Restaurant Inc. Winter 2013

RESTAURANT

With the expertise of Chefs and Foodservice Professionals, we are dedicated to sourcing and delivering high quality products, that are typically hard to access.

GOURMET AND IMPORTED SPECIALTIES Powered by

the business of food

Last, but not least, we offer a value added, one stop shopping experience for all your high end culinary needs.

VOL 02, ISSUE 01 n WINTER 2014 n $5.99

The price you see is the price you pay.

CHEESE

R E S TA U R A N T I N C

Over 5,000 gourmet and specialty products

|

Our Chefs Food Fight!

In Our Communities

with Recipes pg. 76

Bouncing Around the Bayou pg. 08

Forecasting 2014

Our Prognosticators Look Ahead pg. 30

|

MEAT & GAME

the business of food

CHOCOLATES

ISSUE 01: 2014

EXOTIC PRODUCE

888.543.7374 • rfsdelivers.com • tracsdirect.com • gourmetfoodservicegrouprfs.com

Seafood for Thought

Better Get Social

Strategies & Tools for Social Marketing Success pg. 34

RI_Cover_Issue1_2014.indd 1

12/6/13 9:08 AM

COFFEE JUICE SOFT DRINKS

INDUSTRY-LEADING KITCHEN MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

TRACS® Direct Place orders, manage food costs, control inventory, build recipes, and browse extensive product inventory.

TRACS Direct makes any kitchen run smoother and more efficiently. We have your interests in mind, to equip you with powerful tools that help manage

DETERGENTS, CLEANERS, DEGREASERS Yo u r c o m p l e t e b e v e r a g e a n d c h e m i c a l s o l u t i o n !

Ask your sales consultant for more information.

your business. With TRACS Direct, managing multiple locations has never been simpler. Now you can focus on running your business rather than running around. And because TRACS Direct is Web BOUT O E A U

U

IP

M

RO

EQ

GR

AM!

INQ

IR

R

U

based, it is accessible 24/7 and from any laptop or tablet.

ENT LEASE

P

File Name:

ProPower_cmyk.eps

Client:

IMA

Brand:

ProPak

Fonts:

Colors: Name:

Helvetica Oblique Black C Rob Hicks

M

Y

K 10/21/04

NOTES:

Contact your local Reinhart® Sales Consultant for more information on sign-up at tracsdirect.com.

RI_Cover_Issue1_2014.indd 2

rfsdelivers.com • tracsdirect.com 12/6/13 9:08 AM

Increase sales by leaps and pounds.

The U.S. smoothie market has grown rapidly over the last five years. With 1 lb. of fruit in every bottle,* customers already know that Naked JuiceÂŽ is more than your average O.J. Add these delicious flavors to your current juice set, and give them the good stuff they crave.

Scan now to qualify for $2.00 off per case for a limited time.

I S Sshown.

U E 1 , 2 Š2013 0 1 4 Naked R F S DJuice ELIV ERS.COM *Weight of fruit prior to juicing, in 15.2 oz. bottles Company.

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 1

1

12/3/13 4:36 PM

LETTER FROM THE CEO

Springing to Greatness Just over the horizon that is time, spring looms in the coming months and our thoughts are infiltrated by renewal and revival. We look at this season as an opportunity to do some “spring cleaning,” perhaps around the operations. It’s always important to ask the difficult questions in order to improve and increase business: Am I maximizing profitability on my menu?

Is my concept refined enough to fit my target audience? Do customers leave my operation happy, satisfied, and with the desire to return?

Am I incorporating the right trends in my menu, bar menu, or concept? Am I marketing my business properly to my target market?

Amid all these self-reflecting inquiries, the industry faces a more educated customer.

With celebrity chefs, countless “foodie” shows, documented culinary innovations, and 24-hour coverage on the Food Network®, consumers are exposed to nearly everything in the industry – including how restaurants should be run. Expectations are raised in all facets of the operation, especially with service and food quality. Palates have evolved to expect more flavor and craftsmanship to the menu as well as fresh tastes, seasonal dishes, and pristine presentation. Service cultures are emphasized in every business and industry, that the slightest blip during a

dining experience could trend on social media spaces within nanoseconds.

It is imperative that we work together to reach and exceed those expectations. That is why we publish Restaurant Inc, The Business of Food. We want to keep an ear to the ground for you, the operator, and maintain that level of service and quality in order to better serve your customers.

For this Winter Issue, we traveled to The Bayou State to learn the successes of our spirited operators and bring that wisdom to our readership. We hope you find a new way to serve customers, an exciting recipe, or perhaps a new strategy to market to potential customers. The Reinhart Family is always focused on the operator and committed to our mutual success.

Thank you and enjoy the Winter Issue of Restaurant Inc, The Business of Food!

Sincerely,

John Roussel Chief Executive Officer Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C.

C 2 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 2

12/3/13 4:37 PM

Exceed Expectations.

Open the gates to delicious and keep customers coming back with quality meats cut to your specifications.

You have the ideas — let us supply the center of the plate. ®

Contact your local Reinhart® Sales Consultant for more information on Eagle Ridge . The Eagle Ridge brand is available only through Reinhart.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 3

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 3

12/3/13 4:37 PM

EA

SP R

D

W

LN EL

ONLY 1 OUT OF 3 ADULTS

ESS

WASH THEIR HANDS AFTER COUGHING OR SNEEZING

USING PAPER TOWELS REDUCES BACTERIA ON HANDS UP TO 77%

1

HAND WASHING

IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF MANY TYPES OF INFECTION & ILLNESS

5

4

HELPING YOU AND THOSE AROUND YOU STAY HEALTHY CERTAIN GERMS CAN

48 HOURS ON SOME SURFACES

2

SP R EA D

THRIVE UP TO

THE ECONOMIC COST OF LOST PRODUCTION IN THE U.S. DUE TO THE COMMON COLD APPROACHES

$25 BILLION

3

W

S LNES L E

79% OF PEOPLE PREFER PAPER TOWELS TO AIR DRYING 6

Contact your Reinhart Sales Consultant for more information about Georgia-Pacific products

Sources: 1 Harris Interactive online survey with U.S. consumers, November 2010. Prepared for the American Microbiolgy Society and the American Cleaning Institute. 2 Survival of influenza viruses on environmental surfaces study. Journal of Infectious Disease, July 1982. 3 Productivity Losses Related to the Common Cold research. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, September 2002.

4 Centers for Disease Control, May 11, 2012. 5 A comparative study of different hand drying methods. University of Westminster, Feb. 2009. 6 Washroom Products Study sponsored by Georgia-Pacific, July 2009. Š 2013 Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP. All rights reserved. The Georgia-Pacific logo and enMotion are trademarks owned by or licensed to Georgia-Pacific Consumer Proucts LP.

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 4

12/3/13 4:37 PM

V O L

0 2 .

Winter

I S S U E

0 1

page 1 of 2

COVER FEATURED ARTICLES 08 In Our Communities Bouncing Around the Bayou 30 Forecasting 2014 Our Prognosticators Look Ahead 34 Better Get Social Strategies & Tools for Social Marketing Success 76 Seafood for Thought Our Chefs Food Fight! w/Recipes

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Cronert COPY EDITOR Dave Salvi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ART DIRECTION & LEAD DESIGNER Jenn Bushman

26 Trending Now

DESIGNER Drew Frigo PHOTOGRAPHERS Dan Coha, Dave Salvi, Holly Schreiber

37 Wheat Free Rising Gluten-Free Dining is a Full-Blown Movement

ADVERTISING SALES Andrea Long ADVERTISING INFORMATION:

44 All About Alfresco

For rates/media kit, contact Andrea Long at along@rfsdelivers.com.

48 Stable Forces Burn the Churn

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS/WRITERS Sam Calagione, Min Casey, Pat Dailey, Sharon Karlman, Mindy Kolof, Chef

52 Total Recall...

Are You Prepared?

Demetrio Marquez, Gerry O'Brion, Dave Salvi, Holly Schreiber, Audarshia Townsend, Jeff Zimmerman

Cover Image | Dan Coha Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. welcomes letters and comments. Mail should be directed to: Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C., Attn: Marketing, 6250 N. River Road, Suite 9000, Rosemont, IL 60018 or magazine@rfsdelivers.com

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 5

photo by Dan Coha

54 Acts of Kindness

Š2014 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The trademarks depicted herein are trademarks (registered ISS U E 1 , 2 or 0 1otherwise) 4 R F S D of E Ltheir I V E respective R S . C O Mowners.

5

12/3/13 4:37 PM

V O L

0 2 .

Winter

I S S U E

0 1

page 2 of 2

TOC co n t in u e d 56 Feeding America Interview 58 Let's Get This Party Started: Bar Snacks

BEVERAGE SECTION

60

62 Project Bunyan and the Future of Dogfish Head

68 Turning Bar Bites Into Big Revenue 74 Homaru Cantu Interview

64 Springtime, Beer Time, Anytime

84 Cajun or Creole 88 From Tree to Tabletop Magical Maple

65 Spring Seasonals

90 One Potato, New Potato: U.S. Breeders Dig Deep to Uncover Real Spud Appeal

66 Beer Sales Strategies

92 Get Schooled Lab to Kitchen Takes Over 96 Calendar of Events Upcoming | Food Shows

photo provided by Brand Muscle

98 Sneak Peek Great Places in Kansas City

6 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 6

99 - 101 Recipe Section 102 | 103 Operator Index | Ad Index 104 Commodities Tracking

Š2014 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The trademarks depicted herein are trademarks (registered or otherwise) of their respective owners.

12/3/13 4:37 PM

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 7

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 7

12/3/13 4:37 PM

I INN OO UU RR C COOMMMMUUNNI IT TI IE ES S

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 8

12/3/13 4:37 PM

Parading the Land of Louis for eclectic cuisines and Bayou favorites!

T

eam Reinhart ventured to the Bayou State for scrumptious cuisine, fresh seafood, and some of the most colorful personalities in America. From just a couple days, Restaurant Inc noticed the spirit and Southern hospitality that gushes from this region. Not only do these Cajuns and Creoles love to eat, they love to invite people into their buildings for delicious tastes, fun music, and creative drinks. There’s a lot more than Mardi Gras!

Although this area was decimated by Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana’s hearty operators have “rebuilt” themselves to better serve customers and ultimately the industry by providing a roadmap to success amidst the worst scenarios. Armed with stories, generations-old recipes, and hearts of gold, Louisianans were happy to share words of wisdom and anecdotes any operation in Reinhart Country can learn from.

Join us as we travel the Bayou! Who Dat!

by Dave Salvi & Holly Schreiber

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 9

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 9

12/3/13 4:37 PM

I INN OO UU RR C COOMMMMUUNNI IT TI IE ES S

Habacu’s Mexican Restaurant Minden, Louisiana

A

s one of the newer restaurants in the area, Habacu’s Mexican Restaurant is well worth the 40-minute trip down Interstate-20 from Shreveport. Open just a little over two years, Habacu’s is already a fixture on Minden’s main drag and continues to bring in customers from around North Louisiana.

On any given night you can find a mix of young and old, celebrating in the restaurant’s party-like atmosphere.

Now with two locations, owner Habacu Morales has been shocked by the quick success of his restaurants. It has been a long road to success, though, filled with difficulties.

Morales began his career working in local Tex-Mex joints and worked his way up the ladder of success. Although he had no prior restaurant experience and no desire to stay in the industry, he was a natural in the kitchen and with customers.

Something inside of him just clicked, he said. On a wing and a prayer, he negotiated a space off the beaten path in Minden and opened a Mexican buffet restaurant.

Trying to Adapt His initial venture did not do the business he had hoped, and soon closed. Armed with hard lessons learned, Morales continued his pursuit of his own space—and a new vision.

It wasn’t long before a vacated restaurant in Minden’s city square became available and he jumped on it. He knew, however, that everything about his concept had to change.

Team Reinhart visited Habacu’s for an operator spotlight video!

The menu, service style, and even the décor was spiced up. Initially, some were skeptical if the small town of Minden was ready for such an eclectic space.

On Minden’s Main Street, filled with banks, bookstores and teashops, an edgy

"I had to believe in myself and go with my gut. I had to stop listening to everyone else and go with what I knew.

I grew up around here and I knew what was missing.”

–Habacu Morales, Owner, Habacu's Mexican Restaurant

restaurant with a tattooed young owner might indeed stick out like a sore thumb.

Morales said, “At this point, I had to believe in myself and go with my gut. I had to stop listening to everyone else and go with what I knew. I grew up around here and I knew what was missing.”

Sure enough, the residents of Minden were ready for a provocative upgrade. Morales’ business has been booming, leading quickly to the opening of a second location in the neighboring town of Springhill.

Now Habacu’s is Cooking A trademark of the restaurant is Habacu’s fabulous home style cooking. His menu features many traditional favorites he learned to love as a child and he attributes his success to his commitment to staying true to these recipes. He believes that it is commitment to authenticity that sets his menu apart from others in the area and that keeps his customers coming back.

“I spend as much time in the kitchen as I do the front of the house. I want everything to be right,” he said.

Although Morales continues to feature traditional comfort foods, he has also added to his menu dishes such as the Plato Costilla Caliente (spicy Mexican-style pork ribs), deep fried avocados, menudo, and his favorite, the Hangover Enchiladas—filled with bacon-wrapped jalapenos, onions, and cheese, then topped with a mixture of queso and red sauce.

So, what’s next for Habacu’s? Morales hopes to continue expanding. “It would be great to bring this to a larger market like Shreveport, where I believe we would make an impact, but where I would still be close enough to be hands-on.”

As for Morales himself, he said that as long as he continues to enjoy the ride, he will be in for the long haul. His style reminds the world that food and friends should be savored together and often; that sharing a meal is a sacred celebration of heritage, love, culture, and family. His “work hard, party hard” attitude speaks loudly to his customers who come looking to escape for a little while.

As Morales put it, “Business is good, life is good, people are happy. Why not celebrate?”

[Editor’s Note: Everyone with Restaurant Inc agrees!]

10 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 10

12/3/13 4:37 PM

Notini’s Italian Restaurant

Bossier City, Louisiana

"You will not be successful in the business unless you are willing to be a slave to it. You have to love what you’re doing. It becomes your life.”

–Jerry Kolniak, Owner, Notini’s Italian Restaurant

might get a hug (at no extra charge) from Jerry’s Uncle Joe, who at 91 years young still makes it a point to visit as many customers as he can.

T

he art of serving up family-style recipes is a Louisiana tradition, and, some would say, remains the heart of today’s restaurant industry. Jerry Kolniak, owner of Notini’s Italian Restaurant in Bossier City, is one of those restaurateurs who knows how to keep family at the center of everything, like honoring the restaurant with his grandfather's name, Antonio Notini, who immigrated from Italy in 1909.

Extended Family Notini’s dining room is dotted with family pictures and stories dating back to the 1800s.

Kolniak takes pride in recounting his family’s history to customers, who are warmly welcomed as a part of the extended family as soon as they walk in. Lucky patrons just

Over the past 35 years, Kolniak has seen many restaurants come and go. He is humbled by Notini’s longevity and the passion his customers display for his fare.

“To me, I am successful to the point that I am still in business. I like being in business because I love my customers. We could have franchised, or opened more stores, but that is not what I wanted. I like people, and if I am running 15 stores, I’ve got an office, not a dining room. Our customers have always been our family and I want to keep it that way.”

Ultimately, Kolniak believes that “You will not be successful in the business unless you are willing to be a slave to it. You have to love what you’re doing. It becomes your life, and if it is what you like to do, that helps.”

Tradition of Family Style Food The key to his operation has always been quality and consistency. Almost everything on the menu is still made from scratch, including their famous marinara and Alfredo sauces. Ingredient choice is never compromised.

“You have to be true to your customers.

They can’t look like a dollar bill to you.

You have to take care of them. If they like what they are eating now, they need to

like it 10 years from now. I develop my menu with product I can get all the time, and if the price goes up or down, I just go with the flow. I am not going to give my customers a lesser quality product just to make an extra buck.”

Over the years, Notini’s has been a tradition for generations of families living in Shreveport/Bossier. Should you happen to drop in, enhance your experience by asking for Tony’s Table.

It may look just like every other table in the dining room, covered in a red-andwhite checkered tablecloth. Restaurant Inc discovered, however, that to sit at Grandfather Notini’s favorite table is to

Find Notini’s on the Web Visit www.notinis.net or Facebook for more information and pictures! feel the family’s history and their legacy to the local area.

In any event, be sure to come hungry. The Wednesday all-you-can-eat spaghetti night packs the house. Their famous Muffuletta sandwich, which includes a mix of Italian meats, cheeses and a specialty olive mix on specialty bread, can feed an army. The mint spiced tea, made in-house, is so popular that it is sold by the gallon.

Above all else, when you have a meal at Notini’s, you will know you are at home.

Your story becomes their story – and you become yet another “cuz” in their evergrowing family!

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 11

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 11

12/3/13 4:37 PM

I INN OO UU RR C COOMMMMUUNNI IT TI IE ES S

Shane’s Seafood and Barbecue Shreveport, Louisiana

A

s you travel north along I-49, traditional Louisiana cuisine, rooted in Cajun and Creole cooking, blossoms into a combination of eclectic tastes and textures.

Certain pockets of America throw cultures into a big mixing bowl and press the “blend” button. Add, for example, a bit of Texas barbecue, a dash of Mexican flair, and top it off with some good ole’ Southern charm. In Shreveport, what you get is a unique mix of flavors found nowhere else. Often, the result is just too delicious.

And what you get is Shane’s Seafood and Barbecue.

Making It (Work) It is hard for Shane Rodgers to believe that next year will mark his twentieth year in the restaurant business. With an educational background in Biology, Chemistry and Exercise Science, this was not the path he planned on taking (Upon reflection, he is still not quite sure what he wants to be when he “grows up!”). Nonetheless, what began as a way for Rodgers and a college friend to make a little extra money has now grown into five local eating establishments, each with their own signature flair.

As Shane puts it, anyone in Louisiana knows crawfish sells – even a college boy. Between his friend’s connections and Rodgers’ ability to build pretty much anything (he built their original cooking trailer from the ground up), the young partners began selling crawfish in the parking lot of a nearby Kmart during the summer months. Business was good, but it was difficult to find quality employees who were interested in more than a temporary summer job. To take his business to the next level, Rodgers knew he would have to dive in full-time. He signed a lease on what he called “The Shack” and installed a yearround menu along with seasonal crawfish.

"For me, the only thing that is consistent in this business is change, and if you can’t get used to it, you will never be successful.”

–Shane Rodgers, Owner, Shane's Seafood and Barbecue

Reflecting on what he has learned over the years, Rodgers said, “For me, the only thing that is consistent in this business is change, and if you can’t get used to it, you will never be successful.” Shane’s has seen success over the years because Rodgers is not afraid to change for the sake of his customers. “We try to sell what people want to buy.” From fried fish and seafood to barbecue, boudin, gumbo, and meat pies, Shane’s offers a sampling of what diners have come to expect from a Louisiana “crossroads” restaurant.

A repeat customer of Shane’s had this to offer: “Those in the northern part of the state are as schooled on good barbecue as they are on crawfish and cornbread. If you want to cook anything in north Louisiana, you better know what you are doing.”

Magic Touches Part of Shane’s success is based in what you might call localized variety, as he is committed to creating a menu that is built around his customers’ many and varied tastes. While all of the Shane’s locations have the same basic menu, each one offers signature items based on their locale. One location offers protein shakes and smoothies, while another offers tamales. The original “Shack” only sells crawfish and fixings and is open during crawfish season.

When a local pastor and frequent customer asked if he would add a turkey burger to the menu, Rodgers was skeptical.

Admittedly not a fan of turkey, Rodgers took a chance on one of Reinhart’s turkey patty products. “It was out of this world!” Rodgers remembers, “That’s usually what I end up having for lunch.”

For Rodgers, time is on his side. “I don’t get in a hurry about anything. I take my time with making decisions. I don’t rely too much on others to tell me what to do. If you don’t know how to do it, take the time to learn and figure it out as you go. You will be better for it in the long run.”

As requests to expand and franchise come in from all parts of the state (even the mayor of Texarkana has given him a call!), Rodgers is taking it all in stride – and seems to love the journey.

12 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 12

12/3/13 4:37 PM

Sans Alcohol Rodgers has a long-standing relationship with local spiritual leaders. “We sell everything people want to buy – except for alcohol,” he says with a smile. The owner of the property that became the first “shack” was a local Baptist preacher.

Rodgers reports that after many hours of convincing the pastor to rent out the space, the preacher prayed with him and made him get down on his knees and promise to God that he would never sell alcohol to his customers (the lengthy prayer also involved swearing off various other vices including video poker).

“At the time, I was a college kid selling off the back of a trailer, so it didn’t seem like too big of an issue for me.” At the grand opening of his first location, however, Rodgers was met with many naysayers. “They told me there is no way I would make it. You cannot sell crawfish without beer.” But Rodgers stuck to his promise. Twenty years later, he confesses, “We’ve really been blessed, so I think we’ll stick with it!”

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 13

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 13

12/3/13 4:37 PM

I INN OO UU RR C COOMMMMUUNNI IT TI IE ES S

Catfish Cabin Monroe, Louisiana

A

recurring theme in the Louisiana restaurant industry is family.

Some of the greatest restaurants in this state have stood for 30, 50, or a hundred years and are still family owned and operated. One of the state’s mainstay family ventures continues to be Catfish Cabin in Monroe.

Currently owned by David Hearn and his brother Russell, the restaurant has been a part of the family since 1972, when David’s father opened the establishment with his cousin. David was just 11 years old, but remembers working in the restaurant every day bussing tables, washing dishes, and interacting with customers.

Longevity in this business is something David, the current chairman for the Louisiana Restaurant Association, values.

“Our customers have watched me and my brother grow up, they have seen our kids grow up, and now our grandkids. In turn, we know them, their children, their grandchildren.”

People have grown up coming to this restaurant, and it has been a comfort for both the Hearn family and their patrons to have dined together through good times and bad. Many of Hearn’s employees have been with the restaurant anywhere from eight to 20 years. Several started working at the restaurant when Hearn’s father opened the doors and then retired right alongside him. It is often said that there is a lot of turnover in this industry, but “We are a diamond in the rough for longevity of employees. We take care of them, and in turn, they take care of us.”

The building that houses Catfish Cabin has just as rich a history. Built in 1939, it was then called the Rendezvous Supper Club.

“If these walls could talk,” Hearn laughs.

Over the years, he has heard all kinds of stories from longtime customers about the “good old days” at the Rendezvous.

"You can’t just hire a manager and cook and then go play golf. They will not treat the business the same as you.”

–David Hearn , Co-Owner, Catfish Cabin

Sharing stories like these energizes the spirit of The Cabin and gives the restaurant a character like no other. “We could never move or change locations,” said Hearn. “It just would not be the same.”

