December 2021 - Total Food Service

NEWS

VACCINATION MANDATES

L.A. BARS AND RESTAURANTS DEAL WITH SAFE PASS LA VAX-POLICE MANDATE

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housands of Los Angeles businesses are now required to ask patrons to show proof of vaccination before entering various types of venues.

In response, Canoga Park Grandi Italiani owner Aron Celnik, said he was not making even half of what he used to earn before the start of the pandemic and hiring an employee who would check customers’ ID’s could take a toll on this budget.

“They keep putting the screws on us until finally we’re forced to close because we can’t afford to stay open anymore,” Celnik said, adding that

“They keep putting the screws on us until finally we’re forced to close because we can’t afford to stay open anymore.” — Aaron Celnik the rule comes during the holiday season.

Restaurant owner Francoise Koster was uncertain about when to start asking her patrons to show proof of vaccination under the new City of Los Angeles mandate, which went into effect last month. To avoid a fine, she posted a sign in her Hollywood La Poubelle French Bistro.

But even after scrolling through government websites and talking to other business owners, she still was confused about the new rule.

Koster wondered what to do with customers who didn’t get vaccinated because of their religious beliefs, or how to find workers to check patrons’ immunization cards while operating with a skeleton crew. She

also worried whether her restaurant would survive another season of uncertainty as the pandemic continues to take a toll on her business.

“They are making us force people to get vaccinated,” she said. “This is going to cost us a lot of money. And if we don’t do it right we’re criminals because they are going to fine us.”

“This is the time when we’re supposed to be at our busiest,” he said.

“And I’m going to have to spend time checking on people’s vaccinations status. That doesn’t make any sense.”

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 3

SAFE PASS LA

from page 2

Koster said it was unfair to make businesses force customers to get vaccinated.

“The city should hire more of their policing people and not put it on us because we already have a giant burden,” Koster said. “This is ridiculous.” She said that it would be hard to check vaccination cards of customers who enter the restaurant, sit at the bar, go to the restroom and then walk to the patio. “I’m not a vax police and I don’t know how it’s going to look,” she said. “I don’t know if this is the way to do things.”

Koster is among thousands of businesses required to ask patrons to show proof of vaccination before entering various types of venues as the city is facing a slight uptick in cases driven by the delta variant.

But some business owners worry the rule might deal another blow to their finances ahead of the holiday season.

Under the new rule, known as

SafePassLA, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, breweries, wineries, food courts, hotel ballrooms, yoga, Pilates, cycling, barre, and dance studios, hotel gyms, shopping malls, moving theaters, nail and hair salons, piercing shops and outdoor events with 5,000-9,999 attendees will need to ask proof of immunization.

Establishments need to display a notice informing patrons that proof of vaccination is required to enter any indoor venue. The mandate comes after the Los Angeles City Council voted in October approving the ordinance that required customers 12 and older to be fully vaccinated to enter indoor establishments.

Nearly 80% of Los Angeles County residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine while about 70% are fully vaccinated, according to public health officials’ numbers. Mayor Eric Garcetti and

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other elected officials hope the rule will help boost the number of vaccinated people.

Customers with religious and medical exemptions for vaccinations are required to show negative tests within 72 hours of entry while patrons without proof of immunization are allowed to use outdoor patios and briefly enter a venue to pick up meals or use a restroom.

Businesses that don’t comply with the rule would be fined from $1,000 to $5,000. Sarah Wiltfong, senior policy manager at the Los Angeles County Business Federation, said part of the problem was that the city issued its implementation guidelines just two days before the new rule took effect. “A lot of businesses are just now taking a look at what they’re required to implement,” she said. Wiltfong said she understood that the city staff was under pressure to detail the rules, but “it was not particularly helpful for busi-

nesses to have only two days to figure out how to implement the city’s mandate.”

The mandate, she added, puts some small businesses — especially mom-and-pop shops and restaurants in neighborhoods with low vaccination rates — arguably at a competitive disadvantage. “Now they’re expected to just turn away business,” Wiltfong said.

The mandate is just “another blow to businesses financially,” she added because the city hasn’t provided any financial support to businesses to implement the rule. It was also unclear when the mandate will be eased.

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 5

NEWS

WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

HELPING OFFSET THE LABOR SQUEEZE AND TIGHTENING OPERATIONS: A PARTNERSHIP PERSPECTIVE

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abor challenges continue to impact many industries and business segments. And the cruelest irony? That some of the most significant shortages are hitting areas where demands are higher than ever: the workers responsible for helping keep spaces clean, healthy and safe — are also those shouldering the burden of higher expectations around public health and food safety.

With signs suggesting these trends aren’t going anywhere, the most successful business operators are uncovering key strategies for empowering staff, simplifying workflows, and driving labor efficiency, without compromising experiences, facility safety or brand image.

Labor “shortage” shaping up to be the new normal A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management from midsummer 2021 found that nearly 90% of employers across all sectors are struggling to fill open positions1, and it’s not that hard to figure out why: There are roughly three million fewer Americans currently participating in the labor force than pre-pandemic.2

The exodus from the workforce isn’t letting up, with monthly “quits” hitting new highs, according to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report.3 There are several pandemicrelated reasons still driving the exodus, from direct health and safety concerns to increased childcare burdens.

But many other factors appear more permanent. The rate of retirement jumped significantly over the last year, with more than half a million more retirements than expected between May 2020 and April 2021.4 In fact, this is part of a larger trend that has been forecasted for years. The working-age population in the U.S. — which continually increased over the past 40 years — appears to have peaked in mid-2019 and began falling well before the pandemic.5 The cause: a combination of retiring baby boomers, declining birthrates and lower immigration that will create what one economic analyst group is calling the “Sansdemic.”

The skills gap hurts just as much With more senior workers leaving the workforce, the problem for many businesses is not — or is not only —

a labor shortage; it’s the skills gap.

The declining average age of the U.S. workforce means job applicants may be coming with less experience . And with the “Great Reshuffling” — LinkedIn says more than half of job changes this summer were from one industry to another6 —meaning more job applicants may be coming in with little or no relevant experience. That means additional time and cost to train new workers on things like the difference between sanitization and disinfection, or proper food safety protocols. Add this all up at a time when most people say they’re more focused on hygiene and sanitation in businesses7 — and

The working-age population in the U.S. — which continually increased over the past 40 years — appears to have peaked in mid-2019 and began falling well before the pandemic. The cause: a combination of retiring baby boomers, declining birthrates and lower immigration that will create what one economic analyst group is calling the “Sansdemic.”

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95% of consumers say they still want to see as much or more cleaning as before vaccines became available8 — and you’ve got another serious pressure added to the overall labor squeeze.

Doubling down on labor efficiency and customer experience In most businesses, labor costs have always been a top concern. But now — juggling additional requirements to meet rising customer concerns and expectations, a shortage of experienced labor to do that work, and higher costs for the workers they do have — labor efficiency is the make-or-break focus in just about every business. Some business operators are finding quickwin opportunities by doubling down on enhancing their cleaning programs. Rather than cutting corners, they’re implementing creative strategies and innovative products that help them achieve a higher level of cleanliness — more efficiently.

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 7

NEWS

EVENTS

SHFM 2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT OMNI AMELIA ISLAND, FL

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he Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management (SHFM) will host its National Conference December 6 – 8, 2021, at the Omni Amelia Island, Florida. With a theme of Catalyst of Workplace Evolution, this year’s sessions showcase solutions and all-important one-on-one connections reflect the rapid transition taking place in today’s workplace hospitality industry.

Attendees can look forward to educational sessions on professional development and industry issues, interactive events, networking opportunities and national speakers. After pivoting to a virtual National Conference in 2020, it is an opportunity for SHFM members to reunite and reconnect in person.

Some of the highlights of the 2021 SHFM National Conference include: • Educational Sessions – Throughout the three-day conference, SHFM will hold several educational sessions designed to highlight changes and opportunities in the corporate foodservice and hospitality industry: Bringing Back Our Spark!: Tuesday, December 7 with Clint Pulver, Motivational Keynote Speaker, Author & Workforce Expert The Impact of Culture, Cultural Fluency and Mentorship on Today’s Workplace Teams: Tuesday, December 7 with Joyel Crawford, Speaker, Author and Consultant; Gerald “Gerry” A. Fernandez, President and Founder, Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA); and Chip Wade,

President & Chief Operating Officer, Union Square Hospitality Group Busted! The Myths of Sustainability: Wednesday, December 8 with Barbara Kane (Moderator), Consultant, Clark Food Service Equipment; Anna Bohbot, Global Food Program Manager, LinkedIn; Michael Dwork, CEO, VerTerra Dinnerware; Smitha Haneef, Managing Director, Harvard University Dining Services; and Kate Kerbel, Workplace Consulting Manager, Strategic Consulting, Cushman & Wakefield Navigating What’s Next: Insights for Shaping the Workplace of the Future: Wednesday, December 8 with Seth Mattison, Co-Founder & CEO, Luminate Lab, Keynote Speaker • Hunger Awareness Activity – Each year, the SHFM National Conference features an event designed to raise funds in support of local hunger initiatives. This year’s activity, the SHFM Hunger Games, will benefit Gracie’s Kitchen, a Nassau County organization that serves meals to food insecure in their community.

• Industry Networking Event – Homegrown Hospitality! – This year’s opening Industry Networking Event will be a reunion, homecoming and

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grand regathering of the hospitality family all rolled into one! With a focus on Southern comfort food, it will be a locally themed celebration of homegrown hospitality.

From his chicken and champagne bar in downtown Jacksonville, our featured chef brings a world of experience to the culinary creations of the evening. Known for providing a warm, friendly environment and delicious food, Chef Kenny Gilbert brings the perfect touch to the evening. Once again chef teams from our host corporations will be displaying their culinary skills as they execute our INE chef’s menu selections.

Additionally, the SHFM 2021 Directors’ Awards recipients will be honored at the National Conference. Each award recognizes special honorees that have gone “above and beyond” to serve the association and better the industry. The recipients of the President’s Award and Bob Pacifico Above & Beyond Award will be announced at the conference.

The 2021 Directors’ Awards recipients are: Community Service Award: Danielle Pedersen, Volanté Systems Given to the SHFM Member that has gone above and beyond to help support the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industry, as well as their local community.

Spirit Award: Justin Drew, NEXDINE HOSPITALITY Presented to an individual who consistently demonstrates the qualities of

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Main Office 282 Railroad Ave. Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers Leslie & Fred Klashman Advertising Director Michael Scinto Art & Web Director Mark Sahm SCOOP News Editor and Senior Contributing Writer Joyce Appelman Contributing Writers Morgan Tucker Francine Cohen Editorial Interns Hank Bedingfield Alycia June Cahn Claudia Giunta Brian O’Regan Gabrielle Reagan Eva Karoun Scott Wyatt Semenuk Phone: 203.661.9090 Email: tfs@totalfood.com Web: www.totalfood.com

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Cover photo courtesy of Enterprise Greece Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 is published monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Ave., Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2021 by IDA Publishing Inc. Contents in full or part may not be reproduced without permission. Not responsible for advertisers claims or statements.

Periodicals Postage paid at the post office, Greenwich, CT and additional mailing offices. Additional entry at the post office in Pittsburgh, PA. Subscription rate in USA is $36 per year; single copy, $3.00. Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Food Service, P.O. Box 2507, Greenwich, CT 06836

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 9

NEWS

By Eva Scott

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

RESCUING LEFTOVER CUISINE BRINGS CREATIVITY TO ELIMINATING HUNGER

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escuing Leftover Cuisine, a non-profit organization, targets preventing food waste and alleviating hunger. Cofounder, Robert Lee, is familiar with hunger. His parents emigrated from Korea, and growing up, Lee’s family did not have the luxury of food security, so food was never wasted. “Coming from my background, it made no sense to me that food would be thrown out when people are hungry,” stated Lee. Lee attended New York University’s Stern School of Business where he came across the club Two Birds with One Stone, that worked to solve the “two birds” of hunger and food waste by bringing leftover dining hall food to homeless shelters in the area. “When I saw it at the club fair in the first week at NYU as a freshman, I thought it was genius. I thought this idea had to be everywhere. Why was it not everywhere?

I became obsessed with the concept.”

Lee joined the club’s leadership and worked to include every dining hall on campus and bring that food to more homeless shelters in the area.

After graduating from NYU, Lee signed a contract to work with J.P.

Morgan, but continued to work with Two Birds with One Stone. “I thought about why this concept didn’t exist at the restaurants and cafés around our campus and other places not affiliated with NYU. We decided to take this idea and expand it, make the benefits of participating more apparent to food businesses,” explained Lee. He and his co-founder, Louisa Chen, took the idea to a venture competition at NYU where they won second place and received seed funding to get the organization started. “After about a year at J.P. Morgan, I realized I could learn a lot by taking this risk. I could make an impact.”

At Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, the focus is on rescuing food at the end of the supply chain; getting companies, cafés, and other food businesses to donate and bring those supplies to local homeless shelters and food pantries. “It’s food that would be sold to a customer. It is the same quality, same packaging, but instead of throwing it into a garbage bag at the end of the night, it is thrown into a donation bag,” said Lee. “Our pick-ups are around 50 pounds each. It may not seem like a lot

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“Our pick-ups are around 50 pounds each.

It may not seem like a lot of excess food, but many don’t realize that even that small amount feeds 45 people, enough for a medium-sized shelter.” — Robert Lee of excess food, but many don’t realize that even that small amount feeds 45 people, enough for a medium-sized shelter. It is an additive effort, every little bit helps, and that’s how we’ve been able to rescue over seven million pounds of food.”

The pandemic’s impact on the food industry left Rescuing Leftover Cuisine to adapt as well, as many of their restaurant partners were closed either temporarily or permanently. “A lot of our partners immediately donated all of their inventory, which was amazing.

The pandemic’s impact on the restaurant space made us look to other types of food supply, such as the packaged food business, that essentially had possible inventory that could be donated. Companies like KIND snacks became our focus,” explained Lee.

Lee and his team have known from their launch that partnerships with the restaurant community were a vital cog to accomplishing Rescuing Leftover Cuisine’s mission. “Our company helped our restaurant partners stay in business as well. We have programs where we partner with restaurants that create meals for the hungry for us to deliver. That’s been a large part of what we’ve been able to do to help the larger population during the pandemic. A lot of players came together to make this happen.”

The organization currently exists in several markets across the United States. New York City is home to their headquarters and Boston is its next largest location. “We have a national

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 11

NEWS

BEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY

HOW THE RISE OF SELF-SERVE COCKTAILS AND WINE IS INNOVATING THE WAY BUSINESSES OPERATE

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t a time when businesses in the hospitality industry struggle to find staff and customer demands are rapidly evolving, operators have to innovate to stay afloat. Over the past two years, restaurants and bars have invested in technology to help improve their operations as automation has proven to help reduce labor costs and increase service efficiency.

While there has been a rise in selfserve kiosks among big brands like McDonald’s and other large fast-food chains, many small businesses in the restaurant industry are also turning to self-serve technology options. A trend that is rising rapidly is kegged cocktails and kegged wine. These self-serve

Adding self-pour cocktails and wine to your establishment might be just what you need to increase your sales and customer satisfaction while decreasing labor costs. options act as a way to satisfy customer demands and simplify operations.

Draft cocktails and wine have grown in popularity over the last few years, and it is no surprise that bars and restaurants are taking advantage of this new trend and its positive effects. Draft cocktails and wine provide operators with several benefits while simultaneously allowing customers to enjoy the self-serve experience.

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Operators around the world are using PourMyBeer’s technology to offer this unique drinking experience to guests.

Adding self-pour cocktails and wine to your establishment might be just what you need to increase your sales and customer satisfaction while decreasing labor costs. It is a win-win situation for both operators and guests.

Below are the advantages that kegged cocktails and wine are bringing to

establishments worldwide!

Consistency & Quality Control Whether you choose to make draft cocktails in-house or purchase them through a distributor, each cocktail poured from the keg will taste exactly the same. If you choose to make your cocktail in-house, you have control over your cocktails too! You can fill each keg with one batch, which leads to higher levels of quality control when compared to a traditional bar where bartenders make individual drinks. At a traditional bar, each bartender puts their own flair on the cocktail. If a patron finds a cocktail they enjoy, they

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 13

FIORITO ON INSURANCE

ISSUES FACING RESTAURANTS SEEKING TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN 2022

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he restaurant and food service sector has been thoroughly tested in its ability to navigate through the COVID pandemic. The issues it caused will continue to impact the industry in 2022, as it struggles to close the gap between merely surviving and thriving.

It won’t be easy. Hospitality is suffering more than most from widespread labor shortages. Business travel remains substantially below 2019 levels. The quest to improve operations has kept the focus on technology-related investment, but the downside is greater exposure to cyber risks.

In fact, risk management and insurance will continue to take on a

Closing the gap between merely surviving and thriving in 2022 won’t be easy.

Hospitality is suffering more than most from widespread labor shortages. higher profile. On-site inspections are an increasingly standard practice by underwriters, and their vetting for risk has them also checking social media reviews of hospitality businesses. Among insurers’ specific concerns are restaurants’ ability to deal with rising alcohol sales and whether full measures to combat COVID-19 are being taken.

The industry’s continued creativity on multiple fronts – technology, marketing and improved employee

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benefits – will push improved performance in 2022. Among the key trends and issues: 1. No quick solutions for labor issues, but better offers are helping Higher pay. Improved benefits.

Better working conditions. Employers are trying it all to bring back the people they need to service customers, no mean task when a third of former hospitality workers have no intention of returning to the industry1.

The shortages are pushing many restaurants to restrict their hours.

Guests aren’t necessarily seated when a table opens, but when a server isn’t overloaded. Higher wages and signing bonuses are becoming standard – McDonald’s, for one, has raised pay levels by 10% at corporate restaurants. Some employers are underwriting college tuition for workers who commit.

Protecting employees will remain the priority, especially since COVID, in whatever iteration, isn’t going away. One major red flag on the horizon for employers involves potentially disruptive changes to workers’ compensation insurance.

Many states are considering new

Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President with HUB International Northeast, a leading global insurance brokerage, where he specializes in providing insurance services to the restaurant industry. As a 25+ year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Robert has worked with a wide array of restaurant and food service businesses, ranging from fast-food chains to upscale, “white tablecloth” dining establishments.

Robert can be reached at 212-3382324 or by email at robert.fiorito@ hubinternational.com.

presumption rules, allowing claims that assume an infectious disease was contracted at work. This puts the pressure on employers to focus on improving working conditions not only to attract workers but to reduce risk of contagion in the process.

2. Technology – a doubleedged sword Expanded use of technology has helped save the day for the industry.

It’s transforming point-of-sale systems, and improving sales, inventory and cash flow.

Without the ability to physically serve customers, many restaurants relied upon technology to survive, through delivery apps and ghost kitchens, turning their sit-down operations into delivery powerhouses.

On another front, tech has been a safe way to deliver training to employees – whether apps providing driver training or pre-trip inspections of cars being used for restaurant deliveries or for incident reports.

But here’s the downside. Malware, phishing, and other cybercrimes are rising, and the growth in tech deployment makes the industry more vulnerable. As of 2021’s second quarter, the hospitality industry

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 15

NEWS

RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT

VIRAL TIKTOK EXPOSES SHOCKINGLY COMMON DIRTY ICE MACHINE DANGERS

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TikTok user calling himself The Ice Man has gone viral for uncovering and sharing alarming video footage of filthy commercial ice machines in businesses including restaurants and hotels. The Ice Man is an HVAC technician who uses TikTok videos to educate the public and business owners about the importance of ice machine cleaning and the ugly results of neglected, uncleaned ice machines. His videos have 3.3 million likes and counting.

In addition to being the subject of an embarrassing video, these businesses could be endangering customers and employees with contaminated ice. Let’s dig into the risks associated with dirty ice machines and how to properly clean yours.

Dangers of Dirty Ice Machines Ice machines are dark and damp.

This kind of environment is ideal for the growth of slime and mold. If ignored, large buildups of mold, slime, scale, and sediment may form. These substances are difficult to remove, can cause ice machine breakdowns or reduced ice production.

Slime and mold are gross, though they aren’t dangerous to users. They can result in health inspection violations and negative customer reviews, so it’s important to keep the ice machine free of these substances.

Every human interaction with an ice machine presents a possible risk of transferring bacteria to the unit where it can then be transferred to another user. Studies have found

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bacteria like gram-negative bacilli and Candida spp can be transferred to commercial ice machines through normal use. Bacteria-contaminated ice can cause infections or illness, including E. Coli, Hepatitis A, Norwalk Virus, and Legionnaires’ disease. Protect your customers and employees by following the best practices for cleaning ice machines.

Proper Ice Machine Cleaning The exterior surfaces of ice machines and ice and drink dispensers should be regularly cleaned everywhere they come in contact with humans. Employees can wipe down these surfaces with a disinfectant solution, rinse it away with water, and then apply a sanitizing solution, which should be left to air dry. This will reduce bacteria transfers.

The primary places scale, mold, and slime grow are harder to access, like the inside of the ice machine and ice bin. These areas require more extensive cleaning called deep cleaning.

Manufacturers recommend a minimum of two deep cleanings per year. Ice machine deep cleaning should be performed by a trained technician.

These in-depth pro-

John Mahlmeister is the chief operating officer and co-founder of Easy Ice. Co-headquartered in Phoenix, AZ and Marquette, MI, Easy Ice is the national leader in the full-service ice machine subscription industry with warehouse and distribution facilities in Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Orlando, and Denver. Since its founding in 2009, Easy Ice has rapidly grown the number of ice machines under management to 25,000 units across 47 states. The Easy Ice commercial ice machine subscription programs include installation, cleaning, preventive maintenance, repairs, and backup ice. For more information, please visit EasyIce.com.

cesses require access to all internal ice making components and involve three important stages: descaling, disinfection, and sanitization.

Frequency of deep cleaning is determined by numerous environmental factors. Mold and slime form more quickly in environments with high levels of airborne contaminants, like yeast and flour. Thus, businesses like breweries and bakeries need to deep clean their ice machines more often.

Other factors may cause ice machines to get dirty faster, such as a high amount of grease from cooking, old pipes that transfer sediment, and improper, unsanitary usage from customers or employees.

How to Descale, Disinfect, and Sanitize an Ice Machine Some business owners or managers clean their own ice machines to save money. It should be noted that professional cleaning usually pays for itself in the long run. Professionals are equipped to do a better job at deep cleaning, can make recommendations based on any visible issues with the ice machine or in the environment, and can diagnose small issues that prevent future repairs.

Below is an overview of the deep clean process meant to guide ice machine owners as to what should

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 17

NEWS

By Hank Bedingfield

EXPANSION

TRUE FOOD KITCHEN EXPANDS FOOTPRINT WITH NJ OUTPOST

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rom its newest location in Hackensack, N.J., True Food Kitchen hopes to serve the tri-state area food with a purpose: better health for patrons and the planet.

At its 39th location True Food Kitchen is as dedicated as ever to the tenents of wellness and deliciousness provided in a convenient and accessible way. With former Starbucks senior Executive, Christine Barone, at the helm for the past five years, that mission is spreading across the country from its Phoenix headquarters beyond. “We’re absolutely full steam ahead opening new stores continuing to grow,” she said.

The food at True Food Kitchen, which strives to be sustainable, seasonal, and nutritious, yet cravable, is based on the heath-based research of M.D. Andrew Weil.

As the foundation of True Food’s culinary philosophy, the celebrity doc-

tor developed the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid, based on research on wellness and longevity across cultures where people live longest. The pyramid, reflected in the True Food menu, prioritized heaping portions of leafy greens, followed by fruits, nuts, healthy fats, legumes, certain proteins, and finally the measured indulgence of foods like chocolate or a glass of red wine. “I think the FDA food pyramid has probably changed three or four times since [Dr. Weil] published [the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid] and it hasn’t changed at all,” Barone said.

