Ontario Restaurant News - July 2016

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O N T A R I O July 2016 | Vol. 31 | No. 6

N AT I O N A L

C O V E R A G E

R E G I O N A L

F O C U S

$ 5 . 9 5

JJ Bean lands in Ontario business in the province. The North York roasting facility will TORONTO — Coffee is part of support training needs and is home JJ Bean Coffee Roasters & Cafés to JJ Bean’s bakery, cupping room and workshop. “Because we build founder John Neate’s heritage.

“My family started roasting all our own stores,” Neate noted.

Neate works with architect in 1929. My grandfather started roasting for a number of other Brady Dunlop, an associate based people and then he started his own out of Dialog’s Vancouver officers and contractor Netto Franco, company in 1945,” said Neate.

His father joined in the 1950s, to design and build the JJ Bean and Neate followed in 1979. After stores. The average store footprint selling to Nestlé on the urging of is about 1,500 square feet.

“We really only desire to have his grandfather’s silent partner in 1990, Neate remained on for six one store in a neighbourhood. We don’t do the multiple stores on a more years.

“I bought an existing company, street, so there is maybe less than The Coffee Roaster, and trans- five more neighbourhoods that we formed it into JJ Bean,” said Neate, want in Vancouver and we’re very who turned his focus to primarily patient in terms of the locations we retail from his history in wholesale. choose,” Neate said, adding this The first two locations opened meant expansion would have to be some “fantastic cafes,” Neate said. two decades ago in Granville Is- a new city.

Toronto was chosen following “In hindsight, we’re maybe a year land and in Vancouver’s Eastside, where the roastery is located at internal debate and a company or two late, but we’re willing and Powell and Victoria. Since then, town hall meeting. Calgary and ready to compete.”

The independent and corpo17 other stores have opened, in- Seattle were also on the table.

“We saw Toronto as very much rately-operated chain uses semicluding a wholesale roastery and café at 197 Bartley Dr. in Toronto emerging. I think in a lot of ways automatic espresso machines.

“It’s a lot of training, but we in early April, the company’s first Toronto is ahead of Vancouver, but I think in coffee, just because believe the customer knows the difmove outside of Vancouver.

Two other Toronto locations of the influence of Seattle, Van- ference,” Neate said.

Fresh coffee is delivered three are on the books for this year; one couver might be slightly ahead of at Adelaide and York will open this Toronto,” he said. “There is an or four times a week to stores and summer, while a location at Yonge oversaturation in Vancouver and I beans are not sold to customers APPROVAL REQUIRED think there is still an opportunity in more than six days from roasting, and St. Clair is slated for early fall. the enclosed proof is sent for your approval. We will not proceed with the job until the proof is returned. with the goal of it being finished The new 13,000-square-foot DO NOTToronto.”

GIVE VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS. CHECK CAREFULLY! Beyond this point we cannot accept responsibility for any errors. alterations (other than typographical errors) will be charged extra.

Mark proof “OK” or “OK with corrections” as the case maywithin the 14-day timeframe it Since the decision was made, roastery will help the company be, signing your name so we may know that the proof reached the proper authority. supply and expand its wholesale Toronto has grown to be home to tastes best.

CULINARY TEAM CANADA THE ROAD TO THE WORLD STAGE

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ROBOTS IN THE FUTURE OF FOODSERVICE

3

ORHMA CREATES SUPPLIER ADVISORY BOARD

11

BRINGING IT HOME VALUE-ADDED ITEMS OFFER MORE THAN SALES

6

By Kristen Smith

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010152

Signature Of apprOval

JJ Bean founder John Neate.

When choosing a coffee, the decision rests on taste. Neate said they bring in single origin samples — “the best the world has to offer” — and the winner is selected through a blind tasting. Sometimes they are organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, but Neate said these certifications are not the reason they pick one coffee over another; it’s a matter of “best cup wins.”

JJ Bean works with a number of farmers to create its blends.

“Some people would call this relationship coffee, but all coffee should be relationship coffee,” Neate said.

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B.C.’s Chopped Leaf moves east

OAKVILLE, Ont. — Since acquiring Chopped Leaf in late 2014, Innovative Food Brands (IFB) has more than doubled the number of locations, including opening the first two units in Ontario.

The fast casual concept, created in Kelowna, B.C., has grown to more than 50 locations from 18, with the majority of units in Western Canada.

In Ontario, franchised locations opened in June in Burlington at Dundas and Appleby Line and Northfield Square in Waterloo, Ont. “Ontario was a very important market for several reasons,” said Nick Veloce, president of Oakville, Ont.-based IFB, which also owns Teriyaki Experience.

“If we can get this thing going in Ontario, we know we can certainly expand it to several units in this market alone.”

Veloce noted that IFB already has a good

understanding of Ontario’s foodservice landscape.

“We’re really in tune with the real estate, because of our other brands, so it’s actually a natural for us, but it’s also a natural for the brand,” he said.

Veloce describes Chopped Leaf as a “clean eating” concept, focused on people who want to live an active lifestyle. The idea is for customers to be satiated, while at the same time feeling good after a meal.

Menu offerings include build-your-own salads and wraps, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options, brown basmati rice bowls and healthy kids meals. The brand’s Chopped Water, which is infused with fruits, accounts for about 85 per cent of beverage sales on the West Coast, with similar results being seen in Ontario as well. The average ticket is about $14.

The sweet spot for square feet is between 1,400 and 1,500 for new locations, which are designed to reflect the brand’s positioning as part of an active lifestyle.

While most of Chopped Leafs’ locations are concentrated in British Columbia and Alberta, there are also a few in Saskatchewan, with plans to open in Manitoba this year, as well as bring the brand into international markets, starting with Seattle.

“Most of our franchisees are coming, right now, from being customers,” he said.

“What we’re seeing is obviously they’re brand ambassadors, even before they come into the system, which is fantastic. When you have someone who believes in your brand, then they are buying it for all the right reasons,” Veloce said. “What we’re seeing is a lot of like-minded operators: people who do live an active lifestyle, people that are interested in healthy, clean eating.”

While there is obviously a financial consideration, it’s important to Veloce that franchise owners live the Chopped Leaf lifestyle and are involved in the community. “It’s important they live in the community that their restaurants are in. We’re not looking for investors, we’re looking for operators,” he said.

IFB may open another Ontario location this year, but its current focus is to determine how the brand translates within its new province.

“The objective now is to really watch these two units,” he said, adding he expects to open 40 Chopped Leaf eateries next year with between 10 and 12 of them in Ontario alone. “If there is anything that we need to do for this particular market, then we will adjust accordingly and then start the growth.”

Mr. Robot predicts changes to foodservice labour

By Bill Tremblay TORONTO — The future of foodservice will likely be automated, according to a new report by the Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Ryerson University.

The report, titled The Talented Mr. Robot, The Impact of Automation on Canada’s Workforce, predicts nearly 42 per cent of the nation’s labour force is at high risk of being affected by automation in the next two decades.

The roles of food counter attendant and kitchen helper make up one of the top five labour groups affected, with 313,000 jobs and a 91.5 per cent probability of being replaced by automation.

“Hospitality is a large labour force that is at risk,” said Creig Lamb, the study’s author.

Other restaurant workers could also be replaced by robotics, including food and beverage servers (94 per cent probability), bartenders (77 per cent), cooks (83 per cent) and bakers (89 per cent).

Food processing workers are also at medium to high risk of their duties moving towards automation, with butchers, meat cutters and fishmongers facing a 93 per cent probability, machine operators for food beverage processing (77.5 per cent) and seafood plant workers (73 per cent).

On the other hand, there is only a 10 per cent chance of the chef role becoming automat-

Creig Lamb

ed, while restaurant and foodservice managers face a 4.3 per cent probability.

“It is primarily the routine manual administrative job in the high-risk probability,” Lamb said. “High-skills jobs with education and people management skills are a low risk.”

While high probabilities of automation exist within the foodservice industry, Lamb explained whether or not the technology is put into play is a matter of personal preference. The cost of automation technology is also a factor.

“It comes down to human preference, do we really want to be served by a robot waiter?”

Lamb said. “There are a slew of other factors that will result in not all of these jobs being removed.”

He added automation isn’t always detrimental to the labour market. Bank machines, for example, didn’t eliminate the need for bank tellers.

“When the ATM came out, everyone thought their job was at risk. What it actually did was improve the productivity of bank tellers,” Lamb said.

While the automated workforce is often studied, The Talented Mr. Robot was created to specifically look at how robotics will affect Canada.

“The impact of automation on the labour force has been a topic of conversation for many academics and other research organizations for many years, but it really hasn’t been taking place with the use of Canadian data,” said Lamb.

“We knew automation would likely have a pretty sizable impact on the Canadian labour force, but we didn’t know what that looked like,” he said.

The Brookfield Institute hopes the report will help the public and private sector “gain a deeper understanding” of how automation will impact employment.