Keeping the Cabin Going As he reflects on the many years his family has welcomed diners to Catfish Cabin, Hearn shares some words of wisdom for those new to the business: “Treat the customer the way you want to be treated when you spend your money. My employees know that distractions don’t work here. You treat the customer like the only person in the dining room and you take care of them. Everything will take care of itself from there.”

Hearn firmly believes that the restaurant life is not for everyone. “My kids have grown up seeing me put in 65 to 70 hours a week at this place. You have to be ‘hands on.’ You can’t just hire a manager and cook and then go play golf. They will not treat the business the same as you.”

From his involvement with the LRA, Hearn has seen firsthand what it takes to be successful. “Throughout this state, the restaurants that have a name – that have been around for ages – are the ones that just have one or two locations, and the owners or partners are onsite on a daily basis. Not to say it’s not possible the other way, but if you want longevity—if you want to become a community cornerstone—

your customers need to know you, not just your staff.”

The most recent claim to fame for the business was being featured on the reality show Duck Dynasty on the A&E Channel.

Hearn had the pleasure of "negotiating" a fish purchase for Catfish Cabin in a bit part with two of the show’s main characters.

They have received more attention from a younger crowd since that airing, but he is not quite ready for Facebook and Twitter.

On the future of Catfish Cabin, Hearn is in for the long haul. “I am not retiring any time soon.”

14 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 14

12/5/13 9:35 PM

Loyalty The Hearn Family and Reinhart have been partners since Catfish Cabin opened its doors in 1972. Since, they have changed sales reps only three times. Loyalty is never undervalued!

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 15

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 15

12/3/13 4:37 PM

Find Silver Star’s Reinhart Video!

Team Reinhart visited Silver Star for a fun operator spotlight video!

Learn more about this restaurant.

Scan the QR code to watch

16 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 16

12/3/13 4:37 PM

I INN OO UU RR C COOMMMMUUNNI IT TI IE ES S

Silver Star Smokehouse & Saloon Bossier City, Louisiana

P

eople say he’s got barbecue sauce for blood. That must be one reason why restaurant owner David Alvis has made it his life’s mission to share the smoky goodness of his delicious barbecue with the world. He owns one of the most popular restaurants in the Shreveport-Bossier area, Silver Star Smokehouse and Saloon. Alvis is on his way to building a restaurant empire in Northwest Louisiana, and “The Star,” as many call it, has quickly become the barbecue Mecca for the region.

Alvis began his pursuit of barbecue perfection at a smaller location called The Country Tavern in Shreveport, which quickly became well known for serving the best barbecue in the area.

As popularity grew, he was prepared to expand, knowing that the location of Country Tavern was just not adequate for his vision. Alvis made the risky decision to pack up and move his entire staff across the Red River to a new spot in a growing part of the city. The parking lot was small and the dining room was modest, but customers came in droves.

Not many realize that Shreveport and Bossier City, separated by the Red River, have an intense “restaurant rivalry.”

Using this sense of culinary competition to his advantage, Alvis’ defection to Bossier City fueled almost instant popularity.

Not long after opening at the new location, Silver Star was bursting at the seams, and it was time once again to make some tough decisions.

Opening Up BBQ A much larger space became available just a few miles down the road, but farther off the beaten path. It would take some renovating, but would triple the

The restaurant maintains a level of class untypical of a more run-of-the-mill barbecue joint, but the menu still has those down home favorites everyone craves. Alvis believes in letting the quality of the meat shine and taking time to prepare it just the right way.

size of the existing dining area. Once again, Alvis packed up the team and moved them to the new space.

Many believed it to be unwise to switch locations so soon, but Alvis had faith in his following, even if they had to break out the road map to find him – and find him they did! On any given weekend, there are 200 to 300 reservations on the books. The restaurant is bustling from open to close.

For patrons, Silver Star is as likely to be a spot for a romantic rendezvous as a place to watch the game with a few of the boys. The restaurant maintains a level of class untypical of a more runof-the-mill barbecue joint, but the menu still has those down home favorites everyone craves.

Alvis believes in letting the quality of the meat shine and taking time to prepare it just the right way. The rows of barbecue pits at The Star are loaded every night with pounds of turkey, chicken, ribs, and brisket. Though the star at The Star is the deliciously prepared meat, another traditional favorite are the Au Gratin Potatoes. Served as a side or on its own, these cheesy, bubbly potatoes are a Silver Star trademark and a step up from the typical cold potato salad.

Gift of Giving All of Alvis’s customers know of his great barbecue, but few may realize how committed Alvis is to his employees and to his city. He is diligent about not letting any food go to waste that can go to help someone in need.

Many unused meat products and side dishes that cannot be reheated are sent by the barrel to the local Food Bank, where they are used to feed hundreds of children in the after-school Kid’s Café program.

If more local restaurants in the area would follow Alvis’ lead by donating their “throw-away” and surplus food items, the restaurant industry could make a real impact on the lives of families in need in the community. Alvis’ employees also share numerous stories of how he has come to their aid over the years.

Life does not seem to be slowing down for Alvis, but he seems to prefer it that way. Is his benevolent attitude and community spirit a key to his success?

Probably. But cooking up the area’s best barbecue doesn’t hurt.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 17

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 17

12/3/13 4:37 PM

I INN OO UU RR C COOMMMMUUNNI IT TI IE ES S

New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Company™

Metairie, Louisiana

N

ew Orleans Hamburger & Seafood (NOHS) hummed along contently for years. From its beginning in 1984, this company served the New Orleans area with three locations.

Business was fine for the time.

But as the business drifted, the owners of New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood decided to take a step toward a definitive solution. Paul McGoey, current CEO and Managing Partner of NOHSC Restaurant Group, was first hired in 2001 as a consultant. And his vision is what resonated.

You Say You Want an Evolution

Three in One New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Company comprises of three different concepts: New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Company (www.nohsc. com), Legacy KitchenSM (www.legacykitchen.com), and New Orleans Coffee & Beignet Co.® (www.nohsc.com/CoffeeShop).

Network® programming, and a host of other foodie shows dominating television, everyone’s inner chef was stimulated. As a result, consumers demand higher integrity from the industry – especially in the fast food and fast casual segments.

When McGoey analyzed his client, he found a need for invigoration. For McGoey, the restaurants looked, acted, and tasted like 1984. The rest of the pack ran forward. The restaurant had an opportunity to change and had to in order to keep the doors open.

NOHS took on a fast casual concept with counter service, gourmet burgers, friedto-order seafood and New Orleans-centric dishes, literally like the name. Guests came to the counter, placed the order, and that’s it, as McGoey described.

McGoey explained, “They needed to evolve the concept, the menu, décor, and core values of the company.” He cited several restaurants in the same segment that evolved, including quintessential fast food king McDonald’s®.

“From that moment on, we served them.

We bring the entrees, we bussed the table, and all that. That keeps the price down for them. It keeps their dining experience quicker for them, and lowers a forced to tip.”

McGoey said. The smaller waitstaff meant more tips from the quantity of tables. Guests

The onslaught of food on TV affected the consumer, noted McGoey. With Food

felt comfortable leaving a couple bucks. As McGoey said, “It’s a win-win for everyone. It allows us to play in the niche.”

Culture Change Evolution didn’t just happen at the store level, but also at the corporate level. When McGoey turned owner a few years later, the corporate message changed to “Better Food. Better Life.”—a simple message packed with culinary and hospitality punch.

Their teams focused on quality, a great experience and profitability. From that, they provide a better life for themselves, and a better staff life translates to a better guest experience.

The corporate office has a Director of Training and Culture, a position responsible for creating and cultivating a culture of the

18 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 18

12/3/13 4:37 PM

Legacy Kitchen

company that bleeds all the way down from corporate to every employee.

“We really have lower turnover, a better attitude. Everyone is smiling and there’s better service,” he said. Mostly, the corporate commitment says something about the employee-corporate relationship: “We care about them. They care about us.”

Metairie, Louisiana

Born from past work and life experiences of its owners, Legacy Kitchen resides in a very particular segment of its own – very much on purpose. Since opening in June 2013, they’re just getting started.

Spreading Their Wings

Owner Paul McGoey explained his restaurant’s segment, “We’re not fine dining. We’re upscale casual in our approach. But our food and service format, we want that to be, in theory, as fine dining as it gets in terms of professionalism, but in a more casual, relaxed setting.” In other words: Everyone kicks casual up a notch.

Since McGoey’s ascension to CEO, New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Company has seen gradual expansion, and he offers suggestions for emerging chains:

1. Resist

the temptation of customer rave reviews. Wait until you have your system down and documented. Build a management infrastructure, and not just the people, but the training and culture.

Detail the business pro forma to outline your profitability.

Guests quaff in patriotism upon entering the restaurant and are treated with superior service without any worry of white tablecloths, tuxedoed waiters, or giant bills. He harps on ultraprofessional service, craftily refined American fare, and hand-selected music from American artists who have left a legacy. [Reporter’s Note: You’ll hear plenty of Elvis Presley.] Interpretations of the American flag decorate the walls.

2. Don’t

be blurred by the honeymoon.

Everyone does well in the first four, five, six months. Know reality versus honeymoon by simply knowing your business and how it works, and what makes it successful.

3. Geographic

placement for sister store support within a 45-minute radius. From product to support staff, his restaurants sail under the NOHSC flag for each other.

4. Know youself, know your community, be

The rules have yielded success, bringing on six more restaurants (total of 9) and growth outside of New Orleans metropolitan.

McGoey and team are also working on a franchise model for further expansion along the Gulf Coast states. Business is good and McGoey hasn’t looked back.

Photo provided by NOHSC

yourself. Stay with your concept if it works and tweak accordingly. Overhauling what works isn’t your best move.

Legacy Kitchen’s concept is key to the internal structure of the company.

It allows for upward growth within the entire company, each being its own step, from New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood to New Orleans Coffee & Beignet to Legacy. McGoey says it simply, “It’s about our mission to leave the right legacy for the staff that comes here down the road.”

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 19

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 19

12/3/13 4:37 PM

Local Flair Favorite

Chef J.P. Roots glowed about his food vision to Restaurant Inc and was gracious enough to share one of his favorites.

Shrimp & Chorizo Savory Cheesecake

Crust Ingredients: 1 c bread crumbs 1/2 c butter, melted 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp white pepper

Flavor Mixture Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 lb chorizo sausage, quartered 1/2 slice 1/2 c peppers, green & red bell, diced 1/2 c red onions 1/2 lb shrimp, diced 1/4 c garlic, minced 1/2 c Worcestershire 2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp blackened seasoning Batter Ingredients: 4 large eggs 1/2 c heavy cream 1 3/4 lb cream cheese All flavor mixture

Crust Prep: Combine bread crumbs, butter, salt and white pepper. With hands spread all around the bottom of the pan, push down evenly.

Flavor Mixture Prep: Brown sausage in the oven for 12 minutes at 350°F. Let cool and slice. Heat oil in a pan, add sausage and brown. Add peppers/onions and sauté until translucent.

Add shrimp and cook until pink–cooked through. Add garlic, Worcestershire and seasonings. Sauté for 2-3 minutes and let mixture cool.

Batter Prep: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the eggs in a large mixing bowl until thick and frothy. Beat in the cream.

Fold in the flavor mixture until completely combined.

Cheesecake Prep: Pour the filling over the crust. Bake in convection oven at 325°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool at room temperature.

20 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 20

12/3/13 4:37 PM

I INN OO UU RR C COOMMMMUUNNI IT TI IE ES S

Velvet Cactus

New Orleans, Louisiana

T

he owners of Velvet Cactus were hard-pressed to describe their concept to Restaurant Inc, not out of confusion or hubris, but because of the uniqueness their operation brings to the neighborhood in northern Big Easy. They wanted to pinpoint it perfectly.

After a moment, owner Rusty White said, “Mexican dive, funky art joint.” Executive Chef J.P. Roots sat next to Rusty and nodded with a smile. Chef Roots added, “We have Latin and Mexican flair to New Orleans’s traditional dishes.” Margaritas aren’t too shabby either.

[Reporter’s Note: We tried a sip…or two.]

Mexican Dive, Funky Art Joint For Velvet Cactus, establishing a fun and energetic atmosphere was the first step.

Playing their parts the décor, the music, and the “killer” patio hugging the south end of the building. And for guests waiting for a table, beanbag toss helped pass the time, or a margarita from their welcoming full-service bar near the entrance.

Velvet Cactus invites local artists to display art throughout the restaurant as decoration.

From funky Bourbon Street models to Bluesinspired paintings, Velvet Cactus’s walls are just plain cool (not to mention the psychedelic ornamented bike gloating in the corner). All displayed art is for sale, but White doesn't care about taking a cut. The artwork accomplishes two things: community involvement and fresh wall decorations.

Unlike other Mexican restaurants, White says Velvet Cactus plays “regular, cool music.” Simple and effective, as he doesn’t want to fall into the stereotype of other Mexican restaurants – touristy mariachi. It’s been done, and doesn’t set the right mood for Velvet Cactus.

Chef Roots likes to get on the line and show the team that, no matter the job, he can do it. “Prove you know exactly what you’re doing,” he said.

With a background in bar management, White and his business partner wanted to crank up the “cool factor” and operate a restaurant with an elaborate patio. New Orleans weather permitted a year-round patio, and Velvet Cactus capitalizes, even on cooler days. By offering large Mexican blankets when the temperature dips, customers snuggle up and sip margaritas while watching water trickle down the tequila fountain. Sure, rainy days hurt, but killing it on the good days makes up the difference, White explained.

Velvet Cactus knows they have pushed a particular atmosphere. White said, “This isn’t for everybody. If you try to make it for everybody, you wouldn’t succeed.”

Managing the Fusion White hired J.P. Roots as Executive Chef over a year ago, to think Mexican cuisine differently and to run an efficient kitchen.

The restaurant’s original culinary path wasn’t going in the direction White preferred. Chef Roots, a Johnson & Wales alumnus, didn’t want to paint Velvet Cactus into a cuisine corner. He sought flexibility to test his creativity and fuse New Orleans and Mexican cuisines.

Whether he’s making Crawfish Banditos, La Paz Shrimp Cakes, or Deep South Tacos (crispy chicken strips with Agave-Creole mustard), Chef Roots pushes the limit with his combinations across the menu. He flexes his culinary muscles, and knows that sprinkling

the traditional with non-traditional is the essential balance.

Chef Roots’ philosophy in the kitchen starts with unity. He likes to get on the line and show the team that, no matter the job, he can do it. “Prove you know exactly what you’re doing,” he said. As seen by this reporter, Chef Roots worked through the kitchen fluidly, communicated with staff, made dishes, and interacted with guests.

White expanded, “We’re dealing with people that are working a job, not necessarily a career. And that’s okay. But you need to know how to deal with that.”

Chef Roots saw sauté pans flying through kitchens in his history, but adopts a more constructive approach—soliciting everyone’s participation and understanding he needs the people on the line, extracting the most effort from them while wearing the apron.

Parting Thought “Business strategy is: We aren’t necessarily the event place to go to, but you can come here before or after the event. You may dress up and go somewhere once or twice a year, but come here whenever. It can be an afterthought almost. You come here because you feel like it and feel good over here. It’s just a cool place to hang out, and hopefully the food is good enough.” White said with a smile.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 21

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 21

12/3/13 4:37 PM

I INN OO UU RR C COOMMMMUUNNI IT TI IE ES S

Ye Olde College Inn New Orleans, Louisiana

T

"Food has become very emotional, and people respond to where they feel the most comfortable.”

people. Their name, family, birthdays, and nuggets with sincerity. Food has become very emotional, and people respond to where they feel the most comfortable. You could have a great menu, but if you can’t connect with people, then you don’t have anything special,” Blancher said.

“It’s hard to change anything in New Orleans, but we had to improve in order to last another 80 years.” VP Johnny Blancher said, “It was a well-known restaurant, but fell into mediocrity. It had longevity and history, but it was a challenge.”

Post-Katrina

As Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area and surrounding communities, College Inn suffered a similar fate. The original building was damaged beyond repair while its next-door neighbor sustained minimal damage amid a renovation project by the Blanchers. On November 11, 2005, Johnny Blancher and team worked to rebuild the College Inn in a new building and repair its Rock ‘N’ Bowl neighbor, which now shared a parking lot.

and Rock ‘N’ Bowl) and they haven’t looked

he Blancher family purchased Ye Olde College Inn in 2003 after years running the successful Rock ‘N’ Bowl™ (www.rockandbowl.com) in town. Although the College Inn operation was a staple in the Gert Town neighborhood, the Blanchers saw an opportunity for growth if they were to secure and honor the College Inn’s rich history.

College Inn phased improvements into their plans and course-corrected en route.

Pushback was expected, and there was a plenty of it. Blancher was not bashful and held firm on several modifications.

Blancher’s first task was to eliminate loss leaders on the menu. For example, each Shrimp Po’boy sold actually cost the College Inn 25 cents, and it was the No. 1 seller when Blancher analyzed menu items. He also noticed a giant, stagnate menu. The only way he could improve was to downsize, keeping core items and adding some complementary flair. He decided to offer daily specials and brought farm-to-table to a new level (see The Farm section).

Menu items concerned the College Inn owners, but the restaurant experience is what Blancher says they strive to achieve with each guest.

“When people walk in your door, those are the ones you want to be focused on. Knowing

–Johnny Blancher, Vice President, Ye Olde College Inn

“It was like the Wild West atmosphere.

Friends helping build within – walls, bars, booths. Had to pull in a favor to get the power back to the area.” Blancher said, “Carpenters just pulled up and offered to help.” Hours piled and Blancher was sleeping at the College Inn to get the work done and open the doors months later.

What currently stands as Ye Olde College

Inn may not be the 80-year-old building from 1933, but the allure of this institution resonates proudly without losing a step of its former self. Like a phoenix arising from the ashes, Ye Olde College Inn is better than ever ,as Blancher explained.

College Inn re-opened in early February

2006 to nearly 800 people (both College Inn back. Blancher knew they couldn’t make it as a lunch spot. They were dinner only, Tuesday thru Saturday. In 2011, College Inn brought in young and talented Chef Brad McGehee, formerly of the Ritz-Carlton® and Marriott® hospitality chains, and iconic Big Easy restaurant Commander’s Palace®. With a consistent core menu, most favorites dating back to the 1930s, items like the breaded veal cutlet and boneless beef short rib, the “new” College Inn impresses guests.

Most

importantly,

they

kept

their

connection with the customer and Ye Olde College Inn drove its stake in Bayou ground to last the next 80 years and beyond.

22 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 22

Pho

12/3/13 4:37 PM

The Farm

With a family history of ranchers and farmers, it was no surprise that Blancher snatched up open plots of land across the street for urban farming opportunities. For what started in 2008 on a single lot, Blancher’s farm is nearly an acre of land on the edge of the Gert Town neighborhood, producing ingredients for nearly 40 percent of College Inn’s menu.

“I wanted to have a positive effect on my menu. After Katrina, you never know about our future. There is more to life, and with our family’s 200-year history of ranchers and farmers, it made sense,” Blancher says. And that extra effort has paid an extra amount of dividends, Blancher explains.

The farm grows herbs, vegetables, and fruits, and sprouts large sugarcane stalks. At a nearby lot, College Inn collects eggs from their chicken coop, affectionately dubbed Cock-A-Doodle Convent, and honey from recently installed honeycombs. [Reporter's Note: Restaurant Inc’s personnel were not stung by honeybees.]

Ye Olde College Inn’s Twitter: @CollegeInn Watch Reinhart’s video with College Inn!

Photos provided by Ye Olde College Inn

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 23

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 23

12/3/13 4:37 PM

Saints Go Marching for Oysters

Drago’s Seafood Restaurant has the distinct pleasure of feeding the New Orleans Saints™ football team every Friday before a game. And the team loves oysters. Tommy has the opportunity to travel with them to opponent’s cities as a special guest a couple times a year. [Reporter’s Note: Tommy was glowing when describing this!]

Restaurant Inc wonders if the oysters have translated to success on Sunday considering the Saints’ prolific offense…Hmmm…

When we asked Tommy for parting thoughts, he replied, “Who Dat!” with a smile.

Photos provided by Drago's Seafood Restaurant

24 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 24

12/3/13 4:37 PM

I INN OO UU RR C COOMMMMUUNNI IT TI IE ES S

Drago’s Seafood Restaurant Metairie & New Orleans, Louisiana

W

ith two suitcases, two children and $2,000, Drago and Klara Cvitanovich moved to the Big Easy from Communist Yugoslavia by way of Canada in 1966 with dreams of a better life for their family. In 1969, the Cvitanovichs purchased a restaurant in Metairie. The family operated with a sincere commitment to the customer, their food, and the community.

The Cvitanovich family stuck to the roots of their restaurant’s home, perfecting Cajun and Creole dishes, and offering the very best seafood for customers. Over 40 years later, the rest, as the cliché goes, is history.

From the Heart, For the Community Walking around Drago’s Restaurant offices requires a tour guide, as each step is met with a different award or accolade. These awards, however, are far out of public viewing.

From food to community achievements, Drago’s Restaurant has received every type of recognition the industry offers. But none more gratifying than for their philanthropic work, as co-owner Tommy Cvitanovich, son of Drago and Klara, explained.

“If it wasn’t for the community we serve, we wouldn’t be here. It’s not just giving back.

It is giving back,” Cvitanovich says. Their generosity is certainly a point of emphasis, but not without a large dose of humility, as you won’t find a boasted list of those awards on Drago’s website (www.dragosrestaurant. com). From schools to local benefits to assisted living facilities, Drago’s has offered food donations and catering with their secret ingredient: Love. They know people won’t forget that charity.

Cvitanovich explained they, and peers, are truly in the hospitality industry, not only the restaurant industry. Guests walking into

his restaurant are walking into his home.

Everything that happens, as he says, happens around food. Graduations. Birthdays.

Celebrations. Food is the focal point, and Drago's philanthropic work reflects that mentality by providing food and a sense of community.

to have it brought to their commissary. Maine lobsters are flown to New Orleans and utilized on the menu for the Seafood Pasta, Lobster Mac & Cheese, Charbroiled Maine Lobster, Stuffed Lobster, Lobster Marco, Lobster Empire, and Stud Lobster.

“When you put your head on your pillow at the end of the night and your day is over, that goes through your mind and puts a smile on your face.” Cvitanovich said.

But the Cvitanovich’s are harsh self-critics, as Drago taught Tommy: “It’s important to look at the plates coming back into the kitchen. See what customers aren’t eating.”

Again, this humility thing…

…And the Food is Amazing

Learning Process

Not everyone in America has access to the freshest seafood from the Gulf of Mexico, but when you do, take full advantage. Fish, oysters, crab, and shrimp thrive near the Bayou, and this is why New Orleans has turned into an epicenter of food. Drago’s ensures guests the best shrimp creole, etouffee, fried catfish platters and oysters (and a host of others!).

But none is more known than their signature dish – the Original Charbroiled Oysters, which they dub “single best bite in New Orleans.” Although that may seem a bold claim, it’s hard to argue. Cvitanovich says Drago’s sells more than three million a year between their two locations. [Reporter’s Note: After sampling, Restaurant Inc thinks the claim is right!]

