Ontario Restaurant News - March 2014

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estaurant News R March 2014 Vol. 29 No. 2

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BOEHMER BRINGS THE COUNTRY TO THE CITY

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GREENBELT BOOSTING THE HOP HARVEST

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SOME MILESTONES FOR AGROPUR’S 75th

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By Kristen Smith, assistant editor, digital content

TORONTO—For the past eight years, when George Restaurant executive chef Lorenzo Loseto prepared a dish for the regional Gold Medal Plates competition, he put his personality on the plate. It paid off, winning him the Toronto competition last year and, ultimately, the national title in early February.

“Anytime I do a dish, I like to give them a sense of what we do here,” Loseto told ORN, adding he’s not interested in experimenting and potentially giving a false impression of his cooking. “I might think of a new dish, but I want my style and my personality on the plate.”

The dishes are so representative of

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George’s cuisine, his annual regional dish for GMP is always added to the menu after the Toronto competition.

Head judge James Chatto told ORN that Loseto is likely the only chef in Canada who has competed in every year of GMP. “He takes these things very seriously and he works incredibly hard on his dish each year and that’s reflected in the fact that he’s done so well over the years,” said Chatto. “This year, his dish just blew us away. It was a strong contest in Toronto this year, but Lorenzo just aced it.”

That dish—potato-wrapped ahi tuna with carrot, pear and radish— earned him a spot in the Canadian

Culinary Championship in Kelowna, BC, for the first time and brought home the gold.

“It was just impeccable, perfect tuna. With [Loseto], it’s always about what else is on the plate,” said Chatto, noting the focus isn’t on a large piece of protein.

“His plates are always intricate and full of many well-balanced and harmonious things—it’s like a web of flavours and textures all bouncing off each other,” Chatto said.

Chatto said the pairing with KEW Vineyards Old Vine Riesling hit the right notes with the carrots and fennel.

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Loseto takes home top prize at Gold Medal Plates Continued from cover

The silver was awarded to chef Duncan Ly of Yellow Door Bistro in Calgary. Chef Danny St-Pierre from Auguste Restaurant in Sherbrook, QC, came in third.

Loseto practiced with sommelier Ian Thresher in preparation for the mystery wine challenge. He planned a goat cheese mousse with black trumpet mushrooms, beets and a touch of bacon for the event’s 425 guests paired with Laughing Stock 2012 Blind Trust White for under $500.

“It was a tricky wine, because it was a blend of three grapes. I tried to choose elements that would go well with a variety of grapes and finalize it at the last minute,” said Loseto, adding he didn’t know how much acid or sweetness he wanted on the plate until he tried the wine.

Loseto described his style as complex, fresh and colourful, with a focus on vegetables and small salads, and an aim to enhance the flavour of meat or fish without overpowering it.

“I like a lot of interesting things while I am eating,” he said.

A self-described serious cook, when creating dishes Loseto doesn’t like to be timed; it takes as long as it takes, he said.

“Over the years, if a manager ever tried to time me, I’d be throwing him out of the kitchen,” Loseto joked. The black box challenge component—which saw 11 regional winners prepare two dishes in one hour using six mystery ingredients including honey butter, cherries, a whole chicken, dried mushrooms, two whole trout and parsnips—was Loseto’s first crack at this style of competition.

Although he oversees the kitchen and doesn’t work the line any longer, Loseto said he is still very hands on and uses daily kitchen prep to keep himself sharp. He and chef de partie Matt Sellner and apprentice Joseph Rodenas treated the black box like they were preparing for service at the 90-seat restaurant, but with the added pressure that even one mistake could end the competition for them.

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Loseto also credits his staff at the restaurant for holding down the fort while he competed. “If it wasn’t for the kitchen back here and my sous chef Mark Simpson, it wouldn’t have at all been possible,” said Loseto.

Born in Bari, Italy and raised in Brampton, ON, Loseto apprenticed with Peter Gosling at now closed Goslings Bistro and at the Windsor Arms in Toronto.

Taking on the executive chef position at Varity women’s club in 2003, Loseto prepared food in the home of owners Mary Aitken and Peter Gundy’s while George and its kitchen were being built.

With two competition components reliant on improvisation, Chatto said he was wondering how Loseto would fare. “They were still Lorenzo dishes; there’s lots going on on the plate, lots of internal thought, lots of little extra flavours. He was true to his own style and I think that is vital to our competition,” he noted.

The last three Canadian championships

have gone to Ontario chefs, with Ottawa’s Marc Lepine and Marc St. Jacques, of Auberge du Pommier, taking the gold in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Before then, chefs from Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and Winnipeg took home the title.

This year, Chatto said the competition was very close. “We didn’t have any sort of ‘superstars’ and we didn’t have any people who had no right to be there. It was a very strong and even field,” said Chatto. “Those who stay true to what they do best and the way they usually think about food tend to triumph.”

Currently in its fourth year hosting the Canadian Culinary Championships over a fiveyear period, the community of Kelowna will be the home of the CCC for an additional five years.

A number of Canadian Olympians were in attendance at the final event, and proceeds of Gold Medal Plates go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation. More than $8.2 million has been raised to support Canada’s athletes.

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CCFCC makes bid for 2018 WorldChefs Congress VANCOUVER—The Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC) announced in early February that Vancouver and the CCFCC have been shortlisted as one of the three cities and member countries to present a formal bid proposal to host the WorldChefs Congress in 2018.

The CCFCC prepared its initial bid proposal in conjunction with representatives of Tourism Vancouver, Venue West Conference Services Ltd. and the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Letters of support for the bid included Pre-

mier Christy Clark, Mayor Gregor Robertson and Rick Antonson, president and chief executive officer of Tourism Vancouver.

“We are thrilled to showcase Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada during the 2014 WorldChefs Congress in Norway and are confident that the chefs of the world will embrace our bid,” CCFCC national president Donald Gyurkovits stated in a release.

“Get ready Vancouver, we are starting to taste success and look forward to the opportunity of bringing our global culinary colleagues

home to embrace our beautiful city with its outstanding international reputation for cuisine, wines, hospitality, chefs, cooks, apprentices and culinary students,” he said.

The member countries of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) will vote on the location of the Worldchefs Congress for 2018 during the WorldChefs Congress in Stavanger, Norway, to be held July 2-5.

The other cities selected to present their bids are Melbourne, Australia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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

O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

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t the same time that the Ontario government is proposing legislation that would require chain restaurants to provide calorie labelling not just for food, but for alcohol as well, 10 restaurateurs in Quebec are going to be allowed to run wild with hunted game.

Although wild game is often found on diners’ plates, for many provinces across the country, it must be processed through an industrial facility—a rule that chefs sometimes sidestep by serving wild game as part of a charity event or free offering.

Now, squirrel, moose and other wild game will be up for grabs in restaurants due to a provincial pilot program; news that is being met with glee by participating chefs such as Montreal’s Martin Picard, who notoriously put a “squirrel sushi” recipe and picture of a pressed whole squirrel in his most recent cookbook.

“There is an opportunity for our culture as well as for our practices of hunting, trapping … there’s a window for something very interesting for Quebec,” Yves-François Blanchet, Quebec Wildlife Minister, told the CBC.

A dichotomy in the modern diet has developed between restrictions—whether government sanctioned diets such as low sodium, trans-fat free, allergy or gluten conscious— and a society freeing itself to reexamine the boundaries of food and what animals are considered to be legitimate protein.

In her book, Anything that Moves, Dana Goodyear braves the competitiveness of extreme foodies and the underground cultures that foster and drive them to sample insects, marijuana-laced dinners and other examples of the inedible made edible. “Animals never before considered or long since forgotten are emerging as delicacies. Parts that used to be for scrap are centerpieces,” writes Goodyear.

In Canada, chefs such as Vikram Vij and Nathan Isberg have both served up crickets to diners in their restaurants. At The Atlantic Restaurant in Toronto, whose motto is “a little lower on the food chain”, Isberg has deep fried crickets and served grub aioli, while Vij goes one step further and coaxes readers to cook spicy roasted crickets in his book Vij’s at Home.

“What prawns are to the ocean, crickets are to

the earth,” Vij said last year at Savour Stratford, promoting the need for alternative protein sources in a world he feels is increasingly too dependent on traditional ideas of meat.

Challenging a diner’s fundamental ideas of what makes up a meal can be a risky proposition for chefs. “Going out to a nice dinner often precipitates a confrontation with a fundamental evolutionary question: Is that food?” asks Goodyear.

Every day, chefs around the world get to answer that question: as gatekeepers and harbingers of taste, they have the unique ability to shape ideas about what is edible and what is not. And although some may feel that menu labels point to the absent elements, the negatives or the shortfalls of dishes, at the same time, we are seeing menus open up access to exploration beyond our own cultural memes, and diners hungry to expand their definitions of what they consider food.

Whether this expanded palate signifies a return to our hunter/gatherer roots or merely a glimpse into a world of food possibilities that may be standard elsewhere, the act of eating is a truly universal constant shared by cooks and diners everywhere. And regardless of how food is imagined, defined or labelled, someone, somewhere, has to take that first bite.

Leslie Wu Editorial director

Publisher Steven Isherwood ext. 236 sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com

Bi t s

Editorial advisory CounCil Mickey Cherevaty Consultant, Moyer Diebel Limited Marvin Greenberg Consultant Jack Battersby President, Summit Food Service Distributors Inc. Barney Strassburger Jr. President, TwinCorp Paul LeClerc Partner, Serve-Canada Food Equipment Ltd. Michael Stephens Director of Retail, Inventory and Wholesale, LCBO Ralph Claussen Director Food and Beverage Operations Woodbine Entertainment Group Adam Colquhoun President, Oyster Boy John Crawford Director of Sales-Canada, Lamb Weston Tina Chiu Chief Operating Officer, Mandarin Restaurant Franchise Corporation Matt Johnston Vice-president, Marketing, Moosehead Breweries Martin Kouprie Chef/Owner, Pangaea Restaurant Joel Sisson Founder and president of Crush Strategy Inc. Leslie Wilson Vice-president of Business Excellence Compass Group Canada Chris Jeens Partner W. D. Colledge Co. Ltd. Volume 29 No. 2 Ontario Restaurant News is published 12 times a year by Ishcom Publications Ltd., which also publishes: Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News, Atlantic Restaurant News, Canadian Lodging News, Ontario Chains and the ORN Buyers’ Directory.

