July 2017 - Total Food Service by Total Food Service

NEWS

CONFERENCES

Flay, Nischan and Barber Headline 2017 Food Lab

ast month, the Food Lab at Stony Brook Southampton, a center for education, enterprise and media related to the business of food held the 2017 Food Lab Conference, with the theme “Fifty Years of Food in America: 1970-2020.” In its third year, the conference gathered people who cook, people who eat, and people who drive change in the world of food. When Julia Child’s iconic cooking show, “The French Chef,” debuted on PBS in 1962, nobody could have foreseen that this little show-so poorly funded that the meals she cooked were sometimes auctioned off to the audience to help cover expenses would be the first tremor in a seismic shift that forever changed the relationship Americans have with food. Geoffrey Drummond, the executive director of the Food Lab, cut his teeth in the food industry on a series of documentaries he produced about New York’s master chefs in the early 1980s. He went on to produce several cooking series with Ms. Child over a 20-year pe-

Iron Chef Bobby Flay

Main Office 282 Railroad Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers Leslie & Fred Klashman

The concept of free ecological resources is baked into the system, and it’s really deficit spending. We are ignoring a lot of costs and realities to the production of our food that aren’t going to be available in perpetuity.” riod, including “Cooking with Master Chefs.” Himself a winner of 10 Emmy Awards and more than a dozen James Beard Awards, Drummond explained that Americans’ relationship with food changed radically after World War II, when refrigerated trucking and ubiquitous home refrigerators and freezers made it possible for produce grown in California to be quick-frozen, shipped, and sold to homemakers in Connecticut. The conference’s three keynote speakers all touched on different aspects of the changes that have come to the American food system, beginning with Bobby Flay, a Food Network pioneer who helped launch the era of celebrity chefs. “Bobby said once that when he started, if you had enough money to pay for a subway and could cook, you could get a show on the Food Network,” Drummond recalled. “But he is a really good chef. With the real celebrity chefs, like Bobby, it’s chef first and celebrity second. They know their stuff. Bobby led the way through the whole ‘Iron Chef’ time, turning cooking into sport. The second keynote speaker, David

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Barber, is co-founder of Blue Hill Restaurant at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, recently named the 11th best restaurant in the world by global consulting firm Deloitte. “Our current food system is heavily dependent on three things that are unlikely to be consistent for my grandchildren and their grandchildren cheap energy, consistent weather and free water,” he said. We are ignoring a lot of costs and realities to the production of our food that aren’t going to be available in perpetuity. The solution, he believes, is moving toward a supply-based food system, where people become accustomed as our ancestors were to eating the food that grows best in their local area. “While a farmer on the East End might command a premium price for sweet corn, he can’t successfully grow only sweet corn on his land and maintain healthy soil. He needs to be able to rotate corn with complementary crops that replenish and enrich the soil,” Barber added. “The problem is, there often isn’t a market for all those things,” Mr. Bar-

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Advertising Director Michael Scinto Art Director Mark Sahm Contributing Writers Warren Bobrow Faith Hope Consolo Morgan Tucker Fred Sampson Staff Writers Deborah Hirsch

Phone: 203.661.9090 Fax: 203.661.9325 Email: tfs@totalfood.com Web: www.totalfood.com

Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 is published monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2017 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

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NEWS

LEGISLATION

New York City Law Expands Fast Food Worker Rights

ew York City adopted a new measure last month that will make schedules more reliable and consistent for fast food workers, whose schedules fluctuate frequently. Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a package of bills that will affect 65,000 fast food workers in the city. One key important part of the bill package is the requirement that fast food restaurants schedule their workers a minimum of two weeks in advance.

Restaurants who fail to comply will have to pay extra for shift changes. The bill also ensures that workers have a minimum of 11 hours between shifts and are given the option to work additional hours before hiring more employees. “Predictable schedules and predictable paychecks should be a right, not a privilege. With these bills, we are continuing to build a fairer and more equitable city for all

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Predictable schedules and predictable paychecks should be a right, not a privilege. With these bills, we are continuing to build a fairer and more equitable city for all New Yorkers,” said de Blasio.

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NEWS

SUSTAINABILITY

James Beard Foundation Launches “Smart Catch” Sustainable Seafood Program

ne of the country’s most prominent culinary institutions is taking on the sustainability of the world’s seafood supply starting with the menus from some of America’s favorite chefs. At the recent SeaWeb Seafood Summit in Seattle, the James Beard Foundation (JBF) announced the national launch of Smart Catch – a program created by chefs for chefs with the purpose of increasing the sustainability of the seafood supply chain. More than 60 chefs representing more than 100 restaurants have already committed to the program, including a number of James Beard Award nominees and winners, such as: • Mario Batali’s Batali and Bastianich Hospitality group of restaurants • Michael Cimarusti’s Providence in Los Angeles • Renee Erickson’s Seattle restaurants • Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger’s Border Grill restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas • Bill Telepan and Oceana in New York City • Ryan Prewitt and Pesche in New Orleans • Hari Pulapaka’s Cress in Deland, Florida

Chefs have the influence to educate our palates and our views,” said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation. program provides training and support to chefs so they can serve seafood fished or farmed in environmentally responsible ways. And, by earning a Smart Catch emblem, consumers have a simple way to identify and support their restaurants. With more than 90 percent of the world’s fisheries either fully fished or overfished, preserving marine life to assure stable fishing stocks and promoting sustainably farmed options is more important than ever. “Chefs have the influence to educate our palates and our views,” said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation. “Through Smart Catch, they are becoming new environmental heroes, as they use their influence to lead industry efforts to maintain healthy, sustainable food sources both now and for future generations.”

The idea for Smart Catch is simple and powerful: the 6 • July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Smart Catch works to increase the amount of sustainable seafood sold through U.S. restaurants by addressing the many barriers to getting sustainable seafood on a diner’s plate from reliable sources to chef training and consumer awareness. The program also seeks to engage the chef community in efforts to improve seafood production both domestically and abroad. Chefs who commit to serve more than 80 percent sustainable seafood on their menus earn the Smart Catch emblem for their restaurant. Those who achieve more than 80 percent receive designation as a Smart Catch Leader. All Smart Catch restaurants are provided with menu consultations, staff training materials, upto-date online sustainability assessments powered by FishChoice.com, marketing support, and guidance in working with their suppliers so they can make smart, environmentally responsible seafood choices. Smart Catch’s sustainability criteria uses data

from Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program and NOAA Fish Stock Sustainability Index. The criteria is based on wild and farmed seafood production and includes the health and abundance of fish stocks and impacts on the surrounding environment. Developed by Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul G. Allen to make change on the water, Smart Catch piloted in Seattle in 2015 with almost 50 local chefs representing 80 Seattle restaurants taking part, including Renee Erickson, Ethan Stowell, Tom Douglas, Thierry Rautureau and Brendan McGill. “The future of the world’s oceans depends on all of us choosing sustainable seafood,” said James Deutsch, conservation director for Paul Allen. “James Beard Foundation’s announcement of their national rollout of Smart Catch represents a giant step in that direction. We couldn’t be more proud of the continued growth of this pioneering program we piloted in Seattle.” The new national pilot is one of James Beard Foundation’s Impact Programs, which aim to establish a more sustainable food system through education, advocacy, and thought leadership. In addition to running Smart Catch, the historic James Beard House will also become a Smart Catch participant.

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LITTLE M. TUCKER

WITH MORGAN TUCKER

Snow Globes Are Like Life – Prettiest When They’re Turned Upside Down

t’s always sad to lose a member of our team, but I can only hope that a part of Tucker goes with them on their next great adventure and a part of them stays behind to ground and teach us. Our Cornell Hotel School Extern turned sales rep, Andrew G. Beres, left us last week to return to JeanGeorges. (I know, it’s super impressive and we’re not really allowed to be upset). Being a sales person is not easy, and Andrew came to the realization that he preferred to spend his days creating captivating moments for guests. He now has the vehicle to do this by working for one of the greatest chefs and restaurateurs of our lifetime. Those of us who embrace sales, navigate a sea of rejection searching for operators that will allow us to jump on their vessel and offer guidance and insight on the wares that will tell their unique story. We steer operators towards the unknown and welcome change. Upon his departure, Andrew jokingly noted that his year with the team in our NYC office would warrant a chapter in his memoir. This comical statement instantly brought me back to the very first Welcome Conference four years ago.

Attendees were asked to study our individual path and question “who are we doing this for?” The Welcome Conference connects individuals in the hospitality ecosystem to share themselves, inspire conversion, and establish genuine relationships. The 4th annual symposium took place last month focusing on the topic of Conflict & Change. My greatest takeaway from this installment was that change and conflict are inevita-

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ble – and they need to be embraced with confidence. As we confidently transitioned Andrews’ accounts, I had the privilege of nostalgically reviewing his customers and addressing which representative of our team would be best equipped to seamlessly adopt the relationship and cultivate it as their own. We continue to strive to offer a benchmark of service and must not lose sight of the reason our customers choose to partner with us. Our mastery of tabletop items designed for the rigors of foodservice is unmatched. Today, however, it’s not enough to have the knowledge. We now create detailed visual presentations and utilize our Pinterest page to paint a vivid picture of the tablescape we are designing for each unique concept. Because the majority of our customers are opening their second, third, or thirteenth property with us, we must constantly reinvent ourselves alongside them. Co-founder and host Will Guidara began the afternoon by addressing the intimacy of change and the personal nature of invention during the foodservice TED-style talks. “If what you do is a

Morgan Tucker is Director of Business Development at M. Tucker, a division of Singer Equipment Company. Ms. Tucker works with a wide diversity of acclaimed restaurateurs, celebrated chefs, and industry leaders across the U.S. Her website littlemtucker.com is an exceptional resource for equipment and supplies solutions. Morgan is based in NYC and can be reached at mptucker@mtucker.com.

genuine expression of self, what you are doing will change.” We constantly continue to train and unleash new talent, while adapting to the unrelenting needs of our progressive customers. As with anything in life, our most exciting and challenging projects are the ones we have the deepest connection to. I look forward to hearing your story any time and creating a masterpiece with you. Let’s turn your world upside down together. Please visit us at www.littlemtucker. com to learn more.

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 9

HUB ON INSURANCE

BY ROBERT FIORITO & CHRIS DUNLAP

How Restaurants Can Help Avoid Sidewalk Law Related Claims and Litigation

lips and falls are one of the most frequent sources of liability losses for New York City property owners and merchants. It’s been 14 years since New York City passed laws transitioning a majority of the responsibility to adequately maintain sidewalks to a “responsible party”. With that transition in responsibility, insurance claims and related costs have also effectively been passed onward. Negligence suits and payments have continually escalated, and have resulted in settlements and judgments from the thousands and in some cases, into the millions of dollars. In addition, many personal injury law firms advertise that they’ll only charge if they win, so plaintiffs have nothing to lose. Another common practice is to claim to be unsure of where exactly the plaintiff fell, which means that any deficiency or crack that is found could potentially be used against the defendant (you). Your Responsibility According to the law, failure to maintain such sidewalk in a reasonably safe condition shall include, but not be limited to, the negligent failure to install, construct, reconstruct, repave, repair or replace defective sidewalk flags and the negligent failure to remove snow, ice, dirt or other material from the sidewalk. The city requires that the designated “responsible party” install, reinstall, construct, reconstruct, repave or repair

Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President,

only those sidewalk flags which contain a substantial defect. Within the New York City Code: 19-152 Duties and Obligations of Property Owners with Respect to Sidewalks and Lots, there is a list of 9 common definitions of a “substantial defect”, with which responsible parties should be familiar. Per these definitions, a trip hazard is usually considered to be ½ inch or greater variation. In most cases, the designated “responsible party” is the property owner; HOWEVER, it has been known that frequently enough, property owners will pass through the responsibility to restaurant owners through risk transfer via the lease agreement. There have been many situations where the restaurant proprietor was not aware that he or she was ultimately responsible to maintain and repair the sidewalk in front of their space until it was too late when a claim and lawsuit was filed against them. Loss Prevention Best Practices It is critical to not only have every signed lease not only reviewed by your attorney, but your insurance broker, to ensure that the indemnification, hold harmless, and other insurance provisions are not tilted towards your business when it comes to maintaining and repairing sidewalks. If your lease is finalized and indeed names you as the responsible party for sidewalk maintenance, it is highly recommended that frequent, documented inspections are conducted to

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identify any of the above defects and corrective measures completed immediately. This procedure is a critical element of loss prevention and can make a significant impact. Security cameras covering sidewalks have also become very popular and useful tools, as the price of this equipment continues to decline. Cameras that are recorded and monitored allow restaurant owners to investigate claims when they are reported, and they provide a snapshot of sidewalk conditions at the time of the alleged incident’s occurrence. However, many DVR type systems have limited memory storage, typically 60-90 days maximum, though this is growing. Therefore, it is critical to save footage from any reported incident, to preserve in the event of legal action or insurance claim. Lastly, many restaurants have cellar access hatches that are located on busy sidewalks. Claims and lawsuits where pedestrians have fallen through open hatches have been in the millions in many cases. This is a serious exposure and restaurants should do their best to schedule deliveries when pedestrian traffic is at a minimum. In addition, adequate signage, and physical barriers should be placed out whenever hatches are being accessed. Some restaurants on busy streets have even gone as far as putting a staff member outside to direct pedestrians and ensure that they avoid the hazard.

HUB International Northeast., where he specializes in providing insurance brokerage services to the restaurant industry. As a 20-year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Bob has worked with a wide array of restaurant and food service businesses, ranging from fast-food chains to upscale, “white tablecloth” dining establishments. For more information, please visit www.hubfiorito.com.

Chris Dunlap, MS, ABCP, ARM-E, CFPS, CLCS, serves as Vice President and Senior Risk Consultant with HUB International’s Risk Services Division. In this role, he coordinates risk management, safety and loss prevention solutions for HUB’s clients. Chris can be reached at 908-790-6883 or by email at chris.dunlap@hubinternational.com.

Final Thoughts We understand that running a successful restaurant is extremely challenging, and often the last thing owners want to think about is insurance. However, failure to protect oneself from sidewalk liability risks (especially in New York City), can have major consequences that result in huge insurance premium increases, thus impacting already compressed margins, and ultimately the viability of your restaurant.

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 11

MEET THE NEWSMAKER

Mike Hewitt, Principal, One Haus One Haus Helping Operators Find, and Hold On To, Good People

t’s hard enough to find good people. But how about retaining them? One Haus can help you with both. “We work with operators who are either opening a new restaurant or making some changes in leadership – the chef or GM is leaving, and if you’re a new spot, you might not even have one of these key roles in place yet. We find strong operators the restaurant needs,” said the firm’s Principal and Headhunter, Mike Hewitt “and then we help you hold on to them. We source and place top talent.” The recruiting company handles salaried positions. “Anything from floor manager, sous chef, all the way up to corporate,” he added. “We ask how they operate, make sure we understand what parameters matter to them, who the ideal candidate would be. We’re actually more proactive than reactive. I like to call it, ‘cherry picking out of the field.’” What One Haus does is identify exactly what type of professional restaurants are looking for. “We are in the hand-holding business of delivering the right candidates. And what makes us different is that we’ve even hired a retention specialist who provides services post- hire, which is kind of unique,” Hewitt noted. The recruiting company is about finding staff, but its recent focus is on retention, a critical issue in the industry. “Our retention specialists are helping the candidate through the first 100 days making sure that they are trained correctly, onboarded cor-

I felt we needed to adapt to the changing times. Operators have a shrinking bottom line. I wanted to be more valuedriven, which is the essence of One Haus.” rectly, create or improve job descriptions for the search. Any issues as far as communication between a client and a candidate, if there’s some friction, we can mediate between them. So we’re essentially supporting and really setting up the new hire for success.” According to Hewitt, traditionally head hunting has been very transactional. “Here’s a chef. There’s my money-goodbye. Call us when you need another….. What we’re trying

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to do is keep our foot in the door. Extend our relationship with these clients and create a more value-driven relationship, show our commitment to them. We’re really an extension of the H.R. Department, leaving it better than how we found it.” Hewitt said he hires according to personality, character traits and background. “I’ll find someone and say, she’s an incredible leader and she’s a natural, she’ll fit in very well here. I really don’t care where they come from. What’s more important to me is their love for the culinary arts and hospitality. The New York metro area actually happens to be a pretty cool hotbed of culinary talent. So it works.” He pointed out that it’s a risk-reward endeavor. “We spend a lot of time with someone and some times, they don’t work out, for whatever reason. We find a lot of times its really going back to the client. Sometimes it’s because they’re just not organized, they’re not setting them up correctly. They’re not giving them the tools. It’s almost like the ‘good luck’ kind. Sometimes, a week or two later we uncover, or realize ‘What the heck, this guy’s not going to make it.’ That’s

Mike Hewitt, Principal, One Haus

where proactively we go in, work with our clients and see exactly what’s going on and how we can prescribe a solution.” Hewitt said he came up with the idea for a recruitment and retention company because he noticed that the industry has been changing. “I felt we needed to adapt to the changing times. Operators have a shrinking bottom line. I wanted to be more value-driven, which is the essence of what One Haus really is.” Along with Empowered Hospitality Principal Sarah Diehl, we devised a program that adds value, not an extra cost to the client, to improve long term results. Hewitt stipulated certain

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July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 13

BECKER ON E&S SERVICE

Building A Food Safety Strategy For Your Cool Side

very day, leaders face many risk factors in the management of their restaurant and foodservice operations. Whether it is financial, human capital, safety or facilities related, these risks create distractions that dilute a leader’s ability to focus on the core vision of their restaurant or foodservice establishment. Having spent over 20 years in the foodservice industry, I have been on the front lines and led teams who have had to manage what can sometimes feel like a potential tidal wave of risk. Great leaders understand the value in proactively mitigating risks enabling them to focus on their vision. In order to achieve this vision, constant change is inevitable which is brought on by a level of currentstate dissatisfaction. During my career, an area that I have seen greatly improve is in the accountability surrounding food safety. I think back to behavior changes involved with the initial battles of holding a staff accountable to consistently filling out a log to visiting operations and being surprised not to find a detailed tracking mechanism in place. Many of us have experienced the loss of product as result of our refrigeration failing. Financially, this is a material risk that all operators face. After a personal experience that I had, I began looking into preventa-

This preventative maintenance approach enabled me to effectively minimize this risk category while improving my total cost of ownership. tive maintenance for my refrigeration equipment. I was greatly dissatisfied with the financial outcome of this loss and knew that I needed to create a change. This preventative maintenance approach enabled me to effectively minimize this risk category while improving my total cost of ownership. Operators play a part in this process too and should be aware of the following key areas when maintaining their refrigeration: Pan Chillers: Theses units are not designed to actually chill a product, but instead limit temperature loss. When utilizing this equipment, it is important that products are already chilled to the appropriate temperature, have a product rotation schedule and actively record temperatures of products stored in these units. Airscreen Coolers: The majority of these units have bottom-mounted condensing units and are placed

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in high traffic areas. This creates an increased build-up of dust and dirt causing the units not to run optimally. It is important for staff to inspect and clean these areas, however preventative maintenance is important for this equipment to run optimally. Reach-In Coolers: Many of these units have top-mounted condensers. In locations with limited storage, I have seen operators use sheet pans to cover the tops and store products above these units. This causes a strain on the condenser due to a lack of airflow. Walk-In Coolers/ Freezers: These units should never be used as blast chillers, or to greatly cool down products at a rapid pace. This will have an adverse impact on the equipment as the steam creates condensation, which will create ice on the back of evaporator coils and fan blades causing the compressor to strain. When chilling large quan-

Jeff Becker is the VP-Sales & Branch Development, Day & Nite / All Service. Prior to joining the company he served in several roles with Aramark. You can forward service questions to him at jbecker@dayniteall.com.

tities, an ice bath or blast chiller is the appropriate process. Whether it is cleaning gaskets, the visual inspection of ice bins or thermometer calibration, there are a number of additional activities that operators should take to greatly minimize their risk in this category. As industry leaders, I believe that there is a responsibility to your teams and your customers to provide the safest and most efficient operating environments in order to deliver on your stated vision. I look forward to continuing this discussion next month as I focus on ideas that will help provide you with a vision for better outcomes for your kitchen equipment.