“This potential labour force shift will impact almost everyone: government, educational institutions and people thinking about their future careers,” Lamb said.

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GE Franchise Finance sold to CWB

By Colleen Isherwood MONTREAL — Canadian Western Bank purchased the GE Canadian Capital Franchise Finance portfolio in a June 30 deal. Headed by senior vice-president Ed Khediguian, the group will continue to provide financing for the hotel and restaurant sectors.

“I am excited about this because it will be a reset to another fun run with a great team and an opportunity to build back up a business with products and processes that add some value to clients,” Khediguian said.

GE started selling out of all their capital businesses over the last year or so.

“The intent is to re-establish a relevant and robust set of products and processes for the Canadian hotel and restaurant sectors and re-grow the business to levels it had demonstratively achieved over its 14-year history in Canada,” said Khediguian.

Highlights of the deal include the following: • CWB intends to build and broaden across the hotel and restaurant sectors nationally; • The transaction keeps the team together and leverages the average team tenure of 10 years; • Canadian ownership and Canadian market, industry and specialized focus; and • CWB is a smaller bank with a strong entrepreneurial and specialized culture.

According to Khediguian, CWB is committed to support the future growth the franchise finance business. Franchise finance will be operated as an extension of CWB’s commercial banking focus with the same team of experts who were employed by GE. “We will maintain a distinct industry focus and brand, under a new banner of CWB Franchise Finance,” he said. “CWB is committed to grow in a focused and specialized basis within the hotel and restaurant sectors, on a national basis, through the Franchise Finance platform.

Khediguian sees this as an opportunity for the platform, as CWB is a Canadian institution.

“There will be commitment, and perspective to the sector — no retrenchment from the country like GE, GMAC, Bank of America etc.”

He expects CWB’s ownership to increase the service options the team can provide to its customers in the future, including additional financing options and comprehensive commercial banking services.

July 2016 | 3

O N T A R I O

EDITORIAL

Good things grow Canadian pride in its own agriculture and resources is a strong and powerful motivator when it comes to purchasing decisions.

Take the success of French’s ketchup, which stemmed from its use of Canadian tomatoes or, on the flip side, Earls’ beef debacle earlier this year, for example. The 66-unit Vancouver-based restaurant company displayed immense pride in its decision at the time of the announcement. Videos were prepared to trumpet the news of the company’s switch to Certified Humane beef choices.

An immense amount of time was put into the beef changes: they tested 16 North American farms before selecting Creekstone Farms as its supplier. Earls execs drank the water and ate the feed Creekstone’s herds were given.

The United States farm operates under Humane Certified guidelines, meaning the cattle are free to roam with access to wholesome food and are raised without growth hormones or antibiotics.

Earls could not have expected the backlash from Alberta ranchers and consumers that

ensued, especially after the success of A&W’s “better beef ” campaign (a move that was also controversial when announced in 2013).

Interestingly, when Quebec-based chain Madisons NY Grill & Bar made a similar announcement in early June, no one batted an eye. The company signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Les Viandes Intercités, Canadian distributor of Creekstone Farms, the same company Earls took heat for sourcing its beef from. Perhaps it is because the company only has a presence in its home province and recently opened its first Ontario outpost. Perhaps they have always sourced beef from the United States, so it wasn’t perceived as shunning Canadian producers.

Whether or not Earls should have backed down from its decision to source Humane Certified beef — a move that provided proof to its customers about how cows are raised and slaughtered — isn’t in question here.

It’s the certification that’s key, proof of what’s in our food and where it comes from.

In a world where food fraud is a reality, we need to ensure what we are telling our customers is true and for that, we often rely on the word of our suppliers.

Despite a relative feeling of security when it comes to food sold in Canada, counterfeit food exists within our food system. Recent studies have shown that between 25 and 70 per cent of seafood sold in Canada is mislabelled. In early June, the Mucci greenhouse operation was fined $1.5 million in a Windsor, Ont., court for labelling and selling imported vegetables as a Canadian product.

Whether pride in ingredients is provincial, national, or both, when someone lies about where food came from or how it was raised, treated, caught or harvested, it’s an assault on Canadian farmers and fishers. It strikes a particularly out-of-tune chord because they are benefiting from the value placed on Canadian soil and the trust and pride we have in homegrown products.

So whether Earls shot itself in the foot for turning to a United States certification for its products, we applaud their effort to provide guests with “consciously sourced ingredients,” and offer more than lip service as to how they know.

Kristen Smith Managing Editor

NEWS BRIEFS Changes to CPP OTTAWA — An agreement between the federal government and the province of Ontario will effectively kill the proposed Ontario Retirement Pension Plan.

The ORPP would have added 1.9 per cent to payroll costs in Ontario, a move foodservice associations saw as an additional administrative burden on Ontario operators.

Instead, CCP contributions will be increased across the country beginning in 2019 and will be phased in over four years.

When fully implemented, both businesses and employees will pay an additional one per cent into CCP, bringing the rate to 5.95 per cent.

Restaurants Canada released a statement outlining concerns about “the impact of a broad-based approach to pension reform.” The association suggests exemptions for employees earning less than $25,000 and under 25 would protect entry-level jobs and “would have ensured that CPP enhancements targeted the Canadians identified as most needing support: middle-income earners.”

The stomach wants TORONTO — According to a recent national survey by Yellow Pages, 47 per cent of Canadians go with what their stomach is asking for when it comes to choosing what or where to eat, as compared to their brain (26 per cent) or their heart (19 per cent).

Contrary to that, when Canadians were asked about what best describes how

4 | Ontario Restaurant News

they choose a restaurant, more than half of them (52 per cent) say that they simply go to their favourite restaurant, which is a decision stemming from the heart. This demonstrates that our emotions, minds and bodies are often at odds when a decision needs to be made about what and where to eat.

Based on this idea, Yellow Pages launched an advertising campaign for YP Dine, its free mobile application dedicated to the restaurant and dining sector, touting that the app will help with decisions to make the stomach, heart and brain happy.

Agropur opens new HO LONGUEUIL, Que. — Agropur Dairy Cooperative officially opened its new head office complex in Longueuil, Que., on June 21. The near-969,000-square-foot facility keeps Agropur’s decision-making centre in Quebec. Eventually, 800 employees will work at the offices.

“We are proud to open our new head office here in Longueuil,” said Agropur president Serge Riendeau. “It represents a major investment and long-term commitment to Quebec, in keeping with our members’ vision of corporate sustainability. We have spent a total of $100 million on this project, which includes our head office and a new laboratory; the head office complex also includes a distribution centre and Canada’s largest dairy R&D centre.”

Agropur Dairy Cooperative has annual sales of nearly $6 billion.

“The new head office is part of our

organization’s transformation, which has included a string of recent mergers and acquisitions, major investments in our plants, a strong focus on R&D and improvements to our ways of doing things,” said Robert Coallier, chief executive officer of Agropur.

“The businesses that will succeed in highly competitive global markets are those that are able to differentiate themselves through a culture of innovation.”

Greenbelt Fund helping bring local produce to Subway TORONTO —The Greenbelt Fund, in partnership with the province, is providing Burnac Produce with $90,000 in support through the Local Food Investment Fund (LFIF) towards a project that will see Ontario-grown tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and onions at Subway restaurants during the harvest season. The wholesale produce distributor is partnering with the sandwich chain to bring Ontario produce to its 1,300 locations in the province.

“Burnac and Subway Canada’s leadership to help increase Ontario food sales is just the type of change we look for at the Greenbelt Fund,” said chief executive officer Burkhard Mausberg. “As the biggest restaurant chain in the world, Subway Restaurants will be a leader in taking the local food movement to a whole new scale.”

Through the LFIF, the Greenbelt is investing over $730,000 to support 10 projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe region. A total of $1.5 million in funding is being invested across the province.

PUBLISHER

Steven Isherwood ext. 236 · sisherwood@canadianrestaurantnews.com MANAGING EDITOR

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

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

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

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

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

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Stacey Holmes ext. 237 · sholmes@canadianrestaurantnews.com

CONTACT US: 905-206-0150

EDITORIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL MICKEY CHEREVATY Consultant, Moyer Diebel Limited JACK BATTERSBY President, Summit Food Service Distributors Inc. PAUL LECLERC Partner, Serve-Canada Food Equipment Ltd. JORGE SOARES Director Food and Beverage Operations, Woodbine Entertainment Group ADAM COLQUHOUN President, Oyster Boy JOHN CRAWFORD Director of Sales-Canada, Lamb Weston TINA CHIU Chief Operating Officer, Mandarin Restaurant Franchise Corporation MARTIN KOUPRIE Chef/Owner, Pangaea Restaurant JOEL SISSON Founder and President of Crush Strategy Inc. CHRIS JEENS Partner, W. D. Colledge Co. Ltd. JOE BAKER Dean, School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts, Centennial College GRAHAM HAYES Directory of Culinary/Corporate Chef, McCormack Bourrie Sales & Marketing & French’s Food Company Canada JODY PALUBISKI CEO, The Charcoal Group

ONTARIO RESTAURANT NEWS VOLUME 31 · NO. 6 · JULY 2016 Ontario Restaurant News (www.ontariorestaurantnews.com) is published 12 times a year by Ishcom Publications Ltd., 2065 Dundas Street East, Suite 201, Mississauga, Ont. L4X 2W1 T: (905) 206-0150 · F: (905) 206-9972 · Toll Free: 1(800)201-8596 Other publications include the Canadian Chains Directory and Buyers’ Directory as well as: P A C I F I C / P R A I R I E

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Cooking for Canada From left: Carly Bergshoeff, David Ross, Avi Hollo (coach), Megan Proper, Scott McInerney, Jeremy Gilligan, Robbie Aggarwal, Ben Lillico, Trevor Littlejohn, Olaf Mertens (coach), Daniella Germond and Craig Youdale (manager).