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The Chase Hospitality Group unveils new Thompson Hotel eatery TORONTO—The Thompson Hotel and The Chase Hospitality Group have announced the opening of Colette Grand Café and Bakery in Toronto’s King West District. Slated to open this spring, the new upscale eatery will be taking over Scarpetta’s location in the Thompson Hotel, located at 550 Wellington St. Steven Salm, Michael Kimel and Michael Steh, the team behind The Chase and The Chase Fish and Oyster, will be creating a modern approach to traditional French cuisine with a menu overseen by the company’s executive chef Steh, according to a release.

“The restaurant, café, and outdoor pavilion will be a wonderful addition to the Central King West district. We love the neighborhood, and cannot wait for Colette to be a part of it,” stated Salm.

The ground floor restaurant will be entirely reinvented by Chase Hospitality and Audax Architecture. The renovated space will be the new home of Colette, an upscale eatery with seating for 100, and Colette Grand Café & Bakery, which will offer quick service dining and a pastry and retail counter with grab-andgo options.

Mexico City-based company to acquire Canada Bread for $1.83B TORONTO—Maple Leaf Foods announced on Feb. 12 that Mexico-based Grupo Bimbo has agreed to acquire Canada Bread Company for $1.83 billion.

Maple Leaf announced in October it was exploring strategic alternatives for its bakery options, including the potential sale of its 90-per-cent owned Canada Bread.

“This transaction maximizes the value of our investment in Canada Bread and focuses Maple Leaf on building its leadership in the consumer packaged meats business,” Maple Leaf president and chief executive officer

a nd

Michael H. McCain said in release. “Grupo Bimbo is an excellent company with strong values and a global leadership position, with little overlap in our geographic markets. This makes for a highly complementary fit with our bakery operations and is expected to provide exciting opportunities for Canada Bread employees, customers and other business partners.”

McCain said Maple Leaf ’s prepared meats strategy is slated to be complete by the end of the year. The company announced the closure of six older facilities in 2011 and sold its turkey breeding operations and biodiesel business last year.

The Canada Bread transaction is subject to court and regulatory approvals, including Competition Act and Investment Canada Act approvals.

In 2013, Canada Bread sold Olivieri Foods for $120 million.

Canada Bread employs 5,400 people in Canada, the U.S. and United Kingdom and had estimated sales of $1.6-billion in 2013.

Grupo Bimbo employs 126,000 people at 144 plants in 19 countries, including Mexico, the U.S., South America, Europe and Asia.

Gay Lea Foods buys Salerno Dairy TORONTO—Gay Lea Foods has announced an agreement to acquire Salerno Diary, a family-run manufacturer of Italian cheese.

Financial terms of the agreement were not released.

“This acquisition will allow Gay Lea to establish relationships with new customers and to build on existing partnerships with new offerings and opportunities,” Gay Lea Foods president and chief executive officer Andrew MacGillivray said in a release.

Salerno Dairy employs 185 people and has been producing cheese since 1962 at its main plant in Hamilton, ON. The family-owned company also owns a warehouse and distribution centre in Montreal and another manufac-

Bi t e s

turing plant in Hannon, ON. “We believe Gay Lea Foods will do an excellent job of carrying forward our heritage of quality and our dedication to fine cheese,” Salerno CEO Angelo Fidanza said.

Gay Lea’s dairy co-operative consists of 1,200 members. The company employs 650 people and reported more than $560 million in sales in 2013. Its brands include: Gay Lea, Nordica, and Ivanhoe Cheese.

A&W opens 200th Ontario store TORONTO—A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. has opened its 200th Ontario location at the corner of Pape Avenue and Danforth Avenue in Toronto in February.

The opening marks a milestone in the burger chain’s commitment to accelerate expansion in Ontario and Quebec.

Since the beginning of 2013, 20 new A&W restaurants have opened in Ontario and the company expects another 35 to 40 more stores to open across Canada this year.

The 200th Ontario location is one of the new “urban concept” restaurants being aggressively developed in downtown urban settings, according to the company.

Along with an updated design, the urban concept restaurants feature Wi-Fi and selforder kiosks.

Recently A&W announced that it would no longer be using beef that contains added hormones or steroids.

“Customers are responding positively to A&W Canada being the first national burger restaurant to offer beef raised without the use of hormones or steroids from ranches that are at the leading edge of sustainable and ethical practices,” A&W Canada president and chief executive officer, Paul Hollands said in a release.

A&W reports same store sales in Canada grew 3.1 per cent in the last quarter of 2013.

There are more than 800 A&W restaurants across Canada.

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O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

Bringing the country to the city

Left: Chef Paul Boehmer is planning a farmers’ market at his namesake restaurant on Ossington. Top right: Market bounty is coming from farms such as this one in Grey County.

Bottom right: Milking sheep for cheese at Wooldrift Farm in Markdale, ON.

By Kristen Smith FLESHERTON, ON—The Grey County Chefs’ Forum is bringing the bounty of the country to Toronto this spring with a farmers’ market at Paul Boehmer’s namesake restaurant on Ossington Avenue.

Slated to open in June, the market focuses on fostering relationships between the city’s culinary community and the 35 member farms from Grey and eventually Bruce counties, but is also open to the public.

Boehmer said he has always wanted to use his restaurant for a project like this one.

The 4,000-square-foot main area with sliding glass doors that open up to welcome potential patrons at the front of the restaurant will be accessible to farmers—Boehmer thinks eight to 10 is a good number to start—to bring in and sell their wares.

He plans to make wine, baked goods and coffee available during market hours, which

Ripley’s Aquarium food and beverage manager Sara De Luca.

TORONTO—With thousands of guests coming through Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada daily, the food and beverage manager was confident Toronto’s newest aquatic attraction had to expand its foodservice operations within weeks of opening. During the week, between 3,000 and 8,000 people come through the aquarium doors daily and that number jumps to between 9,000 and 14,000 on weekends.

aren’t firm, but will run on Saturday mornings and afternoons.

“It would be fun to have a market inside where people could come and meet with the farmers even if it’s raining outside,” said Boehmer.

He plans to support his menu with goods from the market and hopes other Toronto and area chefs will use the opportunity to make supply connections.

He said people are looking for GMO-free food. “The idea is to get them to come and talk to the farmers. I think this is a great way to do it,” he added.

Born out of a Grey Highlands community meeting in 2011, the idea came from resident and chef Michael Stadtländer to connect the area’s farmers to chefs. An information session on the project drew 130 farmers and chefs.

Organizer Linda Reader, who has a background in economic development, said this demonstrated there was enough interest. The

forum started with tradeshows connecting farmers with commercial buyers.

Last year, Chefs’ Forum received a $55,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant to get the website up and running, put together a media campaign and run more tradeshows and in December. The forum started distributing in Toronto and Niagara, ON, through 100km Foods Inc. “There are all kinds of farmers’ markets here and a lot of farmers sell at farmgate,” said Reader. “That’s limiting for them. What we wanted to do was take farmers to the next level where they are capitalizing on food trends, for example, maybe growing things that they’re not accustomed to—but there is a huge market demand for—things like micro-greens.”

She noted that farmers traditionally sell their wares in conventional ways and doing business with restaurants is a new way for them to sell direct, but also increase volume.

“We wanted to be able to expose them to new

trends which restaurants would be the leaders in and at the same time see the potential of a commercial market,” she said.

Reader said the members grow vegetables organically and the livestock is organically raised, which she finds resonates with operators and diners who care about production methods and adds they are looking for estate branding as well.

“What they look for is that it has really come from a farm and there is a name attached,” said Reader, noting the forum members are raising pheasant, partridge, Muscovy duck, and grow microgreens and heritage potatoes and tomatoes. Some farmers, she added, are offering plots of land to chefs who want to choose what produce they want grown for their kitchen.

When people go out to dine, Boehmer said, they want to be entertained and hear the story behind menu items.

“People really want to know where things are coming from. They want to hear about the farm that it’s from,” he said.

or quinoa salad is $4.75 and meal combos range in price from $9 to $10.50. A boxed lunch is available to pre-order for large groups.

“We’re making changes constantly to try to work with the volume that’s coming through,” said De Luca, who often walks the shark tunnel with her staff during meetings.

Sales are tracked per capita and the café sees between 90 cents and $1 sales per person. De Luca noted the small footprint and potential for overcrowding seem to correspond with the café earning a better per cap on slower days.

Future plans include a redesign of the 55seat café opening up the floor plan to organize traffic flow, adding about 20 seats, and adding kiosks to encourage guests to use existing bench seating throughout the aquarium.

De Luca said the café—which is colourful to match the surrounding décor and marine habitat—was modeled after Ripley Entertain-

ment’s other two aquariums in Myrtle Beach, SC, and Gatlinburg, TN, but with a more appropriate central location.

Following the renovations, which are expected to be complete by the summer, the café will offer a larger selection of salads, burgers and a daily hot pasta dish.

The plan for the six new kiosks is to offer ice cream at one inside and three outside and offer boxed lunches and snacks at two additional inside kiosks.

“Once we get our liquor license, we will also serve beer and wine at the [inside] kiosks Friday and Saturday nights,” noted De Luca.

The F&B teams also provides evening snacks and breakfast for aquarium sleepovers of up to 75 people on weekends and serves about six birthday parties per week.

While much of the foodservice is familyfriendly, the aquarium sees special events for up to 1,200 for reception-style events and 140 guests for seated occasions.

Although currently catered from a list of 10 companies, De Luca has ensured staff have a catering or events background in hopes that they will be brought in house in the future.

“We definitely have the ability to do catered events; it could come out of my kitchen no problem,” said De Luca, who has worked in event logistics for the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and was the F&B director of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection gallery.

Aquarium makes a splash with expanding foodservice

F&B manager Sara De Luca heads up Ripley’s Café, a 700-square-foot eatery located halfway through the aquarium on the lower level. “It’s mainly grab-and-go items: hot dogs, pizza, chicken fingers and fries, fresh-made sandwiches and salads and items like pastries, yogurt parfaits and fruit salad,” De Luca told ORN. Sandwiches are about $6 each, a small pasta

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O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

CAFP Toronto’s 40 years of top management New legislation could make chain CAFP past presidents, from left: Angelo Colalillo (2011-13), Andrea Watson, CFE (2009-11), George Slavinski (1979-81), Ken Jewett (1976-77), Rosie Maclean, CFE (1997-99), Mark Cator, CFE (2007-09), and Steve Croft (current).

MISSISSAUGA, ON—The Toronto branch of the Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals (CAFP) celebrated 40 years at its annual Top Management Night on Feb. 10 at the International Centre in Mississauga.

“It’s my honour as branch president to take you on a trip down memory lane,” said CAFP president Steve Croft. Before leading the guests through the legacies of past presidents, Croft shared some personal history and how he worked several jobs while attending school as a teenager to make a better life for himself.