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NEWS

EXPANSION

DC Based &pizza Enters NYC Market With Community Conscious Promotion

pizza, the Washington, D.C.-based brand known for its critically-acclaimed pizza, craft beverages, ampersand-tattooed employees (known as the “Tribe”), hyper-local charity partnerships, and commitment to conscious community made its NYC debut last month. An anti-establishment establishment, &pizza is more than just a pizza shop-it’s an experience punctuated by localized store design, murals created by regional artists, high-energy music, and a Tribe of dedicated team members. Each of &pizza’s 22 outposts in D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City, is a reflection of the culture and people that inhabit the neighborhood. The &pizza New York City shop is located at 15 West 28th Street in NoMad, centered north of Madison Square Park and walking distance from Penn Station and the Empire State Building. The new location embraces the fast-paced, magnetic force of the city that never sleeps. With its unique combination of rich history and vibrant, bustling modernity, the NoMad neighborhood is the perfect home for the inaugural NYC shop, which will exemplify the brand values of unity, connection, and inclusion. This will be the company’s twenty-second shop and first location in co-founder, CEO, and creative director Michael Lastoria’s hometown. “The idea for &pizza was born in an

By partnering with Little Giantssmall, like-minded brands and organizations that are doing big things in their communities-&pizza is always looking to elevate the experience by offering creative twists on familiar classics. art studio in West Chelsea, so the opportunity to bring the fully-realized concept back to its start is pretty rad,” says Lastoria. “The pizza community in NYC is strong and we look forward to adding some new flavor into the mix.” Simply put, &pizza is a different kind of pizza shop, where experience is the focal point and speed and quality are never compromised. &pizza is known for its unique, oblong-shaped pizzas that are made with high quality ingredients and bake in under 2 minutes. For just about $11, guests can either craft their own individual pie with unlimited toppings or choose from 9 signature pizzas-“The Hits.” From the Maverick (for meat lovers) and the egg-topped Farmer’s Daughter (breakfast with a kick) to the Pineapple Jack (a twist on the classic Hawaiian) and the Salad Pizza (a new way to go green), each option offers a bold flavor profile and can easily be further customized. The brand part-

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ners with local suppliers called “Little Giants” to collaborate on innovative menu offerings that span a variety of food and beverage categories, including their signature craft fountain &SODA and small batch &TEA. By partnering with Little Giantssmall, like-minded brands and organizations that are doing big things in their communities-&pizza is always looking to elevate the experience by offering creative twists on familiar classics. To celebrate their first NYC shop opening the brand is excited to introduce NYC-based partners into

the collective like their Cereal Milk Cream Soda collaboration with Milk Bar, Christina Tosi’s award-winning bakery known for playfully addictive premium treats, as well as Brooklynbased Mike’s Hot Honey, a new “drizzle” that guests can use to finish their pie with some sweet heat. &pizza will continue to add NYC-based partners and menu offers to the arsenal over time. &pizza’s award-winning hyper local shop design philosophy is grounded in a clean black and white aesthetic and powered by a set of creative Little Giants. Mixed media art installations by famed muralist Tony Rubin and graffiti artist Bisco Smith will punctuate the space while employing angular visual nods to the neighboring Flatiron building. The NoMad shop’s interior architecture was designed by Jeffrey White of Ecology Architecture Urbanism (The Garret, Chillhouse) with an intent on using familiar New York materials in unique and unexpected ways - from custom cut subway tiles, overlapping linear LED lights, and exposed steel columns to a “floating” communal table. Since 2012, &pizza has been fueling the communities it serves through its charitable arm, &CHARITY. It has supported over 1,000 organizations since the program’s inception. As the Tribe grows, &pizza continues to deliver on its community commitment by hosting fundraiser nights and Buy One, Give One campaigns.

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FAITHFUL FOOD WITH FAITH HOPE CONSOLO Shout It From The Rooftops: Sky-High Spirits

evermind the beaches, summer in the City can be fabulous! Enjoy a cocktail with breathtaking views and elegant cuisine. Escape the heat and savor rooftop refinery. Bask in the glorious breeze on a penthouse terrace. Here are some of the summer’s swankiest spots. Bar SixtyFive at Rainbow Room 30 Rockefeller Plaza SixtyFive offers cocktails and small bites with spectacular views of the

Faith Hope Consolo is the Chairman

Empire State Building and Central Park from the 65th floor of Rockefeller Center. Located adjacent to the Rainbow Room, this is a more casual venue than the iconic restaurant which debuted in 1934. Bookmarks Rooftop Lounge at The Library Hotel 299 Madison Avenue The New York Public Library and Grand Central Station are on display from the open terrace at this gorgeous bar on the 14th floor of The Library

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Hotel. The ambiance evokes a private penthouse and literary- themed cocktails are offered on the menu. Even when the weather is chilly, you can still enjoy this after – work drink scene from inside its enclosed rooftop greenhouse. Cantina Rooftop 605 W. 48th Street From high above Hell’s Kitchen overlooking the Hudson River on the rooftop of Stage 48, enjoy cocktails, dancing and modern Mexican cui-

of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group. Ms. Consolo is responsible for the most successful commercial division of New York City’s largest residential real estate brokerage firm. Email her at fconsolo@elliman.com

sine from Executive Chef Gonzalo Colin who spent a year traveling to 30 cities in Mexico to bring the best flavors and dishes back to NYC. The indoor/outdoor terrace with a retract-

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NEWS

SPECIAL EVENTS

Loughran Takes Reigns Of Urban Expositions’ Restaurant and Foodservice Shows

rban Exposition, a division of Clarion Events, has announced the appointment of Tom Loughran as Show Director for the company’s three restaurant and foodservice events. Tom will work closely with the New York, California and Florida restaurant association partners in developing outstanding trade shows and conferences for the exhibitors and attendees who include restaurant owners and chefs of independent and chain restaurants as well as commercial and industrial foodservice operations. Loughran is an 18-year veteran of the trade show industry and most recently had been managing events in the vision and gaming industries. Before joining the trade show industry, Loughran served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps, and is a graduate of Army Ranger School. He is a veteran of Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Operation Sea Angel, a humanitarian relief effort in Bangladesh. “We are thrilled to welcome Tom to the Restaurant and Foodservice group of shows at Urban Expositions where he will use customer insight to develop features and events to drive event importance and satisfaction. His extensive background in the trade show industry will be a

We are thrilled to welcome Tom to the Restaurant and Foodservice group of shows at Urban Expositions where he will use customer insight to develop features and events to drive event importance and satisfaction. His extensive background in the trade show industry will be a great asset to our team,” said Mike Carlucci, senior vice president for Urban Expositions specialty events portfolio. great asset to our team,” said Mike Carlucci, senior vice president for Urban Expositions specialty events portfolio. “Tom has experience in all aspects of a tradeshow including sales, marketing, conference, finance and operations and brings invaluable experience of working with association partners to create market-leading events.” The three events Tom will be responsible for are: • The Western Foodservice & Hos-

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pitality Expo taking place August 27-29, 2017 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Visit www.westernfoodexpo.com. • The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show taking place September 10-12, 2017 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. Visit www.flrestaurantandlodgingshow.com. • The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York taking place March 4-6, 2018 at the

Tom Loughran, Show Director for Urban Expositions’ three restaurant and foodservice events

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July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 21

C-CAP TRADE TALK WITH JOYCE APPELMAN C-CAP Announces Gohan Society Awards Chef Betty Pena A Culinary Exchange Scholarship to Japan

areers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) is proud to announce that with the support of Korin Knives and the Gohan Society, our graduate, Betty Pena, the Sous Chef at Pig and Khao in New York City, was awarded a twoweek scholarship to Japan to explore Japanese culture and cuisine. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to fulfill my passion for Japanese culture and further my influence in the industry by learning authentic cooking techniques and exploring the food culture in Japan,” says Betty Pena, a graduate of the C-CAP New York program, who previously received a half-tuition scholarship from C-CAP to attend The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “C-CAP has supported my career since the very beginning, and I am grateful to them, Korin Knives, The Gohan Society for this special scholarship.” The Gohan Society has partnered with C-CAP for the third year, selecting an alum for the U.S.-Japan Culinary Exchange Chefs Scholarship Program, an 11-day all-expense-paid culinary cultural exchange program designed to expand a C-CAP Alum’s interest in Japanese cuisine and culture and to learn authentic cooking techniques that can be applied and taught to their respective kitchens. Chef Pena will travel with four chefs from the U.S. to Tokyo and Ishikawa

Joyce Appelman, is the National Communications Director for CCAP, Careers through Culinary Arts Program in New York, NY. She has been instrumental in opening career opportunities for many young people

Prefecture, where they will study Japanese cuisine and learn cooking techniques and new ingredients from highly skilled Japanese chefs. She will Stage at a Japanese restaurant, experience the hospitality at a traditional ryokan (inn), and witness the famous Tsukiji Market tuna auction. “I began The Gohan Society in 2005 to serve as a resource for knowledge of traditional Japanese ingredients, cooking, and food preparation techniques,” says Saori Kawano, founder of The Gohan Society and president of Korin Japanese Trading Corporation. “Our mission was then and still is to be a catalyst for the expansion of that knowledge in the United States. With the support of generous chefs, dedicated food professionals, manufacturers, organizations, and individuals, The Gohan Society continues to offer master classes for chefs, lectures on Japanese tools and ingredients, workshops for high school students, culi-

Chef Betty Pena

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nary classes for the public, and scholarships for chefs to study in Japan.” Past C-CAP Alumni scholarship recipients include: 2015 Damien Niotis, sushi chef, Matsuhisa in Vail, Colorado; 2016 Brother Luck, owner/chef, Four by Brother Luck in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “C-CAP has taught me that everyone deserves a chance. No matter where you come from or how much your family makes, you should be able to reach your goals,” says Betty Pena. Betty Pena’s family moved five times before she started high school and settled in the Bronx. Through C-CAP, Betty participated in our culinary enrichment program at her high school, Christopher Columbus High School, completed the C-CAP Summer Job Training Program with an internship at Cafe Grey, and received a C-CAP half-tuition scholarship to The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA. Betty has gone on to a wonderful career and has worked at impressive spots, such as Dos Caminos in Soho, A Voce Columbus, and Lexington Brass under C-CAP alum, Chef Cesar Gutierrez. She worked for Chef Daniel Boulud at the prestigious Restaurant Daniel dominating the pasta scene before taking on the role as Sous Chef at the highly rated Pig and Khao restaurant known for its creative Filipino-Thai-accented South

in the foodservice industry. Email her at joyceappelman@gmail.com

East Asian fare and specialty drinks. Led by chef Marcus Samuelsson as board co-chair, Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) transforms the lives of underserved high school students around the country by helping them pursue their culinary dreams. C-CAP, founded by culinary educator Richard Grausman, prepares talented teens for college and careers in the restaurant and hospitality industry through its enrichment program including job training, paid internships, scholarships, and college and career advising. For more information, visit www.ccapinc.org. The Gohan Society’s mission is to foster an understanding and appreciation in the United States of Japan’s culinary heritage through outreach to chefs, culinary arts professionals, and all who admire and enjoy Japanese culture. The Society is committed to the principles of cultural and gastronomic education and exchange and believes that by inspiring chefs, restaurateurs, journalists, and food lovers both professional and amateur through such educational initiatives, they will expand and enrich their repertoires, their artistry and their cultural understanding. For more information, visit http://gohansociety.org.

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 23

NEWS

DINING SERVICES

UConn Dining Takes Top National Honors With Innovative Recipe

or the third consecutive year, a specialty recipe developed by UConn Dining Services has received first-place honors from a nationwide organization of collegiate food service providers. “We pride ourselves on doing everything possible to support sustainability, especially local agriculture. We are now the largest user of Connecticut-grown produce in the state,” said UConn’s Robert Landolphi. This year’s recipe, a bibimbap steak and egg burrito, won the gold medal for Best Local Foods Recipe from the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) in the organization’s 2017 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards. Dining Services will be honored this month by the association for that award, along with the bronze medal it also won this year in the Residential Dining Concepts category for the Putnam Refectory dining hall’s renovation. NACUFS and other groups have consistently honored UConn over the years for the quality of its food, including locally sourced, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and other specialty offerings. Last year, Dining Services won the NACUFS gold medal for 2016 Best Vegan Recipe for its “Not so Crabby Vegan Crab Cakes with Remoulade Dressing,” which uses hearts of palm to emulate the texture and flavor of

The entries submitted by the various NACUFS institutions showcase some of the best trends and ideas in college and university dining service programs across the country.” crab. In 2015, Dining Services also brought home top honors in the Best Local Foods Recipe with a gold medal for its sweet potato gnocchi, made with eight different local ingredients. The bibimbap steak and egg burrito that earned UConn Dining Services its gold medal this year is a mixed-rice dish – as suggested by “bibimbap,” the Korean word for the phrase - with ingredients that come from on-campus sources or farms in the region. It’s a popular offering at the Food for Thought food truck, which is often parked in front of the Homer Babbidge Library during the academic year. Unlike most bibimbap dishes served in bowls, UConn is a hand-held wrapped version so it is easy for students to eat while walking across campus after buying it at the truck. Dining Services has increased its purchases of Connecticut-grown food by 35 percent in the past few years, having established strong relationships with local farmers and the pro-

24 • July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

duce distributor who informs those farmers before the growing season when prices can be locked in of the specific items that the University will want to buy. “We pride ourselves on doing everything possible to support sustainability, especially local agriculture,” said Robert Landolphi, UConn’s culinary operations manager. “We are now the largest user of Connecticut-grown produce in the state, and have begun purchasing as much livestock from local farms as possible.” Dining Services serves about 185,000 meals a week at its eight dining halls at the Storrs campus, and also operates a network of cafés on campus, a food court, and a fine dining restaurant, Chuck & Augie’s. One of those eight dining halls, Putnam Refectory, won this year’s bronze medal in the NACUFS awards in the Residential Dining Concepts category for its recent renovation and expansion.

The dining hall also has what are known as “Living Grow Walls,” two areas where more than 100 varieties of herbs are grown under artificial sunlight and can be added to recipes as they’re being prepared in the kitchen. Each plant is watered with a hose that runs on a timer, making them largely self-sustaining, other than the occasional need for dining hall workers to trim the plants to promote their proper growth. “Putnam’s renovation allows us to provide excellent service and quality to students in an atmosphere that emphasizes the importance of sustainability,” says Dennis Pierce, director of UConn Dining Services. “Many people throughout UConn worked very hard to make this project such a success, and we’re honored that NACUFS has recognized those efforts.” More than 75 colleges and universities across North America competed in six categories in the NACUFS competition this year, and a team of six judges examined each entry carefully and selected the top candidates in each category. “The entries submitted by the various NACUFS institutions showcase some of the best trends and ideas in college and university dining service programs across the country,” says Dawn Hearne, director of dining services at Hendrix College and the NACUFS Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards chair.

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July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 25 10/11/16 14:34

ASK ANDREW

FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE

Nightlife Office at City Hall

he influence of NYC’s nightlife industry on our local economy, culture, soul, music, arts and social fabric is undeniable. The last study conducted found that the city’s nighttime industry generated an economic impact of more than $9.7 billion. Annual attendance at nightlife venues totaled more than three times the attendance of all New York City’s sports teams combined. The nightlife industry, or more aptly referred to as the nighttime economy, is vital to our city. Unfortunately, many in the city’s nightlife industry have felt market pressures hurt their businesses and

have felt targeted by community groups and government as a nuisance, instead of a positive force in our economy and culture. For example, live music venues have been hit hard. A recent study by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment found that 20% of New York City’s small venues closed within the last 15 years due to the rising real estate prices, zoning pressures, increased operating costs and financial risks, noise complaints, and licensing problems. The good news is that the tune being played by city government is changing. Mayor de Blasio’s administration is taking action to

26 • July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

invest in and support our live music scene. And in June, the NYC Hospitality Alliance was proud to testify in support of legislation introduced by City Council Member Rafael Espinal to create an Office of Nightlife within government, a concept supported by Mayor de Blasio administration. The NYC Hospitality Alliance has been urging the creation of a cityrun office for many years that would serve as the intermediary between city agencies, law enforcement, residents and the nightlife indus-

continued on page 116

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.

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July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 27

SEDERHOLT ON RESTAURANT FINANCE

What’s Happening In The Economy?… Look at Lunch!

ubble? Downturn?? Correction?! Really? The Dow and NASDAQ have reached new highs - unemployment is very low and continues to go down. Interest rates are low and the housing market has turned hot again, so what does this all mean for the foodservice industry, the economy and for the future? The Wall Street Journal recently reported that “the U.S. restaurant industry is in a funk” despite other sectors of the economy growing. Seismic shifts in lifestyle, income, shopping habits, confidence in the future have started to take hold and the first place this impacts is often the restaurant industry. Everyone I talk to in the financial world is certain that a “correction” is coming, but they aren’t sure when. Investors are only considering businesses that can perform or survive the proverbial “down cycle”, which isn’t looking particularly great for the foodservice industry these days. And all the money guys are looking for those “leading economic indicators” that will tell them if and when this downslide will begin. I think I have found one. Restaurants have always been looked upon as the canary in the coalmine and a “leading indicator” of what is to come in the rest of the economy. Disruptive changes to many companies and their business models add to uncertainty. As a result we are seeing major shifts in dining habits emerging. Income inequality

Restaurants have always been looked upon as the canary in the coalmine and a “leading indicator” of what is to come in the rest of the economy. Disruptive changes to many companies and their business models add to uncertainty.

David Sederholt is the Chief Operating Officer of Strategic Funding, a leader in small business financing since 2006. Before this, David spent 30 years in the restaurant business and has owned and operated more

is a real issue. This amplifies evidence that the deep declines within moderately priced casual theme restaurants is signaling trouble ahead. Amongst the hardest hit are brands like Applebee’s, Ruby Tuesday’s and Chili’s. These high value populist brands are in a serious decline. QSR concepts are doing better, but still reporting negative numbers. The most telling numbers for me are very tightly focused - LUNCH! No dining segment has taken a bigger beating than lunch over the past 18 months. There are a wide variety of reasons contributing to this massive downslide, but they all tell me that the underlying economic drivers are miss firing signaling greater macroeconomic changes than we anticipated. Many of the restaurants that rely on lunch sales may go the way of the storefront retailers now struggling to stay relevant or even alive in this changing world. Slowed income

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growth; income inequality and the disruptive effects of automation (i.e. displacing thousands of workers in the name of efficiency) is causing unrest in the markets and the workforce. Lunch sales are driven by this machine. According to market-research firm NPD Group Inc., in 2016 - 433 million fewer trips were made to US restaurants at lunchtime than in 2015, resulting in roughly $3.2 billion in lost business. This is the lowest level of lunch traffic in 40 years. This is huge! There is a lot of turmoil in this country and the world. People are protecting their pocketbooks and working hard just incase of an economic downturn. Even Execs aren’t doing the two Martini “Power Lunch” anymore. The ritual of building strong personal relationships with business partners for long term gain, has given way to non-meal related meetings, conference calls or Skype. Millenni-

than a dozen restaurants. As a direct lender, the company offers a variety of financing options and has provided over $1.25 Billion to approximately 20,000 businesses across the United States and Australia.

als just communicate on electronic or social media. The dynamic is completely changing. Some big shifts in work behavior also are at play. More and more people are doing all or a portion of their workweek at home. These telecommuters are highly unlikely to go out and eat lunch the way they did if they went to the office. It is now estimated that over 24% of office workers do a portion of their workweek from home. On the leisure front, the dominance of online shopping has driven people

continued on page 102

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 29

Q&A

EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW

Pat LaFrieda Chief Executive Officer, Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors

at LaFrieda’s first foray into the meat world began in the summer of 1981 at age 10, when he began learning the tricks of the meat trade from sunrise to sundown under the watchful eye of his forefathers. Ironically, Patrick Sr., the 2nd generation of LaFrieda butchers never wanted his son to become a permanent fixture in the business. With the sole intention to teach his son about strong work ethic, Pat Sr. introduced his son (as his father introduced him) to working in a constant 36 degree environment, standing for hours on end, working under the dangers of band saws and knives - all with the hopes that his son would turn around and get an office job. Fortunately, for the restaurants of New York, his plan backfired. With only five employees and 40 customers, Pat hit the streets and started selling the brand that has won him accolades within the New York community including, New York Magazine, which dubbed Pat “the magician of meat.” Today, LaFrieda Meats boasts an impressive one thousand customers and is rapidly growing. The business runs seven days a week, around the clock. That unmatched LaFrieda work ethic not only gained notoriety but earned respect; so much respect that in 2003 New York City renamed the street where the shop was located to Pat LaFrieda Lane after the first generation of LaFrieda meat men. Selling to the finest restaurants around the country including Man-

hall, The Pennsy, located just above Penn Station and in the shadow of Madison Square Garden. The quick service location offers made-to-order signature sandwiches as well as graband-go food and drink items.

