in a world of instant gratification; in the past the customer had to wait in various situations,” notes Ehamparam. “Restaurants are missing out on choices they make on the fly … servers are great, but are missing out on impulse buys.”

Don Smith compares the role of a server to that of an actor. “They have to go over to the table and they have to recognize what mood that table’s in.”

He says some operators are worried tableside ordering will result in losing that personal touch if the focus is to get the order to the kitchen and out to the table.

“Some restaurateurs, if the menu is complicated and has a lot

of modifiers, they fear [staff] will be punching in more than engaging,” says Smith, adding the upside is how beneficial it would be with a large group.

Smith asks: “What’s your guest experience? Never mind what the technology does, what does your guest get when they walk in the doors? If it’s too complicated, are they going to come back in the doors? Because you’ve got to get them back.”

He recommends operators consider how technology complements their vision of the food, customers, décor: is it at the table or behind the scenes?

Stuart Smith, Micros Western Canada general manager says, in the past, a fear that a personal connection would be lost led to limited acceptance of table-side tablet or-

dering.

A server should be making eye contact with the guest, “if you’re looking at your screen then you can’t do that,” he explains.

He credits widespread consumer acceptance of tablets as paving the way for tablet ordering.

“Whether the future holds everyone going out to a restaurant and being greeted with by a server with an mTablet and taking an order at the tableside—it may not work everywhere, but it’s certainly something that’s getting a fresh look,” says Smith.

Arnold says she sees benefit to adding self-service to the mix: it increases productivity, but doesn’t see a fully self-service establishment as a possibility.

“The foodservice industry is about food and service,” she notes.

“The adoption of technology is like a bell curve. There is a bunch of people who are on the bleeding edge, and that is all very exciting. These people are paving the way for the rest of the industry—figuring out what’s really going to work and what isn’t,” says Schachtler.

“There are a lot of other proven technologies that aren’t necessarily fully deployed yet,’’ says Schachtler, pointing to kitchen display systems, which present to each station what they need to prepare on a screen.

“It has a lot of advantages, it improves kitchen operations at one end of the spectrum and saves you paper at the other,” he adds, noting he is surprised how few restaurants take advantage of this technology.

Don Smith says kitchen video has been in quick service for some time, but more sophisticated ver-

sions are only recently gaining ground in full service operations.

The system times the meals so dishes come to the pass at the same time, it calculates how many you have all day and can alert the expeditor what station is getting slammed.

Thalassino says kitchen display is becoming less expensive and more widely accepted.

“Some operators like the idea and some almost feel like it’s the last old-school, traditional method that they’re trying to hold onto. Everything else is sitting on a screen or in the cloud,” he says.

Airport food and beverage operator OTG is in the process of installing 2,500 iPads at Pearson International Airport.

Albert Lee, OTG chief technology officer, said technology in airports is a solution to the problem of time.

Lee notes for infrequent or nervous flyers, the airport can be a very intimidating place.

“There is a general perception that the plane is going to leave without you and there is the temptation for people to want to run to their gate as fast as possible. They feel comfortable being there, they like seeing the podium there,” said Lee. He describes the tag-team food and beverage runs and marked up airport food as a thing of the past.

“We’re saying, you can sit at the gate, you can order a glass of wine, you can have a full meal and be in most public of places and have a great experience,” Lee says.

The self-service iPad concept was tested at LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport.

In Toronto, OTG is working with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to roll out about a dozen eateries in waiting areas in terminals one and three. These concepts include Vinifera, which features a wine list by master sommelier John Szabo and menu by chef Michael Coury.

“We believe that the human element is still a big part of all these experiences. But I think there is a level of accountability that we are working towards, which is finding out where time is being spent and finding out how we can optimize experiences,” Lee says. He adds management can tell whether they are understaffed and where any bottlenecks might be in the flow of service.

“We feel like the order-taking experience itself should be replaced

with tablets. It gets rid of a lot of the are kept clean and well maintained, of traditional table service that we wasted time that we see,” Lee says, and customers, in turn, treat them consider to be wasted time,” says Lee, pointing to order entry, setnoting the order might not get to the with respect.