“I’m not going to say the foodservice industry saved my life, but I am going to say it came pretty darn close,” said Croft.

As some past presidents joined

him on stage, Croft spoke about those individuals who have served at the helm of the organization, including founder Joseph Dineley; Ken Jewett, who sent invitations to chief operating officers, and “even to Ken’s amazement, they showed up”; and Rosie Maclean, who served in every capacity and “won every award.”

CAFP Toronto branch national director and immediate past president Angelo Colalillo, who is also the Eastern Canada director of operations for Aramark, was named Food Executive of the Year. Colalillo has been in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years and past experience has included positions with Simpson’s Arcadian Court Restaurant, Scott’s Food Service and The Board of Trade Metro-

politan Toronto, as well as teaching at Humber College.

President of Pizza Nova Domenic Primucci was awarded ORN’s Restaurateur of the Year award and Kevin Collins received ORN’s Newsmaker of the Year. Dairy Queen Canada was given Kostuch Media’s Hans J. Bueschkens Award of Merit for its ongoing support of the Children’s Miracle Network.

Keynote speaker Arlene Dickinson, of CBC’s the Dragons’ Den and CEO and owner of Venture Communications, spoke of her personal experiences which guided her from being a divorced mother to a successful business career. Dickinson told the nearly 300 people in attendance the challenges she faced in life made her a very good marketer.

The CAFP announced two new bursaries, which will be presented at the Student Awards Night at the Eaton Chelsea on March 24. The Arlene Dickinson Award of $2,000 (sponsored by Arlene Dickinson and the CAFP Toronto Branch) will be presented annually for the next five years with consideration given to those candidates who demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for the foodservice industry.

The Jamie Kennedy Award (sponsored by JD Smith and Sons Limited) of $500 is based on scholastic achievement, CAFP involvement and future goals.

restaurants post calorie counts TORONTO—New legislation was introduced in February which will require big chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus.

Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews announced the new legislation will force brands with 20 or more locations to post calorie counts alongside pricing.

“We want to ensure that families have easily accessible and transparent nutrition information when they buy prepared food,” Matthews told reporters, “because we know that when parents have this information, they are more likely to make healthier choices.”

The minister pointed out that other nutritional information could have been included, such as sodium, sugar and trans-fat amounts, however she did not want consumers to be overloaded with information. “We’re focusing on calories because that is the single best proxy for the issue that we are tackling, which is childhood obesity,” Matthews said.

The legislation will force restaurants to post a contextual statement about daily calorie intake and give power to Ontario Public Health to enforce the new rules.

The Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association (ORHMA) was a part of the consultation for the legislation and agreed with all of the

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points except that restaurants should post calorie counts for alcoholic beverages.

“We know that many of our customers are seeking more nutritional information and while many restaurants do provide this information, Ontario is now joining other jurisdictions in North America by introducing legislation requiring menu labelling,” Tony Elenis, ORHMA president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

The Informed Dining Program, which came to Ontario in 2013 and now sees more than 17 participating restaurants including the Keg, A&W, Tim Hortons, McDonald’s, Pizza Pizza and Swiss Chalet, also lists calorie counts and up to 13 core nutrients.

Jan H. Westcott, president and chief executive officer of Spirits Canada, called the inclusion of alcoholic beverages “regulatory creep” since it does not contribute to childhood obesity. “We respectfully suggest that there is simply no evidence or even likelihood of improved health outcomes for children by imposing mandatory calorie counts for beverage alcohol on menus,” Westcott said in a letter to the ministry of health.

The minister said she hopes the bill will pass with the support of the NDP party so it can come into effect as of January 2015.

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Going for

thirds

Anthony Rose.

TORONTO—Anthony Rose and Robert Wilder, the team behind Rose and Sons and Big Crow are opening a third restaurant on Dupont Avenue.

Slated to open in April, Fat Pasha (a Turkish idiom for a high-ranking official) is moving into the former Indian Rice Factory location, which closed in November after 43 years.

Construction is underway in the standalone building at 414 Dupont Ave., and the main floor was completely gutted to make way for the new eatery, which chef and co-owner Anthony Rose told ORN will be “fun and rustic.”

Rose said inspiration for the

new restaurant concept comes from “growing up in Toronto and being surrounded by all these really amazing flavours from my family and extended family.”

He added the eatery will feature “rustic Canadiana food” with “a strong concentration on Middle Eastern flavours.”

The menu—being designed by Rose and chefs Chris Sanderson and Kevin Gilmour—will take elements of traditional cuisine, such as a shawarma platter or falafel, and reimagine the dish. Rose estimated the average check will fall between $25 and $30 per person.

He said the shawarma spit will feature prominently in the open kitchen, “so everyone can see that turkey and lamb rotating and the fat just rolling off of it.”

Rose said there will be a variety of cocktails with “fresh, fun and energetic flavours,” pointing to pomegranate and lemon as examples. He noted Fat Pasha is working with wineries in Turkey and Israel and plans to offer arak, an anise-flavoured spirit in the same family as raki and ouzo.

Kathleen Shattock, former Momofuku Noodle Bar manager, will run the front of house.

The 700-square-foot dining room will seat 50.

Outside, a patio will seat an additional 50 to 60 and a converted separate carriage house out back provides private dining space for between 20 and 24 people.

Toronto-based Palmerston Design Consultants are heading up the complete redesign, which Rose said will include simple wood floors, tabletops and benches, salon walls adorned with art, some marble and steel elements, and bright walls with wood slats and textural white tile patterns.

414 Dupont Ave., Toronto. fatpasha.com.

TODAY’S SPECIALS MADE EASY.

A new face for the CRFA in 2014

The new logo (shown above) and rebranded name of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association was announced in late February.

TORONTO—The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) is revamping its brand this year.

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, president and chief executive officer Garth Whyte told ORN. According to Whyte, the acronym CRFA was causing confusion with similarly named companies, and the full name was commonly misspelled.

Restaurants Canada was also chosen for its ability to be pronounced easily in both English and French, he said.

“The new vibrant and entrepreneurial name captures the excitement

and energy of the restaurant sector,” said Whyte. “As we’re celebrating our 70th anniversary, we’re building on the brand; it’s a beginning, not an ending.”

The name change, which was a year in the making, will be reflected in a new website, and a contest will be held to rename the CRFA Show for 2015.

Along with the new identity, the association is also moving into new headquarters at 1155 Queen St. West, across from the Drake Hotel. All 32 staff members will be making the move, said Whyte.

The 15,000-square-foot space occupies the first two floors of a condo unit, said Jill Holroyd, senior vicepresident, communications and research.

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BQM branches out Saeed Mohamed.

TORONTO—The owner of Burgershoppe and Burgershoppe Quality Meats (BQM) is bringing his “old-school burger joint” concept to neighbourhoods across Ontario with the franchising of his seven-year-old business.

Founder Saeed Mohamed launched the Burgershoppe, a takeout concept in Toronto’s east side, in 2007, and opened the flagship, full service BQM, on Ossington Street the following year. In 2010, a second BQM moved into the former Stem Open Kitchen location near Queen and Spadina streets.

“Traditionally, your neighbourhood burger joint used to be a diner or very casual spot

where people knew your name. We’re trying to do a fresh take on an old classic,” Mohamed told ORN. He said franchising allows for him to expand while still having an invested owner-operator onsite. Although he is still in preliminary negotiations, Mohamed said there are enough viable inquiries to warrant between five and ten new locations by year’s end.

BQM sources beef with no added hormones or antibiotics directly from Ontario farmers and grinds its patties in house.

Crafted by Mike Tan, who heads up the kitchen at Toronto’s Huntsman Tavern, the

menu focuses on burgers available with chuck, brisket, sirloin or vegetarian patties. The menu changes twice annually with the exception of a few staple creations including The Riverside, garnished with a panko-crusted onion ring, BBQ sauce, mozzarella and the BQM, which is served with caramelized onions, garlic aioli and horseradish.

The menu, with an average check between $7 and $18, also offers pulled pork, chicken pot pie sandwiches, and fried mac ‘n’ cheese, and sides such as poutine, onion rings, fries and warm kale salad.

Mohamed said food will be consistent across locations, but there is some room for changes on the drink menu to include local producers or take customer preference into account.

Mohamed expects franchised BQM locations to have a similar footprint: between 40 and 60 seats and 1,500 to 2,500 square feet with a contemporary interior design and an additional 30 to 60 seats on a patio. Smaller locations would be appropriate for the Burgershoppe brand and Mohamed noted some potential operators have expressed an interest in opening both concepts.

The company plans to focus growth on Ontario initially and then branch out across Canada. “[BQM] would work in small town Ontario.

In fact, I think it would work even better,” said Mohamed, who thinks the concept is comfortable and lends itself well to established neighbourhoods.

“Our limit to growth is really finding awesome operators and great locations,” said Mohamed. “Ontario is a huge market when you think of all the small towns and small cities.”

Mohamed doesn’t want BQM to be a Toronto concept transplanted in a new location.

“The idea is to find local people in those towns who know the market and have a sense of what’s going on in each area and they become the owner-operators,” said Mohamed. “Basically, BQM becomes your homegrown business in your own town.”

O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

Budget 2014: notes for foodservice OTTAWA—Canadian beer makers caught a break in the latest federal budget tabled by finance minister Jim Flaherty on Feb. 11.

The federal budget will modernize the beer standard and reduce red tape for brewers looking to add non-traditional ingredients.

Luke Harford, president of Beer Canada, said the change was necessary to keep pace with industry growth, adding that in 1990, there were 400 brands and there are currently more than 2,000 brands available to consumers.

“We must have the tools to innovate and compete in a fast-changing and vibrant category,” Harford said in a statement.

According to Beer Canada, the modernization of the beer standard will clear the path for innovative breweries by providing a clearer definition.

“For example, the Pump House Brewing Company experienced delays in launching its new ‘Blueberry Ale’ when it was determined that existing labelling standards for beer and ale would not permit both names on the label,” the budget stated.

Rickard’s experienced a similar delay when launching its Cardigan Seasonal Spiced Lager. Under the beer standard, the addition of nutmeg prompted questions as to whether the beverage could still be called beer.

Government officials have also announced that individuals will be allowed to move from province to province with beer, spirits and wine for personal use.

Budget addresses labour shortage The budget points out that according to the Restaurants Canada (formerly the CRFA) 36 per cent of restaurants in Canada report a labour shortage, and that this shortage is having a negative impact on growth.

While there were no plans directly linked to restaurants, the budget stated the government will invest $13.5 billion annually in skills training.

