Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

Canadian

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Restaurant Foodservice News Official Magazine of the Canadian Culinary Federation

BUILDING

Publication Agreement #40033126

BUZZ +

RESTAURANT MARKETING 101

| CanadianTrailblazerBrentPoulton| Profit on Tap | Let’s Get Social | Appetizing Innovation | The Difference Makers | New Beginnings

SOME THINGS CHANGE.

SOME THINGS DON’T. Throughout the years, every restaurant goes through changes, but one thing remains the same – Heinz Ketchup. Made with a few simple ingredients and the taste your customers expect, it’s no wonder Heinz is Canada’s favourite ketchup1.

kraftheinzfoodservice.ca/ketchup Direct Link, 52 w/e March 31, 2016

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contents July 2016 VOL. 7 NO. 3

FEATURES 18 Appetizing Innovation Appetizers flourish with bold flavours and ethnic influences By Kristin Menas

28 Industry In Flux The changing landscape of institutional foodservice in Canada By Geoff Wilson

18 COVER STORY

COLUMNS

30 The Ultimate Guide to Restaurant Marketing From “word of mouth” to “word of mouse,” here’s how to get people talking about your business

10 Business Operations Power to Your People

By Toan Dinh

DEPARTMENTS 4 Editor's Note Marketing Made Easy 6 Canadian Trailblazer Brent Poulton 8 Chef Q&A Carl Heinrich 58 Crunching Numbers The Importance of Social Media

By Matt Rolfe

12 In the Brews Profit on Tap By Roger Mittag

14 Consumer Trends The Difference Makers By Mark Dempsey

22 Social Media Let’s Get Social By Sean Beckingham

26 Technology Customer Analytics By Don Gray

48 Nutrition New Beginnings By Lucia Weiler

54 Playing It Safe Allergy Aware By Kevin Freeborn

37 Clean as a Whistle Insider tips for clean and safe restaurant floors By Robert Kravitz and Allan Gray

46 Keeping It Cool The latest trends in refrigeration equipment 50 Getting Crafty Unique flavours abound with craft and artisanal sodas 56 Mobile Revolution Keeping your restaurant relevant in the mobile era By Erick Kobres

EDITOR'S NOTE

MARKETING

MADE EASY

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Canadian

Restaurant Foodservice News The official publication of the Canadian Culinary Federation, RestoBiz.ca, RestoBizBYTES and RestoBizGuide. PUBLISHER: Chuck Nervick chuckn@mediaedge.ca ADVERTISING SALES: Petra Brown petrab@mediaedge.ca Nick Nervick nickn@mediaedge.ca MANAGING EDITOR: Sean Moon seanm@mediaedge.ca DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR: Steven Chester stevenc@mediaedge.ca ONLINE EDITOR: Kavita Sabharwal kavitas@mediaedge.ca

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o matter which side of the political fence you stand on, the one thing I think most people would agree about when it comes to U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump is that the man certainly knows how to get attention. Love him or hate him, Trump is a master of marketing his message and promoting his perspectives. To be clear, I am not suggesting that restaurant operators adopt Trumpian methods for marketing their business. Rather, I use him as an example of the importance of building a loyal following through smart and effective promotional strategies, hopefully without offending anyone in the process. While old-school marketing strategies may have worked in the past (think direct mail, coupons, television and radio), today’s savvy restaurant owners know that in an interconnected digital world, social media and online marketing is increasingly where it’s at. The great thing is, most of this type of marketing and promotion doesn’t cost an arm and a leg — meaning that it is something even the leanest marketing budget can handle. In our cover story for this marketing-themed issue of CRFN, author and marketing expert Toan Dinh shows readers how to build the ultimate restaurant marketing program from the ground up, without having to spend a fortune. From “word of mouth” to “word of mouse,” Dinh explores the essential elements that will get more people talking about your great service and delicious food. But our special focus on foodservice marketing and promotions doesn’t end there. Elsewhere in this issue, you will discover a number of informative and insightful articles to help you design your next great promotional program including: • How an innovative starter menu can help attract customers and encourage experimentation; • Top tips for brewing up sales and driving customer interest in your beer menu; • The importance of mobile payments and online ordering for increasing your business; and, • How to use effective marketing strategies to get, retain and develop the best staff for your business. Added to the above, of course, you will find a fantastic lineup of regular columnists and contributors who discuss, among other things, the latest in consumer trends, refrigeration equipment buying and maintenance tips and how a cultural shift to healthy eating can improve your appetizer offerings. Until next time, we hope you enjoy the issue and happy marketing! Sean Moon Managing Editor

4 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

ART DIRECTOR: Annette Carlucci DESIGNER: Jen Carter WEB DESIGNER: Rick Evangelista PRODUCTION MANAGER: Rachel Selbie MARKETING COORDINATOR: Zoya Zajac CIRCULATION INQUIRIES: Maria Siassina 416.512.8186 ext. 234 marias@mediaedge.ca

Magazine Editorial Advisory Board Donna Bottrell, RD

Ryan Marquis

Owner, Donna Bottrell Food Consulting

Corporate Chef, CW Shasky

Andrea Carlson

Gary McBlain

Chef/Owner, Burdock and Co.

Regional Director of Culinary, Baybridge Senior Living

Steve Chase Executive Director, Food and Beverage Fallsview Casino Resort/Casino Niagara

Roger Mittag

Connie DeSousa and John Jackson

Matt Rolfe

Co-owners/chefs, Charcut/Charbar

Owner/Consultant, Thirst for Knowledge CEO and Hospitality Leadership Coach/Speaker, Barmetrix

Jeff Dover Principal, fsSTRATEGY

PRESIDENT:

Kevin Brown

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT:

Chuck Nervick

Published by: MediaEdge Communications Inc. 5255 Yonge Street, Suite 1000 Toronto, Ontario M2N 6P4 Tel: 1-866-216-0860 Fax: 416-512-8344 E-mail: info@mediaedge.ca • Website: www.restobiz.ca Publications Mail Agreement No: 40033126 PAP Registration No. 10983 ISSN 1494-7625. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program towards our mailing costs. Views expressed are not necessarily those of Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News or the editorial staff. Although every care will be taken of material submitted for publication, Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News, its servants or agents accept no responsibility for their loss, damage or destruction arising while in its offices, in transit or otherwise.

The Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC) and MediaEDGE Communications Form a Strategic Media Partnership, Expanding Coverage to the Canadian Foodservice Industry July 2016 TO RO N TO, O n t a r i o — MediaEDGE Communications, an industry-leading publisher of dozens of respected trade and association publications (print and digital), has announced that Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News (CRFN Magazine) will be expanding its coverage to include members of the Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC) through a strategic media partnership arrangement. Beginning with the October/November 2016 issue of CRFN, a specific CCFCC magazine insert will appear in all issues. The insert will provide updates on various as sociation ac tivitie s, upcoming event s, membership profiles, culinar y competition results, member education programming and more. Each print edition will also be released via MediaEDGE’s impressive array of foodservice industry digital and social media platforms. CRFN Magazine delivers practical, relevant, timely and engaging information to help foodservice operators improve and grow their business while connecting them to Canada’s foodservice supply chain. In an industry that generates more than $75 billion a year in total revenues and employs more than one million people, CRFN has established itself as the authoritative voice of the Canadian foodservice industry through its continuing strategic partnerships with industry organizations, trade associations, consultants, foodservice owners/operators, foodservice suppliers and industry thought leaders. With its coverage expanded to now include CCFCC members, CRFN will continue to provide insight into the latest food and beverage trends, industry research and innovation. Consumer statistics, business advice from respected foodservice consultants and regulatory news will round out its

editorial coverage. CRFN is distributed six times a year to a diverse, national demographic and is mailed annually to 70,000 Canadian foodservice industry professionals, including: quick-service restaurants, full-service restaurants, accommodation foodservice, institutional foodservice, drinking places and recreation foodservice. CRFN has a total foodservice industry database that exceeds 167,000 individual records which makes it the leader in the industry. CRFN is complemented by its digital media proper ties, www.Restobiz.ca (website) and RestoBizBYTES (e-newsletter). These digital media products are read by tens of thousands of foodservice and restaurant industry professionals each month and will now also contain CCFCC association information and updates. About the Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC): Since its inception in 1963, the CCFCC has encouraged professional standards of creativity and performance, offers a national certification program for chefs, and develops and supports education and training programs to assist chefs and cooks in the continuing quest for improvement in their professional skills. The membership in the Canadian Culinary Federation is available to any and all persons who actively seek to evolve their career paths as a Cook Apprentice, Journeyman Cook, Professional Chef/Cook or Culinary Professional. About MediaEDGE Communications: For more than 25 years, MediaEDGE has launched, managed and produced market-leading, well-recognized, print and digital publishing, conference and trade show products within a variety of industry-specific sectors, positioning MediaEDGE among the most respected organizations in this field.

For more information, please contact Chuck Nervick, Senior Vice President, MediaEDGE Communications at (416) 512-8186 ext. 227 or chuckn@mediaedge.ca.

The Road Less Travelled

BRENT POULTON

CEO, ST. LOUIS BAR AND GRILL By Sean Moon

6 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

CANADIAN TRAILBLAZER

Most people would think that success in the foodservice industry can only be achieved through culinary education, related business experience or having a lifelong passion for food. Brent Poulton has come a long way towards proving them wrong. As CEO of Ontario-based St. Louis Bar and Grill restaurants, Poulton is the first to admit that his introduction to the industry came in a rather unorthodox fashion. But that doesn’t mean he’s any less deserving of the remarkable success he has achieved in just 14 years. LONG AND WINDING ROAD

Moving south from his hometown of Sudbury, Ont. to attend university in Toronto in the 1980s, Poulton began his zig-zag journey into the restaurant industry while studying for his degree in urban and regional planning. In what he calls an “age old story” Poulton met his girlfriend (and future wife) while in university and soon faced the arduous task of trying to find a job during a recession after graduating in 1992. “I ended up, through a friend, getting a job doing residentia l mortgage underwriting. At the same time, my girlfriend’s father was opening a restaurant and he asked me if I wanted to manage the restaurant for him, which was kind of interesting since I had never worked in a restaurant before in my life,” Poulton recalls with a laugh.

APPROACHING MILESTONE

Poulton soon got to work growing his new business, expanding from a single original store to starting the franchise company in 2002. This year, St. Louis is poised to open its 50th store in Mississauga, Ont. and is on track for bringing that total closer to 60 locations (corporate and franchised) by the end of 2016. Unlike many chains, however, Poulton says he doesn’t like to refer to St. Louis as having stores, locations or restaurants. To him, the company is a brand and what he and his staff engage in every day is brand-building. “To myself and everyone around me, St. Louis is a living-breathing thing with a personality and a culture that we’ve worked hard to develop on a daily basis,” says

connection to coming into the restaurant and having chicken wings, ribs and a beer. The key is to understand who your guests are, what their expectations are and what motivates them so that you can ensure your strategies and products are not only aligned with what the guest is looking for but that they are being carried out.” Outside of the day-to-day operations of running a small restaurant empire, Poulton enjoys spending time with his family that includes his wife, a son in university and a daughter in high school. He is also very proud of his company’s association with Shining Through, a small private school for children with autism, to which St. Louis has contributed nearly $1 million.

“I’ve always believed that the greatest accolades anyone can pay to a company or brand is to say that they trust it.” — Brent Poulton

LABOUR OF LOVE

For the better part of two years, Poulton would go to his underwriting job during the day then go into work at the restaurant at night. Poulton says it quickly became apparent to him that he absolutely loved the restaurant business and hated residential mortgage underwriting. His future fatherin-law then asked him to come into the business full-time. “It’s quite a stretch going from urban and regiona l pla nning to mortgage underwriting to running a restaurant — considering the fact that I flunked out of Grade 11 math because I was no good at it,” says Poulton. With the confidence gained from managing the restaurant, Poulton agreed to buy out his father-in-law, even though it meant stretching himself financially. With a young family at home, Poulton says he did whatever was necessary to raise the money for the acquisition.

Poulton. “That’s where the guest connection is truly made and what entices people to come long before they enter one of the restaurants. That individual has an expectation of what that experience is going to be and what you work toward is gaining that trust that the brand will fulfill those expectations.” CREATING A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE

The ability to connect with people has always been at the centre of Poulton’s philosophy in the restaurant business. In fact, Poulton believes the foodservice industry has far less to do with food than about creating a memorable experience for his customers. “Nobody’s coming to your restaurant because they’re looking for a pure retail experience. There’s an emotional

KEYS TO SUCCESS

While his journey to success may not have been linear in the traditional sense, Poulton believes there are a few keys to success in the industry and he enjoys being able to pay it forward, much like his mentors had done for him. “When you consider some of the situations that you have to deal with and the time commitment that you need to have, there has to be integrity and consistency in values in everything you do. Consumers have so much more choice than they ever did before. You are building loyalists one experience at a time. “Above all, make sure you believe in yourself, what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with. And at the end of the day, don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 7

CHEF Q&A

CARL HEINRICH Chef/Owner, Richmond Station, Toronto Education: Stratford Chef School Graduate (2005) Career Path: Sooke Harbour House; Rundles; Daniel Boulud (New York City, Vancouver); Cowbell; Marben; Stages throughout New York City, France, and Monaco; Richmond Station Years of experience in the food industry: 17 years; 6 years as Executive Chef

What are your earliest memories of cooking?

Q&A

I have so many early memories of being in the kitchen with my mother. She encouraged us to be involved from a very young age. By the time we were in high school, my sister and I were taking turns cooking for the family a few nights a week. It taught me early on that it doesn’t matter if a meal takes 30 minutes or three hours to prepare, what matters most is that it is delicious. Why do you think you were drawn to a culinary career?

