Inspiration. Creativity. Passion. Your fascination with food. Your creativity. Your love of people. Your talent for nourishing their bodies and their souls. Imagine 3 days in the heart of New York — the world’s most exciting city — where you can focus on all the magic and mystery that attracted you to food in the first place. Give yourself the gift of learning! From the art of ancient grains to the latest in lighting for Instagram, from the fine points of fermentation to designing smart kitchens, from veggie-centric dining to the prospect of delivery by drone. Spark your creative appetite and turn your passion for the industry into a sustainable business.
EDUCATION | DEMOS | TASTINGS | EXHIBITS
internationalrestaurantny.com 2 • March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
PRODUCED & MANAGED BY
SPONSORED BY
The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York March 4–6, 2018 at the Javits Center.
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 3
NEWS
PARTNERSHIPS
Toast Partners With TripAdvisor
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oast, the all-in-one restaurant technology platform and one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the U.S., announced last month a partnership with TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, to deliver restaurants of all sizes the best suite of tools to entice new guests. This partnership between two Boston tech powerhouses reflects the companies’ mutual commitment to restaurant success. Toast customers are able to further enhance their restaurant’s visibility and drive traffic directly to their TripAdvisor listing by signing up for TripAdvisor Ads. Additionally, registered
This partnership between two Boston tech powerhouses reflects the companies’ mutual commitment to restaurant success. owners on TripAdvisor who are not yet Toast customers are eligible to receive $500 off TripAdvisor Ads, or six free months of TripAdvisor Premium. TripAdvisor Ads is a marketing solution that allows owners to promote their restaurant via sponsored placements visible at the top of a search results page. Ads are highly targeted to reach diners who are actively search-
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ing for a place to eat. TripAdvisor Premium enables restaurant owners to enhance their listing page through features such as the ability to spotlight favorite reviews, highlight the Top 3 Reasons to Eat Here, access in-depth analytics data, and create a customized Storyboard – a dynamic
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March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 5
NEWS
HOME DELIVERY TECHNOLOGY
Crispy After 30 Minutes? One of the Many Challenges of Home Delivery
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ong gone are the days that all meals are prepared and eaten at home. Lifestyles have evolved to a state of “on demand” and smartphone technology has enabled that transition. Nowhere is that expectation higher than among the Millennial generation. Fueled by a world of “apps,” it’s no longer necessary to travel anywhere to “shop” for anything from toothpaste to designer clothing, as companies like Amazon can bring the world to us, often with same-day delivery. If there is any doubt as to the magnitude, or impact, of the shift in buying behavior, consider the data gathered by one major casual dining chain during a controlled 90-day test.
Within the same market area, half the stores contracted with Uber Eats for home delivery, while the other half maintained their standard takeout offering. Same-store sales for the 90-day period showed a decline of 7% in the stores offering standard takeout (consistent with chainwide performance), while the stores offering Uber Eats achieved an increase of 9% for that same period – a 16% swing in results! Similar results have been reported anecdotally by other chains, confirming that home delivery cannot be ignored. Many challenges face the foodservice operator wishing to offer home delivery. Some operators have turned to companies such as Uber and Amazon who promote home meal deliv-
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ery by leveraging their existing and powerful logistics technologies. Others are considering self-delivery vs. 3rd party, how (or if ) to charge for the cost of delivery, integration with POS systems, menu impact, maintaining brand image, and most importantly: how to maintain food quality for the 20-30 minutes in transit. It is especially critical with french fries, wings, or other fried foods where maintaining texture is essential to the taste profile. The same chain that performed the 90-day test with Uber Eats also performed tests of packaging, to determine which closed package would minimize sogginess of their fries and maintain original food texture, while still retaining temperature. The chart
summarizes the test results. The Crisp Food Container by Anchor Packaging of St Louis, MO is a patented technology currently in use at over 10,000 stores. Originally developed to keep fried chicken hot and crisp in supermarket displays for up to 4 hours, it has been recently adapted for the restaurant industry to address the challenges associated with home delivery. Chains using this product have reported results that surpass any other packaging alternative. With the paradigm shift in consumer behavior and expectation, it was inevitable that the food category would be affected. Now is the time to evaluate all options for menu, order technology, delivery method, and packaging.
· · · ·
No-Fog Clear Lid Avoids Errors Secure, Leak-Resistant Closure Hot Foods to 230°F; Heat Lamp Safe & Microwavable Consumer Reusable & Recyclable Curbside
All products are recyclable curbside ©2018 Anchor Packaging, Inc - St. Louis, Missouri
anchorpac.com
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 7
NEWS
GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE
Tri-State McDonald’s Unveil Plan To Move To Full Green Packaging Agenda By ‘25
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aking your meal to go has some serious consequences. McDonald’s recently announced that by 2025 it will make 100% of its packaging for customers’ food from “renewable, recycled, or certified sources” in an effort to reduce waste. “Certified sources” refers to materials that come from natural sources where no deforestation occurs. Already, McDonald’s had set a goal that, by 2020, all of its fiberbased packaging would come from recycled or certified sources. “We have a responsibility to use our scale for good to make changes that will have a meaningful impact across the globe,” said Francesca DeBiase, McDonald’s chief supply chain and sustainability officer. McDonald’s has more than 37,000 locations in more than 100 countries. It is the world’s largest restaurant chain, by revenue. The company in 2015 announced it would use only cage-free eggs by 2025, and in 2016 said it would eliminate artificial preservatives from items including Chicken McNuggets. American consumers have a long way to go to reduce the impact food and packaging has on the environ-
We have a responsibility to use our scale for good to make changes that will have a meaningful impact across the globe,” said Francesca DeBiase ment. The U.S. has one of the lowest recycling rates of any developed nation, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a nonprofit based in New York. Food waste and packaging are particularly a problem. Food, plus packaging — some, though not all, of which is used to contain food — make up about 45% of all the materials in U.S. landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. And that all adds up: Americans throw out about $165 billion worth of food every year, according to NRDC. The NRDC, working with a corporate responsibility organization called As You Sow, analyzed 47 fastfood and quick-service companies in 2016 and found that most “fail to fully account” for the environmen-
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tal impact of their packaging. Two restaurants had already taken action: Starbucks and Pret a Manger, the report noted. At the time of the report, Starbucks had made recycling bins available for customers across all of its restaurants, and Pret a Manger had recycling and composting bins at its U.S. locations. Recycling can make an impact, but there’s a massive amount of work to be done. Currently, less than 14% of plastic packaging is recycled and single-use food and beverage packaging is one of the largest sources of the 269,000 tons of plastic pollution in the oceans, the NRDC said. That waste also costs companies. The recyclable materials that get thrown away in the U.S. every year are worth more than $11 billion.
Main Office 282 Railroad Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Publishers Leslie & Fred Klashman 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
Cover Photo courtesy of Jon Taffer, LLC 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 2018 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
In addition to companies’ efforts, like those of McDonald’s, consumers should become familiar with recycling rules in their local communities because laws vary between cities and states, said Darby Hoover, a senior resource specialist at NRDC. They can also purchase products that come in recycled packaging when possible, she said.
BOOTH #2220
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SEDERHOLT ON RESTAURANT FINANCE
SBA Loans: Know The Facts From The Misconceptions
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see a lot of businesses that are out seeking financing. In the early stages of their search for financing, they are totally surprised at how difficult it can be to secure growth capital or money for a start up. I was recently contacted by a multi-unit QSR restaurant owner that has been in business for over 6 years and does over $7MM in revenues and is profitable. The company has no outside debt and all store development had been paid for with the owner’s own capital. The owner also has great personal credit but as with many New Yorkers, does not own a home, but rents an apartment. They were seeking $500k to build out a new central commissary and retail outlet to support the existing locations. Projections show that the new commissary operations will increase catering revenues dramatically and reduce kitchen labor at the unit level while increasing the sales and seating space in all 4 existing locations. With a central commissary each store can reduce the size of their walk-in boxes and prep areas while eliminating redundant prep staff. The plan is great and this is an outstanding candidate for a loan. So what is the difficulty here? The truth is that their bank – JP Morgan Chase, did the usual bob and weave avoidance dance that would make a Top Gun fighter pilot proud. Despite the fact that this owner, her family and her business-
Still optimistic, the restaurateur then pursued an “SBA loan” but didn’t really understand that the SBA doesn’t actually fund the loans directly – they work with a partner bank. es have been long-term customers, they couldn’t see fit to offer them a conventional business loan. They suggested that the business finance the new facility with their personal funds as they had done in the past. Nice heh? I’ve said it a million times – your bank really doesn’t want to lend to restaurants unless they have heavy guarantees and so much collateral they are forced to move ahead. Reality check - if you are not a triple A credit quality with a balance sheet and personal assets heavy enough to cover their loan at least X2 – don’t call your bank. Still optimistic, the restaurateur then pursued an “SBA loan” but didn’t really understand that the SBA doesn’t actually fund the loans directly – they work with a partner bank. Now you have the same problem, but at least the SBA is willing to guarantee 50% to 85% of the loan depending on the program and amounts, which opens a lot of doors but puts down its own obstacles. Even with the added strength of
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an SBA guarantee, this restaurant owner was only offered $150k, which I speculated was because she didn’t possess personal assets such as a home, to pledge as collateral against the loan. It makes you wonder how much of a commitment does a business owner have to make? Duh… every dime to build and launch the 4 locations was done without any help from a bank! She owns them free and clear – doesn’t that count? Another revelation - those collateral assets in the business hold very little weight, as the liquidation value of restaurant equipment is pennies on the dollar. Frustrating but true and now the simple fact was that $150k wasn’t going to get it done so all that work left them short. The full SBA application process can be labor intense and require proof of your representations. The creation of a business plan and the submission of full financial statements including 3 years projections, which reasonably demonstrate your ability to repay the loan is required. You must be able to justify
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 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.
your budgets and cash flow projections along with back up information to validate your assumptions. You must also demonstrate that you have “skin in the game” – a real and meaningful cash investment in the business, not just sweat equity. Another trap requires any person owning 20% or more of the business will be required to sign the guarantees and submit an SBA disclosure form of your assets and personal financial statements. This could really create a problem if you have investors in your business and their
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BOOTH #1425
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NEWS
SEAFOOD INDUSTRY
How Restaurants Can Commit To Sustainable Seafood
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isheries are expected to collapse by 2050 if we do not start to consume sustainable seafood. This potential collapse is being caused by a variety of issues such as overfishing, bycatch, and poor fisheries management. This has caused 57% of the fish species to be fully exploited, meaning the fish are being caught at the same rate of reproduction and any further increase will lead to overfishing. For our oceans to recover, it’s important that everyone, especially restaurant decision-makers, commit to making more sustainable seafood choices. Here’s a great video about different fishing methods, farmed fish vs. wild fish, and how to support sustainable fisheries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ps0truARKs So, what can restaurants do? 1. Source sustainable seafood If we don’t start supporting sustainable fisheries, soon we won’t have any fish left on the menu. There are great programs that will help you find sustainable seafood for your restaurant, such as Seafood Watch, Marine Stewardship Council, and FishChoice. These websites allow you to search fisheries and species to see if they are sustainable. Although sustainable seafood occasionally comes at a higher cost, 74% of consumers support the consumption of sustainable seafood and more than half say they are willing
desirable counterparts, it could be a lifesaver to those that are currently in danger. Some good trash fish options include: whiting, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines. Not only do some invasive and “trash fish” taste great, but 88% of American consumers are willing to pay more for seafood that is certified as sustainably and responsibly sourced.
to pay more for it. The Green Restaurant Association can also help its restaurants source sustainable seafood options. Certified Green Restaurant® Sustainable Seafood Success Story: The Sustainable Restaurant Group has five Certified Green Restaurant® locations that are committed to purchasing sustainable seafood. Their Bamboo Sushi locations are also certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. At their newest location, Quickfish Poke Bar, over 50% of their seafood is considered sustainable, and they serve no red-listed seafood. 2. Serve invasive species and “trash fish” Invasive species are species that are not native to specific ecosystem,
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and often spread, causing damage to the environment. There are many invasive fish in our oceans, and by consuming these fish, we could have an impact on the population size. Lion Fish is an invasive species found in the Atlantic Ocean and are considered a “Best Choice” by Seafood Watch. More than half of all U.S. seafood consumption comes from only three fish: shrimp, canned tuna, and salmon. But there are more choices available to us, that are both delicious and much more sustainable. Fish that were previously considered undesirable because of the lack of demand were given the name “trash fish”, but some chefs are now incorporating these into their menus. By choosing these fish over their more
3. Inform your customers about what type of fish you’re serving. If you’re serving sustainable seafood, your customers want to know. Tell stories about your seafood, where they came from, how they were caught, etc. This will raise awareness of sustainable fisheries and also let your customers know about the good work you’re doing. Tips for consumers: • Dine at a Certified Green Restaurant® that serves sustainable seafood • Encourage your local restaurants to serve sustainable seafood • Check out seafoodwatch.org or the Seafood Watch app to learn more about sustainable fish & what fish to purchase The Green Restaurant Association can help your restaurant source more sustainable seafood. Check out our seafood standards here, and email outreach@dinegreen.com to learn more.
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 13
CHEFCETERA Mark Strausman Guides Barneys’ Culinary Vision For National Rollout
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orld renowned chef, Mark Strausman has been with Barneys New York for more than two decades and will guide Barneys’ culinary vision for their national rollout of Freds at Barneys restaurants across the country. The native New Yorker grew up in Queens and has overseen openings of Freds Madison, Beverly Hills, Chicago and most recently Chelsea prior to this national rollout, and will be taking his mastery of culinary skills and restaurant management to new Freds kitchens, including San Francisco and Miami next. Although he’s always had an interest in culinary arts, Strausman does credit his mother for helping him realize his career path. “When my dad passed away when I was 14, I made a deal with my mother. I told her that I’d cook and she’d clean because I
Mark Strausman, Executive Chef, Freds
Since Strausman can’t obviously be on the line at each of the restaurants at once, he still tries to have his signature touch on each guest experience through the culinary team that he is building. couldn’t eat another piece of chicken restaurant and will be sharing his inbreast and frozen fillet of sole again. I depth knowledge with every location always remember watching Julia Child he launches. on channel 13 growing up.” Since he can’t obviously be on the Strausman’s career path to the line at each of the restaurants at once, top culinary post at the iconic retail he still tries to have his signature touch chain took him to the far corners of on each guest experience through the the world. After graduating from the culinary team that he is building. fabled City Tech program in BrookStrausman’s priority is to look for lyn, Strausman trained in Germany’s individuals who he can trust with Grandhotel Hessischer Hof, Swizterrecipes, but will still bring their own sland’s Le Montreux Palace and Amuniqueness to the table. “We hire chefs sterdam’s Amstel Hotel. In the 1980s, like the one we have at our Downhe returned to the States to become town location. Jennifer Wasnesky the Executive Chef at the Hampton’ does her own specials,” he describes. Sapore di Mare before opening Campagna in the Flatiron District in 1994. Barneys has always held a special place in Strausman’s heart, as he vividly recalls purchasing his bar mitzvah suit at the original Barneys New York with his mother, the site to where the Chelsea flagship store now stands. As a veteran in the industry, Strausman obviously knows what it takes to run a successful The interior at Freds Downtown at Barneys New York
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“Jennifer brings a lot of good ideas and that’s what you need to have. She feels ownership and that’s the most important thing.” Not one to micromanage, Strausman’s involvement in the other locations will still have the same touches as his New York locations, but have its own distinct flavors thanks to his handpicked chefs. The same holds true for Strausman’s opinions when it comes to the details that often make the difference in success with something as simple as a decision about linen on tables. Although he’s from a crop of old school chefs, who grew up with it, he does believe that customers aren’t expecting that from top-tier establishments anymore. “I think it’s okay that nobody gets dressed up to go to the theaters these days,” he admits. “But there are some restaurants that you hope never lose that tablecloth to show your kids the way people used to dine like our restaurant uptown.” But it’s his knowledge of what customers want that has made each of the Freds at Barneys restaurants a success. “I quote an old customer of mine, Mr. John Gutfreund [famous Wall Street bond trader]… ‘Let trend be your friend,’” he explains. “I’ve always used that. He was obviously talking about stocks, but it’s still true in life. Chicken soup is as popular today as it was 20 years ago!”
BOOTH #1601
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 15
NEWS
EQUIPMENT INNOVATION
NJ’s TD Marketing Brings Precision Italian Equipment Solutions To Metro New York Foodservice Community
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key to the growth of New Jersey’s TD Marketing has been its ability to listen to the needs of the Metro New York foodservice operator and the kitchen equipment dealers and consultants that support them. The New Jersey based equipment rep has built its reputation to listen to those needs and then to shop the world in search of high quality cost effective solutions. Once again with the vision of the company’s Michael Fortanascio, TD Marketing has found a line of precision Italian equipment to bring to the Tri-State foodservice community. This comprehensive line of solutions is produced by the Italian manufacturer Sirman. The second-generation family owned business launched in 1969. Sirman started manufacturing food equipment products to provide solutions in Italy and Europe. Those humble beginnings in Italy has grown to an international base of some 500 dealers and distributors worldwide in 125 countries. That growth has been supported by state
of the industry robotics that ensures the precision grinding of each unit. “Sirman’s signature continues to be its slicers, which represents best in class value,” noted veteran sales executive Fortanascio of TD Marketing. “The slicers, spiral mixer and food warmers have become a staple of restaurant kitchens throughout Europe.” For TD Marketing, the representation of the Sirman line is a perfect fit. “We continually heard from our dealer customers and their end-user operators that the lead times for slicers and mixers simply wasn’t cutting it,” Fortanascio continued. “So with Sirman, we are able to manage that process and deliver product when our customers need it.” “Sirman brings a big advantage to the Metro New York marketplace as they have been operating in the US since 1999 with offices and distribution in Chicago,” added Fortanascio. “Now with our help they are opening a distribution center in New Jersey to serve the East Coast customer. Through TD Marketing, Sirman is
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A pedestal flywheel slicer from Sirman
BOOTH #2200
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 17
TD Marketing/Sirman, from page 16
Sirman has a very unique business plan that continues to bring some of the industry’s most creative and cost effective solutions to the US dealer and operator,” said Fortanascio. “They publish their very own magazine in Italy with recipes for chefs that enables them to continually fine tune their product line based on customer input.”
introducing 10 core products to US highlighted by a full line of slicing machines. The line-up includes an economic 9” slicing machine up to a 15-” specialty Slicer including a 13” ½ h.p. GEAR driven slicer. The Sirman/TD team has also recognized the growth of the pizza industry. Sirman offers a complete line of solutions through their line of Hercules spiral mixer, food warmer and slicers. “The spiral mixer makes a better dough because it cuts down the amount of heat generated,” Fortanascio explained. “Sirman has a very unique business plan that continues to bring some of the industry’s most creative and cost effective solutions to the US dealer and operator,” said For-
tanascio. “They publish their very own magazine in Italy with recipes for chefs that enables them to continually fine tune their product line based on customer input.” Metro New York’s dealers can connect with TD Marketing to demo the very latest solutions from Sirman. Operators are invited to call their local Sirman USA dealer. For more information, dealers can contact TD Marketing at 732-339-3266 or emailing sales@ tdmarketing.com. To see the entire Sirman line of product, please visit sirman.com
BOOTH #1633
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March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 19
RESTAURANT BRANDING Tell Your Brand Story. Stand Out From The Crowd
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ising food entrepreneurs are often energetic to hit the market, make their mark with their culinary delights, and entice new customers with their service or product. Many have spent months—even years— testing out their treats, customizing new recipes, and perfecting their packaging. But what some are lacking is the ability to tell their authentic story—a story that helps them stand out from the competition and connect with their customers. Each week, I have the pleasure of
Djenaba Johnson-Jones is the found-
speaking with food entrepreneurs who are at the beginning of their journeys. They express excitement over their new product or business concept. They’re a bundle of nerves and energy, anxiousness and delight as they look to grow their business from the infancy stage. Many ask that I keep their project a secret, even going as far as asking me to sign a non-disclosure agreement. As you can imagine, I hear a lot of the same ideas (baking and meal prep businesses are very popular these days!).
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So, what distinguishes one business from another? Since there are tons of similar products, food trucks and restaurants ideas, I like to do some digging to find out what motivated each entrepreneur to start a food business. My biggest question is always: “How will you differentiate your business from your competitors’ businesses?” I explain that it’s not enough to be, for example “organic” or “gluten-free.” Consumers want to connect with you. They want to know the “why” behind your business.
er and CEO of Hudson Kitchen, an incubator based in Northern New Jersey that supports startup and established food businesses through food business consulting services, networking events, and a Food Business Bootcamp. Hudson Kitchen’s 24/7 kitchen and storage facility is slated to open later this year. Comments may be sent to djenaba@thehudsonkitchen.com.
They want to know your story. Entrepreneurs must be able to
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March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 21
MEET THE NEWSMAKER
Tom Loughran Vice President/Show Director, IRFSNY Show
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or nearly 20 years of his career in trade shows, Tom Loughran has an insightful perspective on the coming changes for the food industry in New York as well as the rest of the country for 2018. Surrounded by the culinary industry, Loughran has noted the continual trends he’s observed as emerging for the current year and shares his wisdom for restaurants and foodservice professionals to harness the power of trade shows for greater business success. What are people looking for in the food service sector? Innovation is the number one hot topic in the food services industry today. Restaurant owners are constantly seeking better, more efficient ways to provide great service and top-notch quality menus. Food and labor costs are an on-going hot button. Finding and retaining great team members is something that every organization is always looking to do. We are also expecting to see a shift towards healthier food options at the show. At the upcoming IRFSNY Show in NYC, it’s all about connecting. Sourcing new products is what the show floor is all about. That’s the opportunity for buyers in the restaurant and food service industry to come look for vendors that they haven’t experienced and really touch, feel, see, and taste their products.