Pat LaFrieda, Chief Executive Officer, Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors

hattan, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, D.C., Miami and Chicago, Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors is synonymous with quality. Famous for their “chopped” not ground meat, Pat has created over 50 custom hamburger blends and is the mastermind behind such burgers as the famous “Black Label Burger” at Minetta Tavern, as well as signature custom blends at hot spots such as Shake Shack, Spotted Pig, Union Square Café, Blue Smoke and Market Table. Pat has moved on to be a media ce-

30 • July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

lebrity. In 2012 LaFrieda Meats marked another milestone for the family business when they opened their first retail location at Citi Field – the home of the New York Mets – with a Pat LaFrieda Original Filet Mignon Steak Sandwich kiosk. But it didn’t end there with the Mets opening. In fall 2014, Atria Books published Pat’s comprehensive, photo-laden first book, Meat: Everything You Need to Know. In January 2015, Pat opened his first brick-and-mortar at high-end food

Please share some of the history of your company. Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors is a third generation meat supplier to America’s best restaurants in the country. We service approximately fifteen hundred establishments, six days a week. Our company recently celebrated its one-hundredth year in business. Who were/are the visionaries behind the company? LaFrieda Meats was started by my grandfather, Pat LaFrieda the first, and his brother Lou, who both learned the trade from my great-grandfather, Anthony LaFrieda. My father, Pat the second, starting working there when he was 12 and eventually took over the business. I took over from my father in 1994. Each generation of LaFriedas has immensely contributed something to further the business. If it wasn’t for all the knowledge and faith of my Fathers, I’d never be able to reach where I have. Danny Meyer once told our publisher that he sent you to Scotland a couple of years ago to fix the beef for the London Shake Shacks? How did you accomplish that challenge? London’s Shake Shack wasn’t doing well at all with customers or the press,

mainly because the meat was just horrible and the burgers just did not taste the same. I went out there and worked with British butcher Randy Garutti. It was definitely a culture shock as they paid no attention to the chopping of the beef, and one of the most flavorful parts, the flatiron, was being cut out. There was a difference in feeding with their cows too that made for leaner beef with less intramuscular fat. So we added the flatiron back in to the cut and adjusted the amount of fat, which ultimately brought the taste closer to the US Shake Shack ideal. Luckily, I was able to fix it in a day and return home. So how do you read the world’s marketplace for beef? We hear about the Chinese and Japanese buying all of the quality top Lobster. Is there similar demand in the beef marketplace? The demand will only grow with population growth. China is already short on beef and they’ve been using American product through a black market for a while so that will only grow. Is that a good thing that had led to the $20 plus burger?

Pat LaFrieda is hands on when it comes to R&D for his many clients

No, the $20 plus burger is neither good or bad, it’s simply what quality costs. What do you attribute the growth of healthier eating and beef consumption and the bad rap that once accompanied beef? It’s the purest form of protein. Sadly, it still has the same bad reputation. Just last year, the Journal of Internal Medicine published a piece about how eating red meat was carcinogenic, but what the focus was really on was red processed meat. Every day we continue to work with these hurdles.

(L to R) Mark Pastore, Pat LaFrieda Sr., and Pat LaFrieda Jr. guide the fortunes of the iconic Jersey based company.

I suppose it could be said that Pat LaFreida may in fact be responsible for pushing McDonald’s out of the frozen beef business last month? Your thoughts on what this says? I don’t suppose that, however, we have set the standard for quality in chopped beef and burgers. Over the past few years, you’ve moved into the restaurant business yourself. What were your goals for moving into retail? Has it helped give you a different perspective of your customer’s needs? We actually have turned down countless offers to open restaurants. We only own and operate one, located outside Madison Square Garden at The Pennsy. Event spaces like the US Open and Citi Field are great places for the public to sample our product. Yes, it definitely has helped give a different perspective because there is more exposure of the brand and we are learning how to give our product to customers in a different way and a different location than we ever have before. Talk about your team including the omni-present Mark Pastore. How they have helped you accomplish your goals? Mark is absolutely amazing in sales. He is very charismatic and what

The LaFrieda’s new restaurant outlets at the Pennsy in Manhattan and Citi Field in Queens feature delicacies including the Original LaFrieda Steak Sandwich (above).

he does is an art. He works all day and at night goes out to restaurants, taking clients out and networking constantly. As for the rest of the team, one of the most important things about our business is credit terms and giving or not giving a restaurant a certain amount of credit. Rosa Gomez who runs our accounts receivable has been with me for 14 years and has completely turned around that department. Quality control is also important and Elvira Cunha has really brought it to another level that’s beyond just the USDA. This underscores our dedication to quality and consistency. We also have seen your booth at the US Open Tennis. How do concession needs different from restaurant needs? We deliver a lot of product in a very

short amount of time at the US Open. It’s the most prestigious sports event in the country and turns into two and a half weeks of chaos for us. But it’s so worth it. You’ve also brilliantly negotiated the ability to collaborate with competitors like broad line distributors. Why and how are you able to accomplish what can be such a tricky challenge? US Foods does a great job distributing our products and is a great partner. You had the opportunity to write a book last year. What were your goals for what you wanted to share with your readers? I truly wanted to make a guide for the subject matter because I felt that

continued on page 32

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 31

Q&A Pat LaFrieda, from page 31 it didn’t exist in a way that was easily translated and understood. It took awhile to find someone who would do this in a way that I wanted. Photography was so important and was really a huge aspect of the book that I wanted to get in front of my readers. Who are some of the truly creative “burger-artisans” in Metro New York? Paul Denamiel and his French Onion Burger is amazing. Both Angie Mar at Beatrice Inn and Josh Capon at Burger and Barrel did some phenomenal things with truffles for their burgers.

fal. The fear is that long term they are going to be “drinking our milkshake” by taking all of our live animals. That’s where it gets a little iffy with raised and grazed in the US because we’ve always said it should be here, but since we’ll have a deficit we’ll need to take in younger animals from other countries. Why don’t we start to flip these farms back to the US and actually have something to trade? With an additional 1.4 billion con-

It’s a tough question for sure, but what are your thoughts on the impossible burger? In my honest opinion, I tried it with my mother, who is a vegetarian and we really liked it. So much so that I asked to be the distributor. Regarding the flavor, a lot has to do with how the restaurant prepares it, and that is really the key. But that’s not what allures me to be the distributor. We are very forward thinkers here. If population growth continues at this rate, we won’t have enough beef and we will need alternative sources of protein and that’s what this is. We have to feed the people and that’s what we do. So we are absolutely all for it. What are your thoughts on the recent trade deal with China? China bought our largest pork producer in the country, Smithfield about five years ago. This recent trade deal is not surprising since there is only one reason to buy our largest pork producer — so they can supply themselves. A lot of American beef has been consumed in China via Hong Kong then black marketed into China. This has legalized the whole process now. Short term, it’s great… they are offering a lot of offal and they can get a premium for that. That’s positive because it’ll bring down the price of burgers and anything that isn’t of32 • July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

sumers that have gone from locked to open, what does this mean for U.S. Meat Purveyors? Again, short term it lowers the price, and long-term, beef as a whole will go up. Thoughts on the original ban in 2003, due to the spread of mad cow disease? It was absolutely justified. This was a time when we had no country of origin, so when there was MCD, everyone was looking at the US but

it was in fact, from Canada. But we weren’t telling them. That’s why there is a lawsuit against the US because we started to brand the meat according to what country it’s from. We lost that, but that is a big mistake. In the long run, maybe the bipartisan debate was right? However, we need to keep traceability. That’s why it’s very important to know there is a split… 30 months and younger, there will be no MCD, 30

continued on page 34

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 33

Q&A Pat LaFrieda, from page 32 months and older, there is a possibility you’ll find it. That’s concerning since that is where fast food companies, prisons, and school systems get their meat. It’s less expensive because they use older bulls and old milking cows. Will the Chinese consumers finally have access to Pat LaFrieda beef? Yes, I guess they would. I would love for some of those dollars to go the other way. We saw it happen in the Middle East and it’d be nice to see it in China. Are we finally done with the age of organic? It will just naturally die since it doesn’t make any fiscal sense. It has been appreciating but has been replaced with terms like grass fed, and all natural (no growth hormones, etc.). Is the all-natural approach going to

become standard for the industry? Yes I believe so. Does organic have a taste profile? Not anymore than commodity or all-natural beef. Wanted to get your thoughts on upcoming trends that you think are in the pipeline? Beef Jerky is growing in leaps and bounds, since it’s shelf stable protein. Home delivery of foods to include meats is another fast growing industry that’s not going to stop. We are seeing it with meal-kits, and I love this platform but livery wars are the next big battle. Who can deliver the cheapest, fastest and best food? We aren’t lazy, just really busy, so the idea that someone will deliver this high quality food is very substantial. What is your read on where the city’s

34 • July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

restaurant industry is heading? I’m nervous to be honest. With wages getting higher, I think that the public is starting to understand that these wage laws are affecting the prices. There are lots of new restaurants popping up; I mean look at all of Hudson Yards. There is no way that NYC restaurants can live by indigenous New Yorkers themselves. It’s the bridge & tunnel folks. And sadly, it’s getting harder and harder to park in the city so coming in to eat is getting harder and harder. Restaurants need X amount of consumers every night and if they aren’t going to get it, they aren’t going to survive. Everyone needs to really think of a way to get commuters in and out for dinner. Look at Brooklyn. They had these issues too so they decided to open up their own restaurants, which are amazing. That’s a few million less potential consumers every night. We are seeing this spreading to the outer

areas a lot now - Harlem, Queens, etc. Every time someone from the parking commission wants to impose another fine on cars coming in to the city, it’s going to affect all businesses including restaurants. What trend do you want to be gone more than anything? Well, flea markets that sell food since I feel it’s very unorganized and doesn’t seem very hygienic. Another trend I’d like to be gone is - and this is very controversial - but food trucks need to be regulated and not just able to park anywhere. I have numerous restaurant friends who are tax paying citizens with a brick and mortar, and it’s not fair to them to take their customers in this way. They should all just be lined up after big events, maybe at city parks. Places where it’s harder to get to brick and mortar restaurants.

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 35

SCOOP New Home For Satay Legend’s Second Unit

Stratis Morfogen is determined to make satay a staple of Metro New Yorker’s diets.

SCOOP notes a new chain of eateries that served its satays at upscale restaurants is aiming to “democratize” the dish by opening an outpost in Gansevoort Market, as well as two more in Brooklyn and Queens. Skinny’s Satay opened its first location inside the food hall on West 14th Street, near Eighth Avenue, early last month. It will open two other outposts inside the Queens Center Mall and at the Empire Stores in DUMBO in July and September, respectively. All three locations will serve the “addictive and high-quality culinary satay product originally made famous by restaurateur Stratis Morfogen,” who founded upscale Upper East Side restaurant Philippe Chow, co-owns Chelsea’s Jue Lan Club and is reportedly opening a sports bar called Mr. Big Shot with Knicks player Carmelo Anthony. Satays will range in price from $3.50 for a single chicken skewer to $9.25 for a lobster skewer. “The gluten-free satays created by our chefs for the past 20 years have only been available to a select clientele,” Morfogen said. “We created Skinny’s Satay with the aim of serving the other 99 percent so that they can enjoy this special product in a quick service environment.”

NYC Pop-Up Celebrating Boulud Air France Collaboration Scoop notes Paris for Dessert, the pop-up, ran over five days, last month and took inspiration from Air France’s long legacy of working with top Michelinstarred chefs to create onboard menus. Throughout 36 • July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

INSIDER NEWS

FROM METRO NYC’S FOODSERVICE SCENE

Paris for Dessert’s five nights, guests were treated to a tasting menu designed by chef Daniel Boulud. Guests were asked to arrive with a passport and packed suitcase because each night one lucky couple won an instant takeoff to Paris to experience a twonight culinary adventure that includes round trip business class flights, a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant at Saint James Paris and a two-night stay at a Marriott hotel. Stéphane Ormand, vice president and general manager at Air France-KLM USA said: “Air France is proud of its role as an ambassador of French cuisine. We believe that the culinary adventure to France and beyond should begin with in-flight dining.” When Air France last year announced a partnership with chef Daniel Boulud to create menus for business and first class meals on routes from the U.S. to Paris, we wondered if passengers hopping the Atlantic were in for the best in-flight meal ever.

Legendary NYC toque Daniel Boulud is the visionary behind Air France’s cuisine

Born and raised near Lyon, France, Boulud made it big with his first New York restaurant, Daniel, in the 1990s, and now, the Michelin-starred and James Beard award-winning chef heads a culinary empire of restaurants, catering, cookbooks, private label wines, and even his own brand of whole smoked salmon. Cooking for the skies is a fresh frontier for Boulud, but his obsession with presenting only the best of French cuisine has been successful in the sky as on the ground, and the Air France partnership just entered its second year.

Montefiore Grants Inaugural Corporate Excellence Award For Partnership In Health to Walgreens/Duane Reade and Jetro Cash & Carry

(L-R) Amanda Parsons, M.D., M.B.A., VP Community & Population Health, Montefiore Health System; Alex Nestico, branch manager, Jetro Cash & Carry; Elizabeth Spurrell-Huss, L.C.S.W., M.P.H., Population and Community Health, Montefiore Health System; Aneka Wynter, outreach representative, Office of Community & Population Health, Montefiore Health System

Scoop says Montefiore’s Office of Community and Population Health kicked off a new awards program last month, honoring corporations who are taking the lead in improving community health. The first ever Corporate Excellence Award for Partnership in Health goes to Walgreens/Duane Reade and Jetro Cash & Carry for their efforts. The award recognizes business partners who are actively supporting Montefiore’s work to make communities healthier. “We are excited to celebrate Walgreens/Duane Reade and Jetro Cash & Carry,” said Amanda Parsons, M.D., M.B.A., vice president, Community & Population Health. “These organizations are role models for how for-profit entities can achieve their business mission while partnering with healthcare institutions to contribute to the health and wellness of the borough.” Last year, Montefiore’s Office of Community and Population Health partnered with Jetro Cash & Carry to help bodega owners provide healthy and affordable food options for community residents, many of whom have restrictive diets because of diabetes, hypertension and/or obesity.Walgreen’s/

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Scoop, from page 36 Duane Reade worked with the Office of Community & Population Health to organize community flu drives and educational seminars in areas with the greatest need. This resulted in reaching thousands of residents in areas with lower vaccination rates and delivering more than 700 vaccines to this highrisk population. In both cases, these organizations helped Montefiore implement data-driven programs that achieved measurable results for the health of the community. Montefiore’s Corporate Excellence Award for Partnership in Health will be given on an annual basis to companies committed to partnering with Montefiore Health System on community health education and programming initiatives.

Harlem’s Best Fried Chicken Arrives in London Scoop says Red Rooster became a hit in Harlem thanks to chef Marcus Samuelsson’s take on Southern comfort food and became internationally famous because former President Barack Obama was a huge

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Chef Marcus Samuelsson has taken his Red Rooster brand international with a new London opening.

fan. He even held a fundraiser there. Last month the first foreign outpost of Red Rooster opened at the new Curtain Hotel in London’s hip Shoreditch neighborhood. About half the menu will be the same as the New York location: There will still be chicken ’n waffles, fried yard bird and the Obama short ribs a recipe fit for a president. But he’s using some local ingredients and adding dishes to reflect his background, such as Uncle T’s herring. Plus, there will be a taqueria called Tienda Roosteria. Samuelsson,

46, who was born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, became a star early in his career. More than two decades ago, when he was in his early 20s, he earned a three-star review from The New York Times as the chef at Aquavit. Now his brand and marketing empire has expanded to restaurants in Bermuda, Sweden, and Norway, and he’s a regular on shows such as “Chopped” and “Iron Chef America.” Growing up in Sweden, London has always been the big city that you have ambition for. I just felt that East London would do us a level of mystique for me and also for our customers, in that they’ve been to London many times, but mostly on the West Side.

Annoyed NY Chef Bans Fidget Spinners From His Kitchen Scoop says spinning to fall asleep, spinning in the bus, spinning in front of the computer. In just a few weeks’ time, fidget spinners have become like a second appendage for millions of people. But until

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Scoop, from page 38 the day we evolve to have fidget spinners naturally attached to each hand, some professionals are considering the trend to be a major nuisance. And Eric Ripert, the chef at Le Bernardin in New York, is one of them. To show his dismay for the gadgets, the chef of the three-star restaurant tweeted a photo of a fidget spinner displayed in his kitchen with a note reading “Confiscated.” In a restaurant of that caliber, the rules of the kitchen are no laughing matter. Even though fidget spinners are supposed to help people focus and reduce stress, we imagine cooks need both hands to make delicious masterpieces like “Tasmanian Trout with Cucumber Tiger Salad.”

Popular Miami Pastry Chef To Bring Doughnuts To Manhattan Scoop notes The Sugar Factory is teaming up with a popular Miami pastry chef to bring a new generation of inventive and Instagram-worthy doughnuts to Manhattan. The Sugar Factory is partnering with Mi-

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ami pastry chef Max Santiago, who made an instant name for himself at The Salty Donut in Miami. The sweet shop regularly has lines out the door for his unusual inventions, like the maple and bacon doughnut or the mimosa doughnut. Santiago was also the victor of the Cooking Channel’s “Sugar Showdown” reality TV competition. The Sugar Factory’s expansion into doughnut territory, will start with a shop on the Upper West Side, before adding a stall in the Gansevoort Market in Chelsea.

Shake Shack’s Founder Drives Tender Greens East Coast Expansion Scoop notes that Tender Greens wants to give Sweetgreen a run for its money. The Los Angeles-based salad and comfort-food chain just announced its first outpost on the East Coast, located in New York City’s Union Square neighborhood. The expansion has been in the works since 2015, when Tender Greens received a minority investment from

Danny Meyer, the founder of Shake Shack and CEO of one of the most successful restaurant groups in New York. The chain, founded in 2006, has 25 locations in California. In 2016, it made over $80 million in sales and company executives say annual revenue is growing 20% year-over-year. In 2015, Shake Shake founder Danny Meyer said that he visited a tiny California salad chain and loved the idea so much “that I wish I’d thought of it myself.” Meyer’s restaurant company, The Union Hospitality Group, made an investment of an undisclosed sum in Tender Greens its first time taking stake in an outside concept.

McDonald’s Teams With Uber To Launch Tri-State Delivery Scoop says first, there was all-day breakfast. Now, in McDonald’s latest move to free us from the conventional constraints of time and place, the fast food restaurant has expanded its McDelivery service to the tri-state area. Customers can

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Scoop, from page 40 now order from about 300 of the approximately 600 McDonald’s restaurants in four boroughs of New York City (sorry, Staten Island), plus Nassau and Westchester counties, as well as Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties in New Jersey and Connecticut’s Fairfield County. Though McDonald’s has its own app for advance ordering and mobile pay, the McDelivery service is run by UberEATS. Orders can be placed online or through the UberEATS app, which charges a booking fee - an interesting proposition for a brand that’s struggled with introducing premium menu items. The full menu is available, with the exception of soft-serve ice cream cones. Don’t they know it’s almost summer? Restaurant delivery is a $100 billion business, and McDonald’s has been experimenting with various services since January, starting with 200 locations in Miami, then expanded to Chicago, Los Angeles and several other major cities. The chain also recently brought its Store of the Future to Chelsea, but we draw the line at a sriracha-flavored Big Mac. Why mess with a good thing?

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DeBlasio Raises Bar With Mandatory Nutritional Posting Scoop says Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last month that all New York City chain restaurants, including convenience and grocery stores offering prepared foods, will be required to post calorie counts on menu boards. Chain restaurants and retailers also will be required to have full nutritional information - not just calories for standard menu items available onsite, and they will have to post a statement about the daily recommended caloric intake of 2,000 calories. This rule applies to chain restaurants with 15 locations or more nationwide, affecting some 3,000 restaurants and 1,500 food retailer chains. In 2010, the Affordable Care Act required that menus label calories, making it a national requirement. In 2015, the city updated its health code to include menu boards, but delayed implementation in anticipation of an identical federal rule. When the federal government announced last month that it would delay enforcement for a year, New York City decided to enforce the health code as intended. “We are all

tempted to make unhealthy choices, but with these new, common-sense rules, New Yorkers will have the information to make better choices and lead healthier lives,” the mayor said. “We can no longer wait for federal action, and urge other cities to follow our lead.” The Departments of Health and Consumer Affairs have begun enforcing the updated calorie labeling rules by educating businesses during regular inspections. On Aug. 21, both agencies will begin issuing notices of violation subject to fines ranging from $200 to $600 for not following the updated rule. The calorie-labeling rule complements the Health Department’s sodium warning rule, which requires restaurants to place saltshaker icons next to menu items that contain 2,300mg. of sodium or more, the daily recommended limit. The sodium warning rule also states that these restaurants must post a warning where customers place their orders that high sodium intake can increase blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and stroke. In April, the city’s health department announced the end of its legal battle with the National Restaurant Association over the sodium-warning rule. As of May 12, nearly nine out of 10 New York City chain restaurants were in compliance.