No relief from credit card fees Restaurants Canada is calling on the federal government to cap credit card fees, instead of seeking further consultation.

The association is “pleased the government recognizes that restaurants and other retail merchants are gouged by high credit card fees, which impacts prices for all Canadians,” Restaurants Canada president and chief executive officer Garth Whyte said in a statement.

According to a release, Restaurants Canada is also “disappointed” the government has not blocked profits from taxes collected on behalf of credit card companies, which the organization says is a $40-million cost to the restaurant industry.

A recent Restaurants Canada survey showed that 93 per cent of members are “very concerned” about high credit card fees.

GOT NEWS? Email tips to lwu@canadianrestaurantnews. com for editorial consideration.

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Dec oDi ng the D ata

Reward and Conquer: A look at loyalty programs

By James Fok During 2014, guest counts at restaurants across Canada are expected to remain flat. As economic pressures continue to influence Canadians’ decisions about eating out of home, restaurant operators looking to increase their customer counts and, in turn, grow revenue this year will be faced with challenges. As such, the competitive pressures between restaurant operators to steal share and keep existing customers is going to intensify. This intense competitive pressure is resulting in customer loyalty programs receiving plenty of attention as restaurant operators look for new ways to increase business.

Large chain operators such as McDonald’s and Tim Hortons have recently entered the loyalty game while operators such as Starbucks have developed their My Starbucks Rewards program to become one of the most successful programs in Canada. The intent of loyalty programs is to better engage with customers and encourage repeat visits. Are restaurant customers responding to the influx of loyalty programs being introduced?

According to a recent survey by The NPD Group using mobile panel members, close to 31 per cent of quick service and full service restaurant customers participate in a restaurant loyalty program. Nearly half of restaurant customers participating in a loyalty program are members of one restaurant operator’s program, while one third are members of two programs. The results indicated women are more likely to join a restaurant loyalty program than men.

Restaurant loyalty programs do what they are intended to do: increase visit frequency. Close to half of restaurant customers participating in a loyalty program claimed they had increased visit frequency to the restaurants for which they are loyalty program members.

According to the data: • • •

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World’s Biggest Bookstore to become a restaurant site TORONTO—The World’s Biggest Bookstore is scheduled to close by March 23 to make way for four new restaurants.

Located a block away from Toronto’s Eaton Centre, the bookstore will be torn down and replaced with a new property. Designed

by Turner Fleischer Architects Inc., the new building will be divided into four spaces with ground floors between 5,623 and 8,188 square feet. On the second floor, a 2,000 square-foot-patio will overlook the street, with additional space for seating between 4,105 and 6,937 square feet.

“When we started looking at the existing building we said ‘You know, it’s probably not

worth salvaging due to the age of the building, the construction of the building,’” Jordan Karp, vice-president retail advisory services for Paracom Realty Corporation, told ORN. The property was purchased by Lifetime Developments from the family that founded Coles Books in Canada for $51-million.

Paracom was hired to lease the space on behalf of Lifetime Developments.

According to Karp, a million people pass through the area every week, making the Yonge and Dundas intersection one of the busiest in the country, which has spawned a lot of interest in the new venture. He has seen a “tremendous response” from restaurants

in various cuisines and price points, ranging from well known brands to ones that aren’t currently in the Canadian market.

Several restaurant chains already have locations nearby including Milestones, Jack Astor’s and The Pickle Barrel. “I don’t think we are worried at all about saturation. I think that it’s an area that can support even more restaurants,” Karp said.

Karp estimates the rent will be more than $60 per square foot, but notes that each deal will be different depending on any added amenities. He expects the site to be open to the public in time for the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015.

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49 per cent visit much more/somewhat more often; 49 per cent visit about as often or the same; and 2 per cent visit less often than before joining.

The majority of restaurant customers participating in a loyalty program indicated meal discounts are the primary benefit of participation. Interestingly, few restaurant customers mentioned an experience-related benefit like “being treated as a valued customer” as a benefit received from participation.

Spread the word for your loyalty program Restaurant operators offering customer loyalty programs may wish to focus more on the ways they communicate the availability and benefits of membership.

The two primary reasons restaurant customers give for not participating in a loyalty program are a lack of awareness of the programs (45 per cent) and that the restaurants they typically visit do not have loyalty programs (37 per cent).

The most effective way to counter the lack of awareness is training front of house staff to advise customers of the program, including a description of its features and benefits. Advertising was also mentioned as an important resource for building awareness. Female customers appear to respond more to conversations with the serving staff, while male customers said they are more likely to become aware of loyalty programs through advertising.

There is little doubt that a well-designed, well managed restaurant loyalty program yields results. Those restaurant operators who understand the benefits of a customer loyalty program will be better positioned for growth compared to restaurant operators who decide to opt out.

James Fok is a client development manager, foodservice with The NPD Group.

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O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

e most h t e k a m ateurs can r u a t s e r w Ho

of pasta

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By Leslie W

F

rom the ubiquitous bowl of steaming pho to a comfort food driven plate of mac and cheese resurgence, noodles and pasta are familiar sights on menus across the province. And yet, that familiarity has the potential to breed, if not a quiet contempt, then a slight sense of boredom as pasta’s everyman nature is overshadowed by the millennial-friendly convenience of tacos and burgers with today’s diners.

“Too often, pasta gets shoved on the menu as an afterthought to appease vegetarians or a fussy child as opposed to a menu’s centre point,” says Scott Hildebrandt, chef at Toronto’s Scaramouche Pasta Bar. “Pasta can make just as much sense economically as an entrée on the menu.”

Compounding the challenges of serving pasta are gluten-intolerant diners requesting alternatives to traditional options, as well as a shifting idea of value in an ever-changing customer base. “You have a customer that sees pasta in a grocery store discounted to a buck a pound and then they come into the restaurant and we sell pasta with wild mushrooms for $27. But what they don’t see is that we’re using 30 yolks

in a kilo of pasta, and it’s made in house,” says Hildebrandt.

Even the current trendiness of ramen can be both a blessing and a curse, especially since most bowls of noodles are priced below $10 in many restaurants across the province. At Toronto’s Momofuku Noodle Bar, whose creator David Chang arguably was one of the most significant drivers of the resurgence of ramen in the North American market, chef Hans Vogels walks the line between tradition and invention with its dishes. Press attention to Momofuku’s ramen (topped with pork belly and shoulder, fish cake and egg) and its appearance in Chang’s Momofuku cookbook, along with the famous pork buns, has customers coming into the restaurant with certain expectations. Pressure is high for Vogels and his team to ensure that each new dish matches up to the level of its more famous brethren.

How, then, can restaurateurs use pasta and noodles to drive their menus instead of just occupying valuable real estate? This month, ORN asked chefs, manufacturers and distributors across Ontario about their best tips and tricks to choose and cook quality pasta to help bring in the dough.

“Too often, pasta gets shoved on the menu as an afterthought to appease vegetarians or a fussy child as opposed to a menu’s centre point. Pasta can make just as much sense economically as an entrée on the menu.”

— Scott Hildebrandt, Scaramouche Pasta Bar chef.

the bouquet of flours The most basic way to experiment with pasta and noodle types is to vary the prime ingredient. Sabrina Accettola, vice-president of Weston, ON-based manufacturer Regina Noodle Products Limited, sees new pasta trends occurring in flours, not fillings or shapes.

“Trend wise, people are going further away from traditional pasta and into quinoa, kamut and spelt,” she says.

Of the alternative flours, spelt is the most comparable to pasta made with standard durum semolina and is comparable both visually and in taste, says Accettola. The only difference is that spelt makes a silkier product that is smoother on the palate, and it’s not as heavy to digest, she says.

The amount of spelt in the pasta can also affect colour. “If it’s a 100 per cent spelt-mixed product, it has a greyer tinge to it than yellow, the colour of a traditional durum semolina pasta,” she says.

Quinoa flour can be very hard to work with, but has probably become the most popular with the general public because of exposure, says Accettola. The texture is extremely soft, and has the elasticity many people are used to. Quinoa pasta also has an extremely quick twominute cooking time, faster than any other pasta made with different flours, she advises. “One issue with quinoa with our customers is

that they parboil six or seven boxes to get them through service, and it ends up overcooked,” she says. “It has to be cooked and served when the ticket comes in.”

Another challenge with working with a 100 per cent quinoa product may be an olfactory issue. “You’ll smell it before you see it,” says Accettola. “If someone is familiar with the smell of quinoa, it’s one thing, but if your restaurant customer is someone who’s just read about it, the smell may turn them right off.”

Whole wheat pastas, in Accettola’s opinion, are the most grainy of the pastas, with a textural component that the customer will taste and a vibrant brown colour (“like raisin bran”) that a chef may need to address as a visual component.

“It’s a harder type product, with a grainy and flaky texture,” she says.

Whole wheat pastas require slightly less cooking time than durum semolina or spelt.

Rice noodles, used in countries throughout south and southeast Asia, often appear in soups or stirfries and can be found in dishes from Malaysian char kway teow to the familiar pad thai.

When selecting dried rice noodles, Darren Chung, chief financial officer of Markham-based distributor TI Foods recommends looking carefully at the packaging to check for breakage. “You can see how easily ends can be broken. There

Photo by Melanie Martinelli.

shouldn’t be a lot of broken bits in the package, which could be an indicator of the quality of how it’s pressed.”

In terms of colour, Chung advises against a rice noodle that’s very white, which could indicate bleaching in the process, and he also warns that a product that is too yellow could mean that old rice was used. “You’re looking for a sort of transparent rice noodle that’s not too white or too yellow—it should be the colour of rice,” he says.

Fresh rice noodles, such as cheung fun, have the same qualities you would look for in dried rice noodles in terms of colour. The soft noodles should be easy to peel, says Chung. “If it’s ripping, you’ve come across a bad batch, although on some occasions, it does break off.”

Cooked fresh rice noodles will be soft and pliable, with a springy feel when you chew it, he says.

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Pina Simone, co-owner of manufacturer The Pasta House in Windsor, ON, sees a shift in restaurant buying habits from the customers of her wholesale business. “I’ve noticed that a lot more restaurants, especially ones in our area, are asking for more fresh egg noodle pasta than when we started 25 years ago.

In fact, for the first 15 years, our customers were just looking at dried pasta because of the price and we were offering fresh pasta at just over cost to get it out there,” she says.

Now, new restaurants in the area are only looking at the company’s fresh pasta offerings. “Restaurants are willing to invest a little bit more in their pasta—perhaps there’s not as much profit for them, but customers are looking for it,” says Simone.

