Pacific Prairie Canadian Restaurant News December 2016

i s h c o m p u b l i c at i o n s s i n c e 19 8 6

P A C I F I C / P R A I R I E December 2016 | Vol. 22 | No. 6

N AT I O N A L

C O V E R A G E

regional

F O C U S

$ 5 . 9 5

Bottling The

Beast A Fort McMurray brewery is harnessing smoke from the infamous wildfire to celebrate the city.

THE ONWARD HISTORY OF DEANE HOUSE RIVER CAFE FOUnder revives landmark

3

WING-N-IT HEADS WEST

6

A NATURAL MENU TRANSFORMATION FOR A&W

8

A NEW APP MENU FRESH tech to help simplify YOUR operation

10

By Bill Tremblay

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — A once-in-alifetime Canadian whisky will celebrate Fort McMurray’s community spirit.

When the massive wildfire, dubbed The Beast, triggered the evacuation of the city in May, the Wood Buffalo Brewing Company was forced to leave a pallet of grain on their patio.

“It had been on my mind during the evacuation, I had just ordered that pallet,” said head brewer Spike Baker.

In preparation for returning to the downtown brewpub, Baker mentioned the abandoned barley to the master distiller at Bear Hill Brewing, the parent company of the Fort McMurray brewery. He was told the barley may not have been lost and may even be enhanced.

As soon as staff was allowed to return to the brewpub, Baker checked on the grain.

“We sent some of it off right away to get it tested,” Baker said. “Everything came back perfectly safe.”

While the 1,000 kilogram pallet of malted barley escaped the flames, the smoke that blanketed the town flavoured the grain. The ingredient was earmarked for whisky production, a new beverage program for the brewpub.

“The actual grain is drastically different than the original product,” he said.

With wildfire-smoked malted barley in hand, Baker began the distilling process.

Head brewer Spike Baker.

“It was originally a heavy peat malt, so it’s got a lot of that sweet flavour coming through,” Baker said. “Then there’s a campfire-like smokiness. There’s a lot of spruce and poplar flavours coming through, and there’s some mint notes in there as well.”

Baker named the final product The Beast in honour of the wildfire and the community’s resolve to escape safely.

While The Beast whisky will be aged for five years before it is released, its creators auctioned off dibs to the first 10 bottles in October. Funds from the auction were donated to the Friends of Fort McMurray Firefighters.

The first bottle sold for $7,100. In total, the 10 bottles raised more than $40,000 for the charity.

“It was a surreal night for sure. It’s ever so exciting as a distiller,” Baker said. “I’m not surprised by the generosity of the Fort McMurray community. It’s just a terrific example of how

much people are willing to step up for their neighbours.”

The Wood Buffalo Brewing Company creates its own draft beer as well as vodka. Baker is in the process of introducing a house whisky and rum as well.

For The Beast, the company is working out the price and details on how to distribute the spirit.

“We want to make it available to people in the community and firefighters, as well as keeping it a special product for the auction winners,” Baker said. “We want to use it to raise as much money as possible for the firefighters.”

The wildfire smoked enough grain to create upwards of 300 bottles of The Beast.

“This is a once in a lifetime product and experience,” Baker said. “We want to use it to remember the good stuff that happened out of the situation, like everyone working together to get out safely.”

Foodservice equipment dealers Hendrix and Russell merge BROCKVILLE, Ont. — Canada’s two largest foodservice equipment dealers have become one company.

On Nov. 21, Hendrix Hotel & Restaurant Equipment and Supplies and Russell Food Equipment announced the two companies are merging, and will operate under the name Russell Hendrix Foodservice Equipment. The move follows the announcement that private equity firm Blue Point Capital Partners acquired a controlling interest in Hendrix. In late 2015, Blue Point acquired Russell Food Equipment.

“Across the board, there’s a lot of excitement in both the Hendrix and Russell teams,” said Larry Vander Baaren, chief executive officer of Russell Hendrix.

Hendrix, founded in 1981, is based in Brockville, Ont. Since its creation, the company has expanded

nationwide, with nine locations and three distribution centres. Russell, founded in 1938, is based in Vancouver. It operates out of 14 distribution and three manufacturing facilities located across Canada.

Russell offers an assortment of equipment, supplies, parts and services to more than 20,000 foodservice operators through its 14 showrooms nationwide. The creation of Russell Hendrix makes the company four times larger than its next competitor.

“The complementary geographic exposure, product diversification and sales structure is game changing for our current platform investment in Russell,” said Mark Morris, a partner with Blue Point.

“We expect this merger to be transformative for both companies.”

Starting in Ontario and Halifax, the newly formed company will begin rebranding its locations.

The previous head offices in Vancouver and Brockville will maintain their roles, with both companies sharing resources. Vander Baaren expects the rebranding process to take about 10 months to complete nationwide.

“In some cities we’re consolidating where we have a Hendrix and Russell branch,” he said, noting six municipalities are home to both brands.

“At the end of the day, we’ll end up with 17 branch locations.”

For the merger, Vander Baaren explained Russell brings its manufacturing capability as well as a parts and service network at the majority of its locations.

Hendrix adds a large customer roster of arenas, convention centres, hotels and quick service restaurants.

“We didn’t really step on each others’ toes very much, it’s a great fit that way,” Vander Baaren said.

THE HOSPITALITY EVENT OF THE YEAR

canada unleashed FEB 26-28, 2017 |

ENERCARE CENTRE TORONTO

| RCSHOW.COM

Celebrating 150 years • Foodservice • Innovation • Leadership • Culinary Excellence 700 companies

15,000 buyers and foodservice professionals

over 1,000 exhibits

3 days of business building sessions + events

connect + grow Canada’s largest foodservice trade show event

your business

#rcshow17

! k e e W y t i Hospital

C R s s i M t Don' . e t a D e h t Save + e c a p S r ou Y e v r e s e R on i t a v i t c A Plan Your

rcshow.com 1-800-387-5649

theshow@restaurantscanada.org

Pizza and beer is just a few clicks away WINNIPEG — Canada’s first beer and pizza delivery company is offering a new revenue stream for hotels.

Hops Pizza launched its first location at Winnipeg’s Polo Park Holiday Inn in November.

Terry Davison, who owns a software development company and hotelier Angelo Paletta, created the company to capitalize on beer delivery.

“Unless you charge a significant delivery fee, it’s not profitable,” Davison said. “Putting the two together was kind of a marketing made-inheaven concept.”

The first step to launching Hops Pizza was to create a business model that would operate within the regulations of the Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba (LGA), as well as regulatory bodies in other provinces.

“If it wasn’t done with the right steps, you basically turn into a bootlegger,” Davison said.

“We started off with the idea of being extremely transparent and putting everything on the table, so there

were no surprises at the end when we launched.”

The business concept requires Hops Pizza to operate out of a location with an established liquor licence, as well as have their delivery drivers complete the alcohol serving training required by the LGA. As well, all orders are completed online, creating a paper trail of who has purchased alcohol.

“In order to ensure we stayed onside with the liquor laws, we had to take payment at the time of ordering,” Davison said. “With an online transaction, the age category is somewhat validated.”

After solving issues of legality, Davison and Paletta recruited several chefs to create their pizza recipe.

“When we find new franchisees, we can give them a solution where even if they weren’t chefs, they could still reproduce our product,” Davison said.

Since its November launch, Hops Pizza has expanded to three hotels, with four more in development.

Hops Pizza creators Angelo Paletta, Terry Davison and Anthony Paletta.

“Hopefully, we’ll get them ramped up before Christmas,” Davison said.

Opening a Hops location requires a portion of the hotel’s kitchen be retrofitted for the pizza oven, prep area, beer cooler and delivery section. Hotels are also using the service to feed their guests.

“Hops Pizza is the facilitator of the order, but we’re not actually pro-

cessing the order. The actual vendor licence holder is ultimately processing the order and delivering the product,” Davison said.

“All of the finances go directly to the license holder, and they’re ultimately responsible for delivery of the product.”

Hops Pizza launched offering only extra large pies, potato chips, six types

of beer and two coolers.

“We went out to Twitter and ran a survey to find out what kind of beer people wanted,” Davison said.

Now, the company is looking to expand its menu and beer selection.

“We may look at wings and salad as well,” Davison said.

“For the launch we wanted to keep it really, really simple.”

New life for Calgary’s Deane House CALGARY — A historic home in old Calgary will help envision a new culinary future for the city.

Sal Howell, founder of Calgary’s River Café, has transformed Deane House into a contemporary restaurant, tasked with investigating regional and sustainable cuisine.

“It’s part exploring and part creating Canadian cuisine,” Howell said. “It’s following the journey we’ve been on at River Café.”

Deane House was built in 1906 for Royal Northwest Mounted Police Cpt. Richard Deane, the then superintendent of Fort Calgary.

Today, Deane House is considered the only remaining building from the Fort Calgary site that is still intact. The home was designated a Registered Historic Resource in 1978.

Howell has considered the idea of operating a restaurant in the Victorian home for about 15 years.

“I was always drawn to the site. It’s an extraordinary setting,” Howell said. “It represents a great touch point of all aspects of old Calgary.”

Located where Bow River and Elbow River meet, Deane House is situated on a half city block, in a park-like setting where Calgary was born more than 100 years ago.

“We’re in the heart of the city, but you don’t really feel that,” Howell said. “There’s still a naturalness, a sense of the area before the city grew up around it.”

Throughout the years, Deane House has hosted an art gallery, restaurant and boarding home. In 2012, Howell partnered with the municipality and the Fort Calgary Preservation Society to work on a restaurant concept.

Although the flood of 2013 stalled progress on Deane House, the 110-seat restaurant opened in September with a modern redesign featuring

elements that highlight the home’s history. The restaurant’s library room, for example, features first editions of books penned by Deane. The police captain was also an avid horticulturalist and a formal garden on the property pays tribute to his green thumb.

“We created a look and feel that’s a nod to its past. We really created a vintage refresh,” Howell said. “But it’s not meant to be a historical renovation at all.”

Deane House is also operating as a zero waste establishment, which Howell noted is a challenge since the city does not offer compost collection.

“It takes an effort to find an end use for the waste coming from the restaurant, but we care deeply about all aspects of the restaurant,” she said.

While Calgary is known for its beef, the menu at Deane House is vegetable forward.

“There’s a lot of meat and barbecue in Calgary. It’s well covered. There is so much more to agriculture and wild foods of the region,” Howell said.

“People are considering that there should be less meat on their plate.”

Before opening, chef Jamie Harling spent several months meeting with local farmers, foraging and tending the onsite garden to create the menu.

“Right at our kitchen door, we have edible flowers and herbs,” Harling said.

The chef explained meat is still on the menu, but he is preparing more sustainable proteins, and beef has become a garnish, rather than the centre of the plate.

“Traditionally, writing a menu means you start with the protein,” Harling said. “It’s learning new and different ways of doing things. I’m really enjoying it.”

December 2016 | 3

P A C I F I C / P R A I R I E

comment

Your kitchen could help improve mental health

I

n any given year, one in five Canadians experiences a mental health or addiction problem.