The show has always provided a launching pad for new trends and products. The show aims to add value to the buyers in the industry by touching upon the key trends. Among the highlights this year, will be connecting potential buyers with Italian exhibitors from Cremona, bridging the gap and bringing a more global focus to the event while demonstrating the stringent standards upheld to create their finest Tom Loughran, Vice President/Show Director, IRFSNY Show exported ingredients. We’ve put these companies in a pavilion so that there will be a great everything for the restaurant business opportunity to meet and network, as accessible in one place with a bounty well as get educated on these Italian of resources that can help them put products. the whole thing together with a goal of improving their chances for success. How can the IRFSNY Show help new Many new restaurant owners fail restaurants succeed? within the first year or two of owning Starting a new restaurant is one of a restaurant. The key to survival is getthe most difficult endeavors anyone ting through the first three years. The can embark upon. The IRFSNY Show goal of this show is to make starting up aims to give new owners a place to and starting out easier and reduce the start even from absolutely nothing rate of failure to impact the economy where everything they need is in one positively. place. Our goal is to enable our show attendees to connect with people who Why hasn’t technology replaced trade can give them the tools they need to shows yet? build it from the ground up. The Internet will never replace trade Our show floor will cover everything shows. Twenty years ago when the Infrom the nuts and bolts to the stoves ternet first gained traction, it was estiand food, and everything in between. mated that trade shows would go the It will have everything you could posway of the dinosaur. That hasn’t hapsibly want for a restaurant. Making pened, and it seems they’ve become
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an even more powerful source of resources for every industry. The reason is people crave the interpersonal face-to-face interaction. You can learn so much more when you’re actually present and sitting with someone at their computer understanding their technology whether it be POS or some other type of software system versus doing it online or through any other type of video conferencing. What is Loughran’s biggest piece of advice for those attending the show? At our show, you have multiple vendors that you can connect with at once. You can compare and contrast and find a variety of affordable solutions for your business needs. I have a simple suggestion on how to make the most of your show visit and to avoid being overwhelmed by the venue size and massive selection of vendors. Contact the companies ahead of time and actually set legitimate appointments so that when you go by their booth, someone is available to speak with you. Having a schedule will help you stay on track with every challenge that you’re trying to fulfill for your restaurant ensuring you’ll get the most from your experience at the show.
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NEWS
ASSOCIATIONS
Meet With The New York State Restaurant Association To Stay Informed On Upcoming Laws
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he New York State Restaurant Association has been meeting with restaurant owners, operators, and employees across the state to raise awareness about Governor Cuomo’s proposal to examine and potentially eliminate the tip credit in New York. To date information sessions have been held in Saratoga Springs, Garden City, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. These meetings, with hundreds of restaurant operators in attendance, centered on the devastating effect eliminating the tip credit would have on both the restaurants and the workers who rely on tips to make ends meet. These meetings also generated close to 50 press stories for television, radio and print media, about the importance of keeping the tip credit in New York. The NYS Department of Labor and Governor Cuomo recently unveiled a hearing schedule that will examine the tipped wage in New York State. The hearing schedule is as follows: Monday, March 12, 2018 10 a.m. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, The Gateway Center, Syracuse Wednesday, March 21, 2018 10 a.m. Common Council Chamber,
City Hall, Buffalo Friday, April 20, 2018 10 a.m. Roosevelt Little Theatre, SUNY Farmingdale, Long Island, NY Wednesday, April 25, 2018 10 a.m. Dulles State Office Building, 317 Washington Street, Watertown, NY Friday, May 18, 2018 10 a.m. Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY Week of June 25th TIME TBD Hospitality industries only New York City TBD The New York State Restaurant Association will be active during the International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of New York educating attendees about the hearings and encouraging them to testify. They will also be asking attendees to answer a simple question: “What action would you be forced to take if the tip credit is eliminated”? Stop by the Show and visit booth #1345 to share your answer with the New York State Restaurant Association or sign up to testify at a hearing!
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Fully Cooked Chef Convenience
Our Fisherman’s Pride® frozen fully cooked Octopus legs are 100% all natural, wild caught, and imported from Spain. Fully cooked to perfection and individually quick frozen within hours of harvest to preserve their fresh tender sweet flavor. With the growing trend of educated consumers, perfectly cooked Octopus is now a must for every menu. Considered once as one of the most complicated menu items Fisherman’s Pride® has now made it the simplest. From freezer to plate in just minutes, high in protein with unsurpassed quality. Call 866-CALAMARI today for your nearest distributor.
Ruggiero Seafood, Inc.
PO Box 5369 Newark, NJ 07105 info@ruggieroseafood.com www.ruggieroseafood.com
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 25
MIXOLOGY
WITH WARREN BOBROW
Personal Criteria For Judging A Cocktail Event
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hat am I thinking about when I judge an event that calls for a bartender to make a cocktail using specific ingredients, live and directly in front of me? It seems like a lot to say and even more to imagine but having started in the bartending business as a bar back- that unique factoid permits me to say what’s on my mind- even if I know it’s probably something that you wish you knew before you
had me judge your work. That’s ok, I mean no harm and I want you to do better. In fact, just the simple truth that you are doing what you love (at least I hope you are) is good enough for me. Add to that the prize money and the prestige of winning a cocktail competition. The props are good enough for me. I’ve never entered one, probably for good reason- but I have worked behind the stick from the very bottom on upand that certainly is a qualifier for
anyone who writes with an authentic voice these days. It takes a great sacrifice to bar-back when I did this back-breaking task- at 50! Now, only six years later, I can say with great confidence if you find that I’m judging your cocktail, there are a couple of things that you should be doing. So, compartmentalize them and make them valid for you and what you are trying to achieve. On to the juicy ones, the ones that make me say, this is someone to watch.
Warren Bobrow is the creator of the popular blog The Cocktail Whisperer and the author of nearly half a dozen books, including Apothecary
1. No matter what, put a glass of water in front of the judges. Don’t ask why- just do it. Maybe you want me to fiddle with something other than my pen or my iPhone? If you do it, I’ll know you were paying attention. Next? 2. Bring your own glassware. Where were you when all those big estates were being cleared out, when those really cool coupes and hand-cut crystal rocks glasses were selling for 50 cents apiece? If you bring your own glassware, I’ll know you were paying attention in class. Next? 3. It’s the ice darn it! If you are in the NY Metro Area and you are not having your ice delivered to the venue, that is just sloppy. Make sure that your ice is perfect. Cheater ice will not get my attention and it will go to show that the guest is second26 • March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Cocktails, Whiskey Cocktails, Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails, and his most recent book Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails, & Tonics.
ary to making money. Cheater ice is an immediate fail. I need someone to do some basic detective work, find out about the ice. Is it from a Kold Draft- or the like machine? This is a restaurant show, so it hazards a guess that the ice will be a serious component to the event. If not, bring your own ice. If you cut your own ice before the competition I’ll be very happy. It will show to me that you were paying attention in class. Next? 4. The spirits themselves, used in your mixed drinks. Unless you are sponsored by a giant liquor com-
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March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 27
NEWS
FOOD WASTE SOLUTIONS
Restaurant and Foodservice Operators Harness Technology To Battle Food Waste Challenge
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oespite years spent trying to effectively reduce food waste in restaurants, the numbers don’t paint a pretty picture. According to the National Restaurant Association, on average, a restaurant loses 4-10% of its purchased food, often due to over-ordering. What most certainly keeps local broadline distributors and local “feed the hungry” operations happy has become a Profit and Loss pressure point for the restaurant and foodservice industry. Throwing away food is throwing away money, and waste at this volume can add up quickly. As operators battle new challenges including increased minimum wage, finding a solution to food waste has become a priority. An effective food waste management strategy has the potential to boost a restaurant’s profits. In fact, research shows that for every dollar a company invests into reducing food loss and waste, they stand to save a staggering $14 in operating costs. A new generation of hospitality specific tech firms has emerged to offer the restaurant and foodservice operator a comprehensive portfolio of solutions. Among the leaders in the field is HotSchedules. The Austin, TX based company works with over 33,000 customers – from large internation-
al chains, to some of the hottest new concepts. With a continual focus on innovation, HotSchedules provides innovative technology, services and user experiences for the restaurant, retail and hospitality industries. HotSchedules’s features first a cloud-based intelligent operating platform. Designed for independents, multi-unit franchise operators and international enterprise brands, HotSchedules serves over 2.8 million users across 159,000 locations in 56 countries helping them control costs, maintain compliance, improve visibility, increase profitability and drive operational
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consistency. Better inventory management is a key component that enables the operator to reduce food waste. This is accomplished by ordering the right amount of ingredients, having effective processes, the right recipes, and a knowledgeable staff. “Our goal is to create a selection of actionable insights by eliminating having to take any time away from serving their customers to dig up reports,” noted David Cantu, HotSchedules co-founder and Chief Customer Officer. Over the years, restaurants have tried to solve the daunting task of
inventory management with back office technology. However the early attempts to access technology to solve the challenges of inventory, were hindered by the need of the operator to utilize multiple applications. This negated the amount of efficiency that hospitality staffs were able to gain from these tools. The second generation of technology led by firms including HotSchedules has significantly improved inventory management with three new capabilities-smarter forecasting, proactive reporting, and intelligent workflows. Together, these functions are helping restaurants more effectively manage inventory and greatly reduce food waste. Among the key features of this new wave of technology is: Better Ordering Through Smarter Forecasting. When it comes to inventory ordering, who are managers going to trust—a computer or their gut instinct? Many managers would prefer to go with their instinct. After all, they’ve likely been in the business a long time and have developed a sixth sense for these things. But the reality is that however well honed a manager’s inventory instincts are, ordering on gut alone can result in miscalculations and food waste. For example, if a manager knows that fried chicken is the most popular dish on the Sunday brunch
menu, they may believe they need to order 15 cases to meet demand. Even if their forecasting technology tells them they need to order 10 cases, they will likely be inclined to go with their gut. The new technology takes the manager’s expertise one step further with insight to which the manager simply doesn’t have access. When cold weather is predicted to be colder than usual customers typically order burgers when the temperatures drop. So if the restaurant manager orders 15 cases of chicken, 33% of the order will go to waste. What’s missing in the gut-versustechnology ordering struggle is providing managers with evidence that the recommended order is accurate. Restaurant systems can share insights and corrective actions, tak-
“We are finding that many of our customers have moved towards posting schedules in some cases two weeks in advance,” Cantu added. “With HotSchedules, management is able to create predictable scheduling so that everybody is on the same page.” ing information out of the “black box,” such as the upcoming weather forecast and restaurant sales history. With the additional insight offered by HotSchedules and this new generation of technology, manag-
ers can learn to trust their forecasts and recalibrate their gut instinct. “One of the keys to this has been to make this info accessible to the restaurant manager through whatever technology makes them most effi-
cient,” Cantu continued. “For some it’s a phone or a tablet but the key to HotSchedules has been that they don’t need to go back to the POS system to access the info.” New technology is also proving that intelligent workflows are recipes for success. Chefs never prepare dishes without recipes. They rely on carefully documented step-by-step cooking instructions to ensure consistency, efficiency, cost savings, and customer satisfaction. They also rely on food and beverage managers to make the right decisions around food and stock purchases, and to sometimes ensure that employees are properly trained in food preparation. Just like chefs, food and beverage managers shouldn’t
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March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 29
Q&A
EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW
Jon Taffer Entrepreneur, Author, and Host & Producer of TV’s Bar Rescue
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reat Neck, NY native Jon Taffer wears many hats. He is an entrepreneur, former nightclub & bar owner, operator & consultant, television personality, founder and owner of his own media company, and author. He is best known as host and executive producer of the documentary-style series Bar Rescue. Within the greater nightclub, bar and restaurant industry, there is no greater authority than Jon Taffer. With over three decades of hands-on experience, Taffer is a two-time winner of the Bar Operator of the Year award, among myriad of other honors, and his renowned method of management, “Taffer Dynamics”, has become the gold standard of the industry. As chairman of Taffer Dynamics and President of Taffer Media, Inc., Taffer is a highly respected industry expert, management guru and television star as well. In the summer of 2011, Spike TV (now Paramount Network) debuted Bar Rescue, a documentary-style series spotlighting Taffer as he gives struggling restaurants and bars a last chance to succeed. Focusing on one establishment each week, the series puts Taffer at the heart of the storm: helping to improve every facet of an American restaurant or bar--from theming to staffing, pricing to promotions, menus to music. If there’s anyone who can save it from going belly-
Master” in the United Kingdom with multiple honors as “Operator of the Year” and winner of “Property of the Year”. He was also recognized as “a major leaguer” in Inc. Magazine’s feature, “Angels of the Night”. Total Food Service had the opportunity to share Taffer’s thoughts on how to succeed in today’s highly competitive marketplace. How did you get into the industry? I’m a New York guy who was focused on my music as a drummer in a live band, and was working at a live music venue. Before too long I traded music for management and in my early twenties, I was managing The Troubadour in West Hollywood. That turned into a publishing career running Nightclub & Bar Magazine and its annual Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show.
Jon Taffer, Entrepreneur, Author, and Host & Producer of TV’s Bar Rescue
up, it’s Jon Taffer. This month, Taffer brings his decades of industry knowledge to book shelves with: Don’t Bullsh*t Yourself: Crush the Excuses That Are Holding You Back (Portfolio Books). Taffer
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shows his readers how to take ownership of real issues and address them in a straightforward way. Taffer is one of only six inductees into the Nightclub Hall of Fame, and also holds such distinctions as “Pub
After 155 episodes, what’s your read on the bars that you go to fix? When I started Bar Rescue, I said to the network, “Listen guys. I don’t want to be set up with bars that are easy. If I’m going to do this, I want to get the worst disasters in America. Find me stuff that I can’t do easily, give me challenges.” And son of a gun, that’s what they’re doing. I NEVER realized they could be this bad, to be honest with you. You typically don’t see depths of
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BOOTH #1831
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 31
Q&A Jon Taffer, from page 30 failure that bad in normal life. These people are disasters. OK, come clean Jon, do the bars know that you are coming? This really gets me. I’ve done 155 episodes of Bar Rescue. In almost all the rescues I’ve done… they think I’m going to go to one of three bars in the neighborhood. So, they’re not sure I’m walking through the door, but they’re pretty certain I will. You’d think after watching 20 or so episodes of Bar Rescue, they’d CLEAN UP before I come because they know I’m going to go ballistic! And they STILL don’t clean up. I’ve found that it speaks to why they’re failing. Even when you know I’m coming, you still can’t get it together! Sometimes it’s laziness. Sometimes it’s ego. A lot of the guys think, “I’m the guy Taffer’s going to love. He’s not going to scream at me. He’s going to love everything I do.” A lot of them are surprised to find the opposite. You’d be
happen that way.
Having food on a bar menu is absolutely crucial. Think about it: 10 minutes to look at the menu and order with their first drink. Then another 20 to get the food with a second drink. Then another 20 minutes to eat with another drink. I try to get my clients to understand that selling food is selling drinks.” stunned to find how many people say to my producers and such, “Oh, he’s not going to scream at me. Everything is going to be perfect.” And then I walk into an incredible– excuse my language–shithole. It’s just remarkable. And it happens all the time. Does it still surprise you how these business owners you are trying to help
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react to you? It astonishes me to tell you the truth. Think about it: For some of these people, they’re $900,000 in debt. They’ve lost their homes; their lives are on the line. They can’t afford to buy me lunch, much less pay me a fee for being there! So I show up with a checkbook and 30 years of experience. You think they’d be thanking the heavens. It doesn’t
I’ve never gotten over the NFLPA seminar opening a bar that we attended in NYC. We watched 300 lbs. plus lineman learning the ins and outs of stealing. You know they wouldn’t play football without understanding the rules of the game. Same thing with the bar business. You know they should understand the rules of the game before they get in it. These guys like anybody else getting into this business needs to know what they are getting into. There are three or four ways that the staff steals. One of the most obvious is to over pour but you know anytime they flip that bottle over its four counts. One two three four. You can see that 100 feet away. So, it’s very easy to watch and count when your bartenders are pouring and spot check.
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BOOTH #2250
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 33
Q&A Jon Taffer, from page 32 Bartenders, most commonly either give drinks away or simply don’t ring them up. We teach our clients how to get a real feel for average costs. The third thing that they do is and this is really sneaky as they ring up no sale and then drop five dollars in a drawer. Now the register owes them five dollars. So, they count out ten singles from their tip jar. Go to the register pull out two 20s and drop the singles in the register. Put the two 20s in a paper cup and you think they just got singles. But they pulled thirty dollars out of the drawer. So, we teach that tip cups should never be within reach of the cash register.
creates appeal with lighting as a key. What role does food play on a bar menu? It is absolutely crucial. Think about it: 10 minutes to look at the menu and order with their first drink. Then another 20 to get the food with a second drink. Then another 20 minutes to eat with another drink. I try to get my clients to understand that selling food is selling drinks.
With the opportunity to have seen hundreds of bars through your career, what is Taffer’s 101 in bar design? It’s all about flow. A great bar simply has no dead ends because people don’t go to the bar, they flow through. They may linger but they are still passing through. Let’s pretend there’s an attractive man or woman at the end of a bar. It needs to be designed so that you can walk by and keep going otherwise you look like an idiot. So, my suggestion is almost always a circular pattern. The next design issue is to get the elevations right. I have to get you looking in other people’s eyes and interacting. At an elevated area, you should put people on bar stools, so everybody’s eyes are within 10 inches of each other. That’s how you maximize interaction in a bar. You then need to work with 42” high stools and make sure that the elevation matches up. Most importantly stay away from low tables. It’s also essential to decide what the focal point is going to be in the room. It shouldn’t be a bright light on top of the POS station or a bad wall or an ugly piece of art. The brightest thing in a room should be a beautiful Wicker display or an open display kitchen something that merchandises and
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What advice do you have for food costs? Food costs should be budgeted at 28 percent with a cap of 30 percent. The key to accomplishing that is to learn how to design the actual graphics of the printed menu. You need to properly engineer the food menu by putting a bold box around each of the highest profit food items. We have found in our 155 episodes
that sales of each of the items that have been boxed can outperform other items on the menu by 20 percent. We also teach our operators to get the top selling ad margin items on the top of the menu. We have actually been able to change what people order in your restaurant by reengineering the menu by getting rid of a shadow and replacing it with a box around
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March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 35
Q&A Jon Taffer, from page 34 an item. Should the beer wine and spirits menu and the food menu be on the same menu or should it be two separate printed pieces? I always find that it’s two separate pieces like the menus we just created for the Famous Dave’s beverage program. When we went to observe, we could see that they would just automatically drop a regular menu on each table when they seated customers. They knew how to expedite food, so barbecue was flying out of the kitchen before they ever had a chance to sell a first round of drinks. We fixed it by creating the right beverage and food menus and supporting it with a Table tent/Point of sale marketing program that got them an order for a second drink before they ever got a food menu. Now they’re thinking about beverages a minute or two later the server hits the table takes the beverage order and then hands them the food menu. You can clearly see when people are handed a menu with both food and drinks they land on the food first and the beverage becomes secondary. So, our beverage sales went up by 72 percent by changing the service sequence in their restaurants. I’ve heard you talk about the impact of pricing on eliminating stealing in a bar operation. Very simple. We suggest that our clients price beverages with 25 at the end of it. $2.25, $5.25, $10.25 because it creates an automatic 75 cents of change and an easy tip for the customer to leave the bartender. We see it over and over again. That’s really powerful it’s a big deal when you start thinking about 40 hours a week and multiple bar staff. We’ve even seen this approach help us to manage shifts correctly. It’s all part of our on-going strategy of putting the people who work for you in a position to succeed and that
restaurant problems are solved with revenue. Wait a minute Jon, what about focusing on cutting costs? At the risk of oversimplifying, we all have labor cost issues, high rent and marketing expenses that are too high. I’m pretty sure your utilities are too high as well. Obviously, food and beverages are a floating percentage and they go up and down with revenues. But what I want you to focus on is increasing revenues because the reality is you have far more control over that than you do over your expenses.
pletely socially unacceptable. 15 years ago, it wasn’t perceived as it is today. If you get in the car today and are drunk you’re an asshole. Even if you get home safe you know you’re an asshole. I’ll never ever forget years ago when breathalyzers came on the market. We put one in a bar and all it did was tell people that they could keep drinking.
So if it’s not still liquor liability than what are the challenges that you see for the operator? The biggest challenges that we face today are more legislative and regulatory. I know that you’re in New York State and I have already So what do you suggest seen the impact of a $15 for growing revenues? minimum wage and the The key in growelimination of the tip ing revenues is to find credit in Seattle. Bottom things that you can line is that it doubles the control. It starts with labor costs for service understanding how to personnel. Jon Taffer’s new book DON’T BULLSH*T YOURSELF!: Crush the Excuses keep clean tables turnSo, the challenge is That Are Holding You Back, where Taffer offers individuals and business ing. That’s controllable how restaurants deal owners his no-nonsense strategy for turning excuses into solutions. by making sure that you with it. For many to surhave a cooking line that work outside of your business rather vive, it will require limitis fully functioning so that food comes than in it all the time. ing service because they have to elimiout quickly. We teach management nate employees. how to keep an eye on making sure For a long time all you heard about Others will turn to technology inthat the training we are doing is miniwas liquor liability being a priority. I cluding the installation of kiosk ordermizing ticket times and then supportdon’t seem to hear about it the way I ing systems to reduce labor costs. ing that with the little things that all used to hear about it. As I try to stay ahead of this, I see add up including everybody is clean It’s still an issue and it will always be positive economic indicators with and in the right uniform, lighting is set one. Certainly, there are a number of unemployment the lowest it’s been in correctly and that we have a handle on programs within the industry includquite a while. The tax reductions are inventory and ordering. ing the National Restaurant Associareally giving us an opportunity for revI think it is also a key in growing tions, and ServSafe service program enue to grow. But I am concerned that revenues that you focus on a new that have done a great job of educatemployees are not as readily available marketing program by finding a proing. But the real change is the public to our industry. So, the labor pool is motional partner who can help fill awareness today that didn’t exist 15 or tightening. your restaurant. That requires the 20 years ago. Today people know that ability to develop the discipline to getting in your car drunk is just comcontinued on page 38
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BOOTHS #1921 + 2025
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 37
Q&A Jon Taffer, from page 36 Please give us a read on the tremendous growth in craft cocktails over the last few years. Is it a fad or here to stay? A lot of it is driven by what I’m going to call individual relevancy. You know today people need to be cool. The introduction of social media has enabled people to get instant relevance. You know I post a picture of myself with this really cool bottle of beer in my hand and suddenly I’m relevant. And a hundred-people liked the picture and share comments. Wow, I want to drink that beer. What’s crazy is that it could be the worst beer in the freaking world. So, reviews and taste tests go out the window. If it makes them feel cool they buy it. At the same time products emerge and stay hot because you have so many guests looking to make that relevancy statement. Again, what drives me crazy is that often best-selling and highest quality are not the same thing.
title! So for 30 plus years I’ve been in and around many businesses. I keep seeing many of the same characteristics of those that succeed. After 155 bar rescues I’ve seen more failure than anyone. There’s a depth of failure that I’ve experienced with Bar Rescue that I think makes me one of the leading experts in America. I’ve seen people living in their parent’s basement
What’s your view on the impact that the legalization of marijuana will have on bars and restaurants? I’ve studied both of these extensively to get a sense of the overall impact. The next scenario to keep an eye on is Nevada. Their law is to permit consumption in a public environment so that’s going to bring cannabis into bars and coffee shops. I believe that cannabis is going to have a negative impact on us in the bar business because cannabis is usually consumed while sitting on your couch. You don’t consume a bunch of cannabis and go out for the night. It tends to turn people into couch potatoes. So, it’s really home delivery that will see the most benefit. I’m convinced it’s one of the reasons that Uber got into the food delivery business. There’s great anticipation over the release of your book later this month: “Don’t Bullsh*t Yourself?” Quite a 38 • March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
and being in debt for a half a million dollars. My book shares a common denominator of failure and its excuses. Listen carefully, it’s so simple. If a bar owner or a restaurant owner wakes up in the morning and blames their failure on the president or Congress or immigration or anything they have no reason to change. It’s somebody else’s fault. Yet during the worst of the recession
somebody made money. During a snowstorm somebody is making money. So, if somebody is making money in any situation why not you. My goal in the book was to talk to some of the leading “Bullshit Busters.” People have simply overcome unbelievable odds to survive and succeed.