Unlike some eco-conscious diets which strictly adhere to vegetarianism or veganism, as the sole path towards wellness, True Food Kitchen offers a diversity of food and protein, and a flexible approach to health. “I think wellness has to be really accepting, and I think a lot of wellness is not accepting,” Barone said. “Let’s say you

The pyramid, reflected in the True Food menu, prioritized heaping portions of leafy greens, followed by fruits, nuts, healthy fats, legumes, certain proteins, and finally the measured indulgence of foods like chocolate or a glass of red wine. decide to eat this way 20% of the time.

You actually do feel better and and so I think I think that the other really awesome thing about Dr. Weil and why I was kind of so driven to be able to wake up and do this every morning, is that he’s not going for perfection.”

The menu changes with each season and places a specific importance on fresh unique ingredients, with offerings from grass-fed Steak Tacos and Edamame Dumplings to a Juniper Rose cocktail, with rose-infused gin, lime, grapefruit, and thyme.

The True Food Kitchen model also

Some of the delicious menu options at True Food Kitchen include Butternut Squash Pizza, Pan Seared Sea Bass, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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stays away from faux food, meatless alternatives which try to mimic the mouthfeel, appearance, and taste of carnivorous-forward foils. “Everything’s made in-house from scratch,” Barone said. “And we think it’s really important that as we look at plantbased diets that you can recognize that it’s a brussel sprout or you can recognize that it’s the sweet potato.”

When True Food Kitchen first began to grow, this emphasis caused logistical difficulties. Could the nation’s

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 19

REOPENING STRATEGIES

WITH LAURA CRAVEN

LOOK FORWARD FROM A CHALLENGING YEAR

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here certainly has been no shortage of issues in 2021.

With that in mind I thought it would be interesting to reflect on which of those key topics will remain on our industry’s agenda as we prepare for the new year.

One of the takeaways is how we deal with on-going supply chain challenges. A year ago, the demand for PPE including gloves and masks, as well as disinfectants and sanitizer, was far beyond the available supply.

Frankly it put us as distributors in a position in which we had to be very careful and make sure that we’re prioritizing product allocation. Prior to that, that we wanted to sell everything to everyone, but when there’s a global crisis you can’t. You must make hard decisions. We made sure that the needs of healthcare and first responders were the priority as well as

Attention on cleaning for health and a focus on hand hygiene are here to stay existing customers.

The imbalance of supply and demand created a secondary market that could only be described as “buyer beware.” There were a lot of directend users as well as distributors that were so desperate for products that they were buying from unknown sources. And there were instances, unfortunately, of people buying pallets of gloves and other PPE and the boxes would arrive full of rocks. Crises can bring out the best in people, but sometimes it can bring out the worst.

And a lot of customers took a chance on unknown suppliers and ended up with no product or inferior product, which happened quite a bit with hand

20 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

sanitizers. The lesson going forward is that you really must be careful about who you buy from, especially online.

The supply chain issues of 2022 are very different. On the packaging side of things, supply chain is still experiencing delays — whether it’s related to production of the raw material, production of the actual packaging, or shipping including both ocean and local freight. Some of it has to do with labor shortages here in the US and some of it still has to do with COVID shutdowns in factories overseas.

Some companies are considering reshoring production to avoid having to import, and to shorten the lead time to market.

My advice for operators is just to be flexible and openminded to product alternatives, including food, packaging, and other goods you usually buy. You might need to adjust your menu to ensure that you can meet your customers expectations. I think you’ll find that communication goes a long way.

If you communicate openly with your staff about what’s going on, then they can share that information with the customers. When people understand the situation, they can be forgiving. The challenges have hit every industry, not only foodservice.

The other main takeaway from the past year is regard-

Laura Craven is the Vice President, Marketing & Communications at Imperial Dade.

Laura oversees marketing and corporate communications for Imperial Dade, a national distribution company headquartered in Jersey City, NJ. Her responsibilities include marketing communications, brand and reputation management, internal and external communications, experiential marketing events, and media relations. Laura has been with the company for over 17 years and has contributed to the organization’s growth and brand awareness. A LEED AP, Laura consults on sustainability initiatives and as a GBAC Trained Technician she assists customers develop cleaning programs.

ing health and hygiene. Attention on cleaning for health and a focus on hand hygiene are here to stay. And that’s a good thing! It goes beyond the COVID pandemic. Proper cleaning, hand hygiene, and glove use, especially in a food service and dining setting, can prevent foodborne illnesses as well as the spread of the common cold. It just makes good sense. A sanitary environment creates a safe environment for everyone.

As with all aspects of our life, you need to keep an eye on technology.

Tech is now playing a huge role in how we keep things clean. Touch-free is the name of the game. Clean, wellstocked public restrooms have always been important to facilities, especially restaurants or any kind of a public venue. The condition of restrooms is often how the restaurant is judged by their customers and staff. Today, a touchless experience is expected and that includes everything from hands-free soap and towel dispensers, auto faucets, auto flushers, and even

continued on page 98

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 21

NEWS

By Eva Scott

RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGY

TOAST DEBUTS NEW PORTFOLIO OF RESTAURANT SOLUTIONS T raditionally, when toast is thought of from a restaurant and foodservice perspective, one would imagine menu items throughout the day.

From scrambled eggs with toast, a BLT on toast, or avocado toast at dinner, it has always been a go-to for chefs across the nation. But over the last nine years, a Boston, MA based tech firm has taken the name Toast and captured that same spirit of all-day solutions for today’s restaurant and foodservice operator.

With that in mind, Toast announced new products last month to help restaurants adapt to the rapidly changing industry, specifically to gain quicker access to sales, make take-out and delivery more profitable, and create a solution to retain employees.

Toast listened carefully to their restaurant partners as they searched for ways to more quickly and easily access card sales and improve cash flow. Their research has brought about the debut of the new Toast Restaurant Card, existing as the first of its kind: a business debit card built for restaurants.

“The Toast Restaurant Card adds value in two major ways,” noted Kelly Esten, Toast’s Vice President of Marketing. “The first is that it offers cardholders quicker access to

their funds. The money shows up on the card within an hour of making a sale in the restaurant. Rather than waiting several days for their funds, they can access them sooner and better balance their cash flow.

That’s particularly great for restaurants who do a lot of business at night and weekends.

“The second [way it adds value] is they get access to restaurantspecific awards,” Esten continued.

“We’ve been working with rewards programs that you wouldn’t find in a non-restaurant-focused card, things like restaurant supply or even access to Island Creek oysters

22 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

“Great food and hospitality are always the foundation. Technology does not replace these aspects but enables them.” — Kelly Esten

here in the Boston area. There are specific rewards and cash back for purchases made through partners that really matter to restaurants versus a generic rewards program.”

In approaching the needs of the growing Takeout & Delivery market, Toast has paired integrations with Doordash, Caviar, Grubhub, Postmates and Uber Eats with the creation of Toast Orders Hubto eliminate the need for multiple tablets.

“Before the pandemic, the industry was experiencing a rise in take-out and delivery, third-party delivery partners, and other technology, but Covid accelerated the adoption of these,” Esten explained. “It’s clear that takeout and delivery are here to stay. And now it’s all about how we can help our restaurants and let them use it to maximize profitability.”

Toast tackles alleviating the strain of managing multiple channels of take-out and delivery orders by sending all thirdparty orders through the Toast point of sale via Toast Orders Hub. They

are the first restaurant technology company to partner with all five major take-out and delivery companies. “We’ve been partnering with the major third-party delivery companies for a while now, but over the last few months we deepened and expanded those integrations. It’s an important part of a restaurant’s sales.”

“Restaurants are working on multiple services as well as trying to manage their own first-party channels; this is difficult to manage.

What we’ve done is provide the tools to better understand the impact these channels have on their business whether it’s how many sales are coming through each channel, what the margins and profits are as a result, and how to optimize these channels to maximize profits. Our new tools called channel insights look into the sales and cost margins by channels to provide a post-analysis across all these channels for our customers,” described Esten.

In assessing the needs of its restaurant partners, Toast also could sense the industry’s frustration with the challenges of the labor market.

The challenge to maintain great staff is universal. Toast’s new Tips Manager is one way to help res-

continued on page 108

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 23

NEWS

EVENT PREVIEW

PLANT BASED WORLD EXPO FEATURES INDUSTRY LEADERS AND NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT INNOVATIONS December 9-10 Event Speakers include Tyler Lorenzen, former NFL player and current CEO of Puris Proteins

C

ompanies looking to meet the explosive consumer demand for plant-based foods won’t want to miss Plant Based World Expo North America (PBW), December 9-10, 2021 at the Javits Center in New York. PBW is the only professional 100% plant-based focused event for foodservice and retail professionals, distributors, investors, and manufacturers.

Plant Based World Expo will feature renowned plant-based experts, thought leaders, and innovators including keynote speaker former NFL player and current CEO of Puris Proteins, Tyler Lorenzen. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear from industry leaders from The Plant Based Foods Association, Vejii, The Good Food Institute, Envision Group, A Division of Compass Group, Kroger, Spins, and many more.

“The plant-based industry is growing faster than ever and is expected to exceed $162 billion within the next decade,” says Benjamin Davis, VP of Content at PBW. “Our programming this year is carefully curated to meet the evolving needs of foodservice and retail industry professionals who are looking for the best

ways to meet enormous consumer demand. From merchandising and ecommerce to plant-based trends and next generation plant-based products, PBW has it all.”

An estimated 3,000 attendees will have the opportunity to sample new products that will be the talk of 2022 and beyond from companies committed to harnessing the power of plantbased. Representatives from the Culinary Institute of America, Chipotle, Conagra Brands, Sodexo, Blue Apron, UNFI, Aramark, Triumph Hotels, and many more are already registered.

In addition to a who’s who of industry speakers, the world-class B2B conference and expo features 250+ exhibitors and brands from around the world, plus high-level networking, learning, and tasting opportunities. Exhibitors such as Hooray Foods and Omni Foods will showcase innovations in plant-based pork products (bacon and SPAM), while Eclipse Foods will serve up plant-based ice-

24 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

cream that’s creamy and functions just like a dairy ice-cream base. Functional plant-based foods such as plant protein mixes, bars, and drinks will also be on display as well as sustainable packaging; non-GMO, organic, and natural clean label flavorings; fast-casual options; and much more.

More information about the show and how to register can be found at www.plantbasedworldexpo.com. To inquire about exhibiting at the upcoming show, please contact Sam Morley at sam@jdevents.com.

Plant Based World Expo is produced by JD Events, dedicated to the creation of targeted and innovative industry-leading events that deliver results.

The company brings together highly qualified buying audiences, education-rich content and high-level networking opportunities -- all geared toward increasing collaboration in the markets it serves.

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 25

PROVISIONS PREVIEWED

WITH LMT PROVISIONS

IMBY – IN MY BACKYARD

O

ne of the best lessons learned from the pandemic was to appreciate our own backyards. From camping to foraging to snowshoeing, I learned to deeply appreciate my local parks and recreation. Thankfully, two legendary tableware destinations are also local, and the minute they reopened to visitors I jumped at the opportunity.

When the dense fog began to accumulate and Waze started to lose GPS navigation, I knew I was close to the holy grail of American pottery, but I first had to cross the threshold.

Entrance to The Newell Toll Bridge

Then she appeared. It was not a mirage, but the Newell Toll Bridge in all her glory, proof that old industry folklore can ring true. Built in 1905, a majestic 1500’ span, 86’ above the Ohio River, to transport the craftsmen of Ohio to the potteries of Newell, West Virginia. Utilitarian, magnificent, and timeless, like the best tableware.

I blissfully handed over my dollar bill ($.75 one way, $1.00 if you pay for the round-trip up front) and immediately began flooding two elder statesmen, the czars of The Newell Bridge Toll Booth, with questions. We didn’t

Morgan Tucker is the Vice President, Marketing at Singer Equipment Company and a member of Singer’s senior leadership team.

Attuned to foodservice trends, and guiding many of them herself, Morgan is recognized for her ability to source new products and identify and serve customers’ changing needs.

Morgan can be reached at mtucker@singerequipment. com and @littlemtucker.

get much time to talk, given the oneWe were also offered a complete way nature of the situation, but they tour of the newly established and were quite accepting of both my exuthriving Fiesta Tableware Company berance for their head-to-toe whitefactory. With a focus on only Fiestaware and request for a selfie. ware, perhaps the most instantly recOn the other side of the bridge is ognizable American tableware, the The Homer Laughlin China Company, factory is booming with business to a bucket-list destination for anyone satisfy our nation’s growing interest in passionate about American pottery, reviving heirloom pottery. Finally. and truly the stuff of legend. I’ve been Upon departure, a glorious sun apsteeped in those tales since the start peared over the Allegheny Plateau of my career. The story of the mentor reflecting onto the Ohio River. As of my mentors demanding more “secrainbow mountains of Fiestaware glisthe Black Label Tableware project has onds” from the factory for one of his tened in the distance, I knew how I enmoved to the brand’s headquarters. largest accounts, Charlie Brown’s resvisioned the entrance to paradise.

It is wonderful to see domestic taurants, is one that has stuck with me Across the Buckeye State lies antableware manufacturing grow and for years. Few things are more Ameriother American tableware titan. I also evolve. Some of the most historical cana than Charlie Brown. Perhaps spent time at Libbey Glass, in Toledo, names become brand new, as if we even fewer are more Americana than this year. As we usher in 2022, statehave rediscovered them. As you make Homer Laughlin. of-the-art glassware manufacturing your own travel plans for 2022 and beOperators today may never have is already underway with a new “BLT” yond, consider the destinations you even heard of dinnerware seconds, machine producing Master’s Reserve have previously overlooked and the but in earlier decades it was common glassware at the Libbey Plant. To satdiscoveries you can make for yourself. practice to offer the slightly blemisfy America’s increased need for doI don’t know what’s in your backyard, ished or irregular results of producmestic upscale glassware production, but I’m sure glad I discovered mine. tion pottery as a cost-saving alternative to restaurateurs.

Standardized manufacturing, robotics, automation, and even new recycling processes have made seconds a thing of the past. Vintage seconds have become rare jewels, just as archived patterns have become icons.

There’s always been something extremely special about the quality and legacy of The Homer Laughlin China Company. John Miles, President and CEO of Steelite, vehemently agrees. He acquired the company just as the pandemic was erupting. The reason for our visit was to peruse collections of the past that will be reissued in years to come, for new generations of diners Archive dinnerware at The Homer Laughlin China Company (photographed by Morgan Tucker) to fall in love with.

26 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 27

MEDIA CORNER

With Joyce Appelman

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING:

BOOKS, TV, FILM, AND PODCASTS

WHAT WE’RE READING: Matt Sartwell, Managing Partner, Kitchen Arts & Letters Bookstore in New York City shares his book reviews...

Baker’s Dozen If you are a fan of baking shows, you will probably enjoy Baker’s Dozen, the sweet Hulu series hosted by Tamera Mowry-Housley and former White House pastry chef Bill Yosses. In each episode, 13 seasoned pros and amateur bakers compete in three challenges putting their skills to the test as they vie for the coveted golden rolling pin and $5,000. Bakers are judged on criteria including creativity, presentation, and execution. Guest judges from all realms of the baking world appear throughout the season with names ranging from Joshua John Russell and Leanne Pietrasinski to Gemma Stafford and Loria Stern.

Meat Me Halfway Leader of the Reducetarian movement, Brian Kateman’s documentary shows how vegetarians, vegans, flexitarians, pescatarians, carnivores could get along. He explores the issue through the lens of his own personal decision to reduce eating meat. Grappling with how to sort through conflicting advice, Brian seeks a practical path forward. The film is a groundbreaking investigative journey that seeks to create some common ground at the dinner table.

You can find the movie on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Vimeo On Demand, and more

28 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Black, White, and the Grey: The Story of an Unexpected Friendship and a Beloved Mashama Bailey & J. Morisano Two New Yorkers—she’s from Queens and he’s from Staten Island—creating a successful restaurant in Savannah is remarkable enough. But when one is Black and the other is white, it’s even more noteworthy. In this frank book, the two talk about the challenges, tensions, conflicts, grounded not only in race but in gender and economic status, that underlay their partner-

WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO: ship.

Using a distinctive format in which the two authors narrate their stories in short alternating sections, sometimes a sentence at a time, sometimes a few paragraphs, Black, White, and The Grey allows each to comment and react on the other’s tale. It’s clear that their long working relationship has not created an atmosphere of total understanding and enlightenment, but each of them feels comfortable enough to admit failures and frustrations, as well as progress.

All other issues aside, anyone contemplating a business collaboration in the food industry will find this fascinating and enlightening.

There are a few recipes peppered through the book, but the stories are the very worthwhile point.

Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, with Recipes Missy Robbins and Talia Baiocchi There is so much to say about pasta, but many books devote themselves primarily to sauces.

That is not a mistake that Missy Robbins makes here.

The chef-owner of Lilia and Misi, two NYC restaurants famed for their pasta dishes, Robbins devotes the first 100 pages of this 400-page book to pasta making, starting with eleven different doughs before addressing shaping the pasta.

Of course she tackles fettucine, orecchiette, and agnolotti, but

there are also instructions for less famous pastas, along with dollops of history and background. Trofie, from Liguria, are dying out because they are tricky to shape; cjalsons, from Friuli, are objects of local pride, even though each household prepares them differently.

We also suggest paying particular attention to a brief section beginning on page 128 entitled “Cook Pasta Like a Cook,” in which Robbins, writing of her early days as a pasta apprentice in Italy, says “What I learned very quickly was that the word ‘drain’ had no use in an Italian kitchen, that boiling is only one part of the cooking process, that sauce without pasta water is not sauce at all, and that no matter how well made your actual pasta is, there are about a dozen ways to ruin it.”

Recipes for the dishes themselves include chapters on regional specialties that are truly distinctive— speck and rye bread dumplings; a Sicilian dish with swordfish, pistachios, and capers—as well as Robbin’s own ideas, from spaghetti with ramps, lemon, and ricotta salata to a corn-filled cappelletti with black pepper and pecorino.

A significant advance on the subject in English.

7shifts Restaurant Growth Podcast The Restaurant Growth Podcast by 7shifts brings together restaurant leaders from all corners of our industry: full-service, quick-service, tech, and everyone who helps push hospitality forward. In short, 15- to 20-minute episodes, listeners come away with practical tips, new insight, and tactics to help their restaurant grow. Previous guests include Eric Cacciatore, Danny Meyer,

and Ken McGarrie to name a few.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or 7shifts website.

Tip of The Tongue Podcast A podcast about food & drink, culture, and museums with Liz Williams, Founder of the National Food & Beverage Foundation and the Southern Food & Beverage Museum.

Listen on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher.

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 29

HOSPITALITY MARKETING

WITH REV CIANCIO

FIVE WAYS TO INCREASE RESTAURANT REVENUE IN DECEMBER ...Or any time of year!

David “Rev” Ciancio is a former New York City bar owner and knows exactly how hard it is to operate and brand a hospitality business.

He is now a hospitality marketing consultant, customer and technology evangelist with more than 20 years experience in B2B digital marketing and business development, specializing in hospitality marketing, content, local SEO, reputation management and influencer marketing. He helps technology companies, brands and restaurants to acquire and retain customers. Rev is known as an “expert burger taster,” pens hospitality and marketing tips on his Instagram @revciancio, as well as his LinkedIn Profile. He believes that Pizza is a religion.

all the above information and more into Marqii and it updates all those apps, maps and search engines for you. All of my clients use it and love it.

Y

ou’re in the final stretch for a successful year and there is still some time to put points on the board.

December is a time for celebration, for dining out, for dining in and for convenience. It’s a great time of year to drive home some much needed additional revenue and potentially fatten up, if your January is typically a lower month for revenue.

Likely a few tweaks to your marketing and promotions could be the difference between good and great.

Here are some actionable tactics you can put into play immediately.

1. UPDATE YOUR HOLIDAY HOURS AND MENUS Have you recently updated your menu or prices?

Do you have new or refreshed photos of your food?

Will you be open for different hours for Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Eve or any other special days in December?

On those busy travel days consumers often need a bite on the road while traveling or are looking to get out of the madness from the holidays and have someone else do the cooking. Before they decide which restaurant to visit or order from,

30 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

they check Google, Yelp, Alexa, Bing, Yahoo, Tripadvisor, Facebook, and all the other sites, apps and maps to see if you are open, what’s on the menu and even to get directions or place an order.

It’s a great time to update your holiday hours, menu and add brand approved photos to all those sites to help power a decision to dine with you.

Ensure the customer journey by making sure your listings have all the accurate information your guests need to make a purchase.

Pro-tip => save a lot of time and headaches by using Marqii. You put

2. PROMOTE CATERING AND PRIVATE PARTIES The early bird does get the worm, but it doesn’t mean you should take the foot off the gas yet. Until every day, every table and every hour is booked for catering and private parties, continue promoting them via social media, email and SMS communications with your guests. They aren’t going to see every message you send so the more frequently you share, the better chance you’ll be seen.

If you’ve already sent out email newsletters dedicated to catering and private parties, add a content block at the bottom of your emails moving forward so that you can include messaging in everyone. Repetition and impressions drive adop-

continued on page 106

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 31

TREND TALK

WITH JOYCE APPELMAN

LDNY’S THE NEXT BIG BITE ANNUAL FORECAST SEES 2022 AS THE YEAR HIGH TECH AND HIGH TOUCH CO-EXIST

T

he kitchen as command central, our home’s center for nourishment to entertainment, is here to stay. That’s just some of the big news to emerge from The Next Big Bite; the annual forecast presented

by Les Dames d’Escoffier New York (LDNY), the nonprofit educational, scholarship and advocacy organization serving women in the culinary and hospitality industry.

Co-keynote speakers Chef/Author Marcus Samuelsson and Author/Activist Grace Young opened the conversation led by Culinary Personality and LDNY member Tara Bench, that ranged from the quarantine’s effect on food sources and the rebirth of victory gardens, to the landscape that changed drastically in our homes and restaurant communities, how our kitchens and dining experiences will evolve with an assist from new technology, and that restaurants will continue to be essential for our emotional recovery.

Samuelsson pointed out the silver lining gleaned during the pandemic as he noted, “More chefs cooked at home, everyone cooked at home, {we} became more informed cooks, more passionate home cooks.”

The virtual discussion and scholarship fundraising event featured food entrepreneur panelists Samuel Dennigan, CEO, Strong Roots; Jane M. Freiman, Founder, Smart Kitchens Insight; Eve Turow-Paul, Food Culture Expert; and Karen Washington, Co-Owner, Rise & Root Farm.

10 KEY TRENDS EXPERTS

FROM

THE

Ingredients • Minimizing food waste • Alternative proteins on the rise • Plant-based food consumption skyrocketing (also a trend from past The Next Big Bite) Technology • Robotics at home: front door temperature checks and sensors, air purifiers, cordless/ touchless appliances • Indoor growing systems that enhance sustainability, health, and control of your food system Design • Cultural diversity and reviv-

•

•

•

ing traditions; the lunchtime family meal returns in what is now also a laboratory and party space Kitchen design; materials innovation drives safety and usage, open concept reverts to purpose-built or multi-use rooms with privacy Walk-in pantries/butler pantries return – storage and preparation remain top of mind in light lockdowns and supply issues Creating indoor-outdoor kitchen spaces for healthier living that include satellite prep, cook and dining areas that flow from kitchen to entertaining space.

Society • Addressing food insecurity,

Chef/Author Marcus Samuelsson and Author/Activist Grace Young were the co-keynote speakers at The Next Big Bite presented by Les Dames d’Escoffier New York (LDNY)

32 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Joyce Appelman is the SCOOP News Editor and Senior Contributing Writer for Total Food Service and previously the National Communications Director for C-CAP, Careers through Culinary Arts Program. An industry leader supporting education and scholarships, she has been instrumental in opening career opportunities for many young people in the foodservice industry. Email her at joyceappelman@gmail.com

food deserts and the rise of community gardens and community fridges Young, who remains passionate about people cooking from cookbooks at home also acknowledged that while the home cook pro soared in putting three meals a day on the table, restaurant culture remains a part of our lives. And that was threatened, as she noted “It was devastating to discover legacy businesses and restaurants that were part of Chinatown for decades, never reopened. We lost mom and pop restaurants and markets that were the heart and soul of the community.”