Given the number of youth — who are more likely than any other age group to experience these issues, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health — working in foodservice and hospitality, it might be more than one in five in our industry. Couple this with long hours, often conflicting with the schedules of friends and family — those who make up an individual’s support system — and it’s a recipe for self-medicating.

A trio of Edmonton chefs are hoping to break the stigma surrounding anxiety, depression and substance abuse in the hospitality industry. Chefs Dan Letourneau (Ocean Odyssey), Stuart Whyte (Original Redhead Condiments) and Cory Rakowski (Edmonton Food Council) recently founded Food for Thoughts.

In addition to fostering open communication regarding mental health, Food for Thoughts aims to develop and fund an in-

dustry-specific group counselling program with the assistance of organizations such as the Canadian Mental Health Association and Lifeline Canada.

Rakowski said the current state of the foodservice industry as well as the founders’ personal experiences — having lost friends to suicide and overdose — inspired the initiative.

An inaugural event brought Edmonton chefs together in November at Whyte Avenue bar, where the discussion focused on mental health struggles.

Rakowski said the idea was that attendees would leave with “a willingness to start the conversation in their own circles, whether by reaching out to peers, friends and family, or by seeking assistance themselves.”

Mental illness is not uncommon nor is it shameful, but it’s too often kept secret, ignored or brushed off as something that will go away on its own.

If someone were suffering from a physical illness it would be acceptable — perhaps even expected — to let people know when it is affecting quality of life.

If we don’t start treating mental illness as what it is, an illness as opposed to a weakness,

the stigma will linger.

Mental health doesn’t simply mean avoiding illness; it also refers to our overall mental well-being, which is affected by numerous factors including the stress caused by balancing work and life. Owners, operators and managers have a responsibility to ensure what they expect from employees doesn’t put that balance in jeopardy.

Food for Thoughts is planning monthlong events in Edmonton and Calgary to take place next spring. Participating restaurants will design a dish inspired by health and wellbeing, with a portion of the sale of each dish being donated to counselling programs.

Long term, Rakowski said the idea is to bring Food for Thoughts across the country.

“We are looking to start chapters in every city, and would welcome interested parties to reach out on this,” said Rakowski, who can be reached at foodforthoughtsyeg@gmail.com.

A

4 | Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News

part of everything We Care does, just letting someone else run the show and I get to come out and be the beneficiary.”

In his new role, Collins plans to strengthen the connection between Friends of We Care and Easter Seals.

“With my lengthy experience with Friends of We Care it will be a great opportunity for the board of Easter Seals Ontario and all of their supporters to understand the impact of what Friends of We Care does and strengthen the relationships between both sides,” he said.

“The ultimate goal is to send even more kids to camp.”

Following the announcement, Collins received numerous congratulatory communications from colleagues.

“This foodservice and hospitality industry that we all work in and around, they’re unbelievable people,” he said.

“Their generosity from a financial

MANAGING EDITOR

Kristen Smith ext. 238 · ksmith@canadianrestaurantnews.com SENIOR EDITOR

Colleen Isherwood ext. 231 · cisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com ASSISTANT EDITOR

Bill Tremblay ext. 226 · wtremblay@canadianrestaurantnews.com ASSISTANT EDITOR

Don Douloff ext. 232 · ddouloff@canadianrestaurantnews.com SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Debbie McGilvray ext. 233 · dmcgilvray@canadianrestaurantnews.com ACCOUNT MANAGER

Kim Kerr ext. 229 · kkerr@canadianrestaurantnews.com PRODUCTION

Felicia Mangiardi ext. 0 · fmangiardi@canadianrestaurantnews.com CIRCULATION MANAGER

Peter Elliott ext. 228 · pelliott@canadianrestaurantnews.com CONTROLLER

Stacey Holmes ext. 237 · sholmes@canadianrestaurantnews.com

CONTACT US: 905-206-0150

Kristen Smith Managing Editor

Kevin Collins departs Friends of We Care

s Kevin Collins departs Friends of We Care to lead Easter Seals Ontario, the longtime executive director is fulfilling a goal he has had since he was a boy.

“It’s been a lifelong dream for me since I was 12 years old, when I was the Easter Seals/Timmy’s Ambassador,” Collins said in an interview following the announcement he would be taking on the role of president and chief executive officer early next year.

Collins spent more than 17 years at Friends of We Care, a foodservice and hospitality organization that raises funds for Easter Seals Canada.

Friends of We Care board chair Jim Greenway said Collins’ legacy includes raising millions of dollars to benefit children with disabilities, establishing a national presence for the organization and raising its profile within the industry.

“Throughout his tenure, Kevin has touched and improved the lives of many.

His caring spirit, ability to interact with everyone and genuine desire to be good at his role has benefited us all,” Greenway said in a statement.

As a boy, Collins spent eight summers attending Easter Seals’ barrier-free camps.

While representing the charity as an ambassador, the seed was planted; he wanted to be part of the organization in the future.

“Working with Friends of We Care over almost the last 18 years, that was a huge part of almost coming full circle for me, but this brings it full circle now,” Collins said.

“The best part about it is I’m not going away — I’m still going to be very much a

PUBLISHER

Steven Isherwood ext. 236 · sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com

standpoint to volunteer, to just supporting the cause, is unbelievable. To be able to sit back and look at how far the organization has come with growth and the amount of money that has been generated to help support so many kids, not only here in Ontario, but across Canada, it’s an unbelievable experience and something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

At Easter Seals, Collins will have the opportunity to work more closely with children and their families.

“This organization, for the past almost 18 years, we’ve raised over $20.5 million for the kids and now I get to actually be part of how it’s being spent and how the kids are benefiting directly. It’s a new learning curve for me, but it’s an exciting curve,” he said.

“That’s basically where I started, getting that chance to go to summer camp for eight years. I want to make sure many other kids get that same opportunity.”

Collins started in the industry in hotel management and worked for Easter Seals Ontario as manager of corporate and special events before joining Friends of We Care as executive director.

“I’ve been very fortunate to be able to do something I’m very, very passionate about and to have people believe in what I do,” he said.

Collins said he is driven by the desire to give others the same opportunity he was given.

“Having the disability and being able to show people that given the opportunity, it’s amazing what anybody can accomplish, that’s my ultimate goal and dream,” he said.

PACIFIC/PRAIRIE RESTAURANT NEWS VOLUME 22 · NO. 6 · December 2016 Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News (www.pacificprairierestaurantnews.com) is published 6 times a year by Ishcom Publications Ltd., 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ont. L4X 2W1 T: (905) 206-0150 · F: (905) 206-9972 Toll Free: 1(800)201-8596 Other publications include the Canadian Chains Directory and Buyers’ Directory as well as:

O N T A R I O

www.ontariorestaurantnews.com A T L A N T I C

www.atlanticrestaurantnews.com C A N A D I A N

LodgingNews www.canadianlodgingnews.com Subscriptions: Canada & U.S.A.: $24.95/year or $39.95/2 years.

Single copy: $5.95 (Plus taxes where applicable) Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation department, 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ontario L4X 2W1 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40010152 ISSN 1702-3483 GST number R102533890

@CANRestonews

Ishcom Publications

Canadian Restaurant News

Why not try G N I N O S SEA

DRY? NO ARTIFICIAL C O LO U R S O R FLAVOURS

Watch the wings fly off your menu with LAWRY's WINGS dry seasonings!

Creates a crispy, melt-in-your-mouth coating that delivers the big, bold flavours customers crave. Also awesome on fries, kettle chips, onion rings, ribs and more! ®Reg. TM McCormick & Co., Inc. Used under license.

BUFFALO MAPLE BACON SRIRACHA BARBECUE LEMON PEPPER MANGO HABANERO

ClubHouseforChefs.ca

Chutneys brings quick service Indian food to Edmonton EDMONTON — Chutney’s Indian Grill is aiming to fill a void in South Asian food options.

After failing to find a quick Indian meal in Edmonton, Joe Sangha, Ronnie Sandher and Harvey Panesar decided to create a quick service restaurant that offers South Asian cuisine.

“Aside from the traditional buffet-style Indian restaurants, which are really common, we didn’t really see anything in the quick service, fast casual sector,” Sangha said.

While speed of service was a factor in creating Chutneys, they also wanted to offer a lighter Indian meal option.

“The buffet style is very heavy on cream and butter. It’s not the healthiest of options,” Sangha said. “We wanted something that was quick serve, on-the-go, with a decent price point, and you don’t have to feel lethargic after you eat.”

As the owner of three Mucho Burritos and one Freshii, Sangha and his partners began creating a similar concept, but using Indian flavours.

“We want them to compare us with the Mucho Burritos and Subways,” Sangha said. “We don’t want to compete with Indian restaurants. We want to compete with fast casual, quick serve.”

Chutneys’ menu offers the option of a Burroti (a burrito using roti as the wrap) or a bowl with a brown rice, quinoa or salad base. Customers then select from tandoori chicken, steak, tofu or garbanzo bean for their protein. From there, the bowl or Burroti is topped with tikka masala, vindaloo, daal or butter sauce. The order is completed with a selection of vegetables and seven

house-made chutneys. Vegetarian menu options cost $7.50 while a meat item is $1 more.

“The customer essentially picks and chooses what they want and it’s made right in front of them,” Sangha said. “It ranges from mild to spicy, and you don’t have just butter chicken anymore, you can have butter steak or tofu.”

Creating the menu took about two years with help from a chef in Calgary.

“We went back and forth with him over a year doing various tests on different menu items and making adjustments,” Sangha said.

The main hurdle was creating a menu that didn’t require a trained Indian chef at the restaurant. With a plan to franchise Chutneys while making all menu items in house, they needed simple recipes.

“That was one of the challenges of Indian food.

Everyone asked how we were going to do it without an Indian cook,” Sangha said. “It did take us some time to develop the menu.”

While quick service Indian restaurants are rare, Sangha believes the timing is right to introduce the cuisine to the market segment.

“People are now slowly coming around to new foods,” he said. “Once people try it, we have great feedback. We just have to get them through the door.”

The first Chutneys opened at 4316 17 St. NW and a second Edmonton location is in the works. Sangha said the first few locations would be corporate stores.

“It’s to work out the kinks and have our systems down. We don’t want to jump the gun,” he said. “We have grand plans. Hopefully they work out.”

Wing-N-It flies west ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A Newfoundland and Labrador chain is making its first move out of Atlantic Canada with plans to land in Grande Prairie, Alta., in the New Year.

Since opening the first Wing-N-It in St. John’s in February 2011, eight more restaurants have opened in the company’s home province as well as one location in Cole Harbour, N.S. Kim and Glen McFarlane and their friends Dave Deane and Sonia Ciccone created theWing-N-It concept.

With more than 100 flavours of chicken wings, the name doesn’t only reflect the chain’s core offering, but also makes reference to Wing-N-It’s aviation theme, which is reflected in the decor and the names of menu items.

The key to differentiating the brand from other wing-focused chains, Deane explained, is having an assortment of other items on the menu, such as salads, flatbreads, ribs, fish and chips and a selection of nachos, sandwiches and wraps.