I’ve always loved taking care of people and cooking for others has always been a great way to do that. To be able to give others a feeling of satisfaction from a well-made meal has always given me a great sense of accomplishment. Also, kitchens are busy and often chaotic places and they can be very stressful. But there’s nothing like the adrenaline and energy that is created from a team of talented cooks making service come together day after day. To make that happen you have to have a strong sense of camaraderie with your colleagues and I’ve always enjoyed working with people towards a common goal. Success relies on talent absolutely, but it also

8 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

rests heavily on your ability to be organized and efficient. Keeping your section clean, managing your prep and mise-en-place, all those components of the job were fun for me to focus on when I was starting out and they gave me something to improve on every single day. I always liked that too. How would you describe your restaurant?

Richmond Station is a neighbourhood restaurant located in the downtown core of Toronto. We aim to make delicious food using great ingredients and refined technique. Equal in importance to the food is our belief that it’s absolutely necessary to provide excellent hospitality. We like to offer an environment that is bustling but warm and friendly. If you knew you were eating your last meal, what would you have?

Whatever my team at Richmond Station wanted to feed me. What is your philosophy about food?

Your food is only as good as the ingredients that you start with and so you will always make better food when you start with the best ingredients possible. Put energy into sourcing great product and build your menu from there.

CHEF Q&A

Where do you go to dine out?

I don’t go out often as I’m usually at the restaurant and love to cook at home when I can but that said, Toronto has so many new restaurants opening all the time. When I do get the chance to eat out I focus on trying to find something new. What is your favourite ingredient?

Whatever Brent and Gillian from The New Farm are growing. Who were your biggest influences or inspirations for becoming a chef?

Two women in my life: My mother for making simple, delicious meals from scratch. Also, my high school in Sooke had a fantastic culinary program and my chef instructor was a woman named Pia Carrol. She was an amazing teacher who really encouraged me to pursue cooking as a career. And taught me that being a kind leader was essential to success. If you knew you were going to be exiled to a desert island, what three ingredients or food items would take with you?

Ham, sourdough and mustard.

What do you think is the most overrated food trend right now?

It’s hard for me to come down on people for being excited about food but when you burn something and turn it into a powder that looks cool but tastes like ‘burnt’. . . . What do you think is the most underrated food trend?

Whole animal cookery: it’s good for food costs, it helps to support small communities and local farmers, and when you buy the whole animal and are forced to use it all, it opens up a whole new world of creativity in the kitchen.

Is there any type of cuisine that you would like to experiment more with?

I’d love to continue to experiment with our bread program. We have a pretty delicious sourdough but I see how using different flour and tweaking our ferments could make it even better. What are the essential ingredients for success in the foodservice industry today?

Don’t forget that you are first and foremost in the hospitality business and so you need to think of the experience your restaurant offers as a whole. Just because you make good food doesn’t guarantee people will love your restaurant. At Richmond Station, our number one goal is to make sure every guest leaves happy and wants to come back. That sentiment has been the test that we use when it comes to making decisions at every level of our business — from the chairs to the cocktail list to the food menu. Luckily, it has served us really well so far! Which cooking technique or tool is a favourite of yours right now and why?

I’m really enjoying exploring techniques that focus on keeping flavours fresh and pure: steaming vs. sautéing, cooking something in its own juices as opposed to the deep fryer. In general, trying to find ways to keep the food healthier and purer. What is your favourite food combination right now?

I’m loving fresh, crunchy, raw cabbage in a very bright, acidic

dressing. I made a slaw with tacos at home the other night and it was killer. Do you have any culinary guilty pleasures?

It’s not really a guilty pleasure but my wife makes the best granola and I couldn’t live without eating it every morning with my coffee. What are some of the most interesting or unique challenges of being a chef?

Leading by example and being the hardest working person in the restaurant every day are the greatest challenges. Cooks are amongst the most tireless people out there and you have to be the one leading with the most energy every single day. What advice would you have for aspiring new chefs as they enter the industry?

Be prepared to be humble and hard working. Learn to respect the ingredients you work with and to cook from scratch. And there’s lots of great food out there so it’s important that you explore different styles of cuisines, different restaurants and work with different chefs so that you can find a style that is your own.

For more foodservice industry profiles, visit

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www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 9

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

POWER TO YOUR PEOPLE

Get, retain and develop your customers — 3 steps to success

By Matt Rolfe

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The purpose of the majority of marketing and promotions activity is to drive people into your business. It is a way to get customers inside your four walls rather than those of your competitors.

Based on all of the activity to drive people into your location I encourage you to ask yourself the following: • Are your staff fully engaged in and informed of your marketing and promotions activity? • Are you turning first-time guests into “Raving Fans” of your business? • Are you providing a reason for your customers to return with their friends? If your response to any of the above is not a resounding YES! then this article can help. With so much focus put into social programming, pricing strategies and click10 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

through rates, we often forget about the human element of our marketing and promotions activity. This is how your staff show up and interact with your customers once you have brought them into your business. In order to be successful you need to ensure that what brought them to your location is only the beginning and that the experience outshines the offer that attracted them in the first place. Below are three proven steps that we have worked on with clients to improve the impact of their programming.

BUSINESS OPERATIONS 1. Start With WHY

Yes, I know that we have all heard this before and if you have not read Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why I encourage you to pick it up today. When rolling out new marketing and promotions programs take the time to explain to every staff member: • Why you selected this program • Whom you feel the program will attract to the business • How this program will benefit the staff • How this program benefits the business Most programs are clear to the leadership or management team but is your new host, server or bartender who works a couple days a week 100 per cent clear on what your programs are all about? We call Millennials, also known as Generation Y, Generation “WHY.” The more explanation we give them, the more they will buy in and execute the programs you put forward.

2. Create an Experience, Not a Transaction

Whatever your ideas are to drive customers to your business I encourage you make sure they are providing your guest with the best experience possible. I see prix-fixe programs that drive great traffic but have a front-line staff that is completely disengaged in the process and the experiences actually hurt the business. I see venues that have discount drink specials with poor service and it is only a matter of time before your competition is less expensive than you and that customer moves on to a new location. Whatever your programming is, own it and put your best foot forward. Make sure that they are your best ideas, that you have the best customer service and ultimately the best possible guest experience.

3. Provide a Reason to Return with Friends

We put so much effort getting people into our establishments and one step we often miss is providing them a reason to return, hopefully, as soon as possible with their friends. If a guest came into your location for half-price bottles of wine on Thursday are we inviting them back for $5 pints on Mondays or half-price apps on Tuesdays? I really encourage you to share your story with your guests before they leave, letting them know all of the great things you are doing to attract them back to your location. This step does not happen by accident, it happens by design. Those that do it best have a strong closing script on what they want to inform their guests of when ending the experience. We call this stage- developing our customers. They came for one thing and during their visit they were exposed to some of the other great options that you provide. The best companies in the world have a detailed strategy to develop their customers. These are three simple but incredibly powerful steps that when followed will allow your business to truly maximize your marketing and promotions activity. At the end of the day the goal is to attract a guest, supply great service to retain a guest, and provide a reason to return to develop your guest.

Matt Rolfe is the CEO of Barmetrix Global, a hospitality coaching and consulting firm that helps clients multiply profits, maximize staff engagement and deliver remarkable guest services by design. Contact Matt at mrolfe@barmetrix.com to book speaking engagements or to discuss Barmetrix Services. For more information, call 416-367-2263.

www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 11

IN THE BREWS

PROFIT ON TAP

Top tips for brewing up sales and driving customer interest in beer By Roger Mittag

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Cold, refreshing, thirst-quenching and sociability have, for quite some time, been the catch phrases used in the marketing of beer. Throughout much of the 20th century, beer has been seen as the blue-collar drink of the masses but this antiquated image is quickly dissipating. Beer is now being given its rightful place at the dinner table and the complexity and variety of beer is becoming a desired attribute.

12 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

In the past, brewers were able to lure consumers to specific brands by creating an emotional attachment by showcasing people enjoying beer at parties or at social events. Beer drinkers were loyal to a fault to certain beers throughout their entire life and marketing and advertising campaigns centred on solidifying the bond between consumer and brewer. We are now entering a vastly different world of marketing – one that centres on local, fresh, quality and new beer styles. New generations of beer drinkers are departing from the old loyalty concepts and are quickly driving toward beer experiences which include trying a variety of different beers. The sociability aspect of beer is taking on new meanings – it’s no longer about volume but rather the beer drinker is searching for novel ways of sharing stories over a beer.

IN THE BREWS

Beer and the Restaurateur

These new-age beer drinkers are actively looking for places to enjoy beer. Marketing for the on-premise operator is taking on new meaning. Social networking is one of the keys to reaching out to these folks as well as taking advantage of existing marketing efforts by brewers. It is crucial, now more than ever, to view beer not as “just beer” but a way to entice a new group of guests. Beer is extremely profitable toward the operation of any restaurant and can also become a competitive advantage. Promotion

There’s been a lot of debate on whether promotions around beer actually work. Is there really a trip being offered? Do we really need another hat or t-shirt? The bigger concern should be for the brewer and publican in this case. Does a promotion actually change consumer behaviour so much that the drinker is willing to switch their regular brand for the new one? Observations have shown the opposite: We are willing to try but there needs to be a compelling reason why we would entertain a new beer. Local and Fresh

The local movement is alive and well. Beer drinkers along with foodies are embracing local foods and beers. It is a well-known fact that the beer experience is better closer to home. Any beer produced in Canada is fresher than imports and therefore tastes different (some would say better). There are many great imported beers but it is obvious that local beers have a huge place in the hearts and throats of our guests. Marketing Tip – Talk about your local beer

selection as well as your local foods. Go a step further and start matching up local beers with food menu items that are grown locally. In fact, create a new way of listing your beers: Instead of using pricing as the strategy, consider the concept of location. Create a new menu under these headings: Local / Import / Classics

Quality

Brewers are like chefs. These creative architects of beer take a tremendous amount of pride in developing great beer. The time and effort of creating quality is something they take very seriously and so should you. Once the restaurateur has made the effort to create a great quality draught system and has educated his or her staff on how to best serve beer to the guest, they should tell people. Marketing Tip – Broadcast the fact that you have great beer – the right temperature, the right glass, the right pour and the right draught system are important facts to share with a thirsty audience. New and Innovative

For far too long, we have had a limited option on styles of beer available. This is no longer the case! Brewers are now creating innovative beer styles that are attracting the interest of beer consumers. The cycle of change is driving the industry now and it’s in your best interest to take advantage of that. Marketing Tip – Use one of your taps as a rotating selection of local beers. Then, let

everyone know that you will be featuring new beers on a regular basis. This allows you to attract new guests while keeping your existing clientele coming back for more. There are also quite a few on-premise operators who are using “Tap Takeovers” (where a majority of the draught taps are from one brewery) or “Cask Nights” (where local brewers produce one-off beers that are dispensed from small kegs called firkins).

Glassware

Beer is enhanced by the design and development of proper glassware. Not only does it figure strongly in delivering aroma and flavour to the guest, it serves as a tremendous marketing tool. Glassware suppliers like Zenan Custom Cresting and Brand Concepts are changing the way we all look at beer. Even if you chose not to use brewer-supplied glassware, you still have the option of choosing the right glass to enhance your guests’ beer experiences. Marketing Tip – Create a space behind the bar for your glassware. The display of glassware serves to showcase your brands as well as highlighting the fact that you respect the way beer is poured and served. Go a step further and create your own branded glassware that guests can purchase for use at home. There is a new trend coming from south of the border that has hospitality providers refusing anything that is branded – unbranded glasses, unbranded tap handles, no POS. This new focus is unhealthy for the beer industry because it reduces all beers to just a liquid. There have been studies done at the University of California Berkley that have shown that consumers will gladly pay more for a properly poured beer in the right branded glass. These new-age beer drinkers are willing to invest in a great beer experience and your excellent marketing strategies can bring them to you. Roger Mittag is the owner of Thirst For Knowledge Inc® (www.thirstforknowledge.ca) and the founder of Prud’homme Beer Certification® (www.tfkbeer.com) and can be reached at rmittag@thirstforknowledge.ca. www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 13

CONSUMER TRENDS

THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS Helping your business stand out in a crowded marketplace By Mark Dempsey

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Welcome to today’s reality. Consumers are reluctant to visit foodservice. Operators are struggling to differentiate and drive traffic. Tough economic times – such as the rise of the national unemployment rate (up to 7.1%) — ensure that Canadians continue to spend cautiously. Traffic, which is already challenged, will continue to be so.

Operators try to establish growth by winning with higher average eater cheques to help drive dollars, but neither eater cheques nor dollars are keeping ahead of menu inflation, which sees a rise of 2.8 per cent on the year. Operators need to find a way to bring customers through their doors, whether by growing “Trial” customers or by increasing “Repeat” customers (or, ideally, both). Fierce competition in the

marketplace is seen amongst competitive sets, and operators must differentiate to attract visitors. Differentiation to make your brand top-of-mind requires strategic messaging with the right communication to the right consumers. This is today’s cost of entry to gaining traction within the foodservice industry. When considering what the right messaging is, one must consider what it is that consumers demand.