She urged everyone to join her #SaveChineseRestaurants, the nationwide Instagram campaign that she launched in partnership with the James Beard Foundation and Poster House.

The Next Big Bite was sponsored

by Kerrygold.

Les Dames d’Escoffier is the preeminent organization of women who are leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage, and hospitality. The New York chapter (LDNY) is the founding and largest of the 42 chapters in the United States and abroad. Established in 1976 by Carol Brock (food reporter for the Sunday New York Daily News at the time), LDNY has more than 160 members.

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 33

NEWS

FRONT OF HOUSE INNOVATION

GRUBBRR PARTNERS WITH PAR ON SEAMLESS CUSTOMER FOOD ORDER SYSTEMS The integration between PAR and GRUBBRR enables restaurants and other retailers to create seamless, customized systems that leverage GRUBBRR’s solution to drive incremental revenue, decrease operating cost and provide a better customer experience.

G

RUBBRR, the emerging leader in self-ordering solutions, recently announced an extensive partnership integration with ParTech, Inc. (PAR), a global restaurant technology company and provider of a unified commerce cloud platform for enterprise restaurants.

The integration between PAR and GRUBBRR enables restaurants and other retailers to create seamless, customized systems that leverage GRUBBRR’s solution to drive incremental revenue, decrease operating cost and provide a better customer experience.

To achieve this integration, GRUBBRR implemented a self-ordering kiosk that exchanges data with the Brink POS®. GRUBBRR software shows menu items previously pulled from the Brink POS system and allows customers to make and pay orders at the kiosk and then send the completed order to the Brink POS. GRUBBRR pulls menu data, including items, modifiers, combos, tender types, and discounts, and then sends orders back to the Brink POS. The communication between GRUBBRR and the Brink API is extensive; GRUBBRR calls once every 24 hours for a menu refresh, twice for each order placed at the kiosk, once to calculate

order total, and a final time to send the prepaid order and do an inventory check, if applicable.

“This integration is yet another way GRUBBRR is working to help restaurant operators increase average ticket totals, reduce operating expenses, and improve the overall customer experience,” said GRUBBRR CEO Sam Zietz.

“Our partnership with PAR will revolutionize the restaurant and retail industries by providing a solution to the labor shortage that enables retailers to innovate their business with self-ordering technology.”

GRUBBRR kiosks also integrate seamlessly with legacy systems, so retailers can unify accounting, CRM data, and sales info with ease. In addition to a proprietary back end, GRUBBRR has an entire ecosystem of self ordering solutions, including kiosks, online ordering solutions, kitchen display systems, line busters, food lockers, and more that work with Brink POS. Chad Horn, Director of Strategic Partnerships for ParTech, Inc. espouses the value of the partnership.

34 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

“Operators are embracing technology at a break-neck pace, but they are trying to figure out how to manage it all efficiently,” he says. “By allowing restaurants to combine ordering, kiosk, menu display solutions and more menu-based services in one, GRUBBRR is immediately removing a lot of operational headache associated with menu management. Welcoming

GRUBBRR into our ecosystem was an easy decision.”

Earlier this year PAR acquired Punchh, GRUBBRR’s industry-leading loyalty and engagement partner. GRUBBRR and PAR share a native integration with no intermediaries, meaning any existing PAR Brink client can seamlessly add GRUBBRR hardware solutions with all existing loyalty functions.

Thanks to the Punchh integration, GRUBBRR clients can innovate and scale their businesses with self-ordering technology that personalizes the customer experience.

This integration eliminates the need to source third party vendors for point-to-point loyalty platforms, and instead take control of the customer experience from in-house.

PAR’s acquisition of Punchh furthers the company’s trajectory as the leading loyalty platform with integrated point-of-sale, back office, payment and guest engagement solutions. Restaurants and retailers using GRUBBRR and PAR’s solutions can expect to increase average ticket size by as much as 40-50%, all while decreasing operating costs and improving the customer experience.

Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, GRUBBRR is a global selfordering solutions and POS systems provider at the forefront of self-ordering technologies. To learn more about GRUBBRR and its products, visit https://grubbrr.com/

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 35

Q&A

EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW

BETTY ALEXANDROPOULOU EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ENTERPRISE GREECE

T

asty traditional Greek cuisine and the Mediterranean Diet have become staples of the US dining scene. With an ancient tradition, Greek cuisine has been greatly influenced by both Eastern and Western cultures. Flavors of Greek food changes with season and geography.

With that in mind, Total Food Service wanted to get a read on the latest in Greek products available to the restaurant and food service operator. With thoughts of moussaka, tzatziki and baklava, TFS visited with Betty Alexandropoulou.

Ms. Alexandropoulou is the Executive Director of Enterprise Greece.

The Athens, Greece based trade organization advises and coaches international business and government organizations on maximizing import/export opportunities with Greece’s thriving food manufacturing industry.

With a Master’s in Business Administration, B.A. in Economics, and Professional Certification in Executive Coaching, Betty has accumulated vast experience in senior leadership roles within multinational organizations and government.

Prior to joining Enterprise Greece, she served as Senior Commercial Advisor for the U.S. Department of Commerce at the U.S. Embassy in Greece.

She specializes in cross-cultural agility for strategic market, program and workforce development as well as business transformation.

Her deep knowledge of the area of

Betty Alexandropoulou, Executive Director - Board Member, Enterprise Greece

36 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

continued on page 38

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 37

Q&A

BETTY ALEXANDROPOULOU, from page 36

trade and investment as well as the technology, healthcare and government markets has proven especially important in helping food executives, business owners, exporters/ investors and expatriates within those segments to navigate their challenges and succeed in bringing the flavor of Greece to the US foodservice professional.

For those of our readers who don’t know you, what got you interested in the restaurant industry? Could you give me a little background about you and your career?

I’m a Greek American. I was born in New York. My parents are of Greek descent. So I’m actually privileged to have to be related to both countries.

Before I assumed my current role, position at Enterprise Greece, I worked for various government agencies and multinational companies as a senior executive. I’ve lived in Switzerland, Buenos Aires, and then Minneapolis and was asked to come and help at the National Trade Investment organization to advise at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, overseeing the Free Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. So that’s a little bit of how I got here.

How did Enterprise Greece begin and what were your goals when you joined as a senior executive in 2019?

Well, to start, the organizations that were the forerunners of enterprise Greece were the National Export Promotion Agency. It was then called H.E.P.O., Hellenic Export Promotion Organization, and it was founded in 1970. And then, the other part of it was Invest in Greece, an organization founded in 1990.

It was around 2014 that these two agencies were merged to create Enterprise Greece. It used to be a very different kind of organization and a very different Greece during this timeframe.

One of the main mandates, when I came to the organization was to really engage in modern times and

to bring the prior organizations together. I think one of the important agendas that I had to face with this kind of trying to bring it all together, especially under the new government that came about in 2019, which was very forward looking and very different. The Trade Investment Agency and Enterprise Greece actually moved under the wings of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to capitalize on all the Greek embassies and consulates around the world. The goal was to actually be extroverted and outward looking, and you need to have a presence and to kind of be there.

How does food and beverage fit into the global goals of Enterprise Greece?

Food and beverage is the biggest part of what’s growing and what we’re focusing on. So it has a very important role.

As you look at the American marketplace in particular, what is it that Greek products can bring to the American marketplace?

First of all, for the American market, there’s this focus starting with products and then the Mediterranean diet. It’s not just olive oil and cheese. It’s like the entire Greek product range. We feel that the success of it lies in the taste. You know the quality of the ingredients, the diversity of the dishes that we have, combined with recognized health benefits in the Mediterranean diet.

This is what we want the US consumer to be focused on, not just the Feta or just the olive oil. We want it to be more about variety, because there’s just a lot of products that the U.S. consumer doesn’t know about.

We just don’t want to be an ingredient resource. We want to be a lifestyle resource.

Restaurateurs and chefs have emerged and have taken the image of Greek cooking and made it hip.

We want all these factors to be part of the whole experience of the Greek

continued on page 40

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Q&A

BETTY ALEXANDROPOULOU, from page 38

products in the U.S. market.

What is it that enables Greece to grow such beautiful and high quality products that you can’t get elsewhere in the world?

Well, it’s the terrain that we have here that helps to grow the fruit or other food products. In terms of the land, we have a range of soil, from volcanic soil and Santa Remi to the plains of Macedonia. It’s part of the whole, blessed country in terms of the sun, the soil, everything. The products actually have a taste and smell, and it’s something that when you’re talking about the cuisine, but even standalone products, is what differentiates Greek products.

Can you talk about why Greece is able to create such amazing wine and what are some of the specialties?

First, there are over 300 indigenous grape varieties. The combination of the native grape varieties

and the terrain produces a distinctive fan of flavor and accents and over the last decade, the Greek wine industry has focused on preserving its unique wine heritage. The industry is pairing that tradition with the state-of-the-art production methods. Now, Greek wines are sought out, more and more, by these international wine connoisseurs.

Over the past few months, there’s been some favorable reviews for these Greek wines.

If we’re to talk about the range there’s Xinomavro and Agiorgitiko for red and then there’s Assyrtiko and Moschofilero for white wine. They are becoming better and better recognized and more easily available around the world, and especially in the U.S. — just like the Greek foods.

40 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

What’s the challenge of marketing this product in the U.S.?

First of all, the U.S. is a very huge market. For the Greek exporter, it’s not as easy as going over to Europe or a smaller country. We see that the Greek food sector has been evolving very rapidly, and sometimes it’s difficult for the small producers to meet the large volume demands of large distributors.

One of the things we’ve been doing at Enterprise Greece is attracting a lot of foreign direct investments (FDI) in the sector. Just the past year, Mondelez acquired the Greek snack maker Chipita for over $2 billion. In 2020, we saw that FDI dropped in most countries around the world but in Greece, we saw something like 20% increase in FDI in food production.

Even still, one of the challenges we

have is making sure that the Greek exporters have all the tools at hand in terms of information. You need to help them out a bit more because of the fact that the U.S. market is so complex and so large.

One of the things we did this past year is organize a whole set of webinars on various international markets. One seminar on business in the food and service sector of the U.S. tried to explain the complexity of the American market and its tiered distribution system so that the Greek exporters are more savvy about that.

Another thing we help with is arranging buyer to buyer meetings, with buyers hosting buyers in Greece when COVID allows.

What does the landscape look like in terms of the type of typical company that you’re working with?

Right, well we try to cover the

continued on page 42

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 41

Q&A

BETTY ALEXANDROPOULOU, from page 40

whole range. The smaller companies, they’re the ones that need more of the education, more about how to go from just producing to understanding so you know about the private labeling, and things like that. We try to provide consultation and support. We help by being there, by having the pavilion, by setting up the buyer to buyer meetings, by setting up everything that’s around a tradeshow.

For the larger companies, I think that the role of Enterprise Greece also comes in basically assisting with the branding that takes place.

We’re also helping these bigger companies become mentors or help open the pathway and engage the smaller ones that are just growing.

So it’s a matter of helping each company go from smaller to bigger.

ing for Greek specialties, but right now, the more awareness is growing, the more people want Greek products. I think it works the other way too, where people seek out the freshest ingredients and realize that they’re Greek.

There are also some great chefs, like Maria Loi, who are spreading excitement over Greek cuisine in their work and their restaurants. And it’s also about growing international recognition. Just a few weeks ago, Chef Gordon Ramsay said The Food and Beverage industry is one of the main pillars of Greek processing as it is a primary that Greek food was betproductive activity and a lever of economic growth for the country. The Greek Food and Beverage ter than Italian food. Of industry is one of the most important sectors of the domestic economy, with significant investcourse, I don’t want to get ments, growth prospects, strong extroversion and strong business activity in Greece, the Balkans into that conversation, and throughout Europe. The characteristics that highlight the role of the domestic food and beverage What are some ways you see Greek but there’s an increasing industry are the high quality products, the Greek brand name, as well as the organized promotion of products growing in popularity, inrecognition of the qualGreek food in the international markets. ternationally? ity and variety that Greek I think when you are talking cuisine allows for. leading tourism destinations. Prior the growing popularity. It’s not just about Greek cuisine and the Greek Another large factor that we want to COVID and during COVID we that the Greek diaspora shop there, Mediterranean diet it’s all about to play up on as well is the role tourhave record numbers of visitors. So everyone is starting to realize how creating awareness. So I think that ism plays in the popularity of Greek we feel there’s a clear synergy begreat this cuisine is. maybe before nobody was lookcuisine. Greece is one of the world’s tween tourism and food exports, because once we have a What advice do you have for U.S.visitor here, and they get based restaurants or food service to know the Greek cuioperators that would like more info sine, when they go back on Greek products? home, they want to expeSo, apart from somebody calling rience the association to Enterprise Greece and us setting the warm experience of up ways for them to connect with the comfort that they had Greek companies, we try to make during their vacation. the companies themselves more The last thing I’ll menself-sufficient so that they can be tion is the Greek diasfound online. poras and the enduring We’ve also set up a collaboration mosaic of the makeup in with eBay where operators can find the U.S. A lot of large citGreek products there and find comies have a Greek diaspora panies to order from. and they have some Greek Unfortunately, among large supsupermarkets. When I was pliers and distributors, Greek prodin Minnesota, there was ucts are still not well presented. I this Greek supermarket believe that’s about to change in the in Minneapolis and simifuture, but until that happens, the lar to many places. They best way to access Greek products cater to the local Greek is through eBay or the companies community, but they also themselves.

Enterprise Greece is the competent national body, under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign are becoming popular Affairs, that attracts foreign direct investments in Greece and promotes the exports of Greek prodwith just a local commuAll photos courtesy of Enterprise ucts and services abroad. nity in general, because of Greece 42 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 43

RESTAURANT STRATEGIES

WITH RYAN GROMFIN

RESTAURANT OWNERS & OPERATORS: ARE YOU MEASURING YOUR RESTAURANT’S END OF YEAR PERFORMANCE?

J

ust like you do with your employees, it’s time to do an end of year performance review for your restaurant. It’s a great way to know the amount of growth you’ve had or what’s caused you to remain stagnant. Make sure you are honest so you can put together a great plan for next year.

Now let’s see how your numbers stack up using an easy method to track your restaurant’s performance using actionable data.

THE NEED FOR ACTIONABLE DATA Many restaurant owners feel the need to have spreadsheet after spreadsheet after spreadsheet of data (or their accountant gives them giant reports). When I ask them what they do with all of this information, they shrug their shoulders and say I don’t know.

I would rather have less data that is actionable and accurate, than more data that we don’t understand. More is sometimes just more...

6 KEY END OF YEAR FINANCIAL METRICS TO TRACK IN YOUR RESTAURANT 1. Cost of Goods Sold (CoGS) The cost of the raw ingredients (food, beer, wine, liquor) that you sell for a specific period of time.

A simple formula: Year-End Purchases ÷ Year-End Sales For example: Your restaurant purchased $300,000 in food in 2021 and had $1,000,000 in food sales.

300,000 / 1,000,000 = .30x 100 = 30% 2. Labor Cost This is the formula used to calculate labor cost percentage over a period of time.

Ryan Gromfin is an author, speaker, chef, restaurateur, and founder of therestaurantboss.com, clickbacon. com, and scalemyrestaurant. com. He is the most followed restaurant coach in the world helping Restaurant Owners and Operators increase profits, improve operations, and scale and grow their businesses.

should anybody else. What I do know is that your Prime Cost should always be less than 60%. Then when you add in DOE, you should be around 65%68% (this is your RCC). This leaves you with about 30-35% for fixed expenses and some room for profit.

A simple formula: Total Spent on Labor (including taxes, benefits, insurance, etc.) ÷ Total Sales.

For example: Your restaurant spent $300,000 in labor in 2021 and had $1,000,000 in sales.

300,000 / 1,000,000 = .30x 100 = 30% 3. Prime Cost Food cost varies too much with too many factors from restaurant to restaurant to create a “benchmark” of what is good or bad. Same with labor cost. However, by adding both numbers together, you arrive a value that is easy to benchmark. Your restaurant needs to be under a 60% prime cost.

A simple formula: Prime Cost = Total CoGS + Total Labor ÷ Total Sales 4. Controllable Expenses (Direct Operating Expenses or DOE) These are the expenses such as chemical purchases, paper goods, repairs and maintenance, janitorial services, etc. These are not items that fall under CoGS but they are definitely affected by how busy you are and they should be tracked and controlled.

5. Restaurant Controllable Cost

44 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

(RCC) Restaurant Controllable Cost is THE most valuable and MOST important number in your restaurant. It is Prime Cost with the addition of Direct Operating Expenses. When add CoGS with Labor and DOE you have ALL the controllable numbers in your restaurant in one calculation. Control the Controllable!

A simple formula: Total Purchases + Total Labor + Total DOE ÷ Total Sales 6. Per Person Average If you find that sales were up but your guest count was down or flat, that’s not growth! That’s simply a price increase. If you know how many guests you served last year and you know your total sales, then you can calculate per person average. You want to see year over year increases in both per person average and total guest count.

A simple formula: Total Sales ÷ Total # Guests Served If somebody tells you what your CoGS, food cost, or labor cost should be, fire them immediately. I don’t know what that should be and neither

4 BONUS METRICS 1. Employee Turnover Rate This number tells you how often you are having to hire new employees due to employee churn. This number if very telling.

A simple formula: # of employees you have ÷ # of employees hired 2. Average Length of Employment This should go up every year that you are open. Recognizing that this year has been particularly tough, it’s still a very important to track year over year.

3. Average Rating on Major Review Sites (Google, facebook, Yelp, DoorDash, UberEats) 4. Number of Reviews on Major Review Sites Numbers don’t lie, people. By taking an honest look at your year-end numbers, you will see where your restaurant excelled or where you need to put in additional work in the new year.

At minimum, you should be reviewing these numbers yearly, but if you can track quarterly (or even monthly) you will have actionable data and start correcting areas that need it immediately.

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 45

NEWS

LABOR SOLUTIONS

NATION’S RESTAURANTS REACH OUT TO TEENS TO FILL KEY NEEDS IN LABOR MARKET

W

ith an acute need to find qualified staff for their restaurants, the food service industry has turned to an often-overlooked pool of talent: teenagers. It is a perfect match as fast-food chains and independent restaurants find a motivated moldable student to add to their front and back of the house teams.

From the student’s perspective, some of them are saving up for college, others contributing to their family’s expenses, and still more are just working towards a the holy grail of their own car. But regardless of their motivation, every teenager who works in a restaurant gets a job on their resume and skills under their belt, both of which can expand their future opportunities.

An interesting perspective comes from Sean Pesner. The 16 year old Long Island native recently completed his third summer in the industry.

Pesner’s father helped him secure his first industry job at a bagel shop last summer. He turned that skill set into a waitstaff position this summer at a

Long Island’s Sean Pesner is among a growing number of teens that see restaurants and foodservice as a career stepping stone.

high-end Nassau County steakhouse.

“For me I knew that the [additional] money was my priority. So while I took whatever I could get in the first summer of working, I knew that I could then find the most money moving forward. I really lucked out during the pandemic, as the restaurant couldn’t get their regular team to come back,” he said.

There are a number of factors that have led to the change in the role of teenagers within the restaurant and foodservice industry. There were of course Pandemic generated issues that subsidized workers to stay home from their restaurant jobs. Even prior to that the rise in state minimum wages across the country has meant that restaurateurs are looking for more skilled workers who require less training, to account for their higher paycheck. That made ‘flipping burgers’ once again attractive to teenagers to maximize their after-school earnings.

The move of teenagers out of and then back into the crosshairs for the restaurant operator is a fascinating case study. The number of available fast-food jobs has doubled since 2010, but there now seem to be more available jobs than there are interested candidates. This has led to an industry-wide labor shortage and increased competition among restaurants trying to hire great people. Teenagers found themselves pushed out of the fastfood marketplace pre-Covid by elderly workers. People are living longer and running out of retirement savings. Elderly workers also come with decades of experience and service skills.

Pesner also brings an interesting perspective on what it takes for a restaurant to succeed. “I believe that the most important thing in a restaurant other than food is the people. The personality that the waiters, hostesses,

46 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

“The real lesson isn’t how many plates you can carry, it’s really about how many conversations you can have with customers throughout your shift. That maximizes tip and creates a happy customer that keeps coming back.” and managers bring to the restaurant to give it that personality the ability to build those relationships with customers that are crucial. A great waiter needs to think like and actor: its all about “putting on a show”, engage with your customers, through conversations that enables them to get to know each other. “The real lesson isn’t how many plates you can carry, it really about how many conversations, you can have with customers throughout your shift. That maximizes tip and creates a happy customer that keeps coming back.”.

At the same time, Teens were increasingly being pushed towards other types of opportunities — like internships or volunteering — to help them with college admissions and scholarships. In many states with the extension of the school year, had made proper training impossible.

Many restauranteurs have also found that adding teens to their team has enabled them to get a pulse on a market of both future employees and customers. Today’s teenagers are also hyper-aware of everything from social issues to social media. They care about inclusion, and they push company culture to a better place. Their input can help keep brands hip and current — if they see a Facebook ad that looks like it was made in 2012, they’ll definitely let you know.

As Pesner got ready to return to school he shared his thoughts on restaurant success. “I got to see that there is a lot more to running a restaurant

than meets the eye. Even when you have a solid customer base, there is no guarantee that there will always be customers every day. You always have to be evolving, changing employees, menus, and attitudes to adapt to the restaurant business.”

He also highlights the management of labor as a key element to success: “I understand that small businesses have limited funds to be able to increase their employee paychecks. I think that restaurateurs should hire as many people as they can and have a very organized schedule that goes out weekly. If one employee cannot make the day they are assigned there will be many other employees to fill their spot. The right software to manage that labor force enables the owner to create the best scheduling scenario for everybody. For instance, a student can be kept on the team during the school year and assigned shift on the weekends and during vacation periods.

Without that technology, you are going to lose that kid and probably many of the adults on the staff.”

Hiring teenagers like Sean to work in your restaurant is a win-win-win: While they gain transferable skills that can advance their careers, they’re also providing your senior staff with mentorship opportunities and allowing you to develop a pool of staff to tap during busy seasons. They’re easy to train, eager to learn, and will keep your company young and current, helping you build a culture that’s inclusive for all.

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 47

PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS

WITH DAY & NITE/ALL SERVICE’S MIKE BERMAN

SUSTAINABLE URGENCY

W

hile the recently concluded United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow Scotland didn’t produce everything many had hoped for— COP26 President Alok Sharma called it “A fragile win”—an agreement was signed by 197 countries establishing meaningful foundations. Quite a bit of the material covered in Glasgow earlier this month was not only previewed during October’s Hospitality Sustainability and Food Waste Summit produced by Total Food Service and the Day & Nite family of companies, but highly relevant moderator and panelist insights takes on even greater significance for the foodservice industry.

Inaugural Hospitality Sustainability and Food Waste Summit attendees will recall each expert panel stressed the importance of progressive daily steps as the best means for successfully dealing with inevitable, consequential longer-term changes. We needn’t look any further than the already compromised food systems to recognize the importance of wiser, more sustainable food management practices. Ranging from weather to transportation gridlock, current price and food supply availability pressures reflect several complicated to downright uncontrollable events. From inception this weekly column has highlighted the importance of engaged, proactive business leadership, with so many previously disconnected matters now not only merging together but moving at accelerated rates; every

foodservice professional must operate many steps ahead of the informational and operational curves.