Simone also notices a lot of restaurant demand for specialty pastas, such as oversized raviolis filled with unique options such as pulled pork, or custom orders such as a local restaurant who wanted a lobster filled ravioli made with squid ink.

Restaurants are driving consumer buying trends on the retail side of Simone’s business. “Customers used to stick to what they knew, but they’re becoming more aware of

the variety of pasta,” she says. “People see it in restaurants and they want to buy it here.”

Portion control is another factor in the wholesale market. Restaurants that used to buy pasta in bulk are now asking Simone for proportioned servings by weight, she says, not just with long cuts such as linguini as before, but also short cuts and items such as gnocchi.

It’s a way to control portion, especially if a scoop is used to measure pasta, she says. “One cook’s cup may be different from another.”

Pasta extruder in Palma Pasta’s factory kitchen.

She also sees more chefs coming in to purchase sheets sissauga-based manufacturer Palma of lasagna or ravioli. “More restau- Pasta, he’s seeing the flavours of rants are venturing into making restaurant menus translate to their their own; trying to mimic what’s pasta options.

“Sweet potato fries are big, so being done in Italy and enhancing chefs will ask for sweet potato fillthat restaurant experience.”

Although staples such as lin- ings for pasta. We see the same thing guine, fettuccini and cannelloni will with seasonal items, such as asparaalways remain popular sellers, says gus, or locally-sourced ingredients,” Anthony Petrucci, president of Mis- he says.

boiling points There could be as many interpretations of al dente as there are chefs who cook pasta.

“Pasta needs to almost be babied,” says Petrucci. “Although for the most part, chefs do it very well, it drives me nuts when there’s an overcooked product. It needs to be at a point where it’s not crunchy, but you can chew it.”

Oftentimes, chefs wary of over-

cooking can veer too far in the other direction. “Al dente is what they tell you when they’ve undercooked noodles,” jokes Vogels.

Due to the cross-cultural experimentation in the Momofuku kitchen, the team will often be cooking house made cavatelli in dashi or other non-traditional methods. “When you’re cooking Italian noodles, you need to cook it under because it goes

into a sauce and continues cooking, but items like Chinese noodles need to be almost overcooked a bit for the finished dish so that the customer doesn’t get undercooked noodles,” says Vogels. “That exact same noodle needs to be undercooked if going into a broth. It’s a real challenge for us here, because some noodles get chilled down and some get carry over cooking.”

choosing your noodle When buying pasta, there are some effective signposts that chefs can look for to ensure a quality product.

Especially with fresh made durum semolina pasta, the yellower it is, the more chance that it contains whole eggs, says Simone.

Tortellini fresh off the line at Palma Pasta.

However, the product shouldn’t be too yellow, because there could be additives such as dyes to make it that colour, warns Petrucci.

He advises that chefs avoid pasta that is more of a darker beige or brown than yellow. “It shouldn’t be dark, because that means it’s not fresh. It should be smooth and very soft, bendable without breakage,” he says.

Yield, an important consideration for the food cost of any kitchen, is especially crucial with pasta, says Lorenzo Boni, corporate executive chef of Barilla North America.

“With pasta, yield is more about volume yield,” he says. “If you buy pasta that is cheaper, when you cook it, the pasta lies flatter on the plate and you have to serve more

pasta to achieve volume and height.”

He advises that chefs cook two or three pounds of each brand they’re considering and look at yield in terms of volume to see how it holds up on the plate.

Factors such as the quality of wheat, the extruding and drying process all play a part in how the pasta performs when cooking and plating.

“Often, the kitchens that buy inexpensive pasta don’t consider how much waste that makes,” says Boni.

“A lesser quality pasta will release more starch, producing more foam in the water that has to be constantly skimmed, and then ultimately, you’ll lose more pasta on the bottom of the pasta cooker or in the water because it gets sticky or overcooked,” he says.

Visit ontariorestaurantnews.com for more tips on cooking and storing pasta.

Momofuku ramen pork belly and shoulder with fish cake and egg from Momofuku Noodle Bar Toronto. Photo by Gabriele Stabile.

getting fresh

ramen reason From burger buns to breading, chefs are starting to think outside the bowl when it comes to ramen.

“Having noodles you buy in a store, like packaged Mr. Noodle; that’s what people are used to,” says Jonathan Korecki, chef at Ottawa’s Sidedoor Kitchen. Korecki and cook Nick Beech make ramen from scratch for the restaurant’s lunch service.

“It’s the most extremely dry dough and tough on the machine,” says Korecki. “You need to be in good shape to knead it.

It’s like trying to roll out a leather shoe. Don’t be afraid to beat it up … it’s a dough that likes to be beaten up. If you don’t have a ramen machine, expect to break a few pasta machines,” he laughs.

The difference in having fresh ramen made in house, however, are “pretty outstanding,” says Korecki. “You don’t have to fry it to preserve it, and the texture is like the first time you had fresh pasta: it’s that ‘Aha!’ moment.”

Korecki rolls out and portions the dough, then cooks it to order. When making ramen, he warns against adding too much alkalinity, which adds a “slimy texture”, and too much or too little water, which can make the pasta too wet or too dry.

“It has a cool texture on the outside, adhering to the stock and little bits of fat in the soup.

It has an amazing chew, and you can throw it in a soup bowl and it holds really well on the table,” says Korecki. If the customer waits for the soup to cool

down before eating it, the ramen has almost the same texture 10 minutes later than just out of the pot, he says.

Consistency is key to Aki Urata, general manager at Kinton Ramen’s two locations in Toronto. The restaurants have ramen made to their specifications at their small factory in Markham, then shipped to them each day.

Pork-based soups, including miso and shoyu, as well as a less traditional chicken-based broth, are made in house daily, and Urata is rigorous with testing both ramen and soups on a regular basis.

“Every day, the noodle is kind of alive, and changes after three or five days,” he says. “We test the boiling time and the taste. Similarly, when we make the soup and keep it boiling throughout the day for service, it changes and condenses, so we have to adjust.”

At Momofuku Noodle Bar, Vogels’ experiments have led him to new twists on ramen dough, including a cured goose plate special with crackers.

“What we really wanted to do was a nacho platter,” he laughs.

Vogels deep fried a sheet of ramen dough and replicated the powder in the packets accompanying packaged ramen, with ingredients including salt, pepper, seaweed, paprika, sesame, nori and cayenne—a fortuitous circumstance that led a unique alternative to bread service fitting the Momofuku aesthetic.

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BeverageNews A MONTHLY REPORT ON THE BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

Nicholas Schaut.

Greenbelt Fund

hops to it

By Jonathan Zettel, assistant editor MEAFORD, ON—An Ontario hop farm has received a grant through the Greenbelt Fund to purchase processing equipment which will support Ontario’s hop growers.

Bighead Hops, located near Meaford, ON, received a $30,000 grant over two years to purchase a pelletizer. The machine compresses dried hops into pellets, making them easier to work with, ship and store.

According to the Bighead Hops owner

Nicholas Schaut, almost 80 per cent of brewers prefer to work with pelleted hops.

“This will be a game changer, not just for our own farm; this will be available to other growers throughout Ontario,” Schaut told ORN. He said that there are currently 50 acres of hops being grown across the province and estimates current demand could support up to 800 acres.

“With this enormous shift to craft brewing, we are seeing a very similar trajectory with the growing hops,” Schaut said.

Ontario has a history of hop farmers but the last farm closed in the ’70s, as beer making

shifted to a mass-produced industrial process, he said.

Currently, Bighead Hops farms five acres of hops with plans to double that in the coming year. Aside from the pelletizer—which will be operational for the 2014 harvest—the grant is also tied into a research project to set product quality boundaries.

Other than the pellet form, Schaut points out that hops can also be delivered as wet hops or whole leaf hops.

Wet hops, also known as fresh hops, have a short shelf life and must be delivered to the brewery within hours of harvest.

Whole leaf hops are dried and vacuumsealed and brewers break off portions as needed. Schaut said whole leaf hops can take up valuable kettle space and are more difficult to filter.

According to Schaut, the growth in hop farming in Ontario can also provide restaurants with hop shoots, which some consider to be a seasonal delicacy.

Hop shoots, also known as spring asparagus, are cut from the vine to promote overall growth and often discarded.

Schaut said there is only a two-week window in the spring when hop shoots are available. “Thirst for local hops is increasing,” Schaut said. “It’s increasing dramatically.”

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Tim Hortons brews up an ambitious new five-year plan OAKVILLE, ON—Tim Hortons has announced a five-year strategy designed to increase the company’s growth and profitability and combat the increasingly competitive coffee market.

The Canadian coffee giant announced Feb. 25 that it will open a minimum of 800 new locations (500 in Canada and 300 in the U.S.) by the end of 2018 as part of a plan the company called “ambitious but achievable.”

According to the Canadian Press, Tim Hortons came under heavy pressure in June from shareholders with calls to revamp U.S. expansion plans, buy back shares and increase profitability.

“We are energizing the Tim Hortons brand in all of our geographic markets and we are focusing on driving long-term, sustainable, profitable growth which we believe will return us to above-market total return to shareholders,” Marc Caira, president and chief executive officer, said in a release.

The company will also tackle its use of technology to serve tech-savvy customers, reduce wait times and cater to changing demographics including millenials.

Tim Hortons is also turning its attention to growth south of the border, calling growth in the U.S. market a “must-win battle.”

International progress will be “pragmatic and disciplined,” the company said, with possible expansion in the Persian Gulf region where it already has 38 locations.

Menu change Tim Hortons also announced it would be dropping 24 menu items including the Walnut Crunch doughnut, the Dutchie Timbit, blueberry and chocolate danishes, gingerbread cookies and the mixed berry smoothie.

The menu shake up will try to narrow the gap between average checks and the sector average by packaging products in combos, evaluating sizes and considering premium options.

Included in the menu revamp, an easier-to-read menu board will be introduced and focus on a balanced menu that includes healthier options.

According to the Globe and Mail, the changes are an attempt to help ease long lineups, which are hindering sales growth.

The company also announced on Feb. 20 it will no longer sell ice cream as it will remove the U.S. dairy chain Cold Stone Creamery from Canadian locations.

According to the Canadian Press, the decision cost the company $19 million in the fourth quarter.

Tim Hortons partnered with Cold Stone Creamery in 2009 as a way to broaden services in the Canadian market.

Loyalty Program Tim Hortons is also stepping into the loyalty market with a CIBC Visa credit card that accumulates points redeemable at the coffee chain’s locations.

According to the Canadian Press, the move is largely seen as a response to growing competition in the coffee market, with several competitors already offering reward programs.