By Kristen Smith Two national culinary teams are on the road to the World Culinary Olympics in Germany this October.

The journey began long before the actual five-day event (which is held every four years) with countless hours of preparation, practice, fundraising and competitions.

With the exception of a few newer additions, Culinary Team Canada and Junior Culinary Team Canada have been working toward this international competition for the better part of three years.

Niagara College earned the right to represent Canada in October of 2013. Its members are now graduates of the Canadian Food and Wine Institute in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. Members of Junior Culinary Team Canada include Ben Lillico, Carly Bergshoeff, Daniella Germond, David Ross, Jeremy Gilligan, Megan Proper, Robbie Aggarwal, Scott McInerney and Trevor Littlejohn.

The junior team has a handful of chef mentors: Judson Simpson, Olaf Mertens, Avi Hollo, Dan LeBlanc, Osvaldo Avila and Scott Baechler. The team has also received funding from the Canadian Culinary Federation and the foodservice industry, such as donations from Saputo and Niagara College. With this support in their corner, the junior team is poised to perform well at the Culinary Olympics, especially Cameron Huley.

after showings at lead-up competitions. They took home gold and silver medals from the 2015 American Culinary Classic. At the Villeroy & Boch – Culinary World Cup 2014, they earned gold and silver in the hot and cold programs, respectively.

Canadian Food and Wine Institute dean Craig Youdale is the team’s manager and his pride in their accomplishments and hard work is clear.

“It’s so hard to put into words; certainly numbers speak volumes,” Youdale said. “It would be almost impossible to calculate the hours — it would literally be thousands that they’ve put in.”

Over the course of three years, the junior team members have also been balancing school and work with practicing. “And somewhere in there, eating and sleeping. It really is at times, insane,” said Youdale.

Now that they have graduated, the team has full-time cooking jobs.

“And as we all know, a cook’s job is not 40 hours a week, it’s 60 to 70 hours a week or more,” Youdale noted. “We’re asking them to spend two or three full days practicing with us on top of the demand that their chefs and restaurants and hotels are making on them to be at work.”

Youdale describes the team’s dynamic as a high-achieving and occasionally dysfunctional family. “They treat each other kind of

like brothers and sisters. They have an intense family bond, and in all honesty, love for each other, but they also fight and battle and complain and challenge each other, just like a bunch of 20-year-old brothers and sisters would do,” he explained. “As a team, they really have come together over three years ... They’re at the stage now where their communication is at a point where it’s almost unwritten and unsaid.”

Germond, who won the Young Chef Olympiad in India in January and was named one of this year’s Top 30 under 30 by the Ontario Hostelry Institute, said being a part of the close-knit team has been an influential element of participating in culinary competition. “And being able to represent our country, it’s just an honour.

When would you ever think that you’d be able to go to the Olympics and represent your country for cooking? It’s what we’re passionate about and I think that’s what gets us excited to come in every day and do it,” she said.

The team usually meets every two weeks at the college, but after a two-month break, they’ll go full steam practicing five days a week from August until October.

Youdale said he feels it’s important to note the benefit to the junior team isn’t merely about resume building.

“I think it teaches them life and work skills that are difficult to teach a young person. I usually describe it as an accelerated process where chefs and cooks usually take a decade to really understand logistics and timing and preparation for various levels of food production. These guys have kind of squashed that into three years,” he said. “They take away a set of skills that’s pretty high-functioning when it comes to the stuff other than just cooking.”

Managed by John Carlo Felicella and coached by Tobias MacDonald and Bruno Marti, the core Canadian Culinary Team includes Scott Jaeger (chef/owner Pear Tree Restaurant, Vancouver); Cameron Huley (executive chef at Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club); Ryan Stone (Earls Kitchen + Bar “chef collective”); Iain Rennie (Delta Grand Okanagan Resort and Conference Centre, Kelowna, B.C.); Jason Harris (executive sous chef at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport); Fumiko Moreton (pastry chef at Terminal City Club, Vancouver); and backup member Scott Torgerson (executive chef of the Radisson Hotel, Saskatoon). Sup-

port team members include Daniel Davyduck, James Hutton, Shawn Lang, Hamid Salimian and Laura Sharpe Dawe.

Huley has been member of Culinary Team Canada for eight years.

“It’s great to represent your country for something that you love doing,” he said.

The team meets monthly for about four or five days, which means employers have to be on board and supportive.

The process of preparing for a competition begins with brainstorming for both cold and hot plates. “We build our plates until we get exactly what we want and then it’s practice, practice, practice to perfect timing and everything so we look like a well-tuned ballet when we’re cooking in front of a thousand people,” Huley said.

Representing the nation with a “contemporary Canadian” style on the plate, the team will be facing off against the best of the best from 40 countries.

Moreton said the challenging nature of being part of the team appeals to her competitive nature. She started as a supporting member and participated in the Culinary Olympics twice as part of British Columbia’s regional team. “It’s not only about winning, but you’re always learning and you get inspiration,” said Moreton.

Coach Marti has been in the game long enough to know not to make the statement “we’ll be on the podium,” but that is certainly the goal. His first trip to the World Culinary Olympics was 1976 and he hasn’t missed one since.

While Marti said there is reason for the team to be confident, sometimes it also comes down to luck, such as having judges who are using the same food criteria as the team. The key, Marti said, is to focus on those things you have control over.

“As individuals, they are all very good chefs,” said Marti, whose first time seeing the whole team together as a group (with its two new additions Harris and Torgerson) was at the CCFCC National Convention in May. At that time, he said the team dynamic was still a work in progress.

“Every time they get together doing something, they gel more and more,” he said.

Marti said he felt it was important the team was void of any “prima-donna” chefs. “They’re all down-to-earth, good cooks,” he said.

July 2016 | 5

Offer more than a

meal

Selling merchandise and valueadded items to your customers may achieve more than a boost to your bottom line

By Bill Tremblay

W

hen Connie Rouble started Mississippi Queen Foods a decade ago, she discovered an untapped market.

The Hamilton-based restaurant and catering company specializes in southern and Creole food. However, many of the ingredients required for the recipes are not readily available in Ontario. So when Rouble would return home to Mississippi, she would load up on the ingredients needed to cook in Canada.

“I’d go home and pick up boiled peanuts in a can, grits and spice mixes. I would load it into my suitcase and then get pulled over by customs,” Rouble said. “They didn’t know what to do with me. They were in disbelief that I was 50 pounds over the limit because of peanuts and grits.”

Word of the imported products spread throughout the community of southern Americans living in Canada, and soon Rouble was being asked to add items to her list of imported ingredients. After five years of importing ingredients, Rouble opened an online and phone-order general store to offer the products to others on the hunt for southern flavours.

“These are mostly displaced southerners or people cooking southern food. They would have a specific list for me wanting to source different products,” Rouble said. “I’d have long lists of what people want. Some people spend up to $1,000.”

The items sold in Mississippi Queen’s general store also help to create a “ma and pa southern store” vibe within the dining room of the restaurant. The store’s walls are lined with non-perishable food items for a genuine Mississippi experience.

6 | Ontario Restaurant News

“This space for me was trying to create the south I know and love and miss,” Rouble said.

A question becomes a sale In addition, when a customer asks about recipes for gumbo or jambalaya, Rouble has the ingredients on hand for them to purchase and take home. As well, when her fellow southerners stop in to pick up an ingredient, they may stay for lunch or dinner.

“One sells the other, so to speak; It all sort of works hand-in-hand,” Rouble said.

Selling grocery items does present challenges for Rouble. Variables like shipping fees and exchange rates create obstacles for turning a profit. As well, when a southern ingredient becomes popular, grocery store chains will begin stocking their shelves with the item.

“I’ve noticed now there are other suppliers bringing certain products into Canada and the market is becoming saturated,” she said. “I tend to pull back and not sell as much of that.”