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FIORITO ON INSURANCE Managing Liquor Liability Exposures Through Training and Coverage
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very day, almost 29 people in the United States die in alcohol-impaired vehicle crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Not only are the drunk drivers liable for their actions, the establishments where they were drinking are also susceptible to punishment for over-serving clientele who then injure a third party. These types of lawsuits could financially cripple an establishment. “Dram shop” laws are enforced through civil lawsuits, allowing victims of alcohol-impaired vehicle crashes or their families to sue alcohol vendors or retailers for monetary damages. One high profile case involved a New Jersey jury awarding $135 million to the family of a girl who was paralyzed after a drunk driver collided with the car in which she was riding. It was determined that the concessionaire at Giants’ Stadium shared the liability for the victim’s serious injury. Establishing a liquor liability prevention policy, training workers and transferring risk are critical to protect your establishment, employees and patrons from liquor liability. Prevention Through Education The most important defense against liquor liability is prevention through education. It is imperative that you design a liquor
Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President with HUB International Northeast, a leading global insurance brokerage, where he specializes in providing insurance services to the restaurant industry. As a 25-year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Bob has worked with a wide array of restaurant and food service businesses, ranging from
liability training program for staff members who will serve alcoholic beverages to customers. In these training sessions, employees will learn important information such as how to determine if someone has had too much to drink, how to deny a patron service and how to identify valid forms of identification to prevent serving alcohol to minors. Once an employee has completed the training, he or she should sign an agreement form outlining that they comply with and understand the policies set forth by the establishment. Specifically, training should include the following: Signs of intoxication: It is important that employees learn to recognize the signs of intoxication, which include:
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• Slurred or slow speech • Tendency to lose a train of thought easily • Red eyes or inability to focus • Decreased alertness • Staggering or inability to walk • Inhibited motor skills Monitoring consumption: Teach your staff how to recognize when patrons have had too much to drink. The SMART (Server & Managers Alcohol Responsibility Training) program suggests using the traffic light system, rather than counting how many drinks a guest has had, is more effective in monitoring how much a guest is drinking. Here’s how it works: • Green: The patron shows no sign of impairment, is in a good mood and is not drinking rapidly. • Yellow: The patron is not yet in-
fast-food chains to upscale, “white tablecloth” dining establishments. Robert can be reached at 212-338-2324 or by email at robert.fiorito@ hubinternational.com.
toxicated, may be drinking quickly, may be either in a “down” mood or out to celebrate, and may be showing some signs of impairment. Your goal is to stop serving before a guest is intoxicated, so serve this guest with caution. • Red: The patron shows signs of intoxication, may be in a depressed or aggressive mood, is drinking fast, and seems intent on becoming drunk. This guest should not be served alcohol. Other effective training pro-
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March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 41
FOOD SAFETY
WITH SUSAN ALGEO
Rotten Documentary Series Addresses Food With A New Perspective
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hile watching the new Netflix documentary series Rotten, created by Zero Point Zero Production, I learned some interesting things, such as: Did you know that selling raw milk in retail locations is illegal in most states? Or that there is a garlic festival every year in Gilroy, California? Or that honey is basically just bee vomit?? Or that Russia invading Crimea affects the milk profits in the United States? The series shows an interesting view on the food world. Over the past few years, we have seen an increased interest in food production, and people want to
Susan Algeo is the Director of Project Management at Savvy Food Safety, Inc. (formerly Food Safety Training Solutions, Inc.), where she facilitates food safety training classes, including ServSafe® and NRFSP®, for corporations nationwide. Susan also provides other food safety services, including food allergy training, as well as consulting, helping operators and their teams improve their standards, procedures, and overall commit-
know where their food is coming from. Local, organic, grass fed; these are all key words that consumers look for on their packages. The public is watching cooking shows on the Food Network and other mainstream TV channels: competitions like Hell’s Kitchen, inspection and planning shows like Bar Rescue, and documentaries like Food, Inc. are how the general population is getting their food education. We know there is a lack of food safety education on these shows, which is a huge concern, as viewers may mimic their favorite celebrity chefs’ habits in their own kitchens. (How often do you see celebrity chefs
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properly wash their hands or use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of foods?) Although Rotten does not focus much on food safety, it does examine the farm-to-fork production of different products. It also discusses various regulations that govern these items from the growers and producers to the chefs and consumers. The series interviewed many people to get various perceptives on certain food-related topics. They talked to workers, business owners, consumers, chefs, doctors, researchers, attorneys, all with varying degrees of experience. Most of
ment to food safety. Additionally, she conducts third-party inspections of customers’ operations to improve their health inspection results. She is also co-author of the SURE™ Food Safety series. These training manuals are aimed at improving food safety procedures for employees, managers, and trainers in food service and retail establishments.
the time, I think it is good to hear different perspectives. But, sometimes, certain viewpoints can be detrimental to consumers. The best
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ASK ANDREW
FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE
PRESENTED BY
Trying to Make The Process Of Getting Open Easier
H
aving just completed our annual State of Industry program, we continue to hear from our members not only about the challenges of day to day operations but the stress that can be involved with getting a new restaurant open. One of our goals from the very beginning has been to reach out into the community on our members behalf to build relationship with key resources that can simplify the process and cut through the red tape. So we are happy to announce a partnership with Con Edison and the NYC Department of Small Business Services to offer a new service we encourage you to use before signing a lease to open an eating and drinking establishment. The service is intended to solve a problem that many restaurant owners face when they sign a new lease only to find out that there is not existing or adequate gas service at the location. This results in unexpected, expensive and time consuming work that must be done before opening the
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.
business and it puts them over budget and behind schedule. To help you determine whether gas is available at a particular space, or could be provided to the location prior to signing a lease, Con Edison’s Gas Team will provide small business owners in the food and beverage industry
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an opportunity to receive preliminary information regarding gas availability and a list of additional costs associated with providing gas service to a particular space/address, and if applicable, for a specific premises. By having access to this information before signing a lease you will be able to
more effectively budget your opening expenses and anticipate your timeline to receive gas service. This service will help mitigate unknown expenses and work that must be done at a space before having access to gas service.
continued on page 114
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 45
SCOOP Fairfield County New Restaurant Opening To Feature New Technology Scoop notes a new barbeque restaurant is coming soon to Fairfield and will feature technology along with a variety of slow-smoked and freshgrilled meats and BBQ flavors. Barbacoa Smoke House, which will open on the first floor of the Trademark Fairfield building in Fairfield, is looking to remove wait times and get people in and out within eight minutes without sacrificing quality. To accomplish this goal, Barbacoa will use modern technology such as kiosks in place of cashiers and waiters and customers will be able to place orders from their mobile phones and tablets. Always fresh food plus a pinch of cheeky fun, Barbacoa Smoke House plans to please everyone’s taste buds with a unique twist on BBQ flavors. The tech-driven order process allows you to order from wherever, and you set the pickup time! Their ingredients are always fresh - in fact the only frozen item they’ll serve are margaritas.
Rouge Tomate Chef Glides Into Manhattan’s Sea Grill Scoop says just in time for New Year’s resolutions, the famed Sea Grill, with its floor-to-ceiling windowed views of the Rink at Rockefeller Cen-
INSIDER NEWS
FROM METRO NYC’S FOODSERVICE SCENE
ter, has a new executive chef, Andy Bennett, who comes from Michelin-starred Rouge Tomate. Bennett, known for his flavorful healthy yet still hearty, dinning options, is introducing new dishes like olive oil poached lobster, venison loin a la plancha, grilled tuna with wild rice, daikon radish kimchi and Asian pear, and roasted carrots, quinoa and truffle with charred radicchio and truffle carrot broth. Meanwhile, healthy desserts include the citrus Greek yogurt panna cotta and the roasted apple sundae with gingerbread waffle maple ice cream and brown butter caramel. And by the way, if you’d like a nice workout before or after dinner, the Sea Grill can arrange a VIP skating session.
Connecticut’s Globe Equipment Expands With Jersey Acquisition Scoop notes Globe Equipment Company, a Bridgeport Conn.-based foodservice equipment and supply dealer, has acquired certain assets of E & A Restaurant Equipment located in Plainfield, N.J. At nearly 90 years old, E & A serves the greater New Jersey and New York markets through its showroom, outside sales, and bid departments. Joel Green has been hired to serve as president of the new division that will operate as E & A Restaurant Supply. Established in 1938, Globe Equipment services Connecticut through the company’s showroom and outside sales team, along with a government (GSA) division, international division and website.
Jersey Based QuickChek Hires Expert In Foodservice
Chef Andy Bennett
46 • March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Scoop notes that New Jersey based QuickChek Corp. has hired Scott Zoeller to the newly created position of vice president of food service. The foodservice expert was most recently vice president of deli, prepared foods, meat and seafood at Balducci’s and Kings Supermarkets. Before the 12
years he spent at Kings, he worked for Giant Food Stores. Zoeller is also a member of the Retail Networking Committee for the not-for-profit Specialty Food Association. “Scott’s extensive background in driving sales growth, building successful teams and providing customers with an intimate shopping experience will be a great asset as we continue to grow our menu and continue to meet the demands of today’s fast casual shopper,” said QuickChek CEO Dean Durling. QuickChek operates 154 fresh convenience market locations throughout New Jersey, New York’s Hudson Valley and Long Island including 11 stores with pharmacies and 68 locations with fuel. The privately-held chain recently began introducing newly designed fresh convenience market stores with a sleek open concept layout featuring earth tone colors, cleaner sightlines and expansive aisles with spacious food stations.
Steamed Cheeseburgers Tribute Set For Hartford Baseball Team
A steamed cheeseburger from Ted’s Restaurant
Scoop says in the roughly two years of their existence, the Hartford Yard Goats have made quite a name for themselves. And now they’re bestowing themselves another. In honor of its home state, the Minor League Baseball team is renaming themselves after an obscure local delicacy for one game this summer. That’s right. Coming on August 12, meet the Hartford Steamed Cheeseburg-
continued on page 48
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March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 47
Scoop, from page 46 ers. For those unfamiliar with the finer points of the Nutmeg State’s culinary history, the steamed cheeseburger is one of Connecticut’s most iconic, if maligned, contributions to the American menu, aside from hot lobster rolls with butter. It traces its origins back to Ted’s Restaurant in Meriden and is exactly as it sounds: a cheeseburger, in which the burger is steamed rather than grilled. Also, the burger is rectangular. The Colorado Rockies Double-A affiliate announced the news. According to the team’s promotional schedule, the players will wear specially designed Steamed Cheeseburger jerseys and hats in their August 12 game against the inexplicably named Bowie Baysox. Ted’s Restaurant will even take over a vendor cart at Dunkin’ Donuts Park to sell its burgers. The Yards Goats have released their new on-field Steamed Cheeseburger hats, available for pre-order. The beigeand-brown hats, which won’t ship until June, can be purchased for the price of roughly five actual steamed cheeseburgers at Ted’s. Hopefully, at some point in the future, the people in charge of Minor League Baseball can organize a delicious series between the Steamed Cheeseburg-
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ers and their West Coast rivals, the Fresno Tacos.
BLT eyes Harbor Point replacement for World of Beer Scoop sees despite the loss of World of Beer, Stamford’s Harbor Point continues to attract newcomers. Mexican-barbecue restaurant Mexicue has opened. “As we were looking at markets outside New York, we saw a very similar demographic to the people who enjoy lunch and dinner at Mexicue in the city,” Mexicue founder and president Thomas Kelly said. “It felt like the right fit. At Harbor Point, there’s a good mix of young office workers and families and residents.” Across the street from Mexicue, the hot neighborhood has also added a new bakery Patisserie Salzburg, which has eateries in Rye and Scarsdale, N.Y., with plans to open this spring at 2 Harbor Point Road. “We thought the area was lacking a first-class European-style bakery,” Patisserie Salzburg managing partner and president Par Shakiban
BLT’s now closed World of Beer in Stamford, CT
said. Other eateries on the street include Sign of the Whale, Boothbay Lobster, Bareburger and Fortina. Another recent arrival in the neighborhood has also expanded from Westchester County. Walter’s Hot Dogs, which runs a stand in
continued on page 50
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March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 49
Scoop, from page 48 Mamaroneck, N.Y., opened last October a second brick-and-mortar location, in Commons Park.
Chefs From Across the Country “Met Up” in Flushing for Third Charcuterie Masters event Scoop notes the meatiest gathering in New York returned to Flushing last month for a night of delicious food and competition. The third-annual Charcuterie Masters came to Flushing Town Hall. Guests at the festival enjoyed unlimited tasting of more than 60 kinds of charcuterie, including prosciutto from Cesare Casella and Portuguese Alentejano ham from Rodrigo Duarte. Attendees also had the chance to vote for the people’s choice “best-of-the-evening” charcuterie and try pairings with top-rated wines, craft beers and farmstead ciders. The Charcuterie Masters also brought together professional and amateur makers of artisanal charcuterie from the U.S. and Canada went head to head in a competition like no other. Those participating in the Charcuterie Masters 2018 included Hugue Dufour (M. Wells Steakhouse), Alfonso Zhicay (Casa del Chef Bistro), Josh Bowen ( John Brown Smokehouse), Evan Brady (Nduja Artisans Salumeria, Chicago), Rodrigo Duarte (Caseiro E Bom, Newark, New Jersey), Chad Nelan (Elevation Charcuterie & Artisan Meats, Denver), Chef Will Horowitz (Harry & Ida’s Meat and Supply Co.) and Giuseppe Viterale (Ornella Trattoria, Astoria, N.Y.). The judging panel for the competition was headed by Chef Brian Polcyn, renowned charcuterie expert and co-author of “Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing.” “Events like Charcuterie Masters keep charcuterie in the forefront of modern American cooking, where it belongs,” Polcyn said. “I’m proud to serve as lead judge in this crucial and industry collaborative event. My advice for everybody: Eat more pork, smoke more meat, eat a lot of sausage. “Other judges for Charcuterie Masters 2018 included Josh Bowen (Pitmaster, John Brown Smokehouse), Chef Cesare Casella (Dean of Italian Studies, International Culinary Center), Cristiano Creminelli (founder, Creminelli Fine Meats), Aurelien
Dufour (Dufour Gourmet), Rino Mini (CEO, Galvanina), Michael Pardus (professor of culinary arts, Culinary Institute of America), Harry Rosenblum (The Brooklyn Kitchen), Francine Segan (author and Italian food expert) and Jeremy Stanton (founder The Meat Market).
Tuxton and TD Marketing Team To Bring Free Freight to Tri-State Dealers Scoop notes that Tuxton China has announced that it is now offering free freight on orders that exceed $1000 net within the Continental US excluding Alaska and Hawaii. “We are very excited about being able to offer this to our Metro New York’s dealers,” noted Frank Doyle, president of TD Marketing. The New Jersey based equipment and supply rep has built their reputation as a leader in serving the needs of the Tri-State foodservice dealer and consultant community with a comprehensive portfolio of represented manufacturers. Tuxton China Company was launched in 1999, but it has a long family history, which
continued on page 52
Effective March 1, 2018
NEW Tuxton China is now offering FREE FREIGHT on orders that exceed $1000.00 net within the continental U.S! *excludes Alaska and Hawaii
Increase your frequency of purchase orders and grow your Tuxton customer base. Contact us today! info@tuxton.com or 909.595.2510
Rodrigo Duarte
50 • March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Tuxton China, Inc.
21011 Commerce Pointe Drive, Walnut, CA 91789 | info@tuxton.com | tuxton.com
Tel 909.595.2510 | Fax 909.595.5353
Toll Free 877.2.Tuxton [877.288.9866]
Copyright 2018
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 51
Scoop, from page 50 has contributed to its success. Back in 1963 T.Y. Lam founded what came to be known as the world famous Chinese Ceramic Arts Import and Export Company. Due to his renowned reputation and the fact that the Chinese Government was privatizing factories, Mr. Lam took over a government factory in order to continue expanding his business. So in 1989 The Lynn’s Group (which currently makes chinaware for the retail industry) was formed in conjunction with his other business. While the Lynn’s Group continued to grow, Mr. Lam recruited his children to help run the company and keep his legacy alive. Eventually they opened offices in Hong Kong, China and the United States. While Lynn’s kept up the retail manufacturing, the company also began to manufacture for numerous wellknown companies in the U.S. foodservice industry. This move led to the founding of Tuxton China Inc. Three generations of the Lam family continue to run Lynn’s and Tuxton China, and with the addition of William Burden (former owner of Burden China Co., Inc.) who became Tuxton’s President in 2001, Tuxton has become one of the top suppliers in the foodservice industry. “Once again this free freight program represents Tuxton’s commitment
to customer service, excellence in product quality and design innovation,” Doyle added.
Brooklyn; $13,615 on pizza; $6,262 on coffee; and more than $5,000 on candy. The feasting also included $1.4 million in food provided by Lackmann Culinary Services and $189,763 from Ravioli Fair caterers. The feast comes in part thanks to $58.31 in semimonthly dues collected from teachers, up from $56.10 in 2016 according to the filings. Under current law, the union is allowed to collect “agency fees” from 2,043 educators who don’t belong to the union as well as from 187,000 members.
NYC City Teachers Union Eats Through Dues Scoop says the city’s powerful teachers union has mastered one subject: spending members’ dues. Overall, the United Federation of Teachers boosted spending on its far-flung empire by $3 million in 2017 to $185 million, even as union officials worry that a pending court case could significantly limit its ability to collect dues from teachers who don’t want to be in the union. And UFT officials spent a lot of that dough on, well, dough – buying up more than $100,000 worth of bagels and another $13,000 in pizza. The UFT’s annual financial report filed with the federal government shows that union members plus the political movers and shakers they’re trying to influence were well fed last year. The union spent $2.3 million for catering and Big Apple lunch staples including the aforementioned $112,317 to Manna 90 Inc., also Court Street in
Ruth’s Chris Jersey City Grill Coming Scoop says Ruth’s Chris Steak House is opening a Jersey City outpost. The 11,750 square foot space slated to open this summer, will seat 421 including 70 seats outside. It will feature a bar, main dining room four private dining rooms and two outdoor patios. The location is in the bustling Newport neighborhood, the massive 600 acre livework waterfront community developed by Le-Frak commercial and Newport Associates Development company.