“At Tim Hortons, we're fortunate to have very loyal guests, many of whom visit us every day. We feel that an innovative card such as this not only provides our guests added convenience, but is a great loyalty rewards solution offering instant redemption for their favourite Tim Hortons menu items," chief operating officer David Clanachan, said in a release.

The new CIBC Visa credit card is scheduled to launch in May.

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New national icewine standards OTTAWA—The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced Feb 12, the federal government will introduce a new national standard for icewine produced in Canada.

The new standard will require icewine to be made solely from grapes naturally frozen on the vine. The amendment will demonstrate that Canadian icewine meets international standards and will also amend labelling to denote the changes.

According to the CFIA, the move will help Canadian icewine producers “expand export markets and protect consumers

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Br i e f s from fraudulent products.” Canadian icewine makes up 1.2 per cent of national wine production.

surpassed $100 million in sales.

“Renewed global interest in quality whiskies, particularly those brands with legitimate heritage and authenticity like many of our finer Canadian whiskies, are key drivers to this success internationally,” said Spirits Canada president and chief executive officer Jan Westcott in a release. Other key drivers include product innovation and a resurgence of cocktail culture. Spirits exports accounted for almost 70 per cent of Canadian beverage alcohol exports last year.

Spirits driving liquor exports TORONTO—In 2013, international exports of Canadian spirits increased by 20 per cent reaching a value of more than half a billion dollars, according to an industry assessment.

According to Spirits Canada, international shipments were led by Canadian whisky and rye whisky whose values rose 18 per cent to surpass $360 million and for the first time in history, exports of liqueurs

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O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

Discussing the restaurant’s role with disposable items.

By Jonathan Zettel

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estaurants across the province use disposable products every day: straws, napkins, takeout containers, plastic cutlery, coffee cups and receipt paper are commonplace. With the rise of the environmental movement and increased consumer awareness, some restaurants are attempting to reduce the impact on the environment by using lighter paper and plastic products, purchasing compostable items and looking for ways to incorporate more reusable items while navigating the recycling rules and regulations across various municipalities.

a cup of policy Every Tim Hortons coffee cup is made with chlorine-free paper sourced from responsibly managed forests and comes topped with a polypolystyrene lid. A thin layer of poly ethylene lines the inside of the cup to ensure the hot beverage will not spill into a customer’s lap. The ink used to print the red and yellow logo is water based with no added heavy metals. The same ink is used for the bilingual fine print along the cup’s seam that reads: “hot be careful”, “do not microwave” and “put waste in its place.”

The problem with putting waste Horin its place, according to Tim Hor tons senior manager of regulatory

disposable distribution While more and more compostable products hit the market, the price point may still be too high for some restaurateurs.

According to Gordon Food Service (GFS) category lead for non-food Kelly Anderson, foam remains the cheapest option and environmental choices such as compostable products are the most expensive. “We are always looking for new options for the market but our eco-products tend to be a 12 to 20 per cent

higher price point than a standard container,” says Anderson.

Anderson adds that of the available options, more customers are moving to plastics. At GFS, sales for foam increased 2.7 per cent; paper increased 6.5 per cent; and plastics increased by 17 per cent in the past year.

“For plastic, the push would be for containers that are better to be used

affairs Carol Patterson, is that although every Tim Hortons coffee cup is 100 per cent recyclable, municipalities right across Canada and the U.S. have varying municipal recycling laws and capabilities.

Take Toronto, for example. According the 2012 Toronto Streets Litter Audit, nearly a million disposable coffee cups are used daily with more than 66 per cent coming from Tim Hortons and 16 per cent coming from McDonald’s. The problem is that each one of those polystyrene lids and polyethylene-laced paper cups cannot be recycled and most end up in landfill sites because Toronto facilities cannot recycle them.

The same cup is recyclable in Hamilton, but not in Ottawa or

Thunder Bay. In Barrie, the polystyrene lid is recyclable, but not the cup.

It is precisely this confusion between programs across municipalities that has policy experts like Wayne Roberts, author of The NoNonsense Guide to World Food, wanting governments to take the lead and introduce more regulations, not only to reduce waste but to get consumers to rethink how they are using disposable items.

“It should be compulsory that there’s an additional price on taking a paper cup,” Roberts tells ORN. “And it either has to be absorbed by the retailer or the purchaser.”

The idea of adding a fee on coffee cups was floated by Toronto city

council in 2008 and 2009, with some members of council calling for an all-out ban. The movement, under former mayor David Miller, sought to divert 70 per cent of the city’s garbage from landfill and targeted coffee cups, plastic bags and takeout containers. While Toronto did see a period of a five-cent plastic bag fee—a decision overturned in 2013—the coffee cup fee and outright ban never saw the light of day.

Roberts says that although the green movement has been growing by leaps and bounds, it has not been reflected in government regulations.

This leaves the responsibility up to the individuals and restaurant operators to make better, more environmentally friendly choices.

at home, to be heated up, reused at home, but also recycled,” she says adding that some customers are paying a bit more to upgrade their disposables.

When it comes to plateware, paper has seen a 23 per cent increase while foam increased by only 2.8 per cent. “Relatively speaking, foam is falling off and the paper dinnerware is increasing,” Anderson says.

While there may be a stigma surrounding foam products, some municipalities can recycle the material—Toronto can, Ottawa cannot— making it a viable option for some operators. However, Anderson

points out that “if you are looking at perceived value, which is really where you make your margins with your customers, then the push is to move into the appearance of an environmental choice.”

This desire for perceived value

has pushed manufacturers to develop marketing strategies around environmental products.

“Often, it’s more selling the marketing piece around the eco-products as opposed to the reality behind the recycling,” Anderson says.

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M A R C H 2 014

profit goes green

considering disposables When considering disposables, restaurants need to be cautious and educate themselves on where the products are coming from, how they are made, and whether or not they are actually superior to standard products.

Restaurateurs may want to consider buying a virgin product instead of a recycled product, especially if that product is being used around food. According to Gordon Food Service’s Kelly Anderson, there may be a chance of cross-contamination. “Sometimes, you are better off to pay a little bit more for safety,” she says, adding that it is important to know where your product is coming from.

According to LEAF president Janine Windsor, customers associate brown-coloured paper products with environmentally-friendly choices, but warns this might not always be the case. Usually these products are made with recycled fibers, she says, which makes them a better choice than the traditional white paper napkin; however, sometimes they are made with harmful brown dyes.

Windsor also points out that many restaurants use BPA-laced thermal paper, which is not recyclable, to print receipts. “Unfortunately, this paper usually ends up with other papers and in recycling, it can contaminate other recyclables.”

She says that a replacement for this type of paper is rare but does exist. Some tech-savvy restaurants are moving to e-receipts.

According to a 2013 report on the future of foodservice packaging by the University of Guelph Sustainable Restaurant Project, reducing the weight of packaging can have a significant impact. Aluminum cans across the industry have been reduced by 26 per cent of the weight they were in 1975. The study also points out that paper remains the largest component of fast food packaging and “the non-sustainable practices by which this paper is sourced including ditching, draining and clear-cutting are doing nothing to reduce environmental impacts.”

Brian Zeiler-Kligman, director of sustainability for Canada’s National Brewers, says each industry standard bottle that most of the macrobrewery beer comes in is reused an average of 15 times resulting in a 90 per cent saving in energy compared to using one-way bottles. The Beer Store will collect any bottle sold through either the LCBO or the Beer Store asking licensees to sort bottles by colour to ease processing.

While the coffee cup may be the face of the problem of disposables because so many of them end up in landfill sites, companies such as Tim Hortons are taking a broader look at how disposables are handled.

“We have to consider the full range of environmental impacts, which can mean unexpected results, particularly for those who have traditionally focused solely on whether a material can be diverted from landfill,” says Patterson.

An individual coffee cup might pose a problem in the landfill but how companies ship and distribute disposables is also an important part of the ecological story. According to the company’s 2012 sustainability report, Tim Hortons reconfigured pallet configurations and the total number of cups in small and extra-large cup cases. This resulted in more cases of cups per truckload with more than 9,000 fewer pallets shipped and 316 fewer trucks on the road each year.

Less cardboard and fewer trucks on the road are better for the environment, but also better for the company’s bottom line. While profit and care for the environment used

to be considered contradictory by some, companies are now leveraging environmental initiatives to further the brand and minimize costs.

“We have found that there are numerous examples where the cost of implementing an environmental program or new packaging design can reduce our impact on the environment and also result in cost savings,” Patterson says.

Susan Senecal, chief marketing officer for A&W, says the burger chain is also dedicated to finding new ways to leverage a greener profit.

“We work with our suppliers to look at the whole process, things like transportation, and how everything fits together,” she says.

In its urban restaurants, A&W conducted a study to reduce the overall weight of its disposable items. According to Senecal, the result was a reduction of more than half.

“If you really focus and are creative about it, there are wins on both sides of the equation— you know things that do a better job … and at the

disposing of disposables Janine Windsor is the president and founder of Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice (LEAF), an organization that works with restaurants to help them assess their environmental impact and provide certification for restaurants that meet its criteria.

When it comes to disposable products, Windsor says those items are a moving target because new designs, technologies and materials continue to come onto the market, so it can be very complicated for restaurants to decide which is best.

Windsor points out that foodservice mangers have to know whether their city has the facilities to properly handle the product. “A compostable container is great, but is not much better for the environment if it ends up in a landfill,” Windsor says.

When considering environmental choices, Windsor says the best option is to avoid disposable products altogether. “Disposable is always inferior to reusable,” Windsor says. “Offer disposable items only by request and only provide the minimum amount that is really necessary.” Windsor adds it is important to communicate with customers the goals and policies of a particular restaurant through signage.

It is precisely this goal of avoiding disposables altogether that prompted Lisa Borden to found TakeOutWithOut (TOWO), a nonprofit organization that aims to re-

duce the amount of disposables used in restaurants.

According to Borden, the convenience of disposable products is not really convenient at all once the entire life-cycle of a product is taken into account.

TOWO seeks to bring restaurants on board to help minimize the use of disposables by encouraging the use of reusable products. Here are some TOWO tips for restaurants: • Encourage customers with incentives to bring reusable cups for takeout coffee, pop and juice.

• Communicate with customers about the restaurant’s green initiatives.

• Sell branded reusables such as cloth bags, containers and bottles.

• Ask customers if they need takeout condiments and cutlery. Do not dump handfuls into the bottom of the bag, as they may not even be used.

• Train staff to use and distribute a minimum number of napkins.

Consider switching to reusable cotton napkins that are washed onsite.