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NEWS

RESTAURANT INDUSTRY SURVEYS

TD Bank’s Survey At NRA Shows Great Opportunity For Restaurants To Build Loyalty Through New Technology

ou’ve revamped your menu and your interior. You’re buying only locally sourced products. You’re starting to see your profits grow but have you given any thought to one big way you can increase efficiency and repopulate your customer base, build loyalty, even more? A recent TD Bank survey at the recent NRA show in Chicago has revealed that 41% of restaurant professionals currently do not use even a point-of-sale (POS) system. In addition, only 31% of the bank’s respondents offer a mobile payment option. Less than 35% of that 31% don’t use mobile payments because they don’t have a POS system, while 47.52% do have plans to incorporate mobile technology in the future. On the loyalty side of things,

A POS system can absolutely raise restaurants’ efficiency and should be adopted,” noted Julie Pukas the head of Bankcard and Merchant Services at TD Bank. 74.62% of operators do not offer a loyalty program while 59.41% believe it would benefit the business. Yet 46% believe that these services would increase efficiency for their business. The desire for these programs and systems are there, so what is holding these operators back? Let’s talk about some ways tech-

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nology can improve your business. “A POS system can absolutely raise restaurants’ efficiency and should be adopted,” noted Julie Pukas, the head of Bankcard and Merchant Services at TD Bank. “About 46% or half of the restaurant professionals we surveyed don’t have a POS system that offers loyalty. That’s a real deterrent to profitability right there.

A third of them would like to implement a system that offers loyalty so I do think connecting with your customer, and using data to create relevant rewards and programs for your customers, is a very good idea, and one that seems to be catching on within the industry.” But it still leaves a lot of opportunities for restaurants to get into this space, according to Pukas. “With Cloud computing and all the new digital solutions out there, it’s a really good time for any business, and specifically, somebody in the restaurant business, to step back and say, ‘What’s out there? Is there new technology – whether it’s loyalty or mobile payments or EMV chip cards?’ It’s worth stepping back and saying, can I really enhance my business with technology that may

not have been available even just a few years ago. I say yes.” TD Bank is here to help. “We want to get to know what our customers are doing, what their plans are. And I think a restaurant owner should reach out to their financial institution. They should talk to their bankers to understand, do they have a POS system that can support them? We offer Clover, an app based solution, which allows our customers to have multiple different types of devices to support their business. And then based on what they perceive their needs to be, working with their banker, or other people they rely on, to figure out the types of applications they can use to help grow their business,” she pointed out. And that could be everything from scheduling to loyalty to reservations. In terms of starting out, Pukas explained that should probably be a mobile-tablet-type device. “They’re now being designed on Cloud technology so in the future they should be more adaptable. And they’re very useful for transitioning to pay-at the-table device, for example. Today you can add different types of devices, but still use the same core infrastructure. That would really help my business grow,” she affirmed. The EMV chip has been surprisingly slow to get off the mark. EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa after the three companies who initially worked on the technology together. EMV cards have a small chip visible on the card and are more secure than traditional magnetic stripe cards. Running an EMV card is called “dipping” and requires an EMV-capable card reader or point of sale system. Unlike a

magnetic stripe card, the chip in an EMV card has to be in contact with the chip card reader for the entire transaction. The beauty of the system is that, if fraud is detected, the restaurant is not liable for the charges. However, without an EMV, the restaurant is. “Everybody needs to get their arms around this technology. It’s here to stay. What may have happened is what we found with some customers – they may not have thought that they had much liability and for a merchant that may not see a lot of disputed transactions, to buy that technology may not make sense,” Pukas stated. “What we found is that some decide, I’m going to keep the equipment that I have, and then look at what’s the right time for me to upgrade.” But the bottom line for any business is, what’s really the right solution for you? Another concern many foodservice operations might have about the new technology is that they may or may not have a marketing department to execute a plan like that. “Of course, it depends on the sophistication of the need, but someone could easily take one of these off- the-shelf loyalty platforms and self-brand, use it for a while, see what the data shows. And then at that point, you may want to reach out to somebody with more marketing expertise. It could even be the local or the National Restaurant Association,” Pukas contributed. “Start with a self-serve app. Collect some data. And then reach out and say, how do I take this program to the next level? It’s pretty simple. That’s the answer,” she concluded. July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 45

EYE

METRO NYC’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

PRESENTED BY:

Welcome Conference 2017

David Chang, Momofuku Rust Never Sleeps

Will Guidara and Daniel Humm, Make it Nice - Endless Reinvention : Embrace Tension

leven Madison Park’s Will Guidara and Journee’s Anthony Rudolf love the restaurant business. The 2017 edition of The Welcome Conference took center stage at Lincoln Center last month. The one-day event once again focused on the hospitality side of the food business, using presentations, ideas and speeches from people across many different industries. The theme of this year’s event was ‘Conflict & Change’ - topics many people encounter daily in the restaurant business. The content was guided by Brian Canlis from Seattle’s Canlis Restaurant. This year’s panelists once again included an eclectic mix from some of New York’s hottest chefs including David Chang to a former FBI hostage negotiator Gary Noesner. Last year we saw celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern share the stage with a Yoga specialist and a Magician. The Welcome Conference, which is

Anthony Rudolf, Journee - These Voices in My Head

now in its fourth year, is organized by Will Guidara of Eleven Madison Park and Anthony Rudolf of The Journee, both have years of experience in the restaurant hospitality business. Together, Guidara and Rudolf co-created The Welcome Conference in 2014 with a mission of bringing together the front of the house side of the industry to share best practices and inspire one another, it has since become a not-to-be-missed event for hospitality professionals throughout the U.S., and increasingly beyond. The conference has grown dramatically from its humble beginnings in the basement of the Cooper Union downtown. Last month’s fourth annual conference brought together a sold-out crowd of 850 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, who included Soul Cycle’s Melanie Whelan, Union Square Cafe’s Sam Lipp, Dr. John Medina, Frank Guidara, Blackberry Farm’s Mary Celeste Beall, Antoine’s Charles Carter, Husk’s Sean

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Frank Guidara, Restaurateur - Adversity is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Brock, Waffle House’s Mel, Mojo, and Sharifa; hostage negotiator Gary Noesner, Drive Change’s Jordyn Lexton, Momofuku’s David Chang, and Lettuce Entertain You’s Richard Melman to share their ideas and insights. The Welcome Conference once again challenged attendees to think out of the box. “Imagine if we brought in a molecular biologist to outline theory on how you can look into somebody’s eyes and understand exactly where they are emotionally,” Rudolf continued. “Just think how valuable that would be in the world of hospitality.” Highlighting this year’s event was a highly emotional talk from Will’s father Frank Guidara. The industry legend who guided the growth of Uno Restaurant as President and CEO brought tears to the room. His outline of the three critical moments in his life (Vietnam, his wife’s medical challenges and passing and his own diagnosis of cancer) brought the first

Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You - Some Things I’ve Learned

standing ovation in Welcome Conference history. The event also gave attendees a rare glimpse into the life of celebrity chef David Chang. “It’s rare for him to open up and share his challenges,” Rudolf explained. The iconic Chicago based restaurateur Richard Melman offered 25 minutes of nuggets of wisdom from a lifetime in the industry. “There has been a wonderful renaissance in the last 10 years surrounding food and food culture in the restaurant industry,” noted Rudolf. It’s been inspiring to watch more and more people pursue a career in this field; to watch the community of chefs grow around the world, share ideas, inspire one another, and establish genuine relationships. This connectedness has made restaurants all over the world better places to work, and better places to dine and that’s what the Welcome Conference is all about.” All photos by Christopher Villano.

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NEWS

MERGERS

Jersey City Based Imperial Bag And Paper Acquires Dade Paper To Create $1 Billion Enterprise

he father and son duo of Robert and Jason Tillis have taken yet another step as they build one of the nation’s largest growing food packaging, paper products, foodservice disposables and janitorial supplies distribution companies. Under Robert and Jason’s leadership, the company has grown both organically and through acquisitions to become one of the foodservice disposables and janitorial supplies industry leaders. The Tillis led Imperial Bag and Paper recently closed on the purchase of Miami-based Dade Paper. The new firm will be known as Imperial Dade. For the Jersey City based Imperial, the acquisition is the latest in a series of purchases. Since purchasing Imperial in 2007, the Tillis duo has engineered the purchases of ten distributors which began in 2009 with the acquisition of Borda Products. Among those additions included several well known Metro New York distributors including Burke Supply in 2011 and Borax Paper in 2016. “Together, our businesses will share best practices and provide a platform for future organic growth. The partnership with the Dade organization will significantly expand our reach into the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic markets, allowing us greater geographic coverage and ability to serve a broad customer

This takes us from being really strong in the Northeast to strength throughout the East Coast and Puerto Rico,” said Jason Tillis, President, Imperial Dade base,” said Robert Tillis “The management teams are all staying in place and the goal is to take the best of each of the companies and put them together going forward,” Jason Tillis explained. The Imperial Dade acquisition will greatly expand the firm’s footprint. “This takes us from being really strong in the Northeast to strength throughout the East Coast and Puerto Rico. Our intention is to remain as nimble and as fast as ever to serve our customers,” Jason Tillis continued. The new Imperial Dade operation will now serve its customer base from 15 facilities plus numerous cross dock locations. “This acquisition now gives us the ability to provide next day delivery to the entire East Coast,” Jason Tillis added. “Our goal is to offer the largest inventory and most product expertise across all different verticals. We want to be a great support and distribution partner to anyone who

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wants to grow their business.” “The strategic decision to partner with Imperial will greatly benefit our customers and employees,” said Frank Sansone, COO of Dade Paper. “With Imperial we will soon be able to offer our customers a broader product offering and service across a wider footprint. The combined company’s culture and commitment to growth provide a great work environment and career advancement opportunities for our team throughout our combined footprint.” Imperial Dade will now have the opportunity to bring their strong sustainable initiative to the entire East Coast. Both companies have sustainable programs in place and the goal is to encompass both initiatives under one with a program called GreenSafe. “It’s a fundamental part of how we go to market,” added Jason Tillis. “We want to offer our customers green solutions and programs when possible and we are fortunate enough to have talented

individuals from both companies that are accredited and ready to lead our customers.” Imperial Dade also continues to support its customer base with innovative technology. “We view technology and our website as an extension of our customer’s experience and complimenting our sales force,” added the firm’s President. Imperial was formed in 1935 and was purchased by the current CEO, Robert Tillis, and President, Jason Tillis, in 2007. Imperial headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, is one of the nation’s leading distributors of disposable food service and janitorial supplies for restaurants, supermarkets, schools, “grab-n-go” convenience stores and retailers. Founded in 1939, Dade distributes foodservice disposables and janitorial supplies to restaurants, supermarkets, cruise lines, hotels and motels, schools, convention centers, stadiums, and other foodservice establishments. Dade primarily services the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic markets reaching from Florida to Maryland with additional locations in the Tri-State and Northeast regions. Dade Paper is a leading distributor of foodservice disposables and janitorial supplies serving customers across more than twenty states with an emphasis on supermarkets, foodservice providers, cruise lines and schools.

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NEWS

FOOD TRUCKS

Goldberg Led NYFTA Welcomes Letter Grading Movement

he food truck has long appealed to the hungry masses of New York as an emblem of all things casual and summery. These rolling restaurants pop up in the warmer months, unofficially marking the beginning of the summer season and welcoming throngs of overworked New Yorkers to bask in the glow of deep fryers. Picture overhead string lights, picnic tables, a messily-written chalkboard menu; all of these components form the food truck experience, a chance to shed brick-and-mortar professionalism for casual dining and impulsive meals. The delicious street tacos and personal pizzas are just a delightful bonus. However, very few would consider the food truck dining experience to be as reputable as one found in a brick-and-mortar restaurant; recent attacks on the sanitation of these roving restaurants have left many paranoid about the safety of the food truck. Whereas customers can plainly see a restaurant’s obligations to sanitation and health, the food truck industry has yet to shed its image of shady street vendors. This, unfortunately, leaves food trucks at a disadvantage; the food concocted by skilled food truck artisans can never compete with food crafted in a stationary brick-and-mortar kitchen. The words “high-end food truck” do not exist in any New York diner’s vocabulary, no matter how good the food served. Fortunately, a recent sanitation movement may help level the playing ground between restaurants and food

The rise of the food truck and its growing acceptance among the New York population is a victory for all, because “New York, at the end of the day, should be a melting pot of amazing food,” says Goldberg. trucks; there has been a push to expand letter grades to brick-and-mortar restaurants’ rolling counterparts. Ben Goldberg, former food truck owner and founder of the New York Food Truck Association (NYFTA), welcomes this campaign: “We’re in favor of doing anything that brings a brick-and-mortar and food trucks up to parity.” NYFTA is dedicated to promoting local mobile food vending in the New York City area. It is focused on connecting the city’s food truck owners and operators to potential business opportunities. The Association’s members are a group of diverse mobile culinary artists who operate throughout all 5 boroughs of New York City. Cuisines range from Korean BBQ, Lobster Rolls, and Mac ‘n Cheese to Dim Sum and Waffles. The City Council Health Committee voted unanimously in May in favor of a bill requiring street food carts and trucks to post letter grades, which New York City restaurants have been doing for years. The passage of the bills means that the Health Department has 270 days to put the law into effect. This bill, number 1456 sponsored by Queens City Councilwoman Karen

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Koslowitz, has been a long time coming. It adds street food carts and trucks into legislation already passed requiring restaurants to post inspection results and for the Health Department to translate its already-regular inspections of food carts into grades. It’s a timely vote, as a new report from state Senate Independent Democratic Conference found that Manhattan food carts have the most violations in the city. In 2016, there were 5,044 violations at the 4,319 food carts and trucks inspected in Manhattan. Out of 2,752 inspections in the other boroughs combined, there were 2,817 violations issued (1,212 in Queens, 982 in Brooklyn, 600 in the Bronx, and 23 in Staten Island). The letter grading system may help dispel the myth that food trucks are unsanitary, especially considering that they actually have more rigorous sanitation standards than traditional restaurants; workers on food trucks are first required to take a two-day course and wait a month to receive their permits, and these transient restaurants are routinely inspected. “It’s much more prohibitive to work on a food truck, not even to own a food truck. I think letter grades are great

because they’re going to show… that food trucks are just as qualified, if not more, than restaurants,” says Goldberg in response to the recent health initiative. Letter grades may appease people’s concerns over the safety of food trucks by showing that their sanitation standards are on par with brickand-mortar restaurants. Challenging this false perception of food trucks will be a victory for the entire food industry; while some restaurants are reluctant, wishing to maintain the “draconian rule” that they have over their competitors, allowing food trucks to be taken seriously will make it easier for promising chefs to enter the industry and share their craft with a willing audience. “What’s great about food trucks are that they allow these great artisanal vendors that might not be able to afford new real estate to go out there and either make food trucks their business or use them as a stepping stone to a brick-and-mortar,” says Goldberg. NYFTA, which has long handled the business and booking side of the food truck industry, is a proponent of any movement that will allow food trucks to be taken seriously as culinary enterprises. Trucks revolutionize the way food is enjoyed, offering variety, mobility, and a chance to try unique culinary creations that challenge cookie-cutter dishes. The rise of the food truck and its growing acceptance among the New York population is a victory for all, because “New York, at the end of the day, should be a melting pot of amazing food,” says Goldberg. And who doesn’t want more of that?

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MIXOLOGY

WITH WARREN BOBROW

Three Hot Weather Gin and Tonics Made With Real Cane Sugar

ith the last couple of heat waves, I’ve resigned myself to drinking lighter and more savory drinks for the foreseeable future. With that said, I’ve done a few mixology sessions in private homes recently and have found that the classic G&T has made a comeback, and in a big way! You see that Gin is a perennial favorite when the temperature ekes its way past ninety degrees. The refreshing element of the botanicals stimulate the taste buds and the

Warren Bobrow is the creator of the popular blog The Cocktail Whis-

crisp aromatics of the tonic water bring these liquids to a much higher level. Of course, all will be ruined if you are still using the old standby- the drink gun to supply the tonic water. Unless you’re pouring craft-style soda from your drink gun you’d better take your Gin and Tonic off your cocktail menu. Why? Because your tonic water is not something that I want to praise. Far from. If it’s made from high fructose corn syrup you aren’t helping with the good health of your guests. It’s

not great stuff, packed with artificial ingredients and those I couldn’t even spell if I wanted to. So, what is a bar or restaurant to do? Stop serving Gin and Tonics altogether? NO, you should make this Summer relaxer, the G&T cocktail- the shining star of your bar program. The one drink that screams Summer in a Glass. Try these three fabulous Gins available in the New York, NJ and CT areas with these three different CANE SUGAR Tonic waters. One of which is a tonic syrup!

perer and the author of nearly half a dozen books, including Apothecary Cocktails, Whiskey Cocktails, Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails, and his most recent book Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails, & Tonics.

May I suggest starting with Barr Hill Gin from ever-verdant Vermont? This gin is unlike any other on the market because it is made with raw honey and locally grown grain. There is a subtle sweetness in Barr Hill that doesn’t go unnoticed against the bitter herbs inherent in the tonic water. In this case, I’m leading with one of my perennial tonic water favorites. The one from Q-Drinks. They make a delicious tonic water with all natural ingredients- including the most important one, the cane sugar! Q-Tonic is crisp, aromatic and highly refreshing. There are notes of Peruvian quinine, agave syrup and a touch of citrus making for a flavor packed mouthful of dry and bitter. Each element cuts the inherent sweetness of the raw honey gin and truly raises the bar. A Vermont Styled- Gin and Tonic Ingredients: • 2 oz. Barr Hill Gin • 6 oz. Q-Tonic Water

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NEWS

SUSTAINABILITY

NYC Relaunches Battle To Ban Food Service Foam Packaging

ew York City is finding itself in a civil war over expanded polystyrene food service packaging. A proposed law to recognize EPS as recyclable has been introduced before City Council just as Mayor Bill de Blasio again moves against the plastic packaging. The mayor and city Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia have been on what is now a years-long push to outlaw EPS from food service use in the city. Simply put, attempting to recycle foodservice EPS is folly, they believe. The bill, called Intro 1480-2017, is pushing back against that view, and 22 of the city’s 51 City Council members have signed on as sponsors. The primary sponsor is Fernando Cabrera, a pastor who represents a district in the Bronx. The bill flies in the face of a recent report by the Department of Sanitation. “For 30 years, attempts to recycle food-service foam — both subsidized and non-subsidized attempts have failed at each step of the recycling process. The municipalities and programs that DSNY researched tell a very clear story: food-service foam is not capable of being recycled in an environmentally effective or an economically feasible manner,” the report states.

Our plan is forward thinking and an excellent example of how private and public sectors can partner together for the greater good. Isn’t that what everybody really wants?” But Michael Westerfield, corpocently testified before the council’s rate director of recycling programs Committee on Sanitation and Solid at Dart Container Corp., recently Waste Management and called efsaid the report’s view that food serforts to push for EPS recycling “an vice EPS is unrecyclable is “a bafattempted hijacking of public polifling declaration.” cy.” Dart is a major maker of EPS “Intro 1480 is an industry-backed products, and has offered to help proposal that’s a wolf in sheep’s the city establish a recycling program, collecting the material and shipping it off to Indiana for processing at Plastic Recycling Inc. But that has been rejected by the administration. Westerfield called the latest anti-EPS move by the administration “in direct conflict with both fact and a 2015 NY Supreme Court ruling striking down” a previous city ban on food service EPS. Eric Goldstein of the Natural Discarded foodservice foam cups once littered the Resources Defense Council restreets of New York City before the ban

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clothing,” Goldstein said. Instead, he said, NRDC supports “legislation that would ban polystyrene, including food and beverage containers. That’s the only sensible and proven way to get rid of the billions of foam containers that constitute a first-class environmental nuisance throughout our city,” he said. But Westerfield, during the same committee meeting, said the recycling proposal will save the city money by reducing landfill costs and generating revenue from the material. “Our plan is forward thinking and an excellent example of how private and public sectors can partner together for the greater good. Isn’t that what everybody really wants? To oppose this bill simply because a business proposed it is a bad policy,” Westerfield said. A group of 55 organizations, on March 30, sent a letter to Council Speaker Melissa MarkViverito asking her to oppose Intro 1480, requesting she “neither co-sponsor or advance the self-serving polystyrene foam ‘recycling’ bill, and instead work to enact legislation that would finally ban these problematic polystyrene foam food and beverage containers once and for all.”