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52 • March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
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54 • March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
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March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 55
NEWS
FIRE SAFETY
Restaurant Fire Suppression Systems: What Commercial Kitchen Operators Need To Know
R
estaurant operators know that wet chemical systems are the only solution to their fire suppression needs. In fact, commercial cooking cannot be done without a state of the art Fire Suppression system. Voluminous cooking with today’s vegetable oils cause high heat conditions therefore creating a hazardous environment to say the least. The potential for a fire exists well after the last customer has left and the restaurant has closed its doors for the night. Having a Fire Suppression system that automatically detects heat and/or fire, and effectively smothers it, is now the industry standard. By integrating heat sensors, fires are now able to be detected almost before they start. The system’s ability to sense a fire with such speed not only saves lives, but property as well. In the past, dry chemical systems were the norm, now wet agent systems are the standard. There are some fundamental considerations that need to be taken into account. There are several top-of-the-line fire suppression systems’ manufacturers who are a level above the rest. However, only an experienced fire suppression system’s expert or contractor, who is in fact certified by those manufacturers, should be on your list. This is a must when it comes to choosing which system to integrate into your commercial cooking operation. First and foremost all fire suppression systems are not equal. They use
There are several top-of-the-line fire suppression systems’ manufacturers who are a level above the rest. However, only an experienced fire suppression system’s expert or contractor, who is in fact certified by those manufacturers, should be on your list. different processes and agents to extinguish fires. Some may be more effective on grease, such as in a restaurant kitchen, and others may be more effective on paper, such as in a warehouse. In a restaurant kitchen, certain features are critical, including: mechanical gas shut-off, remote pull station and distribution piping. There are other types of fire suppression systems including: special hazard, dry chemical and various others. However, when it comes to commercial cooking, fires need to be diffused at the fuel source with a gas valve micro switch for electric equipment. This is one reason why clean agent systems are becoming more popular. They’re fast acting, and act so as to control and extinguishing flash fires before they take hold. As we said, there are a couple manufacturers who stand out such as Kidde and Ansul fire suppression systems. The later being the gold standard in the industry. They come in stainless steel enclosures, and look aestheti-
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cally better in addition to providing the best in breed results. A rapid response system is critical to help smother a fire and save lives as well as limit the risk of asset loss and damage. Designing and installing such a system is no easy task. The first step is to conduct a survey per the architectural plans. If they are not accessible or this is a brand new commercial kitchen, the fire suppression contractor will do their own survey. This includes looking at the cooking equipment, determining the size of the hood, how big the duct size is, and estimate which suppression system would be the best for your needs. Keep in mind that all fire suppression systems need to be installed per current UL-300 standards. This includes protecting the complete hood plenum, the entire cooking surface and the exhaust ducts. Restaurant kitchen fire suppression systems costs vary depending on a variety of factors. First, how big is the hood? As measured from left to right,
is the hood under 12 feet, between 12 and 24 feet or over 25 feet? Next the appliances need to be taken into consideration. What appliances does the suppression agent need to cover such as fryers, burners, griddles and chargrills? What about any specialty appliances such as open face broilers, tilt Skillets, braising pans, pizza ovens or wok stations, etc. Surveying the kitchen for the items will help determine the number and sizes of nozzles, detection Brackets, suppression tank, wall brackets, hood penetration seals, corner pulleys & cables and so on. Three sets of plans will need to be filed with the Department of Buildings and the Fire Department. The fire department will visit your establishment to perform what is known as a balloon test wherein which a fire is simulated and air runs through the distribution piping instead of wet chemical agents and all electrical appliances will shut down. This will be witnessed by FDREP. Bi-annual maintenance includes insuring that heat detectors are changed and/or CO2 or Nitrogen cartridges as well. To ensure the utmost safety of your establishment, full operation of squeeze card valve works and electrical shuts down is performed. From design and installation to inspection and maintenance, the goal of any reputable fire suppression service contractor, is to ensure that his client’s restaurant hood suppression system is working 100% of the time.
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 57
INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
WITH FRED SAMPSON
Foodservice Is Truly A Growth Industry
I
f you have visited this space with any regularity, you will recall that I have, on many occasions, discussed how the foodservice industry market is changing and expanding. While the expansion has been happening for the last 5 to 10 years, it now seems to be accelerating at a greater rate. And the competition is wearing different clothes. For example: In a recent issue of Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN), they described a list of chains and their leaders. My purpose in featuring three of them is not so much to show how well their companies are doing, but to emphasize their objective, which is to expand their foodservice sales. I have selected three that were interviewed by Mark Hamstra of Nation’s Restaurant News. My first is Mr. Chris Gheysens, president and CEO of Wawa, a company with 712 units and growing. They have been considered by many as convenience stores. Mr. Gheysens’s response to that description which appeared in the Washington Post was: “We’re not thinking about this as a convenience store, but more of a restaurant-style store. … It competes with more of a Panera than a 7-Eleven.” They recently opened their first store in the Washington, DC, area. It is the chain’s largest location and the first with outdoor seating. Next up is Mr. Rodney McMullen, chairman and CEO of Kroger Co.,
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
America’s largest traditional grocery operator. He is spearheading an effort to capture more of the foodservice pie. As further indication of Kroger’s efforts as described in the NRN article in October, he announced their new strategic framework, called Restock Kroger, which will include a focus on gaining more meal occasions. This includes the chain’s freestanding restaurant, Kitchen 1883. Finally, the third president and CEO who has been moving his company in the direction of more foodservice offerings is Mr. Joseph DePinto, of 7-Eleven. The move comes as the Dallas-based retailer, a division of Tokyo-based Seven & I Holdings Co., implements a restructuring effort to facilitate expansion.
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This includes the agreement to acquire 1,100 stores from Sunoco, which would give 7-Eleven more than 10,000 locations in the United States. In December of 2017, 7-Eleven began testing mobile ordering for delivery and pickup, available through its loyalty app, at 10 Dallas locations. Customers can choose from prepared foods such as pizza and packaged snacks, and other grocery items such as beer and wine. As for the future, Mr. DePinto wants to expand the rollout of mobile ordering and continue to emphasize higherquality fresh foods and foodservice offerings. I should point out that Mr. DePinto is on the board of directors at Brinker International.
It is obvious that the core business of these chains was not foodservice. However, it has now become a prime objective and they have the deep pockets to make it a reality. Of all the relatively newcomers to foodservice, the grocerants (supermarkets) are and would seem to be the greatest threat. Why? Purchasing power, locations, visitations, parking, space for seating, and ability to prepare and serve three meals. (No one ever thought McDonald’s would serve breakfast, either.) Not only are some cousins of foodservice, such as grocery stores, convenience stores, and so on, anxious to become fully fledged relatives, but more and more venture capital groups are buying into the family.
continued on page 132
BOOTHS #1931 + 1945
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 59
EYE
METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
Iconic Duo Feted At Our Town’s Art of Food 2018 At Sotheby’s
M
ore than 25 Upper East Side restaurants were represented at the third-annual Our Town’s Art of Food last month at Sotheby’s in Manhattan. The walk around tasting event was attended by hundreds of food lovers. Guests were treated to the latest delectables from many of the East Side’s most noted toques. Some of the standout dishes included Todd Mitgang of Crave Fishbar’s pineapple ginger shrimp cocktail, 5 Napkin Burger’s Andy D’amico’s Salisbury steak, lasagna alla nonna from Mark Strausman of Freds at Barneys NY, Fabian Gallardo of La Esquina’s shrimp and hamachi aguachile, vegan shepherd’s pie from Jones Wood Foundry’s Jason Hicks, Hugh Magnum of Mighty Quinn’s crispy smoked shellfish arancini, butternut squash and lime soup from Sahib, torched Nikkei salmon ceviche from San Sakana, sage
(L-R) Honoree Richard Meier, Our Town’s Jeanne Straus, and Honoree Claus Meyer
ravioli from Vittorio Assaf of Serafina Always, seafood paella from Socarrat, and sweet and sour pork meatballs from The Meatball Shop’s Daniel Holzman. Wines from Kettmeir and cocktails from Effen Vodka, Rums of Puerto Rico, and Bombay gin were also free flowing. This year’s guests of honors were
Many of the Upper East Side’s top restaurants welcomed and served guests
60 • March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
restaurant impresario Claus Meyer and legendary architect Richard Meier. The trailblazing Nordic chef Meier greeted co-founder Noma and Agern and the Great Northern Food Hall in Grand Central Terminal greeted guests. The event gave guests the opportunity to meet the man behind the masterpiece. Original collages by ac-
A dazzling array of cuisine samples were a highlight of the evening
claimed artist and architect Meier was amongst the artwork on display from Sotheby’s contemporary collection. Among the chefs who anchored stations were: Quality Eats’ Rachel Dos Santos, Maya New York’s David Gonzalez, Mario Hernandez of Bistro Chat Noir, Il Valentino’s Rogelio Limon Largo, Bobbie Lloyd of Magnolia Bakery, Lolo Manso of Socarrat Paella Bar, Paola’s Restaurant’s Stefano Marracino, Little Frog’s Xavier Monge, Tsering Nyima of Garden Court Café, Candle 79’s Angel Ramos, Dominic Rice of Amali/Calissa, Flex Mussels’ Alexandra Shapiro, The Penrose’s Nick Testa and Ben Zwicker of t-Bar Steak. During the event, attendees were treated to tastings of signature dishes from Upper East Side favorites, and as a nod to the setting, each restaurant’s chef was assigned a painting (on display near their table) to “pair” their dish with.
The Art of Food combined the best of the legendary art emporium’s collection and culinary delicacies
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March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 61
NEWS
SALES TAX
Former Restaurateur Brings Simple Sales Tax Management With Innovative Software Solution
A
s with so many iconic products, the birth of DAVO software was truly: necessity being the mother of invention. For seasoned New Jersey restaurateur David Joseph, the challenge of keeping up with his Montclair restaurants monthly sales tax payments was a challenge. “Our bookkeeper would walk in the back door of my restaurant and drop my sales tax return on the table and say you’ve got to write a check tomorrow to the state of New Jersey for six thousand dollars, “Joseph lamented. “I found that even when I tried to plan for it that it was not high on the list of priorities. So no matter what we tried to do it was last minute and painfully frustrating.” Joseph’s restaurant went through five renovations over the 17 years under his watch. “We were just constantly expanding and moving into
David Joseph, DAVO
The payback on the merchant advance was to have the funds automatically deducted from the days receipts. So it dawned on me, why couldn’t someone create a simple system to manage our sales tax the same way that ADP was handling our payroll?” the next space and with that you’re constantly running cash short on renovations and trying to get it finished up and start recouping money,” Joseph continued. The Joseph saga went on to follow a story line that is heard so often in the restaurant and foodservice industry. “We got behind on sales tax and I remember the revenue agent walking in the restaurant handing us a bill for $40K and telling us that we needed to come up with 15 grand by next week,” the software exec reminisced. “So the short term answer was a merchant advance that enabled us to tread water.” “The payback on the merchant advance was to have the funds au-
62 • March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
tomatically deducted from the days receipts. So it dawned on me, why couldn’t someone create a simple system to manage our sales tax the same way that ADP was handling our payroll?” Joseph’s instincts were to head for his bank and ask if they could simply deduct 7% everyday from credit card receipts and place the funds in a separate account earmarked for sales tax payment. His bank told him it couldn’t be done but he was convinced that the solution was in the credit card terminal. Joseph’s next step in doing his due diligence was to break bread and share his idea for a credit card based sales tax solution with one of
his restaurant’s customers that had just left his job at Chase Manhattan. “He came back and told me that he couldn’t find anyone offering this type of service. So we shook hands and we are coming up on 20 years as partners.” The duo was then able to apply for and, after a decade, obtain a patent on their sales tax management technology that has enabled the firm to properly fund its growth and develop its technology. “Our timing has been impeccable with POS technology moving to the cloud,” Joseph added. The cloud enables DAVO easy access to sales data from the POS system which enables them to set sales tax aside daily. “What we’ve actually figured out is we do something that we call fractional daily funding and fractional daily funding is based on a 30 day payment cycle.” Once a merchant downloads the DAVO Sales Tax app to their POS, DAVO uses daily sales data to set aside the exact amount of sales tax collected daily in a separate tax holding account. Then when the sales tax is due, DAVO automatically files and pays it to the state, ontime and in-full. The merchant does nothing; the entire process is seamless and automatic and affordable at just $39.99/month, far less than an accountant or bookkeeper. Joseph takes great pride in DAVO’s
line-up of restaurants and foodservice operators that they have been able to assist across the nation. “Our Rolling Pin bakery story in Denver is typical of the type of story we hear every week,” Joseph said. “They told us their horror story of three partners, each working diligently on their part of the business and somehow simply forgetting to account for and pay the sales tax. We were able to make a simple install of DAVO and they have lived happily ever after.” The DAVO difference has also enabled a number of restaurant groups to expand successfully. “We’re so proud to have been part
of the New Jersey based Playa Bowl concept that has grown to some 20 units.” DAVO has acquired over 2000 merchants in all states with sales tax and continues to expand month over month. DAVO’s ability to listen and respond to needs of its customers has led to a pair of much anticipated apps to help small-to-mediumsized businesses with their cash management needs. The apps, called DAVO Sweep & Save and DAVO Savings Club, are automated savings tools that use fractional daily funding technology, which connects to a merchant’s point of sale (POS) platform or ac-
counting software to set aside cash daily and remit it back to the merchant monthly or annually. This automated savings technology is a similar concept to the consumer-facing apps Dyme and Digit, which move money from a user’s checking account into a separate savings account. DAVO Sweep & Save returns the saved amount to the merchant on a monthly basis to go toward expenses such as rent, business loans, or equipment leases, while DAVO Savings Club sets aside the cash on an annual basis. DAVO notes that the annual funds are intended for “an ongoing cookie jar or Christmas
Club like savings.” With both Sweep & Save and Savings Club, merchants opt to either set aside a fixed dollar amount or percentage of daily sales to go toward the savings. With David Joseph’s roots as a long time restaurateur, DAVO offers the foodservice industry a unique perspective and line-up of sales tax and cash management solutions. To learn more about DAVO, please contact them at: info@davotechnologies.com 888 659-8432 www.davotechnologies.com
Sales tax stressing you out? DAVO sets aside your sales tax daily, then files and pays it automatically. “I never think about sales tax anymore, PRICELESS” – Mayhem & Stout, NYC
www.davosalestax.com Come see us at The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York booth 2066
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 63
NEWS
FOOD DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS
A Co-Op Comeback
S
ome trends come and go, and never come again. (Good riddance, tuna fish gelatin molds!) Others may fade a bit, but keep coming back. That’s the case for food cooperatives. Co-ops have had several resurgences over the decades, but none like today! While they can be difficult to grow and manage, thus their small numbers compared to traditional grocery stores, it’s their core principles that have kept them relevant after so many years. Their mission keeps people interested and willing to do the work to make them happen. The National Co-op Grocers, an association of food cooperatives that buy collectively, has seen its membership rise from 106 to 151 since 2006, and natural foods co-ops that have been in business for 40 years have added third, fourth, even a sixth location. There are now more than 300 co-ops in the US, which means it’s likely one is near you, even if you aren’t aware of it. Before we can talk about how they’ve changed and why they are growing in numbers, we need to understand what makes them unique. What is a co-op? Co-ops are businesses that are owned, controlled, and used by its members. They are founded out of a mutual need for a product or service, and are mission driven rather than profit driven. Some of the most popular co-ops include credit unions, farmers, and daycares. You are very likely to use a co-op service or product without realizing it! The more than 29,000 in the USA exist in virtually every sector of the economy, providing more than 850 thousand jobs (paying more
cated belief in their mission. The members are often regular, albeit particularly passionate, people with limited expertise in the grocery business, which is the root of many common barriers co-ops face. Co-ops struggle to manage their growth and to turn a profit. It can take several years for a co-op to form, and that requires a great deal of patience and continued effort before seeing real reward. Which leads us to…
than $74 billion in annual wages), and contributing nearly $500 billion to the economy. Unlike traditional companies, where decisions more or less revolve around profit, co-ops abide by seven principles; meaning money isn’t the only consideration. Of course, they need capital to survive, but they won’t put finances ahead of these tenants: Voluntary and open membership. Anyone willing to accept the responsibilities of membership may become members. They do not operate with any discrimination. Democratic member control. Members actively set the policies and make the decisions for the co-op. Depending on the size of the co-op, each member may have equal voting rights, or there may be elected representatives who are accountable to the members. Member economic participation. Members contribute to the capital of the co-op in an equitable manner. As with all other decisions, economic
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decisions are made through a democratic process. Autonomy and independence. Members control the co-op, never other entities or organizations. All contracts with other parties must ensure the autonomy of the co-op it upheld. Education, training and information. Cooperatives aim to inform the general public about the benefits of the co-op and its purpose in their community. In addition to educating the public, members are trained in relevant areas so they can contribute effectively to the co-op. Cooperation among cooperatives. Co-ops work together through local, national, and international organizations to strengthen the co-op movement and better serve their members. Concern for community. Co-ops work to benefit their communities by ways of sustainable development. Running a co-op requires a dedi-
Why do people create food coops? In the early 1900s, food and general store co-ops were created primarily in rural areas, allowing towns with small populations to gain access to goods they needed at decent prices. In their height, there were more than 2600 operating nationally. When the Great Depression swept through the nation, food co-ops became necessary in some areas as local grocery stores went out of business and residents had to pool their resources to get necessities. Over the years, the specifics on why people gravitate towards co-ops have shifted. When processed foods became prevalent, it was less about distinct need and more focused on increasing the amount of unprocessed goods. As people became more aware of where their food was coming from, some responded by taking to coops to ensure their food was locally sourced when possible. The emphasis on the community that all co-ops have in common lends itself easily to all of these causes. Additionally, coops were original leaders of the natu-
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Co-ops, from page 64
Why the comeback? We’ve explored some of the historical reasons co-ops formed, but why are they making a comeback now? There are several factors at play. In many ways, we’re experiencing a perfect storm of reasons that have led to an increased interest in co-ops. Many features that co-ops have always offered are now very popular to the general population. Even tangential issues, such as how much employees are paid, have become bigger issues nationally; with more and more citizens taking a stance that co-ops have held for years. Co-ops have consistently paid better than minimum wage, which makes them more attractive in the “Fight for 15” zeitgeist of today. “Authenticity” is in, and co-ops excel in that regard. Consumers want
to shop at businesses that align with their personal beliefs. Look at natural foods to illustrate this point. Natural foods have gone mainstream. They aren’t just for the extremely healthconscious. The general population has embraced the benefits that natural foods offer. While traditional grocery stores have come on board and begun offering wider varieties of natural foods, co-ops have been doing this for years, and it’s an integral part of their mission. Shopping local has increased in popularity in recent years. Small businesses in retail have certainly seen the benefits, as have local farmers. Farmers Markets have grown significantly in recent years, with more than 8,700 currently registered with the USDA. Co-ops are a natural extension of this mindset. When “local” isn’t possible, sustainability and supporting ethical practices are high priorities for many consumers today, and coincidentally have been a focus of co-ops for years. The rise of Internet capabilities and social media also works in favor of coops. Outreach is more easily achieved, even with limited manpower or capital, through social media. It’s easier than ever to create a website, and even sell online and offer delivery, like Wheatsville Co-op does in Texas. This also enables co-ops to more easily seek out and secure hard-to-find products, thus better serving their members. With our ever-evolving social climate, there is every indication that cooperatives will continue to increase in popularity. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, the public’s trust of businesses has fallen significantly in recent years. The general population doesn’t trust businesses to do what is right or good for the community. With that in mind, the idea of a democratically run cooperative that highly values the community is appealing. There’s been an influx in concern for the local community, which co-
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ops naturally address in their daily operations as part of their seven principles. In addition to supporting local vendors, they are active participants in local government and policy. In a cultural climate where it’s common to not know your neighbors, many people miss the sense of community and seek out other places that offer that kind of kinship. In addition to serving as a grocery store, many co-ops, like City Market Onion River Co-op, offer classes, volunteer opportunities, or other ways members can engage with each other. Their emphasis on creating a sustainable community resonates well with the general population in a way it didn’t use to. The idea that your community is not reliant on a large company that may decide to close its doors one day when your neighborhood doesn’t meet their revenue goals is comforting when the economy fluctuates.
Large chains unquestionably dwarf food cooperatives. Co-ops typically can’t beat the prices of national chains. However, because the members are mission driven, co-ops are an undeniably vibrant, beloved presence in their communities and will certainly continue to be so. Their impact has even been felt at the level of the large chains, where large chains are now offering organic and local produce in efforts to maintain customers. Joy Pouros works as the authority writer in the Training department at Culinary Software Services, where she writes on topics as diverse as human resource issues to increasing profits. Joy entered the industry working as a Nutritional Aide in the Chicagoland area before moving into writing and consulting. She now specializes in marketing and public relations and writes for a variety of industries.
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ral food movement that is so prevalent today. Organic, fair trade, and nonGMO foods are now commonplace in grocery stores and restaurants across the country, but they got their start in co-ops. Of course, co-ops chose to include those foods based on the wants and needs of their members, not based on profit margins – a key difference between co-ops and traditional business models. Some of the initial motivators of co-ops remain. Despite the number of grocery stores in the USA, there are still food deserts. Some co-ops form to help address the need for fresh food in those areas. Others spring up in areas with plenty of options, but allow members to have access to specialty items that are difficult to find in traditional stores. Co-ops also form communities’ desires to have more control in the development of their neighborhoods. The cultural contexts in which co-ops have flourished have changed over the decades, but they continue to abide by the same seven principles that have attracted members for over 150 years.
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NEWS
SPECIAL EVENTS
IRFSNY 2018 Set To Offer Expanded Seminar Slate
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housands of restaurant and foodservice professionals from New York and the surrounding area will gather at The International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of New York on March 4 - 6, 2018 and have the opportunity to gain insight and knowledge from unparalleled education sessions. The Foodservice Council for Women and Farm to City Expo have announced their panels for this year’s education. “Our education partners, the Foodservice Council for Women and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets have put together two dynamic sessions for our attendees,” said Tom Loughran, Vice President for the Event. “The International Restaurant Show is more than a trade show, it is the must attend event for industry professionals to learn, network and connect. We encourage everyone to check out the education program and special events planned.” On Monday, March 5, from 11:45 am - 12:45 pm on Center Stage, Kathleen Wood, founder of Kathleen Wood Partners will moderate the Foodservice Council for Women, a panel discussion on the importance of women and leadership in the foodservice industry. This year’s theme is #Metoo - Time’s Up - Now What? Amplifying Women’s Voices for Positive Change. Panelists will include Maneet Chauhan, Executive Chef/Co-Owner, Morph Hospitality; Ivy Stark, Partner/Executive Chef, El Toro Blanco; Morgan Tucker,
Our education partners, the Foodservice Council for Women and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets have put together two dynamic sessions for our attendees,” said Tom Loughran, Vice President for the Event Director of Business Development, M Tucker; and Victoria E. Vega, FMP, Vice President, Operations, Unidine & President SHFM. Following the panel, the 2018 Beacon Award will be presented to Jilly Stephens, CEO, City Harvest, who will also be part of the Council discussion. The Beacon Award, presented on behalf of The Foodservice Council for Women, The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, and the New York State Restaurant Association was created to recognize a woman leader who has truly served as a beacon for the industry through her leadership, contributions, and inspiration. On Tuesday, March 6 from 12:30 - 2:00 pm the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will host the Farm to City Expo: Local Seafood Wave of the Future, a two-part panel discussion focused on locallyproduced seafood and provide an opportunity to connect New York State’s
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wild caught and aquaculture producers with restaurant and foodservice buyers. The Department will also spotlight the growing oyster industry and highlight its participation in The New York State Grown & Certified marketing program, which promotes growers who adhere to higher food safety and environmental standards. The first part of the event will focus on Local Waters: Commercial Fishing Challenges and Opportunities from 12:30 - 1:10 pm and will be moderated by August Ruckdeschel, Agricultural & Marine Economic Development Specialist. Panelists will include Captain Peter Haskell, Owner, Fisherman, Haskell’s Seafood; Chris Quartuccio, Founder, Blue Island Oysters, New York Grown & Certified Oyster Producer; and Bonnie Brady, President, Long Island Commercial Fishing Association. The second panel will focus on Aquaculture and Seagreens: Meet Our Producers and The New Faces in Ma-
rine Agriculture from 1:15 - 2:00 pm moderated by Michael Ciaramella, M.Sc., Ph.D., Seafood Safety and Technology Specialist, New York Sea Grant, Cornell Cooperative Extension. Panelists will include Donna Lanzetta, J.D., Founder and CEO, Manna Fish Farms, Inc.; Sean Barrett, Co-founder, Dock to Dish, Board Member of GreenWave; and John Ng, Hudson Valley Fish Farms. Sponsors of the Farm to City Expo include Peconic Land Trust, Long Island Oyster Growers Association, Long Island Farm Bureau, New York Sea Grant and the Cornell Cooperative Extension Bureau, and Suffolk County Economic Development and Planning. Registration for the 2018 International Restaurant & Foodservice Show is open. For information about the event, visit www.internationalrestaurantny. com. The 25th Annual International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, sponsored by the New York State Restaurant Association, will offer over 550 leading vendors throughout an expansive exhibition floor featuring several new pavilions; 40+ educational sessions; the 29th Annual U.S. Pastry Competition themed “The Great Race”; the Rapid Fire Challenge: Meatball Madness Edition; the Hip Sip: Battle of the Modern Bartender competition; live culinary demonstrations on Center Stage; hundreds of new products; and much more.