“What we wanted to do all along is expand our menu to be more balanced and appealing to families rather than just the beer and wing person,” he said.

With an average size of between 2,500 to 3,000 square feet, Deane said the appropriate footprint of the restaurant depends on the size of the market.

Construction is underway for the chain’s

6 | Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News

11th location and first step outside of Atlantic Canada. The Grande Prairie location is expected to open in February in a new commercial development, Grand Banks on 68th. Site selection is underway for another Alberta location in Red Deer. In Grande Prairie, the location is 2,500 square feet with plans for about 80 seats as well as a patio.

Deane said there is also interest in the province from prospective franchisees in Fort McMurray and Edmonton.

“All the contact that we’ve had so far in Alberta has been Newfoundlanders that live in Alberta,” said Deane.

“They’ve seen the success it’s had in Newfoundland; the growth has been relatively quick, I would assume — 10 stores in about five years,” he said. “Hopefully, it can have the same impact in Alberta. I think it can be as good, or better, because it’s a much bigger market.”

With only a couple more locations being considered for the brand in its home province, such as Deer Lake or Conception Bay South, N.L., Deane said the operating partners plan to use the same growth strategy in Alberta.

“We try to get into the little towns outside of the city, like the Grand Falls and the Ganders. There are many more opportunities in Alberta,” he said. “In Newfoundland, we’re almost finished our growth there.”

Popeyes targets Alberta for expansion ATLANTA, Ga. — Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is moving into Western Canada with locations opening in Edmonton and Calgary.

Serving Louisiana-inspired fried chicken and seafood, the Edmonton location opened in November at 3773 17th St. NW in the Tamarack neighbourhood. The first Calgary Popeyes is slated to open in December in Forest Lawn at 3909 17th Ave. SE. Subsequent Alberta locations are planned for 2017.

Entering the Canadian market in 1984, the chicken chain has a presence in Ontario, with 108 stores, primarily in the Greater Toronto Area. It moved into Ottawa in 2015 and opened in Windsor, Ont., this year.

“We have managed to grow our footprint over time,” said Mitch Langston, director of international marketing for Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.

“We’ve been able to grow the brand, develop it and now we’re at the point where we’re certainly continuing to grow in Ontario and franchisees in the province continue to open restaurants, but

obviously we’re trying to grow the footprint.”

Langston noted Alberta’s median household income and diverse population were contributing factors when determining which province the brand would target.

“We’ve been looking at Alberta for a while; it’s certainly been attractive as the fourth largest province,” he said.

“The [population] is about 83 per cent urban, so [the fact] that we can enter into the principal urban areas and market our brand with some efficiencies makes a lot of sense,” Langston added. “We’ve just been working on finding the right partners.”

Multi-unit franchisees, one in Edmonton and another in Calgary, are opening the Alberta stores.

“The expectation and certainly the commitment from the franchisees is to continue to expand and grow the brand in Alberta,” said Langston. “We’re looking at other provinces as well from a growth perspective.”

+ Some things are simply better together . . .

Like the classic combination of macaroni and cheese, Russell Hendrix is a dynamic duo that can’t be beat. Over the next several months, Canada’s two largest foodservice equipment dealers will become one. The merged company, Russell Hendrix Foodservice Equipment, will supply customers from seventeen showrooms and five distribution centers across Canada. Stay up to date at russellhendrix.com

Bring home the bacon A&W now guarantees all of its pork products are 100 per cent Canadian, and all of its protein is sourced from animals raised as naturally as possible VANCOUVER — A&W is now guaranteeing all of its menu’s meat and poultry products are sourced from animals raised as naturally as possible.

In October, the quick service restaurant chain announced a Pork Guarantee, a promise to serve sausage links and patties that are 100 per cent Canadian and raised without the use of antibiotics.

“People bring ideas to us, we brings ideas to others, and together we form really powerful partnerships that can help us discover new ways of doing things,” said Susan Senecal, president and chief operating officer of A&W Foodservices of Canada Inc. “Sometimes it is things people say would be completely impossible,” she added.

A&W’s menu transformation began in 2013,

when the company announced it would serve beef raised without the use of added hormones or steroids.

The following year, the company announced it would serve chicken raised without the use of antibiotics and eggs from hens fed a vegetarian diet.

Earlier this year, A&W announced its bacon would be made from pork raised without the use of antibiotics.

As well, the bacon curing process no longer includes artificial ingredients.

Outside of protein, the restaurant chain also serves fair trade coffee as part of its Ingredients Guarantee.

“We’ve had really enthusiastic responses from our guests,” Senecal said. “I think that is something that’s kept us going and inspired us.”

A&W’s customer base is what inspired the change to natural ingredients.

“Whether it’s grocery stores, fine dining or anywhere food is found, you’re seeing that interest,” Senecal said.

“We wanted to understand what that means for A&W and how do we respond. That’s what started us on that path.”

Changing ingredients wasn’t an easy task, Senecal noted. Implementing its Pork Guarantee, for example, required more than 18 months of preparation.

“We needed to make sure everyone from farmers to ranchers were lined up to do this,” she explained, adding the evolution of ingredients required retrofitting farms as well as seeking new suppliers.

“We have been delighted with the response

from the farming community and producers, all of those people we work with as partners.”

The shift in ingredients also came with increased product costs. Senecal explained the increase was not passed onto the consumer.

“It is a bigger investment on the part of the ranchers and farmers we work with, but we’ve not increased our menu prices to consumers as a result of the changes,” Senecal said.

“We feel like if we do the right thing and do what our guests are looking for, they will visit more often and things will work out in the end.”

She added the strategy is working for the 861 restaurants within the company.

“We do see lots of growth in our business,” Senecal said. “That is a result of a range of things, but for us, it really did start with listening to our guests.”

Pacini eyes hotel partnerships for growth

By Don Douloff MONTREAL — Pacini Canada Inc. is eyeing new-builds and conversions in Canadian hotels for growth of its casual Italian restaurant concept.

In the next two to three years, the company is targeting 15 to 20 locations, part of a larger plan to reach 200 restaurants within a decade, according to Lafleche Francoeur, vice-president of business development.

There are currently 30 Pacini restaurants, 28 in Quebec and the balance in Alberta. So far, there are four hotel locations: in the Acclaim Hotel, near Calgary airport; Hotel Universel, in Alma, Que.; the Moose Hotel & Suites, in Banff, Alta., opened in July; and Auberge Gouverneur Shawinigan, in Shawinigan, Que., opened in spring.

A site is under construction in Hotel Le Navigateur, in Rimouski, Que., and is expected to open in December. A deal has been signed for a freestanding Pacini to open in front of the Courtyard Toronto/Mississauga West property slated to open in 2017. The restaurant is expected to begin construction by the end of this year, targeting an opening by March, said Francoeur.

The first hotel location opened in the Acclaim property in 2011 as a test of the Pacini concept outside Quebec.

That site “has done very well,” he said. Al-

8 | Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News

though Francoeur will consider freestanding, non-hotel restaurants, “90 per cent of franchising requests are coming from hotels.”

Going forward, all provinces will be considered for hotel locations, but Alberta and Ontario will be the focus, he said. Since the brand is established in Alberta, it’s a natural fit for growth, he added, and Atlantic Canada represents a “natural evolution” for Pacini. “We’re in negotiation with 25 to 30 hotels in every region.” Larger cities are preferred.

In Quebec, Pacini will consider smaller markets, and indeed, being situated inside hotels enables Pacini to locate in less populated areas, since hotel guests provide a built-in customer base.

Restaurants also draw from locals, said Francoeur. New-builds and conversions will be considered equally.

Hotel sites require at least 4,500 square feet.

Ground-floor locations offering good external exposure and a separate entrance are required.

Mid-scale to higher-end hotels will be considered.

For freestanding, non-hotel sites, Pacini prefers markets with a minimum population of 30,000 people within a short radius.

“The requirement in terms of population is half of that when we are within or close to a hotel.”

Those sites need 6,000-plus square feet in power centres and strip-mall end caps.

Up front, hotels pay $1.5 million, which covers the franchise fee and construction costs.

Once the restaurant opens, hotels pay a royalty of 4 per cent of gross sales, and an additional 4 per cent of gross sales that is pooled in a national marketing fund.

Restaurants serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with weekend brunch. Menus are themed casual Italian — pastas, pizzas, appetizers and main courses — and offer an all-youcan-eat bar where guests grill bread slices and top them with spreads and jams.

Gluten-free options are available, as are allergen-free dishes made and sealed offsite by a third party. Locations feature a dining room, lounge and a market area, dubbed a ‘piazza,’ selling Italian oils, pasta sauces, dry pastas, chocolates, etc.

In addition, Pacini provides all onsite event catering for its host hotels. Catering menus are adapted locally.

Introducing a

New Franchise Opportunity

December 2016 | 9

Use tech to better your business

By Bill Tremblay

A

s new technologies are introduced to the public at an ever-increasing rate, restaurants aren’t left out of the fold.

Tech developers, many of which are Canadian-based, are digitizing tasks for management as well as front and back of house.

Everything from a restaurant’s marketing to staff training to evaluating strategies is now in the palm of an operator’s hand.

Make Wi-Fi work for you For restaurants that provide their guests with free Wi-Fi, Turnstyle allows the establishment to use the connection as a marketing catalyst.

When a customer connects to the restaurant’s Internet, Turnstyle offers a customizable login page that collects the user’s email address as well as additional information.

“Rather than paying for your Wi-Fi expense every month, it can actually be an investment and an asset that will increase loyalty and generate revenue,” said Bennett Fitzgibbon, Turnstyle’s marketing director.

The Toronto-based program allows a restaurateur to customize the login page to their accessible Wi-Fi signal by adding up to three featured images to promote specials or upcoming events. Through the login page, the operator is also able to ask customers for their email address, or request they like, follow or check into their business on social media.

“We can’t force them to like or check into the venue, but we can encourage them,” Fitzgibbon said.

“We make it very simple for them to make one click and boost the social presence of [the restaurant’s] brand.”

1 0 | Restaurant News

By collecting email accounts, operators are able to create marketing campaigns to encourage repeat business.

“Millennials are very willing to give up an email address — which everyone craves these days — in exchange for access,” Fitzgibbon said.

Turnstyle’s email capability goes beyond a blanket blast of information, as operators are able to tailor their content based on customers’ actions.

“Rather than simply doing email blasts, we can use their mobile device as a beacon to trigger messages,” Fitzgibbon said.

“It gives the ability to send more contextual and relevant messages based on demographics.”

For example, the operator could set up a campaign to thank or welcome a customer when they return to the business by using their mobile device ID as it tries to connect to Wi-Fi. At Subway, one of Turnstyle’s largest customers, the email campaign is used to email a coupon to customers who haven’t returned to a restaurant in the chain in more than 30 days.

“The redemption rate is at 12 per cent, compared to the traditional two or three per cent rate,” Fitzgibbon said.

When a customer uses Facebook or Twitter to sign into the Wi-Fi service, Turnstyle is able to pull demographic information like age and gender.