14 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

CREATE AWARENESS, DRIVE GROWTH

Consumers are paying more attention to the quality of foods they are consuming, and are starting to make food choices based on the ingredients. Consumers want ingredients they can feel good about eating. This means two things. First, operators must put these offerings on the menu. Operators need new and innovative ways to stay top-of-mind with customers, and one way is through unique and creative menu items that shout “healthy.” Second, marketing communications should reflect these efforts clearly and with absolute transparency. “ H e a l t hy ” i s n o w w a y p a s t something consumers say they want and has become a mainstream musthave on your menus for everything

CONSUMER TRENDS

you r c onsu mer eat s f rom t hei r breakfast entrée, to their burger, to their salad. This growing expectation has become today’s reality. Fifty-four per cent of Canadians want more foods that are all natural. Operators must consider how to evolve their brand and communicate their promise to act on these quality needs while offering their point of differentiation in the marketplace. Demand for healthy alternatives, q u a l i t y, a n d l o c a l l y s o u r c e d ingredients is enough to move the needle and drive appeal and intent to switch brands. Fifty-five per cent of Canadians want more food that is sourced from Canada available on your menus. The foodservice industry is seeing the emergence of marketing messages that rightly capitalize upon a “Better for You” and “Quality” positioning. Compared to the previous ye a r, we s e e t ot a l c o m m e r c i a l foodservice customer satisfaction scores have risen on metrics related to quality and health. Quality scores move by +1.2 points; value by +1.4 points; health scores are rising by +1.1 points. Let ’s take a look at perhaps the most famous operator to really move the needle…. LEARNING FROM OTHER OPERATORS

Take a second to consider the latest A&W commercial or advertisement that you have seen. What immediately comes to mind? Is it Allen, A&W’s Manager, walking around various locations asking the public to describe the quality of the burger they are eating; is it the words “Better Beef. Better Eggs. Better Chicken;” or is it t he fo c u s on va lue a nd he a lt h messaging? A&W’s emphasis on this particularly impactful messaging stems from their declines in sales and guest counts. While Canada was coming out of their latest recession, A&W saw an opportunity for growth to counter their losses. Though the brand competes in an affordable price segment, A&W’s core offerings are priced at a premium comparable to their competitors. They saw an emerging need to provide reasoning to help customers justify their choice of a burger. Along came their Better Beef campaign. With their “Raised Without Antibiotics” guarantee, A&W is able to target the 48

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CONSUMER TRENDS

per cent of Canadians that want foods sourced from animals raised without antibiotics or added hormones. Success of the Better Beef campaign ha s a l lowe d “ra i se d w it hout antibiotics” to become a preference amongst Canadians, as the demand sees growth from being required amongst 38 per cent of consumers to 48 per cent of consumers within an 18 -month period. Through their

accelerated communication, messaging, and promotions for their B et t e r B e e f c a m p a i g n , A &W ’s customer satisfaction scores have i n c r e a s e d . S i n c e 2 013 , f o o d preparation scores have jumped nine points; quality scores have risen 11 points; value scores are 12 points ahead; and availability of healthy options sees incremental growth by 16 points.

Why are these gains in customer satisfaction so critical? NPD sees that time and time again higher customer s at i s f a c t i o n s c o r e s a r e d i r e c t ly correlated with higher “revisit intent” and increased repeat visits. Along with the rise in satisfaction scores, A&W has successfully been able to increase their revisit intent from the previous year by 2 . 5 p o i nt s . O n e m a r k e t i n g a n d promotional campaign speaking to the core needs that consumers are now demanding has been incremental in driving traf f ic (8 per cent traf f ic growth versus last year) and dollar (10 per cent) growth. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MESSAGING

R e p r e s e nt i n g t wo - t h i r d s o f t h e commercia l foodservice landscape, QSR operators are the first to cater their marketing and messaging to consumer trends. Specif ically, those that focus clearly on quality and value messaging are able to see traffic and dollar growth, such as the likes of Starbucks, Dairy Queen, and A&W. More so than ever before, consumer trends are focused on health. Consumers are worried about overall food and beverage quality; they want to consume foods that feel better for them. To succeed, to drive traf f ic and dollars in this challenged marketplace, operators must adjust their marketing to include these changing consumer demands. Operators must invigorate, innovate, and grow. Mark Dempsey is former Director, Foodservice Canada for The NPD Group. The NPD Group has more than 25 years of experience providing reliable and comprehensive consumer-based market information and insights to leaders in the foodservice industry. For more information, visit www.npd.com.

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APPETIZERS

Appetizing Innovation Appetizers take centre stage with bold flavours and ethnic influences By Kristin Menas

18 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

g n

APPETIZERS

Appetizers are currently at the forefront of menu development, with operators using starter menus to test and experiment with bold flavours, unique ingredients and creative preparations. That appetizers can be ordered as a lead-in to a meal or as a snack between meals makes them particularly appealing options for diners looking to explore something new. Want to devour the latest trend? Try ordering an appetizer, where guests can sample emerging foods without fully committing to ordering it as an entrée. For operators looking to update their appetizer menus, it is important to stay on top of the latest trends. Here we will take a look at some leading appetizer innovations currently popping up on restaurant menus. NEXT-LEVEL STREET FOODS

Ethnic dishes and drinks are moving beyond familiar street foods like tacos and kabobs to lesser-known specialties often found at global markets and food carts. Consumer research shows that diners are significantly interested in ordering ethnic food as shareable plates and appetizers. These handheld and small-portioned street foods are ideal additions to appetizer menus, serving as a way for adventurous diners to explore emerging ethnic favourites in a more affordable way, compared to entrées. We are seeing dishes like Mexican taquitos, Eastern European pierogi and Chinese dim sum make their mark on starter menus.

These small bites are a chance for diners to explore the world through authentic, culturally inspired foods. Delving deeper into this trend, we see Korean as a particularly hot cuisine in appetizers. In fact, mentions of Korean are up 36 per cent on Canadian appetizer menus in the latest year-over-year period, according to Technomic’s MenuMonitor data. Some of the bold ingredients commonly seen in Korean street foods, like kimchi, bulgogi and gochujang, are adding new life to starters. This interest in Korean cuisine is also spurring growth in shareable Korean proteins, such as Korean fried chicken and the barbecued short ribs specialty known as kalbi. We are also seeing leading chains interpret these street foods in more approachable ways, such as with pierogiinspired nachos or chicken wings in Korean barbecue sauce. For example, Boston Pizza just added spicy pierogi nachos topped with ingredients commonly found in pierogi, including cheese, green onions and sour cream. By spotlighting these flavours in traditional appetizers, diners may feel more comfortable with trying these next-level street foods.

Top Proteins on Appetizer Fries 14.5%

9.5%

8.6%

5.6%

4.9%

Bacon

Chicken

Beef

Sausage

Pork

3.7%

1.8%

1.5%

1.0%

1.0%

Ground Beef

Pepperoni

Hot Dog

Chorizo

Duck

Base: Q1 2016 – 736 menu items on 253 restaurant menus Source: Technomic, MenuMonitor www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 19

APPETIZERS How likely would you be to order ethnic food for the following meal components? Likely & extremely likely

% OVERALL

47%

38%

41%

Entrées

44%

34%

37%

Shareable plates/tapas

33%

31%

30%

Appetizer

32%

25%

22% Desserts

28%

20%

17%

Beverages

22%

18%

17% Snacks

18-35

35+

Base: 1,000 consumers Source: Technomic, Canadian Ethnic Food & Beverage Consumer Trend Report (2015)

TRENDY TOPPED FRIES

On appetizer menus, loaded fries have grown 12.5 per cent and poutine is up by 35.2 per cent, both over the last two years. Fries are serving as a popular format for operators to flex their creative muscles through the use of trendy toppings. This renowned item is being loaded with everything from specialty sauces to spicy peppers to hearty meats. If diners are open to ordering an item as indulgent as loaded fries, operators may as well trial over-thetop indulgence with unusual and excessive fry toppings like deep-fried candy, corn chips and ranch dressing. Spicy flavours are up nearly 56 per cent in appetizer fries on Canadian menus in the last two years. This supports a continued consumer interest in snacks and appetizers made with popular spicy ingredients such as ghost peppers, sriracha, Tabasco sauce and Cajun spices. Fitting nicely into this trend are Wendy’s Canada’s newly introduced Ghost Pepper Fries, topped with ghost pepper sauce, diced jalapeños and cheese. Fries are also serving as a foundation for traditional proteins, such as bacon, chicken and beef. Meat and potatoes, even in fry form, is a classic combination that appeals to diners’ comfort food soft spots. Many operators, like St-Hubert and Trattoria Di Mikes, are taking this growing interest in meat-topped fries a step further with the addition of classic Montreal-style smoked meat. Not only appearing on restaurant appetizer menus, indulgent meat-topped fries are also a perfect bar snack to serve alongside adult beverages, especially beer. Since Canadian diners are particularly adventurous with their appetizer and snack

choices, topped fries are ideal for menu experimentation. Operators should consider introducing limited-time topped fries as an outlet for testing out emerging f lavour and ingredient trends without committing to a permanent menu addition. STANDOUT ITEM NAMES

Beyond actual preparation, we are also seeing operators stay on trend in another way—with standout names. Restaurants are appealing to consumers through humor and wit, introducing starters with names that reference pop culture or slang words. In recent months, The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro launched its Wrecking Balls bacon-wrapped potato tots, inspired by the well-known pop song by Miley Cyrus, and Netflix & Chili Fritos Fries, a playful reference to recent viral slang. Putting thought into appetizer names acts as a way for operators to establish their brands as modern and hip to what’s going on with consumers, particularly of younger generations. On-trend names can also help build a sense that the appetizer is truly a specialty, unique to the restaurant, and further differentiate a menu from competitors. Appetizers are key to trialing up-andcoming food trends on menus. As we continue to observe important innovation with appetizers, it will be interesting to see the many new culinary interpretations that come from the industry. Expect operators to continue to introduce starters spotlighting emerging ethnic flavours, creatively topped fries and eyecatching item names.

Kristin Menas is the Associate Editor, Canada & Adult Beverage at Technomic Inc. in Chicago. Technomic provides foodservice clients with the facts, insights and consulting support they need to enhance their business strategies, decisions and results. Its services include publications and digital products, as well as proprietary studies and ongoing research on all aspects of the food industry. Visit technomic.com.

Fastest-Growing Ingredients in Appetizer Fries 42.9%

25.0%

Truffle

Aioli

22.2%

21.1%

20.0%

17.6%

15.4%

15.4%

14.3%

10.5%

Herbs, Seeds, Ground Spices Beef

Cheese Sauce

Jalapeno Pepper

Fresh Cut Fries

Sausage

Pea

Dip

Base: Q1 2015 – 635 menu items on 234 restaurant menus; Q1 2016 – 580 menu items on 206 restaurant menus Source: Technomic, MenuMonitor 20 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

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SOCIAL MEDIA

LET’S GET SOCIAL

Navigating the new space of social media ads: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram By Sean Beckingham

22 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

SOCIAL MEDIA

æ

When almost everything we do is shared online and more hours are spent in front of a tablet or computer screen than TV, there’s never been a better time to advertise on social media. However, with the rapidly changing nature of these platforms, it’s hard to know where to begin and where to put your money when it comes to buying ad space. Whether you’re looking for more likes, exposure, or simply feet through the door, there’s a way for your restaurant to achieve that on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

With the amount of content being shared on any given feed, it’s easy for ads to get lost in the noise. Still, Facebook has managed to keep a firm finger on the pulse of the advertising world and never misses a beat when it comes to satisfying the marketing needs of its users. HOW DO YOU ‘LIKE’ ME NOW?

While some may argue that Facebook ads don’t work, that simply isn’t the case. When implemented properly, their ads can provide your business with a reach far beyond what other social networks offer. “Facebook ads can be targeted down to most minute of interests and behaviours, the most intricate audience matches can be used to reach highly relevant audiences with your paid campaigns,” says A nd rew Hutchi nson of SocialMediaToday. Types of Facebook ads include: Carousel Ads – the carousel format lets you show 2-5 images and/or videos, headlines and links or calls to action in a single ad unit. Mobile App Ads – help you get more people to install or engage with your app. Dynamic Ads – let you create relevant

and timely ads on Facebook based on the products people have visited on your website or your app. Facebook creates the ads for you and personalizes them for each of your customers.

Lead Ads – provide a simpler way for people to fill out forms on Facebook. Lead ads can be used to collect sign-ups

for newsletters, price estimates, follow-up calls and business information. The type of Facebook ad you choose can vary depending on your business objectives. Based on this you can create ads that encourage people to like your page, or that will get people to visit your website. Facebook allows you to choose from objectives such as: page likes, creating offers that customers can redeem in-restaurant, local awareness to reach people near your business, and even raising attendance at your event or restaurant launch. Facebook ads allow marketers to get in front of their ideal audience on a consistent basis. Using advanced targeting (essentially segmenting your audience) to zero in on specif ic demog raph ics releva nt to you r restaurant style or particular menu offerings will also increase the success of the ad. #OPENFORBUSINESS

More readers are turning to Twitter for t hei r da i ly do s e of news a nd entertainment. The platform, which can be seen as a modern-day town crier of sorts, challenges brands to create compelling headlines in under 140 characters. Advertising on Twitter, when done correctly, can result in a major boost in awareness for your restaurant, positive buzz and ultimately more diners in the seats. Twitter currently offers a variety of advertising options for your business, such as Promoted Tweets, Promoted

Accounts, and Promoted Trends, all of which can help your restaurant be seen – and tasted. Promoted tweets are regular tweets purchased by advertisers who want to reach a wider audience or to encourage engagement from their existing followers. This type of ad comes with the added benefit of reaching more people who are interested in your specific type of business. According to Twitter: “They should be used to place your best content in front of the audience that matters to you at the right time.” If your goal is to drive action through your Promoted Tweets, you have the option of offering coupons and deals to your customers in the copy of your tweets, or even promoting sales and giveaways. If you want to drive awareness, Promoted Tweets can do this in several ways, from promoting awareness around events and new product launches, to connecting with inf luencers and brand advocates by ensuring they see your content. Promoted Accounts suggest accounts that people don’t currently follow and may find interesting. This type of ad helps introduce your restaurant to a group of people who may enjoy it based on similar restaurants that they are currently following. Promoted Accounts also help boost your follower growth. Growing your Twitter follower base can help your restaurant drive purchases, increase brand awareness and word-ofmouth sharing, as well as drive web traffic. Finally, Promoted Trends are an extension of Twitter’s Promoted Tweets platform. They appear at the top of the Trending Topics list on Twitter for increased visibility allowing users to easily interact with the promoted trend. Before diving into the unique world of advertising on Twitter, it’s important to keep in mind a few of their guidelines: If your account is fairly new, be sure to complete your account’s Twitter profile and spend a few weeks familiarizing www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 23

SOCIAL MEDIA

yourself with the best practices. The most successful advertisers on Twitter are those who are avid users of the platform. Twitter users can protect their Tweets in order to control who can view them, however, this setting is not currently supported within Twitter Ads. Accounts cannot participate in Twitter Ads if they have been deactivated by their owner or if they are in a suspended state at the time they apply. Twitter ads essentially provide your business with an opportunity to connect with its audience in meaningful ways to drive actions. Twitter’s character limit challenges businesses to make every word count; viewed as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, there’s no limit to the audience your restaurant can reach. A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND BITES

Boasting a community of over 400 million, Instagram is one of the world’s biggest mobile advertising platforms. As changes are constantly on the horizon for the popular photosharing app, it is becoming more and more important for brands to stand out visually. As posts continue to become more curated, achieving solid return on investment is key. With such a large potential audience, the possibilities for raising awareness of a new restaurant or enticing diners to test out new menu items

are endless. To drive real business results, Instagram has developed a variety of ad options to choose from that support your unique objectives, from clicks to your website, to video views. As the app is based solely on sharing visuals and receiving “likes” in return, the medium is truly the message. Instagram’s photo ads offer brands the ability to tell their story through striking imagery. A great photo can inspire your audience to see the restaurant in a new way, or even entice someone to have their next meal there. Moreover, according to Instagram, “video ads offer the same visually immersive quality as photo ads…with the power of sight, sound and motion. And now, you can share videos up to 60 seconds long and in landscape format.” The ability for a restaurant to have a minute of airtime at their disposal is great news, as more audiences are being targeted online as opposed to traditional media outlets. Finally, Instagram’s carousel ads bring an additional layer of depth to photo ads. The audience can swipe to see more images and a call-to-action button takes them to a website to learn more about the business.