Nearly 200 financial institutions controlling over $100 trillion have signed on to Glasgow Pact decarbonization commitments. Coupled with increased transparent reporting requirements, every hospitality sector can expect access to capital will come with sustainability contingencies. Consequently, at minimum all tier 1 and 2 suppliers must be able to not only support your sustainable business platform they must be able to properly document tangible progress for at least meeting established goals. Although mandatory reporting has historically been reserved only for publicly traded companies, the trends are rather clear where in the short-term even the smallest en-

48 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

tities will need to satisfy their bankers while the recently created International Sustainability Standards Board is certain to establish policies every business must abide by. Even the most rabid climate change denier cannot ignore immutable laws of risk management and leading economic forces at work. In sum, strategically adopting impactful Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) protocols is quickly moving from nice to have to essential.

Whether evidenced by hosting and producing last month’s Hospitality Sustainability and Food Waste Summit (with the second conference to be held late winter/early spring 2022), the company’s suite of environmentally conscious service offerings or its meticulously reducing waste throughout a com-

Mike Berman is the Chief Operating Officer of New Hyde Park, NY based Day & Nite/All Service. The veteran executive joined the service leader in 2016. He has held leadership positions in his career across a range of business-to-business service sector. Prior to joining Day & Nite he served as Chief Operating Officer of Outside Ventures, LLC, the parent company for several B2B service businesses with a particular concentration in merchant services. As Director and Chief Operating Officer of Meridian Capital Group LLC, he overhauled the corporate structure and enabled the company to achieve a 2006 run rate in excess of $30 billion.

plex service-delivery chain, the Day & Nite family of companies is far more than the industry’s preeminent commercial HVAC, Indoor Environmental Quality, Refrigeration, Cooking and Plumbing equipment installation – maintenance repair company. Exactly five months ago this column suggested hospitality would find phase 3 of The Covid Trilogy more daunting than the virus spreading or even severe lockdown phases. Since then, the 3-headed monster of labor and product scarcity compounded by rising rates of inflation have dominated the day with every forecast projecting continued volatility well into 2022. Reliable fee for service is no longer sufficient for selecting suppliers in any category, especially critical equipment care and its overall impact on the whole of your business. Simultaneously protect your enterprise from risk, poise it for profitable growth by emailing jbf@wearetheone. com

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 49

EYE

FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

PECINKA FERRI INAUGURAL EVENT POINTS TO METRO NY MOVE TO ELECTRIC KITCHENS

U

sually, when a trend is highlighted at an event or conference, it sits off in something called the “not too distant future”. But in the case of last month’s inaugural Ghost & Ventless Kitchen summit, the future is now.

With the backdrop of the announcement that New York City’s schools will move from decades of gas-powered cooking to the efficiency of electric cooking, Metro New York equipment rep group Pecinka Ferri hosted the event in their Fairfield, New Jersey test kitchen facility.

Among the highlights of the agenda was how ventless cooking has enabled foodservice operators to cook in locations that were never before available because of the inability to provide ventilation. “Ventless cooking in many cases enables space that couldn’t be considered for cooking to create new profit opportunities for the creative restaurateur and foodservice operator,” co-host Joe Ferri of Pecinka Ferri noted.

The elephant in the room for many in attendance focused on this new generation of electric and ventless equipment to create the same quality of food that has been the hallmark of gas cooking. Pecinka Ferri brought in a chef’s perspective with Chef Chris Galarza of Forward Dining Solutions to answer that question. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native talked about how his experience while behind the line at the famous Monterrey Bay Restaurant in the Steel City convinced him that someone needed to preach the gospel that electric-based cooking could generate the same consistent, high-quality fare. With that in mind, Galarza shared both the science and cooking techniques utilizing electric equipment at the Pecinka Ferri event.

From grill marks on a steak to elimi-

(L to R) Malachy Mechanical’s Rich Farrell and Kevin Kochman of KCL were among the industry innovators that attended the inaugural event.

(L to R) Pecinka Ferri’s Joe Ferri, Carlos Lopez of Tropical Juice Bar and noted kitchen design consultant Bob Doland of Jacobs Doland Beer.

(L to R) Middleby/Evo’s Scott Heim and Josh Halpern of Big Chicken shared their UBS Arena ventless cooking strategy with attendees.

Pecinka Ferri principal Ed Pecinka (R) shared his thoughts with the large gathering of operators, dealers and consultants on the efficiencies of the industry’s move to electric cooking.

TFS’s Fred Klashman moderated a panel that yielded several interesting pieces of electric kitchen news. Both the New York City Schools and the new UBS Arena at Belmont Park have committed to fully electric kitchens.

(L-R) Ghost kitchen entrepreneur Steve Levine and Warren Polansky of The Sam Tell Companies both came in search of new electric and ventless solutions.

nating an impossibly hot cooking line in the summer, attendees walked away convinced that electric foodservice equipment is here to stay.

Highlights include an overview of the ventless revolution and the portfolio of cooking equipment solutions from Middleby’s Scott Heim. The Ghost and Ventless kitchen event kicked off a week of celebration for Heim and his team, including Justin Miklos. Later in the week, the highly anticipated UBS Arena would open in Elmont, N.Y. The kitchens in the New York Islanders (NHL) home arena features 100% electric cooking, including a dazzling array of EVO griddles to support Delaware North’s extensive concession and suite

dining operations.

The event also enabled the Pecinka Ferri/Middleby team to display several innovations supporting ghost kitchen concepts. Highlighting those products insert the Lab2Fab Middleby brand as a new automatic pizza maker. The unit creates the complete prep or a pie from dough to sauce to toppings, eliminating product waste and making labor more efficient. In addition, beverage magician Bill Muise was on hand to display the latest in softwarebased cocktail solutions. Interesting, when you think of potential profit centers, pizza and cocktails are at the top of any industry professional’s list.

Although the Ghost Kitchen con-

cept has been accelerated due to the pandemic, Ferri believes its popularity will continue. “People have grown accustomed to take-out and delivery services, and if the quality and efficiency of these products continue to increase with the usage of ghost kitchens and ventless equipment, customers will be willing to pay for that convenience. This forum is the next step in our coming together as an industry to build a common vision for furthering these concepts,” Ferri concluded.

The foodservice industry hopes the Pecinka Ferri and Middleby teams have launched what will become an annual must-attend event on the calendar.

50 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 51

RESTAURANT EXPERT

WITH DAVID SCOTT PETERS

WHAT TO REQUIRE FROM YOUR RESTAURANT MANAGERS

I

f I had a dollar for every restaurant owner who’s asked me, “What should I have my restaurant managers do,” I would be a multi multimillionaire. If you’re wondering the same thing, I’m going to answer this question for you.

I can’t wait to shine a spotlight on what you should be expecting from your restaurant managers on a daily basis.

So what should you expect from your managers? It’s an important question because to run a successful restaurant, you have to have managers. A lot of restaurant own-

ers tell me they’ve tried bringing people into management only to watch them fail. I want to help you build up your management and prevent them from failing.

Here’s a great outline of the four areas to pay attention to make sure anyone on your team is ready for management. This is what to require from your restaurant management team.

1. Restaurant 101: Hot food hot, cold food cold, and a clean, safe work environment for the guests and employees. Someone ready for

management understands the importance of delivering both WOW customer service and an incredible product. I believe restaurant owners and everyone in the hospitality industry is in the business to make memories for others. Hospitality is key and Restaurant 101 is great hospitality. This includes staffing and product consistency.

• Your managers should know how to staff properly so every shift is successful. You don’t want too few staff or too many, and you don’t want a shift full of rookies.

• Managers have to know how to

David Scott Peters is an author, restaurant coach and speaker who teaches restaurant operators how to take control of their businesses and finally realize their full potential. His first book, Restaurant Prosperity Formula: What Successful Restaurateurs Do, teaches the systems and traits to develop to run a profitable restaurant.

Thousands of restaurants have worked with Peters to transform their businesses. Get his three principles to restaurant success at https://dsp.coach/ three-key-principles.

prepare for the day with prep lists in place every day. Ninety-nine out of 100 times, when your kitchen falls down, it’s in the middle of a rush and you run out of something like diced onions. Someone has to leave the line and cut onions and you fall behind for the rest of the shift/day/night.

And now you fall behind forever.

• Your managers need checklists to follow to ensure safety and prevent product waste/loss.

• Your managers train your team every day, whether it’s a pre-shift or an absolute training system or retraining training. Thorough training is the only way to deliver the same experience every single time.

This means everyone knows what their job is, how to do it, how well it should be done, more importantly, by when.

• Managers have to manage the flow like the tide coming in and going out. They have to be that extra body from greeting guests as the tide comes in to taking orders, to working the expo, to delivering food, to busing, to dropping tickets and greeting them on their way out.

Managers have to understand the flow of the business and manage the floor now.

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NEWS

CULINARY CONTESTS

CIA STUDENT HAILING FROM MEXICO WINS FOREVER OCEANS KAHALA KLASH

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orever Oceans Kahala Klash™ invited students from all campuses of the Culinary Institute of America to prepare their interpretation of sustainably delicious seafood. Maximillano Righimal’s use of Forever Oceans Kahala for his Tri-Cultural Ceviche inched out India’s Mehak Rawl’s Goan Fish Curry for top honors by only seven points.

“All eight student chefs brought the heritage of their families and their cultures to the judges in a wonderful demonstration of just how versatile Forever Oceans Kahala really is,” said celebrity judge Chef Andrew Zimmern of the competition.

Eight student finalists competed for more than $10,000 in CIA scholarship in the five-hour culinary showdown.

Colin Shillingburg took third place while Naida Gonzalez earned the People’s Choice Award voted on by a live streaming audience.

“Forever Oceans is taking a fresh approach to educating the world on sustainably delicious seafood. Our system for nurturing and monitoring our fish through advanced remote technologies is unique and the solution to highly nutritious protein, free from contamination or negative environmental impact,” said Bill Bien, CEO of the company who attended the event.

More than $10,000 in CIA scholarships were shared by Forever Oceans to their 2021 winners

Today, these rising chefs shared how our Kahala, a buttery-flavored fish raised in the deep ocean and high in Omega 3s fits in trending global flavors. We’re educating next generation chefs with our next-generation approach to deliciously healthy eating.”

Students shared their dishes with six top celebrity chefs, including fourtime James Beard Award-winner Chef Andrew Zimmern, TV’s MasterChef

“Their dishes were extraordinary,” said Chef Nick DiGiovanni. “What became evident was that the Forever Oceans Kahala was simply delicious no matter how it was prepared.

Cooking is ultimately a fun thing to do, whether it is a complex or very simple recipe with this fish.”

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Finalist Chef Nick DiGiovanni, Chef Brendan Walsh, Dean of Culinary Arts at the CIA, Chefs Rick Moonen, the “Godfather of Sustainable Seafood, Cathy Holley, Publisher of Flavor and The Menu, and Forever Oceans Executive Chef Mark Allison. Chef Jay Ziobrowski served as emcee of the live streaming event that can be view on YouTube.

“Their dishes were extraordinary,” said Chef Nick DiGiovanni. “What became evident was that the Forever Oceans Kahala was simply delicious no matter how it was prepared. Cooking is ultimately a fun thing to do, whether it is a complex or very simple recipe with this fish.”

Forever Oceans was recently named as one of America’s most innovative seafood companies by Seafood Source. Forever Oceans is unique for

its combination of biology, aquaculture, and technology in harmony to grow its fish in the most efficient and sustainable way. The system incorporates robots to nurture and monitor the fish through remote communication and artificial intelligence for greater efficiencies to reduce operational and environmental risks. Forever Oceans operates offshore enclosures in Panama, Indonesia, Brazil and at its Research and Technology Center in Hawaii. The company will be offering its sustainably delicious seafood to the U.S. supermarkets and restaurants in early 2022. Learn more about Forever Oceans, meet the chefs of company’s Culinary Board or follow it’s Ocean-Raised Podcast at ForeverOceans.com.

Learn more about the Culinary Institute of America at CIAChef.com.

Food-safe disinfection made easy.

Electrostatic is the solution your restaurant needs to keep every surface germ-free, from tables to food-prep surfaces. Electrostatic sprayers from Victory Innovations® are easier and faster to use than traditional cleaning methods — and the electrostatic charge provides full, even surface coverage. They’re compatible with any water-based chemical, which means you can choose the disinfectant that best suits your needs.

©2021 Victory Innovations Co. All rights reserved.

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EYE

FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

PBAC LAUNCHES ITS NEW NORMAL WITH RETURN TO BROADWAY

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or many industry professionals bounding down the stairs on West 54th Street and into the musical lair known as Feinstein’s 54 Below, has become a November tradition.

When the doors at the bottom of the stairs open, Michael Posternak and Larry Cantamessa of PBAC are there to meet and greet many of the nation’s top kitchen design consultants and manufacturers.

The annual event came back bigger and better than ever last month. With the world finding its new normal, an overflow crowd were welcomed by the PBAC team and treated to a night of cutting-edge Broadway inspired entertainment with a splash of country music’s very best.

The PBAC event has taken its guests to several New York City landmarks including the Cafe Carlyle and Jazz at Lincoln Center before finding its current home eight years ago at Feinstein’s 54 Below. “We wanted to create a uniquely New York event for the foodservice consultant community and our manufacturers,” noted PBAC’s Chairman emeritus Michael Posternak.

The PBAC event began as a showcase for up-and-coming Broadway talent.

It has grown in stature to far more than that with two of last year’s performers being nominated for Tony Awards. This year’s edition was highlighted by the multi-talented Jay Armstrong Johnson. The Fort Worth, TX native brought his signing and dancing talents to the Feinstein’s 54 Below stage. His Broadway resume includes leading roles in national tours of both Phantom of the Opera and Chorus

(L to R) Mr and Mrs Ken Harris and Vince Dattolo of Scotsman were welcomed by PBAC’s Michael Posternak

(L to R) Tatanisha Peets of MSK and the VA Hospitals’ Stephen Chow

Line. Johnson was accompanied by a duo of dynamic performers: Allison Robinson and Amanda Williams Ware. Once again, the PBAC production team took it one step further with a 10-piece band that was nothing short of spectacular.

“Part of our goal for PBAC’s annual trip to Broadway brought an exciting night the evening as with of Manhattan’s very best musical entertainment with the last year was to let show stopping Jay Armstrong Johnson headlining these folks know just how much they mean to us,” Cantamessa explained. “We wanted to do something special for them, so we were able to with the support of our factories to make a significant contribution to both Broadway Cares and to the Actors Fund to support these extraordinary performers during their time of need. It’s interesting how our industries are intertwined. Many of these performers, as they try to (L to R) Brian Hicks of Hospitality House, make it, actually support themJacobs Beer Doland’s Christine Gurtler, Jason Russo of Next Step Design and Cini selves working in our restaurants Little’s Khalid Halabi by waiting on tables.”

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(L to R) Mr and Mrs Chris Brady of Romano Gatland flank Hobart’s Gary Simpson

Leading a large contingent of consultants were Mr. and Mrs. Bob Doland of Jacobs Doland Beer

FCSI’s Executive Director Wade Koehler and Doug Lins of Hobart

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 59

MEDITERRANEAN MENU TRENDS

WITH CHEF MARIA LOI

HONEY: A CELEBRATORY NECTAR (OF THE GODS) AT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

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t’s hard to beHe told me about how lieve, but we are this honey was so fast approaching unique it could only the end of 2021! be harvested once December, the last every two years, and month of the year, when it was finally conjures up nostaltime to harvest this gic memories of the honey we had to be holiday season, full very respectful of the of friends, family, and bees, who worked so fun! But perhaps the hard for us to have strongest recollecthis amazing gift. tions we experience are inextricably tied Nectar of the Gods – to the food of the seaNature’s Gift son – indulgent holiSince the ancient day favorites, full of times, honey has been warming spices like known as the ‘Neccinnamon and clove, tar of the Gods,’ and and, in Greece, loadthere’s good reason ed with the sweet, for that: honey is full Melomakarona (Traditional Greek Holiday Honey Cookies) - Recipe on Pg 100 sticky nectar known of vitamins, minerals, as honey. enzymes, and antioxiHoney holds a special dants that are all good for dark like molasses and less sweet than place in my heart – not only because you! In fact, it has been scientifically the other honeys we would harvest. of the countless recipes I grew up with, proven that the darker the honey, the I think maybe it became my favoror create today, but because I learned more antioxidants it has. Honey also ite, not just because of the incredibly the art of how to harvest honey as a is known to have anti-microbial, antiunique flavor, but because of the spechild from my Papou (that’s Grandfungal, and anti-bacterial properties, cial one-on-one time I got to spend father in Greek). He was very in-tune and is the safest natural sweetener opwith Papou. with the bees, and always used to say tion for diabetics - but remember to As we would climb the mountain that that it takes a certain kind of eneralways ask your doctor. towards the hives he would tell me gy to be able to interact with the bees stories about the bees, which I later safely while gathering honey.

A True Panacea understood were his way of sharing Honey has been used to treat life lessons with me. When we finally Harvesting Honey – A Zen Practice wounds and burns, and soothe sore arrived at the bee hives on the mounMy grandfather had different bee throats and coughs for multiple miltain, Papou was always so calm and hives in different places, but the honlennia - the likes of Homer, Pythagozen-like; he would explain to me how ey that we gathered up in the mounras, Ovid, and Democritus wrote that we have to carefully rotate the hives tains was special. It was black honey, people should consume honey to depending on the direction of the sun.

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Chef Maria Loi is an Entrepreneur, Greek Food Ambassador and Healthy Lifestyle Guru.

The author of more than 36 cookbooks, she will also host a new show, The Life of Loi, debuting on PBS in 2021, which aims to build an inspirational and educational movement around the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. Her Loi Food Products, a specialty brand built on traditional ingredients from Greece, includes pastas, beans, botanical herbs, refrigerated dips, honey and olive oil sold on QVC, at Whole Foods Markets and in other stores. The namesake of three restaurants, her current one is Loi Estiatorio in the heart of Manhattan. Connect with her on LinkedIn and learn more about her food philosophy atloiestiatorio.com/chef-loi/.

sustain their health and energy. Hippocrates, known as the Father of Modern Medicine believed that honey had a plethora of curative qualities, that could clean and heal wounds, sores, and burns, alleviate sore throats and respiratory issues, and combat lethargy.

In fact, to combat lethargy, the ancients created their own energy bar!

Pasteli, a simple combination of honey and sesame seeds, was known as the ‘power bar’ of ancient times – the combination of honey and sesame seeds, which are full of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, as well as vitamins and minerals, created the perfect fuel for the human body! In spite of its ancient origins, Pasteli is still incredibly popular in today, not only in Greece, but all over the world!

All Honeys are NOT Created Equal Now we all know that honey comes bees, but don’t be fooled – all honeys are NOT created equal. Take for example, the ubiquitous honey bear you can find in nearly every mainstream

continued on page 62

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 61

MARIA LOI

from page 60

grocery store across the US: many honeys you find in the stores have been processed, and some have added sugars like high fructose corn-syrup!

Always go for raw, unpasteurized honey if it’s available, and organic if possible. Raw honey is unprocessed and goes straight from the hive to the jar, so to speak, and is often less ‘clear’ than processed honey because there may be bits of pollen and honeycomb in it (which are good for you!).

So, What Makes Honey ‘Good’?

You can find quality honey in most places in the world - the issue when it comes to quality honey is quantity.

Greece, known for having some of the absolute best honey in the world, has a bevy of factors working in its favor: in particular, the climate and the resultant flora.

Due to the vast and varied climate conditions that exist naturally across Greece, over 7,500 unique species of herbs, plants, wild flowers and trees prosper, making this proverbial ‘Garden of Eden’ the perfect playground for bees to pollinate and thrive.

But, that’s only the first step: depending on where the bees harvest the nectar from the plant which they pollinate, this determines the flavor profile, color, and qualities of the honey itself. Currently, there are hundreds of different honey varieties identified

throughout the world, and possibly even thousands yet to be identified.

Some honeys come from flowers, others from flowering plants (fruit-bearing and non-fruit bearing), and others still from trees. Each of these different varieties has different qualities – some are more viscous, some are less viscous; some are lighter and more floral in their flavor; others are darker, and more fruity. No matter the honey, the most important thing is, regardless of whatever type you use and consume, it is 100% raw honey.

Honey, I’m Home…and Hungry!

Though quintessentially sweet – sweeter than sugar by volume – honey is a fantastic ingredient to balance savory dishes, sharper flavors, and bitter notes to engage all the different flavor receptors of our taste buds. It’s wonderful for making sauces more complex, and achieving the perfect glaze on everything from vegetables to proteins. I love drizzling a touch of honey on roasted carrots topped with Feta cheese, making a craveable lemon-honey-herb roasted chicken, and I even make a special garlic honey, which is both medicinal AND a delicious condiment!

Since ancient times, Greeks have been using honey to balance other flavors – in particular, they made something known as ‘Oxymeli,’ which is

a sweet and sour sauce, made from honey (known in Greek as ‘Meli’) and high-quality vinegar (known in Greek as ‘Xydi’) – similar to an Italian ‘Agrodolce.’ To this day, we still use this delightful combination frequently during the holidays to pair with proteins like pork loin and turkey, creating a symphony of flavor for celebratory meals.

Dessert? Yes, Please!

Of course, no holiday or celebratory meal would be complete without dessert, which is where the essence of honey truly shines. Greek desserts famously rely on honey as the main sweetening agent – think about all the classics, like Baklava (a layered pastry dessert made of phyllo dough, filled with spiced chopped nuts, and sweetened with honey), Karydopita (a traditional walnut sponge cake made with lots of walnuts and bathed in a sweet syrup made with honey), and Melopita (a traditional Greek Honey Cheese cake often made with yogurt).

However, no Greek holiday would be complete without Melomakarona, traditional holiday honey cookies, are an egg-shaped Greek dessert made mainly from flour, olive oil, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, and, of course, honey. Though a simple delicacy, the magic lies in the method of production: first making the dough,

then allowing it to rest; forming the cookies into little egg shapes with a thumbprint in the middle to create a well; baking them to perfection, and allowing them to cool; submerging them completely (albeit briefly) in the honey-simple syrup to allow them to drink up the delicious nectar; and finally, finishing them with chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

These cookies bring back many memories for me – I loved making them with my Yiayia (grandmother in Greek), who took great pride in using the honey her husband (my Papou) harvested – we would sing holiday songs, and dance around the kitchen as we waited for them to bake. As the youngest, I would always get the first finished cookie, and my whole family would wait for me to nod my head in blissful approval.

This year, as you start planning your holiday menus, pulling out old recipes and family favorites, I encourage you to incorporate more honey into your dishes, not only because it’s delicious and good for you, but because we should all finish the new year on a sweet note, and set the stage for a fantastic, healthy, happy new year in 2022! Kalí órexi! Enjoy your meal!

Greek Honey Cookie Recipe on page 100

The use of honey (above) in Mediterranean cuisine includes honey-dressed Baklava, Karydopita (Traditional Walnut Sponge Cake with Honey), and Pasteli (The Original Power Bar in Ancient Greece!). All Photos courtesy of Loi Estiatorio.

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NEWSMAKER

ACHILLEAS ANGELOPOULOS, CEO, KYKNOS GREEK CANNING CO.

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YKNOS Greek Canning Company was officially founded on April 1st 1915 by the merchants Athanasios V. Papantoniou, Ioannis G. Darmos, and Vassilios Athan. Papantoniou; a physics professor, Michael D. Manoussakis, and a farmer, Constantine D. Manousakis. It has evolved into a supplier of tomato based products for many brands throughout the world.

Total Food Service caught up with KYKNOS CEO Achilleas Angelopoulos to learn more about the company’s past, present, and future.

Can you share a history of Kyknos with our readers?

Our history begins over a hundred years ago as a small vegetable and fruit packing operation. Our long journey is a tale of love and commitment passed down from generation to generation.

The founders of KYKNOS saw an opportunity to process and preserve Greek agricultural products, much of which would rot in the field otherwise.

The first products produced under the KYKNOS brand were canned whole tomatoes, okra, green beans, and tomato paste.

At this early stage, production was limited to a small canning facility, but in 1928 the company established the first factory in the picturesque city of Nafplio in the Peloponnese, installing the first rapid concentrators in Greece. The region of Argolis where Nafplio belongs, was known as the “Athenian orchard,” offering a rich harvest of produce for the Greek capital, all year round. At that time, production was highly labor oriented, manufacturing both the

cans and the products with which they are filled.