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 55

EYE

METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE

AJC Food Service Division’s 2017 Human Relations Award Dinner

nce again, The AJC’s Food Service Division Dinner brought a packed audience to the ballroom of the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. This year, the AJC (American Jewish Committee) honored Arthur Fisher of the Sam Tell Companies with its Human Relations Award. Corporate leadership awards were bestowed upon Driscoll Foods and the Hoffmaster Group. In addition, for some 25 years, the success of the event has come from the diligence of the simply amazing Lenny Myron of the AJC. With the veteran executive announcing his retirement earlier this year, the dinner committee with the guidance of its longtime leader Clark Pager of Restaurant Depot made a special presentation to Myron to kick off the festivities. EYE loved the warmth of Arthur Fisher who wove a tapestry of a career that began in a family business in New Haven, CT. That career has spanned some 50 plus years and the depth of Fisher’s love for the industry and the team that support him came through vividly in his comments. It was a special night for Fisher who was joined by family and friends including his daughter who flew in from Tel Aviv for the event. Fisher was introduced by Sam Tell’s Marc Tell and Dan Saltzman who spoke of being fortunate enough to have a second opportunity to hire the gifted Fisher.

continued on page 58

The one and only Lenny Myron of the AJC (3rd R) was feted for his years of service

The award winning Arthur Fisher (C) was introduced by Sam Tell and Son’s Dan Saltzman and Marc Tell

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(L to R) Rob Monroe made the AJC Corporate Leadership award presentation to Driscoll Foods’ Steve Donnelly

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 57

AJC, from page 56 Driscoll Foods’ Steve Donnelly spoke passionately about his firm’s growth from a single truck in 1971 to a brand new 550K square foot home for its 350 plus employees in Wayne, NJ later this summer. The common thread again was the focus on the Driscoll team both on the street and inside that have enabled the Garden State distributor to flourish. The premier distributor offers fresh meats, poultry, milk and dairy products, as well as frozen, grocery, beverage, equipment, paper and cleaning supplies. For Hoffmaster’s Michael O’Neill, it was a second straight trip to the podium. The former Boston College hockey great and his brother Chris joined a contingent to accept the AJC award. O’Neill comments truly serve as an outline for what a manufacturer needs to do to continue to thrive in an environment of price driven commoditization. For over 66 years Hoffmaster has been an industry leader in producing the most complete line of specialty disposable tabletop products. With innovation as the cornerstone of our success, Hoffmaster has always been the trendsetter – setting the standard for color, fashion, and design excellence. The Metro New York equipment and supply community was well represented by notables including TD Marketing’s Frank Doyle and Michael Klatman, Ed Pecinka and Joe Louis Ferri of Pecinka Ferri, Kevin Brown of Continental Refrigeration, Monobloc’s Michael Poulos, Steve Doyle of BSE Marketing, O’Neill Marketing’s Jimmy O’Neill, Brian Kadel of Hobart and Eric Santagata and Marc Fuchs of M. Tucker. Two of the industry market’s most influential buyers Jeffrey Burdick of Imperial/Dade and Larry Rosenthal of Restaurant Depot were at AJC ‘17. The event has grown with the participation of the food industry over the past decade. Jim McManus of

(L to R) Eric Sanatagata and Fred Bonaccorso of M. Tucker with BSE Marketing’s Steve Doyle

(L to R) Hobart’s Brian Kadel and Joe Maresca of Vulcan

(L to R) Day and Nite’s Matt Sher with M.Tucker’s Marc Fuchs and PJ Gavin of RPI

Hoffmaster’s Mike O’Neill spoke of his firm’s customer commitment

Three generations of Glissen Chemical took center stage with Joe Lehr and the Brooklyn company’s new National Sales Manager Richard Ryan Knoop

Dinner chair Clark Pager welcomed the large crowd

Leslie and Fred Klashman of Total Food Service and Creative Financial’s Christopher Fallon

Imperial Dade’s Jason Tillis received congrats on the firm’s merger

Iconic food industry broker Herb Reichenbach (R) was on hand for the festivities, with friend Andy Meyers (L)

Key Impact, Core Groups’ Jim Orkin, John Guentz of Stratas Foods, Michael Etkin of J&J Snacks and, of course, the recently retired Herb Reichenbach were all part of the

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overflowed crowd. For more than 100 years, AJC has sought to advance the peace and security of the Jewish people through high-level diplomacy, strong legis-

lative advocacy, and effective interreligious and interethnic coalitions. AJC is the preeminent global Jewish advocate. All photos by Frank Rocco

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 59

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The tremendous demand in Times Square for Junior’s iconic fare has led to the opening of a second Midtown outpost.

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1626 Broadway, NYC Owner: Alan Rosen, President, Junior’s Restaurants Brooklyn, NY Kitchen Design: Jerry Kouveras, Project Manager, Sam Tell and Son Maspeth, NY Interior Design: Lionel Ohayon, Principal, Icrave, NY, NY Jesse McDougall, Project Manager, Icrave, NY, NY Maria Lozano, Designer, Icrave, NY, NY

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he Iconic Brooklyn restaurant Junior’s has opened its much anticipated second location in Times Square. Cheesecake impresario Alan Rosen has taken his family business to yet another level. It is rather unusual for an operator to double down on a single neighborhood. But with sell out crowds at the 45th Street eatery, this new spot sees enormous potential. 2 The family-run business has taken over the Ruby Foo’s space at 1626 Broadway. The 300-seat restaurant

54,

features a bakery and live entertainment. “There is so much demand for Junior’s in midtown,” said Rosen, “now we will be able to serve even more New Yorkers and visitors for years to come.” Alan Rosen’s Approach: From the day we opened our first Junior’s branch in Manhattan, at 1515 Broadway, the demand for our products from New Yorkers and visitors has been tremendous. It grew into one of the top-grossing independent restaurants in the country.

continued on page 64

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Junior’s, from page 62 So we had the opportunity to respond to that demand by taking over the old Ruby Foo’s space at 1626 Broadway. Our new 300-seat restaurant features a bakery and live entertainment. We believe there’s enough traffic, because we’ve been open for less than a month and lines are out the door. This new version of Junior’s has a retro and modern feel. To accomplish that goal, we brought in a very gifted design team: Icrave. They do beautiful work, they did a great job of refreshing the Junior’s look and feel. I think it’s the Junior’s of the future. We challenged the Icrave team to create an exciting design and at the same time find us the 250 seat plus capacity that we needed. I believe every restaurant we do from here on out will be different. We don’t want to be a chain. We want to deliver a different experience while remaining true to our roots and

The Junior’s kitchen design team led by Sam Tell and Son’s Jerry Kouveras specified a Southbend cooking line to anchor the restaurant’s need for high volume and high quality fare.

our heritage. From a menu standpoint, we were able to create a beverage program that is local cool and hip with a full line of

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draft beer options and kegs of wine from Redhook Winery. We also needed the design to include space for an active bakery and

takeout business. From a menu standpoint, we offer a 200 plus items from corned beef, pastrami to brisket to barbecue ribs, to Romanian tenderloin steaks, broiled salmon, from French toast to bacon and eggs, to Nova with bagels, we do it all. Out priority has always been to source everything locally. So we were doing local to table before it was fashionable. We love working with vendors like J.Kings. We value their commitment and friendship. You’re not going to find anyone more loyal than us. I want quality, and I want to know the salesperson that is calling on us. We have real special relationships. You can ask anybody in the marketplace. They all know we’re not switching for a nickel. You need to understand that this is

continued on page 66

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Junior’s, from page 64 not just a tourist destination. It could be your birthday place, it could be your anniversary place, it could be your everyday lunch place or your place where you grab a drink. We want to be everything to everyone. Jerry Kouveras’ Approach: I was very excited to be invited to build out the new Junior’s. We had lots of challenges but I’m happy to say, we solved all of them! Obviously, there was a kitchen in there before, and that presented our first challenge. We worked with Alan last year on the opening of his new restaurant in Boca Raton, FL, so he knew that we had the ability to listen and respond to his needs in Times Square. Yes, there was an existing kitchen, but we didn’t use the equipment.

However, the exhaust system was in place, which was a major help. Services were also in place but not in the ideal location. The real challenge was the kitchen being located in the cellar. It wasn’t so much the location of the kitchen as much as it was that in the previous configuration, it simply could not handle producing the amount of food needed for 250 plus seats and such a large takeout business. So it was challenging, squeezing in all the stations. We started by looking at the menu and building a kitchen design based on the most popular dishes and the number of employees need to create each of them. We built the cooking line around the flexibility and durability of Southbend. We created a custom box for the

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culinary team to cook their signature pastrami. We supplemented that with a Blodgett convection oven. We needed to reconfigure the kitchen’s capacity for extensive storage. Deliveries are made on the ground floor with a service elevator to move product to prep. We specified Arctic Walk-Ins to give us both a very clean look with their white interiors and exteriors and their durability and consistency to work with a large constantly turning inventory of food. One of the most interesting challenges was to support Junior’s very extensive dessert operation. Keep in mind that most restaurants only serve dessert to 20 to 25% of their custom-

continued on page 68

The Junior’s/Sam Tell design team utilized the durability and aesthetics of Arctic’s Walk-in boxes to maximize the need to safely store and move large and constantly turning food inventory.

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 67

Junior’s, from page 66 ers. This restaurant is serving dessert to 70%. So the challenge was to find a place where dessert could be finished and at the same time supply the takeout demand. So we created a suite that sits between the takeout area and the dining area. All of the baking is done in New Jersey at Junior’s new bakery. So our focus was on creating a solution that displays and “sells” the baked goods. So the display has to be beautiful, and we accomplished that with cases from Federal Industries.

ent tones from opposing ends of the dining room. The memorabilia and press clippings that typically adorn a Junior’s restaurant are condensed into a 15-foot collage mural along the dining room. But the star of the show is the 40-foot long undulating Junior’s sign that runs the length of the space. Mr. Rosen connected us with Spaeth Design in Long Island City to fabricate

Lionel Ohayon, Jesse MacDougall, and Maria Lozano’s Approach: Our goal was to create an experience that respected Junior’s vintage, high-energy restaurant appeal, but responded to the theatrical experience and scale of Times Square. To do this, we had to refine the material approach and think big. The space is unusually long and tall. We wanted to avoid filling the room with too many little objects – instead, we looked at the major elements and assigned refined, design gestures to each. Some key design features are the orange and white striped packaging which are translated into a free-flowing terrazzo floor pattern and a series of large wedge pendant structures that create rhythm down the full length of the 20-foot tall space. A monochromatic collage of NY borough landmarks occupies the billboard inspired soffit above the bakery and bar. Classic neon and marquee bulbs in the window portals give the restaurant true sidewalk presence in an area where attention grabbing is a must. We drew inspiration from the classic restaurant’s wood paneling, segmented mirrors, and shiny stainless surfaces throughout – a mixture of wood and mirrored panels create a lenticular surface that give the restaurant differ68 • July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

the sign. Spaeth is a specialty fabricator that works on many NYC projects – most notably the robotic holiday windows for Saks Fifth Avenue. The whole area of Times Square has gone digital – it’s all high tech content. Everyone is staring at big TV’s. We decided to go analog with the undulating sign element; we wanted to expose the mechanical parts to make the physi-

cality evident, more like an amusement park. Programmatically, we worked closely with the Junior’s team to build a robust bakery counter and take-out business. When customers walk in (or out) they see an abundance of Junior’s famous cheesecakes, pastries,

continued on page 70

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Junior’s, from page 68 memorabilia, and cookies in refrigerated coolers and showcases. In Times Square, transient visitors and the theater crowd may not always have time to dine-in, and long lines at a take-out counter may deter them; at Junior’s, Icrave worked self-order stations into the design to reduce queue time and move as much delicious cheesecake as possible. The lighting design was carefully calibrated by the Icrave Lighting department. One of our main objectives was to make the environment adapt to the time of day. To bring Junior’s to the next level, we needed to make it vibrant during the day, and more dramatic at night. At Junior’s, the lighting design tells the story of the iconic dining experience within its theatrical setting – true to Times Square. Layers of light, ranging from glowing orange pendants for general lighting, directional spotlights

highlighting tables, display lights, and bright LED signage letters reflect iconic Junior’s and are carefully calibrated to create drama while still being comfortable for the patrons to enjoy their food. Custom V-pendants with warm white LEDs, glow from within and create a bold ceiling grid of light lines emphasizing the volume of the space. The dramatically lit blue backwall pops against the orange finishes used throughout the space. The dining experience is completed with globe fixtures on specially designed brackets at the tables and with the rotating, person sized LED Junior’s signage letters as a playful backdrop. This is really historic for us; this is our first sign in Times Square. We are proud to be a part of Junior’s legacy and continued success as a New York icon.

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NEWS COMMUNITY OUTREACH Kontos Foods Executive Chef Speaks To Local High School About Culinary Careers

tudents at Paterson’s Eastside High School got a taste of what a real-world chef does this month when Kontos Foods Corporate Executive Chef Demetrios Haralambatos was invited to come in and speak with them about careers. Haralambatos oversees the culinary operations at Kontos Foods, Inc. (www.kontos. com), a Paterson, N.J.- based manufacturer and distributor of traditional artisan breads and Mediterranean

specialty foods. Culinary Instructors, Chef Larry Kemmet and Chef Cosmo Amato, asked Haralambatos to address the 40 students in their Junior Classes at the Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism School, a four-year school at Eastside High School campus that prepares students to provide services for others through culinary arts, hospitality services in hotels, travel planning

continued on page 109

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Kontos Foods Corporate Executive Chef Demetrios Haralambatos speaks to the students at Paterson East High School. Photo: Chef Cosmo Amato

Montague Legend® Sauté Station with integral Turbo Coil refrigerated drawers and glycol cooled raised rail.

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RARE TALENT OF METRO NY

PRESENTED BY

Chef Michael Lomonaco Porter House, New York, NY For the past decade, Chef Lomonaco has overseen his reimagined steakhouse, Porter House at Columbus Circle. The course of Chef Lomonaco’s career traces the thread of New American cuisine and the evolution of the New York dining scene over the last few decades. In the mid 1980s, Lomonaco worked under Chefs Alain Sailhac and Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque. By 1989, he was playing a major role in the revitalization of the old New York establishment 21 Club. And in 1997, Lomonaco was appointed executive chef of Windows on the World, where he oversaw multiple establishments. These included Latin Night, where he was able to indulge his passion for Latin American cuisine and culture (something he now carries on as a consulting chef at Noche). Lomonaco has not only participated in culinary evolutions behind the

scenes. A former actor, Lomonaco is a natural in front of the camera, and he made a seamless transition from chef to host as the country’s interest in food television blossomed. Beyond his own show, “Michael’s Place,” which aired on the Food Network, Lomonaco was co-host of “Epicurious,” the Discovery Channel’s cooking program, and he’s made the daytime and late-night talk show rounds. But even when the cameras stop rolling, Lomonaco is still sharing— and cooking. Currently a visiting distinguished professor at City University’s New York Technical College, Lomonaco participates regularly in cooking demonstrations and charitable food and wine events for organizations like Share our Strength, City Harvest, and the March of Dimes. He’s also a primary founder of the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund, which has gathered nationwide support.

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On Selecting the Right Meats For His Customers: We count on them, we rely on the NY Prime team and they’ve done an unbelievable job for us. As big as they are, they work with us on a very oneon-one basis and they have been able to help us build a beef program that is really the best of the best that’s out there. I know that throughout the year they are selecting beef even before it goes to market. They are selecting beef in the Midwest through their chain of suppliers. They are selecting beef specifically, typically for us. They do the dry aging for us. I don’t have the physical room to build an aging room at Porter House. They have unbelievable facilities, and they age our beef for us. This is something that is really important to our program; the dryaged prime beef is so beautifully aged, so carefully aged by them. They select beef for us and by the time it gets to them it’s still in their chain of supply.

Chef Michael Lomonaco, Porter House, New York, NY

They then set it aside; they tag it with our name, hold it in their box, and age for between 20 and 28 days depending on the particular cut. Then we order from them, we order on a daily basis. We get these supplies in six days a week. The beef comes in and we break down these subprimal cuts into individual steaks. They’ve been for us an unbelievable partner in helping us to create a great big environment.

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NEWS

SEAFOOD SOLUTIONS

The Lobster Place Simplifies Seasonal Menu Update

f your guests are tired of plain lobster with drawn butter, fillet of sole, or grilled salmon, but really love seafood, Joe Cooper and his team at Lobster Place Wholesale Seafood may just have an idea – or several – for you. Now that summer’s here and their customer chefs are looking for ways to add seasonal items to their menus, the sales manager of The Lobster Place Wholesale Seafood has been doing some preparing. “Lobster rolls, grilled lobster, swordfish, tuna, red snapper, wild striped bass, it’s all coming in,” Joe Cooper, Director of Wholesale Sales announced. “Typically during the summer months, we also see wild salmon, which is flavorful, healthy and very popular.” The Lobster Place brings a unique understanding of the challenges that its chef and foodservice customer base face. At the top of that list is creating a solution that can lock in both the quality and pricing of wild salmon. So the Lobster Place with the vision of CEO Ian MacGregor, turned to Triad Fisheries out of Bristol Bay, Alaska to bring in Bruce Gore Wild Coho and King Salmon. “This fleet of artisan fishermen catch their salmon on a line at low speed, bleed them out using the ike jime method, and then quickly dip them back into the sea water to put a protective glaze on the fish,” Cooper affirmed. “They freeze them to negative 40 degrees within 90 minutes of the catch and then the

Cooper notes that the product is some of the most pristine wild salmon you’ll see because it is handled with great care from the time it was caught. product is kept at that temp until it arrives at our facility. Cooper notes that the product is some of the most pristine wild salmon you’ll see because it is handled with great care from the time it was caught. “Whereas, if you get a ‘fresh’ wild salmon, by the time they catch it and bring it to shore, and it’s flown to the East Coast and then to a restaurant, you’re talking two to three days or more,” he pointed out. Cooper noted that the Lobster Place has always been looked at as a leader in helping the marketplace find solutions to everything from over-fished species to farmed salmon, which, unless it’s done right, is often not an attractive offering to chefs. “Finding the right locations for our catch helps us maintain the flavors and the quality that our customers are looking for. We bring in Loch Duart Scottish Salmon, which is recognized by chefs across the globe as the standard bearer for premium farmed salmon. Thomas Keller uses it at the French Laundry.

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It’s as close as you’re going to get to the wild but still farmed and raised in a sustainable manner – open water pens, with a pen density of 2%, which means 98% water and 2% fish. So the fish have plenty of room to swim around. There’s minimal stress. These salmon often live better lives than you or I!” Cooper and the Lobster Place team also recognize the importance of shrimp in creating summer menus that sizzle. “We have shopped all over the world and have found a source in Mexico that offers some of the highest quality and best tasting shrimp, we’ve ever seen,” added Cooper. “The fishermen from Del Pacifico Seafood use a special technique that focuses on wind and tide. The shrimp are caught on small boats called pangas and use very fine nets called suripera, which cuts back on bycatch. They donate proceeds from the project to support the ecosystem and the local Mexican communities,” Cooper continued. “We also bring in Dover Sole and Turbot from Stolt Farms in Spain,

which produce premium quality fish that are highly regarded across the globe. We bring in Aurora salmon, which is from Northern Norway and takes about four years to grow. Aurora Salmon grows slowly in the arctic environment under the Aurora lights. In this special part of Northern Norway the cold, clear seawater ensures its unique taste. It’s a truly special product with a good fat content and nice feel on the tongue,” Cooper explained. “The best sushi restaurants in Japan use this salmon exclusively.” He emphasized that The Lobster Place really tries to educate its customers about the importance of not over-fishing. “If we continue to fish all the wild fish out of the sea, there’s not going to be anything left,” he said in discussing the recent James Beard Foundation’s new Smart Catch initiative. “It’s important because a lot of what we stand for is transparency, traceability. We want to let our customers know where our fish are coming from, where they’re landed, how they’re caught. So there is that transparency in the chain. Customers are guaranteed everything they need to know about the kind of fish we’re providing for their restaurants. Most importantly, we understand how important the balance is between flavor, price and sustainability.”

July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 77

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

WITH FRED SAMPSON

Looking Over My Shoulder at 90 – Part 3

his is the third in a series of articles dealing with my observations during the 78 years that I have been involved with the foodservice industry. It began in my family’s restaurant in Philadelphia when I was 12 years of age, after school and weekends. While my participation has not yet concluded, my last full-time employment was with the New York State Restaurant Association from 1961 to 2000, as president and CEO. I now am able to share my views on those issues that I feel are pertinent to the industry. The ’70s marked the beginning of the social issues, which would affect the industry then and continue to do so today. First, there was the issue of driving while intoxicated (DWI). The issue itself was not new. However, the increased number of auto accidents and fatalities resulting from this condition aroused the general public and gave birth to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). This organization spearheaded an effort to get drunk drivers off the roads. During this process, a greater number of victims and survivors sought damages in the courts from the drunk drivers and from the on-premises licensees as well. This sent liquor liability insurance rates through the roof, and in many cases insurance companies stopped writing the coverage. The result? Many licensees took a great risk and ran “naked”—in other words, without it.