“The most valuable thing for our customers is being able to build their database of every single person who has connected to their WiFi,” Fitzgibbon said.

As well, Turnstyle records every device ID

COMING TO CANADA

DipJar: An answer to a cashless economy The New York City-based Dipjar has identified Canada as its second target market, after providing more than 1,000 of the devices to cafés and quick service restaurants throughout the United States.

Dipjar (dipjar.com) is a cash register-adjacent unit that allows customers to dip their credit or debit card into the device to provide staff with a tip.

Dipjar chief executive officer Ryder Kessler came up with the idea after he noticed a busy café was generating less tips for its baristas, as less customers were carrying hard currency.

“He had the idea to solve the problem that there are many people in the workforce in the service-based industry that rely on tips heavily to get by, but not a lot of people carry cash and coin any more,” said Dipjar director of marketing Ray Lin. “It really did start with thinking about how to evolve the tip jar.”

that is Wi-Fi enabled, even if they do not attempt to access the Internet.

“Any device that is Wi-Fi enabled is constantly trying to find an access point to connect to,” Fitzgibbon said.

“We can use that information to estimate the number of visitors in the venue, and we can pull other metrics as to whether we are detecting those visitors for the first time, or if we have seen them previously.”

Constructive criticism About two years ago, Rob Edell had a horrible restaurant experience.

“I almost wrote my first Yelp review, but realized I didn’t want to bash this small business publicly,” Edell said. “It was a light bulb moment for me.”

Edell realized while public review platforms are plentiful, there was a lack of digital tools to provide private feedback to operators.

He decided to create Servy, a New York Citybased restaurant app similar to secret shoppers.

“We essentially created a crowdsource solution to ensure operators get feedback and, more importantly, ensure staff are maintaining certain standards,” Edell said.

Servy recruits foodies to review any aspect of a partner restaurant, based on questions posed by the operator.

“They can ask any question. Is the server recommending coffee or dessert at the end of the meal? Are you begin greeted within a minute of entering the restaurant?” Edell said.

“The restaurant can assess any aspect of their operation from food to service to atmosphere.”

Servy’s reviewers, who are compensated for their time, are able to select from a list of restaurants requesting evaluations provided by the app.

After the meal, they take a photo of their check to verify they ate at the establishment.

Their evaluation is sent to the restaurant via email and stored in a cloud-based dashboard.

While they review the restaurant, they also pay for their meal.

“One of the cool things we do is actually drive traffic to our partner restaurants. They’re spending money at those restaurants,’ Edell said.

He added the reviewers are usually experienced diners.

“Anyone interested in such a concept is probably already a self-qualified foodie,” Edell said.

“And the more you do this, the more you start to think of these different components of the experience.”

Rewards for training Spiffy is a Toronto-based mobile app for training restaurant employees.

The app delivers short, digestible bursts of video-based training to an employee’s smartphone, followed by a quick quiz to ensure the information was absorbed.

Successfully completing the training is matched with a reward for their time and attention.

“It’s always micro-learning style, which is short bursts of information,” said Spiffy cofounder Chris Snoyer.

“Research shows millennials best absorb and retain information when its delivered in short bursts of video-based content.”

For training, restaurant management is able to log in to the Spiffy system, build a quiz, upload their video content and then send the test to a specific set of employees.

“Staff no longer have to be in the restaurant to receive training,” Snoyer said.

“You can have them do the short bursts at home and still pay them for their time.”

Spiffy also allows alcohol brands to upload content to the training app.

At The Keg, Corby Spirits and Collective Arts Brewing are using the app to train bartenders and servers about their products. Spiffy then charges the alcohol brands based on completion of the training provided.

“Collective Arts wants to train servers on their product. The more they know, the more they sell,” Snoyer said.

“Collective Arts will then pay them a few bucks to learn about their product.”

The device works on a cellular network, and the restaurant operator predetermines the set tip amount.

“We find having a set amount is better at encouraging people to give,” Lin said.

“When it’s in cafés and QSR settings it’s usually at a dollar or two.”

Cafés using Dipjar have reported boosting their employees’ wages by 50 cents to $1 per hour.

Dipjar is also being used by non-profit organizations to solicit donations.

“There is a lot of generosity to be captured for charitable causes as well,” Lin said.

While the company plans to enter the Canadian market, a timeline for its introduction is not yet set.

and contractor agree to a fair wage for the service required. The platform aims to allow restaurants to address staffing needs while giving contractors the freedom to pick up shifts tailored to their experience and schedule.

“The restaurant industry can be quite transient and it takes a lot of time and energy to find and keep staff or fill gaps on the spot, particularly during the holiday season,” said Staffy chief executive officer Peter Faist.

“With Staffy, restaurants and hospitality companies are just a few clicks away from never being short-staffed again.”

Designed and built in Canada, Staffy has been used by more than 150 restaurants including Bar Isabel, the University of Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario and Wayne Gretzky’s.

In the last year, more than 3,000 shifts have been filled, equalling more than 20,000 hours and $330,000 paid out to contractors.

The beta app now allows contractors to set their availability as well as their wage.

The app pitches itself as an ideal employment

method for someone who cannot commit to full time work, is under-employed or looking to make extra income.

The app has also launched on-demand service, delivering a contractor in as little as 90 minutes.

Staffy, available in the App Store or Google Play Store, is currently available to bars, restaurants and foodservice workers in Toronto with plans to expand to Vancouver, Montreal, and New York, in 2017.

Find out more:

getturnstyle.com servyapp.com withspiffy.com staffy.ca

Fill shifts from your phone Staffy recently launched its beta version of its new app. The service offers an on demand marketplace that connects restaurateurs with skilled contractors to fill staffing gaps.

Through the app, the restaurant operator

November 2016 | 1 1

Pacific Prair ie 2017

Buyers’ Directory

Research by: Peter Elliott Beverages Alcohol - Beer 9 Mile Legacy Brewing 33 Acres Brewing Co. Alley Kat Asahi Beer U.S.A. Inc. Barn Hammer Brewing Be Right Back Brewing Co. Bench Creek Brewing Big Rock Brewery Ltd. Bent Stick Brewing Black Bridge Brewery Blindman Brewing Bomber Brewing Brassneck Brewery Brewsters Brewing Company Central City Brewers Coal Harbour Brewing Company Coast Mountain Brewing Cold Garden Beverage Company Dead Frog Brewery Diageo Canada Inc. Dogwood Brewing Drummond Brewing Company Fieldhouse Brewing Co. Fort Garry Brewing Co. Four Winds Brewing Co. Granville Island Brewing Hearthstone Brewing Howe Sound Inn & Brewery Intra Vino Kirkwood Diamond Group Labatt Breweries Last Best Brewery Main Street Brewing Co. Mark Anthony Group Mission Springs Brewing Co. Minhas Craft Brewery Molson Coors Brewing Company Noble Pig Brewhouse Okanagan Spring Brewery Off The Rail Brewing Co. Pacific Western Brewing Company Paddock Wood Brewing

Parkside Brewery PEG Beer Co. Powell Street Brewery Parallel 49 Brewing Co. Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. PMA Canada Ltd. Premier Brands Premium Beer Co. Rebellion Brewing Red Truck Beer Company Steamworks Brewing Co. Storm Brewing Co. Strange Fellows Brewing Co. Tool Shed Brewing Torque Brewing Co. Turning Point Brewery Vancouver Island Brewing Co. Whistler Brewing Co. White Sails Brewing Co. Wolf Brewing Co. Yaletown Brewing Company Alcohol - Spirits Ampersand Distilling Arbutus Distilleries Bacardi Canada Beam Canada Inc Beverage Concepts International Canadian Iceberg Vodka Corp.

Central City Brewing and Distilling Charton Hobbs Inc. Corby Spirit and Wine Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers Diageo Canada Inc. Dragon Mist Vodka Fermentorium Distilling Co. Gillespies Fine Spirits Highwood Distillers Intra Vino Kirkwood Diamond Group The Liberty Distillery Long Table Distillery Okanagan Spirits Odd Society Spirits Pemberton Distillery PMA Canada Ltd. Victoria Distillers Westway Liquors Ltd.

1 2 | Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News

The Woods Spirit Co Yaletown Distilling X Four Vodka Alcohol - Wines 8th Generation 50th Parallel Estate Ancient Hill Winery Andrew Peller Limited Arrowleaf Cellars Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars Ltd. Calona Wines Cedar Creek Estate Winery Chateau des Charmes Wines Ltd. Colio Estate Wines Inc. Constellation Brands Crowsnest Vineyards Dirty Laundry Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery Canada Ltd. Foster’s Wine Estates Canada Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery Gray Monk Estate Winery Hester Creek Estate Winery Hillside Estate Winery House of Rose Winery Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards Inniskillin Wines, a division of Constellation Brands International Cellars Inc. Intrigue Wines Jackson-Triggs Wines Kirkwood Diamond Group Larch Hills Mark Anthony Group Mission Hill Winery Mount Boucherie Okanagan Crush Pad Peacock & Martin Wine Merchants Peller Estates Wines Philippe Dandurand Wines Ltd. PMA Canada Ltd. Quail’s Gate Estate Winery Sandhill See Ya Later Ranch Select Wines

Sperling Vineyards SpierHead Winery and Vineyard St. Hubertus Estate Winery Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Summerhill Estate Winery The Delf Group Inc. The View Winery Tinhorn Creek Vineyards Thornhaven Estates Winery Volcanic Hills Estate Winery Coffee & Tea 49th Parallel Coffee Alfa Cappuccino Imports Inc. BBC Sales & Service Ltd. Bean North Coffee Roasting Company Better Blend Coffee Boyds Coffee Company Bravo Coffee Group Inc. Brazilian Canadian Coffee Canterbury Coffee Cappuccino King Casa Del Caffe Elco Fine Foods Inc. Euro-Milan Distributing Faema Canada Gerhards Importers Canada Ltd. Illy Espresso Canada Ltd. Island Originals JJ Bean Matchstick Coffee Roasters Metropolitan Tea Company Ltd. Mother Parker’s Tea & Coffee Inc. MTD Beverage Brokers National Cappuccino Nespresso Coffee Nestle Professional Beverages / Vitality Foodservice Canada Ltd. Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters Shanti Tea Canada Specialty Beverage Solutions Starbucks Coffee Canada

SupraMatic Inc. Tetley Canada, a division of Tata Beverages Trudeau Corporation Van Houtte Inc.

JSP Industries Inc. Ogee Tables & Chairs Inc. Plymold Seating The Table and Chair Co. UniChairs Inc.

Hot & Cold A. Lassonde Inc. BBC Sales & Service Ltd. Berthelet Food Products Boyds Coffee Company Bunn-O-Matic Corporation of Canada Cafe Essentials Canada Dry Mott’s Inc. Classic Cuisine Foods Coca-Cola Beverages Ltd. Dr. Smoothie Brands E.D. Smith & Sons Ltd., division of Treehouse Foods Earth’s Own Food Company Euro-Milan Distributing Faema Canada Gerhards Importers Canada Ltd. Island Originals Kraft Heinz Company MTD Beverage Brokers Nestle Professional Beverages Ocean Spray International Inc. Pepsi Beverages Canada PreGel CANADA Premium Near Beer Q Water Saeco, division of Philips Canada Sun-Rype Products Ltd. Torani Italian Syrups W.T. Lynch Foods Limited Tree of Life Canada ULG, a KeHe Company

Furniture (Interior) A.B. Seating Mfrs. Ltd.