Rouble also avoids carrying certain ingredients to avoid competing with her own business. For example, she doesn’t stock Mardi Gras King Cake mix — a braided cinnamon cake covered with purple, green and gold icing and topped with a crown.

“My big huge business in January and February is Mardi Gras King Cakes,” she said. “New Orleans tradition is a little plastic baby is inserted in the cake. Whoever finds the baby hosts the next Mardi Gras party.”

The cakes, for natives of Louisiana, are a gifting etiquette during Mardi Gras. Rouble ships her cakes

Connie Rouble, Mississippi Queen Foods. throughout North America in the weeks leading to the celebration.

“It’s during Mardi Gras season that I find out how many displaced southerners live in Canada,” Rouble said.

Brand your merch When Jeff Camacho opened Burger Revolution in Belleville, Ont., four years ago, the kitchen was too hot to wear a chef ’s jacket. Instead, Camacho opted to print T-shirts for his staff featuring the company logo.

“One of the customers said ‘those shirts are ill, and we want to support you guys,’ ” Camacho recalled. “After we printed off the shirts for the staff.

We just kept reprinting and everyone just kept buying them.”

The Burger Revolution-branded clothing has now grown to include sweaters, bandanas and onesies.

Headbands were also made for youth that visit the restaurant.

“It’s kind of cool, I still see kids wearing the headbands. When they come here, they wear it to show

they’ve got it,” Camacho said.

While the clothing makes a modest profit, from a marketing perspective, the items are an impressive success. Located off Highway 401, Burger Revolution often hosts out-oftown guests who stop in during their travels. The merchandise often joins travellers on the road and fans of the restaurant have started posting photos of the shirts to social media.

“If people see the shirt, they take a picture and post it on Instagram,” Camacho said.

sells its jerk marinade, its house-made Buck’s Pepper Sauce and T-shirts proclaiming “One Love O.V.” with the restaurant name on the back. Owner Phil Dewar explained selling his sauces is a way to ensure a lasting experience with his customers.

“In my opinion, the value is to be inside the homes of the people. It’s one thing to come to eat lunch and then go home. If you are at home and you want to prepare something, then we become part of the In my opinion, threshold of your cooking,” Dewar Think outside the box Value added items aren’t limited the value is to be said.

He added if customers use his to independent operators, or within inside the homes sauce when preparing a meal for the walls of the restaurant itself. family or friends, they become amNando’s PERi-PERi, for example, of the people. bassadors for his restaurant. recently announced its hot sauces “They stand behind your would be added to the shelves Phil Dewar of thousands of supermarkets Owner of brand,” he said. “We become part throughout North America.

Soulyve Caribbean Kitchen of the fibre of your food experience outside of the restaurant.”

While the company operates Soulyve also sells branded 29 restaurants in three provinces (1,200 locations worldwide), it’s sauces are now in more T-shirts, an item that became popular within Oranthan 2,400 retail locations Canada-wide. The company geville’s athletic community, an added advantage, acdescribes the sauce as “the hero” in each of its restau- cording to Dewar.

“People will look at a healthy, active person sitrants.

“We’ve bottled it so you can take the flavour, fire and ting there with a Soulyve T-shirt on, they assume this passion of PERi-PERi wherever life takes you,” Paulo place is an active business and they believe in an active Oliveira, head’s of Nando’s grocery division, said in an healthy lifestyle, so the food should reflect that,” he said.

“It becomes more than a T-shirt, it’s becoming part of email.

In Orangeville, Ont., Soulyve Caribbean Kitchen their lifestyle.”

“It’s amazing for us, we love seeing that, we want to know how far it can go.”

So far, Burger Revolution shirts have been spotted in The Philippines, Dublin, Vancouver and throughout the United States.

“It’s a big, small world — it’s pretty sweet, actually,” Camacho said.

“We’re a small company and we just love seeing people wearing it.”

“

Phil Dewar of Soulyve.

Photo compliments of The Orangeville Banner

Celebrating India’s legacy The Maharaja, an 85-seat boutique restaurant, opened in Mississauga following nearly $1 million in renovations

By Don Douloff MISSISSAUGA, ONT. — Jehangir Khan is dedicated to celebrating the legacy of India and spent two years preparing to launch The Maharaja, an 85-seat boutique restaurant that opened earlier this year in a heritage building in central Mississauga.

“We wanted to do it right,” he said.

That entailed conducting extensive research of Indian dishes, the history of the country’s culinary and geographic regions, and India’s legacy of hospitality over hundreds of years.

All menu items come from Indian and Persian history books, he said.

For more than two months before launch, the ownership team, which includes Indian-born Khan; his wife, Sheryl Serrao (who handles marketing and finance) and his father, Mekky (who has more than 40 years of hospitality experience) taste-tested the recipes — eight to 10 courses per day, four days a week, refining and culling the dishes that would make the final cut — in a rental kitchen overseen by executive chef Praveen Chilkuri.

What emerged from that intensive research and development phase was a menu devoted to India’s Avadh, Hyderabad, Punjab and Rajasthan regions.

Wherever possible, Khan sources ingredients such as meats and pro-

duce locally, and imports key spices such as yellow chili powder (India), saffron (Iran) as well as cinnamon (Yemen).

Khan’s goal was to create a menu that gets away from the “subdued,” cream-based fare that, he said, is the norm in Indian restaurants, and instead, brings out the cuisine’s “vibrancy.”

Charged with that task is Chilkuri, who hails from Hyderabad and has worked in kitchens in India, Dubai and Toronto and taught in Humber College’s culinary program.

Next job was to gut the restaurant and kitchen in the 156-year-old building.

Following a ten-and-a-half-month refurbishment, costing nearly $1 million, the space features rooms designed in the style of three Indian palaces: The Palace of Wind or Breeze (bright, elegantly decorated); The Palace of Colour (vibrantly hued, with striking arc forms); and The Palace of Mirrors (highlighted by a chandelier and lattice of mirrors). Luminescent onyx punctuates an elegant bar area serving single malts, blended scotch and about 35 wines and seven beers chosen to partner with Indian food.

The newly outfitted kitchen features two tandoor ovens.

Representing India’s regions on the plate are such dishes as kebob of spiced, ground lamb (Avadh); herbed, shallow-fried eggplant topped with garlic tomato sauce (Hyderabad); and

lamb cooked with red chilies (Rajasthan).

Khan, who noted that the restaurant’s pricing is in line with other tier-one Indian restaurants, aims to “establish the brand and then take it to the next level.”

This year’s plans call for the introduction of special-event nights, highlighting classic movies or sporting events broadcast on four 62-inch TVs hidden behind paintings adorning the restaurant’s walls.

Also on the horizon is raj-style afternoon tea, “like a British tea, but with a twist,” dishing up savoury spiced sandwiches and pastries, said Khan, who noted that 30 per cent of the clientele is non-Indian.

He also plans to add more vegetarian dishes in response to clients who are seeking meat-free options, and wants to highlight additional cu-

From left: Praveen Chilkuri, Mekky Khan, Jehangir Khan and Sheryl Serrao. linary regions of India via one-week festival menus.

Khan classifies the restaurant, with its themed rooms and historically based menu, as “experience-

based,” and to date, traffic bears that out, with 60 per cent of reservations being made for special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, proposals and the like).

July 2016 | 7

Dufferin Mall expands its food court

Hidden Burger: A restaurant within a restaurant

TORONTO — In person, Hidden Burger isn’t easy to find, but its owners are making sure the new lunch spot is at the forefront of the digital world.

Located inside The Bottom Line at 22 Front St. West, Hidden Burger aims to provide a simple and quick lunch option for the financial district.

“It’s kind of different having a restaurant in a restaurant,” said owner Wayne Cowley, a former NHL goalie who was part of the Calgary Flames Stanley Cup-winning team in 1989.

Hidden Burger was born when The Bottom Line expanded into a former sushi restaurant that was once the sports bar’s neighbour.

Left with a second kitchen, Cowley and Olivier Centner, a silent partner in the business, decided to create a grab-and-go concept.

“We wanted something that would have real incremental revenue and not cannibalize our existing base,” Centner said. “We tried to do something that we thought would be different. Something that would extend beyond the four walls of our business.”

At the back of The Bottom Line, in the hallway leading to the sports bar’s bathroom,

Cowley and Centner transformed about 400 square feet into the new burger concept. Decorated with images from Archie Comics, the burger bar seats eight people.

“If you want to sit down and enjoy a burger or wings, The Bottom Line seats 200,” Centner said.

Keeping possible business conflicts in mind, the menu offers a single burger, double burger or veggie burger topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato pickle and onion.

“We’re old school,” Cowley said. “Everything is made fresh in-house. The only substitution you can make is cheese or no cheese.”

While the menu is old school, the marketing approach is anything but. Centner, who is also founder and chief executive officer of UNOapp and Digital Menubox, developed a digital approach to marketing the business.

Hidden Burger started its publicity campaign with a text-to-win-a-free-burger contest.