The 1970s marked the beginning of the social issues, which would affect the industry then and continue to do so today. While the more responsible operators were exercising good judgment when it came to monitoring guests’ consumption, they too were feeling the effects of the insurance crisis and its skyrocketing costs. In response to the seriousness of the problem, industry associations launched a series of server training programs, which are still available today. These programs have been effective and many insurance companies now require them, some even offering a discount to those operators who require servers to attend them. Next came the no-smoking issue. I will not spend time discussing what then was a very controversial issue. Today we are in the “menu management” era. Not only do the “food police” want trans fats wiped from the face of the earth but they will soon launch a “sack the salt” offensive. This will urge chefs to reduce the salt content by 50% in their recipes. The would-be menu managers will not rest until every ingredient of every menu item is printed on every menu. I will have more to say about

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the regulatory climate in Part 4 of this series. During the last half of the ’70s and most of the ’80s, the “eating out” public was being dazzled by nouvelle cuisine. At first it was more prominent in urban areas, but by the end of the ’80s and into the early ’90s it was being served everywhere. One of the most dramatic changes occurred in the public’s attitude toward and interest in the culinary arts and its players. In 1986, Julia Child suggested that a not-for-profit foundation be formed to keep alive the philosophy, ideals, and practices that earned the late James Beard his reputation as the father of American gastronomy. As a result, the James Beard Foundation became a reality. Each year at its annual awards event, the best and brightest of the industry are recognized for their achievements. Between the Beard event and the popularity engendered by the Food Network, American culinary arts and its craftsmen and craftswomen had truly arrived. One of the most visible aspects was the food pre-

Fred G. Sampson is the retired President Emeritus of the New York State Restaurant Association. He began working with NYSRA in 1961. Within the next four years the NYSRA more than tripled its membership and expanded from one regional chapter to eight. Sampson played roles in representing restaurants on issues including paid sick leave, minimum wage, liquor laws, a statewide alcohol training program and insurance plans. Comments may be sent to fredgsampson@juno.com

sentation itself: side dishes slowly disappeared and the main plate resembled a portrait. If I may say so, one of the great artisans of that era was a gentleman by the name of André Soltner, who for more than 25 years was the chefowner of New York City’s legendary French restaurant, Lutèce. Over that same 25-year spread, four separate food critics for the New York Times

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SpeeDelight: it’s time to free my creativity With SpeeDelight’s flexible cooking programs and incredible speed, I can serve up a quesadilla, a sandwich or a pizza and still have time to make my customers feel welcome. They love the food and the relaxed atmosphere and keep coming back for more. I can cook and serve with a smile. I can’t wait to try new ideas!

+ speed

+ quality

Discover more about the new Electrolux ingenious high speed cooking solution: http://professional.electroluxusa.com/ food-service/speedelight/

1 minute to

energy

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NEWS

SOFTWARE INNOVATIONS

Technology Improves The Organizational Health of Healthcare Foodservice Operations

rganizational health encompasses an operation’s ability to function effectively through strong leadership, clear communication, and a solid strategy to respond to change in a way that promotes productivity and growth. Inefficiently managed operations result in staff members being forced to operate on heroics, masking the true pain of working under pressure to push accurate orders out on time, keep floors stocked correctly, cater flawless events, and ultimately ensure customer satisfaction.

CaterTrax conducted a survey of over 4,000 foodservice professionals and found: • An average of 58% of all invoices are calculated incorrectly • 81% of the incorrect invoice calculations are made in favor of the customer • 24% of catering orders are produced with some mishap The overarching problem lies in outdated, inefficient processes, and unfortunately, many healthcare foodservice operations still rely on

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RESTAURANT REPAIR

WITH ERIC SCHECHTER

Is It Time For A Facelift?

f you have a successful restaurant that has been open for 7 or more years and business is good, then you are already on the right path. But there comes a time, when you want to start thinking about re-investing in your own business. With new restaurants opening up all around you, as a restaurant owner, you need to make sure you stay relevant. When it comes time for a refresh or remodel, stay ahead of the curve. “If you wait until it looks like it’s time to renovate, you’ve waited too long.” Industry experts recommend a facelift every five to seven years to keep your business relevant and to compete with all of the new restaurants that open. Depending on the type of restaurant you own, a renovation investment can be as low as five thousand dollars or as expensive as hundreds of thousands of dollars. What are some things you should know before starting a renovation? Timing is everything. Don’t wait until your restaurant is dated and worn before you renovate. Planning and knowing ahead of time what work needs to be done can help you define the scope of the work and develop a budget you can afford. Define who your customers are or the target customer you want to attract. Analyze demographic trends in your area that might expose a change in the population, age, employment, income, etc. Decide on a design that attracts the right customers for your business. Your projected budget is never the “real budget”.

Depending on the type of restaurant you own, a renovation investment can range from five thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Renovating a restaurant always costs more than you expect and more than you want. It’s important to strike a balance between taking on more than you’re prepared to — try to avoid doing too much, but doing enough that customers notice a difference. There is a term in construction called “value engineering”, this is the practice of looking for less expensive techniques and materials to obtain the same design you are seeking. There are many “look alike” products that are less expensive. It’s natural to want the most expensive, beautiful things for your restaurant, but remember that there are less expensive alternatives out there. Decide what’s most important to you, what will make the biggest impact, and what you’re willing to splurge on. There are always two budgets: one budget you know you can spend, and one budget that you want to spend. You have to have a “Not to Exceed” number and stick to it.

Check your lease. Before thinking about any renovation work, you will probably have to have a discussion with your landlord. Some landlords are willing to help with the cost of the remodel since technically it is their build-

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ing and they want to keep it looking fresh. Some landlords will argue all costs are your responsibility as it is your restaurant. You will not know unless you ask. Always get permission in writing from your landlord and understand what requirements they may have. Make sure your lease is in good standing so that if you do invest in renovation, you can stay in the space long enough to get a good return on your investment.

Eric Schechter is a Certified Restaurant

Listen to what your customers are saying. A remodel is the perfect time to take into consideration the feedback you get from customers. What do they like and what could you improve if you remodeled? A great example of listening to your customers, is figuring out their seating preferences. Should you add or upgrade your booth seating? It depends on what type of restaurant you are running. Booths are kind of essential to the following establishments: diners, American comfort food, and any other fine dining restaurants. Booths can provide comfort to your customers, because of the cushion on the back and on the seat, as compared to wood or metal backs on a typical restaurant chair. If you pay closer attention to customers in a restau-

rant with booths, you will find that booths are usually the first to be taken as compared to other type of seating. With this being said, booths do have a high initial investment. Good quality booths can cost somewhere between $600 and up a piece depending upon the type of fabric and style. One alternative for booth is settee. Settees are more versatile and therefore are more popular with new restaurant owners these days. A settee is an extended booth, generally cushioned, to accommodate multiple tables and loose chairs. It’s more economical to have settees now since they cost less money to build, and a 20 feet long settee can typically provide enough visual impact to the overall atmosphere. Other than

Facilities Professional (CRFP) with over 25 years’ experience in the restaurant facilities industry. Eric is also Chief Business Guy at SendaGuy Now, the mobile app for restaurant repairs on demand, where he’s in charge of Strategy, Product & Service, Development & Evaluation, Go-To-Market Strategy and Product Management. Eric can be reached at eschechter@sendaguy.com

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NEWS

EXPANSION

NJ Based Party Rental Unveils Plans For Greater Boston Expansion

ightings of the iconic pink hippo trucks will soon become an everyday occurrence from Fenway Park to Cape Cod and in many of the legendary landmarks of Greater Boston and as far south as Rhode Island. Party Rental Ltd., a leading fullservice event rental company has announced that it will be expanding its service area to include Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Starting this month Party Rental Ltd. will be servicing the New England events industry with over 4,500 different product options and bringing over 45 years of experience servicing events in the Northeast. “We will maintain the same level of excellence that we have in our other markets and offer our full depth of product inventory, to help bring any client’s vision to life,” said Alan Gottlich, Executive Vice President of Party Rental Ltd. Party Rental Ltd. is the first rental company in the country to offer online ordering for customer convenience. “We are excited to bring new product offerings and give the Boston Market more choices and options when it comes to ordering rentals,” said Gary Halperin, President and CEO

We will maintain the same level of excellence that we have in our other markets and offer our full depth of product inventory, to help bring any client’s vision to life,” said Alan Gottlich, Executive VP of Party Rental Ltd. of Party Rental Ltd. Their design studios are located on 186 South Street, Boston, MA and 157 Grove Street Franklin, MA. The firm’s Boston design studio is centrally located in the leather district of South Boston. The Franklin studio will allow Rhode Island and Worcester area customers to conveniently help their clients design the event of their dreams without the challenge of Boston traffic. The Greater Boston operation is managed by Boston natives Sandy Smith and Ellie Goldman, who come with a combined 40 years of event experience. The two design studios are now open for design consultations and trade pricing is

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being offered for event professionals. Former UPS executive Dawn Shuman has joined Party Rental as its Greater Boston operations manager. Shuman brings a strong background in logistics, training, fleet management and a superior level of customer service. “As we grew in Philadelphia and Washington, a key lesson was that we needed local people with local market knowledge a deep understanding of the idiosyncrasies and nuances of each market and the business is not a one size fits all in all markets,” Gottlich continued. “We were thrilled to work with Sandy again who has such deep roots in her hometown.”

Party Rental Ltd. looks forward to working with both new and existing customers in the region. “I have been working with Party Rental for years on my New York events and I can’t wait to see what they bring to the table for Boston,” said Bryan Rafanelli, Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Rafanelli Events. For Party Rental, the move comes on the heels of a successful expansion into the Philadelphia and Washington DC marketplaces. “We’ve built our growth by being a true partner with our customers and working as a team with them,” added Gottlich. “Understanding customer needs, and continuing to update products and keeping a focus on IT innovation has enabled us to be the industry leader.” “Our business model is based on sharing inventory between all our warehouses providing customers in all regions access to over 425,000 square feet of warehoused equipment,” Gottlich added. “As a customer, you have access to our full inventory, no matter your location.” “Many of the customers that we have worked with from New York to Washington told us that they were searching for a Greater Boston

company with the capabilities to support multiple large events,” Gottlich explained. Party Rental will offer cutting edge products for that Hub area customer and lead the way with technology- from texting them when the delivery and pick up are completed, to automatically sending a list of the next day events. “Our centralized customer service system allows consistent support to all our clients with service personnel that are trained for their specialized client base.” “It’s simply amazing to me how Boston has grown with new areas like the Seaport that have gone from being an afterthought to a focus,” Smith explained. “Look at the growth of corporate dining

owned business established in 1972 that is headquartered in Teterboro, New Jersey. It is a leading event rental company serving the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions with the largest selection of linens, tables, flatware, chinaware and catering equipment in the country. The company provides rentals for over 50,000 events a year and prides itself on service, quality and variety of rental products for any occasion.

Longtime SHFM member Sandy Smith (2nd-R) is an integral part of the new Party Rental management team that will guide the firm’s growth in Greater Boston

with firms like GE moving here. I recently was at a meeting with caterers that serve the Boston Public Library and sure enough someone got

up and said when I worked in New York for Great Performances, Party Rental was our go-to,” Smith noted. Party Rental Ltd. is a family-

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NEWS

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN MAINTENANCE

5 Ways To Ensure The Proper Operation And Long Life For Your Steamer Or Combi Ovens Always Have Factory Authorized Technicians Service Your Equipment Steamers and Combi ovens are sensitive and sometimes technically difficult equipment to diagnose. Make sure your technician has been trained on this equipment. Jay-Hill Repairs has exceptional, factory-trained technicians available to service your steam and combi equipment.

Always ask for OEM parts for any repairs to your equipment. There are now knock-offs of OEM parts, so if you are not purchasing your parts from a manufacturer-designated distributor, you may not end up with the quality OEM parts you think you are buying. The materials are different in the knock-offs and they aren’t to spec for your equipment. Always use Factory Authorized Descaling solution which is designed to descale your equipment without harming it. OEM parts are guaranteed to be the same or better quality than the original parts. OEM Parts cost less over the long term because they are warranted by the manufacturer and made with the best materials allowing them to last longer. OEM parts are built for your equipment and will afford easy replacement. A photo of the old part will always help your Parts Distributor along 86 • July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

with the Manufacturer name and model number.

Install a Water Filtration System to protect your Steamers and Combi Ovens. Poor Water Quality is the most frequent issues with this equipment. Have your water tested so you know what you are dealing with. If you don’t have a water filtration system protecting your steam equipment or go through a lot of water filter cartridges, we can provide a filter system and proper scheduled water filter cartridge changeout! NOTE: Clogged filters can starve your equipment of water causing them to shut down unexpectedly.

Have Regular Planned Maintenance performed. Regular maintenance is critical to proper operation as well as long life of Steamers and Combi Ovens. Jay-Hill Repairs can provide you with a scheduled maintenance program to keep your steam equipment working at its maximum efficiency and extend its working life. Scale build-up corrodes internal boilers and can encapsulate elements and other components causing serious and expensive recurring repairs.

Understand the Proper operation of your Steamers and Combi Ovens. Our Techs are happy to instruct you on all phases of operating your steamers and ovens so that you get maximum productivity from them! Just ask when they come out to do your maintenance.

Jay-Hill Repairs has been in business for over 45 years, striving to provide the best, most professional expert service available in our market. Our growing team of 20+ CFESA certified, Factory Trained Field Service Technicians are hand-picked and carefully trained. As the Authorized Service and Parts Distributor for most major equipment manufacturers we stock all the most commonly used OEM Parts and descaling chemicals in our 15,000 sq. ft. warehouse, ensuring the highest possible number of first time fixes. You may also pickup your parts at our Walk-In Parts Counter, or we can ship them to you. Does your in-house staff maintain the equipment? No problem. Visit us online at www.jayhillrepairs. com to order parts book calls, or ask questions. Make sure to sign up for our Blog Posts for other valuable insights and special promotions. You can always rely on Jay-Hill Repairs for expert repairs!

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NEWS

SHOWS

World of Latino Set To Unlock Keys to Booming Marketplace with NJ Show

t the heart of the Latino market in the tri-state New York Metropolitan area, the “World of Latino Cuisine”: El Mundo de la Cocina Latina,” will showcase products from Latin America and the Caribbean August 23rd and 24th at the Meadowlands Expo Center. The trade show provides a dy-

namic venue where Latino food producers, both domestic and international, exhibit their offerings for the ever-growing Hispanic marketplace. The show features exhibits, educational workshops, culinary demonstrations by International celebrity chefs, and much more. The annual food and beverage trade event includes the participa-

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tion of domestic food manufacturers, producers, and distributors. Importers from the Caribbean and many Latin American countries also participate as exhibitors, with almost 200 in attendance. Buyers and merchandisers, distributors, small- and mediumsized specialty food stores, regional chains, caterers, restaurants, inde-

pendents, and bodegas are all expected to attend. Exhibit categories include frozen foods, groceries, organic products, dairy, beverages, and, in addition, non-food products. With more than 2,000 foodservice industry operators expected to attend, sponsors expect the show to be even bigger than last year. Americans spend 4 percent of

their disposable incomes eating out in restaurants, and 70% eating at home. “If we just extrapolate that for the 4 percent and applied it to the $1.5 trillion, the Latino market just for food and beverage is between $180 and $200 billion,” the show’s manager William Colon pointed out. “Even more enticing, the market continues to grow four or 5 percent a year. “ “There are more than 5,000 Latino restaurants in the New York metro area and as the community grows and changes, there’s a tremendous amount of opportunity,” Colon added. “Foodservice operators can come in, take a look at what’s happening in the Latino marketplace and see what they need to purchase

There are more than 5,000 Latino restaurants in the New York metro area and as the community grows and changes, there’s a tremendous amount of opportunity,” Colon added. to stay up with – or get into – this fabulous world of flavors.” In the United States, the Hispanic market has a purchasing power of $1.3 trillion, according to Colon. “Many industry experts are surprised to hear that tortillas now outsell many traditional American hot

dog and hamburger buns. “ The New Jersey event will feature a full slate of seminars and chef demonstrations. The lineup includes a review with the FDA on new labeling requirements, a panel on women in retail (a big emphasis on retail will take place on the 23rd)

and financing a restaurant or catering business. Famous Latino chefs including Ricardo Cardona will demonstrate their skills. On August 23rd the show will hold its annual food and wine festival at the Expo Center. “It’s open to the public, it’s like a mini festival. We’ll have entertainment and 40 restaurants.” “There’s huge opportunity here,” concluded Colon. “It’s a huge celebration. The dynamic and massive participation of Latino food and beverage distributors at the trade shows in 2014 and 2015, makes this a truly unique opportunity for producers or importers seeking to enter the market or expanding sales.”

SOLVING PROBLEMS SINCE 2005

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NEWS

ACQUISITIONS

Fertitta And Landry’s Expands New York Footprint with EMM Group Catch

andry’s CEO and CNBC reality TV star Tillman Fertitta purchased a 50 percent stake last month in the New York-based hospitality group EMM Group. The hospitality group founded by Eugene Remm and Mark Birnbaum, EMM is best known for its Catch restaurant in the Meatpacking District on the West Side of Manhattan. Remm and Birnbaum launched EMM in 2006 with a focus on hospitality “experiences.” Earlier this year after the successful launch of Catch LA with patronage from Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, David Beckham and WME and Netflix personnel. Fertitta, the hospitality mogul is best known as the star of the CNBC show Billion Dollar Buyer. The EMM portfolio includes Catch restaurants in Los Angeles; Playa del Carmen, Mexico; Dubai; and the origi-

nal location in New York, as well as Manhattan’s Lexington Brass. As part of the deal, Fertitta and EMM Group have plans to expand Catch with locations planned for New York’s Midtown, London and Las Vegas. “Having access to Tilman and his team will allow Mark and I to focus more on operations and provides us with ample capital to grow Catch,” said Eugene Remm. Fertitta revealed that there are “no changes whatsoever” planned for operations. “Mark and Eugene are the dynamic duo and have an unbridled energy and passion for success. They understand today’s millennials and know how to operate restaurants and drive traffic,” added Fertitta, the sole owner, chairman and CEO of Fertitta Entertainment, which owns

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“Having access to Tilman and his team will allow Mark and I to focus more on operations and provides us with ample capital to grow Catch,” said Eugene Remm. 90 • July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Tilman Fertitta, CEO, Landry’s, Inc., listens to a business pitch on the set of CNBC’s “Billion Dollar Buyer” (Photo Credit: CNBC)

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NEWS

RESTAURANT SUSTAINABILITY

Why Green Your Restaurant?

o put it simply: greening your restaurant can save you money, help you gain media attention, attract customers, retain employees, stay ahead of legislation, all while contributing positively to the environment. It doesn’t have to be daunting, expensive, or time consuming. The Green Restaurant Association (GRA) has seven environmental categories in our certification standards: water, waste, chemicals, disposables, building materials, food, and energy. These standards encompass thousands of ways a restaurant

can improve their environmental impact.

waste by almost 90% if they recycle and compost. Not only does recycling and composting help reduce waste, but it can keep restaurants ahead of legislation. Recycling and composting laws have increased significantly throughout the country, and if you’re proactive, you will not have to rush to comply with the laws.

Here are a few steps that you can implement to make your restaurant more sustainable. Save water There are hundreds of ways a restaurant can save water, but something we often recommend is switching out your pre-rinse sprayers and aerators with high-efficiency models. This simple and inexpensive fix can save thousands of gallons of water and money on your

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Energy reduction There are hundreds of ways a restaurant can reduce their energy

water and heating bills. Reduce waste Restaurants can

reduce

their

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Green Restaurant Association, from page 92

use. A simple, cost effective way is by purchasing high efficiency lightbulbs such as T8s and LEDs. Often, the return on investment is 6 months to 2 years, and restaurants can save thousands of dollars on saved energy. Lighting alone accounts for 13% of a restaurant’s electricity bills. Use sustainable building materials If you are ever renovating or rebuilding, try sourcing sustainable building materials for your restaurant. You can reuse furniture from a previous tenant or from a consignment shop. You can also purchase items, from carpet to countertops, made from recycled and salvaged materials.

The Green Restaurant Association (GRA) has seven environmental categories in our certification standards: water, waste, chemicals, disposables, building materials, food, and energy. Ditch the pollutants Phasing out cleaning products with harmful ingredients, incentivizing employees to use public transportation, and using GreenPro Certified pest management are just a few ways your restaurant can cut

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down on their pollution production. Rethink your food purchases Consumers are more interested in sustainable food than ever before. Adding more organic, local, planted-based, and humanely raised

products will attract customers and reduce your restaurant’s impact on the environment. As you can see, there are many small environmental steps a restaurant can take that can create a positive impact, both on the environment and your bottom line. If you feel overwhelmed at the thought of running a restaurant while also researching and implementing sustainable programs and products, the Green Restaurant Association’s certification program can make the process hassle-free. We provide you with all the individualized consulting and information to become sustainable, save money, and market your certification. Learn more at www.dinegreen.com.