Originator Tommy Cvitanovich explains the genesis, “Cooking drumfish or redfish filet on an open fire with the skin and scales, which would hold the natural juices (of the fish), gave me the idea. Now, oyster water is one of the best broths and flavors in any seafood.

The shell acted as that skin and scales.” After playing with the recipe, which involves butter, Pecorino Romano cheese, and an array of pepper seasonings and herbs, Cvitanovich’s delicious “bite” was born.

When the Gulf of Mexico doesn’t yield the best seafood product, Drago’s is determined

Amid all the accolades, money, and recognitions, Tommy Cvitanovich is always learning something new. Whether through his membership with the Louisiana Restaurant Association or just talking to peers, he searches for new ideas.

“Every time I’m at an event or meeting, I learn something. We ask each other for advice, and benefit from being around peers.

They’re not competition. Some of my best friends are restaurateurs,” Cvitanovich says.

Drago’s Restaurant aims for great quality, great service, all at a reasonable price. Customers who do not experience their motto, and respond with complaints, Cvitanovich finds a learning experience. “You may hate it, but that’s how you get better.”

Tommy’s approach to self-education is embedded from his humble and hardworking parents. The charming Klara says she enjoys talking to and greeting guests. It’s what keeps her finger on the pulse and in front of the public. And perhaps one very important reason Tommy wants to always get better.

“My mom still signs my checks,” Tommy said with a laugh. “She could fire me at any point. But I’m lucky. I get to see my Mom all the time.” And he’ll keep getting better. He doesn’t want to upset Mom and Dad. n

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 25

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 25

12/3/13 4:37 PM

T R E N D I N G

N O W

what’s trending now?

What should you be looking at? Do these ideas fit your operation? Instead of trying to answer a bunch of rhetorical questions, check out Reinhart’s Trending Now topics as your guide. You will see what we’ve noticed in the foodservice industry. Keeping your finger on the pulse is the only way to know what your customer’s hearts are beating for. See trends that aren’t listed here? Email magazine@rfsdelivers.com to submit your trending topic!

Source: Specialty Food Association, Epicurious.com, AdAge, Market Watch, Forbes, Dataessential

Protein-rich foods on menus increased 67% in the last five years.

Pickled items on fast-casual menus increased 20% between 2012 and 2013.

Appetizers are making their way back up to pre-recession levels, with 38% of consumers reporting they ordered a small plate or appetizer prior to their meal on all or most restaurant visits, compared to 27% in 2009.

54%

of today’s consumers prefer very spicy foods and sauces, compared to 48% in 2011 and 46% in 2009.

Must-haves on the menu: fingerling potatoes, Brussels sprouts, kale.

61%

of consumers are looking for a wider variety of seafood on casual menus, especially salmon, crab, and scallops.

Allergen-free, gluten-free, vegan alternative all become more mainstream as consumers report they “feel better” when they stop eating foods containing gluten, nuts and dairy.

26 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 26

12/3/13 4:37 PM

Craft beers with intriguing flavor profiles like crème brulée and banana nut bread; ginger in everything from beer to apple spice; jack-fruits; fresh spices like basil, cilantro, lemongrass; spicy mango ice cream.

63% of adults used restaurant-related technology options in the past month; more than two in five used a smartphone to find restaurant locations and directions.

Ingredient of the year:

AVOCADOS Consumers are seeking elevated menu items like gourmet burgers and artisan sausages, served in a casual setting.

Tender leaf blends (spring mix, arugula, spinach, mache, and frisée) grow 12% in 2013.

Sriracha pops up everywhere, even on mainstream chain menus.

1 out of 3 Americans dine on meat-free alternatives in 2013.

Quinoa moves from salads and chips in 2013 to cookies in 2014.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 27

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 27

12/3/13 4:38 PM

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 28

12/3/13 4:38 PM

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 29

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 29

12/3/13 4:38 PM

B

U

S

I

N

E

S

S

by Mindy Kolof

The Futurecasters

14 20

T

here’s nothing like a new year to spur the prognosticator in us all. So we asked some of our most dedicated food followers for their 2014 forecast, and added a few professional trendspotters to do some heavy statistical lifting. Below is our five-minute mashup on what’s set to explode, what’s shuffling quietly out the door, and what may already have jumped the (MSC-certified sustainable) shark.

30 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 30

12/5/13 9:35 PM

“Chefs will continue to embrace their inner Dr. Frankenstein, experimenting with different teas, alcohol, all sorts of ways to create more subtle and unique flavors.” -Chef Jeffrey Merry

Fresh, locally grown and Asian flavor

Themes that will define 2014 include tea,

Local, sustainable, traceable foods will

profiles are still strong.

chia, duck, hard cider, healthy offerings,

stay in the forefront, GMO information

taste something authentic and unique, and

ethnic

foods.

will become more essential, there'll be

are willing to pay for it. Flavored foam is

Chickpeas will be the new quinoa, tying into

more accountability in labeling. Healthier

coming in on a wave, used to add a new

the huge Middle East and Mediterranean

foods for kids will continue to grow, as

taste to just about any dish. We'll see

food trend, with a nod to Indian. Going

parents are much more aware of what

lots of innovation in products, like lettuce

away in 2014 will be locally sourced foods,

they’re feeding their kids than they were

overshadowed

offerings;

even a few years ago. Flavor profiles from

comfort foods, because economic recovery

Mediterranean, Middle East percolate; and

results

experimental

spices and cuisines from Africa and Peru.

choices; and gluten- and allergen-free

Value cuts of meat will be on the menu,

foods for consumers, but not the industry.

and ham and pork will grow stronger until

People want to

grown in sizes that fit perfectly on a burger bun. And heirloom vegetables, such as red and green spinach, and tomatoes, will be sought after for flavor and eye appeal.

Blended veggie drinks will also grow in popularity, with a rainbow of colors that signify a healthy mix of nutrients—orange carrots, purple beets, green kale. And yes, kale will still be very hot in 2014.

cuisines

in

and

by

more

organic

seasonal exotic,

SUZY BADARACCO Culinary Tides Trendologist

beef prices level off. Chefs will continue to embrace their inner Dr. Frankenstein, experimenting with different teas, alcohol, all sorts of ways to create more subtle and unique flavors.

ROB ONDRUS

CHEF JEFFREY MERRY

Director of Category Management, Produce

Corporate Executive Chef

Reinhart Foodservice

Reinhart Boston Division

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 31

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 31

12/3/13 4:38 PM

“Ethnic cuisine goes even more mainstream in 2014, with approachable small plates or huge, shareable plates that let everyone sample. ” -Audarshia Townsend

More unpredictable foods, more fusion

The umbrella that covers sustainable and

Ethnic cuisine goes even more mainstream

style, with smaller portions. Ethnic foods

organic offerings will widen, as customers

in 2014, with approachable small plates or

trending will be Italian, Mexican and a

continue to build a connection with their

huge, shareable plates that let everyone

touch of Spanish. We’re getting away from

food by knowing exactly how it’s sourced.

sample. You’ll see many more venues like

heavy gravies, even here in the South, and

You see it with operators who cultivate

Tanta in Chicago, which opened the door

steaming, poaching and grilling proteins—

their own indoor gardens, or buy pork

although you will still see comfort foods on

from farms with sustainable, humane

the menu. Educating restaurateurs on how

practices, or work with small, individually

to serve allergen, and gluten-free dishes

owned pastry shops or microbreweries; it

will continue to take center stage, cutting

all sends the message that the ingredients

through operators’ fears with the right

are sourced with care and can be trusted.

products.

Operators will share their passion for

CHEF DEMETRIO MARQUEZ Reinhart New Orleans Division

ingredients

and

their

origins—this

becomes the big story going forward.

ERIC CRONERT

not only to Peruvian cuisine, but other ethnic restaurants, and Eataly, featuring eight authentic Italian dining experiences housed in one spot. Farm to table is spreading to cocktails, and bartenders are starting to shop at farmers markets for fresh ingredients, like chefs have been doing for years. You’ll see these ingredients more seamlessly

incorporated

into

cocktails

than before, thanks to lots of training from brands. Bar bites are also becoming a bigger story, giving restaurants a chance to

Vice President, Marketing

offer something different but simple—think

Reinhart Foodservice

nuts seasoned with bacon—that packs the bar at non-peak hours. What’s going away >>

32 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 32

12/3/13 4:38 PM

B

U

S

I

N

E

S

S

www.tantachicago.com

Trending Farm restaurants, ethnic fusion, brick-and-mortars open food trucks, heirloom livestock breeds, steamer clams, adult grilled cheese, tiny restaurants, restaurant gardens, cemitas & tortas, non-alcoholic craft beverages. Farro appears on over 50% more menus in 2013 compared to 2012; pork belly appears on 62% more menus versus 2012; drinks made with bitters are found at 18% of restaurants, up 189% since 2009.

DATAESSENTIALS

Mangoes; beetroots; pure birch tree juice; volcanic water from Spain.

ANUGA INTERNATIONAL SPECIALTY FOOD SHOW Lemon as main ingredient; black and green teas used in desserts and more; Middle Eastern seasonings such as sumac, za’atar and marash; almond and cashew milk; egg yolks; poaching and steaming with wine, coffee, beer and smoky liquids; seaweed snacks and seasoning; nontraditional pasta, seasoned with global spices, and formed into new shapes; new farm-to-table flavors include goat, rabbit and pigeon.

STERLING RICE GROUP CULINARY COUNCIL 2014 TOP FOOD TRENDS Increased interest in foraged, local and seasonal produce, with ingredients such as seaweed, truffle, rosehips, nettle, wild mushrooms and blackberries appearing in familiar products.

RTS RESOURCE 2013 in 2014 is the idea of the rock star chef; this has gotten way out of control. We’ll see a return to the roots as chefs refocus not on getting famous, but on why they got into this business in the first place: it’s all about respecting the ingredients and offering great service to your customers.

Audarshia Townsend Chicago Dining and Lifestyle Writer a.k.a. 312 Dining Diva

Classic and pre-prohibition cocktails, with vermouth a big hit at the bar; tea used to enhance gin, rum and vodka based cocktails; sour beers from Belgium and Germany, made with wild yeasts and natural bacteria.

KENDALL COLLEGE HOSPITALITY TRENDS FORECAST 2014 Highbrow versions of classic comfort foods; hybrid versions of longtime favorites; ice cream sandwiches; avocado, hazelnut and benne seed oils; fermenting; BBQ with regional nuances and bold flavors; nut milks; tableside preparations; niche ethnic like Macau, Northern Thai; exotic spices and flavors like Calabrian peppers, Gochugaru flakes and Guajillo and Achiote chiles; digital artwork; tipping culture moves toward pooled tips and service charges; the brasserie; upscale Asian food; basement and second story bars; chef-driven bar food to pair with complex cocktails and wines; small batch coffee roasters go mainstream; restaurants focus on the science behind the cooking; herbinfused ice cubes in cocktails; artisanal spirits; locavore wines; small batch spirit flights; Iberian Peninsula wines.

ANDREW FREEMAN & CO. 2014 TREND REPORT

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 33

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 33

12/3/13 4:38 PM

B

U

S

I

N

E

S

S

Making Sense of

Social Marketing

by Gerry O'Brion

Six Key Restaurant Strategies and the Critical Tools for Success 34 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 34

12/3/13 4:38 PM

T

he explosion of social media in the past few years has created both opportunity and additional work for restaurants. There are opportunities to grow your sales, but accomplishing this requires a focused plan and great execution of the plan. Restaurant owners and managers are already busy, so where do you get started with social media? How do you prioritize the many tools and activities that you could do into the ones you should do?

Build a plan that’s right for you given the resources you have and what you’re trying to accomplish. There are six key strategies that restaurants should consider when building their social marketing plan, and a trove of tools that help implement these strategies. Many of the strategies included here may not be what you think of when you think of social media. The tools you can use to create your social marketing plan go well beyond Facebook and Twitter.

Many restaurant owners think of social media as “how many Likes do we have?” Generating revenue and profit from social marketing doesn’t come from having the most Likes it comes from curating deep connections with passionate fans, engaging in conversation, and getting feedback – things that ultimately result in more sales.

Six Key Strategies 1. Engagement Social media is an opportunity to create connections with your customers, deepen the relationship, and allow them to become your best marketing tool. Social media is simply a conversation that plays out in a public forum, and anyone can join in. If you don’t have anything interesting to talk about, no one is going to want to be your friend, spend time with you, or have an ongoing dialogue with you. Just like in real life. Mistake No. 1 in social media is getting a bunch of Facebook fans and then just talking about yourself non-stop. Instead, focus on a combination of sharing interesting news, pictures, videos, asking questions, getting feedback and giving special value to the customers who are interacting with you. Facebook is the primary place for this kind of engagement.

2. Customer Service One of the best uses of social media for restaurants is customer service. While many customers are very willing to share with the world how great you are, the ones who have been disappointed will many times share faster and more passionately than your fans. While guests used to complain directly to you, today they complain to the world. If you’re not watching for these complaints, the world is hearing things about your restaurant that you’re not even aware of. Social Media creates an opportunity for you to actively engage in a dialogue with disappointed guests, publicly or privately, to change them from foes to fans.

Yelp, Urbanspoon, City Search, Google Local and Twitter are some of the primary tools for this. It’s important to “claim” your restaurant on each of the review sites, monitor all posts, and interact with your customers.

Twitter is where many customers go when they’re particularly upset about an experience and they want the world to know. While it’s not critical to post lots of things to Twitter, it is important to monitor Twitter for your restaurant name so you can interact when guests are talking about you there.

3. Motivate Employees Service has always been a key success factor in restaurants. With the advent of social media, your service is under a spotlight.

Great service can be as much as 70% of why customers choose a restaurant. While review sites can be frustrating at times, they can also be a powerful motivation tool for your staff. Employees want to be part of a winning team in a successful restaurant. The review sites give you an easy way to measure their success. In addition, tools like ongoing guest feedback surveys can be motivational tools to show employees their success or opportunity areas. Set a target for the number of reviews and the scores you’d like to achieve. Track your results and post them in your restaurant. Have a contest to see who can get the most customers to fill out your customer feedback form.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 35

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 35

12/3/13 4:38 PM

B

U

S

I

N

E

S

S

4. Gather Feedback It’s always nice to get positive feedback, but our businesses get better when we get constructive feedback about our opportunity areas. Sometimes negative feedback can be hard to hear, but it can be the best tool to help us improve. Also, you can’t be everywhere at once. Getting guest feedback helps you monitor the success of your employees.

Restaurants are an interesting place, where the lowest paid employees are the face of your brand. How they interact with guests is a critical component of your brand, so feedback from customers can be invaluable to understand how they’re doing.

One key way that big brands outperform smaller restaurants is by better listening to guest feedback.

Beyond the review sites and customer surveys, social media is a great place to listen for what people think about your restaurant. Another way to engage your fans on Facebook is to post questions to get feedback, which could be for new or existing menu items, about changes you’re thinking about making, or as simple as a naming contest for a new dish you’ve created.

Interaction is the key.

5. Increase Awareness Social marketing is a great way to deepen your relationship with existing customers, but it can also be useful for increasing awareness for customers who haven’t heard about you.

How? Facebook is an excellent tool for this. When your fans interact with you on Facebook, all of their friends get to see what they’re saying. As you think about what to post on Facebook, create reasons for your fans to not just read your posts, but to interact with them. As an example, you could hold a contest for everyone who comments on a certain picture, or tags themselves as part of the picture. Then, their interaction shows up for all their friends to see. It doesn’t have to be complicated; it could simply be for a small gift certificate or a T-shirt.

Now, all their friends see that they like your restaurant, and they’ll have the opportunity to interact with your Facebook page or website.

6. Drive Sales "That’s all great, but what tools can I use to actually drive sales?" Some of the best ways to drive sales in your restaurant are tools that have been around, and might not even be thought of as traditional “social” marketing—but they work.

First and foremost, it’s critical to build an email list and

to send interesting things to your list a couple times a month. Why is email still so valuable? Well, first, these are customers who have been in your restaurant and presumably had a great experience. Thus, your highest value prospects. It’s always cheaper to get a current customer to come back than to find a new customer.

Email marketing is an inexpensive and direct way to remind them to return. Give them a good reason to visit – a birthday, an anniversary, a limited time item you’ve added to the menu, a special event or anything you can think of!

Text marketing has also become a very effective tool when used correctly. As you’re building your email list, also start building your text list. Not everyone wants to get text messages from you, but those who do are highvalue guests. Be sure that you’re providing something of value to these special customers. Let them know that they’ll get great specials only available to customers on the email or text lists. Maybe the text customers even get extra special treatment. Now, you can use these lists to fill the restaurant during slow periods. Have slow Tuesday nights? Send out an email and text to announce a “can’t miss” deal to these high-value prospects. Watch your restaurant get full.

Email and text lists are particularly valuable because you own the data. Facebook owns the data on your Facebook fan page. This is important because last year Facebook changed their algorithm so that only 16% of your fans see a given post unless you pay to “promote” the post.

Not a surprise, since they are a for-profit company after all, but not ideal for your Facebook marketing efforts.

Finally, consider a loyalty program for your restaurant.

Today, loyalty programs can be simple to get started.

The key to success is to reward your customers for doing something they wouldn’t otherwise have done.

Many “loyalty” programs are simply punch cards that reward customers for buying the food they may have bought anyway. A true loyalty program will allow you to track a customer’s regular behavior and give them incentives to change it. As an example, if a customer comes in once a month, you want to reach out after two weeks with an offer they can’t refuse. You could double the value of the customer! n

Gerry O'Brion is the creator of The Restaurant Formula, a program for attracting new, profitable customers to your restaurant. The Formula was created from the strategies used by the best, most successful restaurant concepts.

Gerry was formerly the VP of Marketing for billion-dollar restaurant brands like Quiznos and Red Robin.

Read More on Gerry: whatbigbrandsknow.com Follow him on Twitter: @gerryobrion

36 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 36

12/5/13 9:35 PM

B

U

S

I

N

E

S

S

Wheat Free Rising

More than a fad, or a trendy diagnosis, gluten-free dining is a full-blown movement.

by Mindy Kolof

B

eing in the crosshairs of a cultural revolution isn’t easy. And no one knows that better than those with celiac disease, whose inability to digest wheat has set into motion a radical shift in the way the culinary, medical and regulatory communities address people with significant nutrition challenges.

Determined not to be sidelined from the genuine pleasures of dining out, the glutenfree warriors have armed themselves with near-clinical knowledge of their digestive process and a hyper-connected online network of peers who are fighting the good fight on every front. In the process, they’ve enlisted a growing group of allies, led by restaurateurs wise enough to see that supporting this group of revolutionaries guarantees a victory for all.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 37

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 37

12/3/13 4:38 PM

T

he timing couldn’t be more ideal. More than three million Americans are living with celiac disease, another three

million with wheat allergies, and a stunning 18 to 21 million with gluten intolerance – all yearning for a slice of bread that doesn’t taste as if cut from a corrugated shipping box, and a restaurant menu with authentic selections they can order with confidence. There’s power in those numbers, and operators who master the art of gluten-free cooking will reap the benefits. The payoff comes on multiple fronts: ramping up customer goodwill, an average 14 percent boost in revenues for premium-priced gluten-free items, and

an

unprecedented opportunity to attract new diners, guided by the needs of the glutensensitive in their group, according to Cynthia Kupper, RD, executive director of the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG). As a celiac disease sufferer, she makes a compelling case.

“I choose the restaurant when I eat out, so I can eat safely…and I don’t eat out alone.

Restaurants with gluten-free offerings made with the same creativity shown to the rest of their menu can count on my business, and everyone who dines with me,” she affirms.

It can be done with unexpected ease— and knowledgeable help to make simple changes without incurring additional costs.

Eliminating a garnish here, an ingredient there, can help anchor a few key menu items in a safe harbor for the gluten-free. The

“I choose the restaurant when I eat out, so I can eat safely…and I don’t eat out alone. Restaurants with gluten-free offerings made with the same creativity shown to the rest of their menu can count on my business, and everyone who dines with me.”

- Cynthia Kupper, RD, Executive Director Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG)

new FDA labeling rules, effective in 2014, spell out the specifics (see sidebar), and a variety of organizations offer official glutenfree certification programs for foodservice.

One of the best, from non-profit GIG, breaks it down with programs tailored to an operation’s specific needs and uses a thirdparty auditor to give consumers confidence in the program’s integrity. Operators learn how to set up processes and train staff to identify

gluten-free

ingredients,

prevent

cross contamination, and keep production of gluten-free foods safe all the way to the end user. GIG works with everyone from small, independent operators to nationwide

Learn more about GIG:

restaurant chains to hospitals, and Kupper

www.gluten.net

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 38

12/3/13 4:38 PM

B

U

S

I

N

E

S

S

maintains: “If you’re reasonable about how

Replete as it is, there’s always room

five years. As recently as the early 2000s, a

you do this, it doesn’t have to cost more

for more on the menu, says Nesbit.

survey of celiac disease sufferers reported

money. There is no need for dedicated

The

instinctively

they dined out 80 percent less than they

space if processes and procedures are

understands the business proposition for

used to before diagnosis, and even more

strong, and a commitment is made to

gluten-free menus, confirming Kupper’s

disconcerting, believed less than 10 percent

continual training.”

assertion: “Especially in New Orleans,

of eating establishments had a "very good"

She sounds a cautionary note, though,

people dine out in large groups, and if

or "good" understanding of gluten-free

there’s even one person with a gluten

diets. Kupper still vividly remembers one

intolerance, that’s going to determine

of her first meals out after being diagnosed

where the group eats. The more gluten-

with celiac disease two decades ago.

free dishes you can offer, the more

“The restaurant owner brought a five-

emphasizing that the processes must be monitored diligently. “Restaurant owners need to fully understand the ramifications of not getting it right. People with the

award-winning

chef

disease can get really sick if they eat even

customers you’re going to attract.”

a small amount of gluten, and the celiac

That makes perfect sense to today’s

inspect the ingredients myself. I was so

community is very vocal and quick to

highly

mortified, I didn’t eat out again for another

spread the word.”

represents a quantum leap in just the last

sensitized

restaurateurs,

gallon vat of dressing to my table so I could but

six months!” n

Gluten-Free in the Big Easy Even in the culinary paradise that is New Orleans, where normal eating habits are gleefully abandoned at the corner of Canal and Bourbon streets, the gluten sensitive are finding a bounty of adventurous but sound choices. Not much digging is needed to uncover the treasure at Bourbon House, part of Dickie Brennan’s legendary stable of Creole cuisine, where the signature Redfish on the Halfshell is just the start of a bonanza of naturally gluten-free seafood dishes.

Executive

Chef

Darin

Nesbit

brings a heightened awareness of celiac disease (his grandfather and brother were

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GLUTEN Celiac disease is the world’s most common genetic autoimmune disorder, triggered by the ingestion of gluten. When a person with celiac disease consumes gluten, the individual’s immune system responds by attacking the small intestine and inhibiting the absorption of important nutrients into the body. Its only treatment is adherence to a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet. Left untreated, celiac disease can lead to osteoporosis, thyroid disease and cancer.