• Use compostable products for your required disposables.

• Recycle and compost onsite.

The push to remove disposables from restaurants is not without problems. Restaurants must consider food safety issues when handling

| 17

same time reduce the amount of waste,” she says.

As part of the company’s environmental plan, it has moved to stainless steel cutlery, ceramic plates and wire baskets—which hold fries and onion rings—for in store purchases. A&W has also introduced a 100 per cent compostable burger wrapper and composting programs at several of its restaurants.

“The whole area of composting has a lot of interest to us, so we are looking at any way possible that can include more compostables in our packaging,” Senecal says.

According to Senecal, she’s hoping the burger chain can help fuel the need for more composting sites at A&W restaurants across the country.

foreign food containers for takeout. “Some restaurants will not do it because they do not want to bring that container into their space,” says Borden.

She experienced this herself, in a coffee shop that would not refill her canteen with hot water because it was concerned about cross-contamination.

According to Borden, TOWO understands how small the margins are within a restaurant and cautions against purchasing expensive green products.

“Using a compostable item that is three times the price is not a solution,” she says.

Overall, Borden points to the importance of getting customers to rethink how disposable items are used and how individual restaurants can make those changes.

“To me,” says Borden, “restaurants can change the world.”

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O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

COMING EVENTS March 11-14: Research Chefs Association Annual Conference and Culinology Expo. Portland, Oregon. www.culinology.ca March 14: The Digital Restaurant Project. Ryerson University, Toronto. www.digitalrestaurantproject.com March 16-18: International Boston Seafood Show, Boston, MA. www.seafoodexpo.com March 24-27: International Pizza Expo, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. www.pizzaexpo.com March 26: Gordon Food Service 2014 Spring Food, Tabletop & Supplies Show. Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto. www.gfscanada.com

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April 2-4: SIAL Canada Show, Palais des Congres of Montreal, Monteal. www.sialcanada.com April 7-9: Online Revealed Conference, Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel & Suites, Toronto. www.onlinerevealed.com April 15: Flanagan Foodservice Annual Tradeshow, Kitchener Show, Kitchener Memorial Complex, Kitchener, ON. www.flanagan.ca April 23: Flanagan Foodservice Annual Tradeshow, Sudbury Show, Garson Community Centre, Garson, ON. www.flanagan.ca

Online Online Online www.ontariorestaurantnews.com

Twitter Online Twitter Facebook @CANRestoNews

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April 24: Simcoe Hospitality Awards gala event. Nottawasaga Resort, Alliston, ON. www.simcoehospitalityawards.ca April 24-27: Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals 2014 National Conference, Delta Ottawa City Centre, Ottawa. www.cafp. com April 29: Nutrition for NON-Nutritionists, University of Toronto, St. Michael’s College, Toronto. www.nutritionfornonnutritionists.com May 4-6: Bakery Showcase, International Centre, Mississauga, ON. www.baking.ca May 6: Flanagan Foodservice Annual Tradeshow, Owen Sound Show, Owen Sound Bayshore Arena, Owen Sound, ON. www.flanagan.ca May 6-7: Canadian Restaurant Investment Conference, Eaton Chelsea Toronto Hotel, Toronto, ON. www.restaurantinvest.ca

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May 12: Terroir Hospitality Industry Symposium, Arcadian Court, Toronto. www.terroirsymposium.com May 14-15: Energy Summit 2014. Sheraton in the Falls, Niagara Falls, ON. www.energy2014.ca May 17–20: National Restaurant Association Show, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL. show.restaurant.org May 24: We Care Gala & Awards dinner, International Centre, Mississauga, ON. www.friendsofwecare.org May 28–June 2: CCFCC National Convention 2014, Gatineau, QC. www.ccfcc.ca For more information on event listings, visit: www.canadianrestaurantnews.com.

DO YOU HAVE EVENTS TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS? Email lwu@canadianrestaurantnews.com for editorial consideration.

| 19

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M A R C H 2 014

Safety first

Randy Huffman (left) and Frank Schreurs.

BRAMPTON, ON—The NSF-GFTC hosted the Food Safety Canada symposium and second annual Food Safety Recognition Awards on Feb. 13 at the Pearson Convention Centre, bringing together industry experts to discuss regulatory changes, supply chain risks and food safety culture.

Tom Graham, director of the domestic inspection division for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) discussed the direction the agency and industry would take in the future.

“2014, 2015 and 2016 are

extremely important dates for the food industry as a whole,” said Graham. He said Canada is an agricultural country which has always been considered to have one of the best food safety systems in the world.

With globalization making the food world smaller and more integrated and consumers demanding more choices and imported products, the CFIA is making way for a more competitive Canadian market and allowing for new technologies.

The current landscape has five legislation and 14 regulations, most of

which have been developed independently of each other.

Future rules will come under two acts, the Safe Food For Canadians (consolidating the meat and fish inspection acts, Canada Agricultural Products Act and the food provisions of the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act) and the Food and Drugs Act. Preventative control plans will be validated by the CFIA. The draft regulations will be available this spring for comment and the target for implementation is next year.

Alberta Clapp, manager of regulatory affairs, research, quality and innovation for ConAgra Foods spoke of food safety culture outside the quality department. “‘Would you feed this to your loved one?’ We ask employees day in and day out to come back to this question,” said Clapp, who noted it is a way to personalize food safety.

She said ConAgra has come a long way since the 2007 Peter Pan peanut butter recall for salmonella.

She said the company has the “lofty goal” of being the leader in food safety and that starts from the top down with “leaders who walk the talk” and continues with consistent measurement, review, anonymous peer evaluations and the identification of areas for opportunities with timely feedback.

During the symposium, the NSFGFTC awarded Canadian food and beverage companies and individuals helping to advance food safety.

Randy Huffman, chief food safety officer and senior vice-president, Six Sigma and Quality, Maple Leaf Foods Inc. was presented the Food Safety Leadership Award.

Nova Scotia’s Oland Brewery won the Food Safety Excellence Award and Ontario-based Sealed Air–Food Care earned the Allied Trades Food Safety Award.

Agropur co-op marks milestones LONGUEUIL, QC—Agropur Cooperative held its 75th annual general assembly on Feb. 12, reporting financial health and a strong market position enabling it to ramp up future growth.

For the fiscal year ending Nov. 2, Agropur’s revenues were $3.8 billion and increased year-over-year by seven per cent. “Competition in Canada remains at a rarely seen level but Agropur was able to grow and maintain solid financial health thanks to tight management and strategic initiatives undertaken throughout the year that support our co-operative’s development and longevity,” Agropur chief executive officer Robert Coallier said in a release.

In 2013, the organization merged with Farmers Co-operative Dairy and acquired a handful of operations, including Coast Mountain Dairy.

Founded in 1938 as the Société Coopérative Agricole du Canton de Granby, the organization has grown from Quebec throughout Canada and recently North America through about 130 mergers and acquisitions over the years. It has 3,348 dairy producer owners and 6,300 employees.

The co-operative, along with Sylvain Moineau, a professor at Université Laval, recently received the Synergy Award for Innovation in the large companies category, a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada award.

The annual award recognizes collaboration between industry and academia. This year, the award recognized the 17-year partnership between the two parties, whose combined expertise has been applied to conduct a cheese making research program.

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O N TA R I O R E S TAU R A N T N E W S

New eastern expansion goals for Don Cherry’s when they purchased the chain, which went down to 12 in the years following the recession. But things turned around last year. In addition to the three units that opened in 2013, plans call for three more units next year in Paradise and Conception Bay South, NL, and in a new casino to be built in North Battleford, SK. John Lake, who owned a Don Cherry’s in ON, From left: Eric Fex, chef, Bradford Don Cherry’s; Glen Blake, president/ Brampton, is licensee for the CEO Full House Franchise Systems; and Chris Painter, licensor, Don Cherry’s Sports Grill Inc. Paradise and Conception Bay resBy Colleen Isherwood, taurants. Existing Newfoundland locations Senior contributing editor include Grand Falls/Windsor, Clarenville, Goose Bay and Torbay. Sydney, NS is home to PARRY SOUND, ON—Don Cherry’s Sports a Don Cherry’s as well.

Grill added three locations last year: one in a Painter said that Don Cherry’s wants to converted fish restaurant in Whitby, ON; one add to the five Don Cherry’s already located in in a brand new arena in Stoney Creek, ON; hotels. In addition to the Strathmore location, and one in the Howard Johnsons in Straththere are Don Cherry’s restaurants in Jormore, AB. dan Station, Niagara Falls, Ottawa and Parry There’s also a 65-seat Don Cherry’s in the Sound, ON. Ramada in Jordan Station, ON, housed in a The Painters’ relationship with Don converted conference room. The concept is Cherry goes back to 1999 when Parry Sound flexible, noted Chris Painter, who has costarted hosting the annual Bobby Orr Golf owned the 15-unit national chain of restauTournament. Orr and Cherry always attended, rants since 2007 with his brother Darrel and and the Painter brothers took care of the two father Bill. each year during the tournament. At the 2001 The Painters started with 16 restaurants

tournament, Cherry thought he would take a look at the new Don Cherry’s restaurant at the Knights Inn. The Painters steered him away, warning that Cherry would be besieged by the 300 tourists at the restaurant. “They had my welfare in mind,” Cherry noted six years later when the Painters were chosen over 13 groups who wanted to buy the chain.

“We were a couple of guys working as bartenders and cooks—we put everything we had into that investment and we’ve never looked back,” Painter told ARN. “I see the greatest growth for us in the lodging industry, in hotels with 50 rooms or more,” Painter said. “You can put Don’s brand along with your hotel brand on the signage.

The idea is to draw people in from the local neighbourhood as well as off-road. For people visiting family or friends, or at weddings, you would also have the restaurant on site.”

While “cities are a bunch of small neighbourhoods,” secondary and tertiary markets are the target. “Don Cherry’s can be successful in a town of 6,500 people like Parry Sound. I like to see growth in small to medium-sized towns,” he said.

Painter stressed that Don Cherry’s provides a licence, not a franchise. “Most of the money made stays local,” he explained. There is a set fee based on liquor licensing and size of operation, and that fee is constant even when the restaurant is making more money.

“We give full autonomy at the store level.

We’re not a head office that said, ‘Here’s your menu and here’s your packaging’,” he added.

For example, 80 per cent of Don Cherry’s menu items are common to all of the restaurants, while the remaining 20 per cent are local favourites, which can include items like pulled pork pizza on the Bradford Don

Cherry’s menu. Prime rib is a specialty at the Parry Sound restaurant, appearing as a meal, sandwich and even soup.