HOW TO CREATE AN INSTAGRAM AD:

• Choose your objective (are you looking to send people to your website or boost your posts?) • Create an audience for your ad (can be narrowed down by characteristics such as age and gender) • Set your budget and schedule Small businesses have spoken – or double tapped, rather, and Instagram has taken note. Their ability to adapt to the constantly changing demands of their users ultimately equals an instawin for the app and every brand willing to take advantage of its features. As Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram ads allow you to combine engaging copy with memorable visuals, there are endless possibilities to how you can promote your restaurant online. With the right ad in front of the right audience at the right moment, these social media platforms can help you meet your marketing objectives as well as secure your brand as one that is in tune with today’s media savvy population. With so much possibility at your fingertips, now is the time to embrace what these networks have to offer.

Sean Beckingham is president of Branding & Buzzing, a social marketing agency established in 2011 that specializes in the food and beverage category. For more information, visit www.brandingandbuzzing.com.

24 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

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TECHNOLOGY

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ANALYTICS Do you know what you need to know? By Don Gray

26 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

TECHNOLOGY

æ

Wikipedia defines analytics as the discovery and communication of meaningful patterns in data and also categorizes different types of analytics such as descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics. For those interested in the science around analytics, the above descriptions are a good starting point on a somewhat complex subject.

Human beings are naturally analytical; we are constantly absorbing data, evaluating what it means and adapting to this information in a wide variety of ways. For example, I enjoy foie gras but after reading about cholesterol and potential health issues, it seems I may need to significantly reduce my consumption. How did I reach this conclusion and more importantly what am I going to do about it? 1. I read an article by someone who appears to be an authority on the topic of health (descriptive analytics) who has some relevant facts and figures from research being done on fat mice. 2. I do more research on the topic and read more articles that apparently validate this information and this data clearly outlines what will happen if I continue to eat foie gras frequently – I think the mice had to eat it every day (predictive analytics) 3. It appears clear to me I must reduce my foie gras input. I diligently prepare myself for self sacrifice (I really like foie gras!) (prescriptive analytics) Now all of this is primarily done in my head, of course, but the fundamentals around analytics involve using large amounts of somewhat unrelated data to understand, predict and act without necessarily having perfect information. Our brains are very complex computers capable of doing analytics on many topics at the same time. I still eat foie gras but I have determined based on the available information (descriptive) and my lack of will power (predictive) that I will indulge a few times a year and not fear for my life (prescriptive). The fact is, I knew this well before I did all this research and I really don’t eat much foie gras but because of that article I felt compelled to continue down the path to validate what I already knew – eating foie gras every day is not good for my heart. THE SEARCH FOR THE UNKNOWN

How does this relate to using or not using analytics in your foodservice operation?

All profitable operators are using natural analytics similar to those used to evaluate my consumption of foie gras. They know what they need to know already, but often have a need to validate this knowledge. Simple reporting can cover most of this need but I think many successful operators also hunt for the unknowns — they are trying to discover what they don’t know. I believe one of the biggest mistakes many of us make when running a business is developing processes and reporting that validates what we already know. We build processes, systems and reporting around parameters and metrics we believe to be the ones needed to run our businesses, tried and true methods learned in business school or on the job. This is necessary, of course, because it is important to make sure your fundamentals around costs and revenue forecasts are legitimate. However, what about other things that may be important but hidden from view? HIDDEN VARIABLES

Based on our experience dealing with thousands of foodservice operations, I would like to postulate a few of these hidden variables: 1. Consistently cold entrees from location No. 1, but only on Fridays and Saturdays; 2. High turnover in location No. 3 but only in the last two months at lunch; 3. Reservations being lost and tables double booked at locations 3,4 and 5; 4. Food costs on meat higher than normal in location No. 6 but only Saturdays; 5. Customers unhappy with service at location No. 13 during lunch and dinner for last month; 6. One of your unique menu items is no longer selling as it used to but nothing has apparently changed. If the restaurant operations are showing food and labor costs in line with the enterprise’s budgets, it may be difficult for

an owner or manager to be motivated to hunt for some of these unknowns, but it is clear that ignoring issues such as these could be dangerous for the long-term health of the business. Most companies will rely on their local manager to observe and detect these hidden variables and act on them and, frankly, that may be all that is needed if profitability is maintained. BRING IN A SPECIALIST

It is clearly impossible to check for every conceivable issue faced by a foodservice establishment and look for trends. However, if the operator sat down with his team and a data analytics specialist, I believe it is possible to build a series of tests that will act as a yellow canary for possible hidden endemic issues. These tests can take the form of “gamification” or surveys in real time by customers as part of the bill-paying routine. The bill could also be presented on a small tablet that includes a small survey; the survey is designed to be quick and easy and anonymous or tied to a loyalty member. There may be 20 questions you could ask but probably only 5 at a time and the questions are random. The responses to these questions are designed to be numbers so the data can be easily loaded into an analytics engine that pulls in sales, costs, staffing, weather, location, demographics, etc. How does this help the restaurateur? It helps the operator identify what he or she needs to know about his or her operations. If everything is perfect, then likely they know everything they need to know and have a firm method in place to find and fix anomalies that could be the first sign of unexpected change. Gathering relevant data and getting it into a database that can be queried in a wide variety of ways with many different views is not an easy task. This requires close coordination of the POS system, time keeping system, inventory system, customer data and a flexible survey tool. With the advent of cloud based POS systems and more cost effective analytics tools, the ability to build useful analytics templates in now within reach of the smallest chain operators or large multifaceted single location operators. Know what you need to know.

Don Gray is CEO of Givex Corporation, a global Information services and technology company offering clients cost-effective gift cards, omni-channel loyalty, analytics and cloud-based POS solutions. Givex helps small, medium and large merchants build, understand and effectively use their ever-expanding data. www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 27

INSTITUTIONAL FOODSERVICE

INDUSTRY IN FLUX

The changing landscape of institutional foodservice in Canada By Geoff Wilson Despite growth in healthcare and education, overall institutional foodservice sales in Canada declined in 2015, reflecting the significant influence that demographic, economic and even environmental factors can have on this major sector of the Canadian foodservice industry.

According to fsSTRATEGY’s newly released 2016 Canadian Institutional Foodservice Market Report, total Canadian institutional foodservice market sales declined by 6.0 per cent from $8.7 billion in 2015 to $8.2 billion in 2015 and are expected to increase by just 0.9 per cent to $8.3 billion in 2016. Combined, 2015 contracted and self-operated institutional foodservice was estimated to account for 11.0 per cent of Canada’s $74.8-billion foodservice industry.

Contract caterers are expected to account for 45 per cent of the institutional foodservice market in 2016 (a decrease of one percentage point) while selfoperated institutional foodservice will account for 55 per cent of the market. Healthcare is the largest segment of the Canadian institutional foodservice marking, accounting for 52 per cent of institutional foodservice sales. Despite the significant decline in sales in 2015, the Remote segment is the second

28 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

largest segment, comprising 19 per cent of institutional foodservice sales. The Education segment is the third largest, accounting for 14 per cent of institutional foodservice sales. RETIREMENT FUELS HEALTHCARE FOODSERVICE SALES GROWTH

Institutiona l foodser v ice i n the Healthcare segment includes all nonbranded retail foodservice sales in cafeterias, snack bars and coffee shops as well as patient/resident meal services in facilities that provide medical services. Specifically, the Healthcare segment includes hospitals, retirement homes and long-term care facilities. In 2015, Healthcare segment sales grew by an estimated 3.5 per cent. Sales in the

INSTITUTIONAL FOODSERVICE

Retirement sub-segment grow by 9 per cent while growth in sales in Long-Term Care and Hospitals 19% was relatively flat. The number Remote of Retirement beds in Canada was estimated to have grown by 7.6 per cent in 2015 while operators reported occupancy rates only declined slightly 5% (approximately 1 per cent). Business Dining For the most part, new beds were absorbed by increased 5% demand. Foodservice costs per Transportation resident per day grew by an 2% estimated 2.4 per cent.

4%

Other

SEGMENT SHARE OF MARKET

Corrections

REMOTE SEGMENT FOODSERVICE DRIVES DOWN TOTAL SALES

The Remote catering market in Canada has been devastated by the same global economic issues that are affecting many Canadian industries and the Canadian population in general. Remote segment foodservice sales fell by 31.5 per cent in 2015, directly attributable to a soft global economy and a glut in world oil production which has resulted in a drop in oil prices, a significant reduction of resource exploration, reductions in new resource projects, declines in head counts at remote resources sites (especially in Fort McMurray, Alberta) and growing pressure to reduce the cost of foodservices at remote sites. Remote segment foodservice sales are expected to decline a further 7.2 per cent in 2016. The recent forest fire that ravaged Fort McMurray will no doubt have some additional effects on the remote catering sub-segment. UNIVERSITIES, PRIVATE SCHOOLS DRIVE EDUCATION SEGMENT GROWTH

Universities command over half of foodservice sales in the Education segment. University foodservice sales grew by an estimated 4.9 per cent in 2015, driven by enrollment growth of 1.3 per cent, an increase in the number of students in residence of 2.1 per cent (which significantly drives sales due to the value of meal plans), increases in day student foodservice spending and finally a slight reduction in the use of national franchise brands whose sales are captured in Quick-Service Restaurant sales instead of the Education sector. In other words, university foodservice operators repatriated some foodservice sales from branded operations

14%

Education

Source: fsSTRATEGY Inc.

to in-house operations. Operators report this has also reduced operating expenses due to the savings in royalties and advertising fund contributions to franchisors. Despite the slight reduction, fsSTRATEGY estimates approximately 20 per cent of foodservice revenues in universities are attributable to branded franchise concepts. Private school foodservice sales grew by an estimated 8.0 per cent in 2015, supported by enrollment growth estimated at 3.8 per cent (especially in Ontario and Western Canada) and increases in per diem sales. Nevertheless, operators report significant pressure from parents is likely to dampen per diem price increases in 2016 and enrollments are expected to be flat. BUSINESS DINING

Business Dining sector foodservice sales were estimated to have declined by 6.9 per cent in 2015 due to reduction in populations and the number of offices and plants offering foodservices. Nevertheless, contractors who service the majority of the Business Dining segment managed to increase average sales per capita through menu and operational innovations.

KEY TRENDS IN INSTITUTIONAL FOODSERVICE

Demand for fresh, healthy and local/sustainable food is growing in institutional foodservice. Employees in healthcare and business offices as well as students in educational facilities are seeking healthier foods, 52% particularly as they frequent Healthcare t h e s e e s t a bl i s h m e nt s regularly and the dining is not always a treat occasion. In fact, students in universities have led the demand for fresh and local foods, challenging foodservice operators to blaze the trail for sustainable foodservice. St u d e nt s i n u n i ve r s it i e s a r e demanding longer service hours to accommodate their varying schedules. The days of three square meals a day are gone. Students want to eat what they want, where they want and when they want. Students see dining as a cultural experience, blended with socialization and learning. A s b a by b o o m e r s e nt e r t h e ret i rement ma rket , t hey a re dema nding more f lexible dining times as well as a variety of dining experiences. Operators are exploring the use of a la carte dining as an alternative to service of three meals a day in traditional dining rooms. Food is a key marketing tool for retirement residences; operators are elevating the calibre of their culinary teams a nd t hei r fo o ds er v ic e of fers to compete for residents. CHANGE AND FLEXIBILITY IS THE NEW NORMAL

So, while institutional foodservice sales declined in 2015 due to the downturn in the resources segment, institutional foodservice continues to evolve. Successful operators a re changing the way they do business to meet the evolving demands of their customers. The industry continues to demonstrate its resourcefulness and f lexibility.

Geoff Wilson is a Principal with fsSTRATEGY Inc., a niche consulting firm providing advisory services for the hospitality industry with a significant focus on the foodservice sector. For more information on the 2016 Canadian Institutional Foodservice Market Report, contact nextsteps@fsSTRATEGY.com. www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 29

COVER STORY

From “word-ofmouth” to “word-ofmouse,” here’s how to get people talking about your business

THE ULTIMATE RESTAURANT By Toan Dinh

Great food and great service are the most essential elements of any successful marketing campaign. Why? Because a great dining experience – with superb food, service, ambience and price – results in excellent word-of-mouth. And word-of-mouth continues to be the most powerful factor when it comes to consumer choices.