As KYKNOS continued to grow, the need for renovation and innovation grew; in 1950 the factory is renovated by the architect Kalliklis, creating a new industrial building that was a unique, avant-garde symbol of architecture of the time.

Between 1960 and 1963, KYKNOS acquires two more factories, the latter of which is located in Savalia, close to ancient Olympia, where the sunny valley of the Elia region offers a very rich harvest of top-quality tomatoes annually.

Innovators since the company’s inception, KYKNOS launched ketchup for the first time in the Greek market in 1965, and by 1970 became known as a worldwide export company and strategic supplier across the globe.

Committed to sustainability and innovation, KYKNOS continues to produce new products: in the 1990s they introduced a line of tomato products produced in paper aseptic packs; and in the early 2000’s KYKNOS became the first company in Greece to be certified according to the EurepGAP standards for integrated crop management of the industrial tomatoes that it

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processes.

Thanks to this close integration of crop management and production, KYKNOS continues to act as a leader in the industry, creating top-quality products, leading to the win of multiple Great Taste Awards for a variety of the products produced.

Still today, KYKNOS holds true to our founders’ ethos of preserving the rich bounty of agricultural products Greece has to offer, as we continue to grow and expand our reach and capabilities for a better, healthier future.

Has food service always been part of your target?

While Kyknos products are loved and used every day by millions of consumers in Greece and abroad, we have always held chefs in the highest regard, and work in close cooperation with them as their expertise is an opportunity for Kyknos to develop new product lines, and of course, new inspiring recipes.

What are the foodservice markets that provide opportunity for the Kyknos line: Restaurants, College and University, Healthcare?

Kyknos specializes in the processing and packaging of agricultural products, especially tomatoes. Every day we work to offer delicious, clean, plant-based, nutritionally dense products in an ethical and sustainable way across the food chain from farmers to the end consumers. To achieve our vision, we closely cooperate with farmers, the scientific community, and available technologies (i.e. smart farming) to improve and increase the production

Achilleas Angelopoulos

and yield of agricultural products.

Restaurants are, of course, a natural placement for Kyknos products. However, food service solutions for College & University systems and Healthcare institutions are perfectly aligned with our objective to provide younger generations and people in need with the healthiest options available. We feel that these are channels that deserve great focus, based on our company values and the quality of our products – we know we can make a difference.

Can you please walk us through the highlights of your lines? What’s the latest that you would like U.S. chefs to be looking at and sampling?

Though it may seem like a simple product, our best-selling tomato paste is the ultimate tool in a chef’s culinary arsenal; with its incredible taste, color, and aroma, Kyknos Tomato Paste can enhance any dish and deliver an “explosion” of tomato flavor.

Additionally, it is extremely rich in lycopene, a very important antioxidant for our body.

Special tip for men: Eating one teaspoon of tomato paste every day is associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer, as suggested by various scientific studies.

We also created an amazing ketchup line: the unbelievable quality of our tomatoes used, together with our

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LEGAL INSIDER

FROM ELLENOFF GROSSMAN & SCHOLE LLP

NAVIGATING THE U.S. D.O.L.’S NEW 80/20/30 RULE

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he United States Department of Labor (U.S. D.O.L.) has issued new regulations regarding what was previously known as the “80/20 Rule” and is now known as the “80/20/30 Rule.” As explained below, New York employers can largely ignore the rule with regard to pay for straight time hours but must follow it with regard to overtime pay.

Current FLSA Minimum Wage and Overtime Pay Requirements The FLSA provides that “[e]very employer shall pay to each of his employees... $7.25 an hour” and an employee employed “for a workweek longer than forty hours” must be paid, for hours over forty, “at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate at

An employer taking the tip credit with respect to time a tipped employee has worked must ensure that it satisfies the requirements of taking the tip credit, including the new 80/20/30 Rule, which becomes effective December 28, 2021. which he is employed.”

The FLSA allows employers to satisfy the federal minimum wage for tipped employees by paying $2.13 per hour and receiving credit towards the minimum wage of $5.12 per hour.

U.S. D.O.L.’s 80/20/30 Rule An employer taking the tip credit

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with respect to time a tipped employee has worked must ensure that it satisfies the requirements of taking the tip credit, including the new 80/20/30 Rule, which becomes effective December 28, 2021.

Where an employee is employed in both a tipped occupation and a nontipped occupation, the tip credit may only be claimed when the employee is engaged in the tipped occupation.

Under the 80/20/30 Rule, an employee is engaged in a tipped occupation when the employee performs work that pertains to the specific tipped occupation, which includes both: • Work that actually produces tips (“Tip -Producing Work”), and • Work that directly supports the Tip-Producing Work (“Directly-Supporting Work”), provided it is not performed for a substantial amount of time.

Paul P. Rooney is a Partner at Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP. He specializes in employment law and civil litigation, and advises clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, drafts employment agreements, handbooks, and policies, and performs employment-related corporate due diligence. His cases have included numerous collective actions under The Fair Labor Standards Act, and claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and The New York State and City Human Rights Laws. Mr. Rooney has also litigated cases involving covenants not to compete, claims of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty, and defamation. Paul P. Rooney can be reached via email at prooney@egsllp.com or by phone at 212-370-1300.

The 80/20/30 Rule also clarifies that an employer may only take the tip credit for time spent on DirectlySupporting Work that does not exceed 30 consecutive minutes or cumulatively more than 20% of the tipped employee’s workweek. A server’s Directly-Supporting Work includes dining room prep work, such as refilling salt and pepper shakers and ketchup bottles, rolling silverware, folding napkins, sweeping or vacuuming the dining area, and setting and bussing tables.

An employer may not claim the tip credit for non-Tip-Producing Work or for non-Directly Supporting Work.

Effect on State Laws Businesses subject to the FLSA and an overlapping state law must comply with both. Accordingly, once the rule takes effect, New York employers will need to comply with both the

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NEWS

GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

By Ryan Gallagher

OCEANIC GLOBAL’S NEW BLUE STANDARD RAISES BAR FOR FOODSERVICE SUSTAINABILITY

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f you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, you might understand some of the issues that surround the sustainability factor of serving at scale. Every hospitality business or event is burdened with these issues in some way. The main problems have to do with waste and pollution. Most commonly, single-use plastics have been the first on the chopping block as they appear in landfills, our oceans, and in the form of air pollution when these products are manufactured. But even more recently due to supply chain issues, businesses are having a hard time finding the same plastic spoons (for example) that they’ve always ordered. So, to usher in education and a new solution, Oceanic Global has developed a program to help hospitality businesses worldwide.

The program is known as the Blue Standard. The program assumes that there are habitual and unsustainable practices across events, hospitality, and tourism. The team at Oceanic Global began making recommendations to replace plastic cups, bottles, containers, and more.

They made print and digital resources and guides to standardize the information. Soon enough, this turned into what they called the Blue Standard to serve and help players in the hospitality industry like restaurants, tourism businesses, and event venues.

Enter Cassia Patel, who is the Program Director at Oceanic Global.

Her professional background is in environmental engineering — 15 years worth of brain muscle that she flexes every day in her role to help hospitality businesses to become more eco-friendly.

“At Oceanic Global our focus is on

“The consultant walks the business through an assessment and creates an itemized spreadsheet about procurements like straws, cups, storage containers, and garbage bags.”

— Cassia Patel driving scalable behavior change at the grassroots level, in policy reform, and also working with businesses to pull that industry lever and create change at scale,” said Patel. Her job is to shift “purchasing, procurements, and help businesses opt to eliminate single-use plastics, improve waste management, work directly with restaurants, hotels, and even food service providers for larger scale events and stadiums.”

For nearly two years, the emphasis on the human impact to Earth’s ecosystems has been thrown out the window due to COVID. Within a few months, the world began wearing single-use masks and gloves every day. So, for companies like Oceanic Global, the team has had to learn how to emphasize sustainability during an era where concern has shifted to “sterile” and “safe” environments.

“Last Summer we pulled together a cross-industry think tank with non-profits, hospitality leaders, individuals in tourism, and food safety to make guidelines for plastic-free reopenings,” explained Cassia Patel.

“Our focus was to highlight how this can be achieved in a safe way and that you don’t have to compromise.

We found out where we can reduce single-use plastic items, where we can safely achieve re-use, as well as self-serve systems in safe and sanitized ways.”

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This was the first step to tackling the issue for the Oceanic Global team as well as the program directors at the Blue Standard.

“At first, restaurants were hesitant due to ‘perceived safety’ or ‘safety theatre,’” explained Patel. “They wanted to make sure people felt safe to come back to eat. But at this point it feels like we’ve moved past that.”

As restaurants have become more involved and accepting of the Blue Standard by Oceanic Global, the team has seen registrations increase.

The process starts with a one-time administration fee that pays for information from the Oceanic team, as well as the work they will do to help businesses scale their eco-efforts.

“We also take on pro bono projects and find financial aid for companies who can’t afford the administration fee,” added Zoe Reich, the Blue Standard Program Manager.

Once a restaurant or related business is registered for Blue, Oceanic Global will work with the business and can put them in touch with a local third-party Blue Consultant. This consultant’s job is to identify areas where it makes sustainable and financial sense to cut out single-use plastics, for example.

“The consultant walks the business through an assessment and creates an itemized spreadsheet about procurements like straws, cups, storage containers, and garbage

bags,” explained Patel. “This is challenging because there aren’t always replacements to every item. But we go through the checklist and make recommendations. It’s custom to a small café or large stadium. There is a hierarchy of recommendations. We always recommend reusable first, then certain disposable items that are compatible with available waste management infrastructure.”

The leaders of the Blue Standard program work to highlight cost savings while also considering supply chain issues. In some cases, the program links companies together that might not have otherwise done business.

“We have a network of 300 sustainable suppliers and vendors with discount codes and friendlier pricing,” said Patel.

The Blue Standard program also helps hospitality businesses to create a benchmark for reusable items and the corresponding practices. In some cases, they will help restaurants to create in-house standards for re-use. In other cases, they will help businesses to employ thirdparty companies to set this reusable standard.

There are many companies popping up all over the nation. Oceanic Global is using their Blue Standard program to bring together this likeminded community to make a more sustainable hospitality industry.

Among those companies that are supporting the Blue Standard initiative are : Deliver Zero, Dispatch Goods, Inwit, Vessel, Turn, r.cup, and Muuse. In addition, the entrepreneurs behind CupZero, Dish Craft, GO Box and RepEATer all share

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SPIRITED NEWS + VIEWS

WITH FRANCINE COHEN

NEW SPIRITS WRAPPING UP THE OLD YEAR

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robably just like you, the first time I heard the word omicron was when I learned the Greek alphabet as part of my sorority pledge rituals. This introduction to the centuries old language was necessary for the purpose of bonding as a community, and intensely relevant at the time, but I never thought I’d use it again after graduating college and entering the real world.

And yet here we are. It’s 2021 and omicron has reentered my daily lexicon and brings with it a whole new sense of meaning.

I feel like much the same can be said for a whole lot of the spirit offerings I’ve recently discovered are out there these days. Just as the holidays feel fresh and new this year since we’re

no longer in quarantine, in the liquor world what was once a familiar standard bearer has taken on new meaning in this new era.

So, while classic cocktails remain in vogue, and the spirits used to make them continue to fly off shelves, there’s a whole new level of exploration happening in the spirits industry.

And it seems to be a welcome shift.

Driven by customer desire and distillers’ creativity to stretch themselves beyond the traditional.

Bucking the traditional can be challenging, especially when wrestling with

regulations and labeling guidelines from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, fondly known as the TTB. Some efforts are successful, like agreeing upon the definition of a Drifter Spirits G&T, while others - like the case of the whiskey which would be bourbon had it not also had the addition of hemp seed at the Connecticut distillery known as SoNo1420 – are less so.

Gin is one of those categories where I’m sure you think gin is gin is gin. Sure, there’s sloe gin, and London Dry Gin, but really, when it gets down to it your standard guest is looking for that one-two punch of alcohol and juniper.

Well, bucking that trend is a whole new slew of gins with aromatic profiles that challenge the status quo. The abovementioned Sono1420 produces some.

Their mash bill leans on recipes that focus on terpenes, the aroma and taste molecules that are found in the essential oils of plants which are known to have medicinal qualities, and the terpenes’ effect on the body. Sourcing grains of paradise, orris root, angelica root, linalool and more, the distillery’s Sindica Bangtail Navy Strength Gin and New Wave Spirits To Know For The New Year include Sindica 1420 Midnight Gin, 6 O’Clock Damson Sindica Midnight New Gin, and the blended spirit RumRye from Ron Colon Salvadoreno.

American Gin go beyond

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Francine Cohen is an awardwinning journalist covering the business of the f&b/hospitality industry, and a proud native Washingtonian (DC). In addition to her work as a journalist she keeps busy fundraising for Citymeals on Wheels, Les Dames d’Escoffier, NY Women’s Culinary Alliance, and the USBG Foundation and serves as chief storyteller and brand steward for clients in the food and beverage sector by providing them with strategic marketing and business growth guidance.

She has never met a cheese or beverage she does not like, and lives with her husband in New York; leaving him behind to visit New Orleans every summer.

(Except this one. Darn pandemic.) You can reach her at francinecohen@mindspring.com

the expected impact of a spirit and are reportedly energizing, and end-of-day relaxing, respectively.

This second wave gin craze isn’t contained to just the United States.

Beloved Bristol, England-based brand 6 O’clock is seeing an interest in new gin expressions and recently introduced new labels here. When asked why these new gins like Damson and Brunel are leading a kind of second wave of the gin revolution, further stretching the definition of gin. 6 O’clock Gin’s VP of U.S. Operations, Rafael Balestra, says, “In my opinion the level of education and sophistication in food, wine and spirits are all transferable to each other. With the advent of social media and the availability of premium and unknown products to the consumer through it has created a drive for learning and understanding above and beyond the entry level spirits. People are willing to explore and experiment with something new because then they can feel exclusivity on something when they talk about it to their friends.”

While consumers love being the

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 71

NEWS

By Brian O’Regan

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY SOLUTIONS

OILCHEF SOLUTION PROVIDES FRYING CONSISTENCY FOR NATION’S RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE OPERATORS

O

ver the course of the past year the restaurant and food service industry has seen a boom in takeout and delivery orders. With that growth has come the challenge of how chefs and restaurateurs could maintain the high quality of fried items that were staples of their on-premise dining operations.

With the challenge of how to keep their fried food crispy and tasty when delivering it, the foodservice professional needed a solution. For many the initial strategy was to seek new packaging options. Sean Farry knew that it was going to require more than the package, it needed a cooking solution. With that, the entrepreneur created OiLChef that has revolutionized cooking with oil. Farry set his sights on creating an FDA approved catalyst placed into the fryer to produce a crispier, tastier product utilizing a reduced amount of oil and at a lower

cook temperature.

“Restaurant operators use a lot of cooking oil every week and having used deep fryers myself, I knew the hassle it took to change oil, clean the fryers, and dispose of waste oil and the challenges with storage space for the new and the old oil,” OiLChef’s Founder and President continued.

“I realized that while there are many filtration systems in the market and chemical solutions that can be added to oil to increase oil life, that these systems typically needed daily interaction and more often than not, weekly or monthly ongoing expenses. I knew there had to be a more efficient way.”

The OiLChef system is designed to both cut down the amount of oil needed to cook, by doubling the life of your oil or shortening as well as reducing frying temperatures, which can be exceptionally beneficial to a business’ bottom line. “The OiLChef program as part of frying operations will comple-

OiLChef is not a filter, it is not a chemical, it has no breakable parts, it is virtually maintenance free and requires no wires, no power and is a simple 5 second self-installation system.

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“For instance, the OiLChef device enables deep fryer operators to reduce their frying temperature by between 15 and 30 degrees, without increasing frying time and without reducing crispy texture or food quality.” — Sean Farry ment the client’s current sustainability practices,” said Farry. “For instance, the OiLChef device enables deep fryer operators to reduce their frying temperature by between 15 and 30 degrees, without increasing frying time and without reducing crispy texture or food quality. Most people think this is impossible, but it is a fact only if you have OiLChef in your fryer. OiLChef can reduce your energy consumption by 4 to 7 percent, this saves money, and it reduces environmental impact.”

Farry added, “by reducing the amount of frying oil purchased by around 50 percent, this saves cardboard box production and waste, plastic container production and waste, carbon emissions from shipping and distribution, and it saves a lot of frying oil!”

As for how OiLChef’s product benefits business customers, Farry has the answer. “The Catalytic effect in the oil with OiLChef does amazing things for food quality,” said Farry. “The food cooks quicker, crispier, in less oil – therefore less calories and because the trade secret FDA approved formulation inside the OiLChef, enables the absorption of oxygen from the surface of the food, reducing oxidation and helping to increase the shelf life of the food! Less oil on the product helps

maintain the crispy texture of the food for longer, which is a great bonus for the food delivery business. The customer tastes more of the food they are buying and less of the oil the food is being cooked in!”

As for the return on investment, Farry has the answer. “90 percent of our OilChef clients break even in 6 months. Some in 3 months,” said Farry. “Each unit comes with a full 3-year warranty and typically a 3-year return on investment is in excess of 400 percent, based only on oil savings. If you add the energy and labor savings and possible increase in food sales, the ROI is more.” Farry continued, “the lifespan can vary depending on the volume of use by the restaurant, however we recommend replacing the unit every 3 or 3 and a half years to ensure 100 percent efficiency. Some small volume operators can get up to 4 years or more lifespan from OiLChef.”

For the operator with a goal of menu consistency and energy efficiency, OilChef offers a one-stop frying solution. Operators interested in learning more about OiLChef and their solutions, information can be found only at https://oilchef.com/ or by emailing sean.farry@oilchef.com.

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 73

EYE

FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

AJC FOODSERVICE DIVISION CELEBRATES 60TH

BY HONORING WITH INDUSTRY TRIO

T

he annual American Jewish Committee (AJC) Dinner returned to its in person form last month with a recordbreaking event. Some 250 plus guests packed the New York Botanical Garden ballroom to honor a distinguished trio of foodservice industry stars while raising money to battle anti-Semitism across the globe.

This year’s honorees were a trio of what can only be referred to as a Hall of Fame calls of inductees. Receiving AJC’s 2021 Distinguished Leadership Award were Jeff Burdick, Vice President and Director of Purchasing at Imperial Dade; Michael Greenwald, Vice President of Purchasing at Singer Equipment Company; and Jerry Hoffman, a Vice President of the Sam Tell Companies. Each was recognized for their numerous achievements in the industry and longtime partnership with AJC among other philanthropies.

The dinner kicked off with AJC President Harriet Schleifer delivering a special address, conveying the organization’s gratitude for the industry’s remarkable partnership. She spoke about AJC’s tireless efforts to combat hate and defend democratic values. It never ceases to amaze observers of the worldwide reach of the organization.

The honorees were introduced by a trio of former AJC honorees. Robert Tillis of Imperial Dade presented the AJC Distinguished Leadership Award to Burdick, Jeff Hessel of BSE Marketing to Greenwald, and Lynne Schultz of Tri-State Marketing to Hoffman.

For some 60 plus years, competitors have come together to support a common cause. Once again, a unique sense of hospitality and camaraderie characterizes the food service industry. The respect for the trio of honorees lead to a record breaking $425K in contributions at this year’s dinner.

(L to R) Welbilt’s Brian Holdrich, P3 Reps Jon Bowerman, Joseph Lehr of Glissen Chemical, and P3 Reps Jackie Grambor, and Kim Lehr

(L to R) Imperial Dade’s Jeff Burdick was presented with his award by the company’s visionary leader Bob Tillis

Singer/M Tucker’s Michael Greenwald shared the special award with his wife and daughter

Maja and Antonio Adiletta of Arcobaleno were on hand

(L to R) Tri-State Marketing’s Lynne Schultz, Linda Bedell Winston and Eric Weiss of elite studio e.

(L to R) The event gave long time friends including Jim Weiss of The Sam Tell Companies and Icesurance’s Jeff Hendler an opportunity to catch up

(L to R) Singer/M Tucker’s Eric Santagato and Marc Fuchs

The group is also doing a brilliant job of passing the torch to the next generation. PBAC’s Michael Posternak and Tri-State’s Schultz have created a role for outstanding young leaders on the first ever AJC Leadership Council.

Inaugural Leadership Council members include Eugene Beniaminson of Singer Equipment Company; Cortney Davis of Key Impact Sales and Systems; Samantha Saltzman of the Sam Tell Companies; Rick Sher of Day & Nite/All Service; and Aaron Weiss of elite studio e are set to create a vision for the foodservice future of the AJC in Metro New York.

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The Sam Tell Companies’ Jerry Hoffman (R) celebrated his awardwinning evening with his family

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 75

NEWS

RESTAURANT OPERATIONS

THE ORIGINAL FOOD FRYING ROBOT T hese days, the word robot gets thrown around quite a bit throughout the foodservice industry. Almost as if it is a new idea that is being implemented for the first time. Like the concept of machinery with the capabilities of cooking food for you hasn’t been around since the early nineties. Yeah, that’s right, the nineties. Today, when people say robots, we know what they really mean is Automatic Equipment.

At Motion Technology, Inc. we have been leading the ventless, automated equipment game for decades. We continue to evolve and discover new ways to ensure our

product delivers on quality and consistency. Automation plays a huge role in this. The accuracy in which the AutoFry® performs is just part of what makes this deep fryer the perfect addition to any kitchen.

With AutoFry, owners and operators can hit the foodservice floor running. Simply find a convenient location within your kitchen, plug in the AutoFry, and start cooking. Employees load the front entry chute with fresh or frozen product, close it up, and select the appropriate cook time. From there, the AutoFry will do all the work, just like an actual fry cook. From shaking the fry baskets during operation, to draining

the oil before dispensing the final product, we’ve got you covered.

It is no secret that one of the biggest struggles for businesses over the last year and a half has been the lack of hiring prospects. This means implementing ways to operate with a limited staff, both safely and efficiently. Because the AutoFry is fully enclosed, employees never have to come into contact with hot oil. In fact, we also offer an automated filtration option for our customers, so when it does come time to filter and

change out your oil, it can be done without the risk of burns.

There is no denying the foodservice industry has changed. What matters are the decisions you make for your establishment going forward. MTI is here to help owners and operates find the right equipment to fit their business.

To learn more on how ventless equipment can help you grow your foodservice program, visit us at www.mtiproducts.com.

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NEWS

GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

by Claudia Giunta

DUNKIN’ ANNOUNCES NATIONAL RECYCLING PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TERRACYCLE

O

ver the years, recycling issues and waste reduction have been widely discussed in a collaborative attempt to eliminate waste.

Throughout the pandemic, take-out and delivery services listened to the needs of their customers and delivered food in sustainable and recyclable packaging. Dining patrons are drawn to businesses that believe in sustainable waste management and promote recycling through the use of disposable products.

TerraCycle, which started as a waste management company, has grown internationally to help companies recycle waste back into their products. The company has just recently partnered with Dunkin’ to launch the first coffee recycling bag program in the United States. This partnership will allow both compa-

nies to stay committed to eliminating the waste that goes into landfills.

Entrepreneur and visionary Tom Szaky created the company during his collegiate career at Princeton University. “I came up with the idea during my freshman year in an Intro to Economics class. The first question the professor asked was ‘What is the purpose of business?’ The answer she was looking for was ‘to maximize profit for shareholders.’ That didn’t sit right with me, as I believed that profit was an indicator of health. If a company is profitable, it grows and proposes a solution to a need in the marketplace,” Szaky shared. Szaky left college during his sophomore year to pursue a business full-time.

“I wanted to find a business that put purpose first that aimed to make the world better. I landed in the garbage industry and developed Terracycle.

Tom Szaky, Founder + CEO, TerraCycle

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“We launched programs and took that model and expanded it internationally to 21 different countries.” — Tom Szaky Garbage is the least innovative industry for dollar revenue purposes so I thought addressing this for waste management purposes would be beneficial.”