“It allowed us to build a big base really quickly where we can retarget people. We got their feedback and fine-tuned (Hidden Burger) very quickly,” Centner said. “We really used technology to achieve that.”

From there, YouTube videos as well as

Twitter and Instagram campaigns were created to drive customers to the business.

“You’ve really got to take advantage of technology and the changing world of how people get to know restaurants,” Cowley said.

“This restaurant is run on 100 per cent technology and social media.”

By using UNOapp, Hidden Burger is also able to automate its online marketing. The application allows a restaurateur to post to a digital menu board, website and social media channels using predetermined promotions.

“Everything is pretty predictable,” Centner said. “On a beautiful sunny day, you promote your patio. On a cold day, you promote a nice warm soup.”

Hidden burger offers a $10 cheeseburger, fries and drink combo. The price will include a $2 premium for those who don’t use the restaurant’s mobile app for ordering.

“It’s a lot more efficient for us as a business to transact with somebody through an app than it is to have them lined up at a counter,” Centner said. “And it allows us to create an immediate loyalty. We know when people are there, how much they are spending and how frequently they come.”

TORONTO — Dufferin Mall is redeveloping its food court, and one of its customers will rename the revamped space.

The project is currently in its second of three phases of renovations, with a grand reopening scheduled for this fall.

“Our management is extremely excited to see the project completed and offer our customers an elevated experience,” said Mira Kopanarov, the mall’s marketing manager.

The mall embarked on the development as a way to keep up with gentrification of its west end neighbourhood.

“It was the right time. We are part of the community, so we definitely need to keep up. It’s really exciting,” Kopanarov said.

New dining options will be unveiled alongside the new design in the fall. Shanghai 360, created

by Innovated Restaurant Group, is one of three new restaurants to join the food court. The United States-based, quick service Asian eatery offers open wok stations with stir-fry dishes made to order.

As well, Toronto-based BarBurrito joins the food court, serving burritos, quesadillas and tacos, as well as MTY Food Group’s Villa Madina, a halal-certified Mediterranean eatery serving shawarma, falafel and shisk-taouk.

Space for a fourth new eatery is also under construction.

The food court’s current 11 tenants will see temporary closures during renovations, which will include a redesign of the food court’s floorplan.

“We made better use of the space and provided more visibility for our tenants.,” Kopanarov said.

The new layout also allows for more tables and chairs in the area.

“We have huge demand for the food court so we do require increased seating,” she said.

As well, the project includes new furniture, ceiling, floor tiles and eventually, large chandeliers.

In June, the mall held a contest to name the new food court, generating 2,000 unique entries from its customers.

The yet-to-be-announced winner will receive a $1,000 mall gift card.

“Everybody feels like they belong here, so we wanted to give it back to the community so they can pick a name they relate to,” Kopanarov said.

Riviera joins El Camino, Datsun in Matthew Carmichael’s restaurant roster OTTAWA — A 1920s art deco bank will serve as home to chef Matthew Carmichael’s third Ottawa restaurant.

Riviera, slated to open mid-July at 62 Sparks St., will create a middle ground between an upscale diner and a fine-dining restaurant.

“We wanted to walk the line of not being too fancy and not being too casual. I think the food will reflect that too,” Carmichael said, noting the average check will be about $30 to $40 per person. “It’s not to be manipulated with powders and slate plates. It’s going to be nicely sourced and respectfully plated. It’s easy to say, but it’s hard to achieve.”

Co-owned by chef Jordan Holley, the restaurant is Carmichael’s first partnership.

“I’ve been cooking with Jordan for about 10 years. We really work well together,” Carmichael said.

Riviera joins El Camino, a Mexican taco and tequila bar, and Datsun, an Asian noodle

8 | Ontario Restaurant News

bar, in Carmichael’s restaurant portfolio. All three restaurants are named after classic cars.

“I had a Hot Wheels El Camino as a kid and they’re a head turner when you see them on the street. With Datsun, we kept it going,” Carmichael said.

While Riviera continues the car name theme, it also pays homage to Ottawa itself.

“It’s kind of a celebration of Ottawa. The definition of Riviera, if you look at it, is a destination near a body of water or river,” Carmichael said. “I thought it was a cool duality to have a cool car from the ’70s and then have a city on a river that was pertinent to its development.”

For Holley and Carmichael, Riviera is an opportunity to return to a “classic restaurant” format. Datsun and El Camino, for example, don’t take reservations. Instead, a mobile app notifies the customer when a table is ready via text message.

“This is a classic restaurant in terms of there’s reservations, there’s a wine list and there’s a good steak frites,” Carmichael said. “I don’t want to call it a brasserie or bistro, that pigeonholes it too much. It’s a stereotypical restaurant.”

Carmichael entered restaurant ownership with El Camino in 2013 as a way to fill a culinary void in the Ottawa food scene.

“It just took off. To keep up with demand I had to commit to it for a few years,” he said.

Datsun followed (located next to El Camino on Elgin Street) as Carmichael waited for the right location to open a classic restaurant.

“We didn’t want to force it and we’re glad we waited. It’s a special space,” Carmichael said.

“We were leery about it being on Sparks Street and uptown, but we’re also excited about the potential of it.”

The restaurant, equipped with 50-foot high ceilings, will seat about 100 people, including

a 26-seat bar, 60-seat dining room and a bank office converted into a 10-person dining room.

“It’s got this weird feeling when you’re in there. It has a massive expansive void,” Carmichael said. “There’s 50-foot ceilings, but when you’re on the ground level it feels like an intimate, small restaurant. I like the play back and forth.”

The main floor vault, left behind by the former bank, has been converted into washrooms.

A second vault in the basement has been retrofitted into a wine cellar and charcuterie kitchen.

During renovations, Carmichael explained the art deco interior, which includes massive windows, marble walls and brass fixtures, was maintained to create a unique restaurant experience.

“We didn’t want to mask that at all,” he said. “Nowadays, there are so many restaurants opening. It’s hard to make an impact in terms of how a restaurant feels.”

Decoding the Data: Love it or leave it

The relationship we have with certain ingredients

Beware the neutral Of particular concern on a menu are ingredients that don’t bring about strong responses in either direction, having no effect on consumers’ orders. Almost half of FSR consumers are neutral to items such as Parmesan or gouda cheese, fresh basil, onions and spinach. While these ingredients won’t drive customers away, they also won’t lead to much excitement. These ingredients certainly have a place on FSR menus, but operators should be careful not to depend too heavily on them, as no restaurant aims to have its customers feel “neutral” after their dining experience.

10%

GO

Source: NPD Group/ FSR Report 2015

MU SH

L SI 11%

22%

30%

42%

48%

47%

OL I

35%

37%

51%

A UD

S VE

28%

16%

34%

46%

O AD

MS

33%

44%

Less Likely

O RO

34%

31% 35%

GOA TC

M

PAR

AN

Neutral

Keeping the classics There are certain menu items that are loved by most Canadians. According to The NPD Group’s FSR Report, classic ingredients like bacon and mushrooms fit this bill. When asked, 54 per cent of FSR consumers said bacon would make them more likely to order an item if it was an ingredient, while only 14 per cent said that it would make them less likely. Similarly, 51 per cent of consumers are more likely to order a dish when they learn that mushrooms are included, compared to only 16 per cent who are less likely.

These are the universal “winners” in the FSR marketplace. Including them in a menu item will, in general, make people more likely to order it. But these ingredients are also ubiquitous in FSR, and focusing on bacon and mushrooms will hardly set your restaurant apart from the rest.

ES

14%

54%

(% Share of responses) More Likely

N CO

BA

Are customers more or less likely to order menu items with these ingredients?

AV OC

W

e’ve all been there when ordering from a full service restaurant (FSR) menu. The deal-breaker: that one ingredient that makes or breaks our decision on which item to order. “I would order that wrap, except that it has cilantro in it,” or the flip side “This pasta has goat cheese, I have to get it.”

Individuals will always have unique tastes and preferences, but certain ingredients are more polarizing than others. Consumers often either love or hate these menu items, which may elicit extreme reactions, both good and bad.

At first glance, an operator would be smart to ensure the broadest appeal across its ingredients in order to resonate with the masses and increase the probability of success. However, doing so risks blandness. While some of these polarizing ingredients have detractors, they also have passionate fans. It is important for FSR operators to strategically balance their menu with broad-appeal ingredients as well as exciting, polarizing items to set itself apart in a competitive market.

BA

By Scott Stewart

ESE HE

34%

30%

36%

enos and shrimp are all similar: they garner a lot of love from some consumers, but dissuade others who might have otherwise ordered that dish.

With a limit on the number of items that can be put on a menu, operators have to be careful not to offer too many niche dishes that will alienate consumers, which is why a menu shouldn’t have too many of these polarizing ingredients at the same time.

Striking the right balance To say that operators should strive to find the right balance of ingredients on their menu is overly simplistic; the perfectly balanced menu has always been the goal of restaurateurs. What is important for operators is to become aware of how polarizing certain ingredients may be.