“You’re able to get up to two and tling up, ordering desserts, coffee or kitchen for five minutes if a server is a half more table turns in a regular another drink as key areas. “All the visiting more than one table.

“By giving the consumer the business day using our system and decision points that if you wait too ability to place their order on a tab- that’s just us getting rid of the areas long it’s a lost opportunity.” let and send it directly to the kitchen, that accelerates the time,” says Lee, adding wasted time is eliminated, but the dining experience is the same.

“We felt like it was a very negative experience for customers to have to wait to pay, so we’re having people prepay,” says Lee. “It eliminates this whole sense of urgency at the very end of your meal when you’re always looking for someone to give you your check so you can get up and go.”

He says there hasn’t been a problem with people walking off Marathi concept at Pearson International Airport. with the iPads—they

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BeverageNews A REPORT ON THE BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

Joia soda comes to Canada

Campari to buy Forty Creek GRIMSBY, ON—Italian drinks group Campari has agreed to buy Forty Creek Distillery for $185.6 million.

“Through this acquisition we enter the very large and appealing Canadian whisky category, thus premiumizing our brand portfolio, driving a richer product mix and further leveraging the revival of brown spirits,” Jean Jacques Dubau, managing director of North America for Campari, said in a March 12 release.

“Moreover, integrating this business will enable us to internalize key activities in the Canadian market as well as position us for further growth in our core U.S. market,” he said.

Founded in 1992 by owner John Hall, Forty Creek’s portfolio includes whisky, vodka, brandy, rum and liqueurs, with Forty Creek Whisky as its core brand. The Forty Creek whisky family includes Barrel Select, Copper Pot Reserve, Forty Creek Cream Whisky and limited releases including Forty Creek Confederation Oak, Double Barrel and an annual special John K. Hall Reserve release.

Hall will remain chairperson and whisky maker at the distillery.

“Campari has the global ability to take Forty Creek to the next level. Introducing customers around the world to my whisky is a dream

John Hall

come true,” Hall said.

The deal is expected to close June 2. After the acquisition, all the business structures and processes in place will remain unchanged in Canada.

VANCOUVER—A line of premium glassbottled soda is coming to Canada in May, with four flavours combining fruits, herbs and spices.

Joia All Natural Soda will be available through traditional foodservice supply companies.

“We’re heading towards rapid development with our distribution system and then placement in the market in early May,” president of Genesis Marketing Group Inc. Cris Fletcher told ARN. Genesis is a manufacturer, bottler and beverage developer, which has Dad’s Old Fashioned Root Beer and Koala beverages in its portfolio.

The company will eventually look to sell Joia in a retail setting, but will initially focus on foodservice.

“We really see the value of building a brand in foodservice,” Fletcher said. “There is more of a full 360 experience for the customer when they get to try the product. So we feel the path to development with foodservice is critical.”

The flavours being launched in Canada include: grapefruit, chamomile and cardamom; blackberry, pomegranate and ginger; pineapple, coconut and nutmeg; and orange, jasmine and nutmeg. Joia also offers a ginger, apricot and allspice variety currently available in the U.S. and a lime, hibiscus and clove flavour, which will be sold exclusively through an

unnamed buying group in Canada. “ They’re really unique because they are heading toward the crafttype of product just like they are doing with craft beer,” Fletcher said.

Joia announced its plans for Canada at the 2014 CRFA Show in Toronto.

“So far the response has been overwhelming—it’s kind of been beyond our expectations,” Fletcher said.

The product will be distributed through Flanagan Foodservice with deals in the works to include Sysco and Gordon Food Service.

COMING EVENTS April 13-14: ApEx Tradeshow, Exhibition Park, Halifax. www.apextradeshow.ca Apr. 24-27: Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals 2014 National Conference, Delta Ottawa City Centre, Ottawa. www.cafp.com May 4-6: Bakery Showcase, International Centre, Mississauga, ON. www.bakingassoccanada.com May 6-7: Canadian Restaurant Investment Conference, Eaton Chelsea Toronto Hotel, Toronto, ON. www.restaurantinvest.ca May 17–20: National Restaurant Association Show, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL. show.restaurant.org May 28–June 2: CCFCC National Convention 2014, Palais de Congress, Gatineau, QC. www.ccfcc.ca/conferences May 24: Friends of We Care Gala & Awards dinner, International Centre, Mississauga, ON. www.friendsofwecare.org.