Source: University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center Gluten free foods as defined by the FDA are either inherently gluten-free e.g. fruits, vegetables, or 1) do not have a glutencontaining grain or protein from grains such as wheat, rye or barley

diagnosed with the condition years ago)

2) do not contain more than 20 parts per million of gluten. Gluten-

and his own considerable culinary cred

free claims for foods served in restaurants should be consistent with these regulatory definitions. “If you’re making gluten-free claims about any menu items, ask your suppliers to ensure they are providing grains or food components that comply with the new rule,” advises the National Restaurant Association’s Director of Nutrition, Joy Dubost.

to the table when he says: “It’s a matter of knowing exactly what’s in the products you’re using. We prepare everything from scratch, so it’s really not that difficult to manipulate the recipe to make it work.”

He’s very willing to substitute a vegetable base for thickening instead of roux when needed, and mixes up a vinaigrette salad dressing made with cane vinegar.

His customers are well versed on their gluten issues, and his wait staff equally so, leading to high profile choices from breakfast – Eggs Benedict with Andouille sausage patties and Creole hash browns – through dinner, crab fingers Bordelaise,

Common foods containing gluten: breads, pasta, cereals, soups, oats not certified as gluten free, cakes, energy bars, crackers, thickened sauces, seasonings and seasoning mixes, some salad dressings, soy sauce, prepared meats, and herbal teas.

Gluten free made its way into the culinary consciousness big time in 2013. Sales in the gluten-free food and beverage market were estimated to reach $10.5 billion in 2013, up 44% from 2011, according to Mintel. A National Restaurant Association Survey of professional chefs ranked it as the eighth most popular trend of the year; while quick-service restaurant operators placed it at the very top of their menu trend list.

fresh shucked oysters and rib-eye steaks.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 39

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 39

12/3/13 4:38 PM

[ADVERTORIAL]

40 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 40

12/3/13 4:38 PM

[ADVERTORIAL]

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 41

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 41

12/3/13 4:39 PM

You’ve You’ve traveled traveled the world theeating world amazing eating amazing food. food.

Are there Areitems thereyou’ve items you’ve seen that seen would that make wouldgood make good combos? combos?

In my travels, In my travels, I have seen I have some seenfantastic some fantastic soups with soups with great flavor. great And flavor. the And same thegoes samefor goes sandwiches. for sandwiches.

The The Vietnamese Vietnamese Pho, a beef Pho, noodle a beef noodle soup, would soup, be would great be great paired paired with something with something like thelike Banh theMi Banh sandwich Mi sandwich or a Danish or a Danish Smorrebrod, Smorrebrod, which is which an open-faced is an open-faced sandwich sandwich presented presented with a simple with a simple pea soup. pea soup.

There’sThere’s a lot ofasandwich lot of sandwich exploration exploration going on going in on in the industry the industry right now. right Tell now. us what Tell usyou’ve what you’ve tried tried and liked. and liked.

Recently, Recently, I’ve noticed I’ve noticed a lot ofavaried lot of textures, varied textures, pickledpickled ingredients, ingredients, experimenting experimenting with cheeses, with cheeses, flavorful flavorful spreadsspreads and different and different breads.breads.

One of One my recent of my finds recent finds was something was something I came Iacross came in across Trinidad. in Trinidad.

It was aIt was a local specialty local specialty called the called Bake theand Bake Shark, and made Shark,with made with fried dough, fried dough, fried shark friedand shark topped and topped with with mayonnaise, mayonnaise, mustard, mustard, cole slaw cole and slaw a variety and a variety of of fresh garnishes. fresh garnishes.

It wasn’t It all wasn’t about allthe about shark themeat; sharkitmeat; it could have could been havemade beenusing madeswordfish using swordfish or tilapia. or tilapia.

It It was that was additional that additional depth of depth flavor ofthat flavor made thatitmade it truly amazing. truly amazing.

Since we’re Sincetalking we’re talking about combos, about combos, could you could tellyou us atell us a little bitlittle about bitwhat’s about happening what’s happening with soup with right soup now? right now?

At this year’s At thisWorld year’sof World Flavor of event Flavoratevent the Culinary at the Culinary Institute Institute of America, of America, we featured we featured a pureed a pureed cauliflower cauliflower soup with soup arugula with arugula pesto and pesto paired and paired it with a it more with ainteresting more interesting take ontake the on grilled the cheese. grilled cheese.

It was aItraisin was abread raisin with bread figwith jam,fig caramelized jam, caramelized onions onions and smoked and smoked Gouda.Gouda.

And I used And Hellmann’s® I used Hellmann’s® Mayonnaise Mayonnaise in placeinof place butter of to butter achieve to achieve a golden a golden brown, brown, grilled bread grilled and bread a less andgreasy a less greasy taste. taste.

[ADVERTORIAL]

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 42

12/3/13 4:39 PM

[ADVERTORIAL]

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 43

12/3/13 4:39 PM

O

P

E

R

A T

I

O

N

S

b i g s t a rc h i c a g o . c o m

44 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 44

12/3/13 4:39 PM

All about Alfresco

By Audarshia Townsend

T

he line starts forming in front of Big Star at 10:30 a.m. on every single warm day in Chicago. Actually, it doesn’t

“The success is due to the level of hospitality we provide there. It also reminds people of real things that they’ve

have to be that warm. Let the temps jump to 50 degrees and

stumbled upon in life.”

the line magically appears.

Lucky for Kahan and his Big Star team, the venue remains

Located right off the Six Corners—considered the apex of

a popular destination year-round, so when warmer days roll

the highly trafficked Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhoods—

around the crowd spills outside onto the patio. This spring

Big Star serves up cheap, made-to-order tacos, whiskey-

marks its fifth alfresco season, and Kahan does not take his

focused specials and honky-tonk tunes in a modernized

customers for granted. In addition to some new surprise

roadhouse atmosphere. Simple enough concept, which

menu items, the patio has expanded to the adjacent parking

gets people young and old in the door, but the real star is its

lot, doubling its capacity.

sprawling, outdoor patio.

“The key thing we want to do is not over conceptualize it,”

The space accommodates about 110 guests (including

he says. “We want to make it very inexpensive, do a lot of

an enclosed, heated patio area right off the main dining

volume and keep it fun.”

room), and completely dominates every competing alfresco offering in the neighborhood.

But the instant success, when it opened in 2009, was overwhelming, says partner/chef Paul Kahan.

“It was so busy at first that it beat the staff up,” admits Kahan, whose One Off Hospitality restaurant group also owns cocktail lounge The Violet Hour across the street,

Balancing the Seasons The Tomboy Tavern, at the Telluride Ski & Golf Resort in Telluride, Colo., enjoys its busiest season of the year during the winter. But with the influx of spring/summer festivals each year, Tomboy’s outdoor patio sees its share of the action.

contemporary American eatery Blackbird and a number of

This summer marks its third year on the scene, and with a

other popular Chicago restaurants. “We immediately got

125-person capacity, it remains an attractive destination for the

more staff and managers and had better organization.”

hungry and thirsty.

Successful restaurant owners/operators know that one of

“As we gain in popularity and do things right, we get more

the most important factors in owning a sustainable business

people,” says Stephen Roth, executive director of culinary

is jumping in and fixing problems as soon as they occur.

services at the resort. “Last summer was our busiest summer

With the fierce competition among alfresco venues in Wicker

ever.”

Park, Kahan’s team cannot afford to turn off guests, so they

Roth credits subtle changes and consistency to Tomboy’s

work hard to provide exceptional service.

success, which includes a menu of contemporary American

“We try to be as nice as possible because people get testy

pub grub and a strong craft beer program. Standard items vary

when they’re waiting,” he says. “Big Star requires a lot of

from gourmet burgers to deep-fried duck wings accompanied

quality assurance, so we always make sure we have the right

by wasabi pea Thai chili sauce. One of the biggest sellers is

people in the right jobs. It’s [now] a machine that goes and

Tomboy’s latest version of edamame—sautéed in chili peppers,

goes and goes.

roasted garlic and peanuts.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 45

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 45

12/3/13 4:39 PM

OO Pperations E R A T I O N S

“We don’t make a lot of drastic menu changes,” he admits. “We take the bottom sellers on the menu and try to improve them.

People who come here again and again who are tourists want to have their favorites. I have some chefs who want to express their creativity, but if you change something that’s very popular on the menu, people are not happy. We try to stay true to our core.”

but during the summer it’s extra important,” he says. “River North is the most popular neighborhood in the city. The goal is to keep the people down there. We are very fortunate to have businesses that have stayed busy.” n

Big Part of It All The pork-focused Purple Pig opened in 2009 and added an adjacent patio one year later. Located right off the Magnificent Mile, a luxury shopping, residential and dining district in Chicago, the restaurant’s patio is covered, heated and open most of the year, save for December through March.

Find Outside Help

It’s one of the few year-round patios in the city, yet partner/ executive chef Jimmy Bannos Jr. refuses to rest on his laurels.

“I walk into this place still five years later and it’s so surreal how busy and crazy it continues to be,” the chef says humbly, though he’s received a number of high-profile accolades to date for his work at Purple Pig, including from Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Michelin Guide Chicago and The Wall Street Journal. He’s also a fourth-generation restaurateur.

“We’re constantly evolving and we don’t take anything for granted. Once you start doing that and take your foot off the gas, that’s when you get bitten in the ass,” he adds.

One of his motivators is the fact that the outdoor patio seats 60, which doubles the amount of diners when Purple Pig is at full capacity.

“When you stop using that drive and focus, that’s when you suffer. I’m still there seven days a week because it’s necessary.”

Out of the restaurants under R.J. Melman’s thumb (which he shares in partnership with siblings Jerrod and Molly), only two feature alfresco dining.

Bub City and HUB 51—both located in Chicago’s trendy River North—offer outdoor patio seating that’s an “extension of their establishments,” explains Melman, the eldest son of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises CEO Rich Melman. “We have incorporated our patios from the restaurant so that they feel like they’re a part of each other.”

He makes the distinction because he believes that seamless experience is something rare in River North, where almost every restaurant and bar boasts an outdoor patio.

B

enjamin Newby makes his living as a highly sought after nightlife and mixology consultant who’s worked with smaller establishments (Obscura in Cincinnati, Ohio; Chicago’s Taverna 750) as well as larger operations like Rockit Ranch Productions.

His best advice for those with limited marketing and public relations budgets wishing to drive traffic to their outdoor patios: Use grassroots tactics.

“A lot of smaller businesses who don’t have publicists or money for marketing just build great relationships with their diners,” he advises.

“It’s also keeping your establishment relevant, so you want your ‘star’ bartender to enter cocktail competitions to get out there for the publicity. Getting the chefs and bartenders out there more for charity events and entering contests would [definitely increase business in the long run]. Use downtime effectively (in the off months) to create the business that you want.”

“Our goal is to make our restaurants as appealing as possible,

46 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 46

©2

12/3/13 4:39 PM

t h e p u rp l e p i g c h i c a g o . c o m t e l l u ri d e s k i re s o rt . c o m

foundations of flavor Everything we do is about authentic flavor.

And our full line of chef-created bases helps you craft signature soups, dressings, marinades and more to exceed guest expectations.

Contact your Reinhart representative or visit www.customculinary.com.

Be you. Be new. Be true. ®

©2013 Custom Culinary, Inc.

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 47

sAuCes gRAvIes | M soups I S S U E 1 , BAses 2014 | R F S D E L| I V ERS.CO 47

12/3/13 4:39 PM

Stable Forces Burn the Churn

E

By Min Casey

mployee turnover is a brutal beast in the restaurant industry, an age-old problem that smart companies tackle with modern-day approaches. The tactics are easy to execute, with results worth paying attention to.

Jeff Sinelli, the founder and CEO of Which Wich速 Sandwiches, believes dog tags, yellow shirts and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are essential to his business, nontraditional tools that will help the 10-year old fast-casual chain grow bigger, better and stronger. Perhaps more importantly, these three things will help engage its 3,000team members along the way, strengthening their connection, involvement, and commitment to the brand.

48 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 48

12/5/13 9:35 PM

O

P

E

R

A T

I

O

N

The yellow shirts are part of the company uniform for

into and being part of a company’s larger mission, respecting

everybody up and down the line, including Sinelli. “I

their manager and even something as seemingly simple as

wear the same outfit as everyone else. It gives me instant

being heard, having a voice that is recognized and valued

rapport and puts me on par with the entire team. They

by their boss and the larger company.

can walk right up to me and have a serious or a light

Tag Team

conversation. It’s a tool and it seems to work, break down barriers,” he explains.

Turnover in the restaurant industry is an ongoing concern, the revolving door of non-managerial employees reaching 100% or more annually. When the economy clips well, the number can jump as much as 200% or higher in some industry segments, especially QSR. Costs associated with recruiting, hiring and training replacement workers are significant—some figures put the amount at more than $3.5 billion annually. Erosion in customer satisfaction follows closely behind. Resulting service gaps can have an immediate negative impact on the guest experience, tarnishing a hard-earned reputation almost instantly. Take it a step further and even issues of food safety can be compromised when improperly trained workers are in a position to handle, prepare, and serve food.

“I realized that turnover would be a problem for us, as it

is across the entire industry. We’d have the typical struggles everyone else does, affecting many different aspects of the business,” Sinelli says. “I thought about ways to minimize turnover for Which Wich and from the very first day one of my strategies has been to be part of the team.”

Many factors influence employees’ decisions to stay in a job. Competitive wages, insurance, sick days and paid vacation often head the list. But increasingly, employees express the strong positive impact of having an effective training program, opportunities for advancement, buying

S

That’s where the Which Wich dog tags come in. Last year, the company bought a machine to make and personalize them for its employees. They can be stamped with just the most basic stats: name, start date and store location. Or, they can be customized, printed with special messages that acknowledge “above and beyond” actions.

Says Sinelli, “Staff wear these dog tags to work, sometimes just one but as many as six or seven. The tags become a talk point among the team members, like, ‘hey, cool, what’d you get that one for?’ There’s excitement and pride about them. They definitely break down walls, connect us as a company.”

Jason Lyon, CEO of the Common Man® Family of Restaurants, agrees that recognition can make a difference. “It really helps to engage each individual and make sure they know it’s a two-way street. If they can’t express an opinion or if they think their words fall on deaf ears, they really are left with the idea that no one really cares,” Lyon says.

That’s more than just a well-crafted bromide, managerial

words that are tossed around but not actually put into play at the top. Common Man founder Alex Ray was honored with the National Restaurant Association’s Cornerstone Humanitarian Award and twice was named a Restaurant Neighbor Award winner by the NRA. Such accolades lend

“Trainees learn do some of the basic back-office tasks. That builds their skills and frees managers’ time. But more importantly, it helps us identify diamonds in the rough, that group of employees who we can help get to the next level in a career.”

–Jason Lyon, CEO of the Common Man® Family of Restaurants

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 49

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 49

12/5/13 9:35 PM

credence to Common Man’s employee-first orientation and

enjoys brisk winter skiing business. “With 17 dining locations,

spotlight community outreach efforts.

there is always something going on, somewhere for them to be.

Founded in Ashland, New Hampshire, almost 40 years

In a way, it feels like a new job for them but with the comfort of

ago, Common Man has a diverse collection of properties and anywhere from 700 to 1,000 employees, depending on the season. Most of its businesses are clustered near the main interstate highway that bisects New Hampshire from north to south. Its portfolio includes an inn, spa, movie theater, cafes, diners, full-service restaurants and a general store.

remaining in the family,” Lyons notes.

A Patient Approach

Turnover knows no boundaries in the industry, although it tends to have less of a stranglehold in noncommercial segments. At Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, a 259-bed facility in the Chicago

Common Man is less jilted by turnover than many other

suburbs, the foodservice department sees just over 18% of its

restaurant-industry businesses – Lyons puts the annual churn

workers leave on an annual basis.

rate at an enviable 29%. Half of its employees have worked at the company for more than a decade, and some since the first location opened.

Lyons says that while this loyalty can be attributed to many

factors, a certified trainer mentorship program certainly helps.

“We saw that there was a gap in skills between hourly and managerial workers. Anyone who has been in their position for at least one year can apply, though they have to be endorsed by their manager,” Lyons explains. Those who are selected then are groomed to take on more responsibility and move up the ranks. According to Lyons, one-quarter of the participants have moved into management. Fully 50% have chosen to stay on as a certified mentor trainer, a role that they must reapply for on an annual basis. Lyons says that the program not only is a skill

David Reeves, the hospital’s director of hospitality services, notes that a very strong benefits program is a big driver. “Just by working in a healthcare organization they get good benefits, as strong as the nursing staff,” he says.

Reeves says that when a position does open up, they resist

the urge to fill it quickly, even though they don’t have a deep internal bench from which to pull. “Retention really starts in the hiring process. We want to be patient, make sure we do it right.

You have to resist the temptation to fill it just to fill it. We look at the hire as a long-term solution and take the time to do it right,” he says.

When a new employee joins the team, Reeves and his managers make it a priority to engage that person immediately,

builder for hourly employees, it also helps keep managers on the floor with customers.

“Trainees learn to do some of the basic backoffice tasks. That builds their skills and frees managers’ time. But more importantly, it helps us identify diamonds in the rough, that group of employees who we can help get to the next level in a career.”

It also helps that some Common Man employees opt to follow a seasonal trail, moving around to various holdings, maybe from Town Docks, a summer-only operation in Meredith N.H., to one of the properties that

Reeves is keenly aware that his team is on the frontline, very much arbiters of how patients assess their experience. “They [the foodservice workers] are key, and it helps if there is consistency in who delivers the trays.”

–David Reeves, Director of Hospitality Services, Elmhurst Memorial Hospital

50 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 50

12/5/13 9:35 PM

O

P

E

R

A T

welcoming and integrating them into the team. “I don’t have

and Jelly Sandwich Change the World in several locations –

any say in pay or benefits, but I can make sure that we meet

when a classic PB&J is sold, one is also donated to a hunger-

with them, get to know them personally rather than just as

relief agency. It expects to roll the program out system-wide

another employee,” Reeves notes.

in the coming months.

Reeves says proper training is critical to the equation. “It’s

Sinelli describes this philanthropic effort as “conscious

very important to train them well but it’s a challenge. You

capitalism,” a commitment by the company to give back to the

make the hire because you’re short a position, so there’s a

community. He sees an internal upside, too.

balance between giving training and getting them functional,”

he explains.

says. ”We want our employees to be on this yellow brick road with us. Once they wear it, flair it and share it, we’ll have them

these ratings. Reeves is keenly aware that his team is on the

for a long time and be on the right track.”

frontline, very much arbiters of how patients assess their

Regular Requests

Perhaps nowhere more than in a nursing home setting is the absence of a familiar face noted by diners. Jean Dobay, the director of transformation and growth at Quality Life Services, a Pennsylvania-based company with eight facilities explains, “We try to be more home-like, not like a medical setting.”

To that end, the company divides the homes into “neighborhoods,” each of which has dedicated care partners, including those from foodservice. Dobay notes that not just residents but the staff feels the benefits. “People often say that people leave if they do not like their manager. Here, they are more likely to leave if they don’t like the people they work with every day. Having dedicated teams in each neighborhood connects them to their co-workers as well as the residents,” she says.

N

S

“When we announced the program to our team, there were

hospitals and foodservice programs exert powerful sway in

helps if there is consistency in who delivers the trays.”

O

tears. People connect to it emotionally, they’re really jazzed,” he

Patient satisfaction scores are an important metric in

experience. “They [the foodservice workers] are key and it

I

Although management feels the churn burn, customers often know immediately when a familiar face, their favorite server, host or busser is no longer there to welcome and take care of them.

“In New Hampshire, people get a little nervous when they see a new face,” Jason Lyons, CEO of Common Man restaurants notes. “I’ve never seen so many requests for a regular server as I do here. Servers know their favored places to sit, what cocktail to bring to the table and all the little things that help make our customers comfortable and happy.”

At Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, comfort comes especially from the team that delivers meals. “The deliverer of the trays is absolutely key to our patients’ satisfaction,” says David Reeves, the hospital’s director of hospitality services. Meals – and the

Sandwiched In

people who bring them to the rooms – are less intimidating than

But what about those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that

and patients recognize that. They look for and appreciate the

Which Wich’s Sinelli is touting as a way to help reduce staff

same faces.” n

nurses with blood-pressure cuffs and technicians with needles.

“We definitely focus on a strong customer service orientation

turnover? The company just launched Can A Peanut Butter

Training Camp

Many new hires in the restaurant industry are teens, eagerly embarking on their first jobs and the happy prospect of some extra cash in their wallets. Whether their positions ask them to work a register, fill soda cups, or wait on tables, welldeveloped and executed training can have a profound effect on their success and the likelihood of their staying in the job for more than just days or weeks. Springing

Trainer

Instructional Designer

- Presentation Effectiveness - Participant Management - Evaluation / Assessment

- Technical Knowledge - Program Design - Process Improvement

Manager

Executive/Leader

- Operational Knowledge - Project Management - Coaching / Development

- Communication/Influence - Business Acumen - Strategic Planning

[3 Competencies]

[3 Competencies]

them into action before they are adequately trained for the task — by the right people armed with the right tools – fast tracks to failure.

The Council of Hospitality and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) mapped out the three most effective training competencies to be exhibited at four different levels in the organization, from frontline, one-on-one interface to the managerial tone that emanates from the C-suite.

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 51

[3 Competencies]

[3 Competencies]

12/3/13 4:39 PM

Are You Prepared?

by Sharon Karlman, CFS VP Quality Assurance/ Nutrition Services, Reinhart Foodservice

52 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 52

12/3/13 4:39 PM

O

P

E

R

A T

I

O

N

S

RECALL CHECKLIST If you’ve ever received that untimely message telling you a product has been recalled, you’ll likely agree these situations are inconvenient and a nuisance. Public health, however, is a necessity to protect.

A

company discovered either an uncontrolled hazard after the product left its control or a food-borne illness has been associated with a product resulting in the need to remove the product from the market. Crisis management employed. Get ready for total recall.

Recalls are a problem, but the impact on business can be reduced with a plan in place. Take a few minutes now to think about actions required before, during, and after being notified of a recall.

Be prepared by designating a spokesperson and backup to answer questions.

Provide guidance in advance as to what you would and would not want the spokesperson to share with customers, staff, the media, and others who might inquire.

It is also helpful to have a short “fill in the blanks” script ready,so all you have to do is update information pertinent to the current situation.

Train your staff to take recalls seriously. When notified of a recall, immediately check what is currently being served as well as product in inventory. Most recalls are limited to particular product numbers and lot/production/date codes. Tag and isolate recalled product so it is not accidentally used.

Immediately stop serving products

that are specifically identified as being involved in the recall. Adjust your menu accordingly.