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NEWS

EDUCATION

MEOC Offers New Hospitality Training Program For Students Wishing To Work in The Hospitality Industry

he Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center (MEOC) is a school located in the heart of Harlem, New York. It is administered by the Borough of Manhattan Community College/ CUNY and funded by the State of New York. Its primary mission is to serve the neediest adult learners living in New York by providing them with free academic and career training programs and supportive services. “The

MEOC serves as a gateway to access education, career, achievement, personal growth and self-sufficiency for adult learners in New York City,” said Tanya Brown, Director of Academic Affairs. In the fall of 2016, the MEOC introduced a Hospitality Training Program to help develop front line staff members in the service industry. “The MEOC’s definition of an adult student is anyone over the age of 17,” she ex-

plained. “Additionally, we offer English for Speakers of Other Languages, College Prep, High School Equivalency, Literacy Development and Developmental Studies Skills as part of our academic programs. Workforce development programs include Microsoft Office, Electronic Health Records, Security Officer Training and Certified Nursing Assistant.” Brown noted that the MEOC works with students with the goal of earning

a high school equivalency diploma, even at a fourth grade reading level. “For all Workforce Development programs, a High School Diploma or its equivalent is required,” said Brown. “But, students cannot have a college degree. The academic goal for MEOC students wishing to further their education is to prepare them for college through our College Prep program.” The Hospitality Training Program was created when restaurateurs of

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various Harlem establishments approached the MEOC about a training module to train students in customer service to become front line staff members in the service industry. “The goal of our hospitality program is to give students a better understanding of the hospitality industry, to show them that there is a career path in the industry, to help them attain nationally recognized credentials so that they are more employable and to provide employers with employees who are ready to hit the ground running when they start working,” Brown stated. “It’s a win-win for everyone. We want to show our students that just starting out as a waiter or waitress can progress into a full career. You can make a lot of money in this industry.” Brown also pointed out that the program is not just limited to fast food and that it includes an experiential learning experience similar to a short-term internship in conjunction with partner-

“The goal of our hospitality program is to give students a better understanding of the hospitality industry, to show them that there is a career path in the industry, to help them attain nationally recognized credentials so that they are more employable and to provide employers with employees who are ready to hit the ground running when they start working,” Brown stated. ing agencies as employers. “When the program began, a small number of students were enrolled but, in the end, all of the students completed their customer service certification from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF),” she said. “And, one of the students was actually employed by the host agency from their experiential

learning piece. So that definitely is a great success.” Is customer service really teachable? “Absolutely,” she exclaimed. “In the Hospitality industry, there are definitely some important qualities that a person must possess. But, there are also things that can be taught such as greeting customers, how to answer questions with a smile or how to make

eye contact when speaking,” she said. “So, certain skill sets can be taught and that’s what is being done in the Hospitality Training Program.” All programs at the MEOC are free of charge, but there are eligibility requirements. All students must be a resident of New York for at least a year, meet low-income New York State guidelines and be non-college graduates. Prospective students are invited to attend an Admission Sessions, held every week at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The MEOC is located at 163 West 125th Street, on Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, 15th floor. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 212-961-3231. Restaurateurs interested in the Hospitality Training Program can contact Tanya Brown, Director of Academic Affairs at (212) 961-4092 or Tanya. Brown@man.eoc.cuny.edu

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NEWS

FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT

DSNY’s Foundation for New York’s Strongest Announces Its First NYC Food Waste Fair The “Soup to Nuts” Fair Will Help Businesses Save Money - and the Environment - through the Prevention, Recovery and Recycling of Previously Wasted Food

ast month at a “recycled food” tasting event at the Spring Street salt shed, the NYC Department of Sanitation’s Foundation for New York’s Strongest announced the upcoming NYC Food Waste Fair, a unique resource-fair-meets-trade-show to be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center on July 25, 2017. New York City food-industry organizations send more than 650,000 tons of usable food to landfills each year. Instead, that food could be used to feed people and animals, nourish soil, grow healthy food, or create energy. The NYC Food Waste Fair will provide businesses with the knowledge, tools and connections to build a waste prevention plan from scratch, or expand their existing programs. By pairing an expo-style event with workshops, panel discussions and live demonstrations, the NYC Food Waste Fair will bring together experts and provide food

waste solutions for local businesses. The Fair is open to all involved in food businesses, such as grocery store owners, street vendors, restaurant and fast food operators, manufacturers, wholesalers, and building and custodial management. Some City businesses are already taking dramatic steps to eliminate organic waste and build a circular economy. At the recent tasting event, 16 innovative New York-based chefs, organizations and start-ups donated

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their time and zero food waste specialties to show that recycled food can be good for the environment and our taste buds. “So much of what New Yorkers throw away is organic waste. Where some people see a problem, we see opportunity,” said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. “With innovations like the NYC Food Waste Fair and the largest organics curbside collection service in the United States, recycling food is becoming as easy as recycling paper. Additionally, the Food Waste Fairs fits into the City’s goal of sending zero waste to landfills by 2030, which is part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s OneNYC plan.” “The opportunity to save money, reduce waste tonnage and grow jobs is tremendous. Still, few in the food and hospitality industries incorrectly assume that embracing sustainability into their operations is too costly,” said Elizabeth Balkan, Executive Director of the Foundation for New York’s Strongest, and Director

of Policy and Senior Advisor to the Commissioner for the Department of Sanitation. “Until now, there has not been a one-stop-shopping opportunity to learn about all the resources available for preventing, recovering and recycling food waste. The first-ever NYC Food Waste Fair will bring together the largest portfolio of food waste solutions for businesses throughout New York City.” “I am proud to welcome the NYC Food Waste Fair to Greenpoint,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams. “Sustainably disposing of and recycling food is an important element of how we all can conserve resources and address hunger, from the meals we cook at home to the items we purchase at a supermarket. The Fair will foster a much-needed conversation in Brooklyn and beyond on how we can tackle food waste, save our planet, and ensure we are doing our utmost with the finite resources that we have.” “Reducing the city’s food waste is key to reaching our ambitious OneNYC goals of sending Zero Waste to landfills by 2030 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050,” said Mark Chambers, Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustain-

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f you have ever considered opening a restaurant in New York City we have to give you credit for the courage. New York City is one of, if not the most competitive restaurant environments in the world. If that doesn’t scare you then here is the real issue with opening a restaurant probably will. The New York City government can make it challenging for a restaurant to open. Among the most daunting of those licensing and approval challenges is the process of receiving approval for the use of a Ventless Hood in a restaurant or foodservice operation. Most recently, one of the City’s most prominent restaurateurs: Danny Meyer was successful in his application to support a second-floor private dining area with a totally electric ventless kitchen at the newly renovated Union Square Cafe. Meyer and his team turned to one of Metro New York’s top experts: Gene Cinotti of HCH Inc. in Sparta, NJ. HCH teamed with Wells Manufacturing to provide the necessary guidance to move Union Square Hospitality Group through the local government approval process of the New York City and the FDNY. When the FDNY gets involved it becomes a strenuous process that has to be done to their exact specifications. Gene Cinotti shares his top bits of advice for how to get approval for your restaurant or foodservice operation to successfully install

ventless hoods. • Plan on giving yourself plenty of time to get through the process. • When pursuing the use of ventless hoods, know that when it comes to getting ventless approval for equipment in NYC you will have to meet a certain list of criteria. • Once you have met the list of criteria you can begin entertaining the idea of bringing in that type of equipment. • Then you need to get a COA (Condition of Approval) from the fire department, which can only be considered if you meet the criterion that’s set forth in those conditions of approval. • The FDNY and DOB (Department of Buildings) establish these approvals. So the next step is to submit a docketed stamped drawing from the DOB stating where the ventless hood will be placed. • Once they have the conditions of approval met, you will make an application with the FDNY for a site visit. • Once the site visit and evaluation have been completed you will see if you get your approval signed off by the FDNY to move forward. • After DOB approval, complete the application for the FDNY. Remember that these

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•

applications are challenging , so please make sure that you are working with someone that has experience in the application process. After the site visit, and youhave received the COA and

approval from the FDNY, you are able to begin installation. Gene Cinotti is a principal at the HCH Inc in Sparta, NJ. He can be reached to answer questions at 973-300-4551 or via email at hchgene@earthlink.net

The dedicated work of local rep Gene Cinotti of HCH in coordination with Wells Manufacturing enabled Union Square to create a new fully electric kitchen to support private dining

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Sederholt, from page 28 away from brick and mortar stores, malls and downtown storefronts, catastrophically crushing an entire sector of the traditional economy. Fewer trips to the mall or to your local Main Street means fewer walk-in dining opportunities for shoppers wanting to grab lunch while they are out and about. E-commerce has pounded the brick and mortar retailers to death – are restaurants suffering collateral damage? The NPD Group also reported that higher cost of restaurant lunches is another factor in the decline. Lunch tabs in restaurants have gone up significantly while food costs in supermarkets have gone down. People notice. Supermarkets like Whole Foods and others have long positioned themselves as direct competitors to restaurants for all prepared meals by providing variety, quality and value. Now their high-priced consumer perceptions have fallen below restaurant dining costs. Middle to lower income employees feel cash strapped and are struggling to stay afloat, save, pay down college debt or plan for retirement. It’s a no brainer for them to pack a lunch and eat at their desk. In the struggle to provide a living wage to employees, restaurants have become stressed and with labor costs rising and adding to the woes. Unemployment goes down and the overall labor market tightens which drives up wages for restaurant workers. Prices must go up to compensate and lunch is one of the most sensitive segments. In Seattle, it was determined that menu prices rose between 7% and 9% after the city increased the minimum wage to $12.50. The economic conditions require restaurateurs to provide workers with a living wage in order to retain them. This conflicts directly with the consumer side, which does not want to invest the money, energy or time into eating a more expensive lunch. Restaurant owners have tried to

adapt in reaction to this shift in the segment, because maintaining an empty dining room during lunch can be very costly. A restaurateur pays rent for the space 24 hours a day – 7 days a week regardless if it is filled or not. The pain is spreading to suppliers. Meat giant Tyson Foods Inc. recently said a 29% drop in quarterly earnings was due partly to the decline in restaurant traffic, much of which can be tracked to the declining lunch sector. Produces, distributors, resellers, retailers, restaurants, each of which provide jobs and returns to their shareholders will suffer. Indirectly, this micro economic recession spills over onto everyone doing business with these restaurants and their vendors. The steep and measurable decline in lunch sales is not merely a call to react to market changes. It is a real sign of things to come. It is a light cast on a paradigm shift in our industry and the overall economy. If you are listening, the canary just stopped tweeting. You should be prepared to adapt and change your business model or you might have really difficult financial challenges ahead. “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one that is most responsive to change.” - Charles Darwin 1809 If you’d like to discuss strategies or other financial issues facing your business please contact me at dsederholt@sfscapital.com.

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CaterTrax, from page 80

handwritten notes as a method of communication. But by implementing foodservice management technology, operators can streamline operations to reduce inefficiencies and improve the overall organizational health of an operation. Improving Communication Foodservice operators can’t afford miscommunications that result from outdated manual processes. Let’s consider what could happen after a customer leaves a voicemail detailing an important last-minute order change: Scenario A: The voicemail is not heard in time to make the change. The order is incorrect, and the customer is understandably unsatisfied. Scenario B: An employee hears the voicemail and leaves a note about the order change on their manager’s desk, but it’s swallowed up by piles of other paperwork. Again, the order is incorrect, and the customer is unsatisfied. Scenario C: An employee hears the voicemail in time, the order change is communicated correctly to the kitchen, and the customer is satisfied. Any foodservice professional will happily choose Scenario C if given a choice, but missed calls and lost notes make this an uncommon outcome. By adding online ordering to the equation, all communication between customers and foodservice staff remains in one, reliable system of record and the stress of losing an important note dissipates. As customers take control of the ordering process, they become responsible for communicating order details and

Fertitta, from page 90

changes in a secure system where they’ll never vanish. Reducing Waste Having access to detailed reporting gives foodservice staff deeper insight into operations, allowing them to make more informed, data-driven decisions. Hospitals, in particular, produce an astonishing 11.7 thousand tons of waste a day, and up to 15% of a hospital’s total waste comes from food, according to Foodservice Equipment and Supplies. Being able to leverage historical data like past ordering trends and inventory levels provides the advantage of better forecasting and smarter purchasing habits, reducing the prominence of overproduction and spoiled inventory. Foodservice operators can rest easy knowing that they’re maintaining proper inventory levels, reducing waste, and saving money.

restaurant giant Landry’s and the Golden Nugget casinos. “I am here to provide guidance and help fund future growth of the brand.” The purchase of EMM Group is part of a company growth spurt led by Fertitta who’s the sole owner of Landry’s, claiming 500 restaurants, including McCormick & Schmick’s, Morton’s, and the Golden Nugget hotel casino in Vegas. The focus of Landry’s growth over the past year has been in New York City. In November of 2016, Fertitta bought the New York restaurant empire BR Guest, the parent of Dos Caminos and Strip House restaurants among others. Fertitta, has a residence in Soho in Manhattan and is increasing his presence in New York City. Houston-based Fertitta acquired the company from Barry Sternlicht’s Starwood Capital Group, which purchased 50 percent of the business from Ste-

phen Hanson for $150 million in 2007 and then bought out the rest later for an undisclosed sum, BR Guest, which closed Ruby Foo’s and Ocean Grill, still operates 14 Manhattan eateries with a total of several thousand seats, including three Dos Caminos and Bill’s Bar & Burger restaurants, two Atlantic Grill locations, two Strip House restaurants and one Bluewater Grill, as well as several spots in New Jersey and Las Vegas. Fertitta’s company has revenues over $3.4 billion and assets of more than $3.5 billion. Landry’s operates more than 500 properties in 36 states with several international locations. Fertitta employs more than 60,000 employees across restaurants including McCormick & Schmick’s, Rainforest Cafe, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Mastro’s Steakhouse and Ocean Club, Morton’s The Steakhouse, La Griglia and Willie G’s.

Healing the Pain Points Healthcare foodservice workers experience a multitude of challenges every day – challenges resolved by implementing technology, the secret ingredient to achieving a positive level of overall organizational health. Foodservice management software heals the pain points of a typically hectic industry by improving processes and creating efficiencies, so healthcare foodservice operators can eliminate the chaos and gain control over their business once again. Visit catertrax.com to learn how we can help you take control of your foodservice operation.

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LIZ ON TABLETOP

TABLETOP SOLUTIONS

Creativity Doesn’t Need To Be Expensive

ometimes it’s difficult to balance one news report that talks about the number of new restaurants that are scheduled to open at Hudson Yards on the West Side of Manhattan and then hear the next day about restaurant closings. So, it got me to thinking and carefully listening to our H. Weiss customers about what it takes to succeed. I spoke to an old friend a little while ago. He was looking to open a new space. We kept on going back to finding a new twist, something new,

Liz Weiss is the President and coowner of Armonk, NY based H. Weiss

something that you do not see on every corner, something special. So, the first idea grew around small plates, to encourage splitting and therefore ordering more items, lower food costs, and lower plate cost (smaller plates are MUCH less expensive than larger plates). Then we talked about adding a truly interesting cocktail menu using fresh ingredients like herbs in pots. So, we were going in the direction of an eternal summer theme by using thyme, basil, lavender, and mint as decorations and ingredients. Infus-

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ing water and booze. We envisioned small casks making bitters and vinegars. The overall feel we discussed was keeping the air fresh and smelling good. We thought about brighter lighting to imitate a garden setting. I may feel a little different in the winter, but guests would probably like to enjoy a “spring” garden atmosphere in January. We remain convinced that the bar menu is a key to creating your signature. Some of our new favorite drinks include fruit balsamic vinegar in water or added into drinks.

Co. She is known nationally as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on tabletop design. The Michigan State graduate is also actively involved with WPO-Women’s Presidents Organization. Comments may be sent to eweiss@hweiss.net.

We love the idea of serving the vinegar on the side in a tiny beaker- like simple sugar. Steelite and American Metal both have interesting beaker selections. A large copper or pretty cocktail shakers enhance a great

look and are very operational and P&L friendly. After the second cocktail, we thought about “crazy and loud” and creating a frenetic atmosphere. Our vision was staff swirling around, creating buzz and confusion, which could be soothed with food and drink. There is something to be said for loud sounds, bright dishes, and people all over to turn tables. In each of the projected themes, we saw an attentive involved staff, making suggestions to patrons. We also wanted to make the experience special and generate return visits. So, we agreed that a great way to accomplish that would be by creating a hook of sending out something “free” so the customer feels special. Maybe not an amuse bouche but a

We remain convinced that the bar menu is a key to creating your signature. taste of a special, an appetizer, or a dessert. Just something to make you feel good about being there. We also agreed to change it up so that one night it is a taste of dessert, the next a taste of an appetizer with the goal of keeping it changing and feeling unexpected. We thought that a great place to accomplish that might be at the bar. Why not serve a drink at the bar with a small bite- individual Grilled cheese on a knotted pick as a garnish for a bloody Mary?

The goal should be not so much amusing bouche to cleanse, but something to get you hungry- and that starts before you order. Why not think about replacing bread with something- dip, mini-burger, mini taco. Instead of putting it in the middle of the table, serve it to each person. Or offer it like Westchester, NY restaurateur Peter Kelly does at brunch. In his restaurants, the waiter walks by and offers a choice of somethingnot enough to fill you up, but some-

thing to start- just one bite- served special. Our H. Weiss team can offer a number of great ways to serve the single bites from a cute plate, on a spoon, in a low martini glass or even on a fork or a bed of greens. I guess this is the long-winded way of saying that everyone needs to be different to assure their success. You can’t just be another pizza joint on a street of 10 pizza places. You are looking to be special and create an experience that makes your customer feel good about your place and being there. You need to ask, are we just feeding people or our chef and culinary team and the front of the house management and staff creating something fun.

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Hewitt/One Haus, from page 12 elements that the company looks out for, like what’s in your environment that would make someone want to stay. “Are you treating them well and showing them respect, giving them an upward trajectory or making them better operators? What realistic perks and quality of life/work ratio does your company promise during the interview process and actually deliver post hire? “Otherwise, you always have staff just clocking in and out and not caring about your past. And then a week later, they start looking and most likely reaching out to someone like us. So that’s really one of the issues that we’re seeing. It’s a two-way street. You treat someone right; he or she is going to do right by you. We like to say we see the red flags well in advanced.” One Haus is an operator’s eyes and ears out in the market. “Operators are not going to hear the stuff that people tell us,” Hewitt explained. “We have

W E N

intel about their locations that they don’t even know about, which is kind of good to know. They will say, look, this is the word on the street. You are really hard to work for or you don’t treat people well or vice versa, people who speak very highly of you. So we do a lot of intel that keeps us close to them. But our loyalty also is with the client. We want to make sure that we treat them well. Sometimes that means telling them things they don’t want to hear. But they realize the value in that exchange of information. Through our partnership with Empowered Hospitality we provide full suite Human Resource services, from very cost efficient total off-site HR departments, compliance hotlines, hourly staffing options and staff training packages, but the company’s main expertise, in the end, is recruitment. “We want to specialize and focus on what we do best,” Hewitt concluded.

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Faith Hope Consolo, from page 18 able glass roof will keep you warm on chilly nights.

sphere with exposed wood and hanging fabrics.

The Crown 50 Bowery This bar debuted on the 21st floor of the new Hotel 50 Bowery in Chinatown, showcasing views of the Empire State Building to the Freedom Tower, with one large deck facing south, the other north. Cocktails and small bites are served from an inside lounge bridging the decks. Drinks showcase exotic produce, like dragon fruit, papaya and lychee, along with beer, wine, sake, soju and nonalcohol “mocktails”. The Crown is run by Three Kings Restaurant Group, which also is behind rooftop bar The Heights.

The Heights 11 East 31st Street Chef Dale Talde and the Three Kings Group’s latest addition to the Arlo NoMad Hotel has excellent Empire State Building views and summer style drinks like boozy slushies. A must-have are the Detroit-style pizzas from the downstairs restaurant, Massoni.

The Delancey 168 Delancey Street This canopied all-weather rooftop patio is a tropical hideaway in downtown Manhattan with boardwalkstyle wood floors, lush palm fronds, greenery and cozy beach lounges. Gallow Green 542 West 27th Street This cocktail bar is inside a secret garden in Chelsea atop of the McKittrick Hotel, itself, a rare jewel. Opened in 1939 as Manhattan’s most elite hotel (the favorite of Alfred Hitchcock), but closed within a year, at the outbreak of World War II, the untouched lobby and new restaurant spaces have now been re-opened. Go to the rooftop for lush greenery and romantic lighting; truly an experience. Haven Rooftop 142 W. 47th Street On top of the Sanctuary Hotel, cabanas and views combine with cocktails and French-influenced bites at this heated, enclosed rooftop spot. Haven is year-round fun for those who seek festive cocktails and fine fare in a rustic-yet-elegant atmo-

Hotel Chantelle 92 Ludlow Street A fabulous French bar on Lower East Side featuring a retractable roof, so you can relax in its European garden-themed rooftop lounge yearround. The old-fashioned standing street lamps, park benches and greenery create a Parisian-bistro vibe with amazing specialty cocktails. Jane Hotel West Village 113 Jane Street This rooftop bar is located atop the Jane Hotel, and it offers great views of the Hudson River, cold drinks, and a leisurely and fun atmosphere that is like stepping back in time with its faux-watermarked walls and elegant oak bar. A great spot after visiting the new Whitney Museum a block up. JIMMY at The James 15 Thompson Street This luxury rooftop bar is 18 stories up, on top of The James Hotel. Take a dip in the plunge pool or head to the bar’s “conversation pit” -- a lounge area with plush seating and beautiful steel Arco lamps. The pool is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. The Lodge at Gallow Green 542 W. 27th Street The Lodge at Gallow Green is a new cabin-style space located on the roof of the McKittrick Hotel, with views of the High Line, Hudson River and

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Manhattan. A very incongruous feel, a hunting lodge on a rooftop with city views, can be very fun. Lovage Rooftop & Indoor Lounge 350 W. 40th Street Lovage is a 4,000 square-foot, lightfilled space with sprawling 17 foot floor – to ceiling windows that allows for the perfect 360 degree view of the City. Enjoy immaculate sights of the Empire State Building and the Hudson River. Mad46 45 E 45th St. at Madison Avenue The rooftop bar above the city’s classic Roosevelt Hotel is a delight. A favorite summer spot to escape the bustle of Midtown, with views over the city’s rooftops. Monarch Rooftop Lounge 71 W. 35th Street Monarch’s Scandinavian-chic bar is a glamorous nightspot that features picturesque views of the Empire State Building. The indoor/outdoor lounge radiates a seductive vibe with plush velvet surrounding the venue. The space is on the 18th-floor penthouse of the Marriott Courtyard Herald Square, looking over Macy’s. Pod 39 Rooftop Lounge & Bar 145 East 39th Street On top of the Pod Hotel, the Latin American ambiance and cocktails take you to another place and time while you take in the spectacular New York scenery of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. The Roof 120 W. 57th Street Located atop the Viceroy Hotel in Midtown on the 29th floor, this lounge has views of Central Park and lots of comfortable seating. This indoor-outdoor hotspot is open yearround.