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A P R I L 2 014

Supply lINES Dieppe, NB, plant.

Bonté Foods expanding DIEPPE, NB—Bonté Foods is in the midst of a $1-million expansion project that will see the conversion of bakery space to raw meat and fresh meal processing and production.

According to a release, Bonté has been growing its meat division under its Bonté and Chris Brothers brands over the past several years and the need for additional production space has hindered its growth.

The expansion, expected to be complete by May, is a conversion of existing space at the 60,000 square-foot plant in Dieppe, NB. Part of the space will be used by an

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unnamed regional retail chain for the processing of raw meats and the rest of the space will be used by Bonté to produce ready-to-eat (RTE) products such as ham, chicken and pepperoni.

“The return on the bakery division was not sufficient to justify the amount of space it was occupying,” president Michael Whittaker said in a release. “This expansion adds over 4,000 square feet of new meat production, 2,000 square feet of new RTE production and 1,000 square feet of additional cooler space, all critical to our core competency—meats and meals.”

The new fresh meals division is being offered under the new brand name East Coast Kitchen. Whittaker said the new

division will employ 20 people initially, but he expects that to rise to between 50 and 60 within two years. Bonté currently employs more than 100 people.

“We recently won the right, in conjunction with Mulders Meats, to produce boxed lunches for the Gagetown military,” Whittaker said.

Bonté Foods Limited began operation in 1977 under the name Greco Foods Limited. Its main purpose was supplying the growing number of Greco Donair Restaurants with donair and pizza products. Bonté Foods Limited now sells its products across Canada. The product list has grown to include donair meat products, pepperoni, salami, gyros, pita bread, bagels, donair and pizza sauce and soups.

PEI to update food rules CHARLOTTETOWN—New rules governing how the foodservice industry handles, stores and serves food in Prince Edward Island will be coming into effect within the coming months.

The new rules call for more training and better documentation of house procedures and will help ensure compliance. A new fee structure will also be imposed to reflect average fees paid across the Maritimes.

“The last major review of food safety regulations was more than 30 years ago. However, over that time, food safety standards have increased, along with the expectations of consumers,” Dr. Heather Morrison, chief public health officer said in a statement. “Islanders should be able to feel confident that the food they’re purchasing has been prepared properly. These changes reflect the best practices being used across Canada.”

The new rules will officially force licensees to remove anyone with a communicable disease from handling or serving food and notify public health immediately.

Water testing of private wells will also been introduced to comply with national guidelines.

The government is asking for public consultation on the new regulations until April 15.

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Town & Country draw winners TORONTO—Town & Country Uniforms held a draw at the annual 2014 CRFA Show to give away personalized chef coats. Of the many entries, 12 lucky chefs were drawn to receive the prize. Chefs from right across Canada were chosen, with coats going to Charlottetown, Vancouver and throughout Ontario. For a complete list of winners visit: www.canadianrestaurantnews.com.

Tips for keeping a pest-free kitchen As part of the 2014 CRFA Show, Abell Pest Control conducted a seminar on how restaurants and foodservice professionals can keep their kitchens free from critters.

1. Start with a clean kitchen. Make a list of tasks, assign them to each employee and ensure employees have the right tools and enough time to complete tasks.

Concentrate on problem areas: floor and sink drains, garbage and recycling containers, under counters, in food storage areas and beverage lines.

2. Remove food debris. Do not leave food out on surfaces or floors. Sweep and mop daily making sure to reach behind prep tables and paying particular attention to corners and crevices.

3. Ensure structural maintenance. Make sure there are no openings in the walls or ceilings for pests to gain access. Coolers and food storage rooms should be checked monthly for cracks.

4. Clean pop and beer lines. Clean pop machines nightly with warm water; do not use hot water or chemicals as it could damage seals or leave a residue.

Pop lines should be cleaned every six months and juice lines every three months. Beer lines should be cleaned after each keg, or at least every two weeks.