Decor Chairs A.B. Seating Mfrs. Ltd. Contract Supply Corp.

Dor-Val Mfg. Ltd. Grosfillex Holsag Canada

Contract Supply Corp.

Dor-Val Mfg. Ltd. Grosfillex LCE Interiors Palette Furniture Plymold Seating Southern Aluminum The Table and Chair Co. Furniture (Exterior) A.B. Seating Mfrs. Ltd. Bum Contract Furniture Contract Supply Corp.

Davidson Furniture Specialties Ltd. Dor-Val Mfg. Ltd. Holsag Canada JSP Industries Inc. Maywood Furniture Corp.

Nerval Corporation Ogee Tables & Chairs Inc. Plymold Seating Southern Aluminum The Table and Chair Co. Linen: Tablecloths, Napkins, Table Skirting Alsco Canada - Calgary Americo Inc. Canadian Linen and Uniform Service Cintas - The Uniform People Eden Textile George Courey Inc. Globe Hotelware Agency Inc. Tex-Pro Western Limited Tiimports Ltd. Tricific Enterprises Inc.

Menus, Menu Covers Creative Impressions Inc. Divine Menu Covers Ltd. Kronos Menu Covers Menu By Design Menu Tools Inc. Menu Boards Impulse Graphics and Display Solutions Mainstreet Menu Systems Table Tops & Bases A.B. Seating Mfrs. Ltd. Bum Contract Furniture Contract Supply Corp.

Dor-Val Mfg. Ltd. Polar Pak Southern Aluminum The Table and Chair Co. Uniforms Blackwood Career Apparel & Essentials Canadian Linen and Uniform Service Chef Uniforms - Classic Chef Chef Works Canada Chef’s Hat Inc. Cintas - The Uniform People Forma Uniforms Hospitality Uniforms and Supplies Canada HubCapz Clothing Mark’s Commercial Ronco Protective Products Shoes for Crews, LLC Sika Footwear Skechers Tex-Pro Western Limited

Town & Country Uniforms

557 Dixon Rd. Unit 122 Etobicoke, ON M9W 6K1 Tel: 1-877-571-8286 Fax: 416-243-8323 tcuniforms.com store@tcuniforms.com Unisync Group Work Authority

Equipment Bakery Equipment, Supplies Bakers Pride Oven Company, a Standex Co. Brute Kitchen Equipment Inc. Crown Custom Metal Spinning Inc. Distex M & M Inc. Doyon Equipment Inc., a Middleby Company Earthstone Wood/Gas Fire Ovens Euro-Milan Distributing Faema Canada Garland Canada, a division of Manitowoc Hobart Food Equipment Group Canada Igloo Food Equipment Ltd. Mfg Tray Co. Moretti Ovens Canada MVP Group NU-VU Food Service Systems, a Middleby Company Rational Canada Inc. Ravensbergen Bakery Supplies Ltd. Silesia Velox Grill Ma chines Ltd. The Middleby Corporation Unifiller Systems Inc Univex Corporation Barbecue, Smokers Brute Kitchen Equipment Inc. Cookshack Inc. Crown Verity Inc. GBS Foodservice Equipment M.K.E. Industries NU-VU Food Service Systems, a Middleby Company Pitco Frialator Inc. Smokaroma, Inc. Southern Pride Bar Equipment American Metalcraft Inc. Bar Maid Electric Glass Washers Bargreen Ellingson Canada BBS Systems Limited Beer Gas Systems Berg Liquor Controls Blendtec Bum Contract Furniture Carlisle Foodservice Products Euro-Milan Distributing Faema Canada Freepour Controls Inc. Hamilton Beach Brands Harco Enterprises Ltd. ISI Cream Whipper / Jas cor Housewares Inc. Magnuson Industries, Inc. Nor-Lake Inc.

Pacific Beer Equipment Perlick Corporation POS Canada Quality Bar Systems & Consulting Sculpture Hospitality China, Dinnerware, Flatware, Glassware Brute Kitchen Equipment Inc., The Diamond Group Bum Contract Furniture Cambro Manufacturing Company Carter-Hoffmann Hatch Industries Ltd. Homer Laughlin China Co. Johnson-Rose Inc. Libbey Canada Inc. Pasabahce Professional Rubbermaid Canada Commercial Products Tarrison Products Ltd. Total Tabletop Plus Inc. The Hall China Co. WWRD Canada Inc. (Wedgewood, Water ford, Royal Doulton) Cleaning 3M Canada Company Clorox Professional Products Company Colgate-Palmolive Canada Inc.

ECOLAB

5105 Tomken Rd. Mississauga, ON L4W 2X5 Tel: 1-800-352-5326 Fax: 1-800-665-5256 www.whycleanmatters.com marketing@ecolab.ca Grease Ducks

Coffee Equipment Alfa Cappuccino Imports BBC Sales & Service Ltd. Boyds Coffee Company Bravo Coffee Group Inc Bunn-O-Matic Corporation of Canada Canterbury Coffee Cappuccino King Casa Del Caffe ECM Espresso Coffee Machines Co. Espressotec Euro-Milan Distributing Faema Canada Hamilton Beach Brands Mother Parker’s Tea & Coffee Inc. National Cappuccino Nespresso Coffee Nestle Professional Beverages Newtech Beverage Systems Ltd. Saeco, division of Philips

SupraMatic Inc. Tomlinson Industries Van Houtte Inc. Dealer: Equipment ABM Food Equipment Alberta Food Equipment Amalgamated Food Equipment Sales & Service Ltd. A-PLUS Restaurant Equipment and Supplies Arctic Refrigeration and Equipment Brokerhouse Distributors Inc. Brothers Food Equipment Depot Brown’s Food Service Equipment Sales Ltd. (RED) Brugman Commercial Kitchens Ltd. Bunzl Canada Ltd. Canadian Restaurant Supply Ltd. Celco Inc. Coastal Food Equipment Services Coronet Equipment Ltd. Crown Restaurant Equipment Ltd. Denson Commercial Food Equipment Inc. (RED) Dunlevy Food Equipment Ltd. (ESI) Entegra Procurement Services Eurodib Geanel Restaurant Supplies Ltd. (ESI) H & K Canada

Hendrix Restaurant equipment & Supplies

3011 HWY 29, Brockville, ON K6V 5V2 Tel: 844-656-0303 Email: Customerservice@ hendrixequip.com www.hendrixequip.com Hobart Food Equipment Group Canada Hotel Equipment & Supply Co. Ltd. I Food Equipment Igloo Food Equipment Ltd. Jarden Consumer Solutions Level it Inc. LG Electronics Canada Metal-Tech Industries (1989) Inc. (ESI) Pacific Restaurant Supply Paragon Food Equipment Raimac Food Store Equipment Russell Food Equipment Simpson Wilson Sonray Sales Ltd. Specialty Beverage Solutions Transworld Hospitality Trimen Food Service Equipment Inc. W.H. Puddifoot Ltd. West Coast Food Service

Marketing Inc. Dish Washing Avmor Ltd. / Kleen Canada Belcarra Equipment Agencies Blakeslee Foodservice Equipment

Cooper-Atkins Corp.

Hobart Food Equipment Group Canada Insinger Machine Co. Jet Tech Systems / MVP Group Meiko USA, Inc. Miele Limited Montpellier & Associates MVP Group Power Soak, a Unified Brands Company Procter & Gamble Professional San Jamar Foodservice Solutions JYJ Swissh Commercial Equipment Inc. Total Tabletop Plus Inc. Whirlpool Canada Display Cases A.J. Antunes & Co. Bargreen Ellingson Canada Brute Kitchen Equipment Inc. Cappuccino King Cool King Refrigeration Decastris Refrigeration Diamond Ice Systems Inc. Euro-Milan Distributing Faema Canada General Refrigeration HABCO Henny Penny Corporation Hoshizaki America Inc. Igloo Food Equipment Ltd. Lockwood Manufacturing Company True Food Service Equipment Western Refrigeration & Beverage Equipment Distributor: Equipment Arctic Refrigeration and Equipment Brown’s Food Service Equipment Sales Ltd. Budget Food Equipment DSL Food Service Solutions LRS Paging Canada Magnuson Industries, Inc. Quality Bar Systems & Consulting Rabco Food Service Food Processing Equipment & Blenders BBC Sales & Service Ltd.

Berkel Company, a division of ITW Food Equipment Bettcher Industries Inc. British Canadian Importers Duke Manufacturing Co. Dynamic International Electro Freeze Globe Food Equipment Co. Igloo Food Equipment Ltd. Orient Depot Tarrison Products Ltd. Univex Corporation Varimixer c/o Garland Canada Vita-Mix Fryers American Range APW Wyott, a Standex Company Autofry Distex M & M Inc. Filtercorp Frymaster Corp. c/o Garland Commercial Ranges Garland Canada, a division of Manitowoc GBS Foodservice Equipment Henny Penny Corporation Keating of Chicago Inc. Kendale Products Ltd. M.K.E. Industries Perfect Fry Company Permul Limited Pitco Frialator Inc. Winston Industries, LLC Griddles & Grills Accutemp Products Inc. APW Wyott, a Standex Company Bakers Pride Oven Company Garland Canada GBS Foodservice Equipment M.K.E. Industries MVP Group Permul Limited Pitco Frialator Inc. Quest Metal Works Ltd., division of Russell Star Manufacturing International Inc. The Middleby Corporation Wolf Range Wood Stone Corporation Ice Machines, Cubers, Ice Storage Bunn-O-Matic Corporation of Canada Diamond Ice Systems Inc. Hoshizaki America Inc. Ice-O-Matic/Mile High Equipment Co. Ltd. IMI Cornelius Inc. Kold-Draft Manitowoc Ice Inc. Permul Limited Ravensbergen Bakery Supplies Ltd.