The mission of TerraCycle is to eliminate the idea of waste and the company achieves this in three ways.

They consider how they can collect and recycle those things that are not locally recyclable, address how they can integrate recycled content back into products, as well as discuss how a shift from disposable to reusable ecosystems can be achieved.

Prior to starting TerraCycle out of his New Jersey dorm room, Szaky was inspired by his friends in Montreal who were growing plants in their basement. On a spring break trip to visit them, he noticed their plants were growing because of what they were eating. His friends were taking organic waste, feeding it to worms, and giving the worm waste to the plants. “I initially started TerraCycle as a worm waste company and then got an office and as orders came in, I invested in a facility and built the company one step at a time.

The company grew and we were selling our products at Home Depot, Walmart, Target, and other companies. 4 years in, we had a turning point in sales and asked ourselves ‘Could we eliminate waste if we made a product out of waste?’

TerraCycle then took a new direction and wanted to start with waste that is not locally recyclable, mean-

ing it costs more to collect and process. When they successfully got retailers to fund their project, their first initiative began. “We launched programs and took that model and expanded it internationally to 21 different countries. We then wanted to help companies impregnate waste back into their products and packaging. We were growing tremendously, and we were at about $50 million dollars in revenue.” Wanting to expand beyond recycling, the company then launched its Loop division, a shopping system that allows customers to shop their favorite brands in reusable packaging.

Dunkin’ is not TerraCycle’s first food industry partnership. The company has worked with Hilton hotels in using recyclable key cards, as well as helping Taco Bell launch a national recyclable program. “Helping Dunkin’ to become the first coffee bag recycling program in the U.S. is just the start. We want to bring this concept to other foodservice products they use and help carve the way for other companies to invest in a sustainable mindset.”

Rather than promote a linear solution of extracting materials from the Earth, developing a product, and disposing of it, TerraCycle hopes to promote circular solutions which reuse products for other purposes. By visiting terracycle.com and joining the program, stakeholders can take part in a meaningful way to increase sustainability efforts.

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 79

FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE

NYC COUNCIL’S KEITH POWERS INTRODUCES LEGISLATION SUPPORTING LOCAL RESTAURANTS BY REINSTATING THE USE OF PROPANE HEATERS With Andrew Rigie

L

ate last month, New York City Council Member Keith Powers introduced legislation to boost restaurant recovery by allowing the ongoing use of propane heaters. As temperatures drop and COVID-19 cases rise, this legislation, if enacted into law, would allow restaurants to keep generating much needed revenue while giving New Yorkers the option to comfortably and safely dine outside.

“Throughout the pandemic, outdoor dining has been one of the

“We commend Council Member Keith Powers for introducing legislation to reinstate the safe use of propane heaters, and thank Mayorelect Eric Adams for supporting this policy that will aid in the small businesses recovery, while allowing people to enjoy outdoor dining during the colder months.” most successful and innovative measures to support local restaurants and allow New Yorkers to safely socialize with one another. The use of propane heaters has played

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a quintessential role in that success, particularly during the colder months,” said Council Member Keith Powers. “With winter on the horizon, COVID-19 cases increasing, and restaurants still desperately in need of support, this legislation will ensure the survival of local eateries, strengthen small businesses, and keep New Yorkers safe.”

The COVID-19 pandemic devastated our city’s restaurant landscape. In 2020, at least 40 percent of all restaurant jobs disappeared, about 2,000 restaurants closed their doors, and despite reopenings, the ones that have made it through will be weathering the impact for years to come. The outdoor dining program, however, has served as a lifeline for these establishments.

Just last year, the program kept over 11,000 eateries alive, saved at least 100,000 restaurant jobs, and allowed restaurants to generate income. One of the keys to this success has been

PRESENTED BY:

Andrew Rigie is the Executive Director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, a trade association formed in 2012 to foster the growth and vitality of the industry that has made New York City the Hospitality Capital of the World.

the use and regulation of propane heaters, during the winter.

According to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), there were no fires or injuries last year from propane heater use. Moreover, the legislation will bolster safety regulations around propane heater usage by requiring the heaters to be stored, handled, and used for outdoor dining only when designed, installed, operated, and maintained in accordance with New York City’s fire safe code. This includes specific safety precautions, such as adherence to building clearances, combustible materials, proximity to exits, and more.

“Our city’s restaurant industry still has a long road to recovery, and as the temperature drops, propane heaters are essential to keep customers warm while dining outdoors this winter,” said Andrew Rigie, Executive Director, NYC Hospitality Alliance. “We commend Council Member Keith Powers for introducing legislation to reinstate the safe use of propane heaters, and thank Mayor-elect Eric Adams for supporting this policy that will aid in the small businesses recovery, while

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STACY GILBERT New York City Managing Partner and Co-Leader, Restaurant & Hospitality Practice sgilbert@citrincooperman.com

RESTAURANT & HOSPITALITY PRACTICE

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December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 81

NEWS

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY

HOBART EXPANDS PORTFOLIO OF CENTERLINE SLICER SOLUTIONS

T

he Centerline by Hobart Edge slicers are part of a line of simple food prep equipment for kitchens seeking quality and reliability at an affordable price. They are ideal for operations that don’t need advanced technology features or those without high-volume production and continuous-run time requirements.

“This slicer offering builds on our commitment of providing kitchens with quality, reliable slicing solutions,” said Carolyn Bilger, marketing director, Hobart Food Equipment Group. “They include features that make them easy to use and that provide operator assurance.” Both the Edge10 and 14 slicers feature a chrome-plated carbon steel knife that stays sharp to support dependable slicing performance and extend knife life. A top-mounted ceramic stone sharpener allows the operator to hone in 15 seconds for a consistently sharp knife edge, and it is removable and submersible for simple cleaning and sanitation.

A removable carriage, meat grip and product deflector allow operators to take the parts to a sink for easier cleaning and sanitation. The Edge10 and 14 slicers both feature a one-piece anodized aluminum base with fewer crevices where bacteria could grow. The carriage and knife cover are also anodized aluminum for maximum sanitation and minimal cleanup time.

To provide operator assurance, the Centerline by Hobart Edge10 and 14 slicers have a permanently mounted ring guard that protects the knife during operation and cleaning. The

Edge14 slicer also has a no-volt release — in the event of power loss, the operator must restart the slicer before being able to operate it again. Both slicers feature a 45-degree product table that requires less mechanical pressure from the operator during use, plus a Poly-V belt drive system that extends the belt life and produces optimal slicing results. This belt system also features fewer parts, making it more economical and faster to service and repair. The Edge10 slicer has a 1/3 hp motor and the Edge14 slicer features a 1/2 hp motor.

At Hobart, an ITW Food Equipment Group LLC brand, it is our mission to provide premium food preparation equipment that foodservice and food retail professionals can trust to work hard and deliver quality, consistent results day in and day out, empowering them to focus on what they love most — creating great food for great people. From one plate to one thousand, Hobart helps you satisfy every appetite. Whether you need to mix, chop, grind or peel, our legendary equipment is the perfect partner. Backed by our nationwide network of 1,500 factory-trained service technicians, we’re always nearby to install, maintain and service your equipment.

Hobart is part of ITW Food Equipment Group LLC (a subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works Inc.) and is proud to be an ENERGYSTAR® Partner of the Year since 2008.

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Both the Edge10 and 14 slicers feature a chrome-plated carbon steel knife that stays sharp to support dependable slicing performance and extend knife life.

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NEWS

PLANT BASED ALTERNATIVES

by Claudia Giunta

PLANT BASED CHEESE PLEESE BRINGS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED PIZZA SOLUTION TO FOODSERVICE PROFESSIONALS

W

andering the streets of New York means you are likely to find any type cuisine you crave. The iconic pizza scene in the city, however, is unbeatable-- with its perfectly foldable crust, and desirable dough consistency that holds all the cheese and toppings necessary.

While pizza in the city is an easy go-to for tourists and locals alike, those that

are on strict plant-based and/or dairyfree diets struggle to find the ideal alternative. Once Kobi Regev, founder of Pleese Cheese, converted to a vegan diet and questioned how he could live in the city without grabbing a slice of pizza, he set out to create a vegan cheese that met all of his high flavor and versatility standards.

Regev’s career began in the jewelry business, helping with his family’s

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jewelry manufacturer company. “I knew little to nothing about jewelry, but wanted to learn everything I could to be a valuable member of the team.

I went into the factories, learned to refine gold, and even made my wife’s engagement ring. That’s the thing about me: If I care about something, I need to know everything about it,” shared Regev. He would soon bring that very same passion to his search for the per-

fect plant based pizza cheese.

Regev and his wife first explored the vegan food world in the summer of 2014 after changing their diet for health reasons. “We would sit down to watch TV in the evening and I observed how the first few commercials would be about restaurants and the last two would be about heart medi-

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M E T I C U L O U S LY A G E D A N D H A N D - C U T B Y M A S T E R B U T C H E R S © 2021 The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Shop Online: allenbrothers.com - or - For Chefs: chefswarehouse.com

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 85

NEWS

by Brian O’Regan

FRANCHISING

BARUCH BRINGS DECADES OF LEADERSHIP TO NEW FRANSMART POST

F

ransmart, an international leader in franchise development is expanding their leadership team with the addition of Don Baruch. The veteran industry expert, will serve as the company’s Vice President of Franchise Support Operations, bringing more than 25 years of franchise development and operations experience to the company and its extensive portfolio of franchise brands.

Baruch began his career in the restaurant industry at the age of 13, washing dishes at a senior citizen facility in Sarasota, FL. That humble beginning grew into executive tours with McDonald’s and Taco Bell. “It’s interesting they both had a very

Don Baurch

different way of trying to accomplish the very same goals: generating profits by satisfying customer needs,” he remarked. Baruch then had the opportunity to see the business as a franchisee when he built out a 7-restaurant portfolio with Atlanta Bread.

“I look at my new role at Fransmart as an opportunity to bring everything that I have experienced and learned both good and bad over my 25 years in the industry and use it to help people,” said Baruch. “I was looking for one major final change to spend the next stage of my career really making a difference and putting my stamp on an organization that touches a lot of people. I couldn’t have found a better match than Fransmart.”

As for what drew Baruch to Fransmart, he said the decision was made easy because of Fransmart CEO, Dan Rowe. “We’re in a tough business. The restaurant business is challenging, with tight margins and crazy things like COVID affecting it,” said Baruch. “Dan has more integrity than most of the people I have met in my life. I’ve personally known Dan now for sixth months and there is no one that I have met or interacted with that says that Dan isn’t going to do what he said he was going to do.” Baruch continued, “Dan has a true desire to make the industry better for as many people as possible. Whether that’s Fransmart employees, the franchisors we work with, the franchisees or even the people who work in the kitchen. Dan’s integrity and his desire to improve the industry is why I came to Fransmart.”

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“How do we make this difficult industry that we’re in, which can be extremely profitable when done right, a little more fun, a little easier to do?” — Don Baruch One of Baruch’s goals that he wishes to accomplish in his new position at Fransmart is to help simplify the industry for everyone. “Part of our process and part of what I want to help Fransmart achieve is focused on answering one question,” said Baruch. “How do we make this difficult industry that we’re in, which can be extremely profitable when done right, a little more fun, a little easier to do? Not just for the man or women who is investing in the franchise, but also for the person in the back of the house that the restaurant relies on.”

As to how he plans to achieve this goal, Baruch has the answer.

“Labor in the restaurant business has always been challenging. You are faced with a lot of inherent difficulties,” said Baruch. “To alleviate some of these challenges, we aim to make the operation simpler and more interactive, including methods such as sous vide in the back of the house.

With that, Baruch has become an industry leader in accessing the latest technology to maximize the build out of franchise concepts.

“We also implement technology in the front of the house such as mobile ordering, mobile apps, and kiosks. We work with two brands that

extensively utilize the automat process of delivering fresh food safely while reducing labor. That enables our franchisees to allocate their people to work on priorities that usually involve being in front of a dining customer.”

In addition to his goals for the future and his plans to meet those goals, Baruch also spoke about what personality traits lead to success in the restaurant business. “Passion for what you’re doing. It’s not passion in the way that you’re excited about your product,” said Baruch.

“It’s passion in the sense that you live and breathe and believe that everything that you are doing right now is going to change the world.

In addition to that you need a great product, but you also need foresight.”

Rowe and his Fransmart team are using Baruch’s diverse expertise to guide the fortunes of the Brooklyn Dumpling national rollout. “Many successful people like ‘Dumpling’s Stratis Morfogen know that they have a great product or idea, but they also realize their limitations.

That’s where Fransmart comes in, we partner with companies to help guide them so that they can learn about the industry and maximize their potential.”

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 87

SCOOP

INSIDER NEWS FROM THE FOODSERVICE + HOSPITALITY SCENE

Do you have the SCOOP on any foodservice and hospitality news? Send items to SCOOP Editor Joyce Appelman at tfs@totalfood.com

FUSIONCHEF BY JULABO FUELS NORTHAMPTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S CURRICULUM & ONCAMPUS RESTAURANT SCOOP has learned that on the heels of its highly regarded on-campus restaurant reopening, the Northampton Community College Culinary Arts program brings the heat to the kitchen with its latest partnership with fusionchef™ by JULABO of the JULABO USA family of brands, the program is now officially powered by fusionchef™.

Leading up to the 2021 academic year, the liquid temperature control manufacturer provided the institution with a generous in-kind equipment donation of sous vide immersion circulators and modern kitchen tools to demonstrate its

investment in the local community, as well as its commitment to prepare students for the new reality of food service.

“NCC is fostering some of the greatest culinary talent in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, so it was a natural fit for us to make this investment in the community,” said Dr. Dirk Frese, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Service for JULABO USA and fusionchef™ by JULABO. “From an R&D perspective, we always looked to the college as an extension of our own family; this partnership announcement formalizes something that developed instinctively between us many years ago.”

“This is just the beginning…” added Dr. Chef Francine Marz, Director of Culinary Arts at Northampton Community College. “We’re going to continue to see more technology come out in the kitchen, and as educators, we can either em-

(L-R) Mark Diener (Senior Product Manager, fusionchef™ and JULABO USA), Chef Will Rufe, Dr. Chef Francine Marz (Director of Culinary Arts, Northampton Community College), Dr. Dirk Frese (Vice President, fusionchef™ and JULABO USA)

brace it or turn our back on it. While some chefs may be reluctant to embrace new technology, it won’t be us.”

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Scotsman’s Prodigy Plus ice machine features make having a safe and healthy environment effortless AUTOALERT INDICATOR LIGHTS Easily visible LED lights provide key information without the need to touch / remove panels.

ANTIMICROBIAL PROTECTION Built-in AgION® components help inhibit the growth of microbes, bacteria, mold and algae.

For unit specifications and other brand information, scan the QR code to visit the Scotsman website.

88 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

ONE-TOUCH CLEANING Our Prodigy Plus Cuber one-touch cleaning system makes preventative maintenance simple and efficient.

XSAFE™ SANITATION SYSTEM An optional sanitation system that circulates cold oxygen plasma inside of the machine to help sanitize the air and surrounding surfaces.

Scotsman is represented in NYC Metro by: PBAC & Associates LTD 914-793-9000 Financing Options Available

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 89

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INSIDER NEWS, from page 88

environment and humanity’s overall health due to plant-based lifestyles. They have succeeded in creating award-winning plant-based dairy alternatives that are better than the original in terms of health and flavor. Plant Veda continues to shake up the dairy-free market by creating unique, one-of-a-kind products that leave their customers forgetting about dairy to begin with.

CHOBANI PARTNERS WITH SWIPE OUT HUNGER TO TACKLE COLLEGE FOOD INSECURITY SCOOP heard that campuses are among the most affected, yet overlooked communities, where one in three students faces hunger. Chobani has joined forces with Swipe Out Hunger, the leading nonprofit addressing food insecurity on college campuses, to tackle this problem.

Food insecurity impacts one in 10 Americans. College campuses are among the most affected, yet overlooked, communities, where one in three students faces hunger, according to the Wisconsin Hope Lab. Costly housing, transportation, healthcare and rising tuition, have created financial hardships for college students, especially those students who are parenting, from the foster care system, first-generation, working full time, or even homeless.

“Too many college students skip meals to cut corners and save money—not because they’re busy or forget to eat lunch,” said Chobani’s president and COO Peter McGuinness, in a statement. “These students should be allowed to focus on their education, creating bright futures without worrying about their next meals. We are proud to do our part to help.”

Chobani will fund food security efforts at 23 schools in partnership with Swipe Out Hunger, kickstarting or bolstering existing programs at those schools. The donation will help Swipe Out Hunger bring its expertise, including ongoing consulting and coaching, to campuses in Chobani’s home states of New York and Idaho.

“Chobani’s commitment thoughtfully addresses student hunger by helping colleges support their students after an extremely challenging year and a half,” said Rachel Sumekh, founder and CEO of Swipe Out Hunger, in a statement. “Chobani’s dedication underscores that everyone has a pivotal role to play in ending college student hunger.”

JOE WARREN & SONS CO. INC. (JWS) NAMES CHRISTOPHER WARREN AS VICE PRESIDENT SCOOP saw that Joe Warren, President & CEO announced the appointment of Christopher Warren to company Vice President. In a message to his team, Joe offered the following remarks, “Chris has spent the past 13 years as Director of Operations working side by side across our entire team to help bring structure, resources, process and efficiencies to support our growing business while continuing to de90 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

FOREVER OCEANS NAMES ILYA CANTOR AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Christopher Warren

liver best-in-class customer service.”

He added, “most recently, during the pandemic Chris, (along with other team members), played an essential role in keeping our business operating with little to no disruption, staying focused on operations, staffing, financial stability and meeting our customers’ needs.”

In his new role at JWS, the leading provider of commercial refrigeration and food equipment services, Chris will continue to help manage many of the dayto-day operations, including staffing, training and IT needs as well as customer, manufacturer and vendor relations and aligning these with our company’s strategic goals for service excellence and continued growth. Chris is an active member of CFESA (Commercial Food Equipment Service Association) and the NSC (National Service Cooperative), where he sits on the Ambassador Board.

SYSCO CORPORATION LISTS PLANT VEDA’S PRODUCTS SCOOP heard that for those interested in plantbased lifestyle products, retailers and restaurants will be able to access Plant Veda’s lassi and creamer product lines from Sysco. “Having one of the world’s largest food service distributors represent our products stands as an attestment of our products and their quality,” stated Mayur Sajnani, Chief Revenue Officer of Plant Veda. “Being able to leverage Sysco’s large and well-established supply chain is expected to significantly streamline both the speed and logistics of delivering our products to the thousands of retailers and restaurants Sysco represents, I couldn’t be more pleased.”

Plant Veda Foods Ltd. has a mission to accelerate humanity’s shift to a plant-based lifestyle. They remain clear in their goals, which are to improve the

SCOOP learned that Forever Oceans has appointed Ilya Cantor as the sustainable seafood company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Cantor brings over two decades of experience at established multinational public and private companies and expertise in initial public offerings, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and technology enabled solutions and services to his new role at Forever Oceans.

“Forever Oceans’ unique system for efficiently raising sustainable seafood through advanced technologies is poised for significant growth,” says Cantor. “I’m convinced that the Company will lead a new wave of protein production from our oceans that preserves our fragile environment to feed our planet. This is a pivotal time for the company, and I look forward to helping the experienced leadership team manage and maximize this unique growth opportunity.”

Ilya brings over two decades of experience at multinational public and private companies and expertise in initial public offerings, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and technology-enabled solutions and services to his new role at Forever Oceans.

In addition to his deep financial expertise, Ilya has a proven track record of driving transformation and change through focused execution, often in complex and developing market environments. Ilya has extensive hands-on experience in helping highgrowth technology companies scale and achieve the next level in their development, as well as expertise in leading numerous mergers and acquisitions, and driving complex organizational redesign.

Prior to joining Forever Oceans, Ilya served as CFO of Aricent, a 10,000-person global product engineering services firm that served the world’s top technology companies. Prior to his role at Aricent, Mr. Cantor served as CFO of EPAM (NYSE: EPAM), a leading software engineering and digital transformation services provider, supporting the Company’s rapid growth from 1,000 engineers to over 10,000 before

continued on page 92

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taking the company public on the NYSE in 2012. Ilya also held leadership positions at Dow Jones, serving as the CFO of the Global Wall Street Journal, and later as Executive Director of Operations, where he was responsible for the highly successful launch of the Weekend Edition and executed a strategic repositioning of the Journal’s International Editions. In addition, he served for three years as a Board Member of CNBC International, a partnership between Dow Jones and NBC. “In addition to his deep financial expertise, Ilya has a proven track record of scaling high growth technology companies,” says Forever Oceans CEO Bill Bien. “Ilya’s strong financial and operational expertise, as well as his track record with capital markets and mergers and acquisitions will be instrumental in supporting the Company’s ambitious vision and growth objectives.”

Bien recently joined Forever Oceans as CEO after serving in leadership roles within enterprises that are focused on sustainability within the ag-tech, cleantech, and high-tech sectors. The Company will bring its first significant harvest of its sustainably delicious seafood to the U.S. market in early 2022.

FOOD SERVICE HOLDINGS ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE PROMOTIONS SCOOP learned that Food Service Holdings, Inc. (FSH), the industry leader in food shields and custom servery solutions, recently announced the promotions of Stephanie Luros-Gilbert to Executive Vice President, Corporate Growth Strategy, and Mike Crider to Executive Vice President, Operations.

In addition to her previous responsibilities as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Luros-Gilbert will spearhead commercially facing efforts for FSH, along with oversee strategic initiatives focused on accelerating growth within the organization. Crider most recently held the position of Vice President of Operations, where he managed all facets of the manufacturing process. In his new role, Crider adds the Engineering and custom fabrication Project Management Departments to his umbrella of responsibility.

“Stephanie and Mike’s promotions were well deserved and more accurately align with our corporate vision and long-term goals as we continue our strategic growth efforts.” stated Bill Reeves, CEO of Food Service Holdings. “Their new roles position the company to further develop market-centric solutions that are focused on driving exceptional execution and uncompromising quality both internally, as well as for the customers we serve.”

A career veteran within the foodservice land92 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

scape, Luros-Gilbert joined FSH in January 2020 from ITW Food Equipment Group where she served as National Sales Manager, Consultant Services. She holds several key appointments as a volunteer leader within the foodStephanie Luros-Gilbert service industry association arena, including the Association of Healthcare Foodservice (AHF), the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management (SHFM), Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI), and Manufacturers’ Agents Association for the Foodservice Industry (MAFSI).

Crider has been with FSH for 13 years and played a pivotal role in the company’s growth and operational excellence. During his tenure, Crider has led initiatives that expanded production capabilities and improved efficiencies by implementing standardized engineering procedures, instituting inventory management controls, and orchestrating the relocation of corporate headquarters to its modern, new facility designed for future growth.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Food Service Holdings has achieved its market leader status by employing uncompromising standards in engineering, design, and fabrication at its three subsidiary companies: BSI, LLC, English Manufacturing, and Colorado Custom Stone. The organization has differentiated itself by developing food shield designs that have become the industry standard in quality and function. Coupled with custom serving line fabrication that features elite finishes and imaginative materials, the Food Service Holdings family of companies are well positioned to be leaders in the foodservice industry for years to come.

SCHOOL GROUNDS AT BARCLAYS CENTER HAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED SCOOP learned that Food Education Fund (FEF), a nonprofit supporting culinary-focused public high school students in New York City, has launched the very first student-run concession stand at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Four all-star FEF students have developed the concept and created the menu for the new School Grounds Concession Stand. Their students will be serving three different empanadas and a color-changing lemonade at every Brooklyn Nets

Students at the School Grounds Concession Stand

home game and select special events this 2021-2022 NBA season!