30 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

COVER STORY

TE GUIDE TO T MARKETING www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 31

COVER STORY

A research study of 30,000 consumers conducted in 2015 by Nielsen found that 83 per cent of people trust recommendations from people they know, over all other forms of advertising. However, over the last several years, word-of-mouth has taken on an entirely new dimension. The study showed 66 per cent of consumers trust opinions posted online from people they do not know. The same percentage trust editorial content, such as a news article they read online, about where they should buy. LOOK WHO’S TALKING

This is great news for restaurateurs. A positive word-of-mouth review can be read by exponentially more “strangers” – on social media such as Facebook, Yelp, and Trip Advisor, or in one of the local online lifestyle or newspaper reviews – than any individual could possibly convey to others, in-person, during the same period of time. Online presence has become an essential marketing element in other ways, as well. The Nielsen survey found that 70 per cent of consumers trust company websites and 56 per cent trust emails they signed up to receive. Plus, increasingly more people are researching menus online before choosing a place to dine, or checking email coupons before making their final decision. So while no marketing campaign can ever replace great food and great service, there are now many more communications channels to influence potential new and repeat customers with those vital wordof-mouth recommendations about how great your restaurant is.

32 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

BRANDING

Every successful business has something that sets it apart from other similar businesses. This may include a unique value that customers want to buy, or an entire personality connected to that unique value. This is your brand, and it goes way beyond just the type of ethnic food you serve. Your brand is way more than just a slogan or a name. All restaurateurs, including those contemplating opening a restaurant or those who are already well-established, have an idea of what kind of food they want to serve – pizza, steaks, Chinese, Indian, tapas, or fusion to name a few. Most probably know whether they want an elegant venue, or someplace homey where they personally schmooze with their diners, or a venue designed to move high volumes of customers rapidly through a line. Here are some other considerations: Who is Your Potential Customer? Are you in the middle of a busy urban financial district where business people stop in for a fast, high quality lunch, but then vacate the area at dinner time? Or are you next to a college campus, or in a nice suburban community? Age, income levels, education, and job types, marital status, size of household, housing and renting prices, and other local businesses are all factors that drive the spending and eating habits of your potential customers. Who are Your Competitors? It’s important to see what competitors are doing and how your prospective customers respond to the other choices they have. Visit the competitors personally. Eat their

COVER STORY food. Take home a menu and thoroughly check it out for variety, specials, and pricing. See who is dining there and when they have most of the traffic. Get a feel for the ambiance of the venue. Look at their online presence. What Will Make your Restaurant Special? Is your cuisine hearty and rich, light and healthy, or exotic with a fusion twist? Is the environment cozy and friendly, elegant and romantic, or fast tableside and bar service so customers make it to their game on-time? And most importantly, how is that different (and better) from the restaurant serving similar fare not too far away? Everything from the restaurant name and menu items to pricing, décor, staff and uniforms they wear, your website, and even the type of community sponsorships you chose, should all reflect the unique personality of your brand. Even for the established restaurant, it is good to review these factors regularly; this will help to keep your venue current with your established patrons, as well as the ever-changing new patrons you want to entice. BRAND VISIBILITY AND DIGITAL MARKETING

Reputable studies abound on how many people research restaurants online, with survey results quoting from 40-83 per cent. Obviously the parameters set for each of the surveys greatly affect the statistics reported, but one thing can be said consistently – a lot of people are using the Internet and mobile apps to figure out where they are going to dine out. RESTAURANT WEBSITE

The most basic element of an online presence is a restaurant website. Even a simple website can increase the restaurant’s reach with local residents, enticing more new customers and reminding old customers how great their last experience was.

The must-have elements to include in any restaurant website are: 1. Menu 2. Hours of Operation 3. Location 4. Phone Number GOOGLE MY BUSINESS

In addition to your website, you can put your restaurant on Google My Business free of charge. This complements your existing website by giving your business a presence on Google, the world’s most popular search engine. This will help get your restaurant, business hours, phone number and directions to come up on Google Search and Maps when people are looking for a place to dine out locally. Customers can write reviews on this page, and you track how people found you online to help with your other online marketing strategies. YELP

Yelp is another popular online site where customers search for local restaurants and other businesses. It is also free to open an account for your restaurant. Whether you sign up for a free Yelp account or not, your restaurant can be reviewed by customers, so it is best to set it up with your branding. You can include photos, hours of operations, a menu, link to your website, a map and phone number in your account.

COVER STORY

OTHER HOT MOBILE APPS FOR CANADIAN RESTAURANTS

• JustEat helps restaurants implement online ordering quickly, listing menu items, processing orders and accepting cash or credit card payments from customers. • Zomato is an online and mobile app for diners to order and make reservations at restaurants. It is free for restaurants to register. • Foursquare is a mobile app that provides recommendations of restaurants and other places to go near a user’s current location. • Zagat publishes restaurant reviews and ratings. Zagat editors decide the businesses they will review in Toronto and Vancouver, as well as around the world. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)

Search engine optimization is about things that you do to be found more often by your target audience in search engines like Google or Bing. In other words, when someone searches for a restaurant that serves the kind of cuisine you offer in your geographic area, with great SEO, your restaurant will come up on the top of the search results list rather than on page seven which no one ever sees. SEO can be challenging if you don’t have a good grasp on the latest SEO best practices which are often suggested by the search engines and by industry experts. In addition, Google and other search engines are changing their algorithms frequently, making it difficult to keep up. At the end of the day you really have two main options. The first is to do it yourself and the second is to hire someone or an agency to help you. There are hundreds of do-it-yourself resources manuals and advice articles on how to improve your SEO results. If you are tech savvy and have a great sense of curiosity, it is very possible to learn SEO on your own and get better at it overtime. If you want to skip the learning curve and potentially get faster results, then hiring an SEO agency is also a good option. In short,

34 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

there is no right or wrong choice. You simply need to be educated on the benefits of SEO and how you get results is up to you. EMAIL MARKETING

Relatively easy to do, at almost no cost when compared to the printing and postage of bulk mailings through the post office, email is a great way to get coupons, specials and other promotions out to customers. Just like traditional promotional mailings, a mailing list of email addresses is needed for people willing to receive promotions. Unlike bulk mailings, those recipients must “Opt-In” to receive emails from your restaurant. Opt-in means the customer has given permission before any email is sent to them. In Canada, the fines are very stiff for any business violating this rule. Opt-Out and Request Off regulations must also be carefully followed. Email addresses can be gathered from willing diners when they visit the restaurant, from online visitors, or by purchasing them from a credible list company that guarantees all the emails are opt-in and have procedures in place to remove any Request Offs.

COVER STORY

SOCIAL MEDIA TO INCREASE ONLINE “WORD-OF-MOUTH”

While less than one in 10 restaurant patrons provide a restaurant review on a website or mobile app according to a 2015 research report published by Mintel, people still talk about their restaurant experiences in a less formal manner on various social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat. If a patron’s experience is positive, expect them to share photos of their food, check-in to your restaurant, and gush about all aspects of their meal. If the experience is negative, they will give a detailed account of what went wrong or what they didn’t like, and will also warn members of their social networks to stay away. Without question, do not underestimate the power of word-ofmouth – especial on social media. According to the digital marketing team at Toronto-based Boulevard Public Relations, having a presence on social networks means more than just broadcasting information about your restaurant. It requires thoughtful consideration, and demands that you monitor conversations both on your social media accounts, as well as those that take place outside of your owned channels. When creating content to share, think like your patrons and use a tone that resonates with them. Visuals also go a long way in enticing people to not only visit your restaurant, but also amplify your reach. Make personal connections with your patrons via social channels by sharing photos of your team, and offering up the backstory about their passion for the food industry, or the work they do. And of course, take advantage of the cover images that are highly visible on your social media accounts to attract greater interest. Regardless of which social media channels you decide on for your restaurant, the key is to be responsive to your community. Expect patrons to comment – both good and bad – on their experience at your restaurant. TRADITIONAL MARKETING – HAS IT GONE AWAY?

Despite all the buzz about how important digital media is to reach Millennials, a study conducted by Canada Post, in partnership with leading neuromarketing research and strategy firm True Impact Marketing, found the highest response to direct mail and lowest response to digital media was with 30-49 year olds, followed by 18 to 29 year olds (Millennials), and last by 50 to 64 year olds.

So the message is, don’t throw out the proven traditional methods such as direct mail because of all the hype about replacing them with the best digital marketing channels, especially for Millennials. No two people, even in the same demographic group, prefer to receive communications exactly the same way. The more communications methods you use, the more people you will reach and be able to entice into dining at your restaurant. PROVEN PROMOTIONS STILL WORK

Whether delivered by snail mail, email, mobile app or posted online, most time-tested traditional promotions are familiar to restaurateurs, such as: • Loyalty programs • Coupons • Weekly or daily specials • Kids-eat-free • Team sponsorship • Community service sponsorship • Senior discounts • Sponsored social events like karaoke, trivia night, or the big game • Reviews by local newspaper restaurant columnists • Printed menus and discounts published in neighborhood value saver booklets It is good to take a fresh look, on a regular basis, to see if now is a good time to implement or re-implement one of the tried-andproven promotional methods. CONCLUSION

The last thing a restaurateur wants is to be the best kept secret in town. It is true that great service and great food are the most essential elements of any successful marketing campaign. The next most essential element is communication. It takes a tremendous volume of thoughtful communication across multiple media channels – traditional, online and digital – to cut through all the noise from other restaurants that are also trying to entice your customer. Your most effective and cost-efficient marketing plans will be based on a solid understanding of your brand as this will define your customers and what they like, and will help determine the best channels to reach them. Then communicate, communicate, communicate on multiple channels, and leverage social media to increase the benefits of word-of-mouth.

Toan Dinh, Chief Marketing Officer of TouchBistro, has a decade of marketing experience, successfully helping companies grow through traditional, online, and digital marketing strategies. Since 2013, Toan has worked exclusively with restaurants to improve efficiency and expansion as they implement the TouchBistro iPad POS solution. For more information, visit www.touchbistro.com. www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 35

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CLEAN AS A WHISTLE

Insider tips for clean and safe restaurant floors By Robert Kravitz and Allan Gray

CLEANING

Keeping commercial kitchen floors clean is probably one of the most challenging jobs in the professional cleaning industry. The reason for this is that restaurant kitchen floors are typically disaster areas at the end of every night. In most cleaning situations, such as cleaning offices, the more frequently an area is cleaned, the easier and faster it can be cleaned the next time and the more effective the cleaning is overall. However, this is not the case when it comes to restaurant kitchen floors because of their heavy and messy use; each day these floors require a thorough cleaning. What can make restaurant kitchen floorcare all the more challenging is that some restaurant owners or managers are unaware of all the steps necessary to clean the floors effectively. Further, whereas years ago many restaurants hired professional cleaning services to maintain their floors, today these same restaurants now turn to their kitchen crew—the same folks who may be washing dishes or cutting vegetables during their shifts—to handle the floor cleaning.

Whatever the situation and no matter who cleans the restaurant kitchen floor, there are steps that staff can take to make the process easier, safer, healthier, and more effective, all with the goal of keeping the kitchen floor as clean, safe, and sanitary as possible, and at the same time reducing odors and slipperiness. Among these steps are the following: When to clean: If at all possible, the kitchen floor should be cleaned after each shift – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In many properties, the kitchen (including the floor) is cleaned the next morning before opening. The problem with this practice is that soiling will build up and the longer any grease and oil are allowed to “set” on the floor, the more likely they are to harden and become more difficult to remove. However, by cleaning the kitchen floor right after closing, it tends to be easier to remove any grease, oil, and polymerized fats from the floor.

38 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

Have a cleaning plan: What is probably one of the keys to effective restaurant floor cleaning—and one that is often overlooked— is to have some sort of kitchen floor cleaning plan in place. The plan should specify, for example, the order of floor cleaning tasks, types of tools to be used, cleaning solutions needed, who is to do what, etc. In most cases, the plan should require that the floors should be cleaned first, before cleaning foodhandling equipment and other surfaces in the kitchen. This helps prevent airborne soils from the floor finding their way onto these tools and other surfaces. And one more thing, the cleaning plan should be in writing to help ensure that all floorcare tasks get completed. What to wear: One of the biggest mistakes some restaurant owners or managers make today is not requiring their in-house cleaning staff to dress for the job of

Ecolab Keeps All Areas of Your Restaurant Clean

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CLEANING restaurant floor cleaning. This starts with their shoes. Many in-house cleaning people wear the same shoes to work that they wear every day. The first concern with this is that you do not know where these shoes have been. One of our goals when it comes to proper kitchen sanitation is to keep outside soils outside and not walked inside onto the kitchen floor. The in-house cleaning crew should wear shoes specifically for cleaning and working in the restaurant, and these should be slip-resistant shoes. Two other items that owners or managers should insist their cleaning crews wear are protective eye gear and gloves. Some of the chemicals used in cleaning are very powerful. Even a small drop in the eyes or on the skin can cause injury. Safety first: Before beginning any kitchen

floor cleaning, a very wise step to take is to place warning cones at all entries of the kitchen, especially if it is closed at the time of cleaning. Why? Simply because someone not on the cleaning crew may walk in unexpectedly, and because floors can become very slippery when cleaning begins; this can be a slip-and-fall accident just waiting to happen. Having warning cones at the entries to the kitchen can help prevent this from occurring.

Check the floor drains: Before cleaning the

floors, cleaning workers should double check that the floor drains are unobstructed and working properly. All too often it is only after floor cleaning begins that workers find out that the drains are blocked. To prevent this, restaurant owners or managers can select what are called “bio-enzymatic drain maintainers.” These systems drip into the drains automatically to help keep drains clean and working properly. They can also help reduce insects being able to sustain themselves in the drains.