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NEWS
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
Integrated Restaurant Technology Benefits The Restaurant Manager, AKA Chief Officer Of Everything
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restaurant manager moves at a frantic pace. Covering a huge amount of ground and juggling a variety of tasks, few outside the industry can comprehend their daily challenges. In a single hour, the manager can place an order for chicken, jump on the line in a backed-up kitchen, revise employee scheduling for the next day, cover the hostess stand, console an unhappy customer, and call up a repairman about a busted refrigerator. Over the course of a day, the manager might be extended further to recruit three new servers, forecast a week’s worth of business, and schedule 20 employees all of which are asking for different days off or extra shifts. With all these varied duties, many restaurateurs find themselves having to use 5-10 different technologies. That means 5-10 different sign-ons with different passwords, and little to no integration between the technologies. Put yourself in a restaurant manager’s shoes in these scenarios. She logs into one system to do schedules, another system to look at applicants to hire, a third system to check this week’s food costs, and yet another system to create a purchase order or to check inventory. An incredible amount of time is spent duplicating work and risking the integrity of the data as it is moved from system to system.
Now, more than ever, is the time for restaurants to modernize their technology stacks and understand the advantages of a fully integrated system. Now, more than ever, is the time for restaurants to modernize their technology stacks and understand the advantages of a fully integrated system. Guaranteed to save you time, money, and your sanity, below are the four major reasons to run your restaurant operations with a single integrated technology: • Save Time. Freeing the restaurant manager from the back office is essential to any restaurant’s success. They are spending too many hours per day switching between applications and manually feeding data from one to the other. The ability to move smoothly and uninterrupted between tasks without specifying their credentials each time can save a manager up to 10 hours of office time per week. • Reduce Costs. For operators who feel that moving to a single
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platform is way too expensive, you may be in for a surprise. You are most likely paying more when you add up all the fees from these various vendors compared to a single, integrated platform. Gone are the days that integrated solutions were only for the large enterprises. Onestop-shop solutions are now not only more affordable and easier to implement, but many operators see the solutions pay for themselves (and more) within the first few months of implementation. • Improve Data Integrity. Data runs the risk of being compromised every time it is downloaded into an unrelated software, or when touched by human hands. The accuracy of your data depends on the flow of information. Inventory is a great example of this, because it must be tracked from the order being placed, all the way through being consumed by a guest. You lose money every time there is a mistake, and with many desperate
systems used to track products, the risks of compromising the data is high. Combining every one of these touchpoints into a single database lets the information flow seamlessly through the stages, without compromising the data’s integrity. • Heighten Security. A manager with one secure sign-on has 11 fewer places for her credentials to be compromised than a manager with 12 different sign-ons for 12 different systems. This includes help desk calls for forgotten credentials, credentials posted on computers, data leaks, and hackers. Additionally, should there be a security incident, you have a single point of contact, to get the issue resolved. If you are using one system for inventory, another for forecasting, are ordering manually through each vendor, then engaging a third-party accounting product, you could control your prime costs better with an integrated database that seamlessly manages everything. Enter your inventory and like magic your accounting transaction is created which then feeds into detailed analytics needed to understand and reduce your overall food costs. Once you start to see that ROI of better controlling food cost, then you might turn your focus to reducing labor costs. Having a single sys-
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NEWS
INDUSTRY SHOWS
PRESENTED BY
Planning For Upcoming Club Season Set To Take Center Stage At Pair Of Tri-State Events
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ith warmer weather on the horizon and both local baseball teams at Spring training, it can only mean one thing that the Spring/Summer ‘18 Club season is just around the corner. To plan for the return of outdoor dining poolside and at the turn on their golf courses, Metro New York’s club managers are fully engaged in preparing for the new season. To prepare for the season, Tri-State club managers are set to convene at two major events this month. On Tuesday, March 13th, The New Jersey Club Managers Association will host its annual show at the Brooklake Country Club in Florham Park, NJ. The Food, Wine and Club Products show attracts over 80 suppliers and 200 attendees from more than 60 Garden State Clubs. A week later, Connecticut, New York and Westchester managers will gather on Tuesday, March 20th at the annual MCF’S 2018 Regional Vendor Show. Once again, the Glen Island Harbor Club in New Rochelle, NY will host what is always a very special day of education and networking. Some 1,200 people from the private club industry will gather in New Rochelle for the annual oneday networking and education event. Tri-State club managers will
have the opportunity to tackle the wide diversity of challenging issues that they face. From the sustainable grounds of a golf facility to healthcare and food regulations, trends, governance, financials and strategic planning will all be part of the day’s agenda. For many of the club managers the value of the show is the ability to tour the show’s vendor show. “We try to provide a true one-stop shopping environment for our members and their staffs,” noted the show’s director Randy Ruder of the Beach Point Club in Mamaroneck, NY. The show’s aisles will once again feature the very latest in food and beverage solutions. This event provides an excellent opportunity for club managers to see the latest products and services in an intimate atmosphere that allows the time and opportunity for one-on-one contacts. General Managers and their management teams
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(Chefs, Controllers, Purchasing Agents, Food & Beverage Directors, etc.) from Westchester, Long Island, upstate New York, lower Connecticut and New York City jam the aisles in search of the latest signature solutions for their members. For many the highlight of the show comes at the end of the day. The Club Chefs of Westchester and Lower Connecticut take center stage to provide Metropolitan Club Managers Vendor Show guests with what is always one of the truly legend-
ary displays of culinary excellence. Each of the club chef’s stations becomes a barometer for innovative menu solutions for the 2018 club season.
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NEWS
BEEF SOLUTIONS
Hunts Point’s NY Prime Beef Supports Clubs With Line-Up of Delectable Solutions
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lub managers and their culinary teams are getting set to meet this month at their annual vendor shows in both New Jersey and New York. Once again a focus for the club professional is maximizing the enjoyment of their guests’ visits. Sure a big putt on 18 or a relaxing day at the pool is a big part of the club experience but paramount on every member mind is the quality of their food and beverage experience at their club. So as Garden State club managers gather in Florham Park and their New York counterparts convene in New Rochelle finding those signature menu items will be at the top of their wish list. A constant on club menus has always been a great steak in the dining and grillrooms and a signature burger poolside or at the halfway house of one of Metro New York’s many iconic clubs. Finding a vendor that has the expertise and commitment to getting it right has never been easier than with Bronx, NY based NY Prime Beef. With the visionary ownership of Vince Pacifico and the dynamic leadership of Josh Tanner, NY Prime Beef offers clubs and foodservice operators custom cuts to order butcher shops providing the finest steaks.
“We are able to enable a club to have the advantages of an in house Dry Aged USDA Prime Beef program as well as domestic and Japanese Wagyu Beef without the expense of having to build and operate it on their own,” Josh Tanner explained. “We specialize in cut steaks and primal aged and cut to a club or restaurant chefs’ specification and we can even ship it overnight with FedEx.” From the Hamptons to the Jersey Shore, NY Prime Beef has quickly built its reputation as a purveyor of the very finest beef. “We set out to
create “The best steak on the planet” to supplying the most discerning customers in the world,” Tanner added. “Having a small, efficient facility with state of the art dry aging, cutting, packaging, and blast freezing capabilities allows us to create a truly custom product with the shortest turnaround and unparalleled customer service.” Tanner and his NY Prime team are poised to assist the Metro New York club and foodservice professional with their 2018 seasonal menus. “We’re seeing more and more
Dry aged Japanese Kobe beef from NY Prime Beef.
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menus featuring wet aged steaks. Our customers are able to minimize yield loss, potentially charge a slightly higher price and see those profits go directly to the bottom line.” “Hanger and skirt steaks, even as the prices rise are both hot this year,” Tanner added. “A great suggestion for clubs is one of our 28 Day Dry Aged USDA Choice 8-12oz. strip up against almost any cut of beef you can find for the money as the perfect salad steak or lunch steak. You can’t beat the body and depth of flavor that the dry aging process imparts to a cut of beef.” Tanner and his NY Prime team also shared their 2018 club menu suggestions. In member dining room menus they suggest: 12oz. American Wagyu New York Strip. “It features insane marbling and exceptionally rich and buttery flavor. On the Grill room-menu you really can’t beat a Dry Aged Bone-in Cowboy Ribeye for two. For the Halfway house-menu our burger, made from 100% American Wagyu Beef is too good for words. Finally for a pool side menu we suggest USDA Prime Dry Aged Tenderloin Tails seared and thinly sliced over baby mixed greens.” NY Prime also offers complete
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NY Prime Beef, from page 76 catering menu solutions for the club manager. “We suggest Tenderloin Filet, New York Strip, Skirt Steak, Hanger Steak, and similar small, uniform cuts are the way to go. There’s a good reason you see so many 6oz. Filets when you go to charity events,” Tanner added. NY Prime Beef also understands the competition that exists between clubs and the restaurants in their communities. “The club culinary team needs to go for the “Wow!” Either a big, bold Dry Aged USDA Prime 40oz. Tomahawk Ribeye or a smaller cut of Japanese A5 Miyazaki Wagyu will do it. For a lower price point, we’ve found our Wagyu Burger paired with our Thick Sliced Smoked Duroc Pork Bacon to be an irresistible combo.” NY Prime’s initial success came from its reputation with its upscale consumer customer base. “When we started New York Prime Beef we
The meat industry is dominated by legacy brands, particularly in the highend steak segment, so we felt that an opportunity to build a brand that put the customer and the eating experience above all else was very enticing,” Tanner said. were focused on selling mail order steak packages to the upper echelon of the Hamptons summer crowd,” Tanner noted. “We quickly found that personal chefs, smaller fine dining establishments, estate managers and caterers were all clamoring for custom cut products on demand and of the highest quality.” Tanner’s flair for supporting the needs of a diverse consumer and
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now foodservice operator has positioned NY Prime Beef as a resource for clubs and restaurants to think outside of the box. “We’ve made inroads into the corporate gifting market, as well as providing closing gifts for a prominent home mortgage firm.” For the Pacifico/Tanner duo the opportunity to build NY Prime Beef into a resource for the Tri-State
club, restaurant and foodservice professional came from a market segment that they saw being overlooked. “The meat industry is dominated by legacy brands, particularly in the high-end steak segment, so we felt that an opportunity to build a brand that put the customer and the eating experience above all else was very enticing,” Tanner said. Customers can come to the Bronx and see the NY Prime Beef process, from start to finish, in one small facility. That kind of transparency and the care that goes into the orders, whether they be two steaks to an individual or a few dozen primal to a restaurant, is really apparent in the final product and the overall New York Prime Beef experience. Tanner and his NY Prime team can be reached at 1.800.STEAK.NY or via email me at josh@newyorkprimebeef.com.
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NEWS
CLUB KITCHEN DESIGN
HAFSCO’s Reputation Continues To Grow With Completion of Iconic Glen Head CC Renovation
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om Capobianco and his HAFSCO team constantly find themselves in the most challenging of positions. Over the past decade, they have become the preferred kitchen design/ build choice for many of Metro New York’s most legendary Country Clubs. With that reputation has come the responsibility of having to deal with clubhouses which date back 100 plus years so in most cases, the kitchens have not been upgraded. Once again, with the 2018 club season on the horizon, West Haven, CT based HAFSCO has been entrusted with a number of major club renovation projects in the Tri-State region. Glen Head Country Club, founded in 1947, is regarded as one of the finest family centered clubs on Long Island. It is situated on over 160 acres of land encompassing a world-class golf course. For the club’s manager Luis Nunez, the challenge was to get ready for the new season with a new kitchen among a list of projects that included a bunker renovation project, installation of a state of the art emergency generator, renovation of the first floor of the clubhouse, including a lady’s locker room with a new bridal suite. With that very full plate in mind, it was essential that Nunez select a kitchen design resource that could carry the proverbial ball while he dealt with his extensive agenda. Prior to taking the reins at Glen
Head in 2008, Nunez, served as the The Long Island club’s kitchen itself if you thought of the most inefficient Assistant General Manager at Fresh was the original from 1947 and they way of setting up a kitchen, well then Meadow Country Club and the Larchjust kept adding equipment, as they you are describing the old GHCC mont Shore Club. needed to. “We called it the ‘Runway’ kitchen,” Nunez lamented. The strength of the Glen Head started the Nunez management planning of renovating the style is his ability to kitchen in 2015 but the keep his finger on the work was actually done pulse of the needs of during the winter of 2016. club members. “During “We are absolutely thrilled my tenure, the needs with the final product,” of our members have Nunez noted. evolved significantly. “We received bids from We went from a very a number of kitchen detraditional old fashion signers and kitchen equipclub to a more casual, ment suppliers. However, family centered, highwe felt really comfortable energy vibrant and very when we met with Tommy. active atmosphere for He was very receptive and our members. The reunderstood our needs. He HAFSCO’s design at Glen Head includes a very creative approach to Garde manger with LTI’s latest custom fab. cent renovations of the designed a kitchen which club show the style and included the essentials to vibrancy of our current satisfy our membership membership. We have needs and wants but most changed the traditional importantly, included so country club look with many features to help us dark woods and heavy improve our efficiency in fabrics to a more transiall aspects of our food and tional look. A complete beverage program,” added change for our club to the veteran club executive. a much fresher look The goal for the Glen which represents our Head/HAFSCO team was membership of today.” to create and execute a deSo, Nunez sought sign that would improve HAFSCO for their ability efficiency and flow of the to turn those needs into kitchen. In addition, as with a kitchen that would reThe Glen Head culinary team has been able to maximize flect the “new vibe” at A la carte and catering productivity with HAFSCO’s newly designed continued on cooking line Glen Head. page 106
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NEWS
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
Pecinka Ferri Continues Growth With Pair Of Major Moves
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he new year has proven to be a very busy one for New Jersey based Pecinka Ferri. The Fairfield, NJ company began the year when two of its associates were awarded top honors from the national organization MAFSIManufacturers Agents Association for the Food Service Industry at their biannual convention in Florida. The award-winning start has been followed with a pair of much talked about moves to grow Pecinka Ferri’s sales team and geographic footprint. The Garden State company has teamed with One Source of Philadelphia to create a strategic alliance: Agora. “The affiliation of these two highly respected Independent representatives of food service equipment and supplies has been forged with the goal of delivering high caliber customer care and improve performance to our factories and dealer partners,” noted Joe Ferri, COO of Pecinka Ferri. “Our goals are to cooperate, com-
This reaffirms our commitment to the dealer based distribution model as we aim to consistently deliver continuous cooperative and collaborative value added services throughout the marketplace.” municate and educate and Agora gives both of our rep groups the advantage of allocating resources,” Ferri added. “This reaffirms our commitment to the dealer based distribution model as we aim to consistently deliver continuous cooperative and collaborative value added services throughout the marketplace.” “As independent representatives, we are convinced that outsourced sales and marketing is the best and lowest cost alternative to manufactures,” explained Pecinka Ferri’s President Ed Pecinka. “We believe that this next-generation model builds on that foundation and enhances it for all.”
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In order to fulfill its commitment to its new Agora initiative, Pecinka Ferri continues in its relentless pursuit of some of the industry’s top talent. With that in mind, the company has added veteran sales and marketing executive John Alfano to its ranks. Formed in 1972, the company represents many of the nation’s leading manufacturers of food service equipment and supplies. “We are pleased to welcome John Alfano to our outside sales team,” said Ed Pecinka. “John joins Pecinka Ferri with a wealth of knowledge and industry experience with strong dealer and end-user relationships in the Metro New York market.” Alfano began his
career with Hobart as a territory sales manager with responsibility for the Northern New Jersey region. He held the same position with Unified Brands forming his own agency in 2011 to represent them. The seasoned professional has spent the last three years as Director of Sales and Marketing for Pro-Tek Service selling installation service programs in Metro New York. The response from the Metro New York dealer community has been marked with rave reviews of the move: “Great, congrats to John and Pecinka Ferri,” noted Meryl Finkelstein of BFA Food Service Equipment. Pecinka Ferri’s growth spurt gained steam late last year, when Middleby Corp. selected the Jersey concern to represent its full line of products in Metro New York. “We are convinced that hands down Pecinka Ferri is the premier rep group in Metro New York and they are the perfect partner to help us grow,” explained Steve Spittle, Group President of Middleby’s Pitco and Blodgett division.
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NEWS
BUSINESS INSURANCE SOLUTIONS
Friedlander Group’s United Restaurants Workers’ Comp. Safety Group Post Decades Of 50% Plus Savings
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or three generations, Friedlander Group has been serving the insurance needs of the New York business community. Since 1926, the company’s vision has been guided by the Friedlander family. The company is a leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance in New York State, serving the restaurant, retail, wholesale, and hotel businesses, as well as oil dealers, social service providers, and residential health facilities. Adam Friedlander is the latest member of the iconic family to bring his vision to the Purchase, NY company. In 1992, he pivoted the company to become the Workers’ Compensation leader in New York. With Adam’s carefully crafted plan, Friedlander Group now manages seven workers’ compensation safety groups, fully insured by the New York State Insurance Fund. The largest is the United Restaurants safety group, which has saved restaurants up to 52% a year since 1993. A key to the Friedlander recipe for success is how it has successfully pooled the most safety conscious restaurants operating in New York and returns the profits on the Workers’ Compensation back to members in the form of a dividend. Members receive an upfront discount of 25%. Al-
With Adam’s carefully crafted plan, Friedlander Group now manages seven workers’ compensation safety groups, fully insured by the NY State Insurance Fund. though dividends are not guaranteed, dividends have averaged an additional 35% since 1993. Cumulative dividends paid to the seven safety groups is $212 million. Having literally gown up in the insurance industry, Adam Friedlander recognizes that customer service is a priority to the members of the seven workers’ compensation safety group. So, Friedlander Group manages the workers’ compensation group and acts as the outsourced claims administrator, eliminating the need to deal with the complications and legal ramifications of mishandled claims. “Further, we provide a concierge service so that clients make only one call to Friedlander Group, not the NYS Insurance Fund and also handle NYS Disability Benefits coverage,” Adam Friedlander noted. The Friedlander Group approach has always been to listen to the needs
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of its customer base and then share those findings with the industries and communities it serves. So Adam Friedlander has literally written the book, make that two books (both available on Amazon) on Workmens’ Compensation. His first book: How To Save Big on Workers’ Compensation is considered by many to be an industry standard. Friedlander’s inaugural book stressed the importance of a “Culture of Caring.” While this requires more effort than simply placing a mat on a greasy floor, it doesn’t necessarily require a large investment of money, and can help an employer save significantly on workers’ comp. He outlined how the culture, starts at the very top, and permeates the entire organization. If employers show that they care about the safety and well-being of their workers, the employees are less likely to get injured, and will return to work more quickly after a workplace injury.
Adam’s newest entry: Safety and Workers’ Compensation Strategies To Unleash Productivity and Profits has brought its readers the views of some of the nation’s top Thought Leaders. They include Paul O’Neil, former Secretary of Treasury of the United States under George W. Bush. Both books educate employers on how to save money, grow their company by optimizing productivity and creating a Culture of Caring. Both books have been both critically acclaimed and well received by restaurant and hospitality executives looking for practical Workers’ Comp. solutions. Friedlander has also become acutely aware of the challenges including increased minimum wages that are now facing the restaurant and foodservice operator. “We have the solution for safety conscious employers to capture savings and not pay for the claims of other restaurants that are not safety conscious,” Adam Friedlander explained. “It’s an overlooked and meaningful competitive advantage that the top restaurants are participating in.” Operators that are seeking to put the Friedlander edge to work for their business can visit www.friedlandergroup.com or call The Workers’ Compensation Leaders at 914-694-6000 ext. 206.