Follow the directions provided on the recall notification. Some recalls require the product be returned for credit; others ask that the product be destroyed on site. Regardless, keep a record of your actions. Regulatory agencies often audit recalls by asking the participating distributor for a list of customers involved—and then make calls or visits to these accounts to determine recall effectiveness. It is important to be able to tell these agencies how much product you received and what was done with the product.

Reinhart customers that may have received recalled product are always contacted. If you hear of a recall in the news and have not been contacted, you likely are not involved. For more information on current recalls, feel free to reference the Reinhart website, RFSdelivers.com. Specific questions regarding involvement can be directed to the local Reinhart recall coordinator in the distribution center from which you purchase product. n

PRIOR TO A RECALL

z Designate a spokesperson to answer questions

z Prepare a short “fill in the blanks” script

z Train staff z Conduct a mock recall IN THE EVENT OF A RECALL

z Reference the Reinhart

website for written details, RFSdelivers.com

z Check inventory z Isolate unused product with the lot codes identified

z Stop serving menu items prepared with recalled product

z Complete script and provide to staff

AFTER A RECALL

z Request pickup and credit for involved product

z Return unused product z Verify credit was received z Provide information to inspectors conducting effectiveness checks

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 53

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 53

12/3/13 4:39 PM

O

P

E

R

A T

I

O

N

S

Acts of Kindness

By Jeff Zimmerman

Restaurant

diner Food Donation

A

lthough the holiday season is wrapped, thoughts of benevolence should never leave our heads. Imagine a restaurant’s unserved food put to better use. Initiating a program aimed at hunger relief and inspiring others to help address a need that 50 million Americans have in common.

Talk about the ultimate in gift giving.

While we often associate the holidays with food drives and donations, hunger knows no season. The idea of donating food has been around for decades, but the food recovery movement is in its infancy. The wakeup call seems to be gaining traction.

Do the Right Thing

Not so for a least one big player in the field. Fortune 500 and Orlando, Floridabased Darden Restaurants, whose portfolio of popular eateries includes Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse, has been distributing unserved food to community agencies and organizations through its Harvest program for a decade. As a result, a food donation policy is firmly in place company-wide.

With quality, service and value dominating a restaurant menu’s todo list, there isn’t much room left on the plate to consider food waste. In spite of the fact that 10 percent of the food a restaurant purchases winds up in landfills, the restaurant industry is mostly ho-hum on the subject.

Rich Jeffers, a spokesperson for Darden’s nearly 2,100-plus restaurants, says that it comes down to making the right choices. “We’re in a unique position to do the right thing, and it’s consistent with the Darden culture,” said Jeffers. “Aside from serving our guests, we really want to make sure that we’re

serving the communities where our employees live and work and having a greater purpose beyond the walls of our restaurants.”

Darden’s donations measure a staggering 10 to 12 million pounds of food per year. Table scraps and leftovers? Hardly. The program utilizes surplus food that exceeds the restaurantissued freshness date but remains entirely wholesome and edible based on FDA standards. Then it’s prepared just as it would be if you ordered it off the menu. Instead, it’s inventoried, flashfrozen and placed in special containers.

Finally it’s picked up by a qualified nonprofit agency and distributed.

Not a Waste of Time Operationalizing the donation program without placing more work on staff was achieved through an alliance with Food Donation Connection, a Knoxville, Tennessee, based organization and industry leader that’s been assisting food donation programs like Darden’s for over

54 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 54

12/3/13 4:39 PM

“We’re trying to help the food service industry reduce waste. Naturally a big piece of that is donating safe surplus to people in need.”

- Jim Larson,

Program Development Director, Food Donation Connection

Sustaining the Effort Does your restaurant employ an impactful sustainability initiative? Please share with us at magazine@rfsdelivers.com. We’d be happy to share your story and spread the word to help others get involved.

• To learn more about Darden’s Restaurants initiatives, visit http://www.darden.com/sustainability/ • For more on the Food Donation Connection, visit http://www.foodtodonate.org/

Qualified non-profit

• For more on the Food Recovery Network, visit http://www.foodrecoverynetwork.org/

20 years. As a broker of sorts, FDC does much of the heavy lifting by overseeing quality and handling standards, tax valuation and donation cataloguing.

“Sure it’s a moral issue, but we’re not trying to end hunger or feed the world.

We’re trying to help the food service industry reduce waste. Naturally a big piece of that is donating safe surplus to people in need,” says Jim Larson, Program Development Director for FDC. “Push-back due to liability concerns is an objection we hear often,” adds Larsen.

“Thanks to federal law, specifically The Good Samaritan Food Donation Act passed in 1996, restaurants donors have the protection they’re looking for.”

Larson agrees that the challenge is less about convincing others why it’s important and more about how easy the process really is. “We work with about 15,000 locations and about 8,000 charities, employing a round-the-clock hover support center. This ensures that the restaurant is focused on serving food

Food Donation

to their dining room guests instead of the logistics surrounding donated food.”

Operating from the perspective that “the whole equals the sum of its parts,” is a Phoenix, Arizona, organization performing its role as a necessary middleman. Through the complexity of a strategically orchestrated daily exercise involving many moving parts, Waste Not unleashes its fleet of trucks each morning, gathering perishable food surplus from restaurants, resorts and the like that would otherwise be thrown away. It’s then distributed to a broad spectrum of deserving recipients.

“The Darden Restaurants we’ve worked alongside in our community are wonderful corporate citizens and examples for others,” says Executive Director Dee Mitton. “The fact is, it’s easier and cheaper to toss the surplus away. They choose instead to make a difference.” Mitton is understandably moved by the generosity of the donors she comes into contact with each day, recalling Cold Stone Creamery’s recent

donation of ice cream. “People take the time to call us with spontaneous donations. The reactions from those on the receiving end, hungry kids in particular, are remarkable,” adds Mitton.

Networking the Issue Meanwhile, others have also begun to connect the dots for this worthwhile cause. Organizations like Food Recovery Network and its extensive network of chapters on college campuses nationwide has successfully tapped into student volunteerism to help drive their own commitments to fight hunger and reduce food waste.

For Darden’s Restaurants, and those chains spearheading similar programs, there are tax benefits derived from donating what’s not being used. But restaurants stand to gain something appreciably more than a financial break as we’re all reminded, especially—just after the holidays, how all of us can be inspired by genuine acts of kindness. n ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 55

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 55

12/3/13 4:39 PM

O

P

E

R

A T

I

O

N

S

ASKS OPERATORS: Will you rescue your food and help nourish 50 million people at risk of hunger every day?

by Mindy Kolof

It’s hard to say no.

In a land of plenty, the hunger statistics are staggeringly shameful. One in six Americans, some 50 million people, are food insecure, not sure their next meal will be on the table. Of that number, 16 million are sometimes forced to skip meals completely, with no money for food and little access to a food pantry. Trying to put a sizeable dent in those numbers, one meal at a time, is Feeding America, a network of more than 200 food banks dotted all across the country.

The organization formerly known as Second Harvest has created an indelible imprint on the nation’s conscience since taking on its newly descriptive name in 2008. By 2012, Feeding America earned the highest four-star rating from Charity Navigator, was rated as one of Worth Magazine’s best charities, successfully recruited foodservice industry Bob Aiken as CEO, and gained access to an A-list of celebrities the envy of any Hollywood agent. Foodie icons like Marc Forgione, Ellie Krieger, Mario Batali and Andrew Zimmern joined the ranks of high-profile believers, inspired by the mission and eager to use their massive influence to help.

There are, of course, sound business reasons to do so. Cause marketing can bring tangible results—increasing employee loyalty and retention, especially among the socially conscious Millennials. Customers increasingly flock to

56 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 56

12/3/13 4:39 PM

brands with a purpose; 80 percent of Americans polled recently said they are likely to switch brands, about equal in price and quality, to one that supports a cause.* The pay-it-forward mindset builds a sense of community and goodwill toward your operation with a power that even the most successful LTO can’t match.

also what will help you sleep at night, knowing that one less

So, doing the right thing is good for your business. And it’s

media relations, Ross Fraser.

RESTAURANT INC: Tell us about the beginnings of Feeding America. When was it founded?

ROSS FRASER:

The food banks that make up Feeding America have actually been in existence for 30 years, rescuing and redirecting food that would otherwise go to waste. Originally known as Second Harvest, the network consisted of 13 food banks, and in the first year, distributed 2.5 million pounds of food. We’ve grown substantially since that time--today more than three billion pounds of food is distributed by more than 200 food banks. In 2008, we changed the name to Feeding America, a name that describes what we do, instantly.

RI: Is the need for food bank assistance growing?

RF: Hunger is directly related to poverty and unemployment, and the need for food banks has only increased over the years. Hunger exists everywhere in the U.S., in cities, suburbs and rural areas, among seniors, children, and in working families. Right now, unemployment is still above seven percent, and one in seven Americans lives at or below the poverty level; defined by the government as below $20,000 for a family of three, an astoundingly low amount. In addition, there are thousands of people who work, but still find it difficult, if not impossible, to make ends meet–a full 36 percent of our client households have one or more adults working.

child is going to bed hungry. As chef Rocco DiSpirito, part of Feeding America’s Entertainment Council, says: “This is simple stuff; our neighbors are hungry and we have to help."

We’ll tell you how, courtesy of Feeding America’s director of

RI:

What is the impact of recent government actions on food assistance?

RF:

The cut of $5 billion made to the food stamp program last November will reduce everyone’s benefits. The average food stamp benefit is just $4.20 a day–if you take the Food Stamp Challenge, you can see just how difficult this is to live on. http://www. foodbanknyc.org/how-you-can-help/take-thefood-stamp-challenge

RI: Where does Feeding America get their food?

RF: Multiple sources, including donations from manufacturers, local donations, the federal government and through purchases.

Retailers, including restaurants, account for 27 percent of the food we received in 2012.

RI: What kind of food is needed?

RF: We place a special emphasis

on fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables, chili and canned pastas, soups and stews, proteins, complete meals, dairy, and 100percent juices.

RI:

How can foodservice operators help by "rescuing" their unused food for use at food banks?

RF:

We urge operators to work with their local food banks to donate product that is left over, but safe for human consumption.

For instance, trays of lasagna cooked for a big dinner event, but never served, can be transported following USDA, FDA and all local food safety protocols, and donated to an area food bank. State and local health department regulations vary, but the local food bank will have all the details. Note: see “How to Start Your Own Operation Rescue” below.

RI: How else can restaurant operators help?

RF: There are several very effective programs frequently used by restaurants, and we always welcome new ideas. One, hold a canned food drive to raise awareness of food bank needs among your customers.

Two, designate a particular menu item from which proceeds will go to Feeding America. Cheesecake Factory has done this for years, with 25 cents from each order of a specified slice of cheesecake shared with our organization. Chefs might want to volunteer to teach a cooking class at the local food bank; many have classes that teach clients how to prepare unusual vegetables, or turn donated items into delicious meals. Some food banks in larger urban areas go further, and train people how to work in the food industry.

These programs can be time intensive, but extremely rewarding–you’re actually rescuing a person. n

*Source: 2010 Cone Corporate Citizenship Study

HOW TO START YOUR OWN FOOD RESCUE OPERATION Begin by identifying your local food bank, from the complete list on Feeding America’s website: www.feedingamerica.org.

n Label food with Product Name, Date & Your Location e.g. Beef Stew - 03/2/14 - Mom's Diner

Call and ask for the food-rescue program transportation manager, and let them know the kind of foods you have available. This person will arrange a pickup day, and serve as your contact for extra pickups and last minute supply needs.

n Keep foods at proper temperatures. Food should then be either refrigerated or frozen depending on the date of your scheduled pickup. Chilled perishable food is to be below 40˚F, except during necessary times of preparation or while being held for service, which may not exceed two hours. It is preferred that foods are frozen to maximize freshness.

Next steps: n Transfer food to either a bag or pan. The food bank supplies bags and sometimes pans, but if you are able to provide your own disposable packaging for donations, you help the food-rescue program use its resources more effectively.

n When your donation is picked up, you will receive a receipt indicating the type of product and its weight. This information may be used for appropriate tax deductions and credits available to your operation.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 57

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 57

12/5/13 9:35 PM

F F OO OO DD &&

BB EE VV EE RR AA GG EE

Taking to Let’s GetComfort This PartyFood Started: the Next Level with

Bar Snacks Fresh Produce

by MARKON®

by MARKON®

Fill shot glasses with creamy soups and top with minigrilled cheese sandwiches packed with peppers, tomatoes, or mushrooms.

58 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 58

12/3/13 4:39 PM

Move over, appetizers, small plates, and tapas—there’s a new

Always #BetterTogether

category exciting chefs, and it’s called bar snacks. The latest trend taking the restaurant industry by storm combines familiar-yetFall is a time of transitions: weather that cools, school starts and summer interesting dishes in micro-portions help increase checks without

fruits andthe vegetables breaking budget. give way to autumn harvests. Even hungers and appetites change: grilled fish, chilled salads and fresh berry Foodservice operators areon answering the way cry they for more: variety, desserts no longer register the radar the do during hot choices, and flavor.

Byare serving menu of snacks at the bar (more spells. Instead, diners more aapt to seek out warm and flavorful than nuts from and heartier olives), ingredients. operators can differentiate their menu, fare made entice curious diners, and whet their appetites before they make When seasonal it to the table. gears shift, the comfort food arena is a great place to start. Not just a trend, but a perennial genre that fits into every type of

Mix it comfort up withfare global flavors, retro recipes, and whimsical cuisine, is always popular and never more so than when themes—anything because these bites and do techniques. not require a it is modernized withgoes contemporary ingredients

Classic French onion soup combines thyme-scented broth with complexly flavored caramelized onions and a glorious crown of Gruyere cheese. Perfect for cold nights!

Individual kebabs stacked with Cajun shrimp, onions, and sausage are ideal finger foods; alternately, serve them on a bed of romaine, frisée, and pears.

serious commitment like entrées. They should be a quick taste that Incorporating abundance of and seasonal and fresh complements an artisan cocktails local fruits, beers vegetables or a burst of flavors

herbs is one of the best of comfort food this year. Produce that prepare diners for expressions the meal to come. as a star of the plate has finally reached the mainstream. Featuring fall favorites such as hard squashes, hearty greens, mushrooms, onions, apples and potatoes appeals to diners and adds a welcome cushion to food costs.

Tiny Taste Bombs:

The addition of umami flavors from mushrooms and soy sauce modernize this green bean casserole and make it taste better than grandma’s.

n Cut iceberg lettuce into tiny wedges and top with minced tomato, hard-boiled egg, bacon, and blue cheese dressing—the perfect salad bite!

Usage Ideas:

Pairing Produce with Heartier Fall Fare n Flavor house-made potato chips with fresh herbs, specialty n Elevate simple popcorn with fruit glazes and vegetable powders or dusts.

salts, and artisanal vinegars.

Trim calories and increase the nutritional profile while

Give retro cool deviled eggs color by boiling with beets—and for those that want a spicy bite, drizzle with Sriracha sauce.

Large enough to be a meatless entrée or sharable bar snack, try serving this kale- and chard-stuffed Portabella mushroom.

adding flavor to are hand-held likepairs beefnicely empanadas n Pickled vegetables a retro starters trend that with Indian-inspired samosas by mixing cubes of barand libations: Pickled beets, cauliflower florets,inradishes, squash, roasted andbutternut jicama with fresh herbs and eggplant spices. or sweet baby carrots. n Stuff tiny red potatoes with creamy salmon salad; add sophistication by topping with caviar and snipped chives.

Rich, complex and soothing Vietnamese pho is the soup of the moment. Add lots of chopped green onions, n Offer something for your vegan customers too! Lemonfresh cilantro and mint, spinach and onions to maximize grass seitan “drumsticks” make a great hand-held treat; oomph. balance the flavors with citrusy orange sections. n Fries are always popularload at the it up meat by frying Lighten the meatball bybar—switch mixing ground with strips of yam and tossing with seabreadcrumbs. salt and freshServe herbs.this roasted eggplant, garlic and sandwich classic with retro red gravy and a dollop of small portions ofcheese. curried shrimp and pear-tamarind n Serve house-made burrata chutney in ramekins; mini naan bread completes the Indian theme.

Instead of serving classic old-fashioned beef stew, why not try a similar, but more exotic Moroccan tagine?

Simmer beef chunks with dried apricots, garbanzo beans, carrots and almonds; serve over couscous.

Update baked apple recipes by stuffing sweet Galas with quinoa, oats, pomegranate seeds and dried cranberries; drizzle lightly with caramel. n

Glamorize taco salad by layering spicy meat, chopped avocados and tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream and shredded iceberg and/or romaine lettuce; serve in individual serving size containers with corn tortilla chips.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 59

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 59

12/5/13 9:35 PM

Beverage

You know your customers, your menu and your offerings. But given the rapid shifts taking place across the beer category—and the opportunities these changes create for greater profit in your establishment—we are dedicating a number of pages to current beer trends.

60 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 60

12/3/13 4:39 PM

Section

Project Bunyan and the future of Dogfish Head [pg. 62]

Springtime, Beer Time, Anytime

[pg. 64]

Spring Seasonals

[pg. 65]

Sell More Beer [pg. 66] ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 61

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 61

12/3/13 4:39 PM

B E V E R A G E

S E C T I O N

Project Bunyan & the future of Dogfish Head

By Sam Calagione, Founder and President, Dogfish Head

B

eer and food have been inextricably linked since the dawn of Dogfish Head.

Dogfish started in Delaware as a brewpub, so we've been a food company as long as we've been a beer company. And in those early days, when I was brewing two or three 10-gallon batches a day, I'd get a little restless, so to make things interesting, I'd wander into the brewpub's kitchen and grab a handful of raisins, a cup of maple syrup or a scoop of roasted chicory.

Those food-centric beers like Raison D’Etre, Immort Ale and Chicory Stout helped establish our purpose: "Off-centered ales for off-centered people." A lot of people dug what we were doing, but there were also a lot of beer-world reactionaries who laughed at us and called us heretics for messing with brewing tradition by not just using barley, yeast, water and hops in our beers.

But we believed in what we were doing and stayed true to ourselves, because to us, Dogfish has always been more than a business. It's been a home: a home for creativity, a home for handmade beer and food, and a home away from home for all of our co-workers.

By the late '90s, that commitment to our off-centered purpose started paying off. Word of our little brewpub got around, and beerbelievers from D.C., Philly, Baltimore and New York started making pilgrimages to coastal Delaware. That was a turning point for us.

Those visitors from all around the mid-Atlantic fueled our growth and allowed us to develop a production brewery. Dogfish was on the move.

I started to think of Dogfish Head as the Paul Bunyan of breweries, a quintessentially American pioneer story. Like Bunyan, we blazed a trail from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Bunyan

dug the Great Lakes for his ox to drink from, Dogfish brought off-centered ales to an industry that championed the status quo. Bunyan built mountains from rocks, Dogfish built a network of distributor partners. Bunyan's work centered around wood and the natural world, and Dogfish's wood-aged beers and wood-grilled food share that pedigree. We brew by hand, we source local ingredients, and we paint our own labels and posters.

Today, we’re on the tail end of a multimilliondollar expansion, and as we’ve done since the beginning, we're doing this on our own terms by prioritizing strong growth over fast growth.

But we can't take growing demand for granted.

And that's where the next chapter of the Dogfish story begins.

There are more than 2,000 craft breweries in the United States now, brewing hundreds

62 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 62

12/5/13 9:36 PM

of thousands of barrels per year, and there's a new brewery opening every day. While we'll continue to innovate with beer ingredients, we need to amplify the complementary ways we can stand out in this increasingly saturated marketplace. It's time for us to once again zig when everyone else is zagging.

a stronger push into beer-centric foods.

a recipe from the classic American novel

And just like we've done with beer, we're

"Moby Dick."

If Dogfish Head is to have lasting meaning and lasting distinction in an increasingly competitive beer landscape, then we need to focus more on local, on human scale, on resources that come from the Delmarva Peninsula, and on things that haven't been done before. We already took the first crucial steps in that direction by remaining a familyowned company and brewing all our beer right here in southern Delaware.

Peninsula.

going to do it in our own off-centered way.

We're partnering with a handful of carefully selected food companies to get our beer into unique new products that will remind people of our position on the Delmarva

In addition to the food truck, we'll be working with the sales teams at Brooklyn Brine and Coleman/Perdue to get displays of brats, pickles and beer in select retail accounts from our core East Coast market – New York to Northern Virginia. Our goal is to

With The Original Brat Hans®, Dogfish is

help drive home that overlap of food-centric

producing a line of brats cooked with off-

beer and beer-centric food.

centered ingredients and infused with beers

All of these collaborations, plus a host of

like Midas Touch, Chicory Stout and Raison

events and donations on our home turf, are

D'Etre. We sell the brats not only at the

helping to make Milton, Rehoboth and all of

brewpub, but at the brewery as well.

coastal Delaware a world-class destination.

Also available from the food truck is

We believe coastal Delaware can become

Hard-Tack Clam Chowder, made with our Delmarva neighbors Sea Watch and infused

Here are the next steps:

with 60 Minute IPA and Palo Santo Marron.

While we will continue to be innovators of food-centric beers, we're now going to make

Maine roots have given us a connection

Dogfish Head's coastal Delaware home and

synonymous with off-centered ales and food in the same way Savile Row is synonymous with bespoke menswear or Switzerland is synonymous with fine timepieces, and we’re honored to be leading the charge. n

to the sea, and this chowder is based on

70

calories or less!

Argo Tea combines the creativity of a mixologist and the intelligence of a nutritionist to concoct all natural, tea based signature drinks.

RFS ITEM # G1584

RFS ITEM # G1484

RFS ITEM # G1904

ORDER TODAY Contact your Reinhart Sales Consultant today!

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 63

12/3/13 4:39 PM

B E V E R A G E

S E C T I O N

Springtime, Beer Time, Anytime D rinking a cold one does not have a season. Instead, breweries have crafted seasonal beers (and versatile perennials) to keep our taste buds waiting in anticipation from one season to the next. And with spring around the corner, breweries toss spring seasonal choices your way to supplement menu mainstays, swap out with winter stalwarts, and match lighter touches on the menu.

With Spring Seasonals, beer drinkers enjoy a variety of different flavor profiles – most floral and citrus notes from flowery hops (opposed to bitter hops). As our palates adjust to the lighter flavors of the season of new life, we’re energized by these flavors. Menuing lighter beers will complement those lighter dishes – chicken with herbs and fresh spring vegetables, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, fish filets, spinach salads – with those floral, citrus, and earthier tones.

“Things are coming back into life. You see more floral notes, maybe from a pale ale or IPA,” says Kristen Taylor, Sr. Brand Manager and Certified Cicerone® at Chicago Beverage Systems. She

mentions Half Acre® Daisy Cutter, with its floral hop, as a great complement for those spring meals.