Scotsman Ice Systems Induction Cooking Belcarra Equipment Agencies CookTek Globe Hotelware Agency Inc. KBC Specialty Products Regal Ware Inc. Vollrath Company L.L.C. Kettles Accutemp Products Inc. JustSteph Sales Inc. Merco Products, division of Manitowoc The Middleby Corportion Tomlinson Industries Knives Bettcher Industries Inc. Canada Cutlery Inc. Chef Works Canada Inc. Dexter-Russell, Inc. IVO Cutlery Canada Ltd. Knifewear Victorinox Switzerland Zwilling J.A. Henckels Canada Ltd. Manufacturers Agents Arnott Distributors Inc. Belcarra Equipment Agencies Binner Marketing BJE Hospitality Solutions Bum Contract Furniture Canam Marketing Castle Agencies Chesher Equipment Ltd. Dennett Enterprises Ltd. Fort Marketing Ltd. - West Ken W. Thomson Associates Ltd. KGB Marketing Inc. Levitt Agencies Permul Limited Quality Bar Systems & Consulting TLC Marketing Inc. Total Tabletop Plus Inc Unisync Group Universal Marketing Ltd. W.D. Colledge Co. Ltd. Ovens: Bakery & Combination Brute Kitchen Equipment Belleco, Inc. Doyon Equipment Inc. Earthstone Wood/Gas Fire Ovens Eurodib Henny Penny Corporation Igloo Food Equipment Ltd. NU-VU Food Service Systems Rational Canada Sipromac / Picard Ovens Star Manufacturing International Inc. Pizza Equipment, Products Alfa Cappuccino Imports American Metalcraft Inc. APW Wyott, a Standex

Company Bakers Pride Oven Company, a Standex Co. Belcarra Equipment Agencies Bluebird Mfg. Brute Kitchen Equipment Crown Custom Metal Spinning Inc. CTX, a Middleby Company Distex M & M Inc. Euro-Milan Distributing Faema Canada Garland Canada Hatco Corporation Lockwood Manufacturing Company Merco Products, division of Manitowoc Moretti Ovens Canada PanSaver Ovenable Pan Liners Robot Coupe Serve-Canada Food Equipment Ltd. The Middleby Corporation Thunderbird Food Machinery Inc. Tomlinson Industries Wood Stone Corporation POS Systems AM/PM Service Ltd. Casio Canada Ltd. Caterease Software/Horizon Business Services Givex InnSource Solutions Inc. Justin eTraining Maitre’D by Posera Menu Tools Inc. Micros Systems Inc., an Oracle Company NCR Radiant Systems Panasonic Canada Inc. PixelPoint POS Canada Inc. POS Systems Ltd. Profitek P.O.S. Solutions Sharp Electronics of Canada Silverware POS Inc. Squirrel Systems Sweda Canada Inc. Technic POS Touch Bistro Toshiba TEC Canada Inc. Visual Information Products Vivonet Inc. Pots, Pans Bluebird Mfg. British Canadian Importers Browne + Co. Crown Custom Metal Spinning Inc. Lancaster Colony Commercial Products Padinox Inc. Regal Ware Inc. Vollrath Company L.L.C. Zwilling J.A. Henckels Canada Ltd.

December 2016 | 1 3

Ranges, Broilers & Rotisseries Brute Kitchen Equipment Cres Cor Crown Custom Metal Spinning Inc. Ecolab Market Forge Industries Metropolitan Wire (Canada) Ltd. Refrigeration Equipment APW Wyott, a Standex Company Beverage-Air Built Rite Solutions Canadian Curtis Refrigeration Inc. Carlisle Foodservice Products Cooper-Atkins Corporation Distex M & M Inc. HABCO Hoshizaki America Inc. IFI Refrigeration Kason Industries M.K.E. Industries Master-Bilt, a Standex International Company Norbec Systems Inc. Nor-Lake Inc., a Division of Standex Refrigerative Supply Tarrison Products Ltd. Thermo King of B.C. Inc. True Food Service Equipment Western Refrigeration & Beverage Equipment Ltd. Restroom Supplies Avmor Ltd. / Kleen Canada Bay West Paper Canadian Linen and Uniform Service Carlisle Foodservice Products Cascades Tissue Group Cintas - The Uniform People Deb Canada Diversey Care Ecolab Executive Mat Service Georgia Pacific Canada Consumer Products KBC Specialty Products Kruger Products Procter & Gamble Professional Rubbermaid Canada Commercial Products San Jamar Foodservice Tork Hygiene Products Slicers Berkel Company,Bizerba Canada Inc. British Canadian Importers Canada Cutlery Inc. Edlund Company Globe Food Equipment Robot Coupe

Univex Corporation Vollrath Company L.L.C. Toasters Belleco, Inc. Hamilton Beach Brands Hatco Corporation JustSteph Sales Inc. Merco Products, division of Manitowoc Prince Castle Inc. Star Manufacturing International Inc. The Middleby Corporation Utensils: Kitchen & Cooling Bios Professional / Thermor Ltd. Bluebird Mfg. Canada Cutlery Inc. Chef Specialties G.E.T. Enterprises Inc. IVO Cutlery Canada Ltd. Johnson-Rose Inc. Thunder Group Inc. Trudeau Corporation Zwilling J.A. Henckels Canada Ltd. Warming & Holding Equipment Alto-Shaam Canada Inc. Carter-Hoffmann CookTek FWE - Food Warming Equipment Co. GBS Foodservice Equipment Kendale Products Ltd. Metropolitan Wire (Canada) Ltd.

Food Appetizers, Hors d’Oeuvres Bonte Foods Limited Classic Cuisine Foods Clearwater Seafoods Limited Partnership Expresco Foods Grand River Foods High Liner Foods Inc. IFC Seafood Janes Family Foods Ltd. King and Prince Seafood Kontos Foods Les Aliments O’Sole Mio Inc. McCain Foods Canada Olymel/Galco Reuven International Willowfield Enterprises Ltd. Bakery Products Ardent Mills Backerhaus Veit Ltd. BakeMark Ingredients Canada Ltd. (AFD)

1 4 | Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News

Canada Bread Company Crust Craft Inc. Dealers Ingredients Inc. English Bay Batter Inc. General Mills Canada Corporation Ireks North America Kontos Foods Kronos Products Inc. La Rocca Creative Cakes McCormick Canada Oakrun Farm Bakery Ltd. Otis Spunkmeyer Canada Ltd, division of Aryzta P & H Milling Group Pfalzgraf Patisserie PreGel CANADA Puratos Canada Inc. Qzina Specialty Foods Ravensbergen Bakery Supplies Ltd. Rich’s Products of Canada Saputo Foods Solis Mexican Foods Inc. Sugarplum Desserts Ltd. The Original Cakerie Ltd. Tradition Fine Foods Ltd. Tree of Life Canada ULG Tyson Foodservice Weston Foods Wow! Factor Desserts Cheese, Cheese Products Agropur, Cheese and Ingredients Division

Bothwell Cheese Inc. Centennial Foodservice Chicago 58 Food Products Limited Dealers Ingredients Inc. Finica Food Specialties Les Aliments O’Sole Mio Parmalat Canada Salerno Dairy Products, a division of Gay Lea Saputo Foods Solis Mexican Foods Inc. Tree of Life Canada ULG, a KeHe Company Condiments (General) Derlea Brand Foods E.D. Smith & Sons Ltd. JFC International (Canada) Inc. Kikkoman Sales USA, Inc. McCormick Canada McIlhenny Company Olive-it Canada Reckitt Benckiser Canada Select Food Products Ltd. Smucker Foods of Canada The Kraft Heinz Company Unilever Foodsolutions Whytes Dairy Products Dealers Ingredients Inc. Elco Fine Foods Inc. Gay Lea Foodservice

Kozy Shack Enterprises Natrel, a division of Agropur Parmalat Canada Saputo Foods SunOpta Inc. Desserts Berthelet Food Products Classic Cuisine Foods Euro-Milan Distributing Faema Canada Gumpert’s La Rocca Creative Cakes McCain Foods Canada Pfalzgraf Patisserie PreGel CANADA Qzina Specialty Foods, a Division of Chefs Warehouse Sugarplum Desserts Ltd. The Eli’s Cheesecake Company Tyson Foodservice W.T. Lynch Foods Limited Wow! Factor Desserts Distributors: Food Better Food Concepts Bulkley Valley Wholesale Centennial Foodservice Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. FreshPoint Gordon Food Service Giraffe Food & Beverage IFC Seafood Kehan Food Imports Inc. Mariner Neptune Pratts Food Service Sysco To-Le-Do Foodservice Willowfield Enterprises Ltd. Wow! Factor Desserts Yen Bros. Food Service Eggs, Egg Products Burnbrae Farms Ltd. Cargill Kitchen Solutions

TMF - The Meat Factory Ethnic Foods / Kosher Backerhaus Veit Ltd. Bonte Foods Limited Burke Corporation Calavo Growers, Inc. ConAgra Foods Canada El Molino Foods Elco Fine Foods Inc. Finica Food Specialties Grecian Delight Heritage Frozen Foods Italpasta Ltd. JFC International Kontos Foods McCormick Canada Meaty Meats Inc. Mina - Maple Leaf Foods Mission Foods Mr. Donair, a division of Tony’s Meats Naleway Foods Ltd. Patak’s Foods Limited Pintys Delicious Foods Queens Pasta Rosina Food Products Sanjay’s Foods Ltd. Solis Mexican Foods Inc. Sonora Foods Weston Foods Wing’s Food Products Wong Wing Foods Fish, Seafood & Shellfish Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Albion Fisheries Ltd. Aqua Star Canada Inc. Atlantic Aqua Farms Inc. Azuma Foods (Canada) Blundell Seafoods Ltd. Calkins & Burke Ltd. Centennial Foodservice Clearwater Seafoods Confederation Cove Mussel Co. Ltd. Export Packers Company Limited Fanny Bay Oysters Ltd. Frobisher International Enterprise Ltd. Grand River Foods

EggSolutions 283 Horner Ave. Etobicoke, ON M8Z 4Y4 Tel: 1-866-Eggs-4-You Email: info@eggsolutions.com www.eggsolutions.com Golden Valley Foods MFI Food Canada Vanderpol’s Eggs Entrees Carmen Creek Gourmet Bison Clearwater Seafoods Limited Partnership Expresco Foods Heritage Frozen Foods Hills Foods Ltd. Les Aliments O’Sole Mio Les Plats du Chef (Thyme & Truffles) Nestle Professional Pintys Delicious Foods

C.W. Shasky & Associates Ltd. Classic Cuisine Foods Concord National Inc. Freeman Signature Inform Brokerage International Pacific Sales PJB - Primeline Rosemount Sales & Marketing Sonray Sales Ltd. Summit Marketing Canada Ltd. Tree of Life Canada ULG, a KeHe Company Trimark Sales & Marketing Uniidirect Sales & Marketing French Fries Cavendish Farms Lamb Weston Canada, a Division of ConAgra McCain Foods Canada Simplot Foods Fruits A. Lassonde Inc. Alasko IPS Frozen Foods BC Blueberry Council Calavo Growers, Inc. Dole Packaged Foods Norpac Food Sales Shafer Haggart Ltd. Sun Rich Fresh Foods Inc. Sunkist Growers The California Cling Peach Board Healthcare Foods / Gluten Free Aliments ED Foods Inc. EggSolutions Inc. Hain Celestial Canada Les Aliments O’Sole Mio Meaty Meats Inc. MFI Food Canada, a Michael Food subsidiary Nestle Professional Parmalat Canada Piller’s Fine Foods Pintys Delicious Foods Reuven International Shafer Haggart Ltd. Summer Fresh Salads W.T. Lynch Foods Limited Meats AdvancePierre Foods

Icicle Seafoods Inc. IFC Seafood Janes Family Foods Ltd. King and Prince Seafood Ocean Brands Oceanfood Sales Ltd. Sea Watch International Shafer Haggart Ltd. Trident Seafoods Corp.