BOOTH #2057
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COFFEE STRATEGIES
WITH JONATHAN WHITE
Food Safety + Food Quality = Peace of Mind
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n today’s highly regulated and potentially litigious society, small and large operators need to take every reasonable precaution possible to protect their business reputation and the health and well-being of their customers. Over the past decades, both national and local governments have implemented or upgraded extensive rules regarding the processing and handling of food products. These rules continue to be expanded over time and their
enforcement has increased. Increased scientific research, the quest for governmental income, and potential governmental liability has also increased the ease and desire to insure compliance. Your customers and clients need to count on food bearing the appropriate safety and quality standards, and operators need to insure that their suppliers meet the various governmental requirements- and can provide adequate documentation
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confirming this compliance. How can you be confident that your suppliers are insuring the appropriate level of safety and food quality? Your due diligence should include receipt of necessary supporting documentation, but can often be supplemented by actual plant visits to provide appropriate reassurance that a food facility has the appearance and methodology that is required. However, mere compliance with a particular municipality’s health de-
Jonathan White is the Executive Vice President at White Coffee Corporation in Long Island City, NY. Learn more about how Jonathan and his team can help you at www.White Coffee.com.
continued on page 118
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LEGAL INSIDER
FROM ELLENOFF, GROSSMAN & SCHOLE LLP
Streamlining The Occupancy Process at Innovative City Marketplace
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hile we have had the opportunity throughout our careers to work with a number of innovative developers in connection with their retail projects, we have been fortunate to be engaged by the owners of the Essex Crossing and their retail development partner, The Prusik Group, to focus on leasing of approximately 400K square feet of retail space within a remarkable 1.8 million square foot mixed use development on nine sites on the Lower East Side. This space includes a unique underground market, known as The Market Line that will feature a food hall in the initial phase and a variety of other businesses as the same is expanded. The food hall will be a 150K square foot culinary bazaar running underground along Delancey Street and featuring numerous food vendors and purveyors. It will have an open-air feel, with 65-foot-high ceilings surrounded by 45-foot-high glass walls to preserve the natural light. Most of the vendors will be operating in spaces that will range from 150 to 1,000 square feet with the average being 500. Because of the large number of vendors that will occupy the Market Line, ownership and the legal team decided to develop more streamlined documentation that is about 50% shorter than traditional retail leases, which often contain 60 pages or more. Vendors are required to use the ownership’s form so as to facilitate easy administration of these agreements. Much of the operational controls and common area maintenance aspects for the vendors are set forth in a separate, easy to
The vendors are accepting of this approach because they are just as interested as the owner in having a unified and appealing environment for their customers while permitting them to retain their own individuality for their selling space. read manual that sets forth uniform standards relating to such matters as cleaning, trash removal, deliveries, crowd control, point of sale systems, food safety, employee conduct, and construction design and review. The manual also contains all of the necessary information for the vendors to use and share the common areas in an efficient and productive manner. The vendors are accepting of this approach because they are just as interested as the owner in having a unified and appealing environment for their customers while permitting them to retain their own individuality for their selling space. There are a number of key points that are considered in the legal documentation. Each vendor is required to have a primary use of their space so that the Market Line will contain a diverse array of offerings that enhance the culinary experience of the customers while allowing each vendor to maximize the sale of its specialized products. For example, there will be, among many other types of vendors, a German food purveyor, a Japanese
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restaurant, a Seafood restaurant and shop, a Dim Sum and Chinese dumpling shop, and shops selling primarily coffees, teas or juices. Vendors are subject to strict operating covenants to assure that the market will always have an “open for business” feel so as to draw as many customers as possible. And, to facilitate timely openings of food operations, ownership has implemented a construction procedure that eliminates much of the “red tape” that a small, mom and pop business would like to avoid in dealing with construction permits and other construction activities. These arrangements, along with the shared common facilities (which are included in the fees to be paid for the spaces), are all intended to allow the vendors to focus on their core business of selling high quality fare. If you think the Market Line is the right place for your business, please call us or drop us a line or you can contact The Prusik Group at 212-7043879 who will guide you through this process.
Allen Schole has represented publicly-held and private companies, financial institutions and individuals. His practice has emphasized the purchase and sale of buildings, shopping centers, industrial properties and undeveloped real estate. He has represented lenders and borrowers in all phases of commercial lending, Mr. Schole has negotiated to retail, office and warehouse space leases. Robert P. Sakosky, a member of the Firm, specializes in real estate law. Mr. Sakosky has extensive experience in representing landlords and tenants in lease negotiations with respect to office and retail space and other commercial properties. He also has experience in representing owners and developers in the acquisition, sale, and financing of commercial properties. Allen Schole and Robert Sakosky can be reached via phone at 212-3701300 or via email at schole@egsllp. com and rsakosky@egsllp.com
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LITTLE M. TUCKER
WITH MORGAN TUCKER
Defining Our Space: IRFSNY 2018
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verything you’ve heard is true – we’re a bit older than we look! 2018 is a tremendous year for us, marking the Singer Equipment Company’s 100th birthday and #ACenturyOfService. At the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, we are
officially kicking off our yearlong celebration of this milestone. Tradeshows can be overwhelming, so we decided to do things differently. We’ve broken the mold of the average booth. Rather than designing our 20,000 square foot space to look like a trade show, we’ve defined a flowing footprint that re-
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flects the current needs and future possibilities of creating and running a foodservice operation. Let us take you on a tour. Welcome to the M. Tucker booth. At the front of the house, the LMT team has set the tables in anticipation of your arrival. You’ll see an impressive communal dining table that was built by hand, by Kieran Fahey, Owner and Proprietor of Culinary Wood Designs. Ask us about our custom wood capabilities… and our custom leather goods from Forty Knots No Smoke… all designed for commercial foodservice applications. Last year, we introduced Figgjo to the US market and we’re thrilled to host the award-winning Norwegian porcelain factory in our booth again, with new and exciting collections available for nextday delivery. Haand Hospitality makes its tradeshow debut with a variety of matte glazed dinnerware. This North Carolinian, fully vitrified porcelain defines the new American tabletop. Or perhaps you’re still celebrating the flying Philadelphia Eagles? If so, come meet the team from Felt+Fat. From green to pink, Anfora can do it all. If you know us,
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.
you know we have a soft spot for this Steelite factory, and this color. #PinkIsStillTheNewBlack and we can’t wait to finally launch Chena Pink, an exclusive collection of matte coupes. Our customers want handmade, artisanal dinnerware, but they also want sleek, elevated décor with a custom feel. Enter Carrara – a pattern that evokes the luxury of Italian marble. It’s the sister line of our immensely popular Concrete collection. Both come from Tafelstern—a porcelain source that is full of heart
and heritage. LiLY, another exclusive, and LMT’s first pattern with Villeroy & Boch partner Ariane Porcelain, is also making its grand debut at IRFSNY. LiLY is a bouquet – that is, banquet line that will add textural and visual interest to your table, while also matching V&B’s other whiteware collections. This will be the first US tradeshow for Amefa flatware. The Netherlands-based factory, churning out affordable PVD flatware, has become a preferred partner of LMT. Black, Copper, and Gold cutlery and service items are HERE. Our FOH wouldn’t be complete without a bar. The Hospitality Glass Bee ‘Hive’ will exclusively feature
ROBERT GORDON
Welcome to the M. Tucker booth. At the front of the house, the LMT team has set the tables in anticipation of your arrival. Let us take you on a tour. the newest and hottest crystal. The Hive’s namesake is a stunning, handcrafted honeycomb back bar unit provided by Eastern Tabletop. We’ll be slinging mocktails at the bar, courtesy of Mogogo, with copper and gold mixology gear from Barfly by Mercer. When it comes to hospitality, New York City is the epicenter, and we
are the largest dealer here. It’s our market and it’s also our home. Likewise, this show is not just “a show” – it’s our show. Beyond the bar and dining area, we’re hosting a wealth of kitchen supplies, disposables and equipment presented to you by this industry’s utmost experts. It’s no wonder that our preferred manufacturers, from Arcobaleno and
PolyScience, to Alto-Shaam and Southbend, choose to exhibit with us at booth 2200-2325. Join us as we celebrate not just #ACenturyOfService with the Singer Equipment Companies, but another century to come. Sarah Bulmer, Andrew Beres, and Morgan Tucker littlemtucker@mtucker.com
pier
unique, natural, extraordinary Pier features a neutral reactive glaze color and unique finish. No two pieces of this Australian-designed porcelain will look exactly alike and the color intensity will vary from piece to piece, creating a hand-crafted look for your food presentation.
Come see us at the New York Restaurant Show March 4-6, Booth #1631 or check us out at www.steelite.com
March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 93
NEWS
KITCHEN SERVICE
Second Generation Puts Imprint On New Jersey Service Firm
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t is always interesting to track what second and third generations’ entrepreneurial children will bring to family enterprises. Will there be trepidation for the children over finding their own career path? Or did all of those days in the office as a kid after school and during school vacation find its way into their hearts and minds? In the case of Malachy Mechanical, the business found itself into the hearts of the brother and sister duo of Rich Farrell and Samantha Farrell. Their father Richard Farrell Sr. built a legendary career as he built the New Jersey based company into one of Metro New York and the nation’s most respected service firms. As with many local companies, Dad has moved on to retirement and the Farrell children have taken the reins. Malachy Mechanical was established when long time PepsiCo and KFC technician Richard Farrell went to his boss in search of a raise to help him with his growing family. He didn’t care for the response and the rest as they say is history. Farrell Sr. asked his mother for a loan so that he could hang his own shingle. “He told my grandma that he needed the funding (10K!) to buy a van an inventory of parts and most importantly business cards,” Rich Farrell noted. The cards went to good use as Farrell Sr. hit the road and visited every McDonald’s, Burger King, college and university in Northern New Jersey. The hard work paid off as Malachy Mechanical forged a reputation for qual-
Rich Farrell Jr.
ity service. After a while, he was getting calls all day and even all night. “As time progressed, he became known in NJ as an honest, hard working guy that prided himself in doing whatever it took to get it done properly,” Farrell Jr. added. The next step for the growth was to build service relationships with many of the nation’s leading manufacturers. “It wasn’t too long after that Frymaster came and signed him up with his first service contract with a manufacturer. He never looked back from there. The vision was simple for my dad. He wanted to provide for his children and make sure they had a better life than he did. Well, he succeeded. He wanted to offer customers a service company that did the right thing and provided honest, quality work at fair prices. Again, he succeeded,” Farrell added. Samantha and Richard Farrell have made their imprint in the business by broadening Malachy Mechanical’s target. Today Malachy has added a broad
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Samantha Farrell
and deep list of national accounts including chain restaurants and C-Stores such as Qdoba or Quick Chek. At the same time, the Garden State company continues to serve its long time and valued B&I base of customers. One key of Malachy Mechanical’s success has been its ability to adapt to the on-going changes in equipment that have been the result of technology moving at breathtaking speed. “Equipment is the heart of the commercial kitchen, from steamers, kettles, fryer and braising pans to the growing popularity of Combi Ovens,” Rich Farrell explained. “We now live in a world of ‘NOW’. We are working longer hours and moving faster through our days so people are looking to grab and go more than ever. On top of that, they do NOT want to sacrifice the quality of the food they are getting. Many kitchen footprints are shrinking to provide that. So you are seeing Combi ovens taking the place of kitchen functions that used to be performed by fryers, steamers and
ovens, all in one,” Farrell continued. With the changes in technology, Malachy Mechanical has revamped its approach to how it manages its parts inventory. As a service company, new equipment and new models means a number of new parts coming into play. “We have made it a priority that we train on new equipment and get the OEM parts on our vans and in our warehouse to support the equipment,” Farrell noted. “It’s something we’ve always done. Our parts inventory has grown on our vans with new chains like Chick-Fil-A and Applebee’s. We now have more common parts on our vans than ever before. One thing that has never changed are that first visit fixes are big. They help our customers stay in business! We call it ROI positive and a great investment when we can repair a steamer and an ice machine on the same visit.” Both generation of Farrells have always understood the importance of attracting and retaining a gifted team of service professionals. “Since taking over operations in 2012 and now as CEO in 2018, my focus has always been on people. Anyone in the service industry will tell you finding a good technician is probably the hardest part of our jobs. We have taken it upon ourselves to help our industry through our commercial kitchen’s trade organization CFESA to expand the talent pool. We have created a program in which newcomers are trained for a minimum of 6 months by riding with a senior tech,” Farrell concluded.
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TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK
WITH ERICA JANOSKO
Maximizing The ROI On Your Selection Of A POS System
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iring someone who can flawlessly keep track of your monthly inventory, financial statements, track your sales, keep track of your table orders all while communicating with the back of the house seems like a tall order. So why hire when your POS can do all that and more? Having this system in place can be a game changer when it comes to opening or managing your restaurant, but does it take away from the friendly smiles of your staff? “While we always like to stay up to date on new tech trends, any technology that we want to introduce to The Meatball Shop needs to be able to improve our guests’ experience, and/or the efficiency of our restaurants. We don’t do bells and whistles, or technology for the sake of technology- we want to make sure we’re thinking of our guests and teams first,” said The Meatball Shop’s CEO Adam Rosenbaum. The Meatball Shop has always used the same system, Rosenbaum stating the pros and cons, “The pros are that a large enterprise based platform typically has a lot of back end capabilities and strong reporting function. The cons are that the enterprise system probably has a little less flexibility than newer, cloud-based systems. It’s less customizable, and that can be tough to work with.” With all this technology at their fingertips, restaurant owners and their staff have to learn the product in order for it to run efficiently for them. With
We don’t do bells and whistles, or technology for the sake of technologywe want to make sure we’re thinking of our guests and teams first,” said The Meatball Shop’s CEO Adam Rosenbaum.
Erica Janosko has covered a number of beats from politics to lifestyle for newspapers in the New Haven, CT market. The Southern Connecticut
the POS systems tracking your sales, inventory and labor management. So how do you choose what system is correct for your restaurant? “We evaluate our needs, how much time it may take to implement, look for best in class and of course budget,” said Bobbie Lloyd, Chief Baking Officer, Exec. V.P. of Operations for Magnolia Bakery. “Our current POS provider (Aloha NCR) provides all the bells and whistles we need with an enterprise platform that also supports a
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reporting app. It also generates alerts for potential theft which has become a big issue in our sector of the industry.” With traditional cash registers being technology of the past, new restaurant owners face the task of researching and choosing the correct Point of Sales (POS) system for their restaurant. No matter how talented your staff is, you need a proper business infrastructure in place. When choosing the correct system for your establishment there are many companies to choose from.
State University graduate will focus on the latest technology for Total Food Service.
A POS system is a major part of the infrastructure of a smooth operating restaurant. Taking orders and ringing up sales are the systems of the past. A proper POS system helps you manage every operational aspect of your restaurant. To track sales, a POS system allows debit/credit to be on the same machine, making transactions secure and efficient. Each server, along with management have their own user ID ensuring accountability for each individual. The system tracks their sales down to the penny making nightly closing more accurate and eliminating employment theft. The next consideration in the selection of the correct system is Labor and Inventory Management. The POS
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NEWS
SPECIAL EVENTS
The Mediterranean Diet Roundtable Goes to Yale
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he Mediterranean Diet Roundtable (MDR) is ready to roll its fourth edition: regarded as one of the most exclusive events in the Food Industry, the MDR will offer once again the possibility of tasting and learning about products distinctive of the Mediterranean Diet, while networking and getting inspired. The two half-day conference will be held at the prestigious Yale University in New Haven on June 25-26, right before the International Summer Fancy Food Show in NYC. The Mediterranean diet is well documented and acknowledged as a healthy diet. Furthermore, it has emerged as a great sustainable food-system model, with its plantcentered focus. However, this wealth of benefits does not automatically translate into accessing national or international Mediterraneaninspired ingredients and manufacturing practices. Learning about the health values of the Mediterranean diet, helps to redefine and repositioning the use of certain ingredients (e.g. extra virgin olive oil, fish and grains), leading to a healthier and stronger population. Some good reasons to attend the MDR include the timely topics addressed; the possibility to personally meet with local and global scholars and trendsetters; guided flavor explorations; learn how to generate brand equity for products/ practices.
An important announcement of the 2018 will be the launch of a partnership with the World Trade Center for a dedicated web platform for global trade dedicated to Mediterranean products. The scientific panel will be led by internationally acclaimed nutrition expert Dr. David Katz, recipient of many awards for his contributions to public health and named one of
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the nation’s top experts. Dr. Katz is recognized globally for expertise in nutrition, weight management and the prevention of chronic disease, with a social media following of more than 900,000 people. Other stellar panelists include Yale’s very own Rafi Taherian, AVP and Director of the Hospitality division, Greek scholars Prokopios Magiatis and Eleni Melliou, Italian researcher
Daniele Del Rio, Mediterranean Diet evangelist and UK scholar Simon Poole, CEO of the American Food Industries Bob Bauer, food ethnographer June Jo Lee and many others. The MDR has been approved for 8 CPU’s credits by CDR. For information, sponsorship opportunities and registration please visit: www.MDRproject.com or call (908) 212 7846.
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NEWS
EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY INNOVATION
Ventless Technology Brings Cooking Options To Previously Unusable Space
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s a ventless kitchen solutions manufacturer, one of the most common questions we get when discussing commercial deep fryer options is why go with a ventless fryer? Why does it matter? Is it really that important? We sure think so, and it’s not something that we would only recommend to customers that don’t already have venting installed. Ventless fryers are really beneficial for any business that is looking to make their kitchen operations a little easier, cleaner and a whole lot safer! Ventless vs. Vented Costs First, when you’re looking to add new cooking technology to your line up you need to think about cost: cost of equipment, cost of installation and cost of product the equipment can cook. Most people only consider the first cost… that is a HUGE mistake. While equipment cost should be a factor in your purchase decision, it should not be the only consideration. Installation cost can often be a lot
more expensive than the equipment itself, especially if you have to make renovations to your kitchen to meet safety requirements. For example, consider a traditional deep fryer may cost $2,500 – that sounds cheap compared to $6,000 for a ventless fryer. But when you factor in the cost of an exhaust hood for your deep fryer at $20,000-30,000 and have to pay for the installation of the exhaust hood on top of that, you’re looking at a very expensive purchase. Ventless vs. Vented Installation So now that we’ve examined initial cost, let’s consider installation. With a ventless fryer, because it is ventless and fully enclosed, the only installation necessary is plugging in the fryer to an outlet. The unit is easy to move around the kitchen with the outlet being its only necessity. With a traditional hooded fryer you need to install the unit and a hood. Two separate installations, each with their own costs and procedures. Also, you must choose a permanent place for your deep fryer
as moving the hood down the road will be costly. Ventless vs Vented Ease of Use Cost is an important factor, but actual usability of a unit makes a huge difference for kitchen operations as well. With a traditional deep fryer, you’ll need to have a skilled fry cook
watching your fryer at all times to prevent food from sticking or burning. This is a dangerous job, as the cook is constantly working over scalding hot oil. Plus, with the rising costs of labor, this may be an expensive employee to have on your payroll. Consider in-
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GIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS
WHAT THEY CRAVE Nothing compares to the smell, taste and texture of fresh made french fries. With our AutoFry, ventless deep fryer, and MultiChef, high speed oven, you can serve hot delicious appetizers without costly renovations.
You’ll be free to work on other tasks while your fryer takes care of shaking the fryer basket to ensure no product sticks, and pulling foods from the oil when they’re perfectly cooked! 100 • March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Fully Automated • Ventless • Convenient • Reliable • Safe • Affordable To learn more about our products call 800-348-2976 or 508-460-9800 or visit us online at MTIproducts.com • AutoFry.com • MultiChef.com Your Source for Ventless Kitchen Solutions for over 25 Years
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C-CAP TRADE TALK
WITH JOYCE APPELMAN
C-CAP Awards HS Students With Culinary Scholarships In National Recipe Contest
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igh school students from underserved communities aspiring to become future celebrity chefs faced a competitive challenge recently in the nationwide 2018 Careers through Culinary Arts Program (CCAP) Meatless Monday Recipe Contest. The challenge: create an original, innovative meatless grains dish and impress a distinguished panel of judges. The winner of the Grand Prize Scholarship for $5,000 to attend college to study the culinary arts is Emily Havey, a 12th grader from Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona, for her Farro and Black Bean Soup. Regional winners received $2,000 scholarships to attend college for culinary education. They come from Chicago, Washington, D.C. region, Hampton Roads, VA, Los Angeles, New York City and Philadelphia (see list at end). C-CAP is the national leader providing scholarships, education, and career opportunities in the culinary arts to underserved youth. Meatless Monday encourages people to make positive changes in their diet simply by choosing not to eat meat one day a week. Chef, restaurateur, and author Marcus Samuelsson, a C-CAP board cochair, said, “We’re thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s recipe contest. Through this annual contest, cu-
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 in the foodservice industry. Email her
linary students receive guidance from their teachers on recipe writing and development and are able to showcase their talent of creating meatless recipes.” Judges evaluated the recipe submissions based on originality, flavor, healthfulness, ease of preparation, and writing ability. In addition to Chef Samuelsson, the other celeb judges include New Yorkbased Maria Loi who sees the winning students as “our culinary future!“ Loi, the global ambassador of Greek gastronomy, elected by the Chef’s Club of Greece, is executive chef of Loi Estiatorio, author, restaurateur, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
Grand prize winner Emily Havey
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Rich Landau, chef/co-owner of Vedge in Philadelphia, a cookbook author, and a pioneer of the modern plant-based dining experience, said, “I have to say that I was very impressed and very proud of these students for their culinary achievements.” Also on the judging panel are Brother Luck, C-CAP alum, chef/owner of IV by Brother Luck in Colorado Springs; Nicole Langone Scarangello, C-CAP alumna, director of Menu Management, New York City Department of Education School Food. Through the recipe competition, Meatless Monday, an initiative of the nonprofit The Monday Campaigns, offers the opportunity to both junior and senior C-CAP high school students a chance to demonstrate their creative culinary talents and create an original meatless recipe. With the Meatless Monday recipe contest, CCAP is challenging high school students who aspire to be culinary leaders to develop delicious plant-based dishes. The contest will also make the students aware of the health and environmental benefits of offering meatless dishes, one day a week. Regional winners of $2,000 scholarship: CHICAGO, IL Jada Harris, 12th Grade, Lindblom Math and Science Academy Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mush-
at joyceappelman@gmail.com
room with a White Wine Sauce and Garlic Lemon Arugula WASHINGTON, D.C. REGION Kalonji Hodges, 11th Grade, Crossland High School, Temple Hills, MD Quinoa Breaded Eggplant Parm HAMPTON ROADS, VA India Ayala, 12th Grade, Virginia Beach Technical and Career Center Roasted Root Veggies & Barley Pastelón LOS ANGELES, CA Graciella Dizon, 11th Grade, Nathaniel Narbonne Senior High School Mushroom Quartet Farrotto NEW YORK, NY Gabriella Perez, 11th Grade, Food and Finance High School Sauté Veggie Whole Grain Lasagna with Toasted Quinoa PHILADELPHIA, PA Jasurbek Ochilov, 11th Grade, Swenson Arts & Technology High School Grechka with Creamy Mushroom Gravy Get the winning recipes at: http://www.meatlessmonday.com/ articles/winners-2018-c-cap-recipecompetition/.