The Roof at Park South 125 E. 27th Street With menus created by James Beard Award-Winning Chef Tim Cushman, this elegant rooftop offers fabulous dining with unobstructed views of the New York City skyline. Sabbia at La Birreria 200 Fifth Avenue Eataly’s rooftop beer garden, Birreria, has been converted to Sabbia, a 14th-floor beach lounge with Italian charm. Decorated like a beachhead resort, enjoy the bar or relax in lounge chairs and beach cabanas, with views of the Flatiron Building from one angle and the Empire State Building from another. The Skylark 200 W. 39th Street Designed by Meyer Davis Studio, The Skylark is 30 stories above Times Square, with all of the city’s bright lights laid out for you to view and enjoy. Social Drink & Food 570 10th Avenue The enclosed portion of this YOTEL rooftop spot is open year-round, and the outdoor terrace opens up when the weather is good. Go in the mornings for breakfast and experience a creative menu of globally inspired street food in the day and evening. The Top of The Standard 848 Washington Street Atop The Standard Hotel, the Meatpacking District fixture known for its floor-to-ceiling windows and stunning views from a building that straddles the High Line is the opulent penthouse lounge that becomes a club after 10 PM. Great for sunset drinks and also perfect for afternoon tea. Savor this rooftop roundup and watch for my next edition of Faithful Food! Happy Dining!

Kontos Chef At Paterson ESHS, from page 72

and restaurants. Haralambatos had fun with the class, asking them what they learned this year, and then writing a list that included “How to Cut Yourself”, “How to Burn Yourself”, and “How to Destroy Food”, at which point students pointed out that they had learned, “How NOT to Cut Yourself”, “How NOT to Burn Yourself”, and “How NOT to Destroy Food.” “Ah!” said Chef Demetrios, “You did learn how to become a cook, excellent.” He proceeded to discuss culinary opportunities that are available to students after completing their studies at Eastside. Working in a restaurant is not your only option, he said. Hotels, country clubs, hospitals, cruise ships and school cafeterias are also viable options. And for those students who elect to get a higher education, he discussed ad-

ditional opportunities, such as becoming a Culinary Educator (such as their instructors, Chef Kemmet and Amato); working for a Food Manufacturer and Food Equipment Manufacturers; becoming a Food Writer, Food Stylist, and more. After many questions from the students, Chef Demetrios, gave a presentation entitled, “The Evolution of Flatbread; from Ancient Egypt to Today”, a multi-sensory demonstration. The students were able to taste, smell, feel, a variety of flatbreads, and observed flatbread cooked on the back/bottom of a pan. Chef Demetrios Haralambatos is a classically trained chef, a food historian and food writer; a frequent lecturer on a variety of Food Topics. For the past 22 years the Corporate

Executive Chef for Kontos Foods Inc, a commercial bakery in Paterson, NJ. He is a Founding Member of the Research Chefs Association and former National Ethnics CoChairman of the American Culinary Federation.

ides (Evris) Kontos with his son Steven, together bring over 100 years’ experience in the premium food industry. The company’s bread and Fillo products are made in the USA. Visit www.kontos.com or call (973) 278-2800

Founded in 1987, Kontos Foods, Inc. is a Paterson, New Jersey-based provider of artisan breads and traditional Mediterranean foods for restaurants, hotels, food service, retail specialty stores and supermarkets worldwide. The family-owned company specializes in hand-stretched flatbreads, including the Kontos Pocket-Less Pita®, Fillo dough, pastries, olives, gyro meats, and Greek yogurts, as well as nearly 50 varieties of multi-ethnic flatbreads. Kontos, which has over 225 employees and was founded by Evrip-

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Sampson, from page 78 rated Lutèce four stars—a feat yet to be matched. Soltner is now associated with The French Culinary Institute in New York City. A by-product of this fascination with food and those who prepare it is the increase in media attention. Almost every newspaper, major magazine, and TV station started devoting more space, time, and ink to restaurants, wine, and ingredients. Chefs were becoming media stars. Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali, Rachael Ray, and Lidia Bastianich all became household names. Not only were they media stars but most have become best-selling authors. In fact, it is almost mandatory that in order to arrive as a culinary star, you must be published at least once. The growth of chain restaurants, in both diversity and numbers, was changing the competitive landscape

NYC Food Waste Fair, from page 98 throughout the United States. This change also included a new type of competition, the local mini-chain. I call them signature chains. Examples are Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, Steve Hanson, the Brennan Family, David Boulud, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Danny Meyer, Drew Nieporent, and the list goes on. In many instances their operations are in the same marketing area. This does not diminish their impact. As I have said many times, their reputations have become a great asset. This asset makes them attractive to property owners as well as their investors when they are selecting new locations. As the saying goes in Hollywood: “They are bankable.” Our next era includes a new century, catering to an educated and sophisticated consumer, and the question of how casual we will get.

ability. “We are proud to support the Foundation for New York’s Strongest and NYC Department of Sanitation as they launch the first Food Waste Fair, providing NYC businesses with the resources, workshops, and information necessary to tackle food waste at the source.” For more information on attending, exhibiting or sponsoring the NYC Food Waste Fair, visit foodwastefair. nyc. About the Foundation for New York’s Strongest Launched in 2016 with an avantgarde fashion collaboration with designer Heron Preston, the Foundation for New York’s Strongest educates New Yorkers to embrace environmentalism and highlights Sanitation Workers’ dignity in keeping our City healthy, safe and clean. The Founda-

tion relies upon private funding to create artistic and education events and build unconventional partnerships, all to support DSNY’s commitment to leading New Yorkers to send zero waste to landfills by 2030. About the New York City Department of Sanitation The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) keeps New York City healthy, safe and clean by collecting, recycling and disposing of waste, cleaning streets and vacant lots, and clearing snow and ice. The Department operates 59 district garages and manages a fleet of more than 2,000 rear-loading collection trucks, 450 mechanical brooms and 689 salt/sand spreaders. The Department clears litter, snow and ice from approximately 6,500 miles of City streets and removes debris from vacant lots as well as abandoned vehicles from City streets.

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Schechter, from page 82 providing visual impact, these colorful booths and settees can also help enhance the acoustics. Therefore, if budget allows, booths and settees can add tremendous values to your restaurant. This is just one example of listening to customer’s wants and needs, and figuring out how to fit it into your budget. Get the proper financing for your project. Renovations can cost a small fortune and this is why most restaurateurs look for outside financing to complete the project. There are many sources of financing including banks, fund services and individuals. Ensure your funding has been approved and is available before hiring a contractor or initiating the renovation.

of your competition. You must be “hands-on” during the renovation and get involved with every detail and be on-site every day that work is being done. No one cares as much as you, and you must be the one to push the job forward. Anything you can do to minimize downtime during a renovation is best. The point of upgrading your restaurant is to keep your regular customers satisfied and to attract new customers. It is recommended you begin a marketing

Choose the right contractor. You must be very careful when you choose a contractor for your renovation project. They must have the proper credentials like licenses and insurance as well as the experience to tackle your project. Their references are valuable- did they provide quality and on-time performance with other projects they completed? Have they completed similar projects recently? Ensure they obtain the required permits and inspections, and make sure you review these documents as you do not want any issues that will delay your renovation. Shop around and use trusted resources like SendaGuy Now to ensure you get the quality and speed you require. Plan your schedule. Can you keep your restaurant open during renovation or do you need to shut it down? Shutting down has a negative impact on your financial situation as your restaurant will not be generating money and your regular customers may become a regular 112 • July 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

campaign that draws attention to your new restaurant and lead up to a “Grand Re-Opening” event. This can be accomplished through both online and offline marketing. Don’t try to fool yourself. Before pulling the trigger on a renovation, be honest with yourself. Is a renovation a good decision? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Will your restaurant still be open? Is this a commitment I am willing to take?

Will there be a return on the investment if I renovate my restaurant? These are all hard questions to answer, but if you plan on staying in business long into the future, keep the front and the back of the restaurant in the best possible condition. This ensures your staff has the tools and equipment needed in the back of the house to produce amazing food for your guests and the front of the house provides an experience that keeps them coming back for more.

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Food Lab Conference, from page 2 ber said. “If you’re telling your farmer that what you want is healthy farmland near your house, and asking him what he would grow if healthy soil was his goal and agreeing to buy that and eat it that’s a very different proposition than the demand-driven farming we have now. “We need to be clear with farmers about what we are asking them to do. Because saying we don’t want them to use pesticides, and we want sustainable agriculture, is nice, but it’s not fea-

sible without a government policy and an educated consumer to support it. “In the end, when the soil is healthy because it’s being managed well, then every crop that comes off of it is delicious and ultimately more affordable, because right now you’re plowing under your rotation crops, or selling them for cow food or dog chow.” The Barber family practices what it preaches. Blue Hill doesn’t offer menus. The kitchen prepares its dishes based on what is seasonably available, and

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commits to purchasing every crop its farmers grow. “It’s a negotiation between landscape and dining,” Barber noted. Third keynote speaker was Michel Nischan, a chef, author and food activist. Nischan talked about his three decades spent advocating for a more healthful, sustainable food system. The founder of Wholesome Wave, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved consumers to make better food choices, Mr. Nischan was instrumental

in securing $100 million for food insecurity grants in the current federal Farm Bill. Those grants expand affordable access to healthy, locally grown fruits and vegetables. “More people are demanding to know more about where their food comes from, regardless of their economic status or their ethnicity,” he said. “It used to be just a boutique movement, people who could afford to shop at Whole Foods or a farmer’s market. But now we’re seeing studies coming out of Johns Hopkins University around consumer attitudes in people struggling with poverty, and people are saying organic is very important to them even if organic wasn’t a question on the survey.” But as a young chef, he said he was “kind of freaked out” by the food that was coming into the restaurants where he worked. “I decided I was just going to go out and buy from local farmers, only to find there weren’t any.” The big commercial farms had replaced small family farms across much of the country. “I felt I had to do something about it, and that was my first foray into advocacy,” he said. “I wanted to know, ‘How do we get good food back?’” Through the James Beard Foundation, Nischan also hosts boot camps for chefs. “We started with the notion that chefs might be interested in advocacy, and it became wildly popular. We bring 15 chefs together at a time and teach them how to advocate for things beyond the four walls of their kitchen, whether it’s living wages for farmworkers, antibiotics in farm animals, whatever their interest is. We’ve got a waiting list of 800 chefs who want to go through the program. Those chefs being willing to lend their voices to changing the world through food, that’s a trend.” In addition to the three keynote speakers, attendees heard from an expansive menu of food enthusiasts, cooks, celebrity chefs, farmers and food producers, along with beer, wine and spirits makers.

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NYC Hospitality Alliance, from page 26 try; assist nightlife businesses with permitting and licensing matters; and promote an economically and culturally vibrant nightlife industry. In fact, the creation of this office was first suggested by us, our predecessor organization the New York Nightlife Association along with our counsel Rob Bookman and vice president Paul Seres. We believe that when industry and government work cooperatively together the results can be impactful. An example of this is the incredible success we had co-developing the Best Practices for Nightlife Establishments guide with the NYPD, which is a roadmap of how to develop a safe nightlife atmosphere, and has since been used by cities around the world. The NYC Hospitality Alliance believes that if we want to remain the City that Never Sleeps, then city government must support our nighttime economy. It’s music to our ears that we’re another step closer to our goal becoming reality.

results in much needed revenue for the business and has created new good paying jobs. The open air features are part and parcel for many restaurants and are not an incidental feature as they are to other big box stores that may blow cool air onto the streets to attract customers inside on hot summer days, which the law rightfully sought to prohibit for environmental reasons. Now that the City Council has passed this regulatory reform, the

City Council Passes Air Conditioning Law Reform

he NYC Hospitality Alliance is happy to announce that the City Council passed legislation to amend the law prohibiting retail businesses from keeping their doors and windows open when the air conditioning is turned on. The legislation clarifies that the law does not apply to restaurants. As you may recall, we testified at a recent hearing that the law was never intended to prohibit restaurants from keeping their french doors and windows open. These features were built to provide a semi-al fresco dining experience for guests, which

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legislation has been sent to Mayor de Blasio. The mayor has the option of signing the legislation into law, vetoing it, or, if the mayor does not take either action it will automatically become law in 30 days. We urge the mayor to support this bill that is not only supported by the NYC Hospitality Alliance and the City Council, but a highly respected environmental organization too. The NYC Hospitality Alliance takes issues related to climate

change very seriously, so if this legislation becomes law, we urge restaurants that take advantage of this exception to the closed doors and windows law, to use their air conditioning responsibly during the summer months by not blasting frigid air onto the sidewalks. Please note this reform exempting restaurants from the current law has not yet taken effect. We will let you know what action the mayor takes.

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NYC Fast Food Law, from page 4 New Yorkers,” said de Blasio. Seattle and San Francisco already have similar measures in place. The New York State Restaurant Association criticized the legislation, arguing that the penalties for changing worker shifts will make record keeping more cumbersome and increase costs. Each change could cost the restaurant between $10 and $75. Advocates of the legislation, such as the Service Employees International Union, say fast food workers often have shifts eliminated or added at the last minute, which may conflict with child care needs or shifts at other jobs. Worker scheduling legislation has already been implemented in retail and fast food industries in many states, including North Carolina, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Texas.

The package of bills signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio also prohibits unpaid on-call scheduling in the retail sector. Fast food workers will also be able to voluntarily contribute to worker advocacy groups and non-profits (not unions) through a payroll deduction. The bill package goes into effect in six months.

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Bobrow, from page 52

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Fresh ice (not smelling like garlic or anything like old eggs)

Prep: 1. Add the fresh ice to a Collins glass 2. Top with the Q-Tonic water 3. POUR OVER the Barr Hill Ginyes. over the tonic water 4. Squeeze a quarter of fresh lime juice over the top 5. Garnish with a fresh wedge of lime The next gin that I chose is more London Dry style in demeanor. It starts dry and finishes dry. (just like a stiff upper lip) It’s named Martin Miller’s Gin and it is made with water from Iceland, perhaps the purest and softest water in the world. I’m a huge fan of their Pot Still gin for the rich depth of flavor. I believe that it is the classic combination of crisp to aromatic to bodacious. My choice of tonic water for Martin Miller’s namesake gin would be the Fever Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water. This very European styled fizzy liquid speaks a different language than the one that most off the shelf tonic waters can never do. It is not cloying, nor overly rich. Fever Tree is dry on the finish and it stands up to the potent, pot-still gin with alacrity. Continental Gin and Tonic Ingredients: • 3 oz. Martin Miller’s Pot Stilled Gin • 6 oz. Fever Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water • Fresh Ice • Fresh Lime Juice • Lime wedge • Angostura Bitters

1. Add the ice to a Collins glass 2. Add the Martin Miller’s Gin 3. Top with the Fever Tree Tonic Water 4. Add 1 tablespoon of Fresh Lime Juice 5. Add 3-5 drops of the Angostura Bitters 6. Garnish with a freshly cut lime wedge 7. Serve! The final gin that I chose for this cocktail primer is probably the most classic in the purely Botanical format. Hendricks’s Gin is my choice for the final slurp. This gin is bursting with flavors of cucumber and roses. Quite remarkable really. The tonic water is no less rambunctious either because I picked one made right here in New Jersey named TomR’s Tonic. Their handmade product is perfectly geared to the explosive aromatics of Hendricks’s gin because you can adjust the bitterness of the final drink just by adding more- or less of this amazing tonic syrup. I love the 1,2,3, method described on their website. Tomr’s Classic Tonic and Gin Ingredients: • 1 oz. Tomr’s Tonic Syrup • 2 oz. Hendricks’s Gin • 3 oz. Seltzer Water • My addition of a pinch of sea salt Prep: 1. Add ice to a Collins Glass 2. Top with the Tomr’s Tonic Syrup 3. Add the Hendricks’s Gin over the syrup 4. Top with the Seltzer Water 5. Add a pinch of sea salt 6. Serve!

Prep:

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NEWS ENERGY SAVINGS National Grid Offers Expanded Portfolio of Energy Savings For NYC & Long Island Restaurant And Foodservice Customers

tility bills are eating away at restaurant and foodservice operations’ revenues. Understanding the numbers behind gas and electricity bills is a headache without the proper tools or knowledge. Lost in translation, restaurant owners and foodservice operations are blind to the potential savings. Fortunately, National Grid, a gas and utility company, is clearing the confusion with the introduction of four transparent programs as part of their portfolio expansion. Available to all restaurants and food service operations customers, this expansion is filling pockets by minimizing energy costs and water usage. National Grid’s solutions are detailed and appeal to all customers and projects. For customers who are familiar with energy efficiency, there is the prescriptive program. Laying out specific measurable requirements, the prescriptive program offers clear-cut incentives for an array of appliances. Eligible appliances include commercial fryers, convection ovens, commercial steamers, commercial rack ovens, commercial conveyor ovens, convection ovens and commercial griddles. The equation is simple as Laura McNeill, Industry Channel Manager for National Grid,” The language in the program is straightforward and keeps the customers updated and informed. Chances are food service and

National Grid is offering layers of savings that are specific to restaurants and foodservice companies. The application process is simple and the programs are flexible. restaurant owners are already meeting these reductions and have savings a phone call away.” For the customers who are engaging in gas saving measures not covered by the prescriptive incentive, there is the custom program. This program is flexible and provides restaurants and catering companies with the opportunity to design a tailored strategy. As McNeill summarized, “The custom program is really for any energy saving measure that isn’t on our prescriptive list.” National Grid listens and works with their clients to maximize savings. Furthermore, your restaurant deserves a makeover and National Grid is here to turn that dream into a reality. Approved projects could potentially reel in savings of 50% in installation fees while improving efficiency and raising the property value. Common custom projects include hood controls, efficiency domestic hot water heaters and Energy Recovery Ventila-

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tion (ERVs) for rooftops. Eligible items for the program also includes boilers, infrared ovens, refrigeration waste heat and even pizza oven timers. Combine the initial 50% with the yearly savings from the newly installed appliances and restaurants could start powering their kitchen by burning the money saved. If full-scale kitchen renovation is on the back burner, the point of sales program packs the same money saving opportunities on a smaller scale. Instead of long-term projects, point of sales offers rebates on energy efficient appliances. Instant Rebates could reach up to $1,000 per unit to eligible customers. The savings are immediate and hassle free with no paperwork. Instead, all that is needed is the natural gas account number and the rebate process is completed in two minutes flat. Certified dealers are located all throughout New York and include popular names such as Bar Boy Prod-

ucts and Restaurant Depot, Lebron, Kerekes, Ideal Restaurant Supply and Sang Kung. Following the trend of the portfolio expansion, the point of sales program is serving immediate savings on top of the yearly utility bill deductions. The final program, direct install, offers restaurants and foodservice operators several totally free money saving solutions. From highly efficient operators to spray valves, National Grid offers free water saving upgrades worth up to $5,000 to eligible customers. This is a money generator for restaurants as the average restaurant water usage is 5,800 gallons, or close to $8,000 a year in bills. There is no catch or asterisks, the installation and product are both free as McNeill clarified in our interview, “We provide the equipment and install it for free.” Spending a minute of your time to call an 800 number is a shortcut to sizable savings and the conservation of a limited resource. National Grid is offering layers of savings that are specific to restaurants and foodservice companies. The application process is simple and the programs are flexible. With startup costs for restaurants climbing to new heights, National Grid is providing New York City and Long Island restaurant owners the chance to reinvest in their business.