True North Salmon Co. Willowfield Enterprises Ltd. Food Broker Advantage Foodservice Sales & Marketing Binner Marketing

BontÉ Foods Limited

615 Champlain St. Dieppe, NB E1A 7Z7 Tel: 506-857-0025 1-888-859-7222 Fax: 506-859-6905 www.bonte.ca moncton@bonte.ca Burke Corporation Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd. Cargill Kitchen Solutions Centennial Foodservice

Chicago 58 Food Products Limited Export Packers Company Limited Expresco Foods Finica Food Specialties Grand River Foods Hills Foods Ltd. Hormel Foods International Corporation Intercity Packers Ltd. Jadee Meat Products JD Sweid Limited Lesters Foods Limited Maple Leaf Foodservice Meaty Meats Inc. Montpak International Olymel/Galco Original Philadelphia Piller’s Fine Foods Rocky Mountain Game Meats Sofina Foods The Bruss Company, a Tyson Foods Division The Lamb Company TMF - The Meat Factory To-Le-Do Foodservice Tony’s Meats Tyson Foodservice VIAU Foods Inc. Oils, Fats, Shortenings ACH Food Companies Bunge (Canada) CanolaInfo ConAgra Foods Canada Dealers Ingredients Inc. Hubberts Industries Richardson Oilseed Limited Smucker Foods of Canada Pasta, Noodles Italpasta Ltd. Les Aliments O’Sole Mio Nestle Professional Olivieri Foods Queens Pasta Pizza, Pizza Products Ardent Mills Backerhaus Veit Ltd. Bonte Foods Limited Burke Corporation Chase Global Foods Ltd. ConAgra Foods Canada Crust Craft Inc. Earthstone Wood/Gas Fire Ovens Hormel Foods International Corporation Jadee Meat Products Kontos Foods McCain Foods Canada McCormick Canada Musco Family Olive Co. Nestle Professional Olive-it Canada Olymel/Galco P & H Milling Group Parmalat Canada Rich’s Products of Canada Salerno Dairy Products, a Division of Gay Lea Saputo Foods Springer’s Meats Inc.

The Kraft Heinz Company Tyson Foods, Inc. VIAU Foods Inc. Potatoes Basic American Foods Cavendish Farms Heritage Frozen Foods Lamb Weston Canada, a Division of ConAgra McCain Foods Canada Potatoes New Brunswick Reser’s Fine Foods Poultry AdvancePierre Foods BC Turkey Marketing Board Burke Corporation Canards du lac Brome Exceldor Foods Export Packers Company Expresco Foods Grand River Foods Intercity Packers Ltd. Janes Family Foods Ltd. JD Sweid Limited King Cole Ducks Ltd. Maple Leaf Foodservice Maple Lodge Farms Olymel/Galco Piller’s Fine Foods Pintys Delicious Foods Reuven International Simplot Foods Sofina Foods SunOpta Inc. To-Le-Do Foodservice Tyson Foods, Inc. Salad Dressings Classic Cuisine Foods Dr. Oetker Canada Ltd. E.D. Smith & Sons Ltd. Kraft Heinz Company Les Aliments O’Sole Mio Select Food Products Ltd. Unilever Foodsolutions Sauces, Bases

Aliments ED FOODS

6200 Trans-Canada Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 1B9 Tel: 1-800-267-3333 Fax: 514-695-0281 www.ed.ca edinfo@ed.ca Berthelet Food Products Boyds Coffee Company Campbell’s Foodservice Catelli Foods Canada Corporation Da Vinci Gourmet E.D. Smith & Sons Ltd. Earth’s Own Food Company Gerhards Importers Canada Ltd. JC Creative Foods Kraft Heinz Company Les Aliments O’Sole Mio Neil Jones Food Company

Nestle Professional Olivieri Foods Select Food Products Ltd. Solis Mexican Foods Inc. Torani Italian Syrups Unilever Foodsolutions W.T. Lynch Foods Limited Wing’s Foods of Alberta Seasonings, Spices ACH Food Companies Aliments ED Foods Inc. Berthelet Food Products Boyds Coffee Company Chef Specialties Chester Fried Chicken Derlea Brand Foods FrottenAc Food Service Ireks North America Kerry Ingredients & Flavours Malabar Super Spice

Canadian Beverage Association Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC) Canadian Hospitality Foundation CanolaInfo Coffee Association of Canada Dairy Farmers of Canada Go2hr Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association Mushrooms Canada Potatoes New Brunswick Pulse Canada

Restaurants Canada Saskatchewan Hotel & Hospitality Association Tea Association of Canada Buying Group AFD Marketing Group Entegra Procurement Services ESI Groupex, a Division of Restaurants Canada ITWAL Ltd. R.E.D. Canada Restaurant Equipment Distributors of Canada Limited

Entertainment Equipment, Services Action Bulk Vending Bell TV NTN Buzztime Panasonic Canada Inc. PC Music Sound Products Limited The Playdium Store

Equipment Parts, Service Bell Canada, Equipment Division

Pest Control Abell Pest Control Inc. Canadian Pest Control Ecolab HD Supply Facilities Maintenance Orkin Canada Inc

Check out the full Buyers’ Guide at restaurantbuyersguide.ca.

Listings can be added and revised online or emailed to Peter Elliott: pelliott@canadianrestaurantnews.com

McIlhenny Company Soups Aliments ED Foods Inc. Berthelet Food Products Bonte Foods Limited Campbell’s Foodservice Clearwater Seafoods Kraft Heinz Company Les Aliments O’Sole Mio Neil Jones Food Company Nestle Professional Norpac Food Sales Sea Watch International Unilever Foodsolutions Vegetables Alasko IPS Frozen Foods Inc. Arctic Gardens, a Bonduelle Company Calkins & Burke Ltd. Cavendish Farms Gielow Pickles Hain Celestial Canada I-D Foods Corporation Monaghan Mushrooms Norpac Food Sales Ponderosa Mushrooms Shafer Haggart Ltd. Summer Fresh Salads The Kraft Heinz Company

Services Associations Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC) Beef Information Centre British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals

SEAFOOD MAKES IT SIZZLE IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE SEAFOOD Impressing today’s consumer takes innovation. That’s why we’ve evolved from being an expert on sourcing quality seafood from around the globe, to becoming the partner you can trust to deliver a world of possibilities for giving customers the tastes they crave. We’re High Liner Culinary and we’re here to make seafood the hottest thing on your menu. highlinerculinary.com

SEAFOOD IS BETTER™

© 2016 High Liner Foods. All rights reserved.

December 2016 | 1 5

SUPPLY

New leadership at Chesher Equipment MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — As Chesher Equipment prepares for new ownership, Miles Chesher recalled when his parents started the wholesale distribution business out of their home almost half a century ago.

John Chesher founded the company in 1967 with his wife Emilie, who still works at the Canadian foodservice equipment wholesaler and distributor.

“They sold their house and bought a townhouse. I remember the basement was the parts area, my parent’s bedroom was the office,” Chesher said.

From there, they rented warehouse space from a friend at $5 a month, before moving the business to Cawthra and Dixie in 1969. The Cheshers bought a lot on Watline Avenue and constructed a 14,000-square-foot facility.

“That was a big milestone in 1981,” he said, noting that was Chesher headquarters until 2007, when the company moved to its current location at 6599 Kitimat Rd., Mississauga.

“Over the years, the company has grown and shrunk and bumped along, then grown some more,” Chesher said.

Chris Koehler joined the company as a partner three years ago, bringing with him foodservice experience gleaned though time with Rubbermaid, Libbey Glassware, Garland Canada and Rational (Canada and United States).

“I came knocking on the door and Miles and I put a deal together for me to join the company as a minority shareholder with the plan of eventually creating a succession plan,” said Koehler,

Chesher chairman Miles Chesher (left) and president Chris Koehler. the newly minted Chesher president.

During the transition period, Miles Chesher will stay on with the company as chairman, along with his mother and wife.

He joined the company almost three decades ago.

“It’s been a good run and the company’s in good hands — it’s time to start something else, not that I know what something else is [yet],” said Chesher.

Over the years, Chesher has seen quite a few changes in the industry, such as many individual dealers being bought by larger groups. When it

comes to buying groups, Chesher noted paying rebates has become a larger part of doing business in Canada.

When it comes to distributors, Chesher said there used to be more of them and now there “are more manufacturers’ sales reps instead.”

There has been consolidation on both sides of the business within the end users and suppliers.

Koehler suggests consolidation in the foodservice industry is still in its infancy.

“I think that’s just starting, it’s not anywhere close to ending,” he said.

With all of the market changes, Chesher said one of the things the company did to react was bring on Koehler as a partner.

“We were the smaller distributor in the Canadian scene. We didn’t have enough market share or share of mind with consultants, or dealers or buying groups and felt we had to get bigger, which we certainly have,” Chesher said.

Koehler has brought on product lines and introduced a model of employing chefs as fulltime regional sales managers.

“That is so they can provide a consultative sales process coming from a vantage point of the food,” he said.

Chesher has also implemented more processes, procedures and systems.

“We’re managing our inventory better, we have much higher fill rates than we used to,” Koehler said.

“We’ve established a lot of key performance indicators in the business so we can measure and monitor all facets of the business: where our sales are, where our problem areas are and where the opportunities for improvement are,” he added.

Koehler said Chesher Equipment has become more transparent both with its employees and with its suppliers.

“We share our market intel with our supplier partners,” said Koehler, noting this includes how the company is working with end users to get products specified in their operations.

“We’ve always been fairly transparent, but it helped secure some new lines,” Chesher added.

RATIONAL thinking The next generation of combi ovens is unveiled BRAMPTON, Ont. — RATIONAL recently launched its SelfCookingCenter line of combi ovens, including a compact unit.

The next generation of RATIONAL units, introduced on Oct. 19, includes the SelfCookingCenter XS, which is 21 inches deep, 26 inches wide and 22 inches high.

“We wanted to deliver the most food possible in the smallest footprint,” said RATIONAL national corporate chef Kevin Pelissier during a demonstration.

The small-format cooking system can fit on a counter top and is intended to supplement larger units in a foodser-

vice or commercial kitchen, or stand alone in delis, supermarkets, convenience stores or smaller restaurants.

“The new format opens up a whole new range of options for our Canadian customers,” said Louis-Philippe Audette, president and CEO for RATIONAL Canada.

According to the company, the new line is faster and more efficient than RATIONAL’s previous combi ovens and comes with new features, such as LED lighting and energy consumption display. The SelfCookingCenter XS costs $14,500, while the price for the rest of the line remains the same.

Premium Brands buys North York-based Belmont Meats VANCOUVER — Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, a producer and distributor of branded specialty food products, has purchased 100 per cent of Ontario-based Belmont Meats.

Premium Brands purchased Belmont Meats for $50 million, with payment consisting of $49.2 million and $800,000 in shares of the company.

The deal was announced Oct. 13.

“We are not only very excited about Belmont’s business and the potential for it to grow under the Premium Brands umbrella, but also the role it will play in creating value in several of our other businesses,” said George Paleologou, president and CEO of Premium Brands.