Every year, licensees are invited to a twoday meeting to determine which items will be among the 80 per cent. They try about 20 to 25 items created based on current food trends and vote on them—only items that get more than half the votes are put on the menu. Pricing is up to the licensee as well.

Décor elements common to all the Don Cherry’s are memorabilia available from Cherry’s daughter, Cindy Cherry, and a bank of quality televisions visible from every seat.

The Bradford store is among those whose décor prominently features an enormous hockey mask outlined in coloured lights. At the Niagara Falls location, the same hockey mask includes blinking red eyes.

“We give licensees a list of sources to outfit their spaces. At the end of the day, every store is different in colour and setup—just like Don’s jackets,” Painter said.

“The concept applies to a brand new build or a conversion,” said Glen Blake, president and CEO of Full House, master franchisor for the Knights Inn brand, which includes the Painters’ hotel in Parry Sound. “It can be applied to any non-revenue producing space.”

When asked if he thinks the celebritybased chain will endure once Don Cherry’s show comes to an end, Painter said: “As Don has matured over the last 35 years, he has skyrocketed to the seventh greatest known Canadian. Changes in his approach have come into the stores—while initially Don Cherry’s was a bar concept, his appeal now is to ‘Kids and folks.’ It’s a place to celebrate who Don is.

Look at other icons like Tim Hortons —I’d be tickled pink if we went down that road.”

Ontario team of investors takes on Heinz plant TORONTO—Highbury Canco Corporation (HCC), an Ontario-based consortium of investors, announced on Feb. 27 that it signed a letter of intent with Heinz to operate the factory in Leamington, ON. On Nov. 13, Heinz announced it would be closing the plant in June 2014, a move that would leave 740 employees out of work.

“We are at a critical stage in this process and are relying on the assistance of our strategic partners to move forward,” Sam Diab, HCC member and current manager of the Leamington facility, said in a release. “In the next few weeks, we will be working closely with Heinz, local farmers, UFCW 459, and all three levels of government.”

Under the letter of intent, HCC would take over the Leamington plant and transition to manufacturing, co-packing and distributing products in early July.

According to the Toronto Star, under the new deal, the facility will continue to manufacture certain Heinz products and provide distribution and logistic services to Heinz in Canada.

Unifor president Jerry Dais said the announcement shows how stakeholders working together can bring about positive results.

“This good news would not have been possible without all levels of government taking seriously their role in securing stable jobs, and working with business and labour to achieve that,” Dais said in a release.

HCC intends to employ 250 people, plus seasonal workers, adding that as the company grows, more hiring opportunities will open up.

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www.ontariorestaurantnews.com

M A R C H 2 014

Leavoy Rowe Beef Co.

prod u ct s

Growing...

Thermogo.

CANDACE IVEZIC

HOWARD BASEST

JAMES CLARK

JASON FISCHER

LAURENCE SMITH

LAURIE WILLIAMS

RANDY GURTON

SAM SISTO

SPIROS GHINIS

GOLDEN HORSESHOE

G.T.A.

G.T.A.

To Serve You Better!

Lattissima Pro.

G.T.A.

Hollymatic grinders.

Transporting hot and cold Solpak’s new temperature-controlled transport system allows hot, cold and frozen products to be shipped. Thermogo is a multi-compartment unit that is thermostat controlled for temperatures ranging from -31 C to 80 C. Thermogo is custom designed to fit each customer’s needs and can be attached to trucks, minivans or hatchbacks. Customers may also choose racking options to fit a variety of pans and baskets.

“Solpak is now able to offer its customers end-to-end transport solutions for prepared foods, from their packaging to their delivery to end customers,” Solpak general manager David Salerno said in a release.

CENTRAL ONTARIO

SIMCOE

CONTACT US AT: sales@leavoyrowe.com 905-272-2330 ext. 25 SOUTH WESTERN ONTARIO

WOODBRIDGE

G.T.A./ARAMARK

An easy cup of coffee

Meat grinders for restaurants Hollymatic has five new grinders of varying sizes and styles. The sizes range from models that output 375 lbs. per hr up to a larger grinder suitable for supermarkets or restaurants that produces 1,984 lbs. per hr.

The grinders, which range in size from a small table top model to a floor grinder, add to Hollymatic’s line which includes an industrial grinder that can produce nearly 10,000 lbs. per hr. All models are made with stainless steel and are designed for easy cleaning and maintenance.

NRA Kitchen Innovation Awards The National Restaurant Association announced its 10th annual Kitchen Innovation Awards. The awards honour equipment and technology that improves back of house restaurant operations. “This year’s honorees demonstrate the continued tradition of the KI Awards in celebrating innovative companies,” Sam Facchini, co-founder and coowner of Metro Pizza and the 2014 NRA Show convention chair, said in a release. The winning products include: •

•

•

•

The CT PROformance Combitherm Oven by Alto Shaam, Inc., a combi-oven that features an accelerated start-up temperature booster and can reduce cook times by as much as 20 per cent.

IceZone X by BioZone Scientific International, Inc., a sanitation system scalable to treat almost any ice machine using ultraviolet light oxidation to eliminate surface micro-contamination.

BKON Craft Brewer by BKON, a beverage system that uses negative pressure brewing technology to craft any loose-leaf tea beverage, or made-to-order infused cocktail.

Dry Assist by Champion Industries, a dishwasher technology that draws cool, dry air up and through the rack to speed dry times.

MEMO s s to inspire my recipe – Look for new product d fine food products – Quality olive oil an – Prêt-à-manger – Do not forgeest to look for employe – Network – Packaging ent – Look for new equipm sign – Decoration idea, de ers – Reusable baking lin s and payment solution – Mobile technologies – Business meetings isine by SIAL – Meet chefs at La Cu

an event by

For a complete list, visit www.canadianrestaurantnews.com.

at uniforms

SIAL Canada: s r u e t a r u a t s e R love it too

dA .com on siAlcAn%A and save 35 2014 April 2, 3 & 4, l rès de Montréa ng co Palais des

Celebrate

The Lattissima Pro is an espresso-based beverage machine released by De’Longhi and Nespresso. The machine combines De’Longhi’s one-touch cappuccino technology with Nespresso’s capsule system. Users can choose from six different pre-programmed espresso- and milk-based drinks, producing barista-like drinks.

“The new Lattissima Pro that we’ve introduced captures all the innovative elements from the Lattissima range, plus the additional features of an improved control panel interface and a new enhanced milk system,” De’Longhi president and chief executive officer Mike Prager said in a release.

By Years G R O U P

of innovation

www.sial-group.com

PE OPLE

background in the meetings and conventions industry,” said Jeremy Tyrrell, director of sales at the Scotiabank Convention Centre. “He is well regarded and highly respected by his peers in the industry.”

Scott brings more than 20 years experience in the hospitality and tourism industry to his new role.

Before going to Niagara, he spent the past nine years in Toronto working as a sales manager at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and, most recently, at the OMNI King Edward Hotel.

1.

2.

3.

4.

1. Nathan Cameron. 2. Dr. Peter Stadelmann 3. Alexa Clark 4. Robert Scott. 5. Chef Arpi Magyar.

Prime Restaurant’s beverage manager and mixologist Nathan Cameron was awarded the Drinks Ontario Hospitality Award in recognition of his work with casual dining restaurants Fionn MacCool’s/Prime Pubs, Bier Markt, Casey’s Grill & Bar and East Side Mario’s to enhance the profile of beverage alcohol products in Ontario.

“The award was a real surprise and a tremendous honour,” said Cameron in a release.

“From my first job as a student until now I have worked in beverage alcohol simply because I loved it. I never expected to receive this kind of recognition.”

Cameron was nominated alongside restaurateurs Michael Bonacini, Mark McEwan and Andrew Milne-Allen. Under his guidance, Prime introduced Liquid Academy of Publicans and Bar University training programs for bartenders at Prime Pubs and Casey’s and also created video beverage training seminars

Chef Arpi Magyar, Couture Cuisine has won an Ontario Hostelry Institute (OHI) Gold Award in the Chef category. The nine OHI Gold Awards will be presented at a gala dinner April 24 at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto.

The other OHI Gold Award winners are as follows: Independent Restaurateur—Tony & Mario Amaro, Opus Restaurant; Educator—Debi Pratt, Great Estates of Niagara-Inniskillin Wines; Media/Publishing—Jennifer Bain, Toronto Star and Cookbook Author; Foodservice Chain Operator—Annie Young-Scrivner, Starbucks (Canada); Supplier—Lynn Siegal, Hilite Fine Foods Inc; Hotelier—Heather McCrory, senior vice president of operations for the Americas, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International and Artisan—Jonathan Forbes, Forbes Wild Foods.

5.

to share his knowledge with others working in the industry.

which would otherwise go to waste—to more than 200 social service agencies in Toronto.

Alexa Clark and Cheri Dueck will be cochairs at this year’s Toronto Taste.

Now in its 24th year, the culinary event will take place June 8 at Corus Quay. Toronto Taste will feature 70 of the city’s chefs and beverage purveyors coming together to raise funds in support of Second Harvest’s food rescue program.

Clark has been a Toronto Taste volunteer since 2008, starting as a steering committee member, and has been the social media lead of the communications committee for the last three years.

Dueck is joining Toronto Taste for the third year as co-chair and her seventh year as part of the steering committee.

Established in 1985, Second Harvest delivers excess food from the foodservice industry—

Rational AG has a new board chairman, Dr. Peter Stadelmann. Former chief human resources officer of Rational AG, Stadelmann has been chairman of the board since January 2014.

His previous experience includes more than twenty years in various capacities at the Malik Management Centre in St. Gallen. In December 2012, he joined Rational AG and was responsible for personnel development and personnel management on the executive board.

Robert Scott joins the Scotiabank Convention Centre, in Niagara Falls, ON as a Torontobased sales manager focused on the corporate segment.

“Robert comes to us with an extensive

Yorkville chef hub, The Cookbook Store, announced its closure in late February after 31 years in business.

Cookbook store owner and co-founder Josh Josephson, manager Alison Fryer and assistant manager Jennifer Grange bid the community farewell on the store’s website, citing external pressures as the reason for the closing.

“This past year has thrown more challenges to us than ever before. Never ending, and ongoing, year long road and utilities construction, extreme weather, online competition and the sale of the building for condominium development have had a devastating impact on our sales. We have considered new locations but after much searching, it has not proven feasible at this time,” said the statement.

The store often hosted guest lectures from visiting chefs, including Noma’s Rene Redzepi and Daniel Patterson from Coi, as well as workshops and demonstrations.

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