FAITHFUL FOOD
WITH FAITH HOPE CONSOLO
The Oscars of Food NYC Edition: The James Beard Foundation Awards
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he James Beard Foundation Awards which were established in 1990 are considered to be the Oscars of the food world. The awards cover all aspects of the industry: chefs and restaurateurs, cookbook authors and food journalists, restaurant designers and architects, and more. The nation’s best places to eat include many New York culinary masters and newcomers! The nominees were chosen from 23,000 entries throughout the country and the winners will be announced at a glamorous gala in May. Two NYC superstars — Balthazar and Momofuku Noodle Bar — earned a nomination for “Outstanding Restaurant” in the U.S. Only restaurants that have been continuously open for more than 10 years are eligible for the honor. As always, the Queen of Retail is mesmerized by Manhattan so let’s look closely at our local nominees. Best New Restaurant Cote, NYC 16 West 22nd St. (b/w 5th & 6th Ave.) New York, NY 10010 In the basement of this sleek, clubby Flatiron restaurant is a Michelinstarred Korean-American steakhouse with an upscale tweak that sets Cote apart. When you walk downstairs, you’ll see a red, glowing “aging vault” filled with cuts of beef. Cote is the Korean word for flower, and it is also the word used to describe a particularly marbled and lovely cut of steak. Offering a true culinary dining experience, each table is outfitted with a Korean barbecue styled grill and your order
is brought to your table and grilled to your liking by incredibly knowledgeable chefs. Cote is the New Yorker meat lover’s heaven. Empellón Midtown, NYC 510 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10022 This glass-fronted, bi-level restaurant from chef Alex Stupak reels you in with the aroma of masa emerging from the kitchen and tortilleria on the basement level and the spectacle of bold murals in primary colors and contrasting textures in the dining room. Outstanding Bar Program Bar Goto, NYC 245 Eldridge Street New York, NY
10002 This Lower East Side spot is a Japanese-style American Bar, offering craft cocktails and comfort Japanese tapas. Set on the ground floor of a centuryold tenement building, the drink list is heavily influenced by Japan. Dante, NYC 79-81 Macdougal Street New York City 10012 Caffe Dante, the 100-year old Italian institution located in Greenwich Village espresso bar, has been rebooted into a charming aperitivo bar. Over the course of the years, community neighbors and celebrities alike frequented this cafe for a piece of Italy. Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, Jerry Seinfeld and Bob Dylan
Faith Hope Consolo is the Chairman 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
were just a few of the famous faces that passed through. The new Dante really is a love letter to the original. The pictures that line the walls are not only of the original owners, but also highlight the wonderful cast of characters that have passed through these doors. From artists and writers, like Anais Nin and Ernest Hemingway of the Bohemian age, to Robert Maplethorpe and Patti Smith, The new owners have elevated the menu, fusing Australian flavors with traditional Italian cuisine. Outstanding Chef (Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters) Andrew Carmellini, The Dutch, NYC 131 Sullivan Street New York, NY
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LIZ ON TABLETOP
TABLETOP SOLUTIONS
2018 Shapes Up As The Year That Local Finds Its Groove Outside
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pring and Summer ‘18 are getting ready to provide local operators and our BHS/H. Weiss customers with a great opportunity to expand their horizons. What we’ve found over the years is that the fine art of outdoor dining has evolved into a mind set that with a little planning can become both highly profitable and create
a signature for your restaurant or club. We have found that operators that execute successfully outside have built a recipe for success on three key ingredients: Beverage menu, food offering and proper staffing. The most impactful approach that we are seeing with our BHS/H. Weiss customers is based on menus that stress local-local-local. It all
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starts with local beer and an atmosphere and a vibe that focuses on a local brew pub or beer garden. The last decade has brought the emergence of world-class wines from our region. That local movement has morphed into a vast array of local spirits including malts, bourbon, whiskeys, vodkas (includ-
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Liz Weiss is the President and coowner of Armonk, NY based H. Weiss Co., a division of BHS Foodservice Solutions. 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.
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Rotten, from page 42 example of this was in the episode “Milk Money.” One of the main points of discussion was the sale of raw milk. Since raw milk is more profitable than pasteurized milk, some dairy farmers have added that to the products they provide (even in some of the states where this is illegal). These farmers talk about raw milk being safer that it was in the past due to cleaner farms, cleaner cows and cleaner workers. They also tell viewers that there are health benefits to consuming raw milk. Although research shows the risk of consuming raw milk is still too high due to possible contamination that can lead to foodborne illnesses. On the other side of the foodborne illness discussion, the episode also talks to a family that experienced a food safety fail when their young son contracted e-coli raw milk, which led to hemolytic uremic syndrome. Although I value the experience those dairy farmers have, as a food safety professional, I can only hope that viewers will understand the very real risks of consuming raw milk – as evidenced by the child that was featured, who fell ill and will have lifelong consequences from his foodborne illness incident. It’s important the message around the risks of consuming raw milk is heard. Also addressed in the series is the topic of food fraud and adulteration. These are topics that are likely unfamiliar to much of the general population, so it is very important to bring these issues to light. In the episode “Lawyers, Guns & Honey,” they discuss how pure honey is being cut with syrups to increase the volume, and profits, of the product. Honey is sent to labs for quality tests but, as usually happens, once one type of syrup is detected, people will find another (e.g., corn) that is not detectable. Laboratory scientists were interviewed to explain their process for testing. Also
HAFSCO, from page 80 interviewed were the lawyers that prosecuted a German company for illegally selling Chinese honey in America. Two executives were sentenced to time in federal prison because of their actions. I’m sure many viewers would be surprised to learn that this type of situation, from adulteration to jail time for food fraud, is happening. Every episode addresses different products and the issues their industry faces. These are some of the interesting take-a-ways from each episode: • Lawyers, Guns & Honey –A queen bee can lay twice her body weight in eggs a day. • The Peanut Problem – The National Peanut Board funds considerable food allergy research in hopes of finding allergy cures or treatments. • Garlic Breath – In China, it is illegal to export garlic that was peeled by prisoners. • Big Bird –In 2015, over 320,000 chickens were murdered over a five week period in South Carolina as a revenge plot to hurt chicken farmers. • Milk Money – Only 11 states allow raw milk sales in retail stores. It is illegal to sell raw milk across state lines. • Cod is Dead – The saying “there are plenty of fish in sea” is not as true as it once was. Research shows the number of fish have drastically dropped in recent years because of changing fishing habits and regulations and increased fish consumption. Overall, this series is valuable for everyone to watch. It’s important that topics like food safety, food fraud, regulations, and food allergies are brought to the forefront for the general population. I hope that people watch the series and take away some useful knowledge. And I hope to see more informative programming like this in the future.
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many of the projects in the HAFSCO portfolio, Capobianco is sought after to help clubs specify and install an equipment package that blends the right equipment to support a club’s a la carte and catering demands. With HAFSCO’s Among the signatures of HAFSCO’s club design is the new guidance, what had dishwashing suite at the Long Island club. been a formerly disorganized energy wasting design bakery and its pan racks.” layout due to age was converted into The independent station theme a state of the industry design. The also enabled us to dedicate the right new design simplified and condensed footprint for a club that truly loves its the spaces, and made it much easier sushi. We actually were able to create for Glen Head culinary and wait staff a flow so that sushi could easily be teams to navigate. prepped and served in the main ban“They do a tremendous amount quet area. of garde manger prep,” Capobianco When I see a large space like this, added. They are closed three months one of my priorities is to minimize of the year so, while operating in the “schlepping.” So, my design approach warmer months, I knew that salad was to install a walk in with a glass prep was a key and we had to move it door that could easily accommodate closer to make it flow efficiently.” the wait staff. “It’s interesting when you work in a There was a lot of room in this space as big as this that it can actually kitchen and I didn’t want to have them be more challenging. The equipment walking all the way back to the walk might fit but you have to make sure in so I put in a glass door to accomthat you are focused on how far somemodate the wait staff. By hinging the one needs to move from the line or to door right, they could easily access the get to a walk in.” salad dressings and then I installed a Another of the Capobianco/HAFSdual door to maximize food safety and CO signatures is the creative design of another glass door built into the walkdish and ware washing suites for their in cooler on the exterior where they client clubs. “We created a large good could get their extra salads, do their size area for ware washing and then I crumbling and whatever they needed. created another satellite area for their “Our new kitchen has already made steamers and skillets on the back line significant impact in the overall efand then hid a walk-in cooler. We were ficiency of our food program,” Nunez able to create a pantry area behind the concluded. “We are able to provide walk-in coolers while dealing with the our members with a variety of menus challenge of a very low ceiling.” which in prior years were not an op“By thinking about the creation of tion. We are also able to service our smaller spaces within the overall plan, private banquets in a more effective we were able to build a bakery downand efficient manner which translates stairs with a dedicated walk in cooler. to positive financial results for our We even added an elevator to serve the club.”
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RESTAURANT COMPLIANCE
WITH RADA TARNOVSKY
Why Do NYC Restaurants Have A Letter Grade System?
T
he Letter Grade System was enacted to decrease foodborne illness, promote sanitary practices and create transparency for diners. While the System has achieved those goals since its inception, fines for violations have created additional financial burdens for many NYC restaurant operators already battling an extremely competitive environment.
Rada Tarnovsky is a practicing Attorney, who co-founded Letter Grade Consulting to help food service opera-
Preventing violations is key….
tors comply with regulations set forth by the NYC Department of Health.
Know the Rules
Servicing restaurants, hotels, theatres, corporate cafeterias and schools,
• Violation points incurred during an inspection, will determine your inspection cycle. Restaurants that receive 13 points or less will be visited again in 9-12 months. Restaurants that score over 14 points will be visited in 6-8 months, over 28 points 3-5 months. Preventing violations will decrease the amount of times the City will inspect. Less inspections, means less fines. • Have more than one FPC holder. We recommend as many as possible. Having only one that’s on break when the health inspector shows up is a guaranteed fine, and 10 violation points Proper refrigeration will reduce waste, keep food safe and decrease costs
Letter Grade Consulting provides operators with preemptive solutions, education and training to sustain the highest level of food safety, remain
• Make sure refrigeration units are serviced properly and regularly. A broken unit creates unsafe food, a broken unit with an insufficient alternate, that goes unnoticed until a city inspection can lead to closure and lots of fines. • Putting food out in small batches will help keep food at the right temperature and prevent spoilage. Only put out what will be used. • Do not double stack or over stock refrigerators. When food is crammed, the refrigerator will have to work harder to maintain proper
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temperature. An overfilled refrigerator will prevent cold air from circulating properly developing hot spots, leading to food spoilage. • Using slotted shelves inside refrigeration units, allows for better cooling and will not require extra energy to keep the entire unit cold. • Keep the lowboy and reach in refrigerators at least 6-8 inches from the wall so the motor compartment does not over heat and blow out causing the unit to malfunction. Remain proactive. Establish practices to reduce the risk of
inspection ready and maintain the “A” in the window. Rada can be reached at rt@lettergradeconsulting.com
potential violations • Operating at the highest level of food safety will ensure compliance with the system and decrease costs. • Conducting monthly mock inspections, will allow you to detect problems before they develop into violations. • Educate staff, prepare them and hold them accountable.
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RESTAURANT EXPERT
WITH DAVID SCOTT PETERS
What To Look For In A POS System Your must-have features to benefit your restaurant
I
give presentations, seminars and workshops all over the United States and Canada and if you asked me what’s the most commonly asked question I get, that would be easy to answer. It’s, “What point of sale system should I get?” I understand more than anyone that this is probably the most important equipment purchase you will make in your business. The challenge is which one to buy. There are an overwhelming number of choices and they almost all do the same thing. To help you narrow it down, let’s talk about what a good POS system should do for you. Above and beyond the obvious of sales transactions, recording and taking payment, there is a short list you must consider when looking to invest in a POS system:
Will it take cash, credit card and gift card transactions? This seems to be a no brainer, because the whole intention of a POS is sales transactions. But you would be surprised at how many low-end POS systems don’t have a gift card system.
David Scott Peters is a restaurant expert, speaker, coach and trainer for independent restaurant owners. He is the developer of SMART Systems Pro, an online restaurant manage-
when you should start cutting labor hours as you see what your running labor cost is and how sales per half hour have been dropping.
1) Will it take cash, credit card and gift card transactions? This seems to be a no brainer, because the whole intention of a POS is sales transactions. But you would be surprised at how many low-end POS systems don’t have a gift card system.
3) Does it have the following reports: a. DSR (daily sales report): The daily sales report, also known as an end-ofday report, is important to make sure you know what your expected cash collected is for the day to ensure you get every penny expected to the bank.
2) Does it have a time keeping module? This is extremely important because it’s not only for reporting hours for payroll, but when it connects to your sales you can easily see
b. Comp and discount report: This report is for tracking any promotions and discounts you give on a daily basis. By doing so you can quickly see if you have service or food preparation
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issues that need to be addressed or a manager who is simply giving away the shop. c. Transfer report: A transfer report allows you to see any items that have been transferred from one ticket to another or completely to another employee. This report is critical to catching employees who are stealing by moving one item off one ticket to another when the customer pays cash for the bill, ultimately allowing that employee to pocket the cash. d. Void report: This report lets you see if you have training issues because items are being voided often. It is also a good tool to identify and
ment software program helping the independent restaurant owner remain competitive and profitable in an industry boxed in by the big chain restaurants. Download a free report to discover the #1 secret to lowering food and labor costs and running the independent restaurant you’ve always dreamed of. Learn more about how David can help you at www. TheRestaurantExpert.com.
prevent managers who are stealing by voiding cash transactions. e. No-sale report: This report shows when any employee who manages a
continued on page 115
BOOTH #1460
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Branding, from page 20 articulate personal experiences, explain their desire to solve a problem or share how this business fulfills a personal aspiration. These are important aspects of connecting with your target audience. It is that connection that turns first-time customers into loyal consumers of your brand. Here are some tips on developing your own brand story: Be authentic. Stop trying to add a “cool” or “bold” factor to your narrative. Your story is YOUR story. Share it with pride and honesty. If it’s important to you, it will likely resonate with others.
make up your story, and often there are others who will be able to relate to you because your experience is similar to theirs. Share your timeline. What key milestones helped you along your journey? Did you start cooking when you were in elementary school? Has your business been a 10-year dream in the making while you toiled in corporate America? Or did you take a leap of faith six months ago, and the pieces are starting to fall into place? Whether the journey has been long or short, the experience has been yours. There is no right or wrong path to take. There is just YOUR path.
Embrace your differences. What differentiates your culinary creations from others? Look for opportunities to stand out by taking the time to analyze your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. What ingredients do you use that others don’t and why? Where do they sell or distribute their products or services and how does that differ from your plan? How is your product or service delivered to your customers?
Be realistic yet aspirational. Where you are today may not be where you want to be in 2 or 5 years. Share your aspirations while ensuring they are grounded in realistic statements and not “pie in the sky” thinking. Are you planning to grow from food truck to restaurant, or farmers market to grocery store? Do you want to start with a handful of cookies and grow into a full line of desserts? What does success mean to you? Share that journey and you invite customers to take the ride along with you.
Illustrate with details. Share stories and be specific. These details help share your personality, your passion, and your purpose. Think about what led you to start your food business in the first place. Did your child have an allergic reaction? Did your family pass down recipes that you are looking to commercialize? Did a mistake in the kitchen lead you to discover a new twist on an existing product? How does your background connect you to the community or target market? Is there something unique about your menu or production process? These characteristics all
Every entrepreneur’s experience is different. Some are culminations of childhood dreams, others are adult visions realized. Whatever your story, it is YOURS. Embrace it, describe it and express it to make a connection with your customers. When you invite people into your entrepreneurial journey and share your personal experiences, you offer them a glimpse behind the food products and additional insight into your unique service. You offer them a chance to believe in you, grow with you, and share in your successes.
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Rigie, from page 44 To utilize this new program, Con Edison needs you to provide the following information: The building address (and any AKA addresses) and the estimated gas usage from your equipment (stoves, hot water, dishwashers, make-up air, etc.). Please then email that info to dl-gasavailability@coned. com. As we worked through this with Con Edison, they were thrilled with the potential outcome. Because whether its a pop up restaurant or long term lease, the pre-planning makes Con Edison’s job much easier. Most importantly, if there’s going to construction involved to get gas to the restaurant its almost certainly going to cut down the time line. Con Edison’s Ms Cummings also suggested that while you are going through the process of gas availability and getting ready to open, don’t forget to ask your equipment and supply dealer about potential rebates from
Con Edison on the ovens and steamers etc that will be the backbone of your kitchen. This information is provided only to guide you in the location decisionmaking process, prior to the signing of a lease. Once a lease is signed and you take possession of the space you will still need to complete an official work request to the project center (and should do so immediately) to obtain specific information and schedule the work necessary to complete your gas connection/gas construction. A guide to the filing of load letters and work requests can be found at https://www. coned.com/en/small-medium-sizebusinesses/building-project-center/ faq We are looking forward to working closely with Con Edison to make it easier for our members to open their new establishments and keep our industry flourishing in New York City.
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David Scott Peters, from page 110 cash drawer rings up a transaction, hits the no-sale button on the POS system, which immediately voids the whole transaction and opens the cash drawer. This report is critical for catching employees who are stealing when a customer pays with cash. f. Item-by-Item sales mix report (also known as a product mix report): When it comes to making real change in your business, this report is king! When you combine the counts of each item purchased by your customers with up-to-date recipe costing cards, you will immediately know your ideal (or theoretical) food cost. This number allows you to measure how your kitchen is performing and to easily engineer menu changes that will change your bottom line. g. Labor summary report: This report is a tally of regular hours/pay and overtime hours/pay for each position worked in your restaurant. By using these numbers you will be able to schedule on budget the next week. h. Time keeping report: This report is imperative to keep proper records required by state and federal government regulations and, more importantly, to submit correct payroll numbers.
i. 8027 tip report: This report is a great tool to easily keep track of cash/ credit card sales vs. tips collected and reported and to fill out the Federal 8027 Tip Report Form each year. 4) What kind of support does the company offer? Because it’s not if, but a matter of when your POS system will go down in the middle of the rush on a busy Friday night. 5) Next thing to consider is the cost. What do you have budgeted for this purchase? The top tier, and often the most popular, POS companies charge a premium for their software, hardware and ongoing support. Many not-as-popular POS are equally as good as the top tier companies but are much less expensive. Then there is the entry-level tier of POS systems that for the most part are not worth even looking at to run a restaurant because they don’t have the reporting capabilities outlined above.
BOOTH #1833
Establish a budget and use this list of musts when reviewing the features of POS systems, and you’ll make an informed decision no matter what POS System you choose.
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Integrated Restaurant Technology, from page 72 tem that can recruit, evaluate, track, hire, and onboard a candidate, then feed the new employee information directly into scheduling and labor creates a time-saving, end-to-end employee management solution. The payroll information can then be seamlessly transferred to your payroll provider. Many partners, such as Compeat’s trusted partner Valiant Solutions, have state-of-
the-art technology that allows you to outsource complex tasks such as payroll with no additional effort by transmitting it automatically, saving managers time and reducing human entry errors. Just keep moving forward until everything is integrated and soon you will have all the tools to manage your entire business in one place – and get your manager back out
on to the floor where they belong – serving your customers.
Kristi Turner is Chief Marketing Officer of Compeat, Inc. Kristi oversees product marketing strategy, competitive positioning, brand awareness, digital presence, customer retention, lead generation, inside sales, and internal and external
communications. With over 27 years of domestic and international strategic business and marketing experience, Kristi has a successful track record for building scalable SaaS revenue growth, empowering employee cultures and customer centric marketing strategies. Prior to joining Compeat, Kristi served as CEO of Kaizen Consulting, a SaaS marketing consultant firm and previously served as SVP of Marketing for HotSchedules, formerly Red Book Connect. Before HotSchedules, Kristi served as a consultant to wireless global providers and as SVP of Marketing for InComm, a global technology innovator and provider of prepaid and payment solutions. Kristi holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from University of South Florida. She resides in Atlanta with her husband and two children. Kristi enjoys athletic challenges, outdoor adventures, yoga and meditation, and dedicates much of her time to studying conscious capitalism success and mentoring young men and women in professional and personal growth.
Kristi Turner
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White Coffee, from page 86
ROI on POS, from page 96
Many larger national companies now require this documentation as a condition of doing business with food suppliers. It is highly possible that over the coming years, companies could be expected to provide these certifications in order to insure commercial insurance coverage or be eligible for certain governmental programs. partment standards, or the requirements found in the recently enacted Food Safety and modernization Act, is just the bare minimum required. Like everything else in today’s hyper-competitive world, in order to thrive and survive, customers must exceed the lowest threshold under the law. To this end, what additional quality assurances can your customer count on? And how are your representations verified? One common way for your customers to gain assurance is with third party verification. There are a variety of outside companies that perform food safety and food quality audits. Many larger national companies now require this documentation as a condition of doing business with food suppliers. It is highly possible that over the coming years, companies could be expected to provide these certifications in order to insure commercial insurance coverage or be eligible for certain governmental programs. And within each outside audit program, there are multiple levels of compliance/excellence. From a vendor perspective the cost of compliance can be significant. Trained personnel are usually required to provide the appropriate documentation and to implement the necessary processes. There is often an extended learning curve for companies to get employees trained and to
reinforce the necessary employment culture that prioritizes these processes. Then there is the level of documentation and/or process. If a vendor is certified by third party audit, what level certification is available? The minimum level could seem to be enough to “get by”; vendors with supplemental documentation not only provides additional assurances for customers, but actually can become a point of differentiation in the marketplace. On many occasions, employees or companies could be tempted to “short cut” the food safety or food quality process by “just doing” most of the right things without all of the formality to consistently execute the paperwork behind it. One supplier told us many years ago, “if it’s not written, it’s not done.” Or it might be tempting to rely on a long term supplier’s “word” or track record in supplying product. Unfortunately, all the good will in the world will not replace essential documentation and formal process in the event of an issue. And that track record will be an inadequate defense to any governmental or legal body. With all of the busy days that we all have, it’s easy not to prioritize this issue. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Be proactive and be confident in your food safety and quality.