Operators often tend to look at the menu from a macro perspective. They make sure not to skew too heavily to certain proteins or starches, but do they consider they may have too many polarizing ingredients, or perhaps not enough?

If brie cheese, jalapenos, olives and avocados are present in most dishes, or a menu leans too heavily on bacon and mushrooms, a restaurant risks losing out on traffic. This research shows it is important for every operator to not only optimize the mix of food types on their menu, but also the food ingredients.

Capitalizing on the extreme The trickiest part of this equation is properly balancing out the ubiquitous winners and neutral mainstays with the exciting, polarizing ingredients. Avocado is one of these ingredients: 35 per cent of consumers are more likely to order an item if it’s included, but 28 per cent are less likely. Similarly, 31 per cent of consumers are enticed by olives, while 34 per cent say olives in a dish are a turn off. Brie, goat cheese, jalap-

Scott Stewart is an account manager, Foodservice Canada for The NPD Group. NPD has more than 25 years of experience providing consumer-based market information to the foodservice industry. For more information, visit www.npd.com or contact him at scott.stewart@npd.com.

July 2016 | 9

National Restaurant Association Show Celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan.

CHICAGO — The 2016 edition of the annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and BAR (Beverage Alcohol for Restaurants) held this spring at Chicago’s McCormick Place posted record exhibition space and a more than six per cent uptick in total registration.

In its 97th year, the show brought a diverse range of industry segments together (more than 67,000 registrants) in about 680,000 square feet of show floor. In addition to thousands of independent and chain restaurateurs, there were attendees from the top 50 restaurant brands in the world, 98 of the top 100 brands, managment representation from contract foodservice operators, dealers and distributors and retail representatives.

Movers and shakers This year’s keynote featured three innovators who are changing the way the restaurant industry does business: Kimball Musk, co-founder of Boulder, Colo.-based The Kitchen restaurants; Denny Marie Post, president of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc.; and Jason Droege, head

of Uber Everything at Uber Technologies.

Musk started his company after a stint in the technology industry. His two restaurant concepts, The Kitchen and Next Door by the Kitchen, focus on sourcing local. He told NRA president and chief executive officer Dawn Sweeny and the audience that same store sales grew 25 per cent in 2015.

“People want to dine local,” Musk said.

“They appreciate the flavour and connection.

I’m really excited about the future of local food.”

After five years of Red Robin redefining itself with a focus on its adult diners, Sweeny asked Post where she thought the brand would be in the next five years.

Post believes delivery will be a key element.

“We’ve got to figure this piece out. There’s always going to be a place for coming out for a great dining experience, but the winners will be the ones who figure out how to package the whole thing up and take it home,” she said.

Enter UberEats, which operates in more than a dozen cities, including Toronto, Ottawa and Edmonton. The company is working with

restaurants to ensure food safety, product integrity, as well determine the best packaging and how far and how long the food should travel.

“When you think about what makes a great city, it’s not the things you go to, but the things that come to you. Connecting people with the food they want holds power,” said Droege.

batch of french fries with ease.

Casabots: Sally is a vending-machine-style robot which allows guests to customize salads in less space than a traditional salad bar. Guests select from 50 ingredients housed in a refrigerated compartment in a counter-top machine and their salad drops into a bowl.

A taste of beverage trends

Lagging in tech use

Stand-out beverage trends rounded up from the NRA Show’s BAR event: 1. Fruit beer 2. Creative vodkas 3. Ginger beer 4. Bitters

On the flip side, a technology education session indicated that while technology is all around us, it’s not the norm in many restaurants. Based on NRA’s soon-to-be-released Restaurant Technology Survey 2016, while operators think tech can help increase sales and enhance customer service, about one third say they are lagging in the implementation of tech and only about one in 10 operators surveyed believe they are leading edge.

“Technology can help boost productivity and efficiency in restaurant operations, but it’s important to choose the right processes and systems to make sure it doesn’t make the customer experience more complicated,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice-president of research.

The robots are coming Suzumo International: One robot makes 3,600 pieces of nigiri an hour; another makes 1,800. The company also offers an automated roll machine, roll cutter, rice sheet maker and sushi rice mixer.

Middleby Corp. and Picto teamed up with Rethink Robots to create an automated foodservice “employee,” which can cook a

The NRA’s 2016 Kitchen Innovations Awards: *List only includes companies with Canadian distribution. Not all products are quaranteed to be available in Ontario at this time.

BeverageAir, Versa-Cool Portable Walk-In Cooler

Goodnature, CT7 Countertop Cold-Press Juicer

Duke Mfg., Modular Production Center Blodgett, Hoodini

Strahman Valves, HydroSwivel Sweeper

Franke Coffee Systems, A600 Espresso Machine

Detecto, Dump Commander

Meiko, GreenEyeNemco Food Equipment, RinseWel

Follett Corp., Horizon 1010 & 1410 Ice Machine

1 0 | Ontario Restaurant News

Vulcan, Low Water Energy (LWE) Steamer

Hestan, CircuFlame Sealed Burner Turbo Coil, 72” Chef Base With Glycol/R290/R404A Refrigeration

Kitchen Brains, SCK Food Safety Manager

Champion Industries, Ventless Conveyor Warewasher With Heat Recovery

Taylor Company, Advanced Grill Controls

RATIONAL, KitchenManagement System

Ecomarks Plastics, Quick Flip Pan (*Hits the market in Q4)

Manitowoc Foodservice, Multiplex N2Fusion Beverage System

Vulcan, ABC7 Combi Oven Steamer

Manitowoc Foodservice, Merrychef eikon e2s

Star Manufacturing, Rolling Tortilla Warmer

The Vollrath Company, Stoelting AutoVend System

WP Bakery Group USA, ITES Oven

David Blades and Fred Lawlor.

Judges and chefs James Day and Brad Long.

ORHMA’s first supplier board and culinary challenge

By Colleen Isherwood Senior Editor ALLISTON, Ont. — The Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association hosted its first ever Culinary Challenge, following its annual general meeting at the Nottawasaga Inn, Alliston, Ont., on June 13.

There were five teams of participants from various parts of the industry, including restaurant owners, suppliers and hoteliers.

Their task was to use ingredients from a long table of food, including unidentified sauces, to make two appetizers. Partway through the challenge, a secret menu item, pulled pork, was introduced and the teams were shuffled.

In the end, the winners were The Nottys, named for the Nottawasaga Inn. They wrote their team name on one of the appetizer plates, and had one dish the judges deemed truly menu worthy.

The judges were Tony Elenis, ORHMA president and chief executive officer, James Day, executive chef for the Nottawasaga Inn, and Brad Long of Cafe Belong at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto.

Long is now a director of the ORHMA.

up of a select group of key industry people from the supply side of both the foodservice and lodging sectors of the hospitality industry.

The supplier board is tasked with providing perspective and information regarding matters related to supply chain in the industry; considering ways to establish stronger ties between ORHMA and its members and the supplier community; and using their different experiences to consider new channels of engagement

with ORHMA members.

Jason Cheskes, involved for many years with ORHMA and co-chair of the supplier board, explained that, “The vendor community makes up a significant component of the hospitality industry. The ORHMA board believes there is great potential value in forming a supplier board and including this group as part of our strategic planning and decision making.”

The inaugural board includes the following: Stanley Goodman, Ameri-

can Restaurant Services, chair; Jason Cheskes, Above The Line Solutions, co-chair; Leslie Smith, Smart Serve Ontario; Dave High, Ecolab; Christine Pella, Serta Simmons Bedding; Paul Cesario, Trimen Foodservice Equipment Inc.; Andrew Chlebus, LG Electronics; Steve Taylor, Gordon Food Service; Rocio Trujillo, Eden Textiles; Jim Clark, Colio Estate Winery; Charles Frankfurt, Oracle Hospitality; and Luisa Perini, ECNG Energy.

Supplier advisory board At the June 13 ORHMA board of directors meeting, there was an unanimous vote to establish the ORHMA’s first supplier advisory board, made

Sherry MacLauchlan and Linda Andersen.

July 2016 | 1 1

S U P P LY

Moneris unveils currency conversion program

Gay Lea purchases Black River Cheese PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY — Gay Lea Foods Co-operative has announced the acquisition of Black River Cheese.

The purchase, effective June 1, aims to strengthen the co-operative’s presence in the Canadian cheese sector.

“As Ontario’s largest dairy co-operative, we are focused on growing a strong, sustainable dairy industry that continues to deliver innovative, market-driven dairy products,” Michael Barrett, president and chief executive officer of Gay Lea Foods, said in a news release.

The Black River Cheese store remained open following the acquisition, and the company’s foodservice clients will continue to be served from the Prince Edward County operation.

The artisanal cheese producer began operations in 1901, and is the last of 26 cheese houses that once existed throughout the county.