CHEF STEVEN ACOSTA APPOINTED AS EXECUTIVE CHEF AT THE BALFOUR HOTEL SCOOP heard that The Balfour Hotel, which recently opened on Miami Beach, appointed Steven Acosta to executive chef. He’s responsible for managing the hotel’s food and beverage team, implementing new menus at the hotel’s three-meal restauChef Steven Acosta rant and providing exceptional culinary experience for hotel guests, travelers and South Florida locals. This winter, Acosta will spearhead the launch of a new restaurant concept at The Balfour Hotel and create all menus. After graduating from the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Miami, Acosta took on executive sous chef positions at distinguished restaurants throughout South Florida, such as Vix’s Restaurant at Hotel Victor and the Cascada Grill at the Turnberry Isle Resort. In 2008, chef Acosta worked with Todd English to open da Campo Osteria as the restaurant’s executive sous chef. He then brought his expertise to the W Hotel South Beach to the former Solea Restaurant and KNR Food Concepts in 2009.

Upon Todd English’s departure from da Campo Osteria in 2012, Acosta returned to the team to lead the kitchen as the executive chef.

continued on page 99

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 93

SELF-SERVE COCKTAILS expect it to taste the same each time they visit your venue. The inconsistency that comes with having several bartenders can leave some patrons unhappy with the taste of their cocktail.

With wine on tap, there is no oxidation because kegs have an airtight seal. This means a glass poured on day one is just as fresh as a glass poured two weeks later! Bottled wine has a short shelf life, but self-pour wine can last substantially longer and maintain good taste.

Ability to Sample With self-pour technology, every ounce poured is paid for by the customer, meaning no free samples.

Guests love having the option to pour as much or as little as they want of each beverage at the wall. Your guests can try a variety of cocktails and wines to find the perfect one for their palette

PLEESE CHEESE

from page 12 without having to order a full glass to figure it out! This is especially helpful when offering wine on tap since the customers become the sommelier and get to have their own wine tasting at the wall!

Sustainability Kegged wine has become a rising trend, and one of the biggest reasons is thanks to the increased sustainability it provides. One keg is equivalent to 26.6 bottles or 120 glasses of wine.

By kegging wine, around 39 pounds of packaging are saved from landfills each year since there is no use of bottles, corks, or packaging to ship hundreds of bottles. Reducing the use of bottles allows operators to simplify inventory and manage products more efficiently. With kegged wine, operators can position their establishments as eco-friendly, which is an attractive value proposition for customers and

will likely increase foot traffic through your doors.

Increased Service Efficiency and Time Self-serve beverages create a more efficient experience for both the customer and the operator. Guests can say goodbye to the days of waiting in long lines for drinks, and operators can save time and money! Kegged drinks reduce the number of operational tasks between a customer’s order and the service of their drinks - guests can go from door to pour in less than 60 seconds! Guests typically finish their drinks faster than they can be served by a bartender and are left waiting drinkless. With guests pouring themselves, efficiency increases which results in both sales and customer satisfaction increasing. Since all drinks get mixed in one big batch, staff members will save time and focus

on increasing overall customer service levels, and operators will reduce labor costs.

Offering cocktails and wine on tap is a great way to eliminate service and staffing challenges and increase sales within your establishment. Many PourMyBeer operators find their cocktails on tap to quickly become their best-sellers. Malcolm Yards, a Food Hall in Minneapolis, MN, has found that their 32-tap self-serve beverage wall brings in more sales than their 48-tap traditional bar.

Adding this unique element to your establishment will allow you to provide a fun experience for your guests while increasing your efficiency as staff members can focus their attention on other important tasks. Join the self-pour cocktail and wine trend today to simplify your operations and boost your sales! Contact us at www. pourmybeer.com!

Regev’s next step was to find a business incubator where he learned about the process of bringing a product to market. “It took 3 years of R&D and trial and error with food scientist teams to get the consistency and melting right. Not only was I learning about the creation of a product and brand, but I was learning about the food science that made it spot on” As with so many foodservice operators, the Pandemic brought both challenges and opportunities for the industry. Pleese Cheese found itself with product that had originally been allocated for museums or office events.

The New York entrepreneur saw an

opportunity after exploring vegan communities online and advertising to restaurants. “We got started by giving away samples to interested restaurants and on Labor Day weekend of 2020 we had a small launch in 5 food service locations across the country.

Those operators took our product put in on their menus and sold out in all of these locations.”

With the return of in-dining room patrons this past summer, Pleese Cheese has expanded into 7 restaurant chains in New York, including Vito’s Slice and Ices, Tavola, Tavolino, Rocco’s Pizza, Stella’s Pizza, and Cuts and Slices, as well as Checker’s Pizza in Connecticut. “Ideally I want to be able to step up to a window in the city and have the option of a traditional slice as well as a perfectly crafted vegan, plant-based option.”

For more information on Pleese Cheese, visit https://www.pleesefoods.com/ and request a free cheese sample. The company will also be at the upcoming Plant Based World Expo Show slated for Dec. 9th and 10th at the Javits Center in booth #209.

from page 84

cation or other health concerns. I had terrible heartburn at the time, so I decided to change my diet.” It wasn’t until the last day of his health challenge that Regev treated himself to a classic New York slice and regretted the decision when his body felt horrible for days after. He began going completely plant-based when he wasn’t traveling as a sales representative for the jewelry company. “It wasn’t until I went fully vegan after 7 months that my brother questioned how I could be a true New Yorker without pizza. This is when my wife and I started our journey of creating vegan pizzas in our home by experimenting with homemade vegan cheeses.”

What started as a hobby in his own kitchen quickly gained attraction on social media and inspired Regev and his wife to start their own business.

“We would often post pictures of our vegan pizzas on Instagram and one

day someone called my wife asking where our pizzeria was located. Well there was no pizzeria and that’s when I realized maybe this hobby was more serious than I thought. So I left my job and went to work at a pizzeria on the Upper West side.”

Working in the pizzeria opened Regev’s eyes to the many food allergies kids had, whether that be a type of nut, soy, or cornmeal. “When a school ordered 20 pies from us I let them know we were trying a new vegan cheese with cashews and they were quick to decline, saying they were a nut-free school. I began researching how to make vegan cheese that wasn’t from nuts or soy and questioned what other bean I could use.” Regev eventually came across cannellini beans and made a vegan cheese that came out to his liking. It was a hit at local events and parents asked if the couple was selling the cheese.

“It took 3 years of R&D and trial and error with food scientist teams to get the consistency and melting right.” — Kobi Regev 94 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Your customers’ trust is in your hands So put your hands in Elara brand gloves Show guests you care about their health. Protection you can count on, from the brand you trust.

elarabrands.com Sold through authorized distributors

For each case purchased, Elara donates a meal for a person struggling with hunger in America

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 95

LABOR SHORTAGE

from page 6

3 Key Strategies for Driving Labor Efficiency in Cleaning SIMPLIFY: Make facility cleaning protocols simple to learn and execute • Select multi-purpose solutions: SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) is not the only pathogen putting your patrons and business at risk.

Select an EPA Registered disinfectant with a broad set of claims and efficacy against other key disease-causing pathogens like Norovirus, Influenza, salmonella and other bloodborne pathogens.

Further, products that can be used on multiple surface types and/or that can do multiple jobs in a single step (i.e. clean AND disinfect) can save your staff time and eliminate the need to switch between various cleaning solutions. This includes products like multi-surface cleaner/disinfectants that do not require pre-cleaning, as well as no-rinse products like floor cleaners that dry quickly and residuefree to eliminate the need for an additional rinse step.

• Find products with shorter contact times: Antimicrobials (such as sanitizers or disinfectants) are only effective when the treated surface remains wet for the complete contact time. Opting for a product with a shorter contact time not only drives efficiency — when paired with proper training, shorter contact time helps staff more reliably follow proper procedures, so you can feel more confidence in the results.

• Consider alternative application methods: Products approved for use with electrostatic sprayers can enable more efficient application, particularly in large spaces. Easy-to-use formats

like wipes allow for convenience and flexibility in application.

STREAMLINE: Make it fast and easy to clean the “right way.”

• Seek out a standardized product list across locations: Just like you streamline your menus, ingredients, across locations for guest experience and operational efficiencies -- your cleaning program should be no different! Having a brand standard cleaning program simplifies your ordering, inventory management, procedures, training, and more -- supporting consistent outcomes with less hassle.

• Arm your team with innovative cleaning equipment: Professionalgrade cleaning tools that are designed with ergonomics and high-volume use in mind offer innovative features that can accelerate cleaning times.

Certain systems combine a high-performance cleaning product with an ergonomically designed foaming tool that can help reduce physical exertion and bathroom-cleaning time.

Other professional-grade tools feature interchangeable heads with easy-on and -off mechanisms that help enable workers to shave minutes off every day cleaning tasks — savings that add up quickly.

SHOW THEM HOW: Prioritize onboarding & ongoing training.

With the skills gap growing, a recent survey found that 1 in 3 frontline workers say lack of training is their biggest challenge.14 Making an investment in better, more frequent staff training is a strategy that can pay off quickly and continually in the form of greater labor efficiency.

• Make training flexible: Consider digital training platforms that let

RESCUING LEFTOVER CUISINE footprint now. It’s been a great journey but there is still a lot of work to do. There is so much excess food, and we want to be able to continue to delineate the advantages of donating food.”

“As we continue to move toward normalcy, we are looking forward to partnering with restaurants reopen-

workers complete training modules on-demand, anytime, anywhere. Look for partners that can also come on-site when needed to supplement digital training with targeted in-person staff support.

• Make training highly visual: Try using video-based training, on-site demonstrations and highly visual guides at the point-of-use to enable workers to understand more intuitively the “what” and the “how” of proper cleaning protocols. These methods can also help reduce language barriers.

• Make cross-training a priority: Use slow periods for hands-on coaching or to cross- train workers from different teams on basic cleaning protocols. During the next slow period, they can put that training to action. Crosstraining can help boost labor efficiency and operational flexibility.

Lean on vendor partners to ease the labor squeeze Many businesses are already implementing these tips to help improve labor efficiency. The businesses who do it well often lean heavily on their vendor partners to help them make these strategies a reality. For example, Ecolab is working with customers across all sectors to help them put the right products and procedures in place — and help them train their workers.

The outcome? Helping businesses to ultimately meet higher expectations for their customers and brand, while also helping protect their bottom-line potential.

Learn more at: Ecolab.com/sciencecertified 1 https://advocacy.shrm.org/wpcontent/uploads/2021/07/SHRM-Re-

search_The_Employment_Picture_ Comes_Into_Focus.pdf 2 https://www.ncci.com/SecureDocuments/QEB/Insights-2021-Q2_LaborShortage_2021.html 3 https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ empsit.nr0.htm 4 https://www.ncci.com/SecureDocuments/QEB/Insights-2021-Q2_LaborShortage_2021.html 5 https://fred.stlouisfed.org/ graph/?g=Ex8I&utm_campaign=JM305&utm_content=rw96476r&utm_ medium=ED&utm_source=for 6 https://www.usatoday.com/ stor y/money/2021/09/07/laborday-2021-when-worker-shortageend/5674223001/ 7 https://www.ey.com/en_gl/consumer-products-retail/how-to-serve-theanxious-consumer-after-covid-19 8 Post-Vaccine Consumer Attitude Study,” January 5, 2021 (paid for by Ecolab) 9 https://advocacy.shrm.org/wpcontent/uploads/2021/07/SHRM-Research_The_Employment_Picture_ Comes_Into_Focus.pdf 10 https://advocacy.shrm.org/wpcontent/uploads/2021/07/SHRM-Research_The_Employment_Picture_ Comes_Into_Focus.pdf 11 https://advocacy.shrm.org/wpcontent/uploads/2021/07/SHRM-Research_The_Employment_Picture_ Comes_Into_Focus.pdf 12 https://advocacy.shrm.org/wpcontent/uploads/2021/07/SHRM-Research_The_Employment_Picture_ Comes_Into_Focus.pdf 13 https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ empsit.nr0.htm 14 https://www.prnewswire.com/ news-releases/survey-digital-workplace-key-to-engagement-for-frontline-teams- 301249880.html

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ing and those just starting to incorporate a food donation program into their launch plan. We hope that we can be the group to rescue their excess food and show them how to reduce their costs of throwing out food along the way. We’re really excited about coming back to do our part and are in the early stages of creat-

96 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

ing a restaurant advocate group that your readers may join if interested, to help push our agenda forward. The second piece is growing into other markets. We want to be purposeful and targeted in where we grow and how impactful we can be. There is so much work to be done together,” concluded Lee.

For those who wish to get involved, the website rescuingleftovercuisine. org provides information about the organization and a Donated Foods Section allows for an easy way to sign up or contact by email or phone to work with someone directly in the set-up process.

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 97

FRANCINE COHEN

from page 70

cool ones in the know amongst their friends, it is bartenders who make a living at being able to introduce something new and so it’s no wonder they were getting excited at the recent Bar Convent Brooklyn where they met the newest mashup on the spirits scene, Ron Colón Salvadoreño.

Ron Colon has been committed to bridging history – and continents - in its bottle. While you may know that rye was a bumper crop for Maryland and other states early in this country’s history, and that rye spirits are

SHFM

seeing a resurgence, what you may not know is that at one time rum was the most popular spirit in America.

According to the folks behind Ron Colon who created their namesake rum brand to honor the bounty of the land in El Salvador, this new expression – rumrye – came about because in America “when new heavy taxes on molasses were introduced in the mid-1700s it caused almost immediate decline in the rum industry. The gap that rum left gave space for a new spirit of choice. By the late

1700s there were thousands of small whiskey distilleries in Pennsylvania, Maryland and the surrounding states. Rye was the grain of choice and rye whiskey rapidly grew in popularity.”

Their aim is to blend these two worlds with RUMRYE to create a spirit that does in one bottle, what many bartenders are already doing in their cocktails by hand – creating a split base for their cocktails. This split base balances the spiciness of the rye with the sweetness from the

rum and resonating with people who love great spirits. Especially overproof ones.

Of course the intent is also to create a new category…rumrye. And it just may work; taking the old, applying it to something new; appealing to first adapters, feeling familiar to all. And simplifying steps; no adding a measure of rum and a measure of rye; it’s all in one bottle.

Something old, into something new. It’s our spirited future.

Cheers to the holidays!

work on behalf of SHFM and the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industry has resulted in the demonstration of outstanding leadership qualities.

recognizes an individual who has been diligent in service to corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality and who has consistently demonstrated the ideals of dedication, integrity, professionalism and leadership to the Society and to which Richard aspired.

members with the Friend of the Foundation Award, SHFM Past President Rob Gordon, Deerfield Management and long-time Foundation Golf Chair Dan McCaffrey, Kitchens to Go. The Friend of the Foundation Award honors an SHFM member who has made significant contributions to the success of the Foundation and the industry.

from page 8

loyalty, dedication and enthusiasm for the Society.

Rising Young Professional Award: Amy Bendekovits-Franks, JLL Recognizes an emerging individual who has been a stand out among our newest members, supporting the initiatives of the Society through his or her active engagement and participation in SHFM committees and activities. Through his or her actions and career trajectory, this recipient is poised to be a future leader in the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industry, as well as the Society.

Leadership Award: Jeanine Cosgrove-Albert, At Your Service Staffing Recognizing an individual whose

RE-OPENING STRATEGIES doors that will open with a wave of a hand. Those investments in hygienefocused equipment will go a long way with customers and with staff.

Recently, attracting and keeping top-notch talent has become a priority. As we work with our Imperial Dade customers, we are convinced that a restauranter’s commitment to hygiene, sanitation, and comfort is a key ingredient to keeping their employees happy. This could be something as simple as a cushy anti-fatigue floor mat for those that stand in one place for long periods of time or a floor care program that helps to avoid slippery

Richard Ysmael Distinguished Service Award: Rob Gordon, Deerfield Management Given in memory of Richard Ysmael and reflects how he lived and delivered his philosophy of life in the best and most challenging moments of his career and personal life. Richard was a founding member of the Society, and his dedication, leadership and integrity throughout his career continue to inspire not only the Society’s membership but foodservice professionals in all facets of our industry. This Award

Jay B. Silverstein Lifetime Achievement Award: Mike Johnston Recognizing a lifetime of contributions and service to the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industry.

SHFM Foundation Recognizes SHFM Members with Friend of the Foundation Award This year the Foundation will be honoring two outstanding SHFM

After a long period of personal and professional change and transformation, it’s time to come back together face-to-face at the 2021 SHFM National Conference!

For the full agenda and other details about SHFM’s National Conference visit: https://www.shfmonline.org/2021

from page 20 surfaces, making it safer as the staff navigates the front and back of the house. The goal is for employees to say to themselves: “I’m going to be safe working here and I’m proud to work at a place where cleanliness and safety are priorities.”

Shifting gears, the new year is also a time to take a fresh look at ESG strategies, environmental, social, and governance. It’s important that we refocus or initiate what green and sustainable mean to us and our customers. This is not a one size fits all and we would be happy to help you find your starting point. At Imperial Dade, we’re con-

98 • December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

tinuing to support our customers in their quest to obtain green certifications and accreditations through our products and consulting. In addition, we are also looking inward and finding ways to improve our own operations, so we are contributing to more sustainable supply chain. We’re working with a data-driven management company Green2Sustainable that helps us measure operational elements including carbon footprint, utility consumption, and waste diversion. We can generate reports to measure ourselves and make sure we’re moving the needle in the right direction. Many of

our customers are more interested in these measurements as are the manufacturers from whom we buy the products we sell. The whole supply chain is refocusing on sustainable practices right now.

At Imperial Dade, and across the industry, we must all keep moving forward. We are back out in the field, helping our customers. We are leveraging our economies of scale, our expertise, and our industry knowledge to help customers solve problems. After surviving the past year, we all can come back stronger than ever.

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INSIDER NEWS, from page 92

FRENCH PASTRY SHOP OPENS IN MONTCLAIR, NJ SCOOP discovered that Jayce Baudry, a native of Bordeaux, who was a pastry chef at Daniel and Epicerie Boulud, and his wife Rebecca, have opened a classic patisserie offering traditional French sweets, custom cakes and elegant desserts in the heart of Montclair, NJ.

CONSTELLATION CULINARY GROUP SPEARHEADS F&B OPERATIONS AT ARSHT CENTER SCOOP heard that Constellation Culinary Group has been tapped to lead all food and beverage operations at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. This partnership expands their culinary presence across South Florida’s cultural institutions, also encompassing Verde at Pérez Art Museum Miami, Food@Science at Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, SGWS Wynwood and The Restaurant at the Norton Museum of Art.

CHEF JESSE SCHENKER OPENS FOUR-THE ULTIMATE FOODIE DESTINATION ON LONG ISLAND SCOOP learned that Jesse Schenker, owner of 2 Spring in Oyster Bay on Long Island, who made his name at Recette and the Gander in NYC and who is also a James Beard-nominated chef and Iron Chef winner, is opening a 10 seat chefs demonstration table where he will be onstage preparing and serving a 10-to12- course tasting menu priced at $245, taking the suburban food landscape and turning it into an elevated dining experience. Among the dishes he’s planning are an oyster tartlet, langoustine with Champagne essence, rigatoni with giant clam and chiles, foie gras with a duck fat croissant, Mishima Wagyu with wasabi and onion, and chocolate pot de crème. Together with his business partner Claudia Taglich, they will be launching Provisions, a retails food shop.

BILL HANSEN CATERING PARTNERS WITH CHEF DREILINGER

FOR NEW DIVISION SCOOP learned that South Florida-based catering professionals Bill Hansen Catering and Event Production and Chef Aaron Dreilinger, a premier events and catering company with menu items curated by culinary leader Chef Dewey Losasso, have joined forces launching a new division, Mitzvahs & More, specializing in Kosher-Style cuisine and Jewish events.

THE LINCOLN EATERY FOOD HALL OPENS ON MIAMI BEACH SCOOP saw that The Lincoln Eatery, the modern food hall on Miami Beach, designed by global architecture firm Arquitectonica, brought together a total of 16 fast-casual, artisan, and grab-&-go concepts in a space that reflects the fast-paced vibe emerging in Miami Beach’s expanded Lincoln Road district.

Offerings include Ai Tallarin, specializing in Asian street food with a Peruvian twist concept by Chef Carlos Zheng, and Co-owners Rawad Abou Ammar and Tarek Aboudehen created PESTO Italian Cuisine around nostalgic recipes they grew up enjoying with family and friends.

GET FIRED UP At Vulcan, our passion is to help you achieve yours. We’re relentless in the pursuit of exceptional kitchen equipment, so you can have confidence in what you do and how you do it.

Through quality products, great service and more than 150 years of experience, wherever your passion takes you, we’ll help you get there.

800-814-2028 | vulcanequipment.com

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 99

MARIA LOI

from page 62

Melomakarona – Traditional Greek Honey Cookies Makes approximately 150 small cookies Ingredients - Cookie Dough: • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice • ½ teaspoon of baker’s ammonia • 2 cups olive oil • 3½-4 cups AP flour • ½ teaspoon of ground cloves • 1½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon • 1 teaspoon of baking soda • 2 cups of fine semolina flour • 1 cup of organic confectioner’s sugar • 1/3 cup of cognac • 2 tablespoons of orange zest • Pinch of salt • Ground walnuts, for garnish Ingredients - Syrup: • 4 cups water • 4 cups organic white sugar • 1 cup of honey • 2 cinnamon sticks • 5 whole cloves • peel of one orange Method: 1. Preheat oven to 340°F. 2. Add all the syrup ingredients to a medium saucepan, stir to combine, and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil.

TRUE FOOD KITCHEN broadliners including SYSCO and US Foods support True’s needs across the nation? “We do find really unique ingredients that we really have to scour the world to make sure that we can bring them in,” Barone said. “a lot of the things we’re using, I think have become much more mainstream, which as we’ve grown, that has been obviously incredibly helpful.”

When it comes to work night and lunchtime meals, convenience is king.

Exhausted diners, hoping to survive the workweek can turn to fast-food or the local burrito joint without a second thought. True Food Kitchen sees itself as a health-conscious and eco-

Remove from the heat, allow to cool, reserve.

3. Add the orange juice, baker’s ammonia, and olive oil to a large mixing bowl, and mix to fully combine.

4. In another large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cloves, cinnamon, baking soda, semolina flour, and sugar; add orange zest and salt, and mix to fully combine.

5. Form a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients bowl, and slowly alternate adding the cognac and the orange juice-olive oil mixture. While adding the liquids, gradually incorporate the dry ingredients, lightly kneading to combine into a soft dough.

6. Portion out the dough using a tablespoon, and form them into cookies. Bake at 340o F for about 16-18 minutes.

Optional: If you feel so inclined before baking, lightly press one of the sides of the cookie on the side of a box grater with the small holes, or a mesh strainer, to create a design on the surface.

7. Remove the Melomakarona from the oven; while hot, dip a few of the cookies at a time in the reserved syrup for approximately 5-6 minutes - allow them to absorb the syrup, then remove with a slotted spoon onto a pastry rack.

8. Place cookies on a platter, sprinkle with ground walnuts, serve and enjoy!

from page 18 logically conscious alternative. This priority became more important than ever over the course of the pandemic, and True Food found a silver-lining. “I think that we got much better at doing off-premise and really built some new routines with our guests,” said Barone.

“The more convenient we make it to have this food the more people will eat it.”

After surviving months of rolling lockdowns and dining restrictions, and the continued ripple of staffing and supply-chain pain, Barone is optimistic that the future is bright for True Food Kitchen.

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TIKTOK ICE MACHINES

from page 16

be performed in a professional deep cleaning. If you intend to clean your own ice maker, research the exact steps for your manufacturer and model.

Deep cleaning involves three separate steps that should be performed in order: Descaling, disinfecting, and sanitizing.

Descaling: Scale builds up quickly and should be removed entirely to prevent it from getting out of control. Scale remover, also called a descaler solution, is an acid and should be handled with care. Descaler solution can contaminate ice supply, so be sure to remove all ice from the ice bin and turn off the ice machine prior to beginning this process. Use

DAVID SCOTT PETERS

descaler solution in accordance with the instructions to clean ice machine parts, including the evaporator assembly, water reservoir, water distribution tubes, drop zone, and ice bin.