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system tracks daily inventory, real time tracking helps to analyze usage patterns, minimizing waste and reducing over ordering of products. The systems also keeps track of employee hours, making payroll simpler and more efficient. Sean Berg, director of education for Shift 4, the Parent Company for Harbor Touch, Posi Touch, Future POS and Restaurant Manager explains that when they start working with a new restaurant they focus on the needs of the individual restaurant. “The industry is evolving. All products have the core features, it’s our job to customize for each customer,” said Berg. “We figure ways to cut costs, provide more features, work faster and more efficient. Make our customers money.” Shift 4 offers over 25 solutions, including older models all which offer lifetime support, the hardest challenge for Sean and his team is finding the correct product for the individual owner. Guiding new business owners toward the correct product all depends on the type of establishment. Whether it be high-end dining, bakeries, bars or fast food chains all the technology is the same. Guiding new business owners toward the correct product all depends on the type of establishment. Whether it be high-end dining, bakeries, bars or fast food chains all the technology is the same. Once a system is installed, that is not the end of the updating. Technology is constantly changing and upgrading. With the POS industry changing so rapidly restaurants are always being offered new options. Leaving important decisions to be made on what system is correct for you. And while these systems are the core of how the restaurant runs, what business would be successful without friendly faces, and outstanding service? “I am opposed to replacing staff with technology, the capability for
the product to be simple and operate smoothly will allow one staff member to multiply, you can get more from more individuals. That is why we train the staff to be able to make the core as simple to use which will in turn make the business owner more money and save valuable time,” noted Berg. With the technology being so extensive, a rising concern is whether or not these systems will take away minimum wage positions. “This year we changed accounting platforms as well as adding a platform that scans and codes invoices which then are imported into this platform,” added Lloyd of Magnolia Bakery. “This has allowed us to have more accurate reporting as we no longer have to do manual entries and at the same time eliminating a full person in our accounting team I believe that over time technology will take jobs away from the minimum wage category. To be able to cut costs we have to look at technology and how we implement cost saving measures without compromising customer service.” “There is always a need for people in the hospitality business and technologies that can improve day to day functions. The human element here is key to making an experience awesome,” noted the Meatball Shop’s Rosenbaum. “It’s always situational, but if you’re going out to dinner, it’s the servers, hosts/hostesses, managers and chefs that make the dining experience one to remember- whether you’re in a casual or high-end setting, having someone there to take care of you, to talk with, is a luxury, and that will always need to be fielded by a person. No matter what POS system the restaurateur chooses it must be focused on outstanding food, great service both in the Front and Back of the House. Financial accuracy with the right POS system selection supports that recipe for success.
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Ventless Cooking, from page 100 stead, a ventless fryer like AutoFry, which is fully automated. You’ll be free to work on other tasks while your fryer takes care of shaking the fryer basket to ensure no product sticks and pulling foods from the oil when they’re perfectly cooked! It truly doesn’t get any easier than that! Ventless vs. Vented Safety Most importantly, let’s talk safety. As a business owner, safety needs to be a top priority for you and your staff at all times. Deep fryers offer a slew of potential risks to your employees year round. Burns are the most common hazard to your employees when operating a deep fryer. Fryer oil is usually kept around 350˚F and the number one cause of burns in the kitchen. While this is a problem with a traditional deep fryer, a ventless fryer is fully enclosed so the user is never exposed to dangerously hot oil.
Carbon Monoxide poisoning is another danger of working with a deep fryer. Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas emitted when something is burned. The vent hood installed with a deep fryer helps to divert the poisonous gas, but if the vent hood or fryer exhaust stops functioning properly, carbon monoxide can quickly fill your entire kitchen. Minor symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, nausea and dizziness, but extended exposure can result in lost consciousness and even death. By operating a ventless fryer instead, you eliminate all risk of poisonous gas. In addition, when you look at a ventless fryer like AutoFry, which has its own built in Ansul Fire Suppression System, you’ll have peace of mind for a safe work environment. Written by Bess Wightman, Marketing Manager for Motion Technology
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check out our new products Features
Features
Production rate of 2 cones per minute
Takes just 3-4 minutes to preheat Includes small plastic scoop and measuring spoons Great for carnivals, fairs, and other festivities
Easy controls Sugar scoop for pouring floss 21” Diameter bowl Floss bubble sold separately
Durable stainless steel frame and kettle
Spinner head holds 4 oz. of floss sugar
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PCM-8L
*Pictured model (PCM-8L) is 30”H *Also available in 23”H (PCM-8)
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Faith Hope Consolo, from page 103 10012 Andrew Carmellimi’s American Restaurant, Bar and Oyster Room is located on a prime corner in SoHo. The chef has been in the game for twenty years and has cooked food from all over the world. This hot spot is an innovative take on classic dishes in a retro setting where you can “see and be seen.” Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune, NYC 54 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003 A nineteen-year old East Village neighborhood fixture, Gabrielle Hamilton has proved that she’s still as relevant as ever. Her American bistro is a delightful shoebox of a restaurant serving a perfectly curated menu of exceptional New American dishes. Outstanding Pastry Chef (Presented by Lavazza) Natasha Pickowicz, Flora Bar, NYC
945 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021 Flora Bar takes inspiration from lively, approachable restaurants in New York and Europe, creating an atmosphere of accessibility and fun. Pastry chef, Natasha Pickowicz has earned a reputation for her finely honed seasonal fruit crostatas and is the mastermind behind what some would say is New York’s best sticky bun. The San Diego native relies on natural ingredients such as turmeric, paprika and matcha powder to create colorful icings for a vibrant look. What makes Pickowicz’s pastries so compelling is that they manage to land in the zone where comfort and familiarity are balanced with a novel twist. Stephanie Prida, The Pool, NYC The Seagram Building 99 East 52nd Street New York, NY 10022
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The seafood restaurant created by Major Food Group is a landmarked architectural treasure with a celebratory experience. The pastry chef, Stephanie Prida, has a knack for combining flavors that seem to get more interesting as you go along like an intricate combination using grapefruit and green tea and a cucumber parfait. Outstanding Restaurant (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water) Balthazar, NYC 80 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012 The buzzy French brasserie which opened in SoHo in the spring of 1997 is where the leaders and notables of New York have long come to make deals over freshly made croissants. Offering a wide selection of fresh seafood and shellfish, as well as bread and pastries, the legendary restaurant
twenty years later, is still one of New York’s essential restaurants. Momofuku Noodle Bar, NYC 171 First Avenue Btwn 10th + 11th Street, New York, NY 10003 Opened in 2004, this East Village spot was the first Momofuku restaurant, which gave chef and founder David Chang culinary superstardom. Since then, he has expanded his innovative comfort cuisine under the umbrella of Momofuku and has been widely credited for popularizing ramen in America, growing into an international brand. Our great city of New York always has a fairly strong showing of candidates, getting some serious recognition across several categories… looking forward to the Foundation announcing the winners in May… Happy Dining!
BOOTHS #1931 + 1945
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Toast, from page 4 visual presentation that appears at the top of a listing. “Toast is proud to partner with a fellow Boston tech brand and even prouder to support restaurants of all sizes through our exciting new partnership with TripAdvisor,” said Aman Narang, president and co-founder of Toast. “Toast found in its Restaurant Success in 2017 Report that social media ads will see an increase of 20 percent while search engine ads will see a 36 percent increase compared to historical ad spend. Together, Toast and TripAdvisor will empower restaurants with the advertising tools needed to stay ahead in 2018.” Toast Restaurant POS offers advanced functionality to manage the day-to-day operations of the restaurant, including quick menu modifications, real-time enterprise reporting and labor management on an easy-to-use interface. The platform also features revenue-driving tools including physical and digital gift cards, loyalty programs and online ordering. “Partnering with Toast will allow us to bring their customers new products to help them better showcase their business to prospective diners,” said Evan Becker, TripAdvisor head of Restaurant Commerce. “TripAdvisor Ads and TripAdvisor Premium allow restaurant owners of all sizes to quickly and easily manage their listing and ensure they’re reaching the right customers at the right time.”
reporting. In 2017, Toast was named one of the world’s hottest cloud computing companies in the Forbes Cloud 100, announced raising over $100 million as part of its Series C financing, and, was listed as the third fastest growing company in North America on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™. Learn more at www.toasttab.com. About
About Toast: Founded by Steve Fredette, Aman Narang and Jonathan Grimm, Toast is a restaurant technology platform that enables customers to simplify and streamline all elements of their operation and deliver a better guest experience. Toast offers a mobile, cloud-based point of sale system (POS) that easily integrates with front-of-house, back-of-house, online ordering, gift card and loyalty programs, as well as labor and sales 124 • March 2018 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
TripAdvisor:
TripAdvisor,
the world’s largest travel site, enables travelers to unleash the full potential of every trip. With over 600 million reviews and opinions covering the world’s largest selection of travel listings worldwide – covering approximately 7.5 million accommodations, airlines, attractions, and restaurants — TripAdvisor provides travelers with the wisdom of the crowds to help them decide where to stay, how to fly, what to do and where to eat. TripAd-
visor also compares prices from more than 200 hotel booking sites so travelers can find the lowest price on the hotel that’s right for them. TripAdvisor-branded sites are available in 49 markets, and are home to the world’s largest travel community of 455 million average monthly unique visitors, all looking to get the most out of every trip. TripAdvisor: Know better. Book better. Go better.
Weiss, from page 104
ing a Vermont vodka made from milk!) We have been working with our customers to create local pairings of food with locally based wines, craft beers and cocktails. We love the idea of small courses but you need to think it through to get the portion size right. Because if you are going to serve a smaller portion, you are going to need more staff. Make money on liquor, but tastings take more time per seating, so make it worth it…. offer suggestions of parings with each course. A key to setting the right tone for these new outdoor menus is finding the right look and feel for your tabletop. Our suggestion is an organic and handmade look where each plate is slightly different. Think in terms of earth tones that blend and complement food. It’s time to move away from the big flat plates of the
past. They always reminded me of “pallets” for the food. We are trying to help our restaurants, clubs and catering customers think of tabletop as the base to build on. We like the advantages from both an aesthetic and P&L standpoint that an operator gets with a smaller plate. They are in most cases less expensive but most importantly allow for smaller tables. That leaves room for more tables and a lighter feel in the room. Smaller plates also tend to break less keeping expenses down. We have also seen a move towards a dressier look with satin finished flatware and even black and gold tones. The operator gets an earthier look but they require better handling. In many cases they cannot be used with cold dishwasher and chemical
detergents so you need to think before purchasing. We are also involved everyday in working with our clients to select the appropriate glassware for their operation. The biggest movement in glass seems to be using interesting rocks or beverage glasses and simple glasses for the rest. We are seeing either cut or pressed glass with a heavy retro emphasis to create a classy look. We are also able to help our clients save money by selecting one great wine glass and thus breaking one of the cardinal rules of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills who demand different glasses for everything. So why not keep it simple with a 10 oz. glass, a 14 oz. glass for on the rocks and even tall drinks and then a simple glass for water. We have also noticed that as craft beer has gone from fad to main-
stream that the approach to beer glasses has changed. We suggest a simple approach with one set of glasses for light colored beers and another for dark. It also might make sense to talk to your beer distributor and see what’s available for free but make sure it doesn’t compromise the look of your brand that you’ve worked so hard to create. We are looking forward to a great Spring/Summer ‘18 season. Let us know how we can help.
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Sederholt, from page 10
stake is 20% or greater. Why would they want to guarantee YOUR loan and put their houses on the line? Among the misconceptions about the SBA is that they are more receptive than a bank and that they understand entrepreneurs better. Maybe on some level this is true, but the fact is they are a government support organization for small businesses and at their core they are a large financial institution that guaranteed $32 Billion in loans in 2017. They do not operate on your level and until you have been in the trenches, struggled to meet a payroll and build a business, you don’t understand what it’s like to be one of us. They have gotten better over the years, but to get money into the hands of small business owners they still need to work with a sponsor bank so the handcuffs are still on.
Another misconception is that the SBA loan guarantees will absolve or protect borrowers from the bank guarantees if they default. Quite the opposite is true as the borrower signs Personal Guarantees (PGs) for both the bank and the SBA. The SBA PGs include a pledge of personal assets including your house and cars along with the signature of your spouse as additional guarantor. You could have done everything right in your business and for some reason it failed – now you lose everything you own including your home to cover your loan obligation. If you are willing to go through the work, most SBA programs offer very favorable terms and deserve your full consideration. You can benefit from their lower rates and longer terms. The unfortunate truth however is that many small business owners will not qualify after doing
all that work or may choose not to put up their personal assets as collateral. When I owned restaurants, I had to sign many documents guaranteeing the performance of my businesses, but I always said that I drew the line at my front door. The house where my kids lived was off limits and I don’t encourage anyone to put themselves in that position. If you are prepared to explore this option, the most popular SBA loans are as follows: 7(a) Loan: This is the most popular SBA program and is for both new and existing small businesses. A 7(a) loan can be used for more general purposes, such as working capital, purchasing or renovating land or buildings, equipment, furnishings, debt refinancing, and more. Maximum amount is $5 million. Most loans are about $150k.
CDC/504 Loan: For growing businesses and provides long-term, fixed-rate financing for major assets, such as buildings, land, or long-term machinery. These loans cannot be used for working capital or inventory. The maximum amount of a CDC/504 Loan is $5 million. Microloan: Loans up to $50,000 to help businesses startup and expand. These loans can be used for working capital, supplies, furnishings, inventory, or equipment. They are available through non-profit lending organizations focused on economic development. Good luck in your hunt for capital. If you have questions or would like to discuss your business you can email me at dsederholt@ sfscapital.com
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Fiorito, from page 40 grams include TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures) and TAM (Techniques for Alcohol Management). Designed to prevent severe intoxication, underage drinking, and drunk driving, participating in such training programs can protect servers and establishments against liability. Offering continued service: Encourage employees to serve customers diligently. This does not mean replacing a drink as soon as an older one is being finished. Instead, employees should conduct friendly conversation with patrons, suggest food items and slow down the service while engaging in conversation. In the event an employee must cut off a patron; they already have an established relationship. The patron may take what the employee says to heart and may not be-
come angry or violent when asked to stop drinking. Denying service: As part of the liquor liability training program, establish a policy for how to deny patrons service when they have had too much to drink. Be sure to include the following steps in your policy: • Be polite and offer non-alcoholic beverages or food alternatives. • Avoid threatening statements, and place the focus on the server by explaining that they could lose their job if they continue to serve the patron. • Offer to call a taxi or friend to drive the patron home. • Use a firm tone and do not back down if met with resistance. • Remain calm and in control of the situation. • Require that employees seek out
a manager’s assistance immediately upon confrontation while trying to deny a patron service. Reporting incidents: After an incident has occurred, it is necessary that employees fill out an incident report. Specifically, make sure that employees note the name of the intoxicated patron, witness testimony and a detailed description of the incident, including mention of any fights, refusal to serve, and use of a false ID or patron ejection. This helps to reduce your liability in the event of an alcohol-related incident. Employee Legal Consequences: As part of your initiative to lessen risks, educate employees on how intoxicated patrons may impact their lives. Employees must understand how serving to minors
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who use fake IDs will result in large fines, and that breaking dram shop laws may pose serious consequences. Remind employees that they are liable and could face a number of consequences for not cutting off patrons before they’ve had too much to drink. Types of employee liability include criminal liability, civil liability and dram shop laws. Transferring Your Risks: To protect your business, it is extremely important to obtain a liquor liability insurance policy either as stand-alone coverage or as part of a restaurant and bar package policy. Speak to your insurance broker for more information about these coverage options. A good broker should understand carrier requirements and the state’s dram laws to design a policy that best suits your needs.
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Bobrow, from page 26 pany, you should be working with your local craft spirit distilleries. Are you working with local craft spirits? If not, why not? They are the ones that are passionate about flavor and the quality of the ingredients. Not just mega-liquor company who rules the roost and your bar. I seek the misfits of the distillery world, the former skateboarders turned distillers who know how to twist up my palate with flavor, not cold hard cash. Think about it. Who is doing local Vermouth in your area? Or perhaps an Amaro or alcoholic/herbal syrup? Next?
boo stirrers are a plus for skewering those Luxardo cherries that I just love- hint, hint.
5. Syrups, Shrubs, Bitters. I wrote an entire book on Bitters, Shrubs and Syrups. It’s so easy to impress me with Bitters, acidulated vinegars and broiled or roasted fruits, woven into deeper, sour flavors. I don’t like sweet cocktails and when I was teaching a Master Class on Rum at the Moscow Bar Show, I was asked to make a series of ‘cocktail whisperer’ drinks for the Russians. The looks on their faces was so priceless when I turned out drinks that were not sweet! Sure, I used a touch of simple syrup, in this case the lovely Saffron Simple Syrup from Royal Rose up in Maine. But not a candy sweet concoction of sweet, sweeter nor sweetest. I just don’t do things this way. And you shouldn’t either. What qualifies me to tell you that? Perhaps it was doing that bar-back job. Oh, that one. When I get confused that any given drink is just sugar on sugar on sugar- and you fail the lesson, that is the reason. Please, remember that it doesn’t have to be sweet to catch my attention.
9. Really great seltzer, or tonic or soda pop or whatever it is that you finish your drinks with. Charge your own seltzer. Make your own tonic syrup, charm me!
6. Stainless steel drink straws/ stirrers. I love them, especially if they are frozen cold out of the freezer. The way they stick to my lip and force me to drink. I dig them. Bam-
7. Fresh Juices- you’d better be using them. FRESH JUICES- I judged a cocktail event recently, someone used canned peaches. Oh no, not canned peaches. 8. Bitters other than Angostura. On any given store shelf there is a groaning plethora of bitters. Step away from the tried and true and experiment with the intriguing and the memorable!
10. Roasted fruits in a muddle. What? You’ve never roasted fruits and muddled them? Class Dismissed! If you pay attention to even half of my ‘suggestions’ above, I’ll know that you read the article and were hoping to catch my attention by doing better. You don’t have to do anything but be yourselves. Just being a bartender is an incredible commitment. It’s a job that requires a mindful approach, like my friend Gary Regan stresses, be a part of the place- where you are in the universe. Approach the bar like a philosopher approaches the past or a scientist postulates the future. The bar is a place of enlightenment and humility. And smile while you work, sure your job is a serious one- but it should be one that is fun and shows your confidence in your task. If your bartending gig is a drag, maybe you’d be more comfortable in a bank? I did that too, for twenty years. Much more comfortable behind the stick- more colorful too!
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Hot Schedules, from page 29
prepare without their own “recipes” for efficiency and success. Too often, ordering on the fly can result in costly mistakes and wasted food. Today, the “recipe” concept is being extended into crucial areas of restaurant management. Tech generated intelligent workflows connect tasks, teams, processes, and data to provide actionable insights that remove the guesswork. For example, a typical inventory workflow for a shift manager would be a notification telling them that, based on projected sales volume during the shift, they will have extra salmon steaks. The ROI on the investment in this new technology comes from its ability to also provide suggestions of which best-selling menu items and specials to run that evening to use the over-stocked ingredient. In
this way, managers are not just supported in inventory management at the initial point of food ordering, but also on the fly throughout their shifts. Imagine the potential value of being able to employ proactive reporting Insights before disasters happen. In this example, a kitchen is getting low on marinated chicken breasts mid-shift, and the management system sends the manager an alert. What should he or she do? The “old-school” approach would be for the manager to head to the back office and begin pulling reports to try and unearth the ideal corrective action. But this type of manual process can be clunky, slow, and frustrating. So while the manager is in the back office buried in paperwork, feverishly looking for a solu-
tion, the kitchen staff on the line is in full panic mode as it approaches the end of the marinated chicken breasts supply. With HotSchedules, the same system that sent the alert also offers the best proactive, reactive, and corrective solutions based on all available data. Instead of wasting time manually generating reports, the proactive reporting can provide suggested actions that will guide managers toward making decisions that will deliver the most profitable results and the best customer experience— all while preventing mistakes before they happen. “We are finding that many of our customers have moved towards posting schedules in some cases two weeks in advance,” Cantu added. “With HotSchedules, management is able to create predictable scheduling so that everybody is
on the same page. “ With today’s advanced inventory ordering capabilities, restaurant managers are better equipped to maintain high quality and signature culinary fare that meets expected sales volumes and reduces the high cost of waste. New technologies from pioneering companies, including HotSchedules, are providing costeffective solutions. Advanced forecasting, proactive reporting, and intelligent workflows form a new tech foundation that is helping restaurants manage inventory levels, reduce costs, eliminate waste, maximize revenue and most importantly the guest experience. To learn more about Hot Schedules, please visit https:// www.hotschedules.com/
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Sampson, from page 58 One of the more astonishing changes is the willingness of major financial centers to underwrite this expansion. There was a time when the last thing banks wanted to do was get involved with restaurants. Why, you might ask? Simply because most were individuals with little experience and resources, and this is why the mortality rate was 65% the first year. What helped reduce the mortality rate was the growth of franchising. The more successful franchisors such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and now, almost all of them, require applicants to meet the fees and have sufficient resources for everyday operations. In many instances, these requirements acted as a screening device for the lending institutions. How many Burger King or McDonald’s stores have you seen with a closed sign?
One of the more active banks is Wells Fargo. For example, they offer fixed and floating rate term loans, bridge/development financing, and sale-leaseback financing, as well as other restaurant financing options. They are just one of many which are actively involved with the industry. We as an industry have been and are growing up. Many of our companies are listed on stock exchanges, and many members have operations all over the world. There are culinary schools throughout the United States. Women are enjoying great success not only in the back of the house, but also in many corporate offices at the highest level. I feel privileged to have been able to witness it. While these are uncertain times, I think you will agree it’s fair to say foodservice is a growth industry. And it will remain a challenge.
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