Taylor also says some year-round beers are perfect for spring foods—it’s just a matter of finding the right ones. She also cited wheat beers as great complements to light chicken dishes, such as an Allagash® White and New Belgium® Sunshine Wheat. She encourages operators to delve into spring seasonals and good complementary perennials, “As the food flavors adjust to lighter, spring seasonals are easy to adopt because flavor notes aren’t as intense.”

No reason not to give it a shot – see what sticks. Your customers might love the pairings you concoct!

See the following page for a few ideas for Spring Seasonals. Try these out while experimenting with new spring recipes on your menu! n

64 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 64

12/6/13 4:12 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E

Spring Seasonal Choices* Samuel Adams® Alpine Spring 5.5% ABV This unfiltered lager is the perfect brew for spring—flavorful enough for cooler weather but with a balance of bright citrus & crisp maltiness that herald the warmer months to come. A single hop brew with Noble Tettnang hops from the foothills of the Alps, it's smooth, refreshing & unique.

New Belgium® Sunshine Wheat 4.8% ABV

Huge spicy/herbal/fruity coriander flavor brought out by the beer’s carbonation. Subtle orange and lemon, rounded malt character with little bitter orange zest. Slightly sweet

with a hint of apple and honey and sage. Slightly tart and tangy.

Blue Moon® Valencia Grove Amber

Sierra Nevada Ruthless® Rye

Roasted malts, Valencia orange peel, and a touch of wheat for a hint of citrus that’s ripe for the season.

6.6% ABV

Rugged and resilient, rye has been a staple grain for ages and its spicy black pepper-like flavor has been prized by distillers and brewers for centuries. Rye thrives in the harshest conditions and comes to life in Ruthless, a spicy and rugged IPA with fruity, citrus and herbal hop notes balanced with the dry spiciness of the rye, making the beer aggressive yet comforting to bolster against whatever the spring may bring.

5.9% ABV

Half Acre Daisy Cutter 5.2% ABV

A west coast Pale Ale chock-full of dank, aromatic hops. This one's a screamer; hoard it.

Allagash® White 5.0% ABV Brewed with a generous portion of wheat and spiced with coriander and Curacao orange peel, this beer is fruity, refreshing and slightly cloudy in appearance.

*Descriptions from www.samueladams.com, www.newbelgium.com, www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com, www.sierranevada.com, halfacrebeer.com, www.allagash.com

See page 99 for a fomz beverage recipe.

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 65

12/3/13 4:39 PM

B E V E R A G E

S E C T I O N

Sell More Beer eer is becoming an increasingly popular and complex beverage. With the craft beer boom, seasonal favorites swapping in and out every couple months, and titan breweries fighting for market share with different styles, average operators are hard-pressed to keep up.

B

Restaurant Inc shares five strategies to help operators sell beer at a better rate (and hopefully complement your delicious menu items as well!).

Strategies to Help Beer Sales Pairing Guide

Perfect Pour

The educated consumer is also the educated beer drinker with a sophisticated palate and desire for that perfect pairing. Do research on beers that’ll complement your dishes. Better yet, grab a couple that strike your fancy and do a tasting. It is beneficial to train staff to speak intelligently about your beer offerings and encourage customers to try different varietals. You can also get help from a Certified Cicerone® for consultation.

If your bartender is serving up half-foamed glasses of beer, you might have a problem. Pouring a beer properly is imperative to not only the appearance, but also the taste. That’s why they call it an art form (See Restaurant Inc’s Summer Issue for how to pour the perfect beer – page 57).

Craft Movement As discussed in previous Restaurant Inc issues, craft beer is not going away – in fact it’s growing.

According to a Technomic report, craft beer sales grew 14.4% in 2012 and poise to continue that growth in 2013 (awaiting definitive data). Stocking your taps and fridges with particular craft beers could pique customer interest and contribute to a successful pairing guide.

Glassware Having the proper glassware for the proper beer is more than a brand showcase. Glasses are designed to particular beers for a reason – as soon as you pour, the beer changes. Depending on your beer offerings, consider which glass you want to see with cascading foam – it will affect the taste! Better tasting beer always means a more satisfied customer. They’ll want to have another one!

Local Favorites Tapping into your market’s local craft breweries shouldn’t be too difficult. According to the Brewers Association®, there are over 2,400 craft breweries in the United States. Bringing local beers to your operation will forge a relationship with a community partner, expand your beer offering, and excite customers. n

66 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 66

12/5/13 9:36 PM

1-10 lb. Asiago Half Wheel, Aged 6 Months #70094

Superlative Products For The Best Italian Recipes

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 67

12/6/13 4:12 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E

By Audarshia Townsend

photo by Dan Coha

A

nybody who frequents restaurants on the regular will likely have a great story or two about how they managed to score sweet seats in the hottest restaurant of the moment – about how they slipped in during peak dinner hours and ate and drank and got merry while others waited miserably for a table to open.

Those expert navigators of noshing know to head straight for the bar of a restaurant—because not only do they get direct access to the gatekeepers of the libations, but they’ll also get turned on to something pretty great to eat.

Trust the bartender to give you an honest thumbs-up or down on a dish, and point you in the direction of a tasty snack beyond those stale peanuts or pretzels.

It’s their job, after all, to drive up ticket averages, but there’s only so many Miller Lites or Manhattans one person can consume.

68 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 68

12/3/13 4:40 PM

At New York’s chic NoMad Hotel in Chelsea, for example, the croustillants—crispy bar bites filled with a delicate, yet peppery mix of sweetbreads, parsley, shallots and cream—are the most memorable morsels on the lounge menu. At $9 an order, it won’t break the bank, but it’s certainly satisfying enough to complement one or two of the craft cocktails.

Over at Chicago’s long-time West Loop hot spot avec, the stuffed Medjool dates have been a hit since it opened more than 10 years ago. They’re simply stuffed with house-made chorizo and wrapped in smoky bacon, and diners love them. They're one of the few items that have managed to survive three different chefs without any alterations.

Tomboy Tavern, located on the premises of Telluride Ski & Golf Resort in Telluride, Colo., also offers a number of mouth-watering bar snacks. Edamame sautéed in chili peppers, roasted garlic and peanuts as well as the prickly pear Buffalo wings are two of the biggest sellers, and bartenders eagerly encourage newcomers to order them.

“We deliberately don’t have a lot of descriptions on our beer list, so it’s a chance for the bartenders to really engage the customers.”

Stephen Roth, executive director of culinary services, Telluride Ski & Golf Resort

“We deliberately don’t have a lot of descriptions on our beer list, so it’s a chance for the bartenders to really engage the customers,” says Stephen Roth, executive director of culinary services at the resort. “Usually when a person sits there at the bar for awhile they’re going to start talking to the bartender… and eventually they’re going to get hungry.”

Roth says the prickly pear wings, which are served with chunky blue cheese dressing, were on Tomboy Tavern’s predecessor’s menu and were one of the few items transferred over.

“We took them off the menu once upon a time, and there was outrage,” he admits. “It’s Colorado comfort food. [And items like it are] designed to be quick, while they’re waiting for sandwiches or entrees to be prepared.”

photo by Dan Coha

Avec’s Stuffed Medjool Dates with Piquillo Pepper Sauce Makes 4 Servings Piquillo Sauce 8 oz

Piquillo peppers (If not available, any roasted peppers)

16 oz can

whole, peeled tomatoes

6 Tbsp

garlic (thinly sliced)

8 whole

peeled shallots (thinly sliced)

Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION: In a saucepan, sweat shallots and garlic. Add Piquillo peppers and canned tomato (with juice). Cook on low heat for about 1½ hours.

Season with salt and pepper. Place ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Stuffed Medjool Dates (per serving) 8 slices

smoky bacon

16

Medjool dates (pitted)

8 Tbsp

uncooked chorizo (house-made or store bought)

1

small bunch of parsley, chopped

PREPARATION: Stuff dates with uncooked chorizo, using ½ tablespoon of chorizo for each date.

Cut bacon slices in half (lengthwise) and wrap a slice around each date. Place dates in 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 15 minutes or until chorizo is cooked through. Broil for 4 minutes to 5 minutes on each side until bacon is crisp. Serve on warm plate in pool of Piquillo sauce with garnish of chopped parsley.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 69

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 69

12/3/13 4:40 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E Other restaurants use bar bite menus as a way to drive in customers during slower hours. For six bucks and under, you can select from a number of upscale happy hour dishes at seafood chain McCormick & Schmick’s.

You can choose from crispy shrimp croutons, chicken sliders, black mussels, Baja fish tacos and “firecracker” shrimp with a sesame ranch dipping sauce. Happy hour is available daily with a minimum drink purchase of $3.25 (hours vary by location).

The celeb-obsessed Spago in Los Angeles hosts a latenight happy hour (9-11 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday) where diners can sit at the bar and order a number of top-shelf treats such as tempura ice fish (with Mandras curry vinaigrette), Chinese steamed bao stuffed with glazed short ribs with a sweet bean sauce, and garlic noodles with velvet shrimp, bok choy and shiitake. At that time, it’s only $10 a pop.

Scott Conant’s Los Angeles outpost for Scarpetta — an Italian sensation that gets pretty pricey when going for dinner — offers yet another happy hour deal. Most bar bites are seasonal (think vegetable-stuffed ravioli, porchetta with pickled shallots), but all are $8 from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

In Chicago, some of the more popular happy hour offerings include $1 oysters at Three Aces; half-price oysters at Shaw’s Crab House; and half-price sushi at HUB 51.

“We have a ton of guests who only want to eat at the bar, so we‘ve tried to create menus that are appealing no matter where you dine,” says HUB 51 partner R.J. Melman. “I think a lot of time the after work crowd is standing around in the bar area, so they’re looking for something they can eat while standing. People like the idea of just grabbing something easy and cheap; that trend will never go away.”

photo & recipe provided by Brand Muscle™

Pomegranate Sour INGREDIENTS 1¼ oz

Evan Williams Black Bourbon

¾ oz

PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

2 oz

Fresh Lemon Slice

Club Soda

PREPARATION Shake all with ice except club soda. Strain into a champagne flute. Garnish with pomegranate seeds. filled with ice and garnish with lemon slice.

Another trend that keeps popping up on bar menus is salumi, and a number of restaurants from coast to coast are making the Italian cured meat products inhouse.

Eataly (in Chicago and New York), Salumi (the Seattlebased restaurant owned by Mario Batali’s father, Armandino Batali) and Chicago’s Purple Pig all boast successful programs, with The Purple Pig only using Mangalitsa hogs. Last summer, the owners added a dedicated curing room to age meats for up to three months.

“We’re always trying to be better, so the menu is more than five times the size than when we started,” says chef/partner Jimmy Bannos Jr. “My dad has about 4,000 or 5,000 cookbooks and I do a lot of my research (for new ideas) there. Any great chef needs to read, to educate himself and spark ideas within himself.” n

70 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 70

12/5/13 9:36 PM

Za

IN

1 2 4 1 ½ 3 1 1½ 3 1/ 1½

PR

In oi ca on 1m

Ad br an 30 ye

Ta Re

photos by Dan Coha

Zane’s Baked Beans Makes 4 Servings

Lobster Mashed Potatoes Makes 10 Servings

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

1 2 Tbsp 4C 1 tsp ½C 3 Tbsp 1 tsp 1½ tsp 3 Tbsp 1/3 C 1½ Tbsp

10 1 1 lb 1 C 6 oz tt 4 oz 2 oz 12

medium onion, diced canola oil cooked chili beans jalapeño, minced Bub City KC BBQ Sauce brown sugar cracked black pepper dry mustard powder ketchup apple juice yellow mustard

PREPARATION

Idaho Potatoes Bay Leaf Butter Heavy Cream Boursin Salt and freshly Ground White pepper Lobster Meat Beurre Fondue Chive Batons (1.5 inch)

PREPARATION Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water with the bay leaves until tender. Drain the potatoes well and discard bay leave.

In a heavy bottom sauce pot over medium heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the diced onion and cook until caramelized. Stir to prevent onions from burning. Once the onions are caramelized, add in the minced jalapeño. Saute for 1 minute.

Mash the potatoes using a food mill. Add the butter, hot cream, salt and pepper and combine with a whisk. Fold the boursin cheese allowing it to melt into the potatoes and set aside in a warm place.

Add in the cooked chili beans with their liquid, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, cracked pepper, dry mustard powder, ketchup, and apple juice. Let the beans come to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. The juice from the beans should reduce. Add in the yellow mustard to finish.

Cover with beurre fondue. Garnish with chives.

Taste and season with salt and black pepper if needed.

Reserve until needed.

Fill a dish of choise with mashed potatoes. Add lobster meat in the center.

Recipe provided by Greenbrier Resort

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 71

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 71

12/5/13 9:36 PM

Pork on the Rise

Pork is the fastest growing protein in foodservice. From bacon to carnitas and more, learn how chefs are making an impact with pork.

A Record High

Outpacing the Industry

9.25 B

All Protein

0.8%

8.78 B Industry

1.5%

Pork 2011

2.6%

2013

The 2013 pork foodservice category totals 9.25 billion pounds – a volume increase of 462 million pounds over 2011.*

Pork’s 2.6% increase exceeds the protein growth average (0.8%) and total foodservice industry growth (1.5%).*

Fresh Pork Leads

GROWING CUTS

Fresh 3.5% Processed 2.3%

2011

2012

2013

With an increase of 3.5% annually over the last two years, fresh pork has driven total category growth. Processed pork has also grown, up 2.3%.*

Carnita meat, shoulder/butt and pulled pork are on top, with a compound annual growth rate of 8%, 6.6% and 6.4%, respectively.*

Bacon Reigns

people love pork

2011

+2.4

2013

On a per-pound basis, bacon had top growth between 2011 and 2013 – up 2.4%.*

Almost two-thirds of pork consumers eat some type of pork once a week or more often.†

*2013 Volumetric Assessment of Pork in Foodservice, Technomic, Inc. 2013 The Center of the Plate: Beef & Pork Consumer Trend Report, Technomic, Inc.

†

To learn how pork can help make the menu, visit PorkFoodservice.org and sign up for our monthly e-newsletter, the 400. ©2013 National Pork Board, Des Moines, IA USA.

7 2 R F S D E L I VThis E Rmessage S.COM I SbySAmerica’s U E 1 ,Pork 2 0Producers 14 funded and the Pork Checkoff.

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 72

[ADVERTORIAL]

12/3/13 4:40 PM

Make the menu

Kona Bacon

Pork is the perfect way to add flavor and excitement to menus. From crispy, crave-worthy bacon to tender pulled pork to show-stopping Porterhouse chops, savvy chefs are using pork to grab attention and appetites across the country. To learn how pork helps build a better menu, visit PorkFoodservice.org and sign up for our monthly e-newsletter, The 400.

[ADVERTORIAL]

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 73

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 73

12/3/13 4:40 PM

F O O D

&

QA B E V E R A G E

Homaro& Cantu

By Audarshia Townsend

W

hile a number of chefs focus on the latest culinary trends of small plates, gastropubs or becoming television’s newest celebrities, Homaro Cantu uses his skills to save the world. His unique, utterly scientific and postmodernist approach to cuisine led him to create the “flavor tripping” concept, which uses miracle berries (a.k.a. Mberry™) as a viable way to dramatically decrease the need for refined sugar.

He’s got plenty in the pipeline regarding this revolutionary new venture, including an interactive exhibit through 2016

Restaurant Inc: At what point in your culinary career did you see yourself incorporating more and more scientific techniques? How has that helped you stand apart from your competitors?

Homaro Cantu: When I was 17, I read On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (Scribner; 1984) by Harold McGee. It stuck with me, and I always wanted to understand more about food. Once I began to see limitations in the equipment being used, I began creating my own.

RI:

You own two completely different concepts that are right next to each other, Moto and iNG. How do you avoid splitting up your audience?

HC: I don't. My goal is to create an experience that is totally different. I don't want our guests to view Moto and iNG similar in any way other than they are two of the most

at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, The Miracle Berry Diet Cook Book (Gallery Books; 2013), The Moto Cookbook (Little Brown Publishing; 2014) and Berrista, a miracle berry-focused coffee and pastry shop opening this spring in downtown Chicago.

Cantu wants to do his part to curb obesity and diabetes with the concept, and he amply uses miracle berries at Moto and iNG, his two fine-dining restaurants in Chicago’s West Loop.

In a revealing interview, he explains just how the miracle berry and other innovative techniques will help change the culinary industry’s future.

innovative and inspiring dining experiences in the world. It's an unconventional way to approach our brand, but for me, there is no alternative, as I believe we are just scratching the surface of creativity in food.

RI: Your "Future of Food" series on Planet Green's network was revolutionary, innovative and quite over the top. How have you actually incorporated some of those ideas from those segments into your menus?

HC: Many of the ideas in “Future of Food,” like creating hamburger patties out of what cows eat, are larger-scale opportunities.

So, in cow feed we found beets, corn and barley. We took those core ingredients and made a patty that looked and behaved like ground beef. We are working on producing something a little more close to actual ground beef. No more unhappy cows and we are shortening the food chain. One will

not be able to (distinguish) between these veggie burgers and real burgers.

RI: What

exactly is postmodernist cuisine and where do you see yourself within this movement?

HC:

Postmodern cuisine is an innovative approach to food that follows the basic rules of engagement: local, sustainable, fresh and high-quality ingredients. After that, anything is possible, like building an indoor farm, to take it to the next level.

RI:

How would smaller operators apply postmodernist techniques to their businesses without spending a ton of money? Are there affordable, easy-to-do techniques available to all?

HC: It really depends on the specific situation.

We are currently working on a new concept that will take all of the junk food found in coffee shops—like donuts, scones, coffee

74 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 74

12/3/13 4:40 PM

More on that Mberry™ For more information on the company, visit mberry.us and find MBerry products at shop.mberry.us.

U CHEF CANTtu’s

n Chef Can & formation o m For more in sit motorestaurant.co m. , vi nt.co ra au st re g restaurants in

COOK LIKE CANTU Check out Cantu Recipes on page 101.

cake, etc.—and removing the sugar. This is due to our years of food experience and then do whatever it takes to create that. Once

RI: What trend would you like to see put to bed . . . for good? Why? HC: When people complain about obesity and blame people that use

we are up and running, it should be fairly easy to replicate elsewhere.

sugar and fat in their foods, but offer no solutions. We all see the

research with the miracle berry. One must first imagine the perfect

same broken record in the press. Obesity is a problem. But the real

RI: Tell us more about the Miracle Berry. How do you see it benefiting

problem is a lack of innovation and outside-the-box thinking. I only

society at large?

care about solutions that involve local organic product and produce

HC: The biggest opportunity in food is creating healthy junk food. If

food of equal or better taste. Taking sugar out of food and using

we can replace all of our junk food with health food that looks and

things like lemons and limes as a replacement with the Mberry is

tastes like junk food—while maintaining local, wholesome, organic

like removing gasoline from an internal combustion engine and

ingredients—then we are making progress. The Mberry is one way

dumping water inside. Sugar provides color, aroma, browning and

to achieve this. I believe I am at the "analog state" of this movement.

structure. First sugar was invented, then we developed all of the

Soon we will be at a more digital pace, and products we will be

products around it. It's not an impossible task. We can have our

creating will change food as fast as technology is changing.

cake and eat it too if we use focus and determination. Anything is

RI: What are your favorite uses for the Miracle Berry?

HC: Jelly donuts. Sugar free and amazingly delicious.

possible.

Sodas are

RI: Is

there anything else you're working on that we should look

amazing. To make lemon soda, all you need is lemon, soda water

forward to and also that could help operators looking to take their

and an Mberry. Explosive flavor, zero calories from sugar and it's

restaurants to the next level?

actually healthy to drink.

HC: Berrista. This will be the first of hopefully many steps we take

RI: The Chicago market is jam packed with talented pastry chefs and outstanding pastry/dessert shops. What sets Berrista apart?

HC: We are sugar free. All other sugar-free options today are littered with chemical additives or they sacrifice taste. Taste is why sugary products win. As a chef, I believe religiously that flavor is everything.

I believe that foods prepared with the Mberry can be superior in flavor. The issue until now has been understanding how to cook with the Mberry. I spent eight years making the world’s first Miracle Berry cookbook to address this problem. Now that the recipes are

towards healthy junk food. It's something I am passionate about and I believe we can do so much more than just offer food alternatives.

We can help wind down food miles with our indoor farm, improve poor communities by allowing business operators the ability to run these places and compete with larger operators with innovation.

This could do much more than just provide a delicious cup of coffee.

It can hopefully create opportunities from the out-of-date food system we have. Technology is exponentially increasing in price performance, food will also. n

out there, it's time to put it into practice.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 75

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 75

12/3/13 4:40 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E

76 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 76

12/3/13 4:40 PM

FOOD FIGHT! R

estaurant Inc enlisted chefs in the Reinhart Family in an effort to help you, the operator. With the Lenten season around the corner, we produced a litany of seafood items to satisfy customers at your operation – and most will menu around $10. Along with the recipes are a detailed product cost and suggested retail price. To boot, we shot illustrious photos of these culinary creations to tantalize your taste buds.

Enjoy the following pages of Food Fight (without the mess). Restaurant Inc wants to arm you with new menu items that are easy, on trend, and profitable. We hope these recipes crack your menu's repertoire or facilitate additional items. Fight on!

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 77

12/3/13 4:40 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E

Spring Roll suggested menu price:

$11.99

D on 't Fo rg et to Th in k P ro fi t pe r P la te vs .

Fo od Co st

Ingredients 2 oz

2 oz 1 tsp 1/4 oz 1 oz 1/2 oz 1/2 oz 1/2 oz 1 each 1 oz 1 each 1 gal

Noodles, Cellophane [2 oz. cooked, 1 oz dry] Snapper, Pacific Rockfish, Fillet, Skin Off, Ref Togarashi [Japanese chili pepper] Petite Greens, Asian Mix Fresh Scallion sliced thin, greens only Fresh Jalape単o, sliced thin on mandoline Ponzu, Japanese citrus sauce, unfiltered White Soy, Takumi Juice and Zest from 1 fresh lime Sauce, Peanut Sauce, Thai Wrappers, Paper, Rice, Spring Roll Cold Water

Preparation 1. Season Rockfish with salt to taste and Togarashi. Gently steam rockfish, quickly cool and reserve in the refrigerator 2. Cook Cellophane Noodles in boiling water for 6 minutes, shock with ice water and reserve in refrigerator.

For assembly, place the Spring roll wrapper in cool, clean water to hydrate for about 30-45 seconds. Arrange the items across the wrapper lengthwise beginning with the noodles then the fish and petite greens.

Fold ends over to contain the fillings and roll from bottom to top tightly. Cut roll near the center on the bias to expose filling and serve with both dipping sauces.

[See a visual STEP-BY-STEP on page 101]

Approx. Cost: $7.91 [per spring roll] Profit: $4.08

Recipe provided by Gourmet Food Group

78 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 78

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes are approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by divison.