Cleaning the floor mats: Most restaurants today install slip-resistant, anti-fatigue mats throughout the kitchen area. These mats are often made of a heavy rubber and interconnected, making them somewhat difficult to pick up, remove, and clean. But they must be cleaned daily. Sweeping or brushing them with a stiff-bristled broom will remove dry, loose soil and debris, but it is the grease and oil that build up on the mats that are the big concern. If the grease and oil are not removed, over time they will degrade the rubber. Mats should be cleaned using a commercial-grade or bio-enzymatic degreaser. The degreaser, as the name implies, breaks down grease and oil.

The Dawn® Power Dissolver is a great cleaning product for any restaurant! The Dawn® Power Dissolver foam spray penetrates the toughest greasy food soils for a like new clean on pots and pans! Just spray on Dawn® Power Dissolver and let the powerful foam work for 10-15 minutes (up to 30 minutes for especially tough grease). As you rinse, the grease or burnt-on food mess slides off, leaving you with a like-new clean on pots and pans, saving you time and labour! This product is ideal for use on baked and burned-on grease and effective for pots, pans, dishes, stoves, ovens, and grills.

Keeping Pests Out of Your Hotel Pests can be a real pain anywhere, and hotels are no exception. Hotels may try to diversify themselves in different ways, and one common option is to add a restaurant. Managers may aspire to develop a five-star restaurant, but this establishment will have no stars if pests are crawling through it. Consider these tips to keep pests out of your hotel restaurant. Common Pests There are a few pests that seem to bother hotel restaurants and their guests time and again. These culprits include cockroaches, rodents, flies and stored-product pests. They love food and water, which any restaurant has an abundance of. All four of these pests can be a problem to any hotel and scare off hungry customers. Whether they crawl through cracks and crevices in hotel windows and walls, or customers accidentally bring them in suitcases, once they have arrived chaos is bound to ensue.

Be sure to use the most effective and sustainable options for your back of house operations

For more information please visit www.pgpro.ca or call 1-800-332-7787.

© 2016 Ecolab USA Inc. All rights reserved.

40 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

CLEANING

Restaurant Pest Control Tips Inspect shipments: Many pests make their way into a restaurant by hiding in shipment boxes and crawling out when no one notices. When your restaurant or hotel gets shipments of product, search every single box thoroughly. Rodents will leave droppings inside the box, even if you can’t find them. They may have left the box before you opened it. Cockroaches that are hiding in the dark will spring into action if you disturb them and they scurry to find a way back to a dark, quiet place. If you find pests in any of your shipments, make sure to connect with the supplier and learn what they are doing to resolve this issue. Their problems will become your problems. Keep samples: If you had grains shipped in, product pests or larvae could be hiding within the grain. Instead of sorting through each box of grain with your hands, keep a sample of the grain in a jar. Monitor the jar over a few days to see if any larvae hatch and emerge in the grain. If this is the case, you can throw out the bad batch of grain instead of not discovering it until cooking time.

Keep It Clean Restaurants require daily cleaning schedules. There may be spills in the aisle from a customer or a leaking container of food. With this dirtiness comes pests. So, if you see a spill or realize that food is leaking, take it off the floor and clean the spot where the food was. Keep storage rooms clean, dry and organized. It'll make finding product easier, and save you from a few unwanted surprises. Always inform a supervisor about a leaky faucet or a clogged drain that could create mold and invite unwanted visitors. Use drain cleaner: Sometimes cockroaches and flies can emerge through a drain in a restaurant kitchen. Or, they could breed in the wet drain and slowly fly out. To avoid this from happening, use a regular drain cleaner to keep the pipes clean of any flying insects that are eager to feed off your restaurant's dishes. Throw out trash: Each night, throw out all trash and place it in a garbage bin outside of the hotel. Keeping trash in a kitchen overnight is one of the easiest ways to invite in hungry pests.

Fast Response If pests such as flies, rodents or cockroaches are visible to you or your customers, fast action is required. Your pest management professional must be notified immediately; then take action to crash the pest population quickly. Ensure that your staff is trained to recognize any pest related concerns which they may have and to report it to their managers. It is important to not let any pest concern go un-addressed. Finally, maintaining a hotel requires a joint effort between you and your pest control provider. Modern day pest control using Integrated Pest Management (I.P.M.) includes addressing pest and sanitation issues that attract pests and the structural issues that allow some pests access in the first place. Communicate regularly with your pest control professional, follow the detailed recommendations they provide and you’ll be working together to have a beautiful pest-free hotel.

Above information provided by Abell Pest Control, a family owned Canadian company dedicated to providing effective, professional and courteous service in pest management. Abell is proud to announce its 90th year of providing quality pest control services to North America. Today, Abell employs many hundreds of people with branch offices across Canada and the northern United States. For more information, visit www.abellpest.ca.

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www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 41 2016-07-04 9:46 AM

CLEANING

Boost Customer Satisfaction Through Restaurant Cleanliness By Roy Getz Windows and Doors: Smudges, fingerprints, and dirt can leave a negative impression. Assign staff to clean windows and doors regularly. Use multipurpose products from a trusted brand designed to clean glass and other surfaces to help employees get the job done right the first time.

Customer satisfaction is key to the success of any restaurant and cleanliness plays a big role in that. Happy customers will spread the word about a great experience and become loyal patrons. It’s important for management and staff to view the cleanliness of a restaurant from a customer’s perspective and the impact it can have on their decision to return.

MAKE EVERY EXPERIENCE COUNT Now that your customer has made their way through the front door, there are many signals inside the restaurant that can contribute to their first impression.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN From the moment a customer pulls onto the parking lot, they are seeing and smelling the messages you’re sending about your establishment. As a customer approaches the entrance, even the least observant will notice sidewalk cleanliness, overflowing trash containers, a dirty entrance floor or sticky, smudged doors, windows and handles. Consider these best practices to keep outside areas in check:

Sparkling Floors: A dirty, sticky floor can send the wrong message to customers. Floors should be sparkling clean. Teach staff proper techniques to sweep and mop daily, using a high-quality floor cleaner. Remember to clean all corners, door thresholds and rotate sections of floor deep cleaning every night.

Soiled Sidewalks: Sidewalks serve as customer walkways, but are often used to bring product into the building or remove trash. These heavy traffic areas can become soiled, sending a negative message to your customers. Keep this area clean, removing dirt daily and preventing build-up.

TA K E

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Clean Restrooms: In the 2015 P&G Professional Cleaning Industry Insights (CII) Survey, cleaning managers ranked the bathroom as the most important area to keep clean, as well as the most difficult area

to keep clean. A dirty bathroom can be the cause for customer complaints, and may leave customers wondering if the back of the house is as dirty as the restroom. Assign staff to routinely clean bathrooms and follow a daily checklist. Utilize a multipurpose cleaner that can get the job done right the first time. Restock all paper products and mop floors several times a day and deep clean each night. Sticky surfaces: If your surfaces are sticky, it means the soil has not been removed. The most efficient way to clean is with a multipurpose cleaner that cleans and disinfects in one step. This helps ensure that you are truly removing the soil, as well as disinfecting the surface. Partner with a cleaning supplier who can help your restaurant address cleaning and food safety practices. Roy Getz is Chairman, Ohio Restaurant Association and P&G Professional Advisory Council Member. For additional resources, visit P&G Professional University at www.pgpro.com/university.

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Products

42 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News Abell_CleanSafe_CRFN_QuaterPage_13May2016_OUTLINES.indd 1

2016-05-27 2:05 PM

CLEANING A deck brush should be used to wash down the mats with the degreaser solution and then the solution should be allowed to “dwell” on the mats for a few minutes to help break down the grease and oil. After this, the mats should be hosed down to rinse them, removing the grease, oil, soil, and contaminants. During this process, if the degreasing solution becomes soiled, the solution should be emptied and the bucket refilled with new solution. The degreaser will lose its potency if it becomes too soiled. Earlier we mentioned bio-enzymatic degreasers. Restaurant owners/managers should be aware of this technology because it is designed to break down organic compounds, such as grease and oil. As to their effectiveness, in one case, a Canadian hospital tested a bioenzymatic degreaser on its floors, and the cleaning staff mentioned that they could “visibly see the grease coming off the floors.” Cleaning the floors: Some of the key points to

remember when cleaning the floors are similar to those for cleaning floor mats. Always use a commercial-grade degreaser; as the degreaser solution becomes soiled, empty the bucket and refill it with fresh solution; allow the solution to dwell on the floor for a few minutes; and then

Abell_CRFN_halfPg_13May2016_OUTL2.indd 1

thoroughly rinse the floor. A squeegee should be used to move moisture into floor drains for quicker drying. Our goal here is to ensure that there is no chemical residue left on the floor and that the floor dries as quickly as possible. Mops and buckets: Mops and buckets used to clean commercial kitchen floors and mats can become very soiled. After each use, the bucket should be thoroughly cleaned, rinsed and allowed to air dry. Mop heads should be changed daily. The cleaner the mop heads and bucket are, the greater the efficacy of the degreaser and cleaning solutions used and the more effectively soil and grease will be removed from the floor. Deep cleaning: The floorcare tasks discussed

here are typically performed daily. However, commercial kitchen floors also need to be deep cleaned two to four times per year; this is especially true if the floor is quarry or a similar type of tile. The reason for deep cleaning is that, even with regular cleaning,

soils can build up in the pores of the tile or in grout areas of the floor. One of the most effective ways to address this is to first apply the degreaser to the floor, then scrub the floor with a rotary machine or preferably a cylindrical brush floor machine. A cylindrical brush floor machine uses brushes, not pads. The counter-rotating brushes tend to be more effective at reaching and removing soils deep within the pores and grout of the floor. Training: When it comes to effectively cleaning

and maintaining restaurant kitchens, it is imperative that your cleaning crew be properly trained on all of the items discussed here and that training is a regular part of their duties. In addition to training, it is equally important that they be educated on why keeping floor areas clean and healthy is so vitally important. The overall health and cleanliness of a restaurant starts with the floors. While clean and healthy floors may not guarantee the success of a restaurant, without them it’s very likely the restaurant will not succeed.

Robert Kravitz is founder of Altura Solutions, a public relations, communications and marketing firm working with the professional cleaning and related B2B industries. Allan Gray is business development manager at one of Canada’s leading providers of professional cleaning solutions and the company's foodservice industry expert.

44 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

2016-05-27 2:04 PM

TRY IT TODAY AT TOUCHBISTRO.COM/RELIABLE-CAN-POS (855) 573-8038

www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 45

EQUIPMENT

KEEPING

IT COOL

Catch up on the latest trends in restaurant refrigeration equipment

Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News recently asked leading refrigeration equipment managers about buying tips, cost savings and the latest developments in refrigeration. Read on to find out what they had to say. . . . Participants: Phil Beauvais, Market Manager, Hobart Canada Greg Hotta, Distributed Product Manager, Garland Canada, Manitowoc Foodservice Lina Muasher, Marketing Manager, Igloo Food Equipment Co. What are some of the most interesting developments when it comes to refrigeration equipment for restaurants and commercial foodservice in Canada in 2016? Greg Hotta: R290 refrigerant is a now the new standard in commercial refrigeration. It is an environmentally friendly refrigerant that is naturally occurring and has very little effect on the e nv i r o n m e n t . G o i n g fo r w a r d a refrigeration unit with R290 coolant is a natural fit for foodservice operators who understand the paybacks in helping the environment and in energy savings. LED lights have also become the norm for residential lighting. This is now becoming more common in commercial refrigeration. LED uses less energy, has a longer life span and provides excellent lighting vs. traditional incandescent lighting. This ultimately saves the operators money in energy and bulb replacement. Lina Muasher: New trends include straight

glass display cases, square design, slim line merchandisers and see-through sides (glass). Cube display cases are perfect for the latest baking trends including macaroons and other

patisserie-related goods. These are quite beneficial to commercial foodservice as it enhances the overall look and ambiance of the business. It allows for durable and high-quality products while maintaining a modern look that will attract the attention of current and potential customers. What are the major factors for restaurant owners to keep in mind when selecting new refrigeration equipment? Phil Beauvais: In Canada, the first

consideration that a restaurant operator should keep in mind when buying refrigeration equipment is verifying the model they are choosing is on the NRCan (Natural Resources Canada) approved list. There are a number of requirements that apply to certain refrigeration and freezer models so prior to purchasing a unit, ensure it is on the list. You can check that your model complies with Canada’s Energ y Efficiency regulations by visiting the N RC a n w e b s i t e ( h t t p : / / b i t . ly/1TVSr61). In some regions of Canada rebates may also be available and you can access this information by contacting your local utility. The second consideration should be equipment

46 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

performance; not all commercial units are equal in this department. Ask your supplier for references to contact regarding the performance of the equipment being considered. GH: Operators should look for EnergyStar

approved equipment. Most operators have multiple refrigeration units, including reach-ins and prep tables. Oper ating energ y costs can be considerably lower compared to old equipment they may be using. Easy of cleaning is also important. This includes interior and exterior of the units. Also door gaskets. This is a wear item, and keeping these clean helps the unit maintain temperature and increase the life expectancy. All these things are important as health inspectors look for hygiene and temperature holding.

LM: When selecting new refrigeration equipment, it’s best to choose equipment that has low amperage, which is quite beneficial as it means low operating cost. Also, low heat emission from the condensing unit has a huge positive impact on the environment. Lastly, it is important to consider quiet operation and ease of service.