“In particular, we expect to generate signifi-

1 6 | Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News

cant synergies between Belmont’s business, our burger operations in western Canada and our Centennial Foodservice business, which recently announced an initiative to expand into the Ontario market.”

Belmont Meats opened in North York, Ont. in 1966. In its early years, the business primarily served as a foodservice provider. Summer Street Capital Partners purchased the company eight years ago.

Today, with annual sales of about $120 million, Belmont Meats sells more than 40 million pounds of hamburgers to numerous chain restaurants, including Burger King, Dairy Queen and Hero Certified Burgers.

“Furthermore, Belmont’s strong manage-

ment team significantly enhances our bench strength in the Ontario market,” Paleologou said.

Belmont recently celebrated its 50th anniversary by expanding its product line into the United States.

“We are very excited to be joining the Premium Brands family,” said Paul Roach, president and CEO of Belmont Meats.

“Premium Brands has a great track record of partnering with management to build successful businesses. We are looking forward to working with them as we expand and grow our business in both Canada and the U.S.” Premium Brands owns a range of specialty food manufacturing and distribution businesses

with operations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nevada, Ohio and Phoenix as well as Washington State.

Its family of businesses includes Pillar’s, Grimm’s, Harvest, Quality Fast Foods, Deli Chef, Creekside Bakehouse, Stuyver’s Bakestudio, Gourmet Chef, Duso’s, Centennial Foodservice, B&C Food Distributors, Shahir, Wescadia, Harlan Fairbanks, Maximum Seafood, Ocean Miracle, Hub City Fisheries, C&C Packing and Premier Meats.

The transaction will be funded through Premium Brands’ existing bank facilities and is expected to be immediately accretive to its earnings per share and free cash flow per share.

2017 MEDIA KIT Better REACH with

NATIONAL & REGIONAL advertising options

Our sales team will work with you to develop a cost effective and competitive print/digital strategy to reach your target audience.

Contact the Restaurant News sales team today

Debbie McGilvray, Senior Account Manager EMAIL: dmcgilvray@canadianrestaurantnews.com TEL: (905)206-0150 ext.233

Kim Kerr, Account Manager EMAIL: kkerr@canadianrestaurantnews.com TEL: (905) 206-0150 ext. 229 CANADIANRESTAURANTNEWS.COM

Canada

Culinary Olympics Canadian teams shine

ERFURT, Germany — As the 2016 Culinary Olympics concluded in Erfurt, Germany, Junior Culinary Team Canada came out shining with gold and silver medals.

Comprised of recent graduates from Niagara College’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute, the team represented Canada at the IKA/Culinary Olympics in October.

The team won gold at its first competition on Oct. 22 — the edible buffet program. They also earned a silver medal at the second and final competition, the hot program, on Oct. 24.

“This could not be possible without the hard work, dedication and passion put in by each team member,” said team captain Ben Lillico after learning of the team’s gold medal win.

With final results totalling 177.56 points from both competitions, Junior Culinary Team Canada left the Culinary Olympics in sixth place overall behind Sweden (first place), Switzerland (second place), Norway (third place) and just behind Austria and Denmark.

“I was absolutely thrilled with the team’s performance. They gave their best in the kitchen this week,” said team manager Craig Youdale, dean of Niagara College’s Canadian Food

and Wine Institute. “It was the best buffet I’ve ever seen them do, and it was probably the best hot run I’ve ever seen them do.”

Youdale applauded the work and dedication from the team members and the sacrifices they made to participate in the competition.

“They put their lives on hold for three years.

They took everything in their lives and put it aside because they wanted to do this,” he said.

“No money. No pay. Out of sheer pride for their country. I think that’s pretty cool.”

Lillico said the team has become a family.

“We didn’t win, but we all won. We came here to really cook our hearts out. We did our best and we put everything on the table,” said Lillico.

“It’s not really about the medal. It’s about the journey.”

Medals were granted based on scores achieved at each competition — gold for 90 or higher, silver for 80 or higher, bronze for 70 or higher, and diploma for less than 70 points.

Junior Culinary Team Canada was one of 20 junior national teams — among 2,000 chefs from more than 50 countries around the world — competing at the 24th IKA/Culinary Olym-

Gold Medal Plates

Eleven chefs competed on Oct. 20 at Fold Medal Plates Edmonton.

From left: Doreen Prei (silver), Eric Hanson (gold) and Shane Chartrand (bronze).

Chefs from across the country are on the road to the Canadian Culinary Championships after winning Gold Medal Plates regional heats competitions held in October and November in 11 Canadian cities.

All the first-place chefs will compete at the finale in Kelowna, B.C., Feb. 3-4, 2017. Here are the winning chefs, in chronolgical order: In a drive-around competition held at five Montreal restaurants Oct. 12, Sophie Tabet, of Chez Sophie, took gold with fried veal sweetbreads with sautéed shiitake, honey and king

1 8 | Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News

mushrooms garnished with a raviolo filled with pulled côte de boeuf. Underneath were two sauces: foie gras cream and vin jaune emulsion. Accompanying Tabet’s winning plate was Cuvée Natashquan 2014 from Vignoble de l’Orpailler, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

Prairie Noodle Shop’s Eric Hanson went head-to-head with 10 of Edmonton’s finest chefs on Oct. 20. Hanson prevailed with his dish of spot prawn, peach and plum preparations, partnered with Summerhill 2014 Ehrenfelser, from Okanagan Valley, B.C.

Daniella Germond (Junior Culinary Team Canada) in the edible buffet competition. pics in Erfurt, Germany from Oct. 22 to 25.

The senior team, Culinary Team Canada, also finished well, placing eighth in the world with a final standing of silver and a score of 179.531. The team finished behind Singapore (first), Finland (second) and Switzerland (third), but earned an impressive gold medal score in the hot kitchen of 92.38. In the cold kitchen, Culinary Team Canada earned silver with a total score of 87.086 (81.44 in pastry art and 90.85 in culinary art).

A number of regional teams also participated in the Culinary Olympics.

Regional Team Prince Edward Island brought home gold medals in both pastry art and culinary art, earning a fourth place stand-

ing and final score of 91.04.

Culinary Team Humber placed ninth, earning gold and a total score of 90.21 (90 in pastry art and 90.35 in culinary art).

Ontario Culinary Team placed 15th with a silver medal standing and a total score of 85.362 (93.33 in pastry art and 80.05 in culinary art).

Placing in the top 30 were: Golden Horseshoe Culinary Team Canada with a score of 77.818 (81.67 in pastry and 75.25 in culinary); Culinary Team Nova Scotia, who scored 76.458 (83.670 in pastry and 71.64 in culinary); and Trillium Chefs Canada with a total score of 75.692 (80.33 in pastry and 72.6 in culinary).

In St. John’s, N.L., at the Oct. 21 cook-off, Ruth Wigman, of Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland’s Oppidan restaurant, placed first. Wigman’s creation featured crisp seasoned chicken feet, Sichuan-style glazed dumplings, charred scallion puree, crustacean reduction and mixed pickle. She paired her dish with a 2015 Gewurztraminer from Arrowleaf Cellars, in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley.

The Oct. 27 Halifax competition saw Mark Gray from Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery prove his culinary prowess via a tasting of classic French charcuterie preparations made from a Nova Scotia-raised Berkshire pig and paired with accoutrements and garnishes. Complementing the charcuterie was Ironworks Gin, from Lunenburg, N.S. In Regina on Oct. 28, seven chefs competed. Coming out on top was Garrett “Rusty” Thienes, from Harvest Eatery and Freshmarket, who impressed the judges with smoked wild boar tenderloin with morel and sage crust, butternut squash veloute, beet puree, dehydrated crabapple chips, Saskatoon berry ‘air’ and rhubarb gastrique. He paired it with Pinot Noir 2014 from Dirty Laundry Vineyards, in Summerland, B.C. Hauling in gold at the Saskatoon competition held Oct. 29 was Scott Torgerson, from Radisson Hotel Saskatoon and Aroma Resto Bar. Torgerson’s winning dish: black trumpetcrusted roast elk and Cactus Lake beef tenderloin with porcini and sunchoke foam, plated with broccoli puree, parsnip, beef tendon puff, pearl onion and micro cress. The dish was paired with 2014 Inniskillin Discovery Series

Zinfandel from Inniskillin, Okanagan, B.C. At Calgary’s Telus Convention Centre on Nov. 2, Jinhee Lee, from Vintage Chophouse, captured first place with Cha Ca La Vong, a turmeric fish mosaic with dill. She paired her creation with Bartier Bros. 2014 Gewürztraminer, from Oliver, B.C. Nine chefs competed on Nov. 3 in Toronto.

Winning gold was Amanda Ray, from O&B Canteen, who prepared milk-braised piglet with turnip choucroute. Ray’s wine pairing featured a 2014 The Adam Step Riesling from Cave Spring Cellars, in Jordan Station, Ont. Joe Thottungal, chef/owner of Coconut Lagoon, took first place at the Nov. 7 Ottawa event. Winning over the judges was Thottungal’s halibut poached in spiced oil and accessorized with fish curry crumbs, woodland mushroom aviyal and lentil emulsion. Thottungal paired the halibut with a 2015 Riesling from Huff Estates, in Ontario’s Prince Edward County.

Pizzeria Gusto’s Jesse Friesen took home gold at the Winnipeg event held Nov. 9. Friesen’s dish highlighted tartare of yellowfin tuna paired with unagi sauce and avocado mousse.

Friesen matched the tuna to a 2012 Riesling from Thirty Bench, in Beamsville, Ont. Hay-smoked rutabaga partnered with onion and pear vaulted Jesse McCleery, from Pilgrimme, to gold at the Victoria, B.C., competition held Nov. 17. Accompanying the vegetarian dish was Sea Star Estate Farm & Vineyards’ 2015 Blanc de Noir, from Pender Island, B.C. Since 2004, Gold Medal Plates has raised more than $11 million for the Canadian Olympic Foundation.

WE CUT THE

SODIUM

BUT KEPT THE

C

FIRE

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

MY

K

Fire Roasted Vegetable

INTRODUCING SMART KETTLE LOWER SODIUM SOUPS Offer your customers lower sodium options that don’t skimp on flavour. New TrueSoups Smart Kettle Lower Sodium soups come in seven truly delicious varieties, including five vegetarian options. At only 410 mg of sodium per serving, flavours like Fire Roasted Vegetable and zesty Lemon Chicken Orzo keep all the flavour with the heat-and serve simplicity you crave in the kitchen.

Learn more about this satisfying line at kraftheinzfoodservice.ca/en-ca/productsandbrands/soups/frozen

Foodservice replacement parts.

Every commercial kitchen.

Need a 100% Genuine OEM foodservice kitchen replacement part?

Let us handle it.

Our dedicated parts specialists and same-day shipping make it easy for you to get the part you need, when and where you need it.

Parts@hfsgc.com | 800-268-6316 Š2016 TM/MC Heritage Foodservice Group Canada

HER0039 Heritage_Canadian Restaurant News_10.12.16.indd 1

10/12/16 1:48 PM