12/3/13 4:40 PM

Ingredients 9 pcs

26/30 Shrimp Raw P&D Tail Off

2 oz

Diced Avocado

2 oz

Red Onion

2 oz

Fresh Orange

3 oz

Cheddar/Monterey Jack Cheese

3 ea

6" Soft Corn Tortilla

2 tsp

Citrus Grill Seasoning

3 oz

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 oz

Wasabi Cucumber Dressing

$9.99

:suggested menu price

Preparation 1. Mix EVOO and grill seasoning in a bowl, add shrimp and marinate for 15 minutes.

2. Heat skillet, medium heat. Add shrimp (with marinade) and cook. Warm tortillas and place on plate. Sprinkle with s hredded cheese.

3. Using tongs, remove shrimp and place in bowl and toss with diced avocado, red onion and orange segments.

4. Place on top of tortillas.

5. Drizzle about 1 oz of Wasabi Cucumber dressing on each taco.

Approx. Cost: $4.76 [3 tacos] Profit: $5.23

Which recipe is your favorite?

Recipe provided by Chef Jeffrey Merry | Reinhart Boston

Submit your vote to magazine@rfsdelivers.com.

The winner will be showcased in our 2014 Spring Issue with a special message from the winning chef!

Fine print: One vote per person. Votes can only be submitted via email to the above address. There are no prizes attached to the contest – for the passion of food!

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 79

12/5/13 9:36 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E

suggested menu price:

$14.99

Ingredients 4 oz

Cod, Pacific, Filet, Skin Off

1 oz

Fresh Scallion sliced thin, greens only

1/2 oz

Minced Garlic

1/2 oz

Chopped Fresh Cilantro

2 tsp

Sambal

1 tsp

Fish Sauce

1 tsp

Yuzu, Marugoto Shibori

1/4 ea

Eggs

1/4 c

Bread Crumbs, Panko

Yuzu Cilantro Remoulade 2 oz

Mayonnaise

2 tsp

Yuzu, Marugoto Shibori,

1/2 oz

Chopped Fresh Cilantro

1 tsp

Fish Sauce

Garnish 3 ea

Slider Buns

1/4 oz

Micro Greens, Citrus Mix

Preparation 1. Gently steam or poach the cod, quickly cool and reserve in refrigerator. Whisk together the eggs, sambal, fish sauce and yuzu juice in a small mixing bowl.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cod and breadcrumbs and add the egg mixture. Gently mix all ingredients together and form 3 x 2 oz. cakes by hand.

3. Pan fry the cakes in vegetable oil at 350 degrees for about 3 minutes per side.

4. Toast slider buns and then spread a thin layer of the remoulade on each side. Top each slider with a small amount of micro greens and serve.

Approx. Cost: $10.35 [3 sliders] Profit: $4.64

Find these recipes on TRACS速 Direct!

Recipe provided by Gourmet Food Group

www.tracsdirect.com

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes are approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by divison.

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 80

12/3/13 4:41 PM

Ingredients

Jicama Salad Side 2 oranges, cut into supremes 1c jícama batonnets 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

diced avocado (optional)

lime juice, salt and pepper to taste Jalapeño-Cilantro Butter 1c cilantro leaves, loosely packed 1/2 c butter at room temperature 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp lemon zest, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 jalapeño peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded & diced 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper Quesadilla 2c Queso Chihuahua cheese 2c pepper jack cheese, grated 1/2 c green onion, finely chopped 2 tbsp cilantro 3 lobster tails, 1 pound each 8 flour tortillas

w/ Jalapeño-Cilantro Butter

$12.99

:suggested menu price

Preparation For the Jícama Salad: Combine the oranges, jicama, and cilantro. Season to taste with lime juice, salt, and pepper.

For the Jalapeno-Cilantro Butter: Lightly chop the cilantro. Combine with the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic,and jalapeños. Season with salt and pepper.

For the Quesadilla 1. Combine the cheeses, green onion, and cilantro. Set aside.

2. In a very large stock pot, over high heat, bring 6 quarts water to a boil and add one-tablespoon salt. Add the lobster tails to the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove the lobsters tails, drain and cool. Remove the meat from the shell, cut through the tail lengthwise and pull out the tail meat in 2 whole pieces. Season the tail meat with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Preheat the grill top to medium hot. Rub the lobster meat with the compound butter. Do not leave too much excess or it will burn when cooking.

Let sit for 30 minutes in refrigerator. When ready to cook, place the cut sides of the lobster facing down on the grill top and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and cook for 1 more minute or until the lobster meat is opaque Slice the lobster pieces into medallions and keep warm.

4. To make the quesadilla, brush the outside of the tortilla with butter.

Place buttered side down on a flat griddle. Spread ½ cup of cheese on half the tortilla, top with the grilled lobster. Fold the empty side on top of the cheese-covered side and griddle until golden brown. Flip the quesadilla over and griddle on the other side. Remove from heat, let sit 1 minute, then cut into wedges. Serve with jícama salad.

[See a visual STEP-BY-STEP on page 101]

Approx. Cost: $7.63 [per quesadilla, recipe makes 8] Profit: $5.36

Recipe provided by Beaver Street Fisheries, Inc.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 81

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 81

12/3/13 4:41 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E

suggested menu price:

$9.99

Ingredients 6 oz

Hidden Bay Atlantic Cod Fillet

1 Tbsp

Chopped Parsley

1/8 cup

Chopped Kalamata Olives

1/2 cup

Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes

2 oz

Villa Frizzoni EVOO

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 oz

White Wine

1 tsp

Chopped Shallots

3 oz

Pearl Cous Cous with Red Grains

Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Rub cod fillet with 1 oz of olive oil and sprinkle with salt & black pepper.

3. Bake for about 10-15 minutes (fish should easily flake with fork).

4. While fish is roasting, sauté shallots in remaining oil for about 20 seconds. Deglaze with white wine.

5. Add tomatoes and olives. Stir for 30 seconds.

6. Place warmed cous cous on plate, top with cod and spoon warm sauce over it.

Approx. Cost: $4.78 $5.21 Profit:

Want to participate in the next Food Fight?

Would you like to test your kitchen brass with peers across Reinhart Country? Contact Restaurant Inc’s editorial team (Page 5) for more information. Your recipe may be the next one we’re praising!

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 82

Recipe provided by Chef Jeffrey Merry, Reinhart Boston

12/3/13 4:41 PM

Ingredients 10

Flour Tortillas, 8"

30

Alaska Pollock 1.25 oz cornmeal-breaded strips

2½ c

Green & Red Shredded Cabbage & Carrot Mix

5 leaves

Green Leaf Lettuce

Tortilla chips

Fat-Free Sour Cream to taste

Salsa to taste

Sliced JalapeĂąos to taste

Diced Tomatoes to taste

Shredded Cheese to taste

CN Friend ly!

(School Nutrition)

Find this recipe on TRACS Direct today.

Preparation Fish Preparation 1. Prepare a few fish portions at least one day prior to serving to test cooking time and temperature to assure optimum product quality.

2. Cook fish portions according to temperature and time indicated on the package. Please note that fish is raw prior to cooking.

Adjust time as necessary for your oven to obtain the proper temperature and crispness.

Cabbage/Carrot Mix Combine green and red shredded cabbage mix and add shredded carrot and mix. Refrigerate until serving.

Taco Assembly 1. Keep tortillas warm and prevent them from drying out.

2. Portion 1/4 cup cabbage/carrot mix onto the tortilla and a 1/2 leaf of lettuce.

3. Place 3 fish portions on top of cabbage mix, roll up or fold taco and serve in paper boat with tortilla chips.

4. Display condiments and dressings alongside of dish. These are self-serve according to customer taste and may be served in bulk or pre-portioned.

Approx. Cost: $3.46 [2 tacos, recipe makes 10]

Recipe provided by Meredith Hink, MS, RD, CD, Nutrition Services Manager, Reinhart Foodservice

All pricing/costing for the Food Fight Recipes are approximate. Local pricing & products may vary by divison.

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 83

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 83

12/3/13 4:41 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E

Cajun or Creole Origins

Acadians (French Canada); rustic and proletarian influences

By Chef Demetrio Marquez

Origins

French, Spanish, other European styles; aristocratic influences

Let’s take a look at what is definitively Louisiana –

Cajun and Creole cuisines. Heck, ‘tis the season of Mardi Gras! With rich roots from the earliest settlers of the area, these cuisines have used the Bayou as a battleground to capture natives and tourists alike. Yet, diners do not know the differences between these similar, yet distinctive, cuisines. By learning these traits, devourers will appreciate not only the subtle flavor differences, on their palettes, but also the history behind what really is Cajun and what really is Creole.

COOK I

ng, oili ecuing s b s b pice e olv bar Inv ying, eavy s om e fr p-fr th h dee es wi d gam area. l h dis nd wi ayou a he b t

Favorites

Crawfish Boil, BBQ Shrimp, Red Beans & Sausage, Catfish (blackened or fried), Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Seasonings

Ground Cayenne; Paprika; Pepper Sauces (aka Cajun Spice); Bell Pepper, Onion, Celery (aka Holy Trinity); Sugarcane; Vinegar

C

NG

STYLE

STYLE G N I K ar B OiOn andpolishCereoisletocreactaicuse of

gr use d t coo inf the ed s h lu k u pro se ien a w an it ing i enc t file of m s. N ide s C s m es, s b or ot va aju ore ec e s as riet n c au ea sp y ou se fo ic of sin of od y a exo the , an s C ti us d r aju c e o ich n, f b er utt er.

Crawfish Étoufée, Jambalaya, Shrimp Creole, Gumbo, Turtle Soup, Oysters Rockefeller, Beignets

Favorites

Seasonings

Paprika, Garlic, Garlic Powder, Oregano, Thyme, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Salt, Celery

When you get the urge to try a taste of Louisiana at your operation, try something Cajun OR Creole.

Sure, there are blurred lines of ingredients, but at least you’ll know what you’re serving customers and can speak of it with confidence.

84 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 84

12/3/13 4:41 PM

Cajun & Creole

Recipes Cajun Boudin Balls

Louisiana Shrimp Creole

Makes about 6 boudin balls

Makes 5 servings

2 links

boudin sausage

1/2 c

1/2 c

all-purpose flour

1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes

1/2 c

seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 c

chopped green bell pepper

2

large eggs, beaten

1 (8 oz)

can of tomato sauce

1-2 c

chopped celery

• Heat oil in deep fryer to about 360 to 370 degrees.

1 Tbsp

Worcestershire Sauce

• Remove boudin from casings and crumble. Shape into 1½ inch balls.

2

cloves minced garlic

1 tsp

chili powder

• Put flour in small bowl. Put bread crumbs in small bowl. Put beaten eggs in small bowl.

3 Tbsp

butter

1 tsp

Tabasco sauce

2 Tbsp

cornstarch

1 1/2 lb

medium shrimp peeled and de-veined

Pinch

cayenne pepper

PREPARATION

• Coat each ball with flour, then coat with the beaten eggs, then gently roll in the bread crumbs to coat thoroughly. You will need to wash your hands several times as you prepare the boudin balls.

• Fry balls, 2 at a time, in hot oil until golden brown.

REMOULADE SAUCE (for Boudin Balls)

finely diced onion

DIRECTIONS

2/3 c

mayonnaise

2 Tbsp

Creole mustard

2 tsp

ketchup

1 Tbsp

lemon juice

• Mix in cornstarch. Stir in stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and Tabasco. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in shrimp and cook for 5 mins.

1 Tbsp

finely chopped celery

Side of steamed rice is suggested with this dish.

1

green onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp

finely chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp

Tabasco sauce

A dash

cayenne pepper

• Prep sauce and refrigerate or set aside.

Serve with sauce on THE side.

Recipes courtesy of Gumbo Pot, New Orleans.

• In a 2 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic; cook until tender.

Research for more info Countless Louisiana cooking books are out there, and of course the internet is at your beck and call. These dishes are fun, exciting, and delicious! I encourage you to dabble in what we love here in the Bayou.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact me, Chef D, at magazine@rfsdelivers.com.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 85

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 85

12/3/13 4:41 PM

Some have SUSTAINABILITY written into their brochures. WE have it written into our STATE CONSTITUTION. To Alaskans, sustainability means protecting the long-term health of the environment, and a way of life that has existed for generations. That’s why back in 1959, when Alaska became a state, it was written into our state constitution. Now, to further verify our adherence to the highest of sustainability practices, we offer the FAO-based Responsible Fisheries Management certification — giving you assurance that we follow the world’s most recognized guidelines, those of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

We’ve always said Alaska Seafood is a responsible choice; now we go even further to prove it.

©2013 Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 86

12/3/13 4:41 PM

Meet Alaska’s Generations of Sustainability.

Reid and Krystal Ten Kley are among the countless Alaskan families to honor sustainability in every season’s catch.

Learn more at WILDALASKAFLAVOR.COM

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 87

12/3/13 4:41 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E

From Tree to Tabletop The magical maple gives us a wholesome goodness not to ignore.

A

lthough a substance usually relegated to pancakes and other batter-based breakfast creations,

say Vermont has the best quality control

winds and or too dry, parasites, climate

out of any state because of our rules and

change that can affect the trees,” Branon

regulations.”

explains.

maple syrup needs to be recognized for

owner of Branon Family Maple Orchards.

Tapping begins in January, but depends

versatility, not sugary abundance. Sure,

The Branon family harvest over 66,000

on Mother Nature, Branon warns. Every

when we think of maple syrup we think of

maple trees on their land in Fairfield and

producer has to have a different timeline.

the mornings and the slow cascade from a

Bakersfield, Vermont, one of the larger

For 66,000 trees, it takes 5 to 7 men nearly

bottle on a perfectly cooked Belgian waffle.

maple sugar producers in the Green

a month to tap every tree.

What we don’t realize is the chemistry

Mountain State.

snowstorm, well, add more days to the

stirring in our happy tummies at the

Start with the maple tree—strong, dense

timeline. Maple sugar production isn’t for

moment of consumption – a chemistry we

extension of the earth. The sap is harvested

the faint of heart.

should be happy of, because it’s not just a

from a spout placed in the tree, a harmless

As the sap pours into the lines and into

sugar high, it’s a high on life thanks to its

incision. A plastic tubing line is attached

the tank, the process is staring a crucial

natural goodness!

the spout, and ultimately a main line (pipe).

part in the face—filtering. The Branon

The Vermont Process

The piping connects to a consolidation area,

operations call for three filter processes.

or a holding tank.

The process of a product’s existence can

Once filtered, the sap is brought to a

“We take pride in what we do. We are true

reverse osmosis system, which separates

stewards of the land. We keep our woods

the water and sugar molecules. Since these

clean and debris free. Although we have

molecules are very large and not able to

plastic in the woods, we keep everything

escape, the result is a more concentrated

reasons for such an affinity. Maple syrup

clean. We don’t put more than one tap in a

sap. This system also saves energy—by

should be considered no different.

tree. We realize that trees can be stressed.

not having to boil the sap so long—and the

“Quality control is important. I would

There may be weather issues—strong

remaining water is reused for cleaning the

exponentially grow a lover’s love for such a product. Nooks and crannies expose a greater complexity and ultimately justify all

Says

Cecile

Branon,

co-

If there’s a

88 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 88

12/3/13 4:41 PM

sugar production facility. The remaining sap is placed into an evaporator, and undergoes several more levels and processes, further more concentrating the material. The end result is raw maple syrup.

Ah, we have maple syrup! Wait, not yet.

This product is filtered once again to refine its texture and appearance. The result? The beautiful, clear maple syrup we know at our local breakfast diner.

Stealthy Healthy Maple syrup has low glycemic index – consumption does not cause sugar spikes and the body breaks the sugar down slower.

According to the International Maple Syrup Institute and Health Canada, maple syrup contains a higher concentration ofzinc, magnesium, calcium, and

Wait? There’s more? Branon operations

potassium than sugar, corn syrup, and

spare no step in their processes because

honey.

the perfectly crafted syrup is the only

Also according to the International Maple

way to experience its sweet (and healthy)

Syrup Institute and Health Canada, maple

goodness. The refined syrup is barreled in

syrup has a higher antioxidant value than

55-gallon, food-grade lined stainless steel

common foods than cantaloupe, tomato,

barrels. Just to illustrate production output,

and cabbage.

Branon’s operation processes 130 to 150 gallons an hour. And upon ordering, they

Versatile Sweetener

reheat the maple syrup and re-filter into

Cecile Branon encourages any lover of

gallon-sized containers.

maple syrup to extend its use!

And you thought a passion for maple

Try it as:

syrup meant dousing your pancakes…

• Meat rub

Know Thy Product

• Marinade

• Salad dressing

• Coffee sweetener

• Vegetable glaze

In the United States and Canada, there has been enormous amount of education to producers regarding quality product. There really isn’t a “bad” maple syrup. Even as

Visit www.vermontmaple.org for more

40+year veterans, Cecile Branon and her

information and recipes!

family attend educational sessions every year to learn about new technology and how to do better.

“In Vermont, our State Association is doing everything we can as an organization to educate the producers to put out the best quality product and to take all provisions of quality control,” Branon says.

As Branon explains, knowing where your product came from is always a good thing—and with the internet, consumers can connect with the source of their food.

Branon's operations are certified organic.

In Vermont producers can choose to take part in a voluntary certification process to be certified organic. Inspectors come to the facility and look at the process and handling of the sap and syrup.

Upon listening to Branon, an obvious passion is detected. For her and the Branon Family Maple Orchards, maple syrup is running through their veins. “We’re in this for the long run for our family and also to help strengthen the industry.” n

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 89

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 89

12/3/13 4:41 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E

One Potato, New Potato: U.S. Breeders Dig Deep to Uncover Real Spud Appeal

by Mindy Kolof

I

s it time to pity the potato lover? The dependably popular commodity is totally taken for granted: upstaged by au courant couscous, sidelined by dark rice’s superfood status, or pushed off the plate altogether to make room for nutritionally endorsed veggies. But good breeding shows, and this venerable carb is set to sprout in unimagined ways in America’s restaurants, with new, European-inspired varieties that get the homegrown treatment. One visionary planter who’s seeding the future: Jim Knutzon, CEO at Colorado-based Farm Fresh Direct™ (FFD), the largest grower-owned fresh potato provider in the U.S. No stranger to potato innovation—the microwaveable PotatOH!™ is an FFD creation—Knutzon is taking his cue from Europe’s top tubers. In America, he explains, potato breeding is confined to a handful of university-controlled growers focused on agronomics, the science of producing crops with a close eye on disease resistance, cost savings, and profitability. All good goals, without question. Left out of the equation, however, is the end consumer, whose opinions on taste, appearance and eating quality are never solicited. See what we mean about taken for granted? And without the kick start guaranteed by demanding diners, innovation is rarely on the menu. Knutzon aims to change that by literally putting new skin in the game, packing up

the best varieties from across the pond and transplanting them in America’s hospitably moist soil. He has many thousands to choose from, because in Europe, discovering the spud breeds craved most by consumers means big bucks. Plant variety protection status, granted in 1967 in Europe, but not in the U.S. until 1995, works like a patent to guarantee ownership of the seed’s genetics and license its use. And it explains why Holland alone has 1,000 potato breeders, compared to eight in the U.S. “When I walk the fields with European potato breeders, they show me real beauties, with a distinctive appearance, texture, and taste high on the list of attributes,” says Knutzon, the 20-year agriculture business veteran. “For American restaurant operators, these potatoes offer a real opportunity to differentiate themselves by notching up the eating quality of an already well loved dish.”

No half-baked promise, that: FFD’s potential potato varieties undergo rigorous consumer testing, with taste serving as the X factor that identifies the marketplaceready. Like a fine wine, 25 different varieties are judged on aspects like color, aroma, mouth-feeling, and aftertaste.

“Virtually all consumers will say potatoes are good; we focus on finding the varieties that are not just good, but better,” says Knutzon.

90 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 90

12/3/13 4:41 PM

S p ud-thing cat c h you r attention?

Learn more abou t Jim Knutzon and Farm Fresh Direct by scanning the QR code. [farmfreshdirect

.net]

This year, all eyes were on the Golden Russet, a shallow-eyed marvel from Holland with thin skin that bakes to a parchment-paper-like crisp. Described as “like a Burbank, but with superior taste and texture,” it pulls double duty as a classic baking potato or smoothly mashed. Other top crops include the Merlin, a pinktinged variety that whips into super creamy mashed potatoes; the Cherie, a red-skinned, slender long oval with pale yellow flesh that offers an outstanding eating experience; the Petite Chardonnay, a fast-cooking, small sized smooth potato; the Crimson Sunset, an allpurpose, red skinned tuber amenable to multiple prep methods; and the Natural Blush from Scotland, a whitefleshed breed made for mashing.

The foodservice world is snatching them up, according to Knutzon, hungry for new ways to keep the American spud affair going. “Operators have said to me ‘I’ll take all you’ve got,’” he marvels. The sheer number of possibilities will keep the trials going for some time to come, as Knutzon’s team continues to look for best of breeds—sustainable in the field, versatile in the kitchen, and crazy delicious on the

Fun Potato Facts Thanks to our friends at Farm Fresh Direct, we’ve learned some fun facts about those potato pals of ours: n First vegetable grown in space n

Gluten-free

n

Rich in potassium

n Naturally fat-free & sodium-free n Potatoes were native to South America, and introduced to Europe in 1570

by Spanish explorers

table. n

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 91

12/3/13 4:42 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E

Get Schooled

photos provided by Kendall College

Farm to Table? Still Solid.

But Lab to Kitchen Takes Over as the Future’s Top Focus for Culinary Education

by Mindy Kolof

P

lace goggles firmly on head, polish up the test tubes and wrap your head around empirically derived principles that define the science of food.

Kendall College, home of Chicago’s No. 1 culinary arts program,

It’s breaking bad at the country’s top colleges as today’s

Bourdain and Cat Cora among them – its track record of training

scientifically minded culinary students hit the lab and earn the

future tastemakers is beyond dispute. So when the CIA added

inside track at becoming tomorrow’s industry leaders. Go back

a bachelor’s degree major in culinary science to its prestigious

to school with Restaurant Inc. as the educators at The Culinary

program in 2013, it signaled a significant shift in industry direction.

Institute of America (CIA), the “Harvard of cooking schools,” and

As Director of Communications for the CIA, Stephan Hengst,

share their lesson plans for the Class of 2018 and beyond.

When the venerable CIA introduces a specialization or refocuses its curricula, the industry takes careful note. With a roster of alumni that reads like a Who’s Who of chefs – Grant Achatz, Anthony

92 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 92

12/3/13 4:42 PM

“The kitchen’s a laboratory, and everything that happens there has to do with science.

It’s biology, chemistry, physics. Yes, there’s history. Yes, there’s artistry. Yes, to all of that.

But what happened there, what actually happens to the food, is all science.”

Alton Brown, iconic chef, writer, host of Peabody-award winning "Good Eats", host/judge "Next Iron Chef" explains, the degree is not as much about molecular gastronomy as it is about producing food for the mass market.