EQUIPMENT What are restaurant operators looking for in terms of energy efficiency, cost savings, functionality and ease of use when it comes to refrigeration? How does your company’s product line address these issues? PB: Traulsen addresses energy efficiency, cost saving and functionality in a number of ways: Our air flow design keeps more cold air inside the unit when the door is opened, pulling less warm air from outside of the cabinet, and allowing a quick return to operating temperature after the door has been opened. So your refrigerator is working smarter and not harder to keep up with the demands of a fast-paced restaurant. Innovations like the EZ Open Foot Pedal allow for hands-free door opening, ensuring that pans and trays of expensive food are held securely in two hands by operators, while still being able to open the equipment door. We also have a new door gasket designed to simplify cleaning and reducing areas that can collect dust and debris. What are some tips or best practices that restaurant owners can follow to get the most benefit from their refrigeration equipment? PB: If

I could give only one tip here, I would say to be sure to purchase a unit that has an easily accessible coil, link and dust collect on the fins of the condenser coils and they need to be cleaned off regularly. Dirty coils reduce the efficiency of the refrigeration system and an easily accessible condenser coil helps to ensure that cleaning can be done by the operator. Proper and timely cleaning is a simple way to protect your investment and ensure efficient operation of your refrigeration equipment. By not cleaning your coil you are four times more likely to experience a premature compressor failure and the compressor is often the most expensive component on the unit. Cleaning instructions should be included in your operator’s manual for easy reference. My second tip would be to look for units with digital displays to easily read operating temperatures. Dial temperature displays are often difficult to read and a digital display makes sure that you can confirm the unit is at the proper operating temperatures at a glance.

“Proper and timely cleaning is a simple way to protect your investment and ensure efficient operation of your refrigeration equipment. Cleaning instructions should be included in your operator’s manual for easy reference.” GH: For gasket maintenance, do a daily wipe down of the door/drawer gaskets with mild soap and water. Neglecting this maintenance will reduce the life of the gasket. Torn or worn gaskets that don’t seal properly force the refrigeration unit to work harder, costing more money. It also becomes harder for the unit to maintain proper temperature. Also impor tant, make sure the refriger ation unit has adequate ventilation. If a unit is positioned in the kitchen in a tight space or the condensing coil is blocked or covered, it becomes

harder for the unit to maintain the proper temperature. It could also cause the compressor or components to fail prematurely. LM: Restaurant owners must understand

the working environment where the refrigeration equipment will be located. Cleaning of the equipment should be performed on a regular basis, once the coil shows signs of dust collection. Preventive maintenance of the equipment should be performed every time the cooling coils are cleaned.

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NUTRITION

NEW BEGINNINGS A cultural shift to healthy appetizers By Lucia Weiler

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your appetizers. An appetizer serving At my recent Nutrition for NON-Nutritionists training workshop, I should contain fewer calories than a was reminded how important it is to open up the event with a story meal. Create appetizers that contain 250 that hooks the audience and gives them a reason to listen and calories or less. stay for more. The same thinking holds true for food. In a Sue Mah, registered dietitian and nutrition expert says: “Although calorie restaurant, appetizers set the stage for what’s to come. counting may be passé with some

Snacks and appetizers can be a part of tasty menu offerings and fit the hallmarks of healthy eating. Leverage the rising popularity of appetizers and snacks in restaurants and your patrons will be coming back for more. Here’s how: DISCOVERY AND ADVENTURE

The Food Marketing Institute has named “discovery” as a must have food attribute. Consumers are looking for more sophisticated food experiences and ethnic food inspiration. Starters and appetizers are the perfect place to begin. “People want to be surprised by an appetizer,” says Donna Bottrell, a registered dietitian and chef. “They seek food that’s prepared in a new way and that is also entertaining.” Appetizers are the perfect menu items to leverage the discover y trend. Consumers may be more likely to try a unique appetizer since it’s less of a commitment than a main dish. A recent report from Datassential finds that wings are the most common item on appetizer menus in the USA, followed by

French fries, jalapeño poppers and calamari. Unfortunately these are all low on the “healthy fare” scale. The good news for foodservice is that the same report points out that more healthful appetizers that are non-fried had double-digit growth. Think lettuce wraps, ahi tuna, hummus and flatbreads. Dietitian Tip: I love lettuce wrap appetizers

because they’re fresh, colourful and swap out bread for leafy greens. Seafood is hot too – just keep it non-fried.

NUTRITIONAL BALANCE

Not only can appetizers be a smart way to keep extreme hunger (and overeating) at bay, but they can also be a delicious way to add more nutrition to the diet when enjoyed in moderation. From a nutrition perspective, quality and quantity of the appetizer matters! Include at least two to three of the four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide in a dish. Evaluate the nutritional profile for

48 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

consumers, there is a rise in mindful eating and choosing menu items that pack a nutrition punch for the calorie cost.” “Better-for-you” types of statements on menu items are regulated and anchored in to the Nutrition Facts Table. With mandatory menu labelling just around the corner for many restaurants, leaders in the business are looking at providing nutrition information on their menu items.

Dietitian Tip: Analyze the nutrition content of your menu items and leverage the nutrition information in your menu items to signal healthy choices to your customers. Contact me for nutrient analysis of your menu items.

VEGGIE FORWARD

Plant-based everything is soaring in popularity! Chefs say customers are looking for vegetarian appetizers, making that the most frequently cited appetizer trend of

NUTRITION

2015. Even non-vegetarians are influenced and will partake in non-meat appetizers. Create appetizers that offer protein and fibre to help people feel full for longer. Mah says that alternative proteins such as pulses, soy, tempeh and even insects are gaining popularity for their nutrition and sustainability. Dietitian Tip: Think outside the meat box for a protein boost in appetizers. Eggs are the most popular meat alternatives, prepared by 78 per cent of consumers at home; 61 per cent serve beans, lentils, or legumes; 28 per cent, veggie burgers; 28 per cent, quinoa/other whole grains; 18 per cent, seeds/nuts; and 14 per cent, tofu or tempeh.

“Think to build on the nutrientpacked beverage trend,” says Bottrell, “It’s okay to do something like a beverage for an appetizer.” Dietitian Tip: I love the idea of beverage appetizers! Bring on the bone broth appetizer or soups without the heavy creams! Try a trendy Mediterraneandiet-inspired gazpacho or a Mexicaninspired black bean soup. At a recent culinary event, I sampled a lentil green spinach smoothie as an appetizer – it was delicious!

KEEP IT SMALL

Small portions have become a key component of appetizer menus, with nearly a quarter of top restaurant

chains offering them. Bite-sized appetizers are the fifth-most frequently cited appetizer trend by chefs. Consumers are open to sharing appetizers in order to try more foods. Bottrell agrees: “Make appetizers shareable so diners don’t fill up on them. Consumers are watching where they’re spending their calories.” Appetizers fit into a cultural shift of mini meals, or grazing-type eating which is considered healthier than overeating at a single meal. Dietitian Tip: Keep your appetizer portions

in check. Some patrons may order a few appetizers instead of a full meal for variety.

BEVERAGES AS APPETIZERS

Smoothies ROCK and can pack a lot of goodness in a cup! Dairy-based drinks/ alternative drinks were the most active new beverage development category last year. Leverage this trend and look for a healthy appetizer boost in a beverage format.

E BIGGER & B

Lucia Weiler is a registered dietitian and faculty member at Humber College. Lucia is a trusted, credible food and nutrition expert, engaging speaker, writer and media influencer who translates up-to-date scientific knowledge to doable, relevant recommendations that motivates others. Lucia is the President of Weiler Nutrition Communications Inc. and Co-Founder of Nutrition for NON-Nutritionists Course, a unique training program in its 10th year of success. More information is available at www.weilernutrition.com

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BEVERAGES

GETTING CRAFTY

Unique flavours abound with inventive new craft and artisanal sodas From herbs to exotic fruits, small-batch craft sodas are putting a new twist on Canada’s soft drink industry. Long the domain of large soft drink companies, the soda (or, more colloquially, pop) market in Canada has seen an influx of new craft and artisanal soda makers starting to create a buzz among non-alcoholic beverage fans.

Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News recently spoke with several craft soda providers about what’s new in the world of these tasty and increasingly popular thirst-quenchers. Read on to hear what they had to say. . .

Participants: Jennifer Martin, Chief Seltzer Officer, SIP Seltzer Company (SIP Soda) John McEachern, Founder, Peak Drive Beverages (Just Craft Soda) Paul Meek, Owner, Kichesippi Beer Company (Harvey and Vern’s)

Can you tell us what’s new and trending with craft and artisanal sodas for 2016? Jennifer Martin: Small is the new big. Craft

and artisan beverages are in high demand because consumers want to know more about how beverages are produced, what’s in them and who is behind the company. They appreciate the quality and innovation that craft beverage companies provide and appreciate the ability to have an interactive relationship with the brand or brand owner through

social media and local events. Strong media attention on the negative health impacts of consuming sugar-laden drinks is causing significant declines in traditional soda sales so this is opening up opportunities for healthier products and more authentic brands. John McEachern: Trend No. 1 is new

flavour profiles. While the food and beverage industry has been undergoing an innovation renaissance, the soft drink category has been devoid of genuinely

50 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

new products. Taking a page out of the craft beer manual, craft and artisanal soda producers are using unexpected and non-traditional flavours in their products to entice a discerning, experienceseeking consumer. For example, Just Craft Soda comes in five delicious flavours that pair a fruit with a complimentary herb or spice to create an elevated, balanced taste profile that appeals to foodies. Trend No. 2 is better quality ingredients. For the past decade Canadian consumers have been drinking

BEVERAGES

fewer servings of soft drinks year-onyear. This is largely due to concerns about health and wellness. But consumers still love soda – they’re just looking for better sodas — drinks they can enjoy knowing they’re made from whole, natural ingredients. Paul Meek: The most exciting thing

happening with soda is that customers are requesting more Canadian products. The artisanal soda market has long been dominated by American sodas and it is great to see more local products available to restaurants and pubs. The other exciting development is that we are seeing more of a focus on natural and authentic ingredients. The customer is finally able to distinguish between small batch soda and an all-natural craft soda.

What are the biggest benefits and challenges for bartenders, chefs and restaurant operators in adapting to these trends? JM: The benefit to a foodservice operator

is they can offer something local and different that is not marketed everywhere so it offers their customer a more memorable dining experience. Higher cost, inventory space (bottles vs. gun dispenser) and lower brand awareness can be issues for some operators.

valuable space in their fridges and, depending on the size of the pour, they may only use half of the bottle at a time. One of the ways that we are working with restaurants on this is to provide our products in kegs as well as bottles. Our customers are enjoying having a draught option for our craft soda as well as a bottle option. One of the biggest benefits we are hearing from our operators is a simple matter of choice. The soft drink category is obviously dominated by two massive international companies, and now they are starting to learn about suppliers such as ourselves that are focused on natural ingredients, menu and cocktail development and supporting a family owned business. What are some creative ways operators can use craft sodas on their beverage menu? JM: Foodservice operators use SIP to appeal to non-drinkers who are health conscious and concerned about high sugar. Our sophisticated taste profile is barely sweet and more like sparkling wine or beer and the unique flavors attract trial with the same curiosity that

craft beers do. Also SIP drinks mix well with fine spirits, particularly gin, because of their mineral water content and low sugar. Craft drinks appeal to the customer who usually orders just water so with the higher retail price it contributes to increased sales. JMc: Be famous for your craft soda

assortment. Aim to curate brands and flavors of craft soda like a beer and wine list. Stock a rotating flavour assortment that changes with each season. Use craft soda as an added value ingredient in drinks as varied as: beer shandy, wine sangria, ice cream float.

PM: When operators treat craft soda as part of their beverage menu, it can definitely enhance the customer experience, such as when the craft soda is treated more like beer and wine. Food pairings are a great example of this. The big move we are seeing is in the development of cocktails and mocktails. Cocktails are generally rising in popularity and having a craft soda involved only enhances the uniqueness of the cocktail list.

JMc: The biggest challenge to the growth of the craft soda category is economics. Better products always cost more to produce, which ultimately means higher prices to guests. But the benefits of craft or artisanal sodas are numerous including: Consistency of Offering: If your establishment serves exceptional food shouldn’t it also serve similarly high quality beverages, including sodas? Surprise and Delight: Because craft soda brands and flavours are often a “new find” for consumers it means you can easily offer a serendipitous taste experience. Create a Point of Difference: Use a compelling craft soda offering to create a point of difference from your close competition. PM: One of the biggest challenges right now is that operators are used to “the gun” for their soft drink options and now they are getting used to single serve bottles. This of course takes up www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 51

BEVERAGES

What unique or novel ingredients are you seeing more of in today’s soft drink products? Why are these ingredients popular with consumers? JM: Botanicals, locally foraged plants, hemp, maple and exotic super fruits are becoming popular. Millennials are more open to unique flavours and with the strong focus on health, local and ethnic ingredients are helping to drive demand for more innovative flavors and products. JMc: The most motivating ingredients or

claims for consumers today are cane sugar, Stevia (low sugar/no sugar), allnatural/no artificial ingredients and organic. These ingredients and claims have become increasingly desirable as consumers’ understanding of health and wellness grows.

PM: We are starting to see some unique

things in regards to sweeteners. Some

are staying traditional with organic cane sugar while others are experimenting with Stevia and agave. Unique and novel ingredients seem to be going in two polar opposite directions. We are seeing natural and sometimes exotic flavours on one end, while other producers are going the other way with trendy flavours such as sriracha.

52 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

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For more information on Taste US Food & Beverage Alliance please visit www.tasteus.ca

PLAYING IT SAFE

ALLERGY AWARE Staff training is key for the safe handling of food allergies By Kevin Freeborn Allergies are coming back into the picture in a big way. In 2015, one of the largest surveys conducted on the subject revealed that one in 13 Canadians has a serious food allergy – 7.5 per cent of children and adults. Conscientious restaurateurs, foodservice operators and chains already have some systems in place to help ensure that their allergic diners don’t accidentally eat something they shouldn’t.