The company produces a variety of classic and aged cheddar cheeses, plain and flavoured mozzarellas as well as goat, sheep and cheese curds.

The cheese is produced using milk from nearby dairy farmers, and the products are naturally aged without the use of artificial preservatives, modified milk ingredients or animal rennet.

“We are pleased to welcome the Black River Cheese Company into our dairy cooperative as part of our continued support for the Canadian dairy industry and Ontario dairy farmers,” Steve Dolson, Gay Lea Foods’

chair of the board, said in a news release.

Gay Lea Foods, based in Mississauga, Ont., also owns the Salerno cheese brand, based in Hamilton, Ont., and Ivanhoe Cheese, in Madoc, Ont. As well, the co-operative recently announced it has purchased shares in Lindsay, Ont.-based Mariposa Dairy, which produces goat and sheep cheese for the Canadian and United States markets.

Gay Lea Foods is the largest dairy cooperative in Ontario, with 3,800 members and 1,240 dairy farmer owners who produce about 35 per cent of the province’s cow milk.

The Canadian owned co-operative was established in 1958 with the common goal of bettering the lives of Ontario’s farming families.

TORONTO — Credit and debit card processor Moneris Solutions introduced Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) to its offerings for Canadian businesses in late June. When international customers uses their foreign Visa or MasterCard, DCC shows the cost of the purchase in their own currency and provides the option to pay for it in that currency or in Canadian dollars.

According to Moneris, DCC is easily added to existing terminals. It offers merchants the ability to process payments in more than 90 currencies at an exchange rate displayed on the terminal.

Proposed benefits include reducing confusion and charge backs due to unrecognized amounts and improving the bottom line while providing greater customer service and flexibility when dealing with international travellers.

“Many visitors to Canada, particularly from the U.S., don’t realize how much more affordable things are here due to the favourable exchange rate. When they see the cost of items displayed in their own currency on the terminal, they tend to spend more,” Rob Cameron, chief product and marketing officer at Moneris, said in a news release.

“Foreign spending in Canada has increased more than 17 per cent year-over-year,” Cameron added.

In 2015, international arrivals to Canada increased 7.5 per cent over 2014, according to Destination Canada. According to Statistics Canada, travellers from the United States are increasingly coming north of the border as the Canadian dollar has weakened against the U.S. dollar, making 5.2 million overnight trips and spending $3.4 billion.

LAN imports authentic cuisine and decor from Vietnam

By Bill Tremblay TORONTO — The cuisine of north and south Vietnam is uniting in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood.

Husband and wife team Lan Nguyen and Danny Dang officially opened LAN Restaurant at 755 Queen St. East in late June following nearly two years of design and construction.

“When I talked to people about Vietnamese food, they think of the fast food pho places; that’s not how I want people to feel about Vietnamese food,” Nguyen said.

“I want to bring my culture and country to the level it should be. That’s what I hope for.”

To achieve that goal, Nguyen and Dang imported the majority of the restaurant’s handmade, antique furniture from their homeland.

Nguyen said most of the decor, ranging from a birdcage to a boat, is about 80 to 100 years old. The uniforms were also handmade in Vietnam to add to the restaurant’s authenticity.

“We had a dream of bringing the real image of Hanoi city to Canada one day,” Nguyen said.

“Whatever we put in the restaurant is the real Vietnamese image. When people walk into the restaurant, they can see the real culture.”

Nguyen is from north Vietnam, while Dang’s family owned a restaurant in the southern region of the country.

The menu mirrors both regions of the country

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and features more than 40 dishes, including muc don thit nuong (grilled stuffed squid with chili garlic tomato sauce); bo luc lac (wok-seared “shaking” beef tenderloin with bell pepper and onion); and banh xeo, a Vietnamese pancake, stuffed with shrimp, chicken, bean sprouts, mushrooms, pan-fried and served with fish sauce.

Main courses range from $15 to $23.

“It’s a combination of my passion and my husband’s passion,” Nguyen said.

Pho is also on the menu. However, Nguyen said LAN’s version of the soup differs from that served at quick service Vietnamese restaurants.

“The original pho comes from Hanoi city. It’s a chicken noodle soup,” she said.

“The taste of the (Canadianized) beef soup is completely different.”

The 2,800-square-foot restaurant is split into two dining rooms and seats about 110 people.

The walls are decorated with art from the King Khai Dinh’s dynasty (1885 to 1925) and the doorways are accented with terra cotta shingles, while a Buddhist shrine is front and centre in one of the dining rooms.

While the decor and menu at LAN recreate Vietnam, Nguyen said her goal is to attract Canadian clientele.

“I don’t aim for Vietnamese people, I aim for Canadian people. I want to bring a new culture to them,” she said.

BEVERAGE NEWS

Ace high TORONTO — A different approach to craft beer has allowed Ace Hill to hit the ground running.

Since its launch in January, Toronto-based Ace Hill has found a home in more than 150

bars and restaurants on its home turf.

Mike Wagman, the brewery’s founder and chief executive officer, explained pilsner appeals to a somewhat untapped market of craft beer drinkers.

“We’ve all been fans of craft beer for some time, we’ve all enjoyed the IPAs and sour beers and everything else, but there’s still a huge space for an easy-drinking beer,” Wagman said. “I think consumer taste might be shifting back a little bit. People are out-IPA’d in some cases.”

The beer’s can design and branding of “premium simplicity” has also helped it stand out in the craft beer segment.

“I think bars, restaurants and nightclubs really like that, because it was different from what they saw in other craft beers,” Wagman said.

He added the beer’s marketing takes aim at a wide demographic throughout Toronto.

“We wanted the classic simple brand that can work on Queen West, but also in other areas of the market,” Wagman said.

Ace Hill is the creation of home brewer Blake Anderson, who won in the 2014 pilsner category of the Great Canadian Homebrew

Competition. The pilsner’s success caught the attention of Anderson’s friends in the marketing and hospitality industries.

“I came from the business world and saw a great opportunity to get this off the ground,” Wagman said. “It’s essentially five friends that [each] have a really key element to add.”

Although based in Toronto, Ace Hill is contract brewed at Big Rig Brewing in Ottawa. Ace Hill joined The Beer Store’s lineup in May, and Wagman explained they are now aiming to get their product into grocery stores and the LCBO. “The beer itself has been really well received. We’ve been embraced really quickly,” Wagman said.

The beer’s name refers to the company’s goal of premium simplicity.

“Ace is a reference to quality or excellence.

Hill refers to a simple form of nature that elevates around its surroundings,” Wagman said.

Changes for Victoria Gin

From left: Nancy Arnold, Mike Arnold, Eric Dornan and Jeff Dornan.

All or Nothing jumps in OSHAWA, Ont. — All or Nothing Brewhouse announced in June the purchase of Trafalgar Ales & Meads and its sister companies Black Creek Historic Brewery and Trafalgar Artisanal Distillery.

Beginning in 2014 as a contract brewery with offices in Oshawa, Ont., All or Nothing will move production into Trafalgar’s Oakville, Ont., facilities, located at 1156 Speers Rd. “This move gives All or Nothing a new place to call home, where the company can experiment and expand its product portfolio,” said Eric Dornan, who co-founded All or Nothing with his brother.

Trafalgar’s 12,000-square-foot facility received a new brewery store and tasting bar in 2014 and All or Nothing will be making more capital investments in the form of an automated canning line and additional fermentation tanks to expand capacity.

“By acquiring an already talented and award winning brewery, All or Nothing has an additional leg up in the hyper-competitive craft brewing industry,” said Jeff Dornan.

He said All or Nothing had been looking to move into its own space when the opportunity emerged to purchase Trafalgar. “It made sense to take over an existing business versus building from scratch — it’s faster and it’s nice to have some history behind it,” said Dornan.

Founded in 1993 by Mike Arnold, Trafalgar Ales & Meads produces cider and spirits in addition to its namesake ferments.

“We’re going to keep Trafalgar operating as is,” Dornan said. “We don’t want to kill off the history of Trafalgar; it’s one of Ontario’s oldest breweries. People really don’t realize it’s 23 years old, which is astounding.”

All or Nothing Beer has been positioned as a wheat beer brand, Dornan said, adding the plan is to keep the All or Nothing, Black Creek and Trafalgar brands separate.

Arnold, who co-owned Trafalgar with his wife Nancy, will stay on in a transitional role for a couple months before retiring from the brewing business.

Other than this, Dornan said there would be no staff changes. “Everyone is staying on and we’ll actually probably have to start hiring come the fall when our production moves there,” he added.

The Dornan brothers hail from an entrepreneurial family, and made the move from home improvement products to beer. The pair already had an affinity for selling and marketing and completed their Prud’homme Beer Certification to build a better knowledge base for their new venture.

“Because we were contract brewing, we legally could not have a bottle shop at our office in Oshawa. The first year we were strictly draft only, so we survived by selling to licensees in downtown Toronto,” said Dornan.