Expanding the Borders For the non-scientific, the globe is literally bursting with possibilities,

“People think culinary science is

and a well paved road to Latin America

about foams, gels, or adding a

also leads CIA’s newest campus in San

savory, but our focus goes beyond

Antonio. Latin cuisines now account for

the ‘bang, pop, wow’ aspect. For

33 percent of ethnic restaurant sales, and

so long, mass market food was

consumer demand and demographic

created by scientists, not chefs.

shifts signal continued growth, sparking

We’re looking to teach this new

the CIA’s newest specialization.

generation of chefs to prepare authentic foods in a large scale environment,” says Hengst. “This degree will enable students to move into research-driven jobs with

“Professions develop specialties as they advance—which is very evident in medicine and law. This is also true for the culinary profession, where

restaurants and manufacturers and

specialized cuisine is key for restaurants

lead the charge to mass produce

seeking new ways to sharpen their

great-tasting food.”

competitive edge and profitability,” said

At the hub is the college’s new Culinary Science Lab, including

CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan when the specialty was announced in August.

a professional kitchen, analytical

Farm to table programs carved out

lab for scientific experimenting

their own sustainable path years ago at

and a sensory evaluation room. A

CIA and Kendall College, and continue

slew of advanced courses feed the

to gather passionate advocates. CIA’s

culinary curious with explorations

program features a semester at the

of ingredient functionality, flavor

college’s northern California facility,

science, food microbiology and

where students learn the intricacies of

fermentation, the dynamics of

local sourcing, ingredient selection and

heat transfer…it’s an intense four

menu development while working on

years that will prepare students

an adjacent farm. Chicago’s prestigious

for some of the industry’s most

Kendall College School of Culinary Arts

lucrative jobs. Hengst proudly

has long been at the forefront of the

points out that CIA’s culinary

sustainability education movement,

science students will likely be recruited by innovative

identified as a megatrend by the school’s vice president, Christopher

restaurants like Noma and The Fat Duck and for R&D careers

Koetke. “I’m thrilled to see the increase in programs that explore

with PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Campbell’s.

sustainability practices; it’s critical to driving better decisions in the future.

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 93

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 93

12/5/13 9:36 PM

F O O D

&

B E V E R A G E

Sustainability goes beyond food, to energy, water, waste and social issues, and our students need to be knowledgeable about this in the future.” Kendall’s new concentration in Sustainable Management in Hospitality and Tourism, introduced in 2013, focuses on the strategic business value of sustainability, including resource management and its impact on operations and management in hotels, restaurants and related enterprises.

Managing the Future Millions of aging Baby Boomers bringing their well-honed tastes to hospitals and assisted living facilities over the course of the next 20 to 30 years represents another enormous opportunity.

“We’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg now, but this will impact our business dramatically,” says Koetke. “There will be an increasing need for chefs who receive additional training on how to prepare appealing foods that are nutritionally sound for aging populations.” In response, Kendall added a concentration in Culinary Nutrition several years ago, blending traditional

culinary arts training with the science of nutrition. At the CIA, a foodservice in healthcare elective is offered within its bachelor’s degree program, and includes a partnership with local hospitals to give students a firsthand look at the challenges of this blossoming specialty.

Beverage programs are gaining in stature as the interplay between front of house and back of house presents diverse possibilities. CIA students traverse Napa Valley wine country in pursuit of the Beverage Management concentration; Kendall College School of Hospitality Management offers similar specialized training. “Understanding taste and pairings, plus how beverages fit into the overall operation are essential skills for tomorrow’s operators,” says Koetke.

Essential now, and just as essential in 10 years – business acumen, reflected in the growth of concentrations in foodservice management. “This will never change; it ultimately separates the professional from the amateur. We tell students it’s not just about cooking, but the business of cooking,’” says Koetke. “You can be an incredibly gifted chef, but if you can’t run a business, or find a partner who will, you will fail.”

Those challenges may become even more sizeable in the future, amid declining global resources and rising commodity prices, but the lure of what’s arguably the most exciting industry on the planet continues to trump all. Foodservice employment has outpaced the American economy as a whole for 14 straight years, and National Restaurant Association’s sunny forecast calls for another 1.3 million jobs over the next decade. The face of foodservice may alter, with more females and minorities at the helm. Trends will continue to explode and fade—say goodbye to ice carving, platter presentation and raw food cuisine specialties.

“You can be an incredibly gifted chef, but if you can’t run a business, or find a partner who will, you will fail.”

Christopher Koetke, Vice President, Kendall College School of Culinary Arts

Technology will continue to transform everything from back-ofhouse operations to the customer experience. All of which keep culinary instructors as nimble and agile as any entrepreneur.

“The minute culinary education stops changing, we’re in trouble,” agrees Koetke. “Our responsibility is to prepare students not for when they graduate, but for five and 10 years beyond that, in a constantly changing environment.” n photos provided by Kendall College

94 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 94

12/3/13 4:42 PM

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 95

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 95

12/3/13 4:42 PM

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS American Meat Institute | International Meat Expo Atlanta, GA 1/28/14 – 1/30/14 www.meatami.com

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association NCBA Trade Show Nashville, TN 2/4/14 – 2/7/14 www.beefusa.org

South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented by FOOD & WINE Miami Beach, FL 2/20/14 – 2/23/14 www.sobefest.com

National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show Sandia Resort & Casino Albuquerque, NM 2/28/14 – 3/2/14 www.fieryfoodsshow.com

Good Food Festival & Conference Chicago, IL 3/13/14 – 3/15/14 goodfoodfestivals.com

Coffee & Tea Festival NYC New York City, NY 3/22/14 – 3/23/14 www.coffeeandteafestival.com

FEDA 2014 Convention

Renaissance Esmeralda Resort Indian Well, CA 3/26/14 – 3/30/14 www.feda.com/convention

Hot Sauce Expo

Penn Plaza Pavilion New York City, NY 3/29/14 – 3/30/14 www.nychotsauceexpo.com

251

96 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 96

12/3/13 4:42 PM

REINHART FOOD SHOWS SHAWANO DIVISION

Pontchartrain Center | Kenner, LA 1/29/14

ShopKo Hall | Green Bay, WI 4/22/14

KNOXVILLE & JOHNSON CITY DIVISION

MARSHALL DIVISION

LeConte Center | Pigeon Forge, TN 3/11/14 - 3/12/14

Deadwood Mt. Grand | Deadwood, SD 4/28/14

MILWAUKEE DIVISION

CEDAR RAPIDS DIVISION

Potawatomi Bingo & Casino | Milwaukee, WI 3/25/14

Marriott | Coralville, IA 5/6/14

TWIN CITIES DIVISION

MARQUETTE DIVISION

River Centre | St. Paul, MN 4/15/14

Lakeview Arena | Marquette, MI 5/14/14

UIT

Fruit Purées

IT

ALL

FR

Chef-Ready

EADY F-R HE PURÉES

FRU

C

NEW ORLEANS DIVISION

NATURA

L

Pure Ease from Kitchen to Bar

Features & Benefits:

Spiced Pineapple Sauce

• 3 Varieties -

Tropical Gold® Pineapple Purée, Mango Purée & Raspberry Purée

• Shelf Stable - No Freezer Needed • Retains Flavor, Color and Taste of Just Picked Fruit • All Natural Fruit • No Preservatives* • Pack Size: 6/34 oz.

• No High Fructose Corn Syrup • Convenient Packaging with Resealable Twist Top *Thermally Processed Products are Naturally Preservative Free

Raspberry Punch

Chicken with Mango Salsa Marinade

To learn more about DOLE Chef-Ready Fruit Purées, visit www.dolefoodservice.com/purees or call Dole customer service at 1-800-723-9868.

25178 11/13

©2013. TM & ® Dole Packaged Foods, LLC.

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 97

12/5/13 9:36 PM

S P R I N G S N E A K P E E K

Great Places in

KANSAS CITY

O

n the road again is Team Reinhart, and we’ve fueled up the gas tank for a venture to the City of Fountains in the spring after a seafood-filled revelry in Louisiana. We are traveling west to find the very best barbecue in the area known for slow cooked meats, T-bone steaks, tantalizing sauces, and, of course, the Pony Express.

We can’t wait to share the wisdom of our wonderful operators. We will tap our inner Hemingway (former cub reporter for the Kansas City Star) to find and investigate the culinary crown jewels of KC. Strap on your boots and join us for the Reinhart Family’s manifest destiny of food to the west!

If you’d like to contribute or be considered for content in the Spring Issue or subsequent issues, email Team Reinhart at magazine@rfsdelivers.com.

The places listed are just a FEW we have our eyes on for the Spring Issue:

Smokin’ Guns BBQ North Kansas City, MO

Trezo Mare Kansas City, MO

Frankie & Johnny’s Pub & Grille | Belton, MO

These barbecue experts not only serve delicious BBQ to customers, but also have been competing in contests for years! You get world championship BBQ, and a chance to try their line of BBQ rubs. There’s no stopping this passion!

To see more go to: www.smokingunsbbq.com

Trezo Mare is an employeeowned operation with a commitment to local farmers, sustainable farming practices, and the freshest ingredients. With an extensive wine list and wood fired steaks, this Italian influenced restaurant and lounge is more than just delicious food, it’s a community offering that everyone has embraced warmly.

To see more go to: www.trezomare.com

Serving home-style country meals, fried foods, delicious sandwiches, juicy burgers, and steaks, Frankie & Johnny's also keeps customers coming back with activities – dancing, karaoke, trivia, and live music.

Paulo & Bill Restaurant Shawnee, KS

Brobecks Barbeque Overland Park, KS

Kate’s Kitchen Gladstone, MO

This Italian favorite tucked away in Shawnee, Kansas, offers the gambit in Italian cuisine, and specializes in Wine Dinners several times a year to capitalize on one magic combination – vino e cibo! (wine and food) To see more go to: www.pauloandbill.com

Brobecks screams BBQ the right way. With special rub recipes, smoked meats, and dry servings (customers have a choice of a number of sauce choices or dry!), this BBQ joint satisfies the hungriest of stomachs.

To see more go to: www.brobecksbbq.com

This breakfast and lunch joint just north of Kansas City offers the morning favorites with perfection – be it waffles, salads, sliders, omelets, French toast, crepes, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, or cinnamon rolls. With impeccable service and a passion for the customer, Kate’s Kitchen does it right.

To see more go to: www.kateskitchenkc.com

98 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 98

12/3/13 4:42 PM

B E V E R A G E

Skinny Blood Orange Cosmopolitan w/Wild Berry Fruit Foam

IZZE Gin Rummy

// ingredients //

4 oz 2 oz

1½ oz Blood Orange Flavored Vodka

(SKYY Infusions) 1 oz cranberry juice ½ oz Monin Sugar-Free Triple Sec 1 fresh lime, quartered

// garnish //

fomz® Wild Berry Fruit Foam Topping orange slice

R E C I P E S

// ingredients // IZZE Sparkling Blackberry of your favorite gin

// garnish //

fresh lime

// preparation // Pour over ice into a highball glass. Stir and garnish with a twist of fresh lime.

// preparation // Recipe courtesy of PepsiCo.

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the lime quarters with the sugar-free Triple Sec. Add the vodka, cranberry juice, and ice. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into chilled martini glass. Top with a layer of fomz® Wild Berry Fruit Foam Topping and garnish with an orange slice. Calories = Approximately 120 Recipe courtesy of Kim Haasarud, Master Mixologist and founder of Liquid Architecture Beverage Consultancy. photo provided by Brand Muscle™

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 99

photos provided by PepsiCo

12/3/13 4:42 PM

R E C I P E S C O N T I N U E D

Ro a st e d C h a n t e re l l e M u s h ro o m s // ingredients // 1# 2 ea 5 ea

TT TT TT

chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned shallot, sliced garlic, crushed oil, as needed olive oil white wine vinegar salt

// preparation //

1 lb 1 2C

sugar bunch dill, chopped Hendricks Gin

// preparation // 1. Make thin slits in the skin of the cobia fillet.

2. Mix together salt sugar and gin.

3. Rub both side of cobia fillet with the dill and lay dill on top and bottom of fillet.

1. Take cleaned mushrooms and lightly salt and let sit for 5-10min

4. In cheese clothe place salt cure on bottom and top of fillet completely burying the fish.

Then wrap in plastic wrap and press the fish under refrigeration for 2-3 days.

2. Per heat oven to 350F. Mix mushrooms with oil vinegar shallots and garlic.

5. Rinse salt mixture off and slice thin on a bias. Serve cold

3. Roast the whole mixture on a roasting rack for 15-20 min.

4. Once fully cooked, place mushrooms in a bowl and stir in olive oil 5. Chill and serve cold

C o ld En g lish P ea s P u re e // ingredients // 1 lb 2 1 ea 1 tsp TT

TT

English peas garlic cloves, minced shallot, minced thyme leaves salt cream as needed lemon juice

// preparation // 1. Sweat down shallot and garlic in a small pot with oil for 1-2 min.

2. Add in thyme, peas and cover with cream 3. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until peas are fully cooked 4. Strain the peas reserving the cream and purĂŠe using some of the reserved cream.

5. Strain the purĂŠe through a fine mesh strainer. Then chill 6. Before serving stir in lemon juice

C o b ia Gra v la x // ingredients // 1 2 lb

cobia fillet, skin on salt

H U B 5 1 B rus s els Sprout Salad [makes 4-6 salads]

// ingredients // 8C

1C 1/2 C 1/2 C 1/2 C

Brussels sprout leaves (trimmed and blanched) Marcona almonds grated Manchego cheese Medjool dates (pitted and chopped) dried cranberries

// ingredients mustard vinaigrette // 1/8 C 3/8 C 1/6 C 3/8 Tbsp 3/8 Tbsp 1/6 Tbsp 2C 1/4 C 1/6 C

whole grain mustard white wine vinegar sugar chopped garlic kosher salt ground black pepper canola oil water apple juice concentrate

// preparation // 1. Trim and blanch Brussel sprout leaves.

2. Mix together all the mustard vinaigrette ingredients.

3. Place blanched leaves in a large bowl, add almonds, dates and cranberries.

4. Toss with dressing to coat.

5. Plate and add grated Manchego cheese on top.

6. Serve with extra dressing and cheese to taste.

photo by Dan Coha

100 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 100

12/3/13 4:42 PM

R E C I P E S C O N T I N U E D

VI SUA L ST E P-BY-S T EP P R EP. . .

RO L L I N G A SPR IN G R OLL

[ re ci p e o n p a g e 78]

q

w

e

r

t

y

u

i

photos by Dan Coha

o L O BS T E R QUESAD ILLAS

photo by Beaver Street Fisheries

r

a

Scan the QR code for these recipes and more or go to: www.rfsdelivers.com

[ reci p e o n p a g e 81]

q

w

e

t

y

u

photos by Dan Coha

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 101

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 101

12/5/13 9:36 PM

O P E R A T O R

I N D E X

Big Star

iNG Restaurant

The Common Man Restaurant

1531 N. Damen Avenue Chicago, IL 60622 www.bigstarchicago.com [pg. 44]

951 W. Fulton Market Chicago, IL 60607 www.ingrestaurant.com [pg. 74]

Multiple Locations www.thecman.com [pg. 49]

Catfish Cabin

Legacy Kitchen

The Purple Pig

759 Veterans Memorial Blvd.

Metairie, LA 70005 www.legacykitchen.com [pg. 19]

500 N. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60611 www.thepurplepigchicago.com [pg. 46]

Darden Restaurants

Moto Restaurant

Tomboy Tavern

Multiple Locations www.darden.com [pg. 55]

945 W. Fulton Market Chicago, IL 60607 www.motorestaurant.com [pg. 74]

562 Mountain Village Blvd.

Telluride, CO 81435 www.tellurideskiresort.com [pg. 45]

Drago’s Seafood Restaurant

New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Company

Velvet Cactus

1400 Louisville Avenue Monroe, LA 71201 [pg. 14]

3232 N. Arnoult Road Metairie, LA 70002 www.dragosrestaurant.com [pg. 24]

6920 Veterans Memorial Blvd.

Metairie, LA 70003 www.nohsc.com [pg. 18]

6300 Argonne Blvd.

New Orleans, LA 70124 www.thevelvetcactus.com [pg. 21]

Elmhurst Memorial Hospital

Notini’s Italian Restaurant

Which Wich® Superior Sandwiches

155 E. Brush Hill Road Elmhurst, IL 60126 www.emhc.org [pg. 50]

2013-A Airline Drive Bossier City, LA 71111 www.notinis.net [pg. 11]

Multiple Locations www.whichwich.com [pg. 48]

Gumbo Pot

Shane’s Seafood and Barbecue

Ye Olde College Inn

600 Decatur Street New Orleans, LA 70130 [pg. 85]

Multiple Locations www.shaneseafood.com [pg. 12]

3000 S. Carrollton Avenue New Orleans, LA 70118 www.collegeinn1933.com [pg. 22]

Habacu’s Mexican Restaurant

Silver Star Smokehouse & Saloon

507 Main Street Minden, LA 71055 [pg. 10]

1201 Dixie Overland Road Bossier City, LA 71111 [pg. 16]

U D Photo provided by Legacy Kitchen

C F

102 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 102

12/5/13 9:36 PM

A DD VV EER RT TI SI ESR E’ SR

I INN DD EE X

Alaskan Seafood® Marketing Institute

Naked Juice Co.

Custom Culinary

www.nakedjuice.com [pg. 1]

www.customculinary.com [pg. 47]

Georgia-Pacific

Argo Tea®

Nestlé Professional®

www.gp.com [pg. 4]

www.argotea.com [pg. 63]

www.nestles.com [pg. 95]

Markon®

fromz™ by Sun Orchard

Dole®

www.wildalaskaflavor.com [pg. 86-87]

www.markon.com [pg. 7]

www.sunorchard.com [pg. 65]

Sugar Foods Corporation

Cheese Merchants of America, L.L.C

www.sugarfoods.com [pg. 28-29]

www.cheesemerchants.com [pg. 67]

Unilever Food Solutions US

National Pork Board

John Morrell®

www.porkbeinspired.com [pg. 72-73]

www.johnmorrell.com [pg. 103]

www.unileverfoodsolutions.us [pg. 40-43]

www.dole.com [pg. 97]

Alpha™ Baking Co., Inc. www.alphabaking.com [pg. 99]

Advertising Information: For rates and media kit, contact Andrea Long at along@rfsdelivers.com. When contacting our advertisers, please mention you saw their ads here. ©2014 Reinhart Foodservice, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The trademarks depicted herein are trademarks (registered or otherwise) of their respective owners.

FEATURES Delicious When Grilled Savory Spice Blend Skinless Naturally Hardwood Smoked Make With Pork And Beef, Rich And Flavorful

BENEFITS Traditional Taste Operators Want Versatility Generates Sales With Operators Meets Operator Demands Delicious Taste Increases Customer Satisfaction

UPC: 70100-01899 Description: John Morrell Polish Sausage 4/1 6”

Contact Your Reinhart Foodservice Sales Consultant Today!

For Additional Information Contact Your John Morrell Sales Rep at 1-800-423-6204 RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 103

www.JohnMorrellFoodservice.com

ISSUE 1, 2014 RFSDELIVERS.COM 103

12/5/13 9:36 PM

C O M M O D I T I E S

COMMODITIES TRACKING

LIVESTOCK

SOFTS

GRAINS

Keep your ear to the ground with commodity pricing, as it dictates food costs.

Below are select prices as of November 21, 2013.*

description

units price contract

CBOT Corn

USd/bu.

429.00

Mar 14

CBOT Wheat

USd/bu.

654.25

Mar 14

CBOT Oats

USd/bu.

319.00

Mar 14

CBOT Rough Rice

USD/cwt

15.80

Jan 14

CBOT Soybeans

USd/bu.

1,292.50

Jan 14

CBOT Soybean Meal

USD/st

401.70

Jan 14

CBOT Soybean Oil

USd/lb.

41.88

Jan 14

ICE Canola

CAD/mt

489.40

Jan 14

description

units price contract

ICE Cocoa

USD/mt

2,799.00

Mar 14

ICE Coffee "C"

USd/lb.

111.35

Mar 14

ICE Sugar #11

USd/lb.

17.53

Mar 14

ICE Orange Juice Conc

USd/lb.

138.65

Jan 14

description

units price contract

CME Live Cattle

USd/lb.

132.38

Feb 14

CME Feeder Cattle

USd/lb.

163.25

Jan 14

CME Lean Hogs

USd/lb.

90.55

Feb 14

*SOURCE: Bloomberg.com

Is there a commodity you’d like to see on the chart? Email us at magazine@rfsdelivers.com with your suggestion.

104 RFSDELIVERS.COM ISSUE 1, 2014

RI_Body_Issue1_2014.indd 104

12/3/13 4:42 PM

COFFEE JUICE SOFT DRINKS

INDUSTRY-LEADING KITCHEN MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

TRACS® Direct Place orders, manage food costs, control inventory, build recipes, and browse extensive product inventory.

TRACS Direct makes any kitchen run smoother and more efficiently. We have your interests in mind, to equip you with powerful tools that help manage

DETERGENTS, CLEANERS, DEGREASERS Yo u r c o m p l e t e b e v e r a g e a n d c h e m i c a l s o l u t i o n !

Ask your sales consultant for more information.

your business. With TRACS Direct, managing multiple locations has never been simpler. Now you can focus on running your business rather than running around. And because TRACS Direct is Web BOUT O E A U

U

IP

M

RO

EQ

GR

AM!

INQ

IR

R

U

based, it is accessible 24/7 and from any laptop or tablet.

ENT LEASE

P

File Name:

ProPower_cmyk.eps

Client:

IMA

Brand:

ProPak

Fonts:

Colors: Name:

Helvetica Oblique Black C Rob Hicks

M

Y

K 10/21/04

NOTES:

Contact your local Reinhart® Sales Consultant for more information on sign-up at tracsdirect.com.

RI_Cover_Issue1_2014.indd 2

rfsdelivers.com • tracsdirect.com 12/6/13 9:08 AM

RESTAURANT

With the expertise of Chefs and Foodservice Professionals, we are dedicated to sourcing and delivering high quality products, that are typically hard to access.

GOURMET AND IMPORTED SPECIALTIES Powered by

the business of food

Last, but not least, we offer a value added, one stop shopping experience for all your high end culinary needs.

VOL 02, ISSUE 01 n WINTER 2014 n $5.99

The price you see is the price you pay.

CHEESE

R E S TA U R A N T I N C

Over 5,000 gourmet and specialty products

|

Our Chefs Food Fight!

In Our Communities

with Recipes pg. 76

Bouncing Around the Bayou pg. 08

Forecasting 2014

Our Prognosticators Look Ahead pg. 30

|

MEAT & GAME

the business of food

CHOCOLATES

ISSUE 01: 2014

EXOTIC PRODUCE

888.543.7374 • rfsdelivers.com • tracsdirect.com • gourmetfoodservicegrouprfs.com

Seafood for Thought

Better Get Social

Strategies & Tools for Social Marketing Success pg. 34

RI_Cover_Issue1_2014.indd 1

12/6/13 9:08 AM