Disinfecting: Use a quat-based cleaner, EPA-approved food grade bleach, or similar cleaning product.

Follow the instructions on the bottle for disinfectant dilution rates when mixing the solution. Apply the disinfectant to all ice contact surfaces on the inside of the ice machine, to the exterior of the ice machine including bin door handle and ice scoop, and to the entire inside of the ice bin. Depending on the ice machine model, this will likely require you to take it apart. Thoroughly wet surfaces and

leave the solution on for 10 minutes minimum (called wet contact time).

Because disinfectant has a higher chemical to water ratio, the solution must be thoroughly rinsed from all ice machine surfaces after the wet contact time.

Sanitizing: Use the same cleaner you used to disinfect the ice machine and mix it according to the label directions for sanitizing. This should be a lower ratio of cleaner to water, which is why it’s safe to air-dry on the ice machine. Fully saturate the same components and surfaces you cleaned in the two previous steps.

Allow the sanitizer to air dry on the ice machine before turning the unit back on. If cleaning a nugget or flake

ice machine, discard the first batch of ice.

Clean Ice Machines, Clean Bill of Health High-traffic commercial appliances, including ice machines, can be contaminated by human usage and can become dirty from countless environmental factors. It’s the responsibility of business owners to follow the cleaning recommendations of manufacturers and professional ice machine techs. It’s fun to imagine being TikTok-famous, but let it be for your stellar service or gourmet goodies - not for having a filthy ice machine.

from page 52

2. Checklists and cash controls: Create a culture where the details matter, from what things look like down to every penny making it to the bank. This is where checklists are so important to running the restaurant. Managers ensure all checklists are complete by the end of every shift. If they allow people to go home without doing their side work, they have to do their side work for them. Now, it doesn’t take too many times for managers to do somebody else’s work until they finally don’t let people go home without doing it.

This is an important culture piece: establishing a close to open protocol. Every shift closes 100 percent ready to open, so managers have each other’s back. This way no one walks into the restaurant to open and starts behind because the restaurant wasn’t closed properly.

Managers make sure every penny makes it to the bank, counting drawers, counting out servers if you have server banking and no server can be short. They have to be even or over.

Managers double check the master bank and petty cash and when that deposit goes to the bank, that is exactly how much money should be going to the bank.

A lot of restaurant owners tell me they’ve tried bringing people into management only to watch them fail. I want to help you build up your management and prevent them from failing.

3. Budget: they need to execute every day on budget. Managers have to schedule on budget based on how many dollars they have, but also how many hours they have by position next week to go into the week on budget instead of bringing people in and praying sales will meet the expectations. They also have to purchase on budget. Tell them how much money they have to spend and precise limits on how much they can spend without your approval (this is all part of my Restaurant Checkbook Guardian system that allows you to give up ordering without giving up the checkbook and stay on budget). They manage your cash just as much as they manage your costs. They also need to know how to make corrections to get back on budget when things don’t go as projected. Every week isn’t going to be perfect, so if labor was high this week, or your cost of

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goods sold was high this week, your managers are in charge of developing the plan for how to get back on budget in the next week or so. This is proactive management.

4. People management: restaurant managers must hold team members accountable. When your employees are trained what their job is, how to do it, how well it should be done and by when, and they demonstrate to you they can do it on their own consecutively, you can now hold them “answerable” to their obligations. When you have a strong training system like this, it’s your employees deciding whether they’re going to do their job or not or be answerable for the resulting consequences. Once they’ve proven they understand their job, which takes them out of training, they’re telling you they can be relied upon.

Managers have to hold everyone

accountable/answerable.

A big part of people management is understanding that every employee learns differently and has different preferences for learning and different motivations for working.

When a manager can identify what’s unique about each employee, they can push that specific button to get the most out of an employee and motivate them to do their best.

Your managers also have to make sure everyone feels appreciated.

That doesn’t mean everyone is looking to be liked. Most people want to feel like they’re part of something bigger, that they are contributing to the business, that you care, that they’re on the team and they make a difference. This is what an employer of choice does, and your managers are a huge part of ensuring you are an employer of choice. If you want to attract people and keep them longer, your managers have everything to do with your staffing problems or your victories.

Ultimately, if you want your management team to be a proactive team to make sure your restaurant delivers every step of the way every single day, you must make sure your managers are covering these bases.

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LEGAL INSIDER

from page 66

new federal 80/20/30 rule and existing New York law, under which employers cannot take a tip credit for any day in which food service or services workers work more than 20% of their shift or 2 hours, whichever is less, performing non-tipped work.

A New York Employer Who Fails to Follow the 80/20/30 Rule With Respect To Straight Time Hours Will Not Violate FLSA. A New York employer who ignores the 80/20/30 Rule with respect to straight time hours, but pays $10.00/ hr. ($15.00 minimum wage minus a $5.00 tip credit) to a tipped employee as New York law requires, will not violate FLSA minimum wage requirements.

The FLSA requires that employers pay employees at least $7.25 per hour.

When a New York employer pays its tipped employees $10.00 per hour, that employer has paid its employees more than $7.25 per hour, and thus the employer is not relying on the tip credit to satisfy federal minimum wage. Accordingly, the employer’s failure to follow the 80/20/30 Rule with regard to straight time hours, does not violate the FLSA. A New York Employer Seeking To Satisfy FLSA Overtime Requirements Must Follow The 80/20/30 Rule.

A New York employer who ignores the 80/20/30 Rule with regard to straight time hours must follow that rule during overtime to comply with

OCEANIC GLOBAL

the FLSA. Under the FLSA, an employee working overtime must be paid “one and one-half times the regular rate.” The regular rate for tipped employees for FLSA purposes is a state’s minimum wage.

Accordingly, in New York, if the minimum wage is $15.00 per hour, for overtime the employer must either (a) pay the employee $22.50 per hour; or (b) pay $17.50 per hour in cash and do what is required to entitle the employer to a tip credit of $5.00, including complying with the 80/20/30 Rule.

Importantly, under the 80/20/30 Rule, an employer may not receive a tip credit for any hours during which it does not comply with the 80/20/30 Rule. Accordingly, if a New York employer fails to comply with the 80/20/30 Rule for overtime hours for which it takes a tip credit, that employer will violate the FLSA. In summary, with respect to straight time hours, New York employers need only comply with New York state law requirements for taking the tip credit and may ignore the 80/20/30 Rule.

With regard to overtime hours, however, New York employers must follow it, which is both difficult and burdensome. New York hospitality employers should consider implementing protective measures, such as paying premium rates for overtime to ensure compliance or documenting employees’ performance of non-Tip-Producing Work or non-Directly Supporting Work.

from page 68

Oceanic Global’s vision.

After the program leaders at the Blue Standard have onboarded the program participants, they will work toward an implementation plan to install a sustainable strategy into a restaurant’s everyday practices. At this point, program consultants will create custom marketing materials for the program participant to show off a “sustainability score” to their customer community.

Today, the process is moving

along. By large, it’s become a rinse and repeat scenario for program participants and businesses who want to get involved—despite the custom aspects. At the end of the day, Oceanic Global hopes to standardize information about sustainability for the hospitality industry.

Even more so, the team hopes that their efforts decrease the plastics found in the ocean as well as other forms of plastic pollution.

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HOSPITALITY MARKETING tion.

Pro-tip => add anyone who responds or books in a special list in your email system. You know they book parties. You will want to market to them again.

3. SURPRISE AND DELIGHT What can you do to add a little spice and fun to your service that is operationally easy?

Ideas: include a free dessert in every 10th order, drop in a $5 gift card to large orders, offer a free upgrade to family meals. Go into your CRM, pull out a segment of your top 10 or 20% of guests and send them a onetime bonus they can redeem with a code.

It doesn’t have to be a big promotion or require a big marketing plan.

Find a way to randomly delight your customers with a little something extra through the holiday season.

This will benefit you in the long run with guest sentiment and loyalty.

FIORITO ON INSURANCE saw a 155.9% year-over-year rise in attempted online fraud, and 13 serious attacks in the last three years alone2.

The risk won’t lessen in 2022. Organizations need to understand their exposures and put safeguards in place, like firewalls and employee training on avoiding breaches.

They also should talk to their insurance broker to ensure they have adequate cyber insurance coverage.

Jumps in claims, especially for ransomware, have tightened capacity and are likely to push rates up by 20% or more.

3. In search of business travelers.

It will take a resumption of business travel to return hospitality to full health. It’s happening gradually, forcing all the ingenuity the industry can muster to speed the process.

Business travel drives an inordinate amount of the hospitality

from page 30 Pro-tip => When a customer who has been surprised shares to social media or writes a positive review about it on Yelp or Google, respond within 48 hours and say thank you!

Drive it home how much you appreciate your guests. Don’t hesitate to share that content to your Facebook page and Instagram stories.

4. HOLIDAY THEMED LIMITED TIME OFFERS If it’s not too late to develop a holiday themed limited time offer (LTO), like Christmas tree shaped pizzas, red and green colored desserts or even just adding a candy cane to a cup of coffee -- put it into motion!

Make sure you are sharing eye popping images of these items in all communication channels with your guests including listings (Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor), social media and email communications.

Pro-tip => Download my ebook How to Sell a Ridiculous Amount of

Heart-Shaped Pizzas for Valentine’s Day. While it has a different holiday in the title, it’s a step-by-step instruction manual on how to market and sell A LOT of LTOS. 5. GIFT CARDS GIFT CARDS GIFT CARDS Much like you should be over promoting your catering and holiday parties, you should be doing the same for gift cards. Gift cards are a great way to get your guests to promote your business. People shop last minute, all the time. There is always that one family member you didn’t expect who is coming over or that coworker who always does nice things for you. People love dining from restaurants. A gift card is the gift of an experience.

Run a limited promotion on gift card upgrades: *$50 gets you $75 *$75 gets you $100 *$100 gets you $150 People will leap at these deals!

Pro-tip => Make your lowest priced gift card upgrade higher than your average order value.

If a guest buys them for themself, you have an instant loyalty program. Most people don’t spend that much by themselves in one meal.

Likely they will bring a friend, a co-worker or a family member and suddenly you’ll not only be attracting new guests, but you’ll also drive return trips.

If they buy the gift cards for someone else, great! They just got you a new customer who also will not be able to spend the card in one sitting.

Too late to put these into effect for December? That’s ok! Use these frameworks to promote key efforts all year round!

What holiday promotions have driven big returns for your business? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram and let me know.

I’d like to hear and if I share it, I’ll give you credit!

from page 14 industry, mainly hotels, but restaurants are also a beneficiary. So, the industry as a whole is suffering from ongoing drag on a rebound from the impact of the pandemic. Hotel revenue from business travel in 2021 is expected to dive by $59 billion in 2021 from the levels achieved in 2019 3 – and restaurants are sharing the pain.

The environment is causing a lot of creative pivoting among hotels, with trickle down benefits for restaurants and other draws in the market. One is to make the host hotel for meetings and conventions a “hub” for other activities, like events and local destinations. “Come early, stay late” offers are also big, with packages that play up local amenities.

Such moves have helped with some recovery but have risks of their own.

Plus, they still rely upon high levels of business travel. Business income coverage is expected to rise 10% in 2022, with carriers tightening terms

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and seeking rate increases.

4. The growing impact of extreme weather The intensifying pressure of weather extremes affects every industry, restaurants and hotels not the least. The industry is already dealing with the economic impacts and experiencing escalation in property-casualty rates by as much as 20%.

Extreme weather disrupts operations, raises costs and reduces leisure travel and tourism as certain warm destinations get hotter.

Heat and drought add to wildfire risks, in eastern and western United States, with three of the top five years for burned acreage occurring since 20154. Then, too, there are earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, floods and hail. Circumstances make catastrophe (CAT) modeling an important part of risk management. It helps identify where

weather-related catastrophes are most likely to occur; its use makes a compelling risk management story to underwriters.

Recovering from the pandemic’s impacts will continue to be a struggle in 2022. Management that pays close attention to proper risk management and the right insurance protections will experience better odds to make it through successfully.

1. https://www.businessinsider.com/ labor-shortage-hospitality-workersrestaurant-hotels-pay-wages-joblistsurvey-2021-7 2. https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2021/08/how-travel-industrycan-fight-back-against-cyberthreats 3. https://www.hospitalitynet.org/ news/4106460.html 4. https://www.rff.org/publications/explainers/wildfires-in-theunited-states-101-context-and-consequences/

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 107

NYC PROPANE

from page 80

allowing people to enjoy outdoor dining during the colder months.”

“Like many small businesses, I personally guaranteed over a million dollars of SBA loans to keep our restaurant’s lights on and 45 colleagues employed through the pandemic,” said James Mallios, Owner, Amali Restaurant and Bar Marseille. “Customers still ask to sit outside. When the City announced they would not allow the continued use of propane heaters, using the same propane tanks that are stored in garages across America and legal in dozens of major cities, 20 reservations for outdoor dining called us and cancelled. Our ultimate recovery depends on the revenue generated year round from outdoor dining. This bill and support from

TOAST

Councilman Powers and Mayorelect Eric Adams is the best holiday present our business, my colleagues and family could ask for.”

“COVID-19 nearly eviscerated the restaurant and nightlife industry in New York City and even now we are only beginning to see the slightest notion of recovery,” said Jeffrey Garcia, President of the NYS Latino Restaurant Bar & Lounge Association. “The reality is, we need all the help we can get to survive as we continue to operate with indoor mandates. Propane heaters have served as a lifeline to the success of outdoor dining, especially, as we head into the cold winter months.

To that end, the industry has already invested tens of thousands of dollars in safe and efficient propane

from page 22

taurants solve this problem. Tips Manager allows the restaurant to manage the integration between Toast Point of Sale and Toast Payroll easier. From there, employees can receive a portion of pooled tips and wages instantly on their Toast Pay Card with Toast PayOut - eliminating the hassle of trips to the bank at the end of the night to pay out tips in cash.

“It’s really a restaurant-specific tips management program,” explained Esten. “The tips will instantly show up at the end of the night on the Toast Pay Card so employees can walk out with a Toast Card that has all their tips from the day right on it. It makes it really attractive for the restaurant employee to manage their cash flow as well.”

“Our tools help manage offpremise channels and in-restaurant technology maximize efficiency,” Esten continued. “What we’re hearing from our customers is that they can get by with fewer staff if they apply technology and that staff then makes higher wages and tips as a result of being able to cover more tables, increase average check size,

and reduce table turn time. We do see that applying technology in the restaurant allows customers to show their employees that they truly care.”

“Great food and hospitality are always the foundation. Technology does not replace these aspects, but enables them,” Esten stressed.

“Alongside the need for great food and hospitality, customers have changed their expectations of the restaurant experience as a result of the pandemic whether it’s safety protocols, the ability to see the menu online, order and pay at the table, or use a take-out app. We’re seeing a lot of restaurants are turning to new tech staff to enable them to meet those expectations and that is something that is differentiating them.”

More information about these innovative products may be found on the Spark recording available on Toast’s website at pos.toasttab.com/ watch-spark-2021-on-demand. Access to Toast’s diverse menu of tech solutions can be found at pos.toasttab.com.

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heaters to keep our customers warm last season. We ask that we can continue utilizing propane heaters this year because without them we simply cannot sustain outdoor dining in the winter. We want to thank two champions for the industry – Mayor-elect Eric Adams and Council Member Keith Powers who have led the way on this issue and have shown ongoing support for our vital industry.”

“Throughout the pandemic propane heaters have been one of the few things our city’s restaurant community has been able to rely on,” said Derek Kaye, owner of Takumi Taco and NYC Propane Delivery. “Eateries in every corner of the city used propane heaters safely last winter, and should be allowed

to continue to make use of the infrastructure they have already invested in. Council Member Keith Powers’ bill to create a framework for the permanent use of propane to fuel outdoor dining during winter months is smart legislation that will allow restaurants to provide the best possible service to their customers while also saving them money in the long run. As we face a second winter season managing the need for outdoor dining with COVID-19 safety, this legislation could not come at a better time, and I join so many of my colleagues in the restaurant industry in offering my enthusiastic support for this bill.”

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ACHILLEAS ANGELOPOULOS secret recipe, creates a ketchup line which deliver superb, intense tomato flavor. Though different from the traditional brands that people in USA are used to consuming, I can guarantee that once you try it, you will LOVE the taste!

And, when thinking of tomatobased products, they think of tomato sauce, and Kyknos has developed a range of truly Greek recipes for pasta sauces, based on ingredients such as Feta cheese, Kalamata olives, warming spices, and others. Our pasta sauces are truly unique with excellent depth and balance of flavor.

Do you think that North America tends to be too Italian-centric when it comes to tomato based products?

How can Greek tomato-based products complement Italian products?

As we are all part of the Mediterranean region, we have great respect for Italian products and cuisine. However, despite the many similarities between our two countries, the small scale of agricultural areas in Greece, the type and quality of the soil, the combination of cultivation areas close to the sea, and the smaller scale of production produce high quality, delicious products.

Kyknos is confident in the plans for our official relaunch in the US Marketplace, as we identified the right business partner, and are collaborating with Chef Maria Loi to fully support our organic growth.

For us, delivering tasty, flavorful, high-quality products without compromise at a competitive price point is non-negotiable – we believe that this will ensure our success.

As our first initiative to familiarize the US Market with Kyknos products, we are participating in the holiday pop-up, the ‘Loi Specialty Shop’ at The Plaza Hotel in New York City, where the reception of our products has been exciting and encouraging!

Pizza is on every menu from restaurant to healthcare. Please make the case for the signature pie that can be created with Greek pizza sauce.

Pizza has become a ubiquitous part of culinary culture, and while people

from page 64 credit the Italians for pizza, the truth is that it’s actually Greek - pizza is really ‘Pita’ with two T’s!

Originally a peasant food, it was a simple, healthy, nutritious dish for every day consumption; during the period of Magna Graecia, or Great Greece, the Greeks brought their pita making traditions to what is now known as Italy, and over time, it evolved from pita to pizza.

Chef Maria Loi, our Kyknos Culinary Ambassador, says that all you need to make a fantastic Greek pitta (pizza) is extra virgin olive oil, your preferred Kyknos tomato product, some Feta cheese, and basil, and you’ve got a healthful, delicious dish for anytime.

She absolutely LOVES the Kyknos Pizza Sauce, because it has perfectly seasoned bright, fresh tomato flavor and is the ideal texture for saucing the dough, but also says that you can use any tomato sauce or tomato paste if you like!

How does your business go to market in Greece and Europe? Distribution or Direct sales?

In Greece, as we are the market leader in the tomato business, we service all national and regional retailers directly, while using distributor for small trade.

In Europe we have partnerships with major distributors, though in many cases we also have direct contact with national customers to support the Kyknos brand.

What is that Greek distributor looking for in a manufacturing partner?

I would say that any distributor – not only a Greek one – is looking for quality products, consistency in cooperation, potential for new product development, and stability in financial terms.

What led to the decision to bring Kyknos to the US? Kyknos products have been in the US market for some years, though the focus has primarily been on Greek communities.

However, over the last couple of years we have noticed the increasing popularity and trendiness of Greek

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products, while simultaneously gaining many customers in international markets based on our quality. Between these different factors, we decided that the strategic expansion of Kyknos into the US mainstream is the best next step.

When did you begin importing to the U.S. and what have you found to be the biggest differences between doing business in Greece vs. North America?

Distributors with private labels that compete with brands like yours that they are stocking?

In Greece, KYKNOS is the reference point and the iconic brand for tomato products; therefore distribution is already fully covered in all channels and for all customers. Additionally, there is tremendous brand recognition (98% awareness and 75% household penetration).

Starting our expansion into the US marketplace, we do realize that while we are a high-quality brand, we are still an unknown entity to the mass-

es, and therefore we have to start on a small scale, focusing our efforts in strategically selected areas, channels and customers, in order to have the opportunity to build the Kyknos brand along with our distribution.

How do you support chefs and food service professionals that are looking for menu input?

Kyknos has always believed in providing support, resources, and recipes for the culinary professionals who use our products. In cooperation with Chef Maria Loi, our Kyknos Culinary Ambassador, we can always train professionals and support effective solutions for menus and dishes.

What’s the next step for an operator that would like more info on the Kyknos line?

Everyone can reach us via our website, https://kyknoscanning.com/en/ contact/, and we will facilitate the information and requests to our strategic partners in the USA.

SOCIETY FOR HOSPITALITY AND FOODSERVICE MANAGEMENT

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 111

NEWS

by Wyatt Semenuk

MUSIC STRATEGIES FOR DINING

MUSIC INDUSTRY VETERAN SARS BRINGS NEW SOUNDTRACK TO RESTAURANT BRAND SUCCESS

P

icture this: It’s peak hours at your restaurant, the dining space is packed and you and your staff are servicing customers as quickly and efficiently as possible. All of a sudden, a completely inappropriate song comes on, be it due to expletives, content, vibe or otherwise. Customers are whispering to each other as the song plays, however neither you nor your staff have the chance to address it. You are forced to choose between service and atmosphere.

As customers flock back to restaurants and technology embeds itself ever deeper into the industry, music is playing a larger role than ever before in the success of a business. Whether

it’s this scenario, or an operator finding the perfect playlist to match their business, music can be the deciding factor in the reputation when it comes to success.

Although in the past music has proven a headache as it requires constant attention, entrepreneur and music industry veteran Ola Sars has made this a thing of the past. With his latest service, Soundtrack Your Brand, operators can flip through almost 60 million tracks or curated playlists to find the perfect background music for their operation.

“The more I ventured into the hospitality industry, the more I was intrigued by it and the differences between B2B and the B2C side I was used to working with,” said Sars. “These businesses, that come in all shapes and sizes each want to provide their own unique experience to their customers. We were faced with the challenge of not just assessing the tastes of an individual and feeding that person music they love, but rather doing that for an entire organization with a complex public face built by many people. Furthermore, that music selection then has to please the individual patrons as well. The extra dimensions and questions that this idea brought on were so fascinating, I decided

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“Say I’m opening a bar in Orange County.

I first tell the system that I’m looking for a specific after-work, warm, sunny style. From there the system will translate that into specific genres I can choose from.” — Ola Sars it needed to be my next project.”

The key to Soundtrack Your Brand’s success is their incredibly complex and nuanced AI. “We spent over six years developing proprietary and original AI specifically designed to tackle the needs of businesses,” said the founder. “The level of depth that our AI offers is far, far deeper than any of our competitors. Say I’m opening a bar in Orange County. I first tell the system that I’m looking for a specific after-work, warm, sunny style. From there the system will translate that into specific genres I can choose from.

Then I can choose the type of energy I’m looking for, as I might want an aggressive, elegant, relaxed, or progressive vibe depending on various factors. Next I can decide whether I want explicit lyrics, want different music on different days, and much more. Essentially, we help businesses quickly determine what type of customer experience or brand they want to deliver, translate it into music, then have our machines help deliver that curated experience forever.”

With Soundtrack Your Brand, operators save time that could be better spent providing service, peace of mind that an inferior AI or rogue staff won’t play something inappro-

priate. There is also significant financial savings with the Soundtrack Your Brand program.

“Because we are able to include ASCAP and BMI in our licensing deals, you’re not only accessing all of our resources, you’re also covering performances fees in the base payment for the service. With Soundtrack Your Brand, you’re paying a single, once-a-month fee of 49 dollars, rather than a whole slew of extra bills multiple times a year.

While our base price is at face value more expensive than our competitors, the ROI is much better, as operators will find themselves deriving much more overall value in the long run.”

With the vision and experience of Ola Sars, Soundtrack Your Brand has already made a large splash in an industry hungry for new innovations. Live in over 75 markets with 58 million tracks available, Soundtrack Your Brand manages the vibe of your restaurant while letting you focus on providing customers with the service they deserve.

For more information and a free trial, customers can visit Soundtrack Your Brand’s official website at soundtrackyourbrand.com.

December 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 113

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