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54 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

The best way to handle allergens is with a holistic approach where everyone in your business is aware of allergens and how to handle them in food preparation and service. KEEP ALLERGIES TOP OF MIND

Labeling laws in Canada changed a little while ago. We now require a simpler label that makes it easier for people to identify top allergens, which allows your staff to check ingredients coming in from suppliers more easily. When you’re developing recipes, do so with allergies in mind. Come up with an

PLAYING IT SAFE

obvious way to mark dishes as containing common allergens, such as gluten, nuts and dairy on your menus. When storing food, make sure there is no cross-contamination in the storage area. Stored food should be labeled clearly if it contains common allergens. ASK GUESTS ABOUT ALLERGIES

A person who has an allergy will usually alert their server to the allergy when ordering. Your establishment can take things a step further and have either the hostess or the server ask the customer in advance if there are any food allergies to be aware of. Some diners may have had stigmatization around their allergies in the past from family, friends and other dining establishments, so opening up the subject with a caring inquiry will make them feel at ease. A process should be set up where the server can clearly communicate the allergy to the kitchen. This may mean using an allergy sticker on the ticket and speaking directly with the kitchen staff that will prepare the food. When the food is ready to be served, it should be served with a coloured cover or specific coloured plate so that the server knows to either bring it out separately or ensure that it doesn’t touch other plates or foods. TABLESIDE ETIQUETTE TIPS FOR SERVERS

While it is common to make the disclaimer that you can’t guarantee that all food is allergen-free, keep in mind that this doesn’t help the guest out at all and is essentially just telling them that they shouldn’t be eating at your restaurant, or that they do so at their own risk. Servers should be prepared to list ingredients in foods rather than relying on this old fallback. If a customer states that they have an uncommon-sounding allergy, the server should treat it as an allergy rather than a preference. For example, many diners want gluten-free options; a guest who wants to avoid gluten may say they are allergic to it. This should absolutely be treated like an allergy because people suffering from celiac disease actually have a serious autoimmune reaction to

gluten so it must be completely absent in their diet. It can have severe consequences for them, from abdomina l pain, flatulence and diarrhea to a host of other long-term ailments. It’s wise to have a few gluten-free options on the menu to accommodate both the guest with the “no-gluten” preference and the celiac sufferer.

guests feel that their concerns are being treated seriously, those guests will choose your business in the future over another that doesn’t have such practices in place. The key is to be tactful with guests and ensure that every member of your staff is properly trained on allergen safety.

TRAIN YOUR STAFF ON FOOD HANDLING FOR ALLERGENS

Kevin Freeborn is an award-winning consultant, author and speaker with 30 years’ foodservice experience.

All staff should receive training on how to prepare, store and serve food to avoid potential contamination with allergens. While it may be an extra step and involve extra processes, remember that if you get a reputation for handling food allergies well, you are opening up your market share to one in 13 Canadians with a serious food allergy. At The Keg, for example, kitchen staff will cook food differently and clean grills if they are told that a guest has allergies. If there is room, setting up a separate area of the kitchen to prepare allergen-free foods is advisable.

For more articles on improving food safety, visit

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WHAT TO DO IF A GUEST HAS A REACTION

If a guest is having an obvious reaction to an allergen, contact 9-1-1 immediately. After emergency services have been called, ask anyone with the guest to get access to the guest’s EpiPen if they have one, and to inject them with it. If they can’t, have a staff member trained on First Aid administer the EpiPen. It ’s a lso wise to keep a llergy medication on hand in the event that the guest does not have an EpiPen – have a trained staff member administer allergy medication if this is the case. Tell the paramedics when they arrive what medications have been given to the guest. Be sure to record the guest’s or their dining partner’s name and try to get their information so you can follow up with them the next day. Take note of all actions taken and write up a report. You should also conduct a thorough review of your allergen safety practices in the entire business in the event of an allergic reaction. If you make allergens part of your food safety management program and www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 55

MOBILE PAYMENTS

MOBILE REVOLUTION Keeping your restaurant relevant in the mobile era By Erick Kobres For the first time ever in 2015, mobile surpassed desktop as the primary tool for searching and accessing the internet in North America. This shift in use means that customers are now getting their day-to-day information on the go, instead of at their desks. As restaurant operators, how can you stay relevant to customers as they shift their habits, and ensure you’re making the most of your opportunities? Similarly, how can you understand these habits to improve what you offer to customers and retain them long-term? In this article, we’ll help to shed some light on the benefits of online ordering, mobile apps and mobile payments. We’ll provide guidance on what to consider when developing a mobile strategy, and f inally we’ll provide some of our thoughts on what might be coming up in the future of mobile, related to the restaurant space.

MOBILE APPS, MOBILE PAYMENTS AND THE CLOUD

At their most fundamental level, mobile apps and mobile payment functionality focus on the customer experience and deliver increased convenience for users. They turn control over to the customer, allowing them to pre-order food and pick up at a chosen time or location. Additionally, mobile

56 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

experiences offer features and benefits that help solidify that customer-business relationship, including nutritional information and personalization opportunities that may not exist elsewhere. On the organization side, if done properly, the restaurant can benefit by obtaining customer data that they might not get through traditional brick-and-mortar

MOBILE PAYMENTS interactions. This data can be aggregated and analyzed for richer insights and the ability to improve and personalize offerings based on the individual customer. Properly executed, this degree of intimacy with your customers can result in increased loyalty and a far higher lifetime value.

The downside? Apple Pay does not currently allow for tipping, a shortcoming that makes it difficult for full-service restaurants to implement. With increasing popularity, however, we hope to see Apple Pay integrate a tipping system that will encourage its use in the hospitality industry.

THE RISE OF THE CLOUD

KEY STEPS IN IMPLEMENTING A MOBILE APP AND MOBILE PAYMENTS SYSTEM

The rise in “cloud” technology has given way to a higher degree of accessibility and a decrease in costs; this means that restaurants can now begin to take advantage of the cloud in ways that they weren’t able to in the past. So why would a restaurant care about cloud technology? By relying on a cloudbased platform, restaurants can benefit from the speed and reliability of real-time data access; this empowers an improved mobile experience as data is synced between your front-of-house and back-of-house systems to a mobile reporting app. An omni-channel cloud platform makes it so that all the restaurant devices work together, including POS terminals, tablets, kiosks, and mobile apps; these devices sync to an enterprise data warehouse in near real-time and in turn, the restaurant can access critical reporting in near real-time. Depending on the POS provider, this could also mean that mobile apps are native to the software and can be added easily, creating custom reporting, and increasing the accuracy of inventory management while reducing waste costs. By choosing a cloud-based system, restaurants can reliably guarantee a seamless experience within their mobile and online ecosystems. A cloudbased platform allows restaurant operators to easily scale from a single store to a multilocation chain, all with minimal added infrastructure costs or complexities. MOBILE PAYMENTS

The “Big Five” Canadian banks recently backed Apple Pay and integrated their services with the popular mobile service to finally put the idea of mobile wallets into practice. Having the power of mobile payments makes consumption easier than ever, and a service that the public will quickly come to expect in the fast-evolving world of mobile. Quick service restaurants should be prepared for the adoption of mobile payments and contact their service providers to ensure they are or can be enabled in the future. Supporting Apple Pay or other mobile wallet technologies means higher accessibility for customers who want the convenience of a mobile wallet, but also, faster payment options for line-busting and table-side ordering.

If you’re considering implementing a mobile app or online ordering, there are many factors to consider, from technology selection to implementation planning. Vital to all of this is that your app or ecommerce platform becomes a permanent fixture within the customer’s choice of experiences on their mobile device. Mobile apps help businesses engage with customers through gaining insights on their purchases. To gain a permanent spot on their device and retain customers it’s vital to connect with the right information, understand their purchase habits, and provide sufficient value for them to want to return for more. Activities such as personalized offers or relevant promotions are just two methods to encourage repeat usage, thereby inviting them back to the app and creating a consumption cycle. This consumption cycle of connection, understanding and retention sustains your mobile app and ensures a greater degree of profitability for this portion of your business. From an implementation perspective, there are countless questions to be asked. When having your initial consultation with your technology provider, we recommend asking the following key questions to ensure you have the priority bases covered: • In addition to in-app purchases, does the POS support mobile wallet through multiple platforms like Apple Pay and NFC? • Does the mobile app provide an open platform with APIs available for thirdparty developers? For instance, can your mobile app integrate with loyalty or gift card programs to ensure a single, seamless experience for guests? • Will the mobile app sync with the POS in real-time to allow receipt printing direct

to the cashier and kitchen? Up-to-date inventory calculations? Ease of reporting? Upon deciding on a provider, you should create a plan for your app. Your plan should include the app’s flow or usability, making sure it is intuitive and similar to your in-store experience so that it remains true to your branding. Create the app with pages set up where your customers can receive information, post orders on social media, and give feedback; a place for engagement. Once your customer’s interest is piqued and they have adopted the app as a useful tool, they likelihood of them using it as a regular part of their mobile habits will increase. The final step is to ensure you have a wellthought-out marketing plan to ensure you maintain visibility of your app and it remains relevant. KEEPING UP WITH TECHNOLOGY

Mobile technology exists to create new experiences that are more engaging and more efficient for your customer. Customers have continuously changing expectations, so be prepared for different realities in the future by avoiding a “rip-and-replace” technology. Having a system that will grow with you is ideal; having a system that has to go end-of-life and start fresh to keep up with technological advancements will cause your business to lose paying customers and adoption will decrease. The integration of mobile with POS and back-of-house will continue to refine operational and higher level processes. Mobile apps and payments could revolutionize the way that the restaurant and foodservice industry work behind the scenes. With endless possibilities, cloudbased systems will eventually absorb all restaurant processes into one streamlined system, most likely working from an appbased solution. Consumers have an innate expectation of a mobile presence; it is now assumed that a business will have a mobile and online presence and that options like menu items, apps, and social media are all active and live. In order to guarantee a seamless experience for your future consumers, have a conversation with your current solutions provider and ensure they are as ready as you are.

Erick Kobres is the Chief Technology Officer of Vivonet, a leading provider of consumer, operational, and enterprise level cloud-based technology solutions for the hospitality industry. Processing millions of transactions every month for thousands of customers across Canada and the United States, Vivonet solutions provide hospitality businesses with additional insights and intelligence to help them unlock hidden business potential and improve organizational performance. Learn more at vivonet.com. www.restobiz.ca | July 2016 57

CRUNCHING NUMBERS

The Importance of Social Media for Your Business The TouchBistro VIP Community is an online community of restaurant owners and operators who use TouchBistro iPad POS for their business. These customers can network with others in the restaurant industry, submit product feature requests, get sneak peeks about latest product updates, learn tips and tricks for using TouchBistro, and more. Here are a few of the insights from a recent TouchBistro VIP Community poll on the impact social media is having on their foodservice business: How important is social media presence for your business?

On average how often do you promote your business over social media?

78.6%

17.9%

3.5%

57.1%

28.6%

Very Important

Somewhat Important

Not Important

Multiple times a week

Every day

How often do you use paid advertising on social media?

7.1%

3.6%

3.6%

Once a week Once a month Once a year

How many hours a week do you spend on social sites for your business?

50%

10.7%

39.3%

35.7%

14.3%

46.4%

3.6%

Sometimes

Always

Never

6+

4-5

1-3

0

On average how often do you promote your business over social media?

90%

72%

48%

22%

20%

20%

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Linkedin

Printerest

Blog

58 July 2016 | Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News

G N I N O S SEA

Why not try

dry?

NO ARTIFICIAL C O LO U R S FLAVOURSOR

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

These un unique seasonings create a crispy, melt-in-your-mouth coating to deliver the big, bold flav flavours your customers crave without all the mess of a wet sauce! Available in six mouthwatering flavours: Availabl LEMON PEPPER • MAPLE BACON • SRIRACHA • BARBECUE • MANGO HABANERO • BUFFALO ®Reg. TM McCormick & Co., Inc. Used under license.

www.ClubHouseforChefs.ca

If you are you looking at selling or buying a restaurant or foodservice business… look no further than Sunbelt Business Brokers We know that buying or selling a business is a complex and challenging process with serious financial, legal, tax and lifestyle implications. That’s why having proven, world-class expertise working for you can make a huge difference in the outcome. As the world’s largest and most successful network of business brokers, Sunbelt provides outstanding resources, expertise, and people who are fully dedicated to your success. We look forward to making the process of buying your business an exceptionally rewarding and successful one.

The Secrets of Buying the Right Business Under the Right Terms & Conditions Are You Ready to Take Control of Your Destiny? Is owning your own business in your future? Does being your own boss sound appealing? Are you ready to turn your dreams into reality while creating your own security and financial independence? Then congratulations – you’re in good company. Successful business ownership provides security, lifestyle choices and liberties that typically only come from being your own boss. Statistics indicate that owning your own business is the fastest way to financial independence, while also creating the lifestyle and liberty that goes with successful business ownership. In fact, over 90% of self-made millionaires made their fortunes as business owners. Perhaps it’s time for you to become a millionaire too...

The below insights will help first time buyers and even experienced entrepreneurs to better prepare for entrepreneurial success – on your terms. 1.

Define Your Goals as a Business Buyer 2. Leverage Your Skills Wisely 3. Be Strategic and Open Minded 4. Buy a Fixer-Upper

5. Be Prepared 6. Respect Confidentiality – Be VERY careful! 7. The Terms are More Important than Price 8. Don’t Over-Spend

9. Insist on a Seller Financing 10. Recasting Financial Statements 11. Choose the Right Professionals 12. Ownership Transitioning

13. Begin with the End in Mind 14. Find a Business Intermediary You Can Trust 15. There is No Perfect Business

“Greg Kells is a knowledgeable and sincere relationship expert who brings experience, background and genius to the business of brokering. He builds honest relationships, with and between business sellers and buyers and helps them, through both education and process, to get to their goal line. He is the best in the business.” —Ed Pendarvis, author, founder of Sunbelt Business Brokers, dean of Business Buyers University

Contact us TODAY and make your dream a reality!

Greg Kells, M&AMI, CBI, CMEA, CSBA, CBTS, BCA, Business Broker President, Sunbelt Business Brokers Inc., Business Valuation Canada Inc., Sunbelt Mergers & Acquisitions Inc., Tel: 613-731-9140 ext. 225 Email: gregkells@sunbeltcanada.com

www.sunbeltcanada.com

The place to go to buy or sell a business.