After getting into the LCBO last June, All or Nothing’s flagship Hopfenweisse is now distributed province-wide to about 450 locations.

TORONTO — Newly renamed Victoria Distillers (formerly Victoria Spirits) is putting a renewed focus on the Ontario market with its rebranded Victoria Gin. The family-managed business was acquired in 2015 by The Marker Group, which brought with the partnership a $3.5 million investment in infrastructure and marketing.

Brother and sister Peter Hunt (master distiller) and Mia Hunt (PR and marketing, Ontario) stayed on with the distillery while their stepfather Bryan Murray and mother Valerie retired.

“We found a local company that was really excited about putting some wind behind the sails,” said Mia Hunt.

This resulted in a new, larger distillery opening in May on the Seaport Place waterfront of Sidney, B.C. The new site houses two copper pot stills and an on-site lounge, opening in July.

Hunt said there is huge potential in Ontario for the Victoria Gin brand, which has been listed in the LCBO since 2008.

“In B.C., we’re the second highest selling premium gin in the province, so that’s something we would like to see happen in Ontario,” she said.

After being away in Britain, Hunt has her feet back on the ground in the Ontario market, which she said changed a lot over five years.

“It’s exciting that there are other small distillers,” said Hunt. “We in some ways see that

as an advantage because it creates a culture of people being interested in small-batch microdistilling.” She hopes Victoria Distillers can be part of this burgeoning excitement surrounding small-batch spirits in Ontario and reconnect with the foodservice community in the province.

Hunt said the new packaging and branding was an effort to reflect the “contemporary product inside a bit better.” Many thought the previous bottle looked rather old-fashioned, although its intent was to portray a fresh take on tradition with a young Princess Victoria on the label.

“But I think that went over a lot of peoples’ heads ... and it’s not a traditional-style gin, it’s quite a contemporary gin,” Hunt said, adding an important piece of the new branding is the tagline “V + your inspiration.”

A new website will feature tutorials and tricks of the mixology trade in collaboration with well-known bartenders to help consumers not only follow a recipe, but experiment with their own creations.

“I think there is a lot of enigma and ego around bartending and we just want to shake a lot of that off, and just help people feel they are empowered to play because it’s such a fun spirit to mix with because it is so complex — you can really pull out different botanical flavours,” she said. “It’s great with elderflower because it pulls out the floral flavours or something citrus because of the lemon and orange peel.”

July 2016 | 1 3

PEOPLE Sean MacDonald to represent Canada Chef Sean MacDonald (executive chef, Market Restaurant, Calgary) and his signature dish, Duck and Carrot, earned the opportunity to compete against 19 of the world’s top chefs for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 title.

MacDonald was among the ten semi-finalists chosen to compete before a jury of renowned chefs: Normand Laprise (Toqué! and Brasserie T!, Montreal), Connie DeSousa (Charcut, Calgary) and Rob Gentile (Buca, Bar Buca and Buca Yorkville, Toronto).

Laprise will help MacDonald refine his signature dish — pan-roasted duck breast, brined in fennel juice and served with caramelized carrot, pickled fennel, roasted date jam and star anise jus — as Canada’s mentor chef, before travelling to Milan to compete for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 title on Oct. 13.

“It’s amazing to see how a chef ’s personality shines through their dish. As a mentor, I’ll work with MacDonald to channel his raw talent and creativity, ultimately refining his technique and organization,” said Laprise.

The other nine Canadian semi-finalists included: Jorge Muñoz Santos (Bar Oso, Whistler,

B.C.), Yoann Therer (Araxi, Whistler, B.C.), Alison Ramage (Design to Dine, Vancouver), Carmen Ingham (Meat and Bread, Vancouver), Bobby Milheron (Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar, Vancouver), Steven Squier (Delta Bessborough, Saskatoon), Jordan Carlson (Deseo Bistro, Winnipeg), Hayden Johnston (Richmond Station, Toronto) and Michael Loyer (Chez Victoire, Montreal).

Chris Moreland was recently promoted to the newly created position of regional sales director for Ontario at Chesher Equipment.

“As Chesher continues to grow its organic business at a high double digit percentage and with the addition of ACP Amana and most recently some of the Standex lines, it is necessary that our organizational chart reflect the growth in the business,” according to a statement from the company.

Moreland has spearheaded the development of Chesher’s Ontario business for more than two years and during this time, sales volumes have tripled, according to the company, which attributes much of that growth to Moreland’s efforts.

Lisa Alexander (GTA) and Shane Chartrand (Ottawa Valley) will report directly to Chris.

Jean Louis Martin will continue as sales director Eastern Canada, Lisa Basham continues as regional sales manager for British Columbia, while Mark McEwan has the same role for Alberta. Lastly, Ben Heppes recently joined Chesher and heads up the development of chain accounts and consultants.

Jeff Young recently joined Monarch & Misfits as chief development officer to spearhead the franchise development for La Carnita and Sweet Jesus.

Young comes to the role from FDF Restaurant Brandz (Fatburger Canada and Ricky’s Family Restaurants). Prior to that, he was vice-president of development for OPA! Souvlaki Franchise Group from 2008 until 2014 and vice-president of franchise development at Country Style Food Services (2002-2008) and Quiznos Canada (1999-2002).

Monarch & Misfits’ partners Andrew Richmond, Amin Todai and Terry Tsianos brought on the industry veteran to help strengthen their brands both in Canada and globally.

“We have aggressive goals for growth for the La Carnita and Sweet Jesus brands in the coming years and Jeff ’s franchising and real estate expertise will be an asset in allowing us to achieve those goals,” read a statement.

Young said he first discovered the brands as a consumer and “was blown away by the culinary and potential of the concepts. After meeting with Terry, Andrew and Amin, I immediately recognized a winning formula and I knew that I wanted to be a part of the team.”

As of late June, there are two La Carnita/ Sweet Jesus co-branded units as well as one standalone La Carnita in downtown Toronto.

Another co-branded unit is under construction at Yonge & Eglinton in Toronto, while one is slated to open in Liberty Village. A standalone Sweet Jesus is scheduled to open in ByWard Market in Ottawa.

Finalists selected for Hawksworth scholarship

Stephen Baidacoff TORONTO — Stephen Baidacoff and Alex Nacinovich will head to Vancouver to compete in the national finals of the Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship following the Toronto regional heat.

Baidacoff placed first in the competition with his dish of roasted rabbit and cappellacci with leek. He is currently working as a private chef consultant.

Baidacoff and Nacinovich, who works at Restaurant Bosk, move through to the national final, taking place Sept. 17 at Vancouver Community College.

“As we enter our fourth year, the intense level of competition we see in the kitchen is remarkable,” said chef David Hawksworth, founder of the Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship.

Regional heats have also taken place in Calgary, Vancouver and Montreal determining the other finalists: Alex Edmonson, Coleman Everest, Alex Hon, Corey Hess, Massimo Piedimonte and Ritchie Nguyen.

The final eight will use black box mystery ingredients to compete for a $10,000 cash prize and an international stage.

ORHMA hands out Best Bar None Awards in Toronto, Ottawa OTTAWA — Real Sports Bar & Grill and Fatboys Southern Smokehouse have been recognized as the best among bars, restaurants and clubs when it comes to implementing high standards for the responsible sales and service of alcohol in ByWard Market.

The establishments were selected by a judging panel comprising Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada), the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), and Best Bar None (BBN) Ontario, an industry-led international accreditation and awards program that rewards excellence amongst responsible liquor sales licensees.

Best Bar None also handed out awards for the Byward Market area to Real Sports bar for bar/lounge; Pub 101 for best pub; Fatboys for best restaurant and Courtyard Marriott for best hotel and Kavali for best club. Kavali also received the award for people’s choice.

“I congratulate the winners for serving their

1 4 | Ontario Restaurant News

community and for being role models for the industry,” said Tony Elenis, president and chief executive officer of the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association (ORHMA), which leads BBN Ontario.

Both the winners and the newly accredited establishments receive a BBN decal and other marketing materials to promote their status as a BBN-accredited venue.

In Toronto, Best Bar None Awards recognized establishments in Toronto’s downtown core.

There are eight winners of the fourth annual Toronto awards: Best Bar/Lounge, Real Sports Bar & Grill; Best Members Club, The Spoke Club; Best Restaurant, Jack Astor’s (John Street); Best Hotel, Hyatt Regency Toronto on King; Best Club, Crocodile Rock; Best Venue, BMO Field; Best Pub, Fionn MacCool’s (Front Street) and People’s Choice, The Bier Markt (King Street).

From left: Ottawa winners France Lavigne (Pub 101), Nancy Champagne & Cristina Sartori (Courtyard Marriott Ottawa), Ashley Corbett (Real Sports Bar & Grill), Mariano De Marinis (Kavali Nightclub), Morgan Rukiewicz (Fatboys Southern Smoke House), Tony Elenis (ORHMA).

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