After each night, taps should be cleaned and spill areas washed thoroughly.

5. Keep garbage area tidy. Power wash dumpsters monthly and make sure leaking bags are never thrown in bins. Do not overfill bins, and keep area clear of loose garbage or debris.

For more information visit Abell Pest Control’s CleanSAFE Kitchen at www.cleansafekitchen.ca

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PE OPLE

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2.

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1. Liam Dolan. 2. Rex Avery. 3. Darlene Thomas (left) and Rex Avery. 4. Marie Nightingale.

Photo by Perry Jackson.

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Liam Dolan, chef and owner of three restaurants in Charlottetown, is the new chair of Restaurants Canada.

Dolan, who has served on the board for nearly 13 years, was elected chair at the association’s annual meeting on March 4 during its annual tradeshow. Restaurants Canada, formerly known as the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, revealed its new name and look in late February.

As chair, Dolan will lead a volunteer board of the business association representing 30,000 members in Canada’s $68-billion restaurant industry.

“I’ve worked in foodservice since I was a teen, and I’m honoured by this opportunity to

use my passion for the business for the greater good of Canada’s restaurants,” said Dolan.

He started studying as a chef at the age of 16 in his native Ireland, and later moved to Prince Edward Island where he worked as a chef in hotels.

Dolan opened his first restaurant in Charlottetown more than 30 years ago and now operates three restaurants: the Claddagh Oyster House, the Olde Dublin Pub and Peake’s Quay Restaurant and Bar. “We are the only type of business that is in every community in this country. We are the number one provider of first-time jobs, and we create thousands of spin-off jobs for everyone from farmers to furniture makers,” he said.

“This is an industry that governments need to get behind, and I look forward to delivering that message.”

Dolan founded the P.E.I. International Shellfish Festival, which has grown into one of the biggest food festivals in the country.

Three foodservice industry leaders from Ontario and Quebec were elected to the Restaurants Canada board of directors: George Jeffrey, chief operating officer at Quiznos Canada; Michel Lanctôt, vice-president at Sportscene Group, which operates a Quebec chain of sports-themed resto-bars, La Cage aux Sports; and Cindy Simpson, executive vicepresident at Imago Restaurants, which operates a family of British-style pubs in downtown Toronto.

They join 26 other industry leaders from across Canada who serve on the association’s volunteer board of directors.

As part of the Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador conference, members of the HNL 2014/2015 board of directors were officially announced.

Rex Avery, vice-president of Steele Hotels, succeeds Darlene Thomas as chair. Avery has been on the board since 2009 holding secretary/treasurer and vice-chair positions. “I am excited about this new challenge before me,” said Avery.

Avery said partnerships are the future of the industry.

“More business for one means more business for other operators,” he said.

The board’s directors-at-large consist of Dion Finlay, Leaside Suites and Executive Apartments; Kelly Finlay, Murray Premises Hotel; Kathie Hicks, Spirit of Newfoundland Productions; Helena Lawlor, Hillview Terrace; and Michelle Melee Heath, Monastery Spa & Suites.

Andrew MacGillivray has announced his retirement after 12 years as president and chief executive officer of Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Limited. Michael Barrett—who joined Gay Lea in 1999 and for the past six years served as chief operations officer—will replace MacGillivray as of April 1.

Marie Nightingale of Halifax, who wrote about food and chefs for more than three decades, died March 15 at the age of 85 after battling cancer.

“Her writing style was like her personality, very pleasant,” former managing editor of The Chronicle Herald, Ken Foran said in a March 16 article in the newspaper, where Nightingale spent 20 years as a columnist.

Her 1970 book Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens, a collection of the province’s traditional recipes, is still in print and has sold more copies than any other Nova Scotia cookbook.

In 1994, Nightingale won the Edna Award from Cuisine Canada for her promotion of regional cuisine.

In 2003, Nightingale published Cooking with Friends, which was nominated for a Cuisine Canada book award.

Nightingale’s writings are part of the Culinary Archival Collection at the University of Guelph, which has collected her articles, clippings, scrapbooks and research materials.

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